Daily GK Update- 7th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Pushkar Singh Dhami to be next chief minister of Uttarakhand: Pushkar Singh Dhami will be the next chief minister of Uttarakhand. He will be the youngest CM of Uttarakhand. 45-year-old Pushkar Singh Dhami, an MLA from the Khatima constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district. He will replace Tirath Singh Rawat, who resigned from the post. He was elected by the state leaders during the legislature party meeting in Dehradun. Pushkar Singh Dhami is a two-time MLA from the Khatima constituency. Pushkar Singh Dhami was also associated with RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh (RSS) and also served as the state president of Bharatiya Janata YuvaMorcha in Uttarakhand. Pushkar Singh Dhami served as the officer on special duty for former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari in 2002.

Note: Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.

 

2. Satish Agnihotri take charges as MD of NHSRCL: Satish Agnihotri has taken over charge as Managing Director, National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. He comes with more than 20 years of experience in the implementation of mega rail infrastructure projects. He has worked as Chairman & Managing Director, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a schedule ‘A’ CPSE under the Ministry of Railways for close to 9 years. During his tenure as CMD/RVNL, RVNL completed 7000 km of project length including 3000 km doubling/3rd line, 880 km conversion of metre gauge track to broad gauge, 3000 km railway electrification, 85 km new line, 6 factories and many important bridges. A 7 km long tunnel was also completed in a record time of 25 months in a new line project in Andhra Pradesh.

 

3. J&K ends 149-year-old darbar move tradition: The LG Manoj Sinha formally put an end to a 149-year-old biannual tradition of shifting offices between summer capital Srinagar and winter capital Jammu. The administration served notice to employees to vacate the ‘Darbar Move’ related accommodations in three weeks in Jammu and Srinagar. Administration cancelled the residential accommodation of “darbar move” employees in Jammu and Srinagar, implying the employees will remain stationed in either Jammu or Kashmir. Around 8000-9000 employees working in Civil Secretariats, with headquarters in Jammu and Srinagar, would move along with files twice every year. While Srinagar served as the summer capital, Jammu was the winter capital.

Note: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha.

 

4. New jumping spider species named after 26/11 martyr TukaramOmble: A group of scientists who discovered two new species of jumping spiders from the Thane-Kalyan region named one of them after the brave police constable TukaramOmble who lost his life in the 26/11 terror attacks. The species is called ‘IciusTukarami.’  The paper citing the discovery of the new species was published in the Russian science journal Anthropoda Selecta by scientists Dhruv A. Prajapati, John Caleb, Somnath B. Kumbhar and Rajesh Sanap.

 

5. “Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India’s First Women in Medicine” by Kavitha Rao: A book titled “Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India’s First Women in Medicine” has authored by Kavitha Rao. This book recovers the stories of India’s first women doctors, often ignored by history. In this excerpt from Kavitha Rao’s ‘Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India’s First Women in Medicine, the story of RukhmabaiRaut. Rukhmabai was an Indian physician and feminist. She is best known for being one of the first practising women doctors in colonial India as well as being involved in a landmark legal case involving her marriage as a child bride between 1884 and 1888.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. China is certified malaria-free by WHO: Following a 70-year effort, China has been awarded a malaria-free certification from WHO – a notable feat for a country that reported 30 million cases of the disease annually in the 1940s. China is the first country in the WHO Western Pacific Region to be awarded a malaria-free certification in more than 3 decades. Other countries in the region that have achieved this status include Australia (1981), Singapore (1982) and Brunei Darussalam (1987). Globally, 40 countries and territories have been granted a malaria-free certification from WHO – including, most recently, El Salvador (2021), Algeria (2019), Argentina (2019), Paraguay (2018) and Uzbekistan (2018).

Keys to success

(1) China provides a basic public health service package for its residents free of charge. As part of this package, all people in China have access to affordable services for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria, regardless of legal or financial status.

(2) Effective multi-sector collaboration was also key to success. In 2010, 13 ministries in China – including those representing health, education, finance, research and science, development, public security, the army, police, commerce, industry and information technology, customs, media and tourism – joined forces to end malaria nationwide.

(3) In recent years, the country further reduced its malaria caseload through strict adherence to the timelines of the “1-3-7” strategy. The “1” signifies the one-day deadline for health facilities to report a malaria diagnosis; by the end of day 3, health authorities are required to confirm a case and determine the risk of spread; and, within 7 days, appropriate measures must be taken to prevent further spread of the disease.

