Daily GK Updates - 30th May, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Uttarakhand governmentt starts “Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana” for returnee migrants: Uttarakhand chief minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat has inaugurated the “Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana” for returnee migrants. The project aims at giving self-employment opportunities to youth and a boost to reverse migration, especially entrepreneurs returning to Uttarakhand and encourage skilled and unskilled artisans, handicrafts and unemployed youths to start their own business. The scheme will offer credit facility through nationalised banks, scheduled commercial banks and cooperative banks.

Note: Capital of Uttarakhand: Dehradun; Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.

2. Madhya Pradesh Government Launches ‘Rozgar Setu’ scheme to provide employment to Migrant Labourers: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched a scheme ‘Rozgar Setu’ for skilled workers who have returned from other states. As per the state government, Madhya Pradesh is the first to devise such a work plan, to provide work to the maximum number of returned skilled workers. The State government will act as a setu [bridge] between workers and employers so that both are benefited. The scheme will provide a platform to the workers and connect them with those needing them, thus fulfilling the manpower requirement of industries as well as provide employment to workers during the COVID-19 pandemic The government will survey the skilled workers who were employed at industries elsewhere, but have now returned, based upon which they will be provided employment in industries, construction works and other activities according to their skills.

3. IndiGo appoints Venkataramani Sumantran as independent director: Venkataramani Sumantran has been appointed the independent director of airline company IndiGo for the next five years. Earlier, he served as the chairman and managing director of Chennai-based Celeris Technologies. He serves as an adjunct professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is on several statutory and advisory boards in India, Europe and the US. He will hold the post for the next five years.

Note: Indigo Airlines Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana; Indigo Airlines Established: 2006.

4. Power Finance Corporation board Appoints R S Dhillon as CMD: State-run Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has appointed Ravinder Singh Dhillon as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the company. He will succeed incumbent CMD Rajeev Sharma, who is attaining superannuation on May 31, 2020. Dhillon’s appointment will be with effect from 01 June 2020, till the date of his superannuation (May 31, 2023) or until further orders.

5. Govt. approves Rs. 445 cr for implementation of JJM in Chhattisgarh: The Union Govt. has approved 445 crore rupees for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Chhattisgarh during 2020-21. The aim of the mission is to provide adequate potable drinking water of prescribed quality on a regular and long-term basis to every rural household of the country by 2024. A budget of 3 lakh 60 thousand Crore rupees has been allocated for this scheme. Chhattisgarh has planned to have 100 Percent Functional Tap Water Connection by 2023-24.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US joins G7 Group’s Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to counter China: United States has finally joined the rest of the G7 countries in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (AI), in an effort to contain China‘s influence on AI. The Trump administration had been the only nation among leaders of the Group of Seven which was not the part of the Global Partnership on AI, set up by France and Canada in 2019. However, looking at how Chinese technology companies are attempting to shape international standards on facial recognition and surveillance at the United Nations, the US decided to join the international panel for setting ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence. The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence aims to guide the responsible adoption of AI based on shared principles of “human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation and economic growth”, among the member nations.

G7 Members: France, Canada, Italy, Germany, Japan, UK and US

2. IMF approves 732 million emergency assistance to Bangladesh for COVID-19: The IMF Executive Board approved an emergency financial assistance worth dollar 732 million for Bangladesh to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The assistance has been approved for Bangladesh to meet its urgent Balance of payment and fiscal needs as Corona pandemic has led to a sharp decline in its exports and income from remittances. Earlier, ADB provided 500 million assistance to Bangladesh to deal with the Corona pandemic

3. Russia hosts BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities meet: The meeting of the Heads of Tax Authorities of the BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa was held on 29 May. The meeting was hosted by the Federal Tax Service of Russia, which currently holds the BRICS Presidency, to discuss the response of BRICS Tax Authorities to the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore potential areas of cooperation in tax matters.

Note: Members of the BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

4. World No-Tobacco Day:  31st May: World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed every year on 31 May, globally to inform the public on the dangers of using tobacco and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form. Theme of the 2020 WNTD is ‘Tobacco and related industry tactics to attract younger generations’. The Day was created by the member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sandip Pradhan's tenure as SAI Director General extended by two years: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has extended the tenure of Sandip Pradhan as Director-General of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) by two years. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the extension (effect from 6 June 2020). SAI's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the resumption of training in sports facilities was recently approved by the Sports Ministry.

