Daily GK Updates - 13th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Amit Shah inaugurated the Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a two-day Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking for for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Partner Nations, at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The conference is being organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau. The platform will provide the opportunity to all the member nations to deliberate on the increased threats posed by drug trafficking and the collective steps that are required to negate the threats by learning from the best practices adopted by member countries.

Note: The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation comprising seven countries. These are India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. BIMSTEC Headquarter: Dhaka, Bangladesh

2. Mumbai Plans to get India’s largest air quality monitoring network: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to develop a network of 90 air quality monitoring stations in Mumbai. This will make the city that has the largest network of air monitoring in India. The time to complete the project is estimated to be over the next five years. BMC is planning to invest Rs. 9.5 crores to install 80 real-time air monitoring stations. These stations will give location-wise updates on the quality of air. Currently, Mumbai has 30 air quality monitoring stations. Mumbai plans to overtake Delhi, which presently has the largest networking of air quality monitors with 38 monitoring stations.

Note: Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Bal Thackeray; Governor of Maharashtra: Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) of Maharashtra: Ajit Anantrao Pawar; Capital of Maharashtra: Mumbai.

3. National Workshop on Disaster Risk Financing, Insurance and Risk Transfer held in Mumbai: The National Workshop on Disaster Risk Financing, Insurance and Risk Transfer was held in Mumbai on February 13, 2020. The workshop was organized by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), in partnership with Insurance Institute of India. Purpose: focus on the importance of financing resilience in areas frequently hit by natural disasters and discuss the issues and challenges faced by different stakeholders in assessment of insurance, along with the capacity gap in undertaking such initiatives. The event was a precursor to the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR), to be held in May 2020.

4. Haryana launches ‘Reading Mission’ initiative: The state government of Haryana has launched an initiative called ‘Reading Mission- Haryana’. The initiative was launched to encourage reading habit among the young students of the state. The scheme is on the lines of the ‘Reading Mission 2022’, launched by the central government. Under the state’s initiative, monthly book review sessions and mass book reading are to be organised by students in educational institutions.

Note: Haryana Governor: Satyadeo Narayan Arya; Chief Minister (CM): Manohar Lal Khattar.

5. Piyush Goyal inaugurates Kolkata’s East-West Metro line: Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the first phase of “East-West Metro line” in Kolkata. In this phase, trains will play from Salt Lake's sector five to Salt Lake Stadium. Passenger services will start in this 5.8 Kilometres stretches from Friday. The services will remain open from 8 in the morning to till 8 at night with 20 minutes frequencies of trains within six stations

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

6. Atul Gupta elected as New President of ICAI: CA Atul Kumar Gupta has been elected as the new President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for the term 2020-21. Nihar Niranjan Jambusaria has been elected as the Vice President of the ICAI for 2020-21. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is the national professional accounting body of India, established on 1st July 1949.

Note: Headquarters of Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI): New Delhi.

7. Dharmendra Rai’s book “The Thin Mind Map Book” launched: “The Thin Mind Map Book” authored by a mind mapping & brain literacy pioneer Dharmendra Rai was launched recently. The book is designed to make anyone an expert in mind mapping by devoting 2 full days to reading & doing all the experiential exercises mentioned in the book. Mr. Rai is a mind mapping & brain literacy pioneer and has a world record of conducting more than 380 mind mapping seminars in under 10 years.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise 2020 Held in Odisha: The BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise 2020, was held from February 11 to 13 at the Ramachandi Beach, Puri, Odisha. This is the second edition of such exercise. The first edition was held in 2017. The exercise was organised by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Odisha, on behalf of the Government of India. The BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Representatives of BIMSTEC member countries namely Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India participated in the exercise. Bhutan and Thailand did not participate in this edition. Purpose: sharing best practices and expertise, consolidating the disaster response, coordination and cooperation among BIMSTEC countries during disasters. The theme of this year’s exercise is “A cultural heritage site that suffers severe damage in the earthquake and flooding or storm.”

