Daily GK Updates - 5th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UP Government launches “Mission Vriksharopan-2020” drive: The UP government has launched a mega plantation programme called "Mission Vriksharopan-2020’. Under this campaign, more than 25 crore saplings were planted on 5th July in Uttar Pradesh. Under the Programme, in plantation sites, geo-tagging will be done. The tree plantation drive was launched on the occasion of Guru Poornima and hence several people were seen planting saplings to pay respect to their mentors. The plantation drive also focusses upon prevention of malnutrition, biodiversity conservation and plantation along the banks of Ganga and tributaries.

Note: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Aditya Nath; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

2. Delhi Government launches LEAD portal for easy access to school study material: The government of Delhi has launched an online education portal named LEAD (Learning through E-Resources Made Accessible for Delhi) which will provide over 10,000 instructional material and course content for the students of classes 1 to 12. Through the LEAD portal, students would easily be able to access study material, textbooks, and course content as per the syllabus of the CBSE, NCERT and Delhi government’s curriculum online. It will include digital QR coded textbooks, explanatory videos, practice questions and evaluation. The LEAD portal has been developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The Delhi government will connect this portal with the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s (HRD) online portal, DIKSHA for teaching and training material.

Note: Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal; Governor of Delhi: Anil Baijal.

3. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches toolkit for Swachh Survekshan 2021: The Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri virtually launched the toolkit for Swachh Survekshan-2021. The 2021 edition will be the sixth edition of the annual cleanliness survey of urban India conducted by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The Swachh Survekshan-2021 indicators will mainly focus on parameters pertaining to wastewater treatment and reuse along with faecal sludge. The minister has also announced a new category of awards titled Prerak Dauur Samman as part of Swachh Survekshan-2021. The Prerak Daaur Samman will have five additional sub- categories. These are: (1) Divya (Platinum), (2) Anupam (Gold), (3) Ujjwal (Silver), (4) Udit (Bronze), (5) Aarohi (Aspiring)

The SS 2021 survey will categorise cities on the basis of six indicator-wise performance criteria, which are, segregation of waste into wet, dry and hazard categories; processing capacity against wet waste generated; processing and recycling of wet and dry waste; construction & demolition (C&D) waste processing; percentage of waste going to landfills; and sanitation status of cities.

4. President Ram Nath Kovind Inaugurates Dharma Chakra Day 2020 Celebrations: President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind has virtually inaugurated the celebrations for the Dharma Chakra Day 2020 Organized by International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), in Partnership with Union Ministry of Culture, from the Rashtrapati Bhawan at New Delhi on the occasion of Asadha Poornima (also known as Guru Purnima), a Full Moon day or Purnima that occurs in the Hindu month of Ashadha (July) as per Indian sun calendar. It marks Buddha’s First Sermon to his first five ascetic disciples at Sarnath near Varanasi, UP. It is also known as Guru Poornima by both Buddhists as well as Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their Gurus.

Note: Ministers of State (I/C) of Culture: Prahalad Singh Patel.

5. Airtel’s Ajai Puri appointed Chairman of telecom body COAI: Telecom industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has appointed Bharti Airtel chief operating officer for India and South Asia, Ajai Puri, as its new Chairman for 2020-21. Puri has replaced Vodafone Idea CEO Ravinder Takkar as the chairman of the COAI on rotation basis. He has been working with Airtel since 2004. Apart from this, Reliance Jio President P K Mittal has been appointed as the vice-chairman of the industry body.

6. Himachal Pradesh to provide tap connections to all rural households by 2022: A meeting via video conferencing was held between Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur.  They discussed the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the state.  During the meeting, Thakur said that the state is planning 100% coverage of Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) by August 2022, ahead of national goal by 2024. The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched by PM Modi on 15th August 2019.

7. SERB launches ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ scheme to strengthen scientific research mechanism: The Science and Engineering Research Board has launched a new scheme called ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ to provide a single platform for research internships, capacity building programs and workshops across the country. The primary objective of this inter-ministerial scheme is to encourage high-end scientific research and prepare scientific manpower, which can lead towards research careers and knowledge-based economy. Accelerate Vigyan will initiate and strengthen mechanisms for identifying research potential, mentoring, training and hands-on.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India stands third largest contributor to e-waste in 2019, China tops: UN Report: A United Nations led report has found that India is the third largest contributor to e-waste in the world in 2019. As per the report titled ‘Global E-waste Monitor 2020’, the world dumped a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste in 2019. Of this, just 17.4 percent was recycled. China was the biggest contributor to e-waste in the world, contributing 10.1 million tonnes of e-waste. United States was second with 6.9 million tonnes. India, with 3.2 million tonnes, was third. Together these three countries accounted for nearly 38 percent of the world’s e-waste in 2019. The report also says that the way in which we produce, consume and dispose of e-waste is unsustainable, because of the overall damage done to the environment from all the un-recycled waste.

2. Jean Castex named as new French prime minister: French President Emmanuel Macron appointed a public Servant, Jean Castex as the new Prime Minister of France. He has replaced the former french Prime Minister Edouard Philippe who resigned from the post ahead of a government reshuffle. He is known for his role in drafting the strategy to lift lockdown measures in the country in the French Media. He is known as Mr Deconfinement of French Media. He has worked as an advisor to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He has several years of work experience in the health Ministry of France.

Note: France Capital: Paris; Currencies: Euro

3. India Ranked 31st in INFORM Risk Index 2020 for Humanitarian crises & Disasters: Research centres INFORM operating under European Commission released its report, “Shared Evidence for Managing Crises and Disasters”. The report ranks the countries based on “INFORM Risk Index” that is calculated considering humanitarian crises and disaster in the region. The index considers the following while framing the index: (1) Natural Factors: Tsunami, Earthquake, Drought, Flood, Epidemic and Tropical Cyclones. (2) Human Factors: Human Conflicts and conflict risks. (3) Socio-Economic factors: Inequality, vulnerable people, deprivation and aid dependency. (4) Institutional and Infrastructure: Governance, Communication, and Access to health systems. Notably, this report is produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) on behalf of all INFORM Partners.

