Daily GK Updates - 4th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union govt sets target of 30km of highways a day in current fiscal: According to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Union Government has set the target for construction of highways about 30 kilometres per day in the current fiscal. The average construction of Highways is 25.23 kilometres per day till December in 2019-20. It was 24.37 kilometres per day during the corresponding period in 2018-19. Total 2155 kilometres length of roads has been built in the first three months of the current financial year.

2. Pramod Agrawal takes Charge as Chairman of Coal India Ltd.: A 1991 batch IAS officer Pramod Agrawal assumed charge as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Ltd (CIL) on 1st February 2020. He succeeds A K Jha who retired on January 31, 2020. Coal India Limited (CIL) is an Indian state-owned coal mining and refinery company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

3. Five archaeological locations to be developed into 'Iconic Sites': Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned in her budget speech that five archaeological sites will be developed into iconic sites of India. These five archaeological locations are Sivasagar (Assam), Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Dholavira (Gujarat), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh) and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu).

She also added that each site will have an on-site museum.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan declares national emergency over locust swarms: Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has declared a national emergency in the country to battle locust swarms. The insects are destroying crops on a large scale in Punjab province, country’s main region for agricultural production.

Note: Capital of Pakistan: Islamabad; President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi.

2. Sri Lanka celebrates 72nd years of Independence: Sri Lanka is celebrating the 72nd Independence Day in a grand ceremony in Colombo. The theme of 2020 Independence Day ceremony is “A Secured Nation - A Prosperous Country”. Ending 134 years of colonial rule, Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, gained independence from Great Britain on 4th February 1948.

3. UAE finds new natural gas field between Abu Dhabi, Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the discovery of a natural gas field containing 80 trillion standard cubic feet of gas between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This new discovery reinforces the nation's goal of achieving gas self-sufficiency, enabling major development projects. The new Jebel Ali field would help the Emirates become more energy independent. Qatar is the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer.

4. World Cancer Day: 4th February: The world cancer day is being observed on 4th February every year to raise awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. According to WHO, every year 8.8 million people die of cancer in low- and middle-income countries. Last year, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) launched a new three years (2019-2021) campaign with the theme: “I Am and I Will.”

5. Gopal Baglay appointed Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka: Senior Diplomat Gopal Baglay (Indian Foreign Service - 1992-batch) has been appointed India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. Mr. Baglay succeeds Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Baglay has held many key positions including spokesperson of the MEA and Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan. He had also handled the sensitive PAI (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) division in the MEA.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. BCCI constitutes 3-members in Cricket Advisory Committee: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed new members of its 3-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) on 31st January 2020. The new members of the CAC include former India cricketers Rudra Pratap Singh, Madan Lal and Sulkashana Naik. All the three have been appointed for a term of one year. The newly-formed CAC will succeed the trio of Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad, and Shanta Rangaswamy.

Note: BCCI President: Sourav Ganguly; Headquarter of BCCI: Mumbai.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Fitch Predicts India’s GDP Growth for FY20 at 4.6% and FY21 at 5.6%: US-based rating agency Fitch Ratings Inc. has projected GDP growth of India for the next financial year 2020-21 at 5.6 percent. For the current fiscal 2019-20, GDP is projected at 4.6 percent. The Union Budget for 2020-21 had projected a GDP growth of 6-6.5 per cent.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Paytm launches Android POS device for SMEs & merchant partners: Paytm has launched an Android POS device for small and medium businesses (SMEs) & merchant partners. The android based device will enable the merchants to accept payments in various ways like debit and credit cards, Paytm Wallet, UPI-based apps and cash.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 2020 EE British Academy Film Awards: The 73rd edition of the annual British Academy Film Awards, also known as BAFTA, was held on 2 February 2020 in London. The award is presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, to honor the best national and foreign films of 2019 of any nationality that were screened at British cinemas in 2019. The Film ‘1917’ received the highest number of awards at 7 with nominations in 9 categories.

