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Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Daily GK Update- 17th Aug, 2022

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. GoI appointed 11 new High Court Judges in Punjab & Haryana: The government of India has notified the appointments of another 11 High Court Judges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The appointments include the names Nidhi Gupta, Sanjay Vashisth, Tribhuvan Dahiya, Namit Kumar, Harkesh Manuja, Aman Chaudhary, Naresh Singh, Harsh Bunger, Jagmohan Bansal, Deepak Manchanda and Alok Jain.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court are currently functioning with just 46 judges against the sanctioned strength of 85 with around a dozen of the 46 judges set to retire in the next two years. With the appointment of new additional judges, the number of judges will rise to 57. On 13th August 2022, the govt had appointed 26 High Court Judges in the High Courts of Allahabad, Andhra, Telangana, Gauhati, Orissa, and Himachal Pradesh.

 

2. India voluntary trust funds for defence of human rights more than Rs 3 crore: India has donated $ 400,000 (more than Rs 3 crore) to as many as four Voluntary Trust Funds, according to information released by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva. It went on to say that the donation to Voluntary Trust Funds was made to show India’s commitment to the global advancement and protection of human rights as well as its support for the UN Human Rights Council. India has donated $400,000 to 4 Voluntary Trust Funds on Torture, Technical Cooperation, Implementation of UPR & LDCs/SIDS, reflecting our commitment to worldwide promotion & protection of human rights and support for @UNHumanRights.

 

3. Odisha Government Signed an MoU with NIOT for Protecting its Coastline: The Odisha Government has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) for the protection of coastal areas from various natural calamities like flood, cyclone, soil erosion and high tide, etc. The Odisha coastal areas face natural calamities every year due to the effects of climate change. Seven districts namely Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Baleswar and Jagatsinghpur will get benefitted out of the initiative.

This will help these districts to get technological knowledge and design from the NIOT, Chennai, for coastal area protection. The districts have already faced cyclones like Phailin, Hudhud, Titli, Amphan, Bulbul, Yash, Gulab, Jawad, etc., in the past years. In the first phase, work will be carried out in 199 km coastal areas of Kendrapada, Baleswar, Bhadrak Jagatsinghpur and Puri and in the next phase, Ganjam and Khordha will be included. The expenditure will be made by the State Government from its own resources.

 

4. Union Minister Jitendra Singh unveils India’s first Saline Water Lantern: Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh has launched India’s first saline water lantern, ‘Roshini’, which uses seawater to power Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps. The minister unveiled the first-of-its-kind lantern during his visit to Sagar Anveshika, a coastal research vessel operated by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Chennai for marine research.

Saline Water Lantern:

a)      Saline water lanterns use seawater as an electrolyte between specially designed electrodes to power LED lamps. The technology will help bring ‘Ease of Living’ to the poor and needy, especially the fishing community living along the 7,500-km-long coastal line of India.

b)      Saline Water Lantern will also boost and supplement Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UJALA scheme launched in 2015 for the distribution of LED bulbs across the country.

c)       The NIOT team for inventing the Roshini Lamp, further advising them to transfer the technology to the industry to facilitate mass production of this multipurpose lamp which can be of immense help in disaster-prone rural and remote areas.

d)      The progress of NIOT’s developed Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) technology which converts seawater to potable water.

e)      Three desalination plants based on the LTTD technology have been successfully designed and demonstrated at Kavaratti, Agati and Minicoy Islands of the Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep.

f)        The LTTD technology is suitable for UT’s islands, where the required temperature difference of about 15 degrees celsius between sea surface water and deep-sea water is found in the vicinity of Lakshadweep coasts only as of now.

Note: National Institute of Ocean Technology Founded: 1993; National Institute of Ocean Technology Director: Dr Gidugu Ananda Ramadass; National Institute of Ocean Technology Parent agency: Ministry of Earth Sciences.