Note: Sports Authority of India Headquarters: Delhi; Sports Authority of India Founded: 25 January 1984.

2. WADA Imposes 4-Year Ban on Long-Distance Runner Kiranjeet Kaur For Doping Violation: The World Athletics’ anti-doping body has handed a four-year ban to long-distance runner Kiranjeet Kaur, for testing positive for a banned substance. The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) accredited laboratory tested her samples, taken in December 2019. Her ban period is effective from 15 December 2019. The 32-year-old Kaur won the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K among the Indians in December 2019. This award will also be taken away from her.

Note: President of WADA: Sir Craig Reedie; Headquarters: Montreal, Canada.

BANKING AND FINANCE

11. RBI Penalises Bank of India, Karnataka Bank and Saraswat Co-op Bank Over Deficiencies in Rule Compliance: The Reserve Bank said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 crore on state-owned Bank of India for non-compliance with certain provisions, including those related with NPA. The central bank also imposed a penalty of Rs 1.2 crore on Karnataka Bank for non-compliance with NPA norms. RBI also imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Saraswat Co-operative Bank for non-compliance with directions on ‘Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms.’

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India’s GDP growth slows to 11-year low of 4.2%: National Statistical Office, under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, has estimated India’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.2 per cent in 2019-20 as compared to 6.1 per cent expansion in 2018-19, the slowest growth in GDP in 11 years. The earlier estimate by various arms of the government was 5 per cent growth in ‘19-20.

2. Zomato elevates food-delivery CEO Mohit Gupta as co-founder: Food ordering platform Zomato has elevated Mohit Gupta, the CEO of its food delivery business by making him a co-founder. Gupta had joined Zomato in 2018 from MakeMyTrip. Previously, Gaurav Gupta was promoted as a co-founder by Zomato in 2019.

DEFENCE

1. Foundation Stone for Missile Park ‘Agneeprastha’ Laid at INS Kalinga, Visakhapatnam: The foundation stone for setting up a Missile Park named ‘Agneeprastha’ was laid at INS Kalinga, Naval base in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, by Commodore Rajesh Debnath, Commanding Officer Eastern Naval Command (ENC), on 28 May 2020. Once completed, the Missile Park will be dedicated to all the officers, sailors and support staff of the INS Kalinga, who have served in this premier naval base of the ENC since its establishment in 1981. ‘AGNEEPRASTHA’ will have glimpses of Missile History of INS Kalinga since 1981 till date. A 2 megawatt solar photovoltaic plant was also commissioned at INS Kalinga by Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain. It is the largest plant in the Eastern Naval Command, and has an estimated life of 25 years. INS Kalinga is an Indian Navy establishment reporting to the Eastern Naval Command. It is responsible for preparing, storing and delivering advanced missiles to ships of the Eastern Fleet.

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran lyricist Yogesh Gaur Passes Away: Veteran Bollywood lyricist Yogesh Gaur, best-known as Yogesh in the film industry, has passed away. He was 77. Yogesh has given Bollywood several hit songs in the 60s and 70s. Some of his best known songs are Zindagi Kaise Yeh Paheli and Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye for Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna’s 1971 film Anand.

2. Veteran Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla passes away: The world-renowned astrologer, Bejan Daruwalla, has passed away suffering from pneumonia. He was 89. Daruwalla was a great Ganesha devotee. He combined the principles of various techniques like Vedic astrology, Numerology, Palmistry, I-Ching, Tarot, Kabalah and even Western astrology for his predictions. His name figured among the 100 great astrologers of the last 1,000 years in ‘The Millennium Book of Prophecy’, published by Harper Collins. His astrological predictions were keenly followed by millions of people in the country.

Daily GK Updates - 31st March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government Sets up special emergency fund ‘PM CARES Fund’ to Fight Against COVID-19: The Government of India has set up a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’. The primary objective of this dedicated national fund is to deal with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust while Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister are its other members. The fund has been set up to enable micro-donations, allowing a large number of people to be able to contribute with smallest of denominations. Donations to this fund will be exempted from income tax under section 80(G) of the IT Act. Citizens and organisations can go to the website pmindia.gov.in and donate to PM CARES Fund. The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) will be hold the account of the PM Cares Fund.

