Daily GK Updates – 6th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. ADB and India sign $50 million loan agreement for West Bengal: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have inked $50 million policy-based loan agreement to improve financial management procedures and operational efficiencies in West Bengal. Titled as the ‘West Bengal Public Finance Management Investment Programme’, the project will help to achieve more fiscal savings, promote informed decision making, and improve service delivery in the state. A centre for fiscal policy and public finance will be established to deepen the capacity of the state government officials on public finance management while developing a web-based grievance redress system for transport corporations and urban local bodies will provide a credible citizen-government interface.

Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.

 

2. International Sand Art Festival & Konark Festival 2020 begins: The 9th edition of the International Sand Art Festival and the 31st edition of the Konark Festival has kicked-off in Odisha. International Sand Art Festival is being held at the Chandrabhaga Beach of Konark in Puri district of Odisha. About 70 artists from across the country are taking part in the festival. The world-renowned sand artist and Padmashree Awardee, Sudarsan Pattnaik, has been appointed as Chief Curator of the festival.

About the Konark Festival 2020: The festival is organised every year as part of the Konark Dance Festival, to provide a platform for both national and international sand artists to showcase their talent. However, in 2020 international artists are not participating due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the Konark Festival is organised by Odisha Tourism to showcase the best of India’s traditional and classical dance forms, and offer interesting insights into the rich cultural heritage of the country. Leading exponents and dance enthusiasts of almost all classical dance forms of India, including Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Kuchipudi and Kathak, are participating in the five-day classical dance carnival.

 

3. Centre constitutes Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA): The Environment Ministry has constituted a high-level inter-ministerial Apex committee for Implementation of Paris Agreement (AIPA) under the chairmanship of the secretary of the ministry. The purpose of AIPA is to generate a coordinated response on climate change matters that ensures India is on track towards meeting its obligations under the Paris Agreement including its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Senior officials from fourteen ministries will serve as members to AIPA who will oversee the progress in implementation of India’s NDC and receive periodic information updates to monitor, review and revisit climate goals to fulfil the requirements of the Paris Agreement.

 

4. Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhary becomes new Director General of BRO: Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhary has been appointed as the 27th Director General of Border Roads Organisation (BRO). His appointment is effective from 1st December 2020. Lt Gen Chaudhary succeeds Lt Gen Harpal Singh who has been appointed as the new Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army. The BRO is responsible for construction and maintenance of all border roads including those along the frontiers with China and Pakistan.

Note: BRO Headquarters: New Delhi; BRO Founder: Jawaharlal Nehru; BRO Founded: 7 May 1960.

 

5. Govt. announces Rs 900 crore package for COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission: The Centre has announced the third stimulus package of Rs 900 crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha- The Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission. This grant will be provided to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for Research and Development of Indian COVID-19 vaccines with end-to-end focus from preclinical development through clinical development and manufacturing and regulatory facilitation for deployment. It would consolidate all available and funded resources towards an accelerated product development. The Ministry of Science and Technology said that this will help accelerate development of approximately 5 to 6 vaccine candidates.

 

6. Goa Govt launches One-Time Power Bill Settlement Scheme 2020: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched a one-time settlement scheme for power consumers and said that his government accords priority to the interests of the needy and common man. It is the first of its kind scheme introduced in the state, wherein all the category of consumers – active consumers, temporarily disconnected/permanently disconnected – and are sent for revenue recovery cases consumers can avail benefits. There is also no limit on the outstanding dues pending for payments by the consumers to the Electricity Department for availing the scheme. The payment under OTSS 2020 can be made online at the Department’s website www.goaelectricity.gov.in through credit card, debit card, net banking, NEFT/RTGS. All the details to avail the scheme are available at the department’s website.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India & USA signs MoU on Intellectual Property Cooperation: The Government of India and the United States of America (USA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of Intellectual Property Cooperation. As a part of this MoU, the two sides will develop Biennial Work Plan to implement the MoU which will include the detailed planning for carrying out of the co-operation activities including the scope of action. The Union Cabinet had approved the signing the MoU for the same on 19 February 2020. The MoU was signed between Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary, DPIIT and Mr Andrei Iancu, who represented the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Department of Commerce of the United States of America respectively.

