Daily GK Updates - 31st March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government Sets up special emergency fund ‘PM CARES Fund’ to Fight Against COVID-19: The Government of India has set up a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’. The primary objective of this dedicated national fund is to deal with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust while Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister are its other members. The fund has been set up to enable micro-donations, allowing a large number of people to be able to contribute with smallest of denominations. Donations to this fund will be exempted from income tax under section 80(G) of the IT Act. Citizens and organisations can go to the website pmindia.gov.in and donate to PM CARES Fund. The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) will be hold the account of the PM Cares Fund.

2. DRDO develops casualty evacuation bags: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has designed a casualty evacuation bag to transport or isolate persons infected with COVID-19. The bag is water and air-proof and treated to deal with biological agents. It is made of non-woven, water-repellant fabric with air and waterproof zippers as well as a ventilator with a film to cater Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) environment with requisite protection against blood and viral penetration. DRDO will be procuring an initial lot of 500 such bags. DRDO’s Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), which carries out research in aero-medical engineering and life support equipment and Nuclear Chemical and Biological (NBC) protection systems, has developed this bag.

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

3. Jharkhand govt launches ‘PRAGYAAM’ App to issue e-passes to everyone associated with delivery of essential services amid lockdown: The Jharkhand Government has launched a mobile app named PRAGYAAM to issue e-passes to those associated with delivery of essential services such as regular supply services, medical, banking and other necessary services, during the national lockdown to combat COVID-19. The District Transport Officers have been given authority to issue e-passes to vehicles through online mode after verification of the documents uploaded through the app. Officials can also verify the status of the e-passes on the app and other details, including mobile number and identity card of the person engaged in such duties to curb the chances of fake e-passes.

Note: Governor of Jharkhand: Droupadi Murmu; Capital: Ranchi

4. Rajasthan Police launches a mobile app “RajCop citizens app”: Rajasthan police launched a mobile app named ‘RajCop citizen app’ to enable individuals and company employees in the state take permission for venturing out in necessary conditions. It will deliver an advance lockdown pass system to ease the life of people involved in essential services. It has been launched on Android Play Store in English. The app has been developed by Data Ingenious GLobal Limited.

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

5. Andhra Pradesh government set up Mobile Hand-wash facilities: Andhra Pradesh State government has set up Mobile Hand-wash facilities for the benefit of Slum Dwellers amidst lockdown. This facility has become handy for both the state authorities and slum dwellers to access facility of hands cleaning as sanitization and social distancing is the only way of protection for COVID-19. A water tanker is fitted to a vehicle with four tap connections, four wash basins, 2 soap dispensers for better health access and sanitation facilities.

Note: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy; Governor of Andhra Pradesh: Biswa Bhushan Harichandan; Capital of Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati.

6. IIT Guwahati team develops drone to sanitise large areas: Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati has developed a drone to sanitize large areas such as roads, parks and footpaths. The drone comprises of automated sprayer which will help the authorities to sanitize large areas in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The drone has a signal range of 3 km and can cover more than 1.2 hectare in one flight and more than 60 hectares in a day.

7. IIT Bombay develops two apps to track quarantine violations: IIT Bombay develops two smartphone apps ““Corontine” and “Safe” to track quarantine violations. CORONTINE uses GPS-enabled geofencing to create a virtual geographic boundary and alerts authorities when boundaries are breached. SAFE was used by IIT-B for attendance. It records the time and location data of the place and uses facial recognition software to verify the person uploading the data.

8. ‘Modi Kitchen’ set up in Tamil Nadu:  A ‘Modi Kitchen’ has been set up in the Kovai (Coimbatore), Tamil Nadu. The kitchen which has a capacity to serve 500 meals per day will remain operational till 14th April 2020. The kitchen has decided to deliver food parcels within a radius of 10 kms till April 14th. The meal includes a main dish, two kinds of side dishes and a sweet and is prepared under advice from nutrition experts.

Note: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu: Thiru Edappadi K. Palaniswami; Governor of Tamil Nadu: Banwarilal Purohit.

9. New Technology To disinfect Maharashtra hospitals in Covid 19 fight: Pune based startup company has developed a new air-purifying technology named as ‘scitech airon’ which offers an effective solution for India’s fight against Covid 19 by reducing the viral load of infected areas within a room significantly within an hour. The technology has been developed under the NIDHI PRAYAS program initiated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) that has release Rs 1 crore to scale up the product.

10. GoI extended crop loan interest benefits to farmer till 31 May: Government has extended the benefit of 2% Interest Subvention to Banks and 3% Prompt Repayment Incentive to all farmers till 31st of May 2020 due to national lockdown in the wake of COVID-19. The interest subsidy has been extended to all crop loans upto 3 lakh rupees given by banks. This will help farmers to repay such loans at the extended period at 4% per annum interest without attracting any penalty.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ADB to invest USD 100 million in Indian infrastructure sector via NIIF: Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest USD 100 million funding for the Indian infrastructure sector through the government-promoted National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’s (NIIF). ADB will be investing in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’s (NIIF) fund of funds which will ensure that the actual money invested will be a few times more than the USD 100 million. The total size of NIIF’s fund of funds has now grown to USD 700 million, with ADB’s commitment. This will help NIIF commit money to private equity fund managers who may be struggling to raise money from overseas sources. NIIF is India’s first sovereign wealth fund that was set up by the Government of India in February 2015.

Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Formation of ADB: 19 December 1966; Headquarters of ADB: Manila, Philippines; Membership of ADB: 68 countries.

2. Tata Power’s JV Commences Commercial Operations of 178MW Shuakhevi Hydro Power Project in Georgia: Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC (AGL), a Joint Venture between Tata Power, Norway’s Clean Energy Invest (CEI), and International Financial Corporation (IFC) started its commercial operation of the 178 MW Shuakhevi Hydro Power Project (HPP) on 30 March 2020 in southwest Georgia. The Shuakhevi HPP is the only project in Georgia’s energy sector which has been funded by three of the largest financial institutes comprising of European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. It is also the largest energy project built in Georgia in the last seven decades. The overall cost of the project is approximated at USD 500 million. The project will generate around 450 GWh of clean energy to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by more than 200,000 tonnes a year.

Note: TATA Power CEO: Praveer Sinha; TATA Power headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

3. Apple launches COVID-19 information app: Apple has launched a new dedicated app and website for users across the US. The app provides accurate and credible information to users about the COVID-19 pandemic. The new COVID-19 app and website provide the needed guidance and latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Note: Apple Inc. CEO: Tim Cook; Headquarters of Apple Inc: California, USA.

4. International Transgender Day of Visibility: 31 March: The International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) occurs annually on March 31 to raise awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebrate their contributions to society. The day was founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall of Michigan in 2009.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 rescheduled to year 2021: The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 have been postponed by one year and will be held from 23 July to 8 August, 2021. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was earlier scheduled to be held from 24 July to 9 August 2020. The decision to postpone the 32nd edition of the tournament was taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) along with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan. The decision has been taken by the IOC amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Note: Prime Minister of Japan: Shinzo Abe; Capital: Tokyo; Currency: Japanese yen.

President of International Olympic Committee (IOC): Thomas Bach; Tokyo 2020 President: Mori Yoshiro.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. MCA introduces ‘Companies Fresh Start’ Scheme: Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has introduced the “Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020” and modified “LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020”. The new scheme has been introduced to provide relief to law abiding companies and the Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) amid COVID-19 pandemic. MCA has also revised “LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020”. The scheme also provides immunity from penal proceedings against delayed filings. Substantive violation of law will not be exempted.

Note: Union Minister of Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.

2. IBBI amended CIRP regulation: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) amends CIRP Regulations on to provide relief in corporate insolvency resolution process due to COVID-19 outbreak. According to it lockdown period shall not be counted in relation to a corporate insolvency resolution process. The amended regulations are effective from 29th March 2020. These are available at www.mca.gov.in and www.ibbi.gov.in.

3. Ind-Ra cuts GDP growth forecast for India to 3.6 pc for FY21: Credit rating agency India Ratings (Ind-Ra) has cut its FY21 growth forecast for India to 3.6% due to coronavirus lockdown. It has assumed that a full or partial lockdown will continue till end of April and economic activities will be gradually restored only after May.

OBITUARIES

1. Tamil folk singer and actress Paravai Muniyamma passes away: Tamil folk singer and actress Paravai Muniyamma passed away suffering from age-related ailments. She was born on June 26, 1937, in Paravai, Madurai, Tamil Nadu (TN). The acting career of Muniyamma began in the year 2003 in the film Dhool. Her song “Madurai Veeran” became a huge hit. She had appeared in over 50 films, usually playing grandmother roles. In March 2019, Muniyamma was honoured with the Kalaimamani title by the Tamil Nadu government.

2. Japanese comedian Ken Shimura passes away due to coronavirus: Veteran Japanese comedian Ken Shimura (70 years) passed away due to coronavirus. The actor was set to star in his first feature film “God of Cinema”, directed by Yoji Yamada. Shimura grew up in the west Tokyo neighbourhood of Higashimurayama and he started his career in showbiz when he joined the Japanese rock band and comedy group The Drifters, famous for an opening for The Beatles during their early tours of Japan. Shimura tested positive for COVID-19 on March 23.

Daily GK Updates - 30th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt approves Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19: Government has approved Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19’ as announced under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package. The following conditions exist: The scheme will provide an insurance cover of Rs. 50 lakh for ninety days (90) to a total of around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers. It will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19. The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary.

2. Labour Ministry Notifies Amendment in EPF Scheme 1952 to allow withdrawal of non-refundable advance by EPF members amid COVID-19: The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has issued notification to amend the Employees’ Provident Funds (EPF) Scheme 1952 to allow withdrawal of non-refundable advance by the EPF members in the event of lockdown to fight COVID-19 pandemic. For this, the amended scheme Employees Provident Fund (Amendment) scheme, 2020, has come into force from March 28, 2020. The amendment will permit withdrawal, upto the amount of basic wages and dearness allowance for three months or upto 75% of the amount standing to member’s credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, in the event of outbreak of epidemic or pandemic.

3. Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC): The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched the 24×7 National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC) and also interacted with Nodal Officers of Medical Colleges of States and other AIIMS of the country and reviewed the COVID-19 preparedness. The project CoNTeC, an acronym for COVID-19 National Teleconsultation Centre, has been conceptualised by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and has been implemented by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. It is a multi-modal hub through which 2-way audio-video and text communications can be undertaken across the nation through simple mobile telephony or WhatsApp, Skype and Google Duo.

