Daily GK Update- 7th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched “India Semiconductor Mission”: Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has launched the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) to attract large investments for setting up semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities in India. The companies that are interested are invited by the Centre for the development of the semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem in India. ISM is a specialised and independent business division within the Digital India Corporation.

About the mission: The financial support of up to 50 per cent of the project cost (ceiling of Rs 12,000 crore per fab) will be provided for the scheme for setting up display fabs. Fiscal support will be provided on ‘pari-passu’ basis for a period of six years from the date of approval both for semiconductor fabs and display fabs.

 

2. Government approved 19th Tranche of Electoral Bonds: The government has approved the issuance of the 19th tranche of electoral bonds, which will be open for sale from January 1 to 10, 2022, ahead of assembly elections in five states Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Goa. In the 19th tranche of sale, the State Bank of India (SBI), has been authorised to issue and encash electoral bonds through its 29 specialised branches. There is no limit on the number of bonds an individual or company can purchase. An electoral bond will be valid for 15 days.

About the Electoral bonds: Electoral bonds have been pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency in political funding. However, Opposition parties have been raising concerns about alleged opaqueness in funding through such bonds.

 

3. Odisha launched Digital Life Certificate system for pensioners 2022: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched an online service for the verification of identity and submission of life certificates for pensioners of the state government. The chief minister virtually launched the new initiative while attending the orientation programme for newly recruited 153 officers of Odisha Civil Services. Under the Digital Life Certificate system:

(1) Identification and life certificates can now be submitted by the pensioners using an artificial intelligence-based video-verification process.

(2) It will be of immense help to the pensioners as they can submit their identification and life certificates digitally, without visiting any government office simply by using their mobile phones.

(3) This facility will also be available at the ‘Mo Seva Kendras’ located across the state. Patnaik said the introduction of digital life certificates and E-dairy were part of his government’s 5T and ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiatives.

(4) The 5Ts include teamwork, technology, transparency, transformation, and time limit on which performance of government officials and projects are judged, while the ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiative attempts to bring in professionalism and behavioural change in public offices through a direct random feedback system from citizens.

Note: Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar; Odisha Governor: Ganeshi Lal; Odisha Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik.

 

4. Vinay Kumar Tripathi named as Chairman and CEO of Railway Board: 1983 Batch of Indian Railway Service, Vinay Kumar Tripathi has been appointed as new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Railway Board. He is presently working as General Manager, Northeastern Railway to the post of Chairman of Railway Board. Indian Railway Board is the apex body of the Indian Railways, which reports to parliament through the Ministry of Railways. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has not only approved the appointment of Tripathi for six months from January 1 but also further granted an extension of his tenure till 31 December in 2022.

 

5. V.S Pathania takes over as Director-General of Indian Coast Guard: V.S. Pathania took over as the 24th Director General (DG) of the Indian Coast Guard from Krishnaswamy Natarajan who retired from service. He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and National Defence College, New Delhi. He was elevated to the rank of Additional Director General in Nov 2019 and took over the reins as Coast Guard Commander (Eastern Seaboard) at Visakhapatnam.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. France takes over EU Presidency for six months 2022: France has assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union with effect from January 01, 2022. The country will continue to hold the EU presidency for the next six months till June 30, 2022. This is the 13th time that France has taken over the rotating presidency. The motto of France as EU President is “recovery, strength, belonging.” France will work to place the continent’s digitization and climate protection at the forefront. The presidency of the EU rotates every six months among the member states of the 27-nation bloc. Upon the completion of six months presidency, France will be replaced by the Czech Republic.

Note: France Capital: Paris; France Currency: Euro; France Prime Minister: Jean Castex; President of France: Emmanuel Macron.

 

2. Covid-19 new variant ‘IHU’ discovered in France: Scientists and experts in France have reportedly identified a new variant of COVID-19 termed ‘IHU’. The new variant is said to be a more mutated strain than Omicron. The B.1.640.2 or IHU variant was first identified by the academics at institute IHU Mediterranee Infection and contains 46 mutations, which is more than Omicron. Nearly 12 cases of this new variant have been reported near Marseilles and has been linked to the African country Cameroon. But, the Omicron strain is still dominating in most parts of the world.

This new variant can be a major threat, however, the cases have not been reported so far in countries other than France and is not labelled as ‘variant under investigation’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. GoI keeps interest rates on Small Savings Schemes unchanged: The interest rates on the small savings schemes will remain the same for the fourth quarter of 2021-2022 (January – February – March 2022) as they were in the third quarter of 2021-22 (October-December 2021). It must be noted that West Bengal is the highest contributor to the small saving schemes while Uttar Pradesh is the second top contributor. Also remember, the government notifies the Interest rates for small savings schemes on a quarterly basis.

