Daily GK Update- 15th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Nitin Gadkari inaugurates India’s first private LNG Facility plant at Nagpur: The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated India’s first private Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility plant at Nagpur in Maharashtra. The plant has been set up on Kamptee Road near Nagpur Jabalpur Highway, by BaidyanathAyurvedic Group, the makers of Ayurvedic medicines. Once operational, this LNG filling station in Nagpur will be the first such facility to operate on a commercial basis. LNG is a clean, pollution-free and cost-effective liquid fuel, which is also easy to store and reduces logistics costs.

 

2. India’s first Cryptogamic Garden Inaugurated in Uttarakhand: India’s first cryptogamic garden, with around 50 different species grown, has been inaugurated in Deoban area of Dehradun in Uttarakhand. The garden is situated at a height of 9,000 feet and is spread over an area of three acres. Located in the district’s Chakrata town, the garden was inaugurated by social activist AnoopNautiyal.

What is Cryptogamae: Cryptogamae means “hidden reproduction” referring to the fact that no seed, no flowers are produced. Thus, cryptogams represent the non-seed bearing plants. Algae, bryophytes (moss, liverworts), lichens, ferns and fungi are the best-known groups of cryptogams that require moist conditions to survive.

Note: Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya; The chief minister of Uttarakhand: Pushkar Singh Dhami.

 

3. Karnataka to develop 46 Kempegowda heritage sites in Bengaluru: The Karnataka state government has decided to develop 46 Kempegowda heritage sites located in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Chikballapura, and Tumakuru districts, in a bid to promote tourism. According to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, the sites identified to be in three circuits would be developed at a cost of Rs 223 crore for promoting tourism. According to the Authority, these sites are developed to help people acknowledge the contribution of Kempegowda or Nada PrabhuKempegowda, the founding father of Bengaluru.

Note: Karnataka Capital: Bengaluru; Karnataka Chief Minister: B. S. Yediyurappa.

 

4. Manipur enters India’s railway map as first passenger train reaches the state: A passenger train Rajdhani Express from Assam’s Silchar railway station has reached the Vaingaichunpao railway station in Manipur for a trial run, putting the state on the Indian Railways map. The train covered the distance of 11 km between the two northeastern stations, with railway officials onboard. The train halted briefly at Manipur’s Jiribam railway station, where railway officials were greeted by local citizens before the national flag was hoisted accompanied by the national anthem. Notably, the Vaingaichunpao-Imphal (capital of Manipur) railway line is also under construction. Once completed, it will be the longest railway tunnel near Imphal.

Note: Chief Minister of Manipur: N. Biren Singh; Governor: Najma Heptulla.

 

5. PM Modi receives 1st copy of ‘The Ramayana of Shri Guru Gobind Singh’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received the first copy of “The Ramayana of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji” which is written by the late Baljit Kaur Tulsi—the mother of noted lawyer KTS Tulsi. The book is published by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts. Apart from this, the Prime Minister also shared the audio of the GurbaniShabad recital by KTS Tulsi, the sitting Rajya Sabha MP of Congress from Chhattisgarh.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Rail Cargo movement between India and Nepal gets a big boost: India and Nepal have signed a Letter of Exchange (LoE) to revise the 2004 India-Nepal Rail Services Agreement (RSA). The revised agreement allows all authorized cargo train operators to utilize the Indian railway network to carry Nepal’s container and other freight – both bilateral between Indian and Nepal or third countries from Indian ports to Nepal. The authorized cargo train operators include public and private container trains Operators, automobile freight train operators, special freight train operators, or any other operator authorized by Indian Railways.

Significance of this revised agreement: It will allow market forces (such as consumers and buyers) to come up in the rail freight segment in Nepal and is likely to increase efficiency and cost- competitiveness. It will reduce transportation costs for automobiles and certain other products whose carriage takes place in special wagons and will boost rail cargo movement between the two countries. The agreement is another milestone in India’s efforts to enhance regional connectivity under the “Neighbourhood First”.

Note: Prime minister of Nepal: KP Sharma Oli; President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari; Capital of Nepal: Kathmandu; Currency: Nepalese rupee.

 

2. World Youth Skills Day: 15th July: United Nations celebrates World Youth Skills Day globally on 15 July every year. The day is celebrated as an opportunity for young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and public and private sector stakeholders to acknowledge as well as celebrate the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. The theme of World Youth Skills Day 2021 is “Reimagining Youth Skills Post-Pandemic”. In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Euro 2020 Final: Italy beat England on penalties: The European Championship final pits England and Italy against each other. Italy won 3-2 on penalties. Italy, one of the most decorated teams in the world, have ended a few years of trophy drought. England, on the other hand, we’re in uncharted territory. They haven’t even reached a final since 1966. Italy has already reached the final twice in recent years — in 2000 and 2012 — whereas England hasn’t got close until now. Italy’s Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma named player of UEFA EURO 2020.

