Daily GK Updates – 29th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UP launches P2P trading  platform for rooftop  solar power producers: Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to launch blockchain-enabled solar power trading in India and South Asia in a project led by India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) with Australian technology company Power Ledger. Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) and the subsidiary Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (MVVNL) will host a pilot project involving peer-to-peer (P2P) trading of energy generated from solar rooftop systems installed on buildings in Lucknow. India Smart Grid Forum along with two other organisations will execute the project. The P2P trading platform’s first 12 participants would comprise nine customers with rooftop solar systems (prosumers) and three customers without rooftop solar systems (net buyers).

 

2. Mega leather park with Rs 5,850 cr investment to come up in UP’s Kanpur: A mega leather park will come up in Ramaipur village of Kanpur with an investment of Rs 5,850 crores. With the mega leather cluster at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh will become the first state in the country to establish a leather park. The park which is part of the mega leather cluster project is likely to create 50,000 jobs. The mega leather cluster project will attract an investment of about Rs 13,000 crores. The leather park will be equipped with an effluent treatment plant to keep a check on pollution.

 

3. Rajasthan govt signs MoU with IIT-Madras for tech solution to road safety: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Rajasthan government have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a data-driven system approach to road safety. The objective of this collaboration is to enhance road safety measures, increase capacity and capability across the board in the Government to both increase the survivability of road accident victims and reduce occurrence rate in the State.

 

4. FASTag to Be Mandatory for All Vehicles from January 1: FASTags will be mandatory for vehicles from January 1, 2021, Union minister Nitin Gakdari said. For National Permit vehicles, the fitment of FASTag was mandated since October 1, 2019. A valid FASTag would be made compulsory for getting a new third party insurance. This would come into force from April 1, 2021. FASTags, which facilitate electronic payment of fee at toll plazas, was introduced in 2016. Making the tags compulsory would also help in ensuring that vehicles pass seamlessly through the toll plazas as fee payment would be done electronically.

 

5. ISRO to open Regional Academic Centre for Space at IIT BHU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will establish a Regional Academic Centre for Space at IIT (BHU) to facilitate short and long term projects at the institute. ISRO and the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and the move can help propel the culture of research and development among students. Short-term projects for B-Tech and M-Tech students from the institute and associate institutes will also be included in this sequence. “Long term R&D projects leading to the PhD programme will also be offered.

 

6. A new book titled ‘Covid-19: Sabhyata ka Sankat aur Samadhan’ released: Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s new book titled ‘Covid-19: Sabhyata ka Sankat Aur Samadhan’ (Covid-19: Crisis of Civilisation and Solutions) was launched by former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh. The Hindi book, published by Prabhat Prakashan. The new book discusses how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the common way of life while suggesting solutions to the ongoing crisis triggered by the disease. The book discusses how the pandemic has influenced the education system, business, politics, public safety, foreign policy, law, medicine, economy and development of countries.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Myanmar Navy formally commissions INS Sindhuvir submarine: The Myanmar Navy has officially inducted the submarine INS Sindhuvir, which was handed over by the Indian Navy to the country in October 2020. This is the first submarine in the Myanmar Navy’s arsenal. The submarine has been refurbished for the Myanmar Navy by state-run defence shipbuilder, Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam.

About INS Sindhuvir: INS Sindhuvir was commissioned on 25th December 2020, which marked the 73rd anniversary of the Myanmar Navy. INS Sindhuvir has been renamed as UMS Minye Theinkhathu by the Myanmar Navy. This is the first submarine in the Myanmar Navy’s arsenal. It is a diesel-electric Kilo-class submarine, which was in operation in the Indian Navy since 1988.

Note: President of Myanmar: Win Myint; Myanmar Capital: Naypyitaw; Myanmar Currency: Kyat.