List of Winners of BAFTA 2020:

Sr. No.	Category	Winner
1	Best Film	1917
2	Outstanding British Film	1917
3	Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer	Mark Jenkin (Writer/Director), Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers) (Movie: Bait)
4	Film Not In The English Language	Parasite
5	Documentary	For Sama
6	Animated Film	Klaus
7	Director	Sam Mendes (1917)
8	Original Screenplay	Han Jin Won, Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
9	Adapted Screenplay	Jojo Rabbit
10	Leading Actress	Renee Zellweger (Judy)
11	Leading Actor	Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
12	Supporting Actress	Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
13	Supporting Actor	Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood)
14	Original Score	Joker
15	Casting	Joker
16	Cinematography	1917
17	Editing	Le Mans ’66
18	Production Design	1917
19	Costume Design	Jacqueline Durran (Little Women)
20	Make Up & Hair	Vivian Baker, Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan (Bombshell)
21	Sound	1917
22	Special Visual Effects	1917
23	British Short Animation	Grandad Was A Romantic
24	British Short Film	Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl)
25	Ee Rising Star Award	Micheal Ward

2. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das Named Central Banker of the Year 2020: The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, has been named as the ‘Central Banker of the Year 2020 for the Asia-Pacific region’ by ‘The Banker’ magazine, owned by London-based Financial Times (FT). The Banker‘s Central Banker of the Year 2020 awards celebrate the officials that have best managed to stimulate growth and stabilise their economy. Das has been credited for bringing in measures to tighten the rules around shadow banking as well as several major steps to bring banking in India up to the standard through a restrained approach to governance.

Note: Headquarters of RBI: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

DEFENCE

1. 11th DefExpo 2020 to be held in Lucknow: The 11th edition of the biennial mega defence exhibition, DefExpo 2020, will begin on 5 February at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. The main theme of DefExpo India-2020 will be “India: the emerging defence manufacturing hub”.

Note: Defence Minister of India: Rajnath Singh.

2. Indian Navy Conducts Coastal Security Exercise ‘Matla Abhiyan’: The Indian Navy launched a unique coastal security exercise named ‘Matla Abhiyan’ in Kolkata, West Bengal to spread awareness on coastal security from 29th January to 2nd February 2020. Under the exercise, two naval boats were flagged off to move along the the river Matla in the Sundarbans region up to Hemnagar. This is also the international trade protocol route between India and Bangladesh. During the exercise, the Navy interacted with the local community to make them aware of the coastal security and also carried out activity to understand the navigational complexities in the Sundarbans Delta.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Assam Assembly Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi passes away: Former Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly & Congress MLA of Sibsagar Pranab Kumar Gogoi (84-years) passed away at a private hospital in Guwahati. Mr. Pranab Gogoi served as a minister in Tarun Gogoi-led cabinet from 2006-2011. He was also elected as the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly (in 2011).

Daily GK Updates - 3rd February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. YSR Pension Kanuka doorstep pension scheme launched in AP: Adhra Pradesh Government has initiated a doorstep pension delivery schemeYSR Pension Kanuka across the state, under which, various welfare pensions is being delivered at the doorstep of the pensioners. Also, the age for old age pensioners (OAP) has been reduced from 65 to 60 years. The Disabled Pensions (DP) will be Rs 3,000 per month, while the CKDU/Dialysis Pensions will receive Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mohammad Allawi named as new PM of Iraq: The President of Iraq Barham Saleh has named former Communication Minister, Mohammad Allawi as the country’s new Prime Minister. The 65-year-old succeeds Adel Abdel Mahdi, who resigned November 2019 due to anti-government protests. He would run the country until early elections are held.

Note: Capital of Iraq: Baghdad; Currency of Iraq: Iraqi dinar.

02. Ajay Bisaria appointed India's next High Commissioner to Canada: Ajay Bisaria, a 1987 batch IFS officer, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada. Currently, he is India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan. Bisaria will succeed Vikas Swarup, who has been appointed as the Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs.

Note: Union Minister of External Affairs:  Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

3. E-Visas for travel from China to India suspended: Travel to India on E-visas from China suspended with immediate effect, Due to certain current developments. This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People’s Republic of China. All those who have a compelling reason to visit India may contact the Embassy of India in Beijing or the Indian consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou, as well as the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Adarsh, Shreya win double titles at National Shooting trials: Adarsh Singh (from Haryana) and Shreya Agrawal (from Madhya Pradesh) won double titles at the ongoing national trials for rifle and pistol disciplines in Thiruvananthapuram. Tokyo Olympics quota winner Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar also won the men's 50 metres rifle 3 positions T2 trial to continue his good form in the competition.

