Daily GK Updates - 9th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Haryana CM Launches Rs 1500 Crore Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojna: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar officially launched the welfare scheme for poor families titled ‘Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojna, announced by the government in 2019’. Under the scheme, an annual assistance of Rs 6,000, in three equal installments of Rs 2000 each, will be provided to families having an annual income below Rs 1.80 lakh and land holdings up to five acres. Only those beneficiaries having ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’ (family identification cards) can avail the benefits under the scheme. The state government has made budgetary provision of Rs 1500 crore under this scheme for the current fiscal. CM Khattar formally transferred the amount into the bank accounts of the beneficiary families for two equal installments of Rs 2000 each, (total of Rs 4000) on 7 February 2020. The third installment of Rs 2000 would be transferred in the month of March 2020.

2. National Conference on e-Governance 2020 Held in Mumbai: The 23rd edition of the National Conference on e-Governance was held at Mumbai, Maharashtra on 7-8 February 2020. The theme of the conference was: India 2020: Digital Transformation. The two-day conference was organised jointly by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India and Department of Information Technology, Government of Maharashtra. The Conference provided a platform to the senior officers of the Government to discuss, and exchange views relating to various e-Governance initiatives; disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance initiatives to provide end to end Digital Services and exchange experiences in solving problems, mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning for success.

3. 11th Auto Summit held in New Delhi: The Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) is organized the 11th Edition of Auto Summit 2020, in New Delhi. FADA Auto Summit is a biennial flagship convention for Indian automobile dealers that provide a common platform to deliberate on changing dynamics of auto retail and service industry besides identifying the challenges and opportunities. The theme of 2020 Auto Summit was ‘Thriving Amidst Disruption.’ Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship M N Pandey was the Chief Guest. Former cricketer Kapil Dev was the Guest of Honour. Ernst & Young was the knowledge partner for awards to be given this year. More than 1,500 auto experts, policymakers, representatives of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and industry experts participated in the event.

4. India’s First Glass Floor Suspension Bridge to come up in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh: The Uttarakhand Government has approved the design of a glass floor suspension bridge, the first of its kind in the country, which will be built across the River Ganga in Rishikesh. The bridge is as an alternative to the iconic Lakshman Jhula, almost 94 years old, which was closed in 2019 due to safety reasons. The bridge design has been prepared by the Public Works Department (PWD), and is the first of its kind in India to have a floor made of toughened transparent glass.

Key Features of the Bridge: The Bridge will be built parallel to Lakshman Jhula, with a total width of 8 metres. It will consist of two toughened glass floors each with a width of 1.5 metres and as many 2.5-metre asphalt roads in between meant for light motor vehicles like two-wheelers. The toughened glass floor will be 3.5 inches thick with the capacity of bearing a load of more than 750 kg per square metre at a stretch. The span of the bridge will be 132.3 metres long with seven feet high toughened glass railings on either side of the structure. The life span of the bridge will be at least 150 years.

5. 1st look of biopic on former President APJ Abdul Kalam released: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar released the first look of a biopic on former President APJ Abdul Kalam in New Delhi. Javadekar along with Producer and Director Madhur Bhandarkar and Hollywood Producer and Director Johnny Martin released a poster of the film on the occasion. Hollywood actor Muhammad Ali is playing Dr Kalam’s role in the movie.

6. Chhattisgarh Govt decides to impose permanent ban on hookah bars: In the Cabinet meeting of the Chhattisgarh chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the state govt. has decided to cancel licenses issued for running hookah centres. The decision comes in the wake of complaints that school students, children and youth are getting attracted towards tobacco use and other addictions. The State Cabinet has also decided to close 49 liquor shops as part of its declared policy of gradually moving towards prohibition.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India Slips to 40th Rank in 2020 U.S. Chamber International IP Index: India has been ranked at 40th position among 53 global economies in the 2020 International Intellectual Property (IP) Index, according to the report released by US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center on 5th February. This is the eighth edition of the annual U.S. Chamber International IP Index, with the theme “The Art of the Possible.” Last year India was ranked at 36th position out of 50 countries. However, India’s score increased from 36.04 percent in 2019 to 38.46 percent in 2020, a 2.42 per cent jump.

Top 5 Economies in the Index

United States – 95.28

United Kingdom – 93.92

France – 91.50

Germany – 91.08

Sweden – 90.56

Venezuela is the lowest ranking country in the index at 53rd spot with a score of 14.22

2. US announce Launch of 27-Nation International Religious Freedom Alliance: The United States has announced the launch of a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance. This new Alliance will try to adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom across the world. Among the prominent countries to join the alliance are Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Israel, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Greece. As per the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, it is an Alliance of “like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being”.

