Daily GK Update- 13th May, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Survey Report on Data Governance Quality Index: According to the Data Governance Quality Index for 2022-2023 Q3, conducted by DMEO, NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has secured the second position among 66 ministries. The Ministry has achieved an impressive score of 4.7 out of 5. Aim of the survey: To measure the maturity level of administrative data systems and their use in the decision-making of various Ministries and Departments on the implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).

 

2. Kerala becomes first state to have Drone Surveillance in all police districts: Kerala has become the first state in the country to have a drone surveillance system in all police districts in the state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan distributed the drones to all police districts and the drone pilot licences to the specially trained drone pilots. He also launched indigenously developed anti-drone software on the occasion. Kerala has been at the forefront of modernization of the police force and that since the use of drones has increased in society, the development of an anti-drone system is also important.

 

3. Mumbai to host first mining start-up Summit: The first mining start-up summit will be held on 29th May in Mumbai to encourage the participation of start-ups in the mineral and mining sector. Start-ups in the fields of exploration, virtual reality, automation, drone technology, and consultancy will participate in it. The summit will mainly focus on innovation and techniques that will support and improve performance, safety, and help in building autonomy in the field of mining and metallurgy. It will also be focusing on interaction with leading industries in the mineral exploration sector, financial institutions, and banks. The students and young professionals working in the fields of exploration, virtual reality, automation, drone technology, and consultancy will also be benefited from the event.

 

4. ICMR signs MoU with AYUSH Ministry for health research in Integrated Medicine: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has signed an MoU with AYUSH Ministry for collaborative and cooperative momentum on health research in the field of Integrated Medicine. This move will help Ayush departments in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) evolve into departments of Integrated Medicine across the entire AIIMS infrastructure in India. The MoU will focus on identified areas of national importance in healthcare, promoting high-impact research to generate evidence utilizing modern scientific methods. The cooperation will also strengthen research capacity through the training of Ayush researchers.

 

5. Congress wins clear majority in Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Indian National Congress has won a clear majority in Karnataka Assembly Elections. According to the Election Commission of India, Congress has won 135 seats out of a total 224 Assembly seats. A party requires to won 113 seats for forming the government as it is the majority mark. The ruling BJP bagged 65 seats. JD(S) has come third winning 19 seats while others have won 4 seats. Outgoing Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai wins Shiggaon seat beating Congress candidate Pathan Yasir Ahmed Khan by nearly 36 thousand votes. Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who joined Congress before the elections, was defeated from Hubbali – Dharwad Central seat by BJP candidate by a margin of over 34,000 votes.

 

6. Rajiv Dhar appoints as interim CEO & MD of NIIF: Rajiv Dhar has been appointed as interim Managing Director and CEO of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). He succeeds Sujoy Bose who is leaving after holding the position since 2016. Dhar is currently executive director and chief operating officer at NIIF, a collaborative investment platform anchored by the government for international and Indian investors. Dhar, with more than 30 years of experience, has been a critical member of the NIIFL leadership team since 2017. During this period, he oversaw some key achievements of the company. He served on the investment committee for all funds managed by NIIFL.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Geeta Rao Gupta appointed as Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues: Indian American Geeta Rao Gupta has been confirmed by the US Senate as the Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues in the State Department. She was confirmed by the US Senate by 51 to 47 votes. Prior to this, she has worked as the Executive Director of the UN Foundation’s 3D Programme for Girls and Women. She also advises the UNAIDS Global Coalition on Women and AIDS and is on the boards of InterAction and the Moriah Fund.

 

2. SpaceX partner aims to launch commercial space station: Space startup, Vast is aiming to launch a school bus-sized space station to orbit by late 2025 in association with Elon Musk’s rocket firm, SpaceX.The cylindrical spacecraft dubbed Haven-1 is the latest platform planned as a replacement for the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is expected to retire in 2030. In 2021, NASA awarded $415 million in development funds to four companies including Northrop Grumman and Blue Origin.

 

3. World Migratory Bird Day 2023: May 13: World Migratory Bird Day is observed twice a year on the second Saturday of May and October. Aim: To promote the conservation of migratory birds and raise awareness about their significance In 2023, May 13 marks the celebration of World Migratory Bird Day. 2023 theme: Water and its importance for Migratory Bird World Migratory Bird Day 2023 will be officially held on 13 May and 14 October. It is a worldwide initiative launched in 2006 by the AEWA and CMS Secretariats.

 

4. 5th edition of Global Ayurveda Festival: The fifth edition of the Global Ayurveda Festival (Gaf 2023) will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala from December 1 to 5. The theme of the event is ‘Emerging Challenges in Healthcare & A Resurgent Ayurveda’. Aim: To bring together Ayurveda practitioners and stakeholders from around the world to showcase Ayurveda’s potential in addressing health challenges The event will also feature over 750 research papers and 750 poster presentations on the sidelines.