 

2. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo wins Golden Boot in EURO 2020: Portugal captain and modern-day great Cristiano Ronaldo won the Euro 2020 Golden Boot after finishing as the top-scorer in the tournament. Despite playing just four games, Ronaldo clinched the top honours as he scored five goals. Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick also ended the tournament with five goals but the award went to Ronaldo via the tie-breaker of assists.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Axis Bank signs MOU with Indian Army to offer defence service salary package: The country’s third-largest private lender Axis Bank has signed MOU with the Indian Army offering a defence service salary package under its “Power Salute” initiative. The Defence service salary package will offer different benefits to all ranks of army officers. The benefits of the MoU will cover both serving Defence personnel as well Defence pensioners. According to the bank, it will offer–Personal accidental cover of up to ₹56 lakh to all army personnel; additional up to 8 lakh education grant; total Permanent Disability Cover benefit up to 46 lakh; permanent partial disability cover of up to ₹46 lakh; air accident cover of ₹1 crore, and free additional debit card for a family member.

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

 

2. Axis Bank and Max Bupa Health Insurance enter into a Bancassurance partnership: Max Bupa Health Insurance, a standalone health insurer, has entered into a bancassurance partnership with Axis Bank, the country’s third-largest private sector bank. This partnership will help provide comprehensive health insurance solutions to Axis Bank’s employees and customers. The tie-up will enable millions of Axis Bank customers across 4,500 plus branches to gain access to quality healthcare solutions through a range of health insurance products offered by Max Bupa.Max Bupa Health Insurance will offer indemnity as well as fixed benefit products, and their customisable variants to the diverse customers of the bank across the country. Axis Bank also has an existing health insurance tie-up with Aditya Birla Health Insurance. Bancassurance is a relationship between a bank and an insurance company that is aimed at offering insurance products to the bank’s customers.

Note: Max Bupa Health Insurance CEO: Krishnan Ramachandran; Max Bupa Health Insurance Headquarters: New Delhi, India; Max Bupa Health Insurance Founded: 2008.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Twitter appoints Vinay Prakash as resident grievance officer for India: Twitter has named Vinay Prakash as the Resident Grievance Officer (RGO) for India, as per the information updated on its website. Users can contact Vinay Prakash using an email ID listed on the page. Earlier the US-based company had announced the appointment of California-based Jeremy Kessel as the new Grievance Officer for India. However, as per the new IT rules in India, social media platforms with over 50 lakh users are mandated to appoint three key personnel namely chief compliance officer, nodal officer and grievance officer, and all these three personnel have to be residents in India.

Note: Chief Executive Officer of Twitter: Jack Dorsey; Twitter formed: 21 March 2006; Headquarters of Twitter: San Francisco, California, United States.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Bharat Dynamics Ltd signs Rs 499-crore deal with Indian Air Force: The Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence for the manufacture and supply of Akash missiles to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The total worth of the deal is around Rs 499 crore. CMD, BDL Commodore Siddharth Mishra (Retd) stated that BDL is supplying Akash Missiles to the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. With the announcement from the Union Cabinet regarding clearance of Akash Weapon System for Export, the Company is exploring offering Akash for export to foreign countries. BDL has already received export leads from some countries expressing interest in procuring the Missile. The Company has a well-established infrastructure and expertise to execute these orders and meet the customer delivery schedule.

About the Akash: Akash is a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, being developed under India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). BDL is the prime production agency for projects under IGMDP. Akash missile is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), both for the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. 1983 World Cup winning former India cricketer Yashpal Sharma passes away: Former Indian cricketer, Yashpal Sharma, who was a member of the Indian team that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup, has passed away. He represented India in 37 Tests and 42 ODIs. He was a middle-order batsman, who played during the 1970s and 80s. The Punjab-born cricketer had represented three teams in Ranji including Punjab, Haryana and Railways

 

Daily GK update- 14th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s first maritime arbitration centre to be set up in Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Maritime University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) in GIFT City to set up the Gujarat International Maritime Arbitration Centre (GIMAC). GIMAC will be the first of its kind centre in India to manage arbitration and mediation proceedings for disputes related to the maritime and shipping sector. It will be part of a maritime cluster that is being set up by the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) at GIFT City in Gandhinagar.There are over 35 arbitration centres in India. However, none of them exclusively deals with the maritime sector. The arbitration involving Indian players is now heard at the Singapore Arbitration Centre. The idea is to create a world-class arbitration centre focused on maritime and shipping disputes that can help resolve commercial and financial conflicts between entities having operations in India.

Note: Gujarat Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani;Gujarat Governor: Acharya Devvrat.

 

2. Kerala govt. to have its own OTT platform: Kerala government has proposed to have its own over-the-top (OTT) platform. The state government has planned to launch it by November 1. The State government’s proposed foray into the online content streaming space with the launch of an over-the-top (OTT) platform is a cultural intervention, rather than something prompted by the market or revenues.

Why Kerala will launch a new OTT platform?

(1) OTT players like Netflix and Amazon have been showing more interest in Malayalam cinema. But they are mostly limited to films from which they can get revenue.