INFORM report has ranked India as the 31st World’s most dangerous place to live due to the high risks of natural disaster, poverty and social injustice with global risk index of 5.4. The report consists of 191 countries with Singapore as the least dangerous nation. North Korea stands at 39th and South Korea was ranked at the 150th. Somalia is ranked World’s 1st most dangerous nation followed by Central African Republic, and Yemen. China was ranked 71, Pakistan at 17, Sri Lanka at 96.

Note: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinato: Mark Lowcock; Headquarter: New York, United States (US) & Geneva, Switzerland

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Foreign and Indian coaches to have a 4-year contract: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju: The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri. Kiren Rijiju has announced that the Foreign and Indian coaches, who are training Indian Athletes, will now have a four-year contract in alignment with the Olympic cycle. This decision has been taken with focus on the 2024 and 2028 Olympics and ensures that Olympic-bound athletes’ gets to train consistently with the same coach, resulting in improved performance of athletes and ensure more medals for India. The 4-year contract of coaches will be given on the basis of the performance of a coach and recommendation from the respective NSFs. However, the contracts will be reviewed annually and extended on the basis of a coach’s overall performance, indicated by the performance of athletes in major international events.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IRDAI sets up nine-member Working Group Headed by G Srinivasan, to study the suitability of offering of Surety Bond by Indian Insurance Industry: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has decided to examine the feasibility of introducing surety bonds by insurance companies for road contracts in the country. For this, the insurance regulator has set up a nine-member working group to study the legal framework and suitability of the Indian insurance industry or any other sector to offer such bonds. The Working Group will be headed by G Srinivasan, Director, National Insurance Academy. Responsibility of the WG: (1) To study the current Indian legal and regulatory framework with reference to Surety Bonds. (2) To assess the suitability of the Indian Insurance Industry or any other sector to offer Surety Bonds. (3) To provide justification for the recommendations being made by the group, with special reference to the legal and regulatory perspective. (4) The insurance legal/regulatory framework does not permit underwriting of bonds that guarantee performance and bid securities as they are financial instruments and not conventional insurance products.

Note: IRDAI Chairman: Subhash Chandra Khuntia

2. HDFC Bank to offer ‘ZipDrive’ online instant auto loans: HDFC Bank has offered car loan facility titled ‘ZipDrive’ exclusively for HDFC Bank customers. It is an instant New Car Loan process through which can be availed with Net Banking anytime, anywhere. Customers can opt for their choice of car model, dealer, loan amount within eligible limits and tenure online along with on-road 100% funding. Main Features: Instant disbursal of loan, 24/7 Online Loan, Negligible Paperwork. It is a technology-enabled loan product where credit assessment is done by banking software. The offering is now being extended to Tier 2 and 3 cities, such as Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh, Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, Thalassery in Kerala, and Balasore in Odisha among other places, across India.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Managing Director of HDFC Bank: Aditya Puri.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. NPCI to set up Rs 500-crore Smart data centre in Hyderabad to handle digital transactions: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is setting up its own ‘Smart Datacentre’ in Hyderabad, Telangana, at an investment of Rs. 500 crore. The foundation stone for this Tier-IV data centre was laid by Telangana Information Technology and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao at Narsingi village in Hyderabad. The Smart Data Centre is being constructed by L&T and will be built with an Internet of Things (IoT) based building- management system that will have eight layers of security, conforming to top global standards of data centres. The centre will protect the systems from natural calamities, ensuring smooth processing of data and further enhance acceptance infrastructure for digital payments so as to encourage customers towards digital transactions.

Note: MD & CEO of NPCI: Dilip Asbe

Daily GK Updates - 4th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. German tech firm SAP India launches Global Bharat program: The Global Bharat program has been launched by the German technology firm SAP India. The programme has been designed to equip Indian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with digital technologies in order to make them globally competitive. SAP India will also provide MSMEs access to their enterprise resource planning (ERP) software under the Global Bharat program. It will compliment the Indian government’s vision to empower the MSME sector by offering them access to global marketplace, digital skilling for the workforce and transforming business processes.

2. MSME Ministry launches new portal for registration of MSMEs under the name Udyam Registration: The Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched the new fully online process of Classification and Registration of MSME enterprises from 1st July, 2020. For this, the Ministry has launched a new portal called Udyam registration, which will felicitate online, paperless and self-declaration based registration. No documents or proof are required to be uploaded for registering an MSME. An enterprise that will be registered using the new process will be known as Udyam and its Registration Process will be known as ‘Udyam Registration’.

3. ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission captures image of Mars’ biggest moon ‘Phobos’: The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan mission, of the ISRO, has captured the image of the closest and biggest moon of Mars, named Phobos. The image was taken on July 1, 2020, by the Mars Colour Camera (MCC) onboard MOM, when the MOM was about 7,200 km from Mars and 4,200 km from Phobos. The Spatial resolution of the image is 210 m. Phobos is largely believed to be made up of carbonaceous chondrites. Stickney, the largest crater on Phobos along with the other craters (Shklovsky, Roche & Grildrig) are also seen in this image.

4. Centre Extends Tenure of Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as NHAI Chairman: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of the tenure of senior bureaucrat Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for a period of six months, beyond July 21, 2020, up to January 21, 2021. Sandhu, a 1988 batch IAS officer of Uttarakhand cadre, took charge of the post in October 2019.

5. DAC approves capital acquisition of various platforms & equipment worth Rs 38,900 crore: Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded approval for Capital acquisitions of various platforms and equipment required by the Indian Armed Forces. Proposals for an approximate cost of 38900 Crore rupees were approved. The equipments are to be manufactured in India involving Indian Defence Industry with participation of several MSMEs as prime tier vendors. The Indigenous content in some of these projects is up to 80 percent of the project cost. The cost of these Design and Development proposals is in the range of 20400 crore rupees.

6. AIIMS, IIT-Delhi develop app to provide real-time information on plasma therapy donors for COVID-19 patients: Resident doctors of AIIMS with the help of IIT-Delhi students have developed a mobile application to track real-time Covid-19 patients in the hospital, who can become potential plasma donors 28 days after recovery along with those who have been discharged. The app named COPAL-19 has details of patients who have already been discharged from AIIMS, those currently undergoing treatment and their blood groups so that patients who require plasma therapy can get it in time without any hassle.

