Daily GK Updates - 22nd April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India elected to 3 bodies of U.N. Economic and Social Council: India has been elected by acclamation, to three bodies of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2022. These UN Bodies are:

1. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice:

(a) India was elected by acclamation to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2022.

(b) Established in 1992, it is the principal policy-making body of the UN in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice.

(c) Chair (at the 30th session) – Alessandro Cortese of Italy | Headquarters – Vienna, Austria.

2. Executive Board of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women):

(a) India was elected by acclamation to the Executive Board of the U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (U.N. Women) for a three-year term beginning on January 1, 2022.

(b) It became operational in 2011, it is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women.

(c) Executive Director – PhumzileMlambo-Ngcuka | Headquarters – New York, USA.

3. Executive Board of the World Food Programme:

(a) India was elected to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme, along with France, Ghana, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Sweden by acclamation for a three-year term beginning on January 1, 2022.

(b) Established in 1961, WFP is the food assistance branch of the United Nations.

(c) Executive Director – David Beasley | Headquarters – Rome, Italy.

Note: UN Economic and Social Council President: MunirAkram; UN Economic and Social Council Headquarters: New York, USA.

 

2. Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval for Govt amendments to Finance Bill, 2021: The Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for the Government amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021 enacted on 28th March this year as the Finance Act, 2021. The amendments were essential to clarify and rationalise the proposals further and address stakeholders concerns arising out of amendments proposed in the Finance Bill. The Government amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021 shall provide equity and inclusiveness to all the taxpayers by addressing stakeholders concerns arising out of amendments proposed in the Bill. The Government amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021 are tax proposals which shall generate timely revenue for the Government and streamline existing provisions by addressing grievances of the taxpayers.

 

3. NGT forms National Task Force to combat air pollution: Noting that about 1.5 million people in India die annually due to air pollution, the National Green Tribunal has formed an eight-member National Task Force (NTF) to monitor remedial steps to improve the status of air quality. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel observed that a holistic and coordinated effort at all levels in the government was required. The NTF will comprise senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs, Petroleum, Transport, Power, Agriculture, Health and the Central Pollution Control Board.

 

4. West Bengal govt forms 4-member Task Force on augmentation of covid beds in private hospitals: The West Bengal government forms a 4-member Task Force on augmentation of COVID beds in private hospitals and nursing homes to mitigate the surging impact of covid19 cases in the state. Sanjay Bansal, Secretary in Health & Family Welfare Dept to chair the task force & act as State Nodal Officer. Besides that, RT-PCR test is made mandatory for the people coming from other states.

Note: Governor of West Bengal: JagdipDhankhar; CM of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. India-Germany enter into agreement to prevent plastic waste entering oceans: The Government of India and Germany have signed an agreement for Technical Cooperation in enhancing practices to prevent plastic from entering the marine environment at a virtual ceremony in New Delhi. The project titled ‘Cities Combating Plastic Entering the Marine Environment’ will be implemented for a period of three and a half years. The outcome of the project is completely in line with the objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban focusing on sustainable solid waste management and Prime Minister Modi’s vision to phase out single-use plastic by 2022.

The agreement was signed between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and Deutsche GesellschaftfürInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. It will be undertaken at the national level (at MoHUA), select states (Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands) and in the cities of Kanpur, Kochi and Port Blair.

Note: Germany Capital: Berlin, Currency: Euro, Chancellor: Angela Merkel.

 

2. India holds National Dialogue on UN Food Systems Summit 2021: The United Nations Secretary General has called for the first ever UN Food Systems Summit to be held in September 2021 to strategize the actions for positive change in Agri-food systems in the World to realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Summit will focus on levers and pathways to shape food systems nationally and globally to accelerate progress in the SDGs. The first National Dialogue on Agri-Food System was held. The National Dialogue was facilitated by the Inter departmental Group constituted by Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare and the representatives from UN Agencies in Delhi.

 

3. International Mother Earth Day: 22 April: Earth Day or International Mother Earth Day is observed globally on 22 April every year. The Day will be celebrated all over the world to spread awareness for Earth’s wellbeing and to encourage people to support environmental protection. World Earth Day 2021 will mark the 51st Anniversary of the day since it started being observed in 1970. Earth Day was renamed officially by the UN in 2009 as International Mother Earth Day. The theme of 2021 International Mother Earth Day is Restore Our Earth.

