Daily GK Updates – 24th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi to launch ‘SEHAT’, Health Insurance Scheme for J&K: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch ‘SEHAT’ – Health Insurance Scheme for the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on 26th December. This scheme will cover the remaining One crore population which was not covered under Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Under Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), eligible beneficiaries were covered under Health Cover of Rs 5 Lakh.

Under PMJAY scheme, 30 lakh people are being covered in J&K. With the launch of ‘SEHAT’ Scheme by the Prime Minister on December 26, J&K will be among the first in the country to achieve Universal Health Coverage. Programmes will be organized across the UT and the distribution of Golden cards will be started on the same day. Around 16 Lakh registrations have been done as on date and the registrations for the rest of the beneficiaries is underway.

Note: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha.

 

2. GoI notifies new “Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020”: The Union Power Ministry, R. K. Singh has framed the new ‘Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020. These rules shall empower the consumers of electricity and added that these Rules emanate from the conviction that the power systems exist to serve the consumers and the consumers have rights to get the reliable services and quality electricity.

About Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules 2020: These rules provide for Rights of consumers and Obligations of Distribution licensees. The distribution licensee shall supply 24×7 power to all consumers. However, the commission may specify lower hours of supply for some categories of consumers like agriculture. Following key areas are covered in the Electricity (Rights of consumers) Rules: Rights of consumers and Obligations of Distribution licensees;

Release of new connection and modification in an existing connection; Metering arrangement;

Billing and Payment; Disconnection and Reconnection; Reliability of supply; Consumer as Prosumer; Standards of Performance of licensee; Compensation Mechanism; Call Centre for Consumer Services; Grievance redressal mechanism.

 

3. Prakash Javadekar releases ‘Status of Leopards in India 2018’ report: The Union environment minister, Prakash Javadekar has released a report titled the ‘Status of Leopard in India 2018’. As per the report, the population of leopard in India has increased by 60 per cent in four years since 2014. India now has 12,852 leopards as per 2018 estimate, compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted in 2014. The States of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra recorded the highest leopard estimates at 3,421, 1,783, and 1,690 respectively.

 

4. S. Jaishankar addresses 5th Annual Global Technology Summit: The 5th edition of the annual Global Technology Summit (GTS) was organised virtually by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India in collaboration with Carnegie India (CI). GTS is one of the four flagship annual conferences organised by MEA. The other three conferences are the Raisina Dialogue, the Geo-economic dialogue, and the Indian Ocean Conference. The theme of the 2020 GTS was “The Geopolitics of Technology”. The speakers from included the External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, and Dr K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. The industry experts, policymakers, and scholars from all over the world participated in the five-day event to deliberate on five comprehensive sub-themes, which included: Geopolitics of Technology; Data: Linking the World; Digital Payments: The Future of Global Financial Highways; Digital Inclusion: Taking the Local to the Global; Transforming Healthcare for a Post-COVID World.

 

5. World’s tallest rail bridge on Chenab in J&K likely to be completed by 2021: Touted as the next man-made wonder, the world’s tallest rail bridge on the Chenab in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory is expected to be completed by 2021. The 1,315-metre-long bridge between Bakkal and Kauri villages of Reasi is coming up at a height of 359 metres. The arched structure will connect Baramulla to Jammu via Udhampur, Katra and Qazigund with a travel time of six and a half hours.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India-Vietnam Leaders’ Virtual Summit 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, jointly addressed the India-Vietnam Virtual Summit, via video conferencing. During the Summit, a ‘Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People’ document was adopted to guide the future development of the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

About the Summit: Both leaders agreed to support each other’s national development priorities and work together towards the shared objective of a peaceful, stable, secure, free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. India and Vietnam signed seven agreements during the virtual summit in areas such as defence, scientific research, renewable energy, nuclear energy, petro-chemicals, and cancer treatment.

 

2. PM Narendra Modi addresses 6th Indo-Japan SAMVAD Conference: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the sixth edition of the India-Japan SAMVAD conference 2020, via virtual conferencing. The purpose of this Samvad Conference is to discuss the need to build the future of Asia on the positive influence of traditions of non-violence and democracy in Asia. During the conference, the PM proposed to create a library of traditional Buddhist literature and scriptures in India. This library will collect digital copies of Buddhist literature from across different parts of the world. The library will then translate these works and make them available for all scholars and monks of Buddhism.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Lewis Hamilton wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020: Formula 1 world champion, Lewis Hamilton has won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020. This is the second time that the 35-year-old Hamilton has been crowned Sports Personality of the Year. Prior to this, he won the award in 2014. Other award winners at Sports Personality 2020:

