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Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Daily GK Updates – 12th Jan, 2021

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Preeti Pant Panel to study adverse findings of NFHS-5: The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has recently formed a technical expert group to study the adverse findings from the National Family Health Survey-5. The Ministry has set up the technical committee of medicine and nutrition experts under the leadership of Joint Secretary Preeti Pant.

About National Family Health Survey-5: The expert group also includes State programme officers from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka. The committee will examine the findings of the National Family Health Survey-5 as well as suggest policies and courses of action to improve on indicators related to anaemia, malnutrition, C-section, and stunting. The newly formed technical expert group will conduct meetings regularly and will provide its recommendations soon. As of now, no meeting has been held and no date has been finalized for the first meeting.

National Family Health Survey-5: The factsheet of the 1st phase of National Family Health Survey-5 was released in December 2020. The sheet covered 22 States/UTs and provided information on 131 indicators like family welfare, population, nutrition, reproductive and child health, etc. Before the National Family Health Survey-5, four surveys have been conducted in the years 1992–93, 1998–99, 2005–06, and 2015–16. All the NFHS rounds were conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai.

 

2. Japan commits Rs 2,113 cr support for COVID relief efforts: The Government of Japan has committed Official Development Assistance loan of 30 billion Japanese Yen which is approximately Rs 2113 crore rupees for a programme loan to support India’s efforts at providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958. In the last few years, the economic cooperation between India and Japan has strengthened and grown into a strategic partnership.

Note: Japan Capital: Tokyo; Japan Currency: Japanese yen; Japan Prime minister: Yoshihide Suga.

 

3. West Bengal CM Inaugurates 26th Kolkata International Film Festival: West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee has inaugurated the 26th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF). The inaugural ceremony was also virtually attended by Bollywood superstar and West Bengal’s brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan from Mumbai. Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s classic ‘Apur Sansar’ will be the inaugural film of the festival in which 131 movies from 45 countries will be screened till January 13.

Films will be screened at Rabindra Sadan, Nandan, Sisir Mancha and Rabindra Okakura Bhavan in Salt Lake. Six films by Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini and movies on sitarist Ravi Shankar, singer Hemanta Mukherjee and flicks of comedian Bhanu Bandyopadhyay will be screened.

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

 

4. “Modi India Calling – 2021” Book Released: A coffee table book named “Modi India Calling – 2021” has been released on the occasion of 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The book contains various photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi captured during his “107 overseas and bilateral visits”. The book is the idea of BJP leader Vijay Jolly and it was released by Adesh Gupta, the Delhi BJP president. The book has been published by Maneesh Media and has 450 pages containing thousands of photographs of the PM Modi. Jolly has also said that he wishes to form a similar book on Rahul Gandhi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

 

5. National Youth Day: 12th January: National Youth Day is celebrated in India every year on 12 January to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The day was declared by the Government of India in 1984 while the event was first celebrated in 1985.  The main aim behind this is to make sure that the students across the country can be encouraged to learn about the life, the ideas and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and apply them in their lives. In 2021, we are observing 158th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand (12 January 1863). The theme for National Youth Day 2021 is ‘Channelizing Youth Power for Nation Building‘.

Note: Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Math and Mission on 1 May 1897. In 1898, he established Belur Math.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Joe Biden names two Indian-Americans in US National Security Council: US President-elect Joe Biden named Indian-American Sumona Guha as senior director for South Asia and Tarun Chhabra as senior director for Technology and National Security.  Guha was co-chair of the South Asia foreign policy working group on the Biden-Harris campaign and serves on the transition’s State Department Agency Review Team. During the Obama-Biden Administration, Chhabra served on the National Security Council staff as director for Strategic Planning and director for Human Rights and National Security Issues, and at the Pentagon as a speechwriter to the Secretary of Defence.

About Sumona Guha:  Guha is a graduate of Johns Hopkins and Georgetown University. Named as senior director for Technology and National Security, Chhabra is a senior fellow at the Centre for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University.

