Daily GK Updates - 5th Aug, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. International webinar on ‘Lokmanya Tilak-Swaraj to Self Reliant India’: A two-day international webinar on ‘Lokmanya Tilak – Swaraj to Self-Reliant India’ was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah. The webinar was organized on the occasion of 100th death anniversary of great freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The webinar was organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi. The slogan 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it' given by Lokmanya Tilak was remembered at the event. He was the first leader of Indian Independence movement and started Swadeshi Movement in 1905.

 

2. Education Minister laid the foundation stone of IIM-Dhaula Kuan: In Himachal Pradesh, Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has laid the foundation stone of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Dhaula Kuan in Sirmour district. The first phase of this Institute would be completed by spending an amount of 392.51 crore rupees. The Tourism, Power, Industries and eco-tourism are the natural potential of the State which need effective management and this institute would prove a boon in this direction. MBA students are future corporate leaders, wealth creators and responsibility lies heavily on their shoulders to provide the right direction to business and industry to make Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.

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

 

3. Tourism Minister virtually inaugurates world class “Thenzawl Golf Resort” project implemented in Mizoram: The Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (Independent charge) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel has virtually inaugurated the world-class “Thenzawl Golf Resort” Project in Mizoram on 4 August 2020, for the development of Golf Tourism in the country and attract both International and domestic tourists. The project has been implemented under the Integrated Development of New Eco Tourism under Swadesh Darshan Scheme, sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India under the new scheme called Swadesh Darshan – North East Circuit, with the aim of developing theme-based tourism circuits in the country. The Thenzawl Golf Resort Project will have an international standard 18 holes Golf Course designed by Canadian based Golf Course Architect Firm Graham Cooke & Associates and 30 Eco Log Huts, with total site area of 105 acres and the play area of 75 acres. The total outlay of the Project amounts to Rs.92.25 Crore. The Thenzawl Golf Course will offer quality golfing experience and international facilities at a fair price to the Indian population.

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

 

4. Biography of India’s youngest Basketball captain ‘Vishesh Bhriguvanshi’ to hit stands on 29 August: The inspirational story on the life of Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, India’s youngest basketball team captain, is set to be released on August 29, the National Sports Day. The book, titled “Vishesh: Code To Win”, has been written by sportswoman-turned-author Nirupama Yadav and published by the publishing house Bluerose. The book narrates the mindset of a basketball player in a cricket-dominated nation and brings to light the strenuous journey of the 29 year-old Bhriguvanshi, for becoming the captain against all odds. Bhriguvanshi hails from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh’s and has been playing for India since 2007. He was first time became the captain of the Indian team in 2010.

 

5. Union Minister launches Sahakar Cooptube NCDC Channel: The Sahakar Cooptube NCDC Channel has been launched by the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. The channel is a new initiative by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). The minister also rolled out guidance videos made by NCDC on ‘Formation and Registration of A Cooperative’ for 18-different states in Hindi and regional languages. These videos have been released to strengthen and deepen the major measures taken by Government of India to promote and form 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). It is a step towards One Nation One Market to make India food factory of the world.

 

6. DNHDD launches E-Gyan Mitra mobile app for online education: The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH) and Daman and Diu (DD) has launched a mobile app named E-Gyan Mitra for online education, keeping in view the ongoing phase of Coronavirus pandemic. Through E Gyan Mitra, the students from primary till the higher secondary can take online classes and give there test too. The teachers will post the lectures and quiz for the students and the student can access those lectures with the help of mobile application, the teacher can monitor the progress of the students while the student can learn sitting at home.

Note: Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu: Praful Patel.

 

7. G.C. Murmu resigns as Lieutenant-Governor of J&K: The incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Girish Chandra Murmu has resigned from the post on 5 August 2020. 5 August also marks the first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370 by Centre, to scrap special status to Jammu and Kashmir and turn it into two union territories. Murmu was the first L-G of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, who took charge on October 31, 2019, under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. Murmu sent his resignation letter to the Centre. According to the sources, Murmu is likely to be appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). He will replace Rajive Mehrishi as CAG.

 

8. Union Ministers releases book titled ‘Swachh Bharat Revolution’: The book “The Swachh Bharat Kranti” was officially launched by Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Union Minister of Textiles and Women & Child Development Smt. Smriti Irani in New Delhi on 4 August. The book was edited by Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has been translated into Hindi and published as the Swachh Bharat Kranti. The Swachh Bharat Kranti expresses the journey of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) through 35 essays by a diverse range of stakeholders and contributors to the SBM. The compilation of essays in the book is written by Arun Jaitley, Amitabh Kant, Ratan Tata, Sadhguru, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Tavleen Singh, Bill Gates amongst others. The book shares their perspective about SBM on this social revolution. The essays are arranged in 4 key sections: Political Leadership, Public Financing, Partnerships and People’s Participation.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Mark Phillips sworn in as Prime Minister of Guyana: Former Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier (retired) Mark Anthony Phillips has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Guyana.  Phillips served as the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force from 2013 to 2016. Former President Bharrat Jagdeo has been sworn in as Vice President. Anil Nandlall, who previously served as Attorney General, has returned to position while Gail Teixeira assumes as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.

Note: President of Guyana: Mohamed Irfaan Ali; Capital of Guyana: Georgetown; Currency of Guyana: Guyanese dollar (GYD).

 

2. National Bank of Bahrain selects Infosys Finacle to digitally transformation: National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has selected Infosys Finacle to digitally transform its transaction banking business. NBB will implement the Finacle Liquidity Management Platform to upgrade its existing Finacle Corporate Online Banking platform to a full-fledged Digital Engagement Suite – with the latest versions of the Finacle Corporate Online and Mobile Banking solutions, along with the Finacle Digital Engagement Hub. The fully integrated, front-to-back office global liquidity management system will enable the bank to offer a comprehensive range of services to corporate customers and help them identify, manage and optimize liquidity positions, along with enhanced agility in payments and collections. The Finacle Digital Engagement Suite upgrade will enable NBB to manage their customer preferences and entitlements effectively across channels. With these capabilities, the bank will be able to deliver fully contextual and tailored digital banking experiences for its diverse set of customers. Leveraging the suite’s flexible product factories, NBB will be able to drive innovation-led growth by launching new products and services on digital channels rapidly.

