Daily GK Updates - 11th Oct, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Goa becomes India’s first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State by providing tap water connection to every rural household: As per the data provided by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Goa has become the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State in the country by providing tap water connection to every rural household. The state provided tap water connection to 2 lakh 30 thousand rural households in all the 191 Gram Panchayats of the state. North Goa with 1,65,000 rural households and South Goa with 98,000 rural households are fully saturated with assured piped water supply through tap connections.

 

2. ‘Sunidhi’ project launched to digitise Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation services: The government announced the launch of an ambitious information technology project ‘Sunidhi’ to digitise all provident fund and pension related activities of the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO). The Sunidhi module was inaugurated by settling the provident fund and pension dues of three retired employees of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL). This software application is running from its data centre at Hyderabad in sync with the Disaster Recovery Centre at Bhubaneshwar. CMPFO, a statutory body under the coal ministry, administers different schemes of provident fund, pension and deposit linked insurance for coal mine workers.

 

3. Delhi-Mumbai e-way to have India’s 1st 5 ‘animal bridges’ for safe passage of wildlife: To offer a safe passage to wildlife on the under-construction Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, five “animal overpasses” on the lines of “ecoducts” in the Netherlands are being planned, a first such effort in the country. These have been planned to ensure there are no disturbances to the Ranthambore Wildlife Corridor connecting Ranthambhore and Mukundra (Darrah) wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan. These will be natural-looking structures over the corridor and will provide safe passage for wildlife across the expressway.

 

4. IIT Kharagpur launches telemedicine software ‘iMediX’: IIT Kharagpur researchers have launched a telemedicine system ‘iMediX’ to help patients receive assistance from doctors without having to go to hospitals or clinics. ‘iMediX’ allows patients to request for consultation by choosing a department of a hospital, entering their complaints and uploading necessary medical records. The hospital then processes the request and assigns a doctor. The system iMediX which is accessible by any standard internet browser and also from a mobile device, has been developed by researchers at IIT Kharagpurs Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

 

5. Indian Foreign Service Day: 9th October: In India, the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Day is celebrated on 9 October every year since 2011. The day is marked to commemorate the day when the IFS was created by the Indian Cabinet on 9 October 1946. On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted all the Indian Foreign Service officers for their work towards serving the nation and for their efforts during Vande Bharat Mission and other COVID related assistance towards Indian and foreign nationals.

 

6. ADB to invest $15 Million in Avaada Energy to expand Renewable Energy Capacity in India: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest $15 million in Avaada Energy Private Limited (AEPL) to help the company to scale up photovoltaic solar energy generation capacity in India.The investment is ADB’s second in AEPL after a first round of $50 million made in April 2019. ADB is investing the $15 million via its Ordinary Capital Resources and from Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP). The project will contribute to the Government of India’s strategy to increase the share of renewable energy generation capacity from about 20% in 2018 to 40% by 2030.  It reflects ADB’s commitment to provide cumulative climate finance of $80 billion from 2019 to 2030.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Sadyr Zhaparov elected as Kyrgyzstan’s acting PM: Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov has stepped down after the Central Electoral Commission annulled the results of parliamentary elections in response to accusations of vote-rigging. At an emergency session, the Kyrgyzstan parliament appointed Sadyr Zhaparov, a founder of the opposition Mekenchil party, which had lost the election, as acting prime minister.

Note: Kyrgyzstan Capital: Bishkek; Currency: Som

 

2. Finnish Prime Minister gives country’s top job to a 16-year-old for a day: In a truly remarkable development, a 16-year-old Finnish girl was made the country’s Prime Minister.Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin handed her power to a 16-year-old girl as apart of a campaign to promote girls’ rights in the country. Aava Murto of Vaasky in southern Finland turned incredibly lucky for a day. Aava, who is an active campaigner on issues relating to climate changes and human rights. The ‘PM for a day’ is part of a global ‘Girls Takeover’ campaign by children’s rights charity Plan International, which aims to raise awareness of girls’ digital skills in technological industries and highlight the problem of online harassment of women

 

3. World Sight Day 2020: 8th October: The World Sight Day is observed annually on the second Thursday of October. In 2020, the World Sight Day falls on 08 October 2020. World Sight Day 2020 Theme: “Hope In Sight”. The main aim of the day is to draw public awareness towards blindness & vision impairment and educate target audiences about blindness prevention. It was originally initiated by the SightFirstCampaign of Lions Club International Foundation in 2000.

 

4. World Day against the Death Penalty: 10th October: The World Day Against the Death Penalty is observed every year on 10 October. It is a day to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty and to raise awareness of the conditions and the circumstances which affect prisoners with death sentences. The day was first organised by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in 2003. The theme for 2020 is “Access to counsel – A matter of life or death.”

 

5. International Day of the Girl Child: 11th October: International Day of the Girl Child (also known as Day of Girls and the International Day of Girls) is observed annually on October 11 since 2012. This international observance day was declared by the United Nations to raise awareness of issues facing girls internationally surrounding education, nutrition, child marriage, legal and medical rights. The theme for 2020 International Day of the Girl Child is “My voice, our equal future”.