History of Earth Day: It was in the year 1970 when about 20 million Americans realized that protecting Mother Earth is an absolutely crucial need. Hence, it was this year when Earth Day was observed for the very first time. Every year billions of people across the world participate in different activities such as planting trees, cleaning campaigns, and others to offer their bit to Mother Nature.

Note: UNEP Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya; UNEP Head: Inger Andersen; UNEP Founder: Maurice Strong; UNEP Founded: 5 June 1972, Nairobi, Kenya.

 

4. International Girls in ICT Day: 22 April: International Girls in ICT Day marked annually on the fourth Thursday in April. This year International Girls in ICT Day is observed on 22nd April 2021. International Girls in ICT Day aims to inspire a global movement to increase the representation of girls and women in technology. Today, let’s recommit to the goal of equal access for young women and girls to opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math. The United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is highlighting the need to promote technology career opportunities for girls and women in the world’s fastest-growing sector.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Tamil Nadu’s Arjun Kalyan becomes 68th Indian Grandmaster: Tamil Nadu’s, Arjun Kalyan became India’s 68th Chess Grandmaster when he crossed the 2500 ELO mark after beating Dragan Kosic in the fifth round of GM Round Robin “Rujna Zore-3” in Serbia. Arjun is coached by IM Saravanan and Ukrainian GM AleksandrGoloshchapov and began playing chess at the age of nine and got his FIDE rating a year later. Viswanathan Anand became the country’s first Grandmaster, in 1988.

Note: The World Chess Federation, known as FIDE headquarters: Lausanne (Switzerland).

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Indiabulls partners with HDFC Ltd to offer home loans: Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd (IBH) said it has entered into a strategic co-lending partnership with housing finance major HDFC Ltd to offer housing loans to homebuyers at competitive rates. IBH will originate retail home loans as per jointly drawn up credit policy and retain 20% of the loan in it’s books and 80% will be on HDFC books. IBH will service the loan account throughout the life cycle of the loan. A Co-lending partnership with HDFC Ltd will act as a cornerstone to IBH’s new balance-sheet light growth business model.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Care Ratings Projects India’s GDP growth forecast at 10.2% for FY22: Care Ratings has revised downwards the GDP growth forecast of India to 10.2 per cent in 2021-22 (FY22). Earlier this was estimated between 10.7-10.9 per cent. This cut in the GDP is based on the fact that economic activities are getting affected across the country due to curbs imposed by states amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

 

2. Tech Mahindra acquires DigitalOnUS for $120 million: IT major Tech Mahindra has acquired the entire stake in US-headquartered hybrid cloud and DevOps services provider DigitalOnUS for $120 million, including retention bonus and earnout payments. The acquisition will strengthen Tech Mahindra’s cloud-native development, hybrid cloud infrastructure and site reliability engineering automation. The transaction is expected to close by May 15.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former RBI Governor MaidavoluNarasimham passes away: The former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor MaidavoluNarasimham, has passed away. He was famously known as the “Father of Indian Banking Reforms”. He was the 13th Governor of RBI and served from May 2, 1977, to November 30, 1977.  He was known for being the chair of two high-powered committees on banking and financial sector reforms.

 

2. Former US Vice President Walter Mondale Passes Away: Former American politician, diplomat, and lawyer Walter Mondale, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States, has passed away. He served as Vice President from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. He also served as U.S. ambassador to Japan from 1993 to 1996 under Bill Clinton.

 

3. Eminent Bengali poet Shankha Ghosh passes away: Noted Bengali poet, Shankha Ghosh has passed away following COVID-19 complications. He was known by his pen name Kuntak. He was honoured with numerous awards for his contribution to Bengali literature, some of which includes: Padma Bhushan in 2011, the Jnanpith Award in 2016, and the SahityaAkademi Award in 1977 for his book ‘BabarerPrarthana‘, as well as SaraswatiSamman and RabindraPuraskar among other awards. 

Daily GK Updates - 21st April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurates first-ever online exhibition on Ramayana: The Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (I/C), Prahlad Singh Patel virtually inaugurated the first-ever online Exhibition on Ramayana, the Epic by Maharishi Valmiki, on the occasion of World Heritage Day 2021. The online exhibition has been titled “Rama Katha: The Story of Rama Through Indian Miniatures”. It showcases 49 miniature paintings collections from different art schools of India, from the 17th through the 19th century. The collection of the painting has been taken from National Museum, New Delhi.

