Daily GK Updates – 24th Nov, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi laid the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects in UP: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Vindhyachal region in Uttar Pradesh via video conference. The total estimated cost of the projects is around Rs 5,555.38 Crore.

About the project: The projects will provide household tap water connections in all rural households of 2,995 villages and will benefit about 42 lakh population of these districts. Village Water and Sanitation Committees/ Paani Samiti have been constituted in all these villages, who will shoulder the responsibility of operation and maintenance. The projects are planned to be completed in 24 months.

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

 

2. India’s first ‘Moss Garden’ comes up in Nainital district: The Uttarakhand forest department has dedicated the newly-built Moss Garden to the people, claiming that it is the country’s first such garden, spread over 10 hectares in Kumaon’s Nainital district. The moss garden, which took nearly a year to build, was inaugurated by Water Man of India Rajendra Singh. The state forest department had approved research projects to study moss species, considered the most significant indicator of ecosystem fluctuations as they are more sensitive towards habitat and climate changes.

About “Moss Garden”: The Moss Garden built near Khurpatal under the CAMPA scheme was developed under a project approved in July 2019, with the aim to conserve various species of moss and other bryophytes and to make the people aware of ecological and other useful roles of moss in our environment. The country’s first moss garden spread over 10 hectares, with an interpretation centre, 30 representative moss species and other bryophyte species, including two species listed in IUCN Red List (Hyophila involuta and Brachythecium buchananii) and a moss trail nearly 1.25 km long. Of the 2,300 moss species found in India, 339 are found in Uttarakhand according to experts. Mosses are non-vascular plants that belong to Bryophyta division. They are small flowerless plants that typically grow in damp and shady locations. They play a very important role in maintaining and developing the ecosystem and biodiversity including soil formation, water retention, checking erosion and acting as a nutrient sink.

Note: Uttarakhand Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat; Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.

 

3. National Pharmacy Week: 16th - 22nd November: The 59th National Pharmacy Week (NPW) was celebrated throughout the country from November 16-22, 2020. The theme of the NPW 2020 is “Pharmacists: Frontline Health Professionals”. The Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) organises NPW during the third week of November every year. The main aim to this week is to make all stakeholders aware of the presence of pharmacists in the society and to know the role played by registered pharmacists with respect to medicines, their usage, handling and dispensing.

Note: Indian Pharmaceutical Association President: T.V. Narayana; The Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) founded in 1939.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India becomes 4th nation to get IMO nod for navigation satellite system: The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has been recognised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as a part of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean Region. India has become the fourth country in the world to have its independent regional navigation satellite system recognised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The other three countries that have its navigation systems recognised by the IMO are the US, Russia and China.

About IRNSS: The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) was designed to provide accurate position information services to assist in the navigation of ships in Indian Ocean waters. The Director-General of Shipping (DGS) had approached the IMO for granting recognition to the IRNSS as a component of the WWRNS, similar to the US-owned Global Position System (GPS) or Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) – a process that took two years. The IRNSS was a modern and more accurate navigation system and at any given time, there are at least 2,500 merchant vessels in Indian waters that will now be able to use the system. The IRNSS will be used to assist in the navigation of ships in ocean waters within the area of approximately 1,500 km from the Indian boundary.

 

2. 15th G20 Summit held under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia: The 15th G20 Summit was held under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia chaired the Summit through video-conferencing, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two-day Summit was held under the theme “Realising the Opportunities of the 21st Century for All”.

About the Summit: The focus of the G20 Summit was on an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 and the leaders discussed pandemic preparedness and the ways and means to restore jobs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, participated in the Summit along with the respective Heads of State/ Government of 19 member countries, EU, other invited countries and international organizations. Italy will take over the Presidency of the 16th G20 on 1st December 2020.

 

3. Peru’s congress elects Francisco Sagasti as new interim president: Peruvian lawmaker Francisco Sagasti is set to be sworn in as interim President after being voted for by Congress in a bid to help calm anger on the streets amid deadly protests and the departure of two presidents over the last week. Mr. Sagasti, a legislator from the centrist Purple Party, will be sworn in to fulfil a government mandate until July next year, which would include holding a new presidential election scheduled for April 11.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. LIC launches 1st digital app ‘ANANDA’: Life Insurance Corporation of India has launched a digital application for agents for onboarding to get a life insurance policy. The Digital Application is called “ANANDA”, which is an acronym for Atma Nirbhar Agents NewBusiness Digital Application. The Digital application is a tool for the onboarding process to get the life insurance policy through a paperless module with the help of the agent or intermediary.

Note: Life Insurance Corporation of India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Life Insurance Corporation of India Chairperson: M R Kumar; Life Insurance Corporation of India Founded: 1 September 1956.