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

 

2. World Chocolate Day: 7th July: World Chocolate Day or International Chocolate Day is observed on 7th July every year. The day celebrates the existence of chocolate in our lives. It is marked by eating chocolates and sharing with dear ones. The day is an annual global celebration of chocolate, which allows people to gorge and indulge, hopefully guilt-free, in it. On this day, chocolate lovers from all over relish eating different kinds of chocolate or create several dishes with it like cakes, pastries, sinful and gooey brownies, hot chocolate or chocolate mousse, without any guilt.

History of International Chocolate Day: World Chocolate Day was first celebrated in the year 2009. However, some even believe that people started marking July 7 as International Chocolate Day because it was the day when chocolate was first introduced to Europe in 1550.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Mariyappan Thangavelu named flag-bearer for Tokyo Paralympics: Top para high-jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu was named the flag-bearer of the Indian contingent in the Tokyo Paralympics, which begins on August 24. Thangavelu, who is defending the T-42 gold he had won in the 2016 Rio Paralympics during the August 24 to September 5 showpiece in Tokyo, was picked for the honour by the executive committee of the national body.

The 25-year-old Thangavelu, who was conferred with the Khel Ratna, the country’s highest sporting award, last year is one of the 24 para-athletes picked by the selection committee for the Tokyo Paralympics. Thangavelu, who hails from Salem district in Tamil Nadu, suffered a permanent disability at the age of five when a bus crushed his right leg below the knee.

 

2. Norway’s KarstenWarholm breaks men’s 400 metres hurdles world record: KarstenWarholm, a 25-year-old athlete from Norway, broke the long-standing world record in the 400m hurdles during the Bislett Games. Earlier the record was held by American hurdler Kevin Young for 29 years. His mark of 46.78 seconds was set at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, which was finally broken with an official time of 46.70 seconds by Warholm.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Indian Overseas Bank becomes the second most-valued public lender: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has become the second most-valued listed public sector bank (PSB) with a market capitalisation of over Rs 50,000 crore. As Street discounts privatisation of the state-owned lender, its shares have appreciated nearly 80 per cent on the BSE in the past one month. IOB stood with an m-cap of Rs 51,887 crore, pushing PNB (Rs 46,411 crore) and BOB (Rs 44,112 crore) to third and fourth position, respectively, as per data available on BSE. In the past month, the market price of IOB has zoomed 57 per cent, as compared to a 4 per cent decline in PNB and a 5 per cent gain in BOB share price. The bank plans to come out of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework by focusing on recovery, low-cost deposits, and less capital consuming advances.

Note: Indian Overseas Bank Headquarters: Chennai; Indian Overseas Bank CEO: ParthaPratimSengupta; Indian Overseas Bank Founder: M. Ct. M. Chidambaram Chettyar; Indian Overseas Bank Founded: 10 February 1937, Chennai.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. AJNIFM, Microsoft partner to build AI, emerging technologies: The ArunJaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM) and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership to build an AI and emerging technologies centre of excellence at AJNIFM. The collaboration seeks to explore the role of cloud, AI and emerging technologies in transforming and shaping the future of public finance management in India. The centre of excellence will serve as a central body for research, AI scenario envisioning and tech-led innovation. AJNIFM and Microsoft will jointly explore use cases of emerging technologies in finance and related areas, across central and state ministries and public sector enterprises. Microsoft will partner closely with AJNIFM to define the future of public finance management in India, providing the technology, tools and resources to build a strong ecosystem of partners, upskill government officials and build thought leadership.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Invest India won the most innovative Investment Promotion Agency 2021 award: Invest India has been awarded the world’s most innovative Investment Promotion Agency 2021 by OCO Global. OCO Global is a leading authority on foreign investment and offers a range of economic development services, products, and unique company assessment tools.

About Invest India: Invest India, set up in 2009, is a non-profit venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It is the national investment promotion and facilitation agency. Invest India focuses on sector-specific investor targeting and the development of new partnerships to enable sustainable investments in India. Invest India also actively works with several Indian states to build capacity as well as bring in global best practices in investment targeting, promotion and facilitation areas.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India’s 1 indigenous drone defencedome‘Indrajaal’ developed by Grene Robotics: India’s 1st indigenous drone defence dome ‘Indrajaal’ has been developed by Hyderabad-based Grene Robotics. As per the company, the drone defence dome – ‘Indrajaal’ is capable of autonomously protecting an area of 1000-2000 sq km against aerial threats. It protects the area by assessing and acting on aerial threats such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and Low- Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets. The company said that cutting-edge technologies such as UAVs, Smart Swarms, etc. have been for the first time used in India to drop explosives next to the Mi-17 hangar at Jammu Air Base.