 

2. AP launched JaganannaVidyaDeevena Scheme: The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy recently released the first tranche of Rs 672 crores under the JaganannaVidyaDeevena Scheme for the year 2021-22. This reimbursed the fees for 10.88 lakh students. So far, a total of Rs 4, 879 crores have been disbursed under the JaganannaVidyaDeevena Scheme.

The objective of the scheme: The main objective of the JaganannaVidyaDeevena Scheme is to provide scholarships to all the students who are not able to pay their fees because of their financial burden. The scheme mainly focuses on students seeking higher education. It aims to provide fee reimbursement to more than 14 lakh students of the state. The scheme will directly credit the amount into the accounts of students’ mothers. Earlier, the money was transferred to the owners of the colleges.

Note: Andhra Pradesh Governor: BiswabhusanHarichandan; Andhra Pradesh Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

 

3. JMM first party to declare name of electoral bonds donor: The Jharkhand MuktiMorcha (JMM) is the first party that has declared the name of the entity which made donations to it through electoral bonds. A declaration of a ₹1 crore donation was made in the party’s 2019-20 contribution report. According to the contribution report of the ruling party in Jharkhand, the donation was made by aluminium and copper manufacturing company Hindalco.

In a new report, the association said the most common and popular source of income for national and regional political parties in 2019-20 were donations through electoral bonds. This raises the question as to whether political parties are aware of the identity of the donors who have contributions through electoral bonds, as can be seen in this case.

Note: Chief Minister of Jharkhand: Hemant Soren; Governor: ShrimatiDroupadiMurmu.

 

4. National Civil Services Day: 21st April: In India, ‘Civil Services Day is celebrated on April 21 every year. It is a day to appreciate the tremendous work done by officers engaged in public administration, in various departments of the central and state governments. The Government of India chose April 21 as the National Civil Service Day as on this day the country’s first home minister, SardarVallabhbhai Patel addressed the newly appointed Administrative Services Officers in 1947. The historic occasion took place at the Metcalf House in Delhi. In his address, he called Civil Servants, the ‘Steel Frame of India’.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Miguel Díaz-Canel to succeed Raúl Castro as the President of Cuba: Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel has been officially sworn in as the ‘First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba’, following the resignation of Raul Castro. The Secretary of the Communist Party is the most powerful position in one party ruling Cuba. Díaz-Canel now holds Cuba’s two most important positions, head of the party and president of the state.

Raúl Castro announced that he would step down from the key position of the party and hand over the leadership to a younger generation. Díaz-Canel is almost 30 years younger than his predecessor and will now hold Cuba’s two most important positions, head of the party and president of the state. Castro had been in the post since 2011 when he took over from his older brother, Fidel Castro.

Note: Cuba Capital: Havana; Cuba Continent: North America; Cuba Currency: Cuban peso.

 

2. India Ranks 142 in World Press Freedom Index 2021: India has been placed at 142nd position among 180 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index 2021, released on April 20, 2021. India was at 142nd position in 2020 as well. Norway has retained its top spot for the fifth year running, followed by Finland and Denmark at second and third place respectively. Eritrea is at the bottom of the index at 180th place. The index is published every year by the international journalism not-for-profit body, “Reporters Without Borders (RSF)”, to evaluate the press freedom situation in 180 countries and territories.

Index:

Rank 1: Norway

Rank 2: Finland

Rank 3: Denmark

Rank 177: China

Rank 179: North Korea

Rank 180: Eritrea

 

3. NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Takes Flight on Mars: NASA successfully flew its tiny helicopter Ingenuity on Mars, the first powered flight on another planet and a feat a top engineer called “our Wright brothers’ moment.” Data and images from the autonomous flight were transmitted 173 million miles (278 million kilometres) back to Earth where they were received by NASA’s array of ground antennas and processed more than three hours later.

About the Ingenuity: Ingenuity was on autopilot for its entire flight, out of sight, direct control, or contact with the men and women on Earth who had ordered it aloft—because radio signals take too long to travel between the planets for any human operator to intervene. The mini 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) copter even carried a bit of wing fabric from the Wright Flyer that made similar history at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903.

