Daily GK Update- 5th Oct, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Hyderabad's new solar-covered cycle track illuminates the city: Hyderabad inaugurated a 23-km long cycle track with a solar roof, much on the lines of the Daejeon and Sejong bike highways in South Korea, making it India's first solar-covered cycle track. Telangana Municipal Minister K T Rama Rao laid the foundation for the cycle track along the service road of Outer Ring Road. The panels have the potential to generate 16MW of electricity, equivalent to powering 32,000 streetlights or illuminating 800 kilometers of city streets.

 

2. DRI’s ‘Operation Kachchhap’ Rescues 955 Live Baby Gangetic Turtles: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) caught 6 persons with 955 live baby Gangetic turtles of different species at Nagpur, Bhopal, and Chennai. Intelligence was developed by the officers of DRI about a syndicate involved in illegal trafficking and trading of ‘’Turtles of Ganges’’,  Some turtles are specified as vulnerable/ near threatened species under the IUCN Red List and Schedule I and II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

 

3. Himachal launches unique scheme for care of vulnerable sections of society: Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the “Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana” from the Ridge Shimla to support orphans. Aim: To provide comprehensive support to orphans, specially-abled children, destitute women, and elderly people in the state. In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the state government took a decision to adopt the orphans, the specially-abled children as the ‘children of the state’ and work for their upliftment.

 

4. PM inaugurated the country’s first high-tech sports training center: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the country’s first high-tech sports training center for Divyangjan, named after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. This initiative aims to provide equal opportunities in sports, enhance talent, and encourage participation in various sports disciplines. Divyangjan from all over the country can practice and train in the Atal Bihari Training Center for Divyang Sports.

 

5. Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti takes charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff: Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti has assumed the role of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS). He replaces Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahendru, who retired on September 30, 2023, after 38 years of service. Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti has served in the Indian Navy since July 1988 with expertise in Navigation and Direction. In his career spanning 35 years, he has held various command and staff positions both at sea and ashore. Notable commands include INS Nishank (missile boat), INS Kora (missile corvette), and INS Kolkata (guided missile destroyer).

 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Anirban Mukherjee has been appointed as Global CEO PayU: Anirban Mukherjee has been appointed as CEO of PayU, replaced Amrish Rau He will join the Prosus leadership team and report directly to Ervin Tu, Prosus and Naspers Interim CEO. He will be responsible for overall business operations of PayU This comes just two months after Netherlands-based investment firm Prosus announced that the fintech arm PayU is selling a part of its business to Israel’s Rapyd.

 

2. India surpasses Japan and UK in global mobile speed ranking: India has beaten developed countries like the UK and Japan and ranked 47th in the mobile Okla Speedtest Global Index

According to Ookla Speedtest data, India’s median download speed has improved remarkably, increasing by 3.59 times since 5G was launched in the country. 5G speeds in India are particularly impressive compared to those on 4G; in August 2023

Here are top-5 countries with fastest mobile speed as per Ookla:

·       UAE 

·       Qatar 

·       Kuwait 

·       Norway 

·       Denmark

 

3. India, Japan launch $600 million fund for environment projects: India's National Investment and Infrastructure Fund and Japan Bank for International Cooperation jointly launched a $600 million fund for climate and environment projects.  The Indian gov will contribute 49% to the target corpus and remaining 51% will be contributed by JBIC. Objective:  To invest in environmental sustainability and low carbon emission strategies and  Aim: To play the role of being a partner of choice to further enhance Japanese investments into India

 

4. Ministry of Tourism inaugurates PATA Travel Mart 2023 in New Delhi: The 46th edition of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2023 is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism at the  International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) in New Delhi. The Mart is being organized from October 4th to 6th 2023. It is an opportunity to highlight unique destinations and members to develop networks , learn and socialize for delegates from all over the world and for business to expand.

 

5. Second malaria vaccine to win global approval is cheaper and easier to make: The World Health Organization has validated a second malaria vaccine to protect children against the deadly disease, which killed 619,000 people in 2021. According to Researchers the vaccine, known as R21, is easier to make than the first-approved malaria vaccine, called RTS,S, and will be cheaper per dose. R21 met the WHO’s target of 75% efficacy at preventing the disease in a trial with 4,800 children who received three doses before a seasonal malaria peak.