Note: King of Bahrain: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; Capital of Bahrain: Manama; Currency of Bahrain: Bahraini Dinar.

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys: Salil Parekh; Headquarters of Infosys: Bengaluru.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Former Real Madrid & Spain goalkeeper Casillas announces retirement at 39: The legendary Spanish footballer Iker Casillas, who played as goalkeeper for Real Madrid, has announced his retirement from professional football. The 39-year-old Casillas made 725 appearances for Real Madrid, during which he won three Champions League titles and five La Liga titles. He also helped Spain to win the 2010 World Cup and two successive European Championships in 2008 and 2012. He won 167 international caps for Spain between 2000 and 2016.

 

2. HRD Minister, Sports Minister to launch 'Fit India Talks' to inspire school children: The government's flagship program Fit India is launching a series of interactive sessions with some of the top sports persons of the country intended to inspire the school children. The sessions, titled Fit India Talks, will premiere in the presence of Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju along with badminton star PV Sindhu and Indian football team skipper Sunil Chhetri. A host of leading sports celebrities will be sharing their experiences of childhood, stories on how they got inspired, their failures, struggles and their success. This will give the audience a very inspirational yet interesting account of their journeys - from common school students to world-class champions. There will be a total of six sessions which will go on till 14th of this month. The likes of badminton star Ashwini Ponnappa, Indian women’s hockey team skipper Rani Rampal, table tennis star Manika Batra, shooter Apurvi Chandela and inspirational Paralympian Deepa Malik will join in at the sessions.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Sashidhar Jagdishan to be the new CEO of HDFC Bank: Sashidhar Jagdishan has been selected as the new CEO of HDFC Bank and will replace Aditya Puri. He will take charge in October when Puri retires. Sashidhar Jagdishan is a chartered accountant. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics of money, banking and finance. He joined the Bank in 1996 and heads finance, human resources, and other departments. Aditya Puri was the CEO of HDFC Bank since September 1994. He is the longest-serving head of any private bank in India.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; HDFC Chairman: Deepak S. Parekh

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. IFSCA sets up a panel chaired by Pradip Shah to formulate plan to develop international retail business: The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has constituted a seven-member committee of industry experts to suggest ways suggest plans to develop international retail business at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The committee will be headed by Indasia Fund Advisors Pvt Ltd Chairman Pradip Shah. The expert committee will formulate strategies to make the IFSC attractive for international financial services and draw up a roadmap for the growth of international retail at the centre. The report will be submitted in 3 months. Other Members of the committee are:

G Srinivasan, former CMD of New India Assurance

Siddhartha Sengupta, former DMD of State Bank of India

Shyamal Mukherjee, chairman at PwC

Prakash Subramanian, head – strategy, Standard Chartered Bank

Dipesh Shah, Head of IFSC Department, GIFT IFSC

Nitin Jaiswal, Head of Government Affairs and Strategic Relations, Bloomberg Singapore

Note: Chairman IFSC: Injeti Srinivas

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Architect of the Modern Indian Theatre, Ebrahim Alkazi, passes away: Indian theatre director and drama teacher, Ebrahim Alkazi, has passed away. He was 94. Ebrahim was considered as the father of modern Indian theatre and has mentored generations of actors, including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Rohini Hattangadi, Surekha Sikri and Pankaj Kapoor. He was the first and longest serving Director of the National School of Drama (NSD), and held the position from 1962-77. The thespian has a lot of accolades to his name and has won many of India’s most prestigious awards, such as Padma Shri (1966), the Padma Bhushan (1991), and India’s second highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan in 2010. Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Direction in 1962, and the Akademi’s highest award the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to theatre.

 

2. Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume passes away: The prominent Northern Ireland politician and former Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume, has passed away following a long period of illness. He was 83. Mr Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998, along with David Trimble, for his role in ending the conflict in Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 1970 and led the party from 1979 until 2001.

 

3. William English, the co-inventor of the computer mouse, passes away: William Kirk English, the American computer engineer who co-invented the world’s first computer mouse, has passed away. He was 91 years old. In 1964, he was the first person to co-develop the mouse along with Douglas Engelbart, at the Stanford Research Institute and ‘demonstrated it in 1968, in what was dubbed ‘the mother of all demos.’ The original mouse, as built by Bill English in the mid-60s, was merely a pinewood block, a crude button, and a connector. He also worked in Xerox PARC, Palo Alto, California and Sun Microsystems, California, US. 

Daily GK Updates - 4th Aug, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launches Cybercrime Awareness program ‘e-Rakshabandhan’: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has launched a one month-long innovative virtual cybercrime awareness programme ‘E-Rakshabandhan’ on 3 August 2020. The campaign organised by the Andhra Pradesh CID and the police, aims to bring awareness among the public in cyberspace, especially women, youth and children. The slogan for the campaign is “Let us make August a month of e freedom and e-safety.” As a part of the E-Rakshabandhan program, Webinars will be conducted, FM radio talks and competitions for students will also be held. Cybercrime experts will speak on different types of cyber crimes and create awareness among the public. The month long online awareness programme would be organised by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), FM Radio, Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC), Cyber Peace Foundation and other organisations.

Note: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy; Governor: Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.

 

2. MoD releases draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has formulated a draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020), with the objective to make India self-reliance in defence manufacturing and to position the country amongst the leading countries of the world in defence and aerospace sectors. Key goals and objectives of DPEPP 2020:

(1) To achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 Crores (USD 25 Billion) including export of Rs 35,000 Crore (USD 5 Billion) in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025.

