Daily GK Updates - 18th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, World Bank sign $ 450 mn loan agreement to improve groundwater management: The World Bank has signed a USD 450 million loan agreement with India on February 17, 2020 to support the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) – National Groundwater Management Improvement Programme. The loan will support the national programme to arrest the country’s depleting groundwater levels and strengthen groundwater institutions. The Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) will be implemented in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and cover 78 districts.

Note: President of World Bank: David Robert Malpass.

2. Ambala City Bus Stand Renamed after Late Sushma Swaraj: The Haryana Transport Ministry has renamed the newly reconstructed Ambala City bus stand after the late Sushma Swaraj, a former Union Minister. The bus stand will now be called ‘Sushma Swaraj Bus Stand’. It is a mark of tribute to Swaraj, launched on 14 February, the birth anniversary of the leader, who was born in Ambala Cantt. The Ambala City bus stand has been reconstructed at a cost of Rs 18 crore after it was demolished in 2007.

Note: Governor of Haryana: Satyadeo Narayan Arya; Chief Ministera: Manohar Lal Khattar.

3. Centre renames IDSA as ‘Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses’: Central Government has renamed the ‘Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses’ (IDSA) located in New Delhi as ‘Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses’. The decision has been taken to honour late Manohar Parrikar, former defence minister and Padma Bhushan awardee. Manohar Parrikar served as the Defence Minister of India from November 9, 2014 -March 14, 2017.

Note: IDSA was established as a registered society in New Delhi in 1965 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Defence.

4. Difficult Dialogues 2020 began in Goa: The 5th edition of Difficult Dialogues began in Panji, Goa. Difficult Dialogues (DD) is an annual forum examining issues of contemporary relevance in South Asia. Difficult Dialogues 2020 will focus on the “State of Law”. The conference will bring together lawyers, some eminent Chief Justices, civil society, media, academic experts, activists, and people working at the community level [in law, education, health, labour,] with government and non-governmental organisations.

Note: CM of Goa: Pramod Sawant; Governor: Satya Pal Malik

5. ISRO Plans to Launch 10 Earth Observation (EO) Satellites in 2020-21: As per the annual data released by the Department of Space, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has planned to launch an unprecedented 10 earth observation (EO) satellites with space surveillance feature during 2020-21. Apart from this, three communication satellites and two navigation satellites are also scheduled to be launched in the next fiscal. The annual plan includes total 36 missions, comprising of both satellites and their launchers.

The EO scheduled for 2020-21 includes new categories such as the first Geo Imaging Satellite, GISAT-1, new series of high resolution HRSATs as a threesome on a single PSLV launcher, radar imaging satellites RISAT-2BR2, RISAT- 1A and 2A; Oceansat-3 and Resourcesat-3/3S. For the fiscal 2019-20, ISRO had proposed launching six EO satellites, while for 2021-22, the plan is to add eight EO satellites.

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

6. Finance Commission constitutes High Level Expert Group on Agri Exports: The 15th Finance Commission has decided to constitute a High-Level Expert Group on Agriculture Exports. The group will be headed by ITC chairman and managing director Sanjiv Puri. The committee will recommend measurable performance incentives for states to encourage agri exports. The members of the committee include Radha Singh, Paban K. Borthakur, Suresh Narayanan, Jay Shroff, Sanjay Sacheti and Sachin Chaturvedi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be held in Stockholm: The third edition of the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety will be held in Stockholm, Sweden on February 19-20, 2020. The theme of the two-day conference is ‘Achieving Global Goals 2030’. The event is being co-sponsored by the Government of Sweden with support from World Health Organization. Minister-led delegations from more than 80 countries are expected to attend the conference. Indian delegation will be led by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Mr. Nitin Gadkari. Objective: Share successes and lessons from implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020. Chart future strategic directions for global road safety up to 2030 and beyond

Note: Capital of Sweden: Stockholm; Currency of Sweden: Swedish krona.

World Defence Spending Rose by 4% in 2019, Highest in 10 Years: IISS Report: The global Defense spending rose by 4% in 2019 compared to the previous year, as per a new report titled “Military Balance” published by the London-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). As per the international think tank, this global rise is the highest annual increase in 10 years. US and China both increased their spending by 6.6 percent to $684.6 billion and $181.1 billion respectively. In Europe, defence spending stepped up by 4.2 percent.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. NADA bans Haryana’s javelin thrower Amit Dahiya for 4 years: The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has imposed a ban of 4 years on Haryana’s javelin thrower Amit Dahiya. He has been banned for avoiding sample collection and for his attempt of trying to cheat officials during the 2nd National Javelin Throw Open Championship 2019 held at SAI Centre in Sonipat. The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) of the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) took the landmark decision of banning the player for 4 years.

