Daily GK Updates – 2nd Jan, 2021

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi lays foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs): Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs) at six sites across six States through video conference on 1st January 2021. The LHPs will be implemented at Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).

About LightHouse projects: The project is being constructed under the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)-India. It has been conceptualised by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. GHTC-India envisages providing an ecosystem for the adoption of innovative technologies in the housing construction sector in a holistic manner. Under the programme, over 1,000 houses would be built in each of the six cities in 12 months along with allied infrastructure facilities. The houses are called lighthouse projects in technical language. Houses being built under the Light House Projects (LHPs) will take less time to build and will be resilient, affordable and comfortable as they use the best of new-age alternative global technologies, materials and processes in the construction sector.

 

2. GoI extends Deadline to file Income Tax Returns to January 10, 2021: The Central government has further extended the deadline to file an income tax return (ITR) for FY 2019-20 by 10 days, up to January 10, 2021. Earlier this deadline was December 31, 2020. This extension of the deadline is for those individuals whose accounts are not required to be audited and who usually file their income tax return using ITR-1 or ITR-4 forms, as applicable. This is the third extension of the deadline to file a tax return. The first extension was given from the normal deadline of July 31 to November 30, 2020, and then to December 31, 2020.

Note: Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.

Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Anurag Singh Thakur.

 

3. Umesh Sinha named deputy election commissioner: Umesh Sinha has been named as the deputy election commissioner in the Election Commission of India. Sinha, a 1986-batch IAS officer (retired) is at present serving as secretary-general in the commission. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared the extension in the term of reemployment of Sinha as deputy election commissioner on contract basis for a period of six months beyond December 31, 2020. His term will end on June 30, 2021. At present Sinha is also part of a committee set up by the Election Commission to look into the issue of revising the election expenditure of candidates during campaigning.

Note: Chief Election Commissioner of India: Sunil Arora; Chief Election Commissioner Formed: 25 January 1950; Chief Election Commissioner Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

4. Indian Railways’ new Vistadome coach successfully completes 180 kmph speed trial: Indian Railways successfully completed the 180 km per hour speed trial of its new design Vistadome tourist coaches. These Vistadome coaches will make train journeys memorable for the passengers, as well as give a further boost to tourism.

About Vistadome tourist coaches: The luxurious tourist’s coaches have been manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The European-style coaches are made with see-through glass rooftops and wide windows for the indulgent sightseeing experience. Currently, 13 Vistadome coaches are being operated on select routes including the Nilgiri Mountain Railway line, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway, Kangra Valley Railway, Matheran Hill Railway, between Dadar in Mumbai and Madgoan in Araku Valley as well as in the Kashmir Valley.

Note: Indian Railway Founded: 16 April 1853; Indian Railway Headquarters: New Delhi; Union Minister of Indian Railways: Piyush Goyal.

 

5. ISRO Chairman K Sivan gets one year extension up to 2022: The Central Government has approved the extension of the term of ISRO Chairman K Sivan, for a period of one year. He was due to retire on January 14, 2021. Sivan will now continue as ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space up to January 14, 2022. He joined ISRO in 1982, has been the chairman of the space agency since January 2018.

ISRO chief has imminent knowledge in Aerospace engineering, Space Transportation Systems Engineering, Launch vehicles, mission simulation software design and many other operations related to Space programs. He is also the main architect of 6D trajectory simulation software, SITARA which is the foundation of both the real-time and non-real-time trajectory simulations of all vehicles developed in the space agency.

Note: ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan; ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka; ISRO established: 15 August 1969.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. WHO clears Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use: The World Health Organization says it has cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. This means poorer countries may soon get access to the shot already available in Europe and North America. Every country that has a drug regulatory body will have to issue its own approval for any COVID-19 vaccine, but countries with weak systems usually rely on WHO to vet the shots. The global body said that the decision to issue its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine opens the door for countries to expedite their own regulatory approval processes to import and administer the vaccine. The UN health agency said its review found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has already received clearance in the United States, Britain, the European Union and a dozen other countries, met the must-have criteria for safety and efficacy set out by WHO.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Cashaa, United Multistate Cooperative Society launch crypto bank ‘Unicas’: Fintech firm Cashaa and United Multistate Credit Cooperative Society launched a crypto bank that allows users to transact in cryptocurrency and fiat from one account. The partnership will enable Cashaa to access United’s regulatory licenses, its physical branches, and overall banking infrastructure. The bank named as Unicas is initially opening its services online and through 14 branches across NCR, Rajasthan, and Gujarat by January 2021, and plans to expand to 100 branches by the end of 2022.

