Daily GK Updates – 20th Sep , 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Indian Railways observes “Swachhta Pakhwara”: Indian Railways is observing “Swachhta Pakhwara” from 16th to 30th September 2020. During the inaugural day of Pakhwara, Swachhta pledge was administered to Railway employees at all Zonal Railway HQs, Divisional Offices and other establishments. During the Pakhwara, intensive cleaning and sanitization of stations, trains, tracks, colonies and other railway establishments is being carried out with special focus on plastic waste management. Railway Board through Northern Railway, in partnership with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), organised a webinar on “Swachhata and Environment”. The Webinar was held to flag off the “Swachhata Pakhwada” beginning from September 16 and ending on September 30, 2020. Following issues were highlighted during the session:

(1) Steps taken by Indian Railways for proper solid waste management, saving of water and conservation of energy etc

(2) Convergence of IR initiatives with Swachh Bharat Mission

(3) Green Rating of Railway Stations

(4) Combating plastic waste

(5) Perspectives on circular economy

 

2. Eight Indian beaches recommended for ‘Blue Flag’ eco-label: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, eight beaches of India have been recommended for the Blue flag certification. The selection of the beaches was made by an independent national jury composed of eminent environmentalists and scientists. This announcement was made by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Prakash Javadekar on 18 September during a virtual event.

What is Blue Flag certification?

The Blue Flag certificate is an internationally recognized eco-label given by ‘Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark’. Blue Flag beaches are considered the benchmark for clean and hygienic beaches in the world. The eight beaches selected for Blue flag certification are:

(1) Shivrajpur in Gujarat

(2) Ghoghla in Daman & Diu

(3) Kasarkod in Karnataka

(4) Padubidri beach in Karnataka

(5) Kappad in Kerala

(6) Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh

(7) The golden beach of Odisha

(8) Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar

India Launches its own eco-label ‘BEAMS’: During the event, Union Minister Javadekar also announced the launch of India’s own eco-label ‘Beach Environment and Aesthetics Management Services’ (BEAMS). This initiative has been launched under its Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project. The project will be implemented by the Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), under MoEFCC. BEAMS program aims to mitigate pollution in coastal waters, promote sustainable development of beach facilities,  maintain high standards of cleanliness, hygiene & safety for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment & regulations.

 

3. President inaugurates Visitor’s Conference on Implementation of NEP 2020: The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind virtually inaugurated the Visitor’s conference on Implementation of National Education Policy 2020 in Higher Education. During the session, President stated that the National Education Policy aims to reorient the education system towards meeting the needs of the 21st century by achieving the twin objectives of inclusion and excellence. It also sets the vision of developing an equitable and vibrant knowledge society by providing quality education to all.  During the conference, various sessions on Multidiscipline and Holistic Education, Research & Innovation in Higher Education, Digital Transformation in Higher Education, Internationalisation and Global Rankings, Equity, Inclusion and Capacity Building for Outreach and Excellence were organized to take New Education Policy forward.

 

4. Anil Dhasmana becomes new chief of NTRO: Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief, Anil Dhasmana has been appointed as the chief of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO). Dhasmana succeeds former Intelligence Bureau officer Satish Jha, who demitted office. Dhasmana, a 1981 batch IPS officer, is a Pakistan expert and was the lead planner of the Balakot airstrikes in February 2019. He had stepped down a few months later when his extended term due to the general elections ended in June 2019.

About the National Technical Research Organisation: The National Technical Research Organisation is a technical intelligence agency under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office, India. It was set up in 2004. It also includes National Institute of Cryptology Research and Development, which is first of its kind in Asia.

 

5. Madhya Pradesh Govt. launches Poshan Sarkar program: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched a ‘Poshan Sarkar’ program to ensure participation and leadership of local bodies-Gram Panchayats and Urban Bodies in the nutrition campaign. The main objective of the Poshan Sarkar programme is to eliminate the malnutrition by helping the Gram Panchayat and the Urban Bodies in the nutrition campaign. Various activities will be organized under this. Under the programme, nutrition resolution will be passed in all Gram Panchayats/ Nagar Panchayats /Urban Bodies.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India ranked 116th in the World Bank’s Human Capital Index: World Bank released the report titled “The Human Capital Index 2020 Update: Human Capital in the Time of COVID-19”. The Human Capital Index (HCI) 2020 is a collaboration between the Human Development Practice Group and the Development Economics Group of the World Bank. India has been ranked at the 116th position (with 0.49 score) among 174 countries in the Human Capital Index 2020.