2. Asian Wrestling Championship begins in New Delhi: Asian Wrestling Championship 2020 starts in New Delhi. It will be held at the KD Jadhav Hall of Indira Gandhi Stadium till 23rd Feb. The event will have a total of 30 weight classes, 10 each in Freestyle Men, Women, and Greco Roman. The Championship will begin with Greco-Roman events, followed by women wrestling and men's freestyle. On day 1 of the tournament, 55, 63, 77, 87 and 130 kg wrestlers will take to the mat to prove their mettle.

3. “United by Emotion” Chosen as Motto of Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games: The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic Games revealed the official motto, "United by Emotion" for the 2020 Olympics. The Motto emphasises the power of sport to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to connect and celebrate in a way that reaches beyond their differences. The Games motto will be displayed - in English only.  About 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries will participate in Tokyo Olympics which will run from July 24 to August 9.

Note: International Olympic Committee Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; International Olympic Committee President: Thomas Bach.

4. Koneru Humpy wins 2020 Cairns Cup Chess Tournament: World rapid champion Koneru Humpy claimed the first place in the 2nd edition of Cairns Cup Chess Tournament to takes home $45,000. The tournament was held at the Saint Louis Chess Club in USA from 7-16 February 2020. Koneru won the championship following a draw against fellow grandmaster Dronavalli Harika in the ninth and final round, to finish the tournament with 6 points. Reigning world champion Ju Wenjun finished at the second spot with 5.5 points while Russia’s Alexandra Kosteniuk came third with 5 points followed by Ukranian Mariya Muzychek with 5 points and India’s Harika Dronavalli secured 5th with 4.5 points.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Election Commission gets Silver award for Excellence in Government Process: The Election Commission of India has been awarded ‘Silver’ for Excellence in Government Process re-engineering for digital transformation for the year 2019-20. The award seeks to recognize the projects that involved analysis and re-design of the workflow.  The award was presented during the 23rd National Conference on e-Governance by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

2. 20th Laureus Awards 2020 announced in Berlin: The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founding patrons Daimler and Richemont. This is the 20th anniversary of the prestigious Laureus Award which celebrates the best in the world of sport. The event was held in Berlin, Germany.

Below is the complete list of winners of Laureus World Sports Awards:

Sr. No.	Award	Name Winner
1	Laureus World Sportsman of the Year:	Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi
2	Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year	Simone Biles
3	Laureus World Team of the Year	South Africa Men’s Rugby Team
4	Laureus Best Sporting Moment	Carried on the shoulders of a nation’ – Sachin Tendulkar
5	Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year	Egan Bernal
6	Laureus World Comeback of the Year	Sophia Flörsch
7	Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability	Oksana Masters
8	Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year:	Chloe Kim
9	Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award:	Dirk Nowitzki
10	Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award	Spanish Basketball Federation
11	Laureus Sport for Good Award	South Bronx United

DEFENCE

1. India to have 1st “Integrated Tri-services Command” by year 2020: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has targeted to establish the 1st integrated tri-service command called “Air Defence Command (ADC)” by June 2020, headed by a 3 star officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to be responsible for handing the air defence of the entire country.

(1) The ADC formation, by combining the resources of the three services under one command under the mandate given to the Department of Military Affairs, will help to protect the air space of the country. (2) The ADC will unify the air defence and assets of the Army, Air Force and Navy and jointly provide air defence cover to the nation. (3) General Rawat is also working on the creation of a Joint Peninsula Command and a Logistics Command in addition to the theater command.

OBITUARIES

1. Politician and Bengali actor Tapas Pal passes away: Former Politician and Bengali actor, Tapas Pal has passed away at the age of 61 years at a private hospital in Mumbai. He was former Trinamool Congress MP. He started his acting career with the film ‘Dadar Kirti’ in 1980. He was awarded the Filmfare Award for his role in a movie ‘Saheb’ (1981). He made his Bollywood debut in ‘Abodh’ in 1984.

Daily GK Updates - 17th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. BioAsia Summit 2020 begins in Hyderabad: The 17th edition of BioAsia, Asia’s largest Biotechnology and Life Sciences Forum began in Telangana, Hyderabad on 17 February 2020. It will conclude on 19 February 2020. The theme of the three-day 2020 BioAsia is ‘Today for Tomorrow’. Switzerland is the country partner at BioAsia 2020. About 2,000 delegates from 37 countries will be attending the annual flagship event of Government of Telangana. BioAsia provides a platform to bring together the global industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, innovators, and investors together on one stage and discuss the new opportunities and developing strategies to succeed.