About Tarun Chhabra: Born in Tennessee and raised in Louisiana, Chhabra is a first-generation American and a graduate of Stanford University, Oxford University, and Harvard Law School.

 

2. Indonesian Jetliner crashes into the sea after takeoff: A passenger plane of Indonesia’s Sriwijaya Air carrying 62 people on board crashed into waters off Jakarta. The Boeing 737-500 was on an estimated 90-minute flight from Jakarta to Pontianak, capital of West Kalimantan province on Indonesia’s Borneo island. The Sriwijaya Air disappeared from radars four minutes into its journey to Pontianak in West Kalimantan province. It is thought to have dropped more than 3,000m (10,000ft) in less than a minute.

Note: Capital of Indonesia: Jakarta; The currency of Indonesia: Indonesian rupiah; President of Indonesia: Joko Widodo.

 

3. Twitter deletes new Trump tweets on @POTUS, suspends campaign account: Twitter Inc has deleted new tweets posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on official government account @POTUS and suspended the account of his presidential campaign, after booting his personal account of the platform permanently. @POTUS Twitter account is an official Twitter account of US President Donald Trump. The Account is named President Trump. About POTUS Twitter account:

(1) The POTUS Twitter account is in the news because President Trump used the account to tweet against “Twitter” after the company permanently banned and suspended the @realDonaldTrump of Trump.

(2) Trump tweeted that Twitter has conspired with his rivals and suspended his account to silence him.

(3) Earlier, Twitter released an official statement about the permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump Twitter account.

(4) After the tweets by Trump through the @POTUS account, Twitter deleted his tweets.

(5) @POTUS account has 33.4 million followers at present.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. IREDA-NHPC Partnership in Green Energy Projects: NHPC Limited has signed an MOU with the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) for providing assistance in setting up renewable energy (RE) projects for the next 5 years. The agreement was signed in the presence of Abhay Kumar Singh, NHPC CMD, and IREDA, CMD, Pradip Kumar Das.

Under the agreement: NHPC will help in the knowledge and technology transfer and provide consultancy and research services. NHPC has undertaken an ambitious plan to make a significant impact on the renewable energy landscape of the country. Under the plan, NHPC will develop 7.5 GW of renewable energy projects in the next 3 years. NHPC has already successfully commissioned a renewable capacity of 102.5 MW on an ownership basis and has contracted 2000 MW as an intermediary procurer basis.

About NHPC Limited: NHPC Limited is an Indian Hydropower generation company formed in 1975. It was formed with an aim to plan and promote the efficient development of hydroelectric power in all aspects. Later on, NHPC expanded to include other sources of energy such as Geothermal, Solar, Wind, Tidal, etc.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Harsh Vardhan launches Coastal Research Vessel Sagar Anveshika: Union Minister for Earth Sciences, Harsh Vardhan has launched Coastal Research Vehicle (CRV) ‘Sagar Anveshika’ at the Chennai Port. The vehicle will be used to carry out environment indexing and bathymetric (mapping underwater features) in both coastal and offshore waters. It will be used for research purposes by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and has been built by Titagarh Wagons, Kolkata, West Bengal. NIOT already has 6 Research Vessels – Sagar Kanya, Sagar Sampada, Sagar Nidhi, Sagar Manusha, & Sagar Tara. About ‘Sagar Anveshika’:

(1) Anveshika has been built under the Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) and is a DP (Dynamic Positioning)-Capable vessel.

(2) Anveshika will add to the capacity and capability for exploring the ocean which is a huge source of water, energy, food, minerals.

(3) Utilizing the Research Vehicle, Marine Scientists can travel six kilometres below the sea. The scientists can also stay underwater for more than 16 hours to conduct research activities.

(4) Anveshika will enable scientists to conduct various oceanographic research missions aboard, it houses modern laboratories equipped with the latest instruments.

Note: National Institute of Ocean Technology Director: Dr G A Ramadass; National Institute of Ocean Technology HQ: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki passes away: Veteran Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki, who served as former External Affairs Minister of India and the Chief Minister of Gujarat, has passed away. He had served as External Affairs Minister of India from June 1991 to March 1992. He had been the Chief Minister of Gujarat for three times between 1976 to 1990. He was the longest-serving chief minister of the state before Narendra Modi.