Note: Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Ashwini Kumar Choubey.

4. NSTIs to be used as quarantine centres for COVID-19: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is all set to convert National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) into quarantine centres for COVID-19. MSDE employees has also decided to contribute at least one day salary to PM cares Fund. MSDE will also provide 1 lakh trained personnel in healthcare skills under the Skill India Mission to contain the spread, and treatment and care of infected people in the new quarantine/ isolation/ hospital facilities.

5. Indian Railways to run special parcel trains: Indian Railways will run special parcel trains for carriage of essential items and other goods in small parcel sizes during the complete lockdown in fight against COVID-19. The Railways has made railway parcel vans available for quick mass transportation across the nation for the needy E-Commerce entities. 8 parcel special trains are being run by Railways since 22nd March and more special trains are being planned on 20 routes.

6. Government exempts farming and allied activities from COVID-19 lockdown: Agriculture, farming and allied activities have been exempted from the COVID-19 lockdown to address problems being faced by the farming community. This will also ensure uninterrupted harvesting of crops. Procurement of agriculture products, Mandis operated by the APMC or Government, Farming operations in the field and custom hiring centres related to farm machinery with fertilizers, seed, etc units have been exempted from the lockdown.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China conducts second combustible ice extraction in South China Sea: China extracted 861,400 cubic meters of natural gas from combustible ice during 1-month trial production at a depth of 237-304 meters in the South China Sea. China has set two world records in terms of the total gas output in a month and the daily gas production of 28,700 cubic meters. The extraction was done using horizontal well drilling technique. Combustible ice is a natural gas hydrate trapped in ice crystals under high pressure and low temperatures.

2. US announces $174 mn aid to 64 countries including $2.9 mn to India: The United States announced USD 174 million financial assistance to 64 countries including USD 2.9 million to India to help them fight the Jcoronavirus pandemic. This is in addition to the USD 100 million aid announced by the US in February. The newly announced assistance is part of a larger American global response package across multiple departments and agencies, including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The funding is for 64 of the most at-risk countries facing the threat of the global pandemic. The US State Department said it is providing USD 2.9 million to help the Indian government prepare laboratory systems, activate case finding and event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Mega merger of 10 state-run banks into four lenders will come into force from April 1: The Reserve Bank of India has announced that the schemes for the merger of ten state-run banks into four banks will take effect from 1 April 2020. The banking regulator has also announced that the branches of merging banks will operate as the branch of the banks in which these have been amalgamated, from the beginning of next fiscal year 2020-21. After the merger, the total number of PSBs will be reduced to 12 from 27 PSBs, including 7 large PSBs and 5 small PSBs. Also, the anchor bank Punjab National Bank will become the country’s second largest bank with asset size of Rs 17.94 lakh crore, after SBI (over Rs 52 lakh crore). The amalgamation is the part of RBI’s consolidation plan to create bigger size stronger banks in the public sector. The following amalgamation will take place:

(1) Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will merge with Punjab National Bank (PNB) branches

(2) Syndicate Bank will merge with Canara Bank

(3) Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will merge into Union Bank of India

(4) Allahabad Bank will merge into Indian Bank.

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

2. SBI raises $100 million via green bonds: State Bank of India has raised USD 100 million green bonds, the first such bond by any state-owned bank in this fiscal. The bonds were priced at 3M Libor + 80 basis points. This is the third set of green bond issue by SBI, aggregating USD 700 million. The proceeds will be used to fund the non-convention energy sector. These bonds will be issued through SBI’s London branch and shall be listed on Singapore Exchange (SGX).

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Santanu Das, Mirza Waheed win The Hindu Prize 2019: The winners of The Hindu Prize 2019 have been announced. The winners are:

(1) The Hindu Prize 2019 (Non-Fiction category: Santanu Das For -India, Empire, and First World War Culture: Writings, Images and Songs.

(2) The Hindu Prize 2019 (Fiction category): Mirza Waheed For- Tell Her Everything

OBITUARIES

1. Air Vice Marshal (retd) Chandan Singh Rathore Passes Away: Former Indian Air Force helicopter pilot, Air Vice Marshall Chandan Singh Rathore, passed away at his home in Jodhpur at the age of 95. He is known among the most highly decorated officers in the Indian Air Force, for his contribution during the Sino-India 1962 war and the 1971 Indo-Pak war. This valorous air warrior was also behind the planning and execution of the special helicopter operations undertaken to airlift two companies of troops of the Sylhet area.

Note: Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

Daily GK Updates - 29th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Centre forms 11 empowered groups and task force to deal with Covid-19 outbreak: Prime Minister Modi government has constituted ten empowered groups and a strategic task force in order to deal with coronavirus spread and its aftermath. These 11 groups, which together have 68 bureaucrats, have been set up under the Disaster Management Act. All the empowered groups has senior representatives from PMO and Cabinet Secretariat to ensure seamless coordination. Each group has been empowered to formulate plans to minimise the impact of the disease and to take all necessary steps for their time bound implementation. The six member strategic task force will deal exclusively with the issues related to the lockdown. Of these 11 empowered groups, 9 are headed by secretary level officers, one by Member, NITI Aayog and one by CEO, NITI Aayog. In case of any need of guidance, these groups may seek guidance from Union Cabinet Secretary.