Note: Acting Administrator of NASA: Steve Jurczyk; Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States; NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.

 

4. World Creativity and Innovation Day: 21st April: World Creativity and Innovation Day is observed globally on 21 April every year. This day is celebrated to raise awareness around the importance of creativity and innovation in problem-solving with respect to advancing the United Nations sustainable development goals, also known as the “global goals”.

History of World Creativity and Innovation Day: World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) was founded on 25 May 2001 in Toronto, Canada. The founder of the day was the Canadian Marci Segal. Segal was studying creativity in 1977 at the International Center for Studies in Creativity. The United Nations on 27 April 2017 resolved to include World Creativity and Innovation Day on 21 April as a Day of observance to raise importance among people about the use of their creativity in problem-solving for all issues that may be related to achieving the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India to host first ever World Boxing Council India Championship on May 1: In what is being billed as a game changer for professional boxing in the country, the World Boxing Council (WBC) has endorsed the Indian Championship fight between ChandniMehra and Suman Kumari on May 1 in Jalandhar. The fight for the Lightweight 140lb belt is scheduled to take place as part of the LZ Promotions India Unleashed-Fight Night — the country’s first ever Professional USA boxing event. This is the first time ever that India will be hosting a title card sanctioned by the global body and contested by the two female fighters.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. LIC ties up with Paytm to handle digital payments: State-run Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has appointed homegrown payments player Paytm to facilitate its digital payments. Following a tie-up with another payment gateway earlier, the country’s largest life insurer has sought a new deal as the majority of its payments have moved to digital modes. The new agreement requires an easy payment process, a broader range of payment options, and more players (wallets, banks, etc) in payment channels. LIC has witnessed an upsurge in e-payments following the COVID-19 pandemic. The PSU insurer collects premiums worth Rs 60,000 crore via digital mode, which doesn’t comprise payments made through banks.

Note: LIC Chairperson: M R Kumar; LIC Headquarters: Mumbai; LIC Founded: 1 September 1956.

Paytm HQ: Noida, Uttar Pradesh; Paytm Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma; Paytm Founded: 2009.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. SBI Caps to be transaction advisor for privatisation of JNPT’s container terminal: State-run Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has hired SBI Caps Ltd to act as transaction advisor for the privatisation of the container terminal run by the port authority itself. The plan to privatise the terminal through the public-private-partnership (PPP) route was cleared by the port’s board of trustees in December and is currently being vetted by the standing finance committee (SFC) in the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways. After clearance from the SFC, the PPP project will have to be signed off by the minister after which JNPT will issue a global tender.

 

2. Flipkart acquires Cleartrip for $40 million: Walmart-backed e-comm giant Flipkart has acquired 100 per cent stake in Cleartrip for $40 million, which is one of the oldest online travel technology companies in India. The acquisition of Cleartrip will strengthen Flipkart’s digital commerce offerings for customers.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. National Award-winning filmmaker Sumitra Bhave passes away: Acclaimed Marathi filmmaker, Sumitra Bhave has passed away. Sumitra Bhave was popular as a duo with filmmaker Sunil Sukthankar in Marathi cinema and Marathi theatre. She was known for her out-of-the-box content and also for the way she handled social issues in her films. The duo of Sumitra and Sunil together directed several popular films like Doghi, Dahavi Fa, Vastupurush, Devrai, Badha, Ek Cup Chya, Samhita, Astu, Kaasav, among others. They have won National Film Awards in Best Non-Feature Film on Family Welfare, Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional Film, Best Film on Other Social Issues, Best Feature Film categories.

 

2. Former Union Minister Bachi Singh Rawat Passes Away: The senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Bachi Singh Rawat has passed away. He was a four-time MP from the Almora-Pithoragarh constituency in Uttarakhand. He had served as the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. 

Daily GK Updates - 20th April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Piyush Goyal launches the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme: Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS). The Fund aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market-entry, and commercialization. The government has approved Rs. 945 Crore corpus for the fund, which will be divided over the next 4 years beginning April 01, 2021, for providing seed funding to eligible startups through eligible incubators across India. The scheme is expected to support an estimated 3,600 startups through 300 incubators.