 

2. Florin Citu to be Romania’s next prime minister: Romanian lawmakers have approved a new center-right pro-Western coalition government headed by U.S.-educated banker Florin Citu, a former finance minister who has pledged to overcome the coronavirus crisis and the economic woes it has caused. Some 260 lawmakers in the freshly elected parliament voted in favor of approving Citu’s cabinet, with 186 against. Shortly after the vote, the new cabinet was sworn in by President Klaus Iohannis.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. MS Dhoni named captain of ICC Men’s ODI and T20I Teams of the Decade: The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the ICC Teams of the Decade based on the performances, consistency of players over the period of last 10 years. Former Indian captain and wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been named as the captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Decade. Dhoni has also been named the skipper of the ICC T20I Team of the Decade. Similarly, Virat Kohli has been named the captain of the ICC Test Team of the Decade. Ravi Ashwin is the only other Indian in this list.

 

List of members in the Men’s team:

 

ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Decade:	ICC’s T20I Team of the Decade:	ICC’s Test Team of the Decade:
Rohit Sharma	Rohit Sharma	Alistair Cook
David Warner	Chris Gayle	David Warner
Virat Kohli	Aaron Finch	Kane Williamson
AB de Villiers	Virat Kohli	Virat Kohli (c)
Shakib Al-Hasan	AB de Villiers	Steve Smith
MS Dhoni (capt, wk)	Glenn Maxwell	Kumar Sangakkara(wk)
Ben Stokes	MS Dhoni (capt, wk)	Ben Stokes
Mitchell Starc	Kieron Pollard	Ravichandran Ashwin
Trent Boult	Rashid Khan	Dale Steyn
Imran Tahir	Jasprit Bumrah	Stuart Broad
Lasith Malinga	Lasith Malinga	James Anderson

 

List of members in the Women’s team:

 

ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Decade:	ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Decade:
Alyssa Healy	Alyssa Healy (Wicketkeeper)
Suzie Bates	Sophie Devine
Mithali Raj	Suzie Bates
Meg Lanning (Captain)	Meg Lanning (Captain)
Stafanie Taylor	Harmanpreet Kaur
Sarah Taylor (wk)	Stafanie Taylor
Ellyse Perry	Deandra Dottin
Dane van Niekerk	Ellyse Perry
Marizanne Kapp	Anya Shrubsole
Jhulan Goswami	Megan Schutt
Anisa Mohammed	Poonam Yadav

 

2. BCCI approves 10-team IPL from 2022: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held its 89th Annual General Meeting in Ahmedabad. In the meeting it was decided that 10 teams will compete in Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2022 against present 8 teams. The 2021 season of IPL will be played with the regular 8 teams and bids will be invited for the addition of two new teams from the 2022 season. Apart from this, former cricketer Chetan Sharma has been appointed as the new chairman of selectors for national men’s cricket team by the Cricket Advisory Committee headed by Madan Lal.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Central Bank of India to exit housing finance business; to sell JV stake for Rs 160 crore: State-owned Central Bank of India will exit housing finance joint venture by selling its entire stake of over 64 per cent to Centrum Housing Finance for Rs 160 crore. According to a separate filing by Centrum Capital, the parent of Centrum Housing, the cost of acquisition is about Rs 160 crore on cash basis. Centrum Capital said the deal is expected to be closed in about two to three months.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. SBI Life Insurance acquires 8.99% stake in Paisalo Digital: SBI Life Insurance said it had acquired 8.99 per cent stake in Paisalo Digital. The transaction was for cash consideration of about ₹186.20 crore.  It has purchased 38 lakh equity shares of the company at ₹489.99 apiece, it further said, adding that the purchase was done in the normal course of business.

 

2. India becomes sixth country to manufacture high power electric locos indigenously: The Indian Railways has operationalised its first 12,000 hp electric locomotive manufactured locally by French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom. The locomotive made its maiden commercial run between Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Station to Shivpur. India has become the 6th country in the world to join the club of countries producing high horsepower locomotives indigenously with these powerful e-locos being manufactured within the nation. Two ultramodern maintenance depots in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur and Maharashtra’s Nagpur are also on the way.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. ICC Awards of the Decade 2020 announced: The winners of the prestigious ICC Awards of the Decade were announced on 28th December 2020. The ICC Awards of The Decade recognise the best players across Cricket over the past 10 years. List of Winners:

ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade: MS Dhoni (India)

ICC Men’s Awards:

Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade: Virat Kohli (India)

ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade: Virat Kohli (India)

ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade:  Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade: Steve Smith(Australia)

ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade: Kyle Coetzer (Scotland)

