Daily GK Updates - 9th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates Conference on Empowering Women Entrepreneurs 2020 in New Delhi: The Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated the inaugural session of ‘Conference on Empowering Women Entrepreneurs’ in New Delhi. The three-day conference was organised by Ministry of MSME in collaboration with various industry associations like FICCI-flo, CII and India SME Forum. The conference stressed on the portal ‘MSME SAMBANDH’ and a portal ‘Udyam Sakhi’. ‘MSME SAMBANDH’ gives all the relevant information about procurements made by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) from MSMEs. ‘Udyam Sakhi’ is meant for female entrepreneurs to provide them right information about self-employment.

2. MSDE launches Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme in Bengaluru: The Union Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey has launched the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme in the Indian Institute of Management in Bengaluru. The Fellowship is launched as part of the SANKALP programme of the ministry to provide skilled manpower for District Skill Committees to prepare the District Skill Development plan. Now, IIMB will train 75 graduates for two years in preparing the District skill plan considering the skill gaps.

3. India Pharma & India Medical Device 2020 Conference held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat: The fifth edition of the India Pharma 2020 & India Medical Device 2020 Conference & Exhibition is being held at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat. The three day conference was inaugurated by the Chemicals & Fertilizers Minister Shri Sadananda Gowda. The conference has been organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The Theme of the event is “India Pharma: Meeting Challenges of Affordable and Quality Healthcare and India Medical Device: Promoting Affordable responsible and Quality Medical Device for Universal Health Care”. The event is being organised for the first time in the State of Gujarat, which is also the partner state for this event.

4. Agartala and Ghojadanga approved as authorised land immigration check posts: Government of India (GOI) has approved Tripura capital Agartala and West Bengal’s Ghojadanga as authorised land immigration check posts to enter or exit India. Agartala and Ghojadanga are located along the Indo-Bangladesh border. The senior immigration officers, under the Bureau of Immigration, have been appointed for the Check posts with effect from March 2, 2020. The Central Government issued notification and approved check posts according to sub-rule (b) of rule 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, to Tripura and Ghojadanga land check post, located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

5. Odisha Government to Launch Separate dept for SHGs “Mission Shakti” dedicated to women: The government of Odisha under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced that the state will launch an exclusive department for Self Help Group (SHGs) called “Mission Shakti” which will be dedicated to all women of the state. This will make Odisha, first state of the country to have a separate department dedicated to SHGs.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA names its Mars 2020 rover as ‘Perseverance’: The American space agency NASA has come up with a new name for the rover that it will send to the Mars (Red Planet) in July 2020 under the Mars rover mission. Till date, the project was known by its code name – Mars 2020. However, from now on, it will be referred to as the ‘Perseverance’ rover. The name has been selected out of a schools competition that drew 28,000 entries. The name was suggested by Alexander Mather, 7th standard student and was announced by Nasa’s director of science, Thomas Zurbuchen at an event in Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia. The Perseverance rover will be the 5th exploratory vehicle after Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity.

Note: Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States; Administrator of NASA: Jim Bridenstine.

2. Singapore’s Daren Tang elected as WIPO’s Director General: The Coordination Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has nominated Mr. Daren Tang from Singapore for the post of Director General. He will succeed Australia’s Francis Gurry who will step down on September 30, 2020 after 12 years of being in this position. The WIPO General Assembly will meet in an extraordinary session on May 7-8, 2020, to confirm the Coordination Committee’s nomination.

Note: WIPO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

3. India ranks 83rd in Freedom in the world 2020 report; Finland tops: India has been ranked among one of the least free democracies, as per the annual Freedom in the World 2020 report, published by Freedom House, a US-based watchdog, which has been tracking global political and civil liberties for almost past half a century. India is placed at 83rd position along with Timor-Leste and Senegal in bottom five of “free democracies”. 85 nations were surveyed in the current report in the ‘free countries’ category. The overall score of India declined from 75 in 2019 to 71 in 2020. India has the worst score decline among the world’s 25 largest democracies in the current report. Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are the top five countries in the free category.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. First ever Khelo India Winter Games begin at Gulmarg in Kashmir: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiuju inaugurated the five-day Khelo India Winter games at famous tourist destination Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. During the event, the competitions in the sports disciplines like snow skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ski mountaineering and snow baseball would be held. The GoI will establish a Sports Training Academy at Gulmarg at the level of International Standards for the promotion of sports tourism.

