Daily GK Updates - 14th April, 2021

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Russian Vaccine Sputnik V gets emergency use authorisation in India: The Central drug regulator, DCGA has approved emergency use authorisation of the Russian Vaccine, Sputnik V. It has now become the third vaccine to get emergency use authorisation from the drug regulator after Covishield and Covaxin. The Vaccine was developed by Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology last year in Russia.

About Sputnik V clinical trial:

(1) The clinical trials of SPUTNIK V in India is being done by Dr Reddy’s Lab. The Hyderabad based, multinational Indian pharma company, Dr Reddy’s Lab has also inked an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund, RDIF for the supply of the Russian vaccine in India.

(2) The Subject Expert Committee of the Indian drug regulator had yesterday recommended SPUTNIK V for emergency use authorisation.

(3) The vaccine has displayed robust results in its clinical trials in the country.

(4) RDIF has claimed effectiveness of 91.6 per cent for the Sputnik V vaccine. Dr Reddy’s had applied for emergency use of Sputnik-V in February this year.

Note: Russia President: Vladimir Putin; Russia Capital: Moscow; Russia Currency: Russian Ruble.

 

2. Ghaziabad issues India’s first municipal green bonds: Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam (GNN) has announced successfully raising and listing India’s first Green Municipal bond issue. GNN raised ₹150 crores at a cost of 8.1 per cent. Money will be used to clean up dirty water by setting up a tertiary water treatment plant and supply piped water through water meters to places like Sahibabad. Ghaziabad is debt-free and has maintained a revenue surplus position in the last few years, according to India Ratings.

 

3. Poonam Gupta to head NCAER as its first woman DG: Poonam Gupta will be the new director-general of the policy think tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). Gupta will succeed the current head of the think tank, Shekhar Shah, to become the first woman to hold the post. Currently, Gupta is the lead economist at the World Bank in Washington DC. Prior to joining the World Bank in 2013, she was the Reserve Bank of India Chair Professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) and a professor of macroeconomics at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

Note: NCAER Headquarters: New Delhi; NCAER Founded: 1956.

 

4. Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra named as next Chief Election Commissioner: The incumbent Election Commissioner (EC) Sushil Chandra has been named to become the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. He will assume charge with effect from April 13, 2021. He will replace incumbent CEC, Sunil Arora, who will retire on April 12, 2021. The Election Commission of India consists of three members, namely Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners. The two ECs are Rajiv Kumar and Sushil Chandra.

Note: Election Commission Formed: 25 January 1950; Election Commission Headquarters: New Delhi; First executive of Election Commission: Sukumar Sen.

 

5. Ambedkar Jayanti: 14th April:Ambedkar Jayanti (also known as Bhim Jayanti) is an annual festival observed on 14 April to commemorate the birth anniversary of BabasahebDrBhim Rao Ambedkar who was born on 14 April 1891. The Day has been observed as an official public holiday throughout India since 2015. In 2021, we are marking the 130th birth anniversary of Babasaheb.

About the BabasahebDrBhim Rao Ambedkar: DrAmbedkar is known as the Father (chief architect) of the Indian Constitution. He was the first Law and Justice Minister of the country after the independence. DrBhim has been bestowed with the country’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna in 1990 posthumously.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar participates in Climate and Development Ministerial meet in run up to COP26: Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar participated in the virtual Climate and Development Ministerial meet in the run up to COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference 2021. The meeting was hosted by United Kingdom. The ministerial meet, hosted by COP26 president Alok Sharma and UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, focussed on how to set international agenda in the run-up to COP26 which is to take place in Glasgow in November. The summit will seek to galvanizing efforts by the world’s major economies to reduce emissions during this critical decade to keep a limit to warming of 1.5 degree Celsius within reach and mobilize public and private sector finance to drive the net-zero transition.

 

2. United Arab Emirates names its first female astronaut: The United Arab Emirates named the next two astronauts in its space programme on 10th April, including the country’s first female astronaut. Noura al-Matroushi is the UAE’s first female astronaut. The announcement gave no biographical information about her or her male counterpart, Mohammed al-Mulla. Al-Matroushi works as an engineer at the Abu Dhabi-based National Petroleum Construction Co. Al-Mulla serves as a pilot with Dubai police and heads their training division. The two are set to head to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for training. In 2019, Hazzaa Al-Mansoori became the UAE’s first astronaut. He spent a week on the International Space Station.