ICC Women’s Award:

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade: Ellyse Perry (Australia)

ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade: Ellyse Perry(Australia)

ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade: Ellyse Perry (Australia)

ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade: Kathryn Bryce (Scotland)

Note: Chairman of ICC: Greg Barclay; CEO of ICC: Manu Sawhney; Headquarters of ICC: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

 

OBITUARIES

 

Congress Leader Madan Lal Sharma Passes Away: Veteran Congress leader and former minister Madan Lal Sharma passed away at a private hospital in Katra. He was 68. He was first elected as MLA in1983 and again in 1987 from Chhamb consitituency on Congress mandat. He became minister in the NC-Congress coalition government in 1988. He was again elected from Akhnoor in 2002 and became a minister in the PDP-Congress government. Sharma was twice elected to the Lok Sabha from Jammu- Poonch seat in 2004 and 2009. However, he lost the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Daily GK Updates – 28th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches E-Sampada web portal: Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri has launched E-Sampada, a new web portal and mobile app on Good Governance Day. The new application provides a single-window for all the services including an allotment for over one lakh government residential accommodations, office space allotment to government organisations in 45 office complexes in 28 cities and booking of 1,176-holiday homerooms.

About E-Sampada Portal: The portal provides online facility to users across India to lodge complaints, submit documents and appear for the virtual hearing. This is a significant step towards the promotion of e-governance to enhance transparency and accountability in providing various estate services like allotment, retention, regularisation and no dues certificate. The real-time information on utilisation of assets and delivery of service will facilitate optimum utilisation of resources. The automated processes will minimize human intervention and will lead to greater transparency.

 

2. Punjab Govt launches mobile app and web portal ‘PR Insight’: Punjab Chief Minister Captain, Amarinder Singh has launched Mobile Application and web portal called ‘PR Insight’, to improve the delivery of citizen-centric services, based upon the feedback of its citizens on government policies. The basic objective of PR Insight is to re-orient the existing schemes and programmes of the state government to the people’s satisfaction after meticulously monitoring their feedback. About “PR Insight”:

(1) PR Insight application has been developed by the Information & Public Relations Department to provide a single repository & dashboard of all the news articles & social media posts of the State.

(2) This single repository of news articles and social media posts are then analysed using advance analytics and sentiment analysis tools to understand citizen feedback on Government policies and perception of Governance by the citizens.

(3) As many as 31 leading Newspaper agencies/portals have been integrated online with PR Insight application & portal and all the State Departments’ news articles are fetched from these newspaper agencies on a real-time basis.

(4) The app will monitor the citizen’s feedback and subsequently ensure responsive and transparent administration in the State.

Note: Chief Minister of Punjab: Capt. Amarinder Singh; Governor: V.P. Singh Badnore.

 

3. India’s first Lithium refinery to be set up in Gujarat: India’s first Lithium refinery is soon going to be set up in Gujarat. Manikaran Power Limited, one of the country’s largest power trading and renewable energy company will invest around Rs 1,000 crore to set up this refinery. The refinery will process Lithium ore to produce battery-grade material. Lithium is a rare element and is usually not found in India. Last year, Manikaran Power had collaborated with Australian firm Neometals to tap the Mount Marion Lithium mine in Western Australia. The proposed project is expected to help Gujarat secure the raw material supply for domestic manufacturing of Lithium batteries as it looks to promote electric vehicles.

 

4. Niti Aayog launches Cloud Storage Service ‘DigiBoxx’: NITI Aayog has launched indigenously developed India’s first Digital Asset Management and Storage platform, called ‘DigiBoxx’. The initiative will give a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, as India now has its own cloud storage platform. This cloud storage and file sharing service will be available for desktop, iOS, and Android users, including both regular users as well as businesses. Digiboxx offers free 20GB cloud storage space, and 100GB space per month at just Rs 30.

Note: Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog: Amitabh Kant; Chairperson of NITI Aayog: PM Narendra Modi.

 

5. Himachal CM unveils 18-feet statue of Vajpayee in Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has unveiled an 18-feet tall statue of late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the occasion of his 96th birth anniversary at the historic Ridge in the state capital. The statue has been built at a cost of Rs 1.08 crore. The Ridge Maidan also houses statues of Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Note: Chief Minister of HP: Jairam Thakur; Governor of HP: Bandaru Dattatraya.