2. National Book Trust to launch Corona Studies Series Book: National Book Trust (NBT) will launch Corona Studies Series books to provide relevant reading materials for all age-groups for the post-Corona readership needs. It will be the long-term contribution to prepare and engage readers with the various aspects of the Corona times by bringing out affordable books in various Indian languages in the identified subject areas. It will also provide suitable platform to authors and researchers willing to contribute in this genre.

Books for the following segments will be prepared by the Study Group:

1. Corona Virus (Covid 19) Affected Families

2. Elderly People

3. Parents with Special Focus on Mothers/Women

4. Children and Adolescents

5. Professionals and Workers

6. Corona Warriors: Medical and Essential Services Providers

7. Differently-abled, Special Needs and Mentally Challenged Population

Note: Chairman of National Book Trust, India: Govind Prasad Sharma; The National Book Trust, India was established in 1957.

3. Government of India launches coronavirus risk-tracking app “Corona Kavach”: Government of India has launched a coronavirus risk-tracking app in India and is named “Corona Kavach”. The app has been developed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The app uses a person’s location to assess whether they are in the high-risk geographical zone or not. It will track the data of the users every one hour to alert them of whether they have crossed paths with any person who has tested positive for the infection. The app is now available for download on Google Play Store for Android phones.

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

Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology: Ravi Shankar Prasad

4. Northern Railways makes first prototype of hospital isolation coach for COVID-19 Patients: The Northern Railways zone of the Indian Railways has successfully made the first prototype of hospital isolation coach, to battle the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. There are 10 isolation wards in each coach. The Northern Railways has removed the middle berth from one side of the coach while all three berths have been removed in front of the patient berth to build an isolation cabin prototype. As per the Railways, after clearance, when the prototype will be finalized, 10 railway coaches per week will be converted into isolation wards for Covid-19 patients by each Zonal Railway.

Note: Union Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal.

5. UP CM Yogi Adityanath Constitutes ‘Team-11’ to Fight COVID-19 Spread: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has set up “Team-11”, which comprises of 11 inter-departmental committees to fight the coronavirus spread, by tackling multiple issues ranging from ensuring medicare to victims to the supply of essentials and tackle long marches of jobless workers back home. Each of the 11 committees will be headed by a senior bureaucrat of the state while the ‘Team 11’ will be headed by the Chief Minister himself.

6. Nagaland CM launches Self Declaration COVID-19 Nagaland App: Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio has launched the Self Declaration COVID19 Nagaland App (Ncovid-19) which will be mandatory for any person who has entered into Nagaland after 6th March 2020. The app is crucial for tracking and surveillance of high-risk cases and can be downloaded from the following website “nagalandhealthproject.org.”

Note: Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio; Governor of Nagaland: R. N. Ravi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Elon Musk’s SpaceX wins NASA award for planned lunar space station: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has picked up a new space capsule from SpaceX to ferry cargo and supplies to the agency’s planned lunar space station. SpaceX will get a portion of a $7 billion NASA contract to use its biggest rocket, Falcon Heavy, to send a new “Dragon XL” spacecraft to the Lunar Gateway, an outpost of NASA that will orbit the moon. The Dragon XL spacecraft will carry research supplies that will help astronauts to collect lunar samples on the surface of the moon.

Note: Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Jim Bridenstine.

Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.

2. North Korea ‘successfully’ tests ‘super-large’ rocket launcher: North Korea has conducted another test of super-large multiple rocket launchers and it was successful. The launch was aimed at examining the strategic and technical features of the “super-large multiple rocket launchers”, which have been tested a number of times since last August.

3. Earth Hour 2020: 28 March: Every year, the Earth Hour is celebrated worldwide on the last Saturday of the March month to show support for fight against climate change and commitment towards better planet. Earth Hour 2020 is scheduled for March 28, 2020. The Day is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), encouraging individuals, communities, corporates, and households to turn off their lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. It was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 to raise awareness for energy consumption and effects on the environment.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Indian shot putter Navin Chikara suspended for four years: The Athletics Integrity Unit of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has suspended Indian shot putter Navin Chikara for four years for using a prohibited substance and failing an out-of-competition dope test. He has been suspended for for using a prohibited substance and his four-year suspension starts from July 27, 2018.

Note: The headquarters of IAAF is located in Monaco; President of IAAF: Sebastian Coe.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. BP Kanungo Reappointed as Deputy Governor of RBI for a period of one year: The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the extension of the tenure of BP Kaunungo as the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of one year with effect from April 3, 2020. The three year tenure of BP Kaunungo was to end on 3 April 2020. Besides Kanungo, the other three deputy governors of the RBI are NS Vishwanathan, M.K. Jain and Michael Patra.

2. India’s GDP growth estimated at 4.5% for FY’20; 2.6% for FY’21: SBI report: According to the SBI Ecowrap report released by the State Bank of India (SBI), the GDP growth rate of India for the financial year 2020-21 is likely to fall to 2.6 percent due to the ongoing 21-day lockdown. The GDP growth estimate for the current fiscal, i.e. 2019-20 is estimated at 4.5 percent.

