Daily GK Updates - 10th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Cabinet approves Rs 1 Lakh Crore ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to a new pan India Central Sector Scheme-Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. Agri Infra fund will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform. The National, State and District level Monitoring Committees will be set up to ensure real-time monitoring and effective feed-back.

Total Outlay: Rs 1 Lakh Crore; Duration: 10 Years, from FY2020 to FY2029; Purpose: Provide medium – long term debt financing facility to entrepreneurs, start-ups, agri-tech players and farmer groups for setting up infrastructure and logistics facilities through interest subvention and financial support; Beneficiaries: Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Marketing Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Group (SHG), Farmers, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Aggregation Infrastructure Providers and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public Private Partnership Project; Loan Disbursement Stages: 4 Years. Rs. 10,000 crore will be disbursed in the current year (2020-21) and Rs. 30,000 crore each in next three financial years. Interest subvention: 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crore for a maximum period of seven years; Credit guarantee coverage: Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs. 2 crore.

2. PM Modi delivers inaugural address at India Global Week 2020: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address on Day 1 of the India Global Week 2020, a three – day virtual conference, being organised in the United Kingdom, from 9 July to 11 July 2020. The theme for the event is ‘BeTheRevival : India and a Better New World’. India Global Week 2020 will have 5000 global participants from 30 nations across +75 sessions and +250 speakers for incisive global discussion and lively debate. This is for the first time the prime minister addressed a global audience since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. India Global Week is a pltform where India meets the World, and the World meets India, address some of the burning issues around India’s performance and impact on the world stage.

3. Asia’s Largest and World’s Second Largest Data Centre Inaugurated In Mumbai: Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray jointly inaugurated the second-largest Tier IV data centre of the world in Mumbai on 8th July 2020, through online mode. The world-class ‘Yotta NM1 data centre’ building has been set up at Mumbai’s Panvel data center park, to cater to the needs of engineering and real estate businesses. It is the largest of its kind data centre in India and Asia, as well as the second largest in the world. The Yotta NM1 facility has been developed and owned by the Hiranandani Group through its fully owned subsidiary, the Yotta Infrastructure Group. The Yotta NM1 offers 7200 racks and 50MW of power with 48 hour backup. The data centre has been awarded the tier IV Design Documents Certification by Uptime Institute, USA, a globally recognised certification for data center design issued in over 98 countries. It is the first of five data centre buildings coming up at the Integrated Yotta Data Center Park, with an overall capacity of 30,000 racks and 210MW power.

4. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Launches India’s first Space Technology & Artificial Intelligence based system ‘BLUIS’ to monitor Government Lands: In Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched Bhubaneswar Land Use Intelligence System (BLUIS), to monitor changes in all government land in the capital city Bhubaneswar by leveraging high resolution satellite imagery. With this, Odisha has become the first state in the country to tap space technology and artificial intelligence for safeguarding government lands. BLUIS is a geo-tagged repository of all the government lands in Bhubaneswar, created through high-resolution satellite imagery. Under BLUIS, a web and mobile-based solution has been developed to monitor changes in all government lands in Bhubaneswar. The mobile app also enables crowdsourcing cases of unauthorised land use and can also be used by citizens to report any unauthorised development taking place over geo-tagged government lands.

5. IIT-Hyderabad collaborates with NVIDIA to establish India’s first AI research centre: The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) has collaborated with NVIDIA, a US-based multinational technology company, to establish India’s first ‘NVIDIA AI Technology Centre’(NVAITC) to accelerate research on Artificial Intelligence and its commercial adoption. The operations at the state-of-the-art facility commenced on July 9, 2020. The centre will focus on advancing AI research in the areas of Agriculture and Smart Cities besides Language Understanding, increasing crop yield, support safer transportation systems and better ways of managing traffic, among others.

Note: Director of IIT-H: B.S.Murty.

NVIDIA Headquarters: California, United States; NVIDIA Co-Founder, President and CEO: Jensen Huang

6. Sijo George appointed to Centre’s committee on STIP 2020: Sijo Kuruvilla George has been appointed to the Central Government’s committee on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 (STIP 2020). He is a founding CEO of Startup Village and founder of Re-think Foundation. With this, he has become the part of the eight-member panel which is led by Harkesh Mittal, who also heads the Department of Science and Technology. The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 (STIP 2020) was formulated by the Department of Science and Technology and Principal Scientific Advisor of the Union government.

7. A.K. Srikumar and Rupa Srikumar authors novel on 1962 Indo-China War titled ‘Mahaveer: The Soldier who never died’: Amid the rising tensions between India and China, the award winning author A.K. Srikumar along with his wife, Rupa Srikumar, has come up with a novel titled ‘Mahaveer: The Soldier who never died’ that tells the tale of the Indo-Chinese battle of Nuranang in 1962. It is a patriotic story of courage and selfless love of the Jaswant Singh Rawat, one of India’s legendary Garhwali soldiers from the war. The novel is published by highly noted Indian publishing house Rupa Publications.

8. National Fish Farmers’ Day: 10th July: The 20th edition of the National Fish Farmers’ Day was celebrated on 10 July 2020 by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in association with the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). The day is commemorated annually in remembrance of scientists Dr K H Alikunhi and Dr. H.L. Chaudhury who had invented induced breeding technology of Indian major carps on 10 July 1957.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 15th India-EU Summit to be held on 15th July virtually: 15th meeting of India-European Union Summit will be held on 15th July in virtual mode. It will be co-chaired by PM Narendra Modi, President of European Council Charles Michel and President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. India-EU Summit will review cooperation covering political and security relations, trade and investment and economic cooperation. It will also discuss COVID-19 related development. 14th India-EU Summit was held on 6 October 2017 in New Delhi

2. India achieves 8th rank for cancer preparedness among 10 Asia-Pacific countries: India has been ranked at eighth position among 10 Asia-Pacific countries for cancer preparedness, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report titled “Cancer preparedness in Asia-Pacific: Progress towards universal cancer control”. The report is based on the findings from the EIU’s Index of Cancer Preparedness. India stood 8th with an overall score of 51.6 out of 100, which is below the regional average of 66.5. Australia (92.4) has topped the regional list, followed by South Korea (83.4) and Malaysia (80.3). The 10 Asia-Pacific countries in the list are Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Vietnam (44.5) and the Philippines (42.6) are the only nations behind India.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Egyptian world squash champion Raneem al-Welily announces retirement: World’s top-ranked women’s squash player, Raneem El Welily from Egypt has announced her retirement. The 31-year-old was the first Arab woman to be world No. 1 in any sport. El Welily first took the top ranking in 2015 and after that again since December 2018. She was officially named world champion in Manchester in 2017.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI: Tamil Nadu tops market borrowings among States:  According to data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Tamil Nadu has topped market borrowings among States in the country. Tamil Nadu has accounted for 17% of the borrowings done through the issue of bonds (known as state development loans). The state is followed by Maharashtra ₹25,500 crores (14%), Andhra Pradesh ₹17,000 crores (9%) and Rajasthan ₹17,000 crores (9%).