Monday, January 11, 2021

Daily GK Updates – 11th Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India to chair 3 key subsidiary bodies of UN Security Council: The Permanent Representative of India to the UN, T S Tirumurti has announced that India has been asked to chair three important committees of the UN Security Council (UNSC), during its tenure as a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation UN body. The three highly significant committees include:

(1) Taliban Sanctions Committee

(2) Counter-Terrorism Committee

(3) Libyan Sanctions Committee

Among these, India will chair the Counter-Terrorism Committee of UNSC in 2022, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. India began its two-year term at UNSC from January 01, 2021. It is the eighth time that the country has joined UNSC as the non-permanent member. In 2021, along with India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico joined as non-permanent members in the Council.

 

2. Ramesh Pokhriyal inaugurates International Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON-2020’: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has inaugurated the two-day Virtual International Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON 2020’ through video conferencing. This two-day International Conference is being organized by the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) in collaboration with the Global Educational Research Association (GERA). The focal theme of EDUCON-2020 is Envisioning Education for Transforming Youth to Restore Global Peace. About the conference:

(1) This conference is the first of its kind in India where scholars across the world would be continuously having a non-stop marathon dialogue session for 31 hours exploring the possibilities of the use of ICT in the higher education to promote the equitable quality education in India.

(2) Further, the conference will also provide a platform for discussions on emerging trends in education viz., likely scenario of higher education and school education by 2050, developing disruptive technologies for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Education, training youth for strategic future jobs in Universities, the skill training programme for future graduates and relevance of ancient education system in 21st century.

 

3. J&K LG, Manoj Sinha launches Mobile Application ‘Satark Nagrik’: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has launched Mobile Application ‘Satark Nagrik’ and Departmental Vigilance Officers Portal of J&K Anti Corruption Bureau. The Lt Governor observed that the UT Government is taking comprehensive measures for ensuring transparent, accountable, and responsive governance.

About Mobile Application ‘Satark Nagrik’: The mobile application launched today has been developed with a purpose to facilitate seamless flow of information about corruption and enable citizens to submit their grievances with ease and mobility. Any citizen having an android based device can download the application from play store. A unique ID number will be allotted at the time of registration of grievance which later can be used to track the status of grievance.

About Departmental Vigilance Officers Portal: The Departmental Vigilance Officers (DVO) Portal has been designed to enable an online communication channel with the DVOs of various departments. In certain cases, the complaints are related to ongoing works, current recruitments, and payments yet to be made against contracts etc. By referring these matters to DVOs, violations/ shortcomings can immediately be rectified and loss to the state exchequer can be prevented.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Pakistan successfully test fires “Fatah-1” Rocket System: The Pakistan Army successfully conducted the test flight of an indigenously developed Guided Multi Launch Rocket System, Fatah-1. The Fatah-1 weapon system is capable of precisely delivering conventional warheads deep into “enemy territory.” According to Director General of Army, Media Wing, Major General Babar Iftikhar, Fatah-1 weapon system can hit targets up to a range of 140 km.

Note: President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi; Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan.

 

2. Central African Republic president Touadera wins reelection: Faustin-Archange Touadera was re-elected as the president of the Central African Republic with more than 53% votes. The 63-year-old president has been in power since 2016 but has struggled to seize control of vast parts of the nation from armed militias. The Central African Republic, a producer of gold and diamonds, has a population of 4.7 million.

Note: Central African Republic Capital: Bangui; Central African Republic Currency: Central African CFA Franc.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Abhishek Yadav appointed as AIFF’s first Deputy General Secretary: Former India striker Abhishek Yadav has been appointed as the first deputy general secretary of All India Football Federation (AIFF) after the sports body decided to create a new post in its hierarchy. The 40-year-old former international, who has played with the likes of Bhaichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri, Mahesh Gawli and Climax Lawrence, has been serving as national team’s director since January 2018. Yadav has also served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the 2017 U17 Indian World Cup team, collaborating closely with Luis Norton de Maros, the head coach.