 

6. World Investor Week: October 5th-11th, 2020: World Investor Week (WIW) is promoted by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and will be held between October 05 and October 11, 2020. This is the 4th World Investor Week and it aims to raise awareness about the importance of investor education and protection.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India’s Yashaswini Singh Deswal wins 10m air pistol event in International Online Shooting Championship: Indian Olympic quota winner Yashaswini Singh Deswal won the 10m air pistol event in the fifth edition of the International Online Shooting Championship (IOSC). The second place was grabbed by Ahmed Nabil of Egypt while his compatriot Yehya Shams took the third place. Sylvia Steiner, an Olympic quota winner for Austria, settled for the fourth place.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. BOB Financial, Mastercard join hands to launch 4 new variants of BOB Credit Card: BOB Financial Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, and Mastercard have launched 4 new credit cards catering to its customers across segments, including affluent as well as the first-time credit card owners. Two of these cards were in association with eminent professional institutions of the country. The new card variants are Eterna, which will cater to the distinctive needs of the NBFC’s affluent customers and will be offered to customers as part of the Radiance program of Bank of Baroda. Swavlamban, a ‘by Invitation only’ card, targets the low-income employees of select corporates and SMEs which have a banking relationship with Bank of Barod. 2 co-branded cards in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI), which will be offered exclusively to chartered accountants and cost and management accountants respectively.

 

2. Interest subvention on MSME loans extended till end of March 2021: RBI: The Reserve Bank of India has said that the two per cent interest subvention scheme for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on loans offered by co-operative banks has been extended till 31st of March next year. RBI has further informed that the scheme, initially announced for just two years, has been extended for the financial year 2020-21. RBI said that the coverage of the scheme is limited to all term loans and working capital to the extent of 100 lakh rupees, adding that the requirement of Udyog Aadhaar Number may be dispensed with for units eligible for GST.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India to Overtake China as World’s Largest LPG Residential Market by 2030: India is expected to overtake China as the world’s largest cooking gas LPG residential sector market by 2030, Wood Mackenzie said. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) demand in the residential sector will continue to see sustainable growth at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3 per cent, reaching 34 million tonnes (MT) in 2030 as households’ dependence on solid biomass diminishes in the long run supported by rising average household incomes and urban population. Although nationwide LPG coverage has reached 98 per cent, up 42 per cent from 2014, usage is still low. Average annual cylinder refills have not kept up with the pace of new connections, with average consumption remaining below the benchmark of 12 cylinders.

 

2. Google launches ‘Make Small Strong’ initiative in India to help small, local businesses: Technology giant Google has launched a ‘Make Small Strong’ initiative in India to help small and local businesses across the country. The new initiative launched by Google will be aiming to support those small businesses, Kirana stores, vegetable vendors who have suffered massive loss during the lockdown period which was imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The tech giant has noted that it has joined hands with Zoho and Instamojo for this campaign.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Belarus, Iran, US, Nicaragua Activists Win ‘alternate’ Nobel Prize Of 2020: A Belarusian pro-democracy campaigner, an imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer, a US civil rights attorney, and a Nicaraguan activist won a top Swedish honour sometimes called “the alternative Nobel Prize. Ales Bialiatski of Belarus and his NGO Viasna, Nasrin Sotoudeh of Iran, Bryan Stevenson of the United States and indigenous rights and environmental activist Lottie Cunningham Wren of Nicaragua share the Right Livelihood Award. Although the Right Livelihood Award is promoted as an “Alternative Nobel Prize”, it is not a Nobel prize.The top Swedish award has been honouring courageous changemakers since 1980, aimed at boosting urgent and long-term social change.

 

2. Mumbai Municipal Commissioner I.S. Chahal honoured with Global ‘Covid Crusader Award-2020’: Iqbal Singh Chahal, I.A.S., Municipal Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, wss honoured with Global ‘Covid Crusader Award-2020’ by the Indo American Chamber of Commerce(IACC) in the Indian Bureaucrats Category. Chahal has become the first Indian bureaucrat to be recognised and receive global acknowledgment for his contribution in controlling the novel coronavirus infection in India’s financial capital and for working to ‘flatten the curve’ in congested areas of the city, including Asia’s biggest slum Dharavi. 

Daily GK Updates - 10th Oct, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Piyush Goyal gets additional charge of Ministry of Consumer Affairs: The Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been assigned the additional charge of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in addition to his existing portfolios, following the death of union minister Ram Vilas Paswan. Goyal is currently serving as the Union Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry.

 

2. Uttarakhand Govt launches “Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana”: Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched the “Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana” at the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Auditorium in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The scheme is aimed at promoting self-employment of the youth and promoting the production of Green Energy. The targeted beneficiaries include youths and migrant workers, who returned home after leaving jobs in various parts of the country due to pandemic.