Top 3 Human Capital Index 2020:

 

Rank	Country	Score
1	Singapore 0.88	0.88
2	Hongkong and China	0.81
3	Japan	0.8

 

About Human Capital Index 2020: The 2020 Human Capital Index update includes health and education data for 174 countries covering 98% of the world’s population up to March 2020.It provided a pre-pandemic baseline on the health and education of children.Measuring the human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by her 18th birthday, the HCI highlights how current health and educationoutcomes shape the productivity of the next generation of workers.

Note: World Bank President: David Robert Malpass; World Bank Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States.

 

2. Barack Obama announces his memoir ‘A Promised Land’: Former US President, Barack Obama has announced his first presidential memoir titled “A Promised Land.” The 768-page book will be published in November 2020 by Penguin Random House and is scheduled to be released on November 17, 2020, in 25 languages. A Promised Land is the first of two volumes of the book. This volume tells about his early political life, his presidential campaign in 2008, and ending with the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. ITF Renames Fed Cup as Billie Jean King Cup: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has renamed the Fed Cup, an annual team competition in women tennis, as the “Billie Jean King Cup.” Billie Jean King was a pioneer in women’s tennis who helped the United States win the inaugural event. The Billie Jean King Cup is the world’s largest annual women’s international team sports competition in terms of the number of nations that compete.

Note: Headquarters of ITF: London, United Kingdom; President of ITF: David Haggerty

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Canara Bank introduces i-Lead 2.0 to boost customer services: Public sector lender Canara Bank has launched lead management system (LMS) – i-Lead 2.0 (Inspiring Leads System version 2.0). The system has been launched to provide its services to customers irrespective of where they reside. Through lead management system (LMS), customers can enquire and get services rendered through simple modes such as internet banking, mobile banking, call centre, SMS and missed call. This new initiative is being introduced with the motive of building and sustaining business relationships with both new customers to bank and existing customers to bank.

Note: CEO of Canara Bank: L V Prabhakar; Headquarters: Bengaluru.

 

2. KVGB Launches Special Gold Loan Scheme Vikas Laghu Suvarna for Pandemic: The Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has launched a special gold loan scheme titled ‘Vikas Laghu Suvarna’ with a reduced interest rate of 7.25 percent. KVGB is offering the product at a reduced rate mainly due to the pandemic so as to provide easy and affordable credit to customers at a cheaper cost. Under the new gold loan scheme, the customer will get 80% of the market value of the gold, subjected to a maximum of Rs 3,200/gram. A customer can avail up to a maximum loan of Rs 15 lakh, which will be repayable within a period of maximum 6 months

Note: The Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank is an Indian Regional Rural Bank sponsored by Canara Bank. Its headquarters is based at Dharwad.

Chairman: P Gopi Krishna.

 

3. Govt to infuse ₹20,000 cr into PSBs via recap bonds: State-run banks are poised to get ₹20,000 crore through recapitalization bonds this financial year, at a time the coronavirus crisis threatens to bump up bad loans across the banking system. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the first batch of supplementary demand for grants in the Parliament, reflecting additional expenses sought by various ministries beyond the budget allocations. The government has sought the Parliament’s nod for additional cash expenditure of Rs 1.67 lakh crore, less than 1 percent of GDP, in the first supplementary demand for grants for FY21 tabled in the Parliament.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Fitch Ratings Projects Indian economy to contract 10.5% in FY21: In its September update of Global Economic Outlook (GEO), the US-based Fitch Ratings has sharply lowered the forecast for the gross domestic product (GDP) growth of India for the current fiscal 2020-21 (FY21) and now expects the GDP to contract 10.5 percent. Earlier in June Global Economic Outlook, the rating agency has estimated 5 percent contraction for FY21. The downward revision comes after India’s GDP shrank by 23.9% year-on-year in the April-June quarter, the worst performance in nearly four decades. The rating agency has also revised its forecast for global GDP and expects it to fall by 4.4 percent in 2020, which is a modest upward revision from the 4.6 percent contraction expected earlier.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Margaret Atwood awarded 2020 Dayton Literary Peace Prize: Margaret Atwood has won the 2020 Dayton Literary Peace Prize’s lifetime achievement award. The award celebrates literature’s power to foster peace, social justice and global understanding. The Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award is named for the late U.S. diplomat who brokered the 1995 Bosnian peace accords reached in the Ohio city. Margaret Atwood is a prolific writer of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays and comic books. In the recent years, she has drawn a new round of acclaim for “The Handmaid’s Tale”, her bestselling 1985 novel of a dystopian future in which women are subjugated after a theocratic group overthrow the US government.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Famous US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passes away: Liberal and legal icon, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (87 years) passed away due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer in Washington, DC, US. She was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was appointed a jurist in 1993 by President Bill Clinton and served until her death in 2020. Ginsburg was the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

2. Tamil Director Babu Sivan passes away: Tamil filmmaker Babu Sivan (54 years) passed away at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai due to multiple organ failure. He started his career with assisting director Dharani and made his directorial debut in 2009 with movie Vettaikaaran starring Vijay and Anushka Shetty. It was one of the highest grossing Tamil films of that year. Later, he also directed daily soap opera Rasaathi. 