2. Indian runner Prachi provisionally suspended: Indian runner Prachi (400m) has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the presence of a steroid Oxandrolone, the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA). As per the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and NADA list, Oxandrolone is a prohibited substance, which is a non-specified substance-Anabolic Androgenic Steroid. She waved off her right for B sample analysis and hence her case has been forwarded to the Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel for adjudication. The provisional suspension starts to apply from February 20, 2020.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI Life Insurance Company re-appoints Sanjeev Nautiyal as MD & CEO: The Board of Directors of SBI Life Insurance Company re-appointed Sanjeev Nautiyal as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer of the company(CEO) with effect from March 10, 2020  replacing Arijit Basu. This approval is given by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and members of the Company. He served as a Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SBI Life since March 10, 2018.

Note: SBI Life Insurance Company Headquarters: Mumbai.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Moody’s cuts G-20 growth outlook to 2.1%: According to Moody’s Investors Service, G-20 countries are expected to grow by 2.1 per cent in 2020. The global credit rating agency is expecting these shocks to materially slow economic activity, particularly in the first half of this year (2020). The G-20 grouping includes advanced economies such as the US, Euro area, Japan, Germany and the UK, and emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, Russia and Mexico.

Note: Moody’s Corporation is an American business and financial services company. Headquarters of Moody’s is in New York, USA.

The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

DEFENCE

1. Indian Coast Guard conducts 9th edition of rescue exercise ‘SAREX-2020’ in Goa: Indian Coast Guard (ICG), an armed force that protects India’s maritime interests, has conducted a 2-day 9th edition of national level search and rescue exercise ‘SAREX-2020’ based on the theme ‘Harmonization of Maritime and Aeronautical Search and Rescue (HAMSAR)’ in the sea at Vasco, South Goa district from March 5-7,2020. It was inaugurated by Dr. Ajay Kumar, IAS, Secretary (Defence), Ministry of Defence. ICG conducts this exercise biennially under the aegis of National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB) since 2003.

Key Points: (1) For the 1st time, it was attended by 3 pillars of national SAR mechanism i.e. Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Defence. (2) It also saw the participation of 24 representatives from 19 countries, primarily from Asia and Africa, international delegates including 38 national observers and officials of 7 commercial airlines including 2 helicopter operators. (3) This exercise consists of a series of conduct of workshop, table top exercise and sea exercise with focus on Mass Rescue operation (MRO).

Note: Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Headquarters: New Delhi; Director General– Krishnaswamy Natrajan

OBITUARIES

1. Senior Congress leader Hans Raj Bhardwaj passes away: Former Law Minister and senior Congress leader Hans Raj Bhardwaj (83-years) passed away at the Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi after a cardiac arrest. He was a Rajya Sabha member for five terms from April 1982 to June 2009. He was appointed the governor of Karnataka in 2009.

Daily GK Updates - 8th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Aurangabad Airport Renamed As Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport: Maharashtra government on 5th March approved renaming the airport at Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport. Sambhaji Maharaj was the son of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The airport is situated in the Chikhalthana area of Aurangabad.

2. Paytm & Hyderabad Metro tie up for QR-based tickets: Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd in partnership with Paytm has launched a QR-code-based metro ticketing system at Rasoolpura metro station Hyderabad, Telangana. The new service will enable commuters to travel seamlessly and avoid queues to buy tokens at the metro stations. They can now simply purchase a QR ticket on their Paytm app, which can be displayed at the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) gates to proceed for the journey.

Note: Paytm founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma; Paytm Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh; Paytm founded: 2010.

3. Govt. invites bids for sale of its entire 52.98% stake in BP: The Union Government has invited bids for the sale of its entire 52.98% stake in the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. The GoI is proposing strategic disinvestment of its entire shareholding in BPCL comprising 114.91 crore equity shares. It constitutes 52.98% of BPCL's equity share capital, along with transfer of management control, to a strategic buyer (except BPCL's equity shareholding of 61.65% in Numaligarh Refinery Limited).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Denys Shmygal becomes Ukraine’s new prime minister: Ukraine parliament approved Denys Shmygal as a new prime minister of Ukraine. He is the nominee of Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine. He won by majority, previously he held the post as the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of regional Development & before that was governor of the western Ivano-Frankivsk region. Ukraine Parliament also approved Oleksiy Honcharuk resignation who is previous Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Note: President of Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky; Capital of Ukraine: Kyiv; Currency of Ukraine: Ukrainian hryvnia.

2. 5th BIMSTEC Summit 2020 to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka: The 5th edition of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit 2020 to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in the month of September 2020. The summit will be preceded by the 17th Ministerial Meeting and 21st Senior Officials Meeting by the end of 2020. Sri Lanka is the Chair of BIMSTEC between 2018 & 2020 and it will hand over the chairmanship to Thailand by the end of 2020.

BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising seven Member States of South Asia and South East Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka from South Asia, and Myanmar and Thailand from Southeast Asia

Note: President of Sri Lanka: Gotabaya Rajapaksa; Prime Minister of Sri Lanka: Mahinda Rajapaksa; Capital of Sri Lanka: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte; Currency of Sri Lanka:  Sri Lankan rupee.

