Daily GK Update- 17th Aug, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. President to launch advanced frigate Vindhyagiri in Kolkata: President Droupadi Murmu launched the Vindhyagiri, a Project 17A Frigate of the Indian Navy at Garden Reach Shipbuilders Engineers in Kolkata in August 2023. Named after a mountain range in Karnataka, Vindhyagiri is the sixth ship of the Project 17A frigates. About Vindhyagiri It is a technologically advanced Frigate that pays a befitting tribute to the distinguished service of its predecessor, the erstwhile INS Vindhyagiri, the Leander Class ASW Frigate.

 

2. Malayalam New Year Chingam observed on 17th August 2023: Chingam 1 is the first day of the new year of the traditional Malayalam calendar used in Kerala. In 2023, it's being celebrated on August 17.  Chingam 1 is also known as Chingam Month or Chingam Masam and it's followed by the Onam festival.  The Malayam Calendar is based on the solar calendar system and every year, the date of Chingam 1 varies.  Chingam 1 marks the beginning of the harvest season in Kerala and is considered an auspicious day.

 

3. Maharashtra scored top position in fiscal health report : Based on the FY23 revised budget estimates Maharashtra secured the top position as the best state in overall fiscal health in a report conducted by a foreign brokerage firm Chhattisgarh, one of the poorest states in the country, is in 2nd position followed by Telangana, while the bottom 3 are Bengal, Punjab, and Kerala The report, penned by Kaushik Das, chief economist at the Deutsche Bank, was conducted to survey the fiscal health of 17 major states across the country

 

4. Goa govt launches 'Gramin Mitra' scheme to promote digital empowerment: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the flagship scheme "Gramin Mitra" in August 2023 Objective: To provide doorstep delivery of government services across the state and promote digital empowerment in rural areas. Aims:  To empower rural communities with access to information and opportunities that can transform their lives and drive socio-economic growth. The program will help us accelerate the delivery of e-governance services to rural areas across the state.

 

5. ACC appointed Parminder Chopra as 1st woman CMD of PFC: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed  Parminder Chopra as the first full-time women Chairperson and Managing Director of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) Limited.  Presently, she is serving as Director (Finance) of the same Maharatna Power PSU. She has also been holding the addition charge of company’s CMD post. She has more than 35 years of experience in power sector, serving in key power sector organizations like NHPC and Power Grid.

 

6. Government clears Rs 20000 crore deal to build five warships: The government has cleared a Rs 20,000 crore deal to manufacture fleet support vessels (FSVs) which are urgently required by the Indian Navy in August 2023 Vizag-based Hindustan Shipyard Limited will manufacture five of the 45,000-tonne warships, the largest ship of its class being built at the defense ministry-owned yard. The ships are needed to support warships on long range patrol and can carry a variety of equipment, such as fuel, ammunition and food supplies.

 

7. Ministry of Youth Affairs organize Youth 20 Summit in Varansi: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is organizing Youth 20 Summit-2023 from the 17th to the 20th of August in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. More than 100 delegates from G20 countries, Guest countries, and International Organizations will discuss five identified themes of Y20. These themes include Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation and 21st Century Skills, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War, and Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. The Y20 Summit will bring together youth experts, decision-makers and youth representatives from G20 countries to negotiate, finalize and sign the Y20 Communiqué created from the conclusions of the discussions conducted during past few months.

 

8. Rajasthan CM launches free food packet scheme: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has launched the state government’s Annapurna Food Packet Scheme which seeks to distribute food packets to more than 10.4 million families for free every month. The scheme is part of the ₹19,000 crore ‘Inflation Relief Package’, which was announced by the chief minister in February during the state budget for 2023-24 to provide relief to the public from rising prices. Under the scheme, each food packet will contain one kilogram each of chana dal, sugar, salt, one litre soybean refined edible oil, 100 gm each of chilli powder and coriander powder, and 50 gm of turmeric. The chief minister also urged the Centre to regularly implement the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana – providing 5kg free dry rations to 800 million poor every month – instead of extending it for six months each time.

 

9. 17 August 2023 – Malayalam New Year Chingam: Malayalam New Year Chingam was observed on 17th August 2023. In 2023, it’s being celebrated on August 17. Chingam 1 is the first day of the new year of the traditional Malayalam calendar used in Kerala. Chingam 1 is also known as Chingam Month or Chingam Masam and it’s followed by the Onam festival. The Malayam Calendar is based on the solar calendar system and every year, the date of Chingam 1 varies. Chingam 1 marks the beginning of the harvest season in Kerala and is considered an auspicious day.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. WHO to organize first-of-its-kind global summit on Traditional Medicine: The Ministry of Ayush and the World Health Organization would organize a first-of-its-kind global summit on Traditional Medicine (GCTM) from the 17th of August 2023 in Gandhi Nagar. The WHO GCTM is a knowledge center for traditional medicine. The summit will serve as a platform for experts and practitioners to delve into the latest scientific advancements and evidence-based knowledge in the sector, with the ultimate goal of ensuring health and well-being for all.