 

2. Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com choose same word of the year: ‘Pandemic’: Two major dictionary publishers Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com have chosen pandemic as the 2020 word of the year. Merriam-Webster said its decision was based on the “extremely high numbers” of people who had looked up pandemic in its online dictionary in 2020. The word showed a major year-over-year increase in internet traffic. Dictionary.com research editor John Kelly told the AP that searches for the word have remained high throughout the year. For about half of the year, the company said pandemic was in the top 10 percent of all search requests.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. England’s Dawid Malan achieves highest-ever rating points in T20I: Dawid Malan of England has attained the highest-ever rating points for batsmen in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. The 33-year-old Malan has reached 915 points, and thus became the first player to cross the 900-point mark in the format. Before him, Australia’s Aaron Finch reached exactly 900 points in July 2018. Babar Azam (871) of Pakistan and Aaron Finch (835) of Australia is second and third in the list. India’s KL Rahul is at fourth position, while Virat Kolhi’s rank has dropped to 9th in the list.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI Monetary Policy: Policy Rate unchanged: The six-member Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), headed by Governor Shaktikanta Das, has decided to maintain the status quo on policy rate amid sticky rate of inflation. The MPC committee members voted unanimously in favour of the decision.

The key decisions taken in the Monetary Policy Committee meeting are:

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

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

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

RBI Monetary Policy Highlights & Key Decisions:

(1) Governor Shaktikanta Das proposes to put in place criteria for NBFC dividend distribution, introduces risk-based audit in large NBFCs & co-op banks.

(2) RTGS will soon be made 24X7 in the next few days.

(3) CPI inflation is seen at 6.8% for Q3 and 5.8% for Q4.

(4) Real GDP growth for FY21 is projected at -7.5%. Q3 FY-21 GDP is seen at +0.1% while Q4 FY-21 GDP is seen at +0.7%.

(5) RBI proposes to enhance limits for contactless card payments from ₹2000 to ₹5000 from Jan 2021.

(6) On-tap Targeted Long Term Repo Operations (TLTRO) will be expanded to cover other stressed sectors in tandem with Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) scheme.

Note: About Monetary policy: Monetary Policy is the central bank’s policy which uses the monetary instruments like Repo rate, Reverse repo rate, Liquidity Adjustment Facility and many others, to achieve the goals stated in the Act. In India, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been given the responsibility of conducting monetary policy as mandated under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. The composition of the Monetary Policy Committee is as follows:

(a) Governor of the Reserve Bank of India – Chairperson, ex officio: Shri Shaktikanta Das.

(b) Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, in charge of Monetary Policy– Member, ex officio: Dr Michael Debabrata Patra.

(c)One officer of the Reserve Bank of India to be nominated by the Central Board – Member, ex officio: Dr Mridul K. Saggar.

(d) A professor at the Mumbai-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Developmental Research: Prof. Ashima Goyal.

(e) A professor of finance at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad: Prof. Jayanth R Varma.

(f) An agricultural economist and a senior adviser with the National Council of Applied Economic Research in New Delhi: Dr Shashanka Bhide.

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

 

2. Yes Bank launches tailor-made premium banking services to customers: Yes Bank has re-energised YES Premia, unveiling a premium banking program that offers personalized solutions focused on the particular needs of key consumer segments – from small business owners to salaried professionals and senior citizens. Yes Bank will celebrate the launch of this enhanced program during ‘Truly Yours’ Week, from December 1 – 7, 2020 throughout the bank’s network of branches across India, with several customercentric programs and partnered activations through dealer, OEM and bancassurance partners. YES Premia with its advanced technology and innovation capabilities as a basis to drive a significant role in the Retail Banking business, demonstrates the bank’s determination towards creating a truly differentiated bank.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. RIL Tops Fortune 500 List of Indian Companies, IOC at Second Spot: Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd topped the Fortune 500 list of Indian companies, Fortune India announced. The list was published by Fortune India, which is part of the Kolkata-based RP Sanjiv Goenka Group. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC), the nation’s biggest oil firm, bagged the second spot, followed by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at the third. The country’s largest lender State Bank of India was in the fourth position, while India’s second-biggest fuel retailer Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) took the fifth spot. Tata Motors was ranked sixth, followed by gold refiner Rajesh Exports at the seventh spot. India’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services took the eighth spot, while ICICI Bank was at ninth, and Larsen and Toubro at tenth.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing passes away: The former President of France, Valery Giscard d’Estaing has passed away at the age of 94, from the complications of coronavirus. He had served as the third president of the Republic of France from 1974 to 1981. He was born on 2nd February 1926 in Koblenz, French-occupied Germany (now Germany). Giscard founded the Union for French Democracy, a centre-right political party in 1978 to counter the Gaullist preponderance over the political right in France. He lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and he also liberalised the laws on divorce, abortion and contraception during his tenure as the President. 