Tamil Nadu borrowings: Tamil Nadu raised ₹1,250 crores at the low-interest rate of 6.63% for the 35-year bonds and ₹1,250 crores at the rate of 4.54% for the three-year bonds in the auction conducted by RBI. On July 7, Tamil Nadu borrowed an additional amount of ₹500 crores rather than the ₹2,000 crores originally planned. The State had planned to raise ₹2,000 crores through the issue of bonds of ₹1,000 each with tenures of 35 years and 3 years respectively. Tamil Nadu had an option to raise a further ₹250 crore in each of these securities, through what is known as the ‘greenshoe’ option.

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

2. Union Bank of India CMD Rajkiran Rai gets 2-year extension:  The term of Rajkiran Rai as managing director and CEO of Union Bank of India has received an extension for a period of  two-year from the government of India. He will now serv as the managing director and CEO of Union Bank of India till May 31, 2022. He was appointed as the managing director of Union Bank on July 1, 2017, for a period of 3 years until June 30, 2020. Union Bank of India (UBI) was the anchor bank for both Andhra bank and Corporation bank which came into effect on 1 April 2020.

Note: UBI Headquarters: Mumbai.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India’s GDP to contract by 3% in FY21: BofA: The US brokerage firm BofA Securities has projected the India’s GDP to contract by 3 percent in FY21 because of the coronavirus pandemic, assuming the economy is opened up fully from August 2020. The GDP is likely to grow at 9 percent in FY22, expects BofA, the multinational investment bank division under the auspices of Bank of America.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. IOC receives EU Green Building Leadership Award 2020: The headquarters of International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne has been awarded the European 2020 US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership Award. In addition to receiving the highest number of points of any LEED v4-certified new construction project to date, the Olympic House is the first international headquarters and the second building overall to obtain the highest (Platinum) level of the Swiss Sustainable Construction Standard (SNBS). The award was announced by the USGBC which recognises “those advancing the development of sustainable, healthy and resilient buildings, cities and communities in regions around the world”. It has been given to five organisations that are “a model for how LEED can be used to improve communities, support human health and well-being, and contribute to a more sustainable future for all”.

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

OBITUARIES

1. Ivory Coast PM Amadou Gon Coulibaly passes away:  Prime Minister of Ivory Coast, Amadou Gon Coulibaly passed away. The minister became unwell during a weekly cabinet meeting and was taken to a hospital where he died. He was also chosen as the ruling party Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP)’s candidate for October’s presidential election. He served at many positions which includes technical advisor, senior civil servant, deputy and mayor of Korhogo, agriculture minister, cabinet minister. After serving as secretary general of the presidency for six years, he became the prime minister of Ivory Coast in January 2017.

Note: President of Ivory Coast: Alassane Ouattara; Ivory Coast Currency: West African CFA Franc; De facto capital: Abidjan; Administrative capital (since 1983): Yamoussoukro.

2. Former Health Minister of Goa Suresh Amonkar passes away: Dr Suresh Amonkar, the former health minister of Goa has passed away due to Covid-19 infection. He was 68. He was a two-term MLA, being elected to the Goa Assembly in 1999 and 2002, as well as served as minister in the first Manohar Parrikar cabinet in 2000 as a minister of health. He has also served as the ex-president of the Goa unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Daily GK Updates - 9th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Important Cabinet Approvals: 08 July 2020: The following approvals were made on 8th July 2020 during the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi:

(1) Extend the EPF contribution of 24% (12% employees share and 12% employers share) for another three months from June 2020 to August 2020 under PMGKY/AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT.

(2) Developing of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (AHRCs) for urban migrants/ poor as a sub-scheme under Pradhan MantriAwasYojana – Urban (PMAY – U)

(3) Extension of time limit for availing the benefits of “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana” for Ujjwala beneficiaries by three months w.e.f. 01.07.2020

(4) Extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package-Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana – distribution of free of cost Whole Chana for five months from July to November, 2020

(5) Capital infusion for an overall value of Rs.12,450 crore for the three Public Sector General Insurance Companies – Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL), National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) and United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL)

(6) Increase authorised share capital of NICL to Rs.7,500 crore and that of UIICL and OlCL to Rs 5,000 crore respectively.

2. AIIB provides USD 50 mn to L&T Infra Finance for renewable energy: L&T Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (LTIFCL) has received USD 50 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), for funding Renewable Energy projects in the country. The loan amount is first tranche of the total USD 100-million ECB (External Commercial Borrowing) loan approved by Beijing-based AIIB. The fund will be used for on-lending large and mid-scale wind and solar power infrastructure projects in India. Also, this is the first loan by AIIB to a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India.

Note: Managing Director & CEO of L&T Finance Holdings: Dinanath Dubhashi.

President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: Jin Liqun; AIIB HQs: Beijing

3. Justice Bansi Lal Bhat term as acting chairperson of NCLAT extended: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has extended the term of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat as the acting chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) by three months. His extended term will begin from 15 June 2020, or until a regular chairperson was appointed. Bhat was appointed as the acting chairperson of the appellate tribunal on March 15, 2020 after the completion of the term of Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya. NCLAT was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act 2013

4. ‘Compact XL’ system for covid-19 tests lauched by MyLab: Mylab Discovery Solutions has launched the ‘Compact XL’ system for conducting a wide range of tests, including RT-PCR tests for COVID-19. This is India’s first machine to automate the manual processes of molecular diagnostic tests such as RNA/DNA-based tests including COVID-19 RT-PCR tests. The ‘Compact XL’ RT-PCR system can test 32 tests at a time on one system and there are options to connect multiple systems on one network. This system is designed to reduce the requirement for manpower, multiple systems can be networked together to achieve the throughput of 96 to 1000 plus samples per day. The machine is designed to automate lab operations from sample handling to RT-PCR ready tube preparation, and do these operations in one single compact benchtop machine.