 

2. Suryoday Small Finance Bank Gets SEBI Nod to Float IPO: Markets regulator Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) has granted the go-ahead to small lender Suryoday Small Finance Bank to float its Initial Public Offering (IPO). This IPO comprises fresh issuance of 1,15,95,000 equity shares and an offer for sale of up to 84,66,796 equity scrips by existing shareholders, according to the draft papers filed with the regulator. Those offering shares through the Offer for sale (OFS) route include International Financial Corporation (IFC), Gaja Capital, HDFC Holdings, IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company, DWM (International) Mauritius Ltd and Americorp Ventures.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Businesses with monthly turnover of over Rs 50 lakh to pay at least 1% GST liability in cash: Businesses with monthly turnover of over Rs 50 lakh wil have to mandatorily pay at least 1% of their Goods and Services Tax liability in cash, the Finance Ministry said as it moved to curb evasion by fake invoicing. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has introduced Rule 86B in Goods and Services Tax rules which restricts use of input tax credit for discharging GST liability to 99%. While calculating the turnover threshold, sales from GST exempt goods and zero rates supply would not be included. However, this restriction will not apply where the managing director or any partner have paid more than Rs 1 lakh as income tax or the registered person has received a refund amount of more than Rs 1 lakh in the preceding financial year on account of unutilised input tax credit.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2020: Harmony Foundation hosted the Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice. The Awards in its 16th year is the only award endorsed by Sister Prema, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, the organization started by Mother Teresa. The theme for this year’s awards was, ‘Celebrating Compassion In Times Of Covid ‘. Awardees this year included:

(1) Dr Anthony Fauci (USA) is the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, USA. He and his task force were among the first ones to realize the seriousness of this pandemic.

(2) Father Fabio Stevenazzi (Milan, Italy), decided to return to medical practice in order to help those infected with COVID 19 has thrust him to be the modern-day example of St Charles Borromeo who in 1576 during the Great Plague that hit the city of Milan and cut the population by half, stayed behind to nurse the sick and renovate hospitals.

(3) Dr Pradeep Kumar (Chennai) took it upon himself to give a befitting burial to his colleague with the help of two ward boys, at a cemetery in the city in the middle of the night.

(4) IPS Sanjay Pandey (DG Home Guards, Maharashtra) went beyond the call of duty as a police officer to open the first relief camp in the Mumbai city suburbs for migrant workers whose livelihood were disrupted by the lockdown to contain the pandemic.

(5) Vikas Khanna (Manhattan, USA) heart still moves to serve the lonely and underprivileged here in India.

(6) KK Shailaja (Minister of Health, Kerala), her extraordinary efforts and pro-activeness in dealing with the pandemic by following experts and scientific advice helped countless Keralites survive the terrors of this pandemic, serving as an example for governments of other states countries to follow.

About Harmony Foundation: Harmony Foundation is an international NGO that works in the realm of Social Justice. It was founded in October of 2005, with its raison d’etre, being the establishment, and strengthening, of social cohesion among various communities, and to work towards the benefit of all, without discriminating against any religion, creed, sex, or their origins. Instituted in 2005, these Awards, celebrate and commemorate the memory and legacy of Mother Teresa, canonized a Saint by Pope Francis in the Vatican.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Cabinet approves export of indigenously-developed Akash Missile System: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to export indigenously-developed Akash Missile System. The Cabinet has also approved to set up of a committee for faster approvals of exports. The export version of Akash will be different from System currently deployed with Indian Armed Forces.

About the Akash Missile: Akash is a short-range Surface to Air Missile with a range of 25 Kms to protect vulnerable areas and vulnerable points from air attacks. It was inducted in IAF in 2014 and in the Indian Army in 2015.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Legendary Music Director Shantanu Mohapatra passes away: Legendary Odia musician, Shantanu Mohapatra passed away. He was the first Odia music composer to work with legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey and Md Rafi and also the first to work in Hindi, Bengali, Assamese and Telugu film industries. Mohapatra has composed music for hundreds of Odia film songs and Jatra (opera) shows in a career that spanned over three decades. Mohapatra, who retired as the Director of Odisha Mining Corporation, received several awards including the Odisha Film Critic Award for his contribution to Odia music.

 

2. Former Union Minister and MP Kadambur Janarthanan passes away: Former Union Minister and senior AIADMK leader Kadambur M. R. Janardhanan has passed away following age-related ailments. He was 91. Janardhanan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tirunelveli constituency for four terms 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1998. He had also served as Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension with additional charge of Minister of State for Finance in the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee between 1998 and 1999.

Daily GK Updates – 1st Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi lays foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs): Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs) at six sites across six States through video conference on 1st January 2021. The LHPs will be implemented at Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).