Daily GK Updates - 19th Sept, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Gujarat government launches Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana: The Gujarat government has launched the Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana (MMUY). The scheme will provide interest-free loans to women’s groups in the state. Under the MMUY, 50,000 joint liability and earning group (JLEG) will be formed in urban areas. Similarly, 50,000 such groups will also be formed in rural areas. Each group will have 10 women members in it. The groups will be offered interest-free loans by the government. The interest amount will be borne by the state government. The Gujarat government is going to sign MoUs with banks shortly, and has also decided to waive the stamp duty charges for the loans to be given to these women groups.

Note: Chief Minister of Gujarat: Vijaybhai R. Rupani; Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat.

 

2. Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal Quits; Narendra Singh Tomar takes additional charge: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was serving as the Union Minister in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has announced her resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect on 18 September 2020. President Ram Nath Kovind has accepted her resignation as well as directed Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to take additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. As per the details, Badal resigned in protest against Centre’s anti-farmer ordinances and legislation, which have triggered farmers’ protests across Punjab and Haryana. Lok Sabha has passed The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020. Narendra Singh Tomar also holds the portfolio of Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development

 

3. PM Modi virtually Dedicates Historic Kosi Rail Mega Bridge to nation and inaugurates 12 projects in Bihar: Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated the historic Kosi Rail Mahasetu (Mega Bridge) of the Indian Railways to the nation through video-conference on 18 September 2020. Apart from this, PM Modi also inaugurated 12 other Indian Railway projects in Bihar related to passenger facilities for the benefit of the state. The approximate cost of these projects is worth almost Rs 3,000 crore and will strengthen Bihar’s rail network and also strengthen West Bengal and eastern India’s rail connectivity. The 12 rail projects inaugurated by PM Modi include, a new railway bridge on the Kiul River, two new railway lines, five electrification projects, one electric locomotive shed and third line project between Barh and Bakhtiyarpur. Kosi Rail Mega Bridge:

The length of the rail bridge is 1.9 kilometres and has been constructed at the cost of Rs 516 crore. The project is of strategic importance along the India-Nepal border. The Kosi Rail Mahasetu will cut the otherwise 298-km long journey between Nirmali and Bhaptiahi (Saraigarh) on Indo-Nepal border to just 22 km. It will connect the Mitihila and Kosi region after a gap of 86-year. The rail link between the region was washed away during the heavy flood and severe Indo-Nepal earthquake in 1934, and thereafter due to the meandering nature of river Kosi no attempt was made to restore this rail link for a long period.

 

4. India’s first terminal for private jets inaugurated at Delhi Airport: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated India’s first General Aviation Terminal at at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, Delhi. IGI has now become the first airport to have a private jet terminal. The exclusive terminal will handle the flight operations of private jets. This new terminal is spread over 8 lakh square feet area with 57 parking bays. It also has lounges, food section, 24x7 concierge service and can handle over 50 passengers per hour. It will become operational from 20th September. It can cater around 150 private jet a day.

 

5. Centre allocates over Rs. 818 crore to promote online learning to mitigate effect of COVID-19 pandemic: Union Government has allocated more than Rs. 818 crore to promote online learning to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that over Rs. 267 crore have been allocated for online teacher training. The Minister said, internet access under Bharat Net scheme has been made available to government institutions and to improve the internet connectivity in rural areas.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. New Zealand becomes first country to mandate climate risk disclosures: New Zealand has become the first country to pass legislation requiring financial entities to declare their climate-related risks. Financial entities in New Zealand will have to comply with the framework laid down by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). The rule will apply to banks, insurers, all listed debt and equity issuers.

Note: New Zealand Capital: Wellington; Prime minister: Jacinda Ardern

 

2. 10th Meet of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues and 6th Communication Ministers Meet held Virtually: BRICS High Representatives on National Security Meeting: The 10th Meeting of the BRICS High Representatives on National Security was held on 17 September 2020 virtually under the chairmanship of Russia. The National Security Advisors of the BRICS nations met to deliberate upon the issues related to strengthening political security and cooperation among the five countries. From India, the National Security Advisors, Ajit Doval attended the meeting. The participants exchanged views on combating terrorism and extremism besides deliberating on global and regional security issues. They also exchanged views on key issues of global and regional security, discussed the main areas of practical cooperation in the field of security among law enforcement agencies of the member nations.

BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting: Apart from this, the 6th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting was also held on 17 September. Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sanjay Dhotre represented India.

Note: Russia is chair of BRICS and SCO in 2020

India will take up the chairmanship of the BRICS in 2021

BRICS nation consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

 

3. Liberia declares rape a national emergency after spike in cases: Liberian President George Weah has declared rape a national emergency and ordered new measures to tackle the problem after a recent spike of cases in the West African state. The move comes after thousands of Liberians protested against rising incidents of rape in the capital Monrovia last month in a bid to draw attention to the country’s alarming rate of sexual assault. The government will also establish a so-called “national security task force” on sexual and gender-based violence.

 

4. International Coastal Clean-Up Day 2020: 19th September: The International Coastal Cleanup Day is traditionally held on the third Saturday in September. In 2020, the day is being held on 19 September. This year theme for International Coastal Cleanup Day 2020: “Achieving a trash-free Coastline”. The first International Coastal Cleanup Day was observed in 1986. The day aims to increase public awareness about the accumulation and negative impacts of litter in oceans, on coastlines and on beaches.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bandhan Bank sets up new vertical “Emerging Entrepreneurs Business”: Bandhan Bank has set up a new vertical called “Emerging Entrepreneurs Business (EEB)”. The new vertical has been launched to support the emerging needs of the unbanked and underbanked segment of customers. The vertical will focus on supporting this segment of customers in their journey to becoming entrepreneurs. In addition to micro loans, the vertical will also manage micro home loan, micro bazaar loan and micro enterprise loan.

Note: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Bandhan Bank: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh; Headquarters of Bandhan Bank: Kolkata.

 

2. RBI asks banks to fully automate NPA recognition process: The Reserve Bank of India has mandated banks to fully automate NPA classification and provisioning calculation process. All borrower accounts will be covered under the new regime. Lenders will have time till June 30, 2021 to complete this process. The new guidelines will include all borrower accounts, including temporary overdrafts, irrespective of size or sector. Banks’ investments will also be covered under the new system.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Udit Singhal named in UN’s 2020 list of Young Leaders: Indian teenager Udit Singhal has been named in the 2020 Class of 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He has been named in the 2020 list of young leaders who promote sustainable development goals. Udit Singhal is the founder of Glass2Sand, an initiative that is based on a zero-waste ecosystem to tackle the challenge of glass waste in Delhi. This initiative has prevented empty glass bottles of getting dumped into landfills and turned it into sands, making it commercially viable.

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

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Ranji Player Sachin Deshmukh nicknamed as ‘Mini Gavaskar’ passes away: Former Indian cricketer Sachin Deshmukh, who played Cooch Behar Trophy and Ranji trophy, has passed away, after he developed coronavirus complications. The 52-year-old player was referred to as ‘Mini Gavaskar’ in local cricket. He was the part of Mumbai and Maharashtra Ranji teams. Deshmukh holds a unique record for scoring 7 centuries in 7 matches while playing for Pune University during the All-India Inter-University tournament.

 

2. Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Gasti passes away: Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Karnataka Ashok Gasti (55 year) passed away in a private hospital in Bengaluru due to COVID-19. He was elected as the Rajya Sabha MP in June 2020. He is credited for organising the BJP in Raichur district. He was a lawyer by profession and was associated with BJP since students day through Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He also served as the former general secretary of the BJP's OBC Cell and as the Chairman of State Backward Class Development Corporation. 

Daily GK Updates - 18th Sept, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Karnataka Govt launches “Arthika Spandana” loan disbursal programme: Karnataka Chief Minister, B.S. Yediyurappa has launched the “Arthika Spandana” programme of disbursing loans to the tune of Rs 39,300 crores through various cooperative institutions. Under this scheme, Rs 15,300 crores would be disbursed to the agriculture sector while a sum of Rs 24,000 crores would be earmarked for the non-agricultural sector. The Chief Minister, who launched the programme by symbolically handing over cheques towards loans to 50 beneficiaries, hailed the cooperative institutions for helping people during the times of COVID-19 and floods.

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

 

2. India Happiness Report 2020 announced: The first all India Happiness Report 2020 covering all States and Union Territories measuring happiness across the country, what contributes to people’s happiness, the impact of COVID-19 on happiness, and insights from thought leaders. The study is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania.

