Daily GK Update- 9th Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Cabinet approves MoC between India-Japan on urban development: The Union Cabinet has approved a memorandum of cooperation between India-Japan in the field of sustainable urban development. A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Sustainable Urban Development has been signed between the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Government of Japan. A Joint Working Group (JWG) will be also formed to implement the programmes on cooperation under the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC). The JWG will meet once a year.

The MoC will strengthen the technical cooperation in the field of Urban Planning, Smart Cities Development, Affordable Housing (including rental housing), Urban Flood Management, Sewerage and Waste Water Management, etc. The best practices and key learnings will be exchanged between India and Japan in the field of Sustainable Urban Development.

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

 

2. IIT-Ropar Develops ‘AmbiTAG’ India’s First Indigenous Temperature Data Logger: Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) in Punjab has developed a first-of-its-kind IoT device, “AmbiTag” that records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood. That recorded temperature further helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation. This information is particularly critical for vaccines including the Covid-19 vaccine, organs and blood transportation.

About the “AmbiTag”:

(1) Shaped like a USB device, AmbiTag continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings “from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for a full 90 days on a single charge.

(2) Most of the similar devices available in the international market record data only for a duration of 30- 60 days.

(3) The recorded data can be retrieved by connecting the USB with any computer. The device has been developed under Technology Innovation Hub – AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) and its Startup ScratchNest. AWaDH is a Govt of India project.

 

3. Justice A.K. Mishra to head NHRC: Former Supreme Court judge Arun Kumar Mishra will be the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) after a high-powered recommendation committee proposed his name.  The selection panel consisted of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, MallikarjunKharge.

Former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Mahesh Mittal Kumar, and former Director of Intelligence Bureau, Rajiv Jain, had also been recommended by the high-powered panel as members of the NHRC but the official notification is yet to be out until the filing of this report.

Note: NHRC Formed: 12 October 1993; NHRC Jurisdiction: Government of India; NHRC Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

4. Kerala retains top rank in NitiAayog’s 3rd SDG India Index 2020-21: Kerala has retained the top rank in NitiAayog’s 3rd edition of SDG India Index 2020-21, while Bihar has been adjudged as the worst performer. The Index for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) evaluates the progress of states and union territories on social, economic and environmental parameters. Kerala retained its rank as the top state with a score of 75. The third rendition of India’s SDG Index was launched by NitiAayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar on 3rd June.

The top-performing states and UTs as per the report are:

Kerala with a score of- 75

Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with a score of -74

Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka and Uttarakhand scored- 72

Sikkim scored- 71

Maharashtra with a Goal score of- 70

The worst-performing states and UTs include:

Chhattisgarh, Nagaland and Odisha with a score of- 61

Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh at a score of- 60

Assam scored- 57

Jharkhand scored- 56

Bihar at-52

Note: NITI Aayog Formed: 1 January 2015; NITI Aayog Headquarters: New Delhi; NITI Aayog Chairperson: Narendra Modi.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. BRICS Foreign Minister meeting concluded virtually: External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar has chaired the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers through video conferencing. Foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa participated in this meeting. In this meeting, Ministers agreed to cooperate on the pillars of political and security, economic and finance, and People to people and cultural exchanges.

About the Meeting:

(1) They also discuss the social and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and also agreed on the need for reform in the United Nations and other multilateral organizations.

(2) They also discussed many issues including sustainable development, Terrorism, intra-BRICS cooperation, etc.

(3) All member countries adopted and released the ‘BRICS Joint Ministerial Statement on Strengthening and Reforming of the Multilateral System’.

(4) The Ministers reiterated their commitment to establishing BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Center.

Note: BRICS is a group formed by five major emerging countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. India will host the 13th BRICS summit in 2021.

 

2. Centre for World University Rankings 2021-22 announced: Centre for World University Rankings 2021-22 has announced, 19,788 institutions were ranked, and those that placed at the top made the global 2000 list. Harvard University has topped the ranking globally followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and Oxford University respectively. As many as 68 Indian institutes have made it to the list of the top 2000 higher education institutes across the world, as per the Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR) 2021-22. The Indian pack is led by the IIM-Ahmedabad which has bagged 415th rank followed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) at 459th rank.

