Daily GK Updates – 22nd Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. 15th India Digital Summit 2021 begins: The India Digital Summit, the flagship event of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is one of the biggest conferences for the digital industry. Honourable Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & IT and Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is the chief guest, will deliver the inaugural address at the Summit.

About the summit: The summit, in its 15th year, will bring thought leadership on various digital initiatives that will cover Policies, Business, Investment, Advertising, Digital Commerce, Start-ups Ecosystem, Emerging Tech, and other Digital Trends. The theme for this year’s summit, which is being held virtually is ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Start of New Decade’ in line with the government’s ‘Make for the World’ Initiatives. The staggering increase in the total number of internet users in rural India recently presents us with the unique opportunity to establish India as a global powerhouse of Digital Growth.

 

2. Kiren Rijiju gets additional charge of Ayush Ministry: Ministry for Sports and Youth Affairs, Kiren Rijiju has been given the additional charge of the Ayush Ministry. He will hold the fort till Shripad Yesso Naik recovers from an accident. The President has directed that this arrangement may continue till Shri Shripad Yesso Naik resumes his work related to Ministry of AYUSH.” The President, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed that during the hospitalisation and treatment of Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in Ministry of Defence, following a road accident, his portfolio related to Ministry of AYUSH, be temporarily assigned to Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State (Independent Charge) in addition to his existing portfolios.

 

3. Maharashtra renames Gorewada international zoo after Bal Thackeray: The Maharashtra government has renamed Gorewada International Zoo in Nagpur as ‘Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park. The zoological park will come up on nearly 2,000 hectares forest land. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate the Indian safari at the zoo on January 26. Three special 40-seat capacity vehicles and an online ticket booking facility will be made available to the people as soon after the Indian safari is inaugurated.

Note: Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

 

4. Nitish Kumar inaugurates state’s first Bird Festival ‘Kalrav’: The Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar has inaugurated the first-ever bird festival of the state, ‘Kalrav’, at Nagi-Nakti bird sanctuary, located in Jamui district. The festival was organized by the state environment, forest and climate change department to create awareness among people about birds, especially the migratory birds. He will also launch the logo of the bird festival and also release a coffee table book on the birds available at the sanctuaries.

About Nagi- Nakti Bird Sanctuaries: The Nagi- Nakti Bird Sanctuaries have been the home of a wide variety of indigenous species of birds and of migratory birds that turn up during the winters from places like Eurasia, Central Asia, the Arctic Circle, Russia and Northern China. Over 136 species of birds have been spotted at these sanctuaries. Not just that, around 1,600 bar-headed geese, which is about 3% of the global population of this variety, have been seen here, as per a report of the Wetlands International and because of this rare phenomenon, the Birdlife International, a global body, has held the Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary to be globally important for the conservation of birds’ population and has declared it as an important bird area.

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

 

5. Goa CM releases book ‘Manohar Parrikar – Off the Record’: Goa Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant has released a book ‘Manohar Parrikar- Off the Record’ at a function organized at Institute Menezes Braganza hall in the city. The book has been written by senior journalist Waman Subha Prabhu. The book ‘Manohar Parrikar- Off the Record’ is a collection of memories of Mr Prabhu who happened to be with late Parrikar during the journey of his life. In the book, the author has endeavoured to narrate the multi-faceted personality of late Manohar Parrikar. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, while speaking, said Late Manohar Parrikar was a great visionary who had dreamt to serve Goa.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Netherlands PM Mark Rutte and his entire cabinet quits: The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte and his entire Cabinet has resigned recently over the childcare subsidies scandal, in which thousands of families were wrongly accused of child welfare fraud. However, the Rutte government will stay on in a caretaker role until parliamentary elections in March 2021. The resignation brings to an end a decade in office for Rutte, although his party is expected to win the election, putting him first in line to begin talks to form the next government. If he succeeds in forming a new coalition, Rutte would most likely again become prime minister.

Note: Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam; Currency: Euro

 

2. Harsh Vardhan chairs 148th session of WHO Executive Board: Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally chaired the 148th session of WHO Executive Board, through Video Conference. The 148th session of the Executive Board has been organised from 18-26 January 2021. The meeting provides a platform to bring together all member states to set the directions and agenda and continue striving for the objective of Health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Also, the WHO has declared the Year 2021 as the Year of Global Solidarity and Survival.

