Daily GK Updates – 4th Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Harsh Vardhan launches SERB-POWER schemes to support women scientists: The Union Minister of Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan has launched the ‘SERB – POWER’ schemes which aim to encourage and support emerging as well as eminent women researchers to undertake R&D activities in frontier areas of science and engineering. SERB-POWER stands for Science and Engineering Research Board – Promoting Opportunities For Women in Exploratory Research. This scheme is formulated to mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering research funding in various S&T programs in Indian academic institutions and R&D Laboratories, to ensure equal access and weighted opportunities for Indian women scientists engaged in research and development activities. The schemes have been launched to provide two categories of research support which are:

1. SERB – POWER Research Grants: This scheme will encourage emerging and eminent women researchers for the individual-centric and competitive mode of research funding. Under this, the funding will be under the following two categories:

Level I: The scale of funding up to 60 Lakhs for three years.

Level II: The scale of funding up to 30 Lakhs for three years.

2. SERB – POWER Fellowship: The Power Fellowship scheme will identify and reward outstanding women researchers and innovators working in Indian academic institutions and R&D laboratories, holding Ph.D.degree in any branch of science and engineering.

Fellowship of Rs. 15,000/- per month in addition to regular income.

Research grant of Rs.10 Lakh per annum.

Note: SERB is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, GOI, established by an Act of the Parliament of India in 2009 (SERB ACT,2008).

 

2. India’s first ‘tyre park’ to come up in West Bengal: In West Bengal, Kolkata will soon feature India’s first “Tyre Park”, where artworks made from scrap and defective parts will be on display. The West Bengal Transport Corporation will launch this Tyre Park. The Tyre Park, which will come up at the Esplanade area, would have a small cafe where people can sit, relax and enjoy the craftsmanship made from tyres. No scrap material can be labelled as waste, it can be reused and converted into an art form. Scrap tyres, lying as waste in various bus depots, have been reworked and converted to colourful shapes by the in-house team of WBTC.

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

 

3. UNESCO allots India’s Panna Tiger Reserve ‘Biosphere Reserve’ status: In Madhya Pradesh, the Panna Tiger Reserve has been included in the ‘World Network of Biosphere Reserves’ list of the UNESCO. This is the 12th biosphere reserve from India to be included in the ‘World Network of Biosphere Reserves’, and third from Madhya Pradesh, after Pachmarhi and Amarkantak. Currently, Panna Tiger Reserve is home to 54 tigers. The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) covers internationally designated protected areas (known as biosphere reserves) that demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature (like encourage sustainable development).

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

 

4. Centre Extends Term of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat as officiating Chairperson of NCLAT till December 31, 2020: The Central Government has once again extended the term of Justice (retd) Bansi Lal Bhat as the acting Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Justice Bhat’s term has been extended till December 31, 2020 or until a regular Chairperson is appointed or until further orders, whichever is the earliest. This is the third extension given to Justice Bhat. Justice Bansi Lal Bhat was appointed as Acting Chairperson in March 2020, after the first Chairperson of NCLAT, Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya, demitted office upon completion of his term. Initially, Justice Bhat’s  was appointed for a period of three months, from March 2020 till June 2020. His term was, however, extended further till September 2020 and then for one month till October 2020.

 

5. Rajiv Jalota becomes new chairman of Mumbai Port Trust: Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, Rajiv Jalota has been appointed as the chairman of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT). The appointment committee of the Union cabinet issued the order for the central deputation. The post of MbPT chairman was vacant after former chairman Sanjay Bhatia retired on July 31 and was appointed as Lokayukta of Maharashtra. Jalota, who is the first Goods and Services Tax (GST) commissioner of Maharashtra, is currently the additional chief secretary in the higher and technical education department of the state government. He first served as sales tax commissioner and then as GST commissioner from January 2015 to January 2020.

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

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India-Pak border to light up with 8000MW renewable park: India’s border areas with Pakistan in Rajasthan would soon be illuminated with renewable energy. The state government will soon ink an MoU with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to establish Ultra Mega Renewal Energy Power Park. The park to be set up near borders areas will be of 8,000 megawatts (MW) capacity, which will comprise 4,310 MW of wind energy; 3,760 MW of solar energy and 120 MW of power from biomass. Currently, Rajasthan’s solar generation capacity is 4,883 MW.

The Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RRECL) would be signing a separate MoU with the NTPC and the SECI to materialise the GoI Mega Power Park project. Rajasthan has over 1000 kilometre-long international border which is currently supplied power through traditional methods. The Rajasthan government had also approved a proposal for setting up solar power parks to generate 10,000 MW green energy with an investment of Rs 50,000 crore. The state has given nod to the proposal of Adani Green Energy Limited to set up solar power parks at five locations and a solar panel manufacturing unit which will generate around 7,500 direct and indirect jobs.

