Daily GK Updates – 15th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Amit Shah launches CAPF’s nationwide tree plantation drive: Union Home Minister, Amit Shah has rolled out the Central Armed Police Force’s (CAPFs) nationwide tree plantation drive by planting a sapling of the peepal tree at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) campus in Gurugram. Under this drive, saplings were planted by the jawans of Central Armed Police Forces in Chhattisgarh. The personnel of BSF, CRPF, ITBP and CISF – deployed in Chhattisgarh for Anti-Naxal operations, planted saplings in their respective campuses as well as in their places of deployment.

2. Madhya Pradesh tops in implementing PM Svanidhi scheme:  Madhya Pradesh has topped among the other states in the implementation of PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi). The scheme is presently benefiting the beneficiaries of 378 urban bodies of the state. Till now 8,70,330 street vendors have registered under the scheme, out of which 1,76,000 street vendors have been issued the identity cards and vending certificates. Apart from this, 15,500 cases have been approved in the state along with interest free loan of around 15 crore 50 lakh.

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

3. UNICEF India Partners with FICCI to launch #Reimagine Campaign: The UNICEF INDIA has entered into partnership with the Socio Economic Development Foundation (SEDF) of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), to co-develop #Reimagine Campaign. The #Reimagine Campaign of UNICEF aims to support the most vulnerable populations and children during the COVID-19 response and its after-math in India. The campaign will also help in avoiding the potential long-term damage to business operations as well as employment pipeline. The FICCI SEDF will leverage its resources like cash and core assets to mobilize funds that can be utilized to help generate support for the most vulnerable population affected due to COVID disruption.

Note: President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry: Sangita Reddy.

4. Indian Railways launches POST COVID COACH to ensure safer journey: The Indian Railways has launched a new state-of-the-art, ‘Post Covid Coach’ in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus infection. The Indian Railways’ production unit, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, has developed this new Post Covid Coach. It has handsfree amenities like foot operated water tap and soap dispenser, copper-coated handrails and latches and titanium di-oxide coating for Covid-free passenger journey. Plasma air equipment in AC duct installed will sterilize the air and surfaces using ionised air.

Note: Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal

5. Union Minister inaugurates new economic corridor projects in Haryana: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated new economic corridors highway projects in Haryana through web based program presided over by CM Manohar Lal. It will have 11 highway projects in Haryana with a total outlay of Rs 20,000 crore. Giving information about the projects, Chairman, National Highways Authority of India Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu said that 3 projects worth over 2,240 crore rupees were inaugurated and foundation stones for 8 projects worth over 17,000 crore rupees were laid. The move will cut down travel time, provide connectivity to neighbouring states and will boost industrialisation in the state reviving economy.

6. VNIR Biotech launches fluorescence probes & PCR mix for RT-PCR detection of COVID-19: Bengaluru based, VNIR Biotechnologies, a spinoff by Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) has launched indigenous fluorescence probes and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mix for RT-PCR detection of COVID-19. The molecular probes developed by VNIR Biotechnologies will be used in COVID-19 test kits in the country. PCR based test kit has three critical components, the oligos, enzymes and molecular probes. The molecular probes used in COVID 19 tests, are currently, only imported. VNIR has innovated synthesis protocols for molecular probes, which will be useful for PCR based COVID-19 testing. The company is in the process of filing for the protection of its process innovation. VNIR’s Research and Development effort in line with the Make-In-India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat missions of the Government of India are meant to contribute to self-reliance in COVID-19 testing.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vidhu Nair appointed as Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan: Government of India has appointed Dr. Vidhu P. Nair as the next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan. Nair is presently serving as the Director in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is a Foreign Service Officer of 2002 batch.

Note: Capital of Turkmenistan: Ashgabat; Currency: Turkmenistan Manat.

2.  Tandon appointed India’s next Ambassador to Afghanistan: Indian Foreign Service officer, Rudrendra Tandon has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Afghanistan. Tandon is presently serving as Indian envoy to ASEAN at Jakarta.

Note: Afghanistan capital; Kabul; Currency: Afghan afghani; President of Afghanistan: Ashraf Ghani.

3. Vikram Doraiswami appointed India’s next Ambassador to Bangladesh: Indian Foreign Service officer, Vikram Doraiswami has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Bangladesh. Doraiswami is currently serving as additional secretary in-charge of international organisations and summits at the headquarters of the external affairs ministry in Delhi. Doraiswami will succeed Riva Ganguly Das in Dhaka.