Daily GK Updates – 5th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India invites UK’s Johnson as 2021 Republic Day chief guest: United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is expected to be the chief guest at 2021 Republic day with Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inviting him. Johnson, on his part, has invited PM Modi to the G-7 summit in the United Kingdom next year. The last British prime minister at the Republic Day parade was John Major in 1993.

 

2. Karnataka’s 1st 11.5 megawatt power plant being set up at Bidadi: In Karnataka, Chief Minister, BS Yediyurappa laid the foundation stone for a 11.5 megawatt power plant based on municipal waste in Bidadi, Bengaluru. It is first of its kind power plant in the state being set up by the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and will help in converting 600 tonnes of municipal waste into 11.5-megawatt energy. This power plant will add 80.59 million units of power to the existing power grid. The power plant project is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 260 crore and is likely to be operational by 2022.

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

 

3. Yogi Adityanath rings bell at BSE for listing bond of LMC: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath rang the bell at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), to mark the listing of bonds of Lucknow Municipal Corporation on the exchange. The bonds of LMC were launched on November 13, with a coupon rate of 8.5 per cent and had tenure of 10 years. The issuance had garnered 4.5 times subscription.

About Lucknow Municipal Corporation Bond: Lucknow is the 9th city in India and first from UP, to have raised municipal bonds for fundraising. It is also the first city to issue municipal bond after the launch of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. Lucknow Municipal Corporation is the first civic body from North India to issue a bond on BSE. The funds raised through the bond will be invested in various infrastructure schemes, being implemented under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Scheme, in Lucknow. Ghaziabad will be the next city of the state to issue a municipal bond and it will be followed by Pragyaraj, Varanasi, Agra and Kanpur.

 

4. IOCL launches India’s first 100 Octane Premium Petrol: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan launched India’s first indigenously developed ‘100 Octane premium petrol’ through video conferencing. Octane ratings are measures of fuel stability that increases engine efficiency. The high octane premium grade petrol will be marketed under the brand ‘XP-100’. It has been developed by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) at its Mathura refinery in Uttar Pradesh.

Availability of “XP-100”: XP-100 will be made available in a phased manner across the country and in the first phase, it will be made available in 10 cities. The cities are Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Agra, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad. With this launch, India has joined a select league of nations globally that have such superior quality fuel.  Till date, such quality of fuel is available only in six countries including USA, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia and Israel.

Note: Indian Oil Corporation Limited Chairperson: Shrikant Madhav Vaidya; Indian Oil Corporation Limited Headquarters: New Delhi; Indian Oil Corporation Limited Founded: 30 June 1959.

 

5. AR Rahman roped in as ‘BAFTA Breakthrough’ India ambassador: Oscar and Grammy-winning Indian composer, AR Rahman has been roped in as ambassador of the BAFTA Breakthrough initiative in India. In 2020, BAFTA will identify and support up to five exceptional talents working in film, games or television in India.

About BAFTA: The BAFTA Breakthrough initiative, is part of the Academy’s year-long programme to support new talent, coming up in the film, games and television industries in the UK, China, India and the US and gives them access to unique career development and mentoring opportunities. It is a unique opportunity for promising artists to be supported by a world-renowned organisation, including connections with other talented creatives across the world and being mentored by BAFTA-winners and nominees.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. New Zealand declares climate emergency: New Zealand has declared a “climate emergency” and promised to make its public sector carbon neutral by 2025. New Zealand now joins 32 other countries that have declared a climate emergency. They include Japan, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern told legislators that the climate emergency declaration was “an acknowledgement of the next generation – an acknowledgement of the burden that they will carry if we do not get this right and do not take action now”.

Note: Prime minister of New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern; Capital of New Zealand: Wellington; Currency of New Zealand: New Zealand dollar.

 

2. India ranked 8th in Global Terrorism Index 2020: In the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2020, India has been ranked at 8th spot globally in the list of countries most affected by terrorism in 2019. The GTI score of India is 7.353 out of 10. India recorded 277 Deaths, 439 Injuries & 558 Incidents due to Terrorism in 2019. Regionally, South Asia was the most impacted region by terrorism in 2019, recording more deaths than any other region. Also, globally the deaths caused due to terrorism fell by 15 per cent to 13,286 in 2019 over 2018.

Regarding India: Jammu and Kashmir was the most affected Region due to terrorism, it reported 165 attacks and 103 deaths. The three most active groups in Kashmir was Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen & Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Chhattisgarh was the second most affected region in India with 85 attacks and 53 deaths all from Maoist Extremists.