 

2. Portugal’s Duarte Pacheco elected as President of IPU for 2020-23: Portugal MP,  Duarte Pacheco has won the elections for the post the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The term of the Duarte Pacheco will be from 2020-2023. He will be the 30th President of the IPU and will succeed Mexican MP Gabriela Cuevas Barron who completed the tenure in October 2020. Candidates from four countries were in the race for elections. The other three participants were Pakistan’s Muhammad Sanjrani, Uzbekistan’s Akmal Saidov and Canada’s Pakistani origin Salma Ataullahjan.

Note: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is based in Geneva, Switzerland; Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): founded in 1889; It consists of representatives from the National Parliaments of 179 countries.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Indian boxers Amit Panghal wins gold at the Alexis Vastine International: Indian boxers Amit Panghal, Sanjeet and Ashish Kumar have won gold medals at the recently concluded Alexis Valentine International Boxing Tournament held in Nantes, France. The tournament was the first international event that Indian boxers were a part of since the lockdown.

Amit Panghal: Amit Panghal, the silver medalist at the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships in the 52 kg-weight categories, overcame the challenge from American boxer Rene Abraham.

Sanjeet: Sanjeet was up against France’s Soheb Bouafia in the 91 kg final bout and produced a clinical performance to win the top honours.

Ashish Kumar: In the 75 kg weight category, Indian boxer Ashish Kumar won the gold medal after his opponent from the USA, Joseph Gerome Hiks, gave him a walkover due to injury.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI imposes monetary penalty on DCB Bank for rule violations: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalty on DCB Bank and Jio Payments Bank for various rule violations. The central bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 22 lakh on DCB Bank for non-compliance with certain provisions on marketing/distribution of mutual fund/insurance etc. The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

In the case of Jio Payments Bank, the RBI imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore for non-compliance with RBI directions on timely submission of application in the case of reappointment of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer under Section 35B of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (the Act).

Note: Governor of RBI: Shaktikanta Das; Deputy Governors of RBI: BP Kanungo, MK Jain, MD Patra and Rajeshwar Rao; Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

2. Government extends Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme till November 30, 2020: Central Government has extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) by one month till November 30th, 2020, or till such time that an amount of Rs. 3 lakh crore is sanctioned under the Scheme. The ECLGS was announced as part of the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Package of Central Government to provide fully guaranteed and collateral-free additional credit to MSMEs, business enterprises, individual loans for business purposes and MUDRA borrowers. The limit of credit be upto 20% of their credit outstanding as on 29.2.2020. Till now Rs. 2.03 lakh crore has been sanctioned under the Scheme.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Axis Bank to buy 19.002% stake in Max Life against 17% earlier: Axis Bank has announced that it will acquire 19.002% stake in Max Life as against 17.002% stake decided earlier. The decision has been taken after, the RBI rejected Axis Banks proposal to buy 17.002% stake in Max Life. Now under the revised scheme, Axis Bank along with its subsidiaries Axis Capital and Axis Securities will acquire a total of 19.002% stake in Max Life. The further bifurcation of this 19.002% is as follows. Axis Bank will acquire up to 9.002% of the equity share capital of Max Life. While, Axis Capital and Axis Securities together will acquire up to 3%of the share capital of Max Life.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India-US-Japan-Australia kick-starts Malabar Naval Exercise-2020: The Navies of India, the US, Japan and Australia began the four-day-long phase first of the Malabar naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal. From the Indian side, destroyer Ranvijay, frigate Shivalik, off-shore patrol vessel Sukanya, fleet support ship Shakti and submarine Sindhuraj will be part of the drill. US Navy Ship USS John S McCain (Guided-missile destroyer), Australian Navy Ship HMAS Ballarat (long-range frigate) and Japan Maritime Self Defence Ship (JMSDF) Ship JS Onami (destroyer) are participating along with Indian Navy units.

In the first phase of the exercise, navies would witness complex and advanced naval drills like anti-submarine and anti-air warfare operations, cross deck flying, seamanship evolutions and weapon firings. The Phase-I of the exercise will be held from November 3 to 6, while the Phase-II is scheduled to be held from November 17 to 20 in the Arabian sea. This is the first time that the member nations of the Quad or Quadrilateral Coalition is participating in the exercise together after 2007 (Quad member nations are India, the US, Japan and Australia).

Note: The Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a bilateral drill between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean. Japan became a permanent member of the exercise in 2015.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. James Bond actor Sean Connery passes away: The Scottish actor, best known for his portrayal of James Bond, Sean Connery passed away. Scottish movie legend Connery, who shot to international stardom as the suave and sophisticated British agent James Bond and went on to grace the silver screen for four decades. Connery will be remembered first as British agent 007. He was admired by generations of film fans as the original and best 007 and went on to create a distinguished body of work in films such as The Man Who Would Be King, The Name of the Rose and The Untouchables.

