Daily GK Updates - 13th January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi Launches Projects worth Rs 600 crore in Kolkata; Renames Kolkata Port as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port: The Kolkata Port has been renamed as Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port on 12 January 2020, on the occasion of 150 years of operation of Kolkata Port. This announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an event at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata to celebrate 150th year of celebrations of the port. PM Modi also launched several Port led development projects worth Rs 600 crore as a part of the celebrations. Some of the projects launched include:

(1) Released a commemorative stamp on 150th years of the Kolkata Port Trust

(2) Upgraded Ship repair facility at Netaji Subhash Dry Dock

(3) Upgraded railway infrastructure of Kolkata dock system of the Kolkata Port for smooth cargo movement and river front development scheme

(4) Mechanization of Berth No. 3 at Haldia Dock

(5) Launched the Port Anthem

(6) Inaugurated the Kaushal Vikas Kendra and Pritilata Chhatri Avas for 200 tribal girl students from Sundarbans.

(7) Honored two oldest pensioners of the Port Smt. Nagina Bhagat (105 years) and Mr. Naresh Chandra Chakraborty (100 years)

2. Lt Col Yuvraj Malik appointed director of NBT: Lt Col Yuvraj Malik has been appointed the Director of the National Book Trust (NBT) on deputation from the Indian Army. He replaced Sahitya Akademi-awardee writer Rita Chowdhury. Malik has also served with the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Raj Bhawan in Jammu & Kashmir, United Nation Missions in Africa and several operational areas in administrative and operational assignments including Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Note: Headquarters of NBT: New Delhi; Chairman: Govind Prasad Sharma

3. ‘Wings India 2020’ to be held at Begumpet Airport Hyderabad in March 2020: Biennial International Exhibition and Conference on Civil Aviation Sector, ‘Wings India 2020’ will be held at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad, Telangana from March 12-15, 2020. The theme of the exhibition is “Flying for all”. The exhibition will be jointly organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce And Industry (FICCI), Airports Authority of India (AAI). It will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in presence of Minister for Civil Aviation. During the event first-ever “Wings India Awards’ for Excellence in the Civil Aviation Sector will be announced that will be conferred upon the Aviation-related Companies.

Note:  Ministry of Civil Aviation: Hardeep Singh Puri; Ministry of State for Civil Aviation: Suresh Prabhu; Director-General of Directorate General of Civil Aviation: Arun Kumar

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Haitham Bin Tariq Al -Said becomes new Sultan of Oman: Haitham bin Tariq al-Said took over as Sultan of Oman after the death of a long-time ruler Qaboos bin Said Al Said. Late Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed had ruled Oman since 1970 as the 8th Sultan of the House of Al Said. The late sultan had himself chose Haitham Bin Tareq Al Saeed (cousin of late Sultan Qaboos) as his successor, as the Sultan had no children. He was the longest-serving monarch among the recent Arab rulers.

Note: The Sultan of Oman is the highest decision-maker and holds the parallel position of the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Finance Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

2. Indian Scientist Bipul Behari Saha elected as IUPAC Bureau member: Bipul Behari Saha, a noted chemist has been elected as a bureau member (2020-23) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) for the period 2020-23. Bipul Behari Saha is the second Indian after CNR Rao (former Director of the Indian Institute of Science and Bharat Ratna) to be elected for this position in a century. Founded 100 years ago, IUPAC is the largest global organization of Chemistry professionals.

Note: IUPAC has the responsibility of naming all new elements and compounds, declare atomic weights and physical constants, update Periodic table and carry out research projects.

3. 18th Dhaka International Film Festival begins in Dhaka: The 18th Dhaka International Film Festival was inaugurated in Dhaka, Bangladesh by the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen. The festival kicked off with the screening of the Spanish-Greek film Window to the Sea, directed by Miguel Angel Jimenez, at Bangladesh National Museum (BNM). During the festival, 220 films from 74 countries will be screened across various venues in Dhaka between 11-19 January. More than 100 filmmakers and other personalities from the movie world are participating in the event over the next eight days. The theme of the festival is ‘Better Film, Better Audience, and Better Society’.

4. World Trade Organization set up a dispute panel over India’s duty hike on 28 American goods: The World Trade Organization (WTO) has set up a panel to examine complaints filed by United States (US) against India for hiking customs duties of 28 American goods in July 2019. The US had dragged India to the WTO by filing a complaint against New Delhi's move to increase customs duties, alleging the decision as inconsistent with the global trade norms. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a WTO pact, signed by all member countries of the multi-lateral body, aims to promote trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers like customs duties. The US had also alleged that the duties imposed by India appear to be inconsistent with the two norms of GATT. The US rolled back export incentives from India under its GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) programme and New Delhi has imposed higher customs duties on 28 American products such as almond, pulses, walnut, chickpeas, boric acid, etc. India’s exports to the US in 2017-18 stood at $47.9 billion, while its imports were at $26.7 billion. The trade balance is also in favour of India.