2. Alex Chriss appoints as CEO of PayPal: Alex Chriss has been appointed as the new CEO of PayPal. He will replace its longest-serving chief executive officer Dan Schulman. He currently serves as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of Intuit’s Small Business and Self-Employed Group, Schulman became PayPal’s CEO after the split from eBay in 2015, and he notified the company of his decision to retire at the end of December last year.

 

3. 17 August 2023 – Indonesia’s 78th Independence Day: Indonesia celebrates its Independence Day every year on August 17. this year celebrates its 78th Independence Day. Indonesia officially declared independence from Dutch rule on 17 August 1945. The Indonesian independence movement officially began in May 1908, commemorated as the “Day of National Awakening”. The early 1910s and 1920s saw the establishment of several political parties like the Indonesian National Party (PNI), Sarekat Islam, and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and movements that supported Indonesian independence like Budi Utomo The theme of this year’s Independence Day is “Terus Melaju Untuk Indonesia Maju”, which stands for “Striving to Progress Indonesia”. The theme embodies the spirit of collaboration and togetherness to accelerate Indonesia’s growth and maintain local wisdom. Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

 

1. Indian wrestler Mohit Kumar becomes Under 20 World Champion 2023: Indian wrestler Mohit Kumar has become the Under 20 World Championship 2023 in the men’s 61 Kg Freestyle category by defeating Russia's Eldar Akhmadudinovin in Jordan He is the fourth male wrestler from India to earn a gold medal in the U20 World Championships, following Palwinder Cheema in 2001, Ramesh Kumar in 2001. Jaideep won the bronze in the 74kg category Sagar Jaglan won the silver medal 79 kg category while Deepak Chahal won the bronze medal in 97 kg category.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Zerodha gets final nod from Sebi to launch mutual fund business: Nithin Kamath, CEO of India's leading broker Zerodha, has received final approval from the regulator Sebi to launch the mutual fund product. The motivation to launch the mutual fund business was two-fold -- the shallow participation in Indian markets wherein lies the challenge and an opportunity and creating simple products for investors. Zerodha started its journey in 2010 as a ‘Rs 20 per order broker’ and gained popularity as a no-frills, low-cost player among traders.

 

2. ADB approves USD 40.5 mln loan for childhood development in Meghalaya: The Asian Development Bank  has approved a USD 40.5 million loan for integrated early childhood development and maternal mental health in  Meghalaya The Meghalaya government is contributing USD 15.27 million to the project. Aims: To improve access to nurturing care, including a component of maternal mental health care to enable the inclusion of fathers in caregiving. Objective: To strengthen home-based childcare and center-based childcare  through daycare centers

 

3. Canara Bank has introduced Canara Jeevan Dhara savings bank account: Canara Bank has introduced Jeevan Dhara, a special savings bank account for pensioners, and prospective pensioners.  The primary benefit of this account for senior citizens is that it is a zero-balance savings account.  With this savings account, senior citizens do not have to maintain a minimum balance and there are no maintenance charges. The interest rate per annum is 4% for deposits for senior citizens holding the Canara Jeevan Dhara Savings account.

 

4. NHA and IRDAI collaborate to boost digital health integration in insurance: The National Health Authority (NHA) and IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) jointly organized an exclusive three-day Accelerator Workshop. Objective – To help insurance companies complete their Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) integration and to facilitate adoption of Health Claims Exchange (HCX) specifications. The workshop was organized in New Delhi and saw participation from over 150 professionals representing 29 insurance companies and 16 TPAs. The IRDAI issued a circular in June 2023 advising all insurance companies to start capturing the ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) number of all of the persons seeking insurance cover and also to obtain their consent for sharing medical records with insurers/TPAs through АВНА. The ABHA number would help identify the insured in a digital environment and facilitate seamless healthcare and insurance service delivery.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Indian-American Economist Raj Chetty awarded top Harvard University prize: Indian-American economist Raj Chetty has been awarded Harward University's coveted George Ledlie Prize 2023 for wielding big data to break myths about who achieves the American Dream The award is given every two years to a member of the Harvard community who has made the most valuable contribution to science or in any way for the benefit of mankind. He is also director of Opportunity Insights, a group of economists based at Harvard who studies inequality.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Eminent scientist Padma MRS Rao passes away in Bengaluru at 75: Manchanahalli Rangaswamy Satyanarayana Rao, popularly known as MRS Rao, an eminent Indian scientist and Padma Shri awardee, passes away.  He was well known for his discipline, scientific knowledge, patience, soft-spoken nature and mentorship of PhD students. He was honored with the Padma Shri award in 2010 for his contributions to the field of science and engineering. He was the first scientist to initiate Chromatin Biology research in India.