Under the scheme: 10, 000 Youths and Migrants will get self-employment in the Green Energy Sector. The targeted beneficiaries will be allocated Solar Plants of 25 Kilowatts (KW) each. 1.5-2 nalis (Land Measurement Unit) of Land and INR 10 Lakh at the rate of INR 40,000 per unit are required to set up each plant. The plants will generate 38,000 Units of Electricity per annum which will be bought by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited for 25 years.

Note: Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.

 

3. Goa Govt Releases ‘Aatmanirbhar’ Plan to Support Farmers: The Goa government released an action plan to support agriculture and animal husbandry under its “Aatmanirbhar” programme. The government has announced a series of initiatives under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Swayampoorna Goa programme’ (ABSGP) including promoting dairy and poultry farming. It talks about checking ‘menace’ of wild animals and cattle at agriculture fields. To help farmers, crop insurance and fencing will be availed. Horticulture cultivation, procurement of agricultural equipment, and sustainable harvesting of medical plants will also be assisted with it.

 

4. Gujarat to get country’s first two Organic Spices Seed parks: The Gujarat Chief Minister released the sanction letters to two farmer producer organisations (FPOs) for a NABARD-supported Organic Spices Seed Park for saunf (fennel seed) in the Banaskantha district and jeera (cumin seed) in Patan for promotion of organic seed value chain of the spices. The two spices seeds parks will create a complete value chain and provide capacity building training for the farmers. A total of ₹23 lakh in grant assistance has been accorded to both the parks, which will have 50 farmers each. Once ready, the specialised institutions will the collect seeds, which will be sent for testing on quality control.

 

5. National Postal Week: 9-15 October: The Department of Posts is celebrating National Postal Week from 9-15 October 2020, to mark the occasion of the World Postal Day. Every year, the National Postal week is organised to generate awareness of the role and activities of the postal services among the public and media on a national scale. The online campaign will be organised to create awareness about new offerings and availability of citizen-centric services in Post Offices.

Note: Universal Postal Union Headquarters: Bern, Switzerland; Universal Postal Union Head: Bishar Abdirahman Hussein; Universal Postal Union Founder: Heinrich von Stephan; Universal Postal Union Founded: 9 October 1874.

 

6. National Postal Day: 10th October: In India, the National Postal Day is celebrated annually on 10 October, as an extension of World Post Day, which is celebrated on 9 October. The Day aims to commemorate the role played by the Indian postal department for the past 150 years, which was founded in 1854 by Lord Dalhousie.

Indian postal service: Indian postal service is an integral part of India. The postal services in India have given the best performance despite the diversity in culture, tradition and difficult geographical terrains.

India’s PIN Code system: PIN in Pincode stands for Postal Index Number. The 6-digit PIN system was introduced by Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, an additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Communications on 15 August 1972. The first digit of the PIN code marks the region. The second digit denotes the sub-region. The third digit marks the district. The last three digits show the post office under which a particular address falls.

Note: Indian Post Secretary: Pradipta Kumar Bisoi; Indian Post Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Mukesh Ambani tops the Forbes India Rich List 2020: The Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani, has topped the Forbes India Rich list for 2020. He has retained his position as the wealthiest Indian for the 13th consecutive year on Forbes India list. The tycoon added $37.3 billion to his net worth, to bring his total fortune to $88.7 billion, a rise of 73% over the previous year. The second spot has been retained by Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, with a net worth of $25.2 billion. Tech tycoon Shiv Nadar acquired the third spot with a net worth of $20.4 billion.

 

2. World Mental Health Day: 10th October: World Mental Health Day is observed globally on 10th October every year. The day is celebrated with an objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing the efforts in support of mental health. World Mental Health Day is organized by the World Federation for Mental Health. This year’s theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health is ‘mental health for all’.

The day was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

Note: President of World Federation for Mental Health: Ingrid Daniels; World Federation for Mental Health Founded: 1948.

 

3. World Migratory Bird Day: 10th October: World Migratory Bird Day is observed globally on 9 May or 10th October. The Day will celebrate the biannual migration. The aim of the day is to raise awareness of migratory birds and the importance of international cooperation to conserve them. This time the theme of World Migratory Bird Day 2020 is “Birds Connect Our World”. The theme highlights the importance of conserving and restoring the ecological connectivity and integrity of ecosystems that support the natural cycles that are essential for the survival and well-being of migratory birds.

This day is organized by a collaborative partnership among two UN treaties the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Colorado-based non-profit organization, Environment for the Americas (EFTA). This day is a global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. NABARD inks 3 MoUs with SBI to extend credit support: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has inked three Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with State Bank of India (SBI) to extend credit support for various NABARD projects. The MoUs were inked by D. K. Mishra, Chief General Manager of NABARD in Gujarat and Dukhbandhu Rath, Chief General Manager, SBI Ahmedabad Circle in the presence of NABARD Chairman G. R. Chintala.

About Memorandum of Understanding: The MoUs were signed for financing joint liability groups, Self-Help Groups-support credit inflows to Farmer Producers’ Organizations and economic support for watershed development projects. These will help in providing credit support to the different sections of the society including the priority sector.

