Daily GK Update- 14th Sept, 2023

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Hindi Diwas 2023 is celebrated on 14th September: Indians on 14 September celebrate National 'Hindi Diwas'.  On this day in 1949, the Hindi language was adopted as one of the official languages of the Republic of India.  Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, officially declared 14 September as the Hindi Diwas. 425 million people speak Hindi as their 1st language and about 120 million people speak Hindi as their 2nd language.

 

2. PM Modi to be on a day-long visit to MP and Chhattisgarh: In Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  dedicated important rail sector projects to the nation. Prime Minister’s emphasis on improving connectivity across the country will get a boost with the dedication to the nation of important rail sector projects worth more than  Rs. 6 thousand crores in the public programme in Raigarh.  Aim: To provide impetus to socio-economic development by facilitating movement of passengers as well as freight traffic in the region.

 

3. VP Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated International Conference on dam safety: VP Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the International Conference on Dam Safety at Jaipur in Rajasthan. According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, there are over 6000 dams in India and it is ranked third globally in terms of large dams.  Aim: To provide a major platform for experts to come together and debate cutting-edge topics in dam safety and management.  It has been essential to civilization's development, have role in meeting demand for drinking water, irrigation, hydropower

 

4. DMRC, BEL sign MoU to develop Communication Based Train Control system: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Bharat Electronics Limited signed a MoU to develop an indigenous Communication Based Train Control system.  Aim: To transform rail transportation in India, driving innovation, reducing costs, and fostering self-reliance in the field of train control signaling systems. The Communication-Based Train Control System will optimize train operations, and enhance passenger services while efficiently utilizing rail infrastructure.

 

5. Cabinet approved the expansion of Ujjwala Yojana: The Cabinet approved the expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) allocating 7,500,000 new LPG connections over a three-year period until the FY26.  Costing Rs 1,650 crore, this expansion will elevate the total number of PMUY beneficiaries to 103.5 million. The government announced this extension after reducing the price of cooking gas by Rs 200 across all markets last month. Data indicate that LPG penetration reached 99.9 per cent in 2022

 

6. S.R. Batliboi is appointed as a Paytm auditor: Digital payment services provider Paytm has appointed a new statutory auditor, S.R. Batliboi & Associates LLP, for five years. The previous statutory auditor, Price Waterhouse Chartered Accountants LLP, completed its term at the conclusion of the AGM.  Price Waterhouse Chartered Accountants LLP on August 7 had announced its resignation as auditor of Paytm Payments Services Limited with immediate effect.

 

7. Joshit Ranjan Sikidar takes over as Director (Finance) of SECI: Joshit Ranjan Sikidar has taken over as the Director (Finance) of the state-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). Before this appointment, Sikidar was working as Group General Manager (Finance) and the Company Secretary of RITES Ltd. Sikidar is a Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, Cost Accountant and holds an MBA in Finance. The SECI is a Miniratna company. Sikidar has also worked with RITES for more than four years, over 16 years in NSPCL — a joint venture of NTPC & SAIL– and more than nine years in SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant.

 

8. 14 September – Hindi Diwas: Indians on 14 September celebrate National ‘Hindi Diwas’. On this day in 1949, the Hindi language was adopted as one of the official languages of the Republic of India. Written in the Devanagari script, the Constitution of India accepted Hindi language as the official language of India on 14 September 1949. And, on 14 September 1953, India celebrated the first Hindi day (Hindi Diwas). About 425 million people speak Hindi as their first language and about 120 million people speak Hindi as their second language. The Hindi language is majorly spoken in states like Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Punjab. In terms of countries, Hindi is also spoken in Mauritius, Nepal, Fuji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago. This day also marks the birthday of the Indian writer Simha who worked tirelessly to make Hindi one of the official languages. The Indian constitution recognizes 22 major languages of India in what is known as “the 8th Schedule” of the Constitution. These include Sanskrit, Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Kannada, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Santali, Sindhi, and Urdu.

Originally, only 14 languages were included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian constitution. Bodo, Dogri, Konkani, Maithili, Manipuri, Nepali, Santali, and Sindhi were recognized later.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Tharman Shanmugaratnam appointed as Singapore’s president: Indian-origin Singapore-born economist Tharman Shanmugaratnam appointed as the ninth president of the city-state. He has served Singapore all his life in public service. Prior to being president-elect, he served as a senior minister and Deputy Prime Minister from May 2011 to May 2019.  He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum. This was the first contested presidential election since 2011.

 

2. Distant Planet may have Water Ocean and Possibly a life: NASA: Nasa has announced the existence of a possible rare water ocean on a giant exoplanet scores of light years away and also a chemical hint of a sign of potential life. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in its study of K2-18 b, an exoplanet, discovered the presence of carbon dioxide and methane. This suggests that K2-18b could be a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface. 

 

3. Cabinet approves signing of an MoU between India and Armenia: The Government approved the signing of a MoU between the Ministry (E&IT) of India and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of Armenia on Cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at the Population Scale for Digital Transformation.  Aim: To promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologies-based solutions in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both the countries.