Note: Mylab Discovery Solutions Executive Director: Shailendra Kawade; Mylab Discovery Solutions Managing Director: Hasmukh Rawal; Mylab Discovery Solutions Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra.

5. Himalayan Golden Birdwing butterfly named as India’s largest butterfly: Himalayan Golden Birdwing butterfly named as India’s largest butterfly, a record an unknown specimen had held for 88 years. The female Golden Birdwing with 194 mm wingspan was recorded at Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district’s Didihat town, while the male Golden Birdwing with 106 mm wingspan was recorded at the Wankhar Butterfly Museum (in Shillong). The new measurements of this and 24 other species of butterflies were published in the latest issue of Bio notes, a quarterly newsletter for research on life forms. Shristee Panthee of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Yunnan and Peter Smetacek of the Butterfly Research Centre at Bhimtal in Uttarakhand are the authors of the study.

6. IIT Alumni Council sings MoU with CSIR-IGIB for COVID-19 research: IIT Alumni Council and CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) has signed an agreement to jointly conduct research on COVID-19 and patient data analysis. World's largest molecular diagnostic lab 'MegaLab Mumbai' is also being set up by the council with a capacity of one crore tests It will not only create a world-leading testing and treatment ecosystem but also establish global data leadership.

7. Railways, BHEL tie up for solar power generation: Indian Railway in collaboration with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has set up a 1.7 Megawatt solar power plant at Bina, Madhya Pradesh. The project involves the adoption of innovative technology for converting Direct Current to single-phase Alternating Current for feeding directly to Railway’s overhead traction system.

Note: Chairman & MD of BHEL: Nalin Shinghal; BHEL founded: 1964; Headquarters: New Delhi, India; Union Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal.

8. Karnataka government launches “Nekara Samman Yojane”: Karnataka government has launched a relief scheme “Nekara Samman Yojane” for weavers. The state government has allocated a sum of Rs 10.96 crore under the programme. As per the state government, the Silk, cotton, wool and other handloom weavers have been made eligible under the scheme.

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

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Maldives & Sri Lanka eliminate measles & rubella, ahead of 2023 target: According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO), South-East Asian Region (SEAR) office, Maldives and Sri Lanka were verified for having eliminated measles and rubella. Now, Maldives and Sri Lanka are the first two countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve measles and rubella elimination ahead of the 2023 target. The Maldives reported last endemic case of measles in 2009 and of rubella in October 2015, while Sri Lanka reported last endemic case of measles in May 2016 and of rubella in March 2017.

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

President of the Maldives: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih; Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency of the Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa.

2. US formally notifies UN about its withdraw from WHO: The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations of its decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), breaking off over 70 years ties with the global health body amid the expanding coronavirus pandemic. The US has accused the WHO of siding with China on the outbreak of the virus, alleging that WHO misled the world in responding to the outbreak, resulting in deaths of over half a million people globally, including over 1 lakh 30 thousand in America. The withdrawal notice was sent to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 6th July 2020 and will take effect on July 6, 2021. The US contributes around $400-$500 million to the WHO each year. In April, the US stopped funding to WHO as the Trump administration reviewed the ties. A month later, President Donald Trump announced the US was terminating the relationship.

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

3. India ranks 34th in JLL’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index; UK Tops: The US-based JLL and LaSalle’s biennial Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) 2020 was released on 7th July 2020 to rank countries having the most transparent operating environments for real estate investors, developers and corporate occupiers. India is ranked at 34th position globally on the index, with higher levels of transparency due to regulatory reforms, enhanced market data and sustainability initiatives. India’s rank has improved by five notches from 39 in 2018 to 34 in 2020. United Kingdom has topped the GRETI 2020 Index, followed by United States and Australia at second and third position. This is the 11th edition of GRETI ranking and covers 99 countries and territories, and 163 city regions. It is a biennial index whose 11th edition is released in 2020.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. KVB tie-up with Bajaj Allianz Life to offer life insurance solutions: Karur Vysya Bank has signed an agreement with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance to offer life insurance solutions to its customers. Bajaj Allianz’s products will be available at the Bank’s 780 branch offices spread across India. Under this partnership, all retail and group products of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance will be made available to the Bank’s customers, including savings, retirement, investment, protection and critical illness life insurance products. KVB will also benefit from the advantage to offer their customers a value-packed life insurance solution for their financial requirements under a single roof.

Note: Headquarters of Karur Vysya Bank: Karur, Tamil Nadu; Chairman of Karur Vysya Bank: N. S. Srinath.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra; Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance MD & CEO: Tarun Chugh.

2. CBDT & SEBI signs MoU for data exchange: Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) signs MoU via video conference. It will facilitate the sharing of data and information between SEBI and CBDT on an automatic and regular basis. It will also facilitate exchange of any information available in their respective databases. Data Exchange Steering Group has also been constituted to review the data exchange status.

Note: Chairperson of CBDT: Pramod Chandra Mody; Headquarters of CBDT: New Delhi.

Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India: Ajay Tyagi; Headquarter: Mumbai.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Google Rebrands its Social Networking App Google+ as Google Currents: Internet search giant Google has officially relaunched its former social networking platform Google+ as Google Currents on 7th July 2020. The new app is targeted more towards businesses and enterprise users. The company launched Google Plus as a social network platform to compete with the likes of Facebook. However due to low usage and some security bugs that were recently discovered, Google+ was shut down in April 2019. The latest version of the app is available for download on Android and iOS system. However, the URL plus.google.com will continue to function and automatically redirect users to currents.google.com.

2. USAID & MNRE announce new partnership to develop clean energy: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and US Agency for International Development (USAID) have partnered on 7th July 2020 to increase India- US collaboration for clean energy development. Under the partnership, the USAID-supported South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE), a US government consortium, will provide advanced technical knowledge on clean energy development from America’s national laboratories to MNRE’s National Technical Institutions and other public institutes. SAGE will provide a formal platform for collaboration on clean energy development to make MNRE National Institutions act as a powerhouse of science, engineering, and technology for India and the entire South Asia region.