2. UK’s start-up launches 1st big batch of satellites: The UK-based company OneWeb has sent 34 satellites into orbit on a single Soyuz rocket, from Baikonur port, Kazakhstan. The aims are to have the full network in operation by the end of 2021. This is the 50th Soyuz mission conducted by Arianespace, as the company plans to perform 19 more medium-lift Soyuz from three spaceports by 2021. Its mission was to drop its satellite batch into one of 12 planes planned for the constellation.

Note: OneWeb company CEO: Adrian Steckel; OneWeb company Headquarters: London, England.

3. World Radio Day: 13th February: World Radio Day is celebrated on 13 February each year to recognize radio as a powerful medium, which brings people together from every corner of the globe, to promote diversity and help build a more peaceful and inclusive world. The day provides an opportunity to honour how radio is uniquely positioned to bring communities together and promote positive dialogue for change. The theme of World Radio Day 2020 is ‘Radio and Diversity’.

Note: The Day was proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012

4. Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa arrives in New Delhi: Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has arrived in New Delhi on a four-day visit to India. During the visit, President Sousa will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow followed by a visit to Rajghat. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will also travel to the states of Maharashtra and Goa during his visit.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. FIFA, FIFPRO to launch global fund for salary protection of players – $16m by 2022: FIFA and FIFPRO (World Players’ Union) will launch a global fund for football players to provide financial support to players who have not been paid and have no chance of duly receiving the wages agreed with their clubs. FIFA has set aside USD 16m for the fund up to 2022, and the allocation will be divided as follows: USD 3m in 2020, USD 4m in 2021 and USD 4m in 2022, plus a further USD 5m set aside for the retroactive protection of players’ salaries for the period between July 2015 and June 2020.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Government Notifies ‘Printing of One Rupee Currency Notes Rules, 2020’: The Union Ministry of Finance has notified ‘Printing of One Rupee Currency Notes Rules, 2020’. These include details about the colour, design, standard weight, dimensions etc. The One Rupee notes shall be printed at the note printing presses for issue under the authority of Government of India for circulation. Here are basic features of the new one rupee note:

Dimension – 9.7 x 6.3 cms

Colour: The overall colour will be predominantly pink green on obverse and reverse in combination with others.

Signature: Bilingual signature of Shri Atanu Chakraborty, Secretary, Ministry of Finance.

The new note will have image of ‘Sagar Samrat’, the oil exploration platform. The note will be rectangular, with its paper made of 100 percent (cotton) rag content. The note will be 110 microns thick, weighing 90 GSM (Grams per Square Meter). Multi-tonal watermarks.

Note: Union Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. President Kovind presents President’s Colour to INS Shivaji: President Ram Nath Kovind presented the President’s Colour to INS Shivaji on 13 February. INS Shivaji is an Indian Naval station located in Lonavala, Maharashtra and houses the Naval College of Engineering which trains officers of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. INS Shivaji is commemorating 75 years of its glorious service to the Indian Navy in February 2020.

Note: The President’s Colour is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit. The motto of this establishment is Karmasu Kaushalam which translates to imbibing the concept of Skill at Work in all facets of human endeavour.

DEFENCE

1. DRDO developing new 200-km strike range Pranash ballistic missile: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing a 200-km strike range tactical ballistic missile named ‘Pranash’. Use: Will be used by the Army and the Air Force for destroying enemy targets at short ranges. Version: The missile is an advanced version of the 150-km strike range Prahar missile which was being developed for tactical missions. Type: Surface-to-surface ballistic missile and single-stage solid-propellant missile. Strike range: 200 km

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

OBITUARIES

 

1. Renowned Journalist Nandu R Kulkarni Passes Away: Veteran journalist Nandu R Kulkarni, has passed away following a heart attack. He was 69. Kulkarni was the Mumbai Bureau Chief of the Kolkata-based newspaper “The Statesman”. He started his career as an intern with ‘The Indian Express’ in 1976 and worked there for 16 years. In 1992, Nandu joined “The Statesman”.