 

5. Indian flag unfurled in space to marks 75 Years of Independence: The Indian national flag was unfurled in space at an altitude of over 30 km as the country marked its 75 years of Independence. The tricolour was sent to the edge of space on a balloon by Space Kidz India, which describes itself as an aerospace organisation creating young scientists for the country. The unfurling of the flag was part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations that mark the completion of 75 years since India became Independent.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Simon Stiell of Grenada named as new UNFCCC Executive Secretary: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Simon Stiell as the new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat based in Bonn, Germany. The appointment has been endorsed by the Bureau of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The career of Simon Stiell:

a)      Simon Stiell served as a senior minister in the Government of Grenada holding the portfolios of Minister for Climate Resilience and the Environment for five years.

b)      He also served as Minister for Education and Human Resource Development, Minister of State with responsibility for Human Resource Development and the Environment, and as a junior minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

c)       Stiell served as a member of Grenada’s Upper House of Parliament, the Senate, where he held the position of Leader of Government’s Business throughout this period.

About the UNFCCC: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep a global average temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia from November 16-25, 2022: Malaysia’s premier men’s hockey tournament, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2022 will be held from November 16 to 25 in Ipoh. The tournament is making a return after a two-year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. World No 1 Australia, fifth-ranked Germany, India, New Zealand, and Canada have been invited to the tournament. All matches will be played at the Azlan Shah Stadium in the city of Ipoh in Malaysia, which is the permanent venue of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Last time the Azlan Shah tournament was held in 2019 which was won by South Korea beating India in the final, which was there 3rd title. Best player of the tournament was Surender Kumar. Most Azlan Shah Tournament is won by Australia (10 times) then comes India with 5 titles. And Pakistan, South Korea with 3 titles each.

About the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup has been an annual feature in the FIH calendar since 1998, although it initially started life in 1983 as a biennial event. The event is named after legendary hockey fan and former FIH Executive Board Member HRH Sultan Azlan Shah. The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup has been part of the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) calendar every year since 2003.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Karnataka Bank launches term deposit scheme “KBL Amrit Samriddhi”: On the occasion of 75 years of Independence as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Karnataka Bank has introduced a new Term Deposit Scheme, KBL Amrit Samriddhi under Abhyudaya Cash Certificate (ACC) and Fixed Deposit for a tenure of 75 weeks (525 days). The interest rate for this Deposit Scheme is 6.10% per annum. Karnataka Bank, portraying the rich patriotic tradition and values, has always been ready to meet the aspirations and dreams of its valued patrons. With the new product, KBL Amrit Samriddhi, Bank extends the benefit of the increase in the interest rates to our customers. Normal Rate:

a)      Currently, the bank offers a 5.50% interest rate on fixed deposits below ₹2 crores to the general public, while the rate is 5.65% for tenure above 2 years to 5 years, and the rate is 5.70% on maturity period for above 5 years and up to 10 years. The rate varies from 3.40% to 5% on short-term tenures between 7 days to 364 days. These rates are the same for FDs from ₹2 crore to ₹50 crores.

b)      Meanwhile, the bank offers a 5.90% rate to senior citizens on deposits below ₹2 crore for a tenure of 1 year to 2 Years, while the rate is 6.05% and 6.20% on maturity period above 2 years to 5 years and above 5 years up to 10 years.

Note: Karnataka Bank Headquarters: Mangaluru; Karnataka Bank CEO: Mahabaleshwara M. S; Karnataka Bank Founded: 18 February 1924.