Note: MNRE Secretary: Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi

DEFENSE

1. Akash Missile: BDL signs licence agreement & ToT with DRDO: Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed License Agreement and Transfer of Technology (ToT) with Defence Research and Development Organisation–Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDO–DRDL) for Akash Missile Weapon System (Indian Army Variant). Akash Missile is the first medium-range Surface to Air missile produced in India which can engage multiple targets from multiple directions. The missile flies at a speed of nearly 860 meters per second at a maximum altitude of 18 km.

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran bollywood actor Jagdeep passes away: Veteran Bollywood actor-comedian, Jagdeep passed away. He was born as Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri, the legendary actor was popularly known as Jagdeep, his stage name. He was the father of popular comedian Javed Jaffrey. He was best known for his roles in films such as Sholay, Purana Mandir and Andaz Apna Apna. He was last seen in 2012 movie Gali Gali Chor Hai, in which he played the role of a police constable.

2. Kannada TV actor Susheel Gowda passes away: Kannada TV actor Susheel Gowda died by suicide at his hometown in Mandya in Karnataka. He was 30 years old. He had a stint in television before landing a role in a Kannada movie titled Kamarottu Checkpost. He also acted in Duniya Vijay-starrer Salaga which is yet to be released.  Apart from acting, Sushil Kumar was an instructor in a gym in Bengaluru but was out of work following the cessation of all film activities due to the COVID-19 lockdown and closure of gym.

Daily GK Updates - 8th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bank provides $400 million for Namami Gange programme: The World Bank has signed loan agreement worth $400 million with the Government of India on 7th July 2020 to enhance support for the Namami Gange programme that seeks to rejuvenate the Ganga river. The $400 million operation includes loan of $381 million and a proposed Guarantee of up to $19 million. This is the first-ever IBRD Guarantee for wastewater treatment and also the first IBRD Guarantee in the water sector in India. The World Bank has been supporting the government’s efforts since 2011.

Note: President of World Bank: David Malpass.

2. PM Modi to unveil Asia’s largest solar plant in MP: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Asia's largest 750 MW Rewa Ultra-Mega Solar plants in Madhya Pradesh via video conferencing on July 10. A Rewa Ultra-Mega Solar plant is constructed in the Rewa district of Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the largest single-site solar power plants in Asia.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel (additional charge)

3. NHRC sets up panel, headed by Dr K S Reddy, to assess Covid-19 impact on human rights: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has constituted an 11-member expert committee to study the impact of Covid-19 on human rights and future response of the government. The expert panel would be headed by Dr K S Reddy, president of Public Health Foundation of India. Key Functions of the expert committee: (1) Assess the impact of Covid-19 on human rights of people, especially marginalised and vulnerable sections of the society, including migrant labourers; (2) Suggest the future policy for the Centre and state governments based on the best practices being followed abroad and even in India.

4. West Bengal Government Launches Document Scanning App ‘SelfScan’: The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has launched a new document scanning app called ‘SelfScan’. It has been developed by the state’s information technology department. The app has been launched by the state after the Indian government banned 59 Chinese applications in the country. The new SelfScan app by the state government of West Bengal is an alternative to the popular document scanning Chinese mobile app CamScanner.

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

5. NSDC Partners with Microsoft to empower Indian youth with digital skills: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Microsoft have entered into a strategic partnership on 8 July 2020, to provide digital skills to over 1 lakh youth in India over the next 12 months, to transform India into a skilled nation. The NSDC-Microsoft partnership is an extension of Microsoft’s global skilling initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire new digital skills needed for the Covid-19 economy. Under this partnership Microsoft will integrate its learning resource centre ‘Microsoft Learn’ with NSDC’s eSkill India digital portal to provide free access to personalised learning resources and conduct digital skilling awareness drives, to equipp the next generation of learners with the skills they need to thrive in a digital economy.

Note: CEO & MD of National Skill Development Corporation: Manish Kumar.

6. Jharkhand launches immunization drive for 44K kids of migrant workers: The Jharkhand health department has launched a major campaign to immunize the deprived children. The Jharkhand Health Department identified the children during an intensive door-to-door survey. The children between age group of zero to five who stayed with their parents at workplace in different states were deprived of immunization due to ignorance or time crunch due to work pressure. A senior official in the state health department, who monitors immunization said they have set a target to immunize 8.30 lakh children between the age group of zero to five this year.

7. Govt launches PM FME scheme to help micro food processing enterprises: The government launched a Rs 10,000 crore scheme for micro enterprises which offers 50% subsidy for storage and transportation to prevent distress sale by farmers. The scheme, called Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PM FME), aims to bring in new technology, apart from affordable credit to help small entrepreneurs penetrate new markets. The scheme will be implemented for five years until 2024-25. It will generate investment of Rs 35,000 core, generate 900,000 jobs and help 800,000 units.

8. COVID-19 War Room to be set up in Delhi to check the spread of virus: The Delhi government will set up a ‘COVID-19 War Room’, which will 24×7 monitor the city’s fight against the novel coronavirus, and suggest measures to effectively deal with the prevailing situation. The ‘COVID-19 War Room’, which is being set up at the Delhi Secretariat, will be manned by around 25 experts. It is expected to become operational in the next few days.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 4th edition of the virtual Ministerial on Climate Action held: The fourth edition of the virtual Ministerial on Climate Action was co-chaired by European Union, China and Canada. In the meeting, India was represented by the Union Environment Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar. The meeting witnessed the countries deliberating on how countries are aligning economic recovery plans with the Paris Agreement as well as the critical enabling conditions to ensure continued climate action. The virtual Ministerial on Climate Action was held with prime objective of demonstrating the continued political commitment to global climate action. It also aimed to further the discussions on the full implementation of the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It was attended by Ministers and representatives of about 30 countries and was held virtually in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Germany to become first major economy to phase out coal, nuclear power: German lawmakers have finalized the country’s long-awaited phase-out of coal as an energy source, backing a plan that environmental groups say isn’t ambitious enough and free marketeers criticise as a waste of taxpayers’ money. Bills approved by both houses of parliament envision shutting down the last coal-fired power plant by 2038 and spending some 40 billion euros ($45 billion) to help affected regions cope with the transition. The plan is part of Germany’s ‘energy transition’ – an effort to wean Europe’s biggest economy off planet-warming fossil fuels and generate all of the country’s considerable energy needs from renewable sources.