 

2. Punjab All Set to become ‘HarGhar Jal’ State by 2022: Punjab State reiterated the commitment of the State to achieve the ‘HarGhar Jal’ target by 2022 as planned. Punjab has 34.73 lakh rural household, out of which 25.88 lakh (74.5%) have tap water supply. In 2021-22, the State plans to provide 8.87 lakh tap connections, thereby providing tap connection to every rural household. So far, 4-districts, 29 blocks, 5,715 panchayats and 6,003 villages in Punjab have been declared ‘HarGhar Jal’, which means every rural household has access to water through the tap. To ensure transparency and accountability, Punjab has set up a well-equipped digital 24×7 call centre with Interactive Voice Responsive System. This analog grievance redressal system was upgraded in December 2020. Last year, the redressal rate was 97.76%. The pending complaints daily monitoring is done by sending reminders to the Executive Engineer via SMS, What’s App messages, e-mail and over the phone.

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

 

3. ITBP Water Sports & Adventure Institute inaugurated in Tehri: Water Sports and Adventure Institute (WSAI) has been established by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand. The institute was inaugurated on Friday by Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat and Sports Minister KirenRijiju. ITBP’s Mountaineering and Skiing Institute at Auli will independently run this institution, which will impart training in aero, water and land-related sports and adventure activities. Training in kayaking, rowing, canoeing, water skiing, para-gliding, para-sailing, scuba diving, paddle boating, speed boating, kite surfing, jet skiing, etc, will also be provided at this institute. Apart from this, water rescue and life-saving courses will be conducted here. It has been targeted to train at least 200 youth in water sports at this institution every year.

Note: ITBP Founded: 24 October 1962; ITBP Headquarters: New Delhi, India; ITBP DG: S SDeswal.

 

4. Priyanka Mohite becomes first Indian woman to scale Mt Annapurna: Priyanka Mohite from Satara in western Maharashtra has scaled Mt Annapurna, the 10th highest mountain peak in the world, becoming the first Indian woman climber to achieve the feat. Mount Annapurna is a massif in the Himalayas located in Nepal that includes one peak over 8,000 metres and is considered to be one of the toughest mountains to climb.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. New Zealand Makes World’s 1st Climate Change Law For Financial Firms: New Zealand is about to become the world’s first country to bring a law into force that demands environmental accountability from financial firms by asking them to report on how their businesses affect climate change. The aim is to bring the financial sector on board with the efforts being made towards achieving the country’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The New Zealand government first revealed its plans to compel the financial sector to make disclosures in September last year, informing that those unable to disclose would have to give explanations.

Note: Prime minister of New Zealand: JacindaArdern; Capital of New Zealand: Wellington; The currency of New Zealand: New Zealand dollar.

 

2. Henley Passport Index 2021 released: Amid the rising COVID-19 cases and subsequent restrictions on travel overseas, when many countries are banning individuals from worst-hit nations, the Henley Passport Index on April 17 released its list of the most powerful passports. India stands at number 84 on the list, as the Indian citizens can visit Visa-Free or Visa-on-Arrival in over 58 places. The Henley Passport Index releases list which measures the world’s most travel-friendly passports. The index ranks the countries based on how strong their passport is.

Index:

Rank 1: Japan

Rank 2: Singapore

Rank 3:  Germany, South Korea

Rank 4: Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain

Rank 5:  Austria, Denmark

Rank 107: Pakistan

Rank 110: Afghanistan (Bottom)

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

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

 

3. UN Chinese Language Day: 20th April: UN Chinese Language Day is observed globally on April 20 every year. The day has been chosen to pay tribute to Cangjie, who is a mythical figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago. The 1st Chinese Language Day was celebrated in 2010 on the 12th of November, but since 2011 the date has been on the 20th of April. The day celebrates multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization.