2. 'Pyaar ka Paudha' campaign launched by Bihar govt: 'Pyaar ka Paudha' (a plant of love) campaign has been launched by the Bihar government's Department of Environment and Forest in Patna. Department of Environment, humbly request you to gift one plant of love to your closed ones and provide good care. This campaign is a small effort will be a big step towards making the Bihar land green.

Note: Governor of Bihar: Phagu Chauhan, Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar.

3. GOI sanctioned 9 Medical colleges and 2 AIIMS for Jammu & Kashmir: Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh performed Bhoomipooja ceremony of AIIMS building. Jammu and Kashmir allocated two AIIMS – one in Jammu and another in Kashmir. The nine medical colleges had been sanctioned in Jammu and Kashmir in addition to the two AIIMS. The new work culture of the government of working beyond vote bank politics has greatly benefitted the people

4. Vinay Dube appointed as GoAir CEO: GoAir has appointed Vinay Dube as the airline's Chief Executive Officer. Earlier, Dube was serving as an advisor to the carrier, a role which he took up after quitting the defunct Jet Airways in May 2019. Dube would be responsible for the management of the airline and also for meeting the goals and long-term growth objectives of the company. The budget airline did not have a CEO since the departure of Cornelis Vrieswijk in March last year.

Note: GoAir Managing Director: Jeh Wadia; GoAir Headquarters: Mumbai.

5. 4th National Conference on PMFBY inaugurated in Udaipur: Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare inaugurated the 4th National Conference on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in Udaipur, Rajasthan on 17 February. The conference was held on 17-18 February. The conference was aimed to create awareness at the grassroots about the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Discussions were held to ensure effective consultation amongst all the stakeholders, namely the State Governments, the Banking sector, and the Insurance sector, for the smooth implementation of the scheme that benefits farmers. Around 140 members representing different states, banks, insurance companies, RBI, NABARD have participated in it. The Ministry of Agriculture had previously organised first three editions Conference in Lucknow, Bangalore, and Guwahati.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 13th COP of UN’s Conservation of Migratory Species organised in Gandhinagar: The Thirteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13), has been organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 15 to 22 February 2020. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the conference through Video Conferencing. Also referred to as the Bonn Convention, the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme. The theme of the Conference is “Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home.”The CMS COP 13 logo is inspired by ‘Kolam’, a traditional artform from southern India. The mascot for CMS COP13 is “Gibi – The Great Indian Bustard” which is a critically endangered species. Representatives from 130 countries, eminent conservationists and international NGOs working in the field of wildlife conservation are attending the Conference of Parties. India is signatory to the Convention on Conservation of Migratory wild Animals since 1983, which provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitat.

Note: As a host country, India has been designated as the President of Conference of Parties (COP 13) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals for three years with effect from 17 February 2020.India succeeds Philippines which was COP 12 President from 2017.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Haryana govt announces Rs six crore to those winning gold medals at Olympic: Haryana government has decided to give 6 crore rupees to players of the state that bag gold medals at the Olympic Games. 3 crore rupees will be given to those winning gold medals at Asian Games and 1.5 crore rupees to the winners of yellow metal at Commonwealth Games. An amount of 15 lakh rupees will be given to each player participating in the Olympic Games so that the players can make the state, as well as the country, proud.

2. India clinches 3 medals in 2020 World SnowShoe Championship: Three Indian athletes from Kashmir, have won medals in their respective categories at the 2020 World SnowShoe Championship held at Myoko, Japan from 15 to 16 February 2020.Participants from 17 countries of different continents participated in the championship. It is first time ever in the history of SnowShoe sport that Indian athletes bagged medals in the World Championship. Indian contingent included nine members, of which three athletes bagged one silver and two bronze medals. These came from:

Silver Medal: Ayan Bin Shahnaz (Junior Category- 5 km run)

Bronze Medal: Zain Ali (Junior Category- 5 km run)

Bronze Medal: Muzamil Hussain Mir (20-29 age group category -9 km run)

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Moody’s Slashes India’s 2020 GDP growth forecast to 5.4%: Moody’s Investors Service has revised India’s growth forecast for 2020 to 5.4 percent from 6.6 percent projected earlier in its latest Global Macro Outlook, released on 17 February 2020. The agency expects a shallower recovery in Asia’s third-largest economy, considering that global growth will likely take a hit following the virus outbreak in China. Also, Mody has revised its growth forecasts to 5.8% for 2021, down from previous projections of 6.7%. Moody’s also estimates that G20 economies will grow at a rate of 2.4 % in 2020.

Note: Moody’s founded: 1909; Moody’s founder: John Moody; Moody’s headquarters: New York, United States; Moody’s CEO: Raymond W. McDaniel Jr.

