Daily GK Update- 12th Feb, 2024

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India and ADB sign $200 million loan to tackle flood and erosion risk along Brahmaputra River: The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $200 million loan to strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management along the 650 kilometres (km) long main stem of the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam. The project interventions include stabilising 60 km of riverbanks, installing 32 km of pro-siltation measures, and building 4 km of climate-resilient flood embankments in five high-priority districts (Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Kamrup Rural, Morigaon, and Tinsukia). These will result in securing living spaces, supporting livelihoods and creating employment opportunities.

 

2. IRS Officer Narendra Kumar Yadav appointed as Brand Ambassador for Fit India Movement: IRS officer Narendra Kumar Yadav, Additional Director GST, has been appointed as the new brand ambassador of The Fit India movement, a flagship initiative by the Government of India. The Fit India movement is a nationwide initiative launched by the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to encourage Indians to develop physical activity and sports into their daily lives.

 

3. 12 February – National Productivity Day: National Productivity Day is celebrated every year in India on 12 February to commemorate the founding of the National Productivity Council (NPC). The goal of the NPC is to raise national awareness of the need to boost productivity. Theme 2024 – Artificial Intelligence (AI)- Productivity Engine for Economic Growth It is as an integral part of the Indian Productivity Week which is observed from February 12 to February 18. On National Productivity Day, people can start forming positive habits that will boost productivity and raise awareness of the role that productivity plays in enhancing life quality in general.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. 11th Edition of World Governments Summit begins in Dubai: India, Türkiye, and Qatar have been declared the guests of honour at the 2024 World Governments Summit which is set to take place in Dubai from February 12-14. The summit, themed 'Shaping Future Governments,' will see the participation of over 25 government and state heads worldwide. The event is expected to draw over 4,000 attendees, including representatives from 85 international and regional organizations.

 

2. VP Dhankhar inaugurates World Sustainable Development Summit in Delhi: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister of Guyana Mark Phillips and Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. Objective – To drive the mainstreaming of environmental protection and climate justice at all levels, embedding these principles in the very fabric of our societies The Summit was organized by ‘The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

 

3. Miss World pageant to take place in India from February 18 to March 9: The 71st edition of Miss World will be held in India from February 18 to March 9. With its latest edition, the coveted international beauty pageant is making a return to the country after nearly three decades. The pageant will commence with “The Opening Ceremony” and “India Welcomes the World Gala” by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) in New Delhi on February 20. It will conclude with a grand finale at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on March 9 and will be streamed and telecast across the world. The pageant will unfold across various venues, including the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and will see 120 contestants from countries across the globe participate in various competitions and charitable initiatives.

 

4. 12 February – International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and When Conducive to Terrorism: International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and When Conducive to Terrorism (PVE Day) is observed every year on 12 February. This crucial day serves as a platform to raise awareness about the dangers of violent extremism and promote international cooperation in tackling this complex issue. Theme 2024 – Living Together: Fostering Community Resilience to Prevent Violent Extremism as and When Conducive to Terrorism

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. RPF to host the 67th All India Police Duty Meet in Lucknow: Railway Protection Force (RPF) will host the 67th All India Police Duty Meet (AIPDM) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It will last from February 12th to 16th 2024. The chief guest of the opening ceremony on February 12th will be Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology. Whereas Shri Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, will be Chief Guest at the Closing Ceremony on February 16th. The RPF was entrusted with organizing the event by the Central Coordinating Committee of AIPDM.

 

2. Embraer teams up with Mahindra to bid for IAF’s medium transport aircraft deal: With the Indian Air Force assessing its requirements for medium transport aircraft (MTA), Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer and Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group have announced a collaboration to work on C-390 Millennium aircraft. The objective of the MoU is to jointly fulfil the acquisition of the C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft by the Indian Air Force in its upcoming MTA procurement project. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking for an MTA that can lift 18-30 tonnes, a process it expects to complete by 2025-26. The C390 began operations with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, has since been selected by the militaries of Portugal, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and, most recently, South Korea.

 

SPORTS

 

1. Amit & Sachin bag Gold medals at Strandja Memorial tournament: In Boxing, World Championship medallist Amit Panghal and Sachin Siwach won a gold each, while Nikhat Zareen and three other Indians signed off with silver medals at the 75th Strandja Memorial tournament in Bulgaria. The 2019 World Championship silver medallist Panghal (51kg) pulled off a dominating 5-0 triumph over Kazakhstan's Sanzhar Tashkenbay in the men's flyweight final. Sachin (57kg), out-punched Uzbekistan's Shakhzod Muzafarov by a 5-0 verdict.

 

2. Australia lifts the Under-19 Men’s World Cup trophy 2024: Australia has won the Under 19 Men’s ODI World Cup beating India by 79 runs in the final at Benoni in South Africa. This is the fourth title of Australia. Before this, Aussies also won the title in 1988, 2002 and 2010. While, India are U19 WC defending champions and have won the U19 World Cup title 5 times – 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022. Chasing a target of 254 runs, team India was all out for 174 runs in 43.5 overs. Earlier, Australia had scored 253 for 7 wickets in the stipulated 50 overs.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. India’s UPI services launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius: India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services have been rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth witnessed the launch of UPI services in the island nations,via video conferencing. India's Unified Payments Interface UPI is now performing a new responsibility - Uniting Partners with India.

The RuPay card service was also launched in Mauritius.

 

2. RBI Grants Payment Aggregator Licences to Juspay, Zoho, and Decentro: Fintech firms Juspay and Decentro and software-as-a-service company Zoho have received the final authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as payment aggregators. With this, the three players join the likes of Stripe, Zomato and Tata Pay who were a part of the regulator’s approval list in January, besides fintech majors like Razorpay and Cashfree who secured the licence last year. A payments aggregator, or PA, licence allows companies to provide payment services to merchants (online businesses or e-commerce firms) by accepting payment instruments from customers. As part of the process, PAs pool the funds received from customers and transfer them to merchants after a certain time period.

 

3. EPFO Raises Interest Rate on PF Deposits to 8.25%: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has fixed 25% interest rate on provident fund deposits for 2023-24, the highest in three years. For 2022-23, the retirement fund body offered 8.15% interest, higher than 8.10% in 2021-22. In March 2020, the EPFO reduced the interest rate on provident fund deposits to a seven-year low of 8.5 percent for 2019-20, down from 8.65 percent in 2018-19.

 

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. KPP Nambiar Award conferred on ISRO Chairman S Somanath: The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Kerala section conferred the 2024 K.P.P. Nambiar Award on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath at a function. The award is a recognition of S. Somanath’s unwavering commitment to leveraging technology for the betterment of society. Under the stewardship of S. Somanath, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved remarkable milestones, particularly in lunar exploration.

 

2. Pyarelal Sharma awarded Lakshminarayana International Award: Pyarelal Sharma, one half of the iconic composer duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal, has been felicitated with the Lakshminarayana International Award. The award was presented to the ‘My Name Is Lakhan’ composer by musicians L Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam as part of the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival Pyarelal is one of the most successful music composers in Hindi cinema in his career spanning over eight decades. The legendary musician has given iconic songs in collaboration with music maestro Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar.

 

3. Neeraj Chopra honoured by Swiss tourism with plaque at Jungfrau’s Ice Palace: India’s Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been honoured with a plaque at the famous Ice Palace at Jungfraujoch, known as the ‘Top of Europe’, in Switzerland. Acknowledging Chopra’s remarkable accomplishments, Jungfraujoch welcomed the sports icon to unveil the commemorative plaque. The Wall of Fame at Jungfraujoch serves as a testament to the spirit of accomplishment and dedication.