Daily GK Updates - 12th December, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) passed by the Rajya Sabha: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) passed by the Rajya Sabha. As many as 125 lawmakers voted in the favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and 99 against it. Now, The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will go to the President for his assent. Earlier, the citizenship bill passed by the Lok Sabha with a majority of 311 votes against 80.

Know about Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill proposes to grant citizenship to the non-Muslims Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhist, Jains and Parsis -- from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. Earlier, the duration of the immigrants' residency was 11 years. The amended bill has reduced it to five years. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill would not apply to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the area covered under the Inner Limit notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873

2. Workshop on Bamboo cultivation to be held in Jammu: In Jammu and Kashmir, a first of its kind workshop on Bamboo cultivation will be held on 19th and 20 of this month in Jammu. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the exhibition. The workshop will focus on the promotion of Bamboo cultivation in the potential Kandi areas of Jammu and its value addition as an economic activity and generate entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.

Note: Lieutenant (Lt) Governors of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K): Girish Chandra Murmu.

3. ASI has identified 138 monuments as “Must See” monuments in country: Archaeological Survey of India has identified 138 numbers of monuments as Must-See Monuments and information thereof is made available on “Must See” portal of Archaeological Survey of India. There are 38 World Heritage Sites in India, out of which 22 Cultural Sites including monuments/ buildings and caves are under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India. The ‘Must See’ list of ASI features first-class Indian monuments and archaeological sites including those that feature on UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)World Heritage List. Such monuments and sites showcase exceptionality in terms of art and architecture, planning and design.

Note: Archaeological Survey of India founder: Alexander Cunningham; Founded: 1871; Headquarters: New Delhi.

4. Salman Khan appointed as the brand ambassador of Pepsi: Food and beverage company PepsiCo has appointed Bollywood actor Salman Khan as brand ambassador for its flagship Pepsi brand in India. The commercial will be launched in 2020 and will take up the “SWAG” themed campaign which was launched in the summer of 2019. Brand Pepsi will base its summer 2020 campaign on Salman Khan’s upcoming movie “Dabangg-3”. Previously Salman Khan was the brand ambassador of Pepsico’s rival company Coca-Cola’s popular ThumsUp and also as the brand ambassador of Parle Agro-backed soft drink Appy Fizz. Previously, He also endorsed PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew drink.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World’s First commercial electric plane takes flight in Canada: The world’s first fully-electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural test flight, taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver and flying for 15 minutes. A 62-year-old six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane re-fitted with a fully electric 750 horsepower motor was piloted by Greg McDougall, founder and chief executive of Harbour Air, a British Columbia-based charter airline that transport passengers between Vancouver. MagniX designed the motor and worked in partnership with Harbour Air which ferries thousands of people a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski resort and nearby islands.

Note: Canada Capital: Ottawa; Currency: Canadian dollar; Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau.

2. US, Mexico, Canada sign USMCA trade deal: The representatives from the United States, Mexico and Canada inked a revamped version of their regional trade pact after months of negotiations. Now, The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will go to the countries' legislatures for final approval. The accord is meant to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a deal in place since 1994.

3. Switzerland to be the country partner of BioAsia 2020: Switzerland will be the country partner at the 17th edition of BioAsia2020 scheduled to be held from February 17-19, 2020 with the theme “Today For Tomorrow” in Hyderabad, Telangana. Switzerland is making innovations in the world of medical healthcare and that many pharmaceutical companies have emerged as the center of Switzerland. While the city of Hyderabad has become a hub in the field of health tech and will be introduced to the Switzerland Health Tech Ecosystem through the Bio Asia Summit.

Note: Switzerland Capital: Bern; Currency: Swiss franc.

4. International Day of Neutrality: 12 December: International Day of Neutrality is a United Nations observance held on December 12 each year. In international law, a neutral country is a sovereign state that abstains from all participation in a war between other states and maintains an attitude of impartiality toward the belligerents. The belligerents, in their turn, recognize this abstention and impartiality. A permanently neutral power is bound to be neutral in all future wars.

Note: It was officially declared by a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in February 2017 and first observed on December 12 of the same year. The rights and duties of a neutral country are defined in the Hague Convention of 1907.

5. International Universal Health Coverage Day: 12 December: International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) is celebrated globally on 12 December. It aims to raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage with multi-stakeholder partners. The theme for the 2019 UHC Day is “Keep the promise”. Each year on 12 December, UHC advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, champion what we have achieved so far, call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and encourage diverse groups to make commitments to help move the world closer to UHC by 2030.