2. Anjali Saraogi and Awadh Yadav wins Kolkata Full Marathon 2020: Lucknow-based runner Awadh Narayan Yadav and Anjali Saraogi from Kolkata has clinched the top honours in the Kolkata Full Marathon 2020 in men’s and women’s categories respectively on 2nd February 2020.  Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was the brand ambassador of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon 2020. Anjali Saraogi clocked 3:24.02 to win the title for the third consecutive year, and in the process became the first runner to clinch a hat-trick of titles at the Kolkata Full Marathon. Awadh clocked a timing of 2 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds.

Note: The annual Kolkata Full Marathon 2020 was held in four different categories including the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, Timed 10k Run and the 5k Fun Run and over 12,000 runners participated in the event from across the country.

3. NADA Suspends Weightlifter Ramshad AR for 2 Years and Wrestler Ravinder Kumar for 4 Years: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has suspended weightlifter Ramshad AR for a period of 2 years after being found guilty of violating the anti-doping rule. Ramshad, winner of silver medal in the National Weightlifting Championship was found guilty of inhaling a prohibited substance by the NADA. In addition to this, NADA has also banned Indian wrestler Ravinder Kumar for 4 years for failing a dope test.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. ICICI Bank Launches a unique self-service delivery facility ‘iBox’: The private lender ICICI Bank has launched a first-of-its-kind, unique self-service delivery facility, called ‘iBox’, that will enable its customers to collect their deliverables such as debit card, credit card, cheque book and returned-cheques, in a hassle free manner, anytime any day. This facility is especially useful for customers who are not available at home to receive their package during working hours. The Bank has introduced the iBox facility at over 50 branches in 17 cities in the country. The ‘iBox’ terminals have been stationed outside the premises of the Bank’s branches and are accessible beyond the official hours.

What is iBox? The unique facility is equipped with an OTP based authentication system and can be accessed by customers using their registered mobile number 24X7. The customer needs to visit the ‘iBox’, enter his/her registered mobile number and submit the OTP or show the QR code to open the box and access the package. The deliverable stays in the ‘iBox’ for seven days during which the customer can collect at any time of the day.

2. BoB signed pact with CARE Ratings to assess the credit quality of SMEs: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with Care Ratings for assessing the credit quality of small and medium enterprises (SME) customers. This partnership will help to grade the credit quality of the bank’s current and prospective SME customers by processing and analyzing structured, unstructured and new data streams.

3. R A Sankara Narayanan, MD & CEO of Canara Bank Retires: R A Sankara Narayanan, the Managing Director and CEO of public sector lender Canara Bank has retired from the post, upon his superannuation. He took charge as MD & CEO of Canara Bank on 15 April 2019.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Abidali Neemuchwala Steps Down as CEO and MD of Wipro: The chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of Wipro, Abidali Z Neemuchwala has quit the post, giving “family commitments” as the reason behind the decision. The 52-year-old will continue to hold office until a successor is appointed. Neemuchwala joined Bengaluru-based Wipro in April 2015 as the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Waheeda Rehman to be Conferred Kishore Kumar Samman for 2017-18: Veteran yesteryear actor Waheeda Rehman will be conferred the Madhya Pradesh government’s National Kishore Kumar Samman for the year 2017-18 on 4th February 2020 at her residence in Mumbai. The award carries cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and citation and is presented for outstanding achievement in cinema. The 82-year-old actor was to be presented the prestigious honour on 13 October 2019, coinciding with the death anniversary of singing legend Kishore Kumar, but could not be given as the actor was unwell.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath; Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.

OBITUARIES

1. Eminent Punjabi novelist Dalip Kaur Tiwana passed away: Padma Shri awardee and renowned Punjabi novelist, Dalip Kaur Tiwana (84-years) passed away due to old age ailments.

She was well known for novels ‘Teeli da Nishaan’ and ‘Sooraj te Samandar’. She was also a former president of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Madhya Pradesh grabs first position for implementation of PMMVY: Madhya Pradesh’s Minister for Women and Child Development Imarti Devi and Principal Secretary Anupam Rajan received the award from Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani for the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Indore has been ranked at first place among the districts for better performance of the scheme. Indore district has also bagged the first place for better performance of the scheme. The objective of the Matru Vandana Yojana is to provide incentives of Rs. 5000 for the loss of wages of working women, to ensure their proper rest and nutrition.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath; Governor: Lal Ji Tandon.