Note: NABARD Chairman: G. R. Chintala.

State Bank of India Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara; State Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

2. J Venkatramu appointed MD and CEO of India Post Payments Bank: J Venkatramu has been appointed the managing director and chief executive officer of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). He will succeed Suresh Sethi, who served the post till March 2020. Venkatramuis presently working as the chief digital officer in Equitas Small Finance Bank. He has been appointed to the post of MD and CEO of IPPB for a period of three years.

Note: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched IPPB in 2018.

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) was incorporated as Payments Banking Company under Section 22 (1) of Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

DEFENSE

 

1. DRDO successfully test-fires anti-radiation missile “Rudram”: The DRDO has successfully flight-tested a new generation Anti-Radiation Missile (RUDRAM-1) at the Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha. The missile was launched from SU-30 Mk1 fighter aircraft. The missile, having a speed of Mach two or twice the speed of sound, is capable of bringing down a wide-range of enemy radar systems, communication networks and air defence systems within a range of up to 250 kilometres. About RUDRAM:

(1) The RUDRAM is a first indigenous anti-radiation missile of the country for Indian Air Force (IAF), being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

(2) With this, the country has established indigenous capability to develop long-range air-launched anti-radiation missiles for neutralising enemy Radars, communication sites and other RF emitting targets.

(3) It has INS-GPS navigation with Passive Homing Head for the final attack. The RUDRAM hit the radiation target with pin-point accuracy.

(4) The Passive Homing Head can detect, classify and engage targets over a wide band of frequencies as programmed.

(5) The missile is a potent weapon for IAF for Suppression of Enemy Air Defence effectively from large stand-off ranges.

 

2. Coastal security exercise “Sagar Kavach” concludes: A two-day Coastal Security Exercise namely ‘Sagar Kavach’ conducted by the Indian Navy along with Indian Coast Guard and all stakeholders involved in Coastal Security from the coast of Kerala. The exercise was monitored from Joint Operations Centre, Kochi. Sagar Kavach is a half-yearly exercise with an objective to check the Coastal Security mechanism and validate Standard Operating Procedures. The exercise conducted along the coastal areas of Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep assumes significance in the backdrop of the prevailing security situation in the country.

 Apart from Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Police, Coastal District Administration, Cochin Port, Fisheries Department, Customs, Marine Enforcement Wing (MEW), Central Industrial Security force (CISF), Intelligence Bureau (IB), LightHouse Department and fishermen community participated in the exercise. Extensive air patrol and surveillance of the adjoining seas were also undertaken by the aircraft, helicopters and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard to detect ships and vessels of the opposing force.

Note: Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. First woman chief justice of Kerala KK Usha passes away: Former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Justice KK Usha, passed away. She served as a judge from 1991 to 2000. And when she was appointed Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court from 2000 to 2001, Justice Usha became the first woman to join the High Court Judiciary from the Bar and became a Chief Justice.

About Justice KK Usha: Justice Usha, who had a distinguished career as a judge and later as chief justice, began her career when she enrolled as an advocate in 1961. She was India’s representative at the United Nations’ Joint Seminar on ‘Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination as regards women’, organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers and the International Federation of Women of Legal Careers. She was a member and the President of the University Women’s Association.

 

2. Mexican Nobel Laureate Mario Molina passes away: Renowned Mexican scientist and Nobel Prize winner Mario Molina (77 years) passed away. He won Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1995 and was the first Mexican to win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. He along with other fellows Frank Sherwood Rowland and Paul Crutzen were awarded Nobel Prize for their work showing how chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in spray cans were destroying the ozone layer in 1995. He was appointed a scientific adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama in 2008. 

Daily GK Updates - 9th Oct, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UP government signs agreement with Zurich Airport for Jewar Airport: The Uttar Pradesh government has signed a concession agreement with representatives of Zurich Airport International for designing, building and operating Noida International Airport at Jewar for a period of 40 years. The airport will be developed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and is scheduled to open in 2024.

About the agreement: The ‘concession agreement’ for the Greenfield airport, estimated to cost Rs 29,560 crores, was inked between the Uttar Pradesh government’s agency and the Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a special purpose vehicle floated by the Zurich Airport for the project.

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

 

2. Meghalaya Govt partners with Israel to set up ‘Centre of Excellence’: Meghalaya government has entered into a partnership with Israel to establish a one of a kind Centre of Excellence(CoE) on high-value vegetables in the state to improve and promote the livelihoods of farmers. CoE is important for tapping the diverse biodiversity and available resources in the state in terms of its soil and agro-climatic condition. Benefits of CoE:

(1) Considering the State has a gene pool of important vegetables, fruits and plants like Citrus fruits in Nokrek, East Garo Hills District, the CoE will act as a stimulus for more research work and also for expansion into multi-fold aspects including tourism potential.

(2) By generating/propagating seedlings through Quality Planting Materials, CoE is likely to create a meaningful impact.