(2) In the last one year, less than 15 Malayalam films, featuring big stars, have been taken up these platforms.

(3) Furthermore, smaller & home-grown OTT platforms such as Neestream and Mainstream TV do not have much of finance to match bigger players.

(4) Thus, the state government proposed this OTT platform which will ensure space and make some sort of revenue share for lower budget & independent films that are struggling to find space among the public.

 

3. GoI sets up 25-member development council for cement industry: The central government has set up a 25-member development council for the cement industry under Dalmia Bharat Group CMD, PuneetDalmia. The council will suggest ways to eliminate waste, obtain maximum production, improve quality, reduce costs and promote standardization of products.Dalmia is the chairman of the council. Its members include Shree Cement Ltd MD HM Bangur, The India Cements Ltd Executive President Rakesh Singh; Birla Corporation Limited CEO PrachetaMajumdar; J.K. Cement Ltd Deputy Managing Director MadhavkrishnaSinghania, and JSW Cement Ltd CEO NileshNarwekar.

According to an order:

(1) The functions of the council include recommending measures for securing the full utilization of the installed capacity and for improving the working of the industry, particularly of the less efficient units; promote the training of persons; and promoting or undertaking scientific and industrial research.

(2) It would also work for standardization of accounting and costing methods and practice; and promoting the adoption of measures for increasing the productivity of labour, including measures for securing safer and better working conditions.

(3) The council’s functions also include promoting or undertaking inquiry as to materials and equipment and as to methods of production, management and labour utilization, including the discovery and development of new materials, equipment and methods.

 

4. Kareena Kapoor introduces a book “The Pregnancy Bible”: Kareena Kapoor Khan has announced her new book titled Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Pregnancy Bible. The actor has also called it her ‘third child. She shared her experience while writing the book. She was seen wearing a red slip dress as she kept her hair loose parting it in the middle. She was seen bare feet standing near the kitchen countertop.

 

5. National Film Archive of India adds Aamir Khan’s ‘PK’ to its collection: National Film Archive of India (NFAI) has announced a significant addition of the original camera negative of RajkumarHirani’s 2014 film ‘PK’ in its collection. The filmmaker handed the negatives over to Director NFAI, Prakash Magdum, in Mumbai. The National Film Archive of India was established as a media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in 1964.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Nirmala Sitharaman attends 3rd G20 finance ministers meeting: Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman participated virtually in the Third G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting under the Italian Presidency. The two-day meeting saw discussions on a wide range of issues including global economic risks and health challenges, policies for recovery from the CoVID-19 pandemic, international taxation, sustainable finance and financial sector issues.

The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors reaffirmed their resolve to use all available policy tools for as long as required to address the adverse consequences of COVID-19. Smt. Sitharaman appreciated the Italian G20 Presidency for identifying three catalysts of resilient economic recovery from the pandemic as being Digitalization, Climate Action and Sustainable Infrastructure and shared the Indian experience of integrating technology with inclusive service delivery during the pandemic.

 

2. NewsOnAir Radio Live-stream Global Rankings: NewsOnAir Radio Live-stream Global Rankings was released recently ranking countries where All India Radio (AIR) live-streams on the NewsOnAir app are most popular. In the latest Rankings of top countries in the world (excluding India) where All India Radio Live-streams on NewsOnAir App are most popular, Fiji has jumped from 5th position to 2nd, while Saudi Arabia has made a comeback in the top 10. Kuwait and Germany are new entrants, while France and New Zealand are no more in the top 10. The United States continues to be number 1.

NewsOnAir Top Countries (Rest of world)

Rank     Country

1            United States

2            Fiji

3            Australia

4            United Kingdom

5            Canada

6            United Arab Emirates

7            Singapore

8            Kuwait

9            Saudi Arabia

10          Germany

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. BCCI forms 7-member working group for domestic cricket: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formed a seven-member working group, to look into the compensation package for the domestic players and the other aspects of domestic cricket. The main focus of the group will be the remuneration of domestic players for the previous season wherein tournaments were cancelled, due to COVID-19.The group will have the following membes:

Rohan Jaitley (North Zone)

Yudhvir Singh (Central Zone)

Jaydev Shah (West Zone)

DevajitSaikia (North-East Zone)

AvishekDalmiya (East Zone)

Santosh Menon (South Zone)

Mohammed Azharuddin (South Zone).

 

2. Argentina beats Brazil to Lift Copa America 2021: Lionel Messi-led Argentina beat Neymar’s Brazil 1-0 to win the Copa America final match, held at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. With this win, Lionel Messi has secured his first major international trophy. The 2021 Copa America was the 47th edition of the annual international men’s football championship organised by South America’s football ruling body CONMEBOL.Earlier the tournament was scheduled to be held in July 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time since 1991 that no guest nation took part in the tournament.