3. BBIN nations deliberate on MoU for implementation of motor vehicle agreement: A meeting of the BBIN nations (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) was held in New Delhi on 8 February 2020 to deliberate on a proposed MoU, to be signed by Bangladesh, India and Nepal, for implementation of the Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) in these countries. Representatives of Bhutan participated in the meeting in an observer capacity. The meeting was held to discuss the Passenger protocol and Cargo protocol, which will give effect to the Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA), for the regulation of passenger, personal and cargo vehicular traffic among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, signed on June 15, 2015. The Indian delegation was led by Vikram Doraiswami, Additional Secretary, and Ministry of External Affairs.

4. Nepal to count LGBT population in census for first time: Nepal’s upcoming national census will for the first time count the LGBT population in the Himalayan nation in order to better allocate government jobs and education set aside for minority groups. The exact population of LGBT would help determine how much of the quota in these jobs and education will go to them. A new constitution adopted in 2015 forbids all discrimination based on sexual orientation, reaffirming a 2008 Supreme Court ruling.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Bangladesh wins ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2020: Bangladesh has won the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 held in South Africa. Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team defeated India Under-19 team by 3 wickets to win the final of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 held at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom, South Africa. In final, Bangladesh first restricted India to a meagre 177 in 47.2 overs and then did well enough to score a revised target of 170 in 42.1 overs. For India, Yashaswi Jaiswal scored 88 runs off 121 balls. Bangladeshi skipper Akbar Ali was declared the Player of the Match for his captaincy and unbeaten 43.

Note: Chairman of International Cricket Council: Shashank Manohar; Chief Executive: Manu Sahney; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

2. Armand Duplantis breaks Pole Vault World Record: Swedish Armand Duplantis broke the world record in the pole vault with a jump of 20 feet 2 ¾ inches, or 6.17 meters. At an indoor meet in Torun, Poland, Duplantis edged by a centimetre the previous record set in 2014 by Renaud Lavillenie of France, the 2012 Olympic champion. He will represent Sweden, his mother’s home country, instead of the United States at the Olympics.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Moody’s Projects India’s growth at 4.9% in FY20, 5.5% in FY21: Moody’s Investors Service has projected India’s GDP growth during the current fiscal ending 31 March 2020 at 4.9 percent (unchanged). For the fiscal 2020-21, GDP growth is estimated at 5.5 percent compared to December 2019 estimate of 6.3 percent. And for 2021-22 fiscal, GDP growth is estimated at 6 percent from 6.7 percent projected earlier.

Summary

2019-20 – 4.9%

2020-21 – 5.5%

2021-22 – 6%

DEFENCE

1. Army gets upgraded 155mm artillery gun at Defexpo: The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) handed over Sharang, the first 130mm M-46 artillery gun upgraded to 155mm to the Indian Army. It was formally handed over by OFB Chairman Hari Mohan to Army Chief Gen. Manoj Naravane at the ongoing Defexpo. The Army had issued the Request For Proposal (RFP) in 2013 for both OFB and private industry. The gun’s range has now gone from 27km to over 36km with the upgrade.

Daily GK Updates - 8th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Andhra Pradesh CM Inaugurates First Disha Police Station in Rajamahendravaram: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on inaugurated the first ‘Disha Police Station’ in Rajamahendravaram city on 8 February 2020, which will exclusively handle cases of crime against women and children. In all 18 Disha Police Stations will be set up in all 13 districts of the state, under the Disha Act, enacted by the state government in 2019, to ensure speedy investigation and trial of sexual assault cases. The state government has allocated a budget of Rs 21.10 crore for the setting up of these police stations. Each Disha Police station will be headed by a deputy superintendent of police. Under the Disha law, the state government is also opening 13 special courts (one-stop centre) in each district for expeditious trial of such cases. Each centre will have 19 staffers and will act as the first point of contact to victims. This Act prescribes death penalty where rape or gangrape is established.

Note: Governor of Andhra Pradesh: Biswabhushan Harichandan; Capital: Amaravati

2. Madhya Pradesh to use drones for mapping villages: The Madhya Pradesh (MP) govternment has decided to use drones for mapping villages. The Revenue department of MP has signed an agreement in this regard with the Survey of India. So far, land survey work is being done either manually or with the help of satellite images in MP. Drones will be used for the mapping of 55 thousand villages of the state on a scale of 1: 500.

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

3. SC appoints CNR Nair to make inventory of ornaments at Sabarimala temple: The Supreme Court has appointed retired Kerala High Court judge C N Ramachandaran Nair to prepare an inventory and valuation report of ornaments of Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala temple. The SC has allowed taking assistance of a jeweller for valuation of ornaments and should file its report in a sealed cover. The court granted four more weeks to the state government to prepare draft legislation regarding the administration of the historic Sabarimala temple.

Note: Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan; Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan.