(2) To develop a dynamic, robust and competitive Defence industry, including Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding industry to cater to the needs of Armed forces with quality products.

(3) To reduce dependence on imports and take forward “Make in India” initiatives through domestic design and development.

(4) To promote export of defence products and become part of the global defence value chains.

(5) To create an environment that encourages R&D, rewards innovation, creates Indian IP ownership and promotes a robust and self-reliant defence industry.

 

3. MoD signs tripartite MoU with IIT Kanpur and DARPG to conduct predictive analysis of public grievances: A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Department of Defence (DoD) Ministry of Defence (MoD), Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) and Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) on 4 August 2020. Under this MoU, IIT Kanpur will develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Techniques to conduct exploratory and predictive analysis of Public Grievances received on the web based Centralized Public Grievances Redress & Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) related to the MoD. The DARPG, the nodal Department of Government of India in respect of policy initiatives on Public Grievances and custodian of data on web based CPGRAMS portal will provide the data dump on the Public Grievances pertaining to MoD to IIT Kanpur to facilitate their analysis. Through this project the MoD aims to identify the cause and nature of grievances and bring about systemic changes and policy interventions wherever required.

 

4. “Bharat Air Fibre Services” inaugurated in Maharashtra: State Minister for Electronics, Communication, and IT, Sanjay Dhotre has inaugurated ‘Bharat Air Fibre Services’ at Akola in Maharashtra. It has been introduced by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) under digital India initiative of Government. It will offer Wireless fastest internet Connectivity in the range of 20 KMs from the BSNL Locations via local business partners at Akola & Washim district.

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

 

5. Nitin Gadkari approves “Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission”: Unique employment generation program “Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission” has been approved by the Union Minister for MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari. The programme has been proposed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to make India Aatmanirbhar in Agarbatti production. It will facilitate thousands of job creation for unemployed and migrant workers in different parts of the country while increasing domestic Agarbatti production. KVIC will offer 25% subsidy on the cost of the machines and will recover the remaining 75% of the cost from the artisans in the form of easy monthly installments. KVIC has also decided to procure only locally made machines encouraging local production

Note: Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission: Vinai Saxena.

 

6. Nitish Kumar releases book titled Siyasat Mein Sadasyata: Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar has released a book titled “Siyasat Mein Sadasyata” authored by Bihar Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary. The book is a compilation of the author’s views, three dozen articles on different important issues and his life journey. The book was published by Bihar Assembly Secretariat. The book also mentions about developmental works across sectors. The book is compiled and edited by senior journalist Arvind Sharma while its preface is written by journalist Vinod Bandhu.

Note: Governor of Bihar: Phagu Chauhan; Capital of Bihar: Patna.

 

7. MSME Minister launches Khadi’s Gift Box of Silk Mask: Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Shri Nitin Gadkari has launched the Khadi’s Gift Box of Silk Mask. The Gift Box has been developed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). The KVIC developed gift box comprises of four handcrafted silk masks in different colors and prints. These triple-layered silk masks are skin-friendly, washable, reusable as well as bio-degradable. The Khadi’s Gift Box has been launch to tap the foreign market and a large Indian population looking for reasonably priced gift items.

Note: Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission: Vinai Saxena.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Mohamed Irfaan Ali named as President of Guyana: Former Guyanese housing minister, Mohamed Irfaan Ali has been named as the President of the country. He is a member of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP). He succeeds David Arthur(A.) Granger. David A. Granger is a member of A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (ANPU-AFC). The PPP won 33 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly with 233,336 votes, while the APNU-AFC earned 31 seats with 217,920 votes. He is the 10th President of Guayana. He started his political career as a member of National Assembly of Guyana in 2006 and appointed as the Minister of Housing and Water and later as Tourism Industry and Commerce Minister.

Note: Capital of Guyana: Georgetown; Currency of Guyana: Guyanese dollar (GYD).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. World Cup winner Benedikt Howedes retires from soccer: World Cup winner German footballer, Benedikt Howedes has retired from football. He was part of the 2014 world-cup winning Germany team. He was one of the 3 players who had played every minute for the team in the tournament. Benedikt Howedes has played 44 times for German National Team from 2011-17. In September 2007, German Football Association honoured him with the Fritz Walter Medal, under-19 Gold Medal which is given to the best youth players.

 

2. Govt of India gave nod to IPL 2020 in UAE: The Indian Government has provisionally granted permission for the 13th edition of Indian Premier League’s (IPL’s) 2020 to be rescheduled in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 19 to November 10, 2020, due to COVID-19 outbreak. BCCI has also decided to host a Women’s T20 Challenge to be held from November 1 to 10 in UAE. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will be the three venues of the tournament. No spectators to be allowed in the initial phase of the tournament. IPL governing council has postponed the tournament final to November 10 to adhere to the broadcaster’s request, which will be the first-ever weekday final in the history of the tournament. The squad size of each franchise is capped at 24 players.

 

3. India withdraws from women’s world team Squash championship: India has withdrawn from the women’s world team Squash championship scheduled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 15th to 20th December, due to lack of preparation, time and match-readiness of its players. Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) has decided to withdraw from the championship.

Note: President of SRFI: Debendranath Sarangi; Headquarter of SRFI: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

 

4. Indian hockey team to join National Camp for Tokyo Olympics: Indian men's and women's hockey team’s member bound for Tokyo Olympics will be joining National Camp at National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bengaluru. The decision to organise camp was taken by Sports Authority of India (SAI). Athletes, coaches and support staff will join the camp and undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine inside the campus. All the member will be adhere to institutional quarantine protocols issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, MoHFW, Karnataka Govt.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SEBI to set up virtual museum of securities market: Indian Market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is planning to set up a virtual museum of the securities market to highlight achievements and milestones in the Indian capital market. SEBI has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from agencies to develop the virtual museum. About the Museum:

(1) The museum is intended to be a visual online organised collection of history of evolution, achievements and milestones in the Indian securities market over the decades in terms of market infrastructure, regulation and enforcement, among others.