Note: All India Football Federation President: Praful Patel; All India Football Federation Vice-President: Subrata Dutta; All India Football Federation Founded: 23 June 1937; All India Football Federation Headquarters: Dwarka, Delhi.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bandhan Bank unveils account for army personnel: Private lender Bandhan Bank has signed an agreement with the Indian Army to provide banking services to the personnel of the force. The bank got the mandate to maintain and a Bank Shaurya Salary Account of the Army personnel. Bandhan Bank Shaurya Salary Account will have a zero balance facility. The Shaurya Salary Account also offers protection for self and assets.

About Bandhan Bank Shaurya Salary Account: They will be offered other preferential services such as six per cent interest on balance over Rs one lakh, unlimited free ATM transactions across ATMs, waiver of issuance and annual charge on Shaurya Visa Platinum Debit Card and unlimited free NEFT/RTGS/IMPS/DD transactions. This includes free personal accident insurance of Rs 30 lakh, air accident cover of Rs 1 crore and free educational benefit of up to Rs 1 lakh per year for four years to a dependent child in case of accidental death of the account holder.

Note: Bandhan Bank MD & CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh; Bandhan Bank HQ: Kolkata, West Bengal; Bandhan Bank Founded: 2001.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. IHS Markit: Indian economy to rebound with 8.9% growth in FY22: London-based financial services company IHS Markit has projected the Indian economy to rebound by 8.9 per cent in the fiscal year 2021-22, beginning April 2021. This upward estimate is based on the backdrop of the significant improvement in domestic economic activity in the fourth quarter of 2020 by India.

Note: IHS Markit CEO: Lance Uggla; IHS Markit Headquarters: London, United Kingdom; IHS Markit  Founded: 1959.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Elon Musk overtakes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to become world’s richest person: According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Tesla CEO Elon Musk overtakes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest person. Elon Musk had a net worth of more than $188.5 billion. A 6% rise in Tesla (TSLA) shares early Thursday lifted the value of its CEO’s stock holdings and options by $10 billion, taking his net worth to about $188.5 billion. A more modest rise of less than 2% lifted Bezos’ Amazon (AMZN) shares by about $3 billion, putting his net worth at $187 billion. Bill Gates is now a distant third at $132 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Note: Tesla Founded: 1 July 2003; Tesla Headquarters: California, United States.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran Indian Fashion Designer Satya Paul passes away: Veteran Fashion designer Satya Paul, best known for reinventing the Indian saree for contemporary women, has passed away. Satya Paul launched the first saree boutique in India, L’Affaire, in 1980. In 1986, he launched India’s first designer label, under the brand ‘Satya Paul’, which has now become one of the premier brands in the country.

 

2. Veteran Professor Chitra Ghosh passes away: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s niece and eminent academician Chitra Ghosh has passed away. She made pioneering contributions to academics and community services and dedicated her life in serving the people, teaching & inspiring the youth. Professor Bose was the former head of the political science department at Lady Brabourne College in Kolkata.

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Daily GK Updates – 10th Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi dedicates new Section of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated the 306-km New Rewari-New Madar section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) to the nation. Through video-conferencing, Modi also flagged off the world’s first double-stack long-haul 1.5-km-long container train hauled by electric traction from New Ateli-New Kishangarh.  The New Rewari-New Madar section of the WDFC is situated in Haryana, approximately 79 km in Mahendragarh and Rewari districts and Rajasthan approximately 227 km in Jaipur, Ajmer, Sikar, Nagaur, and Alwar districts.

 

2. Karnataka Government launches Krishi Sanjeevani Vans to test soil, water: The Chief Minister of Karnataka, B.S. Yediyurappa flagged off 40 Krishi Sanjeevani vans in Bengaluru. These vans have been launched by the state Agriculture Department with Central assistance under National Krishi Vikas Yojana to take up this novel programme.