4. Ease of Living Index and Municipal Performance Index 2019 Launched: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched Ease of living index (EoLI) 2019 and Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2019. Using MPI, the Ministry will assess the performance of municipalities based on 5 enablers namely Service, Finance, Planning, Technology and Governance. EoLI 2019 will facilitate the assessment of ease of living of citizens across three pillars: Quality of Life, Economic Ability and Sustainability.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bank Chief Economist Pinelopi Koujianou Announces Resignation: World Bank Chief Economist Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg has announced to step down from the post with effect from 1st March 2020. She is resigning to return to teaching at Yale University and create opportunities for the poor young talented economists to the bank. The World Bank President David Malpass has announced that the organisation’s research director Aart Kraay would take over as the Chief Economist in place of Goldberg until a new permanent chief economist is hired.

Note: A graduate of University of Freiburg in Germany and Stanford University in the United States, Goldberg was the first editor in chief of the American Economic Review and taught economics at Yale before joining the bank.

President of World Bank: David Robert Malpass; Managing Director(MD) and Chief Financial Officer(CFO): Anshula Kant.

2. Nepal inks financial closure of its largest hydropower project with India: India and Nepal inked financial closure of Nepal's largest hydropower project, the Arun-III being built with India's assistance. India has pledged an investment of NPR 100 Billion for the 900 MW mega hydropower project being built in Arun River in Nepal’s Sankhuwasabha District. India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) and Arun-III Power Development Company has signed the financial closure of the project with 7 banks in Kathmandu, Nepal.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Haryana wins 10th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship: Haryana thrashed Sports Authority of India (SAI) 6-0 to win the 10th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2020 (A Division) title at Kollam. Manisha was the first to get on the score sheet for Haryana in the 19th minute. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy beat Hockey Maharashtra 2-1 in the third-fourth place play-off match.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. PFRDA Doubles Minimum Net Worth for Pension Fund Managers to Rs 50 cr: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), the regulator of the National Pension System (NPS), has made certain amendments in the pension guidelines. These are as follows:

Minimum Net Worth: The regulator has doubled the minimum net worth requirement for pension fund managers to Rs 50 crore from the Rs 25 crore stipulated earlier.

Validity of License: Provision has also been made for licenses to have indefinite validity. Earlier, the licenses of pension fund managers was granted for a period of five years. But now, the license will remain valid until cancelled by the regulator.

2. WhatsApp gets NPCI nod to expand its UPI services to 10 million users: Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has received the approval from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to expand its United Payment Interface (UPI) services to 10 million users. WhatsApp’s payment feature, named WhatsApp Pay, has developed by the NPCI to run on UPI. It allows users to pay others or do business transactions through their bank accounts. WhatsApp has been running a pilot UPI services for one million users since the rollout of the project in 2018, and has struggled to get a full-fledged licence since then.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Manoj Das received the Mystic Kalinga Literary Award: Noted Odia writer Manoj Das awarded the Mystic Kalinga Literary Award during the Mystic Kalinga Festival (MKF) in Bhubaneswar. The Award is conferred to a person who has made a significant contribution to the literature and culture of Odia. The writer recently received the country’s third-highest civilian award- Padma Bhushan, for his contribution in the field of literature and education. He had also been awarded the Saraswati Samman.

DEFENCE

1. Indian Army Major Anoop Mishra Develops world’s first “bulletproof helmet”: The Indian Army Major Anoop Mishra has developed a bulletproof helmet, which is claimed to be first such in the world, that can stop an AK-47 bullet round from a distance of 10 meters. The “ballistic helmet” has been developed under project Abhedya, by the officer, who is part of the Indian Army’s College of Military Engineering, Pune. In December 2019, Major Anoop Mishra had also developed a bulletproof jacket named ‘Sarvatra’ that could effectively provide full-body protection to troops from lethal sniper rifle bullets. Besides this, the College of Military Engineering jointly with a private firm has developed India’s first and world’s cheapest gunshot locator. The locator can locate the exact location of the bullet from distance of 400 meters which will help to locate and neutralise terrorists faster.

2. HAL received approval to produce light utility helicopter: The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) received initial clearance from DRDO for its light utility helicopter (LUH). The clearance will pave way production of LUH. LUH will replace the ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. The announcement was made on the ongoing Def-Expo in Lucknow. HAL will be manufacturing indigenously designed and developed 200 helicopters that are to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Army and IAF.

Daily GK Updates - 7th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. SC notifies all states to established Gram Nyayalayas: The Supreme Court has directed the states to establish Gram Nyayalayas within four weeks’. Gram Nyayalayas are mobile village courts established under Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008. They are aimed at providing speedy and inexpensive justice to people in rural areas at their doorsteps. The Gram Nyayalayas should be established for every Panchayat at the intermediate level or a group of contiguous Panchayats at an intermediate level in a district or where there is no Panchayat at an intermediate level in any State for a group of contiguous Panchayats.

