Daily GK Updates - 23rd April, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. CAG GC Murmu selected as external auditor for Hague: India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), GC Murmu has been chosen as the external auditor by the Hague-based Conference of State Parties of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), for a three-year term starting 2021. India was also selected as a member of the executive council of the OPCW representing the Asia group for another two-year term.

 

2. Rekha Menon takes over as first woman chairperson of Nasscom: Accenture India’s chairperson, Rekha M Menon has been appointed as chairperson of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), becoming the first woman to take the top role in the software lobby group’s 30-year history. She succeeds U B Pravin Rao, chief operating officer of Infosys as Nasscom’s chairperson. TCS President Krishnan Ramanujam will be the vice-chairperson.

Note: NASSCOM Headquarters: New Delhi; NASSCOM Founded: 1 March 1988.

 

3. Ministry of Tourism signs MOUs with online travel companies to strengthen hospitality and tourism industry: In its ongoing effort to strengthen the Hospitality & Tourism Industry especially in the times of the pandemic, the Ministry of Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cleartrip and Ease My Trip. The primary objective of this MoU is to provide extensive visibility to accommodation units which have self-certified themselves on SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for the Hospitality Industry) on the OTA platform. The MoU also outlines both parties to encourage Units to register on NIDHI and thereby on SAATHI and encourage local tourism Industry with appropriate safeguards for curbing spread of COVID-19.

 

4. Facebook signs first deal to buy renewable energy in India: Facebook has signed a deal to buy renewable energy in India from a local firm’s wind power project, the social media giant’s first such deal in the South Asian nation. The 32 megawatt wind power project, located in southern Karnataka state, is part of a larger portfolio of wind and solar projects that Facebook and Mumbai-based CleanMax are working together on for supplying renewable power into India’s electrical grid. CleanMax will own and operate the projects, while Facebook will buy the power off the grid using environmental attribute certificates, or carbon credits.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Australia announces partnership with India for Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative: Australia has announced a grant of Rs 81.2 million (AUD 1.4 million) under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). IPOI was proposed by Indian Prime Minister Modi at the East Asia Summit in November 2019 and Australia is co-leading New Delhi in the marine ecology pillar of the initiative.

About the partnership:

(1) The initiative will help to support a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

(2) The Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership forms the core of this “shared vision” of both countries.

(3) To apply for the grant, the company or organization should be located in either India or Australia and have partners in either of the two countries.

(4) Up to $350,00 is anticipated to be available for allocation in 2020-21. All applications will be assessed on a competitive basis.

Note: Australia Capital: Canberra; Australia Currency: Australian dollar; Australia PM: Scott Morrison.

 

2. NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover extracts first oxygen from Red Planet: According to NASA a toaster-size experimental instrument aboard Perseverance called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) accomplished the task. Mars’ atmosphere is 96 per cent carbon dioxide. MOXIE works by separating oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide molecules, which are made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. MOXIE is expected to extract oxygen at least nine more times over the course of a Martian year (nearly two years on Earth).

This technology demonstration was designed to ensure the instrument survived the launch from Earth, a nearly seven-month journey through deep space, and a touchdown with Perseverance on February 18. The growing list of “firsts” for Perseverance, NASA’s newest six-wheeled robot on the Martian surface, includes converting some of the Red Planet’s thin, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere into oxygen.

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

 

3. World Book and Copyright Day: 23rd April: The World Book and Copyright Day (also known as ‘International Day of the Book’ and ‘World Book Day’), is an annual event organized on April 23 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. April 23 is chosen because it marks the birth and death of several prominent authors. For instance, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and JosepPla died on April 23 and Manuel Mejia Vallejo and Maurice Druon were born on April 23.

World Book Capital: As a part of the Day, UNESCO selects the World Book Capital every year for a one-year period, effective 23 April each year. The World Book Capital for 2021 is Tbilisi, Georgia.

History of World Book and Copyright Day: Originally on 23rd April 1995, it was declared by UNESCO’s General Conference which was held in Paris and after that, every year 23rd April has been declared as World Book Day or World Book & Copyright Day or International Day.

Note: Director-General of UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO formation: 4 November 1946; UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France.