Note: Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; Founded: 1 January 1995; Director General (DG): Roberto Carvalho de Azevedo.

5. World Future Energy Summit begins in Abu Dhabi, UAE: The World Future Energy Summit 2020 begun in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi. The four-day annual Summit is dedicated to advancing future energy, clean technologies, and energy efficiency. Held annually at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the 2020 edition includes exhibition and forum programs across five main pillars: energy, solar, water, waste and smart cities, hosting an unrivaled gathering of top-level government and business leaders. The theme for this year's summit is "Rethinking Global Consumption, Production, and Investment." World Future Energy Summit is the Middle East’s largest future energy and sustainability event. 33,500 participants from 170 countries participated in the summit. The Summit will conclude on 17th January, 2020.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. BCCI Annual Awards 2018-19: Jasprit Bumrah Receives Polly Umrigar Award: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Annual Awards for 2018-19 were presented on 12 January 2020 in Mumbai. Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah (world’s No. 1 ODI bowler) will receive the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s Polly Umrigar Award for his super performance in international cricket in the 2018-19 season.  Some list of winners:

Award	Name
CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award	Krishnamachari Srikkanth
BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award For Women	Anjum Chopra
BCCI Special Award	Dilip Joshi
Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men)	Jasprit Bumrah
Best International Cricketer (Women)	Poonam Yadav
Best International debut (Men)	Mayank Agarwal
Best International debut (Women)	Shafali Verma
Highest run getter in women’s internationals	Smriti Mandhana
Highest wicket taker in women’s internationals	Jhulan Goswami
Best Umpire	Virender Sharma
Best Performance in Domestic Tournaments	Vidarbha

2. Two-day ITTF Executive Committee Meeting Begins in New Delhi: The two-day Executive Committee meeting of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) began in New Delhi. This is the second time that India is hosting such a meeting. Previously such meeting of the ITTF was held in New Delhi in 1987. The EC meeting is being chaired by ITTF President Thomas Weikert to discuss the development of table tennis in India, among other issues. The other members in the Executive Committee of the ITTF comprises deputy president Khalil Al-Mohannad, Secretary General Raul Calin, seven executive vice-presidents and CEO Steve Dainton.

Note: International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) headquarter- Lausanne, Switzerland.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI allows e-mandate on UPI for recurring transactions: Reserve Bank of India has allowed the Processing of e-mandate for recurring transactions for UPI transactions. This functionality will allow UPI users to bypass additional factor authentication (AFA) every time a payment is made to a regular merchant by giving a one-time instruction to the UPI service provider. The maximum permissible limit for a transaction under this arrangement shall be ₹ 2,000/-. No charges shall be levied or recovered from the UPI User for availing the e-mandate facility on UPI for recurring transactions.

2. Central govt raised India Overseas Bank’s authorized capital to Rs 25,000 crore: The Union government in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced an increase in the authorized capital of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) to Rs. 25,000 crores from the previously authorized capital of Rs. 15,000 crores. The authorized capital of a company/bank/institution is the maximum amount of share capital a company is authorized to issue its shareholders.

Note: MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank: Shri Karnam Sekar; Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. PayU to acquire PaySense for $185 mn: Payment and Fintech Company PayU has decided to acquire a controlling stake in digital credit platform PaySense in a deal valued at $185 million. After that PayU has also decided to merge its consumer lending businesses, LazyPay with PaySense. , will merge their business operations to build a full-stack digital lending platform in India. Also, the founder and CEO of PaySense Prashanth Ranganathan will lead the PayU’s credit business in India as the CEO of the new venture

Daily GK Updates - 12th January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Amit Shah Inaugurates first-of-its-kind ‘CYBER AASHVAST’ and VISWAS projects: The Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated various people centric projects at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. Some of the major projects inaugurated includes:

Video Integration and State Wide Advanced Security (VISWAS): It is a first of its kind project in the country launched for major e-governance initiative. It aims at improving Law and Order Management, Proactive traffic management and control, Crime detection through video analytics and Post incident Investigation and video forensics.

Cyber Crime Prevention Unit-AASHVAST Project is a first of its kind unit launched by Gujarat Police to make cyber-space safe for common man through a dedicated helpline service for victims of cyber crimes to provide cyber-security solution.

2. Government to Set up 1023 Fast Track Special Courts under National Mission: The Central Government has started a scheme to set up 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country as a part of National Mission for Safety of Women (NMSW) amid the growing offences of rape and gang rape of minor girls below age of twelve years and similar heinous crimes against women. FTSCs will be set up in different states based on pendency of subject cases obtained from various High Courts for fast and time bound trial and disposal of pending cases related to rape and POCSO Act. Out of 1023 FTSCs, 389 Courts have been proposed to be set up exclusively for POCSO Act related cases in Districts where pendency of such cases is more than 100. 24 have joined this scheme so far and 216 numbers of POCSO courts have already been operationalized in 12 States under the scheme.