Salient features of India’s 1st indigenous drone defence dome – ‘Indrajaal’: (1) Real-time situational awareness;(2) Integrated and Intelligent meshed network;(3) Synergic combination of 9-10 technologies;(4) 24×7 persistent and autonomous monitoring, action and tracking. 

Daily GK Update- 6th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Digital India completed 6 years of journey on July 1: Digital India has completed its 6 years of journey on July 1, 2021. Digital India is a government’s flagship scheme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. This unique flagship programme of the Government of India was launched on 1 July 2015 with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It started as an attempt to improve access to critical Government services by making the country digitally empowered through improved infrastructure and connectivity. The programme has been enabled for several important Government schemes, such as BharatNet, Make in India, Startup India and Standup India, industrial corridors, etc.With the help of Aadhaar, Government has provided digital identity to 129 crore people of India. Jandhan bank Accounts, mobile phones, and Aadhaar (JAM) helped the government in providing benefits of the different schemes through digital platforms.

 

2. Lt Governor launches “HAUSLA- Inspiring her growth” in J&K: Lieutenant Governor J&K, Manoj Sinha has launched the “HAUSLA- inspiring her growth”, a comprehensive programme for Catalysing Women Entrepreneurship in UT. The priority of the government is to reduce the gap between women and men entrepreneurs, in a systematic manner and to encourage women who are currently engaged in various professions so that they too can become a part of the ‘Hausla’ program. The intent of the innovative initiative is to empower Women as vital drivers of the overall development process in the UT by identifying & empowering Women Entrepreneurs as role models, providing them with markets, networks, training & continuous support and subsequently building an ecosystem to inspire other local women entrepreneurs.

 

3. Amitabh Kant gets 1-yr extension as NitiAayog CEO: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has extended the tenure of NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant, by one year till June 30, 2022. This is for the third time that Kant’s tenure has been extended. Mr Kant was first appointed as the CEO of the federal policy think tank on February 17, 2016, for a fixed two-year term. The 1980 batch IAS officer was given an extension for the first time till 30 June 2019, after his tenure was to expire in February 2018. Again he was given two years extension till June 30, 2021.

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

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Philippines included in FATF grey list: Philippines has been included in the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). FATF has released its grey list of jurisdictions that will be subjected to increase monitoring. In addition to the Philippines, Haiti, Malta, and South Sudan have also been added to the grey list. Now, these jurisdictions will be required to submit progress reports to the FATF thrice a year. The Philippines was removed from the blacklist of FATF in 2005. It was previously included in FATF’s blacklist in 2000.

What is FATF grey list: FATF grey list is the list in which jurisdictions under increased monitoring are placed. If a jurisdiction is placed under increased monitoring, this means that jurisdiction is committed to resolving strategic deciencies within agreed timeframes.

Jurisdictions under the FATF grey list actively work with FATF to address strategic deciencies in their regime to fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

What is FATF blacklist: FATF blacklist is the list of countries judged by FATF as non-cooperative in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Note: Philippines President: Rodrigo Duterte; Philippines Capital: Manila; Philippines Currency: Philippine peso.

 

2. India ranked at 10th position in ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index 2020: India has been ranked as the 10th best country in the world in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020, released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The GCI 2020 is the fourth edition of the annual index and ranked 194 countries. The GCI measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level. Countries were ranked on the basis of performance on five parameters, which includes: legal measures, technical measures, organisational measures, capacity development, and cooperation.

Index: (1) India ranked at 10th position, with 97.5 points to rank among the top ten best countries in the world.

(2) The United States has topped the GCI 2020.

(3) The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia is tied on the second position

(4) Estonia was ranked third in the index.

Note: International Telecommunication Union Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; International Telecommunication Union Founded: 17 May 1865; International Telecommunication Union Head: Secretary-General; Houlin Zhao.

 

3. India ranked 20th in Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021: India stands at the 20th spot among the top 100 countries that have been ranked in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021 by Startup Blink. The country was in the 17th spot in 2019, after which it slid six spots down and stood at 23 in 2020. According to the report, India needs to better its infrastructure and Internet speed in order to further strengthen its start-up ecosystem.

Ranking of the Indian Cities: India currently has 43 of its cities listed in the top 1000, globally, with Bengaluru (10th), New Delhi (14th) and Mumbai (16th) in the top 20.

Country-wise ranking: Like last year, the US, the UK, Israel, Canada and Germany are in the top five spots this year too and continue their lead.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Badminton Sudirman Cup moved to Finland, World Tour Finals to Indonesia: In badminton, two key tournaments, the Sudirman Cup Finals 2021 and the BWF World Tour Finals, which were originally planned to take place in China this year, have now been moved to Vantaa, Finland and Bali, Indonesia respectively. Vantaa, Finland is the new host of the Sudirman Cup Finals 2021 from September 26 to October 3, followed by the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2020 in Aarhus, Denmark which had been postponed last year. The final tournament of the calendar year will be the World Championships in Huelva, Spain in mid-December.