Note: Chief Justice of India: Sharad Arvind Bobde; Founded: 28th January 1950.

2. ‘Pink City’ becomes certified UNESCO World Heritage City: Jaipur “The Pink City” has been certified by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as the World Heritage site. The certification was done by the UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay during an event held in Jaipur, Rajasthan. As part of certification, the World Heritage City certificate was handover by UNESCO Director General to Minister of Urban Development Shanti Dhariwal.

Note: CM of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot; Governor: Kalraj Mishra; Capital: Jaipur.

3. “Central Asia Business Council” launched in New Delhi: The “Central Asia Business Council” was launched in New Delhi. The event was organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and addressed by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. This was the first instance when the business chambers of all five Central Asian states i.e. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, were brought together by India to push trade and investment partnership.

4. 22nd India International Seafood Show (IISS) 2020 to be held in Kochi: The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), under Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, in association with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), is organizing the 22nd edition of India International Seafood Show (IISS) 2020 in Kochi from 7-9 February 2020. The theme of this year’s seafood show is “Blue Revolution- Beyond Production to Value Addition” The biennial event provides a platform for Indian exporters and overseas importers of Indian marine products to interact and finalize future business dealings, thus paving way for Foreign Direct Investment in India. Over 200 exhibitors, 350 stalls and more than 5000 delegates, including foreign delegates, are expected to attend the three-day event at Kochi.

Note: Chairman of Marine Products Export Development Authority: K.S. Srinivas; Marine Products Export Development Authority headquarters: Kochi; Marine Products Export Development Authority founded: 1972.

5. Telangana CM to inaugurate 11-km stretch of elevated Hyderabad Metro Rail: Today, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will inaugurate the 11-km stretch of corridor-II of elevated Hyderabad Metro Rail. The stretch will join Secunderabad and Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in Hyderabad facilitating bus commuters with two major Railway Stations in the State Capital. Hyderabad Metro is the second-largest metro service after Delhi in the country and the largest one in the world under PPP mode.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Britain’s Prince unveils children’s protection fund for India: Britain’s Prince Charles has unveiled a new children’s protection fund for India as part of British Asian Trust. The charity founded by him in 2007 to fight poverty in South Asia. American singer Katy Perry will be the ambassador of the new fund.

Note: British Asian Trust was chaired by Indian-origin businessman Manoj Badale; British Asian Trust founded: 2007; British Asian Trust founder: Prince Charles.

2. 5th India-Russia Military Industrial Conference held in Lucknow: The fifth India-Russia Military Industrial Conference was held on the sidelines of the ongoing Def Expo 2020 in Lucknow. The India-Russia Military Industrial Conference was attended by over 100 Russian and over 200 Indian industry leaders. 14 MoUs were signed between Indian and Russian companies under the Make in India initiative. The MoUs were signed to produce different defence equipment like parts of T-72, T-90, ASW Rocket launchers, radar systems and 3D modelling.

3. India becomes second largest steel producer of Crude Steel: As per World Steel Association data, India became the second-largest steel producer of crude steel after China 2019, by replacing Japan. India’s crude steel production in 2019 was at 111.2 MT, an increase of 1.7 per cent from 109.3 MT in 2018. China remains number one with 996.3 million tonnes in 2019.

Here is the list of Top 5 Crude steel producers in the world in 2019:

Rank	Country	Qty (mt)
1	China	996.3
2	India	111.2
3	Japan	99.3
4	USA	87.9
5	Russia	71.6

Note: Union Minister of Steel: Dharmendra Pradhan.

4. Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa on 5–day visit to India:Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in New Delhi on a five-day state visit to India. During the visit, Mr Rajapaksa will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and call on President Ram Nath Kovind. He will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prime Minister Rajapaksa is also scheduled to visit Varanasi, Sarnath, Gaya and Tirupati.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Mirabai Chanu sets new national record to win gold at Senior National Weightlifting Championships: The 72nd Men and 35th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships 2019-20 is going on in Kolkata from 2-7 February 2020. Former world champion weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu beat her own national record to win the 49 kg gold at the Championships. Manipur-based Mirabai lifted a total of 203 kg to win the gold, bettering her previous record of 201 kg which she had achieved at the World Championships in Thailand in 2019. With this, she has been elevated to fourth place in the world rankings behind China’s Jiang Huihua (212kg) and Hou Zhihui (211kg) and Korea’s Ri Song Gum (209kg). In addition to this, Services lifter Sambo Lapung scripted a new National record to take the gold medal in men’s 89kg, lifting total of 333kg.