3. New logo has been revealed by PNB ahead of merger: The Punjab National Bank has launched a new logo ahead of its merger with the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India. This new logo bears the distinct signages of all the three PSU banks namely the Punjab National Bank, the United Bank of India and the Oriental Bank of Commerce. In the process of amalgamation, the Punjab National Bank will be the transferee while the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India will be the transferor banks. After the merger, PNB will become the second largest lender in India after the State Bank of India (SBI).

Note: MD & CEO Of Punjab National Bank: S.S. Mallikarjuna Rao.

4. ICICI Bank launches banking services on WhatsApp: ICICI Bank has rolled out the banking services on WhatsApp which will enable the banks’ retail customers to undertake a slew of banking requirements from their home amid lockdown in the country due to COVID-19 pandemic. To avail the services on Whatsapp, customers have to message ‘Hi’ from their registered mobile number to the Bank’s verified WhatsApp profile number 9324953001. Through this, one can check their savings account balance, last three transactions, credit card limit, pre-approved instant loan offers and block/unblock credit & debit card in a secure manner with end-to-end encryption.

Note: Managing Director & CEO of ICICI Bank: Sandeep Bakhshi.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Ranveer Singh Wins Best Actor Award at Critics’ Choice Film Awards 2020: The winners of the Critics’ Choice Film Awards 2020 were announced digitally on 28 March 2020. The event was supposed to be held on March 14, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The awards is honoured across eight languages including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Gujarati and Kannada in the categories comprising of Best Film, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Best Director and Best Writing.

Winners in Hindi Language

Best Actor (Male) – Ranveer Singh (Gully Boy)

Best Actor (Female) – Geetika Vidya Ohlyan (Soni)

Best Director – Zoya Akhtar (Gully Boy)

Best Film – Gully Boy

Best Writing – Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki (Article 15)

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran US civil rights leader Joseph Lowery passes away: Veteran US civil rights leader Joseph Lowery who helped in establishing the Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference, passed away. The Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an African-American civil rights organisation was set up to promote racial equality. He was born on October 6, 1921, in Huntsville, Alabama, US and was awarded the “Presidential Medal of Freedom”, the nation’s highest civilian honour, by former President Barack Obama in 2009. 

Daily GK Updates - 28th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. IIT-Gandhinagar launches “Project Isaac” for students during Corona lockdown: Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IITGN) has launched Project Isaac to engage its students in creative projects to enhance their critical skills while they are confined to their homes because of Corona virus. As a part of the project, four different competitions are being organized by IIT, Gandhinagar to cultivate new skills among students regarding writing, painting, coding, music, creative expression. The project aims to enhance the student’s skills while they are confined in their homes.

Note: Director of IIT-Gandhinagar: Prof Sudhir Jain; IIT-Gandhinagar founded: 2008.

2. Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh hospital tests serving robot: The Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Government Hospital in Jaipur is conducting the series of trials on a humanoid robot to provide services to the COVID-19 patients. It is aimed to keep the doctors and nursing staff at a safe distance to protect them against the dreaded coronavirus. It has been designed with a tray that can be used for carrying medicines, food and other objects to the assigned patients.

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

3. Goa becomes the 1st state to launch assessment tool for COVID-19: Goa becomes the first Indian state to launch a self-assessment tool for COVID-19. The self-assessment tool called ‘Test Yourself Goa’. This tool helps people identify if they are infected by the virus without visiting a doctor or hospital. The Goa government has partnered with Innovaccer, a US-based healthcare data analytics company that developed the self-assessment platform.

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

4. NTPC concludes acquisition of govt’s stake in THDC & NEEPCO: National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) concluded the acquisition of Centre’s entire stake in two hydropower generating firms, Tehri Hydro Power Complex (THDC) India and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), at Rs 11,500 crore. Under the deal, NTPC acquired the latter’s 74.496 % equity stake in THDC India Ltd (THDCIL) for Rs 7,500 crore & its 100% equity in North-Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPC) for Rs 4,000 crore respectively.

Note: Headquarters of NTPC: New Delhi; Chairman & MD of NTPC: Gurdeep Singh.

5. ‘Invest India Business Immunity Platform’ launched by Invest India: India’s national Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency, the Invest India has launched ‘The Invest India Business Immunity Platform’ to assist businesses and investors in getting real-time updates on India’s active response to COVID-19. This platform tracks the regular developments with respect to the Coronavirus and aims to help businesses and investors by providing latest information on various initiatives launched by central and state government, facilitate access to special provisions, and also resolve queries via emails as well as on WhatsApp.

Note: MD & CEO of Invest India: Deepak Bagla.

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry: Piyush Goyal.

6. Shilpa Shetty Kundra partners with Fit India: The Government of India’s flagship fitness movement “Fit India” has teamed up with Bollywood actress and fitness icon Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The tie-up will provide free access of the Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s premium 21-Day Weight Loss Programme during the 21-day lockdown owing to Covid-19 pandemic. The free of cost access of the 21-Day Weight Loss Programme will be available for the Indian as well as global audience via Shilpa Shetty App (SS App). The App''s premium ''21-Day Weight Loss Program'' free for all Indian and global users.

7. PESO takes measures to ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen to hospitals:

Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) has taken various measures to ensure uninterrupted supply of Oxygen to hospitals and other health care facilities due to nationwide lockdown for containment of COVID-19 pandemic PESO issued Instruction to all its offices to ensure grant of licences for storage and transport of medical oxygen on an urgent basis The validity of licenses for transportation of oxygen and other gases have been extended up to 30th June 2020.

