Daily GK Updates - 22nd December, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Jagan launches ‘Nethanna Nestham’ scheme for handloom weavers: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched ‘Nethanna Nestham’ at Dharmavaram of Anantapur district. Chief Minister said the scheme will benefit 85,000 handloom weaver families in the State. Under the scheme, Rs 24,000 will be credited directly into the bank accounts of the weavers having own looms every year.

Note: Andhra Pradesh Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan; Capital: Amaravati

2. Secunderabad Railway Station Gets India’s First ‘Water From Air’ System: The Indian Railways has announced that it has installed a first-of-its-kind ‘atmospheric water generator’ (AWG) system named ‘Meghdoot,’ which converts humid air into potable drinking water, at Secunderabad railway station in Telangana. The minister of railways and commerce, Piyush Goyal informed about the installation of ‘Meghdoot’, which will produce water that complies with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. The price of the potable drinking water ranges from INR 2 to INR 8. It costs less if the passengers carry their own bottles and containers.

3. EChO Network launched to catalyze cross-disciplinary leadership in India: Prof. K VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India has launched EChO Network, a national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India was launched in New Delhi. It focuses on increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment. EChO Network would develop a national network to catalyze a new generation of Indians who can synthesize interdisciplinary concepts and tackle real-world problems in medicine, agriculture, ecology, and technology. With no precedent for such a network anywhere in the world, EChO Network establishes a new platform to change how science is embedded in our modern society.

4. Govt relaxes guidelines for reissue of OCI cards: India has relaxed certain Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) guidelines for reissue of passport for those below 20 years of age and those above 50 years. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has granted this “temporary relaxation” till June 30, 2020.

For OCI cardholder below the age of 20 years: In case an OCI cardholder below the age of 20 years has not got OCI card re-issued on change of passport, he/she may travel on the strength of his/her existing OCI card bearing old passport number subject to the condition that along with the new passport, the OCI cardholder carries old passport mentioned in the OCI card

For OCI cardholder above the age of 50 years: In case an OCI cardholder who has attained the age of 50 years and got his/her passport renewed subsequently but has not got his/her OCI card re-issued on renewal of passport, he/she may travel till June 30, 2020, on the strength of existing OCI card along with the new and old passports.

5. National Mathematics Day: 22nd December: National Mathematics Day is celebrated on 22nd December every year to mark the birth anniversary of legendary mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan and his contributions in the development of modern mathematics. This year nation celebrates his 132nd Birth Anniversary. The main objective behind the celebration of National Mathematics Day is to make people aware of the development of mathematics and its importance in the growth of humanity. He passed away on 6th April 1920.

Note: In 2011, the National Mathematics Day was instituted by the Union Government to celebrate Ramanujan’s 125th birth anniversary.

6. Indian Coast Guard conducts ‘Swachchh Samundra NW-2019’: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted a two-day regional level pollution response exercise named ‘Swachchh Samundra NW-2019’ at sea off Vadinar in Gulf of Kutch. The exercise was conducted to validate and reinforce the response mechanism for oil pollution incidents and enable the Indian Coast Guard to fine-tune the actions required in such eventualities. The exercise was conducted in two phases. The Gulf of Kutch (GoK) region handles 70 per cent of the oil imported by India and 11 Single Point Moorings (SPMs) out of total 27 SPM.

Note: Indian Coast Guard founded: 18 August 1978; Headquarters: New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Manuel Marrero Cruz appointed as Prime Minister of Cuba: Manuel Marrero Cruz was named the first prime minister of Cuba by President Miguel Díaz-Canel in more than 40 years. In Cuba, the post of PM was abolished in 1976 when Fidel Castro became president. It was reinstated under the rules of a new constitution for the communist-run island passed earlier this year. Marrero, who has served as tourism minister for 16 years and is an architect by trade, helped boost Cuba's economy by making tourism one of the engines of growth.

Note: Cuba Capital: Havana ; Currencies: Cuban peso.

2. Donald Trump officially launches US “space force”: Donald Trump has launched space force, the first new US military service in more than 70 years. Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that includes the space force. It is part of a $1.4tn (£1.1tn) government spending package – including the Pentagon’s budget – that provides a steady stream of financing for Trump’s US-Mexico border fence and reverses unpopular and unworkable automatic spending cuts to defence and domestic programmes. It is not intended to put troops into orbit, but will protect US assets – such as the hundreds of satellites used for communication and surveillance. Space Force will build on the work of the existing US Space Command (SpaceCom), which was created in August to handle the US military’s space operations.