Other gold medal winners include:

Papul Changmai (SSCB) – men’s 81kg

Sambo Lapung (SSCB) – men’s 89kg

Jeremy Lalrinnunga (Mizoram) – men’s 67kg

Rakhi Halder (West Bengal) – women’s 64kg

Lalchhanhimi (Mizoram) – women’s 71kg

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI to conduct “Financial Literacy Week 2020”: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conduct the “Financial Literacy Week 2020″ from February 10 to February 14, 2020. The theme of the Financial Literacy Week 2020 is “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)”. This year India’s central bank is focusing on the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The Financial Literacy Week 2020 will aim to aware people about the formalisation, collateral free loan, discounting of receivables, rehabilitation of stressed units and timely repayment.

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

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Flipkart shuts down fashion portal Jabong, to focus fully on Myntra: E-commerce marketplace Flipkart is downing shutters on Jabong and the portal is now redirecting the users to the Myntra website. Flipkart (Walmart-owned) had acquired Jabong for USD 70 million (in 2016) and acquired fashion e-commerce platform Myntra (in May 2014). In November 2018, Walmart acquisition, Flipkart merged both Myntra and Jabong.

2. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner steps down after 11 years: LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner is stepping down after 11 years at the helm of the popular professional social networking company owned by Microsoft. Ryan Roslansky, senior vice president of product, will become CEO as of June 1. Roslansky has been at LinkedIn for more than 10 years. He will report to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and join Microsoft’s senior leadership team. During Weiner’s tenure, LinkedIn’s revenue increased to more than USD 7.5 billion in the trailing 12 months from USD 78 million. Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $26 billion in 2016.

Note: LinkedIn Corp: Founded: 2002.

LinkedIn Corp: Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California, United States.

3. Rishabh Pant becomes brand ambassador of JSW Steel: Jindal South West (JSW) Steel has appointed Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant as its brand ambassador. Pant will help promote JSW’s steel products which include Colouron+ colour-coated sheets and JSW Neosteel TMT bars, for a three year period.

Note: JSW steel Founded: 1982; JSW steel Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; JSW steel Founder: Sajjan Jindal.

4. IOC signs 1st term contract for Russian crude oil: Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Russian Rosneft signed 1st term contract for importing 2 Million Metric Tonnes of Urals grade crude oil to India for the year 2020. India is the 3rd largest Energy Consumer in the world, India imports globally 83% of oil to meet its oil need. India has to enlarge its sources for oil imports away from the Middle East oil-producing countries.

Note: Headquarters of Indian Oil Corp: New Delhi, Mumbai (Registered Office)

Founded of Indian Oil Corp: 1959; Chairman of Indian Oil Corp: Sanjiv Singh.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. President Kovind Presents International Gandhi Awards for Leprosy 2019: The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the International Gandhi Awards for Leprosy for the year 2019 to Dr N.S. Dharmashaktu under the Indian nomination (individual) category and the Leprosy Mission Trust under the institutional category on February 6, 2020, New Delhi. The annual award has been instituted by Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation to recognise the work of individuals and organisations who have worked tirelessly to fight this disease and the prejudices associated with it. The award has been launched to commemorate the compassion that Gandhiji possessed and service he rendered towards people afflicted with leprosy.

Daily GK Updates - 6th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi announces setting up of ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in the Parliament that Cabinet has approved the Ram Mandir Trust named as ‘Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra’. There will be 15 trustees in Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust while one trustee will always be from Dalit society. K. Parasaran (92-years) has been appointed the chairman of the trust, take decision-related to the construction of the temple.

2. UP government approves five acre land to Sunni Waqf Board in Ayodhya: Uttar Pradesh cabinet government headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has approved five-acre land to Sunni Waqf Board at village Dhannipur under Sohaval Tehsil near Raunahi police station in Ayodhya district. The proposed land is 18 kilometres from Ayodhya. The supreme court in its historic decision on 9th November 2019 had ordered to allot five-acre land in Ayodhya to Sunni Waqf Board for construction of a Mosque.

3. Atal Innovation Mission starts “series of innovation demo days”: Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog has begin a series of innovation demo days. The series aims to unite the stakeholders of the food processing and agriculture sector in India. The innovation demo days will act as a platform where start-ups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), entrepreneurs, corporate partners and sector academics are brought together to be spectator of government-funded innovations.

4. Union Cabinet clears the setting up of Major Port at Vadhavan: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its in-principle approval for setting up a new Major Port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharashtra. The new Major Port will be established on the basis of land lord model. The projected cost of the Vadhavan Port is over Rs 65,000 crore. For the implementation of the project, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed along the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) which will act as the lead partner with equity participation of 50% or more.

