Daily GK Update- 15th July, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. ISRO has launched Chandrayaan-3 from Sathish Dhawan Space Centre: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its third lunar mission ‘Chandrayaan-3’ on-board the heavy lift LVM3-M4 rocket in Sriharikota on July 14. It is planned to soft land on the surface of the South Pole region of the Moon on August 23. If this mission came out to be successful, India will enter an elite club of nations (US, Russia and China) achieving such a feat. It consists of an indigenous lander module (LM), propulsion module (PM), and a rover.

 

2. Ministry of education signs MoU with Abu Dhabi to 1st campus of IIT Delhi: Ministry of Education has signed MoU with Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) to establish 1st campus of IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi. IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi will set a brand-new template for leveraging the power of knowledge for mutual prosperity and global good and unfolds a new chapter in internationalization of India’s education. It is expected to launch its academic programs in 2024.

 

3. Dharmendra Pradhan launches AI for India 2.0: Union Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan has launched AI for India 2.0, a free online training programme on Artificial Intelligence on World Youth Skills’ Day. It is a joint initiative of Skill India and GUVI, NCVET and IIT Madras accredited online programme will equip youth with frontier skills. GUVI, an IIT Madras incubated startup is a tech platform that enables tech learning in vernacular languages and has been curated in 9 Indian languages.

 

4. Rare Bird 'Jerdon's Babbler' spotted in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, UP: A rare and globally endangered bird species named 'Jerdon's Babbler' was spotted in the buffer zone of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), in the grasslands of Uttar Pradesh. Jerdon's Babbler lives in small flocks in pairs in high/long grasslands and is a globally threatened bird It has been listed in the 'Vulnerable' category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1994.

 

5. Union Home Minister inaugurates National Mega Conclave on FPO: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has inaugurated the National Mega Conclave on Farmers Producer Organization, FPO in the cooperative sector and released the action plan for formation of 1,100 new FPOs by Primary Agricultural Credit Societies in New Delhi today. The move is taken in the backdrop of government’s announcement to set up ten thousand FPOs by 2027 and has allocated 6,900 crore rupees to achieve this goal.

 

6. Jammu and Kashmir launches Mobile-Dost-App: In Jammu and Kashmir, a path-breaking Mobile-Dost-App has been launched in sync with the vision of Apka-Mobile-Hamara-Daftar. It is a pioneering initiative for mobile-based delivery of citizen-centric services in the Union Territory. The administration is committed to providing seamless services to its residents, fostering ease in accessibility, mobility, transparency, and efficiency in governance. The administration aims to enhance accessibility and convenience ensuring that every individual of J&K will get benefited from government services at their fingertips. The Mobile-Dost-App aims at empowering the people of Jammu & Kashmir by providing a comprehensive platform to access all the Government to Citizen Services (G2C) directly from their mobile devices. With just a few taps, residents can now effortlessly avail a number of services, enhancing their daily lives and fostering an efficient, effective, and transparent governance system.

 

7. India Mobile Congress 2023 to be held in Pragati Maidan: The seventh edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC), co-hosted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) will be held from October 27 -29 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi this year. The event will be themed around “Global Digital Innovation” and will showcase 6G, advancements in 5G networks, the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in telecommunications, edge computing, and developments related to India Stack. IMC 2023 would also highlight related technology domains such as broadcast technology, satellite communication, manufacture of semiconductors. More than 100,000 plus participants, 5,000 plus CXO-level delegates, 350 plus speakers, and 400 exhibitors are expected to attend the event. IMC 2023 will launch a start-up event called Aspire, which will seek to encourage the growth of entrepreneurship among “young innovators and industry delegates in the telecom and digital domains”. The India Mobile Congress 2023 will signify the vision of our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to promote India’s pivotal role in the digital revolution impacting every sector globally. This includes pioneering breakthroughs in 5G, 6G, broadcasting, satellite, semiconductor, drone, devices, and green technologies.

 

8. Defence Acquisition Council approves proposals for buying 26 Rafale: The Defense Acquisition Council has approved the proposal to buy 26 Rafale-M fighter aircraft for the Indian Navy. These include 22 single-seated Rafale marine aircraft and four twin-seater trainer versions. Also, three additional Scopene class submarines will also be bought for the Indian Navy. The deals are expected to be worth around Rs 90,000 crore. These planes will be used by the Indian Navy on the INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, which currently employ the MiG-29. This will be the second such fighter jet purchase from the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation in recent years.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Youth Skills Day: 15th July: World Youth Skills Day is celebrated on July 15 every year to emphasize the need for imparting the right skills to youth for employment and entrepreneurship. Theme 2023: Skilling teachers, trainers, and youth for a transformative future United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day in 2014 to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

 

2. India and UAE signed historic Memorandum of Understanding on LCS system: India has signed MoU with United Arab Emirates have on the Local Currency Settlement (LCS) system to revolutionize cross-border transactions between the two nations. LCS system allows the use of the Indian Rupee and UAE Dirham in bilateral trade, marking India's first-ever LCS arrangement.