2. DRDO develops casualty evacuation bags: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has designed a casualty evacuation bag to transport or isolate persons infected with COVID-19. The bag is water and air-proof and treated to deal with biological agents. It is made of non-woven, water-repellant fabric with air and waterproof zippers as well as a ventilator with a film to cater Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) environment with requisite protection against blood and viral penetration. DRDO will be procuring an initial lot of 500 such bags. DRDO’s Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), which carries out research in aero-medical engineering and life support equipment and Nuclear Chemical and Biological (NBC) protection systems, has developed this bag.

Note: DRDO Chairman: G Satheesh Reddy; Established: 1958; Headquarters: New Delhi.

3. Jharkhand govt launches ‘PRAGYAAM’ App to issue e-passes to everyone associated with delivery of essential services amid lockdown: The Jharkhand Government has launched a mobile app named PRAGYAAM to issue e-passes to those associated with delivery of essential services such as regular supply services, medical, banking and other necessary services, during the national lockdown to combat COVID-19. The District Transport Officers have been given authority to issue e-passes to vehicles through online mode after verification of the documents uploaded through the app. Officials can also verify the status of the e-passes on the app and other details, including mobile number and identity card of the person engaged in such duties to curb the chances of fake e-passes.

Note: Governor of Jharkhand: Droupadi Murmu; Capital: Ranchi

4. Rajasthan Police launches a mobile app “RajCop citizens app”: Rajasthan police launched a mobile app named ‘RajCop citizen app’ to enable individuals and company employees in the state take permission for venturing out in necessary conditions. It will deliver an advance lockdown pass system to ease the life of people involved in essential services. It has been launched on Android Play Store in English. The app has been developed by Data Ingenious GLobal Limited.

Note: CM of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot; Capital of Rajasthan: Jaipur; Governor of Rajasthan: Kalraj Mishra.

5. Andhra Pradesh government set up Mobile Hand-wash facilities: Andhra Pradesh State government has set up Mobile Hand-wash facilities for the benefit of Slum Dwellers amidst lockdown. This facility has become handy for both the state authorities and slum dwellers to access facility of hands cleaning as sanitization and social distancing is the only way of protection for COVID-19. A water tanker is fitted to a vehicle with four tap connections, four wash basins, 2 soap dispensers for better health access and sanitation facilities.

Note: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy; Governor of Andhra Pradesh: Biswa Bhushan Harichandan; Capital of Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati.

6. IIT Guwahati team develops drone to sanitise large areas: Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati has developed a drone to sanitize large areas such as roads, parks and footpaths. The drone comprises of automated sprayer which will help the authorities to sanitize large areas in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The drone has a signal range of 3 km and can cover more than 1.2 hectare in one flight and more than 60 hectares in a day.

7. IIT Bombay develops two apps to track quarantine violations: IIT Bombay develops two smartphone apps ““Corontine” and “Safe” to track quarantine violations. CORONTINE uses GPS-enabled geofencing to create a virtual geographic boundary and alerts authorities when boundaries are breached. SAFE was used by IIT-B for attendance. It records the time and location data of the place and uses facial recognition software to verify the person uploading the data.

8. ‘Modi Kitchen’ set up in Tamil Nadu:  A ‘Modi Kitchen’ has been set up in the Kovai (Coimbatore), Tamil Nadu. The kitchen which has a capacity to serve 500 meals per day will remain operational till 14th April 2020. The kitchen has decided to deliver food parcels within a radius of 10 kms till April 14th. The meal includes a main dish, two kinds of side dishes and a sweet and is prepared under advice from nutrition experts.

Note: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu: Thiru Edappadi K. Palaniswami; Governor of Tamil Nadu: Banwarilal Purohit.

9. New Technology To disinfect Maharashtra hospitals in Covid 19 fight: Pune based startup company has developed a new air-purifying technology named as ‘scitech airon’ which offers an effective solution for India’s fight against Covid 19 by reducing the viral load of infected areas within a room significantly within an hour. The technology has been developed under the NIDHI PRAYAS program initiated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) that has release Rs 1 crore to scale up the product.

10. GoI extended crop loan interest benefits to farmer till 31 May: Government has extended the benefit of 2% Interest Subvention to Banks and 3% Prompt Repayment Incentive to all farmers till 31st of May 2020 due to national lockdown in the wake of COVID-19. The interest subsidy has been extended to all crop loans upto 3 lakh rupees given by banks. This will help farmers to repay such loans at the extended period at 4% per annum interest without attracting any penalty.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ADB to invest USD 100 million in Indian infrastructure sector via NIIF: Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest USD 100 million funding for the Indian infrastructure sector through the government-promoted National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’s (NIIF). ADB will be investing in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’s (NIIF) fund of funds which will ensure that the actual money invested will be a few times more than the USD 100 million. The total size of NIIF’s fund of funds has now grown to USD 700 million, with ADB’s commitment. This will help NIIF commit money to private equity fund managers who may be struggling to raise money from overseas sources. NIIF is India’s first sovereign wealth fund that was set up by the Government of India in February 2015.

Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Formation of ADB: 19 December 1966; Headquarters of ADB: Manila, Philippines; Membership of ADB: 68 countries.

2. Tata Power’s JV Commences Commercial Operations of 178MW Shuakhevi Hydro Power Project in Georgia: Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC (AGL), a Joint Venture between Tata Power, Norway’s Clean Energy Invest (CEI), and International Financial Corporation (IFC) started its commercial operation of the 178 MW Shuakhevi Hydro Power Project (HPP) on 30 March 2020 in southwest Georgia. The Shuakhevi HPP is the only project in Georgia’s energy sector which has been funded by three of the largest financial institutes comprising of European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. It is also the largest energy project built in Georgia in the last seven decades. The overall cost of the project is approximated at USD 500 million. The project will generate around 450 GWh of clean energy to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by more than 200,000 tonnes a year.

Note: TATA Power CEO: Praveer Sinha; TATA Power headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

3. Apple launches COVID-19 information app: Apple has launched a new dedicated app and website for users across the US. The app provides accurate and credible information to users about the COVID-19 pandemic. The new COVID-19 app and website provide the needed guidance and latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Note: Apple Inc. CEO: Tim Cook; Headquarters of Apple Inc: California, USA.

4. International Transgender Day of Visibility: 31 March: The International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) occurs annually on March 31 to raise awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebrate their contributions to society. The day was founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall of Michigan in 2009.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 rescheduled to year 2021: The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 have been postponed by one year and will be held from 23 July to 8 August, 2021. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was earlier scheduled to be held from 24 July to 9 August 2020. The decision to postpone the 32nd edition of the tournament was taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) along with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan. The decision has been taken by the IOC amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Note: Prime Minister of Japan: Shinzo Abe; Capital: Tokyo; Currency: Japanese yen.

President of International Olympic Committee (IOC): Thomas Bach; Tokyo 2020 President: Mori Yoshiro.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. MCA introduces ‘Companies Fresh Start’ Scheme: Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has introduced the “Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020” and modified “LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020”. The new scheme has been introduced to provide relief to law abiding companies and the Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) amid COVID-19 pandemic. MCA has also revised “LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020”. The scheme also provides immunity from penal proceedings against delayed filings. Substantive violation of law will not be exempted.

Note: Union Minister of Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.

2. IBBI amended CIRP regulation: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) amends CIRP Regulations on to provide relief in corporate insolvency resolution process due to COVID-19 outbreak. According to it lockdown period shall not be counted in relation to a corporate insolvency resolution process. The amended regulations are effective from 29th March 2020. These are available at www.mca.gov.in and www.ibbi.gov.in.

3. Ind-Ra cuts GDP growth forecast for India to 3.6 pc for FY21: Credit rating agency India Ratings (Ind-Ra) has cut its FY21 growth forecast for India to 3.6% due to coronavirus lockdown. It has assumed that a full or partial lockdown will continue till end of April and economic activities will be gradually restored only after May.

OBITUARIES

1. Tamil folk singer and actress Paravai Muniyamma passes away: Tamil folk singer and actress Paravai Muniyamma passed away suffering from age-related ailments. She was born on June 26, 1937, in Paravai, Madurai, Tamil Nadu (TN). The acting career of Muniyamma began in the year 2003 in the film Dhool. Her song “Madurai Veeran” became a huge hit. She had appeared in over 50 films, usually playing grandmother roles. In March 2019, Muniyamma was honoured with the Kalaimamani title by the Tamil Nadu government.

2. Japanese comedian Ken Shimura passes away due to coronavirus: Veteran Japanese comedian Ken Shimura (70 years) passed away due to coronavirus. The actor was set to star in his first feature film “God of Cinema”, directed by Yoji Yamada. Shimura grew up in the west Tokyo neighbourhood of Higashimurayama and he started his career in showbiz when he joined the Japanese rock band and comedy group The Drifters, famous for an opening for The Beatles during their early tours of Japan. Shimura tested positive for COVID-19 on March 23.