About LightHouse projects: The project is being constructed under the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)-India. It has been conceptualised by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. GHTC-India envisages providing an ecosystem for the adoption of innovative technologies in the housing construction sector in a holistic manner. Under the programme, over 1,000 houses would be built in each of the six cities in 12 months along with allied infrastructure facilities. The houses are called lighthouse projects in technical language. Houses being built under the Light House Projects (LHPs) will take less time to build and will be resilient, affordable and comfortable as they use the best of new-age alternative global technologies, materials and processes in the construction sector.

 

2. GoI extends Deadline to file Income Tax Returns to January 10, 2021: The Central government has further extended the deadline to file an income tax return (ITR) for FY 2019-20 by 10 days, up to January 10, 2021. Earlier this deadline was December 31, 2020. This extension of the deadline is for those individuals whose accounts are not required to be audited and who usually file their income tax return using ITR-1 or ITR-4 forms, as applicable. This is the third extension of the deadline to file a tax return. The first extension was given from the normal deadline of July 31 to November 30, 2020, and then to December 31, 2020.

Note: Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.

Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Anurag Singh Thakur.

 

3. Umesh Sinha named deputy election commissioner: Umesh Sinha has been named as the deputy election commissioner in the Election Commission of India. Sinha, a 1986-batch IAS officer (retired) is at present serving as secretary-general in the commission. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared the extension in the term of reemployment of Sinha as deputy election commissioner on contract basis for a period of six months beyond December 31, 2020. His term will end on June 30, 2021. At present Sinha is also part of a committee set up by the Election Commission to look into the issue of revising the election expenditure of candidates during campaigning.

Note: Chief Election Commissioner of India: Sunil Arora; Chief Election Commissioner Formed: 25 January 1950; Chief Election Commissioner Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

4. Indian Railways’ new Vistadome coach successfully completes 180 kmph speed trial: Indian Railways successfully completed the 180 km per hour speed trial of its new design Vistadome tourist coaches. These Vistadome coaches will make train journeys memorable for the passengers, as well as give a further boost to tourism.

About Vistadome tourist coaches: The luxurious tourist’s coaches have been manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The European-style coaches are made with see-through glass rooftops and wide windows for the indulgent sightseeing experience. Currently, 13 Vistadome coaches are being operated on select routes including the Nilgiri Mountain Railway line, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway, Kangra Valley Railway, Matheran Hill Railway, between Dadar in Mumbai and Madgoan in Araku Valley as well as in the Kashmir Valley.

Note: Indian Railway Founded: 16 April 1853; Indian Railway Headquarters: New Delhi; Union Minister of Indian Railways: Piyush Goyal.

 

5. ISRO Chairman K Sivan gets one year extension up to 2022: The Central Government has approved the extension of the term of ISRO Chairman K Sivan, for a period of one year. He was due to retire on January 14, 2021. Sivan will now continue as ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space up to January 14, 2022. He joined ISRO in 1982, has been the chairman of the space agency since January 2018.

ISRO chief has imminent knowledge in Aerospace engineering, Space Transportation Systems Engineering, Launch vehicles, mission simulation software design and many other operations related to Space programs. He is also the main architect of 6D trajectory simulation software, SITARA which is the foundation of both the real-time and non-real-time trajectory simulations of all vehicles developed in the space agency.

Note: ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan; ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka; ISRO established: 15 August 1969.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. WHO clears Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use: The World Health Organization says it has cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. This means poorer countries may soon get access to the shot already available in Europe and North America. Every country that has a drug regulatory body will have to issue its own approval for any COVID-19 vaccine, but countries with weak systems usually rely on WHO to vet the shots. The global body said that the decision to issue its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine opens the door for countries to expedite their own regulatory approval processes to import and administer the vaccine. The UN health agency said its review found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has already received clearance in the United States, Britain, the European Union and a dozen other countries, met the must-have criteria for safety and efficacy set out by WHO.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Cashaa, United Multistate Cooperative Society launch crypto bank ‘Unicas’: Fintech firm Cashaa and United Multistate Credit Cooperative Society launched a crypto bank that allows users to transact in cryptocurrency and fiat from one account. The partnership will enable Cashaa to access United’s regulatory licenses, its physical branches, and overall banking infrastructure. The bank named as Unicas is initially opening its services online and through 14 branches across NCR, Rajasthan, and Gujarat by January 2021, and plans to expand to 100 branches by the end of 2022.