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

 

3. Academic Ranking of World Universities 2020 published: The 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) is released by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc Bangalore) has secured the top position among the best higher education institutes in India, while Calcutta University became the best varsity in the country, as per the published Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU 2020). The Indian institutes are not even in the top 100 list, the best higher education institute, (IISc Bangalore) is in the category of 501- 600.

Best Institute Ranking Index:

Rank 1: Harvard University

Rank 2: Stanford University

Rank 3: University of Cambridge

Category of 501- 600- IISc Bangalore

Regional Best Institute Ranking Index:

Rank 1: IISc Bangalore

Category 2-4: IIT Madras

Category 2-4: University of Calcutta

 

4. World Chagas Disease Day: 14th April: The World Chagas Disease Day is observed on 14 April to raise public awareness and visibility among people about Chagas Disease (also called American trypanosomiasis or silent or silenced disease) and the resources needed for the prevention, control or elimination of the disease. The WHO approved the designation of Chagas Disease Day on May 24, 2019, at the 72nd World Health Assembly. It is one of 11 official global public health campaigns marked by WHO.

History of the day: The first World Chagas Disease Day was observed on 14 April 2020. The day has been named after Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, the Brazilian doctor who diagnosed the first case on 14 April 1909.

Note: Headquarters of WHO: Geneva, Switzerland; Director general of WHO: TedrosAdhanom; WHO founded: 7 April 1948.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. SiddharthLongjam appointed new NADA DG: IAS officer, Siddharth Singh Longjam will take over as the National Anti-Doping Agency’s Director-General. Longjam is currently serving as joint secretary in the sports ministry and is also the CEO of the currently suspended National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL). He will replace Navin Agarwal who listed the creation of Athletes Biological Passport (ABP) for around 60 elite Indian sportspersons as one of the highlights of his tenure.

Note: NADA Headquarters location: New Delhi; NADA Founded: 24 November 2005.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bharti AXA Life and Fincare SFB join hands for bancassurance partnership: Bharti Axa Life and Fincare Small Finance Bank have joined hands for a bancassurance partnership under which the bank will sell insurance policies to its customers. This alliance will make life insurance solutions reachable to over 26.5 lakhs customers of Fincare Small Finance Bank and provide financial security to them. Under the partnership, Bharti AXA Life Insurance will offer its comprehensive suite of life insurance products, including protection, savings and investment plans, to the customers of Fincare Small Finance Bank across its 747 branches and digital network presence across the country.

Note: MD and CEO of Bharti AXA Life Insurance: Parag Raja; MD & CEO Fincare Small Finance Bank: Rajeev Yadav.

 

2. Axis Bank becomes co-promoter of Max Life Insurance: Axis Bank Ltd informed it has become co-promoters of Max Life Insurance Company Limited, after completion of the acquisition of 12.99% stake collectively by the Axis Entities in the company. Axis Bank and its two subsidiaries Axis Capital Limited and Axis Securities Limited will collectively own a 12.99% stake in Max Life after the consummation of the deal. The Axis Entities have a right to acquire an additional stake of up to 7% in Max Life, in one or more tranches, subject to regulatory approvals. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) gave its formal approval in February of 2021.

Note: Max Life Insurance CEO: Prashant Tripathy; Max Life Insurance Founded: 2001; Max Life Insurance Headquarters: New Delhi.

Axis Bank CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry; Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai; Axis Bank Founded: 1993.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Byju’s acquires Aakash Educational Services for about $1 billion: Byju’s has acquired test-prep leader Aakash Educational Services for nearly USD 1 billion (about ₹7,300 crore) as India’s biggest online education startup looks to build its position in the brick and mortar segment. The acquisition is Byju’s biggest and one of the largest ed-tech deals in the world. Post the transaction, Blackstone Group and Aakash Educational Services Ltd (AESL) founders will hold a minority stake in Byju’s, which is valued at about USD 13 billion.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. 74th Edition of BAFTA Awards 2021 announced: The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) for the year 2021, has been announced by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. BAFTA 2021 is the 74th edition of the annual award to honour the best national and foreign films of 2020 and early 2021.