 

2. 14,34,000 loans sanctioned under PM SVANidhi scheme: The Centre has said that over 27 lakh 33 thousand applications have been received under Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atma-Nirbhar Nidhi- PM- SVANidhi Scheme. Out of the total applications received, over 14 lakh and 34 thousand have been sanctioned and about 7.88 lakh loans disbursed. The provision of applying for the loan under the scheme has now become hassle-free as one can easily upload the application online on their own by going to a bank or at any common service centre.             Under the scheme, banks have also been reaching the doorsteps of the people for providing them loans to help them start their ventures.

 

3. Yes Bank launches co-branded prepaid card with Neokred for cashless payments: Yes Bank said it has launched a co-branded prepaid card named ‘Yes Bank Neokred Card’, in partnership with Neokred Technologies to facilitate cashless payments. The card offerings can be personalised to suit the requirements of corporates seeking salary cards or expense cards for their employees. The prepaid card will be offered to Neokred’s corporate partners across various sectors, including healthcare, financial institutions, NBFCs, oil companies, educational institutions, FMCG and infrastructure.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Barclays revises India’s FY21 GDP growth estimate to -6.4% from -6%: Barclays has modestly revised its FY21 GDP forecast downwards to -6.4 per cent from -6 per cent earlier, to reflect the marginally weaker incoming data than it had earlier anticipated. However, Barclays has raised its FY22 growth forecast to 8.5 per cent from 7 per cent to reflect a faster recovery in services amid continued policy support. On a calendar year basis, Barclays has now estimated a 7.1 per cent contraction in GDP in 2020 (previously: -6.5 per cent), followed by a stronger bounce in 2021 to 8.9 per cent growth, from 7.1 per cent previously.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Department of Fisheries presents first Fisheries Awards: Department of Fisheries presents Fisheries Sector Awards for the first time on the occasion of the ‘World Fisheries Day’, to recognise their accomplishments in the field and their contribution into the growth of the sector. The Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying awarded best performing States, Organisations and Districts for 2019-20.

Top States: Marine states: Odisha

Inland states: Uttar Pradesh.

Hilly and NE states: Assam.

Top Organisations: Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd. (for Marine).

Telangana State Fishermen Cooperative societies Federation Ltd (for Inland).

Assam Apex Cooperative Fish Marketing and Processing Federation Ltd. (for Hilly region).

Top Districts: Best Marine District: Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh.

Best Inland District: Kalahandi, Odisha.

Best Hilly and NE Distric: Nagaon, Assam.

Note: Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying: Giriraj Singh.

 

2. Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ conferred with Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award: Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ was conferred with the 2020Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award on 21 November 2020 at a virtual ceremony for his excellent contribution to the literary works of India. Vatayan International Awards are given by the Vatayan-UK organization in London to honour poets, writers and artists for their exemplary work in their respective fields. Past recipients of the award includes Prasoon Joshi, Javed Akhtar for their literary contribution.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Navy gets 9th P-8I anti-submarine warfare aircraft: Indian Navy has got its ninth Boeing P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, part of the nearly $1 billion deal with the US for four additional planes signed in 2016. India, which had first signed a contract for eight such aircraft in 2009, is also negotiating a deal for six more P-8Is with the US under the government-to-government route. While the ninth aircraft was scheduled to be handed over to the Indian Navy in July this year, the Covid pandemic delayed plans. The remaining three are scheduled to be handed over to India in 2021. Incidentally, the aircraft, the latest of which landed at INS Hansa in Goa.

The aircraft is also being used by India in Ladakh for surveillance besides the Indian Ocean Region. It was deployed during the 2017 Doklam standoff as well. The Indian fleet of P-8I aircraft, a variant of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft that Boeing developed as a replacement for the US Navy’s ageing P-3 fleet, has surpassed 25,000 flight hours since it was inducted in 2013. India had become the first international customer for the P-8 aircraft with the conclusion of the nearly $2.1 billion contracts on 1 January 2009 for a total of eight aircraft. India is also the second-biggest operator of the aircraft in the world.

About The P-8I: The P-8I is equipped for long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of the broad area, maritime and littoral operations. Incidentally, its communication and sensor suite includes indigenous equipment developed by defence PSUs and private manufacturers.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Sahitya Academy award winner Shaik Khaja Hussain passes away: Noted Telugu poet, journalist, scriptwriter, and Kendra Sahitya Academy award winner Shaik Khaja Hussain, popularly known as Devi Priya, passed away. He was born in Tadikonda in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. He bagged the Sahitya Akademi Award 2017, for his book Gaali Rangu. His “Running Commentary” on contemporary politics in Udayam Telugu daily was very popular and thought-provoking. Apart from penning poetry, he has also written several lyrics for Telugu movies. His song Jambhal Bhari Bhai penned for Maa Bhoomi was very popular among all. He authored several books including Gareebi Geetaalu, Amma Chettu Chepa Chiluka, and others. During his journalism stint, Devipriya was instrumental in making noted Telugu poet Sri Sri to write his autobiography. 