Helen Rollason Award: Captain Sir Tom Moore

Expert Special Panel Award: Marcus Rashford

Coach of the Year: Jurgen Klopp (Football)

Team of the Year: Liverpool FC

Unsung Hero: Sgt Matt Ratana

Captain Tom Young Unsung Hero: Tobias Weller

Young Sports Personality of the Year: Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (British diver)

 

2. Indian Boxers bag 3 Gold at Cologne Boxing World Cup: Indian boxers have bagged 9 medals including three gold, two silver and four bronze at the Cologne Boxing World Cup 2020, held in Cologne, Germany. India finished 2nd in the overall Medals List, Germany topped the list with 16 medals. The Cologne Boxing World 2020 was hosted by the European Boxing Confederation (EUBC). List of Medal Winners:

Gold: The three gold medals for India were bagged by Amit Panghal (52kg), Manisha Moun (57kg) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg) in their respective categories.

Silver: Silver medals were claimed by Sakshi Choudhary (57kg) and Satish Kumar (91kg).

Bronze: Sonia Lather (57kg), Pooja Rani (75kg) Gaurav Solanki (57kg) and Mohamed Hussamudin (57kg) claimed the bronze medal in their respective categories.

Note: European Boxing Confederation Founded: 2009; European Boxing Confederation President: Franco Falcinelli; European Boxing Confederation Headquarters: Assisi, Italy.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Central Bank of India ties up with NPCI to launch ‘RuPay Select’: The Central Bank of India has launched a unique variant of a contactless debit card under the name ‘RuPay Select’, in association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Central Bank RuPay Select Debit cardholders will be able to avail complimentary membership and concessional access to golf courses, gyms, spas and restaurants.

About “RuPay Select Card”: This RuPay Debit Select Card will focus on customers’ lifestyle, fitness, rejuvenation, nutrition and personal care. The card comes with features such as airport lounge access to over 20 domestic and more than 500 international lounges. The card will also facilitate offline transactions in both transits as well as retail purchases. Apart from this, the cardholders would also be entitled to discounted health check-ups with this National Common Mobility Debit Card (NCMC). Additionally, it comes up with an accidental and permanent disability insurance cover up to 10 lakh at no extra cost to customers.

Note: National Payments Corporation of India MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe; National Payments Corporation of India Headquarters: Mumbai; National Payments Corporation of India Founded: 2008.

Central Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai; Central Bank of India CEO: Pallav Mohapatra; Central Bank of India Founded: 21 December 1911.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards announced: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has presented the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards, including a cash award of Rs 50,000 and Rs 30,000 respectively, to both awardees. The nominations were called for the first time for the year 2018.

First Prize: Sreenivas Karanam, Bengaluru was selected for the FIRST prize for his contribution in developing a cost-effective customized technical solution under the brand ‘C mobile’, for deep-sea communication, operating along the Kerala coast, facilitating communication among fishermen and issue of weather alerts etc. The service enables the fishermen to have one-one voice calls, group calls, SMS, Location services and Emergency services while they are out of GSM coverage area. The service is available from Thiruvanathapuram to Calicut, almost 500km along Kerala coast, with devices installed in nearly 900 motorboats.

Second Prize: Subrat Kar, New Delhi was selected for the SECOND prize for his innovative solution on development & deployment of a large scale sensor network and devices to avoid a train-animal collision, which works without interfering with natural movements/behaviour of animals, thereby helping in wildlife conservation. The system under the pilot phase is installed in Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand, to prevent elephant deaths by train-elephant collision.

About Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards: This award is given to motivate the Telecom Skill ecosystem, DoT launched Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards scheme in 2017, to reward the successful telecom skilled people for their special contributions in the areas of Telecom Skilling, Telecom Services, Telecom Manufacturing, Telecom Applications in deploying telecom dependent sectoral solutions for different fields such as agriculture, commerce, health, education etc.

Note: Minister of Communications and Electronics & IT: Ravi ShankarPrasad.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Rajnath Singh inaugurates advanced “HWT” test facility in Hyderabad: Union Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the advanced Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility of the DRDO in Hyderabad, Telangana. The state-of-the-art HWT Test facility has made India as the only third country in the world, after the US and Russia, to have such a huge facility in size and capability.

About Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT): The indigenously developed HWT Test facility is a pressure vacuum-driven enclosed free jet facility having a nozzle exit diameter of 1 metre. This will simulate Mach No 5 to 12 (Mach represents the multiplication factor to the speed of sound)”. The facility has the capability to simulate hypersonic flow over a wide spectrum and will play a major role in the realization of highly complex futuristic aerospace and defence systems.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Pakistani Actress Firdous Begum passes away: Firdous Begum, the famous Pakistani veteran actress who shot to fame for her iconic role in 1970’s movie ‘Heer Ranjah’, passed away. She was 73. A leading lady of Pakistani films from 1970s to 1980s, Firdous started her film career in 1963 with a movie ‘Fanoos’ in which she had a supporting role. She got a break from movie ‘Malangi’ in 1965 and thereafter there was no looking back. Her iconic role in ‘Heer Ranjah’ made her the most sought-after actress in 1970s. Firdous performed in over 150 Punjabi, Urdu and Pashto films.

Daily GK Updates – 23rd Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s 1st CoE for Skill Development in Power Sector inaugurated in Gurugram: The Minister of State for Skill Development, Raj Kumar Singh has inaugurated the first Centre of Excellence (CoE) for ‘skill development in the power sector’ in Gurugram. The CoE has been established in the campus of National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurugram, Haryana.

About Centre of Excellence: This new centre has been set up by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education and Youth, Government of France and Schneider Electric. It has high-end modern labs designed keeping in mind the future technology, which will further strengthen India and France’s relationship in the energy sector. The centre will design and deliver Training for Trainers, Instructors, Training of Assessors and other high-end programmes in the power and solar sector.

 

2. “Varasat” campaign launched in Uttar Pradesh: The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a special campaign ‘Varasat’ (natural succession) to curb property & land-related disputes in rural areas. This is a first of its kind campaign in the state which aims to put an end the land-related issues in the rural areas and eradicate the exploitation of the villagers over succession rights by land mafias, who generally target disputed properties. The two-month-long special drive will continue till 15th February 2020.

Key Feature of Varasat scheme: Under the arrangements, the villagers will get both online and offline facilities for registering their ‘Varasat’. For the people who have landed in the village but they are living at some other place, a special counter will be opened at the Tehsil-level where they can apply for the same.

Benefits of the scheme:  People will get proper paper documents for their land property. They can even avail loans from banks. It would be helpful in minimising disputes and animosity within families and relatives. Villagers would also get rid of facing lawsuits, that sometimes trail for generations. All the information related to such land will be uploaded on the website of the revenue board based on which the progress of the scheme will be reviewed.

Note: Uttar Pradesh Capital: Lucknow; Uttar Pradesh Governor: Anandiben Patel; Uttar Pradesh Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath.

 

3. Cabinet approves assistance of Rs 3,500 crore for sugarcane farmers: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved assistance of three thousand 500 crore rupees for sugarcane farmers. The Cabinet has taken the decision to help farmers directly by depositing money of subsidy into their accounts. It will benefit five crore farmers and five lakh workers. CCEA also approved revised cost estimate of North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project for six States for strengthening of the Intra-State Transmission and Distribution Systems.

 

4. Govt provides tap water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission to 278 lakh households: Government said that 278 lakh households have been provided tap water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission. At present more than six crore rural households in the country are getting potable water in their households through taps.The mission was announced on 15 August last year. Jal Shakti Ministry said, 18 districts across the country have provided tap connections to all households and States are competing with each other to ensure tap water supply to every home.

 

5. UP govt to launch ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’ to double the income of farmers: Uttar Pradesh government will launch a special program to double the income of farmers. The program named as Kisan Kalyan Mission will cover all assembly constituencies of the state. Under the Kisan Kalyan mission various programs will be organised across the state. Exhibitions of agriculture and Associate sectors will be organised which will include the products of MSME sector units and livelihood missions. Farmers will be given benefit under the various schemes of agriculture department during these events.

 

6. India Observes National Farmer’s Day on December 23: National Farmer’s Day (Kisan Diwas) is observed every year on 23 December in India to remember the role of Indian farmers in the economy. The day is observed to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. He brought farmer-friendly policies and worked towards the welfare of the farmers. He was the fifth Prime Minister of India and served the country as Prime Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Singapore’s ‘Hawker’ Culture gets UNESCO recognition: The Hawker Culture of street food in Singapore has been inducted by UNESCO in its prestigious ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’. The Hawker Culture is a popular Singaporean style of street dining and culinary practices in a multicultural urban environment.

About Hawker: Hawker centres are naturally-ventilated premises with stalls selling food from various cultures like Chinese, Malay, Indian, among others. The Hawkers of Singapore are known to master a variety of cuisines which they serve at the ‘community dining rooms’ where people from across all walks of life gather and share their unique experiences.