 

4. ‘The Christmas Pig’: JK Rowling to release new children’s book in October: JK Rowling has a new book coming this autumn, a festive children’s story with all new characters. The story is about a boy named Jack and his toy Dur Pig, who goes missing on Christmas Eve. The book is set to be released worldwide on Oct. 12. “The Christmas Pig” is Rowling’s first children’s novel since Harry Potter.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India Clinches 14 medal at 2021 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship: The 2021 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships was held from April 13 to 18, 2021 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event was the 34th edition of the Asian Wrestling Championships. India won 14 medals to stand in the third spot on the medal table. The medals include 5 Gold, 3 Silver & 6 Bronze Medals. Iran and Kazakhstan topped the medal tally with 17 medals each. Following are the medal winners from India:

GOLD MEDAL: Ravi Kumar Dahiya – 57 kg Men’s freestyle

VineshPhogat – 53 kg Women’s freestyle

Anshu Malik – 57 kg Women’s freestyle

SaritaMor – 59 kg Women’s freestyle

DivyaKakran – 72 kg Women’s freestyle

 

SILVER MEDAL: BajrangPunia – 65 kg Men’s freestyle

Deepak Punia – 86 kg Men’s freestyle

Sakshi Malik – 65 kg Women’s freestyle

 

BRONZE MEDAL: Karan Mor – 70 kg Men’s freestyle

Narsingh Yadav – 79 kg Men’s freestyle

Sanjeet – 92 kg Men’s freestyle

SatyawartKadian – 97 kg Men’s freestyle

Seema Bisla – 50 kg Women’s freestyle

Pooja Sihag – 76 kg Women’s freestyle

 

2. StefanosTsitsipas Wins Monte Carlo 2021 Title: StefanosTsitsipas has won his first ATP Masters 1000 series after a flawless performance against Andrey Rublev in Monte Carlo. The Greek star had lost his previous two finals at this level, with Rafael Nadal denying him in Toronto and Novak Djokovic beating him in Madrid. Rublev beat 11-time Monte Carlo champion Nadal in the quarter-finals. Rublev knocked out Roberto Bautista Agut, Rafael Nadal and Dan Evans en route to the final but could not find a way past Tsitsipas.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI sets up committee to review working of ARCs: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a six-member panel to carry out a comprehensive review of the working of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) in the financial sector ecosystem. The panel will be headed by former Executive Director of RBI, Sudarshan Sen.

Other members of the panel include:

VishakhaMulye – Executive Director, ICICI Bank;

P N Prasad – former Dy. Managing Director, SBI;

Rohit Prasad – Professor of Economics, MDI, Gurgaon;

AbizerDiwanji – Partner, Ernst & Young;

R Anand – Chartered Accountant

Terms of reference for the panel:

(1) Review existing legal and regulatory framework applicable to ARCs

(2) Recommend measures to improve the efficacy of ARCs.

(3) Review business models of ARCs.

(4) Study role of ARCs in the resolution of stressed assets including under Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.

(5) Suggest ways for improving liquidity in and trading of security receipts.

(6) Recommend suitable measures for enabling ARCs to meet the growing requirements of the financial sector.

 

2. IRDAI notifies extending validity of sandbox regulations by another 2 years: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) notified the extension of its sandbox regulations by another two years to enable the completion of the experiment of the existing sandbox proposals and also to allow new sandbox proposals for the experiment. This amendment will help drive innovation in the insurance sector as insurance companies will now be able to experiment considerably without taking approvals to launch a new product.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. DRDO develops supplemental oxygen delivery system for soldiers:Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed a SpO2-based supplemental oxygen delivery system for soldiers serving in extremely high altitude areas & COVID-19 patients. This automatic system delivers supplemental oxygen based on the SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) levels & prevents the person from sinking into a state of hypoxia, which is fatal in most cases. Hypoxia is a condition in which the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues is inadequate to fulfil all the energy requirements of the body. This is exactly the situation that gets replicated in a COVID-19 patient due to the virus infection and has been leading to the current crisis, If a COVID-19 patient’s SpO2 level goes below 94 per cent, he or she is generally advised to contact the doctor immediately as hospitalisation may be necessary.

Note: Chairman DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy; DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi; DRDO Established: 1958.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Footballer Ahmed Hussain Passes Away: Former India International Football defender, Ahmed Hussain Lala has passed away due to COVID-19. He represented India in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where India finished fourth. Besides, he was also part of the Indian team that won the gold medal in the 1951 Asian Games. Ahmed also took part in the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan, in which India finished fourth. In Club Football, Ahmed played for Hyderabad City Police, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting Club. In his career, he had won two Santosh Trophy, three Durand Cups and six Rovers Cups

 

2. Veteran Kannada writer GanjamVenkatasubbiah passes away: Veteran Kannada writer GanjamVenkatasubbiah, who also was a grammarian, editor, lexicographer and literary critic, has passed away. He was 107. He was commonly known as a walking encyclopedia of Kannada language and culture, in his literary circles. Professor G Venkatasubbaiah had compiled 12 dictionaries and had authored around 60 books. He received the Padma Shri in 2017 for his proficiency in Kannada literature, poetry, essays and translations. Apart from this, we were also a recipient of the Kannada SahityaAkademi Award and the Pampa Award among others. 