7. NLC India and Coal India form JV to develop solar and thermal power assets: The Central Government-owned NLC India Ltd and Coal India Ltd have inked a Joint Venture Agreement on 3rd July 2020 for formation of a Joint Venture Company (JVC) to develop 5000 Megawatt of Solar and Thermal Power assets across the country. Both companies will have 50:50 equity share in the joint venture company. NLC India Limited is a government of India owned ‘Navratna’ company in the fossil fuel mining sector and thermal power generation. Coal India Limited is an Indian state-owned Maharatna coal mining and refinery company headquartered in Kolkata. It is the largest coal-producing company in the world.

Note: Headquarter of Coal India: Kolkata, West Bengal; Chairman and managing director of Coal India Ltd.: Pramod Agrawal

8. Maharashtra Govt. signed MoU with UKIBC for Sustainable Business Relation: The UK India Business Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). MIDC is the premier industrial infrastructure development agency of the Government of Maharashtra. This business framework between the UKIBC and Government of Maharashtra will help the State to proactively better its business environment and strengthen its collaboration with British business.

Note: Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari; CM:  Uddhav Thackeray

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India Joins as Founding Member of UNGA’s Alliance for Poverty Eradication: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande formally launched the “Alliance for Poverty Eradication”. The Alliance aims to provide a forum for UN member states to raise awareness about the danger that poverty poses to world peace, human rights and sustainable development and also deliberate on measures that need to be instituted so as to get the world economy working in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. India has joined the Alliance as a founding member. With this, India will not only get success towards poverty alleviation but will also be able to share its experience in areas of agriculture, use of technology and investment from which other nations can learn.

2. ADB Becomes Observer for the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS): The Manila, Philippines based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has joined the Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS). ADB’s inclusion as Observer will help the institution to fulfill its corporate strategy, ‘the Strategy 2030’, particularly in tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability; fostering regional cooperation and integration; and strengthening governance and institutional capacity.

What is NGFS: NGFS was launched at the Paris One Planet Summit on 12 December 2017. It is a group of central banks and supervisors willing to share best practices and contribute to the development of environment and climate risk management in the financial sector, while mobilizing mainstream finance to support the transition toward a sustainable economy.

Other Observers of NGFS: The other NGFS Observers are World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Note: President of Asian Development Bank: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines; Founded: 19 December 1966

3. World Allergy Week 2020: 28 June to 4 July 2020: Each Year World Allergy Organization (WAO) organises World Allergy Week to raise awareness of the impact of allergy in our communities. The World Allergy Week 2020 is being celebrated from 28 June to 4 July 2020. The theme for 2020 is “Allergy care does not stop with COVID-19.”

4. International Co-operative Day 2020: 04th July: The International Co-operative Day is held annually on the first Saturday in July since 1923 by the International Co-operative Alliance to celebrate the co-operative movement and to increase awareness of cooperatives. In 2020, the International Co-operative Day is being observed on 04 July, 2020. The theme of International Co-operative Day 2020 is:  “Cooperatives for Climate Action”.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Two-time Olympic winning Chinese Badminton Superstar Lin Dan Announces Retirement: The two-time Olympic badminton champion Lin Dan from China has announced his retirement on 4 July 2020. The 37-year-old, won the Olympics singles titles in Beijing in 2008 and the 2012 London Games. Dan, one of the sport’s greatest singles players, has also won five World Championship and six All England titles.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. ICICI Bank launches instant loan against mutual fund units: Private sector lender ICICI Bank has launched a facility that enables retail customers to get loan of up to Rs.1 crore instantly by pledging their holdings in both debt and equity schemes of mutual funds. ICICI Bank has launched ‘Insta Loans against Mutual Funds’ in partnership with ‘Computer Age Management Services’ (CAMS). ‘Insta Loans against Mutual Funds’ is an extension of the Insta LAS, an instant loan facility against equity shares, which the bank had launched over a year ago. The fully digital and paperless facility empowers the customers to avail this loan as an overdraft (OD) in a matter of few minutes, without visiting a branch and submitting physical documents.

2. Union Bank revamps Insurance distribution channels post merger: The Union Bank of India has expanded its insurance distribution channels after the amalgamation of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank with it with effect from April 1, 2020. Now the bank will offer Insurance products of three life insurers, four general insurers and two standalone health insurers. Prior to amalgamation Union Bank was distributing insurance products of one life insurer, 3 general insurer and one stand alone health insurer, under corporate agency tie-up agreements. They were SUD Life Insurance Co Ltd, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, New India Assurance Co Ltd and Chola M.S. General Insurance Co Ltd and Religare Health Insurance Co Ltd. Post-amalgamation, the bank has decided to continue corporate agency agreement with India First Life Insurance Company Limited and LIC of India under Life Insurance segment, United India Insurance under General Insurance segment and Manipal Cigna Health Insurance under Health Insurance Segment.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Reliance launches unlimited free conferencing app JioMeet: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries has launched a video conferencing app, JioMeet, with unlimited free calling facility. It is a close competitor of US-owned Zoom app. The JioMeet video conferencing app is available to work across Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and web since July 2 after beta testing. JioMeet supports HD audio and video call quality and allows up to 100 participants at a time. It offers features like screen sharing, meeting schedule feature and more. Unlike Zoom, it does not impose a 40-minute time limit. Calls can go on for as long as 24 hours, and all meetings are encrypted and password-protected.

2. Intel Capital to buy 0.39% stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 1,894.50 crore: US based Electronic chip maker Intel’s investment arm, Intel Capital to buy 0.39% stake in Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)’s Jio Platforms  for Rs 1,894.50 crore. The announcement was made by Reliance Industries Limited on 3rd July 2020. With this investment, equity value in Jio Platforms rose to Rs 4.91 lakh crore. In a matter of 11 weeks since 22nd April 2020, this was the 12th foreign investment in Jio Platforms. With this investment, RIL holds 74.91% stake in Jio and 25.09% by the investors.