3. Union Minister Smriti Irani launched 3 schemes in Goa: The Union minister for women and child development Smriti Irani launched 3 welfare schemes for women in Goa. The schemes are Yashaswini Scheme for Women Entrepreneurship, Swasthya Sahayak Project and breast cancer screening initiative handheld device facilitating detection of cancer.

Under the Yashaswini Scheme for Women Entrepreneurship, the state government provides interest-free loan up to Rs 5 lakh with tenure of 5 years to self-help groups with repayment starting from the second year and the loan to be paid in four instalments.

Under the Swasthya Sahayak scheme, a diagnostic kit will be supplied to primary healthcare workers and Anganwadi workers in the state to help them conduct basic diagnostic tests at people’s doorstep so as to bring an affordable and convenient solution to the common man, who had to stand in queues and wait for days for getting basic diagnostic tests done. The diagnostic kit has been developed by the Public Health Foundation of India, which has partnered with Procter and Gamble to manufacture and supply the kits using corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund.

Under breast cancer screening initiative the handheld devices the Anganwadi and healthcare workers will screen women for breast cancer, reaching out to the women in rural parts of the state. With the help of such a device, the delivery of health services will become more accessible and affordable, he said and added that 20,000 women would be screened for breast cancer.

4. ISRO Planned to Launch IDRSS Satellites for Seamless Communication with Space Crew: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has planned to launch its own satellite communication system called Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS) for tracking and communication of its space assets. The IDRSS will have a constellation of two geo satellites, which will be deployed in phases. The first satellites will be launched into low-Earth orbit by the end of 2020, ahead of the unmanned Gaganyaan test flight, while the second satellite will be launched in 2021, before the manned mission is embarked in 2022. IDRSS will help ISRO’s ground control room to uniformly monitor India’s spaceflights and communicate with them at any given point of time, and can be used in both low orbit missions and farther missions such as those to the moon, Mars and beyond.

5. National Youth Day: 12th January: National Youth Day (Yuva Diwas) is celebrated every year on 12 January. On this day Swami Vivekananda was born. He was one of the greatest social reformer, thinker, and philosopher of India.

On the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 started with a grand inauguration ceremony in Lucknow. The National Youth Festival 2020 is organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and State Government of Uttar Pradesh. The theme of the 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 is “FIT YOUTH FIT INDIA”.

Note: Swami Vivekananda was born on 12th January 1863 in the Pausha Krishna Saptami tithi and died on 4 July 1902. He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. He was one of the most prominent figures of India who introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the 'Western' World. The day was declared in 1984 by the Government of India and held annually since 1985. January 12, 2020 marks 157th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tsai Ing-wen wins Taiwan presidential election: Tsai Ing-wen has secured a second term in office in Taiwan after winning the presidential election with 57.1 per cent of the votes. Tsai won 8.17 million votes, while her main rival Han Kuo-yu bagged 5.52 million votes (38.6 percent). Her Democratic Progressive party retained control of the legislature, according to final results. 63-year old Tsai was the first female leader of the country, when she assumed charge for first term in May 2016.

Note: Capital of Taiwan: Taipei; Currency of Taiwan: New Taiwan dollar

2. India invited as guest of honour at Paris Book Fair 2020: India will be attending the Paris Book Fair 2020 as the guest of honour country. The annual fair will be held in March 2020. This will be the third time that India would be the guest country at the fair after 2002 and 2007. To continue the cultural exchange, France is expected to be the guest of honour at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2022.

3. Om Birla attends CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting in Ottawa: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended the Standing Committee Meeting of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in the Canadian capital Ottawa. Birla is leading an Indian Parliamentary delegation- comprising of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Lok Sabha Secretary-General Snehlata Shrivastava- to the 25th CSPOC being held in Ottawa from January 5 to January 11.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Kento Momota of Japan Wins 2020 Malaysia Masters Badminton Tournament: World number one Kento Momota of Japan won the 2020 Malaysia Masters defeating Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen 24-22, 21-11 on 12 January 2020. The 2020 Malaysia Masters was the first tournament of the 2020 BWF World Tour.