2. Task force constituted by Government of India to restrict Novel Coronavirus: A task force has been constituted by the Government of India to restrict the Novel Coronavirus outspread in India. Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy and Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri are the members of the task force.

3. Andhra Pradacesh flags off country’s first ‘fruit train’: Railways flagged off a ‘Fruit Train’ from Tadipatri Railway Station (in Anantapur district) carrying a load of 980 metric tonnes of locally grown bananas to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai. These bananas will be exported under the brand name ‘Happy Bananas’. As 150 trucks would have been required to send a consignment of this size by road to JNPT, before the temperature-controlled containers are loaded on ships.

4. Union Govt. appoints M Ajit Kumar as chairman of CBIC: The Union Govt. has appointed M Ajit Kumar IRS (C&CE 84) as chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). The new Chairman’s immediate responsibilities will include accelerating the Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues and to deal with the changes introduced in customs duties in the Union Budget for 2020. The CBIC is the apex body for administering the levy and collection of indirect taxes of the Union of India.

5. Ramesh Pokhriyal Chairs Meeting of Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO in New Delhi: The meeting of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO (INCCU) was held in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

Note: INCCU:

INCCU is a governmental body formed by the Government of India in 1951. It functions under the Department of Secondary and Higher Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The objective of the commission is to advise the Government in matters relating to the UNESCO.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 12th South Asia Conference by IDSA Held in New Delhi: Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the 12th edition of the South Asia Conference at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) in New Delhi from January 28-29, 2020. The theme of the South Asia Conference 2020 was India’s “Neighbourhood First” Policy: Regional Perceptions. The conference is organised by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi since 2007. The conference deals with a number of important issues such as economic cooperation for development, changing political context in India’s neighbourhood, common challenges of terrorism in South Asia and prospects of regional cooperation among other important aspects. All members of SAARC and Myanmar participated in the conference

2. Bengaluru is Worst Traffic Congested City Globally: TomTom Traffic Index 2019: Dutch multinational developer & creator of location technology and consumer electronics Tomtom has released its 9th edition of Tomtom Traffic Index 2019. As per the index, Bengaluru (Karnataka) emerged as the worst traffic congested cities in the world. The report reveals that drivers in Bengaluru spend an average of 71 percent extra travel time stuck in traffic. Apart from this three other Indian city have also made in to the top 10 of the index. The other Indian cities ranked in the top 10 places were Mumbai (Maharashtra), Pune (Maharashtra) and New Delhi in the 4th 5th and 8th places respectively. Top cities with worst traffic: Bengaluru was followed by Manila (Philippines) and Bogota (Colombia) in the 2nd and 3rd places respectively.  Moscow (Russia), Lima (Peru), Istanbul (Turkey) and Jakarta (Indonesia) were ranked in 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th places respectively. Least congestion level capital: Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the least congested national capital, it had just 10% congestion level in 2019.

3. Bangladesh’s PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurates “Ekushey Book Fair: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the month long Ekushey Book fair at the Bangla Academy premises in Dhaka. The fair is organised annually to commemorate the martyrs of the language movement which helped in establishing Banglaas the official language of the then East Pakistan.

Ekushey Book Fair is the biggest and longest book fair of Bangladesh. The book fair aims to publicize the art, culture and literature of Bangladesh across the globe. The Prime Minister presented the Bangla Academy literary award 2019 to ten eminent poets and writers on this occasion.

Note: Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.

4. Maldives re-joins Commonwealth: The Maldives has once again become a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, confirmed Maldives’ reinstatement into the organization as its 54th member state. The Commonwealth of Nations is a political association of 54 member states, mostly former territories of the British Empire. The Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth on 13 October 2016.

5. World Wetlands Day 2020: 2nd February: The world wetlands day is being celebrated every year on 2nd February with activities like catamaran race, rangoli competition, quiz and drawing competition for children, heritage walk and folklore programs. The theme for 2020 WWD is “Wetlands and Biodiversity”. It highlights the importance of healthy and intact wetlands to one of the most pressing challenges of our times: climate change.