 

3. Samir Banerjee wins Wimbledon Junior Men’s title: Indian-American Samir Banerjee has won the Wimbledon Junior Men`s title at Number 1 Court. He defeated Victor Lilov of America by 7-5, 6-3 in the Junior Men`s finals to lift the trophy at All England Club. For the first time since 2014, and only the second time since 1977, there was an all-American conclusion to the boys` singles event. Notably, both 17-year-olds were unseeded for The Championships.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI imposes monetary penalty on 14 banks for non-compliance: The RBI has imposed penalties on SBI, Bank of Baroda, IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank and 10 other lenders for contravention of various regulatory norms, including on lending to NBFCs. The penalty imposed on the 14 banks totals Rs 14.5 crore, with a maximum Rs 2 crore fine on Bank of Baroda.The central bank imposed Rs 2 crore penalty on the Bank of Baroda, Rs 1 crore each on 12 other banks and Rs 50 lakh on the State Bank of India. RBI imposed Rs 1 crore penalty each on Bandhan Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India, Credit Suisse AG, Indian Bank, IndusInd Bank, Karnataka Bank, KarurVysya Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, South Indian Bank, The Jammu & Kashmir Bank and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank.

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

 

2. Federal Bank gets RBI nod to re-appoint Shyam Srinivasan as MD & CEO: Federal Bank shareholders have approved the motion to re-appoint Shyam Srinivasan as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the lender for a period of three years. His reappointment will come into effect from September 23, 2021, to September 22, 2024. Srinivasan took over as Federal Bank MD & CEO in 2010 and has been at the helm since then.

Srinivasan is among the few foreign bankers who chose to move to smaller Indian banks after fairly long, successful stints in foreign banks (the others include RBL Bank’s Vishwavir Ahuja and DCB Bank’s MuraliNatrajan). Over the last decade, Srinivasan has been at the helm of Federal, the bank has transformed into a mid-sized private bank with a strong focus on retail business, including gold loans and funding small and medium entrepreneurs.

Note: Federal Bank Headquarters: Aluva, Kerala;Federal Bank Founder: K.P Hormis;Federal Bank Founded: 23 April 1931.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Facebook launches newsletter platform “Bulletin”: Facebook has announced a set of publishing and subscription tools named Bulletin, aimed to promote independent writers in the US. The bulletin will include support focused on the creation of content, monetisation and audience growth. It also aims to integrate its existing tools to support writing and audio content — from podcasts to Live Audio Rooms in one place.Facebook is pushing to compete in the fast-growing email newsletter trend, as high-profile journalists and writers have left media companies over the past year to strike out on their own.

Note: Facebook Founded: February 2004;Facebook CEO: Mark Zuckerberg;Facebook Headquarters: California, United States.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Zaila Avant-garde Wins 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee: Zaila Avant-garde, an African-American, from New Orleans in Louisiana, has won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The 14-year-old Avant-garde, who is also an accomplished basketball player, is the first African-American contestant to win the prestigious competition in its 93 years history. The 8th-grader Avant-garde correctly spelt “Murraya”, a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers, to win a USD 50,000 prize.Zaila is also the first Black contestant to win since Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica in 1998. 12-year-old Indian-origin Chaitra Thummala, from San Francisco and 13-year-old Indian-origin BhavanaMadini, from New York, won second and third place respectively.

About the Award:Scripps National Spelling Bee is an annual spelling bee held in the United States, for children of South Asian descent, to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Ayurveda Medicine Doyen, Dr P K Warrier passes away: Veteran Indian Ayurveda practitioner, Dr P.K. Warrier, who was the most respected name in Ayurveda across the world, has passed away. He was 100. He was the chief Physician and Managing trustee of Arya Vaidya Sala, a healthcare centre located in Kottakkal, Kerala, and known for its heritage and expertise in Ayurveda.The doyen of Ayurveda, DrWarrier, was honoured with the Padma Shree in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2010. His autobiography titled Smrithiparvam won the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award in 2009. 

Daily GK Update- 13th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Dept of Public Enterprises brought under Finance Ministry: The Government of India has decided to bring Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) under the finance ministry. DPE was earlier under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. It has been brought under the finance minister in a bid to ease coordination regarding future disinvestment plans. The Finance ministry now comprises six departments, after the inclusion of DPE.

Other five departments are:

Department of Economic Affairs,

Department of Expenditure,

Department of Revenue,

Department of Investment & Public Asset Management and

Department of Financial Services.

Note: Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs:  Nirmala Sitharaman.

 

2. Government includes Retail and Wholesale Trade in MSME sector: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has decided to include Retail and Wholesale trade as MSMEs but only for the limited purpose of Priority Sector Lending. This means that these segments of businesses can now take loans under the Priority Sector Lending arrangement under the MSME category. According to the Retailers Association of India (RAI), this will give retail micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) the support they need to survive, revive and thrive. These Retail and Wholesale traders can now register on Udyam Registration Portal. It is a portal by the Government of India for the registration of MSMEs.

The registration will be allowed under three categories:

(1) Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles.

(2) Wholesale trade except for motor vehicles and motorcycles.

(3) Retail trade except for motor vehicles and motorcycles.