Note: Headquarters of WHO: Geneva, Switzerland; Director-general of WHO: Tedros Adhanom.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Bank launches ‘InstaFX’ mobile app: ICICI Bank has launched a new mobile application ‘InstaFX’ for authorised money changers to help customers of any bank get ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ swiftly. ICICI is the bank is the first in the country to offer such facility to money changers. A money changer is a person or organization whose business is the exchange of coins or currency of one country, for that of another.

About ‘InstaFX’ app: The ‘InstaFX’ app will enable the authorised money changers, who are partners of the Bank, to complete the KYC verification and validation of customers digitally and on a real-time basis. The ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ gets activated swiftly within a few hours, as against the industry practice of up to two-days, thus it will significantly improve customer convenience, even if they are not customers of ICICI bank.

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

 

2. Airtel Payments Bank launches ‘Airtel Safe Pay’: To protect Airtel customers from the growing incidents of online payment frauds, Airtel Payments Bank has launched ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, a safe way to pay digitally. With ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, Airtel customers making UPI or net banking-based payments through Airtel Payments Bank, no longer have to worry about money flowing out of their accounts without their explicit consent.

About ‘Airtel Safe Pay’: An India-First innovation, ‘Airtel Safe Pay’ leverages Airtel’s ‘telco exclusive’ strength of network intelligence to provide an additional layer of payment validation, compared to the industry norm of two-factor authentication. This offers the highest level of protection from potential frauds such as phishing, stolen credentials or passwords, and even phone cloning that catches customers unaware. Using ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, Airtel Payments Bank customers can make secure digital payments across millions of merchants, online retailers and utilities, and even send money.

Note: Airtel Payments Bank CEO: Anubrata Biswas; Airtel Payments Bank Headquarters Location: New Delhi; Airtel Payments Bank Founded: 2017; Airtel Payments Bank Parent organization: Bharti Airtel.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India to procure 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft from Russia: The Government of India is set to procure 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft from Russia. Apart from this, the Centre will also purchase the upgrades of the existing fleets of aircraft from Russian state-run defence export arm Rosoboronexport. The new set of 21 MiG-29 will add to existing 59 such jets already with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the 12 Sukhoi-30MKIs, on the other hand, will add to the existing fleet of 272 such fighter aircraft.

 

2. Indo-French Exercise Desert Knight-21 begins: Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force are conducting a bilateral Air exercise, Ex Desert Knight-21 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The exercise marks an important milestone in the series of engagements between the two Air forces. It is unique as it includes fielding of Rafale aircraft by both sides and is indicative of the growing interaction between the two premiers Air Forces.

The French side will participate with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft and approximately 175 personnel. The Indian Air Force aircraft participating in the exercise will include Rafale, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI among other aircraft.

Note: France President: Emmanuel Macron; France Capital: Paris; France Currency: Euro.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Arunachal Governor Mata Prasad passes away: Former Arunachal Governor Mata Prasad has passed away at the age of 95. He served as minister in the Congress government in Uttar Pradesh in 1988- 89 and appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in 1993.

Daily GK Updates – 21st Jan, 2021

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. GoI decides to celebrate January 23 as Parakram Diwas: The birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, on January 23, as ‘Parakram Diwas’ every year, the Ministry of Culture announced. The day is celebrated to honour and remember Netaji’s indomitable spirit and selfless service to the nation. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Culture held a high-level committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in a befitting manner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit West Bengal on January 23 to attend Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary celebrations at the Victorial Memorial in Kolkata. The PM is also likely to visit National Library located in Belvedere Estate, Alipore.

 

2. PM Modi appointed chairman of Somnath Temple Trust: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was appointed the new chairman of the trust which manages the world-famous Somnath Temple at Prabhas Patan town in Gujarat’s Gir-Somnath district, becoming the second PM to hold the post. After former PM Morarji Desai, Narendra Modi is the second Prime Minister who has been appointed the chairman of the temple trust. As per trust records, PM Modi has become the eighth chairman of the trust. As per the records, Desai had served as the chairman between 1967 and 1995. The post of the Somnath Trust’s chairman fell vacant after the death of the incumbent, former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, in October last year. Patel had served as the chairman for 16 years (2004-2020). Other trustees include BJP leader LK Advani, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat-based scholar JD Parmar and businessman Harshvardhan Neotia.