 

2. Mithali Raj Back in Top Five of ICC ODI Rankings for Batswomen: India captain Mithali Raj has returned to the top five of the latest ICC Women’s ODI Rankings for batswomen after top-scoring for India with 72 in the series opener against England in Bristol. The 38-year-old, who has completed 22 years in international cricket, rescued her side from a precarious 27 for two but India’s total of 201 for eight was not challenging enough for England, who will be defending their World Cup title in New Zealand next year. Hard-hitting opener ShafaliVerma, the top-ranked T20I batter, has entered the ODI rankings at 120th place after scoring a 14-ball 15 on debut.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. HDFC Bank launches ‘Salaam DilSey’ initiative: HDFC Bank launched a SalaamDilSey initiative to show gratitude to doctors for their tireless service during the pandemic, to pay tribute to doctors across the country. SalaamDilSey encourages one and all to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of doctors and provides a platform to show their gratitude to doctors, who are bravely fighting the pandemic, at the risk of their own lives. As part of this initiative, the bank has created a web platform www.salaamdilsey.com wherein the general public can logon on to the microsite and share the thank you message for doctors which can be immediately shared via e-mail, social media, and WhatsApp.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: SashidharJagdishan; The tagline of HDFC Bank: We understand your world.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India records current account surplus of 0.9% in FY21: According to the data released by the Reserve Bank of India, India reported a current account surplus of 0.9% of GDP in FY 21. In FY 20 there was a current account deficit of 0.9%. The reason for the Current Account Surplus in FY21 is a sharp contraction in the trade deficit to US$ 102.2 billion from US$ 157.5 billion in 2019-20. India has seen a Current account surplus for the first time in 17 years.

 

2. Flipkart launches Shopsy to enable over 25 mn online entrepreneurs: Flipkart has launched Shopsy, an app that will enable Indians to start their online businesses without any investment. Flipkart aims to enable over 25 million online entrepreneurs by 2023 with the help of Shopsy. Users of Shopsy will be able to share catalogues of a wide selection of 15 crore products offered by Flipkart sellers.These users can share catalogues with potential customers via popular social media and messaging apps, place orders on their behalf and earn commissions on the transactions. These range across fashion, beauty, mobiles, electronics and home, with potential customers via popular social media and messaging apps. Shopsy’s objective is to power e-commerce for communities and third-party channels where these users spend time/trust.

Note: Flipkart headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka; Flipkart CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Odia poet Rajendra Kishore Panda bags KuvempuRashtriyaPuraskar: The KuvempuRashtriyaPuraskar, the national award instituted in memory of late poet laureate Kuvempu, has been awarded to renowned Odia poet Dr. Rajendra Kishore Panda for the year 2020. The prestigious award carries a cash award of Rs 5 lakh, a silver medal, and a citation.

About the Award:

Founded in 1992, RashtrakaviKuvempu Trust instituted this national annual literary award in 2013 in the name of Kuvempu to recognize litterateurs who had contributed in any language recognized by the Constitution of India.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari to be new IAF vice Chief: Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari will be the new Vice Chief of Indian Air Force succeeding Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora. Air Marshal Chaudhari is currently serving as commander-in-chief of the IAF’s Western Air Command (WAC) that looks after the security of the country’s air space in the sensitive Ladakh sector as well as various other parts of north India. Air Marshal Arora retired from service and Air Marshal Chaudhari is likely to take charge of the new assignment.

Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari: An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Marshal Chaudhari was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 29, 1982. In a distinguished career spanning nearly 38 years, the officer has flown a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft in the inventory of IAF. He has a flying experience of more than 3,800 hours, including operational flying on MiG-21, MiG-23 MF, MiG 29 and Su-30 MKI fighter jets.

Note: Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria; Indian Airforce founded: 8 October 1932; Indian Airforce Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Filmmaker Raj Kaushal passes away: Filmmaker Raj Kaushal, who directed movies like “ShaadiKaLaddoo” and “Pyaar Mein KabhiKabhi”, passed away. He was married to actor-TV presenter MandiraBedi. Apart from direction, Kaushal had also produced filmmaker Onir’s2005 acclaimed drama “My Brother… Nikhil”, starring Sanjay Suri and Juhi Chawla. His last directorial was the 2006 thriller, “Anthony Kaun Hai?”, starring Arshad Warsi and Sanjay Dutt.