CWUR Ranking 2021: Top 10 Indian Institutes

Global Rank 415: IIM Ahmedabad

Global Rank 459: Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Rank 543: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

Rank 557: IIT Madras

Rank 567: IIT Bombay

Rank 571: University of Delhi

Rank 623: IIT Delhi

Rank 708: IIT Kharagpur

Rank 709: Panjab University

Rank 818: IIT Kanpur

 

3. World Accreditation Day: 9th June: World Accreditation Day (WAD) is celebrated every year on 9 June to promote the role of accreditation in trade & the economy. The theme for WAD 2021 is “Accreditation: Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. It provides the opportunity for ILAC and IAF members to share examples with stakeholders, regulators and consumers of how accreditation may be applied to meet objectives such as increasing trade, addressing environment and health and safety concerns, and improving the general overall quality of output in an economy. WAD is a global initiative, jointly established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), to raise awareness of the importance of accreditation.

Note: Chairman of Quality Council of India: AdilZainulbhai; Quality Council of India Founded: 1997; Quality Council of India Headquarters location: New Delhi.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. FIH world rankings: Indian men’s team maintain 4th position: In Hockey, the Indian men’s team maintained their fourth position while the women’s team held to the ninth position in the latest International Hockey Federation world rankings. Despite missing the European leg of the FIH Hockey Pro- League series in Great Britain, Spain and Germany in April and May, the Indian men’s team maintained its fourth spot.

In the men’s category:

(1) Belgium, the reigning world and European champions lead the table, followed by the 2019 FIH Hockey Pro-League winners, Australia.

(2) The Netherlands are placed third. Germany has jumped to fifth place due to their recent performances in the FIH Pro-League.

(3) Great Britain has also moved up a spot to the sixth position.

(4) Argentina, the reigning Olympic champions, are seventh.

(5) New Zealand is eighth,

(6) Spain ninth Canada are 10th.

In the women’s category:

(1) The Netherlands women’s team is leading while Argentina is second.

(2) Australia climbed to the third position while Germany slipped to the fourth position with 2115.185 points.

(3) Great Britain is ranked fifth.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. IPPB ties-up with Mahindra Rural Housing Finance for cash management solution: Mahindra Rural Housing Finance Limited (MRHFL), a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Ltd, and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) have tied up a strategic partnership for a cash management solution. As part of the tie-up, IPPB will be offering cash management and collection services to MRHFL through its access points and postal service providers.

Mahindra Rural Housing Finance said in a statement, adding that with the cash management service, its customers will be able to repay their monthly or quarterly loan instalments at over 1.36 lakh post offices. Cash management being the lifeline of business operations, IPPB with its robust network and technology platform can help corporates to manage their receivables safely, securely and seamlessly.

Note: MD and CEO of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB): J Venkatramu; India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. WhatsApp appoints Paresh B Lal as Grievance Officer for India: The Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp has named Paresh B Lal as the Grievance Officer for India. WhatsApp has updated the details on its website for how to contact Mr Lal because, under the IT law, social media companies are required to display the names and other details of their grievance officers on their websites. The appointment is in line with the government’s new IT order that requires all the tech companies, like Google, Facebook, WhatsApp to appoint a grievance officer, nodal officer and a chief compliance officer from India. The grievance officer shall address the complaint within 24 hours and dispose of the complaint within 15 days.

Note: WhatsApp Founded: 2009; WhatsApp CEO: Will Cathcart (Mar 2019–); WhatsApp Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States; WhatsApp Acquisition date: 19 February 2014; WhatsApp Founders: Jan Koum, Brian Acton; WhatsApp Parent organization: Facebook.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Navy’s Hydrographic Survey Ship Sandhayak to Be Decommissioned: Indian Navy’s hydrographic survey ship, Sandhayak would be decommissioned after serving the nation for 40 years. The decommissioning ceremony of INS Sandhayak will be held at naval dockyard Visakhapatnam and will be a low-key event attended only by in-station officers and sailors with strict observance of COVID-19 protocols. The ship, during its commissioned service, undertook approximately 200 major hydrographic surveys and numerous minor surveys in both east and west coasts of the country, the Andaman seas as well as in the neighbouring countries.

Apart from survey missions:

(1) The ship has been an active participant in many significant operations such as Operation Pawan (assisting the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in 1987) and Operation Rainbow (rendering humanitarian assistance post Tsunami of 2004).

(2) The ship was commissioned to the Indian Navy on February 26, 1981.