5. 5 IIITs to get the status of Institution of National Importance: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved to bestow the status of Institution of National Importance to the five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs). The status will be provided with the inception of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The bill will provide the status of Institutions of National Importance to the remaining five IIITs along with the existing 15 IIITs in PPP mode. The 5 IIITs in PPP mode includes IIITs in Bhopal, Raichur, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Surat.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US Prez Donald Trump acquitted of all impeachment charges: The United States President Donald Trump has been acquitted of all impeachment charges. The US Senate has acquitted President Trump on two articles of impeachment that are the abuse of power and obstruction to Congress. The Republican-majority Senate voted 52-48 to acquit him of abuse of power and 53-47 to acquit him of obstruction of Congress.

Note: Capital of the United States, the Washington, D.C.; Currency: Dollar

2. Romania's pro-European govt collapses after no-confidence vote: Romania's pro-European government collapsed in a parliamentary no-confidence vote after only three months in office. A total of 261 of 465 MPs voted in favour of a motion against the minority government led by Ludovic Orban, which took over in November. Now, President Klaus Iohannis appoint a new Prime Minister who in turn must try to assemble a majority.

Note: President of Romania: Klaus Iohannis; Currency of Romania: Romanian leu; Capital of Romania: Bucharest.

3. WHO calls for USD 675m in donations to fight novel coronavirus: Geneva-based WHO has called for 675 million US dollars in donations for a plan to fight the novel coronavirus. This announcement was made by the Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom in Geneva. They are launching a strategic preparedness and response plan and requesting 675 million dollars to fund the plan for the next three months. 60 million US dollars of the funds would be for WHO operations while the remainder would go to countries requiring assistance to guard against the deadly virus. World Health Organisation was sending 500,000 masks and 40,000 respirators to 24 countries from its warehouses in Dubai and Accra. Director-General of WHO also hailed a 100 million dollar donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced earlier.

Note: The World Health Organization was established on 07th April 1948; Headquarters of WHO is in Geneva, Switzerland.

4. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation: 6 February: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is observed globally on 6 February. This day is sponsored by the United Nations for their efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation. 2020 Theme: “Unleashing Youth Power”. Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It was first introduced in 2003.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Weightlifter Sambo Lapung wins gold with national record of 188kg: Weightlifter Sambo Lapung has won the gold medal in the men’s 89kg event of the National Weightlifting Championships held in Kolkata. He has made a new national record of 188kg in clean and jerk event in men’s 89kg. The previous national record of clean and jerk was of 187kg. Sambo Lapung is from Arunachal Pradesh.

2. Rakhi Halder bags gold at Senior Women's National Weightlifting Championship: Rakhi Halder has bagged gold in the 64kg category of the Senior Women's National Weightlifting Championships (35th edition) in Kolkata. Halder lifted 93 kg in snatch & 117 kg in clean and jerk to clinch the gold medal. She was 10kg ahead of her nearest rival Harjinder Kaur of Chandigarh.

3. Sourav Ganguly to be Indian team’s Goodwill Ambassador for Tokyo Olympics: The Indian Olympic Association has invited BCCI President Sourav Ganguly to become the Goodwill Ambassador of the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics. The Tokyo Olympic Games will be held from July 24 to August 9.

Note: President of Indian Olympic Association: Narinder Dhruv Batra; Headquarters of Indian Olympic Association: New Delhi.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI’s 6th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy 2019-20 released: RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 5.15%: The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee has released its 6th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy 2019-20. The Reserve Bank of India’s MPC has decided to keep the policy repo rate unchanged to 5.15%. The MPC has also decided to maintain the accommodative stance of monetary policy to revive growth, while ensuring that inflation remains within the target.

The key decisions taken in the 6th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting are:

The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) left unchanged to 5.15%.

The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands same i.e. 4.90%.

The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate also remains same i.e. 5.40%.

RBI has increased the real GDP growth for fiscal year 2020-21 from 5% to 6%.

2. DICGC increases the insurance coverage for depositors to Rs 5 lakh: The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India, has raised the limit of insurance cover for bank deposits in insured banks from the present level of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per depositor, to provide a greater measure of protection to depositors in banks. The enhanced limit is in effect from February 4, 2020.

Deposits with all commercial banks and cooperative banks are insured under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). Only Primary Cooperative Societies are not covered under DICGC. DICGC covers all deposits such as savings, fixed, current, recurring and so on except for the following deposits: Deposits of foreign governments; Deposits of Central/State Governments; Inter-bank deposits; Deposits of the State Land Development Banks with the State co-operative bank;

Note: Chairman of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation: B.P.Kanungo; B.P. Kanungo is the Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India.

Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) came into existence on July 15, 1978. The Head Office of the Corporation is at Mumbai.