 

2. Meghalaya icon Spelity Lyngdoh Langrin passes away: Face of the decades-long anti-uranium mining movement of Meghalaya, Spelity Lyngdoh Langrin (95 years) passed away. She was the icon for turning down a multi-crore offer from the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), a Public Sector enterprise in Meghalaya. India’s largest and richest uranium deposits in Domiasiat and Wahkyn areas of Meghalaya. Domiasiat uranium deposit was discovered in 1984 and has 9.22 million tonnes of high-grade uranium ore deposits. 

Daily GK Updates – 3rd Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Cabinet approves Rs 10,211 crore project to improve dams in India: The cabinet committee on economic affairs has approved Rs 10,211 crore under dam rehabilitation and improvement project (DRIP) phase II and phase III. The objective of the project is to improve the safety and performance of select dams and associated structures across India in a sustainable manner and strengthen the dam safety institutional setup in participating states as well as at central level. The DRIP project is financially supported by the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).  DRIP will be implemented over a period of 10 years in two phases. Each phase will be of six years with two years overlapping from April 2021 to March 2031. The first phase of this project started in 2012. Out of the total cost of the project, the share of external funding is Rs 7,000 crore, while the balance Rs 3,211 crore will be borne by the concerned implementing agencies. Besides, the Government will contribute Rs 1,024 crore as loan liability and Rs 285 crore as “counterpart funding for central component.”

 

2. PM Modi launches India’s first seaplane service in Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the country’s first seaplane service between the Statue of Unity near Kevadiya in Gujarat’s Narmada district and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. He travelled in the maiden flight of the twin-engine plane from pond-3 close to Sardar Sarovar Dam and landed at Sabarmati riverfront where a water aerodrome has been set up.

About the seaplane service: The 19-seater seaplane will be managed by private airline SpiceJet. The service will cover the 200km distance between Sabarmati and Kevadia, in just 45 minutes by flight, which usually takes 4 hours. The flight will be able to accommodate 12 passengers and tickets will cost Rs 4,800 per person.` There will be four flights a day between Ahmedabad and Kevadia on each side, which means four arrivals and four departures.

 

3. IIT Kanpur, ASI sign MoU with Italian institutes for restoration of monuments: The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) and the Archaeological Survey of India have signed an agreement with two institutions from Italy, seeking restoration and protection of historical monuments.

About MoU: The MoU was signed among IIT-K, Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti E Paesaggio, Venice, on creating a network and sharing skills for restoration and protection of historical monuments. All institutes have agreed to develop collaborative scientific study activities and sharing skills to restore and protect monuments on a reciprocal and equal basis. All institutes shall seek to promote collaboration and activities in areas such as collaboration in scientific studies and skill sharing, the exchange of knowledge, experience, academic materials and publications, conducting workshops, undertaking joint field studies and technology development.

Note: Archaeological Survey of India Director-General: V. Vidyavathi; Archaeological Survey of India Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

4. Indian Railways launches ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative for security of women in trains: The Indian Railways has introduced a new initiative called “Meri Saheli” to provide safety and security to women passengers during their train journeys. The Meri Saheli initiative has been launched by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Indian Railways.

Key Features of Meri Saheli Initiative: A team of lady officer and staff have been formed under the new initiative, which will visit all passenger coaches of the train including ladies coaches, to identify women passengers. The team will note down their journey details like coach number and seat number, especially if a lady is travelling alone on the train. Passengers will be briefed about RPF Security Helpline Number 182, GRP Security Helpline Number 1512 as well as other precautions like, not to take food with strangers, buying food from only authorized IRCTC stalls, taking care of luggage, etc. Initially, the “Meri Saheli” initiative has been introduced in two trains namely Bandra Terminus-Amritsar Special and Mumbai Central-Jaipur Superfast Express.

Note: Union Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal.

 

5. World’s first scientoon book “Bye Bye Corona” by Anandiben Patel: World’s 1st scientoon book entitled “Bye Bye Corona”, was released by Anandiben Patel, Governor, Uttar Pradesh. The book was written by ‘scientoonist’ Dr Pradeep Srivastava, former Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow. It is further planned to make a 3D version of the book. The book has been published by Vigyan Prasar.

About “Bye Bye Corona” book: The 220 pages book contains comprehensive information on novel coronavirus pandemic, its symptoms and its prevention through precautions. ‘Bye Bye Corona’ also has a very interesting chapter on the ‘Art of Living with Coronavirus’ highlighting the methods to deal with the virus in day to day life if it is here to stay for a longer time. The book offers a perspective insight into the intricacies of the deadly pandemic without scaring the reader. The basic purpose of this book is to make people aware of COVID-19 in an engaging way.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Super Typhoon Goni hits the Philippines: Super Typhoon Goni, claimed as the world’s strongest typhoon of 2020 has hit the south of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon. Goni is one of the strongest storms to hit the Philippines since 2013’s Haiyan, which killed more than 6,300 people.

Note: Philippines President: Rodrigo Duterte Trending; Philippines Capital: Manila; Philippines Currency: Philippine peso.