Most Nominations: American drama “Nomadland” (7)

British coming-of-age drama “Rocks” (7)

Most Awards: Nomadland (4)

Some of the Winners of BAFTA 2021

Best Film: Nomadland

Best Director: Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Anthony Hopkins (The Father as Anthony)

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand (Nomadland as Fern)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah as Fred Hampton)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: YounYuh-Jung (Minari as Soon-JA)

Best Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman (Emerald Fennell)

Best Short Animation: The Owl and the Pussycat (Mole Hill and Laura Duncalf)

Best Short Film: The Present (Farah Nabulsi)

Best Animated Film: Soul (Pete Docter and Dana Murray)

Best Documentary: My Octopus Teacher (Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster)

Best Film Not in the English Language (Another Round)

Best Original Music: Soul (Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Outstanding British Film: Promising Young Woman (Emerald Fennell, Ben Browning, Ashley Fox and Josey McNamara)

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: His House (Remi Weekes (Writer/Director))

 

2. Seville to be host city for Laureus World Sports Awards 2021: The Spanish city of Seville will host the 22nd Laureus World Sports Awards in a virtual ceremony owing to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. The awards show, featuring presentations and related news stories will be available to the world’s media and broadcast extensively on Laureus social media platforms. The winners of Laureus World Sports Awards are selected by a jury comprising 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy. The last was in Barcelona in 2007, which is a long time. Among the many big names who have had a year to remember and who will be in contention for the awards are Rafael Nadal, Lewis Hamilton, LeBron James, Robert Lewandowski (Sportsman), Naomi Osaka, Federica Brignone (Sportswoman).

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Hockey Player Balbir Singh Junior passed away: Balbir Singh Junior, who was a member of the silver medal-winning 1958 Asian Games Indian hockey team passed away. In 1962, he joined the Army as an emergency commissioned officer. He played for the Services hockey team in the national tournaments at Delhi. Singh retired as a Major in 1984 and later settled in Chandigarh.  

Daily GK Updates - 13th April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Ramesh Pokhriyal launches implementation plan ‘SARTHAQ’: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal chaired a high-level meeting on the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 and released an implementation plan for school education called ‘Students’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement through Quality Education (SARTHAQ)’.

About the “SARTHAQ”: SARTHAQ, developed by the Department of School Education and Literacy, is an indicative and suggestive implementation plan for school education and was released as part of the celebrations leading to the AmritMahotsav on 75 years of India’s independence. The plan keeps in mind the concurrent nature of education and adheres to the spirit of federalism. States and UTs are given the flexibility to adapt this plan with local contextualisation and also modify it as per their needs and requirements.

 

2. Govt sets trigger amount as Rs 10 lakh for MSME pre-packs scheme: The Central government has set a payment default of Rs 10 lakh as the trigger for bankruptcy proceedings of small businesses under the new simplified scheme called pre-packs. This would be the minimum threshold of payment default for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the pre-pack scheme. Pre-pack for MSMEs is a hybrid corporate rescue process, which has elements and virtues of both formal and informal insolvency proceedings. A resolution plan is negotiated between the debtor and its creditors before the commencement of formal proceedings.

 

3. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘mask abhiyan’ against Covid-19: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched a 14-day “Mask Abhiyan” as part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus in view of rising cases and urged people to strictly follow the safety guidelines. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sought their cooperation in turning the use of mask into a habit to tackle the current resurgence of the virus. Bringing an amendment to the Odisha Covid-19 Regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act-1897.

In order to ensure that the 14 days mask Abhiyan gives results, the state government yesterday enhanced the fines for the violators from 1,000 rupees to 2000 rupees. Meanwhile, the state’s covid-19 active caseload mounted further to about 6000 with the detection of 1282 fresh cases yesterday, even as the state surpassed a milestone in administering more than 40 lakh vaccine doses as of date.

Note: Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar; Odisha Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

 

4. 102 years of JallianwalaBagh Massacre: The JallianwalaBagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. This year we commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the terror that shook the entire country to a standstill. The Jallianwalabagh garden has been converted into a memorial. And thousands of people on this day come to pay their respects to the martyred men, women, who were killed on that fateful day for the nation.

History of the day: Acting Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered troops of the British Indian Army to fire their rifles into a crowd of unarmed Indian civilians in JallianwalaBagh, Amritsar, Punjab. General Dyer, the British India army officer, felt the people gathering for such a cause was anti-national. He ordered the 50 of his troops consisting of Sikh, Gurkha, Baluchi, and Rajput to open fire on the unarmed men and women. The resulting figures would make you go numb as 379 men and women were killed for no fault of theirs and 1100 injured.