Note: Intel Headquarters: California, U.S; Chief Executive Officer: Robert (Bob) H. Swan

RIL Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Chairman & Managing Director: Mukesh Ambani

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Indian author Kritika Pandey wins 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize: Indian author Kritika Pandey, who won the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the Asia region on 2 June 2020, has been declared as the overall winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The 29-year-old has won the 5,000 pound award for her story The Great Indian Tee and Snakes. Pandey, a resident of Ranchi, Jharkhand, was chosen the overall winner from among the five regional winners, in a virtual ceremony in London on 30 June 2020.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bank approves $750 mn emergency response fund for India’s COVID-hit MSME sector: The World Bank has approved loan worth $750 million to address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of India’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. The World Bank Group will address the above issues along with its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) by supporting the government’s initiatives in order to protect the MSME sector by unlocking liquidity, strengthening Non-Banking Financial Company and Small Finance Bank, and enabling financial innovations. The World Bank’s MSME Emergency Response program will provide financial support to some 1.5 million viable MSMEs. With this, the World Bank’s total commitment has reached to $2.75 billion to support India’s emergency Covid-19 response.

2. Union HRD Minister and Union Health Minister jointly inaugurate Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 (DDH2020): Union Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Science and Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan jointly launched Drug Discovery Hackathon through video conferencing on 2nd July 2020. The Hackathon is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It is a first of its kind national initiative for supporting drug discovery process inviting students, academicians, researchers and professionals to participate in the Hackathon and work towards developing drugs to tackle Covid-19. However, to attract international talent, the hackathon will be open to participation from across the globe as well from varied fields like computer science, chemistry, Pharmacy, medical sciences, basic sciences and biotechnology.

3. GoI declares entire Nagaland as “disturbed area” for 6 months: The Government of India has declared the entire Nagaland as “disturbed area”. The declaration has been made for a further period of six months i.e. till end December. Supporting the declaration, Ministry of Home Affairs mentioned in its notification that the area comprising the whole Nagaland is in a disturbed and dangerous condition and hence the use of armed forces for “the maintenance of public order” is necessary. Nagaland has been placed under the coverage of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for almost six decades. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) empowers the armed forces to search and arrest, and to open fire if it seems necessary for “the maintenance of public order”.

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

4. IIT Kanpur develops virtual classroom teaching setup ‘Mobile Masterjee’: A team of engineers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur has developed an innovative classroom-to-home teaching setup titled ‘Mobile Masterjee’, to overcome the disruption in normal classroom teaching caused due to Covid-19 lockdown. The device is targeted at helping the rural schools to overcome the teaching and learning challenges posed by the pandemic. This virtual classroom system has been designed to record the lectures/instructions by the teachers using smartphones. The gadget allows for fixing the smartphone at various locations and heights, and to self record the lectures for communicating to the students. It also allowed for writing on a sheet of paper apart from giving the option of recording blackboard teaching. It is lightweight and compact, and has adjustments to fit sheets/book on it for delivering instructions to pupils.

5. IIT Madras launches world’s first online BSc degree in Programming and Data Science: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has introduced world’s first-ever online BSc degree programme in Data Science and Programming. The programme was launched by Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Minister of State for HRD Sanjay Dhotre. The course will be offered in three different stages– Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme.

6. Parminder Chopra assumes charge as Director (Finance) of PFC: Parminder Chopra has been appointed as the Director (Finance) of Power Finance Corporation (PFC). She succeeded N.B. Gupta whose tenure ended on June 30, 2020. Prior to this, she was working as an Executive Director (Finance) at Power Finance Corporation (PFC). She has 32 years of experience in handling crucial and core finance functions like fund mobilisation, asset-liability management, stressed asset resolution.

7. ‘Surakshit Dada-Dadi, Nana-Nani Abhiyan’ launched to ensure well-being of Senior Citizens: Surakshit Dada-Dadi, Nana-Nani Abhiyan is a collaborative effort between NITI Aayog, Piramal Foundation, and 25 Aspirational Districts to ensure the well-being of 2.9 million Senior Citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. NITI Aayog has launched this campaign following the appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take care of senior citizens. Piramal foundation with the help of social welfare department and district administration is implementing this campaign in Surendranagar district.

8. Venkaiah Naidu Virtually Releases book ‘Future of Higher Education – Nine Mega Trends’ by CA V Pattabhi Ram: The Vice President of India, Shri. M. Venkaiah Naidu virtually released a book titled “Future of Higher Education – Nine Mega Trends”, during an event hosted by ICT Academy. The book has been authored by CA V Pattabhi Ram, Author, Public Speaker, and Teacher. It is based on a survey of around 5000 educators across India, who were part of ICT Academy’s “SkyCampus” Digital Knowledge Series. The book will cover the new norms in the key areas of higher education such as Student-Teacher relationship, Learning methods, Laboratories, Examinations, etc; all taking a paradigm shift during this COVID pandemic.

Note: ICT Academy Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu; ICT Academy Chairman: Lakshmi Narayanan.

9. Sanjay Dwivedi appointed as Director General of IIMC: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Professor Sanjay Dwivedi as the Director General of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He is presently serving as the Registrar of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indra Mani Pandey appointed as India's Permanent Representative to UN: Senior diplomat Indra Mani Pandey (1999 batch IFS officer) has been given charges of India's next Permanent Representative to United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva. He will succeed Rajiv K Chander. He is currently the additional secretary in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He has served as Indian Representative to Damascus, Cairo, Islamabad, Kabul, Muscat, and Geneva. He also served as joint secretary of Disarmament and International Security Affairs, MEA

2. Edouard Philippe resigns as Prime Minister of France: The French government led by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and his government submitted their resignations on 03 July 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron named Jean Castex, as the country’s new prime minister. The 49 year old Edouard Philippe had served as Prime Minister of France from 15 May 2017 to 3 July 2020.

Note: France Capital: Paris; Currencies: Euro, CFP franc

3. India-Bangladesh sets up 50:50 Joint Venture Company for LPG business in Bangladesh: The State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Bangladesh’s Beximco LPG have entered into an agreement for the formation of a 50:50 Joint Venture Company (JVC) for importing liquefied petroleum gas in Bangladesh. The agreement was signed between IOC Middle East FZE, Dubai, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IOC, and RR Holdings Ltd, UAE, the holding company of Beximco LPG of Bangladesh. The Joint Venture Company will help reduce the cost of import of LPG in Bangladesh and make it more affordable for the consumers of the country.