(3) It will enhance cultivation by introducing techniques and technology support and creating water harvesting and conservation initiatives.

(4) To address the marketing issue, it will explore the possibility to establish a State of the Art Packing House.

Note: Meghalaya Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma; Meghalaya Governor: Satya Pal Malik; Meghalaya Capital: Shillong.

Israel Capital: Jerusalem; Israel Currency: Israeli Shekel; Israel Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu

 

3. Amazon India ties up with IRCTC to start online train ticket bookings: Amazon India has partnered with ‘Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’ (IRCTC), to provide its customers with the facility to book reserved train tickets on Amazon. With this launch, the e-commerce company’s digital payments arm Amazon Pay adds another travel category, thereby offering its customers a one-stop-shop for booking flights, bus and train tickets.

Benefits of this facility:

(1) With this new offering, users will be able to check seat and quota availability across all train classes on the Amazon app.

(2) They can pre-load money into their Amazon Pay Balance wallet to make this experience even smoother and pay in a single click.

(3) Amazon.in is offering the customers with a variety of self-serve options such as live checking of PNR status (for ticket booked on Amazon only), downloads and cancellations of tickets booked on Amazon.

(4) Users paying with Amazon Pay Balance also get an instant refund in case of cancellations or booking failures.

(5) Customers will get a 10 per cent cashback on their first train ticket booking and Prime members can avail 12 per cent cashback up for these bookings. For the introductory period, Amazon.in has also waived off service and payment gateway transaction charges.

(6) Customers can book their tickets by clicking the trains and travel category under the Amazon Pay tab. They can select their route and travel dates and get a list of all available trains.

(7) Users can use their Amazon Pay balance or Amazon Pay ICICI credit card or any other digital payment methods for an easy checkout experience.

(8) In case customers need to cancel a ticket, they can do so under the ‘Your Orders’ section. They can also seek 24×7 help through an Amazon helpline over phone and chat.

Note: Amazon Founder: Jeff Bezos; Amazon Founded: 5 July 1994; Amazon Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States.

 

4. API integration between PM SVANidhi, SBI portal launched: The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs will integrate the application programming interface (API) between SVANidhi portal and various banks to expedite loan sanctioning and disbursement process under Modi government’s PM SVANidhi scheme for nano entrepreneurs. To begin with, the ministry launched the API integration between the PM SVANidhi portal and SBI’s eMudra portal. Ministry would perform similar integration with other banks as well for which a consultative meeting will be held shortly.

Advantages of Integration: This integration will ease uninterrupted data flow between the 2 portals in a secure ambience and accelerate the loan sanctioning and disbursement process that benefits the street vendors who seek working loan capital under the scheme. This integration will facilitate the seamless flow of data between the PM SVANidhi Portal and SBI’s mudra Portal in a secure environment. It will expedite the loan sanctioning and disbursement process, to benefit the street vendors seeking a working capital loan under the Scheme.

Note: Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Jordan’s King Abdullah II appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh as PM: King of Jordan, Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein has appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh, policy advisor to the king, as new Prime Minister of the country. His appointment comes after King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz.

About Bishr al-Khasawneh:  He served as the advisor to the king for Communication and Coordination at The Royal Hashemite Court (April 2019- August 2020). He served as the Minister for Legal Affairs (2017- 2018). He was a Former Ambassador of Jordan to Egypt, France, Kenya, Ethiopia, African Union, League of Arab States, and also to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Note: Capital of Jordan: Amman; The currency of Jordan: Jordanian dinar.

 

2. World Post Day: 9th October: World Post Day is observed on 9th October every year. The purpose of World Post Day is to create awareness of the role of the postal sector in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives and its contribution to the social and economic development of countries. World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. Since then, countries across the world participate annually in the celebrations. Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.

 

3. World Egg Day 2020: 9th October: World Egg Day is celebrated worldwide on the second Friday in the month of October each year. In 2020, the day is being observed on 9th October 2020. The Day was established at the IEC Vienna 1996 conference and helps to raise awareness of the benefits of eggs and their importance in human nutrition. The theme for 2020 World Egg Day is “Eat Your Egg Today And Every Day”.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI’s 3rd Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2020-21 Released: The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India met on 7th, 8th and 9th October for its third meeting of 2020-21. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das has announced crucial policy decisions at the Bank’s 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy. On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at its meeting decided to:

(1) The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) has been kept unchanged at 4.00%.

(2) The reverse repo rate under the LAF has been kept unchanged at 3.35%.

(3) The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate have been kept unchanged at 4.25%.

(4) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will introduce on-tap targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) for banks to borrow up to Rs 1 trillion from the window and invest in corporate bonds and other debt instruments of certain sectors. The on-tap TLTROs will have tenors of up to three years at a floating rate linked to the policy repo rate and the scheme will be available up to 31 March 2021.

(5) Real GDP growth is expected to be negative. The RBI’s MPC has pegged the real GDP growth for FY21 to contract by 9.5%.

