Daily GK Updates – 26th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Dharmendra Pradhan dedicates Bengal’s 1st oil and gas reserve ‘Bengal Basin’: Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan has dedicated West Bengal’s first oil and gas reserve, ‘Bengal Basin’, to the nation. The Bengal Basin is explored and owned by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). It is the eight producing basins of India by ONGC. The others are Krishna-Godavari (KG), Mumbai Offshore, Assam Shelf, Rajasthan, Cauvery, Assam-Arakan Fold Belt and Cambay. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited commenced the production of crude oil from the Asokenagar-1 well, Bengal Basin in 24 Paragana district of the state on 20 December 2020.

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

 

2. 12th GRIHA Summit of TERI Concludes: The 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit was held virtually. It was inaugurated by Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu virtually. The Summit provides a platform to deliberate on innovative technologies and solutions to help in creating robust mechanisms for developing sustainable and resilient solutions for the benefit of the entire community. The theme of the Summit was “Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats”. It is the annual flagship event organized by GRIHA Council in association with ‘key stakeholders in the construction industry’ to discuss and deliberate on the furtherance of Sustainable Habitat Development in India.

GRIHA Council: It is an independent, not-for-profit society jointly setup by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India to promote and administer green buildings in India. Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is the national rating system of India for any completed building construction. It has been being recognised as India’s own green building rating system in India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

 

3. ADB announces Rs 2100 crore loan to Tripura: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced to provide Rs 2,100 crore loan to the Tripura government for the development of urban areas and tourism in the northeastern state. From the total fund of Rs 2,100 crore, Rs 1600 crore will be for urban development and Rs 500 crore for the tourism sector.

About the Project: Under this, all 20 urban local bodies in Tripura would be covered and in the tourism sector, all tourism destinations, roads leading to them and tourist facilities would be covered. Under the loan arrangement, initially ADB would provide Rs 40 crore for engagement of project design and management consultants for urban and tourism sectors. Once the projects are prepared, ADB would provide Rs 1,600 crore for development works in urban areas and Rs 500 crore in the tourism sector over the next three years.

Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines; ADB Established: 9 December 1966.

 

4. UN Women and Kerala govt tie-up for India’s 1st Gender Data Hub: The UN Women and Kerala government have collaborated to establish India’s first Gender Data Hub. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Three key areas of co-operation, as specified in the MoU, will be setting up the Gender Data Centre at The Gender Park, launching the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality, and increasing engagement on the global normative frameworks on gender equality and empowerment of women.

About Gender Data Hub: The Gender Hub builds on the goals established through the International Conference on Gender Equality held in November 2015, to collect, analyse and use more nuanced data and inform policy formulation in a manner that centre-stage women’s rights. This collaboration will broaden and deepen various pioneering initiatives for gender equality and women empowerment launched by the Social Justice Department of Kerala through The Gender Park.

Note: Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan; Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

 

5. Vineet Agarwal takes over as new Assocham President: Managing Director of logistics major Transport Corporation of India Limited, Vineet Agarwal has taken over as the new President of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). He replaces Niranjan Hiranandani, Co-Founder and MD, Hiranandani Group of Companies. Sumant Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director of ReNew Power, is the new Senior Vice-President of Assocham.

Note: Assocham Headquarters: New Delhi; Assocham Founded: 1920.

 

6. Satyendra Garg assumes Andaman and Nicobar DGP charge: Senior IPS officer, Satyendra Garg has assumed Andaman and Nicobar DGP charge. Garg, a 1987-batch IPS officer was posted as joint secretary in the Union home ministry. He was handing the North East division in the home ministry as a joint secretary before being repatriated to his cadre. Among other top-level reshuffle IPS officer, Ranvir Singh Krishna is named the police chief of Puducherry. He will replace 1988-batch IPS officer Balaji Srivastava who will assume charge in Delhi. Srivastav has been transferred to the Delhi Police.

Note: Andaman and Nicobar Island (Lieutenant Governor): D K Joshi.