3. International Women's Day: 8th March: International Women's Day (IWD) is being celebrated every year on 8th March to highlight the achievements of women while calling for greater equality. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. The UN Women’s theme for 2020 is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights". And the campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2020 is #EachforEqual. Women's Day was first observed on 28th February 1909 in New York, USA.

Note: Secretary General of United Nations: Antonio Guterres; United Nations founded: 24 October 1945; Headquarters of United Nations: New York, United States.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard becomes 1st player to play 500 T20s: West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard has become the 1st player in the history of T20 (Twenty20) cricket to feature in 500 matches during the field against Sri Lanka for the first T20I in Pallekele, Srilanka. The jersey had the all-rounder’s name at the back along with the number 500. Dwayne Bravo is second in the list with 453 matches under his belt so far. Chris Gayle is at the third spot in the list as he has featured in 404 T20 matches.

2. Australia beat India to win ICC Women's T20 World Cup title: Defending champions Australia wins Women’s T20 World Cup 2020. Australia bowled India out for 99 runs to clinch the final by 85 runs for a record-extending fifth Women’s T20 World Cup title at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia. Beth Mooney has been adjudged Player of the Tournament & Alyssa Healy has been adjudged the Player of the Match.

Note: The ICC Women's T20 World Cup is the biennial international championship for women's Twenty20 International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council.

3. Former India opener Wasim Jaffer announces his retirement: Former India opener and domestic cricket giant, Wasim Jaffer, has announced his retirement from all cricket on 7 March 2020. The 42-year-old Jaffer became the first cricketer to play 150 Ranji matches in December 2019. He is also the only batsman to score 12,000 runs in Ranji Trophy as well as has the highest number of first-class hundreds to his name. Internationally, Jaffer has played 31 Tests, scoring 1,944 runs.

4. Pooja Rani & Vikas Krishan qualify for Tokyo Olympics: Asian champion Pooja Rani (in the 75kg category) and Vikas Krishan (in 69kg category) became the first set of Indian boxers to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2020. Both boxers advanced to the semi-finals of the continental qualifiers at Amman in Jordan. Rani secured her maiden Olympic spot while Krishan will be making his third successive appearance at the quadrennial showpiece.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. NABARD infused Rs 1.46 lakh crore into rural banking system: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) announced  that it had infused `1.46 lakh crore in the rural banking system so far in FY20, which helps augment credit flow into agriculture and other economic activities in the rural areas. The development bank said that it had extended `87,069 crore to cooperative banks and regional rural banks in short-term refinance as on February 28, while long-term refinance of `59,502 crore had been provided to the banks and financial institutions.

Note: NABARD Founded: 12 July 1982; Headquarters: Mumbai; Chairperson: Harsh Kumar Bhanwala (Next C. Govind Raju)

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Times of India Sports Awards 2019 announced: The 4th edition of TOISA (Times of India Sports Awards) awards honoured the best Indian in 2019 sports in New Delhi, India. The event was powered by BHIM-UPI (Bharat Interface for Money- Unified Payments Interface). Rohit Sharma was named as the Cricketer of the year and PV Sindhu was named as the Sportsperson of the year as she won gold at the World Championships in Basel, Switzerland.

Below is the complete list of winners of Times of India Awards 2019:

S. No.	Award	Award Winner
1	Sports person of the Year	P.V. Sindhu
2	Cricketer of the year	Rohit Sharma
3	Team of the year	Indian men’s Hockey Team
4	Coach of the year	Jaspal Rana
5	Inspiration of the year	Rani Rampal
6	Mentor of the year	Pullela Gopichand
7	Change agent of the year	Odisha
8	Corporate supporter of the year	Reliance Foundation
9	Unbreakable Spirit of Sports	P.V. Sindu
10	Youth Icon of the year	Vijendra Singh
11	Lifetime Achievement	Bhaichung Bhutia
12	Icon of the year	Balbir Singh

2. President of India Confers Nari Shakti Puraskar for 2019: President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2019 at a ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Nari Shakti Puraskar is the highest civilian honour for women in India. The awards were conferred 15 eminent women in recognition of their efforts in rendering distinguished services towards the emancipation of women. They are from fields as diverse as agriculture, sports, handicrafts, afforestation, wildlife conservation, Armed Forces and education.

OBITUARIES

1. DMK Gen Sec K. Anbazhagan passes away: The DMK General Secretary K. Anbazhagan (97-years) passed away due to age-related problems. The prominent ideologist of the DMK, Anbazghagan has been the Dravidian party General Secretary since 1977. He has been elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly nine times and has been a cabinet minister in the Karunanidhi-led Government holding key portfolios like education and finance.

