Daily GK Update- 14th Sept, 2021

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Justice M. Venugopal appointed as Acting Chairperson of NCLAT : Justice M. Venugopal has been appointed as the new Acting Chairperson of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) with effect from September 11, 2021 He is a former judge of High Court of Madras and was appointed as Judicial Member of NCLAT on October 23, 2019 This is the third time in a row that an Acting Chairperson is at the helm of the NCLAT, after the retirement of S, J .Mukhopadhaya  NCLAT is a tribunal established under Section 410 of Companies Act, 2013.

 

2. National Hindi Day: 14 September : Hindi Divas or Hindi Day is observed every year on 14 September to celebrate the popularity of Hindi as an official language of India.

14 September is celebrated as Hindi Diwas as it was on this day in 1949, when Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of India Hindi was adopted under Article 343 of Indian Constitution

Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar and Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar awards are being given on this day

 

3. Nuakhai harvest festival celebrated in Odisha : Agrarian festival of Western Odisha, named as Nuakhai Juhar has been celebrated with religious fervour and tradition .

It is celebrated the day after the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi. Nuakhai: Nua means new and khai means food. This means nuakhai is a festival to celebrate newly harvested food by the farmer It is a crop festival celebrated by people of Western Odisha and Southern Chhattisgarh, to welcome the new rice of the season.

 

4.         Haryana adjudged first in installation of solar pumps under PM-KUSUM : Haryana has been ranked as the first state of India in installation of off-grid solar pumps under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahaabhiyaan (PMKUSUM), as per Ministry of New and Renewable Energy data The state has installed 14,418 pumps against 15,000 sanctioned pumps for the year 2020-21 with total cost of Rs 520 crore

PM-KUSUM scheme: It is a centrally-sponsored scheme, that was launched in 2019 with target to install 20 lakh standalone solar pumps

 

5. Chhattisgarh launches ‘Millet Mission’ to become Millet Hub Of India : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has announced to launch ‘Millet Mission’ to provide proper price rate to farmers for minor cereal crops Other important benefits under Millet Mission to includes input assistance for millet, procurement arrangements, aid farmers in processing of crops, etc.

To implement the mission, the state government has signed a MoU with Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR), Hyderabad and collectors of 14 districts of the state.

 

6.  TN Assembly passed a bill to dispense NEET exam : Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a Bill to dispense with National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET) and allow admission to medical courses based on Class 12 marks, ensuring social justice The bill has been introduced by Chief Minister M K Stalin based on the recommendation of the high-level committee led by retired judge AK Rajan, which submitted its report in July Permanent Exemption Bill for NEET exempts medical aspirants in Tamil Nadu from taking NEET examination

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. North Korea tested new long-range cruise missile capable of hitting Japan :  North Korea has tested new long-range cruise missile, which is capable of hitting Japan During the test, the missile travelled up to 1,500 kms, suggesting that North Korea is still capable of developing weapons despite food shortages and economic crisis. It is first long-range cruise missile of Korea that could possibly carry a nuclear warhead Head of North Korea: Kim Jong-un Capital of North Korea: Pyongyang

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS:

1. Daniil Medvedev wins 2021 US Open Tennis Title : Russia professional Tennis player Daniil Medvedev (25 years) has won 2021 US Open men’s singles Tennis Title, after beating Novak Djokovic (Serbia) by 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. This is the maiden Grand Slam title won by Medvedev. Women’s single winner: Emma Raducanu (Great Britain) defeated Leylah Fernandez (Canada) Men’s double winner: Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury Women’s double winner: Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai Mixed Doubles: Desirae Krawczyk and Joe Salisbury

 

DEFENCE

1. India–Africa Defence Dialogue to be held in 2022: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will host Defence Ministers of African Nations in the next India–Africa Defence Dialogue on the sidelines of DefExpo at Gandhinagar, Gujarat in March 2022. First-ever India Africa Defence Ministers Conclave was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on February 6, 2020

Foundation of India–Africa defence relations are based on 2 guiding principles namely ‘SAGAR’, Security and Growth for All in the Region’ and ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’

 

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Skyroot Aerospace becomes first Space startup to formally tie-up with ISRO : Hyderabad-based Space technology startup, Skyroot Aerospace has become the first private company to formally enter into an agreement with ISRO to get access of their facilities and expertise for the development and testing of subsystems and systems of space launch vehicles. Skyroot Aerospace is building Vikram series of rockets to carry small satellites into space. First launch vehicle in the series, Vikram-1 is scheduled to be launch in 2022.