Daily GK Updates – 23rd Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Vijayanagara becomes 31st District of Karnataka, carved out of Ballari district: The Karnataka Government has approved to carve out Vijayanagara as new district of the state. Vijayanagara will be the 31st district of the State. The new district would be carved out of Ballari and named after the Vijayanagara Empire that ruled from this region. Hospete, Kampli, Hagaribommanahalli, Kottur, Hadagali and Harapanahalli will form the new district of Vijayanagara with Hospete as the district headquarters. Ballari, Kurugodu, Siraguppa, Sandur and Kudligi taluks will continue to be part of Ballari district, with Ballari city as headquarters.

 

2. World Bank Signs $120 Million Project to Improve Connectivity in Meghalaya: The World Bank has inked USD 120 million project with the Government of India and the Government of Meghalaya on 19 November 2020, which will help to improve and modernize the transport sector of Meghalaya. The loan has been sanctioned for the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MITP). This will improve about 300 km of strategic road segments and stand-alone bridges by using innovative, climate resilient, and nature-based solutions and eventually help Meghalaya to harness its vast growth potential for high-value agriculture and tourism.

 

3. L&T delivers India’s first launch hardware for human space programme: Larsen & Toubro has delivered the first hardware, a booster segment, for the Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle to the Indian Space Research Organisation ahead of schedule, in a virtual flag-off ceremony presided by Isro chairman K Sivan. The segment was produced at L&T’s Powai Aerospace Manufacturing Facility and meets the enhanced quality and timeline requirements for India’s maiden manned mission. The critical booster segment, with a diameter of 3.2 metres, length of 8.5 metres and weighing 5.5 tonnes.

 

4. Arunachal records best sex ratio, Manipur the worst: Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in India with 1,085 females born per thousand males, followed by Kerala at 963 and Karnataka at 957.The report was released by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner. A 2018 report on the ‘vital statistics on India based on the Civil Registration System‘ has revealed this.  Besides Arunachal Pradesh, two other Northeastern states topped the list. Nagaland (965) took the second spot and Mizoram (964), the third. Manipur, which recorded the lowest sex ratio, was followed by Lakshadweep at 839 and Daman & Diu at 877, Punjab at 896 and Gujarat at 896.

 

5. Mumbai becomes the 1st Indian city with designated infrastructure for women in its urban plan: Mumbai has become the first city in India to design a plan for development of designated spaces for women’s needs. The city has designed an urban plan with gender-focus on reserving physical and social infrastructure for women. The plan provides about 90 land reservations to address women’s needs including education, health, housing and safety. It has been designed under the Revised Draft Development Plan 2034. Among the planned developments, construction of a child-care centre in Goregaon and a skills development facility in Sion-Koliwada is almost complete.Project designs which have been finalised and await bids include two homes for the elderly in Bhandup and Goregaon, and rental housing for women in Antop Hill, Bhandup and Goregaon.

 

6. Punjab Govt. launches Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojna: In  a bid to empower persons with disabilities, the Punjab Cabinet approved a new scheme Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojna (PDSY), to be implemented in a phased manner across the state. The first phase of the scheme will involve strengthening the existing programmes to ensure that their benefits reach the persons with disabilities in a more effective manner, while in the second phase 13 new interventions are proposed to be undertaken for the empowerment of such persons. For overall guidance and policy support for the scheme, a consultative group headed by the Minister of Social Security and Women and Child Development is proposed to be constituted with all Cabinet Ministers concerned as members.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. WHO rolls out global strategy to eradicate cervical cancer by 2050: The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the global strategy to fast track the eradication of cervical cancer. WHO aims to reduce more than 40% of new cases and 5 million related deaths by 2050, with a combination of vaccination, screening and treatment. For the first time, 194 countries, including India, committed to eliminate cancer, following the adoption of a resolution at the World Health Assembly 2020 in Geneva. The countries should vaccinate 90% of girls aged 15 years with the HPV vaccine by 2030, while 70% of women up to the age of 35 years should be screened using a high-performance test and 90% of women of up to 45 years diagnosed with cervical cancer must receive treatment.

 

2. India Ranks 77 in TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix 2020: India is placed at 77th position in the TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix 2020. India has achieved the score of 45 in a global list that measures business bribery risks of 2020. India’s rank stood 78th position in 2019. North Korea, Turkmenistan, South Sudan, Venezuela and Eritrea had the highest commercial bribery risk. Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand showed the lowest bribery risk. India fared better than its neighbours- Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bangladesh. Bhutan, meanwhile, secured 48th rank with a score of 37, the data showed.  The TRACE Matrix list is released by TRACE International, an anti-bribery standard setting organisation, which measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.