4. India hands over outdoor fitness equipment to Maldives: India has handed over outdoor fitness equipment for 61 islands across the Maldives under a cash grant of 8 million US dollars. The installation of equipment would involve the participation of all 61 island councils and further strengthen the idea of decentralization and a cherished ideal for President Ibrahim Solih’s government. The project is expected to contribute to the Maldivian government’s ‘healthy lifestyles’ policy through easier access to fitness equipment.

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

5. Andrzej Duda re-elected as President of Poland: Poland’s incumbent President Andrzej Duda has been re-elected in the 2020 presidential election for another five year term. He won the elections after securing 51.21% of the votes defeating opposition candidate, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski who got 48.79% votes. It is slimmest presidential election victory of Poland since the end of communism in 1989. He became the President of Poland in 2015 for the first time defeating Bronislaw Komorowski

Note: Poland Capital: Warsaw; Currency: Polish złoty

6. World Youth Skills Day: 15th July: The World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) is observed every year on July 15 as a day to recognize the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, and to highlight the crucial role of skilled youth in addressing current and future global challenges. The United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day in November 2014. Due to the current global crises, the celebration of WYSD will be held virtually on the theme “Skills for a Resilient Youth”

Note: Secretary-General of United Nations: António Guterres.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Former Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak retires from sport: Former Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak has announced his retirement from the sport. Socceroos is the official nickname of the Australia national soccer team that represents Australia in international men’s soccer. Jedinak made his national team debut in 2008 and made 79 appearances for Australia. He also won the 2015 Asian Cup title for the team. He has appeared for his national side in three World Cups.

2. West Indies win 1st test match against England after corona outbreak: West Indies won 1st international cricket after the sport's return from coronavirus outbreak beating England in the Test match at an empty Ageas Bowl Stadium by 4 wickets. Jermaine Blackwood scored highest run. West Indies chased down the victory target of 200-run with four wickets in hand, in their second innings and scored 318 runs in their first innings. England had scored 204 and 313 all out in 1st and 2nd innings respectively. The 2nd test will start in Manchester.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. NABARD organised ‘Digital Choupal’ to mark its 39th foundation day: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organised its first ‘Digital Choupal’ to mark its 39th foundation day. “Digital Choupal” was conducted in the form of a video conference which was attended by participants of different projects initiated by NABARD, to share their experiences about the projects they are involved in. During the ‘Digital Choupal’ session, NABARD also announced Rs 5,000 crore of refinance scheme for banks and financial institutions. With this refinance scheme, the development finance institution aims to offer finance to the beneficiaries of its 2,150 watershed development projects. NABARD also assigned another Rs 5,000 crore to transform Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into multi service centres. This concessional line of assistance will be available for a period of three years from 2020-21 to 2022-23.

Note: Chairman of National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development: G R Chintala.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Reliance Industries becomes first Indian company to hit Rs. 12 lakh crore market cap: Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has become the first Indian firm to hit a market capitalisation mark of Rs. 12 lakh crore. The shares price of the company surged to a record high of Rs. 1,947 on 13 July 2020, after which the Market cap of the firm rose to Rs 12.32 lakh crore. The increase in Reliance Industries m-cap comes after it secured deal with Qualcomm Ventures to invest in Jio Platforms for a 0.15 percent equity stake. This is the 13th deal secured by Jio Platforms in a span of 12 weeks, bringing the total funds raised by the company to Rs 1.18 lakh crore.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Gurbux Singh and Palash Nandy to be conferred with Mohun Bagan Ratna Award 2020: Hockey legend Gurbux Singh and former first-class cricketer Palash Nandy has been named for the Mohun Bagan Ratna Award 2020 by the football club Mohun Bagan’s executive committee. The award is presented every year by Mohun Bagan on the occasion of its foundation day on 29 July. However, due to coronavirus pandemic, the function will not be held this year. July 29 was the date of Bagan’s IFA Shield triumph in 1911 when they defeated East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1. The awards will be given personally to all the winners. List of all the awardees:

Mohun Bagan Ratna– club’s highest honor: (1) Shri Gurbux Singh (Hockey); (2) Shri Palash Nandi (Cricket)

Lifetime Achievement: (1) Shri Ashok Kumar (Hockey); (2) Shri Pranab Ganguly (Football); (3) Shri Monoranjan Porel (Athletics)

Best Football Player of the season 2019-20 (Senior): Joseba Beitia (Spain)

Best Youth Player: Sajal Bag (U18 team)

2. Ved Parkash Dudeja conferred with ‘Infra Business Leader of the Year’: Rail Infra and Mobility Business Digital Awards (RIMBDA) has awarded Ved Parkash Dudeja with the coveted ‘Infra Business Leader of the Year’ award for 2020. He is the vice chairman of Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). He has been awarded for his contribution towards the infrastructure development. Under his leadership, RLDA has launched various commercial projects, multifunctional complex, colony redevelopment and station redevelopment projects. RLDA is a statutory body under Ministry of Railways responsible for the development of vacant railway land for commercial use to generate revenue.