 

2. CMD of J&K Bank, R.K. Chhibber gets another 6 months extension by RBI: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the term of Rajesh Kumar(R.K.) Chhibber as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Jammu & Kashmir Bank for another 6 months, effective from October 10, 2020, or till the appointment of Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO), whichever is earlier. Prior to this, he got an extension of 3 months with effect from July 10, 2020.

About R.K. Chhibber: He joined J&K Bank as the Probationary Officer in the year 1982 and has led the bank in different capacities namely, as Vice-President in 2009 among others. He also served as the Chairman of J&K Grameen Bank. He was elevated as the Executive President on June 1, 2018.

Note: Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Bank Headquarters: Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.

 

3. Nilesh Shah re-elected as Chairman of AMFI: Nilesh Shah has been re-elected as the Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). He was earlier elected as the Chairman for 2019 – 2020. Nilesh Shah would also continue as the ex-officio Chairman of AMFI Financial Literacy Committee, being the Chairman of AMFI. These decisions were taken by AMFI, the industry body of SEBI-registered mutual funds at its Board Meeting.

Saurabh Nanavati (Chief Executive Officer, Invesco Asset Management (India) Private Limited.) has been re-elected as the Vice-Chairman of AMFI.

Note: CEO of Association of Mutual Funds in Indian: S. Venkatesh.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. World Bank expects India’s GDP to contract by 9.6% in FY-21: The World Bank projected India’s GDP to contract by 9.6% this FY-21, which is reflective of the national lockdown and the income shock experienced by households and firms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Bank earlier in June had estimated the Indian economy to shrink by 3.2% in the current fiscal.

The World Bank recently released its report titled ‘South Asia Economic Focus’, noting that the country’s economic situation is much worse than ever seen before. The report also forecasted a sharper than expected economic slump across the South Asian region, with regional growth expected to contract by 7.7% in 2020, after topping 6% annually in the past five years. Regional growth is projected to rebound to 4.5% in 2021.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Nobel Prize in Peace 2020 announced: The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 to the World Food Programme (WFP). The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. In 2019, the WFP provided assistance to close to 100 million people in 88 countries who are victims of acute food insecurity and hunger.

About the World Food Programme (WFP): The work of the World Food Programme to the benefit of humankind is an endeavour that all the nations of the world should be able to endorse and support. The World Food Programme (WFP) is an efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict. In 2015, eradicating hunger was adopted as one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The WFP is the UN’s primary instrument for realising this goal. In recent years, the situation has taken a negative turn. In 2019, 135 million people suffered from acute hunger, the highest number in many years. Most of the increase was caused by war and armed conflict.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan passes away: Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan passed away. He was born on 5 July 1946. He was also the president of the Lok Janshakti Party, eight-time Lok Sabha member and current Rajya Sabha MP. Ram Vilas Paswan started his political career as a member of Samyukta Socialist Party and was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1969. Later, Paswan joined Lok Dal upon its formation in 1974 and became its general secretary. He opposed the emergency and was arrested during the period. He entered the Lok Sabha in 1977, as a Janata Party member from Hajipur constituency, was chosen again 1980, 1989, 1996 and 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2014. 

Daily GK Updates - 8th Oct, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. GoI launches online startup platform ‘Startup India Showcase’: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched an online discovery platform for startups called “Startup India Showcase”. The main aim of this website is to make a repository of India’s most promising startups that have proved their capabilities, from across sectors such as fintech, enterprise tech, social impact, health tech, and edutech, among others.

About “Startup India Showcase”: The startups mentioned on the website will be handpicked by experts and will go through multiple screening and evaluation rounds. The listed firms will also be considered by the government and corporate buyers as potential suppliers of goods or services. Each startup has its own profile page, with detailed information about its product and innovation, as well as video and PDF links. The platform will also act as an online networking portal, by mentioning LinkedIn and Twitter pages of the founders.

Note: Minister of Commerce and Industry: Piyush Goyal.

 

2. Smriti Irani launches first ever Brand & Logo for Indian Cotton: Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani has launched the first-ever Brand and Logo for Indian Cotton on Second World Cotton Day through video conferencing. Now India’s premium cotton would be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ in the world cotton trade. The Kasturi Cotton brand will represent Whiteness, Brightness, Softness, Purity, Luster, Uniqueness and Indianness.

Important Facts of Indian Cotton: India is the second-largest cotton producer and the largest consumer of cotton in the world. It produces about six million tonnes of cotton every year which is about 23 per cent of the world cotton. India produces about 51 per cent of the total organic cotton production of the world, which demonstrates India’s effort towards sustainability. Note: Chairman-Cum-Managing Director of Cotton Corporation of India: Pradeep Kumar Agarwal; Cotton Corporation of India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Cotton Corporation of India Founded: 31 July 1970.

 

3. Gujarat govt to launch ‘Digital Seva Setu’ programme: The state government of Gujarat has announced a ‘Digital Seva Setu’ programme to ensure optimum utilisation of technology for public welfare in rural areas. The program has been initiated under the Centre’s BharatNet Project.