2. Karolina Pliskova Claims 2020 Brisbane International Tennis Tournament: Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova defeat Madison Keys of United States 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to win 2020 Brisbane International Tennis Tournament held at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. This was Pliskova’s third Brisbane title in four years and her 16th on the WTA tour. In doubles category, Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strýcova defeated Ashleigh Barty and Kiki Bertens. Brisbane International is a WTA Premier tournament of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. HDFC Bank Acquires majority stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance for Rs 1,495.81 crore: The mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) has announced the completion of the acquisition of majority stake (51.16%) in Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company for Rs. 1,495.81 crore. The acquisition was approved by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRADI) by 01 January 2020. Subsequently, the Apollo Munich has been renamed as HDFC ERGO Health Insurance and will operate as a subsidiary of HDFC. MD and CEO: Anuj Tyagi, Executive Director and Chief Business Officer at HDFC ERGO Health Insurance has been appointed as the new MD and CEO of the new entity HDFC ERGO Health Insurance. However, the appointment is subject to approval of IRDAI. Future plans: HDFC will merge HDFC ERGO General with ERGO Health and will soon apply to seek approval for the same to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Post merger, the merged entity will be the second largest private insurer in accident and health segment in the country.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Andhra Pradesh Government signs Rs 711 cr MoU with German development bank: The German state-owned development bank, KfW has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government for Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) Under the MoU, KfW will provide Rs 711 crore loan to Andhra Pradesh for expanding the climate-resilient Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in the state over the next five years. Additionally, the state government will spend another Rs 304 crore on the project. Around 2.39 lakh farmers in 591 village panchayats of the state will be encouraged to take up ZBNF under the project.

2. IBM announces appointment of company veteran Sandip Patel as new India MD: Global tech major IBM announced the appointment of Sandip Patel as the new managing director for India and South Asia. Patel, who has been with the US-headquartered company since 2002, succeeds Karan Bajwa who has decided to pursue opportunities outside of IBM.

DEFENCE

1. India deploys INS Vikramaditya in Arabian Sea amid China-Pak naval drill ‘Sea Guardians’: China and Pakistan are conducting their nine-day mega naval exercise ‘Sea Guardians’ in the North Arabian Sea from 06 January 2020 to increase inter-operability and strategic cooperation between their two navies. On the other hand, India Navy too deployed its aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in the Arabian Sea, to send a clear strategic signal to them about its operational readiness and combat capability in the maritime domain. Top officials of the Naval headquarters are personally keeping close watch on the ‘Sea Guardians’ from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya deploying MiG29K fighters on board.

Daily GK Updates - 11th January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. “Paperless Licensing Process” launched for Petroleum Road Tankers: The “Paperless Licensing Process” has been launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), for Petroleum Road Tankers. DPIIT has launched the process through Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). The process has been launched under the Petroleum Rules, 2002. The “Paperless Licensing Process” will led to online filing of the applications including the fee payment and thus heading towards digitisation. The applicants will be intimated through email and SMS. Under the above process, the license would be authorised by the concerned officer and would be electronically dispatched to the applicant.

Note: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry: Piyush Goyal.

2. Union Home Minister inaugurates I4C & National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: Union Home Minister has inaugurated the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) located in New Delhi.

The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal is a citizen centric vision which enables people to report cyber crimes online. The NCCRP will also provide access of cyber crime related complaints to the law enforcement agencies of the states and union territories to take action according to the law.  It will also increase the coordination among the law enforcement agencies of the states and union territories in investigation of cases and resolving them. Presently, 3900 police stations and 700 police districts have been linked with the portal “www.cybercrime.gov.in”.

Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) will manage all kinds of cyber crimes comprehensively in coordinated manner. At the Home Ministry’s initiative, 15 States and UTs have cleared the setting-up of Regional Cyber Crime Coordination Centres.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

3. Union Budget to be presented on 1st Feb & Economic Survey on 31st Jan: Union Budget will be presented on the 1st of February and the Economic Survey on 31st January 2020. The Budget Session of Parliament will begin on the 31st of this month.

Note: Economic Survey of India: The Economic Survey of India is the flagship annual document of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance presents the Survey in the Parliament every year, just before the Union Budget. It is prepared under the guidance of the Chief Economic Adviser attached to the Ministry of Finance.

Union Budget: The Union Budget of India is the Annual Financial Statement in Article 112 of the Constitution of Republic of India. The Government presents it on the first day of February so that it could be materialised before the beginning of the new financial year in April. The first Union budget of independent India was presented by R. K. Shanmukham Chetty on 26th November 1947. Until 2016, the budget of the Indian Railways was presented separately to Parliament and dealt with separately.

4. Union Government unveils State Energy Efficiency Index 2019: The Union Government has released the “State Energy Efficiency Index 2019”. The index was released during the ‘Review, Planning and Monitoring (RPM)’ meeting held in New Delhi. The index is developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) along with Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE). The SEE Index 2019 traces the expansion and achievements of Energy Efficiency (EE) drives running in 36 states and union territories. The SEE Index 2019 constitutes quantitative, qualitative and outcome based 97 indicators to check energy efficiency initiatives, programs and outcomes in five distinct areas: transport, industry, agriculture, buildings, municipalities, and DISCOMs.

State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 has divided States/UTs into 4 groups on the basis of Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) desired to meet the State’s/UT’s actual energy demand through electricity, coal, oil, gas, etc. across all the sectors. The 4 groups are: ‘Front Runner’, ‘Achiever’, ‘Contender’ and ‘Aspirant’.

