Daily GK Updates - 15th April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Maharashtra gets India’s first floating LNG storage and regasification unit: India’s first Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) has arrived at H-Energy’s Jaigarh Terminal in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, on the west coast of India. FSRU based LNG Terminals aim at providing the ability to enhance the pace of natural gas import capability in an environment-friendly and efficient manner”. The port is the first deepwater, 24×7 operational private port in Maharashtra. Höegh Giant will deliver regasified LNG to the 56-km long Jaigarh-Dabhol natural gas pipeline, connecting the LNG terminal to the national gas grid. The facility will also deliver LNG through truck loading facilities for onshore distribution, the facility is also capable to reload LNG onto small-scale LNG vessels for bunkering services.

Note: Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai; Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.

 

2. PM Modi Inaugurates 6th Raisina Dialogue: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 2021 “Raisina Dialogue”, through video-conferencing. The Raisina Dialogue 2021 is the sixth edition of the annual dialogue, organised from April 13 to 16, 2021, in full digital form for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic. Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, organised annually since 2016.

About the Raisina Dialogue 2021:

(1) The theme for the 2021 conference is “#ViralWorld: Outbreaks, Outliers and Out of Control”.

(2) The four-day dialogue is jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the think-tank Observer Research Foundation.

(3) President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame and Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen joined the Inaugural Session as Chief Guests.

(4) The event will have a total of 50 sessions. Around 150 speakers from 50 countries and multilateral organisations are participating in the dialogue.

(5) The Raisina Dialogue is one of the leading global conferences on international affairs. It brings together leading minds from the global strategic and policy-making community to discuss broader foreign policy and strategic issues facing the world.

Note: Minister of External Affairs: S. Jaishankar.

 

3. Rajnath Singh inaugurates IAF Commanders’ Conference 2021: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the First bi-annual Indian Air Force, IAF Commanders’ Conference 2021 at Air Headquarters Vayu Bhawan in New Delhi. The conference is attended by the Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief of all Commands of IAF, all Principal Staff Officers and all Director Generals posted at Air Headquarters.

About the Conference: The conference of apex level leadership is aimed at addressing the issues of IAF’s operational capabilities in the times to come. A series of discussions would be conducted over a period of three days to address strategies and policies related to capabilities that would give IAF a significant edge over its adversaries. Various welfare and Human Resource measures to improve HR and administrative efficiency will also be discussed. The Conference provides a forum to the senior leadership of the IAF to discuss critical issues pertaining to Operations, Maintenance and Administration.

Note: Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

 

4. Govt to invest over one lakh crore this fiscal year to ensure tap water supply to every rural household: The government is planning to invest over one lakh crore rupees this fiscal year to ensure tap water supply to every rural household in the country. Ministry of Jal Shakti has informed that this kind of investment is likely to continue over three years to achieve the target.Ministry has also informed that the rigorous joint review exercise to finalize the annual action plans is all set to begin from April 10. The action plan is prepared by the States and Union territories with an objective to provide 100 per cent households with tap water connections to achieve drinking water security.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Sanskrit learning app ‘Little Guru’ unveiled in Bangladesh: A Sanskrit learning app ‘Little Guru’ has launched in Bangladesh by the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) of the High Commission of India. The Sanskrit learning app is part of the campaign being run by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to promote the Sanskrit language among students, religious scholars, Indologists and historians across the world.

About the app: The Sanskrit learning app ‘Little Guru’ is based on an interactive platform that will make Sanskrit learning easy, entertaining and fun. This app will help people who are already learning Sanskrit or those who are desirous to learn Sanskrit to do so in an easy manner based on games, competition, rewards, peer to peer interactions, etc. This App combines education with entertainment, said a press release issued by the High Commission of India.

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

 

2. ‘Lost golden city of Luxor’ discovered by archaeologists in Egypt: ‘Lost golden city of Luxor’ discovered by archaeologists in Egypt. The 3,400-year-old royal city was built by Amenhotep III, abandoned by his heretic son, Akhenaten, and contains stunningly preserved remains. Egyptologist Betsy Bryan has called the discovery ‘the second most important one since the tomb of Tutankhamun’. Akhenaten, who left the ‘golden city’ for a new capital at Amarna, encouraged a startlingly different style of Egyptian art. Here he is shown with his wife, Nefertiti, and three daughters.