 

2. World Vegan Day: 1st November: World Vegan Day is observed globally on 1st November every year. This day is celebrated to spread benefits of veganism for humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment.  Vegan Day is an opportunity to promote the benefits of a vegan diet and veganism in general. The term vegan was coined by Donald Watson and derived from the word Vegetarian. At that time, the differentiation was that Vegans did not consume dairy products. Later this extended to eggs, and by 1951, veganism had become a movement of people who did not partake in the exploitation of animals. Each year there are a number of festivals and exhibitions held around the world by vegan societies. In addition, there are many local events, talks and cooking demonstrations organised by individuals. Vegan Day is an opportunity to promote the benefits of a vegan diet and veganism in general. The day was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organisation and the coining of the terms “vegan” and “veganism”. The President of the Vegan Society decided to elect the date of the 1st of November. This is now recognised as the date on which the Vegan Society was founded and on which Vegan Day would be observed.

 

3. International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists: 2nd November: The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is an UN-recognized day observed annually on 2 November. The day draws attention to the low global conviction rate for violent crimes against journalists and media workers, estimated at only one in every ten cases. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2 November as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’ in General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163. The Resolution urged the Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity. The date was chosen in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on 2 November 2013.

Note: UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France; UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Jio named title sponsor for BCCI’s Women T20 Challenge 2020: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced Jio as the Title Sponsor of the 2020 edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge. The partnership will also have the support of Reliance Foundation Education and Sports For All (RF ESA). This is a historic partnership, as for the first time a sponsor has signed with BCCI exclusively for the women’s matches. The Jio Women’s T20 Challenge to be played from 4th November to 9th November will be held in Sharjah. Three teams are Velocity, Supernovas and Trailblazers will play each other once to decide the finalists on November 9, a day before the IPL final.

Note: President of BCCI: Sourav Ganguly; Headquarters of BCCI: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Founded: December 1928.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. IndusInd Bank becomes first bank to go live on RBI’s ‘Account Aggregator Framework’: IndusInd Bank has become the first bank in India to go live on the new ‘Account Aggregator Framework’ of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). IndusInd Bank has announced that it has gone live as a ‘Financial Information Provider’ (FIP) under the new ‘Account Aggregator Framework’ of RBI. The Account Aggregator framework of RBI will enable customers to avail benefits like viewing statements of their accounts, track deposits, plan investments and avail credit cards on a single window.

Note: IndusInd Bank CEO-MD: Sumant Kathpalia

 

2. Govt provides support of Rs 670 crore to Regional Rural Banks to meet regulatory capital: The Central Government has provided support of Rs 670 crore to Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) operating in the country to help them meet the regulatory capital requirement of 9%. At present 43 Regional Rural Banks are operating in the country. Around one-third of them are in loss and considering their importance in agriculture finance during these difficult times it was important to provide this support.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. e-Invoice system under GST launched for businesses with turnover more than Rs. 500 Crores: Ministry of Electronics & IT along with NIC had launched the e-invoice system for GST on 1st October 2020 for the businesses with aggregate turnover of more than Rs. 500 Crores in the financial year.  The system has completed one month and will be a milestone in India’s journey in enhancing the ease of doing business.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Malayalam writer Paul Zacharia selected for Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2020: Noted Malayalam writer, Paul Zacharia has been selected for this year’s Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the Kerala government’s highest literary honour. Zacharia was chosen for his contribution to Malayalam literature during the past five decades. A five-member jury, headed by Kerala Sahitya Akademi President Vyshakhan, selected him for the award. ‘Salam America’, ‘Oridath, ‘Aarkkariyam’, ‘Bhaskara patelarum ente jeevithavum’ are among his various literary works. Zacharia also won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979 and the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 2004.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India Successfully test fires BrahMos Missile from Sukhoi 30 MKI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired an air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. The aircraft took off from an airbase in Punjab & reached the Bay of Bengal after mid-air refuelling.

About BrahMos supersonic cruise missile: The missile successfully hit a sinking ship in the Bay of Bengal, with deadly accuracy. This test was the longest range BrahMos strike that was undertaken by the Sukhoi 30 MKI platform. This missile was developed by DRDO, the air-launched version of nuclear-capable BrahMos has a strike range of 400 km with the capability to hit targets at sea or land in all weather conditions.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz passes away: Veteran Politician and former prime minister of Turkey, Mesut Yilmaz has passed away. He was the Chief of the now-defunctional centre-right Motherland Party or ANAP from 1991 to 2002. He served as prime minister of Turkey three times in the 1990s. His first two prime-ministerial terms lasted for just one month, in 1991 and then in 1996, while the third term was from June 1997 to January 1999.

Note: Turkey Capital: Ankara; Currency: Turkish lira

Daily GK Updates – 2nd Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Yashvardhan K. Sinha appointed as new Chief Information Commissioner: Government of India has approved the name of Former Foreign Service officer, Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha as the new Chief Information Commissioner. He was already the Information Commissioner and was also the most senior. The post of CIC chairman had been vacant for several months after Bimal Zulka retired.