(2) The achievements will be told through photos, videos, articles, media clippings, an interactive display like quiz, paintings, drawings, diagrams, graphs, newspaper articles, transcripts of interviews and numerical databases, among others.

(3) Information pertaining to the history of securities laws as well as the establishment of stock exchanges in India and history of institutions important to the securities market, including UTI and Forward Market Commission (FMC), would be used as content for the proposed museum.

(4) Besides, information related to developments on account of events such as world war, independence of India and economic liberalisation would be exhibited through audio/video/images/articles/artworks on the virtual museum.

(5) The virtual museum will engage the audience with creative content through various means like video, audio, chatbot, voice assistants, virtual reality, analytics, interactive and animated elements.

(6) Latest technologies analytics, virtual reality or augmented reality, artificial intelligence and machine to machine communication would be used to provide the best possible showcase and experience.

(7) Apart from English, the online platform should be able to develop and deliver content in Hindi and other Indian languages.

Note: Chairman of SEBI: Ajay Tyagi; Headquarter: Mumbai.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. BOB Financial Solutions Limited partners Fiserv Technology for Digital Transformation: BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, has selected Fiserv, Inc., to enable the digitization of their end-to-end card issuance and processing cycle and support the unveiling of several new and high-tech products namely contactless credit cards, tokenisation and integration with branded wallets, and virtual credit cards.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former AP Minister P Manikyala Rao passes away: Former Andhra Pradesh Ministe Pydikondala Manikyala Rao passed away due to COVID-19. He was born on November 1, 1961. He was a Senior BJP leader. Rao was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Thadepalligudem of West Godavari district (May 2014 – May 2019) and served as the Endowment Minister in Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet between 2014-2018. He was a RSS member and later joined BJP. He served BJP in various capacities like president of West Godavari unit and state general secretary. 

Daily GK Updates - 3rd Aug, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme extended to 4 more states, taking total states to 24: Four additional states, namely Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland and Uttarakhand have been  to the One Nation One Ration Card scheme have been integrated with the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ plan of the Central government. With this, now a total of 24 States/UTs are connected under One Nation One Ration Card effective from 01 August 2020. These 24 States/UTs includes: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Now the beneficiaries will be eligible to receive foodgrains anywhere in these States/UTs through national portability of their ration cards. The remaining States/UTs are targeted to be integrated into national portability by March 2021.

 

2. AIIB plans to approve loans worth $3 bilion over next 12 months for infra projects: As part of its effort to improve connectivity, Beijing-based multilateral funding agency AIIB is looking to provide loans worth USD 3 billion for various large infrastructure projects, including Delhi and Meerut Rapid Rail, Mumbai Metro Rail and Chennai Peripheral Ring Road project, over the next 12 months. India is the largest borrower, which accounts for 25 percent of the total lending by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) so far.

 

3. ITBP became first CAPF to have supplies from KVIC: Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) became the first Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to have supplies from the Khadi & Village Industries Commission, KVIC.  An agreement was signed between the ITBP and the KVIC in New Delhi between Chairman, KVIC, Vinay Kumar Saxena and senior officers of Provisioning Directorate, ITBP. According to the agreement, total 1200 Quintal of Mustard Oil is being procured from KVIC by ITBP with a total financial implication of 1 Crore 73 Lakh 80 Thousand rupees. It was decided during a meeting of the Directors General of the CAPFs held at Home Ministry in October last year that use of Terry Khadi Uniform and other items of swadeshi origin should be made available to the CAPFs. During the visit of Home Minister Amit Shah in December last year to the ITBP Force Headquarters in New Delhi, an exhibition stall was prepared to exhibit the KVIC products. The ITBP had suggested that Durrie, Blankets, Towel, Mustard Oil, Yoga Kit, Hospital Bed Sheets, Pickles etc can be purchased for jawans of the Force through KVIC.  

Note: ITBP Headquarters: New Delhi

 

4. Dr Harsh Vardhan launches 'Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan 2020-21: Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched 'Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan, 2020-21. This initiative is a national programme for popularizing science among school students of Class 6th to 11th. It was designed to identify the bright minds with a scientific aptitude among the student community. While launching the Vidhyarthi Vigyan Manthan, 2020-21, the Minister said, this is a platform to indentify the talent in the field of science and to promote the scientfic acumen among the students. He said, students will help in creating the New India and this initiative will play leading role in it.

 

5. TN Govt Renames Three Metro Rail Stations in Chennai After Annadurai, MGR & Jayalalithaa: The Tamil Nadu government announced renaming of three Metro Rail stations in Chennai after late Chief Ministers CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

Alandur Metro station: Now, Arignar Anna Alandur Metro

Central Metro Station: Now, Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G.

CMBT metro stations: Now,  Puratchi Thalaivi Dr. J. Jayalalithaa CMBT Metro

 

6. Centre to convert ravines of Chambal region into arable land with World Bank support: The Centre, in collaboration with the World Bank, has decided to convert large area of ravines in Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh into arable land, and a preliminary report for the same will be prepared in a month. After preparation of the initial report, subsequent meetings will be held with the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for further course of action. Aims: “More than 3 lakh hectares of rugged land is not cultivable and if this area is improved, then this will help in the integrated development of the Bihad area in Gwalior-Chambal region.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India-UK collaborates for new 8 million pounds joint medicinal research: Enhancing their science and research collaboration, India and the United Kingdom have partnered to undertake five new research projects to tackle anti-microbial resistance that can be helpful in the global fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes. The overall cost of the five projects is 8 million pounds. They are planned to be executed in September 2020. The UK will contribute 4 million pounds from the UK Research and Innovation Fund for International Collaboration, while India will also contribute 4 million pounds.

 

2. NASA Astronauts returns safely after successful Demo-2 mission: Two US astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, returned from the International Space Station (ISS) on 2 August 2020.  The Crew Dragon was designed and operated by Space-X. It is being used for this flight test can stay in orbit about 110 days. NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight was the first crewed flight to launch from the US since 2011. The Demo-2 mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. About CCP: The Commercial Crew Program of NASA has worked with several American aerospace industry companies with an aim to facilitate the development of US human spaceflight systems since 2010.

