Daily GK Update- 16th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UP population draft bill proposes two-child policy: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has launched a population policy that aims to incentivise couples who do not have more than two babies. Stating that population control is related to awareness among masses and poverty, Adityanath said every community has been taken care of in Population Policy 2021-2030. The health minister Jai Pratap Singh said Uttar Pradesh is aiming for stability by 2050 and the government is trying to reduce the population growth rate to 2.1 per cent.

Two-child policy: The UP law commission that has formulated a population control bill said the policy would be voluntary and nobody would be forced to follow any rule. However, if any person decides to on his or her own to not have more than two babies, they will be eligible for government schemes, while those who do not follow the policy will face restrictions in government jobs, availing ration, and other benefits.

Note: UP Capital: Lucknow; UP Governor: Anandiben Patel; UP Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath.

 

2. Assam to create new department for indigenous faith and culture: The Assam Cabinet has announced the creation of an independent department to protect and preserve the “faith, culture and traditions of tribes and indigenous communities” of the state. The new department would ensure that the state’s indigenous population gets to preserve their faith and traditions, while also providing requisite support to them.

Indigenous tribes such as the Bodos, Rabhas, Mishings, along with others have their own religious beliefs and unique traditions, which so far have not received the support necessary for their preservation. The cabinet, during the meeting, agreed that financial and administrative reforms were necessary to ensure speedy implementation of various schemes floated by the government. It decided that departmental committees, headed by commissioners, will be entitled to give its nod for projects worth ₹ 2 crores and below.

Note: Assam Governor: JagdishMukhi; Assam Chief Minister: HimantaBiswaSarma.

 

3. Himalayan yaks to be insured: National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY) in West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh has tied up with the National Insurance Company Ltd. for insuring Himalayan Yak. The insurance policy would shield the yak owners against the risks posed by weather calamities, diseases, in-transit mishaps, surgical operations and strikes or riots. The owners of the Yaks would have to get their yaks ear-tagged and provide a proper description in order to get their animals insured.

About the Himalayan Yak: Himalayan Yak is a long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, Tibetan Plateau, Myanmar and as far north as Mongolia and Siberia. They are accustomed to very cold temperatures and can survive up to -40 degrees but find it difficult when the temperature crosses 13 degrees. The total yak population in India is about 58,000. The Highest Yak Population is in the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. It is followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal and Uttarakhand.

 

4. ICCR will set up the ‘Bangabandhu Chair’ at the Delhi University: Delhi University will have a ‘Bangabandhu Chair’ to foster a better understanding of developments in Bangladesh. An MoU was signed between the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Delhi University in Dhaka to set up this Chair at Delhi University. The initiative is the outcome of one of the understandings reached during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh in March this year.

About the chair: The Chair will focus on the common heritage of the two countries and subjects like Anthropology, Buddhist Studies, Geography, History, Modern Indian languages including Bangla, Music, Fine Arts, Political Science, International relations and Sociology. The chair will set up to honour Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the country’s Liberation War as well as India’s diplomatic ties with Dhaka.

Note: Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka; President of Bangladesh: Abdul Hamid.

 

5. The Struggle Within: A Memoir of the Emergency authored by Ashok Chakravarti: A book titled “The Struggle Within: A Memoir of the Emergency” authored by Ashok Chakravarti. He is an economist who has been providing policy advice to countries, mainly in the African region, for the past forty years. He is currently Senior Economic Advisor to the Government of Zimbabwe, based in Harare. The Book is Published ByHarpercollins India. The Struggle Within: A Memoir of the Emergency book deals with one of independent India’s darkest hours during the emergency period. The Emergency (1975-1977) was one of independent India’s darkest hours. In that period, Over 150,000 people were imprisoned without trial; as many as eleven million forcibly sterilized, and countless killed in police firings or otherwise eliminated.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Sher Bahadur Deuba becomes Nepal’s Prime Minister for 5th time: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on 13th July became the country’s Prime Minister for the fifth time. His appointment is in line with the ruling issued by the Supreme Court on 12th July to make way for his claim to the premiership, replacing incumbent K P Sharma Oli. Previously, Deuba served as Nepal’s Prime Minister four times from June 2017 to February 2018, June 2004 to February 2005, July 2001 to October 2002 and September 1995 to March 1997.

