Daily GK Updates – 14th Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. First time in history, Union Budget 2021 to be paperless: Union Budget 2021, slated to be presented on February 1, is going to be completely paperless in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This will be the first time since independence that the budget papers will not be printed. The Centre has received permission for the same from both houses of parliament. The decision has been taken as several people (approximately 100) would be required to stay at the printing press for around a fortnight amid the COVID-19 fear.

The budget papers are usually printed at the ministry’s in-house printing press in the North Block. This year’s budget may reportedly witness several conventions being broken as the traditional ‘Halwa’ ceremony, which is a given every year is also not likely to take place, or a low-key function may be held with limited gathering in attendance.

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

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

 

2. Suriname’s Indian-origin President to be Republic Day chief guest: President of the Republic of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade on January 26. India had initially invited Boris Johnson to be the chief guest but the British PM had to cancel his visit in view of the grim coronavirus situation back home. Earlier this week, Santokhi was the chief guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention, held by the Ministry of External Affairs and he delivered the keynote address. He was sworn in as the president of Suriname in July 2020, when his party, the Progressive Reform Party, won 20 of the 51 seats in the elections.

Note: Suriname Capital: Paramaribo; Suriname Currency: Suriname Dollar; Suriname Continent: South America.

 

3. Manipur: CM Biren Singh virtually inaugurated Cherry Blossom Festival: The 4th edition of the Cherry Blossom Festival, Mao in Manipur was virtually inaugurated by Chief Minister N Biren Singh. However this year, the authority decided to scale down the festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Festival featured the picturesque landscape of Mao adorned with beautiful cherry trees laden with blooming flowers which have traditionally attracted visitors from across the world.

About the festival: Manipur has been celebrating the festival every year since 2017. The festival which featured the picturesque landscape of Mao town adorned with beautiful Cherry Blossom flowers was streamed live from 2 pm on various social media platforms. The Mao area of Senapati district in Manipur is known for Cherry Blossom, a plant which is popularly known as Sakura in Japan.

Note: Chief Minister of Manipur: N. Biren Singh; Governor: Najma Heptulla.

 

4. Armed Forces Veterans Day: 14th January: In India, the Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed each year on 14 January since 2017 to acknowledge and honour the selfless devotion and sacrifice of our veterans in the service of the nation. The day was initially called Armistice Day. 2021 marks the 5th Armed Forces Veterans Day. The day is observed as a mark of respect and recognition of the services rendered by Field Marshal KM Cariappa OBE, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces who retired on 14 January 1953.

 

5. Manipur Guv released book “Making of a General A Himalayan Echo”: Manipur Governor, Dr Najma Heptulla has virtually released a book titled “Making of a General-A Himalayan Echo” authored by (Retd) Lt General Konsam Himalaya Singh at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, Imphal. The book elegantly summons the essence and imperatives of superior command of one of the most formidable forces in the world.

The essence of the book: The book is the memoir of Lt Gen (Dr) Konsam Himalay Singh who has traced his journey from a small village in Manipur to becoming the first person from North East India to hold the rank of a Three-Star General of the Indian Army. The book has also highlighted about Manipur, the “Land of Emeralds”.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India Ranks 85 in Henley Passport Index 2021: The Henley Passport Index 2021 has been released by Henley & Partners, based on the exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As per the latest report, India has been ranked 85th among 110 countries, in the Henley Passport Index for 2021, with a visa-free score of 58. The index presents the original ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

Japan has once again topped the list of being the most powerful passport in the world, for the third consecutive year. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 191 countries visa-free. Singapore is in second place (190) and South Korea ties with Germany in third place (189). Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are the countries with the worst passport, with a passport score of 29, 28 and 26 respectively.

Note: International Air Transport Association Headquarters: Montreal, Canada; International Air Transport Association Founded: 19 April 1945; International Air Transport Association Leader: William M. Walsh.

Henley & Partners Headquarters location: London, United Kingdom; Henley & Partners Founded: 1997; Henley & Partners Chairman: Christian Kalin; Henley & Partners CEO: Juerg Steffen.