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

Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation: Sanjiv Singh.

4. International Plastic Bag Free Day: 03rd July: The International Plastic Bag Free Day is held on July 3 around the world to spread awareness that a plastic bag free world is possible and that sound environmental alternatives to single use plastic bags are available. 2020 is the 11th edition of the celebrations. The day is an initiative by Bag Free World for the purpose of getting rid of the single-use of plastic bags around the world and promoting environmental conservation by encouraging us all to stay away from the use of plastic bags and instead look for more eco-friendly alternatives.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Ravindra Jadeja Rated As India’s Most Valuable Test Cricketer In 21st Century by Wisden Magazine: Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been named as India’s most valuable Test player in the 21st century by the Wisden magazine. With the ‘Most Valuable Player’ (MVP) rating of 97.3, the 31-year-old Jadeja is also rated as the second most valuable Test player worldwide, only after Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan. Since making his debut in 2012, Jadeja has played in 49 Tests, scoring 1,869 runs with one century and 14 fifties. He has picked up 213 Test wickets. Wisden used CricViz, a detailed analysis tool in cricket to analyse his performance.

Note: President of BCCI: Sourav Ganguly; Headquarters of BCCI: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. GoI approves Special liquidity scheme for NBFCs/HFCs: The Government of India has launched a Special Liquidity Scheme worth Rs. 30,000 crore for improving the liquidity position of Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFCs) and Housing Finance Company (HFCs). 

Who will manage the Scheme: The Scheme will be managed by SPV (SLS Trust). SPV (SLS Trust) has been set up by SBICAP which is a subsidiary of the State Bank of India. RBI will provide funds for this Scheme by subscribing to government-guaranteed special securities issued by the SLS Trust. The total amount of such securities issued outstanding shall not exceed Rs. 30,000 crores at any point of time. The Scheme was announced by Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman on 13th March 2020.

Aim of the scheme: to ensure availability of fund to NBFC and HFC sector and hence improve the liquidity position of NBFCs/HFCs.

Duration of the scheme: The Scheme will remain open for 3 months for making subscriptions by the Trust. The period of lending (CPs/NCDs of NBFCs/HFCs for short duration of upto 90 days) by the Trust shall be for a period of upto 90 days.

Use of Fund by NBFC and HFC: NBFC and HFC cannot use this financing to expand assets. The financing would be used by the NFBCs/HFCs only to repay existing liabilities. Outlay of the Scheme: Rs 30,000 Crore

Eligibility criteria for NBFC and HFC: CRAR/CAR of NBFCs/HFCs should not be below the regulatory minimum, i.e., 15% and 12% respectively as on March 31, 2019; the net non-performing assets should not be more than 6% as on March 31, 2019

2. Government extends the term of Union Bank of India’s CEO Rajkiran Rai by another two years: The government of India has extended the term of Union Bank of India’s Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rajkiran Rai by two-years amid the bank’s ongoing merger exercise. Rai’s term was to end on June 30, 2020. His term has now been extended till May 31, 2022, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Rai was appointed the MD and CEO of Union Bank of India in May 2017 for a period of three years. It must be recalled that Union Bank has been merged with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank, which came into effect on April 1, 2020. The merger has made Union Bank the fifth largest public sector bank in the country with assets of over Rs 14.5 lakh crore.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Care Ratings Forecast India’s GDP to contract by 6.4% in FY21: Care Ratings has revised India’s GDP growth forecast for the current financial year 2020-21 to (-) 6.4 percent. The rating agency had earlier projected a decline in GDP growth of 1.5-1.6 per cent in FY21. This decline is because the economic activity continues to be under restriction due to the lockdown on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Two Indian Americans to be honoured with '2020 Great Immigrants' Award: Author Siddhartha Mukherjee and Harvard’s Economics Professor Raj Chetty have been named for '2020 Great Immigrants' awards by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The award is being given to 38 immigrants this year. Siddhartha Mukherjee has been honoured for using “his communication skills to educate the public and build awareness about COVID-19 through forums and his widely read essays.” Raj Chetty made into the list for launching “a real-time data tracker to measure the economic impact of the pandemic and assisted decision-makers as they implemented new public policies.” Siddharth Mukhjerjee has been conferred with Pulitzer Prize for 'The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer' and Padma Shri in 2014.

DEFENSE

1. India and Japan conduct PASSEX naval exercise in Indian Ocean Region: The Indian and Japanese navies conducted a small exercise PASSEX (passing exercise), towards the Malacca Strait in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). From India, Rajput-class destroyer INS Rana and Kora-class missile corvette INS Kulish, took part in the exercise and from Japan, JS Shimayuki and JS Kashima participated. It was 15th PASSEX exercise undertaken by the navies of the two nations in the last 3 years. PASSEX exercise is conducted for the goodwill training and understanding

Note: Capital: Tokyo; Currency: Japanese yen; Prime minister: Shinzō Abe

OBITUARIES

1. West Indies former cricketer Everton Weekes passes away:  West Indies former cricketer, Everton Weekes passed away. He made his first-class debut at the age of 19-year and his Test debut in 1948 at 22. His test career spanned between 1948 to 1958, in which he played 48 Tests & scored 4455 runs at an average of 58.62. He retired in 1958, after which he had served as a coach, administrator, and ICC match referee. Weekes was honoured with Knight of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) for his services to cricket in 1995 & was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009.

2. Renowned Choreographer Saroj Khan passes away in Mumbai: Renowned Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan (71 years) passes away in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest. She joined the Indian film industry as a child artiste, playing the younger Shyama in Nazarana. She became background dancer in 1950s films like Bimal Roy’s Madhumati and later became an assistant choreographer. Her 1st independent choreography was in Geeta Mera Naam. She got famous with the song Hawa Hawai. She choreographed nearly 2000 songs from movies Tezaab, Veer-Zaara, Lagaan, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Manikarnika. The legendary artiste was a recipient of three National Awards for films Devdas, Jab We Met and Sringaram (Tamil). She won Filmfare Awards for movies like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Guru, Khalnayak and Chaalbaaz.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Giriraj Singh launches the 1st Edition of 'Matsya Sampada' newsletter: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh has launched the 1st Edition newsletter “Matsya Sampada” fisheries and aquaculture published by the Department of Fisheries and the operational guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA” is an outcome of the endeavours of the Department of Fisheries to reach out to the stakeholders especially fishers and fish farmers through various means of communication, and toinform and educate them about the latest developments in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.  It would be published on a quarterly basis starting from the first quarter of the year 2020-21.