Various Interest Rates for Quarter-4 (Jan-March) of 2021-22:

 

S.No	Small Savings Scheme	Interest Rate
1	Post Office Savings Account	4%
2	5-Year Post Office Recurring Deposit (RD) Account	5.80%
3	Post Office Time Deposit (TD) Account – One Year	5.50%
4	Post Office Time Deposit Account (TD) – Two Years	5.50%
5	Post Office Time Deposit Account (TD) – Three Years	5.50%
6	Post Office Time Deposit Account (TD) – Five Years	6.70%
7	Post Office Monthly Income Scheme Account (MIS)	6.60%
8	Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS)	7.40%
9	15-Year Public Provident Fund Account (PPF)	7.10%
10	National Savings Certificates (NSC)	6.80%
11	Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP)	6.90%
12	Sukanya Samriddhi Account	7.60%

 

2. Baldev Prakash named as MD & CEO of J&K Bank: Baldev Prakash has been appointed as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of Jammu & Kashmir Bank for three years. His appointment will be effective from the date of taking charge or April 10, 2022, whichever is earlier. Apart from him, R K Chhibber has been appointed as an additional director on the board of the bank.

Prakash has over 30 years of experience in banking. He had joined SBI as a probationary officer in 1991 and was the Chief General Manager (Digital and Transaction Banking Marketing Department) at SBI, Mumbai. The appointment is effective from the date of taking charge or April 10, 2022, whichever is earlier.

Note: Jammu & Kashmir Bank Headquarters: Srinagar; Jammu & Kashmir Bank Founded: 1 October 1938.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. IRDAI: LIC, GIC Re and New India systemically important insurers: Insurance regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has stated that LIC, GIC Re and New India continue to be identified as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2021-22. D-SIIs refer to insurers of such size, market importance and domestic and global interconnectedness, whose distress or failure would cause significant dislocation in the domestic financial system.

The continued functioning of D-SIIs is critical for the availability of insurance services. D-SIIs are insurers that are perceived to be ‘too big or too important to fail’. The three insurers “have to carry forward their efforts” to raise the level of corporate governance, and identify all relevant risks and promote a sound risk management framework and culture.

Note: IRDAI Founded: 1999; IRDAI Headquarters: Hyderabad; IRDAI Chairperson: Subhash Chandra Khuntia.

 

2. LIC inaugurates Digi Zone to sell policies online: Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has inaugurated “Digi Zone”, at Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, as part of its effort to enhance its digital footprint. LIC’s Digi Zone can be used by the customers to purchase policies online, pay the premium and avail of other services. As a part of its efforts to become a tech-driven life insurer, LIC will offer information related to its products and services through kiosks installed on the Digi Zone premises.

Customers can use LIC’s Digi Zone to buy policies online, pay the premium and avail of other services. LIC plans to undertake the next wave of digital transformation to unlock several benefits of accelerating growth, driving customer satisfaction and improving intermediary productivity and loyalty.

Note: LIC Chairperson: M R Kumar; LIC Headquarters: Mumbai; LIC Founded: 1 September 1956.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Exercise Milan 2022: India to host 46 nations mega naval wargames: India has invited a total of 46 friendly foreign countries to participate in the multinational naval exercise Milan in Visakhapatnam, scheduled from February 25, 2022. The theme of this 11th edition of exercise Milan is camaraderie, cohesion and collaboration. This exercise was initiated in 1995 and held biennially and conducted with friendly navies.

About the Exercise Milan 2022:

(1) The professional competitions and conferences planned during this phase shall build the operational tempo for the Sea Phase planned from March 1-4. This Phase would be utilised to consolidate upon the lessons learnt during harbour interactions and to build upon the experience of operating together at sea.

(2) The countries that have been extended invitations for participation include Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Israel, Iran, France, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, among others.

(3) As per an official, India has increased its naval engagements with friendly nations at bilateral, trilateral and multilateral levels since 2018.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Bollywood film producer Vijay Galani passes away: Bollywood film producer Vijay Galani has passed away. He was suffering from blood cancer and was in London for seeking treatment. He is known for producing films like Salman Khan’s Suryavanshi (1992), Govinda and Manisha Koirala’s Achanak (1998), Akshay Kumar’s Ajnabee (2001), Paresh Rawal and Mallika Sherawat’s Bachke Rehna Re Baba (2005), Salman Khan’s Veer (2010). His last production venture was Vidyut Jammwal and Shruti Haasan’s The Power (2021).

Daily GK Update- 6th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Dharmendra Pradhan launches reading campaign ‘Padhe Bharat’: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has launched a 100-day reading campaign ‘Padhe Bharat. The launch of the 100 Days Reading Campaign is in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which lays emphasis on the promotion of joyful reading culture for children by ensuring the availability of age-appropriate reading books for children in local/mother tongue/regional/tribal language. The Minister while launching the campaign has underlined the importance of reading that children need to develop to ensure continuous and lifelong learning. He also reinforced that the habit of reading, if inculcated at an early age, helps in brain development and enhances imagination and provide a conducive learning environment for children.

Padhe Bharat campaign:

(1) Padhe Bharat campaign will focus on children studying in Balvatika to Grade 8. The reading campaign will be organized for 100 days (14 weeks) starting from January 1, 2022, to April 10, 2022.