3. Reliance General launches health insurance plan “Infinity”: Reliance General Insurance Company Limited has launched a comprehensive health insurance plan named “Reliance Health Infinity”. The policy offers 90 days pre and 180 days post hospitalization cover, along with sum insured ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 1 crore, and free restore benefits. This insurance plan (offers Ayush benefit), expenses incurred are covered on treatment in a hospital under Ayurveda, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy.

Note: Reliance General Insurance headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Reliance General Insurance ED and CEO: Rakesh Jain; Reliance General Insurance founded: 17 August 2000.

4. Fitch forecasts India’s GDP growth at 5.6% for Financial Year 2021: Fitch Ratings has estimated India’s GDP growth of 5.6% in the next FY21 in its India Economic Outlook. This forecast is lower than the projection made by the government’s Economic Survey. For the current fiscal 2019-20 (FY 20), GDP is projected at 4.6%. Fitch has also estimated that in the fiscal year 2022, government debt will remain 70% of total GDP.

Note: CEO of Fitch Ratings: Paul Taylor; President of Fitch Ratings: Ian Linnell; Headquarters of Fitch Ratings: New York, USA.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Indian Oil & Phinergy to jointly make metal-air batteries in India: Indian Oil has picked up a minority equity stake in Israel’s battery developer Phinergy to jointly set up a facility in India to manufacture metal-air batteries for electric vehicles. This collaboration helps in the field of Al-Air battery system including research & development, customization, manufacturing, assembly, sale and service of aluminium-air energy systems technology.

Note: Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC): Sanjiv Singh; Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) founded: 30 June 1959; Headquarters of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC): New Delhi.

2. Eastern Railways partners with Amazon India to set up kiosk: Eastern Railways has partnered with Amazon India to set up a pick-up kiosk at the Sealdah railway station in Kolkata, West Bengal. This follows after the successful pilot of pickup kiosks in four railway stations across Mumbai in 2019. A kiosk is a small open-fronted hut or cubicle from where newspapers, refreshments, tickets, etc will be sold.

Note: West Bengal Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar; Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee.

Capital of West Bengal: Kolkata.

DEFENCE

1. Prime Minister of India sets target at DefExpo of 5 billion dollar USD in upcoming 5 years: Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has stated that NDA government set a defense export target of 5 billion dollars in the upcoming five years. The export of defense equipment from India was about 2,000 crore rupees. In the past 2 years, it has gone up to 17,000 crore rupees.

Note: Rajnath Singh is the Union defense minister of India.

General Bipin Rawat is the current Chief of Defence Staff of India.

2. HAL & Israel Aerospace Industries to jointly make armed UCAVs: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the 1st time, will sign a partnership pact with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at the DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. This pact is signed for manufacture advanced Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) in India.

Note: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Founded: 1940(As Hindustan Aircraft) &1964 (Renamed

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka.

Chairman and managing director of HAL: R Madhavan.

Israel Aerospace Industries Headquarters: Lod, Israel; Israel Aerospace Industries CEO and President: Nimrod Shefer; Israel Aerospace Industries Founded: 1953.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Assam Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi passes away: Former Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker and sitting Congress MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) Pranab Kumar Gogoi passed away. He was first elected as Legislator from the Assam Legislative Assembly from Sivasagar, Assam for 4 consecutive terms. He also served as minister in Tarun Gogoi-led cabinet from 2006-2011 and speaker of the Assam legislative assembly in 2011. In 2015, Pranab Kumar took the definition of the term ‘Assamese’.

2. Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas passes away: Hollywood legend and veteran actor Kirk Douglas (103-years) passed away at Beverly Hills, California in the US. He is perhaps best known for his role as Spartacus, a Stanley Kubrick classic which won four Oscars and was so popular that its iconic "I am Spartacus" scene entered the pop culture lexicon. The actor came to limelight in 1940’s and played various roles in nearly 100 movies in his 60-year career. He was also the father of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas.

Daily GK Update - 5th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind inaugurates Annual Rashtrapati Bhavan Udyanotsav 2020: President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the annual ‘Udyanotsav’ at the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan on 4th February 2020. The 15-acre Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be opened for the general public from February 5 to March 8, 2020 between 10 am to 4 pm. The gardens will be closed for visitors on Mondays, on account of maintenance.

2. India’s biggest rural technical festival ‘Antahpragnya 2020’ kicks off: India’s biggest rural technical festival titled ‘Antahpragnya 2020’ held in Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT), Basar, Nirmal District, Telangana, from January 31 to February 2, 2020. The theme of the National Level technical fest was ‘Spot and encourage rural tech innovators’. Thousands of students belonging to reputed colleges across the length and breadth of India participated in the three-day Technical Festival, that seeks to spot and encourage rural tech innovators.

Note: Chief Minister of Telangana: K. Chandrashekar Rao; Governor of Telangana: Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan; Capital of Telangana: Hyderabad.