 

4. UN English Language Day & UN Spanish Language Day: 23rd April: The UN English Language Day and UN Spanish Language Day is observed annually on 23 April. For English, 23 April has been chosen to mark both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare. For the Spanish Language, the Day was chosen because the day is also observed as Hispanic Day in Spain, meaning the Spanish speaking world.

Why is the Day observed: They are one of the six official languages used by the United Nations throughout the Organization. These are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Each language has been assigned a day of celebration by the UN’s Department of Public Information in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Puma ropes in Washington Sundar, DevduttPadikkal as brand ambassadors: Global sportswear brand Puma has signed long-term endorsement deals with cricketers Washington Sundar and DevduttPadikkal. Puma India, which recently announced its partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore, has been consistently investing in India’s sports ecosystem. The duo will be joining the company’s roster of brand ambassadors that include Indian captain ViratKohli; wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul; women’s national cricketer, SushmaVerma and veteran cricketer Yuvraj Singh.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to Cancel Licence of SambandhFinserve: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a show-cause notice prior to cancelling the licence of fraud-hit SambandhFinservePvt Ltd. after its networth eroded below the regulatory minimum and financial situation worsened beyond redemption over the recent months. Sambandh is registered as an NBFC-MFI. The Managing Director and CEO of Sambandh, Deepak Kindo, who was allegedly the main perpetrator of the fraud, has been arrested by Economic Offence Wing, Chennai. According to the RBI norms, NBFC is required to maintain minimum capital levels consisting of Tier-I and Tier-II capital, of not less than 15 per cent of their aggregate risk-weighted assets.

Note: SambandhFinserve Private Limited founded: 1992; SambandhFinserve Private Limited Headquarters: Odisha.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. ICRA Slashes India’s GDP Forecast by 0.5% to 10.5% in FY22: The domestic rating agency ICRA has cut the growth estimate of India for 2021-22 by 0.5 per cent on the upper end and now expects the economy to grow 10-10.5 per cent in 2021-22 as against 10-11 per cent estimated earlier. The downward revision in the forecast follows the lockdowns and restrictions which are getting imposed once again due to rising COVID-19 cases.

 

2. S&P Projects India’s GDP Growth Forecast at 11% in FY22: The S&P Global Ratings has estimated the Indian economy to grow at 11 per cent in the current fiscal, i.e. 2021-22 (FY22). In terms of the sovereign rating, S&P currently has a ‘BBB-‘ rating on India with a stable outlook. Earlier, for 2020-21, the S&P estimated the Indian economy to contract 8 per cent.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Chad President IdrissDeby passes away: The President of the Republic of Chad, IdrissDebyItno, has passed away, following a confrontation with rebels after which he suffered wounds on the battlefield. He had ruled the central African nation for more than three decades and was even declared winner of the 2021 presidential election, paving the way for him to stay in power for six more years. Deby first won elections in 1996 and 2001. After this, he continued to win in 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021.

 

2. Veteran actor Kishore Nandlaskar passes away: Veteran actor Kishore Nandlaskar, who was a popular face in both Marathi and Hindi films, has passed away due to COVID-19 complications. The actor made his debut with Marathi film in 1982 titled ‘Navare Sagle Gadhav’ and went to act in movies like ‘BhavishyachiAishiTaishi: The Prediction’, ‘Gaon Thor PudhariChor’ and ‘JaraJapun Kara’. In Hindi films, Nandlaskar is known for his roles in Khakee (2004), Vaastav: The Reality (1999), Singham (2011), JisDesh Mein Ganga Rehta Hain (2000), Simmba (2018) and many more. He was last seen in the Mahesh Manjrekar web series ‘1962: The War In The Hills’.

 

3. Renowned Qawwali Singer FaridSabri Passes Away:Qawwali singer FaridSabri, of the famous Sabri Brothers duo, has passed away. Sabri Brothers (FaridSabri and Amin Sabri) were known for their evergreen numbers like ‘Der Na Ho Jaye Kahin Der Na Ho Jaye’ and ‘EkMulakatZaruri Hai Sanam’. The brothers and their father Saeed Sabri performed qawwali at several events held in Indian and abroad. 

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.