Key results of SEE Index 2019: The State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 was topped by Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala while Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Rajasthan performed worst in their respective groups. The states of Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala were in “Achiever” group and there was not a single state in the “Front Runner” group.

5. Pulses Conclave to be held in Lonavala: India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) has announced the fifth edition of the Pulses Conclave, will be held in Lonavala, Maharashtra from 12-14 February 2020. IPGA expects close to 1500 trade stakeholders from India and key pulses exporting countries like USA, Australia, Canada, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi. The conference aims at increasing exports, processing efficiencies, protein extraction, value addition and post-harvest management.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Second largest Muslim Congregation in the world Bishwa Ijtema begins in Bangladesh: The first phase of the world’s second-largest Muslim congregation after Haj began on the outskirts of Dhaka. Thousands of devotees from Bangladesh and abroad are thronging the bank of river Turag at Tongi near Dhaka to participate in the congregation called Bishwa Ijtema. Noted scholars give a religious sermon to the devotees on this occasion. The Ijtema began with the ‘aam bayan’ and will end on January 12 with the final prayers ‘Akheri Munajat’. The second phase of Bishwa Ijtem will take place between January 17-19. Bishwa Ijtema has been taking place on the Turag riverbank in Tongi near Dhaka since 1967. In 2011, the congregation was split into two phases to ensure better management. Bishwa Ijtema draws in Muslim devotees from about 150 countries.

2. Israel unveils revolutionary laser-based air defence system: According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Israel has successfully developed a laser-based air defence system. The system is meant to intercept aerial threats ranging from as mortar fire, drones, medium-range Grad rockets, anti-tank missiles as well as long-range missiles. The technological development will enable the long-range targeting and stabilization of laser beams, allowing them to intercept targets at great distances. The system is set to be tested in six months' time at an undisclosed location in northern Israel. If the interception test is successful, the laser-based system will be dispatched for field use along Israel's border with the Gaza Strip.

3. Pedro Sanchez Takes Oath as the Prime Minister of Spain: The leader of the Socialist party in Spain, Pedro Sanchez, took the oath as the prime minister of the country, after winning confidence vote by an extremely tight margin in 350-seat chamber, with 167 votes in favour and 165 against. With this win, he has become head of Spain’s first-ever coalition government since the dictatorship ended in 1975.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI releases “National Strategy for Financial Inclusion” report: The Reserve Bank of India has released a report “National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI): 2019-2024“. The National Strategy for Financial Inclusion for the period 2019-2024 has been formulated by RBI under the aegis of Financial Inclusion Advisory Committee (FIAC). The report has been ratified by the Financial Stability Development Council (FSDC). As per the official statement, “the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2019-2024 sets forth the vision and key objectives of the financial inclusion policies in India to help expand and sustain the financial inclusion process at the national level through a broad convergence of action involving all the stakeholders in the financial sector. The strategy aims to provide access to formal financial services in an affordable manner, broadening & deepening financial inclusion and promoting financial literacy & consumer protection.”

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Prof. MS Swaminathan & Dr. G Muniratnam Selected for First Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Awards: Eminent Agricultural Scientist Dr M S Swaminathan and veteran social worker, Dr. Gutta Muniratnam have been chosen as the first recipients of ‘Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Award for Excellence’ and ‘Muppavarapu National Award for Social Service’’ respectively. The announcement for the awards was made during the 10th Anniversary Celebrations of Muppavarapu Foundation and Sankranthi Sambaralu (festivities) organized in Hyderabad.

Note: The Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Award for Excellence is instituted by the Muppavarapu Foundation. Muppavarapu National Award for Social Service has been launched by the Swarna Bharat Trust. Each award carries a cash prize of Rupees Five Lakh and citation.

OBITUARIES

1. Ruler of Oman Sultan Qaboos bin Said passes away: The longest serving ruler of Oman Sultan Qaboos bin Said passed away due to years-long struggle with an illness. He was a charismatic and visionary leader who transformed Oman into a modern and prosperous nation. He was ruling Oman since 1970. The Sultan is the prime decision-maker in Oman and also holds the portfolio of Prime Minister, supreme commander of the armed forces, minister of foreign affairs, minister of finance and minister of defence. The written constitution Qaboos introduced requires the ruling family to choose a successor within three days of the throne falling vacant.

Note: Capital of Oman: Muscat; Currency: Omani rial.

Daily GK Updates - 10th January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Railways installs IP based Video Surveillance System at stations: Indian Railways is in the process of installing Internet Protocol (IP) based Video Surveillance System (VSS) at stations to enhance security. Railway Board of India has approved works for provision of Video Surveillance System covering 983 stations over Indian Railways under Nirbhaya funds. This year a budget of Rs. 250 crore was allotted to Indian Railways from Nirbhaya fund for installation of the video surveillance system. In the first phase of installation, VSS is being installed at 200 stations and as on date work has been completed at 81 stations across India.