 

3. India’s 1st Labour Movement Museum to be set up in Kerala: The first-of-its-kind Labour Movement Museum, in India, would be launched in Alappuzha in Kerala, to showcase the history of the world labour movement. The museum will portray the growth of the world labour movement and the history of Kerala’s labour movement, through pictures, documents and other exhibits. Alappuzha is famous as the global houseboat tourism hub. The New Model Cooperative Society Limited, previously run by the Bombay Company, has been converted into the Labour Movement Museum. It will portray, through pictures, documents and other exhibits, the growth of the world labour movement and the history of Keralas labour movement.

Note: Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan; Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

 

4. Bhawana Kanth to become 1st woman fighter pilot at R-Day parade: Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth will become the 1st woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade. She will be a part of the Indian Air Force’s tableau in the 2021 Republic Day Parade that will showcase mock-ups of the light combat helicopter, light combat aircraft, and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane.

About Bhawana Kanth: At present, Bhawana is posted in Rajasthan and flies the MiG-21 Bison fighter plane. Bhawana is also one of the first women fighter pilots to be inducted into the Indian Air Force in the year 2016. She was inducted into IAF in 2016 along with Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi. Since then 10 women have been commissioned as fighter pilots in IAF. Induction of Bhawana and other two women fighters was an experimental scheme of induction of women in IAF’s combat stream introduced in the year 2015.

2021 Republic Day Parade: The newly inducted Rafale fighter aircraft will also be featured in the 2021 Republic Day parade. The aircraft will culminate the flypast by forming the ‘Vertical Charlie’ formation. 38 IAF aircraft and 4 Indian Army planes will participate in the flypast of 26th January. The flypast will be divided into two blocks. 5 Rafale fighter jets were inducted into the IAF in September 2020.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Joe Biden takes oath as 46th US President: Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States. He swore the oath of office moments after Kamala Harris, who became America’s first woman vice president, turning the page on Donald Trump’s tumultuous four years.  At 78, Biden is the oldest president in US history and only the second Roman Catholic president. Biden, who was vice president under Barack Obama and first ran for president in 1987, plans to kick off his tenure with a flurry of 17 orders. Biden will immediately rejoin the Paris climate accord and stop the US exit from the World Health Organization and set new paths on immigration, the environment, Covid-19 and the economy.

Important points of the inauguration: Biden, who is the oldest president in American history, took the oath by placing his left hand on his 127-year-old family Bible, which was held by his wife, Jill Biden. He used the same Bible during his swearing-in as vice president and seven times as senator from Delaware. Lady Gaga, in a poofy dress that was Valentine red, sang the national anthem and Tom Hanks prepared for a televised evening appearance with the new president. Jennifer Lopez sang a pop rendition of “This Land is Your Land,” often considered the unofficial US national anthem, ending it by exclaiming the words of the pledge of allegiance — a nation that promises “liberty and justice for all” in Spanish.

 

2. Yoweri Museveni wins sixth term as Uganda’s President: Uganda’s incumbent President Yoweri Museveni has been declared as the winner of the country’s presidential election for 2021. Museveni secured 58.64 per cent of the total votes cast, to win the sixth term as the President. The 76-year-old leader is serving as the President of the Republic of Uganda since 1986 and is one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents.

Note: Uganda Capital: Kampala; Currency: Ugandan shilling.

 

3. India and Japan inks MoC to promote movement of skilled workers: India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) a Basic Framework for Partnership for Proper Operation of the System Pertaining to Specified Skilled Worker (SSW), to promote the movement of skilled workers from India to Japan. The MoC was signed between Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Ambassador of Japan to India Suzuki Satoshi.

About MoC: The MoC covers 14 categories of specified skills. The skilled workers from India who meet these skills requirement and Japanese language tests would be eligible for employment in Japan on a contractual basis. These workers would be granted the status of Specified Skilled Worker by Japan. The 14 specified industry fields include nursing care, building cleaning, material processing, industrial machinery manufacturing, electric and electronic information, construction, shipbuilding and ship-related industry, automobile maintenance, aviation, lodging, agriculture, fisheries, food and beverages manufacturing and food services industry.