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

 

2. 20th IORA Council of Ministers Meeting Held in UAE: The 20th edition of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting via video conferencing under the Chairmanship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The theme of the meeting was “Promoting a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity in the Indian Ocean”. The Indian delegation was led by V. Muraleedharan, MoS, Ministry of External Affairs. Sri Lanka has assumed the charge of Vice-Chair of IORA for the period 2021-23. About Meeting:

(1) The COM-20 was inaugurated by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE.

(2) The UAE assumed the position of the IORA Chair in November 2019 during the 19th COM, for the period 2019-2021.

(3) All 22 Member States and 10 Dialogue Partners participated in the virtual meeting to discuss ways in coordinating efforts to achieve IORA’s vision for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean region as outlined in the Jakarta Concord and IORA Action Plan.

(4) During the 2020 COM, France was inducted as the 23rd member state of IORA.

Note: Secretary-General of Indian Ocean Rim Association: Nomvuyo Nokwe; Indian Ocean Rim Association Founded: 7 March 1997; Indian Ocean Rim Association  Headquarters: Ebene, Mauritius.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Sports Ministry permits 4 indigenous sports in Khelo India Youth Games 2021: The Sports Ministry has approved the inclusion of four indigenous Games to be a part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, which is scheduled to be held in Haryana. The four new games are, Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba. The four selected games represent different parts of the country and will get national recognition with the help of the Khelo India Youth Games 2021. Place of origin of the newly inducted games:

(1) Kalaripayattu has its origin from Kerala.

(2) Mallakhamba is practised in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

(3) Gatka originates from Punjab. It is a traditional fighting style of the Nihang Sikh Warriors, used both as self-defence as well as a sport.

(4) Thang-Ta is a Manipur martial art.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI extends restrictions on PMC Bank for 3 months: Reserve Bank of India has further extended the restrictions on crisis-ridden Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank by three months till 31 March 2021. The bank has also received four Expression of Interest (EoI) for its revival. To examine them, the bank would need some more time. These proposals will be examined by the bank with regard to their viability and feasibility taking into account the best interest of the depositors.

Why RBI extends restrictions on PMC Bank? As per the Expression of Interest, the bank wants to identify a suitable equity investor/ group of investors willing to take over management control so as to revive the bank and commence regular day-to-day operations.

The PMC bank was placed under Directions by RBI with effect from the close of its business on September 23, 2019, and superseded the bank’s board due to a huge fraud perpetrated by the promoter of a real estate group and some bank officials. The Directions for PMC Bank were last extended for a further period of six months from June 23, 2020, to December 22, 2020.

Note: The Administrator Of PMC Bank: AK Dixit; PMC Bank Founded: 1984; PMC Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Ratan Tata honoured with “ASSOCHAM Enterprise of the Century Award”: Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the ‘ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020’ via video conferencing. The week-long Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) Foundation Week was organised from 15 to 19 December 2020. The theme of the programme was ‘India’s resilience: Atmanirbhar roadmap towards $5 trillion economies.’

As a part of the celebration, PM Modi also presented the ‘ASSOCHAM Enterprise of the Century Award’ to Shri Ratan Tata, on behalf of the TATA Group, for his distinguished contributions to the country. In the last 100 years, ASSOCHAM and the entire Tata group has worked very hard to strengthen India’s economy and help the common Indian.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Rajnath Singh hands over high-tech systems to chiefs of 3 armed forces: The Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh recently handed over three indigenously developed high technology systems to chiefs of the three armed forces: the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. The three systems namely, Border Surveillance System (BOSS), Indian Maritime Situational Awareness System (IMSAS) and ASTRA Mk-I Missile, have been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

1. Border Surveillance System (BOSS): BOSS is an all-weather electronic surveillance system. It was handed over to Army Chief General M M Naravane. BOSS has already been deployed in Ladakh against the Chinese troops for day and night surveillance. It has been designed and developed by Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun and is being produced by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Machlipatnam. The system facilitates monitoring and surveillance by automatically detecting the intrusions in harsh high-altitude sub-zero temperature areas with remote operation capability.

2. Indian maritime situational awareness system (IMSAS): It was handed to Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh. The IMSAS is a state-of-the-art high-performance intelligent software system that provides Global Maritime Situational Picture, Marine planning tools and Analytical capabilities to Indian Navy. The product is jointly conceptualised and developed by Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), Bengaluru and Indian Navy, while it is being produced by BEL, Bengaluru.

3. Astra Mk-1 missile system: It was handed over to Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria. This missile is the first indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) missile that can be launched from Sukhoi-30, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Mig-29 and Mig-29K. ASTRA weapon system has been developed by Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) and production by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) Hyderabad.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Senior-most Congress veteran Motilal Vora passes away: Veteran Congress leader, Motilal Vora has passed away following post-COVID-19 complications. He was born at Jodhpur in Rajasthan and began his career as a journalist. The late Congress leader served as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh twice, once from 1985 to 1988 and then again in 1989 for 11 months. He also held the office of Governor of Uttar Pradesh between 1993 and 1996. He had served as a Rajya Sabha member four times and as a Lok Sabha member once from Chhattisgarh.