Daily GK Updates - 7th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. GoI targets to replace all level crossings on NH by Over/under Bridges: The Union Government of India is envisaging to replace all level crossings on National Highways by Over/under Bridges. The replacement of all the level crossings on National Highways by Road Over Bridges or Road Under Bridges will be executed under the Setu Bharatam scheme. The whole replacement work will be executed by Road Transport and Highways Ministry.

Note: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways: Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

2. 4th Global Ayurveda Festival 2020 to be held in Kochi: The Fourth Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF) is scheduled to be held at Kochi, Kerala from 16 to 20 May, 2020. The theme for the five-day event is “Ayurveda Medical Tourism: Actualizing India’s credibility”. GAF2020 is being organised by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA). It will be the largest Ayurvedic event ever to be held anywhere across the world. GAF-2020 will bring together the world of Ayurveda wellness providers and it’s seekers to one platform.

Note: Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH): Shripad Yesso Naik.

3. Bimal Julka is new Chief Information Commissioner: Former IAS officer, Bimal Julka was sworn in as the new Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission. The oath of office was administered by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind at an even in the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Information Commission includes 1 Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and not more than 10 Information Commissioners (IC) who are appointed by the President of India.

4. Gujarat govt announces hike in payment of Anganwadi women: Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has announced (under rule 44) in the state assembly, the hike in payment of Anganwadi women in the state. Anganwadi women will get Rs.7800, Tedagar women will get Rs.3,950 and mini Anganwadi women will get Rs. 4400 with effect from March 2019. The payment of Anganwadi women will be increased by Rs. 600 per month, while the payment of Tedagar and Mini-Anganwadi workers will be increased by Rs.300 per month.

5. Kareena Kapoor becomes new brand ambassador of Puma: German sportswear brand Puma has signed Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan as its new brand ambassador.  Khan will be the face for Puma’s soon-to-be launched collection of low-intensity training apparel collection targeted at workouts such as yoga, barre, and pilates. Puma sells performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as football, running and training, basketball, golf, and motorsports.

6. Lt Gen Milind Hemant Thakur unviels renovated Animal Memorial in Bengaluru: LG Milind Hemant Thakur (DG of Supply and Transport Corps of the Indian Army) unveiled a renovated Animal Memorial for mules and horses of the Indian Army in Bengaluru. Erected in 2006, the first of its kind animal memorial in Asia signifies the pivotal role played by the mules and horses belonging to the Army Service Corps. These army trained animals have rendered yeoman service in relentlessly hauling war stores up the goat tracks of the treacherous Himalayas.

7. Mizoram celebrates “Chapchar Kut” the festival of Mizos: The biggest and most joyful spring festival of Mizos, Chapchar Kut is being celebrated across the state. The festival is a public holiday in the state. Traditional bamboo dance, Cheraw and other dances were performed at the main event, attracting thousands of people.

Note: Chief Minister of Mizoram: Pu Zoramthanga; Governor of Mizoram: P.S. Sreedharan Pillai.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India sign Rs 1200 cr deal with US for missile protection suites for new VVIP planes: India has signed a Rs 1,200 crore deal with the United States to buy new anti-missile protection suites for the two new Boeing VVIP extended range planes to protect it from missile attacks. The two new VVIP Boeing 777 planes, to be code-named as ‘Air Force One’, will be used to ferry the President and the Prime Minister. The missile protection suites on the plane would provide it the capability to fend off any missile attacks. These two planes are expected to arrive in India by the middle of next year to begin the VVIP duties. A new 28-acre facility will also be created at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for housing the new Boeing 777 wide-bodied aircraft.

3. Annual Festival of St Antony’s Shrine begins in Katchatheevu Island: The annual festival of St Antony’s Shrine begins in Katchatheevu Island of Sri Lanka. The festival began with the traditional flag hoisting ceremonies. St Antony is being worshiped by the devotees as the patron saint of sea farers. The festival celebrations also featured the participation of more than 3,000 devotees from India. As per an agreement between the two governments, Indians are not required to possess an Indian passport or Sri Lankan visa for visiting Kachchatheevu.

3. BRAC tops the list of top 500 Global NGOs: BRAC is an international development organization that has topped the list of top 500 Global Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The list of the top 500 global NGOs of year 2020 was released by Geneva-based organization NGO Adviser. The Bangladesh based international development organization, BRAC has retained its 1st rank in the list for the 5th consecutive year.