 

2. Paytm Payments Bank launches first FASTag-based Metro parking facility :  Paytm Payments Bank has launched India’s first FASTag-based Metro parking facility, in partnership with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Paytm will facilitate the processing of all FASTag-based transactions for cars having valid FASTag sticker, eliminating the hassle of stopping and paying cash at the counter It has enabled UPI-based payment for two-wheelers entering parking site through which car owners will no longer be required to tender cash and parking fee

       

Daily GK Update- 13th Sept, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bhupendra Patel sworn-in as the new CM of Gujarat : Bhupendra Patel has been sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat.He is the first-time sitting MLA who has been named for the post of Chief Minister.He is a BJP MLA from Ghatlodiya assembly constituency.The move was taken after the resignation of Vijay Rupani from the post of CM.He has served as the President of Memnagar Municipality in Ahmedabad and standing committee chairman of AMCGovernor of Gujarat: Acharya Devvrat Capital of Gujarat: Gandhinagar

 

2. Uttarakhand gets India’s largest open-air fernery : India’s largest open-air fernery has been inaugurated in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand. It will serve the dual objective of conservation of fern species as well as creating awareness about their ecological role, promoting further research. It has around 120 different types of ferns, covering an area of over 4 acres of land at an altitude of 1,800m. Fernery has been developed under Govt’s Compensatory Afforestation Management Funds Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme

 

3. Centre set-up seven new Ekalavya Vidyalayas in Assam : Centre has decided to set up seven new Ekalavya Vidyalayas in Assam Tribal Affairs Ministry will also set up 400 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras to promote tribal art and craft as well as to provide livelihood opportunities to the tribal population. Apart from this, Tribal Food Parks will also be set-up in Assam Tribal Affairs Ministry has awarded Van Dhan National Award 2021-22 to TRISSAM of Assam in the category of Collaborative Initiative for co branding in Van Dhan Yojana

 

 

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. India and Denmark jointly launch Centre of Excellence on Offshore Wind : Union Minister, R.K Singh and his Danish counterpart, Dan Jørgensen have jointly launched Centre of Excellence on Offshore Wind as part of Green Strategic Partnership

Ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has set a target of adding 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy projects by 2030 This centre will at the outset be centred on 4 working groups: spatial planning; financial framework conditions; supply chain infrastructure; and standards and testing.

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS:

1. Daniel Ricciardo wins F1 Italian Grand Prix 2021 : McLaren-Mercedes’s racer Daniel Ricciardo (Australian-Italian) has won Formula One Italian Grand Prix 2021 title held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza This is the first victory for McLaren in 9 years. Lando Norris (McLaren-Mercedes) came second, followed by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen crash out of Italian Grand Prix 2021 due to collision. It was the 14th round of 2021 F1 World Championship and second Grand Prix in Italy of the season.

 

DEFENCE

1. India’s first long-range nuclear missile ship INS Dhruv commissioned :        India’s first nuclear-missile tracking ship, named as INS Dhruv has been commissioned from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It is a 10,000 tonnes satellite and ballistic missile tracking ship, which has been built by  Hindustan Shipyard Limited in collaboration with DRDO and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO). INS Dhruv is capable of tracking nuclear missiles at a long-range that will provide early warning of attacks by ballistic missiles from Pakistan, China

 

2. LCA-Mk2 to roll out next year, first flight in 2023 : Roll-out of the aircraft (Mk2) is planned next year and the first flight in scheduled in early 2023. Configuration for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk2 has been frozen and steel cutting is expected to begin soon. It features enhanced range and endurance including an onboard oxygen generation system, which is being integrated for the first time. Mk2 is 1,350 mm longer featuring canards and can carry a payload of 6,500 kg compared to 3,500 kg the LCA can carry.