Other appointments: A Marathi journalist, Uday Mahurkar has been selected for the post of Information Commissioner. Uday Mahurkar worked as a deputy editor in India Today Group and is considered close to the Sangh Parivar. Uday Mahurkar has also written a book on Prime Minister Modi titled “Merging with a Billion” and “Center Stage: Inside Narendra Modi”.

Note: Central Information Commission Founded: 12 October 2005; Central Information Commission Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

2. Microsoft & NSDC tie-up to empower 1 lakh women with digital skills: Microsoft has collaborated with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to impart digital skills to more than one lakh underserved women in India over the next ten months. This initiative is an extension of Microsoft’s partnership with NSDC to provide digital skills to over 1 lakh youth in the country. The programme will curate a series of live training sessions and digital skilling drives to help create opportunities for young girls and women, particularly first-time job seekers and those whose jobs may have been impacted by Covid-19, to join the future workforce.

Under this partnership, eSkill India – NSDC’s digital skilling initiative – will support in building the outreach of this engagement through its skilling ecosystem, which includes sector skill councils, training partners, and training centres. Microsoft and NSDC will award a joint e-certificate to participants postcourse completion. Furthermore, 20,000 young women from regions with the least female labour force participation will be selected by NSDC and skilled through dedicated skills for the employability training program for employment in IT/IT-enabled job roles.

Note: Microsoft CEO: Satya Nadella; Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States.

NSDC CEO: Manish Kumar; NSDC Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

3. Arvind Kejriwal launches ‘Green Delhi’ app to redress pollution complaints: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the ‘Green Delhi’ mobile application using which citizens can bring pollution causing activities to the Government’s notice. The Chief Minister said the Government wants to involve everyone in the fight against pollution as no big change can take place without the support of people. He said citizens can click pictures or make a video of pollution causing activities, such as burning of garbage, industrial pollution, dust etc. and upload them on the application. The application will identify the location and the complaint will be automatically forwarded to the concerned department for time-bound redressal, he said. A ‘green war room’ has been set up at the Delhi Secretariat to monitor the status of complaints. A team of 70 ‘green’ marshals will assist in their redressal, he said.

 

4. IIT Kharagpur with TCS develops novel Industry 4.0 technology: IIT Kharagpur has developed novel Industry 4.0 technology for remotely controlled factory operations and real-time quality correction during industrial production, jointly with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to set a new trend in India’s advanced manufacturing sector.

At the time of pandemic when staffing has restrictions due to the hygiene and social distancing norms, cloud infrastructure, remote and real-time operations systems hold the key to maintain effective industrial operations.  But the benefits of controlled operations have a bigger impact especially in the context of Atma Nirbhar Bharat in delivering quality output at low costs. The present innovation upgraded the industrial process of friction stir welding to a multi-sensory system of Industry 4.0.  It has not only set the course for remotely controlled operations in the Indian industrial sector but has also enabled real-time quality check and correction during the production process.  This will make possible for industrial houses to achieve standardized quality goals throughout the production process and reduce rejection hence lowering the cost of production.

 

5. UP govt secures first rank in disbursing loans under PM Swanidhi Scheme: Uttar Pradesh government has secured the first rank in central government’s one of the most ambitious schemes – the PM Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme (SVANidhi Scheme) by approving the highest number of loans under the scheme in the country. State has ranked first in all the categories – Applications, Sanctions and Disbursements of the loans under the scheme.  As many as 6,22,167 applications were received under the scheme in the state which is highest in the country, out of which sanctions were given to 3,46,150 applicants while the loans were disbursed to 2,26,728 beneficiaries.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Sudan became 3rd Arab Nation to normalise relations with Israel: Israel and Sudan agreed to normalize relations in a deal brokered with the help of the United States, making Sudan the third Arab country to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past two months. U.S. President Donald Trump's aides have been pressing Sudan to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel, following similar U.S.-brokered moves in recent weeks by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. The new agreement between Sudan and Israel will establish economic and trade links, with an initial focus on agriculture

Trump has told the U.S. Congress he will rescind Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House said after Sudan transferred $335 million into an account for victims and their families. Last month, Sudanese officials discussed its removal from the U.S. terrorism list in the UAE in return for the recognition of Israel, reports stated.

Note: Sudan Capital: Khartoum; Prime Minister: Abdalla Hamdok; Currency: Sudanese pound

 

2. Air-connectivity between Bangladesh & India resumes: The air-connectivity between Bangladesh and India resumed with two flights leaving Dhaka under the air-bubble arrangement between the two countries. The service was inaugurated at the Hazrat Shahjalal airport in Dhaka by the High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami and the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal Mafidur Rahman.