(2) The reading campaign aims to have the participation of all stakeholders at the national and state level including children, teachers, parents, community, educational administrators etc.

(3) One activity per week per group has been designed with the focus on making reading enjoyable and building a lifelong association with the joy of reading. This campaign has also been aligned with the vision and goals of the foundational Literacy and Numeracy mission.

 

2. PM Modi to lay foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut. The University will be established at Salawa and Kaili villages of Sardhana town in Meerut at an estimated cost of about 700 Crore rupees. The University will have the capacity of training 1080 sportspersons including 540 female and 540 male sportspersons.

About the University:

(1) The Sports University will be equipped with modern and state-of-the-art sports infrastructure including synthetic Hockey ground, Football ground, Basketball, Volleyball, Handball, Kabaddi ground, Lawn tennis court, Gymnasium hall, Synthetic running stadium, Swimming pool, Multipurpose hall, and a Cycling Velodrome.

(2) It will also house facilities for Shooting, Squash, Gymnastics, Weightlifting, Archery, Canoeing, and Kayaking, among other facilities with the capacity of training.

 

3. IIT Madras bagged the first position in ARIIA Rankings 2021: IIT Madras has bagged the first position in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2021, for the third consecutive year, under the category of CFTIs/ Central Universities/ Institute of National Importance (Technical). The third edition of the ARIIA ranking was dominated by the IITs in the centrally funded institution category. Seven IITs are on the top-10 list. IIT-Madras is followed by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IT Kanpur, and IIT Roorkee. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru bagged the sixth position in the category.

Other categories Winners:

(1) In the state and deemed to be universities category, Panjab University (Chandigarh) topped the ranking followed by Delhi Technological University, and Netaji Subhas University of Technology (Delhi).

(2) In the government engineering colleges category, the College of Engineering in Pune stood first, followed by PSG College of Technology in Tamil Nadu, and LD College of Engineering in Gujarat.

(3) Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Khordha (Odisha) topped the private university category. G H Raisoni College of Engineering in Maharashtra was recognised as the most innovative private college.

(4) Indira Gandhi National Open University (Delhi) topped the category among centrally funded institutions followed by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode.

About the 3rd edition of ARIIA: This 3rd edition of ARIIA has introduced a special framework for non-technical institutions that further strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Indian higher education institutions. A total of 1,438 higher education institutions (HEIs) including all IITs, NITs, and IISc participated in the third edition of ARIIA rankings as compared to 674 HEIs during last year.

 

4. Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 46th GST council meet in Delhi: The GST Council’s 46th meeting was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. The GST Council has recommended deferring the decision to change the rates in textiles recommended in the 45th GST Council meeting. Consequently, the existing GST rates of 5 % instead of 12% in textile sector would continue.

This convention attains special significance as it comes days ahead of Sitharaman presenting the much-anticipated Union Budget 2022-23 on February 1, for which she has been holding a series of pre-budget consultations with stakeholders.

The 2022-23 Union Budget of India will be presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2022. This will be the fourth budget of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government in its second tenure. The 2021-22 budget, presented on 1st February this year, was the first one to be presented orally due to the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

 

5. 1st electric boat built for Kochi Water Metro Project: In Kerala, the first battery-powered electric boat built for the Kochi Water Metro Project was handed over to the Kochi Metro Rail Limited. The fully air-conditioned boat is among the 23 boats being built by the Cochin Shipyard for the 747-crore rupee Kochi Water Metro project. Kochi Water Metro system will have 78 ferries, linking 38 terminals spread over 76 route kilometres.

The battery-powered water metro boat can carry 100 passengers. KMRL said it was for the first time in the world a centrally controlled integrated water transport system with a large fleet is powered by the battery.

 

6. UP’s Jhansi Railway Station renamed as ‘Veerangana Laxmibai Railway Station’: Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has announced that the government of UP has renamed the Jhansi Railway Station, in Jhansi, UP as “Veerangana Laxmibai Railway Station” after Rani Laxmibai. The announcement was made by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A notification to this effect has been issued by the UP government and the Railways has started preparations to implement the change. Earlier the Mughalsarai Railway station was renamed as Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya junction and the Faizabad Railway station as Ayodhya Cantt.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World’s longest Metro line opened in China: Shanghai has opened two new metro lines, upholding its rank as the city with the largest Metro network in the world. With the new lines, the total length of Shanghai’s metro network has extended to 831 km, continuing to be the longest in the world. China’s Shanghai opened two new metro lines – Line 14 and Phase One of Line 18. The opening of the two new lines will bring the total number of fully automatic metro lines in Shanghai to five, with an operating length of 167 km, ranking first in the world for the first time. The city will now enjoy 20 metro lines with 508 stations, 83 of which are transfer ones.