3. India Emerges as World’s 3rd Largest Producer of Scientific Articles: Based on the statistics compiled by the US-based National Science Foundation (NSF), India has emerged as the world’s third largest publisher of science and engineering articles. China is on top of the list with the number of global scientific publications increased from 2,49,049 in 2008 to 5,28,263 in 2018 (growth rate of 7.81 percent per annum). United States stands second with the total global publications in science and engineering articles grew at a rate of 0.71 percent from 3,93,979 in 2008 to 4,22,808 in 2018. The other countries in the top 10 list are Germany (1,04,396), Japan (98,793), UK (97,681), Russia (81,579), Italy (71,240), South Korea (66,376) and France (66,352).

4. First Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva, Switzerland: The first-ever Global Refugee Forum was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland to strengthen the collective response to refugee situations as well as achieve the objectives of Global Compact on Refugees, affirmed on 17 December 2018 by the United Nations General Assembly. The forum focused on the following areas: arrangements for responsibility-sharing, education, jobs and livelihoods, energy and infrastructure, solutions and protection capacity. Global Refugee Forums will henceforth take place every four years, meaning the next is scheduled for late 2023.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Liverpool wins FIFA Club World Cup champions: Liverpool beat Brazil's Flamengo 1-0 to win the FIFA Club World Cup. The final was held in Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar’s capital city of Doha. It is the first time Liverpool have won the competition, which features each continent's champions, and they became only the second English team to lift the trophy after Manchester United in 2008. Brazilian Firmino drilled home the winner in the ninth minute of extra time to secure victory for Jurgen Klopp's European champions and Premier League leaders.

Note: FIFA President: Gianni Infantino; Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland; Founded at: Paris, France; Founded: 21 May 1904

2. Ashleigh Barty and Rafael Nadal named ITF World Champions for 2019: Ashleigh Barty (Australia) and Rafael Nadal (Spain) have been named International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) World Champions for 2019. They will be rewarded for stellar seasons in which they finished at the top of women's and men's rankings respectively. These awards will be given at the 2020 ITF world champions 2nd June, in Paris. Nadal, who’s currently the world number one, this year, won his 12th French Open and a fourth US Open. Barty, who’s also on top in women’s rankings, won her maiden Grand Slam title this year after defeating Marketa Vondrousova in French Open.

Other winners:

Category	Winner
Women Doubles	Timea Babos (Hungary) and Kristina Mladenovic (France)
Men Doubles	Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah (Colombia)
Men’s Wheelchair	Gustavo Fernandez (Argentina)
Women’s Wheelchair	Diede de Groot (Netherland)
Quad	Dylan Alcott (Australia)

Note: ITF Headquarters: London, United Kingdom; President of ITF: David Haggerty.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Fitch reduces India’s GDP growth forecast to 4.6% in FY20: Fitch Ratings has cut its GDP growth forecast for India to 4.6% for the 2019-20 fiscal from its earlier prediction of 5.6%.  Fitch has reaffirmed India’s rating at ‘BBB-‘with a Stable Outlook. In FY2020-21 the growth rate is predicted at 5.6 per cent and 6.5 per cent in FY2021-22 as per Fitch.

2. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala’s tenure as Chairman of NABARD: The tenure of NABARD chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala has been extended by six months as per an order issued the Personnel Ministry. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved a six-month extension to the tenure of Bhanwala, with effect from December 18, 2019. He was appointed as the Chairman of NABARD in December 2013.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Wipro partners Nasscom to train students on emerging technologies: IT giant Wipro has partnered with industry body NASSCOM to start a training platform on emerging technologies. The Platform will train students on artificial intelligence, data science, the internet of things, cybersecurity etc. Through this platform, Wipro will train 10,000 students from more than 20 engineering colleges in India. This is a part of Wipro’s corporate social responsibility programme, TalentNext, which aims to enhance the quality of engineering education by preparing faculty and academic leaders to train students. The programme has now been extended to students directly through Future Skills, a new age Nasscom platform built to bridge the industry-academia skill gap and help students learn new-age technologies.