OBITUARIES

1. Dutch Football legend Wim Suurbier passes away: Dutch Football legend Wim Suurbier passed away. He was a key member of the 1970s squad of Netherlands who played in two World Cup finals. Suurbier also achieved the rare feat of playing in consecutive FIFA World Cup Finals in year 1974 and 1978 that his country lost to West Germany and Argentina. He ended his national team career spanning 12 years with 60 caps. Suurbier also played for club Ajax Amsterdam. He played 509 matches for the club and won three European championships from 1964 to 1977. He was described as the 'first modern back of the Netherlands' and ‘king of Dutch football humour’.

2. Hawkins Cookers Chairman Brahm Vasudeva passes away: Hawkins Cookers Chairman, Brahm Vasudeva passed away. He was appointed as Vice Chairman and Managing Director on the board of the company in 1968 and became the Wholetime Chairman and Managing Director in 1984. He was the Non-Executive Chairman and advisor to the company since 2006.

Daily GK Updates – 14th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Madhya Pradesh government to launch “Roko-Toko” campaign: Madhya Pradesh government will commence a unique campaign titled as “Roko-Toko”. With this campaign, the state government will target those people who do not wear masks. Under this, the state government will distribute masks to the people who do not wear masks in public places as the use of masks is mandatory in all public places in the state. The mask distribution will be carried out by the selected voluntary organizations shortlisted by district collector. Organizations will also be provided with 100 masks created under ‘Jeevan Shakti Yojana’ on credit.

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

2. IIT Kanpur develops UV sanitizing device ‘SHUDH’ to disinfect room in 15 mins: A team of engineers at IIT Kanpur has developed an Ultraviolet (UV) sanitizing product named SHUDH, which is capable to disinfect a 10 sqft room in about 15 minutes. SHUDH stands for Smartphone operated Handy Ultraviolet Disinfection Helper. It has been jointly developed by J. Ramkumar, Amandeep Singh and Shivam Sachan. SHUDH has six UV lights of 15 Watts each that can be individually monitored from a distance and can be rotated up to 360 degrees. Users can use the number of lights based upon the size of the room. Simply by installing an Android application, user can remotely control the on-off, speed and location of the product using the available smartphone. It can also run with Bluetooth technology. The device will be useful for disinfecting places like hospitals, hotel, malls, offices, schools, etc. to prevent infection, without the need to touch the device.

Note: Director of IIT Kanpur: Prof. Abhay Karandikar

3. Ruskin Bond’s new book ‘A Song Of India’ to be released on 20 July, marking 70 Years of his Literary Journey: A new book by world renowned author Ruskin Bond, titled “A Song of India” is scheduled to hit the stands on July 20, to mark the 70th year of Mr Bond’s literary career. The book has been published by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House India. The new book is the fourth instalment in his memoir series after “Looking for the Rainbow” (2017), “Till the Clouds Roll By” (2017) and “Coming Round the Mountain” (2019). In ‘A Song of India’, Ruskin Bond tells the story of his 16-year-old self and how he was struggling to begin his writing journey, before he became a successful author.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. United States remains India’s top trading partner for 2nd consecutive year in 2019-20: The United States has retained its position as India’s top trading partner for the second consecutive financial year in 2019-20. As per the data of the Ministry of Commerce, the bilateral trade between the US and India in 2019-20 stood at $88.75 billion as against $87.96 billion in 2018-19. In 2018-19, the US for the first time surpassed China to become India’s top trading partner. China was India’s top trading partner since 2013-14 till 2017-18 and before China, UAE was the largest trading nation in India. The bilateral trade between India and China dropped to $81.87 billion in 2019-20 from $87.08 billion in 2018-19.

Note: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry: Piyush Goyal.

2. United Nations organises 2020 Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week from 6-10 July 2020: The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism organised its Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week 2020 from 6-10 July 2020. The theme of 2020 Counter-Terrorism Week was “Strategic and Practical Challenges of Countering Terrorism in a Global Pandemic Environment”. This was the second edition of the UN Counter-Terrorism Week while the first time that the event was held virtually due to covid-19 pandemic. Originally the second Counter-Terrorism Week was to take place from 29 June to 3 July 2020 at the UN Headquarters, New York, but due to the COVID-19 crisis the entire 2020 Counter-Terrorism Week was postponed.