6. China launches Yaogan-33 04 new remote-sensing satellite: China sent its latest remote-sensing satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The satellite, Yaogan-33 04, was launched on a Long March-4C carrier rocket and has entered its planned orbit successfully. Objective – To be used for scientific experiments, land resource surveys, crop yield estimates, and disaster prevention and relief work. The launch was the 489th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

 

7. Indo-Bangla joint exercise SAMPRITI-XI begins in Umroi, Meghalaya: India and Bangladesh began a two-week military exercise in Meghalaya’s Umroi with an aim to share tactical drills and promote best practices in carrying out sub-conventional operations. The exercise — “SAMPRITI-XI” — promises to further enhance the defence cooperation between India and Bangladesh, fostering deeper bilateral relations, cultural understanding and mutual benefits from shared experiences. With its inception in Jorhat, Assam in 2009, the exercise has witnessed 10 successful editions till 2022.

 

8. 5 October – World Teachers Day: World Teachers’ Day is observed annually on October 5. The day is dedicated to create awareness about the significant role of teachers in the development of societies across the globe. Theme 2023 – The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage The history of World Teachers’ Day dates back to the year 1994. It was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Neeraj Chopra bagged gold in Javelin Throw in Asian Games 2023: Neeraj Chopra secured the gold medal and Kishore Kumar Jena clinched the silver in the Men’s Javelin Throw competition at the Asian Games 2023, held at Hangzhou. Japan’s Roderick Genki Dean secured the bronze medal 

Other Winners:

·       India won gold in the compound archery mixed team final

·       India wonbronze in the 35km race walk mixed team final.  

·       Lovlina Borgohain won silver in women's 75 kg boxing final. 

·       Parveen settled for bronze in the 57kg women's boxing semifinal.

 

2. Rest of India won the 2023 Irani Cup by 175 runs: Rest of India has won the Irani Cup 2023 by defeating Saurashtra by 175 runs. This was Rest of India’s 30th Irani Cup title. The match took place at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot, Gujarat. The Irani Cup marks the beginning of the Indian domestic cricket season. Hanuma Vihari led Rest of India, while Jaydev Unadkat captained Saurashtra. About Irani Cup It is organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This is a four-day cricket match. The tournament was started in the 1969–70 season in honor of the late BCCI treasurer Zal Irani.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. World Bank says India’s growth to moderate to 6.3% in FY24: According to the World Bank, the Indian economy’s growth is expected to moderate to 6.3 percent in the FY23 -24 fiscal from 7.2 percent in FY 22.  The expected slowdown is mainly due to waning base effects, slowing global growth, and domestic price pressures. The bank maintained that India will remain one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world. India's economy grew 7.8 percent in the first quarter of the fiscal owing to strong domestic demand.

 

2. RBI appoints Muneesh Kapur as executive director: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)  has appointed Muneesh Kapur as Executive Director (ED) with effect from October 3, 2023. As executive director,  he will look after the Department of Economic and Policy Research. He was Adviser-in-Charge of the Monetary Policy Department and secretary to the Monetary Policy Committee. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics and is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB).

 

3. GST collection hits ₹1.62 trillion in September: Central and state governments collected Rs 1,62,712 crore in goods and services tax (GST) in September, marking the fourth highest monthly collection since the inception of the indirect tax regime and a 10% annual growth from the year-ago period. Overall, GST receipts so far this year are in line with the 10.5% nominal GDP growth rate projected by the finance ministry and reflect the trends in tax administration efficiency as well as consumption. After the settlement of taxes on inter-state sales, the central government received ₹63,555 crore while states received ₹65,235 crore in September. Proceeds from the GST cess levied on items like high-end automobiles stood at a robust ₹11,613 crore GST revenue receipts are in line with official estimates. Gross receipts from GST in the first half of the current fiscal improved 11% from the year-ago period to ₹9.92 trillion. The average monthly gross collection this fiscal is ₹1.65 trillion, which is 11% more than in the year-ago period.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 awarded to Bawendi, Louis and Alexei: The Nobel Prize 2023 in Chemistry has been awarded to Moungi G Bawendi, Louis E Brus, and Alexei I Ekimov "for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.” The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences rewards the discovery and development of quantum dots, nanoparticles so tiny that their size determines their properties. The Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 2023 have succeeded in producing particles so small that their properties are determined by quantum phenomena.

 

2. Mathematician Ruixiang Zhang to receive 2023 Sastra Ramanujan Prize: Assistant Professor of the University of California, Ruixiang Zhang Berkeley (USA) will be awarded with the 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for his outstanding contributions in mathematics. The annual cash prize of USD 10,000 will be given at an international conference in Number Theory during December 20 and December 22 at SASTRA University in Kumbakonam. In keeping with the legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan, whose groundbreaking work was accomplished during his tragically brief life of 32 years, the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize maintains an age limit of 32 years for its recipients. This age restriction pays tribute to the extraordinary achievements of Ramanujan.