Daily GK Updates - 19th April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Gender Samvaad event launched by Ministry of Rural Development: The Ministry of Rural Development recently launched the Gender Samvaad Event. It is a joint initiative between DAY-NRLM and IWWAGE. The main objective of the Gender Samvaad event was to create awareness of gender-related interventions under the DAY-NRLM. DAY-NRLM is DeendayalAntyodayaYojana National Rural Livelihood Mission. IWWAGE is Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy. About Gender Samvaad:

(1) It provides opportunities to understand the best practices of other states to improve women agencies.

(2) For instance, facilitating women’s access to land rights and their engagement in Farmer Producer Organisations, establishing strong institutions for public service delivery, best practices around food, nutrition, health and water and sanitation.

(3) It helps to understand Gender Interventions globally.

(4) Also, the event provides opportunities to engage with experts on suggestions to handle implementation barriers.

(5) It aims to promote the need to focus on gender issues.

Note: Union Minister of Rural Development: Narendra Singh Tomar.

 

2. Italy launches first ever mega food park in India: Italy has launched its first-ever mega food park project in India, at Fanidhar in the Mehsana district of Gujarat. The project aims to create synergy between agriculture and industry of the two countries and focuses on the research and development of new and more efficient technologies in the sector. With this Italy also aims to explore the great opportunities offered by the Indian market. This is the first Italian-Indian food park project, an initiative in the food-processing field, which serves as a pillar of the partnership between India and Italy.

Note: Italy Capital: Rome; Italy Currency: Euro; Italy President: Sergio Mattarella.

 

3. Railways to run ‘Oxygen Express’ trains via green corridors: Following a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, the Indian Railways will run ‘Oxygen Express’ trains transporting liquid medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders across the country via green corridors to meet growing demand from states. Green corridors are being created to ensure fast movement of these trains. Empty tankers will begin their journey from Kalamboli and Boisar railway stations in and near Mumbai to load liquid medical oxygen from Vizag, Jamshedpur, Rourkela and Bokaro, the national transporter.

Note: Union Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal; Indian Railways Founded: 16 April 1853, India; Indian Railways Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

4. Secretary MeitY inaugurates three new initiatives of NIXI: Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Ajay Prakash Sawhney inaugurated three path breaking initiatives for National Internet Exchange of India, NIXI. These initiatives are IP Guru, NIXI Academy and NIXI-IP-INDEX.

(1) The IP Guru is a group to extend support to all the Indian entities who are finding it technically challenging to migrate and adopt Internet Protocol version, IPv6.

(2) The NIXI Academy has been created to educate technical and non-technical people in India about technologies like IPv6 which will lead to better management of Internet resources in the country.

(3) The NIXI-IP-INDEX portal has been launched to showcase IPv6 adoption rate in India and across the world.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Indian expedition to Antarctica returns to Cape Town: The 40th Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (40-ISEA) hosted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences successfully returned to Cape Town after completing a journey of about 12,000 nautical miles in 94 days, including stopovers. This achievement concludes four successful decades of India’s scientific endeavour in the continent of peace and cooperation. The team reached its destination Bharati station on February 27 and Maitri station on March 8 in Antarctica. Bharati and Maitri are India’s permanent research base stations in Antarctica.

Note: Minister of Earth Sciences:  Dr Harsh Vardhan.

 

2. NASA Awards $2.9 billion contract to SpaceX: The United States space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has picked Elon Musk’s SpaceX for its Artemis programme, to develop the first commercial lander and take the next two US astronauts to the moon. The total value of this contract is $2.89 billion.

Under this contract: SpaceX will develop a spacecraft ‘SpaceX Starship’ to land next to two US astronauts, including a women astronaut at the lunar south pole region, by 2024. NASA also aims to bring the first person of colour to the moon’s surface as part of the Artemis programme. Between 1969 and 1972, the US brought 12 astronauts to the moon.

