Daily GK Update- 8th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. President Kovind appoints new Governors for eight states: President of India, Ram NathKovind has appointed new Governors for eight states. The new governors have been appointed for states including Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Tripura, Jharkhand, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh. While some of the current governors have been transferred to new states, in some others new appointments have been made.

Complete list of new governors:

 

SI.no	State	New Governor
1	Karnataka	ThawarchandGehlot
2	Madhya Pradesh	MangubhaiChhaganbhai Patel
3	Mizoram	Dr. Hari BabuKambhampati
4	Himachal Pradesh	RajendraVishwanathArlekar
5	Goa	P.S. Sreedharan Pillai
6	Tripura	Satyadev Narayan Arya
7	Jharkhand	Ramesh Bais
8	Haryana	BandaruDattatraya

 

2. KN Bhattacharjee appointed new Lokayukta in Tripura: Veteran advocate Kalyan Narayan Bhattacharjee has been appointed as the new Lokayukta in Tripura. He has been appointed to the post for three years w.e.f. July 1. The Lokayukta Act has been in force in Tripura since 2008 and in 2012, the first Lokayukta was appointed in Tripura. Bhattacharjee is the third Lokayukta in the state and the first to hold the post as a lawyer. Former Gujarat & Guwahati HC judge Pradeep Kumar Sarkar was 1st Lokayukta in Tripura.

Note: Chief Minister of Tripura: Biplab Kumar Deb; Governor: Ramesh Bais.

 

3. ISRO gives nod to parliamentary panel to implement satellite TV classrooms: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has given its nod to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education to provide technical assistance for satellite TV classrooms in the country to bridge the learning gap due to COVID-induced lockdown. ISRO scientists have appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Education and made a detailed presentation about the proposed satellite TV classroom for students.

Vinay Sahastrabuddhe-led parliamentary panel had earlier sought help from ISRO scientists to provide technical assistants to start satellite TV classrooms for students who reported a learning gap in the school syllabus due to the COVID pandemic. The Committee explored satellite TV classrooms that will broadcast school-based educational programs and students can take advantage of it in cluster classrooms and the issue of smartphone and data connectivity can be resolved, especially in the rural areas.

Note: ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan; ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka; ISRO established: 15 August 1969.

 

4. GoI extends superannuation age of LIC chairman to up to 62 years: The government has extended the superannuation age of IPO-bound LIC Chairman, M R Kumar, to up to 62 years by making amendments to the Life Insurance Corporation of India (Staff) Regulations, 1960. The changes made in the rules will be called the Life Insurance Corporation of India (Staff) Amendment Rules, 2021, according to a government notification dated June 30, 2021. It is to be noted that the retirement age for the top executives of the majority of PSUs is 60 years, barring a few exceptions, including the State Bank of India (SBI).

Note: LIC Headquarters: Mumbai; LIC Founded: 1 September 1956.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the Co-WIN Global Conclave: The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi inaugurated and addressed the CoWin Global Conclave, virtually. The global meet was participated by representatives from 142 countries. The Conclave was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and National Health Authority (NHA) with an objective to extend the Co-WIN platform as a digital public good to the world.

About the Conclave: India has offered its indigenously developed cloud-based CoWIN platform to be made open-source so that it is available to any and all countries. The CoWin Global Conclave served as a platform to share India’s learnings and experiences with regards to planning, strategizing and executing the world’s largest vaccination drive through Co-WIN.

 

2. Cabinet approves MoU between India, Gambia on Refurbishing Personnel Administration & Governance Reforms: Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and the Public Service Commission of Gambia on refurbishing personnel administration and governance reforms. The MoU will help in understanding the personnel administration of both the countries and enable in improving the system of governance through replicating, adapting and innovating some of the best practices and processes.

 

3. Indian-American SirishaBandla set to fly into space: India-origin woman SirishaBandla will travel to the edge of the space aboard ‘VSS Unity’ of Virgin Galactic, which is scheduled to fly off on July 11 from New Mexico. This is significant as she will be the third woman of Indian origin to go to space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams.