 

2. Suryoday Small Finance Bank Gets SEBI Nod to Float IPO: Markets regulator Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) has granted the go-ahead to small lender Suryoday Small Finance Bank to float its Initial Public Offering (IPO). This IPO comprises fresh issuance of 1,15,95,000 equity shares and an offer for sale of up to 84,66,796 equity scrips by existing shareholders, according to the draft papers filed with the regulator. Those offering shares through the Offer for sale (OFS) route include International Financial Corporation (IFC), Gaja Capital, HDFC Holdings, IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company, DWM (International) Mauritius Ltd and Americorp Ventures.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Businesses with monthly turnover of over Rs 50 lakh to pay at least 1% GST liability in cash: Businesses with monthly turnover of over Rs 50 lakh wil have to mandatorily pay at least 1% of their Goods and Services Tax liability in cash, the Finance Ministry said as it moved to curb evasion by fake invoicing. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has introduced Rule 86B in Goods and Services Tax rules which restricts use of input tax credit for discharging GST liability to 99%. While calculating the turnover threshold, sales from GST exempt goods and zero rates supply would not be included. However, this restriction will not apply where the managing director or any partner have paid more than Rs 1 lakh as income tax or the registered person has received a refund amount of more than Rs 1 lakh in the preceding financial year on account of unutilised input tax credit.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2020: Harmony Foundation hosted the Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice. The Awards in its 16th year is the only award endorsed by Sister Prema, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, the organization started by Mother Teresa. The theme for this year’s awards was, ‘Celebrating Compassion In Times Of Covid ‘. Awardees this year included:

(1) Dr Anthony Fauci (USA) is the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, USA. He and his task force were among the first ones to realize the seriousness of this pandemic.

(2) Father Fabio Stevenazzi (Milan, Italy), decided to return to medical practice in order to help those infected with COVID 19 has thrust him to be the modern-day example of St Charles Borromeo who in 1576 during the Great Plague that hit the city of Milan and cut the population by half, stayed behind to nurse the sick and renovate hospitals.

(3) Dr Pradeep Kumar (Chennai) took it upon himself to give a befitting burial to his colleague with the help of two ward boys, at a cemetery in the city in the middle of the night.

(4) IPS Sanjay Pandey (DG Home Guards, Maharashtra) went beyond the call of duty as a police officer to open the first relief camp in the Mumbai city suburbs for migrant workers whose livelihood were disrupted by the lockdown to contain the pandemic.

(5) Vikas Khanna (Manhattan, USA) heart still moves to serve the lonely and underprivileged here in India.

(6) KK Shailaja (Minister of Health, Kerala), her extraordinary efforts and pro-activeness in dealing with the pandemic by following experts and scientific advice helped countless Keralites survive the terrors of this pandemic, serving as an example for governments of other states countries to follow.

About Harmony Foundation: Harmony Foundation is an international NGO that works in the realm of Social Justice. It was founded in October of 2005, with its raison d’etre, being the establishment, and strengthening, of social cohesion among various communities, and to work towards the benefit of all, without discriminating against any religion, creed, sex, or their origins. Instituted in 2005, these Awards, celebrate and commemorate the memory and legacy of Mother Teresa, canonized a Saint by Pope Francis in the Vatican.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Cabinet approves export of indigenously-developed Akash Missile System: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to export indigenously-developed Akash Missile System. The Cabinet has also approved to set up of a committee for faster approvals of exports. The export version of Akash will be different from System currently deployed with Indian Armed Forces.

About the Akash Missile: Akash is a short-range Surface to Air Missile with a range of 25 Kms to protect vulnerable areas and vulnerable points from air attacks. It was inducted in IAF in 2014 and in the Indian Army in 2015.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Legendary Music Director Shantanu Mohapatra passes away: Legendary Odia musician, Shantanu Mohapatra passed away. He was the first Odia music composer to work with legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey and Md Rafi and also the first to work in Hindi, Bengali, Assamese and Telugu film industries. Mohapatra has composed music for hundreds of Odia film songs and Jatra (opera) shows in a career that spanned over three decades. Mohapatra, who retired as the Director of Odisha Mining Corporation, received several awards including the Odisha Film Critic Award for his contribution to Odia music.

 

2. Former Union Minister and MP Kadambur Janarthanan passes away: Former Union Minister and senior AIADMK leader Kadambur M. R. Janardhanan has passed away following age-related ailments. He was 91. Janardhanan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tirunelveli constituency for four terms 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1998. He had also served as Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension with additional charge of Minister of State for Finance in the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee between 1998 and 1999.