Daily GK Updates – 22nd Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. GoI and ADB sign 4.21 million dollar PRF facility for Tripura: The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a US $4.21 million project readiness financing (PRF) facility for the preparation of infrastructure development projects to improve urban amenities and develop tourism infrastructure in Tripura. This is ADB’s first PRF facility for a state in the northeastern region of India.

About PRF facility: The facility will support the Tripura Government’s priorities of improving urban services and tourism infrastructures that will help boost economic development. The facility aims to ensure high readiness of ensuing infrastructure projects through feasibility studies, preparing detailed engineering designs, and capacity building of state-level agencies while ensuring climate and disaster resilience and sustainability of sub-projects.

 

2. ADB and India sign $300 million loan to upgrade power projects in UP: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed $300 million loan agreement with the Government of India to upgrade rural power distribution networks in Uttar Pradesh. This upgradation helps to provide reliable electricity supply to consumers in the state. This is the first tranche of the loan for the Uttar Pradesh Power Distribution Network Rehabilitation Project.

About the project: Overall, the $430 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) has been approved for the project constituting two tranches. The project envisages conversion of 65,000 kilometres (km) of rural low-voltage distribution lines from bare conductors to aerial bundled conductors (ABC) to create a robust distribution network that will benefit an estimated 70 million people in 46,000 villages.

 

3. Centre to dedicate a Museum on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in Kolkata on 125th birth anniversary: The Government of India has proposed to set up a museum dedicated to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, in Kolkata, as a tribute on his 125th birth anniversary celebrations on 23rd January 2021. The government has also decided to expand the current museum of Netaji at Red Fort in New Delhi. Apart from this, Centre is also considering to reprint some of the books written by Subhash Chandra Bose, and even start fellowships for students. A large array of historical documents, clippings, photos, videos, memorabilia and other material is available with the families of Bose as well as those of INA members which would be brought together at one place for display and dissemination.

 

4. National Mathematics Day: 22th December: India observes the National Mathematics Day every year on 22 December since 2012. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. This year nation celebrates his 133rd birth anniversary of Ramanujan. Ramanujan had a wealth of ideas that have transformed and reshaped 20th-century mathematics. These ideas continue to shape mathematics of the 21st century. The main objective behind the celebration of National Mathematics Day is to make people aware of the development of mathematics and its importance in the growth of humanity. The day was announced on 26 February 2012 by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to mark the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (22 Dec 1887- 26 Apr 1920). 2012 was also observed as National Mathematics Year.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India ranks 111 in Human Freedom Index 2020: A worldwide ranking of civil, economic and personal freedom, the Human Freedom Index 2020 was released. India was placed at the 111th spot out of 162 countries. In 2019, India ranked 94 on the index. The first three spots have been bagged by New Zealand, Switzerland and Hong Kong. The United States and the United Kingdom are tied at the 17th spot on the index. War-torn Syria ranked the last on the list.

Facts related to India: India’s scored 6.30 out of 10 in personal freedom and 6.56 in economic freedom. The country’s overall human freedom score was 6.43. However, India has been ranked ahead of China and Bangladesh, which ranked 129 and 139 on the 2020 index respectively.

About Human Freedom Index: Human Freedom Index was published by American think tank Cato Institute and Fraser Institute in Canada. The index takes into account 76 indicators of personal, civil, and economic freedoms to rank 162 countries from 2008 to 2018. The institutes noted that the world has seen a notable decline in personal freedom since 2008.

 

2. Nana Akufo-Addo re-elected as president of Ghana: Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has been re-elected after a tightly contested election. Mr Akufo-Addo obtained 51.6% of the vote, compared with 47.4% won by his main rival, ex-President John Mahama, official results showed. Mr Mahama has not yet conceded defeat. His party has rejected the results, citing alleged irregularities.It was the third time the two politicians had faced each other in a presidential election.

 

3. Russia successfully test-launches Angara-5 space rocket: Russia successfully test-launched its heavy lift Angara A5 space rocket for the second time, from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northwest Russia. First test-launched in 2014, it is being developed to replace the Proton M as Russia’s heavy lift rocket, capable of carrying payloads bigger than 20 tonnes into orbit. A launch pad for the new rocket is due to open in 2021.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Mauritian badminton player Foo Kune banned for two years by CAS: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has banned Mauritian badminton player Kate Jessica Foo Kune for two years for an anti-doping violation. Foo Kune tested positive for a banned steroid during the 2019 African Badminton World Championships in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, but a Badminton World Federation (BWF) panel ruled she bore no fault or negligence. The 27-year-old escaped sanction after contending that her positive test was the result of sabotage and that her water had been spiked by an “ill-intentioned individual”.