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

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Vishwavir Ahuja re-appointed as RBL Bank chief: The board of directors of RBL Bank has approved the re-appointment of Vishwavir Ahuja as the Managing Director and CEO of the bank for three years. The re-appointment is with effect from June 30, 2021, to June 29, 2024, and the same is being recommended to the Reserve Bank of India and shall be subject to their approval, the bank said in a regulatory filing. He has been MD & CEO of RBL Bank since June 30, 2010. Prior to joining RBL Bank, he was the MD & CEO of Bank of America, India, from 2001 to 2009. As per the regulatory filing, under Ahuja’s leadership, the deposits of the bank have grown almost 40 times, while advances have grown more than 45 times since 2011.

Note: RBL Bank Ltd Incorporated: 1943, under the Indian Companies Act, 1913; RBL Bank Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; RBL Bank Ltd Tagline: Apno Ka Bank.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Infosys receives Google Cloud Partner Status: Infosys has recently announced that it has been accredited with the Google Cloud Partner Specialization in the data and analytics space. Infosys is among the top global system integrators which have been accredited with this specialization.

Important points: Infosys has received this recognition as the company has successfully demonstrating end-to-end capabilities on Google Cloud including warehousing on the cloud and data ingestion. Infosys has showcased robust methodology, strong industry expertise, technical proficiency, success in specialized data and analytics solutions, and service areas. These data and analytics offerings are a part of Infosys Cobalt. Along with AI capabilities, these data and analytics offerings help in optimizing costs paving the way for AI and cloud-native digital transformation for enterprises, migrating workloads to Google Cloud, and modernize data landscapes.

Note: Infosys Founded: 7 July 1981; Infosys CEO: Salil Parekh; Infosys Headquarters: Bengaluru.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. DRDO hands over Motor Bike Ambulance Rakshita to CRPF: Defence Research and Development Organisation has handed over Motor Bike Ambulance Rakshita to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The bike ambulance will help in overcoming the problems faced by Indian security forces and emergency health care providers. The bike ambulances will provide life-saving aid for the evacuation of injured patients from low-intensity conflict areas.

About Rakshita: Rakshita is fitted with a customized reclining Casualty Evacuation Seat (CES), which can be fitted in and taken out as per requirement. Other major features are the head immobilizer, safety harness jacket, hand and foot straps for safety, adjustable footrest, physiological parameter measuring equipment with wireless monitoring capability and auto warning system for the driver. The bike ambulance will help in overcoming the problems faced by Indian security forces and emergency health care providers. The bike ambulances will provide life-saving aid for the evacuation of injured patients from low-intensity conflict areas.

Note: Director-General of CRPF: Dr A P Maheshwari.

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

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Padma Award winning Renowned Oncologist Dr V Shanta passes away: Padma Award winning renowned oncologist Dr V Shanta has passed away. She was the chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai, which she joined in 1954. The institute is known for providing state-of-the-art healthcare to all patients. Dr V Shanta was a recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri (1986) and Padma Bhushan (2006) for her efforts for making quality and affordable cancer treatment accessible to everyone. She was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan and the Ramon Magsaysay awards.

Daily GK Updates – 20th Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Kerala Governor launches ‘One School One IAS’ scheme: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has inaugurated the ‘OneSchool One IAS’ scheme which has been rolled out under the Vedhik Erudite Foundations Scholarship Programme. According to a notification released an institution considered by top academics and retired IAS and IPS officers in the state is conducting the programme which seeks to refute the general notion that the civil service is for the elite class only.

About the programme: The programme will be providing free training to the students who are economically backward but are academically brilliant aspirants of civil service and other competitive exams. The scheme is supported by sponsors, which expects an enrollment of 10,000 boys and girls across the state. The beneficiaries of the programme will be selected by a panel which will be headed by the heads of the respective educational institutions.

Note: Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan; Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

 

2. Petroleum Ministry launches ‘SAKSHAM’ campaign: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched a month-long mass awareness campaign titled ‘SAKSHAM’ to spread awareness about green and clean energy. The campaign has been organised by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA), to motivate consumers to switch to cleaner fuels and bring in behavioural change to use fossil fuel intelligently. The campaign will spread awareness about seven key drivers that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently mentioned.