Note: Union Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal.

2. India-2021 census exercise to begin on 1st April: Census exercise India-2021 to begin on 1st April 2020 and will end on 30th of September 2020. Census India-2021 will be conducted through a mobile phone application. The enumerators of the census will seek the information of the mobile number of the head of the family, information related to TV, Internet, vehicles owned, toilets, source of drinking water besides asking other questions during the house listing phase of the exercise.

Note: Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India: Vivek Joshi.

3. Works on laying of submarine cables between Chennai-A&N Islands inaugurates: Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the submarine cable works on laying between Chennai – Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The submarine cables will be initially laid from Chennai to Port Blair covering a distance of 1,450 kilometres. He also flagged off the ship to lay the cable at Chennai Port. At the initial stage of commissioning of the project itself, the islands can get a data speed of 400-gigabytes per second.

Note: Andaman and Nicobar Island Lieutenant Governor: D K Joshi.

4. Famous chariot festival of Tamil Nadu Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple begins: The famous chariot festival of the Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple in Tamilnadu begins. This 17th-century temple is famous for its architectural grandeur. The temple is especially significant because it is sacred to both the Shaivite as well as Vashnavite sects. There is an Anjaneya statue, which is 22 feet tall is carved of a single granite block. It is one of the tallest statues of its type in India.

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

5. South Asian Trade and Travel Exchange Expo 2020 held in New Delhi: The 27th edition of South Asian Trade and Travel Exchange Expo (SATTE) 2020 was held in New Delhi. The SATTE expo was supported by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and sponsored by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department. The objective of the expo was to build new business partnerships and hence was an important place for the promotion of tourism. The SATTE witnessed the participation of over 50 countries and 28 Indian states. During the expo, the Tourism Department of Jammu & Kashmir launched publicity campaign to showcase diverse tourism attractions.

6. M Nagaraj appointed as Chairman and MD of Hudco: M Nagaraj has been appointed the company’s Chairman and Managing Director of State-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco). The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved his appointment. He has experience in a multitude of sectors such as housing, infrastructure finance, skill development and microfinance in the social sector, and international trading. Hudco provides loans for housing and urban infrastructure projects.

Note: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs:  Hardeep Singh Puri; Headquarters of Hudco: New Delhi; Founded: 25 April 1970.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Hindi Day: 10th January: World Hindi Day is celebrated globally on 10th January every year. The day is celebrated every year to promote the use of Hindi language worldwide. The World Hindi Day was observed first time in 2006. The day marked the anniversary of first World Hindi Conference held in 1975 in Nagpur.

2. Henley Passport Index 2020: India ranks 84^th: Indian passport, ranked 84th in the world’s most powerful passport index 2020, can get you visa-free entry to 58 destinations worldwide, according to a new report. Based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Henley & Partners has come out with a passport index where countries are ranked according to the number of destinations their passport holder can access without a prior visa.

World’s top most powerful passports:

(1) Japan: 191 countries

(2) Singapore: 190 countries

(3) Germany, South Korea: 189 countries

Note: Headquarters of Henley & Partners: London, United Kingdom; Founded: 1997;Chairman of Henley & Partners: Christian Kälin; Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Juerg Steffen.

3. Travel and Tourism Competitiveness index: India ranked 34^th: India has moved up six places to rank 34th on world travel and tourism competitiveness index, driven by rich natural and cultural resources and strong price competitiveness. India’s ranking improved from 40th to 34th, the greatest improvement over 2017 among the top 25 per cent of all countries ranked in the report.

Rank    Country

1          Spain

2          France

3          Germany

4          Japan

5          United State

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Ladakh wins 7th National Ice Hockey Championship women trophy: Ladakh women team has won the 7th National Ice Hockey Championship women trophy. In the final match, Ladakh scoring 2 goals against Delhi and won the tournament. The tournament was organised by the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) in association with the Ladakh winter sports club. 4 women teams representing Chandigarh, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Ladakh participated in the tournament.

Note: President of Ice Hockey Association of India: K. L. Kumar.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI allows “Video based Customer Identification Process”: The Reserve Bank of India has revised the Know Your Customer (KYC) norms for banks and other lending institutions. New amendments in KYC norms by RBI allows banks and other lending institutions to use “Video based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP)”. The V-CIP is a consent based alternate method of establishing the customer’s identity and for customer onboarding from remote areas while leveraging the digital technology. V-CIP will also provide comfortability to banks and other regulated entities while holding to the RBI’s Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. The video files recorded as V-CIP are required to be stored bearing the date and time stamp while ensuring the safety and security of the video files. RBI has also advised banks to capture clear image of PAN card produced by the customer during the Customer Identification Process (CIP).