Note: Court of Arbitration for Sport President: John Coates; Court of Arbitration for Sport HQ: Lausanne (Switzerland).

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Paytm launches 24×7 RTGS money transfer for merchants: Digital financial services platform Paytm has launched a 24×7 RTGS facility to support the companies that make high-value transactions. It also enables businesses to make bulk and instant money transfers to their employees, vendors & partners. Customers can instantly make bulk payments to Bank Accounts, UPI addresses, and Paytm Wallets through Paytm Payouts’ APIs and Paytm for Business Dashboard. Paytm Payout is the only service provider that offers seamless round the clock money transfers through Wallet, UPI, IMPS, NEFT & RTGS. The company has made this announcement after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decision to make RTGS facility 24×7. This service saves time and resources and it is beneficial for SME & large enterprises who use it to adopt an automated payment mechanism.

Note: Paytm HQ: Noida, Uttar Pradesh; Paytm Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

 

2. Ewire Softtech ties up with YES Bank for prepaid card: Ewire Softtech, under Kerala Startup Mission, has launched a prepaid card in association with YES Bank, enabling the next-generation payment platform provider chart an all-India presence. The co-branded digital banking mobile application will help the public and corporate houses with loans, insurance and CASA account through its channel partners. This can be done via its dedicated RuPay prepaid cards platform. The card will be offered through YES Bank’s branches across 28 States and 8 UTs.

 

3. Edelweiss General Insurance launches India’s first Open API Gateway for Insurance products: Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI), India’s first cloud-native insurer, has launched a first of its kind, Open API (Application Programming Interface) Gateway, to facilitate complete digital collaboration with its business partners. With this Gateway, EGI’s authorized partners can easily integrate their systems with the company’s robust technology platform, which will help further reinforce EGI’s linkages with both customers and partners. The Open API Gateway is also aimed to bring in a seamless and delightful experience to the end consumer.

 

4. SBI Card, BPCL jointly launch credit card offering benefits to high fuel spending customers: SBI Card announced launch of ‘BPCL SBI Card Octane‘ in association with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), offering maximum savings to consumers who spend a significant amount on fuel. The credit card has been designed to offer maximum savings to the well-heeled consumer segment which spends a significant amount on fuel. The card offers 7.25 per cent value back (including 1 per cent surcharge waiver) on fuel and lubricant spends at BPCL fuel stations and 6.25 per cent value back on Bharat Gas spends. It also bundles in accelerated savings on other regular spend categories, including departmental store and grocery, dining and movies.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. IBM, Telangana govt join hands for skilling 30,000 students in emerging technologies: Tech major IBM and the Telangana government have entered into a collaboration to provide curated online courses for the states students that will enhance their technical and professional skills. IBM will work with Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) to offer Open P-TECH, a free digital education platform focused on emerging technologies and professional development skills. A total of 30,000 students of engineering, degree and polytechnic courses would benefit from the initiative over a period of one year.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. India’s Vidyut Mohan named among ‘Young Champions of the Earth’ by UNEP: Vidyut Mohan was one of the “Young Champions of the Earth” winners by United Nations Environment Programme. A 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur is among the seven winners of the prestigious “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 prize given by the UN environment agency to global change-makers using innovative ideas and ambitious action to help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. The prize is annually awarded to 7 entrepreneurs under age 30.

About Vidyut Mohan:  Vidyut Mohan, an engineer, is the co-founder of “Takachar”, a social enterprise enabling farmers to prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by converting them into value-added chemicals like activated carbon on-site.

 

2. Ratan Tata to be honoured with ‘Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace’ award: Veteran industrialist, Ratan Tata will be honoured by the Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce for promoting innovation that supports sustainability and peace in the region, including with the Palestinians. The chairman emeritus of the Tata group will be honoured with ‘Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace’ award during the launch of the Federation of Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce’s international chapter in Dubai on December 21. The opening of the Federation of Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce’s international chapter in Dubai is the first such initiative aiming at tapping business opportunities together in other countries and developing trilateral collaborations.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Senior BJP leader and former Gonda MP Satyadev Singh passes away: One of the senior-most leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former Gonda MP Satya Dev Singh has passed away. He was 75. He contested from Gonda Lok Sabha constituency on the ticket of Bharatiya Lok Dal for the first time in 1977. Later, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Balrampur parliamentary seat as Bharatiya Janata Party MP in 1991 and 1996.  He also served as the National President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha from 1980 to 1985.