About SAKSHAM: SAKSHAM stands for Sanrakshan Kshamata Mahotsav. The pan-India campaign would include various activities such as cyclotron, farmer workshops, seminars, painting competition, CNG vehicle driving contest, etc to spread awareness among masses about the advantages of using clean fuels. They include moving towards a gas-based economy, cleaner use of fossil fuels, greater reliance on domestic sources to drive biofuels and increased use of electric vehicles.

Note: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas: Dharmendra Pradhan.

 

3. Nitin Gadkari inaugurates National Road Safety Month 2021: The first-ever National Road Safety Month was inaugurated by Union Minister for Defence Shri Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways & MSME Nitin Gadkari. It is the inaugural edition of the National Road Safety Month and is being held in place of National Road Safety Week, which was being observed since the past few years. The objective of the month-long programme is to build awareness about road safety and reduce road accidents in India. It will be held till 17 February 2021.

About National Road Safety Month: During this period, nation-wide activities would be conducted throughout the country in association with State Govt./Union Territory administrations, NHAI, NHIDCL, OEMs and NGOs. The centre is also taking several measures to reduce road accidents by Restructuring and Strengthening 4E’s of Road safety, which are: Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Emergency care Services.

 

4. Ramchandra Guha’s latest book ‘The Commonwealth of Cricket’: Ramchandra Guha’s latest book ‘The Commonwealth of Cricket’ would be launching virtually in the Tata Literature Live (The Mumbai Lit fest) this month. His latest book juxtaposes his life with his abiding love for the game & this conversation could not come at a better time with India and Australia in the midst of an enthralling test series.

The essence of the book: In his upcoming book, ‘The commonwealth of cricket: The most subtle and sophisticated game known to mankind’, Guha has penned down his personal account of being intimately involved with the game starting from the time he was a child growing up in Dehradun to his days in college, from his encounters with the best Indian and foreign cricket players to becoming part of the BCCI. As he traces his multifaceted encounters with the game through anecdotes, memoirs and evocative portraits of cricketing legends, he charts the extraordinary social and historical changes that cricket underwent in India and the world.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. US designates UAE, Bahrain as ‘Major Strategic Partners’: The United States has recently designated the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the “major strategic partners” of the country. This has been announced before the formal transition of the president’s office from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. This announcement of “major strategic partners” was done by Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary. Important Points:

(1) Designation as strategic partners will strengthen the existing partnership between the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.

(2) Both the countries have been designated for their commitment to countering violent extremism across the region, exceptional security partnership, and exemplified by their hosting thousands of United States airmen, soldiers, marines, and sailors.

(3) Also, both the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have been a part of various United States-led coalitions in the last 30 years. It also represents the commitment to the security and economic cooperation of the countries.

(4) The designation also reflects their determination, extraordinary courage, and leadership in entering into the Abraham Accords.

(5) The Jebel Ali port of UAE is the busiest port of call for US warships outside of the U.S. Kingdom of Bahrain also hosts around 5,000 American troops and is home to the 5th Fleet of the U.S. Navy.

Note: President of UAE: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Capital of UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham.

King of Bahrain: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; Capital of Bahrain: Manama; Currency of Bahrain: Bahraini Dinar.

 

2. Pakistan Permits Dubai Royals to Hunt ‘Houbara bustard’: Pakistan has issued special permission to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Dubai Ruler; the crown prince, and 5 members of the royal family for hunting houbara bustard during the 2020-21 hunting season. After the permission, 11 members of the United Arab Emirates’ royal family reached the Panjgur district in Balochistan, Pakistan for hunting the highly vulnerable and internationally protected houbara bustard under Pakistan’s foreign ministry license.

This is not the 1st time that Pakistan has allowed royals from the Gulf for hunting houbara bustard. Such hunting expeditions have been for four decades and have continued even the Supreme Court of Pakistan imposed a blanket ban on the killing of the houbara bustard in the year 2015.

What is the houbara bustard? The houbara bustard is a terrestrial bird found in parts of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The Asian houbara (Chlamydotis macqueenii) and North African houbara (Chlamydotis undulata) are separate species. After breeding in central Asia during spring, the Houbara bustards migrate south to spend the winter in Pakistan.