8. Indian Railways to give full refund for cancelled trains: Indian Railways will give a full refund for all tickets for journey period from 21st March to 14th April 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19. For tickets cancelled prior to 27th March, the passenger needs to file Ticket Deposit Receipt by filling a form up to 21st June to avail balance refund amount. In case of e-tickets, the balance refund amount shall be credited to the account of the passenger from which tickets was booked for tickets cancelled prior to 27th March.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UN launches Global Humanitarian Response Plan to fight COVID-19: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has launched a US$2.012 billion coordinated COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) to fight COVID-19 in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries. The Global HRP has been launched for a period of nine months (April–December 2020). The response plan will be coordinated by UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and will bring together requirements from World Health Organization and other UN humanitarian agencies. To kick-start the response plan, $60 million has been released from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The Response plan will provide following benefits: (1) Deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people; (2) install handwashing stations in camps and settlements; (3) launch public information campaigns on how to protect yourself and others from the virus; and establish airbridges and hubs across Africa, Asia and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most.

Note: The United Nations is headquartered in New York City, United States.

2. Abbott Labs launches 5-minute coronavirus test: American medical devices and health care company, Abbott Laboratories, is unveiling a coronavirus test which will tell if someone is infected within 5 minutes. This test is so small and portable it is often utilized in almost any health-care setting. The test starts with taking a swab from the nose or the rear of the throat, then mixing it with a chemical solution that breaks open the virus and releases its RNA. The mixture is inserted into an ID Now system, a small box weighing slightly below 7 pounds that has the technology to spot and amplify select sequences of the coronavirus genome and ignore contamination from other viruses. The medical-device maker plans to supply 50,000 tests a day starting April 1. The technology builds on Illinois-based Abbotts ID Now platform, the most common point-of-care test currently available in the U.S., with more than 18,000 units spread across the country.

Note: Headquarters of Abbott Laboratories: Chicago, Illino

3. India to join WHO’s COVID-19 trials: India is all set to join World Health Organisation’s “Solidarity trial” aimed at rapid global search for drugs to treat COVID-19. The country has stayed away so far from this multi-country trial “due to its small sample size and because our contribution would have looked minuscule. The Solidarity Trial will test four different drugs or combinations- remdesivir, a combination of two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, the two drugs plus interferon beta, and chloroquine- and will compare their effectiveness to what is called standard of care, the regular support hospitals treating COVID-19 patients use now.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. CRISIL cuts India’s GDP growth forecast for FY2021 to 3.5%: CRISIL has reduced India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for fiscal 2021 to 3.5 per cent from 5.2 per cent expected earlier. The cut is due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic in India and the consequent lockdown for 21 days pose a material risk to our India economic outlook. The slump in growth will be concentrated in the first half of the next fiscal, while the second half should see a mild recovery.

Note: CEO of Crisil: Ashu Suyash; Crisil Chief Economist: Dharmakirti Joshi; Headquarters of Crisil: Mumbai.

2. SK Gupta and KM Prasad becomes new members of CBDT board: The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of two Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers Krishan Mohan Prasad and Satish Kumar Gupta as members of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Board.

Note: Chairperson of CBDT: Pramod Chandra Mody.

3. RBI permits 3-month moratorium on EMI payments: The Reserve Bank of India asked all lending institutions to allow three-month moratorium on EMI payments in order to infuse liquidity into the system as the economy grapples with Covid-19 challenges. It has also allowed banks for deferment of interest on working capital loans for the next three months – until June 2020. It will reduce interest burden on businesses and industries and will boost economic activities.

DEFENCE

1. Indian Army launches “Operation Namaste” to combat the spread of COVID-19: Army Chief General MM Naravane has launched “Operation Namaste” to combat the spread of COVID-19. The aim of the Operation is to insulate the 1.3 million armed force from coronavirus infection and extend all possible assistance to the government in containing the pandemic. MM Naravane said that since social distancing among the Army personnel may not be possible to implement in key formations due to tactical and operational reasons, hence Army personnel to have been advised to keep themselves safe and fit. Indian Army has so far, established eight quarantine facilities across the country.

Note: 28th Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj Mukund Naravane; The motto of Indian Army: “Service Before Self”; Headquarters of Indian Army: New Delhi.

OBITUARIES

1. Samajwadi Party founder and Minister Beni Prasad Verma passes away: Founder of Samajwadi Party and Former Union Minister, Beni Prasad Verma passed away at the age of 79. He was a founding member of the Samajwadi Party. He was known as ‘Babu Ji’. Mr. Verma was the telecom minister between 1996-1998 in then prime minister H D Deve Gowda's cabinet and the steel minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance-II government. He has served as Independent Minister of State for Communications, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs. Verma was a Lok Sabha member from 1996 to 2014.

2. Brahmakumaris Chief Dadi Janki Passes Away at 104: Rajyogini Dadi Janki, the chief of Brahma Kumaris Sansthan, the world’s largest spiritual organisation run by women, has passed away after prolonged illness. She was 104. She has been engaged with the organisation since 1937 and set up ‘Seva Kendras’ in 140 countries around the world. She was appointed the brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) by the government for her work in the field of maintaining cleanliness.