6. India & Maldives sign five MoUs for establishing Addu Tourism zone: India and Maldives signed five MoUs for establishing the Addu Tourism zone in five islands of Addu atoll at a cost of 2.49 million dollars. A 6th MoU to set up a bottled water plant in Hoarafushi was also signed today. All six projects are grant projects falling under India’s High Impact Community Development Scheme (HICDP). These projects are driven by the needs of communities on the islands.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Novak Djokovic wins Australian Open 2020 men's title: Serbia's Novak Djokovic has won his record 8th Men's singles title in Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. He beat Dominic Thiem of Austria (6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4). The men's doubles title was clinched by Joe Salisbury of UK and American Rajeev Ram who beat Australia's Luke Saville and Max Purcell. Sofia Kenin has become the youngest woman to win the Australian Open in 12 years.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Gross GST collection for January cross Rs 1 lakh cr: GST revenues during the month of January from domestic transactions showed a growth of 12% over the revenue during the month last year. The IGST collected from imports of goods, total revenue during January this year has increased. It has gone up by 8% in comparison to revenue during same time last year. This is the sixth time during the current financial year that GST revenue has crossed 1 lakh crore rupees.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Vinod Shukla bags first Mathrubhumi Book of the Year 2020 Award: Noted Hindi poet-novelist Vinod Kumar Shukla (83-year) has bagged the inaugural Mathrubhumi Book of the Year 2020 award for his translated book “Blue Is Like Blue”. The stories in “Blue Is Like Blue” has been translated into English by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra and Sara Rai. The award is given by Kerala based Malayalam newspaper Mathrubhumi to the best fictional work released in the previous year.

OBITUARIES

1. Noted Odia Poet Rabi Singh passes away: Eminent Odia poet Rabi Singh (89-years) passed away following a prolonged illness. He was popularly known as “Biplabi Kabi” (the revolutionary poet) for his patriotic writings. Earlier, Mr. Singh was conferred with the Odia Sahitya Akademi award and the Ati Badi Jagannath Das Samman.

Daily GK Updates - 1st February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union budget 2020-21 presented by Finance Minister: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2020 for the 2nd time in a row. The annual financial statement of a government, the Union budget gives details about the revenue and expenditure of the Centre in the past and estimated spending and projections for the coming year. Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas was the tagline of government mentioned by Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman in her speech. The themes of this Budget: Aspiration, development, compassion.

Some of the highlights of Union Budget 2020-21:

(1) The tax of only 10% will be charged to Rs 5 lakh-7.5 lakh income as against prevailing 20% rate; From Rs 7.5 lakh-10 lakh income, a tax rate of 15% against 20% prevailing rate; For income Rs, 10-12.5 lakh, a rate of 20% will be charged as against 30% earlier; For income between Rs 12.5 lakh-15 lakh will be taxed at 25 per cent as against 30%; For those at Rs 15 lakh plus income, the tax will be 30%.

(2) The government has removed 70 exemptions; deductions with a view to further simplify the tax regime.

(3) Reducing the corporate tax rates for new companies in the manufacturing sector to 15%. Similarly, for existing companies, rates lowered at 22%

(4) Tax on Co-op societies to be reduced to 22% plus surcharge, as against current 30%.

(5) The government has proposed a 100% tax concession to sovereign wealth funds on investment in infrastructure projects.

(6) Concessional tax rate of 15% extended to power generation companies. Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) shifted to individuals instead of companies.

(7) Housing made more affordable, tax holiday to affordable housing developers. Additional Rs 1.5 lakh tax benefit on affordable housing loans.

(8) Customs duty raised on footwear and furniture. FM Sitharaman halves customs duty on import of newsprint, lightweight coated paper to 5%.

(9) The budget has provided an outlay of ₹8,000 crores for quantum computing over five years to break into this technology.

(10) Comprehensive measures for 100 water-stressed districts, PM Kusum schemes removed farmer’s dependence, Solar Power generation units will be set up for farmers to make a living out of the barren land.

(11) For sector comprising of agriculture, allied sector, 2.83 lakh crores have been made for 2020-21; 1.6 lakh crores for agriculture; for rural and Panchayati Raj- 1.23 lakh crores.

(12) The new education policy will be announced soon, IND-SAT exam proposed in Asian and African country for foreign university 3.60 lakh crores for Jal Jeevan mission. New Education policy soon.

(13) About 150 higher education institutes will start Apprenticeship embedded degree diploma courses by March 2021. Steps would be taken to enable sourcing to provide higher quality education. Urban Local Bodies to provide internship opportunities for young engineers. For deprived students, degree level full-fledged online education programme to be started.

(14) National Police University and National Foreign University will be set up. Medical colleges to be set up at district level to produce more doctors.

