Daily GK Updates - 2nd November, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. SC panel declares a public health emergency in Delhi-NCR: Supreme Court-mandated panel declared a public health emergency in the Delhi-NCR region and banned construction activity till November 5th.  As the pollution level in the region entered the "severe-plus" category, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority also banned the bursting of crackers during the winter season. The Delhi government has ordered shutting of schools till November 5 in wake of the alarming level of pollution. According to the EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal, the air quality in Delhi-NCR deteriorated further 31st October night and is now at the severe-plus level.

Note: An AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'. Above 500 falls in the 'severe-plus emergency' category.

2. New Chief Justices appointed to Madras, Patna, Madhya Pradesh High Courts: The Government of India notified the appointment of new Chief Justices to the High Courts of Madras, Madhya Pradesh, and Patna. All three Chief Justices are expected to take charge of their respective offices by November 13.

Patna High Court's Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. Meghalaya High Court's Chief Justice AK Mittal has been appointed the next Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Tripura High Court's Chief Justice Sanjay Karol has been appointed the next Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, to fill the vacancy left behind in view of Chief Justice Sahi's transfer to Madras. Patna HC judge, Justice Rakesh Kumar was transferred to Andhra Pradesh HC and Punjab & Haryana HC judge Justice Amit Rawal was transferred to Kerala HC.

3. Telecom Regulatory fixes mobile call ring time at 30 seconds; 60 seconds for landline: Telecom Regulatory Authority of Indian (TRAI) fixed phone call ring time at 30 seconds on mobiles and 60 seconds for landline phones, in case the call is neither answered nor rejected by the subscriber. "The time duration of alert for an incoming voice call, which is neither answered nor rejected by the called party, shall be thirty seconds for Cellular Mobile Telephone Service and sixty seconds for Basic Telephone Service. Till now there was no such limit for calls within India. Telecom operators on their own were reducing incoming call ring time to attract reverse calls from the subscriber of other networks.

Note: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is a statutory body set up by the Government of India in 1997. Headquarters: New Delhi; Chairman: Sunil K. Gupta

4. V K Singh addresses 5th International Conference on Road Tech: The 5th edition of the International Conference on ROADTECH 2019 was held in New Delhi. It was organized by industry body ASSOCHAM India (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India). Union Minister of State for Road Transport V.K. Singh addressed the meeting. The main objective of the conference is to pool suggestions & solutions from all stakeholders and to cooperate between the road infrastructure stakeholders and the Government. During the conference, the minister highlighted that in the last five years great amount of works have been done in the field of infrastructure and in future much more will be done. He urged the industry body to find a unique way to monetize the road projects in an environment-friendly manner.

Note: The ASSOCHAM is India's premier apex chamber covers a membership of over 4 lakh companies and professionals across the country. It was established in 1920 with headquarter in New Delhi; Balkrishan Goenka is its President.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 5th Indo-German Inter-Governmental Consultations held in New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel co-chaired the 5th Indo-German Inter-Governmental Consultations to strengthen the "very close" relationship between the two countries. The two leaders also discuss bilateral issues including agriculture economic partnership, trade and investment. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is on a two-day visit to India. Merkel paid tributes to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Angela Merkel will have delegation-level talks with an aim to strengthen bilateral and multilateral efforts to combat terrorism and extremism. The countries are also working on opportunities in E-mobility, smart cities, inland waterways, and environmental conservation.

Note: Germany Capital: Berlin; Currency: Euro; President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier

2. 2nd Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) 2019 held in New Delhi: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has hosted the second Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 30 and 31 October 2019 New Delhi. The assembly was presided by Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Power, R.K. Singh. France’s Minister of State for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Ms. Brune Poirson was the Co-President of the Assembly. On 30 October 2019, coordination and consultation meetings on different aspects of ISA programmes and initiatives were held and the Assembly met on 31 October 2019. 2 countries, Eritrea and Kitts & Nevis signed the ISA framework agreement taking the total number of signatories to 83. The Government of India has allotted 5 acres of land to the ISA in the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) campus, Gurugram and has released a sum of Rs. 160 crore

Note: The ISA is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30 November 2015 at Paris, France on the side-lines of the COP-21.

3. Spain offered to host COP25 climate change summit after Chile's withdrawal: The Spanish government confirmed that it made its bid to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties (COP25) climate summit 2019 in Madrid on the scheduled dates of 2-13 December 2019. The move comes after Chile withdrew its plans to host the summit due to deadly anti-government protests in Santiago. The COP25 was originally scheduled to be held in Brazil but after two months of the announcement as host nation, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro pulled out citing economic crisis. The COP25 summit is aimed to bring out details of the implementation of the Paris Agreement climate pact. The 25th annual Climate Change Conference will feature the 25th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25) to the UNFCCC and the meetings of the UNFCCC subsidiary bodies.