3. Coronavirus will cost global tourism at least $1.2 trillion: UNCTAD: The world’s tourism sector could lose at least $1.2 trillion, or 1.50 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP), having been placed at a standstill for nearly four months due to the coronavirus pandemic, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report. The UN’s trade and development body warned that the loss could rise to $2.2 trillion or 2.80 per cent of the world’s GDP if the break in international tourism lasts for eight months, in line with the expected decline in tourism as projected by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

4. Bangladesh launches 'Digital Haat' for sacrificial animals: Bangladesh has launched ‘Digital Haat’ for online sale and purchase of sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-Ul-Azha. The step is taken to save the cattle farmers and traders from financial loss amid the Corona and also to stop further transmission of the infection in the country. For buying and purchasing animals, people have to register for free over this platform. This will be promoted through govt website and social networking sites

ICT State Minister: Zunaid Ahmed Palak

5. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson becomes Instagram’s highest-paid celebrity: Wrestler-turned-actor, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has been named Instagram’s highest-paid celebrity. Dwayne has dethroned Kylie Jenner as Instagram’s highest-paid celebrity. According to social media marketing firm Hopper HQ, Johnson has 189 million followers while Jenner has 183 million followers. Also on this year’s list were pro soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who charged about $889,000 per post and Jenner’s Sister Kim Kardashian, who could charge $858,000.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sumit Nagal wins PSD Bank Nord Open tournament in Germany: Rising tennis star Sumit Nagal has become the first Indian to win an international tournament in the Covid-19 era after he lifted the PSD Bank Nord Open trophy, a locally organised clay court tournament in Germany.  Nagal, , who is currently India’s highest-ranked singles player at 127, recently defeated second seed German Daniel Masur 6-1, 6-3 in the final match at the tournament held at the Pinneberg tennis club.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Fino Payments Bank launches ‘Bhavishya’ Savings Account for minor children: Fino Payments Bank Limited (FPBL) has launched a savings bank account ‘Bhavishya’ for minor children aged between 10 and 18 years on 7th July 2020 to make children banking ready from early age and inculcate a savings habit among them. Bhavishya is an annual subscription-based savings account, which can be opened with just Rs. 349 (inclusive of GST). Initially, the bank is introducing the Bhavishya Savings Account in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh and gradually it will launch in other states. Key Features of Bhavishya Savings Account:

(1) Monthly Average Balance requirement: Nil; (2) Free Platinum RuPay Debit card which can be used at ATMs only to withdraw cash with Aadhaar authentication; (3) Accidental Insurance/Permanent disability cover of upto Rs.2 Lakhs linked with Rupay Platinum Debit Card

(4) Upto 5 free ATM transactions in a month; (5) Free cash deposit limit upto Rs.25,000 per month; (6) Free cash withdrawal at Fino Bank branches; (7) For security reasons minor should have a mobile number that is different from the parent’s number; (8) Upon attaining 18 years of age, the BhavishyaSavings Account will be upgraded to regular savings account on submission of Re-KYC with updated info.

2. Karur Vysya Bank ties up with Star Health Insurance for health insurance products: The Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has entered into a partnership with Star Health and Allied Insurance Co to provide a wide range of health insurance options to its customers. According to the partnership, all the health insurance products of Star Health & Allied Insurance will be made available through all 780 branches of the Karur Vysya Bank. This agreement will help the bank to provide cost-effective insurance products and quick settlement of claims to its customers.

Note: Headquarters of Karur Vysya Bank: Karur, Tamil Nadu; Chairman of Karur Vysya Bank: N. S. Srinath; KVB President: J Natarajan.

3. Equitas Small Finance Bank launches video KYC account: Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited has launched a facility of opening account through video KYC. With this, any person anywhere in the country can open a savings account with Equitas Small Finance Bank; complete the full KYC through video with the Bank employee. The new video KYC account is a step forward towards our vision. This will ensure contact less, no branch visit and hassle free account opening and transactions for customers.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Ola partners with PhonePe for digital payments: Mobility platform Ola has entered into a partnership with digital payments platform PhonePe to expand payment options for riders. The partnership will help the mobility platform enable better digital payments experience on its Ola app. Ola customers across the country will now be able to pay for their ride using PhonePe. It will also benefit the digital payments platform in order to help it expand its user base. Ola’s customers can use all of PhonePe’s payment options, including the PhonePe wallet, to make payments in addition to UPI.

Note: CEO of Ola: Bhavish Aggarwal; Headquarters location of Ola: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

CEO of Phonepe: Sameer Nigam; Headquarters location of Phonepe: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

2. UKIBC Appoints Jayant Krishna as new group CEO: Jayant Krishna has been appointed as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the the UK India Business Council (UKIBC). His appointment will be effective from August 3, 2020. Jayant is the first Indian to be appointed as UKIBC Group CEO. Krishna takes over from Richard Heald, who held the position at the Council for a term of 10 years, since September 2010. Prior to this, Jayant Krishna has served as the CEO of Prime Minister’s Skill India mission as well as the Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Richard is being alleviated to take the role of Chair from 1 September 2020. He will be succeeding the current Chair, Lord Davies of Abersoch.

OBITUARIES

1. British actor Earl Cameron passes away: British film and television actor Earl Cameron (102 years) passed away. His first appearance on screen was in 1951 film Pool of London. He was appointed as the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours. He was also worked in 1965 Bond movie Thunderball and Doctor Who and 2005 film The Interpreter along with Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman. Queen with Hellen Mirren (2006) and Inception (2010) are his other famous films.

Daily GK Updates - 7th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s First NPNT Compliant Drone Flight successfully completed: Mumbai based Quidich Innovation Labs Private Limited has announced that it has successfully completed the first No-Permission No-Takeoff (NPNT) compliant drone flight of India. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) identified the green field near Karnataka’s Tumkur were the first NPNT compliant drone flight of India was carried out. The drone used for the flight is an Asteria Aerospace (Bengaluru based company) manufactured A200 micro drone. U0000001 is the UIN of the A200 micro drone that has completed the first NPNT compliant drone flight of India. This NPNT drone flight is under the Ministry of Civil Aviation MoCA & DGCA comprehensive policy on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), which came into effect on 1st Dec 2018.

