Daily GK Update- 9th Aug, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Indo-Israel Center of Excellence for Vegetables inaugurated: Israeli experts are providing the Center’s technology as part of the India-Israel Action Plan (IIAP), while MIDH is funding the construction of the Center’s infrastructure for demonstration purposes. On the basis of Israeli innovations, Centers of Excellence (CoEs) are being established in the United States. In order to improve agriculture, the Central and State Governments are collaborating on all fronts, according to Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The newest technology in the horticulture industry are demonstrated and trained in at these Centers of Excellence. In protected cultivation, they also act as a source of seedlings for fruits and vegetables.

About the Indo-Isreal Centre Foundation: Using a video conference, Mr. Tomar laid the cornerstone for the Indo-Israel Center of Excellence for Vegetables in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh. He hoped that the opening of this centre will be crucial to the growth of the Chandauli district and the Purvanchal region. The Minister also expressed satisfaction that Uttar Pradesh is carrying out Central Government initiatives and that the State has made quick progress in natural and organic farming.

 

2. UP Govt Plans to Double Farmers income under ‘Panchamrut Yojana’: Uttar Pradesh government announced that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Panchamrut Yojana’ will help to achieve the goal of doubling farmers’ income through the introduction of cost-effective technical measures and the promotion of the co-cropping method. According to an official of the Sugarcane Development Department, the Government has already started taking steps under Panchamrut Yojana to achieve this goal, and would initially select a total of 2028 farmers in the state ahead of the autumn season, to develop model plots so that more and more innovative farmers felt encouraged to join the programme for their own benefit.

Panchamrut scheme: The Panchamrut scheme seeks to reduce the production cost of sugarcane, as well as increase productivity and the fertility of the land, through five techniques, including an integrated trench method for sowing of sugarcane, ratoon management and trash mulching, drip irrigation and co-cropping. The scheme has the combined objective of reducing costs through saving water and maximum use of stubble and the leaves of sugarcane, saving use of fertilisers and pesticides, promoting the cultivation of more than one crop for greater productivity and enhancing the income of farmers as well as controlling pollution as there will be no need to burn leaves in the fields.

 

3. K-DISC inks MoU with LinkedIn to Promote Employability: Kerala Development and Innovation Strategy Council (K-DISC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, along with the ICT Academy of Kerala (ICTAK) under the Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission (KKEM) as a part of Connect Career to Campus campaign (CCC). Kerala government aims to boost employability skills with this partnership among the youth of Kerala to get relevant jobs using LinkedIn. The MoU was signed and exchanged in the inaugural event of the CCC campaign in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister of Labour and General Education V. Sivankutty, Minster of Higher Education R. Bindu, Minster of LSGD M.V. Govindan and MLA Kadakampally Surendran.

State Government announces that various products and services will be made available for the students on LinkedIn. The products and services include LinkedIn Insights, curated LinkedIn learning courses, and LinkedIn jobs. LinkedIn will help the students to create their online professional brands.

 

4. CSIR appoints Nallathamby Kalaiselvi its first woman director general: Senior electrochemical scientist, Nallathamby Kalaiselvi has become the first woman director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Her appointment is for a period of two years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Kalaiselvi succeeds Shekhar Mande, who superannuated in April. Kalaiselvi has risen through the ranks in CSIR and had broken the proverbial glass ceiling by becoming the first woman scientist to head the Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) in February 2019.

Note: CSIR Founded: 26 September 1942; CSIR President: Prime Minister of India.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Gustavo Petro sworn in as first leftist President of Colombia: Gustavo Petro has been sworn in as the first leftist president of Colombia. The 62-year-old is a former member of Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla group as well as a former senator and mayor of Bogota. He succeeds Ivan Duque. Mr Petro is part of a growing group of leftist politicians and political outsiders who have been winning elections in Latin America since the pandemic broke out.

Gustavo Petro promised to fight inequality and help heralding a turning point in the history of a country haunted by a long war between the government and guerrilla groups. The new President also announced that Colombia will stop granting new licenses for oil exploration and will ban fracking projects, even though the oil industry makes up almost 50 per cent of the nation’s legal exports.

Note: Colombia Capital: Bogota; Currency: Colombian peso.