 

3. N Venudhar Reddy takes charge as Director General of All India Radio: N Venudhar Reddy, an Indian Information Service, IIS Officer of 1988 batch took charge as Director General of All India Radio. Currently Working as Principal DG of News Services Division, All India Radio, he was given additional charge of AIR, upon the approval of the Appointments Committee of the cabinet. All India Radio, officially known since 1957 as Akashvani. Reddy brings with him vast experience in media planning and management, administration and newsgathering. He has also served in various capacities earlier with All India Radio News and Doordarshan News.

Note: All India Radio Founded: 1936; All India Radio Headquarters: Sansad Marg, New Delhi.

 

4. DMRC launches India’s first UPI-based cashless parking: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has launched India’s first FASTag or Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based parking facility to reduce the time for entry and payment. The facility was launched at the Kashmere Gate metro station. As part of the Multi-Model Integration (MMI) initiative, dedicated Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) lanes for autos, taxis and r-Rickshaws were also inaugurated at the station.

Facilities provided:

(1) The facility can accommodate 55 four-wheelers and 174 two-wheelers. The entry and exit and payment of 4-wheelers can be done through the FASTag.

(2) The parking fee will be deducted through FASTag, which will reduce the time for entry and payment. Only the vehicles with FASTag will be allowed to park in this facility.

(3) The entry for 2-wheelers can be done only by swiping the DMRC smart card.

(4) The smart card swipe is used only for registering the time of entry and exit and fare calculation and no money will be deducted from the card.

(5) The parking fee can be paid via UPI apps by scanning the QR Code.

 

5. India’s first movable freshwater tunnel aquarium installed at Bengaluru Station: KrantiviraSangolliRayanna Railway Station also known as Bengaluru City Railway Station has become the first railway station in India with a movable freshwater tunnel aquarium. The state-of-the-art aquarium has been jointly opened by the Indian Railway Stations Development Cooperation Limited (IRSDC) in collaboration with the HNi Aquatic Kingdom. The Aquatic Kingdom aquarium is based on the concept of the Amazon River and is 12-feet long. The entrance of the station now gives a glimpse into marine life, with a beautiful dolphin humbly greeting visitors with a slight bow and a smile. A 3D selfie area, 20 feet of glass periphery are also some attractive features of the new facility.

 

6. A new book titled “The Light of Asia” by Jairam Ramesh: A new book titled “The Light of Asia” authored by Jairam Ramesh is a biography of an epic bio-poem on the Buddha. Ramesh, the author, Member of Parliament, former Union Minister, and Congress leader, digs deep in his new book to bring out the fascinating story behind the epic 1879 poem, “The Light of Asia” by Sir Edwin Arnold, that took the world by storm and in some ways, brought the Buddha’s story to the world at the turn of the last century.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Antarctica hits record temperature of 18.3 degrees Celsius: The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization, recognised a new record high temperature for Antarctica. On February 6, 2020, the Esperanza station (the Argentine research station in Trinity Peninsula) experienced 18.3 degrees Celsius. According to the UN agency, the high temperatures in Antarctica are a result of a large high-pressure system creating “fohn conditions”, which downslope winds are creating significant surface warming. The previous record for high temperature was 17.5 degrees Celsius, recorded on March 24, 2015, at the same station.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Wimbledon Championships 2021: In the men category, Novak Djokovic defeated Matteo Berrettini in the Wimbledon final, 6-7(4-7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, to win his sixth Wimbledon title and 20th Grand Slam trophy. With this win, he has equalled his total major men’s singles titles record with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with each of them winning 20 titles. In women’s category, Ashleigh Barty of Australia beat Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic), 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, to win her first Wimbledon women’s singles title on July 10, 2021. The 25-year-old Barty is the first Australian woman to win the Wimbledon singles title in 41 years since Evonne Goolagong, who claimed her second All England Club title in 1980.

Here is the Complete List of Winners in Different Categories:

 

S. No.	Category	Winner	Runner Up
1	Men’s Singles	Novak Djokovic (Serbia)	Matteo Berrettini
2	Women’s Singles	Ashleigh Barty (Australia)	KarolínaPlíšková (Czech Republic)
3	Men’s Doubles	Nikola Mektić  and Mate Pavić	Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos
4	Women’s Doubles	Hsieh Su-wei  and Elise Mertens	Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina
5	Mixed Doubles	Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk	Joe Salisbury and Harriet Dart

 

2. ICC releases Manu Sawhney as CEO: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has discontinued the services of Manu Sawhney as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with immediate effect. The decision was taken by the ICC Board during its meeting. Geoff Allardice will continue as Acting CEO supported by the Leadership Team working closely with the ICC Board. Sawhney was suspended in March following various allegations in an internal review conducted by an external agency. While Sawhney had referred to the review as a witch-hunt, the ICC Board on Thursday decided to sever ties with the sports management veteran.