Note: In 2017 the United Nations proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day by resolution 72/138.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. PUMA signs Sunil Chhetri as brand ambassador: German multinational brand PUMA has announced Sunil Chhetri as its new brand ambassador for three -years. With this deal, Chhetri has joined the brand’s roster of global players like Antoine Griezmann, Romelu Lukaku, Luis Suarez and Sergio Aguero among others. Sunil Chhetri is the captain of the Indian national football team and Bengaluru Football Club. Currently, Chhetri is the second-highest goal-scorer in international football after Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Sunil Chhetri was also conferred with the Arjuna award in 2011 and Padma Shri in 2019.

2. G S Lakshmi becomes first woman Referee in Men’s ODI match: Former Indian Cricketer Gandikota Sarva Lakshmi (51-years) has become the first woman referee in the Men’s ODI (One Day International) match held in Sharjah Cricket Stadium, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She will oversee the third series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2. The opening match of the competition will take place between the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Lakshmi was appointed as the first woman in the ICC (International Cricket Council) International Panel of Match Referees in May 2019. Gandikota Sarva Lakshmi has overseen three women’s ODI matches, 16 men’s T20 Internationals and seven women’s T20 Internationals.

Note: A match referee's responsibility is to ensure that the ICC Cricket Code of Conduct is upheld during the game, to assess any breaches of the Code, and to hand out penalties for any breaches.

3. Sports Minister announces cash awards to SAG medalists: Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has announced a cash reward of 1.5 lakh rupees each for the 174 gold medallists of the South Asian Games held in Nepal. The silver winners will receive one lakh rupees and bronze winners 50,000 rupees each. The South Asian Games concluded with India topping the table winning 312 medals (174 gold, 93 silver and 45 bronze) medals. The Union government will have a structured cash reward policy for medallists in South Asian Games, like other multi-sporting events like the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Dhanlaxmi Bank's Board appoints V Viswanathan as additional director: V Viswanathan has been appointed as an Additional Director on the Board of Dhanlaxmi Bank. Viswanathan retired as Chief General Manager of State Bank of Hyderabad in 2017. Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd is an old private sector bank headquartered in Thrissur City, Kerala, India.

2. ADB lowers India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.1% in FY20: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered its forecast for India’s economic growth in fiscal year 2019-20 to 5.1%. ADB has stated that the consumption was affected by slow job growth and rural distress was aggravated by poor harvest.

Note: Asian Development Bank Headquarters: Manila, Philippines; President: Takehiko Nakao.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Dell Technologies, UNESCO tie up to boost quality of education:

Dell Technologies announced a new partnership with UNESCO MGIEP (Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace) to enable school teachers to adopt technology in classrooms by using ICT tools. The information and communication technology (ICT) tools have been developed by Dell Aarambh and FramerSpace platform. The partnership would enable achieving the UN Sustainable Goal 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies and also UNESCO MGIEP in its mission of building social and emotional learning, innovative digital pedagogies and empowering youth.

Note: UNESCO formation: 4 November 1946; Headquarters: Paris, France; Director-General: Audrey Azoulay.

2. Xiaomi launches service “Mi Credit” in India for Android phones: Xiaomi has formally launched its lending platform “Mi Credit” in India for Android phones. According to platform “Mi Credit” individuals can avail up to Rs 1 lakh loan. The company is planning to introduce more financial products in India. The company has been operating Mi Credit platform on a pilot basis. Xiaomi has roped in Aditya Birla Finance Ltd, Money View, EarlySalary, Zestmoney and CreditVidya as the current lending partners for Mi Credit service. Mi Credit app will come pre-loaded on all MIUI phones, and can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Climate activist ‘Greta Thunberg’ wins Time Person of the Year 2019: Swedish climate crisis activist Greta Thunberg (16-years) has been named Time Magazine's youngest ever Person of the Year. Greta Thunberg is known for her blunt addresses to world leaders. She is the youngest individual ever named Time Person of the Year. Earlier this year, Thunberg had been nominated for a Nobel peace prize 2019, recognised for her mobilisation of students in her "Fridays for Future" weekly school strikes.

Note: Times Person of the Year (called Man of the Year or Woman of the Year until 1999) is an annual issue of the United States news magazine Time. It features and profiles a person, a group, an idea, or an object that ‘for better or for worse’ has done the most to influence the events of the year".