The objective of the initiative: To take labs to the agriculture fields, study the conditions and address the needs of the farmers about pest control, the fertility of the soil, weeds and suitable crops in the existing conditions so that farmers get support for their farming techniques. Depending on the soil, water and pests inflicting the crops, the Agriculture Department personnel can suggest remedies.

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

 

3. Hima Kohli appointed as 1st Woman Chief Justice of Telangana High Court: The senior-most judge of Delhi High Court, Justice Hima Kohli has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of Telangana High Court. She is the first woman to be sworn in as CJ of Telangana HC. Justice Kohli was administered the oath of office by Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan. She replaces CJ Raghvendra Singh Chauhan, who has been appointed as the CJ of Uttarakhand HC.

Note: Chief Minister of Telangana: K Chandrasekhar Rao; Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan.

 

4. JK Maheshwari sworn in as Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court: Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari was sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court. Governor Ganga Prasad administered the oath of office to Justice Maheshwari during a function held in Raj Bhavan. Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami of the Sikkim High Court has now been transferred for appointment as the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s Chief Justice.

Note: Chief Minister of Sikkim: PS Golay; Governor of Sikkim: Ganga Prasad.

 

5. Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia appointed as Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court: Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia appointed as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court informed the Ministry of Law and Justice. The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind in the exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, appointed Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, Judge of the Uttarakhand High Court, as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.

About Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia: Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, was enrolled as an Advocate on July 7, 1986, and practised in the Allahabad and Uttarakhand High Courts in Civil, Constitutional, Service, and Labour matters and has specialized in Service and Constitutional matters. He was appointed as a permanent judge of the Uttarakhand High Court on November 1, 2008.

Note: Chief Minister of Assam: Sarbananda Sonowal; Governor: Prof. Jagdish Mukhi.

 

6. MoS Reddy to head committee for ‘protecting language, culture and land of Ladakh’: A 10-member delegation from Ladakh met Union home minister Amit Shah has urged the government to protect Ladakh’s language, culture and land. The Central Government has decided to form a committee to protect the unique language, cultural identity and land of Ladakh. The Committee will be headed by the Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy.

About the committee: This committee will also ensure citizen’s participation in the development of the Union Territory. The other members of the committee will include elected representatives from Ladakh, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, central government, and the Ladakh administration.

 

7. RBI officer Giridharan pens novel ‘Right Under our Nose’: A general manager at RBI, R Giridharan has authored his debut book ”Right Under our Nose”. In ”Right Under Your Nose”, a murderer eliminates scientists right under the nose of the police and leaves forensics baffled. In response, the chief minister calls upon Vijay, who is given an impossible deadline to solve the case before Parliament resumes in a week.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Indian-American Raj Iyer becomes U.S. Army’s first CIO: Indian-American Dr Raj Iyer has taken over as the first Chief Information Officer of the US Army, after the Pentagon created the position in July 2020. Dr Raj Iyer is one of the highest-ranking Indian-American civilians in the US Department of Defence.

About Raj Iyer: Dr Iyer holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering had been serving as the Principal Advisor to the Secretary of the Army and directs representation of the secretary in matters relating to information management/information technology (IT). The position of CIO is equivalent to a three-star General.

 

2. World Hindi Day: 10th January: The World Hindi Day is celebrated annually on January 10 since 2006 to promote the language at the global stage. The day marks the anniversary of first World Hindi Conference which was inaugurated on January 10, 1975 by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. However, the celebration of first World Hindi Day was commenced on 10 January 2006 by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. It must be noted that the National Hindi Day is celebrated in India on September 14 every year.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI sets up College of Supervisors chaired by N S Viswanathan: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up an academic advisory council called ‘College of Supervisors (CoS)’ to further strengthen supervision over regulated entities. The Cos will be headed by former deputy governor N S Viswanathan and will have five other members. The objective of the council will be to identify areas where skill building/up-skilling are requir­ed, plan and develop curricula of all programmes, benchmark the programmes with international standards/­best practices, and develop appropriate teaching methods, etc. Other members include:

Arijit Basu, State Bank of India Managing Director

Paresh Sukhankar, former HDFC Bank Deputy Managing Director

S Raghunath of Banglore IIM

Tadhagatha Bandyophyay of Ahemadabad IIM and

Subrata Sarkar of IGIDR, Mumbai.