Note: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation: Hardeep Singh Puri.

2. Government appoints Injeti Srinivas as first Chairman of IFSCA for 3 Years: Senior bureaucrat and former Corporate Affairs Secretary, Injeti Srinivas has been appointed as the first chairman of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) with effect from 6th July 2020, for a period of three years. Srinivas, a 1983-batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, superannuated as the Corporate Affairs Secretary in May 2000. The IFSCA has been established by the Ministry of Finance on April 27, 2020. It is a unified authority to regulate all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in the country. The body is headquartered at GIFT city in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

3. Kolkata Port Starts new Shipping service from Kolkata to Bangladesh’s Chattogram port: The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust (SMPT), Kolkata, has introduced a new service between Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and Chattogram (Chittagong) Port, Bangladesh through Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route, to transport containers to Chittagong by ship. This move will not only save transportation costs for importers but also help avoid congestion along roads and hence ease trade between India and Bangladesh. The vessel used for this new service will be Singapore flag carrier MV Asiatic Moon. This is the biggest vessel by size to ply between Kolkata and Chattogram till date. It can carry upto 600 containers in a single voyage to Chattogram. The vessel ‘M.V Asiatic Moon’ is expected to carry 300 containers of Indian exports to Bangladesh in its maiden voyage. The service has been launched by Zim Integrated Services in association with Bengal Tiger Lines. The port and the shipping line are also in consultations with Federation of Indian Exports Organisation (FIEO) to enable all exporters to get to know of this facility.

4. Karnataka launches Weavers’ Sammaan Yojana to provide annual financial assistance to handloom weavers: The Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa virtually launched Weavers Sammaan Yojana, (Nekar Samman Yojane) on 6th July 2020. Under the scheme, state government will provide annual financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to handloom weavers in the state through Direct Benefit Transfer. The State Government has allocated Rs 10.96 crore under the programme. In the first phase of the scheme, 19,744 weavers will be covered.

5. Himachal Pradesh becomes first state of India where every household has LPG gas connections: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has announced that each and every household in the state has got access to LPG connection. With this, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India where 100 percent households have LPG connections. Around 1.36 lakh families of the state were benefited under the central government’s ”Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana” where gas connections were provided free of cost to women of rural areas. Apart from this, the state government had launched “Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana” to cover the left out families in the state, who were not covered under the Centre’s scheme. As many as 2,76,243 families in the state were provided free gas connections under this state’s scheme.

Note: Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh: Jai Ram Thakur; Governor: Bandaru Dattatraya.

6. Maharashtra Govt launches ‘MahaJobs’ portal for unemployed youths of the state: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated a web portal ‘MahaJobs’ on 6th July 2020, to provide employment opportunities to unemployed local residents (sons of the soil) of the state. The web portal can be accessed at https://mahajobs.maharashtra.gov.in/. MahaJobs portal will bridge the gap between employers and skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled local workers of the state. It will be mandatory for the people registering at the job portal, to submit the domicile certificate.

Note: Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

7. Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava pens book “Getting Competitive: A Practitioner’s Guide for India”: Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava has written a book titled “Getting Competitive: A Practitioner’s Guide for India”. In the book Bhargava has used his experience of more than 60 years as a policymaker and industry leader to give practical suggestions on what needs to be done to make India competitive industrialised country and to create an equally just society. The book has been published by HarperCollins India.

Note: Managing Director & CEO of Maruti Suzuki: Kenichi Ayukawa; Maruti Suzuki Headquarters: New Delhi.

8. IIT Roorkee Develops “Unisaviour” – Disinfection Box to Sterilise Personal Belongings: A team of researchers at IIT Roorkee led by Prof Soumitra Satapathi, Laboratory of Integrated Nanophotonics and Biomaterials, has developed a disinfection box that can be used for sterilising a wide variety of personal belongings including medical equipment, PPE, apparels among others, against coronavirus. Termed as the ‘Unisaviour’ box, it comprises a metal coated with specially- designed highly reflective geometry to allow the calibrated passage of UVC light to disinfect personal belongings. The box also comprises an additional safety switch for UVC light. The disinfection box can also be installed easily at the public spaces such as cinema halls, malls etc to ensure the highest standard of hygiene.

9. MP Tourism board launches “Intzaar Aap Ka” campaign: In Madhya Pradesh, in order to attract tourists to the tourist places of the state; ‘Intzaar Aap Ka’ means waiting for you campaign has started on social media platforms. The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board has been inviting tourists by describing the characteristics of each tourist destination in an attractive way with that tagline on social media platforms. Different tour packages have also been prepared according to the time and convenience of the tourists which include safe travel, stay and excursions.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Israel successfully launches new spy satellite ‘Ofek 16’: On 6th July 2020, Israel Space Agency successfully launched a new spy satellite called ”Ofek 16”,  that would help the country in keeping tabs on its many threats across the region. Ofek is an electro-optical reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities. The satellite has been developed by the Ministry of Defence, along with the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries. The launch took place at 4 a.m. from the Palmachim air base in central Israel into space. This was the first launch of an Israeli spy satellite into space since the Ofek-11 which entered orbit in September 2016.

Note: Capital of Israel: Jerusalem; Currency of Israel: Israeli Shekel; President of Israel: Reuven Rivlin; Prime Minister of Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu.

2. India Ranks 117th in 2020 SDG Index, Sweden Tops: Sustainable Development Report 2020 has been released with SDG Index and Dashboards for all UN member states. It is published by Cambridge University Press and prepared by independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Bertelsmann Stiftung. India has been placed at 117th in SDG index 2020 with overall score of 61.92. Sweden has topped the 2020 SDG Index with a score of 84.7 followed by Denmark and Finland. SDG index 2020 ranked 166 nations on 17 sustainable development goals

3. World Chocolate Day: 07th July: World Chocolate Day (also known as International Chocolate Day) is an annual observance taking place globally on 7th July. The day is said to be chosen to celebrate the introduction of chocolate to Europe in 1550. It is marked by eating chocolates and sharing with dear ones.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Valtteri Bottas wins Austrian Grand Prix 2020: Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas (Finland) has won the Austrian Grand Prix 2020. Austrian Grand Prix 2020 was the first race of 2020 Formula one season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second while McLaren’s Lando Norris came third. Another Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton being handed a 5 second penalty that dropped him from second place to fourth. The event was held at the Red Bull Ring without spectators.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Yes Bank launches instant loan disbursement facility ‘Loan in Seconds’: The private sector lender Yes Bank has launched an instant personal loan disbursal facility called ‘Loan in Seconds’ for its retail customers. The bank’s account holders pre-identified by the bank can avail this facility digital loan disbursal facility in a completely paperless and hassle-free way, without going to the bank branch and without submitting any type of documents. Eligible customers will receive a communication with the link to apply for instant personal loan.