(3) Since that day, the ship has been the alma-mater nurturing the hydrographers of the Indian Navy thereby laying the foundation of complete hydrographic coverage of the peninsular waters.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Mauritius former Prime Minister Sir AneroodJugnauth passes away: The former Prime Minister and President of the Republic of Mauritius, Sir AneroodJugnauth passed away. He is the country’s longest-serving prime minister with more than 18 years of tenure. He was considered the father of the Mauritian economic miracle of the 1980s. Jugnauth held the post of Prime Minister between 1982 and 1995, then again between 2000 and 2003, and later between 2014 and 2017, before passing the torch to his son, PravindJugnauth, who is the current Prime Minister of Mauritius. 

Daily GK Update- 8th Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. XraySetu Launched to Detect Covid in Rural Population via WhatsApp: A new AI-driven platform called ‘XraySetu’ has been developed to help in the early detection of COVID 19, with the help of Chest X-ray. The solution will be beneficial for early detection especially in rural areas, where RT-PCR tests and CT-Scans are not easily available. XraySetu will operate through WhatsApp. It will identify COVID positive patients even from low-resolution Chest X-Ray images sent over Whatsapp-based Chatbot. The solution has been developed by ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park), a not-for-profit foundation established by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, with support from the Department of Science & Technology (DST), GOI, in collaboration with Bangalore based HealthTech startup Niramai and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

Working of XraySetu: The doctor will need to visit www.xraysetu.com and click on the ‘Try the Free XraySetu Beta’ button. They will then be redirected to another page, from where they can choose to engage with the WhatsApp-based chatbot either through the web or smartphone application. Alternatively, the doctor can even send a WhatsApp message to the phone number +91 8046163838 to start the XraySetu service. After this, they just need to click the picture of the patient’s X-ray and upload it on the chatbot, from where they will obtain the 2-page automated diagnostics with annotated images in a few minutes.

 

2. Dr Vinay K Nandicoori appointed as Director of CCMB: Former IITian, Dr Vinay K Nandicoori, has been appointed as the Director at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, Telangana. He is a well-known molecular biologist, and a scientist at the DBT-National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi. DrNandicoori’s research interest extensively spans molecular signalling networks in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the micro-organism that causes TB. His research has found national and international relevance and recognition.

Note: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology Founded: 1977.

 

3. Amul’s RS Sodhi elected to board of International Dairy Federation: The International Dairy Federation (IDF) has unanimously elected R S Sodhi, managing director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd or GCMMF that sells Amul branded products in India, to its board during the general assembly held on 1 June. He is alumni of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). He joined GCMMF (Amul) in the year 1982 after completing his post-graduation from IRMA.

About the International Dairy Federation: IDF is an international non-governmental, non-profit association and represents the global dairy sector. The federation ensures that right policies, standards, practices and regulations monitor the production of dairy products globally.

Note: DG of International Dairy Federation: Caroline Emond; International Dairy Federation Established: 1903.

             

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Dr Patrick Amoth of Kenya Appointed as Chair of WHO Executive Board: Dr Patrick Amoth, the acting Director-General for Health, Ministry of Health of Kenya has been appointed as the Chairman of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board, for a period of one year. The announcement was made during the 149th session of the WHO Executive Board, on June 02, 2021, by the outgoing Chair Dr Harsh Vardhan. MrAmoth replaces Union Health Minister, Government of India, Dr Harsh Vardhan, who completed his tenure as Chairman of WHO Executive Board on June 02, 2021. DrVardhan will continue to be a member of the Executive Board of WHO till 2023. The chairman’s post is held on a rotation basis for one year among regional groups.

Note: Kenya Capital: Nairobi; Kenya Currency: Kenyan shilling; Kenya President:Uhuru Kenyatta.

 

2. SCO Agreement on Mass Media Cooperation Gets India’s Retrospective Nod: The Cabinet accorded an ex post facto approval for signing and ratifying an agreement on cooperation in the field of mass media between all member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The agreement aims to promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among associations in the field of mass media. The agreement, which was signed in June 2019, would provide an opportunity for the member states to share best practices and new innovations in the field of mass media.

The main areas of cooperation in the agreement are the creation of favourable conditions for the wide and mutual distribution of information through mass media in order to further deepen the knowledge about the lives of the peoples of their states. The agreement shall promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among professional associations of journalists of the states in order to study the available professional experience, as well as to hold meetings, seminars and conferences.

About the SCO: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation, the creation of which was announced on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai.