 

3. London tops list of World’s Best Cities 2021, Delhi ranked 62: Vancouver-based Resonance Consultancy Ltd., which deals in real estate, released its “World’s Best Cities for 2021” list, naming London as the best city.  London was followed by USA’s New York. Only one Indian city Delhi made it to the list, taking the 62nd position. Paris (France), Moscow (Russia), Tokyo (Japan), Dubai (UAE), Singapore, Barcelona (Spain), Los Angeles (USA), and Madrid (Spain) took the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth rank respectively.The other cities that were named are Rome (Italy) and Toronto (Canada).

 

4. World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: 18th to 24th November: Every year, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week observed from November 18 to 24. The aim of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to stop the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. The slogan for 2020 will be “Antimicrobials: handle with care” applicable to all sectors. The theme for the human health sector for WAAW 2020 is “United to preserve antimicrobials”.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. HDFC Bank launches ‘Mooh Band Rakho’ campaign to create awareness on Cyber Frauds: HDFC Bank Ltd.announced the launch of “Mooh Band Rakho,” a campaign to increase awareness on cyber frauds and preventing them. The Bank will be conducting 1,000 workshops in the next 4 months across the country. Following simple steps such as not sharing card details, CVV, Expiry Date, OTP NetBanking/ MobileBanking Login ID & Password over Phone, SMS, email and social media can help general public keep their money safe.  It supports the International Fraud Awareness Week 2020, the global movement to minimise the impact of fraud which is being held from November 15 – 21.

 

2. RBI names 2 startups as a part of its regulatory sandbox programme: Reserve Bank of India has announced the names of two startups that have been selected as a part of its regulatory sandbox programme. RBI said, it has shortlisted six companies out of 32 entities that had applied for the ‘Test Phase’ of the first cohort. The two companies are Jaipur based Natural Support Consultancy Services Private Limited and New Delhi based Nucleus Software Exports Limited.  While the former has named its product ‘eRupaya’, which will facilitate offline Person-to-Merchant transactions and offline digital payments in remote locations. The second company’s product ‘PaySe’, proposes to help in digitisation of payments in rural areas, starting with Self Help Groups, through an offline payment solution and a digitised SHG-centered ecosystem.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Flipkart Acquires AR Startup Scapic to Enhance Immersive Shopping Experience: Flipkart Group has announced acquisition of Augmented Reality (AR) startup called Scapic for an undisclosed sum. The move is part of the company’s efforts to provide “deeper camera experiences, virtual storefronts and new opportunities for brand advertising” on its platform. It has also been investing in online technology to engage first-time users on its platform.

 

2. Retail inflation jumps to 7.61% in October, highest in six years: India’s retail inflation rose to the highest in more than six years on account of elevated food prices. According to Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, inflation stood at 7.61% in October — the highest since May 2014. Retail inflation recorded at 7.27% in September, according to data. The Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) jumped to 11.07% in October, up from 10.68% in September. In October, inflation in meat and fish rose to 18.7% while vegetable prices increased to 22.51%. Clothing and footwear inflation stood at 3.17% in October.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Delhi Airport becomes first airport in Asia-Pacific region to get Level 4+ carbon accreditation: Delhi Airport has become the first airport in Asia Pacific Region to achieve Level 4+ accredited airport under Airport Council International’s (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation program. This means Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in the national capital has been adjudged as the best airport in carbon emission reduction management in the Asia Pacific region. Back in 2016, Delhi Airport became the first Carbon Neutral Airport in the Asia Pacific region 2016. The GMR-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has said that it aims to become Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. 2nd Trilateral Maritime Exercise SITMEX-20 held in Andaman Sea: The 2nd edition of India, Singapore and Thailand Trilateral Maritime Exercise SITMEX-20 was conducted from in the Andaman Sea. The 2020 edition of the exercise is being hosted by Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). Indian Navy (IN) Ships including indigenously built ASW corvette Kamorta and missile corvette Karmuk participated in the exercise.

About SITMEX: The SITMEX series of exercises are conducted to enhance mutual inter-operability between IN, RSN and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and also strengthen mutual confidence and develop common understanding and procedures towards enhancing the overall maritime security in the region. The first edition of SITMEX was hosted by Indian Navy in 2019 off Port Blair.

Note: Prime Minister of Thailand: Prayut Chan-o-cha; Thailand Capital: Bangkok; Thailand Currency: Thai baht.

Singapore Currency: Singapore dollar; Singapore Capital: Singapore; Prime Minister of Singapore: Lee Hsien Loong.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Ex-Navy Officer, Vice Admiral John Thomas Goslin Pereira passes away: Vice Admiral John Thomas Goslin Pereira (retd), Indian Navy’s former Chief of Materials, died after a brief illness. He was 97. Pereira was among the last surviving naval officers who served during the Second World War, Vice Adm I C Rao (retd), who served with him on board warship INS Delhi in 1958. ‘JTG” as he was known in Navy circles, was the Chief Staff Officer (Tech) of the Western Naval Command during the 1971 war. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for distinguished service during the war.