Note: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) aims to assess progress in dealing with climate change. The first UN Climate Change Conference COP-1 was held from 28 March to 7 April 1995 in Berlin, Germany.

Spain Capital: Madrid; Currency: Euro

Chile Capital: Santiago; Currency: Chilean peso

4. Pavan Kapoor appointed as Ambassador to UAE: Pavan Kapoor, a 1990 batch Indian Foreign Service officer took charge as the new Ambassador to UAE. He replaced Navdeep Singh Suri, who retired last month.During his diplomatic career, Pavan Kapoor has served in different capacities at the Indian Missions in Moscow, Kyiv, London, and Geneva. During his last posting, Mr. Kapoor served as the Ambassador to Israel. Pavan Kapoor was India's High Commissioner to Mozambique and the Kingdom of Swaziland from January 2014 to February 2016.

5. International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists: 2 November: The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is an UN-recognized day observed annually on 2 November. The day draws attention to the low global conviction rate for violent crimes against journalists and media workers, estimated at only one in every ten cases.This year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, is focused on local journalists.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. MD and CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank T Latha Resigns: Private sector lender Dhanlaxmi Bank managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO). T. Latha has resigned due to personal reasons. The resignation has been accepted by the board and the same has been intimated to the RBI. Ms Latha was appointed as MD and CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank for three years.

Note: Dhanlaxmi Bank: Founded in1927; Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala; Chairman: Mr. Sanjeev Krishnan

2. GeM Signs MoU With Indian Bank and Canara Bank For Payment Related Services: Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has signed MoU with Indian Bank and Canara Bank. The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal and would create an efficient procurement system for government entities. Through this partnership, both the banks will be able to offer an array of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG), Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) and Payment Gateway to the registered users on the portal. GeM is also working with Banks, TReDs and SIDBI to provide bill discounting and financing of working capital where the cost of capital is linked to the performance and rating of a seller on GeM. This will help sellers in general and MSMEs, in particular, to access easy credit and do better business with the government.

Note: MD & CEO of Indian Bank: Padmaja Chunduru.

MD & CEO of Canara Bank: R A Sankara Narayanan.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 28th Vyas Samman for 2018 conferred on Hindi Writer, Leeladhar Jagoori: The 28th Vyas Samman for the year 2018 was conferred on well-known Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagoori at a function in New Delhi. The prestigious award was presented to him by renowned author Govind Mishra. Mr Jagoori has been chosen for the prestigious award for his poetry collection- Jitne Log Utne Prem.

Note: The Vyas Samman started in 1991, is given by KK Birla Foundation in honour of Indian industrialist Krishna Kumar Birla for an outstanding literary work in Hindi authored by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years. It carries an award money of four lakh rupees along with a citation and plaque.

OBITUARIES

1. Film producer Champak Jain passes away: Film producer Champak Jain passed away. He was one of the owners of Venus Records and Tapes which produced hit films like the 1994 blockbuster Main Khiladi Tu Anari starring Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar.

Daily GK Updates - 1st November, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Disabled People over 80 can vote through Postal Ballot: The people over 80 years of age and Persons with Disability can now cast their votes through postal ballot. However, such voters will have both the choices available either voting through postal ballot by following due procedure or going to the polling station on polling day for voting. On the recommendations of the Election Commission, the Ministry of Law and Justice has amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, allowing senior citizens and person with disabilities in the absentee voter list. The person will make an application in a new Form 12 D, which will reach the Returning Officer within 5 days following the date of notification of election. After the receipt of such application, the elector will be issued a postal ballot paper, which will be deposited in the specified centre after the recording of the vote.

2. 3rd edition of Global Ayurveda Summit 2019 inaugurated in Kochi, Kerala: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized the third edition of Global Ayurveda Summit 2019 on October 30 and 31, 2019 at Kochi, Kerala. As many as 400 industry leaders and delegates from SAARC, GCC and African countries have participated in the summit. The theme of the summit was “Mainstreaming Ayurveda through Startups, Innovation and Branding”. The summit was inaugurated by the Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

Note: Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan; Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

3. India to adopt Brazil model of human milk bank: India has taken inspiration from Brazil’s success in the field of human milk bank decided to adopt a similar model in creating a wide network of human milk banks. The Centre has set a target of ensuring at least 70 per cent infants to have access to breast milk by the year 2025. Target will subsequently be increased to 100 per cent.

Note: Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare: Ashwini Kumar Choubey.

4. Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated National Symposium in New Dehli: Union minister of Health & Family Welfare (HWF), Science and technology and earth sciences, Shri Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the National symposium to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis in New Delhi. The theme of the symposium was “United to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis”. During the symposium, Dr. Harsh Vardhan signed a ‘Call to Action to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by 2021’. 14th edition of National Health Profile (NHP) was also released by health minister during the event. The NHP which covered comprehensive information on demographic, socio-economic health status, health finance indicators, health infrastructure in the nation, was prepared by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI). The first edition of NHP was released in 2005.

Note: The Lymphatic Filariasis is a disease caused by a human parasitic worm called Wuchereria Bancrofti and spread by Culex Mosquitoes.

5. Sanjeev Nandan Sahai appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Power: Sanjeev Nandan Sahai assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Power. Prior to this, he was serving as the Special Secretary in the Ministry of Power. He is a UT cadre IAS officer of 1986 batch. He has also served as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power from May 2018 to July 2019. He will replace Subhash Chandra Garg. Garg, who is a former finance secretary had sought voluntary retirement, which was approved by the government. Garg was to retire on October 31, 2020.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 35th ASEAN Summit begins in Bangkok: On October 31st, 2019, the 35th ASEAN Summit began in Bangkok, Thailand. The summit will continue till November 4, 2019. Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan -O-Cha inaugurated this summit at IMPACT convention complex. The theme of the summit is 'Advancing Partnership for sustainability'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this summit on November 3rd and 4th. Apart from leaders of 10 ASEAN countries, head of eight dialogue partner countries including India, USA China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand are also participating in the summit. The summit would discuss comprehensive and sustainable ASEAN economic development and s on negotiations related to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) including the market opening.

Note: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an intergovernmental organization aimed primarily at promoting economic growth and regional stability among its members. There are currently 10 member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. ASEAN was founded half a century ago in 1967 by the five Southeast Asian nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

The headquarters of ASEAN is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.

2. Rajnath Singh to represent India at SCO meet in Tashkent: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at a two-day meeting of the council of heads of government (CHG) of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tashkent on November 1-2. The SCO is an influential regional security grouping which is seen as a counterweight to NATO. It will be the third CHG meeting of the SCO after India became the member of the grouping in 2017. The last two CHG meetings were held in Sochi in Russia in 2017 and in Dushanbe in Tajikistan last year.

Note: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation, which was founded in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in the year 2001. At present the eight permanent members of the SCO are China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO in 2017.

3. Russia’s Nuclear Submarine test fires Ballistic Missile from White Sea: Russia’s Knyaz Vladimir submarine of Borei-class vessel, test-fired its most advanced nuclear-powered missile named, Bulavaintercontinental ballistic missile which precisely hit the target range of 1000 km away in the Russian region of Kamchatka. The launch was conducted in the white sea of the northwest coast of Russia with a dummy payload. The Knyaz Vladimir submarine is the first upgraded model to be produced in the Borei class of Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The test-fire was conducted amid arms control tensions between Moscow and the West following the demise of a landmark Cold War-era nuclear pact.

Note: Russia President: Vladimir Putin; Prime Minister: Dmitry Medvedev; Capital: Moscow; Currency: Russian ruble.

4. World Vegan Day: 1 November: World Vegan Day is observed on 1 November. The Day provides an opportunity to promote the benefits of a vegan diet and veganism in general. On the Day, vegan groups and practitioners organize workshops to highlight the importance of animal rights. Donald Watson coined the term Vegan which was derived from the word Vegetarian in 1944. The day was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organisation and the coining of the terms “vegan” and “veganism”.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. India drops to 106th in FIFA Men’s rankings: The Indian football team dropped two places to 106th position in the latest FIFA rankings. The downward slid came following the Blue Tigers’ 1-1 draw against lower-ranked Bangladesh in the FIFA World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Bangladesh, however, benefitted from the draw, jumping three rungs to 184th spot. Belgium has managed to hold on to the top spot, followed by France and Brazil. England is placed fourth ahead of Uruguay, Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Argentina and Colombia.

Note: BCCI President: Sourav Ganguly; Headquarters: Mumbai.

2. Mary Kom named in IOC’s 2020 Olympics athlete ambassadors group: The 6-time world champion Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom has been inducted into the 10-member sports ambassador group by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Boxing workforce to represent boxers ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Mary Kom will represent the Asian bloc in the group, which also comprises the likes of Ukrainian legend Vasyl Lamachenko (Europe), a two-time Olympic and world gold-medallist who now plies his trade in the professional circuit, and five-time world champion and 2016 Olympic gold-winner Julio Cesar La Cruz (Americas) among others.