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. World Bank projects India’s growth rate at 5% for FY2020: World Bank has released Global Economic Prospects report. In its report, the World Bank has projected India’s growth rate at 5% for fiscal year 2020. It has also projected India’s growth rate at 5.8% for fiscal year 2021. The report stated the weakness in credit from Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) as the root cause for lowering the growth rate from 6% to 5%. While the global economic growth is likely to increase to 2.5% in fiscal year 2020.

Note: President of World Bank: David R. Malpass; Headquarter: Washington DC.

2. SBI’s report ‘Ecowrap’ lowers India’s growth rate to 4.6% for FY 2020: The State Bank of India has released its research report ‘Ecowrap’. In the report ‘Ecowrap’, the economic research department of SBI has lowered India’s growth rate to 4.6% in the fiscal year 2020. The report also stated that agriculture and allied activities are expected to grow at 2.8%, while growth in industry projected to grow at 2.5% in fiscal year 2020. The service sector is also expected to increase to 6.9% in fiscal year 2020.

Note: Chairperson of SBI: Rajnish Kumar; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 July 1955.

DEFENCE

1. Visakhapatnam to host MILAN 2020 naval exercise in March: Visakhapatnam is ready to host another International Naval event ‘MILAN‘in March 2020. The theme of the exercise for the year 2020 is ‘Synergy Across the Seas’. MILAN 2020 is a multilateral naval exercise aimed to enhance professional interaction between foreign-friendly navies and learn from each other’s strengths and best practices in the maritime domain.

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

2. India’s 1st indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant to be commissioned by 2021: India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is currently under phase-3 which involves setting to work of machinery and other equipment and to be commissioned by early 2021 in Indian Navy. It will be fully operated by 2022. Vikrant is being built at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) Kochi, Kerala.

Note: Indian Navy Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran Odissi Danseuse Minati Mishra passes away: Veteran Odissi Danseuse Minati Mishra passed away. In 2012 she was honoured with the Padma Shri. She was an A-Grade artist at All India Radio (AIR) and a recipient of the Sangeet Prabhakar title for Hindustani vocal music.

Daily GK Updates - 9th January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CCEA approves disinvestment of 4 CPSEs & 2 State PSUs in NINL: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its ‘in principle’ approval for strategic disinvestment of 4 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) & 2 Odisha State PSUs in Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL). The 4 CPSEs includes Minerals & Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC), MECON, Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) and National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC). 2 Odisha State PSUs includes Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) and Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC).

Note: NINL is a Joint Venture company, in which four CPSEs namely MMTC, NMDC, BHEL and MECON and 2 State PSUs of Odisha Government, namely IPICOL and OMC are shareholders. The proposed strategic disinvestment of NINL would unlock resources to be used to finance the social sector/developmental programmes of the Government benefiting the public.

2. Institutions at GAU to get status of Institution of National Importance: The Union Cabinet has approved conferring the status of Institution of National Importance to a cluster of Ayurvedic institutions at the Gujarat Ayurved University campus in Jamnagar. With the (INI) status, Jamnagar Ayurveda University will become the first Ayurveda institute to join the ranks of the IIT’s and AIIMS. The elevation of the status of the institution will provide it with the autonomy to upgrade the standard of Ayurveda education, frame various courses in Ayurveda as per national and international demand. It will help the institute to develop tertiary care in Ayurveda and to secure inter-disciplinary collaborations to give a contemporary thrust to Ayurveda.

Note: Chief Minister of Gujarat: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat.

3. Government authorizes Rs 5559 cr for Indradhanush gas grid project: The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to provide Rs 5,559 crore viability gap funding for building a 1,656 km gas grid in the Northeast region. The funding will be provided to Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd for setting up the North-East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid. The gas pipeline would be developed in 8 states of the northeast; this will lead to the development of an industrial climate in these states and improvement in the standard of living of people in the region. The 8 North Eastern states includes: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.

Note: The Indradhanush Gas Grid project is expected to provide natural gas to different types of customers and will also reduce the dependence on liquid fuels.

4. Maharashtra to organize ‘Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020’: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate 'Advantage Maharashtra Expo 2020' in Aurangabad. The four-day mega industrial exhibition has been organized by the Marathwada Association of Small Scale Industries and Agriculture (MASSIA). Growth of Marathwada industries in technology and innovation and the products produced and exported from the region will be showcased in this exhibition. Over 450 exhibitors from within the state as well as outside the state are participating in this exhibition. This exhibition will provide the opportunity for ambitious businesses and will serve as the platform for small entrepreneurs.

Note: Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

5. A Sakthivel appointed as the new chairman of AEPC India: Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) has appointed A Sakthivel as the new chairman of the organization. He is appointed for the period 2020-2021. He will replace HKL Magu. He is also the first person in the history of AEPC, who is sworn-in for the fourth time as Chairman of the AEPC. Sakthivel along with some exporters had founded Tirupur Exporters Association in 1990.

Note: AEPC Founded: 1978; Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana.