Daily GK Updates – 21st Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched ‘Pareshram’ Portal: Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik through a video conference, launched ‘Pareshram’ Portal along with 22 online services of Labour and Employees State Insurance Department. The Portal and the Online Services shall be helpful in “Ease of Doing Business” and contribute significantly to the industrial development of the State. The Portal will provide 52 types of services in the coming days. This technology is the foundation of 5-T initiative and this will help in transformation, hoped that information regarding different Labour Laws will be available and industries, commercial organisations, small entrepreneurs and public will be benefited through this Portal.

Note: Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar; Odisha Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

 

2. Mega leather park with Rs 5,850 cr investment to come up in Kanpur: Mega leather park to come up in Ramaipur village of Kanpur with an investment of Rs 5,850 crores. The park, part of the mega leather cluster project will create 50,000 direct jobs & indirect employment for 1.5 lakh people. Recently, the project has received approval from the Union Commerce Ministry. The mega leather cluster project will attract an investment of about Rs 13,000 crores. With the mega leather cluster at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh will become the first state in the country to establish a leather park. The leather park will be equipped with an effluent treatment plant to keep a check on pollution. For setting up units in the park, industrial plots ranging from 4,000 square metres to 10,000 square metres will be provided to the investors.

Note: Uttar Pradesh Capital: Lucknow; Uttar Pradesh Governor: Anandiben Patel; Uttar Pradesh Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath.

 

3. Nehru Zoological Park Hyderabad gets ISO certifications: Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad, with its standard working procedures, has acquired ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certification from ASCB, UK. The Hyderabad Zoo has become the first zoo in the country to receive ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certificate. This was presented to Telangana Forests Minister A. Indra Karan Reddy. HYM International Certifications, Accredited by ASCB(UK) recently conducted an assessment of the Zoo for ISO 9001:2015 Certifications and expressed satisfaction and happiness in the standards being followed in Nehru Zoological Park in the area of sanitation, food processing, animal breeding, Zoo Hospital, animal care, hygiene maintenance and establishment.

 

4. NHAI chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu gets six months extension: Sukhbir Singh Sandhu has been given six months extension as the chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension in central deputation tenure of Sandhu, chairman, NHAI, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, for a period of six months beyond January 21, 2021, i.e. up to July 21, 2021. Sandhu is a 1988-batch IAS officer of Uttarakhand cadre.

Note: National Highways Authority of India Founded: 1988; National Highways Authority of India Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

5. ISRO sets up dedicated control centre ‘NETRA’ for SSA: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has set up a dedicated Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Control Centre named “NETRA”, at its ISTRAC campus at Peenya, Bengaluru. The ISRO SSA Control Centre ‘NETRA’ was formally inaugurated by ISRO Chairman K Sivan.

What is NETRA: The “NEtwork for space object TRacking and Analysis (NETRA)” will monitor, track and protect India’s space assets. It will function as a hub of all SSA activities within India. It has been set up as a ‘Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management (DSSAM)’ aiming to protect high valued space assets from space debris close approaches and collisions. The state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to SSA activities, will also help to coordinate between Indian agencies, their foreign counterparts and international bodies. The main elements of NETRA would be a radar, an optical telescope facility, and a control centre.

What is Space Situational Awareness (SSA): SSA is the science of tracking objects (man-made and natural) that are in orbit and also predicting what they would be at a given point in time. Only the US, Russia and Europe have similar facility in place to track space objects and share collision warnings.

Note: ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan; ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Boris Johnson invites PM Modi to UK-Led G-7 Summit: United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the UK-hosted G-7 summit 2021. UK Prime Minister Johnson has also accepted the very generous invitation to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations in January. PM Johnson will attend India’s annual Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

 

2. India ranks 131 in Human Development Index 2020: According to the report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India has been dropped two spots to 131 among 189 countries in the 2020 Human Development Index.

According to the report: Norway topped the index, followed by Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Iceland, the report showed. Niger is the lowest ranked country at 189, placed among Low human development category, with a score of 0.394. India(131), Bhutan (129), Bangladesh (133), Nepal (142), and Pakistan (154) were ranked among countries with medium human development. In the BRICS grouping, Russia was 52 in the human development index, Brazil 84, and China 85.

Facts related to India: Between 1990 and 2019, India’s life expectancy at birth increased by 11.8 years, mean years of schooling increased by 3.5 years, and expected years of schooling increased by 4.5 years. India’s GNI per capita increased by about 273.9% between 1990 and 2019. Life expectancy for Indian’s at birth was 69.7 years in 2019, slightly lower than the south Asian average of 69.9 years, but slightly higher than the average of medium human development index groupings in the world at 69.3 years.