Daily GK Updates - 12th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Medical devices to come under CDSCO’s purview from 1st April: The Government of India has decided to consider all medical devices including implants and contraceptives as “Drugs”. The notification regarding the re-categorization was issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With the implementation, all the medical devices will come under the purview of the Central Drugs and Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). The re-categorization will be implemented from 1st April 2020 in the phase manner. The re-categorization will enable the drugs regulator “CDSCO” to tighten the regulation to improve the safety and quality.

Note: Union Minister of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Harsh Vardhan.

2. Delhi Election Results 2020 Updates: AAP gets 62 seats, BJP 8: In Delhi Assembly Election, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party scored a landslide victory. This is the second time in a row as Aam Aadmi Party swept aside both BJP, which was again restricted to a single digit and Congress which could not win a single seat. In the 2015 Assembly Election, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had won 67 seats out of 70. BJP has won eight seats, five more than the 2015 assembly election. However, the party managed to increase its vote share by over 6% from the last elections. 0.5% (approx) voters pressed the NOTA (None of the Above) button.

3. Ground Water Act-2020 approved by UP Government: The Uttar Pradesh government has given its approval to the Ground Water Act-2020. The Ground Water Act-2020 has been approved with an objective of improving the falling groundwater level in the state. In order to achieve this aim, the state cabinet chaired by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the Ground Water Act-2020.

4. NSG organises 20th International Seminar against terrorsim at Manesar, Haryana: National Security Guard (NSG) has organised the 20th International Seminar on “Comprehends the Evolving Contours of Terrorism & IED Threat-Wayahead for the Security Community” at Manesar, Haryana. The seminar was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy. Senior Police and security officers and delegates from various countries are participating in the Seminar. A wide spectrum of Counter Terrorism and Counter-IED issues in wilbe covered in the two-day seminar. He also presented the Counter-IED Innovators awards and released the 30th volume of “The Bomshell”.

5. 3-Day global meet on climate change ‘ClimFishCon 2020’ to be held in Kochi: A three-day international conference titled ‘ClimFishCon 2020’ to deliberate on the impact of climate change on ‘hydrological cycle, ecosystem, fisheries and food security’ will be held in Kochi, Kerala from February 12 to 14, 2020. It has been organized by the CUSAT School of Industrial Fisheries in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Kerala. Theme: Climate Change-Effective Adaptation for a Secure Future. More than 300 delegates from 12 countries including scientists, researchers, administrators, policymakers, academicians, and entrepreneurs will deliberate on strategies to: (1) deal with climate emergency and changing hydrological cycles; (2) preserve the ocean and other aquatic biodiversity; (3) build a circular and blue economy

6. National Productivity Day: 12th February: National Productivity Day is being observed on 12th February annually to increase the productivity culture in India. It is celebrated by the National Productivity Council (NPC), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Government of India is a premier institution for propagating productivity movement in India. NPC works for providing solutions towards accelerating productivity, enhancing competitiveness, increasing productivity.

Note: Chairman of National Productivity Council: Guruprasad Mohapatra; Director-General of National Productivity Council: Arun Kumar Jha.

7. Elephant and Indian Bustard to be included in India’s global conservation list: India to include the Asian Elephant and the Great Indian Bustard in the list of species that merit heightened conservation measures. The list will be debated at the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environment treaty under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Note: Headquarters of United Nations Environment Programme: Nairobi, Kenya; Director of United Nations Environment Programme: Inger Andersen.

8. UP Govt launches toll free helpline numbers for students: Uttar Pradesh Government has launched toll-free helpline numbers (1800-180-5310 and 18001805312) to solve the queries of students ahead of the Board Examinations starting next week. Experts of different subjects including English, life sciences, geography, general science, Hindi, Sanskrit, chemistry will be available on call on these numbers. The helpline numbers will remain active from 8 am to 8 pm.