Daily GK Updates - 21st December, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi addresses ASSOCHAM Annual Conference: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the annual general meeting of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India in New Delhi. The theme of the event was 'New India Aspiring for a USD 5 trillion economy'. The event was organized on the completion of 100 years of ASSOCHAM. During which he says, India's progress towards becoming a USD 5 trillion economy will be strengthened by investment of Rupees 100 lakh crore in infrastructure; also helped by an investment of Rupees 25 lakh crore in the rural economy.

Note: Assocham President: B K Goenka; Headquarters: New Delhi; Est: 1921.

2. National conference on ‘Uniformed Women in Prison Administration’ begins: The National Conference on ‘Uniformed Women in Prisons Administration’ (second edition) has been organised in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The conference is being held in collaboration of Madhya Pradesh Jail Department and BPR& D, New Delhi. The uniformed women police and employees from the post of Jail Warden to Inspector General Level of various states, members of non-government organisations, representatives of academic institutions and officers of other government departments are participating in the conference. The first conference was held in Delhi in 2017.

Note: Union Minister of State for Home affairs: Nityanand Rai.

3. “Environmental Sustainability and Economic Development” Summit held in Delhi: Summit on “Environmental Sustainability and Economic Development” was held in Delhi. Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change addressed the summit with the concerns about the depleting ozone layer and the emission of Cfcs and Hfcs. He stated that there is the need of the hour to call upon a meeting to control the minimum temperatures and to keep a check on the emissions.

Note: Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Prakash Javadekar.

4. Former HC Judge CV Ramulu appointed as Lokayukta: The Telangana government has appointed Justice C V Ramulu (former High Court judge) and V Niranjan Rao (former Law Secretary) as Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta respectively. Governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan has issued the orders to this effect. The governor also appointed another former judge Justice G Chandraiah as Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission. This is the first time that the state government has constituted the Lokayukta and Human Rights Commission since the state was formed in 2014.

Note: The Lokayukta is an anti-corruption ombudsman organization in the Indian states. Once appointed, Lokayukta Can't be dismissed nor transferred by the government, and can only be removed by passing an impeachment motion by the state assembly. CM of Telangana: K Chandrashekhar Rao; Capital: Hyderabad; Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ethiopia launched its first space satellite: Ethiopia launched its first satellite, a landmark achievement for the country’s space program that caps a banner year for the African space industry. The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS) took place at a space station in China. The launch makes Ethiopia the 11th African country to put a satellite into space. Egypt was the first in 1998. Data provided by Ethiopia’s satellite is expected to paint a fuller picture of the country’s agriculture, forestry and mining resources and improve responses to flooding and other disasters.

Note: Ethiopia Capital: Addis Ababa; Currency: Birr.

2. Indian-American computer scientist to lead National Science Foundation: US President Donald Trump has picked Indian-American computer scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan to lead the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) in USA.  The NSF is a US government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Panchanathan would succeed France Cordova when her six-year term as the NSF Director ends in 2020. Panchanathan is currently the Executive Vice President and the Chief Research and Innovation Officer at Arizona State University. He is also the Founding Director of the Centre for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing at the ASU.

3. International Astronomical Union names new star 'Sharjah': The International Astronomical Union (IAU) announced the names of the newly discovered stars and planets, where the name “Sharjah” was chosen for a star with "Barjeel" being the name of one of its planets. The announcement was made on 20th December 2019 during a press conference of the IAU in the French capital, Paris, celebrating the centennial of the union. During the announcement, the organizers lauded the efforts and contributions of the Emirate of Sharjah to the global scientific community.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Mirabai Chanu wins Gold in 6th Qatar International Cup: Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won the women’s 49kg category gold medal to open India’s account at the 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha. She bagged gold with an effort of 194kg in the Olympic qualifying event, with the points which will come in handy when the final rankings for Tokyo 2020 cut are done. She lifted 83kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium.

In the men's 67kg category, India's Jeremy Lalrinnunga won the silver medal with a total lift of 306kg (140kg in snatch and 166kg in clean and jerk).

Note: Qatar Capital: Doha; Currency: Qatari riyal.

2. Belgium crowned FIFA Team of the Year: Belgium has been crowned FIFA ‘Team of the Year’ for the second successive time after a record-breaking year for the global ladder. Roberto Martinez's side will end 2019 at the top of the standings after winning all 10 of their international 'A' matches this year to secure qualification for Euro 2020. World champions France conclude the year in second place, with Brazil third, England fourth and Uruguay fifth. World Cup runner-up Croatia and Nations League Finals winner Portugal join Spain, Argentina, and Colombia in the top 10. The Mover of the Year accolade goes to Qatar, which gained 138 rankings points over the course of 2019.