Under the air-bubble arrangement three Bangladeshi airlines- Biman Bangladesh, US-Bangla Airlines and Novo Air will initially operate 28 flights a week to India. Five Indian carriers including Air India, Vistara, Indigo, Spicejet and GoAIr will also run 28 flights a week between the two countries. The flights between two countries have resumed after nearly eight months. The travel between India and Bangladesh was disrupted due to the outbreak of Corona pandemic.

Note: Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Bangladeshi taka; President: Abdul Hamid; Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina

 

3. China may not recognise British-issued Hong Kong passports: China’s foreign ministry said that it may decide not to recognise British-issued passports for Hong Kong residents in retaliation for London’s moves to open a path to citizenship for those holding the documents. Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Britain had violated its promises and played up the issue of the British National (Overseas) passports.

Hong Kong reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997 and the sides have increasingly feuded over civil rights in the territory. Britain accuses China of failing to live up to its pledges to maintain freedoms in the special administrative region, while Beijing says London is interfering in its internal affairs. Differences have sharpened since China in June imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in response to months of anti-government protests last year. London suspended its extradition treaty with the territory and has offered political asylum to persons targeted under the new legislation.

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Punjab National Bank Launches TMSAC portal and 2020 Vigilance Manual: As a part of the Vigilance Awareness Week (VAW), the nation’s leading public sector bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), launched the PNB Tracking & Monitoring Staff Accountability Cases (TMSAC) portal and PNB’s 2020 Vigilance Manual. The user-friendly TMSAC portal tracks and monitor the complaints/NPA reference at various stages on a real-time basis. The portal will help the Bank identify the internal fraud in advance, take instant action, and improve the internal processes. The Vigilance Manual helps to have a better understanding of the vigilance functions and the guidelines.

 

2. ICICI Lombard and FreePaycard partner to Offer Bite-sized, convenient health insurance solutions: ICICI Lombard in partnership with Freepaycard, an online pre-paid card trading platform, has launched Group Safeguard Insurance to receive an assured amount in case of any injury or hospitalization for treatment. The plan will be offered a customized hospitalization product that comes in three variants – Hospital Daily Cash Benefit, Death Benefit, and Special Vector-borne Disease-related Hospitalization Benefit. The Hospital Daily Cash Benefit will let customers avail sum insured up to Rs 60,000 for a maximum period of 30 days. This option can be availed at Rs 699 for a 1-year tenure.

The second cover, Death Benefit or the Personal Accident Cover for 1-year at Rs 699 for a sum insured of Rs 10 lakhs in case of accidental death of the insured or permanent total disablement, and Rs 90,000 for parental care in case of the insured’s accidental death or permanent total disablement.

The Special Vector-borne Disease-related Hospitalization cover comes at Rs 379 for a year for a sum insured of Rs 75,000, which is paid on hospitalization due to any of the covered vector-borne disease or malaria. These include dengue, chikungunya, kala-azar, Japanese encephalitis, and filariasis. However, a minimum of 48 hours of hospitalization is required for the insured to be eligible for the claim.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Indian organisation wins UN award for efforts to combat climate change amid Covid pandemic: An Indian organisation that leverages tourism and technology to help remote communities access solar energy has won a prestigious UN award for its efforts to combat climate change amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) is among the winners of the 2020 UN Global Climate Action Award. GHE is one of the world’s first organisations using tourism and technology to bring solar energy to remote communities. The UN Global Climate Action Awards are spearheaded by the Momentum for Change initiative at UN Climate Change. The projects are recognised as innovative solutions that not only address climate change but also help drive progress on many other sustainable development goals.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Army launches indigenous mobile application SAI: The Indian Army has launched a secured messaging application platform named ‘Secure Application for the Internet’ (SAI). This mobile application for Android will support end-to-end secure voice, text and video calling services. This application is similar to applications like Telegram and WhatsApp.

According to the Ministry of Defence: SAI has been vetted by CERT-in empanelled auditor and Army Cyber Group. It also informed that the process for filing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) hosting the infrastructure on NIC and working on iOS platform is currently in progress. Ministry of Defence also informed that SAI will be used by pan Army to ensure securing messaging. Upon reviewing the functionalities of the application, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised Col Sai Shankar for his skill and ingenuity for developing the application.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Trinamool Congress MLA from Jhargram Sukumar Hansda passes away: Trinamool Congress MLA from Jhargram, Sukumar Hansda, passed away at a Kolkata hospital. He was 65. The two-time Trinamool Congress MLA from Jhargram, Hansda was a minister in the first-term of the Mamata Banerjee government in which he held the portfolio of Paschimanchal Unnayan Minister. Hansda was also the Deputy Speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly. 

Daily GK Updates – 1st Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi inaugurates ‘Arogya Van’ in Gujarat’s Narmada district: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Arogya Van’ in the Narmada district of Gujarat, during his two-day visit to the state on 30 and 31 October 2020. PM also inaugurated Arogya Kutir, Ekta Mall, and Children Nutrition Park. During the two day visit, Modiji is scheduled to inaugurate about 17 different projects and lay the foundation stone for four projects at the Statue of Unity Complex near Kevadia.