OBITUARIES

1. Parikrama lead guitarist Sonam Sherpa passes away: Lead guitarist of the Indian rock band Parikrama Sonam Sherpa (48-years) passed away. Sherpa was one of the founding members of Parikrama and was credited with memorable musical pieces such as “I Beleive” and “But it Rained”.

Daily GK Updates - 16th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Arvind Kejriwal sworn in as Chief Minister of Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal was sworn in as Delhi chief minister for the third time in New Delhi. Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal administers the oath of office to Arvind Kejriwal at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. Mr. Kejriwal had earlier taken the oath of Chief Minister in 2013 and 2015 in the Ramlila Maidan. Kejriwal's AAP won 62 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won eight seats.

2. Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath temple committee launches its web portal: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched the web portal of Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath temple committee. The web portal has been developed by Uttarakhand state National Informatics Centre.

Note: Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath temple Committee Chairman: Mohan Prasad Thapliyal; Vice-President of Committee: Ashok Khatri; Chief Executive Officer of Committee: BD Singh.

3. PM Modi Inaugurates ‘Kashi Ek Roop Anek’ Event at Varanasi: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited his Lok Sabha Constituency Varanasi on 16 February 2020 to attend various events and inaugurate several programmes.

These include: (1) Inaugurated a cultural arts and handicrafts exhibition named ‘Kashi Ek Roop Anek’ organized at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Trade Facilitation Center, at Varanasi. (2) Unveiled the 63 feet Statue of Deendayal Upadhyay (largest statue of the leader in the country) and dedicated to the nation the Deendayal Upadhyay Memorial in Varanasi. (3) Flagged off the third corporate train ‘Kashi Mahakal Express’ which links 3 Jyotirling Pilgrim Centres – Varanasi, Ujjain and Omkareshwar. (4) Inaugurated 36 developmental projects including a 430 Bed Super-Speciality Government Hospital and laid foundation stone for 14 developmental projects, worth over Rs 1254 crore.

4. Manipur: Seed sowing festival 'Lui-Ngai-Ni' celebrated at Ukhrul: The Naga tribes of Manipur celebrated it's seed sowing festival 'Lui-Ngai-Ni', under the theme "Oneness through Culture”. Manipur's Minister of Tribal Development N. Kayisii graced the festival as inaugural Chief Guest. The festival showcases the rich cultural heritage and strengthens the bond of unity among different communities residing in the state.

5. All India Conference of Central Administrative Tribunal 2020 held in New Delhi: The annual All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was held in New Delhi, on 16 February 2020. The Conference was presided over by Union Minister for Law and Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad. The Judicial and Administrative Members from all 17 Benches of CAT from across the country, members of the CAT Bar Association and eminent Jurists attended the conference. It is a platform to discuss issues related to the work of CAT, including structural and institutional issues, the functioning of administrative tribunals in other legal systems and methodology for the functioning of the tribunal among others.

6. CM Pinarayi Vijayan launches ‘Yodhavu’ mobile app to combat drug menace: ‘Yodhavu’ (Warrior) was launched by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. ‘Yodhavu is a mobile app through which the public can inform police about drug abuse and its distribution. It is a part of efforts to curb the growing menace in the State.

7. South Central Railways zone becomes 1st in India to have energy-neutral stations: The Indian Railways South Central Railways (SCR) zone has become the 1st zonal railway in the country to have functional “energy neutral” railway stations on the network. The South Central Railways has converted a total of 13 railway stations into “energy neutral” stations, which is the highest amongst all the zones across the Indian Railways network.

Note: Union Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 43rd IFAD Governing Council Meet held in Rome: The 43rd session of the annual Governing Council meeting of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was held on 11-12 February 2020. The two-day event was held at Rome, Italy. It was focused on the overarching theme “Investing in sustainable food systems to end hunger by 2030″. The theme highlights how IFAD’s role and experience in supporting sustainable, inclusive, nutritious and efficient food systems uniquely place it in a position to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG2).

Note: IFAD Establishment: 1977; IFAD President: Gilbert F. Houngbo; IFAD Headquarters: Rome, Italy.

2. Indian-origin UK Minister Alok Sharma to lead UN Climate Summit COP26: Indian-origin UK Minister Alok Sharma has been appointed as the new President of the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from 9 to 19 November 2020 under the presidency of the UK government. Agra-born Sharma (52) is the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Cabinet reshuffle.

Note: Prime Minister of United Kingdom: Boris Johnson; United Kingdom Capital: London; United Kingdom Currency: UK Pound.