Note: ICC Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates; ICC Founded: 15 June 1909; ICC Deputy Chairman: Imran Khwaja; ICC Chairman: Greg Barclay.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Razorpay partners with Mastercard to launch ‘MandateHQ’: Razorpay has partnered with Mastercard to launch ‘MandateHQ’. It is a payment interface that will help card-issuing banks to enable recurring payments for their customers. It must be noted that the Reserve Bank of India had issued a framework for processing e-mandates on recurring online transactions. The product by Razorpay is a step in this direction.

About the MandateHQ: The MandateHQ solution can be fully integrated with any bank within seven days. Razorpay’s Mandate HQ is an API-based plug-n-play solution that reduces the go-live time for any card issuing bank that wishes to enable recurring payments for its customers. MandateHQ will also enable businesses, especially subscription-based businesses, to get access to a wider customer base, who use debit cards, as recurring payments were mostly supported via credit cards previously.

Note: Razorpay Founded: 2013; Razorpay CEO: HarshilMathur (May 2014–); Razorpay Headquarters location: Bengaluru;

Mastercard Headquarters: New York, United States; Mastercard President: Michael Miebach.

 

2. Bajaj Allianz General ties up with Bank of India to offer insurance products: Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Bank of India have entered into a corporate agency agreement for the distribution of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance’s products through the bank’s network of 5084 branches. As a part of this agreement, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance will be offering a bouquet of personal lines of products such as motor insurance, health insurance, home insurance, travel insurance along with a commercial line of products like engineering insurance, marine insurance to bank’s customers.

Note: Managing Director of Bajaj Allianz: TapanSinghel; Headquartered: Pune, Maharashtra.

BOI Headquarters: Mumbai; MD and Ceo of BOI: Atanu Kumar Das.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Fitch Ratings projects India GDP growth for FY22 at 10%: Fitch Ratings has revised its GDP growth projection for India in 2021-22 (FY22) to 10%. Earlier it has projected the same at 12.8%. The reason for this cut is the slow recovery post-second wave of COVID-19. Fitch believes that rapid vaccination could support a sustainable revival in business and consumer confidence; however, without it, economic recovery would remain vulnerable to further waves and lockdowns.

 

2. Amazon launches its first Digital Kendra in India in Gujarat: Amazon has launched its first Digital Kendra in India in Surat, Gujarat. Amazon Digital Kendra was inaugurated by Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat. Digital Kendras of Amazon are centres that will provide micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) the opportunity to learn about the benefits of e-commerce. MSMEs can visit the Amazon Digital Kendra and avail of third party services including training on the benefits of eCommerce, GST and taxation support, shipping and logistics support, cataloguing assistance and digital marketing services. The company has focused on enabling sellers to reach customers across India and globally, and has made significant investments in technology, logistics, delivery infrastructure and digitising payments that collectively helped more customers and businesses to come online.

Note: Amazon CEO: Andrew R. Jassy; Amazon Founded: 5 July 1994.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. INS Tabar conducts military exercise with Italian Navy: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tabar recently participated in military exercises with the frontline frigate of the Italian Navy. INS Tabar joined Italian Navy and entered Port of Naples on July 3 as part of the ongoing deployment in the Mediterranean. Commanding officer Captain Mahesh Mangipudi called on senior officers of Prefect of Naples Authority, regional Italian navy headquarters and coast guard headquarters during the stay. This exercise covered several naval operations such as air defence procedures, communication drills, replenishment at sea, and cross deck helo operations by day and night. The exercise was mutually beneficial for enhancing interoperability and consolidating combined operations against maritime threats.

 

2. Ministry of Defence implements SPARSH System: Ministry of Defence has implemented SPARSH (System for Pension Administration Raksha), an integrated system for automation of sanction and disbursement of defence pension. This web-based system processes pension claims and credits pension directly into the bank accounts of defence pensioners without relying on any external intermediary. A Pensioner Portal is available for pensioners to view their pension-related information, access services and register complaints for redressal of grievances, if any, relating to their pension matters.

About the SPARSH: SPARSH envisages the establishment of Service Centres to provide last-mile connectivity to pensioners who may be unable to directly access the SPARSH portal for any reason. In addition to several offices of the Defence Accounts Department, which are already functioning as Service Centres for pensioners, the two largest banks dealing with defence pensioners – State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) – have been co-opted as Service Centres.

 

Daily GK Update- 12th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Govt creates ministry of cooperation to boost cooperative movement: The government has created a Ministry of Cooperation to boost the Indian cooperative movement and give a fillip to the indigenous enterprises. India’s first minister of cooperation will also be sworn in once the Union Cabinet reshuffle takes place and the new ministers take the oath of office at the Durbar Hall in President House. The new ministry of Cooperation will work to realise the vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” and will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework to boost the cooperative movement in the country.The development will aid the deeping of the cooperatives as true people-based movements with benefits going down to the grassroots. The ministry will be mandated to streamline the processes for the ease of doing business for cooperatives and ultimately aim to broaden and strengthen the multi-state cooperatives.