In overall happiness ranking of states and union territories: (1) Mizoram; (2) Punjab; (3) Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Among the big states: (1) Punjab; (2) Gujarat; (3) Telangana

Among smaller states: (1) Mizoram; (2) Sikkim; (3) Arunachal Pradesh

Among union territories: (1) Andaman and Nicobar Islands; (2) Puducherry; (3) Lakshadweep

The worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness: Maharashtra, Delhi, and Haryana have shown the worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness, whereas Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir are neutral and Manipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep have shown the best possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness.

 

3. Byju’s launches ‘Education for All’ to empower 5 mn children by 2025: Byju’s, a Bengaluru based edtech company, has launched a social initiative ‘Education for All’. Objective: To empower 5 million children from underserved communities by 2025. Through ‘Education for All’, millions of children from underserved and economically deprived communities will get equal access to quality learning opportunities.

 

4. Govt targets to increase the number of Janaushadhi Kendras to 10500 by year 2025: Shri D V Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers has informed that the Central Government has set a target to increase the number of Pradhanmantri Janaushadhi Kendras  (PMBJK) to 10500 by the of March 2025. PMBJK aims to provide quality medicines at an affordable rates for the common man, especially the poor. With this all the districts in the country will have Janaushadhi  Kendras.  As on September 15, 2020 there are 6606 Janaushadhi  Kendras in India.

 

5. Arundhati Roy Pens new Book titled Azadi: ‘Freedom. Fascism. Fiction.’: Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy has come up with her new book titled ‘Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction.‘. The book has been published by the Penguin Books Ltd. In the book, the author challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism, especially during the time of Coronavirus Pandemic.

 

6. Govt moves ahead with Orientation and Training Programme of iRAD App: Road Transport and Highways Ministry is in the process of implementing Integrated Road Accident Database Project (iRAD) which will be applicable across the country. In the first instance, it has been decided to implement the proposal in six states. These are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The basic iRAD app has been developed and will be customized as per the requirements of concerned states.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Mexico issues world’s first sovereign bond: Mexico has become the first country in the world to issue a sovereign bond linked to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. It has raised EUR 750 million ($890 million) by such bonds. The SDG bond will mature in September 2027 and offers a yield to maturity rate of 1.603% and a coupon rate of 1.350%. This new bond was issued under Mexico’s new “SDG Sovereign Bond Framework,” which was released in February in partnership with French investment bank Natixis.

This issue will aid the Mexican Government in three ways viz. strengthens budget transparency, increases earmarked spending for sustainable development programs and contributes to the development of the local and international capital markets aimed at development finance.

Note: Mexico Capital: Mexico City; Mexico Currency: Mexican peso; President of Mexico: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

 

2. India joins Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment as Observer: On the lines of the high level meeting of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment (DCOC/JA) held virtually on 26 August 2020, India has joined the DCOC/JA Amendment, as Observer in order to collaborate with DCOC/JA member states towards for enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (10R). With this, India joins Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) as Observers to the DCOC/JA.

About Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment (DCOC/M):  Adopted in January 2009 it is a grouping on maritime matters aiming to prevent piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the East coast of Africa and Island countries in the 10R. Currently it has 20 member states. The signatory states have to cooperate in preventing maritime crime, maritime terrorism, illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing and other illegal activities at the sea.

Member States: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

 

3. World Bamboo Day: 18th September: World Bamboo Day is observed globally on 18 September every year. This day is celebrated to raise awareness of the benefits of bamboo and to promote its use in everyday products. The theme for 11th edition of WBD 2020 is ‘BAMBOO NOW.’ WBD was officially declared by the World Bamboo Organization on September 18 at the 8th World Bamboo Congress held in Bangkok in 2009. The World Bamboo Organization aims to bring the potential of bamboo to a more elevated exposure – to protect natural resources and the environment, to ensure sustainable utilization, to promote new cultivation of bamboo for new industries in regions around the world, as well as promote traditional uses locally for community economic development.

Note: World Bamboo Organization Headquarters: Antwerp, Belgium; World Bamboo Organization Founded: 2005; World Bamboo Organization Executive director: Susanne Lucas.

 

4. World Water Monitoring Day: 18th September: The World Water Monitoring Day is observed globally on 18th September since 2003. This day is celebrated to increase public awareness and involvement in water monitoring and protecting water resources around the world. World Water Monitoring Day engages people of all ages in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies. This year theme for World Water Monitoring Day 2020 is ‘Solve Water.’

The day was established in 2003 by America’s Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a global educational outreach program by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. The event is now coordinated by the Water Environment Federation and the International Water Association.

Note: International Water Association President: Diane D’Arras; International Water Association Headquarters: London, United Kingdom; International Water Association Founded: 1998.