Note: Yes Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Yes Bank MD & CEO: Prashant Kumar.

2. SBM India ties up with Mastercard to facilitate cross border remittances: SBM Bank India (promoted by Government of Mauritius) and Mastercard have joined hands to facilitate cross-border payments and remittances services by using ‘Mastercard Send’. Mastercard Send is a secured and innovative solution– crafted to modernize domestic and cross-border payments and remittances. Customers can make real-time domestic business-to-consumer transfers quickly and efficiently through this. SBM Bank India is the first bank to receive universal banking licence from the RBI to set up and operate as a scheduled commercial bank through the wholly-owned subsidiary mode.

Note: Mastercard CEO: Ajaypal Singh Banga; Mastercard Headquarters: New York, United States.

SBM Bank CEO: Parvataneni Venkateswara Rao; SBM Bank Headquarters: Port Louis, Mauritius.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. U.S. GDP Expected to Contract 4.6% in 2020: Goldman Sachs: The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economists have revised down their estimates for the U.S. economy which is expected to contract 4.6% in 2000, worse than the earlier estimate of 4.2%. However, the growth is expected to rebound to 5.8% in 2021.

2. Citi projects India’s FY21 GDP forecast at -6%: Brokerage firm Citi, has projected India’s GDP for FY21 to contract by 6%. The projection has been lowered by Citi, as compared to its earlier estimate of -3.5%. Citi has reduced the projection for the following reasons: Spread of the Corona Virus, Virus concentration risk and Macro Indicators.

DEFENSE

1. India, Indonesia Coast Guards signs MoU to boost maritime relations: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Bakamla RI (Indonesian Coast Guard) have signed a memorandum of understanding on ‘Maritime Safety and Security’ to boost maritime relations. This MoU will strengthen cooperation by augmenting information exchange mechanisms. This real-time Maritime Domain Awareness will then be the foundation for controlling and responding to incidents of piracy, smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal migration and other such maritime crimes which will bring safety and security to the region and also result in protection of our precious marine environment.

Note: Director-General of Indian Coast Guard: Krishnaswamy Natarajan; Headquarters of Indian Coast Guard: New Delhi.

Capital of Indonesia: Jakarta; The currency of Indonesia: Indonesian rupiah; President of Indonesia: Joko Widodo.

OBITUARIES

1. Oscar-winning Italian film composer Ennio Morricone passes away: Oscar-winning Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone passed away. He was born in Rome in 1928. He scored more than 500 films. He won his Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015) and also was nominated for his original scores for Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978), Roland Joffe’s The Mission (1986), Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987), Barry Levinson’s Bugsy (1991) and Giuseppe Tornatore’s Malena (2000).

Daily GK Updates - 6th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vice President Venkahiah Naidu Launches India’s First Social Media Super App ‘Elyments’: Honorable Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, launched an indigenous social media app ‘Elyments’ on 5th July 2020, through video conferencing. Elyments is a first Made-in-India social media super-app, developed by Bengaluru-based software company, Sumeru Software Solutions Pvt Ltd, in close competition with similar platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. India has more than 500 million social media users, but most of these social media platforms are owned by companies outside India, which creates doubt regarding the privacy of data and data ownership. The initiative is a step forward towards becoming Aatma Nirbhar Bharat and also boosting the economy of the country.

Key Features of Elyments: (1) The app combine the features of popular social media apps and present it on a single unified app. (2) Social media Terms such as – contacts, friends, followers– have all been brought together in Elyments. (3) With end-to-end encryption, Elyments ensures that users data remains safe from prying eyes. All the servers are hosted in India, thus providing a fast and breezy experience. (4) It will provide basic facilities like: Audio/Video conference calls; Private/ Group chats; Secure payments via Elyments Pay; Public profiles that users can Follow/Subscribe; Curated commerce platform to promote Indian brands; Regional voice commands. Elyments is available in more than eight Indian languages. It can be downloaded from all app stores and Google Play Stores across the world. The app has already seen downloads of over 200,000 times.

2. Delhi govt to launch “Paudhelagao, ParyavaranBachao” campaign: Delhi government will launch a mega tree plantation drive under the ‘Paudhelagao, ParyavaranBachao’ campaign. The campaign aims to reduce air pollution by increasing green cover in the national capital. It has been planned that during the campaign, in 17 days, 31 lakh of tree saplings will be planted under the campaign. Out of the 31 lakh saplings, 20 lakh saplings will be of big trees and the remaining 11 lakh saplings will be of shrubs that will be planted on both sides of the road.

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

3. CBSE partners with Facebook to launch free virtual training program for teachers and students: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has partnered with social media giant Facebook to launch free and comprehensive training program in virtual mode for teachers and students of its affiliated schools. The first phase of the training program is scheduled from August 2020 to November 2020. The registration process for the first phase of the training program will be held from 6th to 20th July 2020. Schools have to online nominate their teachers and students for the training programs. The participants will also receive a joint e- certificate from CBSE and Facebook on successful completion of the course. In the second phase, CBSE will introduce the training program on digital safety and augmented reality for 30 thousand students in each category.

Note: CBSE chairman: Manoj Ahuja; Headquarters of CBSE: New Delhi.

4. India’s Largest COVID-19 facility ‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel COVID19 Hospital in Delhi becomes operational: On 5th July 2020, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal inaugurated the 1000-bedded Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre and Hospital (SPCCCH) at Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Chhatarpur area, located at Air Force land near airport in Delhi. It is the largest COVID-19 facility in India and has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in a record time of 12 days. The hospital will operated by medical team of doctors, nurses and support staff from Armed Forces Medical Services. The facility has 250 intensive care units (ICU) beds and the capacity to house and treat 10,000 coronavirus patients at the same time. Apart from this, DRDO has decided to name all the different wards of new Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel COVID-19 Hospital in Delhi after the Indian Army troops who lost their lives in the Galwan valley clash last month.