Arogya Van: Arogya Van is set up on 17 acres of land in Kevadia for spreading awareness on Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation. It features around 380 species of plants and trees with rich medicinal values. The ‘Aarogya Van’ comprises a lotus pond, alba garden, aroma garden, yoga and meditation garden, indoor plant section, digital information centre, souvenir shop and a cafeteria serving ayurveda foods, among other things.

Arogya Kutir: Arogya Kutir has a traditional treatment facility named Santhigiri wellness centre which will provide healthcare based on Ayurveda, Siddha, Yoga and Panchakarma.

Ekta Mall: The Mall displays a diverse range of handicrafts and traditional items from all over India symbolizing unity in diversity and is spread over 35000 sq ft.

Children Nutrition Park & Mirror Maze: Spread over an area of 35000 sq ft, it is the world’s first ever technology driven nutrition park for children. A Nutri Train runs across the park to various exciting theme based stations namely ‘Phalshaka Griham’, ‘Payonagari’, ‘Annapoorna’, ‘Poshan Puran’, and ‘Swastha Bharatam’. The park will raise nutritional awareness through various edutainment activities like Mirror Maze, 5D Virtual reality theatre and Augmented reality games.

 

2. NITI Aayog Releases ‘Electricity Access in India and Benchmarking Distribution Utilities’ report: The ‘Electricity Access in India and Benchmarking Distribution Utilities’ report was launched. The report has jointly been prepared by the NITI Aayog, Ministry of Power, Rockefeller Foundation and Smart Power India. It basically highlights the benefits of government-led schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana.

Objective of the report: Evaluate the status of electricity access in India across these states and distribution utilities along all dimensions that constitute meaningful access. Benchmark utilities’ capacity to provide electricity access and identify the drivers of sustainable access. Develop recommendations for enhancing sustainable electricity access.  Key findings of the report:

(1) Around 92% of customers said that the overall availability of electricity infrastructure was within 50 metres of their premises.

(2) Overall, 87% of the surveyed customers have access to grid-based electricity, while remaining 13% either use non-grid sources or don’t use any electricity at all.

(3) The hours of supply have improved significantly to nearly 17 hours per day.

(4) Nearly 85% of customers reported to have a metered electricity connection.

(4) Access to electricity is observed in 83% of household customers.

(5) A satisfaction index was created to assess the overall satisfaction level of customers with utility services. The study suggested that a total of 66% of those surveyed were satisfied, of which 74% of customers are in urban areas and 60% in rural areas.

Key recommendations provided in the report for improving the power distribution sector:

(1) Government needs to invest in electricity distribution infrastructure with focus on improving reliability and quality of supply.

(2) Revamping the new electricity connection process with focus on non-household customers.

(3) Transfer of subsidies or other benefits directly into a customer’s account;

(4) Enhanced technology-driven customer service;

(5) Ensuring 100% metering of customers;

 

3. Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao launches ‘Dharani’ Portal for land & property registrations: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao launched the web portal ‘Dharani’ for land and property registrations. The Dharani is a one-stop portal for all land and property related transactions as well as documentation. The state government will now undertake all the property transactions, including registrations and mutations, through web portal. The portal will do away with any loopholes in the registration process as well as store all land and property-related information online. It will simplify the registration, succession and even partition of agriculture lands, to ensure that the entire process is completed within a few minutes and the e-pattadar passbook is provided to the land owners immediately.

 

4. Sarbananda Sonowal lays foundation stone for Assam Agar International Trade Centre: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of Assam Agar International Trade Centre, which is the first of its kind in the country at Dabidubi in Golaghat district. The state government decided to set up the trade centre to promote the business potential of the farmers as well as the entrepreneurs associated with agarwood plantation and trade in Assam. Reiterating the government’s commitment to double the farmer’s income  by 2022, Mr. Sonowal said establishment of Agar International Trade Centre is one of the initiatives, which the state government promised when it came to power in 2016.

 

5. Plastic Premier League tournament to be played in Indore: A unique Plastic Premier League (PPL) tournament is being played in Indore, Madhya Pradesh to free the city from single-use plastic. Indore is known for its innovative efforts regarding cleanliness. Indore has been awarded as the cleanest city in the country four times so far.

About the tournament: Four teams have been formed for the Plastic Premier League competition. The 19 zones of Indore Municipal Corporation are divided into these four teams. For the competition, the team captain Radio Jockey will encourage citizens to donate more and more plastic from their radio station. These teams have been provided by municipal workers and five vehicles to collect plastic. The team that collects the most single-use plastics in this 45-day competition will be awarded the PPL Trophy.

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

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. First-of-its-kind Flash Flood Warning System for South Asian Countries Launched: A first-of-its-kind system for South Asian countries that will provide alerts for flash floods 6-24 hours in advance was launched at the India Meteorological Department (IMD). India also shares cyclone warning alerts with neighbouring countries. The system will enable the member countries – India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan-issue impact-based forecasting of floods which are very sudden and of short duration at watershed and also city level. The system has been developed by the WMO Commission for Hydrology, jointly with the WMO Commission for Basic Systems and in collaboration with the US National Weather Service, the US Hydrologic Research Centre (HRC).