3. World Pangolin Day 2020: 15 February: World Pangolin Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of February every year. In 2020, the world is celebrating the 9th edition of the annual World Pangolin Day. It was celebrated on 15 February 2020. The day aims to raise awareness about these unique mammals and speed up conservation efforts. Pangolin numbers are rapidly declining in Asia and Africa.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Joshna Chinappa and Saurav Ghosal Wins 77th Senior National squash Championship: India’s top seed squash ace Joshna Chinappa has clinched 77th Senior National Championship in woman’s category by defeating Tanvi Khanna, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 at the ISA courts in Chennai. With this win, Chinappa claimed the 18th title of her career. Apart from this, Saurav Ghosal won in Men’s single category to bag his 13th career titles. Ghosal defeated second seed Abhishek Pradhan 11-6, 11-5, 11-6.

2. India Settles for Bronze in 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships: The 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships was held in Manila, Philippines from 11 to 16 February 2020. The tournament serves as the Asian qualifiers for the 2020 Thomas & Uber Cup in Denmark. Indonesia beat Malaysia in the finals to win the Men’s Team gold medal. The Indian Men’s team settled for bronze at the Championships after losing to two-time defending champions Indonesia 2-3 in semi-finals. This is the second time that India won bronze medal in the championship. Last time India won the bronze in 2016 at Hyderabad. Meanwhile, in Women’s Team, Japan beat South Korea to win gold medal.

3. Indian Hockey Captain Manpreet Singh Named Player of the Year 2019 by FIH: The Indian Men’s Hockey team captain Manpreet Singh has been named as the Men’s Player of the Year for 2019 by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). With this, Manpreet has become the first Indian to win the accolade since the awards were introduced in 1999. Apart from this, the FIH Women’s Player of the Year 2019 has been awarded to Netherlands women’s captain Eva de Goede.

Complete List of FIH Award 2019:

2019 FIH Women’s Player of the Year: Eva de Goede

2019 FIH Men’s Player of the Year: Manpreet Singh

2019 FIH Men’s Coach of the Year: Colin Batch (Australia)

2019 FIH Women’s Coach of the Year: Alyson Annan (Netherlands)

2019 FIH Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Rachael Lynch (Australia)

2019 FIH Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Vincent Vanasch (Belgium)

2019 FIH Men’s Rising Star of the Year: Vivek Prasad (India)

2019 FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year: Lalremsiami (India)

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SEBI Constitutes Municipal Bonds Development Committee: Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted a municipal bonds development committee. The committee will be headed by the Executive Director of SEBI, Mr Sujit Prasad and comprise of representatives from municipal corporations, lawyers, professionals and market practitioners.

Role and Responsibility: To advise SEBI on issues related to regulation and development of primary and secondary market of municipal debt securities. To advise SEBI on matters required to be taken up for changes in legal framework to introduce simplification and transparency in systems and procedures in the primary and secondary market. To advise SEBI on matters relating to regulation of intermediaries for ensuring investor protection in the primary and secondary market. To recommend SEBI on measures to facilitate issuers (i.e. municipalities) for issuance of municipal debt securities

Note: SEBI Headquarter: Mumbai, Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. D-Mart’s owner Radhakishan Damani becomes second richest man in India: As per the Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires’ Index, Avenue Supermarts founder Radhakishan Damani (doing business as D-Mart) has become the second richest Indian after Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries ltd chairman). Damanien-masses a total wealth of USD 17.9 billion and is just behind RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani who is not only India’s but Asia’s richest man having a total net worth of $57.9 billion.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 65th Amazon Filmfare Awards 2020 Announced:  The 65th Amazon Filmfare Awards 2020 hosted in Awesome Assam on 15th February 2020. It was the first time in six decades that a Filmfare Award ceremony was held outside Mumbai. The event was hosted by Karan Johar (film director), Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal and Varun Dhawan. Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy’ won Best Actor and Actress trophy.

Complete winners list of 65th Filmfare Awards is as follows:

1. Best Film- ‘Gully Boy’

2. Best Director Zoya Akhtar for ‘Gully Boy’

3. Best Film (Critics)- ‘Article 15’ (Anubhav Sinha) and ‘Sonchiriya’ (Abhishek Chaubey)

4. Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male)-Ranveer Singh for ‘Gully Boy’

5. Best Actor (Critics)-Ayushmann Khurrana for ‘Article 15’

6. Best Actor In A Leading Role (Female) - Alia Bhatt for ‘Gully Boy’

7. Best Actress (Critics): Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu for ‘Saand Ki Aankh’

8. Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Female)-Amruta Subhash for ‘Gully Boy’

9. Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male)-Siddhant Chaturvedi for ‘Gully Boy’

10. Best Music Album- ‘Gully Boy’: Zoya Akhtar-AnkurTewari and ‘Kabir Singh’: Mithoon, Amaal Mallik, Vishal Mishra, Sachet–Parampara and Akhil Sachdeva