Daily GK Updates – 22nd Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. North Police Station in Kohima receives ISO certification: The North Police Station in Kohima was awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management System. It is the first government agency of the state that has received such recognition. The ISO certificate helps to ensure that the police personnel routinely evaluates its working and implement remedial measures, as and when required. The entire process of certification was completed within 30 days and was initiated by the Kohima Police. The process involves an online application, documentation, upgrading the existing facilities, online auditing and other elements. Kohima police informed that their sole motive was to improve the quality of public service and to create a more visitor-friendly environment. To meet the specified parameters, the police station streamlined the process of character/passport verification and the system of filing and record keeping. It further upgraded the infrastructure of the police station and disposal of various complaints have been made time-bound.

About Police Station: The North Police Station, Kohima, was established in 1993, as the first police station under the Naga Hills district by the British regime. The police station is situated in the heart of the state capital and is headed by an inspector rank officer-in-charge and 88 other ranks.

About ISO certification: ISO 9001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for a Quality Management System (QMS). It is the most popular standard in the ISO 9000 series and the only standard in the series to which organisations can certify.

 

2. Mastercard & USAID Partners to launch “Project Kirana”: Mastercard and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have collaborated under Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) to launch ‘Project Kirana’ in India, to help women entrepreneurs grow and thrive. Project Kirana is a two-year programme, and initially, it will be rolled out in select cities of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi. The programme will be implemented by DAI Digital Frontiers and ACCESS Development Services.

Objective: Build financial and digital literacy skills; improve basic business management skills including inventory management, accounting, budget management and customer loyalty; addressing cultural and other barriers to women becoming successful kirana entrepreneurs; It will work to increase revenue streams, expand financial inclusion and digital payments adoption of kirana shops that are owned or operated by women.

Note: Mastercard Headquarters: New York, United States; Mastercard President: Michael Miebach; Mastercard Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Ajay Banga(Michael Miebach will take over as CEO by January 2021).

 

3. Rajnath Sing &, Prakash Javadekar Launches Two Books on President Kovind’s Select Speeches: Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has unveiled two books titled ‘The Republican Ethic Volume III’ and ‘Loktantra Ke Swar’. These books are collection of selected speeches of President Ram Nath Kovind during the third year of his presidency. Additionally, Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar has unveiled the e-book versions of the two books. These books are the comprehensive picture of his work, personality and values and comprises speeches on the country’s efforts to fight COVID19, bravely defending its borders, his concern towards issues such as girls education, empowerment of women, and welfare of the weaker sections  among other important aspects.

 

4. Puducherry launches free breakfast scheme for students named after M Karunanidhi: The Puducherry government has rolled out a free breakfast scheme for school students named after the late DMK President M Karunanidhi, for government and government aided school students at Jeevanandham Government Higher Secondary School. The scheme was an apt tribute to Karunanidhi who championed the cause of downtrodden and poor people and was keenly interested in the development and welfare of people of Puducherry while taking efforts to ensure the rights of states

 

5. Actor Sonu Sood appointed as state icon of Punjab by Election Commission of India: Acyor Sonu Sood has been appointed as state icon of Punjab by the Election Commission of India (ECI).  The decision of honouring Sonu Sood with the title comes after he earned laurels for his humanitarian work during the lockdown. Sonu has been helping migrant workers reach their hometowns amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also helped people by giving them face masks, food, mobile phones and more.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi & Bhutanese PM Jointly launch RuPay Card Phase-II: Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering virtually launched RuPay card Phase-II, to allow Bhutanese cardholders to access RuPay network in India. In August 2019, PM Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart jointly launched Phase-I of the project. The implementation of Phase-I of RuPay cards in Bhutan has enabled the visitors from India to access ATMs and Point of Sale (PoS) terminals across Bhutan. Phase-II will now allow Bhutanese cardholders to access RuPay network in India.

Note: Bhutan Capital: Thimphu; Bhutan Currency: Bhutanese ngultrum.

 

2. First India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit: The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and the Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Mr. Xavier Bettel, held the first-ever India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit on 19 November 2020. Both countries have friendly relation of over more than seven decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1948. During the Summit, both parties agreed for enhanced cooperation in areas of trade, finance, steel, space, ICT, innovation, manufacturing, automotive, sustainable development, including through renewable energy, and the fight against climate change. Three MoUs were signed as a part of the Summit.

 

3. Women’s Entrepreneurship Day: 19th November: Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, marked annually on November 19, aims to highlight businesses helmed and run by women across the world. The day highlights the works of women entrepreneurs and inspires them for the better. The inaugural event was held in New York City at the United Nations, with additional events being held simultaneously in several other countries. 144 nations overall recognized the first WED in 2014, which included the presentation of the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Awards.