 

5. 37th Siachen Day Observed on 13 April 2021: The 37th Siachen Day was celebrated by Siachen Warriors Brigade of Fire & Fury Corps on April 13, 2021 with tremendous zeal and enthusiasm.Every year this day is observed to pay solemn tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives to capture the icy heights of Siachen 37 years ago.The day commemorates the courage and fortitude displayed by Indian Army troops in securing the highest and coldest battlefield in the world.

Note: On 13 April 1984, the Indian Army launched ‘Operation MEGHDOOT’ to secure Bilafond La and other passes on the Saltoro Ridgeline, from Pakistani aggression.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Singapore becomes first country to ratify mega free trade agreement ‘RCEP’: Singapore ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the world’s largest free trade agreement, led by China. In doing so, Singapore became the first among 15 participating countries to ratify RCEP. The RCEP must first be ratified by at least six ASEAN and three non-ASEAN member states to come into effect. Once implemented, RCEP would be the world’s largest free trade agreement, covering around one-third of the world’s population and about 30% of the world’s economy.

About the RCEP: RCEP is a multi-nation trade pact, comprising 10 ASEAN economies as well as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. The RCEP was signed by the 15 participating countries in November 2020. India had opted out of it in 2019.

Note: Singapore Currency: Singapore dollar; Capital of Singapore: Singapore; PM of Singapore: Lee Hsien Loong.

 

2. India-Netherlands Virtual Summit: Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mr Mark Rutte, held a Virtual Summit. During the India- Netherlands virtual Summit, the two leaders reviewed the existing bilateral engagements and also exchanged views on further expanding and diversifying the relationship in trade and economy, water management, agriculture sector, smart cities, science & technology, healthcare and space.

In Summit: Apart from this the two Prime Ministers also agreed on instituting a ‘Strategic Partnership on Water’ to further deepen the Indo-Dutch cooperation in the water-related sector and upgrading the Joint Working Group on the water to Ministerial-level. They also exchanged views on regional and global challenges such as climate change, counter-terrorism and the Covid-19 pandemic and agreed to leverage the emerging convergences in new areas like Indo-Pacific, Resilient Supply Chains and Global Digital Governance.

Note: Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam; Currency: Euro.

 

3. International Turban Day: 13th April: The International Turban Day is celebrated every year on April 13 since 2004 to bring awareness of the strict requirement on Sikhs to put the turban as a mandatory part of their religion. The 2021 Turban Day marks the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and the festival of Baisakhi. The turban, also known as “dastar” or “pagri” or “pag” refer to the garment worn by both men and some women to cover their heads.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. KirenRijiju inaugurates Khelo India State Centre of Excellence in Srinagar: Union Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs, KirenRijiju inaugurated the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) for Rowing discipline at the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council Water Sports Academy at the Nehru Park in the world-famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. This is one of the two KISCEs from Jammu & Kashmir. The other being the Maulana Azad Stadium for Fencing discipline in Jammu. There are currently 24 KISCEs across 23 States and Union Territories and each of them focuses on Olympics sports discipline. This is an ongoing endeavour to scale up existing centres from the States and Union Territories to the world standard level keeping in mind the big picture of getting India to excel at the Olympics.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Airtel Payments Bank announces ‘Rewards123’ savings account: Airtel Payments Bank launched its new ‘Rewards123’ savings account, which provides customers with perks and rewards. The Rewards123 Savings Account is built specifically that allows you to get access to a variety of perks when you save and transact digitally. The company claims that its newly introduced saving account is designed to offer consistent value, with assured rewards on different types of digital transactions throughout the year.

About the Rewards123 savings account: Airtel Payments Bank says that its Rewards123 savings bank account will give multiple benefits to users with annual earnings of up to ₹960. In addition to that, users will get 1% cashback when they load ₹1,000 through UPI in their account. Users will get a maximum of ₹10 per month as a part of this benefit.

Note: Airtel Payments Bank’s MD and CEO: Nubrata Biswas; Airtel Payments Bank Headquarters: New Delhi; Airtel Payments Bank Founded: January 2017.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Nomura slashes India’s GDP forecast to 12.6% in FY22: The Japanese brokerage company Nomura has revised the GDP forecast of India in the financial year 2021-22 (FY22) to 12.6 per cent from the previous estimate of 13.5 per cent, amid rising coronavirus cases and higher inflation. Nomura has pegged the calendar year GDP growth at 11.5 per cent, a decline from 12.4 per cent estimated earlier.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Indian Business Tycoon Yusuffali MA Gets Top Civilian Award In UAE: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has honoured Indian-origin businessman Yusuffali MA and 11 other individuals with Abu Dhabi’s top civilian award for their noble and charitable contributions to the community. The prestigious award was given to MrYusuffali, who was born in Kerala, for his outstanding contribution to Abu Dhabi’s business, industry and support to various philanthropic initiatives. MrYusuffali, the Chairman and Managing Director of Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Group which operates hypermarkets and retail companies in many countries, was honoured on Friday by the Crown Prince.