 

7. Amit Shah to lead panel on Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary event: The Union Government has decided to constitute a High-Level Committee (HLC) to commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The High-Level Committee will be headed by the Union Home Minister,  Amit Shah. This HLC will decide on the activities for a one-year-long commemoration beginning 23 January 2021, as a tribute and mark of gratitude to the contribution made by Netaji in India’s freedom struggle. The other members of the High-Level Commemoration Committee will include experts, historians, authors, family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as eminent persons associated with Azad Hind Fauj/INA.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Yo Mahesh, former Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings pacer, retires from all forms of cricket: Former Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seamer Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Vijay, now 36 and a veteran of 61 Tests, 17 ODIs and nine T20Is, played three matches for the Chennai Super Kings in the latest edition of the IPL, but without a noteworthy performance. He is vastly experienced in the format, having turned out in 169 T20 matches over the years, scoring 4223 runs at an average of 26.22 and strike rate of 122.19, with three centuries. The right-arm medium-fast bowler ends his career with 108 wickets in 50 first-class matches. He also scalped 93 wickets.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Bank launches online portal ‘Infinite India’: ICICI Bank has launched an online platform ‘Infinite India’ to support foreign companies to establish or expand business in India. The one-stop portal will offer banking solutions as well as value-added services such as the incorporation of a business entity, corporate filings, licences and registrations, HR services, compliances and taxation among others. Through this initiative, ICICI bank aims to strengthen its position in the multinational corporations (MNC) segment. The initiative is part of our strategy to further strengthen our technology-enabled offerings aimed to partner with foreign companies coming to India.

Note: ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka.

 

2. BoB signs MoU with defence forces named “Baroda Military Salary package”: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard under which the bank would offer customised services along with a host of facilities to account holders. The bank has also renewed its existing MoU with the Indian Army to offer specially customised banking services through ”Baroda Military Salary Package”.

About “Baroda Military Salary Package”: Services under ”Baroda Military Salary Package will be offered to serving and retired personnel of Indian Armed Forces through the Bank”s network of over 8,200 domestic branches and around 20,000 business correspondent touchpoints. The package offers very attractive benefits including free Personal Accidental Insurance cover, Permanent Total Disability cover, Partial disability Cover and Air Accident Insurance Cover of sizable amounts, as well as Higher Education Cover and Girl Child Marriage Cover on death in case of serving personnel. Other offerings under the package include unlimited free ATM transactions at all bank ATMs, waivers or concessions on various service charges in retail loans, free remittance facility through RTGS/NEFT, free Demand Draft/Banker”s Cheque, substantial discount in locker rentals, and various additional benefits in the usage of Cards.

Note: Bank Of Baroda Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat, India; Bank Of Baroda Chairman: Hasmukh Adhia; Bank Of Baroda MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. NCAER projects India’s GDP to contract 7.3% in FY21: The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected the Indian economy to contract 7.3 per cent in FY21, compared to -12.6% forecast in September 2020. The Delhi based economic think tank released its mid-year review of the Indian economy virtually on 21 December 2020.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay-NIF book prize announced: The winners of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation Book Prize 2020 for the best non-fiction book on contemporary/ modern India were announced. The Prize was given jointly to Amit Ahuja for his Mobilizing the Marginalized: Ethnic Parties without Ethnic Movements (Oxford University Press) and to former Union minister Jairam Ramesh for his A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives of VK Krishna Menon (Penguin Random House), a biography of politician and diplomat VK Krishna Menon. The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, that will be shared by the two authors.

 

2. Srinagar’s Amar Singh College recognised with UNESCO Award: Srinagar based Amar Singh College has been recognized with the ‘Award of Merit’ in the 2020 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The restoration of the Amar Singh College brought back one of the most prominent institutional buildings in Kashmir to its former glory. The college building is 80 years old and INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) chapter in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir had carried out the conservation work at the Amar Singh College.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran politician Radhika Ranjan Pramanik passes away: Veteran politician and five-time MP Radhika Ranjan Pramanik died of age-related ailments. He was 88. He was elected to Lok Sabha five times from Mathurapur on a CPI(M) ticket, beginning 1989. Before that he represented Magrahat (East) assembly constituency. Pramanik left the CPI(M) to join the TMC during the later phase of his political career.

 

2. Noted Marathi musician Narendra Bhide passes away: Marathi music composer Narendra Bhide who is known for his passion for music passed away due to heart attack. He was 47. He is known for giving music to many Marathi films, dramas, and serials. He also worked as an actor in the 2018 film Mulshi Pattern. He was also the director at the Pune-based studio Dawn Infotainment. Some of his noteworthy work is included in films such as A Paying Ghost, Deool Band, Bioscope, Harishchandrachi Factory, Sane Guruji, and Pushpak Vimaan. Bhide contributed to the entertainment industry through his music in films, serials, plays and jingles. Bhide bagged many prestigious awards such as the State Drama Award and Zee Gaurav Puraskar for his plethora of work.He has also been honored with the Sahyadri Cine Award, V Shantaram Award, Shrikant Thackeray Award, M.A. Ta. Honors, State Film Awards, among others.