 

4. International Men’s Day: 19th November: 19 marks International Men’s Day all around the world. The objective of this day is to focus on men’s and boys’ health, improving gender relations, and promoting gender equality. This year, International Men’s Day theme is “Better health for men and boys” intending to make practical improvements to the health and wellbeing of the male population.

 

5. Africa Industrialization Day: 20th November: Africa Industrialization Day is celebrated on November 20 each year. Africa Industrialization Day Theme for 2020: “Inclusive and sustainable industrialisation in the AfCFTA era”. Africa Industrialization Day was established in 1990 and is the day when a large number of African governments and organisations gather to examine various different ways to stimulate the industrialisation process in Africa. This special day attracts a large amount of attention from around the world and special seminars, meetings and other types of events are held throughout Africa.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. GoI & NDB sign MoU for USD 500 Million for Public Transport System in NCR: The Government of India and the New Development Bank (NDB) have signed a loan agreement for lending USD 500 million for the ‘Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Project’. This Regional Rapid Transit System provide fast, reliable, safe and comfortable public transport system in the National Capital Region (NCR).

About the Transit System Project: The fast transit system will support in achieving the goal of sustainable urban development in the NCR region including the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The environment friendly and very low emission RRTS will carry many times more people at high speed (average speed 100 kmph) while occupying just 3 m space on land thus reducing congestion on the roads. Seamless high-speed connectivity will result in balanced economic development across the Region leading to economic benefits to all strata of society and many nodes of development rather than all economic activity happening at one place.

About the funding: NDB funding will be provided to finance rolling stock for modern design, energy-efficient operations and interoperability across corridors. NDB funds will also be utilized for procuring signalling, telecommunication and train control system with advanced features such as automatic train operation, automatic train protection, automatic train supervision and integration with platform screen doors. The Project can serve as a demonstration for developing high capacity rapid urban transit corridors in other urban areas of India.” The total project cost is estimated at USD 3,749 million, which will be financed by the NDB (USD 500 million), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (USD 500 million), Asian Development Bank (USD 1,049 million), Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (USD 3 million), and Government and Other sources (USD 1,707 million). The USD 500 million loans from the NDB has a tenor of 25 years withan8-year grace period.

Note: New Development Bank Headquarters location: Shanghai, China; President of the New Development Bank: Marcos Troyjo.

 

2. HDFC Mutual Fund appoints Navneet Munot as MD and CEO: Navneet Munot has been appointed as managing director and chief executive officer of HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd. Munot, who was earlier chief investment officer (CIO) at SBI Mutual Fund, will be succeeding Milind Barve, who has been MD and CEO of HDFC AMC since inception in 2000.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Oxford Economics revises downwards its India growth forecast: Forecasting firm Oxford Economics predicts that India’s post-COVID-19 scars could be among the worst in the world. It expects India’s growth equilibrium to worsen substantially over the medium term, with potential growth averaging just 4.5% over 2020-2025, from its pre-pandemic projection of 6.5%. The fiscal deficit is also expected to widen 7% of GDP in 2020-21.

 

2. GDP to contract 8.6% in Q2: RBI: The GDP is likely to contract by 8.6 per cent for the July-September period, which means India will enter into a recession for the first time in history in the first half of this fiscal with two successive quarters of negative growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as per an RBI official. The RBI has estimated that the economy will contract by 9.5 per cent for the full fiscal year. Researchers have used the ‘nowcasting’ method to arrive at the estimates ahead of the official release of data and their views in an article in RBI’s monthly bulletin. ‘India has entered a technical recession in the first half of 2020-21 for the first time in its history with Q2 2020-21 likely to record the second successive quarter of GDP contraction,’ as per the article titled ‘Economic Activity Index’, authored by Pankaj Kumar of the Monetary Policy Department.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Scottish Author Douglas Stuart wins 2020 Booker Prize: Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction. He has been awarded for his debut novel, “Shuggie Bain”. The 44-year-old Stuart is only the second Scot to have won the prestigious literary prize.

About Booker Prize for Fiction: The Booker Prize for Fiction, (formerly known as the Booker–McConnell Prize (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019)), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel written in the English language and published in the United Kingdom. It carries £50,000 prize ($66,000).

 

DEFENCE

 

1. 30th India-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT): The 30th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) was held between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy. The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk, an indigenously built Missile Corvette and Thailand Ship (HTMS) Kraburi, a Chao Phraya Class Frigate along with Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both the navies participated in the CORPAT. The two navies have been carrying out CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line twice a year since 2005 to enhance bilateral ties and maritime cooperation.

Note: Prime Minister of Thailand: Prayut Chan-o-cha; Thailand Capital: Bangkok; Thailand Currency: Thai baht.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Himachal Pradesh Speaker Tulsi Ram passes away: Former Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram, 76, passed away at a Kangra hospital in Kangra, after a brief illness. Ram, was first elected to the state assembly in 1990 and was re-elected in 1998 and 2007. Ram, who represented tribal Bharmour constituency thrice, was elected Speaker on January 11, 2008. The party denied him the ticket in the 2012 assembly elections and replaced him with Jia Lal. He left the BJP in 2015.