Note: Headquarters of IOC: Lausanne, Switzerland; President: Thomas Bach; Formation: 23 June 1894.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Overseas Citizens of India may now subscribe to National Pension System: The Union Ministry of Finance announced that the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) are now eligible to enroll in the National Pension Scheme in par with resident Indians. Regarding this, a notification was notified by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). As per the released notification, the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) can apply for the pension system according to the PFRDA Act 2013 and the amount will also be repatriable based on Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999, guidelines. Now, any Indian citizen, resident or non-resident and OCIs are eligible to join NPS till the age of 65 years.

2. SREI-UBI jointly offers loans under co-lending programme: Srei Equipment Finance Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Srei Infrastructure Finance, has partnered with the United Bank of India (UBI) to offer loans to the MSME sector and retail customers under a co-lending arrangement. The NBFC and the bank jointly organized Loan Utsavs across 20 cities. These loan melas were held in many cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Ranchi, Patna, Vijaywada, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Bhopal. Loans were offered to the MSME sector and other retail customers against purchase of construction equipment. They also offered different EMI options for these loans.

According to a release, loan to value of up to 90 per cent of the equipment were offered for the tenure of up to 5 years, while a moratorium of 30-60 days was also awarded depending on the loan structure and size.

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta passes away: Former Parliamentarian and veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta passed away. He was elected General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress – AITUC, in 2001. He was a member of Rajya Sabha and also elected in Lok Sabha from Midnapore district of West Bengal. He was also former Deputy General Secretary of CPI and well-known trade unionist.

2. Telugu actress Geetanjali Ramakrishna passes away: Vetrean Telugu actress Geetanjali Ramakrishna passed away due to cardiac arrest in Hyderabad. She had an illustrious career spanning nearly six decades by doing movies not just in Telugu, but also in other South Indian languages. It was legendary actor-politician Jr NTR who had introduced Geetanjali as an actress in his directorial Seetharama Kalyanam, which released in 1961. She worked in a Hindi film titled Parasmani, which was produced by Lakshmikant and Pyarelal. Since her name was present in the title, the makers rechristened her as Geetanjali.

Daily GK Updates - 31st October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. JK will cease to be a state; India now has one less state and two more UTs: From 31st October Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) will cease to be a state and will be bifurcated into two Union Territories (UTs). Regarding this, on August 5, the Narendra Modi government made the monumental decision to change the status of Jammu and Kashmir and the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 was passed by the parliament and Article 370 was abrogated. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are now two separate UTs. Jammu and Kashmir will have its own elected legislature and government, presided over by the appointed Lieutenant-Governor, more or less like the Delhi and Puducherry models. India now has one less state and two more Union Terrorities, which takes the tally to 28 states and 9 UTs.

IAS officers Girish Chandra Murmu and R K Mathur, who has been appointed the new Lieutenant Governors (LG) for the Union territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh respectively, will be sworn-in at separate functions to be held in Srinagar and Leh. The appointed day for the new UTs to come into existence is 31st October 'The National Unity Day, marked as the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

2. India celebrated ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ or ‘National Unity Day’ 2019: Rashtriya Ekta Diwas 2019 (National Unity Day) was celebrated all across the country on 31st October to commemorate the 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Sardar Patel played an instrumental role in India’s struggle for independence, and later during the integration of the country. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel is also known as the Iron Man of India. At the time of independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an instrumental role in India’s struggle for independence, and later during the integration of the country by convincing several princely states to align with the Indian Union. The day of his birth, therefore, celebrates his efforts and contributions.

In 2014, when a new government formed at the Centre, it was decided that October 31 be celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. Last year, the government unveiled the ‘Statue of Unity’, sculpted in honour of Sardar Patel in the Kevadia, Gujarat. Sardar Patel was the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.

3. TN became the first state to enact a law on contract farming: Tamil Nadu has become the first state in the country to enact a law on contract farming with President Ram Nath Kovind giving assent to the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2019. The Bill aims to set a policy framework and institutional mechanism on agricultural produce and livestock contract farming. The Bill was adopted by the Tamil Nadu State government in February 2019. The Bill is first-of-its-kind legislation that assures farm income.

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

4. Bull-Catching Festival ‘Hori Habba’ celebrated in Karnataka:  'Hori Habba', is a popular bull-catching celebration in Karnataka. It is celebrated during the harvest season. It is an ancient folk game native to Haveri district of Karnataka and played on the lines of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and Kambala in Dakshina Kannada district. The government has not been allowing these traditional games to be played following a ban on such sports by the Supreme Court in 2017.

5. IIIT Hyderabad create first ever Indian Brain Atlas: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H), Telangana have created the first-ever ‘Indian brain atlas’ (IBA). The Indian brain atlas was constructed in collaboration with the Department of Imaging Sciences and Interventional Radiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The study has revealed that the Indian brain, on an average, is smaller in height, width and volume when compared to Western and other Eastern populations. This will help in early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other brain-related ailments. The research has been published in Neurology India, a peer-reviewed journal.

6. Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar appointed as Deputy NSA: Former Mumbai Police Commissioner and Maharashtra DGP Datta Padsalgikar have been appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA). The 1982-batch IPS officer had earlier served in the Intelligence Bureau (IB). He had also served as DCP (Detection) in crime branch, and in EOW (Economic Offences Wing). He retired as the Director-General of Police (DGP) in 2018.

Note: Present National Security Advisor (NSA): Ajit Doval.

7. Anup Kumar Singh takes charge as new DG of National Security Guard: Senior IPS officer Anup Kumar Singh has taken charge as the new Director General (DG) of the National Security Guard (NSG). A 1985-batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre, Singh's appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The NSG is a counter-terrorism unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was raised in 1984.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Sheikh Sultan inaugurates Sharjah International Book Fair 2019: The 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2019 was inaugurated by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi. Nearly 1800 exhibitors from 77 countries are participating in the Fair. The fair will showcase 987 activities presenting scientific, knowledge and literary themes. The theme of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2019 is ‘Open Books Open Minds’ to promote books and reading across age groups and communities. The Republic of Mexico has been declared as the Guest of Honour at the 38th edition of SIBF. Sharjah International Book Fair is an annual event and runs for 11 days.

Note: Capital of the UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency of the UAE: Dirham.

2. Pak releases coin to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak: The government of Pakistan released a new coin to commemorate the 550th anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. The coin worth Pakistan Rupees 50 will be available at the Kartarpur Sahib along with a postal stamp worth Pakistan Rupees 8 to the travelling pilgrims. The first group of pilgrims from India is expected to depart for the neighbouring country on November 9. Islamabad will levy $20 as a service charge on each Indian, who will visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the shrine of Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan. The corridor connects the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur in India to Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan.

Note: Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan; President: Arif Alvi; Currency: Pakistani rupee; Capital: Islamabad.

3. World’s first blockchain-based carbon trading exchange in Singapore: Worlds’ first blockchain-based carbon trading exchange was launched by the Singapore-based AirCarbon Pte. This will allow airlines and other corporate buyers to buy as well sell tokens backed by carbon offset credits approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The company is applying to the Monetary Authority of Singapore for a recognized market operator license the targets for the exchange to be fully operational in 2020. The AirCarbon Exchange will finance the registration costs of some carbon-mitigation projects at no charge to developers to help generate credits to trade.

4. World Cities Day: 31 October: The United Nations General Assembly has designated the 31st October as World Cities Day. The Day is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world. This year, the United Nations has selected the theme “Changing the world: innovations and better life for future generations” to discuss how urbanization can be used to achieve sustainable development.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Shiva Thapa, Pooja Rani clinch gold in Olympic Test event for Boxing: Indian boxer Shiva Thapa and Pooja Rani clinched gold medals in Olympic Test Event for Boxing in Tokyo, Japan. While Ashish settled for a silver, ending India’s brilliant campaign at the Olympic Test Event. Four-time Asian medallist Thapa outpunched Kazakhstan’s national champion and Asian bronze-winner Sanatali Toltayev 5-0 to claim the top honours in the 63-kilogram category. Former Asian Games bronze-medallist Pooja Rani edged past Australia’s Caitlin Parker in 75-kilogram category to ensure that the Indian women’s contingent also had gold in its kitty. In 69 kilogram category, Ashish, however, lost to Japan’s Sewon Okazawa to sign off with a silver medal.

2. India to play its first-ever Day-Night Test: According to the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, the Indian cricket team will play its first-ever Day-Night Test match here against Bangladesh next month. The Test is scheduled to be held at the Eden Gardens from November 22-26 and will be the second game of a two-match series.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. India signs MoU with Saudi to launch RuPay card in the Gulf Kingdom: India on 29th October signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to launch the RuPay card in the country, making it the third nation in West Asia to initiate India's digital payment system which will benefit not only the 2.6 million Indians in the Gulf Kingdom but also Haj and Umrah pilgrims. India has already launched the RuPay card in the UAE, Bahrain, Singapore and Bhutan.

Note: The RuPay card is a first-of-its-kind Indian domestic Debit and Credit Card payment network, with acceptance at ATMs, POS devices and e-commerce websites. It was launched in 2012 to fulfill the Reserve Bank of India's vision to have a domestic, open and multilateral system of payments.

OBITUARIES

1. First female UN refugee chief Sadako Ogata passes away: First female UN refugee chief Sadako Ogata passed away. She served as the Chief of the UN refugees from 1991-2000. She had also served as the head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from 2003- 2012 and also as the chairman of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) from 1978-1979.