 

3. World Liver Day: 19th April: World Liver day is observed on the 19 April every year to spread awareness about the second largest organ in the body. The liver is the second largest and the most complex organ in the body, with the exception of the brain. Liver diseases can be caused by hepatitis A, B, C, alcohol and drugs. Viral Hepatitis occurs due to consumption of contaminated food and water, unsafe sexual practices and drug abuse.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Max Verstappen Wins Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix 2021: Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) won the Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix 2021, in Imola, Italy. This win is his first victory of the season. The race was the second round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. The seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) finished second, following a crash and sustaining damage involving Mercedes team-mate ValtteriBottas. Lando Norris (McLaren – Great Britain) took third place.

 

2. India’s MirabaiChanu creates a new Clean and Jerk world record in Tashkent:MirabaiChanu set a new World Record in the women’s 49kg Clean and Jerk with a massive 119 kg lift at Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent. The 26-year-old Indian won the bronze medal at the event. The gold medal went to HouZhihui of China who created a new world record in snatch. Asian Games, held once every 4yrs, is the 2nd largest multi-sport event after Olympics.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI approves re-appointment of Murali Natarajan as DCB Bank MD and CEO: Private sector lender, DCB Bank has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India for the re-appointment of Murali M. Natrajan as the Managing Director & CEO, for a further period of one year from April 29, 2021. He was appointed as MD and CEO of DCB Bank in May 2009. Prior to joining DCB, Natrajan has worked with foreign banks Standard Chartered & Citibank.

Note: DCB Bank Headquarters: Maharashtra; DCB Bank Founded: 1930.

 

2. Yes Bank executes its first trade borrowing transaction linked to SOFR: Private sector lender Yes Bank has executed its first Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) linked transaction. The transaction was a trade borrowing availed from Wells Fargo Bank and will provide further impetus to the bank’s export finance business. It is part of its benchmark transition management plan and is the first step towards a smooth transition to the new Alternative Reference Rates (ARR).

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Rating Agencies downgrade India’s GDP forecasts for FY22: With the resurgence of COVID-19 cases posing risks to economic recovery, the leading brokerages have downgraded India’s GDP growth projections for the current fiscal year 2021-22. Current fiscal year to as low as 10 per cent on local lockdowns threatening fragile recovery.

Given below in the GDP growth forecast by several rating agencies for FY22:

 

Agencies	FY22 (revised estimate)	FY22 (previous estimate)
Nomura	12.60%	13.50%
JP Morgan	11%	13%
UBS	10%	11.50%
Citi Research	12%	12.50%

 

In the Covid-ravaged 2020-21 fiscal (April 2020 to March 2021), the economy is projected to have contracted by up to 8 per cent. The low base of FY’21 was seen aiding a double-digit growth rate in the current fiscal before moderating to 6.8 per cent in FY’23.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Lifetime Achievement Award received by Roberto Benigni: Director Roberto Benigni will be receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, which runs from September 1 to 11. The organisers confirmed the news about the two-time Oscar-winning actor-director. The filmmaker had starred in and directed the holocaust comedy-drama film Life Is Beautiful (1997), for which he received the Academy Awards for Best Actor (the first for a non-English speaking male performance) and Best International Feature Film. He was last seen in Matteo Garrone’s live-action Pinocchio, for which he won a David di Donatello Award.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Adobe co-founder and PDF developer Charles Geschke passes away: American computer scientist Charles Geschke, best known as the co-founder of graphics and publishing software company Adobe Inc, has passed away. Geschke co-founded Adobe company in 1982 with fellow mate John Warnock. Geschke, who was widely known as Chuck, also helped in developing the popular Portable Document Format (PDF).

 

2. Veteran Tamil actor and comedian Vivek passes away: Renowned Tamil actor and comedian Vivek has passed away. He was launched by legendary filmmaker K Balachander in the late 1980s. He went on to become one of the most sought after comedy actors of Tamil cinema in the 1990s and retained a stronghold in the industry. The actor was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009 for his excellent work in Tamil cinema. He acted in over 200 movies. He was last seen in DharalaPrabhu, which was the Tamil remake of the Hindi film Vicky Donor.