Note: President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Founded: 21 May 1904; Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.

3. ICC continues partnership with UNICEF for Women’s T20 World Cup: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that it has extended its partnership with UNICEF through to the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 with the focus on empowering women and girls through cricket. The money raised during the Women’s World T20 will go to similar projects in cricket playing nations, including an innovative program to promote girls” participation in cricket in Sri Lanka and build peace in communities. The ICC and UNICEF partnership commenced in 2015, as part of the ICC”s global community outreach program”Cricket 4 Good”. During the Men’s 50-over World Cup held in England and Wales earlier this summer, UNICEF raised $180,000 as part of ‘One Day 4 Children’ and this money will go directly to fund a girls’ cricket project in Afghanistan.

Note: ICC CEO: Manu Sawhney; Chairman: Shashank Manohar; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI to buy and sell govt bonds worth Rs 10,000 crore: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will simultaneously purchase and sell government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore under a special Open Market Operation (OMO). On a review of the current liquidity and market situation and an assessment of the evolving financial conditions, the Reserve Bank has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities on December 23, 2019. The purchase will be for government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore for the instrument ‘6.45 per cent GS 2029’. The Reserve Bank reserves the right to decide on the quantum of purchase/sale of individual securities and to accept bids/offers for less than the aggregate amount.

2. Google searches for ‘Operation Twist’ surge in India: Google searches for “Operation Twist” surged in India after the central bank announced its version of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s unconventional monetary policy. Most searches for the term came from Delhi followed by Maharashtra. The central bank will buy long-term bonds, while simultaneously selling short-term government securities in an effort to cheapen long-term borrowing and boost bank lending. The Reserve Bank of India will buy longer-tenor bonds while selling shorter debt. The concept is similar to Operation Twist used by the Fed in 2011-2012 in an effort to cheapen long-term borrowing and spur bank lending.

DEFENCE

1. 5th Edition of ARTECH to be held in New Delhi: The 5th edition of ARTECH is being organised by Indian Army on ‘Technologies for Non-Contact Warfare’ which will be organised on 23 December 2019 at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantonment. The seminar is the flagship event of the Indian Army which sets the agenda for focus areas of harvesting indigenous capabilities in the Defence sector. ARTECH Seminar was launched in 2016 as part of the overall vision of ‘Make in India’ of Hon’ble Prime Minister and is conducted every year as part of events leading to Army Day celebrations. ARTECH platform provides an opportunity to practitioners of military operations, policymakers in Ministry of Defence, industry and academia to put forth their contemporary Defence-related capabilities. It is also a forum for innovators in uniform to showcase their products and offer these to industry to refine & productions.

Note: Chief of the Army Staff: General Bipin Rawat; Headquarters: New Delhi; Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Kerala Minister Thomas Chandy passes away: Nationalist Congress Party’s Kerala State President and former Minister Thomas Chandy passed away. He represented Kuttanad constituency in Alappuzha district in the state Assembly. He was forced to quit as Kerala Transport Minister from the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in November 2017 after facing encroachment allegations.

Daily GK Updates - 20th December, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ADB & India signs $490 Million loan to upgrade roads of Madhya Pradesh: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India has signed a $490 million loan. The loan is signed for public-private partnership (PPP) project through the hybrid-annuity model (HAM) to upgrade about 1,600 km of state highways and major district roads in the state of Madhya Pradesh. An additional $286 million investment will be mobilised through private sector participation under the PPP modality. The upgradation of these roads under the project will improve rural and peri-urban connectivity in the state and improve access to markets and better services.

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

2. 'OCTOPUS' inducted into Andhra CM's security cover: The security cover of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been strengthened with the induction of OCTOPUS (Organisation for Counter-Terrorist Operations), replacing the Greyhounds commandos. The Organisation for Counter-Terrorist Operations (OCTOPUS) is an elite force for counter-terror in the state. A team of 32 members divided into five teams would be part of the security.

3. Phase-III of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana launched: Narendra Singh Tomar (Rural Development Minister) has launched Phase-III of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in New Delhi to further enhance the connectivity of villages with hospitals, schools and agricultural markets. The Phase-III of PMGSY aims at consolidation of 1 lakh 25 thousand Kilometers through Routes and Major Rural Links that connect habitations to Gramin Agricultural Markets, Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals with an estimated cost of 80 thousand 250 crore rupees for the period 2019-20 to 2024-25. The Central Share will be 53 thousand 800 crore rupees. The funding pattern for the scheme will be 60:40 between Centre and the States (for North East & Himalayan State 90:10).