9. Union Cabinet approves changes in 'Vivad se Vishwas' Bill: Union Cabinet has approved changes in the Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020. It seeks to increase its scope to cover litigations pending in various debt recovery tribunals (DRTs). It was proposed to cover tax disputes pending in Income Tax Appellate Tribunals, High Courts and the Supreme Court. Union Cabinet has given its in-principle approval for capital infusion of 2,500 crore rupees in three Public Sector General Insurance Companies.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. WHO officially names Coronavirus disease as “Covid-19”: The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially named the disease caused by the new coronavirus as “Covid-2019”. The new name “Covid-2019” has been taken from the words “corona”, “virus” and “disease”, with 2019 representing the year in which it emerged. The word coronavirus refers to the group of viruses it belongs to. The naming of the disease was done as the researchers were calling for an official name of the disease to avoid confusion and stigmatisation of any group or country. The virus was also designated as SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.

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

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami Win FIH Rising Star of the Year Awards 2019: Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami have won the FIH Rising Star of the Year Awards 2019 in the male and female category respectively. The award is given by International Hockey Federation for players in the field of Hockey. Lalremsiami is the first woman from India to win this award while Vivek is the first male player from India to win this award.

2. ICC penalizes 3 Bangladesh and 2 India U-19 cricketers: The International Cricket Council has penalized three Bangladesh as well as two Indian U-19 cricketers. The players have been sanctioned by ICC for violating the Code of Conduct for players. ICC found them guilty of the Level 3 breach during the U-19 World Cup finals between India and Bangladesh, held in South Africa. ICC found them guilty as they were involved in an exchange of words with some pushing and shoving on the field after the final match.

The list of punished players includes Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan of Bangladesh, and Akash Singh and Ravi Bishnoi of India. The Bangladesh cricketers were handed six demerit points as per the ICC code of conduct. While Indian players were penalized with five demerit points for the post-match incidents.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India out of US’ developing nations list for trade benefits: The US removed India from its list of developing countries that are exempt from investigations into whether they harm American industry with unfairly subsidised exports. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) eliminated a host of countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Africa and Argentina.

The US removed India from the list on account of it being a G-20 member and having a share of 0.5% or more of world trade. The move has cast a shadow on India being able to restore preferential benefits under the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) as part of its trade talks with the US, as only developing countries are eligible for it. India’s share in global exports was 1.67% in 2018. In global imports, it was 2.57%.

Note: Capital of the USA: Washington, D.C.; President of USA: Donald Trump.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 13th edition of ESPNcricinfo Awards 2019 announced: ESPNcricinfo (sports news website) announced the 13th edition of the Annual ESPNcricinfo Awards 2019. The awards were presented under 12 categories & selected by a jury comprising former cricketers, ESPNcricinfo senior editors, writers & global correspondents. Captain of the year award: Eoin Joseph Gerard Morgan was named as the ‘captain of the year’ for leading England to win the World Cup Title against New Zealand.

Here is the list of winners of ESPNcricinfo Awards 2019:

Sr. No.	Category	Winner
1	Captain of the year	Eoin Morgan (England)
2	Test batting performance of the year	Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka)
3	Test bowling performance of the year	Kemar Roach (West Indies)
4	ODI batting performance of the year	Ben Stokes (England)
5	ODI bowling performance of the year	Matt Henry (New Zealand)
6	T20I batting performance of the year	Gleen Maxwell (Australia)
7	T20I bowling performance of the year	Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
8	Debutant of the year	Jofra Archer (England)
9	Women’s batting performance of the year	Meg Lanning (Australia)
10	Women’s bowling performance of the year	Ellyse Perry (Australia)
11	Associate batting performance of the year	George Munsey (Scotland)
12	Associate bowling performance of the year	Bilal Khan (Oman)

Daily GK Updates - 11th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Coal Ministry launches Web Portal for Star Rating of Mines in India: Ministry of Coal (MoC) has launched a web portal for star rating of coal mines to promote the green, safe and sustainable mining practices with the help of technology. The web portal for star rating of coal mines enables all operational coal mines across India for self-rating, their subsequent validation by Coal Controller’s Organization (CCO), further evaluation and finally award of star rating. Coal Controller’s Organization will also issue an official certificate to all the mines mentioning their star rating. The Star Rating Policy for Coal Mines in India is:

The mines that score from 91 to 100% will get 5 star; The mines that score from 81 to 90% will get 4 star; The mines that score from 71 to 80% will get 3 star; The mines that score from 61 to 70% will get 2 star; The mines that score from 41 to 60% will get 1 star; The mines that score from 0 to 40% will get no star

2. ‘Engiexpo 2020’ to be held in Vadodara, Gujarat: The 6th edition of the mega industrial exhibition ‘Engiexpo 2020’ is being organised in Vadodara, Gujarat from February 15 to 17, 2020. The three-day mega exhibition will be organised by the Federation of Small Scale Industries (FSSI), to promote ‘Made in India’ products. Over 10,000 industrial products will be showcased in more than 300 stalls. Several companies from Uzbekistan are also participating in the exhibition.

Note: Federation of Small Scale Industries President: Dhankesh Patel; Federation of Small Scale Industries Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat.

3. NIFM, Faridabad to be renamed as Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management: The Government of India has decided to rename National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM), Faridabad as Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM). The decision has been taken to pay tribute to former Union Finance Minister and Padma Vibhushan awardee late Shri Arun Jaitley. The Union Finance Minister is the President of the NIFM Society.

NIFM, Faridabad, was set up in 1993 as a registered society under Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The institute aims to train officers of various Finance and Accounts Services recruited by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) through the Civil Services Examination as also officers of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS).

4. National Water Conference started in Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath is the Chief Guest of the National Water Right Convention at Minto hall in Bhopal. The purpose of the conference is to finalize the guidelines for the Water Rights Act in Madhya Pradesh. The importance and revival of traditional water sources, right to water, river rejuvenation campaign in Madhya Pradesh and many other related topics are being discussed during the four sessions of the conference. The experts discussed that water conservation technological development should be included with traditional means to solve the growing water crisis.

5. Vice President releases the book ‘A Child of Destiny’: The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled ‘A Child of Destiny’ an autobiography penned by Prof. K. Ramakrishna Rao. K. Ramakrishna Rao was an Eminent Scholar, Author, Researcher, Scientist and Gandhian, He was born in the coastal region in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The Government of India awarded him “The Civilian Honour of Padma Shri in 2011”.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 33rd African Union (AU) summit held in Ethiopia: The 33rd African Union (AU) Summit was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 9 February. The theme of the 2020 Summit was “Silencing the Guns: Creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development”. The two-day leaders’ summit was attended by more than 35 heads of state and government, as well as representatives of regional and international organizations. President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, is the newly elected Chairperson of the African Union for one year.

Note: The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa.

2. International Day of Women and Girls in Science: 11th February: International Day of Women and Girls in Science is being celebrated on 11th February to highlight the work of female scientists throughout its divisions and agencies. According to data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), less than 30% of the world’s researchers are women. The day's purpose is to promote full and equal access to participation in science for women and girls.

Note: In December 2015, the United Nations adopted a resolution to celebrate February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

3. World Unani Day: 11th February: The World Unani Day is celebrated globally on 11th February every year. The World Unani Day is celebrated globally to spread awareness about health care delivery with the help of Unani system of medicine through its preventive and curative philosophy. The World Unani Day also marks the birth anniversary of great Unani scholar Hakim Ajmal Khan. The Unani system of medicine was introduced in India by the Arabs and Persians sometime around the eleventh century.

4. China's CPI rose at their highest rate in more than 8 years: China's consumer price index (CPI) rose at their highest rate in more than eight years with inflation more than expected on the back of Lunar New Year demand and a deadly virus outbreak. The rise in January was the highest since October 2011 when CPI inflation was 5.5%. The consumer price index, a key gauge of retail inflation, came in at 5.4% last month with food prices spiked 20.6%.

5. Bangladesh to disinvest in 4 govt owned Banks: The government of Bangladesh has decided to start the process of disinvestment in four State-Owned Commercial Banks (SOCB) by October this year. The Bangladesh Development Bank Limited (BDBL), Agrani Bank Ltd, Janata Bank Ltd and Sonali Bank Ltd would be listed on the stock market while the share of Rupali Bank limited offered to the public would be raised from current 9.91% to 25%. Sonali Bank serves as the treasury of the government.