5. Odisha Govt Launches ‘Balaram Yojana’ to Provide Agricultural Loan To Landless Farmers: Odisha government has launched ‘BalaramYojana’ to provide crop loans to landless farmers. Under the new scheme, the landless cultivators will get loans through joint liability groups (JLGs). Under this scheme, the government has set a target to provide farm loans to 7 lakh landless farmers in the next two years. The Institute on Management of Agricultural Extension (IMAGE) will coordinate to implement the scheme at the state level, the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) will coordinate at the district level. The scheme was designed in collaboration with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

Note: Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar; Governor: Ganeshi Lal; Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

6. Former RBI governor Urjit Patel pens book on dealing with NPA issue titled ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’: Former RBI Governor, Urjit Patel, has written a book titled ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’ which focuses on the non-performing assets (NPAs) issue that has afflicted Indian banking in recent years, its causes and Patel’s efforts as the RBI Governor in dealing with it. The book is likely to be released on 31 July 2020. It has been published by HarperCollins India.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin records victory in Presidential polls: President of Russia, Vladimir Putin has recorded a victory in the recently held Presidential polls. With a victory, he is set to stay in power until the middle of the next decade i.e. until 2036. Russians citizens went to the polls to cast ballots in a nationwide referendum on Constitutional Amendments. A preliminary tally of results was released by the Central Election Commission of Russia after processing 50% of ballot, and stated that 76.24% of the citizens voted in support of the amendments.

Note: Russia Capital: Moscow; Currency: Russian Rouble; Prime Minister: Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin

2. India-Afghanistan inked 5 MoUs for development of educational infrastructure in Afghanistan: In order to strengthen the bilateral development partnership, the Government of India has inked 5 Memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Afghanistan under the former’s high impact community development projects (HICDP) programme.  The objective behind these MoUs is the development of educational infrastructure in four Afghan provinces namely Nooristan, Farah, Badakhshan and Kapisa. The projects to be taken up under the five MoUs include the construction of classrooms, a higher education building and a road within the campus of Albironi University.

Note: Afghanistan Capital: Kabul; Currency: Afghan afghani; President: Ashraf Ghani

3. World Zoonoses Day: 6th July: World Zoonoses Day is held every year on July 6 to raise awareness for the risk of zoonotic diseases. Zoonoses are infectious diseases (virus, bacteria and parasites) that can spread from animals to humans, and vice versa, either with direct contact with animals or indirectly, vector-borne or food-borne. It was on July 6, 1885, when Louis Pasteur successfully administered the first vaccine against Rabies virus, which is a zoonotic disease. The day emphasizes about Zoonotic disease and problems caused by them. It urges people to take the right action. The day aims to show how this disease can be prevented after taking precautionary measures.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Chess Player Akash becomes India’s 66th Grandmaster: The 23 year-old G. Akash from Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) becomes the country’s 66th Grandmaster with rating of 2495. Akash got his third GM norm in the National senior chess championship in Majhitar (Sikkim) last year, but his rating fell short of the required Elo mark of 2500. He played another five tournaments across the world to reach that rating. The title was confirmed at the recent meeting of International Chess Federation (FIDE) Council. He has won the national title in 2012.

Note: FIDE Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; President: Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich

2. Quinton de Kock named men’s Cricketer of the Year in CSA’s virtual awards:          White-ball skipper Quinton de Kock was named the men’s ‘cricketer of the year’ at Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) annual awards ceremony, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 27-year-old also bagged the Test cricketer of the year. The complete list of awards:

Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Quinton de Kock

Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Laura Wolvaardt

Test Cricketer of the Year: Quinton de Kock

Women’s ODI Cricketer of the year: Laura Wolvaardt

Men’s ODI and T20 Player of the Year: Lungi Ngidi

Women’s T20 Player of the Year: Shabnim Ismail

Fans’ Favourite Player of the Year: David Miller

International Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Anrich Nortje

Women’s Newcomer of the Near: Nonkululeko Mlaba

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. V Suryanarayanan appointed new MD of Chola MS General Insurance: Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company has announced the appointment of V Suryanarayanan as its new managing director. Suryanarayanan succeeds S S Gopalarathnam, who retired after serving the company for over 41 years. Cholamandalam MS General Insurance is a Joint Venture between diversified conglomerate Murugappa Group and Japan- based Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company Ltd.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. WhatsApp Launches its 10-week long brand campaign ”It’s Between You” in India: Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has launched its brand campaign titled ”It’s Between You” in India on 4th July 2020, highlighting the core belief that when privacy is deeply felt people can communicate as their ‘true selves using Whatsapp.’

(1) 60-second ads: Under the campaign, two 60-second ads have been created, showcasing stories about how Indians are using Whatsapp to communicate in a secure manner with their closest relationships. Both the short films highlight how the features of Whatsapp like texts, video calls or even a voice message (which is end-to-end encrypted) help replicate in-person conversations. WhatsApp collaborated with Indian Bollywood director Gauri Shinde and advertising agency BBDO India to create the two sixty seconds ads.

(2) 10 weeks long campaign: The campaign will run for 10 weeks in India on a number of national and regional television channels and digital platforms. These films will be available in English and seven regional languages that include Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Oriya, Gujarati, Marathi and Kannada.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. India’s Freya Thakral wins “The Diana Award 2020”: A 13-year-old student of the British School New Delhi, Freya Thakral has received the 2020 Diana Award for her “Recycler App”. She developed this App to connect users with waste-handlers as a measure to help the ragpickers of Delhi. Recycler App is a web-based mobile application which connects the users with waste handlers. The service through the app is provided in the south Delhi region with plans to extend to the other parts with an aim to transform the lives of the ragpicker community.

Note: Diana Award: The Diana award was established in 1999 in memory of Princess Diana, to recognise the social works and humanitarian efforts of youngsters across the United Kingdom (UK) and around the world. The award is given on July 1st to commemorate the birth anniversary of Princess Diana and it is supported by Prince Willam and Prince Harry.

Note: United Kingdom Prime Minister: Boris Johnson; Capital: London; Currency: Pound sterling