 

2. China launches 5-year plan to become a hub of world robotics innovation: China has announced a five-year roadmap to achieve its goal of becoming a global robotics innovation hub by the year 2025. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology revealed operating income from the country’s robotics industry is expected to grow by around 20% per year between 2021 and 2025. From 2016 to 2020, the sector expanded at an average growth rate of 15%. Last year, operating income surpassed 100 billion yuan ($15.69 billion) for the first time. To achieve its goal by 2025 of becoming a worldwide robotics innovation centre, China has proposed a strategy concentrating on improvements to essential components such as servo motors and control panels. As per the 2021 World Robot Report, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan were the top three most automated countries in Asia-Pacific.

 

3. World Day of War Orphans: 6th January:  World Day of War Orphans is marked on 6 January to create awareness about the plight of children who have lost their parents due to conflict. In any conflict, children are one of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups present. Children who have been injured in a gunfight or separated from their families require particular care in order to heal the mental wounds of war, begin school, and restart normal life.

World Day of War Orphans 2022 History: World Day of War Orphans was started by the French organisation SOS Enfants en Detresses, which aimed to help children affected by conflict. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an orphan is defined as a “child under 18 years of age who has lost one or both parents to any cause of death”.

World Day of War Orphans 2022 Significance: On World Day of War Orphans, several awareness programmes are organised to create awareness about the trauma endured by orphaned children. The coronavirus pandemic has further led to issues like food insecurity and access to basic health and sanitation facilities for many children worldwide. World Day of War Orphans is marked as a reminder of the issues faced by such children and to remind the world of its responsibility to ensure that such kids also get equal access to health and educational opportunities.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. NewZealand’s Ross Taylor announces retirement from international cricket: Veteran New Zealand batter, Ross Taylor has announced retirement from international cricket at the end of the ongoing domestic season. Taylor hence will play his final appearance in the second Test against Bangladesh, where will equal Daniel Vettori’s record of 112 tests for New Zealand. He will be part of the one-day international series in Australia. He is the first cricketer to play more than 100 matches for New Zealand in all 3 formats.

 

2. Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from cricket: Pakistani all-rounder, Mohammad Hafeez has announced his retirement from international cricket on January 03, 2022, to end his career spanning more than 18 years. The 41-year-old Hafeez retired from Test cricket in December 2018. He has played 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is for Pakistan, scoring 12,780 runs across formats. He is nicknamed “The Professor”.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI Card joined hands with Paytm for Card Tokenization: SBI Cards and Payment Services has tied up with Paytm for card tokenisation to protect the data of the cardholders. SBI Card has collaborated with Paytm to enable cardholders to tokenise their cards on devices and make payments through Paytm. Tokenisation refers to masking the original card number by replacing it with a set of unique characters, termed as token, which secures the customer’s card details when a transaction is under process. Currently, only cards issued in the Indian territory are enabled on the Paytm network. However, customers may transact using his/her SBI Card through the Paytm network in international locations.

Note: SBI Card Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana; SBI Card Managing Director & CEO: Rama Mohan Rao Amara.

 

2. RBI extended deadline for Periodic KYC Update till March 31, 2022: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it has extended the deadline for periodic KYC updates by 3 months till March 31, 2022. Extension in view of prevalent uncertainty due to a new variant of COVID-19 – Omicron. Earlier the deadline for periodic KYC updates was December 31.

Meanwhile, the government has also extended the deadline for businesses to file GST annual returns for the 2020-21 fiscal ended March 2021 by two months till February 28. GSTR 9 is an annual return to be filed yearly by taxpayers registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). It consists of details regarding the outward and inward supplies made or received under different tax heads.

Note: Reserve Bank of India Founded: April 1, 1935; Reserve Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Reserve Bank of India Governor: Shaktikanta Das.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Tech Mahindra to acquire 100 percent stake in Allyis India, Green Investments: Tech Mahindra has approved a proposal for the acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in Allyis India and Green Investments, for a total consideration of up to USD 125 million. The acquisition will bolster Tech Mahindra’s capabilities in Digital Experience Solutions, Learning & Development, Marketing, Instructional Design; Engineering: Cloud & Automation, BI & Analytics, Technical support services.

Tech Mahindra will pay total consideration of up to $125 million, including employment-related and performance-related earnouts, as per a regulatory update filed with the exchanges. Allyis India Pvt Ltd and Green Investments LLC offer technology consulting and managed services for organisations to help reduce costs, improve performance, and meet their objectives. Allyis India Pvt Ltd was incorporated in 2018 whole Green Investments LLC was incorporated in 2013.

Note: Tech Mahindra CEO: C. P. Gurnani; Tech Mahindra Headquarters: Pune; Tech Mahindra Founder: Anand Mahindra; Tech Mahindra Founded: 1986.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Danish Siddiqui gets posthumously Mumbai Press Club’s RedInk Award 2020: Photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who died during an assignment in Afghanistan, has been posthumously awarded as the ‘Journalist of the Year’ for 2020 by the Mumbai Press Club. CJI N V Ramana presented the annual ‘RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism’. He presented the prestigious award to Siddiqui “for his spectrum of investigative and impactful news photography”. Danish Siddiqui’s wife Frederike Siddiqui received the award.