 

2. France hosts 4th One Planet Summit: The Government of France organised the fourth ‘One Planet Summit’, through videoconferencing, which aimed at protecting the world’s biodiversity. The Summit was organised in cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank. The theme of the Summit was “Let’s act together for nature!”. It was inaugurated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, and President of the World Bank Group David Malpass. The Summit focused on biodiversity preservation through: (1) The protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems,

(2) The promotion of agroecology,

(3) The mobilization of funding for biodiversity, and

(4) The link between deforestation, species and human health.

Note: France Capital: Paris; France President: Emmanuel Macron; France Prime minister: Jean Castex; France Currency: Euro.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI cancels the licence of Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Maharashtra-based Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank, with immediate effect. Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd will now not be allowed to conduct the business of ‘banking’, including acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits, with effect from the close of business on January 11, 2021. RBI has requested the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS), Maharashtra to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.

Reason of Cancellation: The Bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Section 11(1) read with Section 56 of BR Act and thus would be unable to pay its present depositors in full in its current financial position.

Consumer interest protected: With the cancellation of licence and commencement of liquidation proceedings, the process of paying the depositors of Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd., Osmanabad, Maharashtra as per the DICGC Act, 1961 will be set in motion. Every depositor is entitled to repayment of his/her deposits up to Rs 5,00,000 from the DICGC. More than 99% of the depositors of the bank will get full repayment of their deposits from DICGC.

Note: Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Establishment: 1978; Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee CorporationChairman: Michael Debabrata Patra (Deputy Governor, RBI); Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Reserve Bank of India Establishment: 1 April 1935; Reserve Bank of India Governor: Shaktikanta Das; Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governors: 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao).

 

2. RBI sets Rs 345 crore corpus for developing payment infrastructure in rural India: The Reserve Bank of India announced the operationalization of the Payment Investment Development Fund (PIDF) with an initial corpus of Rs 345 crore for three years – extendable up to an additional two more years. The objective of PIDF is to increase the number of acceptance devices multi-fold in the country. The Scheme is expected to benefit the acquiring banks / non-banks and merchants by lowering overall acceptance infrastructure cost. The fund will be used for adding 30 lakh digital payments touch points which would include 10 lakh physical and 20 lakh digital payment acceptance devices every year with a special focus on tier 3 to tier 6 regions and the north-eastern states.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India’s retail inflation drops to 4.59 % in December: India’s retail inflation fell sharply to 4.59 per cent in December, mainly due to declining food prices, government data showed. Retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 6.93 per cent in November. Food inflation declined to 3.41 per cent in December in 2020, compared to 9.5 per cent in the previous month, according to the data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) factors in retail inflation while arriving at its monetary policy.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Dr Ajay Kumar co-chairs 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue: The 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue was held in a virtual format. The virtual event was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar along with Vietnamese Sr Lt Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Defence Minister, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. During their virtual interaction:

(1) Defence Secretary and the Deputy Defence Minister expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries in spite of the limitations imposed by COVID 19.

(2) Both countries exchanged views on the plan of action from the recently concluded Virtual Summit between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc in December 2020.

(3) Both the sides reviewed the progress on various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives and expressed commitment to further elevate engagements between the Armed Forces under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

(4) Both sides agreed that in the recent past our respective countries have made notable strides in Defence Industry and Technology cooperation and look forward to even greater cooperation in this field.

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

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Mali PM Modibo Keita passes away: Mali’s former prime minister Modibo Keita has died at the age of 78. Keita, who served as prime minister from 2015 to 2017.  He was one of six prime ministers to serve under President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was ousted in a coup in August. From 2014 until his appointment as prime minister, Modibo Keita had been the president’s representative for peace talks between the government and Tuareg rebel groups waging an insurgency in the country’s conflict-ravaged north.