6. 16th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas: 9 January: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year. This year the 16th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is celebrated across the country. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915. In this occasion, President of India conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman to NRIs or PIOs (Person of Indian Origin) or an organization established by NRIs or PIOs, who have made a significant contribution in supporting, promoting and building India’s links overseas.

Note: Union Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

7. India listed as 5th biggest Geo-political Risk of 2020: The political risk consultancy, the Eurasia Group has listed India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the fifth biggest geopolitical risk of 2020. The Eurasia Group has said that Modi has spent much of his second term--since winning the April-May poll--promoting controversial social policies at the expense of an economic agenda and its impact will be felt in 2020. The Eurasia Group list is topped by the elections in the US and followed by events and developments like the US-China technology tug of war on 5G as well as the trade war between Beijing and Washington.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Iran designate US armed forces and Pentagon as ‘terrorist entities’: The Iranian Parliament has approved a triple-urgency bill that designates the US army and the Pentagon as a terrorist entity. The Bill further requires the government to allocate 200 million euro to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force to take revenge for the US killing of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani. 233 MPs repeated the words of the speaker, Ali Larijani, warning US President Donald Trump to await the consequences of his actions.

Note: Capital of Iran: Tehran; Currency: Rial; President: Hassan Rouhani.

2. Zoran Milanovic wins Croatia presidential Election: Zoran Milanovic of Croatia has won the presidential election of the country held on January 05, 2020. He defeated incumbent conservative leader Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Zoran Milanovic is the former Prime Minister of Croatia, who has pledged to make Croatia a tolerant country. The Social Democrat candidate, Milanovic took 52.7 percent of the vote, while President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic garnered 47.3 percent. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic was the first female President of Croatia.

Note: Capital of Croatia: Zagreb; Currency of Croatia: Croatian Kuna; Prime Minister of Croatia: Andrej Plenkovic.

3. Ukrainian aircraft boarding 176 people crashes in Iran: The Ukrainian aircraft “Boeing 737” boarding 176 people crashed in Tehran, Iran. The aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport located in Tehran, Iran. Flight data from the airport indicated the obstruction in communication with the aircraft as fire strucked one of its engines and pilot lost the control of the aircraft.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Women weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur banned for 4 years: Indian women weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur has been banned for 4 years from the sport by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA). The sample of Sarbjeet, who won the 71kg event at the women’s national weightlifting championships in February last year, was collected during 34th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championship held at Vishakhapatnam.

Note: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is the national organization of India to promote, coordinate and monitor the doping control programmes of sports of all forms in line with the World Anti Doping Code in the country. It works under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It was constituted under the Societies Registration Act in 2006 in the aftermath of the 2004 Copenhagen Declaration on Doping in Sports to which India is a signatory.

CEO of NADA: Navin Agarwal;  NADA Headquarters: New Delhi.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI announces 'residential builder finance with buyer guarantee' scheme: The country's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the 'Residential Builder Finance with Buyer Guarantee' (RBBG) scheme to give a push to residential sales and improve homebuyers' confidence. Under this scheme, the SBI will issue a guarantee for the completion of select residential projects to customers who have availed home loans from it. The scheme will focus on affordable housing projects priced up to 2.50 crore rupees in 10 cities initially. Under RBBG, the guarantee would be given by the bank until the project gets the Occupation Certificate (OC).

Note: Chairperson of SBI: Rajnish Kumar; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 July 1955.

2. Deutsche Bank projects India’s economy to reach $7 trillion by 2030: According to the Deutsche Bank report Imagine 2030, the Indian economy is likely to become $7 trillion by 2030. The Indian economy is expected to grow almost two and half times from about $3 trillion now and thus it becomes the world’s third-largest economy. According to the report, India will grow with the Nominal GDP growth rate of just over 10% in the next decade.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Jasbinder Bilan wins 2019 Costa Children’s Award: India-born author Jasbinder Bilan has won the UK based Costa Children’s Award 2019. She has won the award for her debut novel ‘Asha and the Spirit Bird’. She will receive 5,000 pounds as prize money associated with the award.  Jasbinder’s novel “Asha and the Spirit Bird” was shortlisted from 144 other entries. The Costa Children’s Award is awarded annually in 5 categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book.

2. Kanhaiya Kumar and Prashant Kishor in Forbes’ 20 people list to watch in the 2020s: Two youth leaders from Bihar Kanhaiya Kumar and Prashant Kishor included in the Forbes India list of 20 people to watch in the 2020s. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor is Janata Dal (United) National Vice President while Kanhaiya Kumar is former President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union. Kanhaiya Kumar finds 12th position in the list while Prashant Kishor is at 16^th Indian origin US-born political commentator Hasan Minhaj is on the 1st position while Keyna’s Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge in on the 20th place. Other Indians who find a place in the list is Dushyant Chautala (deputy chief minister, Haryana), Mahua Moitra (Lok Sabha member, Trinamool Congress), the Godrej family (of Adi Godrej) and Garima Arora.