 

2. IDFC Mutual Fund unveils new investor awareness campaign #PaisonKoRokoMat: IDFC Mutual Funds has launched its latest pan-India investor awareness campaign titled #PaisonKoRokoMat. With this new campaign, IDFC Mutual Fund aims to shift the conversation regarding wealth creation from the traditional to the contemporary.

About the campaign: This new campaign of IDFC Mutual Fund urges savers to become investors and explore the smart and modern mutual fund vehicle for their investments. The 360-degree campaign focuses on looking beyond the traditional ways of growing your money and using your goals to allocate your money across asset classes and investment solutions. The campaign has been conceptualised and created by TBWAIndia.

Note: IDFC First Bank CEO: V. Vaidyanathan; IDFC First Bank Headquarters: Mumbai; IDFC First Bank Founded: October 2015.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. NSO Projects India’s GDP to contract 7.7% in FY21: The GDP of India is expected to contract by 7.7 per cent in the current fiscal year 2020-21, as per the first advanced estimates released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) on January 07, 2021. The first advance estimates of GDP of a financial year are released before the Union Budget. This data helps in the budget-making process.

Note: Minister of State IC of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation: Rao Inderjit Singh.

 

2. PNB Collaborates with IIT Kanpur to set up Fintech Innovation Centre: Punjab National Bank has partnered with IIT Kanpur and the Foundation for Innovation & Research in Science & Technology (FIRST) to set up a ‘Fintech Innovation Centre (FIC)’ at the institute’s campus. PNB and IIT Kanpur will jointly work to set up this innovation centre as a vehicle for research and development of technological solutions, with the help of FIRST, to address challenges and explore opportunities in the Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) space.

About the agreement: PNB intends to create new products or solutions with technological innovations by creating an FIC involving IITK’s experienced faculty members with the help of FIRST. The collaboration of technical prowess from IIT Kanpur and financial expertise of PNB makes it an apt “Fin-Tech” partnership that will help build innovations and entrepreneurial excellence. The FIC will be supported by a holistic ecosystem of financial institutions, academia, VC funds, technology companies and key government organisations.

Note: Punjab National Bank Headquarters: New Delhi; Punjab National Bank CEO: S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao (1 Oct 2019–); Punjab National Bank Founded: 19 May 1894, Lahore, Pakistan; Punjab National Bank Founders: Lala Lajpat Rai, Dyal Singh Majithia.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran Professor Chitra Ghosh & Niece of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose passes away: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s niece and eminent academician Chitra Ghosh has passed away following a cardiac arrest. She was 90. She made pioneering contributions to academics and community services and dedicated her life in serving the people, teaching & inspiring the youth. Professor Bose was the former head of the political science department at Lady Brabourne College in Kolkata.

Saturday, January 9, 2021

Daily Gk Updates – 9th Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India and NDB signs USD 646 million loan agreement for Andhra Pradesh: The New Development Bank (NDB) has signed loan agreements worth USD 646 million with the Government of India for two road projects in Andhra Pradesh. Each project costs USD 323 million. These projects will improve mobility and connectivity to the socioeconomic centres, enhance transport efficiency, improve road safety and riding quality, and provide all-weather accessibility for the State’s road users.

First project: The first project is the Andhra Pradesh Roads and Bridges Reconstruction Project. It comprises widening 1,600 km of State Highways to double lane and reconstructing dilapidated bridges on the State Highway network.

Second project: The second project is Andhra Pradesh Mandal Connectivity and Rural Connectivity Improvement Project. It comprises widening 1,400 km of district roads to double lane and reconstructing dilapidated bridges on the district road network.

Note: New Development Bank Headquarters Location: Shanghai, China; New Development Bank President: Marcos Prado Troyjo; New Development Bank Founder: BRICS; New Development Bank Founded: 15 July 2014.