Countries Most Affected by Terrorism: With a score of 9.592, Afghanistan has topped the index as the worst terror impacted nation among the 163 countries. It is followed by Iraq (8.682) and Nigeria (8.314) at second and third place respectively.

Countries Least Affected by Terrorism: Qatar (0.014) took the 133rd Rank followed by Uzbekistan (0.010) in the 134th Rank and around 29 Countries (score of 0.000) took the 135th Rank which means they are Least Affected Countries or Face No Impact due to Terrorism.

About the Global Terrorism Index: The Global Terrorism Index is published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), headquartered in Sydney, Australia, to measure the impact of terrorism on the countries.

 

3. International Volunteer Day: 5th December: The International Volunteer Day (IVD), also called International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is observed on 5 December every year. IVD 2020 Theme: “Together We Can Through Volunteering”. The IVD international observance was mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. The purpose of the day to celebrate the efforts of volunteers and organizations and offer the opportunity to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts and recognize volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national and international levels.

 

4. World Soil Day: 5th December: The World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5 to raise awareness of the importance of soil quality for human well-being, food security and ecosystems. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) campaign “Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity” aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being. The date of 5 December was chosen because it corresponds with the official birthday of the late H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, who was one of the main proponents of this initiative.

An international day to celebrate Soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002. Under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership, FAO has supported the formal establishment of WSD as a global awareness-raising platform. The FAO Conference unanimously endorsed World Soil Day in June 2013 and requested its official adoption at the 68th UN General Assembly. In December 2013, the UN General Assembly responded by designating 5 December 2014 as the first official World Soil Day.

Note: Food and Agriculture Organisation Headquarters: Rome, Italy; Food and Agriculture Organisation Head: Qu Dongyu; Food and Agriculture Organisation Founded: 16 October 1945.

International Union of Soil Sciences President: Takashi Kosaki (Japan); International Union of Soil Sciences Founded: 1924; International Union of Soil Sciences Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. England’s Dawid Malan achieves highest-ever rating points in T20I history: England’s Dawid Malan has attained the highest-ever rating points for batsmen in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20I Player Rankings after a terrific run saw him top the series aggregate with a total of 173 runs and help England thrash South Africa 3-0. The 33-year-old left-hander has reached 915 points, the first to cross the 900-point mark after Australian Aaron Finch’s 900-point achievement in July 2018. Malan now enjoys a 44-point lead over Pakistan’s Babar Azam, whom he overtook to become number one in September this year. Malan’s player of the series performance included a match-winning 99 not out in the final match and helped England leapfrog Australia to take top position in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI orders HDFC Bank to halt its digital launches: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued an order to HDFC Bank with regard to certain incidents of outages in the internet banking, mobile banking and payment utilities of the lender over the past 2 years, the private sector bank informed to the stock exchanges. The RBI also noted the recent outages in the HDFC Bank’s internet banking and payment system on November 21, 2020, owing to a power failure in the primary data centre. The RBI vide Order has advised the Bank to temporarily stop:

(a) All launches of the Digital Business generating activities planned under its program ‐ Digital 2.0 (to be launched) and other proposed business generating IT applications.

(b) Sourcing of new credit card customers.

(c) In addition to this, the order also states that HDFC Bank’s board should examine the lapses and fix accountability.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: Sashidhar Jagdishan (Succeeds Aditya Puri); The tagline of HDFC Bank: We understand your world.

 

2. ICICI Lombard gets in-principle approval from IRDAI approval to acquire Bharti AXA General Insurance: Insurance Regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India(Irdai) gave in-principle approval to proposed arrangement between ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd. and Bharti AXA General Insurance Co. Ltd., according to an exchange filing. The IRDAI mentioned that following the demerge, ICICI will issue 1.82 crore equity shares to Bharti General Ventures Private Limited and 1.75 crore equity shares to Societe Beaujon. Currently Bharti Enterprises owns 51% in Bharti AXA General Insurance, while French insurer AXA has 49%. With the deal with ICICI Lombard in place, Bharti and AXA will be public shareholders in the combined entity.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Highest FDI inflows to India coming from Singapore and USA: The U.S. has emerged as the second biggest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India after Singapore, replacing Mauritius, during the first half of the current financial year, according to data of the Commerce and Industry Ministry. During April-September 2020, India attracted FDI worth $7.12 billion from the U.S. and $2 billion from Mauritius, which slipped to fourth position, the DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) data showed. Singapore with $8.30 billion foreign inflows continued to be the top source of FDI for India in April-September 2020-21. The country has received $2.1 billion inflows from Cayman Isands. The islands was followed by Netherlands ($1.5 billion), U.K. ($1.35 billion), France ($1.13 billion), Japan ($653 million) , Germany ($202 million), and Cyprus ($48 million).