Daily GK Updates – 25th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Bank approves several projects to support development in India: The World Bank has approved 4 India projects worth over $800 million. The projects will support a range of development initiatives that supports the efforts of India to rebuild itself by creating a sustainable and resilient economy. The projects that have been approved are:

$400 Million Second Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program: The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $400 million Second Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program. The project supports and protects India’s efforts to provide social assistance to poor and vulnerable households, severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the 2nd operation in a programmatic series of 2. The 1st operation of $750 million was approved in May 2020. The Program builds on the outcomes achieved by the 1st operation.

CHIRAAG project: Amount sanctioned: USD 100 million; CHIRAAG aims at promoting nutrition-supportive agriculture for tribal households in Chhattisgarh; It will develop sustainable production systems that allow tribal households in remote areas of Chhattisgarh to practice round-the-year production of diversified and nutritious food. It will be implemented in the southern tribal-majority region of the state where a large population is undernourished and poor. The project will benefit over 180,000 households from about 1,000 villages in eight districts of Chhattisgarh.

Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project: Amount approved: USD 68 million. It will improve classroom instruction; create opportunities for the professional development of teachers, and build technology systems to provide students and teachers with more access to blended and online learning as well as allow better monitoring of policies and programs. It will enhance overall quality education in the state

Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2): Financial aid approved: USD 250 million. DRIP-2 will improve the safety and performance of existing dams across various states of India, and strengthen dam safety by building dam safety guidelines; bring in global experience; and introduce newer technologies.

Note: World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, United States; World Bank President: David Malpass; World Bank Founded: 1944.

 

2. India’s first Maritime Theatre Command to take shape next year: The country’s first Maritime Theatre Command (MTC) is set to take concrete shape by next year, with its commander-in-chief having full operational control over western and eastern naval fleets, maritime strike fighter jets and transport aircraft, two amphibious infantry brigades and coastal patrol vessels.  The MTC will be the first new “geographical” theatre command to be created as part of the biggest-ever military restructuring plan. Maritime theatre command’s HQ to be at Karwar. The Maritime Theatre Command to be created as part of the biggest-ever military restructuring plan to build an integrated land-airsea war-fighting machinery for greater combat punch in a more cost-effective manner.

 

3. UP Chief Minister approves name, design of Noida’s Jewar Airport: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the design, name and logo of the international airport to be constructed in Noida’s Jewar. It will be named Noida International Greenfield Airport while a picture of stork-the state bird will used in its logo. It will be designed on the lines of world-famous airports in London, Moscow and Milan. This airport will become the pride of India and will be one of the best in the world.

 

4. Centre approves Rs 90.60 Cr for new ICP in Tripura’s Sabroom: The Centre has approved of Rs 90.60 crore for land acquisition for the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Sabroom subdivision of south Tripura. The estimated cost of the proposed ICP at Sabroom is around Rs 300 crore which will have separate passenger and cargo terminals with state-of-the-art facilities. The ICP will have a common boundary with the Sabroom railway goods yard for seamless transportation of goods from both ends.

 

5. AICTE to release Rs 20,000 maintenance grants to students enrolled under PMSSS: An Expert Group was constituted by the Prime Minister for enhancing employment opportunity among youths of J&K and Ladakh and formulate job opportunities in public and private sectors.  Subsequently, Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) is being implemented by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi. In order to support & empower students for completing online studies, it has been decided to release the installment of Rs. 20,000. The amount shall be released to all the beneficiaries pursuing classes in Odd Semester (July-December 20). The subsequent installment shall be released once the students shall join physically at their respective institutions based on the verification of continuation certificate issued by the Institution.

 

6. Good Governance Day: 25th December: In India, Good Governance Day (Sushasan Divas) is observed annually on 25th December. In this day nation celebrates the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Prime Minister Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the Indian people of accountability in government. In keeping with this principle, the Good Governance Day has been declared to be a working day for the government.

About Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India for three times. His first term was for only 13 days in 1996. He served his second term for a period of thirteen months from March 1998 to April 1999 and then a full term from 1999 to 2004. His first entry into parliament was in 1962 through the Rajya Sabha. He was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times. In 2015, Mr Vajpayee was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Russia launches 36 UK telecom satellites into space: Bharti Global and UK government said their joint venture OneWeb, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications operator launched 36 satellites from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia. The launch was the first and only one to take place from the cosmodrome this year. This takes the total in-orbit constellation to 110 satellites, part of OneWeb’s 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity. OneWeb plans for its global commercial internet service to be operational by 2022, supported by some 650 satellites.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Novak Djokovic clinches 2020 ATP Player of the Year 2020 Award for record equalling 6th time: The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) 2020 Awards were announced to felicitate the players and others for their performance during 2019-20 season. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) has been awarded with the ATP Player of the Year 2020 award, as he finished the year as No. 1 in the ATP Singles Rankings. This is the record sixth time for Djokovic to win the title. This record was till now achieved only by Pete Sampras, who won the title continuously from 1993-98. Complete list of Winners:

Player of the Year – Novak Djokovic

Doubles Team of the Year – Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares

Coach of the Year – Fernando Vicente (coached Andrey Rublev)

Tim Gullikson Career Coach Award – Bob Brett (Australia)

Most Improved Player – Andrey Rublev (Russia)

Newcomer of the Year – Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)

Comeback Player of the Year – Vasek Pospisil (Canada)

ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite – Roger Federer (Switzerland)

ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite Team – Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award – Rafael Nadal (Spain)

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year – Frances Tiafoe (US)

Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award – Kevin Mitchell (A sportswriter for The Guardian)

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Yes Bank partners VISA, introduces new line of E-series debit cards: In partnership with VISA as a payment processor, YES BANK has launched a new line of debit cards – E-series. It will enhance payments efficiency for salaried and YES FIRST account holders. The Bank has also introduced a new line of vertical Debit cards under the E-series across Mastercard and VISA cards. With the new design, the card number and CVV details have been discreetly placed at the back, thereby improving security by making it less easy to capture these details while using it at ATMs or POS terminals. The E-series also offers a measure of choice to consumers to become eligible for a higher card variant, for a fee.

 

2. PayU ties up with Google Pay to introduce tokenised payments: PayU with Google Pay has introduced tokenised payments flow for Indian merchants. With the digital token linked to the phone and card information tokenised, Google Pay users can make repeat payments seamlessly and securely. Through the option of one-click payment, one doesn’t need to re-enter the payment data, as the OTP is read automatically and the payment is processed instantaneously.

What are tokenised payments? Tokenised payments offer a highly convenient, safe, and friction-free payment experience, and we are excited to partner with Google Pay to make this available for our merchants. It will help them build lasting trust and loyalty with customers, reduce risks of cart abandonment and payment failures, and scale up their businesses.

Note: CEO of Google: Sundar Pichai; Headquarters: California, United States.

PayU Founded: 2006; PayU CEO: Laurent le Moal.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. FADA, ASDC join hands with Google India to bridge digital skills gap in auto dealerships: The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said it along with Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) has tied up with Google India to bridge the digital skills gap in the country’s auto dealerships and build their capacity in this critical growth driver. ASDC and FADA in partnership Google India aims to prepare over 20,000 auto dealerships to engage with customers in the ongoing and post pandemic era.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Donald Trump Honours PM Modi with Top US Honour ‘Legion Of Merit’: US President Donald Trump has presented America’s highest military decoration, ‘The Legion of Merit’, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The prestigious Legion of Merit was given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership in elevating strategic partnership of the two countries. The award was accepted by India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu on behalf of the prime minister from the US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien at the White House on 21 December 2020.

 

2. Musician Shankar Mahadevan, Designer Raghavendra Rathore Winners Of UK’s Icon Awards: Musician Shankar Mahadevan and fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore have been named among 15 winners of the annual 21st Century Icon Awards, unveiled virtually from London. Mahadevan, awarded the 2020 Magnificent Performing Arts Award and Rathore, the recipient of the Exquisite Art & Fashion Award. Among some of the other 2020 winners included the Dedicated Stalwart Award for Mohit Burman, Vice-Chairman of Dabur India Ltd, and Competitive Sports Awards for Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle and Argentinian polo player Adolfo Cambiaso.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Renowned Malayalam poet Sugathakumari passes away: Renowned poet and activist, Sugathakumari passed away, after testing positive for the coronavirus. She was one of the most active campaigners of the Save Silent Valley Movement when it took shape in the 1970s. She wrote a poem Marathinu Sthuti (Hymn to a Tree), which was recited at every other protest to save the Silent Valley. Sugathakumari was awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 2006.

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.