 

2. Indian American writer Ved Mehta passes away: Indian American writer Ved Mehta passed away. The Indian-American novelist overcame blindness & was widely known as the 20th-century writer most responsible for introducing American readers to India. Ved Mehta, a longtime writer for The New Yorker whose best-known work, spanning a dozen volumes, explored the vast, turbulent history of modern India through the intimate lens of his own autobiography.

Daily GK Updates – 13th Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Nitin Gadkari to launch “Khadi Prakritik Paint” developed by KVIC: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will be launching an innovative new paint developed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission. The eco-friendly, non-toxic paint, called “Khadi Prakritik Paint” is a first-of-its-kind product, with anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties.

About the Paint: Based on cow dung as its main ingredient, the paint is cost-effective and odourless and has been certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Khadi Prakritik Paint is available in two forms – distemper paint and plastic emulsion paint. Production of Khadi Prakritik Paint is aligned with Prime Minister’s vision of increasing farmers’ income.

 

2. RS Sharma to head empowered panel for Covid-19 vaccine: The Union government has appointed RS Sharma, former Trai chief, as the chairperson of an empowered committee for the administration of Covid-19 vaccine. A ten-member team has been constituted to be headed by Sharma. This has come days ahead of the mega vaccination drive is to start in India. He has also been included as a member of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration of Covid-19 that was formed in August 2020.

About the committee: RS Sharma was the first person to officially initiate a discussion on vaccination delivery in the government in the summer of 2020 when Covid-19 cases peaked. The top health ministry and UIDAI officials are part of the empowered committee. The panel can invite eminent persons as and when required to ensure delivery of the vaccine through the Co-Win technology platform.

 

3. National Road Safety Month 2021: 18 January – 17 February: The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways observes the National Road Safety Week every year in the second week of January. However, in 2021, the Government has decided to observe National Road Safety Month instead of National Road Safety Week.

Accordingly, the National Road Safety Month will be observed from 18th January, 2021′ to 17th February’ 2021. During this period nation-wide various activities will be conducted throughout the country in association with the Central/ State Governments/ UT administrations, and other stakeholders.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s 7th Trade Policy Review (TPR) at WTO: The second session of the 7th Trade Policy Review (TPR) of India concluded at the World Trade Organization (WTO). This was the final session of the 7th trade policy review. Trade Policy Review is a key mechanism under the monitoring function of WTO. During this trade policy review, WTO examines the trade and related policies of the member countries with an aim to improve their adherence to WTO rules and to provide constructive feedback. Important Points Trade Policy Review (TPR) of India:

(1) The official delegation of India for the 7th TPR was headed by Anup Wadhawan, the Commerce Secretary.

(2) The Commerce Secretary responded to all the issues rose by the Members during the 1st TPR session of India.

(3) The Commerce Secretary also urged the members to provide a permanent solution to Public Stock Holding (PSH) for food security.

(4) India is committed to simplify and streamline the overall domestic business environment and has an aim to make a place in the top 50 in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report.

(5) Before this, the last Trade Policy Review of India was held in the year 2015.

About World Trade Organization: WTO is an organization that regulates international trade between countries. It was established in the year 1955 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It has 164 members at present.

 

2. Bangladesh declared as ‘Country in Focus’ for 51st IFFI: Bangladesh has been chosen as the ‘Country in Focus’ for the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The festival will be held at Goa from January 16 to January 24, 2021. The Country in Focus is a special segment that recognizes the cinematic excellence and contributions of the country. This section at the 51st IFFI will showcase four films from Bangladesh.

History of International Film Festival of India: The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), is being held annually since 1952, in Goa. The event is organised jointly by the Directorate of Film Festivals (under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) and the state Government of Goa.