 

6. Devendra Fadnavis releases book ‘Ayodhya’ written by Madhav Bhandari: Maharashtra former Chief Minister and present leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis has released the book ‘Ayodhya’ written by Madhav Bhandari. The book will serve as a key reference document summarising the protests held for the cause of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. The book brings together various references that are related to Ayodhya town in Uttar Pradesh. The invaders had destroyed the Ram temple there and a defeatist mentality was thrust upon Hindus for years to come. The (temple) campaign was undertaken to counter this mentality and awaken the community.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UNICEF launches Covid-19 vaccine market dashboard: UNICEF has launched an interactive tool to help track the developments in the “rapidly evolving” Covid-19 vaccine market as the designated procurement coordinator and procurement agent for COVAX. UNICEF’s Covid-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard is “an interactive tool for countries, partners and industry” which tracks Covid-19 vaccine market developments and “the efforts of the COVAX Facility to ensure fair and equitable access for every country in the world.”.

The dashboard provides a regularly updated overview of the global research and development pipeline, the projected production capacity, publicly announced bilateral and multilateral supply agreements as well as reported price points.

 

2. China’s new space carrier rocket successfully launches five satellites on its maiden flight: China’s new medium-lift carrier rocket Long March-8 made its maiden flight sending five satellites successfully into planned orbit from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan. The five experimental satellites will carry out the in-orbit verification of microwave imaging and other technologies. They will conduct experiments in space science, remote sensing and communication technologies. The Long March-8 rocket which has a total length of 50.3 meters, and a take-off mass of 356 tonnes can carry a payload of at least 4.5 tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. FIFA cancels next year’s U-20, U-17 World Cups: FIFA has cancelled men’s U-20 and U-17 World Cup tournaments in 2021 for the novel coronavirus. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided to cancel the 2021 editions of the men’s FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA U-17 World Cup, and to appoint Indonesia and Peru respectively, who were due to host the tournaments in 2021, as the hosts of the 2023 editions. So Peru will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023. In the same year, the FIFA U-20 World Cup will be held by Indonesia.

Note: President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Founded: 21 May 1904; Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI cancels the Licence of the Subhadra Local Area Bank, Maharashtra: The Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the banking licence issued to Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd., Kolhapur, Maharashtra to carry on banking business in India. The Reserve Bank cancelled the licence of the Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd as it had breached the minimum net worth requirement for two quarters in the financial year 2019-20. The affairs of the Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd. were conducted in a manner detrimental to the interests of its present and future depositors. After this, there are only two Local Area Banks operational in India, i,e.– Coastal Local Area Bank Ltd and Krishna Bhima Samruddhi LAB Ltd.

Note: Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd MD & CEO: Sanjay Agrawal.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Ind-Ra revises India’s GDP contraction to 7.8% for FY21: India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised India’s GDP estimate for the current financial year 2020-21 (FY21) to -7.8 per cent from -11.8 per cent estimated earlier. This lower contraction rate is mainly due to the easing of COVID-19 curbs and better-than-expected recovery in the second quarter. Ind-Ra has also estimated the GDP to grow by 9.6% in 2021-22 (FY22).

 

2. DFC to invest USD 54 million in India to support critical infrastructure projects: The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has announced to invest $54 million in India to support the development of critical infrastructure projects in the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DFC will invest this $54 million in equity for the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) in India. NIIF will use this capital to support economic growth and address critical development challenges in the country. This financing is part of NIIF’s final round of fund-raising for the fund.

About Development Finance Corporation: DFC is the development finance institution of the United States federal government, primarily responsible for providing and facilitating the financing of private development projects in lower- and middle-income countries.