Daily GK Updates – 21st Nov, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Madhya Pradesh govt announces ‘Gau Cabinet’ for protection of cows: The Madhya Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has decided to set up a ‘Gau Cabinet’ for the protection, conservation and promotion of cows in the state. The Cabinet will comprise of the departments of animal husbandry, forests, panchayat and rural development, revenue, home and farmers welfare. The first meeting of the Cabinet will be held at 12 pm on ‘Gopashtami’ on November 22 at the Cow Sanctuary in Agar-Malwa district named ‘Kamdhenu Gau Abhyaranya ‘. It is India’s first cow sanctuary which was set up by the Bharatiya Janata Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

 

2. India’s Param Siddhi ranked 63rd in most powerful supercomputers: According to the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Indian supercomputer, Param Siddhi has achieved 63rd rank in the list of 500 most powerful supercomputers in the world. Param Siddhi is the high-performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer established under National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) at C-DAC. The Top 500 project which ranks the top 500 non-distributed computer systems in the world is published twice a year. The first of these updates always coincides with the International Supercomputing Conference in June, and the second is presented at the ACM/IEEE Supercomputing Conference in November.

About Param Siddhi AI system: The AI system will strengthen application development of packages in areas such as advanced materials, computational chemistry & astrophysics, and several packages being developed under the mission on the platform for drug design and preventive health care system, flood forecasting package for flood-prone metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Patna and Guwahati. The supercomputer will also help in acceleration of research and development in the fight against COVID19 through faster simulations, medical imaging, genome sequencing and forecasting and is a boon for Indian masses and for start-ups and MSMEs in particular. The supercomputer with Rpeak of 5.267 Petaflops and 4.6 PetaflopsRmax (Sustained) was conceived by C-DAC and developed jointly with the support of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under NSM.

 

3. Dr Harsh Vardhan addresses 33rd Stop TB Partnership Board meet virtually: The Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan addressed the 33rd Stop TB Partnership Board meet in New Delhi  through Video Conference on 18 November 2020. During the meet, the minister has stressed on the need to create a mass movement for elimination of TB with strategized advocacy, thought leadership, disruptive social entrepreneurship, powerful, societal and political commitment. It must be noted that, India is running the “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega” campaign that targets to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target related to TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.

 

4. Union Minister Narendra Singh inaugurates capacity building component of the PM-FME Scheme: Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Shri Narendra Singh Tomar virtually inaugurated the capacity building component of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme (PM-FME Scheme) on 18 November 2020. He also launched the GIS One District One Product (ODOP) digital map of India. Under the capacity building component of the PM-FME scheme, training would be given to the master trainers  through online mode, classroom lecture and demonstration, and self-paced online learning material. The master trainers will then train the district-level trainers, who will eventually train the beneficiaries. PM-FME Scheme has been launched with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore for a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25

 

5. National Newborn Week: 15th to 21st November: In India, the National Newborn Week 2020 is observed every year from 15 to 21 November. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan has chaired an event to mark the National Newborn Week 2020. The main purpose of the week is to reinforce the importance of newborn health as a key priority area of the health sector and reduce the infant mortality rate by improving healthcare conditions for babies in the neonatal period. The theme of National Newborn Week 2020 is ‘Quality, Equity, Dignity for every newborn at every health facility and everywhere’. In 2014, India became the first country to launch the India Newborn Action Plan (INAP), in alignment with the Global Every Newborn Action Plan towards eliminating preventable deaths of new-borns and stillbirths.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Japan & Australia signs defence deal to counter China: Japan and Australia have signed a ‘landmark’ defence pact in a bid to counter China’s growing influence in the South China Sea and over the Pacific island nations. The deal called Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) was signed between Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison. RAA will allow Japanese and Australian troops to visit each other’s countries and conduct training and joint operations. The treaty will strengthen its security ties and facilitate cooperation between defence forces.

Note: Japan Capital: Tokyo; Japan Currency: Japanese yen; Japan Prime minister: Yoshihide Suga.

Prime Minister of Australia: Scott Morrison; The currency of Australia: Australian dollar; Capital of Australia: Canberra.

 

2. World Children’s Day: 20th November: The Universal/World Children’s Day is celebrated on 20 November annually to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare. The day also marks the anniversary of adoption of Declaration and Convention of the Rights of the Child. In 1959, UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. In 1989 UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 2020 marks the 31st anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

 

3. World Fisheries Day: 21st November: World Fisheries Day is celebrated on 21 November every year throughout the world by the fisherfolk communities. It highlights the importance of healthy oceans ecosystems and to ensure sustainable stocks of fisheries in the world. 2020 is the fourth World Fisheries Day. The World Fisheries Day helps in highlighting the critical importance to human lives, of water and the lives it sustains, both in and out of water. Water forms a continuum, whether contained in rivers, lakes, and ocean. Fishing communities worldwide celebrate this day through rallies, workshops, public meetings, cultural programs, dramas, exhibition, music show, and demonstrations to highlight the importance of maintaining the world’s fisheries.