About the award: The individuals were honoured for a wide range of contributions, including efforts in the healthcare field, community service and volunteering, humanitarian work, as well as culture, heritage and environmental preservation.

 

2. GuneetMonga conferred with Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters honour: Acclaimed filmmaker, GuneetMonga to be conferred with honour of the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dansI’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres). It is the second-highest civilian French honour and has earlier been awarded to big Hollywood names like Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Bruce Willis. As a producer, Guneet has several critically acclaimed films to her credit. The list includes Masaan, Lunchbox, Haraamkhor, Peddlers; Oscar-winning short film documentary — Period, End of Sentence, among others.

Earlier, Indian celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Nandita Das, PanditHariprasadChaurasia, Anurag Kashyap, KalkiKoechlin, among others, have been felicitated with the honour.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Legendary shooting coach Sanjay Chakravarty Passes away: Legendary shooting Coach Sanjay Chakravarty passed away due to Covid-19. The Dronacharya awardee had trained some of the finest Indian shooters including AbhinavBindra, GaganNarang, Anjali Bhagwat and Suma Shirur, Deepali Deshpande, Anuja Jung and Ayonika Paul. 

Daily GK Updates - 12th April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India gifts Rs 100 crore patrol vessel “PS Zoroaster” to Seychelles: India formally handed over Rs 100 crore patrol vessel “PS Zoroaster” to Seychelles during the virtual summit between Indian PM Narendra Modi and Seychelles President WavelRamkalawan. The PS Zoroaster is the fourth made-in-India patrol boat developed for Seychelles since 2005. The other vessels gifted by India include PS Topaz (2005), PS Constant (2014), Patrol Boat Hermes (2016).

About the PS Zoroaster: The 48.9-metre patrol boat has been built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineering at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore. The vessel has a top speed of 35 knots and an endurance of 1,500 nautical miles. It will be used for multi-purpose operations, such as patrolling, anti-smuggling and anti-poaching operations, and search and rescue.

Other projects launched:

(1) Both the leaders inaugurated the new magistrates’ court building in Mahe, constructed with a $3.5-million grant from India.

(2) India also handed over a 1 MW solar power plant at Romainville Island of Seychelles built at a cost of $3.4 million by the Government of India.

(3) 10 High Impact Community Development Projects were also inaugurated.

Note: Seychelles Capital: Victoria; Seychelles Currency: Seychellois rupee; Seychelles Continent: Africa.

 

2. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal launches “NanoSniffer”: The Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched the world’s first Microsensor based Explosive Trace Detector (ETD) called “NanoSniffer”. The ETD has been developed by NanoSniff Technologies, an IIT Bombay incubated startup. It is being marketed by Vehant Technologies, a spin-off from a former IIT Delhi incubated startup Kritikal Solutions. Key features of NanoSniffer:

(1) It is a 100% Made in India product in terms of research, development & manufacturing.

(2) The affordable device will reduce the dependency of the country on imported explosive trace detector devices.

(3) The device can detect explosives in less than 10 seconds.

(4) It also identifies and categorizes explosives into different classes.

(5) NanoSniffer can detect all classes of military, conventional and homemade explosives.

(6) It gives visible & audible alerts with a sunlight-readable colour display.

(7) The device will encourage other institutions, startups and medium-scale industries to research & develop products indigenously and thereby move a step towards Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a self-reliant India.

 

3. Punjab appoints SonuSood as state’s covid vaccination ambassador: Bollywood actor SonuSood has been made the brand ambassador for Punjab’s anti-coronavirus vaccination programme. During the coronavirus-induced lockdown last year, the actor had helped migrants reach their home states. Sood catapulted to the national spotlight for feeding thousands of underprivileged people amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During his meeting with Punjab Chief Minister, the actor presented his book ‘I am no Messiah’, which he said captures the experiences of his journey from Moga to Mumbai.

Note: Punjab CM: Captain Amarinder Singh; Punjab Governor: V.P.SinghBadnore.