 

3. ADB signs Dollar 200 million financing deal with Reliance for power plant in Bangladesh: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a dollar 200 million financing deal with the Reliance Bangladesh LNG and Power Limited (RBLPL) to build and operate a 718 megawatt combined-cycle gas-fired power plant in Bangladesh. The financing deal has two components of dollar 100 million each. While ADB will provide dollar 100 million, it will also administer the other part worth dollar 100 million from the Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP).

 

4. World Sanskrit Day 2020: 03rd August: World Sanskrit Day, (also known as Sanskrit Diwas), is celebrated every year on Shraavanapoornima, that is the Poornima day of the Shraavana month in the Hindu calendar, which is also marked as Raksha Bandhan. In 2020, this day is being observed on 3 August 2020. The day commemorates the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit and aims to promote its revival and maintenance. The Government of India decided to celebrate World Sanskrit Day in 1969, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan that falls on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravana.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix 2020: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Formula One British Grand Prix 2020 held on August 02, 2020. He came first, despite a puncture during the last lap. The second position was bagged by Red Bull’s racer Max Verstappen followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who bagged third position. This is the third formula one trophy for Hamilton in 2020 after Styrian and Hungarian grand pix 2020.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Canara Bank ties up with three insurers to provide Corona Kavach policies: Canara Bank has tied up with New India Assurance Company Ltd, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co Ltd and HDFC ERGO Health Insurance as part of social commitment to indemnify the unprecedented expenses of common man to sell short-term Corona Kavach policy to cover COVID-19 related health expenses.

 

2. SEBI slaps Rs 2 cr fine on 4 entities in HDFC AMC front-running case: Markets regulator SEBI posed a penalty totalling Rs 2 crore on four entities in HDFC Asset Management Company (AMC) front-running case. Front-running refers to an unethical practice by someone trading in shares on the basis of advance information given by a broker, analyst or other executive at a market intermediary before the trades are conducted by that entity. The regulator levied a fine of Rs 50 lakh each on Nilesh Kapadia and Dharmesh Shah, Rs Ramachandran Central Metro. Rs 40 lakh on Ashok Nayak and Rs 60 lakh on IKAB Securities and Investments Ltd.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Microsoft India most attractive employer brand: Survey: According to Randstad Employer Brand Research (REBR) 2020, Technology giant Microsoft India has emerged as the country’s most attractive employer brand, followed by Samsung India and Amazon India in the second and third place, respectively, says a survey. Microsoft India scored high on financial health, strong reputation and utilisation of the latest technologies. The REBR revealed that in 2020, work-life balance emerged as the top Employee Value Proposition (EVP) driver for the Indian workforce while choosing an employer as it was cited by 43% respondents, followed by attractive salary and employee benefits (41%) and job security (40%).

 

2. Flipkart launches hyperlocal delivery service in Bengaluru: Walmart Inc.-owned Flipkart launched a 90-minute hyperlocal delivery service for groceries and electronic products, among other items, in a challenge to Amazon Fresh, which offers two-hour delivery of groceries. The Flipkart Quick service has started in parts of Bengaluru, and will be expanded to 4-5 major cities in the coming months. For a minimum delivery fee of ₹29, consumers can get deliveries in 90 minutes, or book a two-hour slot for deliveries later.

 

3. Deadline for mandatory hallmarking of Gold Jewellery extended: In view of the coronavirus pandemic, the government announced the extension of a deadline for mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts by over four months till June 1, 2021. Accordingly, from June 1 next year, jewellers will be allowed to sell only 14, 18 and 22 carats of gold jewellery. 

Daily GK Updates - 2nd Aug, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Nitin Gadkari inaugurates refurbished upstream carriageway of Mahatma Gandhi bridge over river Ganga in Bihar: The Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Shri Nitin Gadkari virtually inaugurated the two completed lanes of the 4-lane Mahatma Gandhi bridge in Bihar on 31 July 2020, which is being renovated. Mahatma Gandhi bridge is a 5,750 metres long four lane bridge, lying at NH-19 between Patna and Hajipur. It is the third-longest river bridge in India. This is the first ever bridge in India which is being renovated using modern technology for improving the existing structure. The existing concrete superstructure of old bridge is being replaced by new steel deck superstructure. Work on this 4-lane bridge began in June 2017. The bridge is being renovated in two parts: Phase I- Upstream lane, Phase II- Downstream lane. Upstream lane has been completed in July 2020. Now downstream lane shall be taken up and is expected to be completed by 2021. Overall cost of renovating the bridge is Rs 1742 crore.

 

2. Andhra Pradesh Governor gives nod to two Bills to have three capitals for AP: Andhra Pradesh is going to become the first state in India, to have three capitals. Two Bills: On 31st July 2020, Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan approved the ‘The AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of all Regions Bill-2020’ and ‘APCRDA (Repeal) Bill -2020’, to make them law. The AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020 seeks to create the three capital cities for the state. The AP Capital Region Development Authority (Repeal) Bill, 2020, seeks to abolish the APCRDA formed in December 2014 to develop Amaravati as the state capital. Three Capitals: Now as per the new law, Andhra Pradesh will have the Legislative Capital in Amaravati, Executive Capital in Visakhapatnam and, Judicial capital in Kurnool. The offices of the Chief Minister and Governor will be Visakhapatnam; The state assembly proceedings will take place in Amaravati; The high court will be located in Kurnool.