 

2. 4 independent directors reappointed by GoI to RBI’s central board: Satish Kashinath Marathe, Swaminathan Gurumurthy, Revathy Iyer, and Sachin Chaturvedi have all been renominated by the national government to serve as part-time, non-official directors on the RBI’s central board or central board of the Reserve Bank of India. The RBI said on its website that Gurumurthy and Marathe have been renominated for another term of four years, until further instructions for RBI’s central board. RBI’s central board: Key Points

a)      After the RBI’s central board current terms expire on September 18, 2022, Iyer and Chaturvedi have been renominated for another four years.

b)      Anand Mahindra, the chairman of the Mahindra & Mahindra group, Venu Srinivasan, the Chairperson of TVS Motors, Pankaj Patel, the chairman of Zydus Lifesciences, and Ravindra Dholakia, a former member of the Monetary Policy Committee, were nominated by the government in June to serve as part-time non-official directors on the RBI’s central board.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India Can Be USD 5 Trillion Economy By FY29 If GDP Grows At 9% For 5 Years: India may become a USD five trillion economy by 2028-29 only if the GDP grows at nine per cent per annum consistently for the next five years, said by former RBI Governor D Subbarao at Federation of Telangana Chamber of Commerce and Industry on India @75- Marching Towards USD 5 Trillion Economy on the occasion of 75 years of Indian Independence.

The Key Challenges: He said there are eight key challenges for India to overcome to achieve the dream of 5 trillion economy. The challenges are increasing investment, improving productivity and education and health outcomes, creating jobs, raising agriculture productivity, maintaining macroeconomic stability, managing global mega trends and improving governance, it said. Subba Rao further said that PM Modi triggered a debate on State subsidies and all political parties are at fault for the situation.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Dadabhai Naoroji’s London home gets Blue Plaque honour: London home of Dadabhai Naoroji will get a ‘Blue Plaque’, an honour that is reserved for notable personalities who have lived and worked in London. Naoroji was the first Asian who was elected as a Member of Parliament in Britain. The Blue Plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage charity, honours the historic significance of particular buildings across London. Naoroji’s plaque was unveiled to coincide with the 75th-anniversary celebrations of Indian Independence.

Naoroji often referred to as the “grand old man of India”, is reported to have moved to Washington House, 72 Anerley Park, Penge, Bromley, at a time when his thoughts were turning increasingly towards full independence for India in 1897. That red-brick home now has a plaque which reads: “Dadabhai Naoroji 1825-1917 Indian Nationalist and MP lived here”.

Other Indians who received the Blue Plaque: The Blue Plaque was erected at the homes of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Jawaharlal Nehru, and BR Ambedkar among others. Gandhi’s house was commemorated with the Blue Plaque in 1986. India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s home at 60 Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill received the Blue Plaque in 1989.

The history behind the Blue Plaque: In 1863, MP William Ewart of the House of Commons introduced the idea of a commemorative plaque scheme. Three years later, the Society of Arts adopted the scheme. In 1867, the organisation erected two plaques – one commemorated poet Lord Byron at his birthplace at 24 Holles Street at Cavendish Square and the other one honoured Napoleon III on King Street, Westminster. By 1986, English Heritage assumed charge of the scheme. Since then, English Heritage has erected over 360 plaques in more than 900 buildings in London.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveils statue of Marwari warrior Veer Durgadas Rathore: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has unveiled the Statue of “Veer Durgadas Rathore” on his 385th birth anniversary in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur. The Raksha Mantri paid glowing tribute to Veer Durgadas Rathore on the occasion, terming him as the symbol of social harmony, honesty, bravery and devotion. He stated that people, irrespective of caste or religion, should take inspiration from Veer Durgadas Rathore, who strived for peace and harmony against divisive elements in society. Veer Durgadas Rathore:

a)      Durgadas Rathore (13 August 1638 – 22 November 1718) was the Rathore Rajput General of the Kingdom of Marwar. He is credited with having preserved the rule of the Rathore dynasty over Marwar, India, following the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh in the 17th century.

b)      In doing so he had to defy Aurangzeb, a Mughal emperor. He commanded the Rathore forces during the Rajput War (1679–1707) and played a major role in the Rajput Rebellion (1708–1710) which became one of the main reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire.

c)     He was elected as the leader of the revolt along with Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur. He won a number of victories against the Mughals and forced many Mughal officers to pay tribute to him in the form of Chauth.


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