 

4. National Safe Motherhood Day: 11th April: National Safe Motherhood Day is observed on April 11 every year. National Safe Motherhood Day is an initiative of the White Ribbon Alliance India (WRAI), to enforce that women must have availability and adequate access to care during pregnancy childbirth and postnatal services. The day also marks the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi, the wife of the father of Nation Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi.

History of National Safe Motherhood Day: At the request of WRAI, an alliance of 1800 organizations, in 2003, the Government of India declared April 11th, the anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi’s birth, as National Safe Motherhood Day. India is the 1st country in the world to have socially declared a National Safe Motherhood Day.

Note: White Ribbon Alliance India was launched in 1999.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Niger President Bazoum Names Mahamadou as New Prime Minister: Niger President Mohamed Bazoum appointed OuhoumoudouMahamadou to head his new cabinet as the country’s new prime minister. He was previously served as a minister in charge of the finance and mining portfolios. He was the chief of staff to former President Mahamadou Issoufou between 2015 and 2021. He was sworn as Niger’s first democratic transition of power since independence in 1960.

Note: Niger Capital: Niamey; Niger Currency: West African CFA franc.

 

2. Nirmala Sitharaman attends 103rd Development Committee Meeting of World Bank-IMF: Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 103rd Meeting of the Development Committee Plenary, via video conferencing. During the meeting, she shared the measures taken to combat COVID-19 including social support measures for the poor and vulnerable, and relief measures for firms in statutory and regulatory compliance matters. The main agenda of the conference was:

(1) World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund Support for Debt Relief Under the Common Framework and Beyond;

(2) COVID-19 pandemic: World Bank Group Support for Fair and Affordable Access to Vaccines by Developing Countries;

(3) From COVID-19 Crisis Response to Resilient Recovery – Saving Lives and Livelihoods while Supporting Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID).

As a part of the meeting, Sitharaman also informed that the Government of India has announced AatmaNirbhar Packages of Rs 27.1 trillion, which amounts to more than 13% of the GDP. These packages would provide social protection to the poor and vulnerable as well as push forward the economic reforms.

 

3. World Parkinson’s Day: 11th April: Every year, April 11 is observed as World Parkinson’s Day to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease, which is a progressive nervous system disorder. The day marks the birthday of Dr James Parkinson from London, who was the first person to systematically described the six individuals with the symptoms of Parkinson Disease.

 

4. International Day of Human Space Flight: 12th April: The International Day of Human Space Flight is observed globally on April 12 every year. The UN General Assembly passed a resolution on April 7, 2011, had declared April 12 to be celebrated as International Day of Human Space Flight.

History of the day: On 12 April 1961, was the date of the 1st human space flight was carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen, who became the first person to journey into outer space. This historic incident opened the way for space exploration for the benefit of all mankind. 12 April was also the date of the 1st Space Shuttle STS-1 of Columbia launched in 1981, which is also commemorated on this date.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Indian Army Officer Bharat Pannu Breaks 2 Guinness World Records: Indian Army’s Lieutenant Colonel, Bharat Pannu has earned two Guinness World Records for his fastest solo cycling feats from October 2020. The first record was created when Lt Col Pannu cycled from Leh to Manali (472 km distance) on October 10, 2020, in just 35 hours and 25 minutes. Lt Col Pannu created a second record when he cycled the 5,942-km-long ‘Golden Quadrilateral’ route, which connects Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, in 14 days, 23 hours and 52 minutes.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI MF becomes first mutual fund company to cross Rs 5 lakh crore AAUM: SBI Funds Management Pvt. Ltd has informed that it has become the first mutual fund house in India to cross the Rs. 5 lakh crore average assets under management (AAUM) mark. SBI MF has seen a growth of 35% during the financial year 2020-21, with its average AUM increasing from Rs 3.73 lakh crore to Rs 5.04 lakh crore. The company, which is a joint venture between India’s largest lender, State Bank of India, and Europe’s largest asset manager, Amundi. The fund house’s SIP book has increased to ₹1,382 crores from ₹1,180 crores over the last year recording a growth of 17%.