3. Iran drops India from Chabahar Rail Project due to funding delay: Iran has dropped India from the Chabahar rail project, for the construction of railway line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the Iran-Afghanistan border. The reason that Iran gave for dropping India was delays from the Indian side in funding and starting the construction of the project. Iran has now decided to move ahead with the construction of Chabahar railway line to Zahedan on its own. For this $400 million will be sanctioned by the Iranian National Development Fund and the entire project will be completed by March 2022, without any assistance from India. India and Iran signed Chabahar rail project agreement in 2016. It must be noted that this decision has been taken by Iran at a time when it is seeking to finalise a 25-year economic and security partnership with China worth $400 billion.

Note: Iran capital: Tehran; Currency: Rial

4. China Successfully Launches High-throughput broadband communications satellite APSTAR-6D: On July 9, 2020, China successfully launched the APSTAR-6D satellite– a high-power broadband communications satellite into orbit, to provide broadband internet service. The APSTAR-6D telecommunication satellite was launched aboard a Long March 3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center. APSTAR-6D is designed and manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The geostationary satellite, APSTAR-6D is the first satellite of China’s global, high-throughput broadband satellite communication system that will form a space-wide Internet communication network covering the whole world, similar to GPS. It will be operated by the APT Mobile SatCom Limited to provide satellite broadband telecommunication services for airborne, shipborne, vehicle-borne, and other mobile communication applications for users across the Asia-Pacific region.

Note: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp Headquarters: Beijing, China; China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp President: Xu Qiang.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Hemang Amin appointed interim CEO of BCCI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Hemang Amin as the interim chief executive officer (CEO) of the Indian cricket board. This appointment comes after BCCI accepted the resignation of Rahul Johri as the BCCI CEO recently.  Hemang Amin is presently serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Indian Premier League since 2015 and joined IPL operations team in June 2010. The BCCI is expected to get a new CEO in the next two months.

Note: BCCI President: Sourav Ganguly

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Visa partners Federal Bank to launch “Visa Secure”:  Visa, a global leader in payments technology has tied-up with Federal Bank to launch “Visa Secure” to the bank’s cardholders. “Visa Secure” is a modernized technology that provides a quicker and frictionless checkout experience to the consumers. Adoption of new improved technology will enable the bank to focus on customer-centric digital solutions that make online shopping experiences seamless. It is built on EMVCo 3DS (3D Secure) 2.0 protocol offering additional layers of authentication for issuers and merchants for secure e-commerce

Note: MD & CEO of Federal Bank Ltd: Shyam Srinivasan.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. FICCI survey predicts India’s GDP to contract by 4.5% in FY21: Industry body FICCI has projected the Indian economy to contract by (-) 4.5 percent in 2020-21, as per its latest Economic Outlook Survey released on 12 July 2020. The minimum and maximum GDP growth estimate stood at (-) 6.4 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, for FY21. The downward revision is due to the halt in economic activities amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown.

2. Qualcomm Ventures becomes 12th Investor in Jio Platforms; Invests Rs 730 crore to acquire 0.15% stake: Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of US-based wireless technology company Qualcomm Incorporated has invested Rs 730 crore in ‘Jio Platforms’ for a 0.15 % stake in the company. Qualcomm Ventures is the 12th investor to buy a stake in Jio Platforms. Qualcomm’s investment marks the 13th investment in Jio platforms. With this, the total investments by foreign investors in Jio Platforms comes up to Rs 1,18,318.45 crore and the total combined stake of these investors reaches 25.24 %. List of all Investors and Investments of Jio Platforms:

Date	Company	Investment (crore)	Stake (percent)
22-Apr	Facebook	Rs 43,573.62	9.99
04-May	Silver Lake	Rs 5,655.75	1.15
08-May	Vista	Rs 11,367	2.32
17-May	General Atlantic	Rs 6,598.38	1.34
22-May	KKR	Rs 11,367	2.32
05-Jun	Mubadala	Rs 9,093.60	1.85
05-Jun	Silver Lake	Rs 4,546.80	0.93
07-Jun	ADIA	Rs 5,683.50	1.16
13-Jun	TPG	Rs 4,546.80	0.93
13-Jun	L Catterton	Rs 1,894.50	0.39
18-Jun	PIF	Rs 11,367	2.32
02-Jul	Intel Capital	Rs 1,894.50	0.39
12-Jul	Qualcomm	Rs 730	0.15

Note: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qualcomm: Steve Mollenkopf.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. ISRO Chief K Sivan named for Von Karman Award 2020: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief, Kailasavadivoo Sivan has named for Von Karman Award 2020 by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). The Von Karman Award is known as the highest distinction of the IAA. Dr K. Sivan is going to receive an award in March 2021 at Paris France. Prior to K Sivan, only two Indians have been the recipients of this award. They were Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan and U.R. Rao. The Von Karman award was established in 1982 and is the premier award of the Academy. It is given annually to recognize outstanding lifetime achievements in any branch of science without limit of nationality or gender. The award is named after Theodore von Karman who was an aerospace engineer and notably known for his key advances in aerodynamics.