Senior journalist Prem Shankar Jha, 83, was bestowed with the lifetime achievement award “for his long and distinguished career of incisive and analytical writing”. The Mumbai Press Club instituted The RedInk Awards a decade ago to recognise good investigative and feature writing and raise the bar of journalism in the country.

Daily GK Update- 5th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India to chair Counter Terrorism Committee of UNSC in January 2022: India will chair the Counter-Terrorism Committee of UNSC in January 2022 after 10 years. The Counter-Terrorism Committee was established by Security Council resolution 1373 adopted unanimously on 28 September 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks in the US. The Committee was tasked with monitoring the implementation of resolution 1373 which requested countries to implement a number of measures aimed at enhancing their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home and around the world.

Work of Counter-Terrorism Committee of UNSC:

(1) This includes taking steps to criminalize the financing of terrorism, freezing any funds related to persons involved in acts of terrorism, denying all forms of financial support for terrorist groups, suppressing the provision of safe haven, sustenance or support for terrorists and sharing information with other governments on any groups practising or planning terrorist acts.

(2) Besides, the Committee monitors steps taken to cooperate with other governments in the investigation, detection, arrest, extradition and prosecution of those involved in terror acts and criminalizes active and passive assistance for terrorism.

 

2. PM Modi inaugurated Bina (MP)-Panki (UP) Multiproduct pipeline project: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 356 Km long Bina Refinery (Madhya Pradesh)- POL Terminal at Panki (Kanpur, UP) Multiproduct pipeline project ( capacity of 45 million metric tonnes per annum) with an outlay of Rs 1524 crore (Rs. 1227 crores in UP and Rs. 297 crores in MP). The project has been completed and commissioned one month ahead of the approved completion schedule of December 2021 (3 years from PNGRB authorisation) and within the approved cost. It will provide for safe and efficient evacuation of products from Bina Refinery and also improve the availability of products in Eastern U.P, Central U.P., Northern Bihar and Southern Uttarakhand.

Some other projects inaugurated by PM Modi: PM has also inaugurated the completed section of the Kanpur Metro Rail Project and undertook a metro ride from the IIT metro station to Geeta Nagar. The entire length of the Metro Rail Project in Kanpur is 32 Km and is being built at a cost of around ₹11,000 crores. PM also attended the 54th Convocation Ceremony of IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Kanpur.

 

3. Houston COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax gets DCGI approval for use in India: The Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) announced that Corbevax, a protein subunit Covid vaccine, has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to launch it in India. The initial construct and production process of the vaccine antigen was developed at TCH’s Centre for Vaccine Development.

As Corbevax has been granted emergency use authorisation in India, Professor Peter Hotez said, “given the urgency, Corbevax will be helpful not only for India but globally as most of the African continent, neighbouring countries around India remain largely unvaccinated.” Emergency use authorisation of Corbevax in India for adults 18 and older will have a great pediatric profile because parents have been giving the same technology (as in vaccine) to their kids for decades.

Note: Drugs Controller General of India: V. G. Somani.

 

4. Jawaharlal Nehru Road renamed as ‘Narendra Modi Marg’: Governor of Sikkim, Ganga Prasad, has named a new road Narendra Modi Marg. The Governor viewed the road under Kabi Lungchok from Kyongsala, 4th mile. This is an alternative to Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg. The National Monument at National Highway 310 was built by Border Roads Organization. It will be easier for Indian tourists to reach Nathula Border. The stretch, constructed by Border Roads Organisation, has reduced the distance between Gangtok and Tsomgo lake by 15 km.

 

5. ITBP DG Sanjay Arora to hold SSB additional charge: ITBP director general Sanjay Arora will hold the additional charge of another border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) as the latter’s chief Kumar Rajesh Chandra is set to retire on December 31. Arora, a 1988-batch officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was appointed the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) DG in August and he took charge of the India-China LAC guarding force on September 1. The SSB is primarily tasked to guard unfenced Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Russia’s 1st versatile nuclear-powered icebreaker to boost India’s Arctic Plans: Russia has launched its first in the series Project 22220 versatile nuclear-powered icebreaker known as ‘Sibir’. This icebreaker will support the growing fleet of icebreakers to keep the Northern Sea Route open for year-round shipping through the Arctic and enable a wider presence of India in the arctic region.

About the Icebreaker: The construction of Sibir was started in 2015 and the icebreaker was floated on 22nd December 2017. Sibir was handed over to the Rosatom State Atomiс Energy Corporation for exploitation; the Delivery-Acceptance Act was signed on 24th December at Baltic Shipyard, St. Petersburg, Russia. The icebreaker is 173.3 meters (568.6 feet) long and 34 meters broad with a 33,500-tonne displacement.

Note: Russia Capital: Moscow; Russia Currency: Rouble; Russia President: Vladimir Putin.