SCO comprises eight countries: India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

 

3. UN Sustainable Transport Conference will take place in China: The second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference will be held from 14-16 October 2021 in Beijing, China. It will provide an opportunity to focus attention on the opportunities, challenges and solutions towards achieving sustainable transport worldwide.

The conference will follow up on the first Global Sustainable Transport Conference, held in 2016 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and is expected to indicate a way forward for sustainable transport to help achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

 

4. World Oceans Day: 8th June: World Ocean Day is observed globally on 8th June every year. This day is observed to raise global awareness about the importance of the ocean in our lives and the ways through which we can protect it. The purpose of the Day is to tell the general public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.

“The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods” is the theme for World Oceans Day 2021, as well as a declaration of intentions that launches a decade of challenges to get the Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”, by 2030. This year’s theme is especially relevant in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021 to 2030. The Decade will strengthen international cooperation to develop scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society.

History of World Oceans Day: The government of Canada had proposed the concept of World Ocean Day, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Officially World Ocean Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 to be celebrated worldwide annually on 8 June to resolve the issues of oceans and also to save ocean water. By the collaboration of The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network, it has been started celebrating on the international level.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. ICC Expands Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup to 14 teams: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2027 and 2031, will once again be a 14-team, 54-match tournament. Earlier in the 2019 World Cup, only 10 teams contested, compared to 14 teams in the 2015 World Cup. These 14 teams will split into two groups of seven, top three from each group will be progressing to a Super Six stage, followed by semifinals and final. ICC has also decided to expand the men’s T20 World Cup to 20 teams. The tournament will take place every two years from 2024-2030.

Note: Chairman of ICC: Greg Barclay; CEO of ICC: Manu Sawhney; Headquarters of ICC: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Bank Became 2nd globally to offer ‘SWIFT gpiInstant’ facility: ICICI Bank has announced that it has tied up with SWIFT to offer a facility that helps overseas partner banks to send instant remittances on behalf of their customers to the beneficiary in India. The beneficiary gets the credit to the bank account instantly. This makes ICICI Bank the first bank in Asia-Pacific and the second globally to offer the facility, called ‘SWIFT gpiInstant’, for cross border inward payments. With this new service, we continue to live up to our commitment to offering customer-centric solutions enabling quick and hassle-free money transfers.”

Key benefits of ‘SWIFT gpiInstant’:

(1) Instant transfer: Personal remittances of up to 2 lakh sent through ‘SWIFT gpi Instant’ are processed instantly and credited into the beneficiary account held with any bank* in India, via the IMPS network. (Bank to be enabled to receive foreign remittance through IMPS)

(2) Available 24X7 and 365 days: The service is available 24X7.

(3) Transparency on the charges: The details about the charges levied by intermediary banks are updated on the ‘SWIFT gpi’ platform; it gives the sender complete clarity on charges.

(4) Immediate update on the status of the transfers: (a) The ‘SWIFT gpi’ platform provides end to end tracking of payments from initiation till fulfilment through an instant automated status update. (b) To send instant remittances to India, non-residents can visit their Bank overseas and initiate remittance transaction via ‘SWIFT gpiInstant’. It will in turn be executed by ICICI Bank in India to send money instantly to the beneficiary.

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

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. SBI Economists Revises GDP Growth Estimate in FY22 to 7.9%: SBI economists, in its research report “Ecowrap”, has sharply cut the GDP growth estimates for the Indian economy to 7.9 per cent in FY22, compared to an earlier projection of 10.4 per cent. This is the lowest growth rate estimate for India among all analysts. The key factor for revision in the growth estimate is the impact of the second wave of COVID-19 infections. The SBI economists project a “W-shaped” recovery in FY22, with two troughs, instead of the earlier anticipated “V-shaped” recovery.

Note: SBI Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara; SBI Headquarters: Mumbai; SBI Founded: 1 July 1955.

 

2. Moody’s Projects Indian Economy to grow 9.3% in FY22: According to Moody’s Investors Service, India’s economy will rebound in the current financial year to mark a growth of 9.3 per cent but the second Covid-19 wave has increased risks to the country’s outlook with potential longer-term credit implications. Moody’s Investors Service has projected the GDP growth rate of the Indian economy as follows:

2021-22 (FY22): 9.3%

2022-23 (FY23): 7.9%

In terms of Sovereign ratings, Moody’s has estimated a ‘Baa3’ rating on India with a negative outlook. The economy rebounded quickly from a steep contraction in 2020, it said. But risks to India’s credit profile including a persistent slowdown in growth, weak government finances and rising financial sector risks have been exacerbated by the shock of coronavirus second wave.