Water Environment Federation President: Jacqueline A. Jarrell; Water Environment Federation Founded: 1928; Water Environment Federation Headquarters: Virginia, United States.

 

5. International Equal Pay Day: 18th September: International Equal Pay Day is being celebrated for the first time on 18 September, 2020. The day aims to achieve equal pay for work of equal value and break the walls against all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against women and girls. Theme of International Equal Pay Day 2020: Building back a better future of work by ensuring pay equity. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to observe September 18 as International Equal Pay Day, on November 15, 2019, which was introduced by the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Home Finance launched “Apna Ghar Dreamz” Home Loan Scheme: The ICICI Home Finance launched “Apna Ghar Dreamz”, its new home loan scheme for skilled laborers like electricians, mechanics, painters, grocery store owners etc in the informal sector of Delhi. Features of the “Apna Ghar Dreamz” scheme:

(1) The credit amount of this loan ranges from Rs 2 lakh to 50 lakhs.

(2) This scheme targets the people of the informal sector without all the documents which are required to get a loan from a formal financial institution.

(3) The customers can utilise the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), a credit-linked subsidy scheme (CLSS) for Lower Income Groups/ Economically Weaker

Sections (EWS/LIG) and Middle Income Groups (MIG – I & II).

Documents Required & Eligibility: This scheme avails a special 20 year tenure loan which requires documents like, PAN, Aadhar and bank statement of past 6 month. Customers should have a minimum account balance of Rs.1,500 for loan upto Rs.5 lakh and Rs.3000 for loan above 5 lakh.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. OECD projects India’s GDP at -10.2% in FY21 & 10.7% in FY22, Global GDP at -4.5% in 2020: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expects the Indian economy to contract by 10.2% in FY21 (2020-21) as compared to its previous estimate of 16.7% in June. For FY22 (2021-22), the Paris-based OECD projects India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at 10.7%. OECD expects the global GDP at -4.5% in 2020, which is an upward revision from its previous estimate of -6%. For the year 2021, the global economy is estimated to increase by 5%.

Note: OECD Headquarters: Paris, France; OECD Founded: 1961; OECD Secretary-General: Jose Angel Gurria.

 

2. TCS Becomes Second Indian Firm to Cross Rs 9 Lakh Crore-market Valuation Mark: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became the second Indian firm to attain a market valuation of over Rs 9 lakh crore after Reliance Industries Limited. The company’s market valuation went past Rs 9 lakh crore in early trade helped by a rally in its share price. The stock of the software services firm gained 2.91 per cent to Rs 2,442.80- its record high on the BSE.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Chef Vikas Khanna honoured with Asia Game Changer Award 2020: Chef Vikas Khanna has been chosen to be honoured with the prestigious Asia Game Changer Award 2020. This award is given to him for feeding millions of people across India in the COVID-19 pandemic through a massive food distribution drive ‘FeedIndia’. He is the only Indian among the six honourees named by the leading organisation. He coordinated his massive food distribution drive in India from thousands of miles away in his Manhattan home in New York.

The Asia Game Changer Awards was launched by the Asia Society, a US-based non-profit organization, in 2014, to identify and honour true leaders who make a positive contribution to the future of Asia.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former RBI governor Amitabha Ghosh passes away: The shortest-serving Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Amitabha Ghosh passed away. He had served as the 16th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for 21 days between January 15, 1985, to February 4, 1985. It was a stop-gap arrangement when Amitabha Ghosh was serving as a deputy governor of RBI and waiting to hand over charge to the 17th RBI Governor R N Malhotra. Before this Ghosh was the chairman of Allahabad Bank. He was also a Director of the IDBI Bank and was on the governing body of the National Institute of Bank Management.

 

2. Veteran Ayurveda physician PR Krishnakumar passes away: Tamil Nadu based prominent Indian Ayurveda physician, PR Krishnakumar passed away. He was the Founder and Managing Director of the iconic Coimbatore Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (AVP) as well as the Chancellor of the renowned Avinashilingam University in Coimbatore. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri award in 2009 for his contribution to medicine. 

Daily GK Updates - 17th Sept, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Lok Sabha passes bill to cut salaries of MPs by 30%: The Lok Sabha has passed the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 on 15 September 2020. The bill seeks to cut salaries of all Members of Parliaments (MPs) by 30 per cent for a period of one year commencing April 1, 2020, to meet the urgent financial need arising out COVID-19 pandemic. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 will replace the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. This ordinance was cleared by the Union Cabinet on April 6, 2020.