Daily GK Updates - 27th March, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. MHA issues SOPs to maintain supply of Essential Goods: The Union Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA) has issued the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) to maintain the supply of essential goods in order to relieve the difficulties faced by people during the 21-day nationwide lockdown to fight against the Coronavirus outbreak. The SOPs proposes to let e-commerce remain operational during the 21-day nationwide lockdown and to encourage the home delivery of essential goods while keeping in mind the practice of social distancing. It also aims to allow the employees or persons engaged in the supply chain to commute on the basis of e-pass or any other certification issued by the concerned local authorities.

Note: Union Minister of Home Affairs: Amit Shah.

2. CII sets up ‘CII COVID Rehabilitation and Relief Fund’: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has set up a CII COVID Rehabilitation and Relief Fund (CRR) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) to tackle Covid-19. The fund will assist small enterprises or MSME in rehabilitation and is expected to curtail the impact of Coronavirus on the MSME sector. CII will also request to all its members to contribute an amount from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) allocation for the CII COVID Rehabilitation and Relief Fund (CRR). CII requested for additional ad-hoc sanction of working capital to the tune of 25% of sanctioned limit as a relief measure.

Note: President of Confederation of Indian Industry: Vikram S. Kirloskar.

3. DST sets up COVID-19 task force for mapping of technologies: Department of Science and Technology (DST) has set up a COVID-19 Task Force for mapping of technologies from Research and Development labs, academic institutions, start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). It aims to fund nearly market-ready solutions in the area of diagnostics, testing, health care delivery solutions, equipment supplies. These solutions include masks and other protective gear, sanitizers, affordable kits for screening, ventilators and oxygenators among others. The task force will consist of DST, DBT, ICMR, and MeitY and will identify start-ups that can fulfill this project.

Note: Union Minister of Science and Technology: Harsh Vardhan; Headquarters of Department of Science and Technology: New Delhi.

4. India’s largest COVID-19 hospital to be set up in Odisha: India’s largest COVID-19 hospital is all set to come up in Odisha, to treat patients tested positive for the novel Coronavirus exclusively. The 1,000 beds hospital will be completely functional in the next 15 days. With this, Odisha will be the first state in the country to set up such a large-scale hospital exclusively to treat Covid-19 patients. The state government signed two tripartite agreements with Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital to set up the state-level hospitals in Bhubaneswar for treatment of Covid-19 patients. The state govt is also planning to set up a Covid-19 testing laboratory at this hospital to ease the burden on the only other facility located at Bhubaneswar.

Note: Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

5. Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam District Bifurcated to Form Mayiladuthurai as 38th District: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has announced the formation of a new district Mayiladuthurai by bifurcating the existing district of Nagapattinam. With this, the total number of districts in the state has increased to 38. Till date, Tamil Nadu had 37 districts, of which five new districts were formed in 2019. These are:

Kallakurichi district split from Viluppuram

Tenkasi district split from Tirunelveli district

Chengalpattu district split from Kanchipuram district

Tirupattur district split from Vellore district

Ranipet district split from Vellore district

6. Indore Becomes First in the Country to Opt for Drones to Sanitise City amid Coronavirus Scare: Indore, the cleanest city of India in Madhya Pradesh, has deployed drones to sanitize city areas against the coronavirus outbreak. This makes Indore as the first city in the country to attempt to fight off the virus scare this way. The initiative is a first-of-its kind attempt by which crowded areas are sanitised with the help of drones sprinkling chemicals. The Indore Municipal Corporation has hired two drones for this purpose. Vegetables markets and streets of the Indore are being sprayed with sodium hypochlorite and bio-clean. These drones take off with 16 litres of chemicals in each flight and return after 30 minutes having sprayed chemicals in an area spanning 8-10km.

Note: Capital of Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal; Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.

7. Delhi Government Announces Rs 100-cr “Branding Delhi” scheme to make Delhi tourism brand: The Delhi government has announced a new scheme titled “Branding Delhi”, to introduce the national capital as a tourism brand to domestic and foreign tourists and create new jobs in the sector. The Rs 100-crore scheme will re-brand Delhi tourism and the city will be introduced as a tourism brand in the country and abroad to domestic and foreign tourists.

8. Grievance Redressal Cell established to resolve food processors problem: Ministry of Food Processing Industries has established a Grievance Redressal Cell to ensure that problems faced by food processors due to COVID-19 are resolved. Industry members facing any problem in operations and distribution of food products can send their queries to covidgrievance-mofpi@gov.in. A Business Immunity Website www.investindia.gov.in/bip has also been designed to help business and investors for hassle free operations.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US launch Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite for military communication: The United States Space Force launched its first national security mission, the Lockheed Martin Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite on March 26, 2020. It will help the US in military communication. The Lock Heed Martin AEHF-6 (Advanced Extremely High Frequency) satellite was launched on the Atlas V551 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida to provide global protected communications. The satellite constellation provides “global, survivable, protected communications capabilities for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms.

Note: The Trump administration established the US Space Force as a separate military branch in December 2019. Gen. John “Jay” Raymond is the Space Force’s first chief of space operations.

2. Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit held: An Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit was held on 26 March 2020 to discuss the challenges posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to move forward in coordinating global efforts to combat the Corona crisis. The Video Summit was chaired by Saudi Arabia. Indian delegation was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Besides the G20 members, the summit also had leaders from the invited countries – Spain, Jordan, Singapore, and Switzerland, as well as international organizations – United Nations, World Bank, IMF, World Health Organization and World Trade Organization. PM Modi informed that 90% of the COVID-19 cases and 88% of deaths were in G20 countries. G20 nation share 80% of world GDP and 60% of world population. G20 countries committed to inject over USD 5 trillion into the global economy to counter the social and economic impact of COVID-19. At the end of the Summit, a G20 Leaders’ Statement was issued which called for a coordinated global response to fight the pandemic, adopting measures to safeguard the global economy, minimising trade disruption and steps to enhance global cooperation.

3. India proposes shared electronic platform for SAARC nation: Senior health professionals representing India at SAARC proposed a shared electronic platform for all member nations. It will serve as a multipurpose vehicle to discuss and conduct activities such as online training for emergency response personnel, knowledge partnerships, sharing of expertise in disease surveillance and joint research for new diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for epidemic diseases.

4. World Theatre Day: 27 March: The World Theatre Day is celebrated all over the world on the 27th of March since 1962 to promote the art form “theatre” accross the world. This day is a celebration for those who can see the value and importance of the art form “theatre”, and acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians and institutions which have not yet recognised its value to the people and to the individual and have not yet realised its potential for economic growth. Every year the Executive Council of ITI choses an outstanding theatre personality to write the message for World Theatre Day. The author of the Message of World Theatre Day 2020 is: Shahid NADEEM (Playwright), Pakistan.

Note: The day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI).

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI cuts Repo Rate by 75 bps to 4.4%; Reverse RR to 4.0%: RBI Governor, Shaktikanta Das has announced that MPC Meet was conducted on 24, 26 and 27 March. As per the Seventh Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2019-20 Resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) it has been decided to cut Repo Rate by 75bps to 4.40% from earlier 5.15%. Reverse Repo Rate has been cut by 90 bps from 4.90% to 4.00%. MSF and Bank rate stands at 25bps above Repo Rate at -> 4.65% Cash Reserve Ratio has been cut by 100 bps to 3%. The requirement of a minimum 90% daily CRR balance has been reduced to 80% effective from fortnight beginning March 28, 2020. This is a one-time facility available upto June 26, 2020. This time MPC has refrained from giving any GDP growth or inflation numbers. This is because the outlook is extremely volatile due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Repo Rate- 4.40%

Reverse Repo Rate- 4.00%

MSF- 4.65%

Bank Rate- 4.65%

CRR- 3%

2. Jana SFB rolls out UPI QR-based loan instalment payment facility: Jana Small Finance Bank has rolled out a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) QR-based loan installment payment facility along with National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) for its customers. Initially the facility will be only available to over 40 lakh customers of the Jana Small Finance Bank and will enable the customers of the small finance bank to generate UPI QR code for their loan account as well as to make instalment payments instantly with the help of any of the UPI applications.

Note: Managing Director and CEO of Jana SFB: Ajay Kanwal.

MD & CEO of National Payments Corporation of India: Dilip Asbe.

3. Moody’s cuts India GDP growth in 2020 to 2.5%: Moody’s Investors Service has reduced its estimate of India’s GDP growth during Calendar Year 2020 to 2.5%, from an earlier estimate of 5.3%. Moody’s maintained its estimate of 5.8% growth for India in 2021. The reason for the slash in the GDP growth is that the coronavirus pandemic will cause unprecedented shock to the global economy. Moody’s now expects real GDP in the global economy to contract by 0.5 percent in 2020, followed by a pickup to 3.2 percent in 2021.

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

4. NABARD Extends Financial Support of Rs 42,313 cr in FY’20 for rural infrastructure: The apex agriculture financial institution, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has provided a financial support up to Rs 42,313 crore towards building rural infrastructure in the current fiscal year 2019-20. Till date, NABARD has disbursed Rs 20,869 Crore during the current year in addition to providing Rs 5,686 Crore for rural connectivity. In the last five years, NABARD has disbursed Rs 1.98 lakh crore towards rural development.

OBITUARIES

1. Renowned Artist and architect Satish Gujral passes away: Padma Vibhushan award winning artist, architect, sculptor and writer Satish Gujral passed away. He was awarded with India’s second-highest civilian honour i.e. the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. He designed the Belgium Embassy in New Delhi. His renowned works also include the alphabet mural on the outside wall of the Delhi High Court. He wrote his autobiography “A Brush With Life”.

2. Indian Celebrity Chef Floyd Cardoz Passes Away at 59 Due to Coronavirus: The World-renowned Indian-American chef Floyd Cardoz passed away in New Jersey at age 59 after being tested positive for coronavirus. Cardoz tested positive for Covid-19 in the USA on March 18, and was being treated at the Mountainside Medical Centre in New Jersey. He had opened a string of acclaimed restaurants in both New York and Mumbai and became a TV star along the way.

3. Padma Shri Awardee Veteran Photographer Nemai Ghosh Passes Away: Noted Indian photographer Nemai Ghosh, mostly known for working with filmmaker Satyajit Ray as a still photographer, passed away suffering from age-related ailments. He was 86. He was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India in 2010. Ghosh worked with Satyajit Ray for two decades as a still photographer where he captured the master craftsman in different moods at sets besides framing actors as they faced camera. He made his debut with Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969) and was with Satyajit Ray till his last film Agantuk (1991).