Daily GK Update- 14th Aug, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Narendra Modi lays foundation of Sant Ravidas temple in Madhya Pradesh: PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a temple-cum-memorial for Sant Ravidas and along with that also inaugurated developmental works which are worth Rs 4,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh in Aug 2023 The memorial is steeped in the spirit of ‘Samrasta’ as the soil of more than 20,000 villages and 300 rivers have been used in it Sant Ravidas was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the bhakti movement and founder of the Ravidassia religion during the 15th to 16th century CE

 

2. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is observed on 14th August: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared that August 14, will be remembered as 'Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas' or Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices during the partition in 1947.  Aim: To keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, and disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the event on this date in 2021

 

3. MakeMyTrip and ministry of tourism jointly launched Traveller's Map: Online travel company MakeMyTrip(MMT) has joined hands with the Ministry of Tourism to launch a microsite, 'Traveller’s Map of India in Aug 2023 Aim:  To showcases 600 plus destinations beyond the popular travel spots in the country Objective: To discover lesser-known tourism gems that lie within the country's borders based on their preferences According to MMT "This microsite has been designed in line with the Government of India’s visionary 'DekhoApnaDesh' program,"

 

4. First space-based Indian observatory Aditya-L1, is ready for launch: The first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun - Aditya-L1, is getting ready for its launch in September 2023 The spacecraft is expected to be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point - L1 of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million Km from the Earth and has advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any eclipses.  This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real-time.

 

5. Centre approves establishment of new spaceport in Tamil Nadu: The Centre has approved the establishment of a new spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu for carrying out the launches of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The Indian Space Policy 2023 has the provision for the utilization of a spaceport for carrying out launch activities by Non-Government Entities (NGEs), subject to technical feasibility and range safety constraints. The Policy opens up the sector for enhanced participation of NGEs across the entire value chain of the space economy, while clearly delineating the roles of various stakeholders like IN-SPACe, ISRO, NewSpace India Limited and Department of Space. The Government has set up the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) as a single-window agency for promotion and authorization of space activities. The budget allocations for IN-SPACe are 2023-24 ₹95 crore; 2022-23 ₹33 crore and 2021-22 ₹10 crore.

 

6. Odisha Govt to open ‘CSP Plus’ banking outlet in 4373-gram panchayats: The Odisha Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gave nod to open CSP Plus banking outlets in 4,373 unbanked gram panchayats (GPs) at a cost of Rs 500 crore. The CSP (customer service point) Plus banking outlets will be opened in coordination with six public sector banks (PSBs). Six PSBs — State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), UCO Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, and Bank of India will help in opening the facilities in 4,373 unbanked gram panchayats. The cabinet also approved an additional budget of Rs 2,687 crore for a special programme for developing and creating awareness for millets in four years from 2023-24 to 2026-27.

 

7. UP government to build country’s largest IT Hub in Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government will set up the country’s largest IT hub in Lucknow. The IT hub will be located on 40 acres of land in the Nadarganj Industrial Area of Amausi on Kanpur Road. The hub will be divided into three parts: IT Park, Business Park, and International Incubation Facility Center. The IT Park will be constructed on 11.47 acres.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Global Maritime India Summit 2023 to be held in October: Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023 is slated for October 17 to October 19 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The meeting, with participation from more than 40 countries, including 21 Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Deputy High Commissioners, Trade Commissioners, and 23 other diplomats, underscored the global interest in the upcoming GMIS 2023. GMIS 2023 is a premier maritime sector focussed event to bring together pivotal figures from the industry to explore opportunities, understand challenges, and stimulate investment within India’s maritime sector.