 

2. DPIIT sets up 9-member panel to curb Digital Monopolies: The Central Government has formed a nine-member panel for the development of an Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), designed to curb digital monopolies. This ONDC project is initiated by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and will be implemented by the Quality Council of India (QCI). The nine-member committee of ONDC will advise the Government of India on measures needed to digitise the entire value chain, standardise operations, promote inclusion of suppliers, derive efficiencies in logistics and enhance value for consumers, among other things.

Members of the panel include:

NandanNilekani, non-executive Chairman Infosys;

RS Sharma, CEO of National Health Authority;

AdilZainulbhai, Chairman of QCI;

Anjali Bansal, Founder and Chairperson of Avaana Capital;

Arvind Gupta, Co-founder and head of Digital India Foundation;

DilipAsbe, MD & CEO of National Payments Corporation of India;

Suresh Sethi, MD and CEO of NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Ltd;

Praveen Khandelwal, General Secretary of Confederation of All India Traders;

Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO of the Retailers Association of India.

 

3. Tourism Ministry signs MoU with Yatra to strengthen hospitality, tourism industry: The tourism ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yatra to strengthen and enable the tourism and hospitality industry. The event was organised under an arrangement between the Ministry of Tourism and the Quality Council of India (QCI), where the MoU for the Tourism Ministry Yatra tie-up was signed.Under the MoU:

(1) While the MoU is meant to mainly strengthen tourism, it also takes into consideration and provides support for accommodation units.

(2) The MoU outlines that both parties signing the document would participate in encourage the accommodation units to self-certify themselves on the System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for the Hospitality Industry (SAATHI) on the Online Travel Agency Platform (OTA).

(3) Earlier this year, the Ministry of Tourism had also signed an MoU with ClearTrip and Ease My Trip. There has been an ongoing effort by the ministry to strengthen the tourism sector in India while extending support to accommodation units.

(4) The accommodation units registered on NIDHI and SAATHI on the OTA platform are to be provided extended visibility with the signing of this MoU. SAATHI is an initiative by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the Quality Council of India.

Note: Minister of State (IC) of Ministry of Tourism: Prahlad Singh Patel.

 

4. NABARD sanctions Rs 388 crore for drinking water, road projects in Odisha: NABARD has sanctioned an assistance of Rs 388 crore for Odisha under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for setting up four mega piped drinking water supply projects. The sanctioned amount would also be used for construction or up-gradation of 20 village roads across 15 districts in the state, an official statement said. The four mega projects will come up in Koraput district (covering Boipariguda block), Balasore district (covering Nilgiri block), and Malkangiri district (covering Malkangiri and Kalimela blocks).

 

5. Indian Army names firing range after VidyaBalan: The Indian Army has named one of its firing ranges in Kashmir after Bollywood actress VidyaBalan. The VidyaBalan firing range is situated at Gulmarg in the Baramulla district of Jammu & Kashmir. The decision was taken in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema. Earlier in the year, the actress and her husband Siddharth Roy Kapoor had attended the Gulmarg Winter Festival organised by the Indian Army.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. World’s first 3D-printed school opens in Africa: Leveraging technology to tackle the shortage of schools in the continent, African affordable housing venture called 14Trees has erected the world’s first 3D-printed school in the country of Malawi. The design provides space that students in the region did not have privelege to with facilities for teaching and learning both inside and outside of the classroom. The school was built from scratch in the Salima district of Malawi. It took 18 hours to erect the walls. The 3D-printed school was then relocated to a village community in the Yambe zone.

 

2. China launches new Fengyun-3E meteorological satellite: China has launched the new Fengyun-3E (FY-3E) meteorological satellite from the SLS-2 launch site at China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. The satellite is launched onboard the Long March-4C carrier rocket, which placed it into its planned orbit. Equipped with 11 remote sensing payloads, the FY-3E is part of the Fengyun-3 series of meteorological satellites. The FY-3E is the fifth in the series and the third operational satellite. The satellite is designed to serve for eight years. It will provide atmospheric temperature, humidity, and other meteorological related parameters, which will contribute to China’s weather forecast capacity.

 

3. World Malala Day: 12th July: The United Nations has declared 12th July as World Malala Day to honour the young activist, Malala Yousafzai. Malala Day is commemorated, the birthday of Malala Yousafzai to honour women and children’s rights around the world. On October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen after she publicly advocated for the education of girls. Despite the attack, Malala soon returned to the public eye, fiercer in her views than earlier and continued her advocacy for gender rights. She founded the Malala Fund, a non-profit organisation to help young girls go to school and also co-authored a book titled “I Am Malala”, an international bestseller.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Mumbai, Pune to host 2022 women’s Asian Cup: Women’s Asian Cup in India will be held in Mumbai and Pune after the Asian Football Confederation dropped Bhubaneswar and Ahemdabad as venues to minimise the travelling time for participants and ensure an “optimum environment” for a bio-secure bubble. The Mumbai Football Arena at the Andheri Sports Complex and the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune have been chosen as the new venues. The decision was taken after considering the existing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and as part of efforts to minimise the travelling time for teams and officials between the venues, whilst ensuring the optimum environment to implement the biomedical bubble for the benefit of all stakeholders.