Note: Chairman of BRAC Global Board: Ameerah Haq.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Badminton Asia Championships 2020 Shifted from Wuhan to Manila: The Badminton Asia Championships 2020 was scheduled to be held from April 21-26, 2020 in Wuhan, China. However, because of being the epicenter of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the event has now been shifted from Wuhan to Manila, in the Philippines. The decision was confirmed by Badminton World Federation (BWF), headquartered at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Novel Coronavirus outbreak has caused cancellation, postponement or shifting of the several badminton tournaments as well as other tournaments in recent weeks all over the world.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Prashant Kumar takes charge as Yes Bank administrator: Prashant Kumar (former deputy managing director and CFO of State Bank of India) has taken charge as its administrator of Yes Bank. Kumar taking charge as the Yes Bank administrator is in line with notifications issued by Department of Financial Services and the RBI.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Irish Women Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara wins 2020 Pritzker Prize” Dublin-based Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara have been named as the recipients of the 2020 Pritzker Prize, the highest accolade for architecture in the world. This is the first time that female duo has won architecture’s most prestigious award. Also, for the first time, Irish citizens have ever picked up the prize. Before them, only three other female have won Pritzkers in the past 41-year history of the prize. Their work includes The Grafton Building of Bocconi University , Paris’s Institut Mines Telecom building etc.

DEFENCE

1. Indian Army organizes Self Defence Training for Women: A unit of Indian Army has organized a Self Defence Training demonstration for Women with a theme of “Stronger You Stronger Society” for the local womenfolk in Nalbari district of Assam. The training demonstration was held with an objective of addressing fear and to empower the girls morally, mentally and physically to defend themselves in any set of circumstances. The demonstration also featured the participation of around 250 girl students and staffs from various academic institutions of the Nalbari district.

Note: 28th Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

Daily GK Updates - 6th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Health Ministry organizes workshop to manage COVID-19: New Delhi hosts a national level Training Workshop on COVID-19 Management for all the states and hospitals. The workshop was organized by the Health Ministry aims to train the trainers on various aspects to tackle the situation related to novel Coronavirus. Infection prevention, hospital preparedness, disinfection and biomedical waste management, community engagement, non-pharmaceutical interventions are some aspects on which training will be provided to the trainers.

2. International Conference on Nano Science and Technology 2020 Begins in Kolkata: The International Conference on Nano Science and Technology 2020 (ICONSAT-2020) is being held at S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata from March 5-7, 2020. ICONSAT is the series of biennial international conference held in India under the aegis of Nano Mission, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It provides a global platform of interactions among eminent scientists to bring to fore the recent advances in the area of nanoscience and technology.

3. Workshop-cum-Awareness Programme on Skill Development held at Kulgam: The District Employment and Counseling Centre has organized a Workshop-cum-Awareness Programme on the Skill Development for Unorganized Workers in Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir. The workshop for the unorganized workers was organized under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PMSYM) Scheme.

Note: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir: Girish Chandra Murmu.

4. Namaste Orchha festival begins in Madhya Pradesh: ‘Namaste Orchha’ festival commenced in Orchha, a town in Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh. The festival aims to create new opportunities to promote the rich cultural, natural and architectural heritage, traditions and history of the state. “Namaste Orchha festival will exhibit the cultural landscape of Madhya Pradesh through a series of activities such as art, music, dance, guided history tours and photography. The festival will also feature a food and crafts bazaar that will have local cuisine and traditional handicrafts of the region.

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

5. ARCI develops “PEMFC” system for Disaster Management: The International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad has developed a fuel cell technology called Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cell has been developed by ARCI in the power range of 1 to 20 kiloWatt (kW). The in-house PEMFC system has operational capability at low-temperatures with applications in decentralised power generation systems. This system backing EOC is expected to provide immediate support during the Golden Hour of the disaster.

6. “Chronicles of Change Champions” book released by Smriti Irani: Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani has released a book titled “Chronicles of Change Champions” in New Delhi. The book is a compilation of 25 innovative initiatives taken at the state and district levels under the Prime Minister’s flagship scheme of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme was launched in 2015 at Panipat, Haryana as a comprehensive programme to address the declining Child Sex Ratio and the related issues of empowerment of women over a life-cycle continuum.

7. DAY-NULM partners with Amazon for e-marketing of products: National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs today signed MoU with Amazon for e-marketing of products made by Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the country in urban areas. Giving impetus to Women empowerment and sustainable livelihoods in urban area, the Mission has also undertaken similar collaboration with for the 2nd edition of Shehri Samridhi Utsav to be organised from March 28 to April 12, 2020.

Note: Ministers of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.

Chief Executive Officer of Amazon: Jeff Bezos.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Janez Jansa becomes new Prime Minister of Slovenia: Slovenia’s parliament has elected Janez Jansa as the prime minister-designate of the country. Mr Jansa takes over from centre-left premier Marjan Sarec, who resigned in January 2020. The 61-year-old leader of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) had also served as the prime minister of Slovenia from 2004 to 2008 and again from 2012 to 2013.