 

4. World Television Day: 21st November: World Television Day is observed on 21 November every year. The day is observed to acknowledge the role of broadcast media. On this day, the journalists, writers, bloggers, and others who are associated with the medium promote the role of television in communication and globalization. The 21 November was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1996, because the first World Television Forum was held in 1996.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup 2021 cancelled: The 2021 U-17 Women’s World Cup, which was scheduled to be held in India, has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It has also been decided that India will host the 2022 edition of the World Cup. The tournament was supposed to be held in November 2020 initially, only for the pandemic to force a postponement. FIFA then revised the schedule and the tournament was to be held in February and March in 2021 in India. The 2020 U20 Women’s World Cup has also been cancelled along with the U17 edition. While Costa Rica will get the chance to host the 2022 U20 Women’s World Cup. Five venues had been selected as host cities for the tournament – the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, EKA Arena in Ahmedabad and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Note: Headquarters of FIFA: Zürich, Switzerland; President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Karnataka Bank launches CASA campaign: Karnataka Bank launched CASA (current account, savings account) mobilisation campaign which will run from November 17 to March 4, 2021. The bank stated that it intends to mobilise over 4.10 lakh current and savings accounts with an accretion of 650 crores of business. With this campaign, the bank intends to introduce its attractive and superior line of digitally powered savings and current account products to its customers.

The objective of the Campaign: To enable the basic banking services to the unbanked(not use banks or banking institutions) sections of the society. To popularize bank’s digitally powered CASA products to the next level of customers on the basis of their requirements.

Note: Karnataka Bank Limited Headquarters: Mangaluru(Mangalore), Karnataka; Karnataka Bank Limited MD & CEO: Mahabaleshwara M.S; Karnataka Bank LimitedIncorporated: February 18th, 1924; Karnataka Bank Limited Tagline: ‘Your Family Bank Across India’.

 

2. DIPAM inks agreement with World Bank: Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has signed an agreement with the World Bank, to provide advisory services to DIPAM for asset monetization. DIPAM is mandated with facilitating monetization of non-core assets of government CPSEs under strategic disinvestment or closure and enemy property of the value of 100 crore and above. DIPAM has a framework for monetizing non-core assets.

Under the agreement: The World Bank advisory project, approved by the Finance Minister, is aimed at analyzing public asset monetization in India and benchmarking its institutional and business models against international best practices as well as supporting the development of operational guidelines and capacity building for their implementation.

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

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. CCI approves Google picking up 7.73% stake in Jio Platforms: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has said that it has approved Google picking up 7.73% stake in Mueskh Ambani-led Jio Platforms for ₹33,737 crore, facilitating the internet major and Jio Platforms Ltd (JPL) to develop and launch Android smartphones in India. Internet giant Google will be making the investment into the digital arm of Reliance Industries through its wholly-owned subsidiary Google International LLC (GIL). Google became the 14th investor to invest in Jio Platforms after Facebook, Silver Lake Partners, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG, L Catterton, PIF, Intel Capital and Qualcomm Ventures.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. HelpAge India and Queen Mother of Bhutan receive 2020 UN Population Award: Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, Queen Mother of Bhutan, was announced as the individual laureate for the 2020 United Nations Population Award. HelpAge India was announced as the award’s institutional laureate. Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck is a longstanding champion of sexual and reproductive health and rights and the need to end violence against women, girls and children in Bhutan. HelpAge India working in 20 States across India, the organization also provides employment opportunities to older people, advocates for their rights in the community and helps local organizations to support them. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, the United Nations Population Award recognizes contributions in the fields of population and reproductive health.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Goa Governor Mridula Sinha passes away: Former Governor of Goa and veteran BJP leader, Mridula Sinha passed away. She was the first woman Governor of Goa. She was also a proficient writer, making extensive contributions to the world of literature as well as culture. She has served as the head of the BJP’s women’s wing and Chairperson of Central Social Welfare Board in the Ministry of Human Resource Development. A native of Muzaffarpur, Sinha will be remembered for starting cultural events called ‘Chaand ke Saath’ in the lawns of Governor House. She had also opened a cattle shed inside the Raj Bhawan.

 

2. Former England, Tottenham and Liverpool goalkeeper, Ray Clemence, passes away: The former England international football goalkeeper, Raymond Neal Clemence, has passed away due to prostate cancer. He was 72. Ray was one of only 29 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances. He made his debut for Scunthorpe United and later joined Tottenham, Liverpool and England. After his retirement as a player, Clemence held coaching positions with England and Spurs.