Note: International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Founder: Dr Theodore Von Karman; International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Headquarters: Paris, France.

2. Chhattisgarh awarded “Elites Excellence Awards 2020”: Chief Minister Darpan website and mobile app prepared for monitoring Chhattisgarh Government’s ambitious Suraji Gaon Scheme and other flagship schemes, has been awarded “Elites Excellence Awards-2020” at the national level. Chhattisgarh has been awarded this honour by the country’s prestigious IT institution Elites Technomedia, New Delhi under the ‘Digital India initiative’.

About Chief Minister Darpan website and mobile app: The purpose of this website and mobile app is to directly monitor the flagship schemes of the Chhattisgarh Government from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and provide real-time information to the common citizens. Solutions to problems will also be provided by this portal. The biggest feature of the Chief Minister Darpan portal and mobile app is that we are moving towards no paper and real-time monitoring.

Note: CM of Chhattisgarh: Bhupesh Baghel; Governor of Chhattisgarh: Anusuiya Uikey.

3. CM K Palaniswami honours with Paul Harris Fellow Recognition:  Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami has honoured with Paul Harris Fellow recognition by Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, Chicago. The person recognised as the fellow will receive a certificate along with a lapel pin. They are also eligible to buy a Paul Harris Fellow medallion. In this recognition, $1,000 gift is being made in the name of honoured person to the Rotary International Foundation providing money for health, education, peace initiatives projects in over 200 countries where Rotary has members.

Note: Governor of Tamil Nadu: Banwarilal Purohit.

President of Rotary International: Holger Knaack; Rotary Foundation of Rotary International HQs: Chicago

OBITUARIES

1. Renowned Journalist-writer Nagindas Sanghvi passes away: Veteran Gujarati journalist, columnist, writer and political critic Nagindas Sanghvi has passed away in Surat. He was 100. Sangvi was conferred Padma Shri award in the year 2019. He had written many books on Mahatma Gandhi, Gujarat and other subjects. Besides writing in Gujarati language, Sangvi also wrote in English and Hindi languages.

2. Famous Indian ceramist Jyotsna Bhatt passes away: Famous Indian ceramist and potter Jyotsna Bhatt (80 years) passes away. She was India’s best-known ceramic artists and have experimented with stoneware, terracotta and countless possibilities that ceramics offered. She enrolled to study sculpture at MS University in Baroda in 1958 and Brooklyn Museum Art School in mid-’60s She was also a faculty member at MS University from 1972, retiring as the head of Dept of Ceramics in 2002.

Daily GK Updates – 13th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NITI Aayog Atal Innovation Mission launches ATL App Development Module for school children: The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog has launched the ATL App Development Module for school children across the country, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of AtmaNirbhar Bharat. The ATL App is an online course by AIM and is completely free. The innovative course will have six project-based learning modules and online mentoring sessions to enable the young innovators learn how to build mobile apps in various Indian languages and showcase their talent. The course has been jointly developed by AIM and Indian startup, Plezmo. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is also seeking to train school teachers in order to build capacities and acumen for App Development.

Note: Chief Executive Officer of Plezmo: Amol Palshikar.

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

2. Chhattisgarh Government organises India’s first e-Lok Adalat: Chhattisgarh government has organized the first e-Lok Adalat of India amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The “e-Lok Adalat” was organized by the High Court and Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority and was inaugurated by P R Ramchandra Menon, the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court. The “e-Lok Adalat” was organized in order to bring relief to people and to reduce the pendency of cases amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Its virtual hearings were conducted along with live streaming.

Note: Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh: Bhupesh Baghel; Governor: Anusuiya Uikey.

3. Indian Railways to become "Green Railway" by 2030 on mission mode: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has said that Indian Railways will be the largest Railway in the world to have 100 per cent electrification replacing diesel at the India Global Week-2020. It will be the world’s first Green Railways running on 100 per cent clean energy by 2030. The government has opened up for bidding for additional 151 trains inviting private participation so the passengers can enjoy world-class facilities and high speed journeys. It has already taken several major initiatives for net zero carbon emission. Railway Electrification, improving energy efficiency of locomotives & trains and fixed installations, green certification for installations/stations, fitting bio toilets in coaches and switching to renewable energy sources are parts of its strategy of achieving the status of green railways.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. WHO sets up independent panel to review its handling of COVID-19 pandemic: The World Health Organization (WHO) has set up an independent panel to review its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response by governments. The panel will be co-chaired by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The co-chairs will select the other members. The decision to form the panel has been taken by WHO following strong criticism by US President Donald Trump, which accused the WHO of being China-centric. The panel will provide an interim report to an annual meeting of health ministers in November and present a substantive report in May 2021.