Note: National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Headquarters: Mumbai, India; National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Founded: February 2015; National Investment and Infrastructure Fund MD and CEO: Sujoy Bose.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. HDFC Bank ranks top among 100 BFSI Firms in India: HDFC Bank is the top-ranked company among the 100 Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) companies in the country, as per the BFSI Movers and Shakers 2020 report by Wizikey. HDFC Bank has topped because of its customer service, monetary management, and innovative offerings amid the coronavirus pandemic. ICICI Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) are ranked second and third, respectively. Other top 10 banks in 2020 Wizikey’s BFSI Movers and Shakers report are Yes Bank, PNB, HSBC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bank of Baroda, Deutsche Bank, and IDBI. Other Category Winner:

Wallet and UPI segment: Google Pay.

Neo Banks segment: YONO.

Payments bank category: Airtel Payments Bank.

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

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former England batsman John Edrich passes away: Former English first-class batsman John Edrich has passed away. He was amongst the best players of his generation, during a career that ran from 1956 to 1978. He played 77 test matches for England, and scored more than 5,000 runs, spanning 13 years between 1963 and 1976. He scored a triple-century during a test match in 1965 that is the fifth-highest Test score for England.

 

2. Legendary Urdu poet Shamsur Rahman Faruqi passes away: Legendary Urdu poet and critic, Shamsur Rahman Faruqi has passed away, a month after recovering from COVID-19. He received Saraswati Samman in 1996 for his work ‘She’r-e Shor-Angez’, a four-volume study of the eighteenth-century poet Mir Taqi Mir. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2009.

Daily GK Updates – 27th Dec, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Bank signs $500mn project to develop highways in India: The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $500 million project to build safe and green national highway corridors in the states of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. The project will also enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in mainstreaming safety and green technologies. The $500 million loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development a lending arm of World Bank Group, has a maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of five years. About Green National Highways Corridors Project:

(1) The Green National Highways Corridors Project will support MoRTH construct 783 km of highways in various geographies by integrating safe and green technology designs such as local and marginal materials, industrial byproducts, and other bioengineering solutions.

(2) The project will help reduce GHG emissions in the construction and maintenance of highways.

(3) The ultimate objective of transport infrastructure is to provide seamless connectivity and reduce logistics costs.

(4) The Government of India has launched many investment programs in road sector infrastructure to strengthen and improve logistics performance.

(5) This project will also support analytics to map the freight volume and movement pattern on the National Highway network, identify constraints, and provide innovative logistics solutions.

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

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways:  Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

 

2. Cabinet approves 100% FDI in DTH services:  The Union Cabinet approved revised guidelines for Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcasting services, allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as increasing the licence period to 20 years. Due to our I&B guidelines, this field was not getting the benefit of 100 per cent FDI. After changing the guidelines, the guidelines will have the same guidelines as the Commerce Ministry and will come under 100 per cent FDI. Under the revised guidelines the licenses will be issued for a period of 20 years, compared to 10 years at the moment, and will be renewed for a 10-year period. The license fee has been revised from 10 per cent of gross revenue (GR) to 8 per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which will be calculated by deduction of GST from GR.

Note: Minister of Information and Broadcasting: Prakash Javadekar.

 

3. Cabinet approves the merger of four Govt film media units: The Cabinet approved the merger of four government-run film and media units- the Films Division, the Directorate of Film Festivals, the National Film Archives of India and the autonomous body Children’s Film Society, with the National Film Development Corporation. The merger of Film Media Units under one corporation will lead to convergence of activities and resources and better coordination, thereby ensuring synergy and efficiency in achieving the mandate of each media unit. This will lead to a reduction in duplication of activities and direct savings to the exchequer.

About the Films Division: The Films Division, which was established in 1948 and is the oldest of the four units, was created primarily to produce documentaries and news magazines as publicity for government programmes and to keep a cinematic record of Indian history.

About the National Film Archives of India: The National Film Archives of India was established in 1964 with the primary objective of acquiring and preserving Indian cinematic heritage.

About the Directorate of Film Festivals: The Directorate of Film Festivals was set up in 1973 to promote Indian films and cultural exchange.

About The Children’s Film Society: The Children’s Film Society, which was founded in 1955 with the specific objective of providing children and young people value-based entertainment through the medium of films.