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

 

3. NASA targets final test of ‘world’s most powerful rocket’: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is looking to carry out the eighth and final test in its “Green Run” test series. This eighth stage termed “hot fire,” will bring to an end a series of tests which, NASA says, will gradually bring together the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) to life for the very first time. The core stage of the SLS will form the backbone of what NASA says will be the “most powerful rocket in the world” and will power its next-generation human Moon Missions.

The stage will then be assembled with the other parts of the rocket and NASA’s Orion spacecraft for Artemis I, which will be the first integrated flight of Orion-SLS and the first under the Artemis programme, under which NASA will take the first woman and the next man to Moon, by 2024.

About the “Green Run”: The 212-foot-tall SLS core stage includes the liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank can hold 733,000 gallons of propellant to power the RS-25 engines. It is the rocket that NASA projects will be carrying a new generation of astronauts to the moon and handle missions beyond the scope of existing commercial crew vehicles. This rocket is a little shorter than the Saturn V rockets but is more powerful. This new rocket will be producing 15% greater thrust during liftoff in comparison to Saturn V. When the engines are fired up, 1.6 million pounds of thrust will be generated. When the 4 RS-25 engines at the bottom of the SLS be ignited, the period of testing for the rocket will close. This core includes oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks, 4 engines and computers, and avionics of the rocket. All these will be turned on as 2.6 million litres of supercooled propellant will be loaded into the rocket and ignited. However, the rocket will remain fixed at the Stennis Space Center of NASA.

Note: The administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Jim Bridenstine; Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Carolina Marin wins Yonex Thailand Open badminton tournament 2021: Reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin bolstered her chances of defending her title in Tokyo later this year after claiming the Thailand Open in Bangkok over top seed Tai Tzu-Ying. The Yonex Thailand Open Super 1000 badminton tournament was held from 12 January 2021 to 17 January 2021. It was the first badminton tournament of 2021 by Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Winners of Singles Title:

Men’s Category: Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) defeated Angus Long (Hong Kong) to clinch the Men’s Singles Title.

Women’s Category: Carolina Marin (Spain) defeated Tai Tzu-Ying (Taiwan) to bag the Women’s Singles Title.

Winners of Doubles Title:

In the Men’s Doubles, Taiwan’s Lee Yang & Wang Chi-Lin beat Malaysia’s Goh V Shem & Tan Wee Kiong to bag the Doubles Title.

In the Women’s Doubles, Indonesia’s Greysia Polii & Apriyani Rahayu defeated Thailand’s Jongkolphan Kititharakul & Rawinda Prajongjai to clinch the Doubles Title.

Winners of Mixed Doubles:

Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai defeated Indonesia’s Praveen Jordan & Melati Daeva Oktavianti to clinch the mixed doubles title.

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

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. CARE lowers Centre’s fiscal deficit projection to 7.8% of GDP: CARE Ratings has revised downwards its projection of the Centre’s fiscal deficit to 7.8 % of GDP during FY21 against its earlier estimate of 9-9.5 %. The combined effect of lower revenues & higher expenditure is likely to push the fiscal deficit to 7.8% of GDP.

Note: Care Ratings HQ: Mumbai; CEO:Ajay Mahajan.

 

2. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw selected as one of USIBC vice-chair: The US-India Business Council (USIBC) has selected three top corporate leaders as the Vice-Chairs of 2021 Global Board of Directors of USIBC with immediate effect. The three new appointees will now work with USIBC President Nisha Biswal and the Council’s policy directors, for strengthening US-India commercial relationship for the future. The three newly appointed VCs are:

(1) Biocon Executive Chairperson: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.

(2) Amway CEO: Milind Pant.

(3) Vice-chair at Nasdaq: Edward Knight.

USIBC has strengthened its leadership team as it plans to work with the new Joe Biden-led US administration. The Council advocates for strengthening US-India commercial relationship for the future. The vice-chairs will work to amplify the voice of the industry on international trade and investment issues and emphasise the key role that businesses can play in strengthening democratic institutions and combatting the global pandemic.