 

2. Anupam Ray to become India’s new ambassador to UN Conference on Disarmament: Senior diplomat Anupam Ray has been appointed as India’s next permanent representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Ray, a 1994-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as a joint secretary in the MEA’s headquarters in Delhi. Ray will succeed Pankaj Sharma. Sharma, a 1991-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Mexico.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India defeat Sri Lanka in U-19 Asia Cup 2021 finals: India has lifted the under-19 Asia cricket Cup by defeating Sri Lanka by nine wickets in a rain-interrupted One-Day International final in Dubai through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. In the match, Sri Lanka opted to bat first and scored 106 for nine in the stipulated 38 overs. India, who have won a record seven Asia Cup titles, looked a far superior team. Rasheed and Harnoor ended the competition as the top-two leading scorers with 133 and 131 runs in four matches, respectively. India’s only loss in the competition came against Pakistan.

 

2. Quinton de Kock announces retirement from Test cricket: South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect late. His announcement came just hours after South Africa’s 113-run defeat to India in the first Test of the three-match series.

De Kock cited his intentions to spend more time with his growing family for the timing. In a statement, the 29-year-old de Kock said he made his decision in order to have more time to spend with his family. De Kock and his wife Sasha are expecting their first child in the coming days.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI to acquire 9.95% stake in GIFT-IFSC-based Clearing Corp: State Bank of India will acquire up to 9.95 per cent stake in India International Clearing Corporation (IFSC) Ltd subject to a maximum investment of Rs 34.03 crore. The Clearing Corporation is a GIFT City (Gandhinagar, Gujarat) based Market Infrastructure Institution (MII). The Corporation is the first international clearing corporation to be set up at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The Clearing Corporation acts as a central counterparty providing clearing & settlement and risk management services to India International Exchange (IFSC) Ltd.

Note: State Bank of India Founded: 1 July 1955; State Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai; State Bank of India Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara.

 

2. Axis Bank is 2nd largest in PoS machines: Axis Bank has become the second-largest merchant-acquiring bank in the country, leapfrogging two spaces during 2021 by installing over two lakh card-swipe machines during the year. This is part of the bank’s ‘Axis One’ strategy where it approaches the customers by offering its entire gamut of products instead of a standalone service. Axis Bank’s strategy to increase the number of merchants is to offer the latest in technology to them and address pain points. For instance, the bank installs Android PoS machines and has also come out with a printer-less compact machine. On the agenda are bring-your-own-device (BYOD) solutions that will enable the use of regular smartphones with an attachment for accepting cards.

 

3. Vasudevan PN reappointed as MD & CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank: Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan has been reappointed as the Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited (ESFBL) for three years (from July 23, 2022, to July 22, 2025), by the Board of Directors (BoD). He is currently serving as the MD and CEO of the bank. Earlier he was working as the MD of Equitas Holdings Limited. He holds a bachelor’s degree in science (physics) from the University of Madras. A qualified company secretary from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, he has extensive experience in the financial services sector.

Note: Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Founded: 2016; Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Part-Time Chairman: Arun Ramanathan; Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Tagline: It’s Fun Banking.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. GST Collection Stood At Rs 1.29 Lakh Crore in December 2021: GST revenue collected in December 2021 was over Rs 1.29 lakh crore, 13 per cent higher than the same month in 2020. The gross GST revenue collected in the month of December 2021 is ₹ 1,29,780 crore, of which CGST is ₹ 22,578 crore, SGST is ₹ 28,658 crore, IGST is Rs 69,155 crore (including Rs 37,527 crores collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs 9,389 crore.

Though the collection was lower than Rs 1.31 lakh crore mopped up in November, December is the sixth month in a row when revenue from goods sold and services rendered stood at over Rs 1 lakh crore. The average monthly gross GST collection for the third quarter (October-December) of the current year has been Rs 1.30 lakh crore against the average monthly collection of Rs 1.10 lakh crore and Rs 1.15 lakh crore in the first and second quarter, respectively.

 

2. Vijay Raaz & Varun Sharma named as Brand Ambassadors of EaseMyTrip: Bollywood actors Vijay Raaz & Varun Sharma have been named as brand ambassadors for EaseMyTrip.com (Easy Trip Planners Ltd), an online travel company based in India. EaseMyTrip founded by Nishant Pitti and Rikant Pitti in 2008 was started as the Business-to-Business (B2B) portal and entered into the business-to-consumer (B2C) segment in 2011.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Army set up Quantum Lab at MCTE in Military Headquarters Of War: The Indian Army has established the Quantum Lab at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), in Military Headquarters Of War (Mhow), Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Indian Army’s research in the field of Quantum Technology will help in leapfrogging into next-generation communication and transforming the current system of cryptography in Indian Armed Forces to Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC). Key thrust areas include Quantum Computing, Quantum Key Distribution, Quantum Communication, and Post Quantum Cryptography.

About the lab: The Quantum Lab was established with the support of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) to spearhead research and training in this key developing field. Indian Army has also established an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre at the MCTE, Mhow with more than 140 deployments in forward areas and active support of industry and academia. Training on cyber warfare is being given through cyber security labs and state of art cyber range.