2. India becomes second-largest source of FDI in United Kingdom: Based on the latest figures, released by the government of United Kingdom, India has moved up one place to become the second-largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in UK in the financial year 2019-20. It was the third largest FDI source in 2018-29. United States remained the top source of FDI for UK in 2019-20. The top five largest source of FDI in UK included US, India, Germany, France and China and Hong Kong. India invested in 120 projects and created 5,429 new jobs in UK, as per the inward investment statistics for 2019-2020 by the Department for International Trade (DIT). US delivered 462 projects and 20,131 jobs. With 1,852 new inward investment projects in 2019-20, the overall FDI for the UK increased by 4 percent in FY20 compared to 2018-2019.

3. Indian-American Scientist Appointed Acting Head of Top US Agriculture Research Organisation: Prominent Indian-American scientist Dr Parag Chitnis has been appointed as the Acting Director of the prestigious National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which drives all federally funded agricultural research in the US. Chitnis was named Associate Director for Programmes earlier this year and leads implementation of NIFA’s approximately USD 1.7 billion research projects. In his new position, Parag Chitnis will replace Dr Scott Angle, who has accepted the position of Vice President of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton won Styrian Grand Prix 2020: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Styrian Grand Prix 2020, held on 12 July 2020 in Spielberg, Austria. It was the second race of the 2020 Formula One World Championship and the first running of the Styrian Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) finished second while Max Verstappen (Red Bull- Belgium) was third.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IRDAI allows launch of ‘Corona Kavach’ insurance policies: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has approved the General and Health Insurance companies to launch short-term ‘Corona Kavach’ health insurance policies. The short-term “Corona Kavach” health insurance policy will cover medical expenses occurred due to coronavirus disease. The policy will also provide for any co-morbid condition caused due to COVID-19 during the period of hospitalization. About the Corona Kavach policy: (1) IRDAI has designed a standard Covid specific product which addresses the basic health insurance requirements of insuring public containing common policy wordings across the industry. (2) The sum insured amount of the policy ranges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5,00,000. (3) Person between the age of 18 to 65 years can avail the benefits of the policy. (4) People will be able to avail the Corona Kavach policy for Self, spouse, parents, parents-in-law as well as dependent children up to 25 years of age.

Note: Chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India: Subhash C. Khuntia.

2. Income Tax Dept launches tool for Banks and Post offices: Income Tax Department has facilitated a new tool for Banks and Post offices to determine TDS applicability rates on cash withdrawals beyond a particular threshold. It is ascertained on cash withdrawals of more than Rs 20 lakh in case of a non-filer of the income-tax return and that of above 1 crore in case of a filer of the I-T return. Only PAN of the person is required for ascertaining the rates of TDS. Finance Act 2020 also amended Income-tax Act for withdrawal limits.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Google Plans to Invest Rs 75,000 crore in India in next 5-7 years to boost Digital India: Technology giant Google will invest Rs. 75,000 crore (around $10 billion), in India over the next 5-7 years to boost India’s digital economy. This announcement was made by Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai at the sixth edition of ‘Google for India’ virtual event on 13 July 2020. The main focus of the Investments will be on four key areas: (1) Enabling affordable access and information to every Indian in their own language; (2) Building new products and services relevant to India’s unique needs; (3) Empowering businesses as they continue to embark in digital transformation; (4) Leveraging technology and Artificial Intelligence for social good in areas like healthcare, education and agriculture.

The dedicated ‘Google for India Digitisation Fund’, will be deployed for this purpose. The investments will be made through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments.

Note: CEO of Google: Sundar Pichai; Headquarters: California, United States.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. NTPC Limited wins prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Award 2019: The centrally-owned, National Thermal Power Corporation, (NTPC) Limited, under the Ministry of Power has won the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Award 2019, under Outstanding Accomplishment in Corporate Excellence Category. The company has also received Commendation for Significant Achievement in the category of CSR in the 15th CII-ITC Sustainability Award. NTPC has been rewarded for its sustainability practices such as Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM) to benefit school going girls from underprivileged background to support in their overall development; Contractors’ Labour Information Management System (CLIMS) through which payment to contract labourers are being paid on the last day of the month at project sites. The CII-ITC Sustainability Awards recognise and reward excellence in businesses that are seeking ways to be more sustainable and inclusive in their business.

