Daily GK Update- 23rd Aug, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s First Portal on Arrested Narco Offenders ‘NIDAAN’: A first-of-its kind database of arrested narcotics offenders has been made operational for use by various central and state prosecution agencies tasked to enforce anti-drugs laws in the country. The portal–NIDAAN or the National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-offenders–has been developed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). It is part of the narcotics coordination mechanism (NCORD) portal that was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 30 in Chandigarh during the national conference on ‘Drug trafficking and national security’.

About NIDAAN: The NIDAAN platform sources its data from the ICJS (inter-operable criminal justice system) and the e-Prisons (a cloud-based application) repository and it is planned to integrate it in the future with the crime and criminal tracking network system or CCTNS. The ICJS, an initiative of the Supreme Court e-committee, was created to enable seamless transfer of data and information among different pillars of the criminal justice system, like courts, police, jails and forensic science laboratories, from one platform.

 

2. 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 to be held at Indore: According to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 will be held at Indore in January next year. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on the 9th of January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9th January 1915.

The 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held during 21–23 January 2019 at Varanasi, India. The Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, was the guest of honour.

The decision to celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was taken in accordance with recommendations of the High-Level Committee (HLC) on the Indian Diaspora set up by the government of India under the chairmanship of L. M. Singhvi. The then Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, received the report of the Committee at a public function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 8 January 2002 and announced the “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” (PBD) on 9 January 2002.

 

3. Mandla becomes India’s first fully ‘functionally literate’ district: Madhya Pradesh’s tribal-dominated Mandla region has become the first fully “functionally literate” district in the country. Another report of 2020 highlights that, more than 2.25 lakh people in this district were not literate, most of them were tribals from forest areas. Tribals frequently complained to the authorities about money being taken from their bank accounts by fraudsters and the root cause of this was that they were not functionally literate.

To make people functionally literate, a major campaign was launched on Independence Day 2020, in association with the school education department, Anganwadi & social workers, women and child development department, to educate women and senior citizens. With this campaign, the entire district has turned into a functionally literate district, within two years. Mandla is the first district of India to reach this mark, where people were able to write their names, read and count.

 

4. GoI grants GI Tag to Bihar’s Mithila Makhana: The Central government has awarded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Mithila Makhana. With this move, growers will get the maximum price for their premium produce. Over five lakh farmers of the Mithila region of Bihar will be benefitted from this decision. Makhana registered with GI Tag, farmers will get profit and it will be easier to earn.

Benefits of getting GI Tag: Once a product gets this tag, any person or company cannot sell a similar item under that name. This tag is valid for a period of 10 years following which it can be renewed. The other benefits of GI registration include legal protection to that item, prevention against unauthorised use by others, and promotion of exports.

Geographical Indication Tag: A GI or Geographical Indication is a name or a sign given to certain products that relate to a specific geographical location or origins like a region, town or country. Using Geographical Indications may be regarded as a certification that the particular product is produced as per traditional methods, has certain specific qualities, or has a particular reputation because of its geographical origin.

 

5. ISRO received a Crew Module Fairing from HAL for Gaganyaan mission: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed two pieces of space equipment to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for use in the Gaganyaan mission. This is the second crew module fairing (CMF) that India’s top space agency has purchased from HAL for the mission. Even though both of these CMFs will be used in some capacity, the first experiment will use the CMF that ISRO obtained from HAL. Key Points:

a)      According to sources, ISRO received the CMF structure, which included the thrust-transfer structure for the high-altitude escape motor (HTS).

b)      It should be emphasised that the HTS will be crucial in triggering an escape motor. Throughout the mission, this technology will keep the astronauts secure. In the event that a mission fails, the motor will aid in transferring engine power to the crew escape module.

c)       A CMF structure from Bengaluru-based Alpha Design Technology Limited was delivered to ISRO in June.

d)      The CMF that ISRO received from HAL will be used during the first experiment, even though both of these CMFs will be employed in some capacity.

Gaganyaan Mission:  Gaganyaan mission, which translates to “Sky Craft” in Sanskrit, is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft that is meant to serve as the foundational spacecraft for the Indian Human Spaceflight Program. Gaganyaan mission, India’s long-delayed first human spaceflight project, will lift off in 2023.

Note: ISRO Chairman: S Somanath

HAL Chairman: Mihir Kanti Mishra

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. S. Jaishankar Unveils Bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Paraguay: External affairs minister S Jaishankar unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Paraguay and visited the historic Casa de la Independencia, from where the South American country’s independence movement started more than two centuries ago. Jaishankar arrived in Brazil on the first leg of his six-day visit to South America with an aim to boost overall bilateral ties with the region. Jaishankar, who is on his first-ever official visit to South America, is also visiting Paraguay and Argentina.

A Recent Outlook On The Indo-Prague Relation: Earlier, Jaishankar, who was on his first-ever official visit to South America aimed at boosting overall bilateral ties with the region, is also the first Indian Foreign Minister to visit Paraguay, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Indian Embassy in Paraguay began functioning from January this year. The establishment of a resident Indian Embassy will spur an expansion of the economic engagement between the two countries. Trade and investment will be the focus of the bilateral activities.