 

2. PM Modi inaugurates & lays foundation stones for seven projects related to urban infrastructure worth Rs 541 cr in Bihar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for seven projects related to urban infrastructure in Bihar through video conferencing on 15 September 2020. The overall cost of these seven projects is Rs. 541 crore. Of the total projects, four projects are related to water supply, two to sewerage treatment and one to riverfront development. These projects have been launched under ‘Namami Gange’ Yojana and ‘AMRUT’ Yojana. These projects will be implemented by BUIDCO under Urban Development and Housing Department of Bihar.

 

3. Indian Railways to run 40 clone trains for waitlisted passengers from September 21: The Ministry of Railways has decided to run 20 pairs (40 trains) of clone Special trains from September 21, 2020, to meet the need of passengers with waitlist ticket and who do not get confirmed reservations on the regular trains. Clone Trains are being run for the first time by the India Railways. They will operate on the high traffic routes that have a long waiting list, so that the passengers with such tickets can travel. The reservation for these trains will start on September 19 and advance reservation period (ARP) will be 10 days. The clone trains will run ahead of the already operating special trains. These trains will be fully reserved trains with operational halts only and will operate at speeds higher than those of the existing special trains. The Clone Special trains are in addition to the 310 pairs of trains currently in operation.

 

4. Webinar on “Faculty Development for Quality Education”: The Ministry of Education organized a webinar on Faculty Development for Quality Education under Shikshak Parv Initiative. The webinar was organised to reflect on the roles and responsibilities of teachers in the light of National Education Policy (NEP) and to understand various aspects of capacity development and career progression of the faculty. Shikshak Parv is being celebrated by Ministry of Education from 8th September-25th September, 2020 to felicitate the Teachers and to take New Education Policy 2020 forward.

Note: Union Minister of Education: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

 

5. Great Learning appoints Virat Kohli as brand ambassador: Great Learning, an ed-tech company for professional and higher education, has appointed Indian cricketer Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador. Great Learning is a leader in the professional learning space and has built a reputation for delivering high-quality education and career transformations. Virat will lead the brand’s latest ‘Power Ahead’ campaign, which underlines the importance of lifelong learning.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated 4th Global Ayurveda Summit virtually: The 4th edition of Global Ayurveda Summit was virtually inaugurated by Vice-President Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu on the theme “Emerging Opportunities for Ayurveda during Pandemic”. The objective of the summit is to showcase the Ayurveda immunity model to the global level as a solution named ‘Health as One’ and ‘Immunity through Ayurveda’.

Global Ayurveda Summit is being organized by the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry)-Kerala in partnership with Ministry of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), and with the support of Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI), Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Organisation in India (AMMOI) and Ayurveda Hospital Management Association (AHMA). It is also supported by the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) in the United States (US), Association of Swiss Ayurveda Doctors and Therapists in Switzerland, Association for Ayurvedic Medicine in the Netherlands.

Note: Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of AYUSH: Shripad Yesso Naik.

 

S Jaishankar chairs IBSA Foreign Ministers’ Virtual Meeting: External Affairs Minister of the Republic of India, Shri S. Jaishankar, chaired the customary meeting of IBSA Foreign Ministers through video conferencing. During the meet, India, Brazil and South Africa emphasized the need for the international community to redouble efforts to achieve tangible progress for accelerated and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council. The ministers adopted the IBSA Joint Ministerial Statement on the Reform of the UN Security Council, as a common endeavour of the Global South. During the meet, the ministers exchanged views on furthering IBSA cooperation. They exchanged views on various issues of global significance including peace, security, countering terrorism, climate change, sustainable development, multilateral trading system, disarmament, non-proliferation issues and South-South Cooperation.

 

3. Environment Ministerial Meeting of G20 held virtually: The Environment Ministerial Meeting (EMM) of the G20 countries was held through video conferencing under the Presidency of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Union Environment, Climate Change and Forest Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar represented India in the meeting. Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation and Coral Reef program was launched at G20 Environment Ministers Meet. It aims to strengthen the implementation of existing frameworks to prevent, halt, and reverse land degradation within G20 member states and globally.

Note: The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for international economic cooperation which brings together the leaders of both developed and developing countries from every continent. ​

The members of the G20 group are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, ​Republic o​f Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union (EU)​.

 

4. Singapore Tops IMD’s Global Smart City Index 2020, Hyderabad top Indian City: The Institute for Management Development, in collaboration with Singapore University for Technology and Design (SUTD), has released the Smart City Index 2020. In 2020 Smart City Index, 109 cities were surveyed. The index ranks cities based on economic and technological data, as well as by their citizens’ perceptions of how “smart” their cities are.

The index has been topped by Singapore, followed by Helsinki and Zurich as top three smart cities. In the 2020 Smart City Index, Hyderabad was the top Indian city, placed at the 85th position. The Indian cities have witnessed a significant drop in their rankings in the Smart City Index 2020.