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Pak PM Zafarullah Jamali passes away: Former Pakistan prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali passed away at a hospital in Rawalpindi at the age of 76. Jamali, the country’s first and only elected prime minister from Balochistan, had served during the military regime of Gen Pervez Musharraf. However, Gen Musharraf sought his resignation in 2004 and he was replaced by Shaukat Aziz. He won the 2013 general elections as an independent, but later joined the PML-N and used to sit on the treasury benches in the previous assembly.

Daily GK Updates – 4th Dec, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. West Bengal launches massive ‘Duare Sarkar’ outreach campaign: West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee has launched a massive campaign titled ‘Duare Sarkar’ (government at doorsteps) to aware people about the 11 state-run welfare schemes and help them avail its benefits. The two-month-long outreach programme has been launched keeping in view the 2021 state assembly elections which are due in April-May. The campaign will continue from December 1, 2020, to January 30, 2020, in four phases, with slogan ‘jar jekhane darkar, asche apnar duare sarkar’ (government will be at your doorsteps whenever you need it). The 11 schemes will be made available to the beneficiaries through camps set up for the purpose.

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

 

2. ADB sign $132.8 million loan agreement for Meghalaya’s Power supply: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a USD 132.8 million loan agreement for Meghalaya Power Distribution Sector Improvement Project. The project aims to strengthen and modernize the distribution network and improve the quality of power supplied to households, industries, and businesses in the northeastern state of Meghalaya.

About the Project: This project supports Meghalaya’s ‘24×7 Power for All’ initiative and will help the State reduce its high technical and commercial losses through network strengthening, metering and billing efficiency improvements. The project will construct 23 substations; renovate and modernise 45 substations, including the addition of control room equipment and protection systems; and install and upgrade 2,214 km of distribution lines and associated facilities covering three out of the six circles in the State. The installation of smart meters will benefit about 180,000 households.

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

 

3. IAS officer Varsha Joshi named Chairperson of NDDB: The Government of India has appointed IAS officer Varsha Joshi as the new Chairperson of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). She is presently served as Joint Secretary (CDD), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India. With incumbent Dilip Rath’s tenure as Chairman of NDDB ends on November 30, 2020, Joshi’s appointment is made effective from December 1, 2020, until further orders.

Note: National Dairy Development Board Founded: 16 July 1965; National Dairy Development Board Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat.

 

4. Andhra CM launches Jagananna Thodu scheme: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Jagananna Thodu scheme under which an amount of ₹905 crore was deposited into the bank accounts of 9.05 lakh small traders towards provision of interest-free loan. The aim of the scheme to benefitting several vegetable traders in the state. Vegetables, small tiffin shops, flowers, motorcycle vendors, teeth, groceries, loom work, cloth and handlooms, lacework, steel shops, pottery, kitchen and plastic goods, electronic goods, and several other items will be made available for beneficiaries of the scheme.

 

5. Cyclonic Storm “Burevi” over southwest Bay of Bengal: The Deep Depression formed over the southeast and adjoining the southwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into a Cyclonic Storm ‘Burevi’ over southwest Bay of Bengal. It is about 240 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 470 km east-southeast of Pamban (Tamil Nadu) and 650 km nearly east-northeast of Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu). The name of Cyclone ‘Burevi’, has been contributed by the Maldives. This is the second cyclone formed in the southwest region of the Bay of Bengal within a week. Cyclone Alert has been issued for South Tamilnadu and South Kerala coasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

 

6. Ministry of I&B release booklet on birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji: A booklet titled ‘PM Modi and his Government’s special relationship with Sikhs’ was released, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It has been produced by Bureau of Outreach Communication under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is released in three languages Hindi, Punjabi and English.

The booklet was jointly inaugurated by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Prakash Javadekar and Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri. The Minister credited the Prime Minister for personally supervising the smallest of arrangements and personally seeing off the first Jattha for Kartarpur Corridor.

Mentioning other important decisions, the Minister highlighted the decision on no taxation on Langars, FCRA Registration to Sri Harmandir Sahib, allowing global Sangat participation, revision of ‘Blacklist’ as per the demand of Sikh community et al.