Note: NTPC is a Central PSU under Ministry of Power; NTPC's MD: Gurdeep Singh

OBITUARIES

1. Renowned Gujarati Cartoonist Avad Bin Hassan Jami passes away: One of the most senior and popular cartoonist of Gujarat, Avad Bin Hassan Jami, has passed away in Jamnagar. He was 77. He was popularly known as “Jami”. His cartoons were regularly published in leading Gujarati daily newspapers and news magazines for more than two decades. Mr. Jami was a drawing teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jamnagar and became a full time cartoonist after retirement. He began to draw cartoons for the first time in magazine ‘Rangtarang’. His cartoons questioned authority, spoke sarcastically about hypocrisy, society and politics.

2. TV Actor Rajan Sehgal passes away: Famous Film and TV actor Ranjan Sehgal (36 years) passes away in Chandigarh due to multiple organ failure. He worked in several TV shows such as ‘Savdhan India’ and ‘Crime Patrol’ and acted in Punjabi (Yaaran Da Katchup, Aatishbaazi Ishq, Mahi NRI) as well as Hindi movies. He was featured in Bollywood films Sarbjit along with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Randeep Hooda starer in 2016. His TV shows include Color’s Rishton Se Badi Pratha, Tum Dena Saath Mera and Gustakh Dil.

Daily GK Updates – 12th July, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. NITI Aayog presents Voluntary National Review 2020 report: India’s second Voluntary National Review (VNR) report has been presented by the NITI Aayog at the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, 2020. The VNR 2020 report has been titled as “Decade of Action: Taking SDGs from Global to Local” and it accounts for the adoption and implementation of the 2030 Agenda in India. The VNR is a critical component which reviews the progress and implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. NITI Aayog has been authorized to examine the adoption as well as monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national level. The High-level Political Forum (HLPF) is the foremost international platform to follow-up and review the progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is organised annually in July for eight days under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN. HLPF 2020 is being hosted virtually in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic between 10 to 16 July 2020. 47 Member States are set to present their VNRs.

Note: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog: Amitabh Kant.

 

2. NTPC’s Singrauli Unit 1 emerges as India’s top-performing plant in first quarter of FY21: The state-run electricity giant National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Singrauli’s Unit 1 has emerged as the top-performing unit in the country in the first quarter of the financial year 2020-21 as per the data released by Central Electricity Authority. The Unit-1 of the NTPC Singrauli power plant registered a plant load factor (PLF) or capacity utilisation of 101.96 percent in the April-June 2020 period. Apart from this, Unit 4 & 5 registered PLF of 101.85 percent and 100.35 percent in First Quarter of Financial Year 20-21 among the Coal-fired Units.

Singrauli Super Thermal Power Plant: Singrauli Super Thermal Power Plant is located at Shaktinagar in Sonebhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. The power plant is the first power plant of NTPC. The first unit of the station, with an installed capacity of 200 MW, started generating electricity on February 13, 1982. NTPC Singrauli has total 7 units with an overall installed capacity of 2,000 Mega Watt. It includes five units of 200 Mega Watt each and two units of 500 Mega Watt each.

 

3. Loyal Textile Mills Limited launches world’s first reusable PPE kit with Triple Viral Shield Technology: India’s Loyal Textile Mills Limited has launched a new product ‘VIRAL SHIELD’ which comprises of Covid-19 Anti-Viral, Reusable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Masks and Protective Fashion Wear Range. The new triple viral shield products by Loyal Textile has been launched in collaboration with Reliance Industries India and HeiQ from Switzerland. This PPE is the World’s first Reusable PPE. It has been launched under Loyal’s signature brand Supera ShieldTM. The product has passed the Viral Penetration Test, Synthetic Blood penetration test and the SBPR test. It is effective against any type of viruses, bacteria and fungi.

 

4. Assam govt decides to upgrade Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary to a national park: Assam government decided to upgrade the Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary into a national park amid an ongoing row over allowing coal mining within its jurisdiction. While a limited number of human activities are allowed in wildlife sanctuaries, national parks are strictly off-limits. Assam has five national parks and Dehing Patkai, if upgraded, will increase the tally to 6.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Lee Hsien Loong becomes Prime Minister of Singapore: Ruling People Action Party’s Lee Hsien Loong has won the election for the post of Singapore’s Prime Minister for his 4th term. He won 83 votes out of 93 in the General Elections. It was the weakest performance of the ruling party since independence in 55 years. Opposition Workers’ Party won a record 10 seats and secured 2 group representation constituencies The General Elections of Singapore are the only elections in South-East Asia that were held amid COVID-19 pandemic. Lee Hsien Loong is the 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore. The People’s Action Party is the ruling party in Singapore since independence in 1965.