 

5. Deepika Padukone appears on cover of TIME magazine: Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has been featured on the latest cover of TIME magazine. The iconic American magazine described Padukone as a ‘global star’ bringing ‘the world to Bollywood’. It had previously named Padukone among its list of 100 most influential people in the world in 2018. Deepika is called ‘the most popular actress in the world’s most populous country’. On the cover, she is seen wearing a beige oversized suit and no shoes.

 

6. Karthik Balagopalan appoints as new MD of Puma India: Sportswear retailer Puma has appointed Karthik Balagopalan as the new Managing Director of PUMA India. He will succeed Abhishek Ganguly, who worked for PUMA’s Indian business for 17 years and has been the Managing Director of PUMA India since 2014. Balagopalan earlier served as Global Director Retail and e-commerce at the company. Balagopalan has been with the company since 2006. Prior to leading PUMA’s global DTC business, he held management positions in retail operations and business development at Puma India. India has been one of the fastest-growing markets for the brand.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal scores fastest IPL 50: Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal etched his name in history by becoming the fastest fifty in the Indian Premier League 2023 against Kolkata Knight Riders. Jaiswal created history by scoring 50 off just 13 balls, surpassing KL Rahul’s 14-ball fifty in 2018. He also went past KKR’s Pat Cummins, who scored a 14-ball fifty in 2022. Yashasvi hit three sixes and seven fours in the first 50 runs.

 

2. Asian Kabaddi Championship to be held in South Korea: The Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 is scheduled to be held in Busan, South Korea from June 27 to 30. The continental kabaddi event will be played after a hiatus of six years. The last edition was held in Gorgan, Iran in 2017.

India is the defending champions having beaten Pakistan 36-22 in the final in 2017. In the women’s category, too, India are the defending champions. They defeated South Korea 42-20 in the final in 2017. The Indian women’s kabaddi team is also the most successful side in the competition having won four gold medals while South Korea has claimed one title in the five editions so far.

 

 

 

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI imposes ₹2.92 Cr penalty on Canara Bank: RBI has imposed a penalty of ₹2.92 crore on Canara Bank for violation of various norms, including linking interest rates to external benchmarks, and opening savings accounts of ineligible entities A scrutiny of the bank was carried out by RBI in July 2020 based on a high-value fraud reported by another bank. After scrutiny, the RBI found that the bank failed to link interest on floating rate retail loans and loans to MSME to an external benchmark.

 

2. RBI, GFIN collaborate to prevent 'greenwashing: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will be participating in the Global Financial Innovation Network's (GFIN) Greenwashing TechSprint. Aim: To address the concern over exaggerated, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) credentials GFIN support financial innovation in the interest of consumers. The RBI has invited Indian firms to participate in the TechSprint to address sustainable finance as a collective priority.

 

3. RBI launches ‘100 Days 100 Pays’ campaign: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a campaign ‘100 Days 100 Pays’ for banks to trace and settle the top 100 unclaimed deposits of every bank in every district of the country within 100 days. Aim: To reduce the quantum of unclaimed deposits in the banking system and return such deposits to their rightful owners/claimants An unclaimed deposit is one which does not see any activity for 10 years or more and is deemed as an inactive deposit.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Musharraf Farooqi wins the inaugural Armory Square Prize for translation: Author and translator, Musharraf Ali Farooqi has won the inaugural edition of the Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation. He translated Siddique Alam’s 'The Kettledrum and Other Stories' from Urdu to English. The book will be published by Open Letter Books in 2024. The Armory Square Prize for translation was instituted by the American venture capitalist firm Armory Square. Aim: To recognize literature from underrepresented traditions

 

2. Santiniketan in tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage list: The home of Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore, Saantinketan has been recommended for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The quaint town in West Bengal’s Birbhum district is also home to the Visva-Bharti University built by Tagore. Santiniketan, over 160 km from Kolkata, was originally an ashram built by Tagore’s father Debendranath Tagore. India has a total of 40 sites that enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage tag.

 

3. Jayant Narlikar awarded Lifetime Achievement Award by ASI: Veteran astronomer Jayant Naralikar has been conferred the first Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Astronomical Society of India (ASI). Naralikar, a past president of ASI, was the founding director of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and amongst the first to initiate cosmology research in the country. The award is named in honour of Prof. Govind Swarup (1929-2020), widely regarded to be the founder of radio astronomy in the country.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former AIFF vice-president AR Khaleel passed away: The former All India Football Federation (AIFF) Vice-President, AR Khaleel passed away at the age of 91. He also served as the president of the Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) for 28 years till 2018. He was a footballer, who ran Jawahar Union FC, one of Bengaluru’s traditional clubs. He also donned managerial roles for the Indian National Teams in various age groups.