‘Digital Seva Setu’ program: Under the ‘Digital Seva Setu’ program, public welfare services will be made available in all the 14,000-gram panchayats in the state by connecting village panchayats through an optical fibre network. Each village panchayat will get e-gram office so that villagers will not have to go all the way to taluka or district-level offices. All the gram panchayats will be connected to the state data centre at Gandhinagar. Initially, 20 services will be offered to villagers under the programme like ration cards, affidavits and certificates for widows, residence, caste, senior citizen, language-based minority, a religious minority, nomad-denotified, and income certificates at their doorstep.

Note: Gujarat Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani; Gujarat Governor: Acharya Devvrat.

 

4. C-DAC to commission India’s fastest Supercomputer ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’: The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) will be commissioning India’s largest HPC-AI supercomputer ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’. This initiative will place India among the top countries in global AI supercomputing research and innovation. The initiative was headed by Abhishek Das, Scientist and Program Director (HPC-AI Infrastructure Development) at C-DAC, who conceived the idea and designed the architecture for the largest HPC-AI infrastructure in India.

About ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’: This high-performance computing-Artificial Intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer is a machine with 210 AI Petaflops (6.5 Petaflops Peak DP). It is built on the NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD reference architecture comprising of 42 NVIDIA DGX A100 systems, connected with NVIDIA Mellanox HDR InfiniBand networking along with C-DAC’s indigenously developed HPC-AI engine, Software Frameworks, Cloud Platform.

Note: C-DAC Director General: Hemant Darbari; C-DAC Established: 1988; C-DAC Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra.

 

5. Piyush Goyal Declares the Results of the First National Startup Awards 2020: The Union Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal announced the Results of the first ever National Startup Awards 2020 on 6th October 2020. The award has been introduced by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to recognize and reward outstanding Startups and ecosystem enablers that are building innovative products or solutions and scalable enterprises, with high potential of employment generation or wealth creation, demonstrating measurable social impact. The first edition of the Awards had applications from 12 sectors, which were further sub-classified into a total of 35 categories. These 12 sectors are Agriculture, Education, Enterprise Technology, Energy, Finance, Food, Health, Industry 4.0, Space, Security, Tourism and Urban Services. A total of 1641 applications were received from startups from 23 States and 4 Union Territories.

 

6. Indian Air Force Day: 8th October: Indian Air Force Day is celebrated every year by the Indian Air Force on 8th of October. This year Indian Air Force celebrated its 88th anniversary. Indian Air Force was officially established on 8 October 1932 by the British Empire as the Royal Indian Air Force. The name was changed to Indian Air Force in 1950.

Note: Chiefs of Air Staff: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Russia successfully test-fires Tsirkon hypersonic missile: Russia successfully test-fired a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile in the Arctic. The Missile was fired from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the White Sea, Russian Arctic. The missile covered a distance of 450 km with the maximum altitude of its trajectory at 28 km. The flight lasted 4.5 minutes and the missile reached a hypersonic speed of over Mach 8. The Missile is a scramjet-powered manoeuvring anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile.

Note: Russia President: Vladimir Putin; Russia Capital: Moscow; Russia Currency: Russian Ruble.

 

2. Kuwait Prime Minister Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah Resigns: The Kuwaiti government, headed by Prime Minister(PM) Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah submitted its resignation to Emir Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah in anticipation of the upcoming general elections that are due to be held in November 2020.  He took charge as the PM in 2019.

About Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah: He started his career in 1978, joining the ministry of foreign affairs, where he worked at various capacities, including being a member of Kuwait’s permanent mission to the United Nations (1983-1989).

Note: The emir named Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, currently the deputy head of the National Guard, as the crown prince of Kuwait.

Kuwait Capital: Kuwait City; Kuwait Currency: Kuwaiti dinar.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. FM launches Indian Bank’s business mentoring programme ‘MSME Prerana’: Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has launched ”MSME Prerana”, an online business mentoring programme for MSMEs by state-run Indian Bank. The programme, to be made available in local languages, is aimed at empowering entrepreneurs through skill development and capacity building workshops.

Important points of the Initiative: Indian Bank has taken an out-of-the-box initiative in launching MSME Prerana which will handhold the entrepreneurs through a mentoring program. The initiative is in collaboration with Poornatha & Co, a firm that designs entrepreneurial development programs in vernacular languages using online web-based interactive sessions and case studies. MSME Prerana will bridge the gap in business skills as well as communication & Human Resource (HR) by providing inputs in simple terms and in the local vernacular.

Note: On April 1, 2020, Allahabad Bank amalgamated with Indian Bank; Indian Bank MD and CEO: Padmaja Chunduru; The tagline of Indian Bank: Your Own Bank.