 

7. Indian Navy Day: 4th December: In India, December 4 is observed as the National Navy Day every year, to celebrate the achievements and role of the naval force to the country. The theme of Navy Day 2020 is “Indian Navy Combat Ready, Credible & Cohesive”. The day is marked in recognition of the launch of Operation Trident during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971. During Operation Trident, on December 4 in 1971, the Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vessels and also killed over 500 Pakistani Navy personnel, meanwhile, the Indian side suffered no losses.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh; Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. US Air Quality Index: Lahore is world’s most polluted city: Lahore, the cultural capital Pakistan, has been ranked as the world’s most polluted city, according to air pollution data released by the US Air Quality Index (AQI). Lahore reported a particulate matter (PM) rating of 423. New Delhi stood second with a PM of 229, while Nepal’s capital Kathmandu ranked the third with a PM of 178.

About AQI: The Air Quality Index (AQI) is released by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to give people an idea of whether it’s safe to breathe the air. AQI is based on the levels of five major pollutants regulated by the EPA: ground-level ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. AQI measures air quality by placing it on a scale of 0-500, where air quality is regarded as satisfactory if the AQI is under 50.

 

2. Bata names Sandeep Kataria as global CEO: Footwear major Bata Shoe Organization has appointed Sandeep Kataria as the new global Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He is the first Indian to be appointed to the global role of Bata (Headquarter-Lausanne, Switzerland). He takes over from Alexis Nasard, who has stepped down after almost five years in the role. Before this, Kataria was the CEO of Bata India since 2017. Under Kataria, Bata India managed to transform into the largest footwear retailer in India within a relatively short span.

Note: Bata Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; Bata Founded: 24 August 1894.

 

3. A book titled ‘Future of Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific’ by ADB: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released a new book titled ‘Future of Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific’. The book provides insight on how stronger regional cooperation strategies, including in health, trade, finance, and disaster risk, can help governments in Asia and the Pacific accelerate economic growth and robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explores opportunities for economies in the region to work together to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.

 

4. International Day of Banks: 4th December: International Day of Banks is observed globally on the 4th of December. On 19 December 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 74/245, which designated 4 December as the International Day of Banks. The day is celebrated to the recognition of the significant potential of multilateral development banks and other international development banks in financing sustainable development and providing know-how, and also in recognition of the vital role of the banking systems in the Member States in contributing to the improvement of the standard of living.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Virat Kohli fastest to 12000 runs in ODI cricket: Virat Kohli became the fastest to reach 12,000 runs in One-day International cricket. Kohli breached the mark in the third ODI against Australia in Canberra. He got to the milestone in his 242nd inning thus bettering the previous record set by Sachin Tendulkar, who got his 12000th run in his 300th inning. Kohli is the second-highest scorer for India in ODIs behind Tendulkar’s 18,426 from 463 ODIs. The India captain also holds the record for the fastest batsman (in terms of innings) to 10,000 and 11,000 runs in ODIs. Kohli reached 11,000 runs in 222 innings and became the fastest to breach the 10000-run mark by doing so in his 205th inning.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Punjab National Bank launches loan management solution to speed up delivery:  Punjab National Bank (PNB) launched a tech-based loan management solution called ‘LenS-The Lending Solution’, to speed up and maintain accuracy in online loan processing and sanctioning of credit proposals. To standardise the system, process and appraisal formats for loan processing, speed up the process of credit sanctions, and auto-generate loan documents, among others are the main purpose behind the launch of it. For all kinds of loans such as MSME, agriculture, retail and other credit, the system is expected to be implemented in a phased manner.

 

2. SBI along with NPCI, Japan’s JCB launch contactless debit card: State Bank of India has partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Japan’s JCB International Co for unveiling new ‘SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card’ on the RuPay network. The newly launched card is loaded with unique dual interface feature that enables the customers to use it for both contact and contactless transaction.  This card can be used in both domestic as well as for the transactions overseas market.

Note: IRDAI Founded: 1999; IRDAI Headquarters: Hyderabad; IRDAI Chairperson: Subhash Chandra Khuntia.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. OECD projects India’s GDP at -10.2% in FY21: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expects the Indian economy to contract by 10.2% in FY21 (2020-21) as compared to its previous estimate of 16.7% in June. For FY22 (2021-22), the Paris-based OECD projects India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at 10.7%.

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

 

2. S&P Retains India’s Growth Forecast at (-)9 Per Cent This Fiscal: S&P Global Ratings retained its forecast of 9 per cent contraction in the Indian economy for the current fiscal, saying even though there are now upside risks to growth but it will wait for more signs that COVID infections have stabilised or fallen. S&P, in its report on Asia Pacific, projected the Indian economy to grow at 10 per cent in the next fiscal. While there are now upside risks to growth due to a faster recovery in population mobility and household spending, the pandemic is not fully under control.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. MDH owner ‘Mahashay’ Dharampal Gulati passes away: The owner of MDH Masala, Dharampal Gulati passed away. He was born in 1923 in Sialkot, Pakistan. He was fondly called ‘dalaji’ and ‘Mahashayji’. A school dropout, Dharampal Gulati joined his father’s spice business in the early days. Back in 2019, the government honoured him with Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in the country.