 

2. Nagasaki Day: 9th August: Japan commemorates the 9th of August every year as Nagasaki day. On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. It was code-named “Fat Man” due to the design of the bomb as it had a wide, round shape. The year 2022 will mark the 77th anniversary of the incident and will pay tribute to all those who lost their lives in the attack or were left alive to die slowly in the horrible nuclear radiation. Japan started the observation of Nagasaki Day every year on August 9 to raise awareness about the devastating power of the nuclear bombs. The day is to remind the world about the pain and suffering of victims of the attack and honour those who lost their lives.

Nagasaki Day History: On August 9, 1945, an American bomber dropped an atomic bomb over Nagasaki killing around 40,000 people instantly. Similar events had taken place three days before on August 6, when a bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima killing over 80000 people. These two consecutive nuclear attacks on Japan forced it to surrender unconditionally in the world war on August 15 1945.

 

3. International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: 9th August: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated on 09th August across the world. The celebration highlights the role of indigenous people and the importance of preserving their rights, communities and knowledge they gathered and passed down over centuries. The theme of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples this year is “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge.”

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples History: On December 23, 1994, the UNGA, passed resolution 49/214, declaring August 9 as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. On this date, in 1982, the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations had held its first meeting. On December 21, 1993, the UNGA had declared December 10, 1994, as the start of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. 1993 was also announced as the International Year of the World’s Indigenous People.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Commonwealth Games 2022: PV Sindhu won the gold medal in women’s single badminton: India’s shuttler P V Sindhu has clinched a gold medal in the final of women’s single at the Commonwealth Games 2022. The double Olympic medalist beat Michelle Li of Canada to win the Gold. PV Sindhu beat Michelle Li by 21-15, 21-13. This is the first-ever Commonwealth Games singles gold of Sindhu’s career.

 

2. Commonwealth Games 2022: India won silver medal after losing to Australia in cricket: The Indian women’s cricket team has created history and secured the country’s first-ever medal in cricket in the history of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022. The Women in Blue have reached the gold medal match after beating hosts England in a nail-biting clash at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. Batting first, Australia scored 161/8 in the final played at Edgbaston ground. In reply, the Indian team could only score 152 runs in 19.3 overs. India lost the gold medal match by just 9 runs.

In the bronze medal match earlier, New Zealand coasted to an eight-wicket win over England. The home side won the toss and elected to bat but could only muster 110-9 in their 20 overs. England captain Nat Sciver top-scored with 27 and Amy Jones hit 26 but the total looked well short of par.

 

3. Commonwealth Games 2022: Aussie Swimmer Emma McKeon Has Won More Gold Than 56 Countries: 28-year-old swimmer, Emma McKeon from Australia, has set a unique record of sorts at the Commonwealth Games 2022 as she bagged more medals than 56 nations/territories at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She won one bronze, one silver, and six gold medals across various events in swimming at the Commonwealth Games. Out of the 72 countries/territories that took part in the CWG 2022, only 16 won eight or more medals.

 

4. Commonwealth Games 2022: India contingent completed its Commonwealth Games 2022 campaign in Birmingham. India won 61 medals in the overall Commonwealth Games 2022 medal table. India finished its CWG 2022 campaign as the fourth-best country on the medals table. India won 22 gold medals, 16 silver and 23 bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. India’s Commonwealth Games 2022 campaign is its fifth-best in terms of the number of medals won. India’s best finish was at its home games in Delhi in 2010, where it won 101 medals. First and last medal in Indian Tally:

a)      Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won India’s first gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2022 after she topped the 49kg category.

b)      Paddler Sharath Kamal won India’s last gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2022 with a gold medal in the Table Tennis men’s singles competition.

Commonwealth Games 2022: Overall Medal Tally

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Australia	67	57	54	178
2	England	57	66	53	176
3	Canada	26	32	34	92
4	India	22	16	23	61
5	New Zealand	20	12	17	49
6	Scotland	13	11	27	51
7	Nigeria	12	9	14	35
8	Wales	8	6	14	28
9	South Africa	7	9	11	27
10	Malaysia	8	8	8	24

 

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Indian Bank received a Rs. 32 lakh fine from the RBI: In accordance with paragraph 3.2.6 of Reserve Bank of India (Frauds, classification and reporting), the Reserve Bank of India fined the Indian Bank a total of Rs. 32.00 lakh (Rupees Thirty Two Lakh only) for failing to submit a Flash Report for frauds involving amounts of at least Rs. 5.00 crore (Rupees Five Crore) to the RBI as required by Section 47A(1)(c) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

The Indian Bank has taken essential preventative and comprehensive measures to stop a repeat of this in the future. A notification was sent to the bank in response to this, instructing it to provide justification for not facing a penalty for failing to follow RBI instructions. This action is based on the regulatory compliance shortcomings and is not meant to rule on the legality of any deal or arrangement the bank has with its clients.