2. Former Karnataka Lokayukta N. Venkatachala passes away: N. Venkatachala, former judge of the Supreme Court and former Lokayukta of Karnataka passed away. Venkatachala was known for bringing to light the existence of Karnataka’s autonomous anti-corruption wing as the Lokayukta by conducting raids on public servants and disclosing their names and particulars of seized assets. He also functioned as the head of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, during 1990. He was Lokayukta from July 3, 2001, to July 2, 2006.

3. Actor and comedian John Witherspoon passes away: Actor and comedian John Witherspoon passed away recently. He was best known best known for the hit Friday franchise and The Wayan Brothers. He made his feature debut in the film The Jazz Singer (1980) and entered showbiz through stand-up comedy and started acting in the late 1970s with guest-starring TV roles.

 

Daily GK Updates - 30th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pramod Kumar Tiwari Appointed Director General of Bureau of Indian Standards: Pramod Kumar Tiwari has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Previously, he was the joint secretary, department of food and public distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-Saudi Arabia Signs 12 MoUs During the Visit of PM Modi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 29 October 2019 at the invitation of King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During the visit, the two nations signed 12 MoUs/Agreements in various fields.

Some of the MoUs/Agreements are: (1) Strategic Partnership Council Agreement; (2) Agreement on Security Cooperation; (3) MoU between Saudi General Authority of Military Industries (GAMI) and Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence concerning collaboration in military acquisition, industries, research, development and technology; (4) MoU for Cooperation in the field of Civil Aviation; (5) MoU between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) and Saudi Aramco; (6) MoU for Cooperation between National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul); (7) MoU between National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Saudi Payments

2. European Union Extends Brexit Deadline until January 31, 2020: The European Union (EU) has agreed to delay Brexit until January 31, 2020. The earlier deadline was October 31, 2019. Brexit is the scheduled withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). The decision has been agreed on by ambassadors from the 27 other EU countries. The deal grants a three-month extension to Britain’s EU membership. It allows the U.K. to leave earlier if it and the EU both ratify the withdrawal deal.

Note: EU has a total of 28 countries including the UK.

3. Filipe Nyusi Wins Second 5 years Term as President of Mozambique: Mozambique’s incumbent President Filipe Nyusi has won the Presidential elections 2019 to be elected as the head of the country for the second consecutive term. The 60-year-old secures 73 percent of the votes marking a landslide victory.

Note: Mozambique capital: Maputo; Currency: Mozambican metical

4. Lebanon PM Saad Hariri Resigns amid Nationwide anti-government Protests: Lebanon Prime Minister Saad Hariri has announced his resignation from the post on October 29, 2019. His decision to step down comes after massive anti-government protests against his government over political corruption and economic turmoil.

Note: Lebanon Capital: Beirut; Currency: Lebanese pound

5. Rafael Grossi Named New Chief of IAEA: Rafael Grossi of Argentina has been named as the new director-general of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The 58-year-old will succeed late Yukiya Amano. He will be the sixth head of the Vienna based IAEA since its foundation on 29 July 1957.

6. HBR’s list of 10 best performing CEOs has 3 Indian-origin CEOs: The Best-Performing CEOs in the World, 2019′ list compiled by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) features 100 CEOs. The list has been topped by American technology company NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang. Among the top 10 chief executives on the list, 3 spots have been occupied by the Indian-origin CEOs.

The list features 100 CEOs and has been topped by American technology company NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang. Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen was ranked 6th, followed by MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga was ranked 7th and Microsoft chief Satya Nadella on the 9th spot. The list also features India-born CEO of DBS Bank Piyush Gupta on the 89th spot. Apple CEO Tim Cook was ranked 62nd in the list. The 2019 list has 4 female CEOs in the top 50 of the rankings.

Note: The HBR took into account three metrics for each CEO’s tenure: the total shareholder return (including dividends reinvested) adjusted by country and by industry and change in market capitalisation (adjusted for dividends, share issues, and share repurchases), measured in inflation-adjusted USD.

7. Nirmal Purja climbs world’s 14 highest peaks in record-breaking 189 days: Nirmal Purja (Nims), a former British army soldier from Nepal created history by climbing all the 14 world’s 8,000-metre-high mountains in a record-breaking 189 days (6 months 6 days). Purja finished the task of his 14 climbs with the summit of Shishapangma on October 29, 2019. The various mountains that were scaled by Nims are: Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, K2, Broad Peak, Cho Oyu and Manaslu.