11. Best Lyrics- Divine and Ankur Tewari for “Apna Time Aayega” (Gully Boy)

12. Best Playback Singer (Male)-Arijit Singh for “Kalank Nahi Ishq Hai Kajal Piya” (Kalank)

13. Best Playback Singer (Female)-Shilpa Rao for Ke Ghungroo Toot Gaye (War)

14. Best Debut Director- Aditya Dhar for ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’

15. Best Debut Actor- Abhimanyu Dassani for ‘MardKo Dard NahiHota’

16. Best Debut Actress- Ananya Pandey for ‘Student Of The Year 2’ and ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’

17. Best Original Story- ‘Article 15’ (Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki)

18. Best Screenplay- ‘Gully Boy’ (Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar)

19. Best Dialogue- ‘Gully Boy’ (Vijay Maurya)

20. Lifetime Achievement Award- Ramesh Sippy

21. Excellence in Cinema- Govinda

22. RD Burman Award for Upcoming Music Talent- Sashwat Sachdev for URI

Daily GK Updates - 15th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ghaziabad police launches ‘Operation Nakail’ for auto-rickshaw drivers: The Ghaziabad police authorities have announced to launch an initiative named ‘Operation Nakail’ under which the identity of all auto-rickshaw drivers plying in the district will be verified and a unique four-digit number will be allotted to them. The drivers will be required to get the unique number painted on front, left, right and rear side of the auto-rickshaws. Apart from the unique number, the drivers will also be required to get their names and mobile number of the auto-rickshaw owner painted on the vehicles. This initiative aims to keep check on cases of loot or harassment in auto-rickshaws.

Note: Governor of Uttar Pradesh:  Anandiben Patel; Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath; Capital of Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow.

2. Maharashtra govt announces five-day working week for its employees: The Maharashtra government has announced a five-day working week for its officers and employees. The Maharashtra state cabinet also extended the current work hours by 45 minutes. The new routine would start from 29th February this year. Currently, Maharashtra government officials work on the first and third Saturdays of the month and get an off on the second and fourth Saturdays.

3. Debasish Panda appointed finance secretary: Senior IAS officer Debasish Panda (1987-batch - Uttar Pradesh cadre) has been appointed as the new finance secretary. Currently, Mr Panda is a special secretary, department of financial services. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as secretary, department of financial services, in place of Rajiv Kumar, who superannuates this month-end.

4. ISRO G Narayanan to head space PSU NSIL: Veteran space scientist G Narayanan has been named the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation’s newly formed commercial entity New Space India Ltd (NSIL). He was earlier working as deputy director (systems reliability and quality assurance) at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), a Thiruvananthapuram-based unit of ISRO that designs, develops liquid propulsion stages for launch vehicles.

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

5. National Women’s Day: 13th February: India celebrates Sarojini Naidu's birthday as National Women's Day of India every year on February 13. This year Nation celebrates its 141st Birth Anniversary. Sarojini Naidu was India's first women governor and also famous as ‘Nightingale of India’ or 'Bharat Kokila' because of her poems. Sarojini Naidu was born on February 13, 1879. She actively participated in the Indian National Movement for the independence of the country.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mobile World Congress cancelled over coronavirus fears: The annual telecoms industry gathering .The Mobile World Congress’ at Barcelona cancelled. The decision comes after dozens of tech companies and wireless carriers dropped out, with the latest cancellations by Nokia, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Britain’s BT. The event was hosted by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) telecoms association. More than 100,000 people usually attend the annual event, about 6,000 of whom travel from China.

Note: GSMA chief executive: John Hoffman; Headquarters of GSMA: London, UK.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Kiren Rijiju announces Ladakh and J&K will host Khelo India Winter Games 2020: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has announced Khelo India winter games 2020 which will be held in the Union Territory of Ladakh later this month followed by a similar event in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in March. The Khelo India Ladakh Winter Games will feature an open ice hockey championship, figure skating and speed skating and the competition will be conducted at the block, district and UT levels with the expected participation of about 1700 athletes.

The competitions of the Khelo India J&K Winter Games will be held at Kongdori, Gulmarg in four age categories for both boys and girls. Athletes in the age categories of 19-21 years, 17-18 years, 15-16 years and 13-14 years can compete in alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. GIC Re gets license from Bank of Russia for reinsurance business: India’s reinsurance company, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) has received the license from Bank of Russia to commence reinsurance business in Russia. GIC Re has obtained license from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia) for its subsidiary company “GIC Perestrakhovanie LLC”, Moscow for the commencement of reinsurance business. The license enables the subsidiary to commence transacting domestic and international reinsurance business in Russia based on the capital invested by the Corporation.

Note: Chairman and MD of General Insurance Corporation of India: Devesh Srivastava; Headquarters of General Insurance Corporation of India: Mumbai.