 

2. 13 August – World Organ Donation Day: World Organ Donation Day is observed every year on 13 August. Objective – To raise awareness about the importance of and help people understand organ donation. Theme 2023 – Donate Organs, Save Lives Organ donation is quite similar to giving someone another chance at life. The first ever successful living donor organ transplant was performed in 1954 in the US. A man named, Ronald Lee Herrick donated his kidney to his identical brother, Richard Lee Herrick. The doctor who performed this surgery was named Joseph Murray. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1990 for successfully carrying out this kidney transplant. It is an annual event that provides a special opportunity to celebrate and thank the donors who save some valuable lives during need.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

 

1. American golfer Lilia Vu captures second major at Women's British Open 202: American golfer Lilia Vu won the Women’s British Open to claim her second major title of 2023 by defeating Charley HullbShe also won the Chevron Championship in April 2023, became the first female player to win two majors in the same year since Jin Young Ko in 2019, and the first American woman since Juli Inkster in 1999. Three of the five women's majors have been won by American this year 2023 Allisen Corpuz won the Women's U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bank of Maharashtra tops list of public sector lenders in loan in Q1 2023: State-owned Bank of Maharashtra has emerged as the top performer among public sector lenders in loan and deposit growth in percentage terms during the first quarter of the current FY 2023. The deposit and advances of the Pune-based lender recorded a nearly 25 percent rise, the highest by any public sector bank during the April-June quarter. With a growth rate of 24.98 percent, the gross domestic advances of the bank rose to Rs 1,75,676 crore at the end of June 2023

 

2. RBI selects McKinsey and Company, Accenture Solutions to use AI and ML to: RBI has selected global consultancy firms McKinsey and Company India LLP and Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd India in August 2023 Aim: To develop systems using artificial intelligence and machine learning for its supervisory functions.  RBI is looking to AI and machine learning to analyze its huge database and improve regulatory supervision over banks, NBFCs to ensure that the benefits of advanced analytics can accrue to the Department of Supervision in the central bank.

 

3. Tata AIA introduces Industry-First Premium payment through WhatsApp: To reinforce its value of ‘Consumer Obsession‘, Tata AIA Life Insurance (Tata AIA) has introduced digital payments via WhatsApp and Unified Payment Interfaces. This industry-first feature provides an instant premium payment facility through WhatsApp and UPI-enabled payment options. The newly added payment option is first-of-its-kind in the insurance industry. The agile, seamless process allows consumers to pay premiums digitally and receive a quick premium payment confirmation and acknowledgment. In addition to being easy to use for both tech and non-tech-savvy consumers, it also offers a hassle-free premium payment experience. WhatsApp and UPI have become household messaging and payment facilities, respectively, in India. The country has close to 500 million WhatsApp users today and more than 300 million UPI users. This clearly indicates the penetration of these new-age platforms. By introducing premium payment through these platforms, Tata AIA is ensuring that it provides its consumers with the ease and convenience of doing a transaction through their preferred modes.

 

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kupwara bagged ‘Best Performer District Award’ under PMAY-G Convergence: District Kupwara has been conferred with the award for the “Best Performer District 2023 in UT of J&K under PMAY-G” by Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor J&K UT, held at Srinagar. Kupwara has received the award in recognition of the construction of 4723 PMAY houses out of a target of 4902 houses for FY 2022-23  PMAY-Gis successfully fulfilled the dream of several poor and vulnerable families having their own Pucca house in frontier Kupwara district.

 

2. NAFIS gets Gold Award for fool-proof fingerprint identification system: National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) Team won Gold Award under Excellence in Government Process Reengineering for Digital Transformation Category-1 by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Complaints in Aug 2023. ABOUT NAFIS NAFIS helps in the quick and easy disposal of cases with the help of a centralized fingerprint database. It assigns a unique 10-digit National Fingerprint Number (NFN) to each person arrested for a crime.

 

3. 954 Police awarded Police Medals on the occasion of the Independence Day: A total of 954 police personnel have been awarded Police Medals on the occasion of the 76th Independence Day. The President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) has been awarded to the Central Reserve Police Force's Assistant Commandant Loukrakpam Ibomcha Singh The Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) has been awarded to 229 police personnel President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPM) to 82 and Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PM) has been awarded to 642.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Renowned Nuclear physicist Bikash Sinha passed away: Renowned nuclear physicist Bikash Sinha passed away at the age of 78. He was the recipient of Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhusan in 2010 for his contribution to science & technology. In 1987 he was appointed the director of the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre. He held the concurrent charge as director of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics till 2009. The SN Bose Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress Association in 1994, he was conferred by the West Bengal government the state’s highest award ‘Bangabibhushan’ in 2022 and also the ‘Rabindra Smriti Puraskar’ in the same year.