Note: Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries: Sanjeev Kumar Balyan.

2. Kerala to Implement ‘Dream Kerala Project’ for expats who lost jobs due to coronavirus: The state government of Kerala has decided to roll out a ‘Dream Kerala Project’ to help and tap the potential and experience of people returning from abroad and other states after losing their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While on one hand, the project will help the professionals to get suitable job opportunity and ensure a stable income for the returning expatriates, on the other hand it will help to harness their potential for the future of the state.

Note: Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan; Governor of Kerala: Arif Mohammad Khan; Capital of Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram.

3. Goa Govt Allocates 14,380 sqm land to set up India first Maritime Cluster: The Government of Goa has allotted over 14,380 square metres of land at Verna industrial estate to ‘Konkan Maritime Cluster’ (Goa Maritime Cluster), a consortium of 49 Goan MSME units, to set up its Common Facility Centre. The Goa Maritime Cluster will be the first Maritime Cluster of India, providing a world-class common facility for manufacturing, design and other allied services for the shipbuilding industry. The project is likely to extend direct benefits to another 180 units. The project is supported by the Government of Goa, Ministry of Shipping GoI, through Directorate General of Shipping, and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The Goa Government will contribute 10% of the total setup cost.

4. K K Venugopal & Tushar Mehta re-appointed as Attorney General and Solicitor General of India respectively: President of India has re-appointed senior advocate Shri K K Venugopal as the Attorney General for India for a period of one year with effect from 01 July 2020. The present three-year term of Venugopal, 89, ended on 30 June 2020. Venugopal took over as the Attorney General on June 30, 2017, succeeding Mukul Rohatgi. Meanwhile, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has also reappointed senior advocate Tushar Mehta as Solicitor General of India with effect from July 1 for a period of three years or until further orders. Suryaprakash V Raju of Gujarat High Court has been appointed as the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of the Supreme Court (India). ACC has also appointed Chetan Sharma as the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) for Delhi High Court.

5. Shrikant Madhav Vaidya takes charge as IOC Chairman: Shrikant Madhav Vaidya has taken over as the new chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on 01 July 2020. Prior to this, Vaidya was the Director (Refineries) on the IOC Board, since October 2019. He will also serve as the Chairman of Chennai Petroleum Corporation. He succeeds Sanjiv Singh, who has superannuated from the services of the Corporation on June 30, 2020.

Note: Indian Oil Corporation Headquarters: New Delhi; Indian Oil Corporation established: 1959.

6. Shri Ravinder Bhakar takes charge as CEO of Central Board of Films Certification (CBFC): Shri Ravinder Bhakar, a 1999 batch officer of Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS), has taken over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Central Board of Films Certification (CBFC). Prior to this, Mr. Bhakar was posted as the Secretary & Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railways. He succeeds Anurag Srivastava. CBFC is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India.

Note: Headquarters of Central Board of Films Certification: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Chairperson of Central Board of Films Certification: Prasoon Josh.

7. IIT Gandhinagar develops AI based tool to detect Covid-19:  Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based deep learning tool for detection of Covid-19 from Chest X-ray images. This online tool indicates the probability if a person is infected with Covid-19, which can be used for quick preliminary diagnosis before the medical test.

Note: IIT-Gandhinagar Director: Sudhir Jain.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan Army appoints Nigar Johar as 1st female Lt. General: Pakistan Army has appointed Major General Nigar Johar as 1st female lieutenant general. She is the 1st female officer to be promoted as Lieutenant General. The officer has been appointed as 1st female Surgeon General of Pak Army. Johar graduated from the Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, in 1985 and joined the army’s Medical Corps. In 2017, she became the third woman officer in the Pakistan Army to attain the rank of major general. The other two women major generals were Shahida Badsha and Shahida Malik.

Note: Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan; President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi; Capital of Pakistan: Islamabad.

2. New Zealand cancels the APEC Summit 2021: New Zealand has cancelled the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This summit was to be held in Auckland, New Zealand. The 2019 leaders’ meeting was cancelled by Chile due to violent anti-government protests and the virtual APEC meeting of 2020 is being hosted by Malaysia. Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, Winston Peters announced that for planning and security reasons the 2021 APEC summit is cancelled and the summit will be hosted as a virtual event. New Zealand has closed its borders of every nation except for the returning citizens and residents.

Note: Executive Director of APEC: Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria; Headquarters of APEC: Singapore; Established of APEC: 1989.

3. World UFO Day: 02nd July: The World UFO Day (WUD) is held on July 2 every year globally. It is a day dedicated to the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) by World UFO Day Organization (WUFODO). WUD aims to raise awareness about the existence of UFOs and encouraging people to think about the possibility of us not being alone in the Universe. Initially, the day was observed on June 24. Later, WUFODO established July 2 to commemorate the day.

4. World Sports Journalists Day: 02nd July: World Sports Journalists Day is observed on July 2 every year to celebrate the services of sports journalists for the promotion of sports & to encourage them to do better at their work. The day was established in 1994 to commemorate 70th anniversary of International Sports Press Association (ISPA). The ISPA was founded in London on the July 2, 1924 during the Summer Olympics in Paris. This year 2020 marks the 96th anniversary of AIPS.

Note: AIPS of Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; AIPS of President: Gianni Merlo.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Shashank Manohar steps down as ICC chairman after serving two terms: International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Shashank Manohar has formally stepped down from the post on 1 July 2020, after heading the sport’s global governing body for four years. Singapore’s Imran Khwaja has been appointed as interim chairman until the finalisation of the next chairman. He has served twice as the chairman of the International Cricket Council from November 2015 to March 2017 and on 24 March 2017; a resolution was passed to reinstate him as the chairman until a successor was elected.