Note: SBI Funds Management Founded: 7 February 1992.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Axis Bank to become co-promoter of Max Life Insurance: Axis Bank Ltd said that it has become co-promoters of Max Life Insurance Company Limited, after completion of the acquisition of 12.99% stake collectively by the Axis Entities in the company. The lender said that Axis Bank and its two subsidiaries—Axis Capital Limited and Axis Securities Limited – will collectively own 12.99% stake in Max Life after the consummation of the deal. With the conclusion of this transaction, Max Life’sBoard will be strengthened further, with co-option of three nominee directors of Axis Entities on its Board.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Dutee Chand selected for inaugural Chhattisgarh Veerni Award: Indian sprinter, Dutee Chand has been chosen for the inaugural edition of the Chhattisgarh Veerni Award, by the Chhattisgarh state government. The award, which recognises the contribution of Indian women in different fields, including sports, will be given virtually on April 14, 2021. The Odisha sprinter became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the World University Games held in Italy in 2019. She is a silver-medalist in 100 and 200 metres at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. Apart from this, Dutee holds the national record of 11.22 secs in 100m.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran actor Satish Kaul passes away: Veteran actor Satish Kaul, who had 300 Punjabi and Hindi films to his credit and played the role of Lord Indra in the TV show Mahabharat, passed away. The actor began his career in the early ’70s, juggling between Hindi and Punjabi films. While his popular Bollywood films include Ram Lakhan, PyaarTohHona Hi Tha and Aunty No 1 etc. 

Daily GK Updates - 11th April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. TikaUtsav: COVID-19 Vaccination Drive: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently appealed to the Chief Ministers of the States to organise “TikaUtsav”. TikaUtsav is a vaccine festival. It is to be held between April 11, 2021, and April 14, 2021. The main objective of the festival is to vaccinate as many people as possible. It will also focus on zero wastage of the COVID-19 vaccine.COVID-19 Vaccination Drive in India:

(1) Currently, three states are receiving a maximum number of COVID-19 doses. They are Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

(2) COVAXIN and COVISHIELD are the two major COVID-19 vaccines that are currently administered in India.

(3) So far, India has shipped 64 million doses of vaccines to 84 countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. The major recipient countries of the Indian COVID-19 vaccines are Mexico, Canada, and Brazil.

(4) The GoI has planned to cover 250 million people included in the “high priority” category by July 2021 under its vaccination programme.

 

2. Govt sanctions more than Rs 25,586 cr for Stand-Up India Scheme in 5 years: Government has sanctioned more than 25 thousand 586 crore rupees to over 1 lakh 14 thousand 322 accounts under Stand-Up India Scheme in five years. This scheme has been extended up to 2025.The objective is to promote entrepreneurship amongst women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It seeks to give access to loans from bank branches to borrowers to help them set up their own enterprise.

 

3. Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches Madhukranti portal and Honey Corners of NAFED in New Delhi: Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched Madhukranti portal and Honey Corners of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation, NAFED in New Delhi. This portal is being developed for online registration to achieve a traceability source of Honey and other beehive products on a digital platform.This will also help in checking the quality and source of adulteration of honey.Madhukranti portal is an initiative of National Bee Board under National Beekeeping and Honey Mission. An MoU between National Bee Board and Indian Bank was signed for this project.

 

4. Cabinet approves PLI Scheme for Air Conditioners and LED Lights worth Rs 6238 crore: The Union Cabinet has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme- ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’ for achieving manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt with an outlay of Rs 4,500 crore. The National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules will reduce import dependence in a strategic sector like electricity and will also support the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. This scheme will add an additional 10 thousand MegaWatt capacity of integrated solar Photovoltaic manufacturing plants and will bring direct investment of around Rs 17,200 crore in solar PV manufacturing projects.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Dr S Jaishankar participates in the 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting chaired by Sri Lanka: The External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar participated in the 17th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ministerial Meeting. The meeting, chaired by Sri Lanka, was held in virtually with the participation of all BIMSTEC Member States. The meeting endorsed the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity for adoption at the next BIMSTEC Summit, which will be held in Sri Lanka.

 

2. Eduard Heger sworn in as new PM of Slovakia: Slovakia’s president swore in a new coalition government to end a political crisis triggered by a secret deal to buy Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. President Zuzana Caputova appointed the new cabinet led by Prime Minister Eduard Heger two days after the previous government of Igor Matovic resigned. It was the first European government to collapse due to its handling of the pandemic but the move kept the same four-party coalition in power and avoided the possibility of an early election.

 

3. India contributes $3,00,000 to UN Women: India has contributed $3,00,000 to the United Nations agency for gender equality and women empowerment, a contribution lauded by the UN entity. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti said India reaffirms its support for gender equality and women empowerment, describing UN Women as a “valued partner in our progress from women’s development to #women-led development.”