It will reduce dependence on international currencies and further strengthen economic cooperation between India and the UAE.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Parul Chaudhary Bags Gold in Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Event: Long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary (28 years) has won the fifth gold for India in the ongoing 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok. She has clinched the 3000m Steeplechase event in the women’s category and left behind her Chinese counterpart Xu Shuangshuang and finished the event in 9 minutes 38.76 seconds. Japan’s Yoshimura Reimi eclipsed her by 0.02 seconds, sealing the third place and completed her run in 9 minutes and 48.48 seconds.

 

2. India wins first test against West Indies by an innings & 141 runs: Indian cricket team defeated West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in the opening test in Dominica. Indian Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 7 for 71 set up victory against an ill-equipped West Indies batting line-up. India declared their first innings at 421 for five and grabbed a massive lead of 271 runs before the West Indies came out to bat in their second innings. The second and final Test will begin on the 20th of July at Port of Spain in Trinidad.

 

3. India wins first test against West Indies by an innings & 141 runs: Indian cricket team defeated West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in the opening test in Dominica. Indian Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 7 for 71 set up victory against an ill-equipped West Indies batting line-up. India declared their first innings at 421 for five and grabbed a massive lead of 271 runs before the West Indies came out to bat in their second innings. The second and final Test will begin on the 20th of July at Port of Spain in Trinidad.

 

4. India’s top table tennis league UTT tournament is being organized in Pune: India’s top table tennis league Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) tournament is being organized at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune this year under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India after a gap of four years. The league round-robin will be held between the 13th and the 27th of July. The semifinals will be held on the 28 and the 29th of July and the final will be held on the 30th of July. The Ultimate Table Tennis league consists of six teams. There are 36 players in total with six from each team – four Indian players and two international players. Each team will play five matches. India’s ace table tennis player Sharath Kamal is participating in the UTT league. He will be leading the Indian team to the 26th Asian Championships to be held from the 3rd to the 10th of September this year in South Korea.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI raises Rs 3,101 crores via AT-1 bonds at coupon of 8.10%: State Bank of India has raised Rs 3,101 crore of funds via additional tier-1, or perpetual, bonds at a coupon of 8.10%. The AT-1 bonds had a base issue of ₹3,000 crore and received total bids worth ₹5,920 crore and also include a call option after 10 years. Perpetual bonds (AT-1 bonds) are considered riskier than other debt instruments, as they can be written down before equity, leading to losses for investors.

 

2. SBI raises Rs 3,101 crores via AT-1 bonds at coupon of 8.10%: State Bank of India has raised Rs 3,101 crore of funds via additional tier-1, or perpetual, bonds at a coupon of 8.10%. The AT-1 bonds had a base issue of ₹3,000 crore and received total bids worth ₹5,920 crore and also include a call option after 10 years. Perpetual bonds (AT-1 bonds) are considered riskier than other debt instruments, as they can be written down before equity, leading to losses for investors.

 

3. Bank of India inaugurates IFSC Banking Unit at GIFT City: Bank of India has inaugurated its IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) in the International Financial Services Centre at GIFT SEZ area in Gandhinagar. The BOI IBU has the twin advantage of being situated in India, providing the benefit of the time zone window for its counterparts located globally with competitive pricing & quick processing from an experienced team. The IBU will provide services, such as External Commercial Borrowing (ECBs), Trade Finance Facilities, Foreign Currency Loans, Syndication Loans (Origination, Underwriting and Distribution), Foreign Currency deposit account -Current and Term Deposits, besides offering digital banking facilities through transaction-based Internet Banking facility, to various clients allowed as per IFSCA guidelines. Bank of India looks at achieving $1 billion in business by March 2024. The bank’s overseas branches contribute around 15% mix business to its Global Deposits and 16% to its Global Advances.

 

4. Razorpay launches first international payment gateway in Malaysia: Fintech firm Razorpay has launched its first international payment gateway for the Malaysian market with Curlec. The new Curlec Payment Gateway will serve more than 5,000 businesses with a target of RM (Malaysian Ringgit) 10 billion in annualized Gross Transaction Value (GTV) by 2025. The service simplifies payment collection, automates payouts, and helps businesses of all sizes to control cash flows. In February 2022, Razorpay acquired a majority stake in the Malaysia-based startup which is now known as Curlec by Razorpay As per the report, digital trade in Malaysia contributes 22.6% to the country’s GDP and is expected to rise to 25.5% by 2025.

 

 

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. PM Modi awarded France’s highest award Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the highest French award ‘Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour’ by the President of the Republic of France, Emmanuel Macron. It is the highest French honour in military or civilian orders. With this, PM Modi becomes the first Indian PM to receive this honour. PM Modi is the Chief Guest at the Bastille Day Parade on 14 July 2023, in which a contingent of the Indian Armed Forces from the three Services is also participating. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership and the Prime Minister’s visit will provide an opportunity to chart out a roadmap for the future of the partnership in various areas such as strategic, cultural, scientific, educational and economic cooperation.