 

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1 LG Manoj Sinha distributed ‘Kashmir Young Leadership Award’ : Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha has felicitated Young achievers with ‘Kashmir Young Leadership Award’ during Kashmir Leadership Summit in Srinagar The award is given for the outstanding work in different fields and lauded their contribution for bringing positive changes in society. A total of 46 Young achievers from various fields including health, education, sports, social work, journalism, Art, Music, conservation, etc have been awarded on the occasion.

 

OBITUARIES

1. Noted feminist and educator, Sonal Shukla passes away : Noted feminist and educator, Sonal Shukla (80 years) passes away due to cardiac arrest at a hospital in Mumbai. She is a chief founder trustee of Vacha Charitable Trust and had been working with adolescent girls and women from the 1980s.She is popularly known as ‘Sonal Ben’. She had been actively involved in feminist movements for many decades and was also the co-founder of the group Forum Against Rape, which is now known as the Forum Against Oppression of Women 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily GK Update- 12th Sept, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 'Medicines from the Sky' project launched to send medicines to PHCC : Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched the Medicines from the Sky project to send medicines to Primary Health Care Centres using drones. The project was launched at Vikarabad in Telangana. The first sortie was carried out by a drone built by SkyAir Mobility for its Consortium partner Blue Dart Express. ‘Medicine from the Sky’ project is an initiative of the Telangana in association with World Economic Forum, NITI Aayog, and HealthNet Global.

2. PM Modi inaugurates Sardardham Bhavan in Ahmedabad : PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Sardardham Bhavan through video conferencing at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. He also laid the foundation stone of Sardardham Phase-II Kanya Chhatralay.  The Sardardham has been constructed at the cost of 200 crore rupees. It has modern facilities like a hostel, library, career guidance and training center for boys and girls coming from rural areas and a multipurpose auditorium. Sardardham Bhavan has been developed by Patidar Samaj.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

1. Typhoon Chanthu drenches Taiwan with up to 5 inches of rain : Typhoon Chanthu drenched Taiwan as the storm's center passed the island's east coast, but no injuries were reported. More than 2,000 people were evacuated from flood-prone areas of the east coast county of Hualien.Chanthu's center was off Taiwan's northeast coast, with winds of 162 kph and gusts up to 198 kph (124 mph), according to the Central Weather Bureau. Earlier, the storm grazed the island of Luzon in the Philippines, but no flooding or damaged was reported.

 

2. India, Australia Hold Inaugural ‘Two-Plus-Two Dialogue’ : India and Australia began the inaugural two-plus-two dialogue. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held the talks with their Australian counterparts Peter Dutton and Marise Payne. In the ‘two-plus-two’ talks, the two sides vowed to work towards a free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific, a region that has been witnessing increasing Chinese assertiveness. India holds such talks with Australia, Japan, USA and Russia.

 

3. Billionaire Aziz Akhannouch Appointed as Morocco's New Prime Minister : Billionaire Aziz Akhannouch was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Morocco. King Mohammed VI has appointed the businessman “head of the government and tasked him with forming a new government. Akhannouch is the leader of the liberal National Rally of Moroccan Independents (RNI) party which won 102 of parliament’s 395 seats. He previously served as Morocco's minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2021 and is the CEO of Akwa Group.