 

2. Former India footballer Prasannan passes away: Former Indian footballer M Prasannan has passed away. A gifted midfielder of the 1970s, he shared the dressing room with stalwarts of Indian football like Inder Singh and DoraiswamyNatraj. He played for Kerala, Maharashtra, and Goa in Santosh Trophy National Football Championship. 

Daily GK Update- 5th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Digital India completed 6 years of journey on July 1: Digital India has completed its 6 years of journey on July 1, 2021. Digital India is a government’s flagship scheme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. This unique flagship programme of the Government of India was launched on 1 July 2015 with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It started as an attempt to improve access to critical Government services by making the country digitally empowered through improved infrastructure and connectivity. The programme has been enabled for several important Government schemes, such as BharatNet, Make in India, Startup India and Standup India, industrial corridors, etc.With the help of Aadhaar, Government has provided digital identity to 129 crore people of India. Jandhan bank Accounts, mobile phones, and Aadhaar (JAM) helped the government in providing benefits of the different schemes through digital platforms.

 

2. Lt Governor launches “HAUSLA- Inspiring her growth” in J&K: Lieutenant Governor J&K, Manoj Sinha has launched the “HAUSLA- inspiring her growth”, a comprehensive programme for Catalysing Women Entrepreneurship in UT. The priority of the government is to reduce the gap between women and men entrepreneurs, in a systematic manner and to encourage women who are currently engaged in various professions so that they too can become a part of the ‘Hausla’ program. The intent of the innovative initiative is to empower Women as vital drivers of the overall development process in the UT by identifying & empowering Women Entrepreneurs as role models, providing them with markets, networks, training & continuous support and subsequently building an ecosystem to inspire other local women entrepreneurs.

 

3. Amitabh Kant gets 1-yr extension as NitiAayog CEO: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has extended the tenure of NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant, by one year till June 30, 2022. This is for the third time that Kant’s tenure has been extended. Mr Kant was first appointed as the CEO of the federal policy think tank on February 17, 2016, for a fixed two-year term. The 1980 batch IAS officer was given an extension for the first time till 30 June 2019, after his tenure was to expire in February 2018. Again he was given two years extension till June 30, 2021.

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

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Philippines included in FATF grey list: Philippines has been included in the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). FATF has released its grey list of jurisdictions that will be subjected to increase monitoring. In addition to the Philippines, Haiti, Malta, and South Sudan have also been added to the grey list. Now, these jurisdictions will be required to submit progress reports to the FATF thrice a year. The Philippines was removed from the blacklist of FATF in 2005. It was previously included in FATF’s blacklist in 2000.

What is FATF grey list: FATF grey list is the list in which jurisdictions under increased monitoring are placed. If a jurisdiction is placed under increased monitoring, this means that jurisdiction is committed to resolving strategic deciencies within agreed timeframes.

Jurisdictions under the FATF grey list actively work with FATF to address strategic deciencies in their regime to fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

What is FATF blacklist: FATF blacklist is the list of countries judged by FATF as non-cooperative in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Note: Philippines President: Rodrigo Duterte; Philippines Capital: Manila; Philippines Currency: Philippine peso.

 

2. India ranked at 10th position in ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index 2020: India has been ranked as the 10th best country in the world in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020, released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The GCI 2020 is the fourth edition of the annual index and ranked 194 countries. The GCI measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level. Countries were ranked on the basis of performance on five parameters, which includes: legal measures, technical measures, organisational measures, capacity development, and cooperation.

Index: (1) India ranked at 10th position, with 97.5 points to rank among the top ten best countries in the world.

(2) The United States has topped the GCI 2020.

(3) The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia is tied on the second position

(4) Estonia was ranked third in the index.

Note: International Telecommunication Union Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; International Telecommunication Union Founded: 17 May 1865; International Telecommunication Union Head: Secretary-General; Houlin Zhao.

 

3. India ranked 20th in Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021: India stands at the 20th spot among the top 100 countries that have been ranked in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021 by Startup Blink. The country was in the 17th spot in 2019, after which it slid six spots down and stood at 23 in 2020. According to the report, India needs to better its infrastructure and Internet speed in order to further strengthen its start-up ecosystem.

Ranking of the Indian Cities: India currently has 43 of its cities listed in the top 1000, globally, with Bengaluru (10th), New Delhi (14th) and Mumbai (16th) in the top 20.