 

2. Nihal Sarin wins Silver Lake Open chess tournament: Nihal Sarin won the Silver Lake Open chess tournament in Serbia. The third-seeded Indian came on top of the field with eight points from nine rounds. In the final round, he defeated BrankoDamljanovic of the host. The second and third places were also taken by Indians, as RaunakSadhwani and Abhimanyu Puranik scored seven points each.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI issues instructions for appointment of MD/WTD in Urban Co-operative Banks: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a notification harmonising the rules for appointment of urban co-operative banks’ (UCB) chiefs and whole-time directors (WTDs) with those of private banks. 

(1) The tenure of the managing director (MD)/ WTD shall not be for a period more than five years at a time subject to a minimum period of three years at the time of first appointment, unless terminated or removed earlier, and shall be eligible for re-appointment. Also, the post of the MD or WTD cannot be held by the same incumbent for more than 15 years, the RBI said.

(2) Chiefs of public sector banks are typically appointed by the government for a term of three years or until the appointee reaches the age of 60, whichever occurs first. Private bank MD-CEOs are appointed by their respective boards, subject to approval by the RBI, and can hold the post till the age of 70.

(3) The person shall not be below the age of 35 years and above the age of 70 years at any time during his/ her term in office. However, within the overall limit of 70 years, as part of their internal policy, individual bank’s Boards are free to prescribe a lower retirement age.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Paytm launches ‘Postpaid Mini’ to provide small-ticket instant loans: Paytm has announced the launch of Postpaid Mini, small-ticket loans that will give users the flexibility to access loans ranging from Rs 250 – Rs 1,000, in partnership with Aditya Birla Finance Ltd. The product is an extension of its Buy Now, Pay Later service, driving affordability amongst those new to credit. These small ticket instant loans will give flexibility to users and also help manage their household expenses to maintain liquidity during the ongoing Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

With this service: Paytm Postpaid is offering a period of up to 30 days for repayment of loans at 0 per cent interest. There are no annual fees or activation charges, only a minimal convenience fee. With the launch of Postpaid Mini, the company will offer access to loans ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 1000, in addition to PaytmPostpaid’s instant credit of up to Rs 60,000. This could help users pay for their monthly expenses, including mobile and direct to home (DTH) recharges, gas cylinder booking, electricity and water bills, shop on Paytm Mall and more.

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

 

2. Jim Whitehurst resigns as IBM president: Jim Whitehurst has announced he is stepping down as the president of IBM. Whitehurst’s resignation is being seen as one of the several management moves IBM announced. The 53-year-old’s exit led to shares of the technological giant falling 4.8 per cent to $139.83, the most in five months. Whitehurst was appointed as IBM’s president last year. This was the first time in decades that the corporation split up the designation of a chief executive officer (CEO) and president.

Note: IBM CEO: Arvind Krishna; IBM Headquarters: Armonk, New York, United States.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kaushik Basu awarded prestigious Humboldt Research Award: Indian economist Kaushik Basu has been awarded the Humboldt Research Award for Economics. The award was conferred on him by Professor Dr Hans-Bernd Schäfer of Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany. A former chief economist of the World Bank, Basu is currently a professor of Economics at Cornell University. He also served as the Government of India’s chief economic advisor from 2009 to 2012. Basu is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India.

What is Humboldt Research Award: The prestigious award is sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and awarded to as many as 100 recipients each year. The Humboldt Research Award honours scientists and economists from across the world for their work. The award entails prize money of 60,000 euros and an offer to carry out research projects at a scientific institution in Germany for up to 12 months.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Army Inaugurates War Memorial of CaptGurjinder Singh Suri: On the occasion of the birthday of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, who died during the operation “Birsa Munda” in 1999, the Indian Army inaugurated a war memorial in memory of Captain in Gulmarg near the Line of Control (LOC). Lieutenant Colonel (Col), Tej Prakash Singh Suri (Retd), father of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, MVC (Posthumous) was also present on the occasion. Gurjinder Singh Suri was later awarded MahaVir Chakra (Posthumous).

About the Operation Birsa Munda: Operation Birsa Munda was a punitive raid conducted against a Pakistani post by a Bihar battalion of the Indian Army, in the month of November 1999. This was the time when Operation Vijay had drawn to a close, but the Line of Control was still active with sporadic incidents of Trans Line of Control violence. In a swift and meticulously planned operation, the entire Pakistani post was destroyed, killing 17 Pakistani soldiers.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Olympic gold-winning hockey legend KeshavDatt passes away: Two-time Olympic gold medallist in hockey, KeshavDatt passed away. He was part of India’s historic feat at the 1948 Olympics where they beat home team Britain 4-0 at the Wembley Stadium in London to win the first gold post-Independence. Before the 1948 Olympics, Datt had toured East Africa under the leadership of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand in 1947. An integral part of the Indian team, Datt also captained the Mohun Bagan hockey squad from 1951-1953 and again in 1957-1958.