Note: Italy’s legendary Reinhold Messner was the first person to scale 14 peaks in the year 1986.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Tiger Woods clinched historic 82nd title with Zozo Championship 2019: The Zozo Championship 2019 tournament title was clinched by America’s Tiger Woods, aged 43, which was his 82nd PGA Tour crown. He sealed a historic three-stroke win to draw level with Sam Snead (America) for the most victories on Tour. The Zozo Championship 2019, a professional golf tournament, was held at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Chiba, Japan. It was the first event sanctioned tournament by the PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) Tour in Japan, in a deal that will last until at least 2025.  The prize money of the tournament was US$9.75 million.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. BSE partners with Ebix for Insurance products: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has formed a joint venture with Ebix (the global leader in insurance exchanges). The JV is named BSE-Ebix Broking Insurance Broking Pvt Ltd. The Joint Venture has received in-principle approval for a certificate of registration to act as a direct insurance broker under the IRDAI (Insurers Brokers) Regulations 2018. BSE-Ebix Broking Insurance Broking Pvt Ltd, will enable distribution outlets, wealth management advisors, point of sales (POSs) to sell life and non-life insurance products.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Gandhi Mandela Award 2019, an initiative to commemorate All-Time World Pioneers: New Delhi based Non-Profit Organisation (NPO), the Gandhi Mandela Foundation has constituted India's first International Award, the Gandhi Mandela Award in 2019. The award was announced on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2019, and will be organized in India in December 2019. The award will honour exemplary work and achievements of the Heads of State and Government and other distinguished persons/organizations around the world. These awards will be given to personalities who have made significant contribution in the fields of Peace, Social Welfare, Culture, Environment, Education, Healthcare, Sports and Innovation. The Gandhi Mandela Foundation plans to hold the 2nd Edition of Gandhi Mandela Award in London on October 2nd 2020.

Daily GK Updates - 29th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ‘Aarambh’, common foundation course for IAS probationers held in Statue of Unity: The Centre’s first-ever common foundation course “Aarambh” (Beginning) for 2019 batch probationer civil servants has begun at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat. There are around 500 newly recruited bureaucrats are undergoing six-day training. The theme this year is ‘How to achieve the goal of making India a 5 trillion dollar economy’.

2. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launches 'Odisha Mo Parivar' programme: The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has launched a social service initiative aimed at encouraging environment protection, blood donation and the welfare of Odias in distress. Under the 'Odisha Mo Parivar' (Odisha, my family) programme, party leaders will dedicate themselves to protect the environment and undertake extensive planting of trees, and create awareness among the public.

Note: Governor of Odisha: Ganeshi Lal; Capital: Bhubaneswar.

3. Govt set up a committee of secretaries (CoS) to help ease stress in the telecom sector: The government has constituted a Committee of Secretaries to work out a financial bailout package that may include lowering of spectrum charges as well as ending the era of free mobile phone calls and dirt cheap data. The committee will be headed by Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba and secretaries from finance, law, telecom ministries will be its members. The panel will comprise of secretaries to the ministries of finance, law, and telecom. The panel has been asked to look at the demands of telecom service providers (TSPs) for deferment of payments they had promised for the spectrum won through auction as well as consider lowering airwave usage charge.

4. Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde Appointed as 47th Chief Justice of India: The senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, Justice Sharad Arvind Bodbe has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI). His Warrant of Appointment was signed by President Ram Nath Kovind under Article 124 of the Constitution of India. He will be the 47th CJI and will take oath on November 18th, a day after incumbent Ranjan Gogoi demits office. He will have tenure of 17 months and would demit office on 23rd April 2021. Born in Nagpur, Maharashtra on April 24, 1956, justice Bobde completed a Bachelor of Arts and LLB degrees from Nagpur University. Justice Bobde served as an additional judge in Bombay High Court and Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on April 12, 2013.

Note: KK Venugopal is present Attorney General of India.

5. A new book titled "The Unquiet River: A biography of the Brahmaputra", to be released: A new book titled "The Unquiet River: A biography of the Brahmaputra", written by historian Arupjyoti Saikia is to be released. The book published by Oxford University Press (OUP). The book describes the river's long lineage and its centrality in Assam's environment. It is the intertwined story of the river and floodplains, water and land, human and non-humans, which continue to converge.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 9th edition of Bangladesh-India Friendship Dialogue: The 9th edition of Bangladesh-India Friendship Dialogue will be held at Cox Bazar in Bangladesh from November 1, 2019. The dialogue aims to draw from learning and experiences in these sectors between India and Bangladesh. The two-day dialogue will cover a wide range of issues like trade and investment, connectivity, technology, energy, regional security, extremism, and sustainable development among others. The event will be organized jointly by the India Foundation and Bangladesh Foundation for Regional Studies.

Note: Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka; PM: Sheikh Hasina.