 

2. SEBI introduces ‘very high risk category’ in risk-o-meter tool for mutual fund schemes: Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a new “very high risk” category on its Mutual Funds (MF) riskometer tool, to warn investors, investing in mutual fund schemes. Currently the mutual fund (MF) risk-o-meter has five categories – low, moderately low, moderate, moderately high and high. It indicates the scheme’s risk level. The revamped 6 categories Risk-o-meter will come into effect from 01 January 2021. It will be evaluated on a monthly basis and the mutual fund houses will have to disclose the risk-o-meter along with portfolio disclosure for all their schemes on their respective website and on the industry body Amfi website within 10 days from the close of each month.

 

3. Axis Bank tie-up with Vistara to launch co-branded forex card: Axis Bank in partnership with India’s full-service carrier, Vistara launched a Co-Branded Forex Card, ‘Axis Bank Club Vistara Forex Card’ to cater to the needs of international travellers. This is the 1st-ever collaboration by a bank and an Indian airline for a co-branded forex card.

Benefits of ‘Axis Bank Club Vistara Forex Card’: The multi-currency forex card enables customers to travel to international destinations in a cashless and hassle-free manner. The card has the option to load up to 16 currencies on a single card and has locked­in. exchange rates, also known as Fixed Exchange Rates. Cardholders on spending every USD 5 (or equivalent value), can accrue 3 CV points. Customers on signing up are awarded 500 CV Points as a Welcome Bonus.

Note: Vistara Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana; Vistara CEO: Leslie Thng.

Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Axis Bank MD and CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry.

 

4. GoI appoints M Rajeshwar Rao as the RBI Deputy Governor: The Centre has appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as the new deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India on 7th October 2020. Prior to this, M Rajeshwar Rao was an executive director at RBI. He succeeds NS Vishwanathan as the central bank’s fourth deputy governor. NS Vishwanathan resigned from the post in March 2020 before the completion of his term in June, citing health reasons.

The Central Bank has four Deputy Governors. Other three Deputy Governors of RBI: M. D. Patra; B. P. Kanungo and M. K. Jain

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 announced: The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2020 is awarded to the American poet Louise Glück “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal”. The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded by The Swedish Academy, Stockholm, Sweden.

About Louise Gluck: The American poet Louise Glück was born in 1943 in New York and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Apart from her writing, she is a professor of English at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. She made her debut in 1968 with Firstborn and was soon acclaimed as one of the most prominent poets in American contemporary literature. She has received several prestigious awards, among them the Pulitzer Prize (1993) and the National Book Award (2014).

 

2. Noted Odia Poet Nityananda Nayak to receive Sarala Puraskar: Noted Odia poet, Nityanand Nayak will be conferred the prestigious Sarala Puraskar for his poetry work ‘Setebelaku Nathiba’, published in 2017. The poet will be felicitated with a cash award of `5 lakh and a citation. Two other eminent personalities from the State – Ranjit Kumar Nag and Shyamsundar Pattanaik – will be felicitated for their contribution to fields of music and art respectively. While Nag will be awarded the Ila Panda Sangeet Samman, Pattanaik would be felicitated with Ila Panda Chitrakala Samman. The awards comprise a cash award of `1,50,000 and a citation.

About Sarala Puraskar: Sarala Puraskar is recognised as the foremost literary award of Odisha. The annual Sarala Puraskar, instituted by eminent Odia industrialist Bansidhar Panda and Ila Panda in 1979, has been continuously awarded by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT).  The list of awardees was announced by Sarala Puraskar Committee.

 

DEFENSE

 

1. Indian Coast Guard launches L&T built Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Vigraha’: The Indian Coast Guard launched the Offshore Patrol vessel ‘Vigraha’ at a private shipyard in Kattupalli, north of Chennai on 6th October 2020. ICGS ‘Vigraha’ is the seventh and last in the series of seven vessels that was designed and built exclusively for the Coast Guard by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Shipbuilding as a part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Vigraha is likely to be inducted into the Indian Coast Guard in March 2021, after completion of extensive trials and testing of the on-board equipment and machinery and once inducted, the vessel would serve the East Region, from Visakhapatnam. The other ships of this vessel are ICGS ”Vikram”, ICGS ”Vijaya”, ICGS ”Veera”, ICGS ”Varaha”, ICGS ”Varad”, ICGS ”Vajra”

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former CBI Director Ashwani Kumar passes away: Former CBI Director Ashwani Kumar (70 years) passed away at his residence in Shimla. He served as the Governor of Manipur and Nagaland (2013-2014). The reason for his death is suicide as per the local police and his body is being send for post-mortem. He joined Indian Police Force in 1973. He was also inducted in the newly created SPG. He was appointed the DGP of Himachal in 2006 and 2008, he became the first police officer from the state to become the director of CBI.

 

2. TNPL Spinner Prasanth Rajesh Passes Away: Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) spinner Prasanth Rajesh (MP Rajesh) has passed away due to a heart attack. He was 35. MP Rajesh was a leg-spinner. He made his debut in TNPL in 2018. Delhi Capitals spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, expressed disbelief on the death of his close friend with whom he had shared the stage during his time at TNPL.