Country-wise ranking: Like last year, the US, the UK, Israel, Canada and Germany are in the top five spots this year too and continue their lead.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Badminton Sudirman Cup moved to Finland, World Tour Finals to Indonesia: In badminton, two key tournaments, the Sudirman Cup Finals 2021 and the BWF World Tour Finals, which were originally planned to take place in China this year, have now been moved to Vantaa, Finland and Bali, Indonesia respectively. Vantaa, Finland is the new host of the Sudirman Cup Finals 2021 from September 26 to October 3, followed by the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2020 in Aarhus, Denmark which had been postponed last year. The final tournament of the calendar year will be the World Championships in Huelva, Spain in mid-December.

 

2. Mithali Raj Back in Top Five of ICC ODI Rankings for Batswomen: India captain Mithali Raj has returned to the top five of the latest ICC Women’s ODI Rankings for batswomen after top-scoring for India with 72 in the series opener against England in Bristol. The 38-year-old, who has completed 22 years in international cricket, rescued her side from a precarious 27 for two but India’s total of 201 for eight was not challenging enough for England, who will be defending their World Cup title in New Zealand next year. Hard-hitting opener ShafaliVerma, the top-ranked T20I batter, has entered the ODI rankings at 120th place after scoring a 14-ball 15 on debut.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. HDFC Bank launches ‘Salaam DilSey’ initiative: HDFC Bank launched a SalaamDilSey initiative to show gratitude to doctors for their tireless service during the pandemic, to pay tribute to doctors across the country. SalaamDilSey encourages one and all to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of doctors and provides a platform to show their gratitude to doctors, who are bravely fighting the pandemic, at the risk of their own lives. As part of this initiative, the bank has created a web platform www.salaamdilsey.com wherein the general public can logon on to the microsite and share the thank you message for doctors which can be immediately shared via e-mail, social media, and WhatsApp.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: SashidharJagdishan; The tagline of HDFC Bank: We understand your world.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India records current account surplus of 0.9% in FY21: According to the data released by the Reserve Bank of India, India reported a current account surplus of 0.9% of GDP in FY 21. In FY 20 there was a current account deficit of 0.9%. The reason for the Current Account Surplus in FY21 is a sharp contraction in the trade deficit to US$ 102.2 billion from US$ 157.5 billion in 2019-20. India has seen a Current account surplus for the first time in 17 years.

 

2. Flipkart launches Shopsy to enable over 25 mn online entrepreneurs: Flipkart has launched Shopsy, an app that will enable Indians to start their online businesses without any investment. Flipkart aims to enable over 25 million online entrepreneurs by 2023 with the help of Shopsy. Users of Shopsy will be able to share catalogues of a wide selection of 15 crore products offered by Flipkart sellers.These users can share catalogues with potential customers via popular social media and messaging apps, place orders on their behalf and earn commissions on the transactions. These range across fashion, beauty, mobiles, electronics and home, with potential customers via popular social media and messaging apps. Shopsy’s objective is to power e-commerce for communities and third-party channels where these users spend time/trust.

Note: Flipkart headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka; Flipkart CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Odia poet Rajendra Kishore Panda bags KuvempuRashtriyaPuraskar: The KuvempuRashtriyaPuraskar, the national award instituted in memory of late poet laureate Kuvempu, has been awarded to renowned Odia poet Dr. Rajendra Kishore Panda for the year 2020. The prestigious award carries a cash award of Rs 5 lakh, a silver medal, and a citation.

About the Award:

Founded in 1992, RashtrakaviKuvempu Trust instituted this national annual literary award in 2013 in the name of Kuvempu to recognize litterateurs who had contributed in any language recognized by the Constitution of India.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari to be new IAF vice Chief: Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari will be the new Vice Chief of Indian Air Force succeeding Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora. Air Marshal Chaudhari is currently serving as commander-in-chief of the IAF’s Western Air Command (WAC) that looks after the security of the country’s air space in the sensitive Ladakh sector as well as various other parts of north India. Air Marshal Arora retired from service and Air Marshal Chaudhari is likely to take charge of the new assignment.

Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari: An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Marshal Chaudhari was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 29, 1982. In a distinguished career spanning nearly 38 years, the officer has flown a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft in the inventory of IAF. He has a flying experience of more than 3,800 hours, including operational flying on MiG-21, MiG-23 MF, MiG 29 and Su-30 MKI fighter jets.

Note: Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria; Indian Airforce founded: 8 October 1932; Indian Airforce Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Filmmaker Raj Kaushal passes away: Filmmaker Raj Kaushal, who directed movies like “ShaadiKaLaddoo” and “Pyaar Mein KabhiKabhi”, passed away. He was married to actor-TV presenter MandiraBedi. Apart from direction, Kaushal had also produced filmmaker Onir’s2005 acclaimed drama “My Brother… Nikhil”, starring Sanjay Suri and Juhi Chawla. His last directorial was the 2006 thriller, “Anthony Kaun Hai?”, starring Arshad Warsi and Sanjay Dutt.