 

3. Microsoft launches the first ever Asia-Pacific cybersecurity council: The first Asia Pacific Public Sector Cyber Security Executive Council has been launched by Microsoft. It consists of policymakers and influencers from Brunei, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The council aims to accelerate public-private partnerships in cybersecurity and share threat intelligence. The council will meet virtually on a quarterly basis. As part of the council, government agencies and state leaders will join a forum. The forum includes Microsoft and its cybersecurity industry advisors. Encounter rates for malware and ransomware attacks are higher than average in the case of APAC. APAC means Asia-Pacic (A-sia PAC-ic).

Note: Microsoft CEO: Satya Nadella; Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Vice-Admiral Ravneet Singh assumes charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff: Vice-Admiral Ravneet Singh, AtiVishishtSeva Medal (AVSM), and Nausena Medal (NM) holder assumed charge as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. He relieves Vice Admiral MS Pawar, a ParamVishishtSeva Medal (PVSM), AVSM, VishishtSeva Medal (VSM) holder, who superannuated on May 31.

 

2. Lt. General Pradeep Chandran Nair takes charge as DG of Assam Rifles: Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair, AtiVishishtSeva Medal (AVSM), YudhSeva Medal (YSM) took over as the 21st Director General of the Assam Rifles (popularly known as Sentinels of the North-East). He has rich experience of Assam Rifles and the North East, having earlier served as an Inspector General and a Company Commander in Assam Rifles, besides having commanded Assam Rifles battalions as a Brigade Commander.

Note: The Assam Rifles came into being in 1835; Assam Rifles HQ: Shillong, Meghalaya. 

Daily GK Update- 7th Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. RDSO Becomes First Standards Body to Join ‘One Nation, One Standard’ Scheme: Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), which sets standards for the Indian Railway Sector, has become the first standards body in the country to join the ‘One Nation, One Standard’ scheme of the central government. The RDSO, the sole R&D wing of the Railways Ministry, has now been recognised as a ‘Standard Developing Organisation’ by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), for a three years period.

BIS is the implementing agency for the ‘One Nation, One Standard’ scheme. RDSO and BIS will be now jointly defining the parameters to ensure quality goods and services for the Railways. The ‘One Nation, One Standard’ scheme was launched in 2019 with the objective to develop one template of standard for one given product in the country, instead of having multiple agencies set it, thereby building a ‘Brand India’ identity in the long run.

Note: RDSO Headquarters location: Lucknow; RDSO Founded: 1921.

 

2. Narendra Singh Tomar launches Horticulture Cluster Development Programme: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar virtually launched the Horticulture Cluster Development Programme (CDP) to ensure holistic growth of horticulture. In a pilot phase, the programme will be implemented in 12 horticulture clusters out of the total 53 clusters selected for the programme. A central sector programme implemented by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, CDP aims at growing and developing identified horticulture clusters to make them globally competitive.

The programme is designed to leverage geographical specialisation and promote integrated and market-led development of horticulture clusters. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) has identified 53 horticulture clusters, of which 12 have been selected for the pilot launch of the programme. Based on the learnings from the pilot project, the programme will be scaled up to cover all the identified clusters.

 

3. CBDT member JB Mohapatra gets additional charge of chairman: The Finance Ministry JagannathBidyadharMohapatra, Member, CBDT, has been given the additional charge of chairman of the direct taxes board for three months. The extended tenure of the incumbent chairman Pramod Chandra Mody ended on May 31. In February, he was given a third extension till May 31. Last week, the government had appointed three new members to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the administrative and policy-making body for the Income Tax Department.

Note: Central Board of Direct Taxes Established: 1924; Central Board of Direct Taxes Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

4. IBF appoints Justice (retd.) Vikramjit Sen as the chairman: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) announced the appointment of former Supreme Court judge Justice VikramjitSen as the Chairman of its newly formed self-regulatory body Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC). DMCRC is formed as per the mandate of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The move was done to bring together the broadcasters and OTT (over-the-top) platforms.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. China reports first human case of H10N3 bird flu: A 41-year-old man in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu has been confirmed as the first human case of infection with the H10N3 strain of bird flu, China’s National Health Commission (NHC). The man, a resident of the city of Zhenjiang, was hospitalised on April 28 after developing a fever and other symptoms. He was diagnosed as having the H10N3 avian influenza virus.