About Dharampal Gulati: After partition in 1947, Dharampal Gulati moved to India and stayed at a refugee camp in Amritsar. He then moved to Delhi and opened a store in Delhi’s Karol Bagh. Gulati officially established the company in 1959. The business did not just flourish in India only but Gulati became a distributor and exporter as well. His company exports Indian spices to various parts of the world including the UK, Europe, UAE, Canda, etc. 

Daily GK Updates – 3rd Dec, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurates Suryadhar Lake: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has inaugurated the Suryadhar lake at Doiwala, Dehradun. The Suryadhar lake is 550 meters long, 28 meters wide and 10 meters deep with a capacity of 77,000 cubic meters. Besides fulfilling the drinking water and irrigational needs of 18-20 villages, the lake will recharge the water resources in the area and help build a healthy eco-system that will attract migratory birds. The state government’s plans to organize a water sports festival at the lake either by Makar Sankranti or Basant Panchami next year to showcase the beauty of its surrounding environs.

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

 

2. Arjun Munda e-launches “Virtual Aadi Mahotsav-Madhya Pradesh”: The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda has launched the first-ever virtual edition of Aadi Mahotsav – Madhya Pradesh. The event will showcase the tribal traditions of the various tribal communities by having their crafts and natural products on display. Videos showcasing different aspects of their culture – music, dance etc, will also be shared. In essence, it will still be a celebration of the tribes and their diverse, varied lifestyle but on a different platform.

The 10-day long festival begin from December 1, 2020. It is being hosted on the Tribes India website – www.tribesindia.com. The highlights of the virtual launch included a virtual tour of the artisans’ workplace and glimpses of the tribal dance and music from Madhya Pradesh. The main focus of the first virtual Aadi Mahotsav is on the tribal craft and culture of Madhya Pradesh. The next focus state of the programme would be Gujarat ( from 11th December 2020), followed by West Bengal from the 21st December 2020.

 

3. Utpal Kumar Singh Appointed as Secretary-General of Lok Sabha: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has appointed senior IAS officer Utpal Kumar Singh as Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariat. His appointment will come into effect from December 1, 2020. He will succeed incumbent Snehlata Shrivastava. Mr Singh is a 1986 batch IAS officer of Uttrakhand Cadre and has been appointed as Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha in the rank and status of Cabinet Secretary.

 

4. Piyush Goyal inaugurates Dhigawara-Bandikui section of NWR: The Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal has inaugurated newly electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui section of North Western Railway (NWR) in the state of Rajasthan. The Minister also flagged off the first train on this newly electrified route. The Dhigawara-Bandikui section is on Delhi-Ajmer route via Jaipur. The Railways has set the target to electrify the entire percentage of railway lines across the country in a phased manner. Once these electrified trains start running, the trains that run on diesel will be stopped.

 

5. BSF Celebrates its 56th Raising Day on December 1, 2020: The Border Security Force (BSF), is observing its 56th Raising Day on 01 December 2020. BSF was formed on December 1, 1965, as a unified central agency, after the Indo-Pak and India-China wars, for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith. It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of the Union of India and stands as the world’s largest border guarding force. BSF has been termed as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories.

Note: BSF Director General: Rakesh Asthana; BSF Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

6. National Pollution Control Day: 2nd December: In India, the National Pollution Control Day is observed every year on December 2 to commemorate the life of people lost in the unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred in the year 1984 on the night of 2–3 December. The year 2020 marks the 36th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Through this day, awareness is created about the rising pollution of air, water, and soil, as well as shifts the attention of people with regards to the pollution control acts.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UAE becomes first Arab Country to generate electricity from coal: The United Arab Emirates is set to become the first Arab Gulf country to generate electricity from coal. The first coal-based power plant of Arab Gulf country is being developed in Saih Shuaib, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 2,400MW Hassyan clean coal power station will be built at an estimated cost of $ 3.4 billion. The project will comprise four units of 600MW each, which are expected to start operations in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively. The power plant is expected to produce sufficient electricity to power approximately 250,000 households.