President of Russia: Vladimir Putin; Capital: Moscow

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Indian Feminist Scholar Gita Sen Wins prestigious Dan David Prize: India’s pioneering feminist scholar and activist Gita Sen, has won the prestigious Dan David Prize 2020 in present category. She has worked hard in the fields of women’s rights, reproductive and sexual health and poverty eradication. Sen is the director of the Ramalingaswami Centre on Equity and Social Determinants of Health at the Public Health Foundation of India.

Note: The award is given by the Dan David Foundation headquartered at Tel Aviv University, Israel, annually in three categories, which is past, present and future. Each category carries $1 million prizes. The award recognizes individuals or organisations, for their outstanding contributions in the fields of science, technology, culture or social welfare, for expanding the knowledge of the past, enrich society in the present, and promise to improve the future of our world.

2. BioAsia 2020 announces Genome Valley Excellence Award: BioAsia 2020 has announced the Genome Valley Excellence Award. American immunologist and oncologist Dr. Carl H June and Novartis CEO Dr. Vasant Narsimhan will be presented this award for their contributions to life sciences. The function will be organized by the Telangana government annual global biotechnology & life sciences forum.

Note: Chief Minister (CM): Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao; Governor of Telangana: Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan; Capital of Telangana: Hyderabad.

OBITUARIES

1. Indian environmentalist and former Chief of TERI, Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, passed away: Indian environmentalist Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, who was the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of UN, has passed away. He was 79. Pachauri was the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from 2002 to 2015. IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2017. He was also the former Chairman and Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). He also received Padma Vibhushan in 2008 & Padma Bhushan in 2001 from the Government of India.

2. Baseball legend Katsuya Nomura passes away: Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame catcher and renowned manager Katsuya Nomura (84-years) passed away due to heart failure. Nomura was one of NPB’s greatest slugging catchers, amassing 657 home runs, 1,988 RBIs and 2,901 hits in 3,017 games over 26 seasons spent mostly with the Hawks. In 1965, he became the first NPB batter to win the Triple Crown in the postwar era.

Daily GK Updates - 14th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government renames two prominent institutes after Sushma Swaraj: The Government of India has renamed two institutions after Sushma Swaraj in an honour of the late External Affairs Minister. The two institutions are: the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra and the Foreign Service Institute.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra has been renamed as Sushma Swaraj Bhavan as the late External Affairs Minister was known for her empathy in reaching out to distressed Indians worldwide. The Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra is a cultural centre which reflects India’s connection with its diaspora around the world.

The Foreign Service Institute has been renamed as Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service. The Foreign Service Institute is an institution where the training of the diplomats takes place.

Note: Late External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was the youngest Cabinet Minister in the Haryana government, served as the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi and was also the first woman spokesperson for a national political party in the country. She had also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha between 2009-14.

2. India bans e-cigarettes in both domestic and international flights: The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India, has issued a circular that Electronic-Cigarettes and all forms of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System(ENDS) will not be allowed in both domestic and international flights as well as at airports. Under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act which is passed in December 2019.

 The order issued with the approval of DG (director-general) BCAS, Rakesh Asthana, is valid from the date of issuance. The circular also announced that the offenders will be sentenced into prison up to one year and also a fine of Rs. 1 lakh. In the case of repeat offenders, the jail term is increased to 3 years with Rs. 5 lakhs fine.

Note: Bureau of Civil Aviation Security headquarters: New Delhi; Bureau of Civil Aviation Security founded: 1976.

3. New Delhi to host “National Organic Food Festival”: The National Organic Food Festival is going to be held for women entrepreneurs in New Delhi. The festival will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). The festival will be held with the theme of “Unleashing India’s Organic Market Potential”. The National Organic Food Festival will strengthen the branding of Indian organic sector by increasing processing potential and making India export competitive. The festival aims to boost the organic products and to promote the women entrepreneurship in the area of production and processing. It will also focus on encouraging Indian women entrepreneurs and farmers to link with the buyers and empower them along with the promotion of organic food produce in India.

Note: Union Minister for Food Processing Industries: Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

4. 15th Finance Commission constitutes panel on Defence & Internal security: The Fifteenth Finance Commission has formed a 5-members panel on defence & internal security. The constituted panel aims to study whether a separate mechanism should be organised for the funding of defence and internal security and if yes, then how this mechanism could be operationalised. The panel will be headed by the Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission N K Singh, expenditure secretary T V Somanathan, defence secretary Ajay Kumar, finance commission Member AN Jha and home affairs secretary Ajay Bhalla as its members.