(15) PM Govt allows tech companies to set up Data Centre parks to provide internet to citizens. It allocates Rs 6,000 crore for BhartatNet.

(16) 5600 crores Allocated to nutrition-related programmes for FY 2020-21. Nutrition of Children, pregnant women, Poshan Abhiyan was launched.

(17) For SC and OBC Classes, 85,000 crores allocated for FY 2020-21 For ST Classes, 53,700 crores allocated for FY 2020-21 For Senior Citizens & Divyangs, 9,500 crores for 2020-21.

(18) Indian Institute of Heritage and Culture to be set up. 5 archaeological sites would be developed as iconic sites with the onsite museum: Rakhi Garhi Haryana, Hastinapur UP, Shivsagar Assam, Dolavira Assam, Adichalanur in TN.

(19) FM announces 2 National Science Schemes Genetic Database for drug innovation & Quantum Computing for advancing our computational and analytical capabilities to join an exclusive global league – Rs 8000 Cr over 5 years.

(20) Proposed to sell the balance holding of the government of India’s IDBI to private retail and institutional investors through the stock exchange.

(21) The government raised the insurance cover to Rs 5 lakh per depositor, which is currently Rs 1 lakh. This comes after the PMC bank crisis.

(22) India will host G20 Presidency in the year 2022 and the Finance Ministry is set to allocate Rs 100 crore for the preparations.

(23) The Ministry of Finance is set to allocate Rs 28,600 crore for programs meant especially for women. “Beti Bachao Beti padhao” is a highly successful scheme; girls registration in school has surpassed that of boys.

(24) The government has plans to raise money through LIC IPO. The government will thus sell part of its holding in the LIC.

2. Mumbai’s Iconic ‘Kala Ghoda Arts Festival’ Begins from 1st Feb: The 21st edition of the 9-day Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) 2020, one of the biggest open street arts and cultural festival of India, has begun in Mumbai from 1st February 2020. The Kala Ghoda Festival is one of the most-awaited art and cultural festivals which takes place in the Kala Ghoda area of South Mumbai since 1999 in early February and attracts a wide range of crowd from all across the world. The Festival is organised by the Kala Ghoda Association, a non-profit organisation that states its objectives as “physically upgrading the Kala Ghoda sub-precinct and making it the Art District of Mumbai”. The theme for 2020 KGAF is “PAST FORWARD.” The 2020 edition of the event has been organised across 14 categories including dance, food, children activities, theatre, music, movies and films, literature, street events, visual arts, heritage walks, stalls, workshops, urban design and architecture, and standup comedy. This year’s festival is different from the rest of the editions as it has invited general public to raise funds for it through a crowd funding platform, “Ketto”.

3. ISRO working on low-cost satellite launch vehicles: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it is preparing low-cost satellite launch vehicles costing around 30-35 crores rupees each, which can put into orbit satellites weighing 500 kgs. The first such launch is expected to take place in the next four months from the country. ISRO has earmarked 1,600 million Dollars for launch vehicles of which 870 million Dollars will be for PSLV and the remaining for GSLV.

Note: ISRO Director: K.Sivan; Headquarters: Bengaluru; Established: 1969.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Global health Emergency declared over Coronavirus by WHO: World Health Organization has declared an international emergency over the novel coronavirus from China. The organization has declared an emergency as the disease has spread to 18 other countries apart from China where it originated.

Note: WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; Director general: Tedros Adhanom.

2. Indian Think Tank ORF ranks 27th on ‘2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index’: Indian think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) has been placed at 27th position among 176 global think tanks in the ‘2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index’ Report. The report is released by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. ORF moved up from the 118th position in the 2018 to be ranked among top 30 think tanks globally in 2019. The list has been topped by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace of US, followed by Belgium’s Bruegel at second and French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) at third position. The index ranks these organizations based on their ability to generate policy-oriented research, analysis, and advice on domestic and international issues, thereby enabling policymakers and the public to make informed decisions about public policy.