3. GoI unveils new vaccine to control classical swine fever: The government of India unveiled a new indigenously developed vaccine for controlling classical swine fever (CSF). CSF is a highly contagious fatal pig disease. The new vaccine, developed by Uttar Pradesh-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), will be much cheaper than the existing one.

Note: ICAR Founded: 16 July 1929; ICAR Director: Dr Trilochan Mohapatra; ICAR Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

4. Karnataka launches Janasevaka scheme for home delivery of govt services: The Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has launched the doorstep delivery scheme named ‘Janasevaka’ on 4th February 2020, to ensure home delivery of various government services like ration cards, senior citizen identity and health cards. The Janasevaka scheme will cover 53 services involving 11 departments. Janasevaka scheme is launched under the Sakala scheme of the state government, which aims to ensure in-time delivery of government services to citizens. The project was launched on a pilot basis in T Dasarahalli Assembly constituency in February 2019 and now it has been further launched in Bommanahalli, Rajajinagar and Mahadevapura constituencies in Phase I. The government plans to extend it to 27 Assembly segments in Bengaluru city in later stage. After successful implementation, the service will be extended to Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad.

5. 4th EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation to be held in Chennai: India is set to host the 4th East Asia Summit (EAS) Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation in Chennai from February 6-7, 2020. The conference will be organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in partnership with the governments of Australia and Indonesia. The National Maritime Foundation (NMF) and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) are the knowledge partners of the Conference. The Conference serves as a platform for free and open dialogue among all the EAS partners on various issues of maritime security cooperation, and to come up with useful suggestions on tackling challenges in the maritime domain in a cooperative manner. The earlier three editions of the EAS Maritime Security Conferences organised by the Indian government were held at New Delhi in November 2015, Goa in November 2016 and Bhubaneswar in June 2018.​

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Somalia declares national emergency over locust surge: Somalia has become the first country in the Horn of Africa to declare a locust infestation sweeping the region as a national emergency. Experts say the locust swarms are the result of extreme weather swings. The emergency declaration was made to focus efforts and raise funds because it was critical to contain the locust swarms before harvests are due in April.

2. Albin Kurti Appointed New Prime Minister of Kosovo: Kosovo’s parliament has approved Albin Kurti (44-years) as the new prime minister of the country on 3rd February 2020. Albin Kurti, leader of the political party Vetëvendosje, will serve as the fourth Prime Minister of Kosovo. He was named PM after his left-wing Vetevendosje party forged a coalition with the centre-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Kurti’s government was supported by 66 out of 120 votes, while 10 MPs abstained from voting.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Deepa Malik Elected President of Paralympic Committee of India: Indian para-athlete Deepa Malik, has been elected unopposed as President of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) during the elections held in Bengaluru recently. However, the results of the elections are subject to a pending case in the Delhi High Court. The 49-year-old Deepa is the first Indian woman to win a medal at Paralympic Games. She won a silver in shot put F-53 event in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. Other members elected for the committee includes:

Gursharan Singh – secretary general

Kavender Chaudhury and Shashi Ranjan Prasad Singh – vice presidents

M Mahadeva – treasurer

Nale Nandkishor Baburao and Kantilal Parmar – joint secretaries.

Note: Headquarters of Paralympic Committee of India: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Cabinet approves amendments to bring co-operative banks under RBI: The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the Banking Regulation Act to empower India’s Central Bank (Reserve Bank of India) to have better control over urban co-operative banks and multi-state cooperative banks. These amendments will apply to the urban co-operative banks and multi-state cooperative banks. In present, cooperative banks are governed by dual control of cooperative societies as well as the Reserve Bank of India. While the role of cooperative society includes incorporation, registration, management, recovery, audit, supersession of board of directors and liquidation, the central bank’s role is responsible for regulatory functions.

Note: The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 is legislation in India that regulates all banking firms.

Governor of the Reserve Bank of India: Shaktikanta

OBITUARIES

1. Sahitya Akademi Awardee Jaswant Singh Kanwal passes away: Eminent Punjabi writer, Sahitya Akademi Awardee Jaswant Singh Kanwal passed away. He was bestowed the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship award for his book ‘Pakhi’ (Hand Fan). He received the Sahitya Akademi award (in 1998) for his novel ‘Taushali Di Hanso’ and Sahitya Shiromani Award of the Punjab government (in 2007). Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar conferred on Kanwal the degree of Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) for Punjabi literature.

2. Kenya's longest serving President Daniel Arap Moi passes away: Former Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi (95-years), who ruled the country for 24 years has passed away. He was 95. He became the Minister of Home Affairs and President Jomo Kenyatta later named him Vice President in 1967. He became Kenya's second president after independence and went on to rule from 1978 to 2002.