 

2. International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief: 22nd August: International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, observed on August 22. On this day, the international community honours the survivors and victims of religious-based violence. The day aims to remember the victims and survivors of evil acts on the basis of or in the name of religion or belief.

The day was adopted at the 73rd UN General Assembly on 28 May 2019 as proposed by Poland. It spreads awareness that international communities must work together to achieve justice for the survivors of past abuses by holding perpetrators accountable and demonstrating to governments that action must be taken to ‘never again’ tolerate genocide or other atrocities.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. UEFA League: Manisha Kalyan becomes 1st Indian to play in the league: Young striker Manisha Kalyan became the first Indian footballer to play at the UEFA Women’s Champions League when she made her debut for Apollon Ladies FC in the European Club competition in Engomi, Cyprus. In November 2021, the 20-year-old had become the first ever Indian footballer to score a goal in the AFC Women’s Club Championship.

Kalyan had produced impressive performances for the national team and Gokulam Kerala in the Indian Women’s League (IWL). Kalyan is the second player from Gokulam Kerala to sign for an overseas club after Dangmei Grace joined Uzbek outfit FC Nasaf. She was recently awarded the AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year for the 2021-22 season.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI Cancels Licence Of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank: The RBI said the licence of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank, Karnataka, has been cancelled as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. As per the data submitted by the bank, more than 99 per cent of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), the central bank said in a release.

The RBI has requested the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Karnataka, to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank. On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to ₹5 lakh DICGC. The central bank, however, said that the penalty is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the entity with its customers.

 

2. HDFC Bank launched a new campaign ‘Vigil Aunty‘: HDFC Bank has launched a new campaign titled ‘Vigil Aunty’. It aims to encourage people across the country to practice safe banking habits. This will complement the bank’s ‘Mooh Band Rakho’ campaign which urges people not to share their confidential banking information with others. A campaign to promote Vigil Aunty and persuade people to follow her on social media and/or WhatsApp will be run for four to six weeks.

Note: HDFC Bank Founded: August 1994; Founder: Hasmukhbhai Parekh; Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; MD & CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Bill Gates Foundation named Ashish Dhawan to its board of trustees: Indian philanthropist Ashish Dhawan has been named to the board of trustees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation announced the appointment of two new members to its board of trustees. Ashish Dhawan is the founder and CEO of Convergence Foundation, and along with him, Dr Helene D Gayle, President of Spelman College, US, has also been appointed.

Ashish Dhawan: Besides being the CEO of the Convergence Foundation, which is focused on accelerating India’s economic growth and development, 53-year-old Ashish is also the chairperson of Ashoka University and Central Square Foundation, a non-profit organisation working to improve the quality of education for children in India.

Dr Helene D Gayle: On the other hand, Dr Helene D Gayle is a Gates Foundation alumna. Prior to becoming president of Spelman College, Dr. Gayle was the president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the United States’ oldest and largest community foundations.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India to buy Six Tu-160 long-range bombers from Russia: India intends to purchase Tu-160 bomber from Russia, in order to boost its strategic force. America objected to its initial flight because of how hazardous this bomber is in nature. Tupolev Tu-160 bomber can reach a peak speed of 2220 kmph. The maximum weight that this aircraft can carry while flying is 110,000 kg. It has a 56-meter wingspan. As a result, the bomber may carry out an attack at a distance of thousands of kilometres from its base. Tu-160 Bomber:

a)      On December 16th, 1981, the Tu-160 bomber had its maiden flight. Currently being refurbished, the Russian army has 17 Tu-160 bomberstrategic bombers.

b)      Russia retired this aircraft from active duty in 1995. The justification offered at the time was that Russia could not afford the hefty operational costs of this aircraft.

c)       In 2015, however, the Tu-160 bomber was modernised and put back into duty due to the Russian strategic bomber fleet’s diminishing size.

d)      According to United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the Russian manufacturer of the Tu-160 bomber, 80% of its systems have been modernised.

e)      The Tu-160 bomber is one of the biggest and most high-tech projects in the aviation sector, according to UAC General Director Yuri Slisar.

f)        The Tu-160M, which has since been renamed the Tu-160M, is the upgraded version of the Tu-160 bomber.

g)      In January 2018, President Vladimir Putin saw the official signing of the order for the construction of 10 new Tu-160M at the Kazan facility.

h)      Each new bomber at the time was estimated to cost $270 million per unit.

 

2. Indian Army Set to Possess Quantum Communication Technology: India is all set to join the elite global club, and the Indian Army will soon possess indigenous and more advanced quantum communication technology with equipped troops and a high-end secured defense system. With the support of Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Defence Innovation Organisation, the QNu Labs which is a Bengaluru-based deep tech startup has innovated advanced secured communication through Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The Defence Ministry has initiated the procurement process of QNu Labs developed QKD systems by issuing a commercial Request for Proposal (REF) after the successful trials.

The leading countries in the QKD systems are China, the US, Canada, and other European countries. A QKD system allows the creation of a quantum secure secret pair of symmetric keys between two points that are separated by a certain distance in terrestrial optical fiber infrastructure. Indian Defence officials also considered this Innovation as a milestone in the Azadi ka Amrit Kaal. The Ministry of Defence explained that QKD helps to create a non-hackable quantum channel for creating un-hackable encryption keys, which are used to encrypt critical data.