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS:

1. British Emma Raducanu wins 2021 Women’s Singles US Open title : Emma Raducanu won Women’s Singles title at 2021 US Open Tennis. British sensation Emma defeated her Canadian opponent Leylah Fernandez in the summit clash held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. She has become the first British woman to win the title in 53 years. Raducanu has also become the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam singles title. Emma Raducanu is the youngest Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova, then 17, at Wimbledon in 2004

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY :

 

1. DP World signs pact with TN Govt for 2,000 cr projects : Global port operator DP World has signed a facilitation MoU with the Tamil Nadu Govt for a slew of projects it is establishing in the State at an investment of ₹2,000 crore. DP World signed an MoU in UAE with the Tamil Nadu in Sep 2019 to invest ₹1,000 crore in establishing a Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ). DP World’s FTWZ was inaugurated on July 20, 2021. These projects are expected to create 4,500 employment opportunities. TN Governor: Ravindra Narayan Ravi

2. Yahoo appoints Tinder CEO Jim Lanzone as new CEO : Jim Lanzone has been appointed as new CEO of Yahoo. Currently he is the CEO of Tinder. He will succeed Guru Gowrappan, who has been named Senior Advisor to Apollo’s private equity business. The move comes around four months after Verizon had announced that it would sell Yahoo to Apollo Management Group for $5 billion.

Prior to his stint as CEO of Tinder, Lanzone had led the digital operations of CBS Corporation as Chief Digital Officer and CEO of CBS Interactive.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Bhanumati Gheewala selected for Florence Nightingale Award : A Gujarat-based nurse Bhanumati Gheewala has been selected for Florence Nightingale Award. The nurse works at Sir Sayajirao General Hospital in Vadodara. She has been handling the delivery of COVID-19 positive pregnant women as well as taking care of newborns. Florence Nightingale Award recognizes exceptional courage and devotion to victims of armed conflict or natural disaster. It also recognizes exemplary service or a pioneering spirit in the areas of public health. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily GK Update- 11th Sept, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Uttarakhand, Punjab, Tamil Nadu get new governors: President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Lt Gen Gurmit Singh, who retired as the deputy chief of Army, governor of Uttarakhand, a post which fell vacant after Baby Rani Maurya tendered her resignation. According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignation of Maurya and appointed Singh as the governor of the state.

Shuffling of governors:

(1) The President also appointed Banwarilal Purohit, currently the Governor of Tamil Nadu, as the Governor of Punjab.

(2) R.N.Ravi, presently the Governor of Nagaland, has been made the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

(3) Professor Jagdish Mukhi, Governor of Assam is appointed to discharge the functions of the Governor of Nagaland in addition to his own duties until regular arrangements are made.

 

2. India’s 1st Emergency Landing Facility on National Highway in Rajasthan: Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and Union Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Emergency Landing Facility on a National Highway in Rajasthan. This emergency landing facility has been constructed on the Satta-Gandhav stretch of National Highway (NH) 925A in Barmer, Rajasthan. This is the first time that a national highway (NH-925) will be used for the emergency landing of IAF aircraft. The project will cost ₹765.52 crores under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

About the highway:

(1) The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed a 3-km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A, as an emergency landing facility (ELF) for the IAF.

(2) It is part of a newly developed two-lane paved shoulder of the Gagariya-Bakhasar and Satta-Gandhav section having a total length of 196.97 km.

(3) Apart from the Emergency Landing Strip, 3 helipads (size 100 x 30 metres each) have been constructed in Kundanpura, Singhania and Bakhasar villages in this project, according to the requirements of the Air Force/Indian Army, which will be the basis for strengthening the Indian Army and security network on the western international border of the country.

 

3. IIT Madras Retains Top Spot in Overall Category of NIRF India Ranking 2021: The Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan released the NIRF India Rankings 2021, on September 09, 2021, through video conferencing. The NIRF India Rankings 2021 is the sixth edition of the annual list which ranks higher educational institutions in the country based on objective criteria to promote competitive excellence. In Overall Winner: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has retained the top spot in the overall category.

List of Winners:

1)      Overall: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras)

2)      University: Indian Institute of Science, (IISc) Bangaluru

3)      Management: Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad

4)      College: Miranda House, Delhi

5)      Pharmacy: Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi

6)      Medical: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi

7)      Engineering: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras

8)      Architecture: Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee

9)      Dental: Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Udupi

10)  Law: National Law School of India University (NLSUI), Bengaluru

11)  Research Institutions: Indian Institute of Science, (IISc) Bangalore

 

4. India’s first high ash coal gasification based methanol production plant inaugurated: India’s first indigenously Designed High Ash Coal Gasification Based Methanol Production Plant at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) Research and Development Centre, Hyderabad was inaugurated. The project was funded by the Department of Science and Technology, which provided a Rs 10 crore grant, at the initiative of NITI Aayog, PMO-India and the Ministry of Coal.