Daily GK Updates – 31st Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s 1st hot air balloon wildlife safari launched in Madhya Pradesh: India’s first hot air balloon wildlife safari in a tiger reserve was launched in the world-famous Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve by Madhya Pradesh forest minister Vijay Shah. Now like Africa’s forests, tourists in India will also enjoy hot air balloon wildlife safari. The state was planning to introduce this service in Pench, Kanha and Panna tiger reserves as well. The activity will be restricted to the buffer area and people can watch tigers, leopards, Indian sloth bear and other wild animals from a height. It is the first in any tiger reserve in the country. The service is being operated by Jaipur-based Sky Waltz and company.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

 

2. Harsh Vardhan launches India’s 1st indigenous pneumonia vaccine ‘Pneumosil’: The Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched India’s first indigenously developed vaccine against pneumonia. The Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) named ‘Pneumosil’ has been developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and PATH, an international, nonprofit global health organization based in Seattle.

About the vaccine: The vaccine will provide protection against 10 variants of pneumococcus bacteria that causes pneumonia, meningitis, ear, and blood infections in children. Pneumococcal disease is the largest contributor to under-five mortality rate worldwide.

Note: Serum Institute of India CEO: Adar Poonawalla; Serum Institute of IndiaFounder: Cyrus S. Poonawalla; Serum Institute of IndiaFounded: 1966; Serum Institute of India Headquarters location: Pune.

 

3. Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways extends validity of Vehicular documents like DLs, RCs, and Permits etc till 31 March 2021: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has further extended the validity of vehicular documents like DLs, RCs, Permits, etc. till March 31, 2021, keeping in mind the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, the ministry had extended the validity of documents, related to Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, like Fitness Permit (all types), License, Registration or any other concerned document(s), till 31st December 2020. Taking into consideration the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19, these documents would now be valid till 31 March 2021. It would cover all documents whose validity has expired since February 01, 2020 or would expire by March 31, 2021.

 

4. Kerala’s Arya Rajendran becomes India’s youngest mayor from Thiruvananthapuram: The 21-year-old college student, Arya Rajendran has been elected the new mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, of Kerala. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Arya is the youngest person in India to occupy the post of mayor anywhere in the country. Arya won 54 votes out of 99 votes cast in the civic body polls in Kerala. She is also the state president of Balasangam, the children’s wing of the CPI(M). Arya is a second-year student of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Mathematics at the All Saints College.

 

5. India adds Tso Kar Wetland Complex in Ladakh as its 42nd Ramsar site: India has added Tso Kar Wetland Complex in Ladakh as its 42nd Ramsar site, which is a second one in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude wetland complex, consisting of two principal waterbodies, Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake of about 438 hectares to the south, and Tso Kar itself, a hypersaline lake of 1800 hectares to the north, situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh. The Tso Kar Basin is an A1 Category Important Bird Area as per Bird Life International and a key staging site in the Central Asian Flyway. The site is also one of the most important breeding areas of the Black-necked Crane in India.

 

6. Andhra CM Jagan launches housing programme ‘Pedalandariki Illu’: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the flagship programme of Navaratnalu ‘Pedalandariki Illu,’ (housing for poor) at Komaragiri layout of Pithapuram Assembly constituency in East Godavari district. The scheme is expected to provide low-cost housing for an estimated 30.6 lakh people in Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy hoped the housing project will help generate jobs in the construction sector and will be a boost for the state economy.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. China Launches Remote Sensing Satellite ‘Yoagan-33’: China has successfully launched a new remote sensing satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China. The satellite, Yaogan-33, was launched aboard a Long March-4C rocket and entered the planned orbit successfully. It was the 357th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series, the report said. The mission also sent a micro and nano technology experiment satellite into orbit. The two satellites will be used for scientific experiments, land resources survey, crop yield estimation and disaster prevention and reduction.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. AU Small Finance, ICICI Pru Life tie up to offer life insurance solutions: AU Small Finance Bank has announced a strategic partnership with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to offer life insurance solutions. The tie-up aims to deliver “paperless, secure, and hassle-free life insurance”. Through the corporate agency arrangement, over 18 lakh customers of AU Bank across over 700 banking touchpoints in 13 states and 2 Union territories, will have easy access to the entire suite of customer-centric protection and long-term savings products of ICICI Prudential Life. AU Bank even claimed that these products will enable customers to provide financial security to themselves and their families and help them achieve their financial goals.

Note: AU Bank HQ: Jaipur; AU Bank MD & CEO: Sanjay Agarwal.

 

2. ICICI Bank and Google Pay collaborate to bring digital registration of FASTag: ICICI Bank has announced that it is collaborating with Google to issue FASTag. It has become the first bank to join hands with Google Pay for the issuance of FASTag. Customers will now be able to order, track and recharge ICICI Bank FASTag via the Google Pay app. Currently, Google Pay users could recharge their FASTag on the app, but purchasing one directly from the Google app was not possible.