 

2. World Malala Day: 12th July: The United Nations has declared 12th July as World Malala Day to honour the young activist, Malala Yousafzai. Malala Day is being commemorated on the birthday of Malala Yousafzai to honour women and children’s rights around the world. On October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen after she publicly advocated for the education of girls. In 2012, she was awarded the first-ever National Youth Peace Prize by the Pakistan government. In 2014, at age 17, She became the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts for children’s rights which had begun even before she was shot. United Nations declared World Malala Day on July 12 in 2013 to honour the young activist with Yousafzai speech at the UN on education of women and children Her documentary ‘He named me Malala’ was shortlisted for Oscars in 2015.

 

3. ADB Renews Pact with IEA to collaborate on Energy Sector Sustainability and Resilience: The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to further scale up collaboration and advance progress on sustainability on energy sector resilience in the Asia and the Pacific region. The three-year agreement, upto 2023, will enable the two organisations to share knowledge and best practice in energy sector data and analysis, on-the-ground engagement, capacity building, technology and innovation among other areas. The renewal agreement was signed on 9 July 2020 on the occasion of IEA’s Clean Energy Transitions Summit in Paris. The first three-year MoU was signed between ADB and IEA in March 2017 to facilitate knowledge and analytical work to advance clean energy development in ADB’s developing member countries. The renewed agreement will help to overcome critical knowledge and experience gaps blocking the development of sustainable energy systems in ADB’s developing member countries and enhance IEA’s data collection and capacity building efforts in Asia and the Pacific.

Note: ADB HQs: Manilla

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Asia Cup Cricket tournament 2020 postponed till June 2021: The 2020 edition of the Asia Cup Cricket tournament has been postponed till June 2021 by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) due to ongoing increase in COVID-19 cases in the region. The tournament was earlier scheduled to be held in September 2020. Originally Pakistan was to host the Asia Cup 2020, but due to security reasons amid coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was later rescheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, since it is the least affected country in the region. Now Sri Lanka will host the Asia Cup in 2021 while Pakistan have been awarded the hosting rights in 2022.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SEBI Revamps advisory committee on mutual funds; Usha Thorat new head: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has re-constituted its advisory committee on mutual funds that advises the capital markets regulator on matters related to regulation and development of mutual fund industry. The revamped advisory committee on mutual funds has 20-member and will be headed Usha Thorat, former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). SEBI had formed the panel in 2013. The earlier panel had 15 members and was headed by Janki Ballabh, former Chairman of SBI. Role of the advisory committee is to advise SEBI on: (1) Issues related to regulation and development of mutual fund industry. (2) Disclosure requirements and measures required for a change in the legal framework to introduce simplification and transparency in mutual fund regulations.

Note: SEBI's Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

 

2. Govt Halts Merger of 3 State-owned General Insurers, Will Infuse Rs 12,450 Crore: The Union Cabinet decided to halt the merger process of three state-owned general insurance companies, National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance, for the moment and approved fund infusion of Rs 12,450 crore to improve their financial health. The cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also decided to increase the authorised share capital of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) to Rs 7,500 crore and that of United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL) and Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) to Rs 5,000 crore each to give effect to the capital infusion decision.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kezang D Thongdok bags Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2020: Arunachal Pradesh filmmaker Kezang D Thongdok has bagged the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2020 for a short documentary “Chi Lupo“. Chi Lupo is a short documentary on honey hunting. Chi Lupo sketches the tradition of honey hunting practised in the Shertukpen community in which “Chi” means honey while “Lipo” means hunters. This age-old tradition of honey hunting is slowly slithering away with each passing day. To keep this tradition of indigenous practice of honey hunting alive, Kezang D Thongdok documented the age old tradition of honey hunting.

Note: Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema; 2019 winner: Amitabh Bachchan

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Navy Completes “Operation Samudra Setu”: Operation Samudra Setu, which was launched on 05 May 2020 as part of the national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic has culminated after successfully bringing 3,992 Indian citizens back to their homeland by sea. Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa (Landing Platform Dock), and Airavat, Shardul and Magar (Landing Ship Tanks) participated in this operation which lasted over 55 days and involved traversing more then 23,000 kilometers by sea. Indian Navy has previously undertaken similar evacuation operations as part of Operation Sukoon in 2006 (Beirut) and Operation Rahat in 2015 (Yemen).

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. World Cup-winning footballer Jack Charlton passes away: A member of the England 1966 World-Cup winning team, Jack Charlton passed away. He was also an integral part of the great Don Revie-managed Leeds United side that won the 1969 League title and the 1972 FA Cup. He made a club record 773 appearances for Leeds United over a 23-year period as a player, becoming one of the all-time great central defenders in the game. He was awarded the Republic’s most distinguished award, honorary Irish citizenship, in 1996.