 

2. World AIDS Day: 1st December: Every year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. The day provides an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. This year the theme of World AIDS Day is “Global solidarity, shared responsibility”. In 2020, the world’s attention has been focused by the COVID-19 pandemic on health and how pandemics affect lives and livelihoods. COVID-19 is showing once again how health is interlinked with other critical issues, such as reducing inequality, human rights, gender equality, social protection and economic growth.

 

3. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery: 2nd December: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed annually on 2nd December since 1986 by the United Nations General Assembly. The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949).

 

4. World Computer Literacy Day: 2nd December: The World Computer Literacy Day is observed annually on 2nd December to create awareness and drive digital literacy in underserved communities worldwide. The day promotes technological skills, especially in children and women. The World Computer Literacy Day controls the advanced gap that exists in the world today. The day was originally founded by the Indian computer company NIIT to mark its 20th anniversary in 2001. World Computer Literacy Day was first observed and held in the year 2001 on 2nd Dec.

 

5. International Day of Persons with Disabilities: 3rd December: Since 1992, the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) has been annually observed on 3 December around the world. The theme for this year’s IDPD is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”. This theme focuses on the empowering persons with disabilities for the inclusive, equitable and sustainable development envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Lewis Hamilton wins Bahrain Grand Prix 2020: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain. The race was the fifteenth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. This is the 11th victory for Hamilton of the season, and 95th F1 win of his career. Also, Hamilton now holds the records for the most wins (95), in Formula One history. Red Bull Racing teammates Max Verstappen (Netherlands) and Alexander Albon (Thailand) were second and third respectively.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Union Bank Completes Integration of All Branches of Corporation Bank with Itself: Union Bank of India has completed the IT integration after which all the branches of erstwhile Corporation Bank have come fully under its fold as part of the amalgamation exercise. With this IT integration, all of erstwhile Corporation Bank, including service and specialised branches, have been fully integrated with Union Bank of India (UBI). Along with this feat, the bank has successfully rolled out internet banking, mobile banking, UPI, IMPS, FI gateway, treasury and Swift for erstwhile Corporation Bank customers thereby enabling them to transact seamlessly across branches and delivery channels of UBI.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. MeitY and IBM India Partner to offer Reskilling Programs in Artificial Intelligence and Cloud to Learners: The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and IBM India announced a collaboration to create a robust education and skilling ecosystem that creates critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and next generation innovators through the Common Services Centre Academy. CSC Academy – part of Common Services Centre (CSC) scheme of MeitY, Government of India’s flagship Digital India program and IBM, along with their implementation partners CSR Box, Uva Jagriti Sansthan and Jeevitam will foster the capability and development of learners with diverse backgrounds and educational needs. This collaboration with IBM aligns with the National Education Policy’s emphasis on learning 21st century skills to ensure the future-readiness of India’s youth and realizing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

 

2. SEBI chief launches SMARTS program to enhance investor education and awareness: Markets regulator SEBI launched the Securities Market Trainers (SMARTs) program, an initiative aimed at enhancing investor education and awareness.The  launch of SMARTs program comes amid World Investor Week being celebrated across the country. Under the SMARTs program, the trainers are empanelled for the district they belong to, subject to fulfilling the required eligibility criteria. In addition to individuals, organisations engaged in similar activity can get enrolled as SMARTs. They would undergo training at NISM and then they would be eligible to conduct programs. The programs are conducted under the aegis of Sebi and are monitored directly by it.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Army successfully testfires Anti-Ship version of BrahMos missile: India successfully test-fired the anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory. The test was conducted as part of the ongoing trials being conducted by the Indian Navy. The DRDO-developed BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with a strike range of 300 Km was launched from Indian Navy’s INS Ranvijay and it successfully hit its target ship near the Car Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Recently the land-attack version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was also successfully test-fired from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is the world’s fastest operational system in its class.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Senegal World Cup footballer Papa Bouba Diop passes away: Senegal’s professional footballer, Papa Bouba Diop, who helped the country win the FIFA World Cup match in 2002, has passed away. He was of the age of 42. His goal helped Senegal secure historic 1–0 win over the then-world champions France in the opening match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and Senegal’s first-ever match at the FIFA World Cup. Diop has won 63 caps for Senegal.

 

2. Legendary Bangladeshi actor, Liberation War fighter Aly Zaker passes away: Eminent Bangladeshi actor and cultural personality Aly Zaker passed away in Dhaka. He was 76. Aly Zaker was a towering figure of Bangladesh in theatre, Television and films. Aly was involved in the Liberation War movement of Bangladesh against Pakistan. He was also a founder trustee of the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka. He was awarded the second highest civilian award of Bangladesh ‘Ekushey Padak’ in 1999 for his contribution in the field of theatre.