2. Odisha wins ‘World Habitat Award’ for OLHM- Jaga Mission: Odisha won the ‘World Habitat Award’ for Jaga Mission (Odisha Livable Habitat Mission (OLHM) a slum land titling project executed for the benefit of millions of urban-poor people living in slums. The Jaga is a society under Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD), Government of Odisha. The OLHM-JAGA aims at transforming the slums into livable habitats and under which 52,682 urban poor families living in the slums have been granted land rights certificate. The Jaga mission (started on 7th May 2018) is being executed by the State Government in association with Tata Trusts and Norman Foster Foundation.

Note: The award was given by the World Habitat, a UK (United Kingdom) based organization which gives the award annually to recognize innovative housing projects around the world. The award is conferred to any two projects around the world.

Capital of Odisha: Bhubaneswar; Governor: Ganeshi Lal; Chief Minister : Naveen Patnaik.

DEFENCE

1. International Seminar cum Exhibition on Naval weapon Systems ‘NAVARMS-19’: The 4th edition of International Seminar cum Exhibition on Naval Weapon Systems ‘NAVARMS-19’ started at Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, Development Enclave, New Delhi (12-13 Dec 2019). The two-day event will provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas, create awareness and identify emerging prospects for Indian/International defence industry in the domain of Naval Weapon Systems. The theme of this day is to “Make in India - Fight Category: Opportunities and Imperatives”.

Note: NAVARMS is the only international seminar and exhibition on Naval Weapon Systems conducted in the country to invite all the stakeholders in life cycle management of Naval Weapons.

Chief of the Naval Staff: Karambir Singh.

OBITUARIES

1. Former US Federal Reserve chief Paul Volcker passes away: The former US Federal Reserve chief Paul Volcker passed away. He was appointed as the chief of the US Federal Reserve in 1979. He was popularly known for fighting inflation by raising interest rates. He was a legendary figure in American finance.

Daily GK Updates - 11th December, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Delhi will host 6th Indian Ocean Dialogue and Delhi Dialogue XI: The external affairs ministry is organising the 6th Indian Ocean Dialogue and Delhi Dialogue XI in New Delhi during December 13-14. For the first time, these two events will be held consecutively. The theme for the Indian Ocean Dialogue is “Indo-Pacific: Re-imagining the Indian Ocean through an Expanded Geography”, while the theme for the Delhi Dialogue is “Advancing Partnership in Indo-Pacific”. The themes are intended to build on the ‘growing recognition of the Indo-Pacific concept in strategic and academic circles within the region and beyond.

2. Odisha to set up 45 new fast track courts: 45 new fast track courts will be set up in Odisha. The 21 courts would be dedicated to cases of rape and sexual harassment of women. The remaining 24 fast track courts will specifically deal with Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases. The State government’s action comes after Centre’s decision to formulate a scheme for setting up 1,023 fast track special courts for expeditious trial and disposal of rape cases.

Note: Odisha CM: Naveen Patnaik; Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

3. Multi Cell Box Type Load Class 70 bridge inaugurated in Rajouri: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Girish Chandra Murmu inaugurated the 72-metre long Multi Cell Box Type Load Class 70 Bridge in Rajouri. The bridge spans over Draj nallah and connects Draj Area to Tehsil Kotranka area under District Rajouri. The bridge has been built by Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The Draj bridge is an important bridge for military as well as for socio-economic development of the Rajouri District as a whole. This bridge will facilitate all weather and speedy movement of Army troops as well as locals.

4. West Bengal govt organizing two-day Business Conclave: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has inaugurated the two-day Business Conclave at Digha in East Midnapore District to attract more industrial investments in the State. Leading industrialists from the country and 35 foreign nations are likely to be present at the meet. This time conclave is being organized at Sea Town Digha to facilitate investment in Tourism besides promoting the industry in the region. Number of MoUs are likely to be signed between the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and Multinational companies for spreading industrial growth in the State.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. C. Sugandh Rajaram appointed as India’s next envoy to the Republic of Ghana: C. Sugandh Rajaram has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Ghana. He will replace Birender Singh Yadav as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Ghana. C. Sugandh Rajaram is presently the Consul General, Consulate General of India to Southern Germany.

2. India among top 10 in 2019 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI): The 2019 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) has been presented at the ongoing COP25 climate summit in Madrid, Spain. The index is jointly presented by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network. For the first time, India has emerged among the top 10 countries with higher climate performance. India has been ranked at 9th spot in the index for its Climate Policy performance among 57 countries and the European Union. The authors of the report noted that as none of the countries assessed is already on a path compatible with the Paris climate targets, the first three places of the ranking remain unoccupied. While some EU countries such as Sweden (4th) and Denmark (5th), one of the best climbers, achieve overall high or very high ratings, the performance of EU countries varies largely. While only two G20 countries, the UK (7th) and India (9th), are ranked in the high category, eight G20 countries are remaining in the worst category of the index.