List of Indian cities in the index:

Hyderabad: 85 (67th in 2019);

New Delhi: 86 (68th in 2019);

Mumbai: 93 (78th in 2019);

Bengaluru: 95 (79th in 2019).

 

5. Fiumicino International Airport in Rome becomes World’s First Airport to earn “COVID-19 5-star airport rating” from Skytrax: The Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) in Rome, Italy, has become the first airport in the world to be certified with “COVID-19 5-star airport rating” from Skytrax, a U.K.-based airport and airline review firm. FCO, also known as the Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, is the busiest airport in Italy. The COVID-19 ratings for hygiene by Skytrax was based on a combination of procedural efficiency checks, visual observation analysis and ATP sampling tests. Fiumicino Airport earned the 5 star rating for the hygiene processes and other preventative measures in place to help reduce the spread of Coronavirus.

 

6. World Patient Safety Day: 17th September: The World Patient Safety Day is observed globally on 17th September to create a global awareness for patient safety and urge people to show their commitment to making healthcare safer. The theme for World Patient Safety Day 2020: Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety. The 72nd World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA 72.6 ‘Global action on patient safety’ on 25 May 2019. The resolution recognizes patient safety as a global health priority and endorses the establishment of World Patient Safety Day, to be observed annually on 17 September. The World Health Organization (WHO) observed the first WPSD in 2019.

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

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Online poker platform 9stacks signs Suresh Raina as brand ambassador: Online poker platform 9stacks has signed Suresh Raina as its brand ambassador. The partnership will see the cricketer in the brand’s upcoming campaigns and promote 9stacks through various engagement activities. Raina announced retirement from the international cricket last month. He will anchor the brand with his sports charisma and help in creating a higher brand recall amongst the key target audience.

Note: 9stacks was founded by Sudhir Kamath, Pratik Kumar and Rishab Mathur in 2017.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI, Titan launch contactless payment watches “Titan Pay”: Titan Company has partnered with the State Bank of India (SBI) to launch India’s first contactless payment watches named “Titan Pay”. Using these watches, the account holders of SBI can tap their Titan Pay watch on the contactless payment POS machines for making payments. It is powered by YONO SBI. About “Titan Pay”:

(1) Under this mechanism, payments of up to Rs. 2,000 can be made without entering a PIN, as per the RBI guidelines.

(2) A secure certified near-field communication (NFC) chip developed by Tappy Technologies has been embedded in the watch strap that will enable the tap and pay feature in the watch.

(3) The Titan Pay watch will act as a contactless debit card.

(4) The payment feature on these watches will be accessible on over 2 million contactless MasterCard enabled PoS machines in the country.

(5) This collection of Titan watches include three styles for men and two for women and are priced between Rs 2,995 and Rs 5,995.

Note: Chairman of Titan Company: N Muruganandam; Titan Company Founded: 1984; Titan Company Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Chairman of SBI: Rajnish Kumar; SBI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Vi launches integrated 4G network GIGAnet: VI (erstwhile Vodafone Idea) has launched GIGAnet network that is an integrated 4G network. With the launch of GIGAnet, VI aims to overcome the loss of customers and attract new customers from rivals Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. GIGAnet offers faster downloads & uploads, low latency, and real-time connectivity. It is built on many principles of 5G architecture that help in delivering a superior network experience.

 

2. UBS Securities projects India’s GDP to contract by 8.6% in FY21; For FY22=+10%: UBS Securities has projected India’s GDP for 2020-21 (FY21) to contact by 8.6%. (Earlier it was -5.8%). For FY22, UBS Securities projects India’s GDP to grow by 10%. UBS Securities is a Chinese investment bank and brokerage firm headquartered in Beijing, China.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran scholar of Indian classical dance Kapila Vatsyayan passes away: Veteran scholar of Indian classical dance, art, architecture and art history, Dr Kapila Vatsyayan passed away. She was the founding Director of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. She was the former Member of Parliament and had served as Education Secretary. Some of the prestigious honours received by Dr Kapila Vatsyayan includes Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship, and the Padma Vibhushan.

 

2. Mali’s former president Moussa Traore passes away: Former President of Republic of Mali, who was in power from 1968 to 1991, General Moussa Traore passed away. He was born in 1936 in Kayes, Mali. He was a former military leader, forcibly took over the reign from Modibo Keita (known as the ‘father of independence’), after participating in a military coup. However, in March 1991, he himself was overthrown by popular protests and a military takeover.

Note: Republic of Mali Capital: Bamako; Currency: West African CFA franc.