 

2. Former India footballer Prasannan passes away: Former Indian footballer M Prasannan has passed away. A gifted midfielder of the 1970s, he shared the dressing room with stalwarts of Indian football like Inder Singh and DoraiswamyNatraj. He played for Kerala, Maharashtra, and Goa in Santosh Trophy National Football Championship. 

Daily GK Update- 4th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Andhra Pradesh introduces programme to transform foundational learning with World Bank aid: Andhra Pradesh has started a programme to transform foundational learning in government schools for which the World Bank has approved a loan of 250 million dollars. The main objectives of the programme called Supporting Andhra’s Learning Transformation (SALT) are strengthening foundation schools and providing training and skill development to teachers. Establishing and strengthening foundation schools is in tune with the National Education Policy, 2020, and Andhra Pradesh aims to become the first state to do so.

 

2. Govt Allocates Additional Rs 19,041 Cr for Broadband Connectivity in Villages underBharatNet: The government allocated an additional Rs 19,041 crore to provide broadband connectivity in all villages under the BharatNet project. Under the BharatNet project, the government initially targeted to cover all 2.52 lakh gram panchayats with high-speed broadband services. The Prime Minister later announced expansion of the project to cover all villages as well.

 

3. ShambhuNath Srivastava appointed as the chairman of IFUNA: Justice (Retd.) ShambhuNath Srivastava, a former judge of Allahabad High Court and former chief Lokayukta of Chhattisgarh, has been appointed the chairman of the Indian Federation of United Nations Associations (IFUNA). Indian Federation of United Nations Associations, a non-profit organisation to promote objectives of the United Nations and its specialised agencies. IFUNA enjoys special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN.

 

4. India’s oldest running newspaper, Mumbai Samachar, turns 200: On July 1, India’s oldest running newspaper, Mumbai Samachar, will enter its 200th year. The Gujarati newspaper, with its office located in an iconic red building at Horniman Circle in Mumbai’s Fort area, was first published in 1822. It was founded by a Parsi scholar FardoonjiMurazban, who had experimented with various other publishing options before landing on this successful print run. Formerly called Bombay Samachar, in Gujarati, the paper has always run as Mumbai naSamachar. It started as a weekly edition, primarily covering the movement of goods across the sea and other business news, such as the sale of property, and passed through several hands until bankruptcy turned it over to the Cama family in 1933.

 

5. J&K Chief Secretary inaugurates helpline “Sukoon”: J&K Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta, inaugurated SDRF first Battalion’s 24×7 mental health helpline ‘SUKOON’ at its headquarters. This initiative, launched by SDRF First Battalion Kashmir in collaboration with Mission Youth J&K and Tourism department, will guide the caller to avail services of clinical psychologists, therapists, counsellors and psychiatrists.

About the ‘SUKOON’: ‘SUKOON’ is a mental health helpline initiative (toll-free number 1800-1807159) to offer guidance to persons (or their well-wishers) who are experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, panic attack, PTSD, adjustment disorder, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, mental health emergency and pandemic induced psychological stress. First, 200 SDRF and 40 NDRF personnel were trained for Covid care duties and then deployed at Seven hospitals in J&K while the launch of the Sukoon helpline is the second step to support persons facing health issues.

 

6. CJI NV Ramana release a book titled “Anomalies in Law and Justice”: Chief Justice of India Justice NV Ramana has released former Supreme Court judge RV Raveendran’s book “Anomalies in Law and Justice”. The book is an attempt to explain to the layman that the law and the legal system is still evolving and that it requires more critical thinking to resolve issues that have persisted in the system for a long time. The book covers procedural as well as substantive law relating to civil procedure, electoral reforms and the alternate dispute resolution mechanism.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. China turns on world’s 2nd-biggest hydropower dam: The Government of China officially turned on the first two generating units of the Baihetan Dam, the world’s second-biggest hydroelectric dam, to start generating energy. The Baihetan Dam is set up on the Jinsha River, in southwestern China.About the dam:

(1) The dam is a 289-meter-tall (954-foot-tall) double-curvature arch dam, having 16 generating units.

(2) Each unit will have to generate a capacity of 1 million kilowatts, making it the second biggest in size after the “Three Gorges Dam” opened in 2003 on the Yangtze, with 22.5 million kilowatts of generating capacity.

(3) Through the Baihetan Dam, the Chinese government aims to curb surging fossil fuel demand by building more hydropower capacity.

(4) Both the dams have been built by the state-owned Three Gorges Group Corp., the world’s biggest investor in hydro, solar and wind generation.