Note: President of Slovenian: Borut Pahor; Capital of Slovenian: Ljubljana; Currency of Slovenian: Euro.

2. India-European Union Flagship Call on Integrated Local Energy Systems: During India Smart Utility Week 2020, India-European Union Flagship Call on Integrated Local Energy Systems to help in clean energy and climate by DST. This Indo-EU flagship call is fully in line with both the European Union’s and India’s involvement in Mission Innovation (MI), a global initiative of 24 countries and the European Commission committed to reinvigorate and accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean energy widely affordable.

3. US-Israel Joint military Exercise Juniper Cobra 20 Cancels over coronavirus: The Israel Defense Forces and United States military launched the 10-day long joint missile defense drill Exercise Juniper Cobra 20 (JC20) on March 3, 2020. However, the remaining part of Juniper Cobra 20 has been scraped over the coronavirus outbreak. The exercise was scheduled to be held between March 3-13, 2020. Exercise Juniper Cobra 20 (JC20) is the tenth edition of the biennial exercise series conducted in Israel every two years since 2001 between the two countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Hockey India Announces First Edition of U-21 Khelo India Women’s Hockey League: The Sports Authority of India, in association with Hockey India, has announced to organise the first edition of the Khelo India Women’s Hockey League (U- 21), to provide a platform to bring forth many talented hockey players. The event will be organised at three different venues in three phases between March to November 2020 in the following venues:

Phase I – March 23 to 29 – Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi

Phase II – July 13 to 19 – SAI Center in Bengaluru

Phase III – November 22 to 29 – Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar

The effort of the government is to create talent identification platforms for athletes from multiple sports through the Khelo India Scheme

2. Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2019 held in New Delhi: Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2019 powered by BHIM-UPI which honoured the best sports performance in 2019 held in New Delhi. Shuttler PV Sindhu was named Sportsperson of the Year at the fourth TOISA 2019 in New Delhi. Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia was given the Lifetime Achievement award. Pulella Gopichand, Jaspal Rana, Amit Phanghal, Lovlina Borgohain and Balbir singh were among the other winners.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Yes Bank Caps Withdrawal Limit at Rs 50,000 per Account: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has superseded the board of cash-starved Yes Bank and also capped the withdrawal limit for depositors to Rs 50,000 with effect from March 5 to April 3, 2020, or till further orders. This means that the Yes Bank customers will be able to withdraw only Rs 50,000 across all bank accounts at Yes Bank – savings, deposits or current accounts. The decision has been taken after the bank failed to raise capital to address potential loan losses. RBI has also said that interest will be paid on deposits at the bank. However, there are certain exceptions under which customers can withdraw more than Rs 50,000 but not more than Rs 5 lakh or the amount of money that is in the accounts (whichever is less).

Exceptions cases include:

-Medical treatment for account holder or dependants

-Higher education costs for account holder or dependants in India or abroad

-Marriage expenses

-‘Unavoidable emergencies’

Note: Chief Executive Officer & MD of Yes Bank: Ravneet Gill; Headquarters of Yes Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Yes Bank established: 2004.

2. SEBI Launches Mobile App SCORES to help Investors Lodge Grievances Online: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has launched a mobile application “Sebi SCORES” for lodging investor grievances. The mobile app SCORES (Sebi Complaints Redress System) will enable the investors to conveniently lodge their grievances against a listed company/ intermediary registered with SEBI. Through SCORES you can lodge your complaint online with SEBI and subsequently view its status. This will be available on both iOS and Android platforms. Entities against whom complaints are lodged need to file an action taken report with the regulator within 30 days of receipt of complain.

Chairman of SEBI: Ajay Tyagi; Headquarter: Mumbai.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 4th Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2019: The fourth edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2019 will be organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day i.e. on 8 March 2020. The Women Entrepreneurship Platform of the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) will organise the Women Transforming India Awards 2019. The WTI recognizes the inspiring stories of women entrepreneurs who are breaking the glass ceiling.

Note: CEO of NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India): Amitabh Kant.

OBITUARIES

1. Former UN Chief Javier Perez de Cuellar passes away: Former UN Chief Javier Perez de Cuellar passed away at the age of 100. He served as the president of the UN Security Council from 1973 to 1974. He also served as United Nations Secretary General from 1981 to 1991. He was often described as a “pacifist by vocation and nature.” He was awarded Prince of Asturias Prize for the promotion of Ibero-American cooperation in 1987.