About the agreement: The new partnership will now allow users to conveniently order, track, and recharge ICICI Bank FASTags from the app itself. The government has made January 1, 2021, as the new date for mandatorily adding FASTags to vehicles. The announcement makes ICICI Bank the first bank to join hands with Google Pay for the issuance of FASTag. This will also add competition for Paytm, which currently issues FASTags from the app as well and is quite a popular choice for many customers. The association gains prominence during the widespread pandemic as this allows any Google Pay user to order and receive FASTag in a seamless and contact-less manner.

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

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Gross NPAs of Banks May Rise to 10.1-10.6% by March 2021: ICRA: Banks’ gross non-performing assets (NPAs) and net NPAs are expected to rise to 10.1-10.6 per cent and 3.1-3.2 per cent, respectively from 7.9 per cent and 2.2 per cent, respectively by March 2021, Icra said. The agency also expects net NPA to decline to 2.4-2.6 per cent by March 2022. It, however, said net NPAs and credit provisions will subsequently trend lower in 2021-22 as banks have reported strong collections on their loan portfolio with most of them reporting collections of over 90 per cent. The report further said the loan restructuring requests are much lower than previously estimated, supported by sharper than expected improvement in economic activities as well liquidity support through the government’s emergency credit line guarantee scheme.

 

2. Maintaining 4% Inflation Appropriate for India, Says RBI Paper: Maintaining 4 per cent inflation is appropriate for India as targeting a lower rate could impart deflationary bias to the monetary policy, said a Reserve Bank paper. Under the current dispensation, the RBI has been mandated by the government to maintain retail inflation at 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on either side. The paper, authored by RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra and another official Harendra Kumar Behera, has found a steady decline in trend inflation to 4.1-4.3 per cent since 2014. A target set too below the trend imparts a deflationary bias to monetary policy because it will go into overkill relative to what the economy can intrinsically bear in order to achieve the target.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Hemant Kumar Pandey gets DRDO’s “Scientist of the Year” award: Senior scientist Hemant Kumar Pandey has been honoured with DRDO’s ”Scientist of the Year Award” for his contribution in developing several herbal medicines, including the popular drug Lukoskin meant for the treatment of leucoderma. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had recently facilitated the scientist at an event here with the prestigious award that comprises a certificate and cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. The scientist has developed six herbal drugs so far, Lukoskin used for treating leucoderma or Vitiligo, a condition in which white patches get developed on the skin, has been most widely appreciated and found huge acceptance in the market.

About Hemant Kumar Pandey: A recipient of several prestigious awards for his contribution in the field of herbal medicine, Pandey has been undertaking research at the Defence Research and Development Organisation”s (DRDO) lab Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DIBER) at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand for the past 25 years. Apart from Lukoskin, Pandey has developed drugs for the treatment of eczema and toothache as well as an anti-radiation cream, most of which are already being sold in the market following the transfer of technology (ToT).

Note: DRDO Chairman: Dr G. Satheesh Reddy; DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

2. Bihar wins Digital India award for transferring money in COVID time: The Chief Minister Secretariat of Bihar, the Disaster Management Department besides the National Informatics Centre (NIC) of the state have jointly been chosen as winners in the “pandemic category” Digital India Awards 2020. Bihar government’s initiative to transfer financial assistance directly to the accounts of beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic has made its departments winners of the Digital India Awards, instituted by the central government, this year for innovative steps in e-governance. More than 21 lakh stranded workers outside Bihar were provided financial assistance through the “Bihar Sahayata Mobile App”. The Digital India Awards, instituted under the aegis of the National Portal of India, serve the purpose of bringing to the fore innovative digital solutions and thereby inspiring emulation by all government entities.

Note: Chief Minister of Bihar: Nitish Kumar; Governor: Phagu Chauhan.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former England cricketer Robin Jackman passes away: Former England and Surrey bowler Robin Jackman has died at the age of 75. Jackman played in four Tests and 15 one-day internationals for his country, while he took 1,402 wickets in a 399-game first-class career between 1966 and 1982. Following his retirement he became a successful commentator in South Africa.

 

2. Veteran Cinematographer Ishwar Bidri passes away: Veteran cinematographer Ishwar Bidri, best known for his work in popular 1990s films like Andaz Apna Apna and Border, died due to multiple health issues. He was 87. Ishwar Bidri is best known for his longstanding collaboration with filmmaker JP Dutta for whom he shot action dramas like Yateem, Hathyar, Batwara in the late 1980s and the 1998 war epic Border. Bidri also has movies such as Rajkumar Santoshi’s cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna (1994) and action thriller Ghatak (1996), and Andaaz, the 2003 romance musical directed by Raj Kanwar, to his credit.