6. Kaamya Karthikeyan becomes youngest girl to climb Mt Aconcagua: India's Kaamya Karthikeyan (Mumbai-based) became the youngest girl in the world to summit Mount Aconcagua (6962-meter) the highest peak in South America. Kaamya had summited Ladakh's 6,260 metres Mt. Mentok Kangri II, under extreme cold weather conditions on August 24, 2019. Kaamya is studying in 7th standard at Navy Children School in Mumbai.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Australia presented with ICC Women’s Championship trophy: Australia was awarded the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Championship trophy 2020. The ICC Women’s Championship has given hosts New Zealand and four top teams a direct place in the World Cup 2021. The remaining teams will play qualifiers through the Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2020 scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka from (3 - 19 July, 2020). Australia’s team was led by Meghann Moira Lanning, which also won this trophy last time (ie 1st edition 2014–16).

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

2. India's Lalremsiami named as 2019 FIH Women's Rising Star of Year: India forward Lalremsiami (19-years) has been named as the 2019 FIH Women's Rising Star of the Year by the International Hockey Federation. Lalremsiami took the prize ahead of Argentina's Julieta Jankunas and Frederique Matla of the Netherlands. Lalremsiami first came into the wider hockey consciousness at the Hockey Women's World Cup in 2018 when she was one of the stand-out players of the tournament.

3. Aditya Mehta & Vidya Pillai wins National Snooker Championship: Aditya Mehta &Vidya Pillai has won the National Snooker Championship held in pune, Maharashtra. Aditya Mehta defeated the world champion Pankaj Advani to win the men’s title of the National Snooker Championship. While representing the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), he defeated Pankaj Advani with a score line of 6-2.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Lending from CRR buffer to get 5-year exemption: RBI: According to Reserve Bank of India, the special lending window with Cash Reserve Ratio exemption will be open from 14th of February this year. The incremental loans disbursed under this facility will have CRR exemption for the next five years. The window will open for six months ending 31st of July this year, but the Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL) will be calculated as of 31st of January.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Pullela Gopichand honoured with lifetime achievement award by IOC: India Chief badminton coach Pullela Gopichand has received an honourable mention in the male category of the 2019 International Olympic Committee's Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the 1st Indian coach to be honoured with this Lifetime award by the Olympics Committee. Gopichand founded the Gopichand Badminton Academy in 2008.Mr. Gopichand had received Government of India’s Arjuna award (1999), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2001), Padma Shri (2005), Dronacharya award (2009) and Padma Bhushan (2014).

Note: International Olympic Committee Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; President: Thomas Bach; Director General(DG): Christophe De Kepper.

DEFENCE

1. India and UK to hold joint military drill ‘Ajeya Warrior’: India and the United Kingdom will conduct their 5th edition of joint military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior-2020’ at Salisbury Plains, the United Kingdom from February 13-26. The exercise comprises of 120 soldiers each from Indian and United Kingdom Army. The aim of this exercise is to conduct company level joint training with emphasis on counter terrorists operation in Urban and Semi Urban areas. The exercise is conducted alternatively in the United Kingdom and India. The exercise is being held from 2005.

Note: 28th Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj MukundNaravane.

OBITUARIES

1. Padma Shri awardee Giriraj Kishore passes away: Hindi novelist and Padma Shri awardee Giriraj Kishore passed away. He was best known for his novel ‘Pehla Girmitiya’ that was based on Mahatma Gandhi’s stay in South Africa. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India and was the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award. He was also conferred the Vyas Samman in 2000, and an honorary PhD by Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University in 2002.

2. Veteran cricket journalist Raju Bharatan passes away: Noted cricket journalist and film historian Raju Bharatan (86-years) passed away following a prolonged illness. Bharatan, who wrote on Indian cricket and Bollywood music, worked for a weekly features magazine, The Illustrated Weekly of India, and an Indian films weekly newspaper, Screen.