 

4. Karnataka unveils “FRUITS” portal for farmers: Karnataka government has unveiled the Farmer Registration and Unified beneficiary Information System (FRUITS), an e-governance portal, to create a repository of farmland information and farm loan details on a single platform. All farmers will be registered and given an identification number on the portal. The FRUITS Portal is integrated into the BHOOMI Package of the Karnataka State for fetching and validating the land details. One other important facility of this Portal is online creation of charge by which visit of farmers to Sub-Registrar Office is avoided. Canara Bank has agreed to run FRUITS on a pilot basis.

Canara Bank observed that Karnataka State Government has always been in the forefront of technology initiatives to improve the ease of Banking as can be seen from the various initiatives like BHOOMI Package, Debt Waiver Portal and currently, the FRUITS Portal. Using this number, banks and other lending institutions can access the land details of farmers as well as details of their existing borrowings and take a quick decision on lending.

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

 

5. VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually released the book ‘Oh Mizoram’: VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually released the book ‘Oh Mizoram’, written by Governor of Mizoram, Shri P S Sreedharan Pillai. Pillai is a lawyer, an orator, a prolific writer, a philanthropist, and a thinker. He has written 125 books in Malayalam & English. Oh, Mizoram is his first poetry collection in English.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India’s largest hockey stadium to be set up in Odisha: Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik has announced that India’s biggest hockey stadium is being set up in Rourkela city of Odisha. The stadium will be constructed in the Biju Patnaik University of Technology campus, Rourkela.

About the Stadium: It will have a sitting capacity of 20,000 people, spread over 15 acres of land. The stadium will be developed as a benchmark for other hockey stadiums around the world. It must be noted that Odisha will be hosting FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup for a second consecutive time, in 2034, at two venues, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund launches Business Cycle Fund: ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched a open-ended equity scheme Business Cycle Fund, which will invest in equity and equity-related securities, with a focus on riding business cycles through dynamic allocation across sectors and stocks. The New Fund Offer opens on December 29 and closes on January 12. The fund will follow a top down approach right from monitoring macro indicators (global and domestic), identifying business cycle followed by determining suitable sectors, and selecting the stocks within these sectors.

 

2. Indian Army and Bank of Baroda enter into MoU for Baroda Military Salary Package: Indian Army and Bank of Baroda have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU for Baroda Military Salary Package.  The MoU lays down the basis on which banking services would be provided by Bank of Baroda to serving and retired Army personnel. 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 sizeable amounts, as well as Higher Education Cover and Girl Child Marriage Cover on death in case of serving personnel.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. IIFL Home, ICICI Bank join hands for affordable housing, MSME loans: IIFL Finance said its home loan subsidiary IIFL Home Finance Ltd has tied up with ICICI Bank to provide affordable housing and MSME loans. Under the tie-up, IFL Home will originate and service customers through the entire loan life-cycle including sourcing, documentation, collection and loan servicing and in turn, ICICI Bank will provide funding to these customers.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. NTPC wins the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2020: Country’s largest power producer, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has been conferred “Excellence” in the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2020 in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Domain. NTPC has been honoured in the Corporate Excellence Category, Commendation for Significant Achievement. This is the highest award conferred by CII-ITC in CSR domain. NTPC is the only PSU to receive the award in the Corporate Excellence category. NTPC wins the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Awards in Corporate Excellence category second time in a row i.e. in the year 2019 and 2020.

Note: NTPC MD & CEO: Gurdeep Singh; NTPC Founded: 1975; NTPC Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Kabul’s Deputy Governor killed in a blast in Afghanistan: A bomb attack in Afghanistan’s capital city killed the deputy governor of Kabul, adding a sticky bomb was attached to his car by unknown assailants. Mahboobullah Mohebi, the deputy governor was travelling with his security guards when the blast occurred. Two guards were injured in the blast. No militant group has made an immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

 

2. Former Liverpool, France coach Gerard Houllier passes away: Former Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and France coach Gerard Houllier has passed away. He was 73. Houllier, who had a long association with the national team as a youth coach, an assistant and head coach between 1992 and 1993.He resigned after failing to take the team to the 1994 World Cup in the United States. He rebuilt his reputation at Liverpool, however, joining as co-manager with Roy Evans in 1998 before assuming full responsibility and leading the team to a treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001. He also had success back in France with Lyon, leading them to back-to-back Ligue 1 titles.He returned to management after taking a break in 2010.

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.