 

3. Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Ek Mask-Anek Zindagi’ public awareness campaign: The Madhya Pradesh Government has organised a public awareness campaign called ‘Ek Mask-Anek Zindagi’ (One Mask-Many Lives) to be conducted from August 1 till August 15. Under the campaign, people will be informed about measures to prevent COVID-19 infection. The Municipal Corporation will also run a public awareness chariot in the city on the same theme. The Mask Bank will also be established under the Ek Mask-Anek Zindgi Campaign, in which masks will be collected from donors and distributed free of cost to the poor people. Citizens can also donate masks through NGOs in every district/urban body. The Donations can be in the form of masks or funds which will be used to stitch masks through self-help groups. The awareness will be spread through announcements, posters and pamphlets.

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

 

4. Piyush Goyal Inaugurates National Digital Conference on “Easing Doing Business for Atmanirbhar Bharat”: The National Digital Conference on ‘Easing Doing Business for Atmanirbhar Bharat’ was organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the Department for Promotion of Investment and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on 30 July 2020. The event was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, who was the Chief Guest at the event and delivered the inaugural address. The Conference deliberated on a range of issues like: Major regulatory reforms undertaken by the government across various indicators of doing business; Assess their on-ground implementation; Disseminate best practices from various states; Crucial policy issues requiring redressal and, Identify a sustainable action plan for improving the business environment across sectors and states.

 

5. Health ministry releases new set of health warnings for tobacco packs: The Union ministry of health and family welfare on Wednesday notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs that will be applicable from September 1, 2019. The ministry in April, 2018, had made amendments to the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Rules, 2008, that was called “Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Second Amendment Rules, 2018”. The two images were to be printed on the pack in a said format of all tobacco products manufactured or imported, and the image would be rotated by a new set of images after the completion of twelve months from the date of commencement of first image. Telephone Quit-line number-- 1800-11-2356-- is also the part of the health warning. The toll free Tobacco Quit-line Service provides counseling and strategies for quitting tobacco use.

 

6. NGT seeks explanation on drilling for oil in Assam national park: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Environment Ministry, Oil India Limited (OIL) and two other entities to explain how the proposed drilling of seven oil wells in an eastern Assam national park was permitted. The other two respondents are the Assam State Pollution Control Board and the Assam State Biodiversity Board. The NGT directive was based on a petition by Assam-based conservationists Bimal Gogoi and Mridu Paban Phukan against the environment clearance to OIL on May 11 for drilling in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in violation of a Supreme Court order of September 2017. The NGT’s Eastern Zone Bench comprising Justice S.P. Wangdi and expert member Nagin Nada also took note of the petitioners’ contention that OIL did not carry out a biodiversity assessment study for the seven-well exploratory drilling project besides not conducting a public hearing as mandated by the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006.

 

7. Northern Railway runs first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train: Northern Railway today ran first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train. The train destined for Jirania in Tripura has 46 wagons. Wheat was loaded in 34 wagons at Guniana station of Firozpur Division by Food Corporation of India and in the remaining Rice and Pulses have been loaded. This is an express service where piece-meal stock will reach its destination in a shorter time. The train departed from Delhi Kishanganj for Jirania and it will cover a distance of two thousand 673 Kilometres from Punjab to Tripura. The movement of the train will be constantly monitored with no delays enroute to ensure its timely arrival at Jirania. Railways have earned more than 94 lakh rupees from this Vyapar Mala Express train. It will help small traders in moving their cargo through Railways, in a short time, cost effective, convenient and environment-friendly mode of transportation.

 

8. Ashish Bhatia appointed as new Gujarat DGP: Ahmedabad police commissioner Ashish Bhatia has been appointed new Director General of Gujarat Police. He succeeds Shivanand Jha who retired 31st July, 2020. Bhatia who is 1985 batch IPS officer took over charge from 1st Aug, 2020. Mr Bhatia has served at different crucial posts in Gujarat police. He had been the DGP of CID Crime and Railways. Bhatia who has been called as an anti terror expert is credited with solving the 2008 serial bomb blast case in Ahmedabad.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UAE becomes first Arab country to produce nuclear energy: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made a remarkable achievement by becoming the first country in the Arab World to produce nuclear energy, when the Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Plant in Abu Dhabi, got operational on 31 July 2020. The plant is powered by South Korean technology and is situated in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi. It will produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity and meet up to 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs. The new plant is part of the UAE’s effort to become less reliant on oil and gas, which is the current source of the vast majority of its energy, and move towards sustainable energy sources

Note: President of UAE: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Capital of UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham.

 

2. SABIC chemical plant to become world’s first-of-its-kind to operate on 100 per cent renewable power: SABIC’s polycarbonate facility in Spain is set to become the world’s first large scale chemical production plant which will run entirely on renewable power after a major agreement was signed with Iberdrola, an electricity utility company. The plant is expected to be completely operational by 2024 and is expected to help SABIC reach it’s 2025 clean energy target.

 

3. Iran launches underground ballistic missiles during exercise: Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched underground ballistic missiles as part of an exercise “Great Prophet 14” involving a fake aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest barrage in a drill that saw two American bases temporarily go on alert over the launches.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Kotak Mahindra Bank launches ‘Kona Kona Umeed’ Campaign: The private sector lender, Kotak Mahindra Bank, has announced the launch of a two-month long campaign called ‘Kona Kona Umeed’ with huge offers and discounts to lift up hope and optimism among its customers in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. Under this Kona Kona Umeed campaign, the bank will provide a range of offers and deals on its products including loans, savings accounts, current accounts, corporate salary accounts as well as Kotak debit cards, credit cards and digital payments. Kotak has tied up with over 100 brands to provide exclusive deals to its customers in categories such as shopping, essentials, personal care, education, fitness, health & wellness, kids & parenting, entertainment, cyber care & security, among others.

Note: Kotak Mahindra Bank Establishment: 2003; Kotak Mahindra Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Kotak Mahindra Bank Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer: Uday Kotak.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Apple dethrones Saudi Aramco to become world’s most valuable company: Technology giant Apple Inc. has become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company in the world on 31st July 2020, surpassing the state oil giant Saudi Aramco. The shares of Apple closed up 10.47% on 31 July, giving it a market valuation of $1.84 trillion. Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco, which had been the most valuable publicly listed company since its market debut in 2019, now trails at $1.76 trillion as of its last close.