4. Thawarchand Gehlot launches Braille version of ‘Exam Warriors’: Social Justice and Empowerment Minister released the Braille version of the book “Exam Warriors” written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The braille version in English and Hindi has been printed by Rajasthan Netraheen Kalyan Sangh in Jaipur. The book contains a detailed-design of the animated picture and various yoga asanas which will let students imagine the pictorial graphics with ease. The book will surely benefit visually-impaired students who face mental stress during examinations. It will boost the confidence level of these students and help them get success in various competitive exams.

Note: Social Justice and Empowerment Minister: Thawarchand Gehlot.

5. IPS officer Atul Karwal appointed as Director of National Police Academy: The Union Government appointed a senior Gujarat Cadre IPS officer Atul Karwal, as Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad. He is a 1988 batch IPS officer, is currently posted as Additional Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Afghanistan becomes 1st country to recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia: The Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) has been recognised formally by the National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of the Ministry of Public Health of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. With this Afghanistan has become the 1st country to recognize IP pursuant to the efforts of Department of Commerce and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Note: IP is an officially recognized book of standards as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945 thereunder. It specifies the standards of drugs manufactured and marketed in India in terms of their identity, purity and strength. To ensure the quality of medicinal products, the legal and scientific standards are provided by Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).

2. Donald Trump becomes 3rd US President to be impeached: Donald Trump has become the third US President in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. The impeachment will led to setting up a trial in the Senate that will decide whether Trump will remain in office or not. The House voted the President on two charges: one that he abused his power and other that he had obstructed Congress. The issue will now pass to the US Senate, which will hold a trial on whether to convict and remove Mr Trump from the office next month. Only two previous presidents have been impeached in the US history. The House in 1998 impeached President Bill Clinton while President Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868. Although, no President in the 243-year history of the United States has been removed from office by impeachment.

3. Portugal announces Gandhi Citizenship Education Prize: Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced the setting up of a Gandhi Citizenship Education Prize. Portugal will be launching a Gandhi Citizenship Education Prize, each year inspired by his different thoughts and quotes. The first edition of this prize will be dedicated to animal welfare as Mahatma Gandhi said that the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

Note: Portugal Capital: Lisbon; Portugal Currency: Euro.

4. International Human Solidarity Day: 20 December: The United Nation (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is annually held on 20th December to celebrate unity in diversity. The Day aims to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity and encourages debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication. The United Nations General Assembly established the World Solidarity Fund on 20th December 2002 as a trust fund of the United Nations Development Programme.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Zeena Khitta wins women's national 10m Air Rifle: Zeena Khitta (from Himachal Pradesh) beat Mehuli Ghosh and Apurvi Chandela to become the national champion in the women's 10m Air Rifle event at the ongoing 63rd National Shooting Championship in Bhopal. Mehuli had to settle for the silver while Apurvi won the bronze. Among the teams, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and West Bengal won two gold medals each.

2. Cummins joins KKR for Rs 15.50 crore, becomes most expensive foreign buy: Australian Pat Cummins becomes the most expensive overseas player signing in IPL history. Kolkata Knight Riders pick up the top-ranked Test bowler for a whopping Rs 15.50 crore. Glenn Maxwell earned himself a big payday as well, the hard-hitting batsmen signed by Kings XI Punjab for Rs. 10.75 crore after a tussle with Delhi Capitals. Chris Morris hit the 10-crore rupee mark with Royal Challengers Bangalore outlasting both Punjab and Mumbai Indians to secure the services of the South African all-rounder. Robin-Uthappa picked up by Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 3 crores in the IPL Auction.

3. Indian men’s football team ranked 108th in latest FIFA rankings: The Indian men’s football team remained static at 108th spot in the year-ending FIFA rankings. India lost 11 places throughout the year. With 1187 total points, India is placed at 19th spot among Asian countries headed by Japan 28th. Belgium ended on top for the second successive year and France remained in second place ahead of Brazil. In the Asian rankings, Japan (28th) is followed by Iran (33), Korea (40), Australia (42) and continental champions Qatar (55).