Daily GK Updates - 5th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 35th edition of AAHAR Food and Hospitality Fair begins in New Delhi: The India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) has organised the 35th edition of AAHAR – the International Food and Hospitality Fair in New Delhi from 3-7 March 2020. The five-day-long fair has been organised by ITPO in collaboration with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Agriculture and Processed Food Products Development Authority and several apex industry associations. AAHAR is one of Asia’s best known brands in Food & Hospitality shows. This 5-day fair will present a wide range of food products, machinery, hospitality, Food and Beverage Equipment and Decoration items, and Confectionery items from over 750 participants from India and overseas.

Note: India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) Chairman: LC Goyal; India Trade Promotion Organisation(ITPO) Headquarters: New Delhi; India Trade Promotion Organisation(ITPO) Formed: 1 April 1977.

Minister of Food Processing: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

2. U’khand CM Trivendra Rawat Announces Gairsain to be Summer Capital of the state: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced that his government will make Gairsain the summer capital of Uttarakhand. This means that, Uttarakhand will now get a permanent summer capital. However, Dehradun would continue to operate as the second capital. With this decision, Uttarakhand also becomes the only second state after Jammu and Kashmir in the country to have two capitals. The decision has been taken as Dehradun is far off from many districts, while Gairsain’s has an edge due to its location and proximity with hill districts.

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

3. India’s biggest multi-level parking to come up in Noida: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 23 development projects worth Rs 2,821 crore in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Noida. The initiative is part of the state government to develop the Gautam Buddh Nagar City as a smart city and ideal model of development and opportunities. Among the 23 projects, 13 projects were inaugurated at the total worth of Rs 1,452 crore, while foundation stones were laid for 10 projects worth Rs 1,369 crore.

The various project includes setting up:

(1) India’s biggest multi-level parking with space for 7,000 vehicles at Sector 38A – Rs 500 crore

(2) Underground parking for 276 cars and 42 two-wheelers at Sector 5 – Rs 32.25 crore

(3) A government hospital in Sector 39 – Rs 344 crore

(4) Three power sub stations at Sector 148 – Rs 366 crore

(5) Two power sub stations at Sector 38A – Rs 98.45 crore and Rs 10 crore

(6) A footover bridge at: Sector 145 metro station – Rs 10.81 crore; Sector 62 – Rs 5 crore; Sector 71 and 72 – Rs 5 crore

(7) Four pink toilets in sectors 16, 15, 28 and 74 – Rs 0.76 crore

4. Gzb Police launches ‘One Cop One Gangster’ operation to track criminals: The district police of Ghaziabad has launched a special drive named ‘One Cop One Gangster’ to keep a close eye on criminals by deputing a dedicated policeman behind every wanted person. Under the drive, the notorious criminals of the district will remain under the surveillance of sub-inspectors, while passive ones will be watched by head constables and constables.

5. Student Health Card scheme for school children launched in J&K: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Girish Chander Murmu launched the “Student Health Card” scheme.  The scheme aims to check the malnutrition in school going children and to ensure good health of every school going children. The “Student Health Card” scheme was launched during the programme which was organised by Directorate of Mid Day Meal, School Education Department in cooperation with the National Health Mission.

6. Govt form committee to address the issues of drug security in the country in the context of Novel Coronavirus outbreak: Department of Pharmaceuticals (Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers) has formed a committee to address the issues of drug security in the country in the context of Novel Coronavirus outbreak in China.  The committee is headed by Dr. Eshwara Reddy, Joint Drugs Controller, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

7. Janaushadhi Week being observed from 1st to 7th March: Janaushadhi week is being celebrated across the country from 1st March to 7th March 2020. During the week, blood pressure check-up, sugar level checkup, free doctor consultation and free medicine distribution will be hosted at various Jan Aushadhi Kendras.  Event on women’s empowerment with the theme ‘Suvidha Se Sammaan’ was held on this occasion. March 7 is observed as ‘Janaushadhi Diwas’

8. After Mumbai, Google to launch its second cloud infrastructure in Delhi by 2021: Google has planned to open its second cloud region in India in Delhi. The Delhi cloud region is expected to be launched in 2021, and will have three zones to protect against service disruptions. It will be the Google’s second cloud region in India. The first region was launched in Mumbai in 2017. The new cloud region will expand the existing network of Google, which currently stands at eight regions in the Asia Pacific and 22 regions globally. It will also enable in-country disaster recovery for the customers' mission-critical applications.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Luxembourg Becomes World’s First country to make public transport free: Luxembourg has become the first country in the world to make public transport system free for the residents as well as tourists. Luxembourg, which is Europe’s richest country, aims to tackle road congestion, pollution, as well as supporting low earners, using this initiative all the fares for trams, trains and buses have been abolished in the country with effect from February 29 2020. However, the only exception is that first-class train travel will continue to cost £2.60 (€3) per journey. Luxembourg has just over 600,000 inhabitants, but 214,000 travel for work every day from neighbouring Germany, Belgium and France, causing heavy traffic jams. causing greenhouse gas emissions.