 

2. Govt notifies changes in FDI norms allowing NRIs to acquire up to 100% in Air India: The finance ministry has notified changes in foreign direct investment (FDI) rules which permit non-resident Indians (NRIs) to acquire upto 100% in Air India.  The amendment in FDI policy will permit foreign investment in Air India Ltd at par with other Scheduled Airline Operators. Foreign investments in m/s Air India Limited, including that of foreign airlines shall not exceed 49% either directly or indirectly except in case of those NRIs, who are Indian nationals, where foreign investments is permitted up to 100% under automatic route, according to the notification on the third amendment to FEMA (non-debt instruments) Rules, 2020.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Indian-origin author Avni Doshis Burnt Sugar in 2020 Booker Prize longlist: Indian-origin author Avni Doshi’s debut novel Burnt Sugar – released in India as Girl in White Cotton – has been longlisted for the 2020 Booker prize. The book is about a young woman, Antara, coming to terms with her mother Tara’s memory loss, and trying to make sense of their shared past.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. UP Cabinet Minister Kamal Rani Varun passes away: Kamal Rani Varun, the Indian politician and Cabinet Minister in the Government of Uttar Pradesh has passed away due to COVID-19. She was 62. Kamal Rani was the minister of technical education in the state government. Kamal Rani Varun had also served as an MP twice. Once in the Eleventh Lok Sabha and then Twelfth Lok Sabha. She was the only woman Cabinet Minister in UP’s govt since 2019 after the resignation of Rita Bahuguna Joshi. She was Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly member from Ghatampur constituency in Kanpur Nagar. 

Daily GK Updates - 1st Aug, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. SIDBI partners with TransUnion CIBIL to launch financial knowledge platform ‘MSMESaksham’: The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has partnered with TransUnion CIBIL to launch a comprehensive financial education and knowledge platform for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) named MSMESaksham. The portal MSMESaksham, will act as a one-stop knowledge platform to guide MSMEs in seeking seamless and quick access to finance and will also support them in managing their credit obligations. MSMESaksham will provide MSMEs quick access to finance and empower them by making them financially aware and loan-ready so that timely and affordable financial support is realised. The portal will help MSMEs across their credit lifecycle, ranging from availing credit to start and grow their businesses, manage credit lines, sustain and build structural strength of the business as well as ensuring timely closures and renewals of credit facilities.

Note: Chairman of Small Industries Development Bank of India: Mohammad Mustafa.

 

2. Green-Ag project launched in Mizoram: Green-Ag, a project funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF), which aims to catalyze sustainable transformation of Indian agriculture sector without compromising the country’s food security and farmers’ income, has been launched in Mizoram. Mizoram is among five Indian states where the project will be implemented. The other four states are Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. In Mizoram, the project will be implemented in Dampa Tiger Reserve in west Mizorams Mamit district and Thorangtlang Wildlife Sanctuary in Lunglei district in the southern part of the state covering more than 30 villages. The project seeks to bring transformative change in India’s agricultural sector for achieving national and global environmental benefits and conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes.

 

3. Centre extends deadline for filing income tax returns till September 30: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has further extended the deadline for filing income tax returns for the fiscal 2018-19 by two months till 30 September 2020. Earlier, the last date was 31 July 2020. This extension has been given in view of the constraints due to the Covid pandemic & to further ease compliances for taxpayer. It is the third extension given by the government for taxpayers to file both original and revised tax returns for 2018-19 fiscal. Earlier, in March 2020, the due date was extended from March 31 to June 30. Then again in June 2020, the date was extended by a month till July 31, 2020.

 

4. Bombay Flying Club becomes India’s first DGCA-approved drone training school: The Bombay Flying Club (BFC) in Mumbai has become the first Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-approved drone training school in India. The BFC club’s will now be eligible for conducting remote pilot training for remotely piloted aircraft systems. The organisation’s status as a drone training school will be valid for a period of one year from the date of issue of the letter, or until the Digital Sky Platform goes live, whichever is earlier.

 

5. Commerce Minister inaugurates CII National Digital conference: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Digital conference on Ease of Doing Business for Atmanirbhar Bharat. The conference highlighted a single-window system for industrial approvals which will soon be in place. Highlights: Under this the industry and government will work as partners and urged the industry to play a proactive role in helping the government identify the tax evaders and violators; India's service sector to serve global clients was discussed; India’s exports are almost 88% of the last year’s level while imports are almost 75% of the same period in 2019; The government of India is working with States for easier labour law, the soft launch of land bank portal, single-window clearance for investments; Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) aims to find a way that does not impact exports; The Ministry aims to promote finance for investments in the country as it has already identified 20 industrial sectors for giving focused push.

Note: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President: Uday Kotak; CII HQs: Delhi

 

6. SNBNCBS develops ‘AJO-Neo’ device for bilirubin level screening: S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Kolkata, an autonomous research Institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India has developed “AJO-Neo”, a No-touch and Painless device for non-invasive screening of bilirubin level in new-borns. SNBNCBS hosted a Technical Research Centres (TRC) funded by DST and in scientific collaboration with Nil-Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata.

AJO-Neo: AJO-Neo is based on non-contact and non-invasive spectrometry-based techniques for the measurement of neonatal bilirubin level as an alternative of total serum bilirubin (TSB) test without limitations of other available bilirubin meters; The device is reliable in measuring bilirubin levels in preterm, and term neonates irrespective of gestational or postnatal age, sex, risk factors, feeding behavior, or skin color; The device is found to deliver an almost instantaneous report (about 10 seconds) to a concerned doctor, who is sitting 10,000 km away from the point of care; The new methods has showed improved output when compared to the conventional “blood test” method, which takes more than 4 hours to generate the report.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. NASA Launches Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission to seek signs of ancient life: On 30 July 2020, the NASA launched its boldest-ever Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission. Purpose: Search for signs of ancient life on the planet, collect and store a set of rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth in the future and deploy a miniature helicopter to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars. Launch Location: The car size Perseverance rover was launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida; Landing: The rover will land on the Red Planet on February 18, 2021; Landing Site: The landing will take place on 28-mile-wide (45 kilometers) Jezero Crater, Mars; Mission Duration: It will spend at least one Mars year (around two Earth years (687 days)), exploring the landing site region; Technology Demo: Perseverance is accompanied by a 4-foot-long (1.8 kilograms) helicopter called Ingenuity, making the journey to Mars on the rover’s belly. Ingenuity is going to be a tech demonstrator for this particular mission, and attempt a few short flights.