 

4. Amazon's AWS ties up with ISRO to advance its AI capabilities: Cloud behemoth Amazon Web Services has signed a strategic MoU with the ISRO and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) to support space-tech innovations through cloud computing. Aim: To enable the space industry to make better decisions, faster – pushing the boundaries of possibilities, and AWS is committed to help startups identify use cases and accelerate solution development.

 

5. Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated International Conference on Dam Safety: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has inaugurated the International Conference on Dam Safety at Jaipur in Rajasthan. Professionals from across the nation and about fifteen countries are expected to participate in the conference. There are over six thousand dams in India and it is ranked third globally in terms of large dams. Approximately 80 percent of these dams are over 25 years of age. The conference aims to provide a major platform for experts to come together and debate cutting-edge topics in dam safety and management. Dams have been essential to civilization’s development, and have played a multifaceted role in meeting the increasing demand for drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, and flood protection.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Maharashtra wins 5th National Wheelchair Rugby Championship 2023: Maharashtra clinched the title of champions in the 5th National Wheelchair Rugby Championship 2023 by securing a convincing victory over Karnataka. Aim: To promote and expand the sport of wheelchair rugby across the nation. It was organized by The Indian Rugby Football Union (Rugby India), the governing body for rugby in India. It was conducted in association with the Wheelchair Rugby Federation of India and Mitsubishi Corporation

 

2. 62nd edition of Subroto Cup will be held from Delhi and Gurugram: The 62nd edition of the Subroto Cup International Football Tournament will be held from 19th September this year. A total of 109 teams from 27 States and Union Territories will participate in the tournament. Under – 17 Junior Boys and Girls tournaments will be held in Delhi and Gurugram, While Under-14 Sub Junior Boys Competition will be held in The teams from Bangladesh and Nepal will also participate in Subroto Cup. Subroto Cup International Football Tournament is a prestigious inter-school football tournament that is held annually. The Tournament is named after Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, who conceived the Idea to promote sports at the grassroots level.

It is an annual event that began in 1960. This is a unique tournament where; the champion school teams from all states and foreign countries participate in this tournament.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI released direction for the settlement of loan account: The RBI has asked all banks, non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) to release all the original movable/immovable property documents and remove charges registered with any registry within a period of 30 days after full repayment/settlement of the loan account. In case where the delay is attributable to the RE, it shall compensate the borrower at the rate of ₹5,000 for each day of delay.

 

2. NABARD partners with UNDP to boost data-driven innovations: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) have signed a MoU to co-create data-driven innovations in agriculture and food systems to support smallholder farmers. Under the MoU, the organizations will work to improve lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers by sharing open-source data for product development, transfer of technology and supporting the framing of agrarian policies. The partnership aims at enhancing and disseminating collaborative digital public goods like DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture). DiCRA provides open access to key geospatial datasets pertinent to climate-resilient agriculture. DiCRA, which is curated by UNDP and partner organizations to inform public about investments in agriculture, already provides intelligence on climate resilience for 50 million hectares of farmland across the country.

 

3. HSBC India became the first foreign bank in India to launch ‘ONDC in a Box’: Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) India has launched ‘ONDC in a Box’, a one-stop-shop proposition for corporates towards seamless enablement on ONDC. With this launch, HSBC India became the first foreign bank in India to offer an ONDC-enabled proposition. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an initiative by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to build an open, interoperable network on which buyers and sellers can transact without needing to be present on the same platform. ONDC aims at fostering an inclusive, competitive, and open network, amplifying its impact across the business spectrum.

 

4. DBS Bank unveils metaverse adventure on ‘DBS Better World’: DBS Bank has unveiled its metaverse concept for DBS Better World, a gamified adventure for metaverse use cases. Through DBS Better World, we aim to drive awareness about issues such as food waste and create engagement opportunities. This intends to align with the DBS Foundation’s focus on championing social enterprises that bridge gaps within food and agricultural value chains.

 

5. Bharti AXA Life introduces “Income Laabh” to simplify insurance: Bharti AXA Life Insurance has launched a new product “Bharti AXA Life Income Laabh” with an aim to simplify insurance and deliver maximum protection to its consumers. The plan provides financial protection and a steady income stream to consumers. The newly launched plan provides customers with a steady stream of guaranteed income for 10 to 12 years, depending on the policy term they choose. It starts with an initial income pay-out equivalent to 100 percent of the annual premium paid by the policyholder. After 5 years, for those opting for a 10-year policy term, the income increases to 150 percent. Similarly, for a 12-year policy term, the income sees a boost of 200 percent after 6 years. MD & CEO of Bharti AXA Life Insurance – Parag Raja

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Bloomberg annual ranking of B-Schools 2023-24 released: The Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-Schools Ranking 2023-24 which was released includes India B-schools among the top five ranks.  Hong Kong HKUST bagged the top rank in the Asia Pacific B-School rankings category,  Shanghai University of Finance and Economics secured second position and CIEBS at third rank.

In the overall Asia Pacific B-school rankings category, IIM Bangalore clinched 4th position followed by the Indian School of Business (ISB) at 5th position.