About the H10N3: H10N3 is a low pathogenic, or relatively less severe, the strain of the virus in poultry and the risk of it spreading on a large scale was very low. Many different strains of avian influenza are present in China and some sporadically infect people, usually those working with poultry. There have been no significant numbers of human infections with bird flu since the H7N9 strain killed around 300 people during 2016-2017.

Note: China Capital: Beijing; China Currency: Renminbi; China President: Xi Jinping.

 

2. World Health Assembly adopts decision to recognize 30 January as World NTD Day: 74th World Health Assembly endorsed a decision recognizing 30 January as World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (‘World NTD Day’). World NTD Day commemorates the simultaneous launch of the first NTD road map and the London Declaration on NTDs on 30 January 2012. For countries where neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are prevalent and for the global community of partners, this is a new dawn.

 

3. World Food Safety Day: 7th June: World Food Safety Day is observed on 7th June globally. The aim of the day is to raise awareness about different foodborne risks and the measures of how to prevent it. The campaigns will also spread awareness that how food safety is very much important and related to different other important factors of life such as human health, economic growth, and many others. Also, the day will surely ensure in building up a connection between food safety and other elements such as agriculture, sustainable development, and market access. This year’s theme is “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow”. It discusses the fact that the production and consumption of safe food have immediate and long-term benefits. Recognizing the systemic connections between the health of people, animals, plants, the environment and the economy will help us meet the needs of the future.

History of World Food Safety Day: The first-ever World Food Safety Day, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018. The theme of the first-ever Food Safety Day 2019 is “Food Safety, everyone’s business”. In this direction, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations decided to celebrate 7th June as the First food safety day since 7th June 2019.

Note: Director-General of WHO: TedrosAdhanom; Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland;

Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters: Rome, Italy; Food and Agriculture Organization Established: 16 October 1945; Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization: Dr QU Dongyu.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Asian Boxing Championship: India’s Sanjeet Kumar wins gold medal: India’s pugilist Sanjeet Kumar won a gold medal in the 91 kg weight category at the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships. Sanjeet pulled off a massive upset as he defeated five-time Asian Championships medallist and Rio Olympic silver medalist VassiliyLevit of Kazakhstan in a 3-2 split decision in the final of Asian Championships in Dubai to clinch the gold.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Lombard companions with Microsoft to automate audits of service calls: The country’s largest private sector general insurer, ICICI Lombard has tied up with Microsoft to strengthen and automate the quality control processes. The insurer will make use of Microsoft’s Azure Speech Services and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to screen its daily service calls made by customer service reps. The deployment of Azure’s synthetic instruments has, amongst different issues, allowed ICICI Lombard to enhance the accuracy of its high-quality audits. In response to Girish Nayak, ICICI Lombard’s chief expertise officer, the usage of cognitive intelligence expertise will automate high-quality checks which can in flip make their service extra environment friendly.

The sooner course required the corporate to manually display screen a pattern of 20% of the over 1000 calls a day that the corporate made for potential enhancements. The improved effectivity will allow ICICI Lombard to enhance its customer support, mentioned Nayak. The brand new system permits Lombard to display screen 100% of its calls now.

Note: ICICI Lombard CEO: BhargavDasgupta; ICICI Lombard Headquarters: Mumbai; ICICI Lombard Founded: 2001.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. OECD estimate growth cut of India to 9.9% FY22: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has cut India’s growth projection to 9.9 % for Financial Year 2022. In March, it estimated growth to 12.6%. The rate was cut witnessing covid cases lockdowns which have threatened to stall the nascent economic recovery of India. As per OECD, “pandemic can be contained quickly but GDP (gross domestic product) growth will still be about 10% in 2021-22 and 8% in 2022-23.

Note: OECD Headquarters: Paris, France; OECD Founded: 30 September 1961.

 

2. Magma Fincorp appoints Adar Poonawalla as chairman: Magma Fincorp has appointed Adar Poonawalla as its chairman as part of a management overhaul following the Poonawala-controlled Rising Sun Holdings acquiring a controlling stake in it. Rising Sun invested Rs 3,456 crore in the non-bank lender earlier this month. Magma will soon be rebranded as Poonawalla Group company. The lender has also appointed AbhayBhutada as MD & Vijay Deshwal as CEO.