Note: President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Founded: 21 May 1904; Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Infosys launches blockchain powered distributed applications: Infosys has announced the launch of three blockchain-powered distributed applications. The applications will be dedicated for government services, insurance, and supply chain management domains. The applications are equipped with predictive return on investment (ROI) analytics for business investments that can be tailored to meet numerous industry-specific needs.

Note: Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys: Salil Parekh; Headquarters: Bengaluru.

2. Apple, Amazon & Google partners for ‘Connected Home over IP’: “Amazon.com Inc”, “Apple Inc” and Alphabet Inc’s “Google” have announced a partnership to lay the groundwork for better compatibility among their smart home products. Zigbee Alliance, whose members include IKEA and NXP Semiconductors among others, will also contribute to the project, titled ‘Connected Home over IP’. The partnership aims to make it easier for device manufacturers to build products that are compatible with smart home and voice services such as Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Sahitya Akademi award 2019 released: Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 23 languages. Seven books of poetry, four of the novel, six of short stories, three of essays and one each of non-fiction, autobiography and biography have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2019. This time, the awards for the Nepali language will be announced later.

The Award in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs. 1,00,000/- towards cash content will be presented to the authors of these books at a special function to be held on 25 February 2020 at New Delhi during the Festival of Letters organized by Sahitya Akademi.

The complete list of winners in a different language and genre categories is given in the table below.

Sr. No	Language	Title and Genre	Name of the Author
1	Assamese	Chanakya (Novel)	Joysree Goswami Mahanta
2	Bengali	Ghumer Darja Thele (Essays)	Chinmoy Guha
3	Bodo	Akhai Athumniphrai (Poetry)	Phukan Ch. Basumatary
4	Dogri	Bandralta Darpan (Essays)	Om Sharma Jandriari
5	English	An Era of Darkness (Non-Fiction)	Shashi  Tharoor
6	Gujarati	Mojma Revu Re (Essays)	Ratilal Borisagar
7	Hindi	Chheelate  Hue Apne Ko (Poetry)	Nand  Kishore Acharya
8	Kannada	Kudi Esaru (Autobiography)	Vijaya
9	Kashmiri	Akh Yaad Akh Qayamat (Short Stories)	Abdul AhadHajini
10	Konkani	The Words (Poetry)	Nilba A Khandekar
11	Maithili	Jingik Oriaon Kariat (Poetry)	Kumar Manish Arvind
12	Malayalam	Achan Piranna Veedu (Poetry)	V Madhusoodanan Nair
13	Manipuri	EiAmadi Adungeigi Eethat (Novel)	L Birmangol Singh (Beryl Thanga)
14	Marathi	Kadachit Ajoonahi(Poetry)	Anuradha Patil
15	Odia	Bhaswati (Short Stories)	Tarun Kanti Mishra
16	Punjabi	Antheen (Short Stories)	Kirpal Kazak
17	Rajasthani	BareekBaat (Short Stories)	Ramswaroop Kisan
18	Sanskrit	Prajnachakshusham   (Poetry)	Penna   Madhusudan
19	Santali	Sisirkali (Short Stories)	Kali Charan Hembram
20	Sindhi	Jeejal (Short Stories)	Ishwar Moorjani
21	Tamil	Sool (Novel)	Cho Dharman
22	Telugu	Septabhoomi (Novel)	Bandi Narayana Swamy
23	Urdu	Sawaneh-E-Sir   Syed: Ek Bazadeed (Biography)	Shafey Kidwai

DEFENCE

1. Upgraded version of Pinaka Rocket successfully test-fired off Odisha coast: An upgraded version of the indigenously developed Pinaka-guided rocket system with enhanced strike range and guidance system was successfully test-fired from the DRDO’s Proof and Experimental Establishment firing test range off Odisha coast. The system has a maximum range of 40 km for Mark-I and 75 km for Mark-II and can fire a salvo of 12 HE rockets in 44 seconds. It is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility. Pinaka is an indigenous multi-barrel rocket launch (MBRL) system, which has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army. The weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance kit comprising of an advanced navigation and control system.

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

OBITUARIES

1. Writer and critic LS Sheshagiri Rao passes away: Kannada writer and critic L.S. Sheshagiri Rao passed away. His first work was Idu Jeevana, an anthology of short stories was released in 1948. He is best known for his book “Hosagannada Sahitya Charitre”. He was best known for his critical works and an English-Kannada dictionary that he compiled. Proficient in Kannada and English, many of his works were bridges between the two languages.