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

2. HRD along with Sports Minister to launch 'Fit India Talks': HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju held interactive session titled Fit India Talks. It is launched under Govt's flagship program Fit India with some top sports persons like PV Sindhu and Sunil Chhetri to inspire the school children. Leading sports persons will share their childhood experiences, stories of their failures, struggles and their success from common school students to world-class champions. Slogan: Fit Hai to Hit Hai India.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. HDFC Bank Unveils ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ app for farmers: HDFC Bank has launched a mobile app named ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ for farmers across India as a one stop solution to provide them access to a range of services on both banking and agriculture. ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ app will provide value-added services like mandi prices, latest farming news, weather forecast, information on seed varieties, SMS advisory, e-pashuhaat, Kisan TV, among other things. Besides this, users can also avail multiple banking services like procuring loans, the opening of Bank accounts, availing insurance facilities, calculate KCC loan eligibility online, and acquiring Government social security schemes at their fingertips. The app will also help with traditional banking services such as apply for loans, Fixed Deposits, Recurring Deposits, and Savings Accounts. The app has been launched by the bank under its ”Har Gaon Hamara” initiative to reach out to customers in the rural and under-served areas.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Managing Director of HDFC Bank: Aditya Puri.

2. Banks sanction over Rs 1 lakh cr loans to 30 lakh MSMEs under ECLGS: As per the data by the Ministry of Finance on 30 June 2020, banks from public and private sectors have sanctioned over Rs 1 lakh crore loans under the Rs 3-lakh crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for the MSME sector as of June 26, 2020. Out of this, more than Rs 45,860 crore has already been disbursed under the 100 percent ECLGS for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This would help more than 30 lakh units of MSMEs and other businesses restart their businesses post the lockdown. The top lenders under the scheme are State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank and HDFC Bank.

3. Karnam Sekar retires as MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank: Karnam Sekar, the managing director and chief executive of public sector lender Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has retired on June 30, 2020. Karnam had joined the bank as an OSD (officer on special duty) and whole-time director on April 1, 2019 after merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank into Bank of Baroda. He was elevated as MD and CEO on July 1, 2019 after the retirement of Subramaniam Kumar. Prior to working with IOB, Sekar was MD and CEO of Dena Bank since September 21, 2018.

Note: Indian Overseas Bank Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Indian Overseas Bank Founded: 10 February 1937.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Fitch slashes India’s GDP Growth Projection to 8% from 9.5% for FY22: Fitch Ratings has cut India’s growth forecast for the fiscal year 2021-22 to 8 percent from its earlier projection of 9.5 percent, in its June update of Global Economic Outlook released on 30 June 2020. However, the rating agency has retained its projection for the current fiscal which is expected to contract by 5 percent in the 2020-21. Meanwhile, Fitch projected Indian economy to grow 5.5 percent in 2022-23.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. India’s AI eabled MyGov Corona Helpdesk won 2 awards at CogX 2020: India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) equipped MyGov Corona Helpdesk has been awarded with CogX 2020 under the categories of Best Innovation for Covid-19-Society and People’s Choice Covid-19 Overall Winner. CogX 2020 is a prestigious Global Leadership Summit and Festival of AI and Emerging Technology which is held annually in London. MyGov, JioHaptik Technologies Ltd and WhatsApp collaborated to develop AI enabled MyGov Corona Helpdesk in the record time of 5 days.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Mizoram Assembly speaker Upa Rokamlova passes away: Former speaker of Mizoram legislative assembly Upa Rokamlova (79 years) passes away in Aizawl. He was a veteran Congress leader and joined politics in early 1980s. He had played a crucial role in signing of the historic Mizo Peace Accord in 1986. He won Mizo state assembly elections 3 times between 1984 and 1993. He became the speaker of Mizoram Assembly in 1990 and also served as rural development Minister of Lal Thanhawla government. 

Daily GK Updates - 1st July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India and World Bank inks $250 million loan agreements for access to Affordable Housing for Urban Poor in Tamil Nadu: The World Bank has signed an agreement worth USD 250 million on 29 June 2020 with the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu to strengthen the state’s housing sector policies, institutions, and regulations. Of the total $250 million, $200 million will go to First Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Program and another $50 million will be for the Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project. These projects will help low-income groups in the state of Tamil Nadu to get access to affordable housing. The funds will be provided through the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Both loans will have a maturity of 20 years including a grace period of 3.5 years.

Note: President of World Bank: David Malpass.

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

2. Karnataka Government launches portal ‘Skill Connect Forum’ to connect job seekers and employers: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa launched a web portal called `Skill Connect Forum`on 29 June 2020, which will bring together both private entrepreneurs and job seekers on the same platform. The portal will provide information on jobs available and those who need jobs. An unemployed person will be imparted a skill and then made ready to get a job. Registration: Jobseekers can register on the portal by uploading their educational, skill qualifications and other details on https://skillconnect.kaushalkar.com. Companies or employer also must register themselves to hire the employees

Note: Chief Minister of Karnataka: B.S. Yediyurappa; Governor: Vajubhai Vala.

3. Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ campaign: In order to maintain the academic regularity of students during the Corona crisis, the Madhya Pradesh State Education Center has launched a campaign titled ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ which means My Home-My school scheme. The scheme will be implemented from 06 July 2020 in the state and under this scheme, children will be made to study in the school like environment at the homes. Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya has been launched for students of classes 1 to 8 in the state. There will be daily classes from 10 am to 1 pm from Monday to Friday while Saturdays will be for recreational activities organised under Masti Pathshala. A formal timetable has also been made available by the State Education Center to family and students for this program. Reading, performing yoga, writing and listening to stories will be part of the daily routine.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

4. Gujarat Government launches Rs 1,369 crore ”At One Click” online cash aid for MSMEs & textile industry: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched an online cash aid initiative titled ”At One Click” for micro small and medium enterprises and textile industries in the state on 26 June 2020. The state government has announced total of Rs 1,369 crore in aid for around 13,000 MSMEs in Gujarat under the program. Out of the toatl 1,369 crore aid, Rs 768 crore have been transferred in bank accounts of 12,247 MSME units in Gujarat while Rs 601 crore aid has been given to bigger industrial units including textile industry.