 

2. NASA’s SOFIA discovers water on Sunlit Surface of Moon: Two new studies published in Nature Astronomy suggest there could be much more water than previously thought, including ice stored in permanently shadowed “cold traps” at lunar polar regions. Using data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Airborne Telescope, researchers scanned the lunar surface at a more precise wavelength than had been used before — six microns instead of three. This allowed them to distinguish the spectral fingerprint of molecular water. Previous research has found indications of water by scanning the surface, but these were unable to distinguish between water (H2O) and hydroxyl, a molecule made up of one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom. But a new study provides further chemical proof that the Moon holds molecular water, even in sunlit areas.

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

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Honda achieves 800th FIM World Championship Grand Prix victory: Honda Moto3 rider Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing NSF250RW) claimed victory in the Moto3 class in round 12 of the 2020 FIM World Championship Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon in Spain. Beginning with its first world grand prix race in 1961, in the 125cc class of the Spanish Grand Prix, Honda has now achieved 800 grand prix.

 

2. Tanmay Srivastava announces retirement: Mumbai Batsman Tanmay Srivastava, who was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2008, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.  The 30-year-old left-hander, played 90 first-class matches and scored 4,918 runs, with 10 centuries and 27 fifties to his name. He represented Uttar Pradesh and later captained Uttarakhand in domestic cricket. In the IPL, he turned up for Kings XI Punjab and the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. BharatPe launches digital gold on its platform: A leading merchant payment network, BharatPe has announced the launch of digital gold on its platform. The launch of this new category of fintech product is in line with the company’s commitment to offering the entire gamut of financial products to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Through this latest offering: BharatPe’s merchants will be able to buy and sell 99.5 per cent pure 24-carat gold. Merchants can choose to buy in rupees or grams, any time of the day and from anywhere, by using the BharatPe app. To facilitate this, BharatPe has also partnered with Safegold, a digital platform that allows customers to buy, sell and receive vaulted gold. SafeGold has appointed IDBI Trusteeship Services to protect the interest of merchants with regard to their gold purchases.

Note: Chief Executive Officer of BharatPe: Ashneer Grover; BharatPe Founded: 2018.

 

2. CSB Bank partners with IIFL Finance for gold loan origination: Private-sector lender CSB Bank, formerly Catholic Syrian Bank, said that it has entered into a partnership with non-banking finance company, IIFL Finance (IIFL) for sourcing and managing retail gold loan assets. IIFL Finance, acting as business correspondent of CSB Bank, will source new business from markets where CSB Bank does not have adequate branch network. IIFL Finance, with its branch network, would help CSB Bank penetrate the lower strata of customers and rural areas, where the bank currently does not have adequate reach.

 

3. SVC Bank partners with NPCI to launch a digital rewards platform: SVC Bank (SVC Co-operative Bank Ltd.), one of the leading Co-operative Banks in the country, announced the launch of SVC Rewards Program. The Program is designed to make banking experience more rewarding for its customers in the form of Reward points earned upon use of SVC Bank Cards and digital solutions. To make the experience seamless, the Bank has tied up with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Acko partners with Finserv MARKETS to offer car and bike insurance: General insurance provider Acko has partnered with Finserv MARKETS, a fintech aggregator to offer two and four-wheeler insurance policies. Customers can now buy Acko insurance for their car or bike on the Finserv MARKETS platform by providing basic details. Acko offers value added services like three-day assured claim servicing and one-year repair warranty – in select cities.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Anzar Mustaeen Ali wins special prize in Global Art Competition: A six-year-old Bangladeshi boy, Anzar Mustaeen Ali won a special prize of USD 1000 for his artwork in the global art competition organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). The ICCR had launched a global painting competition named ‘United Against CORONA- Express through Art’ which attracted 8000 artwork entries from around the world. After the first round of competition 210 artworks were shortlisted.

The final jury evaluated and decided the winners from each category such as Indian and Foreign, Professional/Amateur/Children in four different sections: Contemporary Art; Folk and Tribal Art; Cartoons and Illustrations; Digital and New Age Art.

Note: ICCR President: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe; ICCR Headquarters: New Delhi; ICCR Director General: Shri Dinesh. K. Patnaik

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Award-winning author and editor Daniel Menaker passes away: Daniel Menaker, an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction and a longtime editor at The New Yorker and Random House who worked with Alice Munro, Salman Rushdie, Colum McCann and many others, passed away. Daniel Menaker was the author of several books, including the memoir My Mistake and the comic psychological novel The Treatment, adapted into a 2007 movie starring Chris Eigeman and Ian Holm. He was also known for the O Henry Award-winning title story of his collection The Old Left.