Note: Magma Fincorp Headquarters: West Bengal; Magma Fincorp Founder: MayankPoddar and Sanjay Chamria; Magma Fincorp Founded: 1988.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli wins the 2021 Dublin Literary Award: Mexican author Valeria Luiselli has won the 2021 DUBLIN Literary Award, sponsored by Dublin City Council, for her novel Lost Children Archive (published by 4th Estate (Harper Collins) in the UK and Vintage Books (Alfred A. Knopf) in the USA. With prize money of €100,000, the Award is the world’s largest prize for a single novel published in English. Valeria Luiselli is the first writer from Mexico and the fifth woman to claim the prestigious award in its 26 year history.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. T.M. Kaliannan, last surviving member of Constituent Assembly, passes away: T.M. KalliannanGounder, the last surviving former member of the Indian Constituent Assembly, died at the age of 101. He served as a Member of the Legislative Council in Tamil Nadu and also as an MLA thrice, between 1952 and 1967. He was reportedly the youngest member in the Constituent Assembly then and also a member of India’s first provisional parliament. 

Daily GK Update- 6th Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi announces Rs 10 Lakh PM CARES Fund for kids orphaned due to COVID: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a number of welfare measures for children who lost their parents to COVID-19. All children who have lost either both parents or surviving parents or legal guardians or adoptive parents due to COVID-19 will be supported under PM-CARES for Children scheme. The welfare measures have been listed below:

Fixed Deposit in the name of the child:

(1) The government has announced the “PM-CARES for Children” scheme under which fixed deposits will be opened in the names of such children from the PM-CARES fund.

(2) The total corpus of the fund will be Rs 10 lakh for each child.

(3) This corpus will be used to give a monthly financial support/ stipend when the child reaches 18 years of age, for the next five years to take care of his or her personal requirements.

(4) Upon reaching the age of 23 years, the child will get the corpus amount as one lump sum for personal and professional use.

Education:

(1) Children under 10 years will be given admission to the nearest KendriyaVidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.

(2) Children between 11-18 years of age will be given admission to any central government residential school such as Sainik School and NavodayaVidyalaya.

(3) For higher education, children will be assisted in obtaining education loan for professional courses or higher education in India according to existing norms. The interest on this loan will be paid from the PM-CARES fund.

Health Insurance:

(1) Each child will be enrolled as a beneficiary under Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY) with a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.

(2) The premium amount for these children will be paid by PM CARES, till they attain the age of 18 years.

 

2. Madhya Pradesh Government launches ‘Ankur’ scheme: In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan government has launched a scheme named ‘Ankur’ under which citizens will be awarded for planting trees during monsoon. Citizens taking part in this initiative will be given the Pranvayu Award, to ensure public participation in the programme.

Under the scheme:

(1) A sapling plantation campaign will be carried out during the monsoon.

(2) Participants will have to upload a picture while planting the sapling and then upload another photograph after taking care of the sapling for 30 days.

(3) The winners will then be selected from each district, following a verification, to get the Pranvayu Award.

(4) Citizens can participate in the tree plantation drive by registering themselves on the Vayudoot app, which has been launched by the state for managing the activities of the “Ankur” program.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

 

3. IFFCO introduces world’s first ‘Nano Urea’ for farmers across world: Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has introduced the world’s first Nano Urea Liquid for farmers across the world. According to an official statement issued by IFFCO, the world’s first Nano Urea Liquid was introduced in its 50th annual general body meeting held in the online-offline mode in India.

About the Nano Urea Liquid:

(1) The Nano Urea Liquid has been indigenously developed after many years of research by its scientists and engineers through a proprietary technology developed at Nano Biotechnology Research Centre, Kalol, in line with ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘AtmanirbharKrishi’.

(2) The Nano Urea Liquid has been found effective and efficient for plant nutrition which increases the production with improved nutritional quality.

(3) It will also have a huge positive impact on the quality of underground water, very significant reduction in global warming with an impact on climate change and sustainable development.

Note: IFFCO Headquarters: New Delhi; IFFCO Founded: 3 November 1967, New Delhi; IFFCO Chairman: B.S Nakai; IFFCO MD & CEO: Dr U.S Awasthi.

 

4. A book title ‘Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966) authored by VikramSampath: Decorated historian and author VikramSampath has come out with the second and concluding volume of the book on the life and works of Veer Savarkar titled “Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)”. The book will hit the stands on July 26, 2021, under the publication of Penguin Random House India. The first volume, “Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past” was released in 2019 and covered Savarkar”s life from his birth in 1883 to his conditional release from prison in 1924. The second volume will bring to light the life and works of VinayakDamodarSavarkar, from 1924 to 1966, the year he died.