About the Bandla: Bandla, the vice-president of government affairs at Virgin Galactic in Washington DC, will travel alongside his boss and the group’s founder, billionaire Richard Branson and four others in the company’s spaceflight. Bandla will take care of the researcher experience of the Unity22 mission. The 34-year-old hails from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh in India.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Mithali Raj surpasses Edwards to become highest run-getter: India captain Mithali Raj became the highest run-getter in women’s cricket across formats, overtaking former England skipper Charlotte Edwards. Mithali became the world’s most prolific batter in women’s internationals, overtaking Edwards’ 10,273 runs. Suzie Bates of New Zealand is third with 7849 runs. Stafanie Taylor (7832) and Meg Lanning (7024) round up the top five.

Mithali achieved the feat during the third and final inconsequential ODI against hosts England while chasing 220 for a consolation win. In 2020, Raj was named to the ICC’s ODI team of the decade, a fitting honour for her consistency in the sport. She is also the most capped player in the history of the women’s game, having featured in 11 Tests, 216 ODIs and 89 Twenty20 Internationals so far.

 

2. Max Verstappen wins Formula 1’s Austrian Grand Prix 2021: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, the ninth race of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship season. Verstappen won the race ahead of Mercedes-AMG’s ValtteriBottas and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton – Bottas’ teammate and Verstappen’s challenger for the 2021 Drivers’ championship – came home in fourth place.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI imposes Rs 25 lakh penalty on Punjab & Sind Bank: The Reserve Bank of India imposed a penalty of Rs 25 lakh on Punjab and Sind Bank for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions on ‘Cyber Security Framework in Banks. The state-owned bank had reported a few cyber incidents to the RBI on May 16 and 20, 2020, the central bank said while giving details. Accordingly, the central bank had issued a show-cause notice to the bank asking it why a penalty should not be imposed for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of section 47 A (1) (c) read with sections 46 (4) (i) and 51 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Note: Punjab and Sind Bank Founder: Vir Singh; Punjab and Sind Bank Founded: 24 June 1908; MD & CEO of  Punjab and Sind Bank: S Krishnan.

 

2. Axis Bank tie-up with AWS for powering digital banking services: Axis Bank has inked a multi-year deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to power the digital transformation programme of the country’s third-largest private sector bank. As part of the agreement, Axis Bank with help of AWS will build a portfolio of new digital financial services to bring advanced banking experiences to customers, including online accounts that can be opened in 6 min & instant digital payment. This will help the bank increase customer satisfaction by 35 per cent and lower costs by 24 per cent. To date, Axis Bank has deployed over 25 mission-critical applications on AWS, including a Buy Now Pay Later product and a new loan management system to support it, Account Aggregator, Video-Know Your Customer (V-KYC), and WhatsApp Banking.

Note: Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai; Axis Bank Founded: 1993; Axis Bank MD and CEO of Axis Bank: Amitabh Chaudhry.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Army chief to inaugurate war memorial for Indian soldiers in Italy: Indian Army chief General MM Naravane will embark on an official visit to the United Kingdom (UK) and Italy, during which he will be meeting his counterparts and the senior military leadership of these countries. The highlight of the visit will be Gen Naravane’s inauguration of the Indian Army Memorial in the famous town of Cassino, Italy. In the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War II, over 5,000 Indian soldiers laid down their lives while fighting to save Italy from fascist forces. Nearly 50,000 Indians were enlisted for Italy’s liberation between September 1943 and April 1945. Both the UK and Italy are important partners for India in the fields of defence, healthcare, aerospace, education, clean technology, renewable energy and information and communication technology among others.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar passes away: Legendary Bollywood actor Mohammed Yusuf Khan, known professionally as Dilip Kumar passed away at 98. He was popularly known as the tragedy king of Bollywood. He was last seen in the 1998 film Qila. He was the first actor to win the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 1954 and won it a total of 8 times. He and Shah Rukh Khan jointly hold the record for most Filmfare trophies. Dilip Kumar is listed in the Guinness World Records for winning the maximum number of awards by an Indian actor. He is also credited as the first method actor in India. He was honoured with the DadasahebPhalke Award in 1994 and Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

 

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.