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

 

2. US Announces USD 41 Million Additional Covid-19 Assistance to India: The US has announced an additional USD 41 million assistance to help India respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and strengthen the country’s preparedness for the future health emergencies, taking the total aid to more than USD 200 million. USAID’s assistance will support access to Covid-19 testing, pandemic-related mental health services, timely referrals to medical services, and access to healthcare in remote areas. Through this additional funding, USAID will continue to partner with India to strengthen healthcare supply chains and electronic health information systems, support its vaccination efforts, and mobilize and coordinate private sector relief.

 

3. Japan to provide $9.3 Million Aid to India for Building Cold Chain System to Fight Covid: Japan announced that it will provide USD 9.3 million worth cold chain equipment and related assistance to India to help in the country’s fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The assistance, under Japan’s Emergency Grant Aid scheme, will provide India with cold chain equipment including medical equipment such as cold-storage facilities, as Last One Mile Support to ensure vaccination in each country, through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

 

4. G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting held in Catania: G20 Labour& Employment Ministers’ Meeting was held in Catania, Italy. Ministry of labour& employment, India was represented by MoS (I/C) Shri Santosh Gangwar along with minister of state for education, Sanjay Dhotre. Ministers reiterated to recognize the need to equip youth well for a smooth transition into work space after they complete their education. This move is especially important for learners belonging to socially and economically disadvantaged population groups, who are more at risk of being left behind.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Anshula Rao first woman cricketer to get dope ban: Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Anshula Rao became the first women cricketer to be handed a four-year ban after failing the dope test. She was handed the ban by the panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency for faking a dope test which dates back to July 2020. Earlier she was also found guilty of consuming a banned anabolic steroid ’19- Norandrosterone. The U-23 cricketer has taken part in several BCCI organised domestic tournaments. She last took part in the 2019-20 U-23 event organised by the governing body.

 

2. Shooting World Cup in Osijek, Croatia: Manu Bhaker& Saurabh Chaudhary win silver in mixed air pistol team event: India’s star shooters Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary won a silver medal at the ISSF World Cup in Osijek, Croatia o in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Event. The Indian pair lost the gold medal match to Russia’s VitalinaBatsarashkina and ArtemChernousov 12-16. Meanwhile, India’s Abhishek Verma and YashaswiniDeswal lost their bronze medal match in the Mixed Team Air Pistol event to Iran’s GolnoushSebghatollahi and JavadForoughi 7-17 and finished outside the podium.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. State Bank of India celebrates 66th Foundation Day: The oldest commercial bank in the country, State Bank of India, SBI, is celebrating its 66th year on 1st July. SBI descends from the Bank of Calcutta founded in 1806 through the Imperial Bank of India. The Bank of Madras merged into the other two presidency banks, the bank of Calcutta and the bank of Bombay to form the Imperial Bank of India which in turn became the State Bank of India on this day in 1955.

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

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. NTPC sets target to install 60 GW renewable energy capacity by 2032: India’s largest power producer NTPC has set a target to install 60 GW (gigawatts) of renewable energy capacity as part of the plan to reduce by 10% its net energy intensity by 2032. In addition, the coal-burning behemoth has declared that it will form at least two international alliances/groups to facilitate clean energy research and promote sustainability in the energy value chain by 2025. These commitments make NTPC the first company in India’s energy domain to declare its Energy Compact goals as part of UN High-level Dialogue on Energy.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. ‘Decoding Shankar’, wins at Toronto International Women’s Film Festival: Freelance filmmaker Deepti Pillay Sivan’s most touted documentary, “Decoding Shankar” about the life and career of the celebrated musician Shankar Mahadevan, recently won the Best Film Award in the Documentary section (Best Biographical) at the Toronto International Women Film Festival, 2021. The 52-minute docu-film released a few years ago is a sketch of the life of the prolific musician focusing on how he balances his career as a singer, music composer, and teacher. The film gives interesting tidbits about his family life and shares interesting moments about his passion for cooking.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Editor of ‘Sudharma’ Sanskrit Daily, K.V. Sampath Kumar Passes Away: Editor of ‘Sudharma’ Sanskrit Daily, K.V. Sampath Kumar has passed away. He, along with his wife, was selected for the Padma Shri honour from the Government of India in 2020 for his contribution to the field of Literature & Education. He has also received several awards like the Siddarudha award, the Shivaratri Deshikendra Media award, the Abdul Kalam award and others. Sampath Kumar’s father PanditVaradarajaIyengar had launched ‘Sudharma’ in 1970. Sudharma is the only Sanskrit Daily in the world, printed and published from Mysuru.