             

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Isaac Herzog Elected as President of Israel: Veteran Israeli politician, Isaac Herzog, has been elected as the President of the country on June 01, 2021, during the 120 members parliamentary election for 2021. The 60-year-old Herzog will be the 11th President of Israel, assuming office with effect from July 09, 2021. He will succeed Reuven Rivlin, who is set to complete his tenure in July 2021 after seven years in office.

Note: Prime Minister of Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu; Israel Capital: Jerusalem; Israel Currency: Israeli Shekel.

 

2. UN Russian Language Day: 06 June: The UN Russian Language Day is observed annually on 06 June. It is one of the six official languages used by the United Nations throughout the Organization. The day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010.

6 June is chosen as UN Russian Language Day as it coincides with the birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin, a Russian poet who is considered the father of the modern Russian language. Each of the six official languages 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.

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

 

3. World Pest Day: 06th June: Every year, World Pest Day (also sometimes called World Pest Awareness Day) is observed on 06 June. The main purpose of the day is to increase public, government, and media awareness of the important role pest management organization plays in protecting public health, project the professional image of the pest management industry, promote the use of professional pest management in a scientific and socially responsible way and call attention to the big threats caused by small pests.

The first World Pest Day was marked in 2017. World Pest Day was initiated by the Chinese Pest Control Association, and co-sponsored by the Federation of Asian and Oceania Pest Managers’ Association (FAOPMA), the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), and the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. European Shooting Ch’ship: TejaswiniSawant tops MQS section of 50-m rifle prone event: In the European Shooting Championship in Croatia, former world champion TejaswiniSawant topped the Minimum Qualification Score section of the 50-m rifle prone event. The 40-year-old Tejaswini shot 622.7 to finish ahead of three other compatriots and six Iranians. She will represent India in the 50-m rifle 3 positions event at the Olympic Games — her maiden Olympics — in July-August. AishwaryPratap Singh Tomar shot 620.3 to finish second in the field of nine shooters while Sanjeev Rajput scored 619.7.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. TCS opens its first European innovation centre in Amsterdam, Netherland: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will bring universities, businesses, startups and government together at its latest innovation hub in Amsterdam to help use digital technology to solve sustainability challenges. It will focus on sustainability challenges faced by organisations and becomes the first in a network of hubs, known as TCS Pace Ports, in Europe. About 70 universities globally, more than 2,000 startups, large tech companies such as Amazon and Microsoft, enterprise customers and governments are engaged with the TCS Pace Port network.

Note: TCS CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan; TCS Founded: 1 April 1968; TCS Headquarters: Mumbai.

Netherland capital: Amsterdam; Netherland currency: Euro.

 

2. Tata Steel’s T.V. Narendran takes over as CII president: Tata Steel Ltd chief executive officer and managing director, T.V. Narendran has taken over as president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2021-22. He takes over the leadership of the industry body from Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd managing director and chief executive officer Uday Kotak, who has completed his term. Narendran, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, has been associated with the CII for many years. He was the chairman of CII eastern region during 2016-17 and has led the industry body’s national committees on leadership and human resources, besides being chairman of CII Jharkhand.

Note: Confederation of Indian Industry Founded: 1895.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. WHO honoursDr Harsh Vardhan for efforts in tobacco control: World Health Organisation (WHO) has awarded Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan with `WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award` for his accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. Every year, WHO recognises individuals or organisations in each of the six WHO Regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. This recognition takes the form of the WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award and World No Tobacco Day Awards. Dr Harsh Vardhan leadership was instrumental in the 2019 national legislation to ban E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. NATO Conduct Steadfast Defender 21 war Games: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is organising “Steadfast Defender 21 war games” military exercises in Europe as tensions with Russia increases. These war games are being organised with the aim of simulating the response of a 30-nation military organisation for the attack on any one of its members. It seeks to test the ability of NATO to deploy troops from America. Top NATO brass insists that the military exercises, involving some 9,000 troops from 20 nations, are not aimed at Russia specifically, but they focus on the Black Sea region, where Russia stands accused of blocking the free navigation of ships.

Note: NATO Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium; NATO Chairman of the NATO Military Committee: Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach; Member countries of NATO: 30; Founded:  4 April 1949.