Daily GK Update- 4th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Haryana CM launched ‘Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam’ Web-portal: The Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the ‘Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam portal’ and announced to set up the Atal Park & Smriti Kendra in Gurugram, Haryana. The CM also honoured 78 officers and employees for delivering the best services in various fields. He also launched a magazine ‘Vyavastha Parivartan Se Susashan’ and the 2022 official calendar.

About the portal: Now all the problems of the public are being solved easily through CM Window. So far, more than 8.5 lakh issues have been resolved. The government has abolished the practice of remand in the cases of the Revenue Department. Only a maximum of two appeals can be made in this. Apart from this, a run through the system has been implemented to accelerate the file work. The government has abolished the contractual practice in the recruitments made in the departments.

Note: Haryana Capital: Chandigarh; Haryana Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya.

 

2. Karnataka govt partnered with NPCI & SBI to implement ‘e-RUPI’: Karnataka government has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) & State Bank of India (SBI) to enable and implement the ‘e-RUPI’ payment solution to students under its scholarship programme. For redeeming e-RUPI, the identified institutes will scan the QR code or SMS string displayed by the students using an application. The e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless payment solution provided by NPCI and It will be used to ensure leak-proof delivery transactions.

Benefits the e-RUPI: Digital payment platform e-RUPI will be used to ensure “leak-proof” payment of education fees for students eligible under the scholarship programmes of the Karnataka government. As a part of this process, the Karnataka government will get e-vouchers delivered to the mobiles of eligible students. The voucher code can be received on a feature phone as well. The students will be able to redeem e-RUPI at the identified colleges or institutes for the intended purpose of fees payment.

Note: Chief Minister of Karnataka: Basavaraj S Bommai; Karnataka Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot; Karnataka Capital: Bengaluru.

 

3. Diplomat Vikram Misri named as Deputy National Security Advisor: Diplomat Vikram Misri has been appointed as deputy national security adviser in the national security council secretariat. The appointment of Misri, a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, came after he served as the Indian ambassador to China for nearly three years. He served in various capacities at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as well as in the Prime Minister’s Office. Misri will report to national security adviser Ajit Doval. At present, Rajinder Khanna, Pankaj Saran and Dattatray Padsalgikar are serving as deputy NSAs.

Misri has also served in various Indian Missions in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The government has already appointed Pradeep Kumar Rawat as India’s new envoy to China.

 

4. CP Goyal appointed Director-General of Forests & Special Secretary: Indian Forest Service officer, Chandra Prakash Goyal has been appointed as the Director-General of Forests & Special Secretary (DGF&SS), Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change. Goyal, a 1986 batch IFS officer was previously the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest under Uttar Pradesh Department of Forest. The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet approved the appointment of the IFoS officer. He had returned to UP after being on central deputation as Joint Secretary in the Indian Department of Biotechnology.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Egypt became fourth new member of New Development Bank: Egypt added as the fourth new member of BRICS New Development Bank. Bangladesh, UAE, and Uruguay joined BRICS New Development Bank in September 2021. Membership expansion enables New Development Bank to position itself as a premier development institution for emerging economies. BRICS New Development Bank is a multilateral bank that was established by Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa to finance sustainable development and infrastructure projects.

The new list of New Development Bank member countries:

S.No	Member Countries
1	Brazil
2	Russia
3	India
4	China
5	South Africa
6	Bangladesh
7	United Arab Emirates
8	Egypt
9	Uruguay

 

Note: New Development Bank Headquarter: Shanghai, China; New Development Bank President: Marcos Prado Troyjo; New Development Bank Founder: BRICS; New Development Bank Founded: 15 July 2014.

 

2. World Braille Day: 4th January: World Braille Day is observed globally on 4th January since 2019. The day aims to recognize the right of access to braille by blind people and raise awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people. The day is marked remembering the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille – for people with visual disabilities. Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in the town of Coupvray in northern France.

Braille: Braille is a tactile representation of alphabetic and numerical symbols using six dots to represent each letter and number, and even musical, mathematical and scientific symbols. Braille (named after its inventor in 19th century France, Louis Braille) is used by blind and partially sighted people to read the same books and periodicals as those printed in a visual font.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Jasprit Bumrah Achieves Milestone of Picking 100 Test Wickets: Jasprit Bumrah has achieved the milestone of picking 100 wickets away from home in 22 Test matches. Van der Dussen became Bumrah’s 100th Test victim in overseas conditions. The 28-year-old now has 105 wickets, out of which 101 have come away from home. Bumrah, who made his Test debut in South Africa in 2018, has played 25 Tests, 23 of which have come on the road.