Daily GK Updates – 30th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi flagged off India’s first driverless train on Delhi Metro: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the country’s first-ever fully-automated driverless train service on the Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro. Apart from this, PM also launched fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) on the Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro, to connect DMRC with the NCMC service.

About National Common Mobility Card: NCMC, also known as ‘One Nation One Card’, is an inter-operable transport card that allows the holders all in one service to pay for their travel, toll taxes, parking charges, retail shopping and even withdraw money.

 

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off 100th ‘Kisan Rail’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the 100th ‘Kisan Rail’ on 28th December 2020. The 100th run of the Kisan Rail was flagged off from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal virtually. Kisan Rail is a mobile cold storage to move perishable things like fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, etc., with complete security. The first Kisan Rail was introduced from Devlali in Maharashtra to Danapur in Bihar on August 7, 2020, which was further extended up to Muzaffarpur. Currently, of only a handful of trains plying across the India connecting states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Nagpur, there are nine Kisan Rail running on nine routes.

 

3. PM to inaugurate ‘New Bhaupur- New Khurja section’ of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC): ‘New Bhaupur- New Khurja section’ of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) inaugurated by the PM Narendra Modi on 29th December, 2020 at 11 AM through video conferencing. During the event, Prime Minister also inaugurate EDFC’s Operation Control Centre (OCC) at Prayagraj. On the occasion, Governor of Uttar Pradesh Shrimati Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal are present.

About New Bhaupur- New Khurja section of EDFC: New Bhaupur- New Khurja section of EDFC is 351 km and situated in Uttar Pradesh. It is built at a cost of Rs 5,750 crores. The section will open new vistas of opportunity for the local industries such as aluminium industry (Pukhrayan region of Kanpur Dehat district), dairy sector (Auraiya district), textile production/block printing (Etawah district), glassware industry (Firozabad district), pottery products (Khurja of Bulandshahr district), asafoetida or ‘hing’ production (Hathras district) and locks and hardware (Aligarh district).

About Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC): The EDFC is 1856 route km and starts from Sahnewal near Ludhiana (Punjab). It will pass through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand to terminate at Dankuni in West Bengal. It is being constructed by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) that has been set up as a special purpose vehicle to build and operate Dedicated Freight Corridors. DFCCIL is also constructing the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (1504 route km) that connects Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai and will traverse through the states of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

 

4. Skyroot Aerospace successfully test fire solid-fueled rocket engine: Indian Space startup, Skyroot Aerospace has successfully test-fired a solid propulsion rocket engine, named Kalam-5. With this, it has become the first private company of India to successfully design, develop and test a full solid-fueled rocket stage. This crucial propulsion technology will be used for their maiden rocket Vikram-1, which is under active manufacturing and is targeted to be launched in December 2021 with the help of ISRO.

About Kalam: Kalam is a series of five solid-fueled rocket engines with a thrust ranging from 5kN to 1000kN (approx 100Tons).  The remaining four motors are in various stages of manufacturing and will be tested in 2021.

Note: Founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace: Pawan Kumar Chandana; Skyroot Aerospace Founded: 12 June 2018; Skyroot Aerospace Headquarters location: Hyderabad.

 

5. Union Minister Shripad Naik Releases book “Sutranivednachi sutra- ek anbav”: Union Minister of State (I/C) for AYUSH and Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik released a Konkani book “Sutranivednachi sutra- ek anbav”, by Dr Roopa Chari on 26 December, 2020. It is published by Sanjana Publications. Dr. Roopa Chari is a well-known personality in the field of Compering in Goa. Essence of the book: This book will help aspiring youngsters, who wish to make a career in this field. This is the spontaneous art; you don’t nurture it by having any classes. With proper study, you always have to be vigilant, as compere is the link between the audience and the speaker.

 

6. Firefly bird diverters launched to protect Great Indian Bustard: The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) along with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India has come up with a unique initiative- a “firefly bird diverter” for overhead power lines in areas where Great Indian Bustard (GIB) populations are found in the wild. GIB is one of the most critically threatened species in India, with less than 150 birds left in the wild. Firefly bird diverters are flaps installed on power lines. They work as reflectors for bird species like the GIB. Birds can spot them from a distance of about 50 meters and change their path of flight to avoid collision with power lines. Smaller birds can change their direction [swiftly] but for larger bird species, it is difficult because their body weight and other factors.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. US plan to set up a Nuclear Reactor on Moon: USA’s plan to set up the first nuclear reactor on the moon by the end of 2026. In early 2021, the US Department of Energy in collaboration with NASA intends to solicit industry design proposals. It also got an impetus with a recent White House directive. The outgoing President Donald Trump issued the “National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion” on 16 December. Under it, he asked Nasa to “initiate fission surface power project for lunar surface demonstration by 2027 with scalability to a power range of 40 kilowatt-electric and higher to support a sustained lunar presence and exploration of Mars”.