Daily GK Updates - 10th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Uttarakhand flags off first Heli Services under UDAN: Under the Regional Connectivity Scheme “Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN)” of Government of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has operationalized the first ever helicopter services in the state of Uttarakhand. The helicopter service has been operationalized by MoCA from Dehradun’s Sahastradhara helipad to Gauchar, and Chinyalisaur. The launch of heli routes in the Uttrakhand region aims to enhance the aerial connectivity of the hilly areas in the country.

Under the UDAN 2 bidding process, Heritage Aviation has been given the responsibility of operating the Sahastradhara-Gauchar-Chinyalisaur route. The Uttrakhand Government is also providing incentives to make the scheme more attractive. The inauguration of the helicopter services is expected to boost tourism sector in the Uttrakhand region. Present operationalised heli routes under the UDAN scheme are between Chandigarh to Shimla, Shimla to Dharamshala & Shimla to Kullu.

Note: Uttarakhand Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat; Governor: Baby Rani Maurya.

2. Hunar Haat inaugurated in Indore, Madhya Pradesh: Governor of Madhya Pradesh Lalji Tandon has inaugurated Hunar Haat in Indore. Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was also present on this occasion. Hunar Haat is being organized till 16th February 2020. Governor stated that India is a country of diversity with every region having different art, culture, language, costumes.

The Hunar Haat has proved to be Mega Mission of economic empowerment of needy master artisans & craftsmen. Hunar Haat is an exhibition of handicrafts and traditional products made by artisans from the Minority communities. The Hunar Haat is organized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

3. Uttar Pradesh Govt to launch internship scheme for school college students: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has announced an internship scheme for the tenth, 12th and graduate students of the state to brighten employment prospects. Addressing a job fair organized by the Department of Labour and Employment Exchange in Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath stated that the state government will bring the internship scheme this year itself. Under the scheme, these students will be linked to various technical institutes and industries. During the internship of a period of six months or a year, each participating youth will be given 2500 rupees as honorarium every month. Out of this, rupees 1500 will be given by the Central Government and 1000 rupees by the State Government.

Note: Uttar Pradesh Governor: Anandiben Patel

4. NCL establishes R&D centre ‘SARAS’ for sustainable coal mining: The Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL) has established a research and development centre, named ‘Science and Applied Research Alliance and Support (SARAS)’. This research and development centre focuses on the sustainable model for development in coal mining. The R&D centre will be the centre of excellence, infrastructure up-gradation and IT initiatives for the subsidiary of the Coal India Ltd.

Note: Chairman and Managing Director of the NCL: PK Sinha.

5. National Deworming Day: 10 February: The National Deworming Day is being observed on 10 February across the country. Children and adolescents in the age group of 1 to 19 years are being administered a single dose of a safe medicine Albendazole in all states and Union Territories on the occasion. The objective of the day is to deworm children and adolescents to reduce the prevalence of parasitic worms in the intestine. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare initiated the observation of the National Deworming Day. The first National Deworming Day in India was observed on 10 February 2015.

6. Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat campaign starts across country today: Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Campaign (18-day) gets underway across the country, organised by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mooted the idea of a cultural connection between different regions. The objectives of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat include celebrating the Unity in Diversity of our nation and promoting the spirit of national integration through engagement between all states and UT.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ADB approves the funding of $2 million to combat Novel Coronavirus: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the funding of USD 2 million to combat the spread of novel coronavirus (nCoV). The funds will support the efforts to stop the outspread of novel coronavirus (nCoV) by supplementing ongoing regional technical assistance and strengthening response capacity in China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The funds will also help in boosting the supply of diagnostic and laboratory equipment for rapid testing to help in fight against the outbreak. The assistance will fund the development of recommendations for improved outbreak investigation and surveillance, including in rural areas, and the strengthening of health systems’ resilience and capacity for epidemic response.

Note: Asian Development Bank Headquarters: Manila, Philippines; President: Masatsugu Asakawa.