Fewest wickets in Test career while reaching 100 away Test wickets:

Jasprit Bumrah (India): 104

Mohammad Amir (Pakistan): 118

Michael Holding (West Indies): 136

Zaheer Khan (India): 137

Mohammed Shami (India): 140

Andy Roberts (West Indies): 140

 

2. Mohammed Shami becomes 11th Indian bowler to take 200 wickets in Test cricket: Mohammed Shami became just the 11th Indian bowler to claim 200 wickets in Test cricket in just 55 test matches. During this process, he became the only 5th Indian pacer to bag 200 wickets in the purest format of the game. Also, Shami is the third fastest Indian pacer to reach this milestone as Kapil Dev and Javagal Srinath bagged 200 Test wickets in 50 and 54 Tests respectively.

Here is the list of India’s Leading Wicket-takers in Test Cricket:

Anil Kumble: 619 Wickets

Kapil Dev: 434 Wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin: 427 Wickets

Harbhajan Singh: 417 Wickets

Zaheer Khan: 311 Wickets

Ishant Sharma: 311 Wickets

BS Bedi: 266 Wickets

BS Chandrasekhar: 242 Wickets

Javagal Srinath: 236 Wickets

Ravindra Jadeja: 232 Wickets

Mohammed Shami: 200 Wickets

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI’s latest report on ‘Trend and Progress of Banking in India’: India’s central bank, RBI has released the latest iteration of its annual report on the financial performance of the country. In its report, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) details that, despite the devastation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in India, the financial performance of banks has improved, citing a fall in the gross non-performing asset ratio for scheduled commercial banks (SCBs). The report, titled ‘Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India,’ also showed how a rise in profitability of SCBs in 2020-21 was driven less by an increase in income but more via reductions in expenditure. Key Highlights:

(1) The gross non-performing assets (GNPAs) ratio of SCBs fell from 8.2 per cent at the end of March 2020 to 7.3 per cent in March 2021. This decreased further to 6.9 per cent at the end of September 2021

(2) Capital to risk-weighted assets ratios(CRAR) – a vital measure of a bank’s stability – of SCBs improved from 14.8 per cent at the end of March 2020 to 16.3 per cent at the end of March 2021

(3) Banks have been plagued with an increase in the incidences of fraud in the current fiscal.

(4) The report notes that the number of frauds between April and September 2021 rose in comparison to the corresponding period last year.

 

2. IndusInd Bank launched ‘green fixed deposits’: IndusInd Bank has announced the launch of ‘green fixed deposits’, whereby the deposit proceeds will be used to finance projects and firms supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A green deposit is a fixed-term deposit for investors looking to invest their surplus cash reserves in environmentally friendly projects. These deposits will be offered to both retail & corporate customers.

About the ‘green fixed deposits’:

(1) The Bank will use the proceeds from these deposits to finance a wide array of sectors falling under the SDG category including, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green transport, sustainable food, agriculture, forestry, waste management and greenhouse gas reduction.

(2) The interest on the Green deposit remains attractive with an additional benefit of 50 basis points for senior citizens. In all ways, it is similar to a regular bank deposit but in addition, depositors will be issued a ‘Green’ certificate as well as an ‘Assurance’ certificate confirming the end-use of deposit proceeds at the end of the financial year.”

(3) The launch of ‘Green’ deposits’ is part of IndusInd Bank’s larger commitment of creating value for all its stakeholders, and remaining focused at driving the sustainable economic growth of the country.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. KVASU bags national award for breed conservation: The All India Co-ordinated Research Project (AICRP) on poultry breeding, Mannuthy, under the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University (KVASU), bagged the national breed conservation award for 2021. The centre received the prestigious award from ICAR – The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) for the conservation and research activities on the Tellicherry breed, the only registered native chicken breed from the State. The centre started conservation of the Tellicherry breed in 2014. Through scientific selection and management, the breed began laying eggs as early as in five months and the annual egg production increased to 160-170 eggs.

About the awards: The award carries a citation and a purse of Rs 10,000. The award was established by ICAR – NBAGR for their contribution towards the conservation and improvement of registered Indian breeds of domestic livestock and poultry.

 

2. Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 Announced: Sahitya Akademi announced its prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards, Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 in various languages. According to the board, an engraved copper plate, shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh will be given to the main Sahitya Akademi prize winner and an engraved copper plate and an amount of Rs 50,000 each will be given to the Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar.

Sahitya Akademi Award 2021: The Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 was given in 20 Indian languages, the winner of Gujarati, Maithili, Manipuri, and Urdu languages will be announced at a later date. Seven books of poetry, two novels, five books of short stories, two plays, one book each of biography, autobiography, criticism, and epic poetry have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2021. Author, Namita Gokhale was awarded for her novel Things to Leave Behind

Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021: The Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021 were awarded for 22 Indian languages and the award in Tamil will be declared later, there was no award given in Rajasthani language this year. Author Megha Majumdar won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021 for her debut book ‘A Burning’, published in 2020.

Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021: The Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 was given in 22 Indian languages, no Bal Sahitya Puraskar was given in Gujarati and Punjabi languages this year. Anita Vachharajani has been named as the recipient of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 for the biography “Amrita Sher-Gil: Rebel with a Paintbrush”. Hindi writer Devendra Mewari won the award for his play titled “Natak Natak me Vigyan”.