Note: Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Jim Bridenstine; Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.

 

2. Ivory Coast Defence Minister Hamed Bakayoko becomes new Prime Minister: Hamed Bakayoko, the Defence Minister of Ivory Coast, has been appointed as the Prime Minister of the country on 30 July 2020. However, he will continue to serve his defence role also. The 55-year-old Bakayoko had been acting as the interim prime minister of the country since the sudden death of Amadou Gon Coulibaly on July 8. He has been holding the defence portfolio since 2017, after serving as interior minister from 2011. Bakayoko was a founding member of the Rally of the Republicans (RDR) party and was also in charge of the party’s daily newspaper, Le Patriote.

Note: President of Ivory Coast: Alassane Ouattara; Capital: Yamoussoukro.

 

3. Reliance Power & JERA inks loan agreement for Bangladesh’s power plant: Reliance Power and Japanese energy major JERA have signed an agreement with a group of banks for their new gas-fired thermal power generation project in Bangladesh. The signed agreement will provide full finance of about $642 million (approx Rs 4,798 crore) for a new 745 MW natural gas combined-cycle power project in Meghnaghat in Bangladesh. This is one of the largest funding tie-ups for a project in Bangladesh’s power sector. With this agreement, Reliance Power and JERA will focus on full-scale construction and aims to work steadily towards achieving commercial operation in 2022. The electricity generated from the 745 MW natural gas combined-cycle power project will be sold under a long-term power purchase agreement with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

Note: Chairman of Reliance Power: Anil Ambani.

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

 

4. World Breastfeeding Week 2020: 1-7 August: The World Breastfeeding Week is marked every year in the first week of August, between 1 to 7 August to raise awareness on the importance of breastfeeding for mothers and infants. The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2020 is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”. The annual week is organized by WABA, WHO and UNICEF since 1991.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Domestic allrounder Rajat Bhatia announces retirement: Veteran Indian domestic allrounder, Rajat Bhatia has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He started his career with Tamil Nadu in 1999-2000 but played most of his cricket for Delhi. Bhatia played 112 first-class games, scoring 6482 runs at an average of 49.10 and taking 137 wickets at a shade under 28. He also played 119 List A games and 146 T20s. He last played a First-Class match in 2019 and scored 700 runs in the 2018-19 season in Ranji Trophy. Bhatia has also been a regular in the IPL having played for Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rising Pune Supergiants.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Axis Bank launches AI-powered conversational voice BOT for IVR: Private sector lender Axis Bank unveiled as Automated Voice Assistant ‘AXAA’, which is an artificial intelligence-powered conversational voice BOT. AXAA operates like a humanoid and has power to change the paradigm of customer experience from conventional Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to a new era of call steering and precise response with very high degree of accuracy and consistency. It can converse in English, Hindi and Hinglish and is capable of handling one lakh customer queries and requests per day

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Reliance overtakes Exxon to become world’s No. 2 energy company: Reliance Industries Ltd., controlled by Asia’s richest man, toppled ExxonMobil Corp. to become the world’s largest energy company after Saudi Aramco, as investors piled into the conglomerate lured by the Indian firm’s digital and retail forays. Reliance, which manages the biggest refinery complex, gained 4.3% in Mumbai adding $8 billion to take its market value to $189 billion, while Exxon Mobil erased about $1 billion. Aramco with a market capitalization of $1.76 trillion is the world’s biggest energy company.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Ministry of Tribal Affairs receives SKOCH Gold Award: SKOCH Gold Award has been awarded to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) for its “Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship Schemes” project. The project was launched to show Government of India’s commitment to realize the dreams of Digital India and bringing transparency as well as ease in the delivery of services. MoTA integrated the 5 Scholarship Schemes with DBT Portal under the guidance of DBT Mission in order to align with the larger vision of ‘Digital India’. The 66th SKOCH 2020 Competition was held with name “INDIA RESPONDS TO COVID THROUGH DIGITAL GOVERNANCE”. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) participated in the DIGITAL INDIA & E-GOVERNANCE-2020 Competition.

Note: Union Minister for Tribal Affairs: Arjun Munda.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui passes away: Former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui (97-years) passed away due to multiple organ failure in Taipei. He served as president of Taiwan from 1988 to 2000. Lee Teng-hui became president in 1988 after the demise of predecessor, Chiang Ching-kuo. Lee also led constitutional changes towards a democratic political layout, including direct presidential elections. He also served as the mayor of Taipei (1978-81) and the provincial governor of Taiwan (1981-84). Lee was nicknamed “Mr. Democracy” because, as the president of Taiwan, Lee Teng-hui led its transformation from an island in the grip of authoritarian rule to one of Asia’s most vibrant and prosperous democracies.

Note: President of Taiwan: Tsai Ing-wen.

 

2. Former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh passes away: Former Samajwadi Party leader and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh has passed away in Singapore, where he was undergoing kidney transplant treatment.  He was 64. Amar Singh, who hailed from Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh, was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time from Uttar Pradesh in 1996 and got re-elected in 2003. Singh was a key leader in the Samajwadi Party in 2008, however, was expelled from the Samajwadi Party in February 2010 for alleged anti-party activities. In 2016, Mr. Singh elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh as an independent member by the support of Samajwadi Party.