2. IIMB ranks 3 in the list of Top Business Schools of 2020: Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) has ranked 3rd in MOOCLab’s Business School Rankings 2020 for its provision, design and delivery of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). IIM Bangalore succeeds HEC Paris (France) and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (USA). The 2020 edition of the rankings has surveyed 16 business schools across the world offering courses on the three leading MOOC platforms: Coursera, edX and FutureLearn. This is the first-ever Business School rankings based on the provision of MOOCs.

3. 5th Dhaka Art Summit inaugurated in Bangladesh: The 5th edition of Dhaka Art Summit (biennial art extravaganza of Bangladesh) was inaugurated by State Minister for Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh K M Khalid. More than 500 artists, sculptors, architects and art professionals from various countries are participating in the Summit. The Summit will also featuring live events, panel discussions and puppet shows among other things.

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

4. World Pulses Day: 10 February: World Pulses Day proclaimed on February 10 of each year since 2019. World Pulses Day is a designated United Nations global event to recognize the importance of pulses (chickpeas, dry beans, lentils, dry peas and lupins among others) as a global food.

World Pulses Day is a recognition of the decisive role that pulses can play in achieving the comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative goals and targets of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a plan of action that seeks to strengthen universal peace.

5. Astronomers discover Ultramassive Galaxy XMM-2599 from early universe: The International team of astronomers led by scientists at the University of California, United States (US) have discovered an Ultramassive monster galaxy dubbed as XMM-2599. This galaxy existed around 12 billion years ago just 1.8 billion years after the formation of the universe. The galaxy XMM-2599 was formed more than 1,000 solar masses a year in stars during the peak of the stars’ activity and was discovered by the astronomers during XMM-2599 inactive phase.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre Red wins Khelo India Ice Hockey tournament: The Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre (LSRC) Red won the first Men’s section Khelo India Ice Hockey tournament 2020, by defeating Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team 3-2 in a nail-biting thriller final match. 13 teams participated in the Khelo India Ice Hockey Championship. Khelo India is an initiative taken by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to aware people about the importance of sports and fitness.

Note: Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: Kiren Rijiju.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Oscars Award 2020 winners: The 2020 Oscars Awards has announced. It’s time to honour the movies of last year (2019) and the people directors, actors, writers, editors, and many more, who created them. The 92nd chapter of Hollywood’s most prestigious annual awards shows, overseen by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences held at Dolby Theatre in Los Angles, United States.

Winners are:

Best Picture- Parasite, Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role- Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Actress in a Leading Role- Renee Zellweger, Judy

Best sound mixing- 1917

Best sound editing- Ford v Ferrari

Best supporting actress- Laura Dern for Marriage Story

Best supporting actor- Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Documentary short feature- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If you’re a Girl)

Documentary feature- American Factory

Best costume design- Jacqueline Durran, Little Women

Best production design- Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Live-action short film- The Neighbors’ Window

Best adapted screenplay- Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

Best original screenplay- Bong Joon-ho, Parasite

Animated short film- Hair Love

Animated feature film- Toy Story 4

Best Music (Original Score) - Joker, Hildur Guonadottir

Best Short Film (Animated) - Hair Love

Best Directing Film- Parasite, Bong Joon Ho

Best Cinematography- 1917, Roger Deakins

Best Writing (Original Screenplay) - Parasite

Best Music (Original Song) - “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman

Visual Effects- 1917

Makeup and Hairstyling- Bombshell

OBITUARIES

1. American Author Roger Kahn passes away: American Author Roger Kahn passed away. He wrote at least 20 books in his lifetime. In 1989 he collaborated with Pete Rose for the Biography of legendary Boxer Jack Dempsey before Jack gets banned from the game. His best-selling book in 1972 “The Boys of Summer”.

2. Renowned thinker, writer P Parameswaran passes away in Kerala: Renowned thinker, writer and the founder-director of Bharatiya Vichara kendram P Parameswaran passed away at Ottapalam in Kerala. He was 91. Kendram P Parameswaran was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2018 and Padma Shri in 2004.