 

3. IMF Policy Panel Endorses USD 650 Billion Increase in Resources: The International Monetary Fund has authorised a USD 650 billion expansion of the 190-nation lending institution’s resources with the aim of providing more support for vulnerable countries as they battle the coronavirus pandemic. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the USD 650 billion increase in reserves is the largest in IMF history. The move will provide badly needed reserves for poor countries struggling with deep recessions caused by the pandemic and the need to obtain and administer millions of doses of vaccines.

 

4. World Art Day: 15th April: World Art Day is observed every year on 15 April to celebrate fine arts and promote awareness of creative activity around the world. The day was declared by the International Association of Art (IAA), an NGO working in official partnership with UNESCO. The first celebration of World Art Day was held on April 15, 2012. The date has been selected in honor of the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, the famous painter of Mona Lisa. He was chosen as a symbol of world peace, freedom of expression, tolerance, brotherhood and multiculturalism as well as art’s importance to other fields.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar wins ICC Players of the Month award: India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has won the ICC Player of the Month award for his superlative show in the recent limited over series against England in March. Bhuvneshwar became the third successive Indian recipient of the award since its inception early this year. The 31-year-old Indian took six wickets with an economy rate of 4.65 in the three ODIs while capturing four wickets with a fantastic economy rate of 6.38 in the five T20Is to emerge as the standout bowler on either side in the white ball series.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ADB approves USD 484 mn loan to improve transport connectivity at CKIC in Tamil Nadu: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it has approved a USD 484-million loan to improve transport connectivity and road maintenance in the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu. The project will upgrade about 590 km of state highways in the CKIC influence areas. Climate change adaptation measures will be incorporated in the highway upgrades, including improved drainage, raised road embankments in critical sections, and resizing of bridges and culverts.

 

2. Bharti AXA Life, 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. 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.

 

3. PayPal, FlexiLoans.com partner to offer MSMEs, freelancers collateral-free loans: MSME-focused digital lending platform FlexiLoans.com announced its partnership with PayPal, a leader in digital payments, to provide freelancers, women entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, and MSMEs collateral-free business loans. Through this partnership, PayPal further reiterates its commitment to democratise access to financial services by bringing its global best practices and credit solution capabilities to Indian merchants who sell cross-border using PayPal.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Flipkart ties up with Adani Group to boost infrastructure, logistics: Homegrown e-commerce platform Flipkart announced a strategic and commercial partnership with the Adani Group. Flipkart will work with Adani Logistics Limited to strengthen its supply chain infrastructure and improve services for its customers. Adani Logistics will construct a 534,000 sq. ft fulfilment centre in its upcoming logistics hub in Mumbai that will be leased to Flipkart. Additionally, the facility will enhance local employment and create 2,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kane Williamson awarded Sir Richard Hadlee medal: New Zealand star cricketer Kane Williamson was recently awarded the Sir Richard Hadlee medal. It was his 4th Sir Richard Hadlee award in 6 years. He had a great test season. He scored 251 against West Indies followed by a century on the boxing day. Williamson’s staggering performance against Pakistan helped New Zealand book a place in the ICC World Test Championship final. He captained the team to 17 wins out of 20 resulting in victory in all 7 series. Other awards winners:

(1) On the other hand, the Women’s team all-rounder Amelia Kerr was also honoured along with the upcoming star Devon Conway at the New Zealand Cricket Awards for the 2020-21 season. Meanwhile, Devon Conway was awarded the Men’s Player of the year award in both ODIs and T20s.

(2) Whereas the 21-year old Fin Allen was honoured with the Super Smash player of the year award for his staggering strike rate of 193.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Eminent Historian Yogesh Praveen passes away: Eminent Historian and an expert on Awadh especially Lucknow Yogesh Praveen. Through his books and articles, he enabled the public to know about the rich heritage and culture of Avadh. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2019. The titles of his books like ‘Dastan-e-Avadh’, ‘Tajdare-Avadh’, ‘Bahar-e-Avadh’, ‘Gulistan-e-Avadh’, ‘Doobta Avadh’, ‘Dastan-e-Luknow’ and ‘Aapka Lucknow’ tell a long-lasting affair he had with the city. 

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.