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

                                        

3. Oldest living Olympic champion Agnes Keleti turns 100: The oldest surviving Olympic champion, Ágnes Keleti, celebrates her 100th birthday. She is one of her country’s most successful Olympians, having won 10 medals for Hungary in gymnastics, at the Olympic Games Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956. Her haul included five golds. Keleti won the floor event in Finland before producing an astonishing display in Australia, winning four golds – in the uneven bars, balance beam, floor, and team event. At 35, she became the oldest female gymnast to win an Olympic title.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Dhaka Marathon 2021: Jigmet Dolma from Ladakh wins 4th position: Jigmet Dolma from India secured the fourth position in the Dhaka Marathon 2021. Jigmet Dolma is an SPO of Ladakh police. In the marathon, Hicham Lakohi of Morocco came first in the elite competition of the marathon in men’s category while Angela Jim Asunde from Kenya won the women’s category in the same event.  In the full marathon, among the SAARC and local runners, Bahadur Singh of India became the champion in the men’s category and Pushpa Bhandari of Nepal became the champion in the women’s category.

History of Marathon: The marathon was organized to commemorate the return of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Pakistan jail to Bangladesh in 1972. The full marathon covered 42.19 kilometres while the half marathon covered 21.09 kilometres. Athletes from all over the world including India, Morocco, Kenya, France, Nepal, Ethiopia among others participated in various categories of the event. Home Minister of Bangladesh Asaduzzaman Khan inaugurated the event at Dhaka Army Stadium.

 

2. Jay Shah named BCCI’s Official Representative on ICC Board: Jay Shah has been named as the official representative of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board meetings. Shah is the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He will replace BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who was currently representing India at the ICC Board, but he suffered a heart condition recently and had to be admitted to hospital where he underwent primary angioplasty.

Note: President of BCCI: Sourav Ganguly; Headquarters of BCCI: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Founded: December 1928.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. ICRA Projects India’s real GDP to expand by 10.1% in FY22: Domestic rating agency ICRA Ratings expects the real gross domestic product (GDP) of India to grow by 10.1% in the financial year 2021-22 (FY2022). The rating agency ICRA had earlier projected a contraction of 7.8% for the ongoing fiscal 2020-21. The seemingly-sharp expansion will be led by the continued normalisation in economic activities as the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines gathers traction and the low base.

Note: ICRA Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana; ICRA Non-Executive Chairman and Director: Arun Duggal.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Coastal defence exercise “Sea Vigil 21” kicks off: A major exercise to test military readiness at sea along the coastline of the country starts. This is the second edition of the biennial pan-India coastal defence exercise “Sea Vigil-21” will be conducted on January 12 and 13. The two-day exercise involving all stakeholders, states and Central government agencies will set the tempo of operations, including “transition from peace to conflict”.  The exercise is a build-up towards the next step and level exercise called “Tropex” (Theatre-level Readiness Operational Exercise), which is expected to be conducted at month-end or early February. Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs, Shipping, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Fisheries and Customs, state governments and other agencies of Centre and state are coordinating. About the exercise:

(1) The exercise, inaugural edition of which was conducted in January 2019, will be undertaken along the entire 7,516-km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone of India.

(2) It will involve all 13 coastal states and Union Territories along with other maritime stakeholders, including the fishing and coastal communities.

(3) Exercise ‘Sea Vigil-21’ is expected to provide a realistic assessment of our strengths and weaknesses and thus will help in further strengthening maritime and national security. The exercise is being coordinated by the Indian Navy.

(4) The entire coastal security set up was re-organised after the 26/11 terror attack at Mumbai which was launched using the sea route.

(5) Assets of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Customs and other maritime agencies will participate in the exercise.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh; Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Padma Shri Awardee Telugu Journalist Turlapati Kutumba Rao passes away: Veteran journalist and orator (public speaker) Sri Turlapati Kutumba Rao has passed away. He is known for his service to journalism in the Telugu language. He has written over 4000 biographies and delivered over 16000 public speeches which have been recorded by the Telugu Book of Records as a world record. Rao has received a number of honour for his field of work, including the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri, in 2002, making him the first journalist from the state of Andhra Pradesh to receive the award.

 

2. Pulitzer Prize-winning author & journalist Neil Sheehan passes away: Pulitzer Prize-winning author & journalist Neil Sheehan passed away. He covered the Vietnam War for United Press International and the Times from 1962 to 1966. He won a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award in 1989 for “A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam.”

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.

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.