Note: UNDP Headquarters: New York, New York, United States; UNDP Head: Achim Steiner; UNDP Founded: 22 November 1965.

 

3. PM Modi holds virtual summit with Sheikh Hasina: The Government of India and Bangladesh held a virtual summit to hold comprehensive discussions on the entire spectrum of the bilateral relationship, including further strengthening cooperation in the post-COVID-19 era. The meeting was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

During the summit: The two leaders jointly inaugurated the Chilahati-Haldibari rail link, which would connect the borders of the two neighbouring countries. The rail route lies between Haldibari in West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh. It is re-opened after a gap of 55 years. The railway line has been defunct after rail links between India and then East Pakistan snapped in 1965. Both the leaders also digitally inaugurated the digital exhibition in the honour of Mahatma Gandhi and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. The Indian side also released a postal stamp to commemorate Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Apart from this, the two sides signed 7 MoUs and agreements in various fields.

Note: Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India pledges USD 1 million to WADA to support Clean Sport: India has pledged a sum of USD 1 million to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), towards its scientific research budget, to ensure an atmosphere of Clean Sport globally. The contribution made by India is the highest among contributions made by other world governments, including China, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This contribution is over and above the annual contribution made to WADA’s core budget by India. The sum will be used by WADA to develop innovative anti-doping testing and detection methods, and further strengthen WADA’s independent Investigations and Intelligence Department. The total contribution of all member nations will be matched by an equal sum by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to create a corpus of USD 10 million.

Note: President of WADA: Sir Craig Reedie; Headquarters: Montreal, Canada; Founded: 10 November 1999.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI imposes Rs 50 lakh fine on Urban Co-operative Bank in Kerala: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 50.00 lakh on The Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd in Kerala. This fine is imposed for non-compliance with directions issued on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms and on Management of Advances-UCBs. Statutory inspection of the bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2019, conducted by RBI, revealed that the bank had not complied with the directions, the central bank said in a statement. A notice was issued to the bank asking why penalty should not be imposed for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI.

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

 

2. SBI General Insurance, IntrCity RailYatri partner to offer ₹5L travel cover: SBI General Insurance partnered with IntrCity RailYatri, to provide travel insurance of ₹5 lakh on tickets for bus commuters opting to travel through IntrCity RailYatri. The travel cover is offered on buying the ticket. Under this partnership, SBI General insurance will provide a wide variety of coverage including accidental death, permanent total disability, and medical evacuation.

Note: SBI General Insurance CEO: PC Kandpal.

IntrCity RailYatri CEO: Manish Rathi.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. ICRA Projects Indian economy to contract 7.8% in FY21: The domestic rating agency, ICRA Ratings expects the technical recession in the country’s economy to end in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal, limiting the contraction in the GDP to 7.8 per cent in the financial year 2021.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Robert Lewandowski and Lucy Bronze win best of 2020 FIFA awards: The Bayern Munich striker, Robert Lewandowski has been named The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2020, beating off competition from last year’s winner Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The 32-year-old Lewandowski, top scorer in Europe and winner of the Champions League with Bayern. Manchester City full-back, Lucy Bronze won the women’s best player award, becoming the first female English player to take the prize. It is the first occasion for both Lewandowski and Bronze to win the award, with the Pole only the second player after Luka Modric in 2018 to break a 13-year Messi-Ronaldo hegemony.

 

2. Kylie Jenner tops Forbes’ list of highest-paid celebrities of 2020: American media personality and reality TV star, Kylie Jenner has been crowned the highest-paid celebrity of 2020 by Forbes. The top-earning stars in the world earned a combined of $6.1 billion in 2020 with Kylie Jenner. Setting aside Kylie’s history with Forbes, the financial experts there calculated her earning this year to be at $590 million after she sold a majority of her beauty brand’s stake to Coty Inc.

Ranked at number 2 on the list by making $170 million was American rapper and record producer Kanye West, who is also coincidentally Kylie’s brother-in-law. In addition to Tyler Perry, Howard Stern, and Dwayne Johnson, A-lister athletes like Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and LeBron James helped round out the top 10. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the entertainment industry, this year’s combined total of USD 6.1 billion was USD 200 million lesser than that of 2019.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran Journalist and first official RSS Spokesperson MG Vaidya passes away: Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue, MG Vaidya has passed away. He was a veteran journalist, a Sanskrit scholar and the first official spokesperson of the RSS. He became a member of the RSS in 1943.