About the plant: The facility can create 0.25 ton per day (TPD) Methanol from high ash Indian coal using a 1.2 TPD Fluidized bed gasifier. The purity of the crude methanol produced is between 98 and 99.5 per cent.

 

5. Nirlep Singh Rai is new CMD of National Fertilizers Ltd: State-owned fertiliser firm National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) has Nirlep Singh Rai has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of the company. In a regulatory filing, NFL informed that Nirlep Singh Rai, Director (Technical), has been appointed as Chairman & Managing Director, on the Board of the company with effect from the date of his assumption of charge.

Note: National Fertilizers Ltd Headquarters: Noida; National Fertilizers Ltd Founded: 1 September 1979.

 

6. Centre appoints G.S Pannu as Officiating ITAT President: The Central Government has appointed G.S. Pannu as President of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. G. S. Pannu is presently a Vice-President, ITAT, New Delhi and will be Officiating President of ITAT with effect from September 6, 2021, till the appointment of regular President.

Note: India’s Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was set up on 25 January 1941.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Cuba becomes first country in world to begin vaccinating toddlers: Cuba became the first country in the world to vaccinate children from the age of two against COVID-19, using home-grown jabs not recognised by the World Health Organisation. The communist island of 11.2 million people aims to inoculate all its children before reopening schools that have been closed for the most part since March 2020.

Countries such as China, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela have announced they plan to vaccinate younger children, but Cuba is the first to do so. The Cuban vaccines, the first developed in Latin America, have not undergone international, scientific peer review.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Govt appoints 10 merchant bankers for managing IPO of LIC: The government of India has appointed 10 merchant bankers for managing the Initial Public Offering of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The IPO of LIC is likely to be launched in the January-March quarter of 2022. The role of merchant bankers in the case of IPO is of Issue management, Promotional activities, Credit syndication, Project counselling, and Portfolio management, etc.

The name of these merchant bankers are:

1)      Goldman Sachs (India) Securities

2)      Citigroup Global Markets India

3)      Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities India

4)      SBI Capital Market

5)      JM Financial

6)      Axis Capital

7)      BofA Securities

8)      JP Morgan India

9)      ICICI Securities

10)  Kotak Mahindra Capital Co Ltd.

 

2. Bank of Baroda’s launches digital platform ‘bob World’: Bank of Baroda has announced the launch of its digital banking platform named ‘bob World’. The aim of the platform is to provide all banking services under one roof. The pilot test of the platform began on August 23, 2021. Over 220 services will be converged into one single app, covering nearly 95 per cent of all retail banking services, which can be accessed by customers domestically and globally.

About the app: bob World’ will offer a wide gamut of banking products and services, to be rolled out in phases, under four key pillars — Save, Invest, Borrow and Shop. It has also integrated e-commerce to provide a wholesome and rewarding experience of banking and beyond, under one roof to the customers.

Note: Bank Of Baroda Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat, India; Bank Of Baroda Chairman: Hasmukh Adhia; Bank Of Baroda MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha.

 

3. RBI approves re-appointment of V. Vaidyanathan as MD & CEO of IDFC FIRST Bank: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted its approval for the re-appointment of V. Vaidyanathan as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (‘MD & CEO’) of the IDFC First Bank. Vaidyanathan has been appointed for a further period of three years, which will be effective from December 19, 2021. He first took charge as the MD & CEO of IDFC FIRST Bank in December 2018, after the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital First.

Note: IDFC First Bank Headquarters: Mumbai; IDFC First Bank Founded: October 2015.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. ADB approves $300 million loan to expand rural connectivity in Maharashtra: The government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a USD 300 million loan as additional financing to scale up the improvement of rural connectivity to help boost the rural economy in the state of Maharashtra. This is in addition to USD 200 million financings, approved by ADB in August 2019.