5. Rajiv Bansal appointed as Air India CMD: Senior IAS officer (Nagaland cadre) Rajiv Bansal has been appointed as the Chairman and managing director (CMD) of Air India. Rajiv Bansal will take over from Ashwani Lohan. Rajiv Bansal is currently the additional secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He is the 1988-batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre. Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, owned by Air India Limited and operates a fleet of Airbus & Boeing aircraft serving 90 domestic and international destinations.

Other Appointments:

Rajiv Ranjan has been made Secretary of Fisheries in place of Rajni Sekhri Sibal, who is retiring this month.

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, has been named Secretary, Consumer Affairs.

Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Usha Sharma has been moved to the Department of Youth Affairs as Secretary.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Rishi Sunak appointed as UK’s new Finance Minister: Rishi Sunak has been appointed as the Finance Minister of the United Kingdom. He will replace Pakistani Chancellor Sajid Javid. Now three Indian origin Members of Parliament are a part of Britain’s most diverse cabinet led by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Along with Rishi Sunak, Priti Patel has been appointed as the Home Minister and Alok Sharma has been appointed as the Business Secretary in the British Cabinet. Rishi Sunak is the Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's son-in-law

Note: Capital of the United Kingdom: London; The currency of the United Kingdom: UK Pound.

2. Scientists discovered the nearest known planet “2MASS 1155-7919 b”: The scientists from Rochester Institute of Technology has discovered the nearest-known ‘baby giant planet’ which is named as “2MASS 1155-7919 b”. The scientists has used the data from Gaia space observatory to find the baby giant planet. The newly discovered baby giant planet which is named as “2MASS 1155-7919 b” lies about 330 light-years from our solar system. The planet is closer to Earth and is located in the Epsilon Chamaeleontis Association. This planet orbits a star that is about 5 million years old. The planet has only ten times the mass of Jupiter.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh named Player of the Year 2019 by FHI: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has awarded Indian men’s hockey team captain & midfielder Manpreet Singh with “Player of the Year for 2019” award. Manpreet became the first Indian to win the accolade since the awards were introduced in 1999. He beat competition from Belgium's Arthur van Dorren and Lucas Villa of Argentina, who came second and third.

Note: Chief executive Officer of International Hockey Federation (FIH): Thierry Weil; President of Hockey India: Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad

2. Amit Panghal is World No.1 in IOC's Boxing Task Force rankings for Olympic: World silver-medallist Amit Panghal has been ranked number one in the 52 kilogram category for Olympic Qualifiers. The list was released by the International Olympic Committee's Boxing Task Force ahead of next month's Olympic Qualifiers. Last year, he became the first Indian to claim a silver medal at the world championships after notching up a gold at the Asian meet.

3. Robin Singh appointed as UAE’s director of cricket: Former Indian Cricket all-rounder Robin Singh was appointed as director of cricket of the United Arab Emirates. He was appointed by Emirates Cricket Board after the dismissal of head coach Douglas Robert Brown. Robin Singh represented India for 1 test and 136 ODIs (One Day International) between 1989 & 2001. He was associated with the Indian Premier League's Mumbai Indians franchise, Caribbean Premier League's Barbados Tridents since 2013 and T10 franchises in the T10 league here.

Note: President of UAE: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Capital of UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency of UAE: UAE dirham.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IndusInd Bank tops list of ‘Highest increase in brand value’: According to ‘The Banker’s Top 500 Banking Brands 2020’ report, IndusInd Bank has topped the list of ‘Highest increase in brand value’ among global banks. The brand value of Induslnd Bank has increased by 122% over the past 12 months, making it the highest placed for growth in brand value, across the globe.

As a part of the report, the list “Top 50 by Total Brand Value by Country” has been topped by China, followed by United States (US) at 2nd position while Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) ranked at 3rd and 4th spots. Japan has moved up to the fifth spot. India ranked 8th in this list in comparison to 10th place in 2019.

Note: Managing Director & CEO of IndusInd Bank: Romesh Sobti; Headquarter of IndusInd Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. EIU lowers global growth forecast for 2020 to 2.2%: The Economist Intelligence Unit has revised downwards its global growth forecast for 2020 to 2.2%. (Earlier, 2.3%). It has lowered the forecast due to the new risks that have emerged following the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. The Economist Intelligence Unit's baseline scenario is that the public health emergency in China will be brought under control by end-March.

Note: Economist Intelligence Unit Managing Director (MD): Robin Bew; Economist Intelligence Unit headquarters: London, England; Economist Intelligence Unit founded: 1946.

OBITUARIES

1. Padma Shri awardee Wendell Rodricks passes away: Famous Indian fashion designer Wendell Rodricks passed away. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2014 and also Chevalier de L’ordre des Arts et Lettres (Knight of the order of arts and letters) by the French Ministry of Culture in 2015. He wrote books namely: The Greenroom, Poskem: Goans in the shadows, Moda Goa- History & Style.