5. Dharmendra Pradhan Inaugurates Asia’s first-ever Continuous Galvanized Rebar manufacturing facility launched in Punjab: The Union Minister of Steel Dharmendra Pradhan virtually inaugurated Continuous Galvanized Rebar Production Facility at Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab on 29 June 2020. The new plant is a first-of-its-kind facility in Asia to apply CGR technology that will increase life span of these rebars thereby reducing the overall maintenance cost. The facility has been developed by International Zinc Association (IZA), in collaboration with Madhav KRG Group. The project will be supported by Hindustan Zinc Limited. The Continuously Galvanized Rebar (CGR), are value added rebars for higher life and low maintenance of infrastructure to provide significant cost savings compared to other corrosion resistant rebar systems. It is estimated that the plant will produce an annual capacity of over 30,000 tonne of ZnCoat TempCore TMT bars, under the brand name ‘Jyoti’.

6. National Doctors’ Day: 01st July: The National Doctors’ Day is organised on 01 July annually in India by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), to honour the legendary physicians and emphasise on value of doctors in our lives, to offer them our respects by commemorating one of their greatest representatives. The theme for National Doctor’s Day 2020 is “Lessen the mortality of COVID 19” and includes awareness about asymptomatic hypoxia and early aggressive therapy. The day commemorates the birth anniversary of the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy who was born on July 1, 1882 and died on the same date in 1962. This year focus will be on thanking all medical professionals for their service against COVID-19

7. Chartered Accountants Day: 01st July: National Chartered Accountants Day or Chartered Accountants’ Day is held on July 1st every year in India. It is also known as ICAI Foundation Day. The day is marked to commemorate the foundation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on July 1, 1949. 2020 marks the 72nd Chartered Accountants’ Day. The ICAI is the sole licensing and regulatory body for the financial audit and accounting profession in India, and its recommendations are followed by everyone – from the National Financial Reporting Authority to companies and accounting organizations. The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) was constituted on 01st October 2018 by the Government of India under Sub Section (1) of section 132 of the Companies Act, 2013.

Note: Chairman of National Financial Reporting Authority: R.Sridharan.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Headquarters: New Delhi; President of ICAI: CA Atul Kumar Gupta.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China to join UN arms trade treaty, ‘enhance’ world peace: China will join a global pact to regulate arms sales that has been rejected by the United States, with Beijing saying it is committed to efforts to “enhance peace and stability” in the world. The Communist Party leadership’s top legislative body voted to adopt a decision on joining the UN Arms Trade Treaty that is designed to control the flow of weapons into conflict zones.

2. Russia plans to take first tourist on space walk in 2023: Russia’s Energia space corporation said it will take the first tourist on a space walk in 2023, under the terms of a new contract with a US partner. Energia has inked a contract with Space Adventures, which promises to take two space tourists to the International Space Station that year. The announcement comes days after NASA signed a deal with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space tourism company to promote private missions to the station after a special training program in the US.

3. National Postal Worker Day: 01st July: The National Postal Worker Day is marked every year on July 1 globally in recognition of the contribution made by postal workers in our society. The day is a unique opportunity to say ‘thank you’ not only to postmen but also to all delivery personnel, as online shopping has become a lifeline for many of us. The day was initiated by a popular postal service provider from Seattle, United States of America in 1997 to felicitate and honour the co-postal workers for their dedication.

Note: Director-General of India Post: Arundhaty Ghosh.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Kiren Rijiju launches “NADA App” for athletes: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched the National Anti-Doping Agency’s first mobile app named as “NADA App” which aims to bridge the gap between NADA and the athletes by offering easily-accessible information on various aspects of sport, prohibited substances as well as dope-testing. The NADA app is expected to act as a one-stop guide for all anti-doping and medication related information. It also offers comprehensive information on commonly-prescribed medicines.

2. Bharat Pannu secures podium place at 1st Virtual Race Across America: Lt. Col. Bharat Pannu successfully secured podium place at the 1st edition of the Virtual Race Across America (VRAAM) 2020. He secured 3rd position with total distance of 4086 km in 12 days among 17 participants. He became the first Indian to win a podium place at an international ultracycling race. He is an Indian Army Officer. Race Across America (RAAM) is a 5000 km transcontinental race from West to East coast of USA with 12 days’ time period.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Swiggy ties up with ICICI Bank to launch payment platform, Swiggy Money: The online food delivery platform Swiggy launched its own digital wallet ‘Swiggy Money’ in partnership with ICICI Bank to provide its customers with a single-click checkout experience. Swiggy Money will enable its customers to store money virtually that can be used for any food orders made through the Swiggy app. The Bengaluru-based company is leveraging ICICI Bank’s ‘Insta wallet service’ which is built on a cloud platform with API integration, which enabled the startup to create a wallet for customers instantly. Existing ICICI customer can avail the services instantly start whereas Non-ICICI customers can start by providing details of a government ID to ICICI Bank.

Note: Headquarters of Swiggy: Bengaluru, Karnataka; CEO of Swiggy: Sriharsha Majety.

Headquarters ICICI Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; CEO of ICICI Bank: Sandeep Bakhshi.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Former RBI Governor C Rangarajan Conferred with First ‘P C Mahalanobis Award in Official Statistics’ for lifetime achievements: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Chakravarthi Rangarajan, has been conferred with the first Prof. P C Mahalanobis Award in Official Statistics for lifetime achievements on the occasion of the National Statistics Day on 29 June 2020, by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). He was awarded for his contribution in providing solutions in the issues related to the estimation of national income. He served as Deputy Governor of RBI (1982-1991) and as Governor RBI (1992-1997). He also served as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh (1997-2003). He was awarded with Padma Vibhushan in 2002. He was the chairman of 12th finance commission and PM's Economic Advisory Council (2005-2008). The award has been instituted by MoSPI from 2020, and will henceforth be awarded annually for outstanding and meritorious contribution of an individual for the development and promotion of official statistics.

Note: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI): Rao Inderjit Singh.

Chairman of the National Statistical Commission (NSC): Bimal Kumar Roy.

Director of Indian Statistical Institute: Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay.

OBITUARIES

1. Legendary comedian Carl Reiner passes away: Writer, director, actor and comedy legend Carl Reiner passed away of natural causes at an age of 98. Reiner was a recipient of nine Emmy awards, five of which were for ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’. Some of his most popular films as a director are ‘Oh God,’ ‘The Jerk,’ and ‘All of Me.’