The additional financing for the ongoing Maharashtra Rural Connectivity Improvement Project will help improve an additional 1,100 rural roads and 230 bridges for a total length of 2,900 kilometres (km) in 34 districts. The ongoing project with $200 million financings, approved in August 2019, is already improving and maintaining the condition and safety of 2,100 km of rural roads across Maharashtra.

Note: Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai; Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.

 

2. ADB approves $112 million loan to improve water supply in Jharkhand: Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a USD 112 million loan to develop water supply infrastructure and strengthen capacities of urban local bodies (ULBs) for improved service delivery in four towns in the state of Jharkhand. This is the first project of ADB in the state of Jharkhand. The project will be ADB’s first urban project in the state and help establish a model for continuous water supply combined with policy reforms for the sustainable operation which can be replicated by other low-income states for providing safe drinking water to urban households as envisaged under national Jal Jeevan Mission.

Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.

 

3. HDFC Bank partners with NSIC to provide credit support to MSMEs: HDFC Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) for providing credit support to the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector. The branches of HDFC bank will extend support to the MSME projects in the areas they are located in and to other important industrial sectors across the country. Under this, the country’s largest private sector bank will also provide MSMEs with a set of specially-tailored schemes to enhance their competitiveness.

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

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Trichy Golden Rock Workshop bags best Energy Efficient Unit Award: The Golden Rock Railway Workshop (GOC), Tiruchchirappalli has bagged 22nd National Award for Excellence in Energy Management from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for having adopted and implemented various energy conservation measures. GOC Workshop is the o­nly workshop of Indian Railways to have received the award this year.

About the awards: The National Awards for Excellence in Energy Management is instituted by CII, to catalyze significant and innovative practices in the energy efficiency sector. CII conducts this annual event to recognize and award excellence in energy management among the industrial sector and railway workshops across the country and facilitate sharing of information o­n best practices & technologies. 

Daily GK Update- 10th Sept, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurates PRANA portal: Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav launched a portal named PRANA, for the regulation of air pollution in 132 cities across the country. PRANA stands for Portal for Regulation of Air pollution in Non-Attainment cities. The portal (prana.cpcb.gov.in) will support tracking of physical as well as the financial status of city air action plan implementation and disseminate information on air quality to the public. The cities which come under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) will be covered. Apart from this, the Union Minister also dedicated the first functional smog tower of India, installed in Anand Vihar in New Delhi to the country.

 

2. Gujarat govt launches Vatan Prem Yojana: The Government of Gujarat announced, that it plans on undertaking public welfare projects worth Rs. 1,000 crores jointly with non-resident Gujaratis by December 2022. The projects will be under the state government’s ‘Vatan Prem Yojana’. The Yojana was launched in Gujarat focusing on rural development through public and state contributions. Under this scheme:

(1) The state government will undertake various rural development projects and activities.

(2) This scheme will be undertaken with 40% state government’s contribution and 60% contribution from the general public.

(3) The state government has invited Non-Resident Gujaratis and NRIs are also invited to contribute.

(4) This scheme aims to provide them with an opportunity to change their love for the nation into service for the nation. This scheme aims at making the rural areas self-reliant. It is an important step in the holistic development of villages.

(5) Projects covered under the Vatan prem yojana will cover village-level projects such as: Smart classes in schools and Library; Community hall, Primary health centre and Anganwadi; CCTV surveillance system; Water recycling, drainage, sewage treatment and beautification of ponds; Bus-stand; Solar energy powered streetlights, etc.

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

 

3. India’s tallest air purifier tower installed in Chandigarh: India’s tallest air purification tower has been inaugurated in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The tower has been installed at the initiative of the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) at Transport Chowk, Sector 26, by Pious Air Pvt Limited. This is the highest air purifier tower of the country and covers an area of around a 500-metre radius and is 24-metre-high. The purification tower will clean 3.88 crore cubic ft of air from the surrounding environment.