2. 29th BASIC Ministerial Meet on Climate Change concluded in Beijing, China: The 29th ministerial meeting of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) countries on Climate Change was held at Beijing, China on 25th-26th October 2019. The meeting was chaired by E. Mr. LI Ganjie, Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China. The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Shri Prakash Javadekar represented India at the event. India will host the 30th BASIC Ministerial Meeting in 2020.

Note: BASIC: Established by an agreement in 2009 BASIC is a geopolitical alliance (bloc) of four advanced developing countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China. These four countries collectively account for one-third of the world’s geographical area and nearly 40% of the world’s population.

3. Birender Singh Yadav to be next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Iraq: Birender Singh Yadav has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Iraq. The 1997 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Birender Singh replaced Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit as the ambassador.

Note: President of Iraq: Barham Salih; Prime minister: Adil Abdul-Mahdi; Capital of Iraq: Baghdad; Currency: Iraqi dinar.

4. IIM Calcutta’s MBA Ranked in Top 20 in the World: Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) has secured the 17th rank globally in the 'Financial Times Masters in Management Rankings 2019' released on October 28, 2019. The list was topped by the University of St.Gallen in Switzerland followed by HEC Paris, France and London Business School, UK. The IIMC got the ranking for its 2-Year Masters in Business Administration (formerly Post Graduate Programme in Management). IIMC has improved by 6 ranks from last year when it had secured the 23rd spot. The institute has also taken over IIM Ahmedabad for the top spot in the country. IM Ahmedabad is placed at 21st rank this year. IIM Bangalore, the 'B' of the IIM ABC trio, is at 44th place. IIM Udaipur at 76th rank and IIM Indore at 81st rank are the new entrants in the list.

5. Facebook launches healthcare tool for check-up reminders: Facebook has unveiled a ‘Preventive Health’ tool that connects people to health resources and sends check-up reminders. Facebook has launched the tool in the United States. The tool is designed to help users of the social networking giant to find affordable places to receive care, set reminders to schedule tests and mark when tests are completed. The recommendations to the users will be provided on the basis on their age and sex. The resources available in the tool are provided by the American Cancer Society, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Note: Facebook Headquarters: California, US; CEO: Mark Zuckerberg.

6. World Internet Day: 29 October: Every year on October 29, World Internet Day is celebrated all across the world. It was on this day, the first electronic mail (email) was sent from one computer to another in 1969. This was the year of 1969 when Charley Kline, a student programmer at the UCLA transmitted the first-ever message on 29th of October in 1969. The Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching, using standard IP (Internet Protocol). Now the Internet has become one of the most important parts of our life.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty bag silver in doubles event at French Open: India's top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the silver medal in Badminton French Open 2019. The Indian duo lost to world No.1 Indonesian pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo in the finals of the French Open in Paris. Satwik and Chirag had won their maiden Super 500 title at the Thailand Open earlier in August this year. It was the first time that an Indian men's doubles pair reached a World Tour 750 final.

The list of winners is:

Men’s Singles- Chen Long (China)

Women’s Singles- An Se-young (South Korea)

Men’s Doubles- Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo

Women’s Doubles- Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan

Mixed Doubles- Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti

2. ICC bans Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan for 2 years: The International Cricket Council has banned Bangladesh Test and T20 Captain Shakib Al Hasan for 2 years from all forms of cricket. The Bangladeshi cricketer has been banned for not reporting to the ICC that he was approached by the bookies. The cricketer was approached by the bookies during the 2018 home tri-series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. One year of the punishment has been suspended after he accepted three charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. BSE-Ebix JV gets IRDAI approval for distribution of insurance products: The BSE-Ebix Broking Insurance Broking Private Limited, the joint venture between Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Ebix has received in-principle approval from the insurance regulator for insurance distribution. The venture will enable distribution outlets, wealth management advisors, Points of Sale (POS) to sell life and non-life insurance product". The joint venture will make use of the reach of both BSE and EbixCash, which spans over 300,000 outlets across the country. It will cover the entire insurance lifecycle, from customer relationship management, agency management, multi-quoting, underwriting, policy creation, claims filing to the insurance company and coordinate with the insurance company for settlement of claim and back-end insurance policy administration.

Note: BSE is Asia’s first stock exchange established in 9 July 1875, its headquarters is situated in Mumbai, Maharashtra and its MD and CEO is Ashish Kumar Chauhan. Ebix Headquarters is situated in Atlanta, United States and its President & CEO is Robin Raina.

IRDAI is insurance regulatory body in India Headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana and its Chairman is Subhash Chandra Khuntia

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Nawazuddin Siddiqui wins award at 2019 Cardiff International Film Festival: Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been awarded the Golden Dragon Award at this year’s Cardiff International Film Festival in the UK. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has made a mark internationally with Netflix’s Sacred Games, Ritesh Batra’s Photograph and BBC UK’s McMafia.