 

2. Arup Kumar Goswami sworn in as CJ of Andhra Pradesh High Court: Arup Kumar Goswami was sworn in as the Chief Justice (CJ) of Andhra Pradesh High Court by Governor Biswab Bushan Harichandan in the presence of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Justice Goswami was transferred from the Sikkim High Court a few days ago. He replaced J.K. Maheswari who has been posted as the Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court. Chief Justice Goswami began his career as an advocate with the Bar Council of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura in 1985.

Note: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy; Governor: Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.

 

3. A book on India’s tours Down Under by R. Kaushik: A book titled ‘India’s 71-Year Test: The Journey to Triumph in Australia’ and one which reflects on India’s previous 12 tours Down Under, was launched. The book, a Bradman Museum initiative, is authored by senior cricket scribe R. Kaushik, and it chronicles a rivalry that has given a fillip to Test cricket.

 

4. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: 9th January: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI Day is celebrated every year on January 9 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. The aim of celebrating the day is to provide a platform for NRI to express their perceptions about India and thereby involve them in Indian developmental activities. The theme of 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2021 is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

History of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated on January 9, as Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa on the day in 1915. In 2015, the day was declared biennial. In 2018, the day was widely celebrated in Singapore. In 2019, the event was celebrated in Varanasi.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Biden selects Judge Merrick Garland for attorney general: President-elect Joe Biden will nominate federal appeals judge Merrick Garland to be the next U.S. attorney general. He serves as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, one of 13 federal appeals courts. Vanita Gupta, the head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, will be nominated by Biden as the Associate Attorney General, the No. 3 people in the department.

 

2. Alex Ellis appointed new British high commissioner to India: Alexander Ellis has been appointed British high commissioner to India and will take up the key role later this month. He has held several posts, including deputy national security adviser in the cabinet office, director-general in the department for exiting the European Union, and the British ambassador to Portugal. Ellis succeeds Philip Barton. In August 2020, Barton was promoted as permanent undersecretary in the UK’s newly formed foreign, commonwealth and development office.

 

3. Karan Bajwa to head Google Cloud in Asia Pacific: Google Cloud has announced the elevation of Karan Bajwa as its new leader for the Asia Pacific. Presently, Bajwa leads Google Cloud in India. He will lead all regional revenue and go-to-market operations for Google Cloud, including on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Google Workspace. He succeeds Rick Harshman who leaves the organisation for a new opportunity. At present, Bajwa is based in Gurgaon but will relocate to Singapore in 2021. He will continue to lead Google Cloud in India until a new senior leader for the business is appointed.

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

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Claire Polosak set to become first female match official in men’s Test match: Australia’s Claire Polosak is set to become the first female match official in a men’s Test match when she takes up the fourth umpire’s role in the third Test between India and Australia. The 32-year-old from New South Wales has already earned the distinction of being the first woman on-field umpire in a men’s ODI match in ICC’s Division 2 league between Namibia and Oman played at the Windhoek in 2019.

What is Fourth Umpire? The duties of a fourth umpire include bringing on the new ball, carrying drinks on to the field for the umpires, checking the batteries in the light meter, observing the pitch during the lunch and tea intervals to make sure there is no interference, and bringing on new bails. The fourth umpire can also take over the third umpire’s position if something happens to one of the on-field umpires, in which case the third umpire takes over on-field duties. As per ICC rules for Test matches, the fourth umpire is appointed by the home cricket board from their nominees to the International Panel of ICC Umpires and from the host country.

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

 

2. Khelo India Ice Hockey Tournament begins in Chiktan, Kargil: Khelo India Ice Hockey Tournament organised at Chiktan in Kàrgil, Ladakh. For the first time, the women team of Chiktan also participated in the Khelo India Games in Kargil district. There are 13 teams from different villages of Chiktan participating in the tournament, which include 11 men’s teams and 2 women’s teams. The tournament was inaugurated by SDM Shakar Chiktan and the Chief Guest of the event Kacho Asgar Ali khan in the presence of ZPEO Chiktan Ghulam Rasool along with in-charge police post-Chiktan.