 

4. AP Govt. appoints former SBI Chairperson Rajnish Kumar as economic advisor: The Andhra Pradesh government has appointed Rajnish Kumar as its economic advisor. A former SBI chairman, Rajnish Kumar’s tenure in the cabinet rank position is for two years. Rajnish Kumar who had retired as SBI chairman in October 2020, is an independent non-executive director at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. He joined SBI as a Probationary officer in 1980. The appointment comes amid the growing concerns over the state’s financial situation which has been badly hit by the Covid pandemic, even as the opposition has been critical over the sops and freebies being distributed by the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led state government. Rajnish Kumar’s appointment is expected to help the state government steer through the financially tough juncture.

Note: Andhra Pradesh Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan; Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy; Andhra Pradesh Capitals: Visakhapatnam (executive capital), Kurnool (judicial capital), Amaravati (legislative capital).

 

5. Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya Resigns: Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya has announced her resignation from the position on September 08, 2021, almost two years before completing her term, citing personal reasons. The 64-year-old Baby Rani Maurya was appointed as the Governor of Uttarakhand in August 2018, succeeding Krishan Kant Paul. Prior to becoming the governor of Uttarakhand, she served as the mayor of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, from 1995 to 2000.

 

6. A book titled “Gita Govinda: Jaydeva’s Divine Odyssey” by Utpal K. Banerjee: Union Minister of Culture Shri Kishan Reddy Gangapuram has launched a book titled “Gita Govinda: Jaydeva’s Divine Odyssey” authored by Dr Utpal K. Banerjee. The book is the first-ever fully-rhymed translation of the book GeetaGovindam by great 12th-century poet Jayadeva. Union Minister also launched a programme named ‘BujurgonkiBaat–DeshKeSaath’ that aims at enhancing the interaction between the youth and the elder persons who are 95 years and above and thus have spent around 18 years in India before independence.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. India to host G-20 summit in 2023: India will hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and will convene the G20 leaders’ summit in 2023 for the first time. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Minister has been appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20 in 2023 (18th edition). A sherpa is a diplomat who undertakes preparatory work prior to a summit conference. The 2021 edition of the G20 meet will be held in Rome, Italy. The 2022 G20 meet will be held in Bali, Indonesia.

 

2. World Suicide Prevention Day: 10th September: International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) observes World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) on 10 September every year. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. The theme for the 2021 World Suicide Prevention Day is “Creating hope through action”.

History of World Suicide Prevention Day: The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host World Suicide Prevention Day with various activities around the world since 2003.

Note: IASP Founded by the late Professor Erwin Ringel and Dr Norman Farberow in 1960.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Guinness World Records recognise Ronaldo for most goals scored: Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo has broken the world record for most goals scored in men’s international football. Ronaldo surpassed Iranian striker Ali Daei’s long-held record of 109 international goals by scoring a brace against Ireland in a World Cup Qualifier. Ronaldo at 36 years of age is now a Guinness world record holder of most international goals of all time with 111 goals.

The Guinness world book of records has recognised Cristiano Ronaldo as a world record breaker for the most goals scored in international football (soccer) matches scored by an individual (male). Ronaldo achieved the feat scoring goals for his native Portugal between 2003 and 2021 proactively over a span of 18 years with a career still going strong as he looks to overcome yet another new challenge after his move away from Turin with a year left on his contract with the Bianconeri.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI removes lending curbs on UCO Bank: Reserve Bank of India has taken public sector lender UCO Bank out of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework on improvement in financial and credit profile. This decision gives the bank more freedom for lending, especially to corporations and grow the network, subject to prescribed norms. The Kolkata-based lender was placed under PCA in May 2017 on account of high Net Net-Performing Assets (NPAs) and negative Return on Assets (RoAs). Following UCO Bank’s exit, two banks — Indian Overseas Bank and Central Bank of India — remain under PCA. The central bank uses the PCA framework to rein in banks that have breached certain regulatory thresholds in bad loans and capital adequacy. PCA entails curbs on high-risk lending, setting aside more money on provisions and restrictions on management salary.