Note: US-India Business Council Founded: 1975; US-India Business Council Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Union Minister and Industrialist Kamal Morarka passes away: Former Union minister and noted industrialist Kamal Morarka has passed away. He served as the Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar from 1990 to 1991. The 74-year-old leader, a businessman who was also a former BCCI vice president. He was incumbent president of Samajwadi Janata Party (Chandra Shekhar). He was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1988.

Daily GK Updates – 19th Jan, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi launches Rs 1,000-crore ‘Startup India Seed Fund’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Rs 1,000-crore ‘Startup India Seed Fund’ on 16 January 2021, while addressing the ‘Prarambh: Startup India International Summit’ 2021. This initiative will help in setting up new startups and promote their growth.

About the Startup India Seed Fund: The Startup India Seed Fund would support startups in need of initial capital to start and grow their business and help budding entrepreneurs pursue innovative ideas. The government has been implementing the Fund of Fund Scheme to help startups raise equity capital. Going forward, the government will also help startups in raising debt capital.

 

2. PM Modi flags off 8 trains connecting Statue of Unity: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off eight trains connecting the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya, Gujarat with different regions of the country through video conferencing. PM Modi informed that it was the first time in history that so many trains from different locations were flagged off for a common destination. The eight trains flagged off will connect Kevadiya with: Varanasi, Dadar, Ahmedabad, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Rewa, Chennai, and Pratapnagar.

PM also inaugurated other railway projects in Kevadiya, including Dabhoi-Chandid gauge converted broad gauge rail line, Chandod-Kevadiya new broad gauge rail line, Pratapnagar-Kevadiya newly electrified section, and new station buildings of Dabhoi Junction, Chandod and Kevadiya.

 

3. India’s first COVID-19 Vaccine recipient is Manish Kumar: Manish Kumar, a sanitation worker in Delhi, became the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in India after PM Modi flagged off the nationwide vaccination drive on 16 January 2021. Manish Kumar was given the injection at AIIMS in Delhi while Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan was also present.

PM Modi launched the nationwide vaccine drive via videoconferencing and congratulated the people of India on getting two ‘Made in India’ vaccines. India’s vaccination programme is based on a very important principle that those who are in need of the vaccine will get vaccinated first. Our doctors, nurses, medical & paramedical staff, sanitation workers in hospitals – be it private or hospital are entitled to get vaccinated. This will be done on priority.

 

4. NIC and CBSE jointly launch CollabCAD Software: National Informatics Centre (NIC) along with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are jointly launching CollabCAD software, a collaborative network, computer-enabled software system, providing a total engineering solution from 2D drafting and detailing to 3D product design for students and faculty of engineering graphics curriculum. NIC, CBSE and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog will also jointly release a comprehensive e-book on CollabCAD 3D modeling. This ebook 1.0 is ready for public release through the CollabCAD portal and will guide CAD students, beginners, and professionals in understanding and using CollabCAD software. It is designed and authored by the CollabCAD Group of NIC, New Delhi. This initiative aims to provide a great platform to students across the country to create and modify 3D digital designs with a free flow of creativity and imagination.

 

5. Manipur Forest Department launches Website with German assistance: Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Awangbow Newmai launched website for the Community-based Sustainable Forest Management for Water Resource Conservation in Manipur (COSFOM) www.cosfom.mn.gov.in at the main conference hall, Forest Headquarters, Sanjenthong. COSFOM is a component under the Indo-German Programme ‘Climate Change Adaption in the Himalaya’ with a focus on sustainable community forestry, soil and water conservation. A project of the Government of India supported by the Federal Government of Germany through KfW, a German development bank in Frankfurt with Manipur Forest Department as the executing agency and managed by the Community Forestry and Water Conservation Society-Manipur (CF & WCS).

 

6. Cabinet approves MoU between India, UAE for scientific and technical cooperation: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to the Memorandum of Understanding on scientific and technical cooperation between National Centre of Meteorology of the United Arab Emirates and Ministry of Earth Sciences. The MoU will enable sharing of knowledge, data and operational products for meteorological, seismological and oceanic services between both the countries. This MoU will facilitate exchange of scientific and technical information, deployment of Meteorological observation networks over ocean, mutual cooperation in the development of special capacities and research of Tsunami models for faster and more reliable forecasts of Tsunamis.