 

2. Unity SFB named Inderjit Camotra as MD & CEO: The Unity Small Finance Bank (SFB) Limited (Unity Bank) has appointed, Inderjit Camotra as the managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) of the bank. A senior banker with over 25 years of experience across India, Camotra held various leadership positions at Standard Chartered Bank. In January 2022, the bank appointed Vinod Rai, the former CAG of India, as its Chairman.

About the Unity Small Finance Bank: Unity Small Finance Bank is a new age, the digital-first bank which was recently elevated to a ‘Scheduled Bank’ and was included in the Second Schedule of the RBI Act. The bank is promoted by Centrum Financial Services Ltd and Resilient Innovations Pvt Ltd as a joint investors. The bank commenced its operation in November 2021.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. TATA Steel to spend 3000 cr on seating for new Vande Bharat trains: Tata Group is preparing to introduce the “First in India” seating system for Vande Bharat Express trains starting in September 2022 and plans to invest Rs 3,000 crore on R&D by FY26. By 2030, the steel-to-salt conglomerate hopes to rank among the top 5 technological companies worldwide in the steel sector. The Vande Bharat express has placed a bulk order worth Rs 145 crore with Tata Steel‘s Composites division for seating systems. This order calls for the provision of complete seating systems for 22 train sets, each consisting of 16 coaches.

These seats have been carefully created, can rotate 180 degrees, and have conveniences similar to those seen in aeroplanes. This is a first-of-its-kind supply that will be carried out over a 12-month period beginning in September 2022, according to Debashish Bhattacharjee, Vice President of Tata Steel’s Technology & New Materials Business, who spoke to PTI.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. 12th edition of Defence Expo to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat: The Ministry of Defence has announced that the 12th edition of the Defence Expo, India’s flagship exhibition on Land, Naval and Homeland Security systems, will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The event will be held between October 18 and 22, 2022. The theme for this edition is ‘Path to Pride’ invoking nationalistic pride and encouraging citizens to partake in nation-building through establishing a capable indigenous Defence industry.

The five-day event will witness three business days followed by two public days. Live demonstrations showcasing the equipment and skill set of the Armed Forces, DPSUs and Industry will be held on all five days at Sabarmati River Front through active participation and synchronized efforts at all levels, informed the officials.

Key points of the 22nd Defence Expo 2022:

a)      The Indian Defence industry has been keenly anticipating DefExpo-2022 which is Asia’s largest event in the defence sector. It was postponed in March 2022 due to logistical problems being faced by the participants.

b)      The reforms in defence manufacturing are attracting greater interest from Indian Defence manufacturers and it is therefore anticipated that DefExpo-2022 would attract active participation from Indian companies.

c)       The DefExpo-2022 website (www.defexpo.gov.in) is available to provide online services to exhibitors, besides hosting informative content about the various indigenous defence products and promoting heritage and leisure at Gujarat.

d)      The exhibition is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve self-reliance in defence and achieve export of $5 billion by 2025.

 

2. Indian Army conducts pan-India drill ‘Skylight’ to test operational readiness: The Indian Army has conducted a pan-India satellite communication exercise named ‘Ex Skylight’, in the last week of July. The main objective of this exercise was to test the operational readiness and robustness of its hi-tech satellite communication systems, in the event of an attack by an adversary. Key Points:

a)      The Indian Army is preparing to have its own multi-band dedicated satellite, with added security features by 2025.

b)      The dedicated GSAT-7B satellite of the Army is a first-of-its-kind indigenous multi-band satellite, designed with advanced security features. It will support tactical communication requirements for troops deployed on the ground, remotely piloted aircraft, air defence weapons and other mission-critical and fire support platforms.

c)       ISRO and various agencies responsible for space and ground segments also participated in the exercise.

d)      The IAF and Navy already have their own GSAT-7 series satellites.