Other Indian think tanks in list include:

Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) – 41

Indian Council for Research on International Economic Research (ICRIER) – 110

Centre for Civil Society (CCS) – 83

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) – 111

Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) – 149

3. UK Launches 4 mn Pound Innovation Challenge Fund in India: The United Kingdom government has launched 4 million pound (about Rs 37 crore) Innovation Challenge Fund in India to support collaborative research into emerging technologies. Innovation Challenge Fund will encourage industry and academia to collaborate and develop tech solutions for social, economic and environmental challenges in India. The initiative is focused on two major tech clusters: Artificial Intelligence/ Data in Karnataka and Future Mobility in Maharashtra.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Goa 2020 National Games unveils ‘Rubigula’ as official mascot: The 36th edition of the National Games of India will be held from 20 October to 4 November 2020 in Goa. The official mascot for the Goa 2020 National Games was unveiled on 01 February 2020 by the Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant in the presence of Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju. The Flame-Throated Bulbul under the name ‘Rubigula’ has been unveiled as the mascot for the event. The Flame-Throated Bulbul is the state bird of Goa. The event will see participation by 36 states and union territories, 12,000 athletes, officials and will host 37 sports disciplines across 24 venues in Goa.

Note: Chief Minister of Goa: Pramod Sawant; Governor of Goa: Satya Pal Malik.

2. Sofia Kenin wins Australian Open Grand Slam Singles title 2020: American Sofia Kenin (21-years) has won the Australian Open Grand Slam Singles title 2020 (108th edition) at Melbourne, Australia. She defeated Garbiñe Muguruza in the final 4–6, 6–2, 6–2. Kenin was the youngest Australian Open finalist since Ana Ivanovic, and the youngest champion since Maria Sharapova, both in 2008.

3. India set to host Barca Academy Cup, Asia Pacific for second Year in row: The second edition of the Barca Academy Cup – Asia Pacific (APAC) Region has been organised at Barça Academy Delhi NCR at the Heritage School in Gurgaon, Haryana from January 30 to February 2, 2020. This is the second time India is hosting the FC Barcelona’s football tournament. The tournament is organized by FC Barcelona for all its soccer schools in the Asia Pacific zone. The tournament is held in four different categories (U9, U11, U13 and U15) for participants aged 7 to 14 years. The 2020 edition will feature more than 700 boys and girls representing India, Australia, Turkey, China, Singapore, Japan and Spain.

4. ICC appoints India’s Anurag Dahiya as Chief Commercial Officer: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed seasoned media professional Anurag Dahiya as its Chief Commercial Officer (COO). He is slated to take charge in early March this year. Anurag is credited to launch India’s first international cricket-only channel Star Cricket. He also oversaw the launch of ESPN STAR Sports’ first 24×7 sports news channel ESPNEWS and OTT platform ESPN Play.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Mo O'Brien, 1st deaf person to row across Atlantic Ocean: Pharmacy worker Mo O'Brien (60-years) has become the first deaf person on record to row an ocean by finishing a 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic.Mo O'Brien and her fellow crew members, including her daughter, landed on the Caribbean island of Antigua 49 days after setting out from the Canary Island of La Gomera in December. Ms O’Brien rowed almost 3,000 miles (4,800km) of Atlantic Ocean with her daughter and their friend Claire Allinson.

DEFENCE

1. 1st indigenous bio-jet fuel aircraft of IAF landed successfully in Leh: The AN-32 aircraft of Indian Air Force powered with 10% blend of bio-jet fuel took off and landed successfully in Leh airport. This is the first time, both the engines of an aircraft are powered with bio-jet fuel. The bio-jet fuel is manufactured from “Tree-Borne oils”. The raw materials for the oil are grown and procured from Chhattisgarh tribal areas. This will help in reducing India’s dependence on crude oil imports and also will assist in reducing carbon emissions.

Note: Air Chief Marshal of India: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

2. Indian Coast Guard Day: 1st February: Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its raising day on 1st February. Indian Coast Guard is an armed force of India which protects maritime interests and enforces maritime law, with the jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India. It works in close cooperation with the Department of Fisheries, Indian Navy, the Department of Revenue and the Central and State police forces. It operates under the Ministry of Defence.

Note: The interim Indian Coast guard was established on 1 February 1977 to prevent sea-borne smuggling of goods which were hampering India's domestic economy. On 18 August, 1978 Parliament of India passed the coast Guard Act which came into immediate effect. Obituaries

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran feminist writer Vidya Bal passes away: Veteran social activist, feminist writer and journalist Vidya Bal (84-years) passed away at a private nursing in Pune. She was known for her heroic crusade against oppressive practices involving women. Bal was in the forefront in the fight for women’s rights and equality with men. Bal always motivated women to break the shackles of oppression and fight for their rights.