Note: UCO Bank Headquarters: Kolkata; UCO Bank MD and CEO: Atul Kumar Goel; UCO Bank Founder: Ghanshyam Das Birla; UCO Bank Founded: 6 January 1943.

 

2. Karnataka Bank launches POS device ‘WisePOSGo’: The Karnataka Bank has launched an all-in-one Point-of-Sales (POS) swiping machine dubbed as ‘WisePOSGo’, for its merchant customers to process business payments. The private sector lender has rolled out this POS device in collaboration with Mswipe Technologies Pvt Ltd. The introduction of ‘WisePOSGo’ is yet another step in the direction of expanding the digital payment infrastructure in the country and promote a cashless economy. About the “WisePOSGo”:

(1) WisePOSGo is a compact, lightweight and user-friendly device, designed to keep in view the specific cost-centric requirements of the bank’s MSME customers.

(2) Apart from processing payments, merchants can also make calls using the WisePOSGo swiping machine.

(3) This device is an all-in-one swiping machine loaded with advanced features such as contactless payment, mobile phone, QR code, pay by link, magstripe and barcode scanner.

(4) The ease of processing transactions through ‘WisePOSGo’ will help the bank’s retail and MSME customers augment their businesses by providing their consumers with a convenient and flexible way of shopping.

Note: Karnataka Bank Headquarters: Mangalore; Karnataka Bank CEO: Mahabaleshwara M. S; Karnataka Bank Founded: 18 February 1924.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. S&P Global Ratings Projects India’s GDP for FY22 at 9.50%: S&P Global Ratings has revised India’s growth forecast and now expects the economy to grow 9.5 per cent in 2021-22 (FY22) and 7.0 per cent in 2022-23 (FY23). India’s external position is very strong and this is quite supportive of India’s sovereign rating despite the fact that we have had this deterioration in fiscal position concurrently. India is expected to post strong economic growth in the coming quarters, even as inflation, led by food prices, is likely to remain elevated.

 

2. Tata AIA Life names Neeraj Chopra as brand ambassador: Tata AIA Life Insurance has announced the signing of a multi-year brand partnership with Indian athlete and Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, as its brand ambassador. This association also marks the very first brand partnership to be signed with the champion javelin thrower, post his historic win at the recent Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj Chopra closely embodies Tata AIA’s vision of enabling dreams and inspiring healthier and happier lives and its core value of passion for excellence. He has consistently set high benchmarks and pioneered change through dedication to his sport. Over the next few years, Neeraj will support Tata AIA’s efforts in offering solutions to its consumers across the country.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Namita Gokhale honoured with 7th Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award: Writer Namita Gokhale has been chosen as the recipient of the seventh Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award. She was conferred upon the honour recently in a virtual ceremony. She is a co-founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, Gokhale also mentors Himalayan Echoes and the Kumaon Festival of Literature and the Arts.

About the award: The award was organised by a collective of women professionals from the year 2015, the annual award honours Yamin Hazarika, the first woman from Northeast India to be selected for DANIPS, a federal police service that administered Delhi and the Union Territories in 1977.

 

2. Ramesh Narayan to be inducted into AFAA Hall of Fame: Indian advertising doyen Ramesh Narayan will be inducted into the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) Hall of Fame at AdAsia 2021. The AFAA Hall of Fame sets out to recognise the best of the very best. It’s for those who’ve defined a generation of advertising. Ramesh has been honoured with AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Advertising Association Global Champion Award, the Public Relations Society of India Special Award, the Association of Business Communicators of India Lifetime Achievement Award, and an induction into the Hall of Fame of the India chapter of the IAA.

 

3. Indian biologist Shailendra Singh wins global award in turtle conservation: Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has been awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of extinction. Shailendra Singh was named to lead the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA)/ Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India turtle programme.

About the award: The award has been bestowed by several global bodies involved in turtle conservation such as Turtle Survival Alliance, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Conservancy, and Turtle Conservation Fund.  The Behler Turtle Conservation Award was established in 2006 to recognise outstanding achievements, contributions and leadership excellence in international turtle conservation and biology.