Note: Prime Minister of Luxembourg: Xavier Bettel; Capital of Luxembourg: Luxembourg City; The currency of Luxembourg: Euro.

2. Sanjay Kumar Panda becomes India’s next Ambassador to Turkey:  The Ministry of External Affairs announced that the Senior diplomat Sanjay Kumar Panda will be India’s Ambassador to Turkey. He will succeed Sanjay Bhattacharya. Sanjay Kumar Panda is a 1991 Indian Foreign Service officer, is presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco.

Note: President of Turkey: Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Capital of Turkey: Ankara; Currency of Turkey: Turkish lira.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sunil Joshi named Chairman of BCCI’s selection committee: Former India spinner Sunil Joshi (South Zone) has been named as chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) replacing MSK Prasad. The CAC has also picked ex-pacer Harvinder Singh (Central Zone) replaces Gagan Khoda as a member of the five-member panel. The other three member of the group includes: Jatain Paranjpe (West), Devang Gandhi (East) and Sarandeep Singh (North). The CAC comprising Madan Lal, RP Singh and Sulakshana Naik will review the panel’s performance after one year and make recommendations accordingly.

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

2. Mumbai to host International Olympic Committee Session 2023: Mumbai is set to host the International Olympic Committee's session 2023. The year 2023 will be significant for India as it coincides with the India’s 75th independence year. This will be the second-ever IOC session to be held in India after a long gap of 37 years. India last hosted an IOC session way back in 1983 in New Delhi.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Cabinet approves merger of 10 PSBs into 4 from 1st April 2020: Union Cabinet has approved the merger of 10 PSBs into 4 from 1st April 2020. As per the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the exercise of consolidation of 10 public sector banks (PSBs) into four is on course and the merger will come into effect from the new financial year 1st April 2020. As per the plan, PSBs will be merged into:

1. United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce will be merged with Punjab National Bank

2. Syndicate Bank will be merged with Canara Bank

3. Allahabad Bank will be amalgamated with Indian Bank

4. Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will be consolidated with Union Bank of India

Note: Headquarters of Punjab National Bank: New Delhi; Chief Executive Officers of Punjab National Bank: SS Mallikarjuna Rao

Headquarters of Canara Bank: Bengaluru; Chief Executive Officers of Canara Bank: Lingam Venkat Prabhakar

Headquarters of Indian Bank: Chennai; Chief Executive Officers of Indian Bank: Padmaja Chunduru

Headquarters of Union Bank of India: Mumbai; Chief Executive Officers of Union Bank of India: Rajkiran Rai G

2. RBI Deputy Governor NS Vishwanathan Quits ahead of Retirement: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor N S Vishwanathan has decided to step down on March 31, ending his 29 years of service, three months before the end of his extended one-year tenure, due to ill health.

His one-year extension was to end on July 3, 2020. The 62-year-old was appointed deputy governor in June 2016, replacing H R Khan. He was re-appointed in June 2019 for one more year till July 3, 2020. Vishwanathan joined the Central Bank in 1981 and had been in-charge of the key supervisory and regulatory functions. As a deputy governor, he was looking after key departments such as banking regulation, co-operative banking, non-banking regulation, deposit insurance, financial stability and inspection.

3. EPFO lowers interest rate on PF deposits to 8.5 pc for 2019-20: Retirement fund body, Employees’ Provident Fund Organization, (EPFO) has lowered the interest rate on provident fund deposits to 8.5 percent for the current financial year 2019-20. Earlier it was 8.65 percent. This announcement was made by Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar in New Delhi on 5 March 2020.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Environmental activist Jadav Payeng named Commonwealth Points of Light Award: Assam’s Environmental activist Jadav Payeng has been named as the 128th Commonwealth Points of Light Award winner. Jadav Payeng, who is popularly known as the ‘Forest Man of India’ has been honoured by Queen Elizabeth II for his exceptional voluntary service to environmental conservation. He has worked for years to transform the sandbar into a home to animals and birds of varied species, named ‘Molai forest’ after him.

DEFENCE

1. International Seminar ‘Pragyan Conclave 2020’ Begins in New Delhi: A two-day Indian Army International Seminar “PRAGYAN CONCLAVE 2020” has been organized in New Delhi on 4-5 March 2020. The seminar has been organized by Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), an autonomous think tank on strategic studies and land warfare, based in New Delhi. The 2-day event with 4 sessions brings together cross-domain national and international experts to deliberate on the complex subject. The event provides a platform to deliberate on the complex subject of ‘Changing Characteristics of Land Warfare and its Impact on the Military’.