 

7. 16th NDRF Raising Day: 19 January 2021: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 16th Raising Day on 19th January. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a specialized multi-skilled, humanitarian force of the country, came into existence on January 19th, 2006 has been playing a vital role in Disaster Management and Community awareness for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the country. The NDRF has earned good name and fame nationally and internationally with its selfless service and unmatched professionalism in disaster management. NDRF has saved more than One lakh lives in its 3100 operations and rescued/evacuated over 6.7 lakh people during disasters.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Germany passes bill mandating large companies to appoint women in executive boards: Germany’s Cabinet approved legislation requiring some larger companies to ensure that at least one woman serves on their management boards. The bill mandates that companies with over 2,000 employees that are listed on the stock exchange and have boards with more than three members have at least one woman and one man on their boards. The legislation requires parliamentary approval before it becomes law. It adds to existing rules requiring leading German companies to ensure that women make up at least 30 percent of their supervisory boards.

 

2. WHO, UNICEF, MSF, and IFRC collaborate to establish global Ebola vaccine stockpile: The four leading international health and humanitarian organisations announced the establishment of a global Ebola vaccine stockpile to ensure outbreak response. The effort to establish the stockpile was led by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, which includes the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The stockpile will allow countries, with the support of humanitarian organisations, to contain future Ebola epidemics by ensuring timely access to vaccines for populations at risk, during outbreaks.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Khelo India Zanskar Winter Sport & Youth festival 2021 begins: In Ladakh, the inaugural edition of the Khelo India Zanskar Winter Sport & Youth Festival 2021 kicked off on 18th January 2021. The 13- Day Zanskar Winter Sports Festival aims to open a new arena in Ladakh for adventure and Nature loving tourists and a boost for local Youth to hone up their skills in winter sports to represent India. A series of snow-based activities will be held for the next 13 days to promote tourism and economic activities in the Snowbound, picturesque Zanskar.

Note: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh: Radha Krishna Mathur.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Banks Gross NPA May Rise to 13.5% by September 2021: RBI Financial Stability Report: Banks’ gross non-performing assets may rise to 13.5 per cent by September 2021, from 7.5 per cent in September 2020 under the baseline scenario, according to Financial Stability Report (FSR) released by the Reserve Bank of India. If the macroeconomic environment worsens into a severe stress scenario, the GNPA ratio may escalate to 14.8 per cent, the report said. Among the bank groups, public sector banks’ (PSBs) GNPA ratio of 9.7 per cent in September 2020 may rise to 16.2 per cent by September 2021 under the baseline scenario. The gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio of private sector banks (PVBs) and foreign banks (FBs) may increase from 4.6 per cent and 2.5 per cent to 7.9 per cent and 5.4 per cent, respectively, over the same period.

 

2. New Foreign Trade Policy to come into effect from April 1: The meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was held on the subject “New Foreign Trade Policy 2021-26″. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Hardeep Singh Puri, and attended by Members of Parliament and senior officers of the Ministry. During the meeting, it was informed that that the new Foreign Trade Policy-FTP will come into effect from 1st April 2021 for a period of five years. The policy will strive to make India a leader in the area of international trade and channelize the synergies gained through merchandise and services exports for growth and employment with a goal to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy. The FTP 2015-20 came into effect on 1st April 2015 and the same was extended by one year till 31 March this year due to Covid-19 pandemic.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Biswajit Chatterjee conferred ‘Indian Personality of the Year’ award at IFFI: Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar announced veteran actor, director and singer Biswajit Chatterjee as the recipient of the ‘Indian Personality of the Year’ award. The 84-year-old actor is known for featuring in films like “Bees Saal Baad”, “Night In London” and “April Fool”. Chatterjee started his career in the late 1950s and went on to work in films like “Biwi Aur Makan”, “Sagaai”, “Kohra” among others. In 1975, he directed and produced “Kahte Hain Mujhko Raja”, featuring himself along with Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Rekha.

The honour aims to celebrate film personalities for their exemplary contribution to cinema. During Javadekar’s address, he also made a strong pitch for the film industry as well as other private companies to start participating in the annual festival from its next edition.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Legendary classical musician Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan passes away: Legendary Indian classical musician and Padma Vibhushan awardee Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan passed away. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, the Padma Bhusan in 2006, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2018. In 2003, he was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, which is the highest recognition given to practising Indian artists by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.