 

4. World Homeopathy Day: 10th April: World Homeopathy Day is celebrated every year on April 10 to spread awareness about homoeopathy and its contribution to the world of medicine. The day marks the birth anniversary of German physician Dr Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, who is considered the founder of the system of alternative medicine called Homeopathy. The year 2021 marks the 266th birthday of Hahnemann.

International Convention on World Homoeopathy Day: The Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), Ministry of AYUSH, organised a two-day scientific conference on the occasion of #WorldHomoeopathyDay from April 10 & 11, 2021 in New Delhi. The theme of the conference is “Homoeopathy – Roadmap for Integrative Medicine”. Objective: exchange of experience by policymakers and experts to identify strategic actions towards an effective and efficient inclusion of Homoeopathy in integrative care.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. New Zealand, Australia to host 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Eden Park in Auckland in New Zealand has been selected by FIFA to stage the opening match of the tournament on July 10, with Stadium Australia in Sydney chosen to host the final on August 20. Matches are set to be held in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in Australia as well as Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton and Wellington in New Zealand. The 2023 edition will be the largest ever FIFA Women’s World Cup with the number of teams increasing from 24 to 32.

 

2. India finish Dubai Para Badminton with 20 medals: In Badminton, defending world champion PramodBhagat clinch two gold medals as India finished their campaign in the 3rd Sheikh Hamdan bin Al Maktoum Dubai Para-Badminton International 2021 in Dubai. India topped the tally with 20 medals (4 gold, 6 silver and 10 bronze medals), ahead of France who finished with eight medals (4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze) and Malaysia with seven medals (3 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze).

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI enhances Loan limit under Priority Sector Lending against eNWR/NWR: The Reserve Bank of India has enhanced the loan limit from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 75 lakh per borrower against the pledge/hypothecation of agricultural produce backed by Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWRs)/electronic-NWRs(e-NWRs) issued by the warehouses registered and regulated by Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA).

The Priority Sector loan limit backed by other Warehouse Receipts will continue to be ₹50 lakh per borrower. The circular in this regard will be issued separately. With a view to encourage farm credit to individual farmers against pledge/hypothecation of agricultural produce and leverage the inherent safety of NWRs/(e-NWRs) issued by warehouses registered and regulated by WDRA.

Note: Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority Established: 2010; Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority HQ: New Delhi.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Exports of foreign subsidiaries accounted for 33% of their total sales in FY20: RBI: Exports of foreign subsidiaries in India accounted for 32.6 per cent of their total sales in 2019-20, according to RBI. The RBI released the provisional results of the 2019-20 round of the annual census on foreign liabilities and assets (FLA) covering cross-border liabilities and assets of the entities with inward/outward direct investment. These entities include companies, limited liability partnership (LLP), alternative investment fund (AIF) and partnership firms.

 

2. CBIC extends customs duty and integrated GST exemptions till March 31, 2022: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) extended the basic customs duty and integrated goods and service tax exemptions for export oriented units, by a year till March 31, 2022. The Board also made it mandatory for a GST taxpayer having turnover of more than Rs 5 crore in the preceding financial year,to furnish 6 digits HSN Code on invoices issued for supplies. The Board also extended the exemption from integrated tax and compensation cess on goods imported against authorisations under Advance Authorisation and export promotion capital goods (EPCG) schemes, till March 31, 2022.

 

3. Axis Bank to sell UK arm to tech platform: Axis Bank has informed the stock exchanges that it has agreed to sell its UK subsidiary to OpenPayd Holdings. The consideration or the value for the transaction would be the completion net asset value (book value of the bank on the date of completion), plus a fixed premium of $5,500,000. Axis Bank expects the sale to be completed by September 30, 2021 subject to the approval of ‘Change in Control’, received from the UK Financial Regulator, the PRA.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passes away: Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has passed away. The 99-year-old royal passed away just months before his 100th birthday in June. He had retired from public duties in 2017 at the age of 96. He was the longest-serving royal consort in British history who was a constant presence at Queen Elizabeth II’s side for decades.

 

2. Former international table tennis player Suhas Kulkarni passes away: Well-known former international table tennis player Suhas Kulkarni died in neighbouring Thane. He was 68. After retiring as a player, Kulkarni was actively involved with the game with coaching and also regularly played in Masters’ TT tournaments at the National and International level. He had also won National Masters’ TT Championship in Indore in 2019.