Note: None of the countries is on a path compatible with the Paris climate targets, to implement strategies to limit global warming below 2 or even 1.5°C.

3. International Mountain Day: 11 December: International Mountain Day is being observed every year on 11th December globally. This day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2003 to encourage sustainable development in mountains. The theme for 2019 IMD is “Mountains Matter for Youth”. International Mountain Day is a chance to highlight that for rural youth, living in the mountains can be hard. This year, youth will take the lead and demand that mountains and mountain peoples become central in the national and international development agendas; receive more attention, investments and tailored research.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. India’s R. Praggnanandhaa wins London Chess Classic: India’s R. Praggnanandhaa (14-year) has won the FIDE Open category of the London Chess Classic held in London. He won the tournament with a tally of 7.5 points out of nine rounds. R. Praggnanandhaa finished joint first with Anton Smirnov of Australia both scoring 7.5 points.

Note: The London Chess Classic is a chess festival held at the Olympia Conference Centre, West Kensington, London.

2. Wasim Jaffer becomes first Indian to play 150 Ranji matches: Veteran opener Wasim Jaffer (41 years) has become the first player in Indian cricket to feature in 150 Ranji matches. Overall, Jaffer has played 253 first-class games, scoring 19,147 runs at an average of 51.19. He has scored 57 hundred and 88 fifties with 314 being his highest score. Jaffer is followed by Madhya Pradesh batsman Devendra Bundela (145 matches) and Amol Muzumdar (136 matches), who have played for Mumbai and Assam. Now, Wasim Jaffar is just 853 runs away from completing 20,000 runs in first-class cricket.

3. Suniel Shetty signed as anti-doping brand ambassador NADA: Actor Suniel Shetty has been selected as the brand ambassador of National Anti-Doping Agency NADA. The country’s anti-doping body is hoping that his celebrity status helps its efforts to clean up sports in the country from the menace. More than 150 athletes have failed dope tests this year though bodybuilders make up more than one-third of these offenders. This is not a welcome sign with less than eight months to go for the Tokyo Olympic Games. The suspension of National Anti-Doping Laboratory by the WADA earlier this year is another issue facing the country now that dope samples collected by the National Anti-Doping Agency from the athletes will have to be tested outside India.

4. India finishes top with 312 Medals at 2019 South Asian games in Nepal: The 2019 South Asian Games, (officially, XIII South Asian Games) was held in Nepal (Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur). Thousands of sports lovers witnessed gala closing ceremony held at historic Dasaratha Rangshala in Kathmandu. India finished the 13th edition of the tournament way ahead of other teams in the tally with 312 medals (174 Gold, 93 Silver, 45 Bronze). Host Nepal remained second and Sri Lanka got third place. During the 10 days long biggest sporting event of South Asia, over 2700 athletes from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives competed for 1119 medals.

Note: Nepal Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli; Capital: Kathmandu; President of Nepal: Bidhya Devi Bhandari; Currency of Nepal: Nepalese rupee.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Gulu Mirchandani bags CEAMA Lifetime Achievement Award: Gulu Mirchandani has been conferred with “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association. Gulu Mirchandani is the founder chairman of Mirc Electronics Ltd. (Onida). He has been awarded for his extensive contribution to the consumer electronics industry. He has been associated with consumer electronics industry for more than 3 decades.

Note: Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) is an all-India organisation in the consumer electronics and durables sector. It has been in existence for over three decades.

2. Ethiopia's PM receives Nobel Peace Prize 2019: Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has received the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize (100th) for his efforts to achieve international peace and co-operation. The Nobel Committee announced in October it was honouring Abiy Ahmed for his efforts to resolve the long-running conflict with neighbouring foe Eritrea. On July 9, 2018, following a historic meeting in Eritrea's capital Asmara, Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki formally ended a 20-year-old stalemate between their countries in the wake of the 1998-2000 border conflict.

Note: The Nobel Peace Prize consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for nine million Swedish kronor (850,000 euros). The Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize in the presence of the King of Norway on 10 December each year (the anniversary of Nobel's death).

Ethiopia Capital: Addis Ababa; Currency: Ethiopian birr.

OBITUARIES

1. ICSSR Chairman Braj Bihari Kumar passes away: Braj Bihari Kumar, the Chairman of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) passed away. He was appointed as the chairman of the ICSSR in May 2017. Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) was established in the year of 1969 by the Government of India to promote research in social sciences in the country. It provides grants for projects, fellowships, international collaboration, capacity building, survey, publications etc. to promote research in social sciences in India.