The objective of NASA behind this was to establish a flight hardware system that is ready for integrating with the lunar lander by 2026 end. The nuclear reactor is known as the fission power system that will benefit future robotic and human expedition missions to the moon as well as Mars. The availability of safe, efficient, and readily available power is critical to these missions and a fission surface power system meets those requirements. The fission surface power system will be fully manufactured and assembled on earth and integrated on a lander as a payload. The system consists of four major subsystems including a nuclear reactor which is an electric power conversion unit, heat rejection array, and power management and distribution subsystem and will be designed to operate for up to 10 years.

 

2. International Day of Epidemic Preparedness: 27th December: The first-ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was held on 27 December 2020. The day has been officially set up by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to highlight the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics. Various education and awareness-raising activities will be undertaken by member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other global organizations in order to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Anshu Malik wins silver at Individual Wrestling World Cup in Serbia: Indian wrestler, Anshu Malik has become the first wrestler of the country to finish on the podium position at the Individual Wrestling World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia. The 19-year-old won a silver medal in the women’s 57kg category to claim first international medal of the tournament for the country. She lost to Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita 5-1 in the final.

 

2. BWF bans Russian badminton player Nikita Khakimov for 5 years: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has imposed a 5-year ban on Russian shuttler Nikita Khakimov for charges of “betting, wagering and irregular match results. Khakimov was part of the Russian men’s team that won the bronze medal at the 2020 European Team Championships. The 32-year-old Khakimov was found to breach BWF’s integrity regulations, including approaching a player and offering money to manipulate a match, betting on badminton games and deliberately destroying evidence of a corruption offence to conceal from the BWF.

Note: Badminton World Federation Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Badminton World Federation Founded: 5 July 1934; Badminton World Federation President: Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Govt Shells out Rs 22,087 Crore as Interest towards Recapitalisation Bonds for Banks: The government has spent Rs 22,086.54 crore as interest payment towards the recapitalisation bonds for the public sector banks (PSB) in the last two financial years. During 2018-19, the government paid Rs 5,800.55 crore as interest on such bonds issued to public sector banks for pumping in capital so that they could meet the regulatory norms under the Basel-III guidelines. In the subsequent year, according to official document, the interest payment by the government surged three times to Rs 16,285.99 crore to PSBs as they have been holding these papers.

 

2. Punjab National Bank introduces PNB e-Credit Card: Nation’s leading public sector bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), introduced PNB e-Credit Card, a digital replica of a physical Credit Card. It will allow PNB customers to use PNB e-credit card at any e-commerce platform or merchant website, without the need of carrying the physical card. Customers can view PNB e-Credit Cards details by clicking on e-Credit Card facility in PNB Genie Mobile app. Existing PNB customers will need to update their PNB Genie with the latest app available on Google play store and Apple’s app store to use the new feature.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India-Vietnamese Navy conducts PASSEX-2020 in South China Sea: The Indian Navy and Vietnamese Navy undertook the naval passage exercise PASSEX in the South China Sea. The two-day exercise was conducted s part of efforts to boost maritime cooperation between the two countries. The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kiltan took part in the exercise. INS Kiltan, reached Vietnam’s Nha Rong Port in Ho Chi Minh City, carrying humanitarian assistance to deliver 15 tonnes of relief material for flood-affected people under Mission Sagar-III. This mission of INS Kiltan is part of India’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries during the ongoing pandemic.

Note: Prime Minister of Vietnam: Nguyen Xuan Phuc; Vietnam Capital: Hanoi; Vietnam Currency: Vietnamese dong.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran Dance Historian Sunil Kothari passes away: Padma Shri awardee dance historian and critic, Sunil Kothari has passed away. He was qualified as a Chartered Accountant, before turning to the study of Indian dance forms. He authored more than 20 books on the subject of Indian dance forms. The noted dance scholar Kothari received numerous titles and awards for his contribution to Indian dance forms. Some of them include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995); the Padma Shri bestowed by the Government of India (2001); and the Life Time Achievement Award of the Dance Critics Association, New York, USA (2011).

 

2. Former WWE Wrestler ‘Luke Harper’ passes away: Former professional wrestler Jon Huber, who was popularly known by his ring name ‘Luke Harper’ in the WWE has passed away, due to a non-COVID-19 related lung illness. He wrestled under the names Luke Harper and Brodie Lee and performed for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as well as All Elite Wrestling (AEW).