Note: Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports: Kiren Rijiju.

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh: Radha Krishna Mathur.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI introduces Legal Entity Identifier for NEFT, RTGS transactions above Rs 50 crore: The Reserve Bank of India has introduced Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) for all payment transactions of value Rs 50 crore and above undertaken by entities (non-individuals) via Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT). Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) are the Centralised Payment Systems operated by RBI. This instruction shall come into effect from April 01, 2021.

Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is a 20-digit number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide. Reserve Bank has introduced LEI in a phased manner for participants in the over the counter (OTC) derivative and non-derivative markets as also for large corporate borrowers. LEI can be obtained from Legal Entity Identifier India Ltd. (LEIL) which is wholly owned subsidiary of Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL).

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

 

2. SMCB becomes India’s 1st urban co-operative bank to transition to SFB: Uttar Pradesh-based, Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank (SMCB) has become the first urban co-operative bank (UCB) in India to receive a licence from RBI to operate as a Small Finance Bank (SFB). The RBI had given an 18-month timeline to commence business. SMCB received the commercial banking license from banking regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on January 06, 2021, to transition to an SFB, under the voluntary transition scheme. The Shivalik Small Finance Bank (SSFB) will start its banking operations from April 2021.

About Shivalik Small Finance Bank: SSFB operates through 31 branches and over 250 banking agents in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand with 400,000 customers. As on March 31, 2020, the total deposit base of the bank stood at Rs 1,140 crore and total advances stood at Rs 719 crore.

Note: MD & CEO of Shivalik Mercantile Cooperative Bank: Suveer Kumar Gupta; Shivalik Mercantile Cooperative Bank HQ: Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. World Bank Projects Indian Economy to Contract By 9.6% in 2020-21: World Bank has projected the Indian economy to contract by 9.6 per cent in the fiscal year 2020-21, in its Global Economic Prospects report. World Bank estimates Growth to recover to 5.4 per cent in 2021. Apart from this, the global economy is estimated to expand by 4 per cent in 2021 by the World Bank. According to the report, global growth is projected to moderate to 3.8 per cent in 2022.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India & Israel successfully test MRSAM air defence system: India and Israel successfully tested a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) defence system. The MRSAM missile defence system has been developed jointly by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to deal with airstrikes by enemy countries. Currently being used by all three wings of the Indian Army as well as Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the air and missile defence system was a joint venture of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the IAI.

About the MRSAM: MRSAM is an air and missile defence system that can destroy enemy aircraft from a distance of 50 to 70 km. It provides ultimate protection against a variety of aerial platforms. The MRSAM includes command and control, an advanced phased-array radar, mobile launchers and interceptors with advanced RF seeker.

Note: Secretary Department of Defence Research and Development & Chairman DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy; DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi; DRDO Established: 1958.

President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries: Boaz Levy.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Oldest living first-class cricketer Alan Burgess passes away: The world’s oldest living first-class cricketer Alan Burgess has passed away at the age of 100. A right-hand batsman and slow left-arm bowler, Alan appeared in 11 first-class matches for Canterbury from 1940/41 to 1951/52 and also for New Zealand Services in England in 1945. He took 6-52 on debut against Otago at Lancaster Park in a match that began on Christmas Day 1940. Alan Burgess was a tank driver for New Zealand’s forces in England during the Second World War. Following his death, India’s Raghunath Chandorkar is now the oldest first-class cricketer alive.

 

2. Former Maharashtra Minister Vilas Patil Undalkar passes away: Former Maharashtra cabinet minister and seven-time Congress MLA Vilas Patil Undalkar has passed away, following a brief illness. He was 82. The veteran Congressman, Undalkar, who was popularly known as ‘kaka’, was elected seven times from Karad-South Assembly constituency for a record 35 consecutive years, from 1980 to 2014. Undalkar held the Cooperation and Law and Justice portfolios in the State Cabinets during the previous Congress-led state governments.