Note: Nepal Capital: Kathmandu; Nepal Currency: Nepalese rupee; Nepal President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

 

2. EAM Jaishankar unveils statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Georgia: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Georgia at a prominent Tbilisi park. During his two-day visit to Georgia, a strategically important country situated at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Jaishankar held talks with the country’s top leadership & also handed over the relics of 17th century St. Queen Keteva. St. Queen Ketevan was a 17th century Georgian Queen who attained martyrdom. Her relics were found in 2005 at the St. Augustine Convent in Old Goa, India, on the basis of medieval Portuguese records.

Note: Prime Minister of Georgia: IrakliGaribashvili; Georgia Capital: Tbilisi; Georgia Currency: Georgian lari.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. 2022 Khelo India Youth Games to be held in Haryana: The state government of Haryana will organise the Khelo India Youth Games 2021 in February 2022. Earlier the sports show was scheduled to be held from November 21 to December 5, 2021, but has been shifted due to the possible third wave of Covid-19 pandemic and keeping in mind that Khelo India Youth Games 2021 are to be held in the Under-18 category. Around 8,500 players will participate in the event of which 5,072 will be athletes, including 2,400 females and 2,672 males.

 

2. Deepak Kabra becomes first Indian gymnastics judge at Olympics: Deepak Kabra has become the first Indian to be selected for judging the gymnastics competition of the Olympic Games, a life goal achieved for the man who knew he wouldn’t have made it there as an active gymnast because of his not-so-strong fundamentals. He will be seen officiating the men’s artistic gymnasts at the Tokyo Games, which gets underway on July 23.

 

3. Sophie Ecclestone, Devon Conway win ICC Player of the Month Award: England Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone has been named as ICC Women Player of the Month for June. She is the second English female to win the title after Tammy Beaumont, who was awarded the title in February 2021. In Men’s category, New Zealand opener Devon Conway has bagged ICC Player of the Month for June. He became the first New Zealand player to win the award after an astounding first month in Test cricket.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI Launches ‘Retail Direct Scheme’: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched ‘the RBI Retail Direct’ scheme for retail investors, through which they can directly buy and sell government securities (G-Secs), both primary and secondary.  The bond-buying window was opened to increase retail participation in G-Secs and democratize ownership of G-Secs beyond the managers of pooled resources such as banks and mutual funds. The date of commencement of the scheme will be announced later.

Highlights of the ‘RBI Retail Direct’ scheme:

(1) The RBI Retail Direct scheme is a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in Government Securities (G-Secs) by individual investors.

(2) This dedicated bond-buying window is a part of RBI’s effort to increase retail participation in government securities.

(3) The scheme also provides the facility to Retail investors (individuals) to open and maintain the ‘Retail Direct Gilt Account’ (RDG Account) with RBI.

(4) Under this scheme, retail investors are able to open and maintain their gilt securities account named ‘Retail Direct Gilt Account’ (RDG Account) through a ‘With RBI’online portal‘.

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

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. WPI inflation eases to 12.07 per cent in June: The wholesale price-based inflation eased marginally to 12.07 per cent in June as crude oil and food items witnessed some softening in prices. However, WPI inflation remained double-digit for the third consecutive month in June, mainly due to a low base of last year. WPI inflation was (-) 1.81 per cent, in June 2020. Retail inflation remained above the RBI’s comfort level of 6 per cent for the second straight month at 6.26 per cent in June. Highlights:

(1) Inflation in fuel and power basket eased to 32.83 per cent during June, against 37.61 per cent in May.

(2) Inflation in food articles too eased to 3.09 per cent in June, from 4.31 per cent in May, even as onion prices spiked.

(3) In manufactured products, inflation stood at 10.88 per cent in June, against 10.83 per cent in the previous month.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Syed Osman AzharMaqsusi won Commonwealth Points of Light award: Hyderabad’s hunger activist Syed Osman AzharMaqsusi, who has been feeding thousands of people every day as part of his food drive ‘Hunger Has No Religion’ was awarded a top UK award recently. In order to honourMaqsusi’s efforts, he was conferred with the Commonwealth Points of Light award for his drive that helps to feed 1,500 people on a daily basis. The award is for those ‘outstanding individuals who are making a change in their community.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former WWE Wrestler ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff passes away: The renowned American professional wrestler, Paul Orndorff, who is best known with his nickname Mr. Wonderful, has passed away. He was one of professional wrestling’s biggest stars of the 1980s and was famous for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He retired in 2000. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. 

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.