Daily GK Update- 11th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. TS Tirumurti assumes Chair of UNSC Counter-Terrorism Committee: India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti has been appointed as the Chair of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee for 2022. India has assumed the chairmanship of the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (UNSC-CTC) for one year, beginning from January 01, 2022.

Being the Chair of Counter-Terrorism Committee 2022, India will work to further enhance the role of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in strengthening the multilateral response to counter-terrorism, and ensure that global response to the threat of terrorism remains unambiguous, undivided and effective. India is currently a non-permanent member of the 15-nation UNSC. Its two-year term will end on December 31, 2022.

 

2. WFP & The Akshaya Patra Foundation partnered to enhance PM POSHAN Scheme: United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) in India, has partnered with The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF), a not-for-profit organization, to enhance the effectiveness of the Pradhan Mantri – Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme (earlier known as National Programme for Mid-Day Meal in Schools). The partnership aims to enhance food safety and hygiene projects, capacity building of cooks-cum-helpers and nutritional quality of school meals.

Under this collaboration, WFP and TAPF will share knowledge through workshops and policy and strategy dialogues with the government to enhance the quality of the school meal programme. Since its inception in 1961, school meals have been part of WFP’s mission. WFP has six decades of experience supporting school feeding and working with more than 100 countries to set up sustainable national school feeding programmes.

Note: World Food Programme Founded: 1961; World Food Programme Headquarters: Rome, Italy; World Food Programme Executive Director: David Beasley.

 

3. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel launched Student Start-ups and Innovation Policy 2.0: Gujarat Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel has been launched “Student Start-ups and Innovation Policy 2.0 (SSIP-2.0)” for the next five years. The policy contains provisions for the establishment of active innovation and incubation centres in all universities in the state. The policy aims to cover 50 lakh students across 1,000 higher education institutes and 10,000 schools of innovation and entrepreneurship. The policy also aims to give assistance to 10,000 proof of concepts and prototypes developed by the students and to 1,000 proof of concepts developed by school children.

Note: Gujarat Capital: Gandhinagar; Gujarat Governor: Acharya Devvrat; Gujarat Chief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel.

 

4. DPIIT and Commerce Ministry to organize Startup India Innovation Week: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry have decided to organise a week-long virtual innovation celebration called ‘Startup India Innovation Week’ to showcase the spread and depth of entrepreneurship across India. The virtual event will be organised from January 10 to January 16, 2022. The event also aims to commemorate the 75th year of India’s independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

About the week: ‘Startup India Innovation Week’ will have sessions ranging from topics such as enhancing market access opportunities, discussions with industry leaders, best practices by states, capacity building of enablers, reverse pitching by incubators, technology exhibitions, corporate connect and more. “The programme is expected to bring together top policymakers, industry, academia, investors, startups, and all ecosystem enablers from across the globe,”.

 

5. A new book titled “Mamata Beyond 2021” authored by Jayanta Ghosal: HarperCollins Publishers India is set to publish a new book titled “Mamata: Beyond 2021”, authored by political journalist Jayanta Ghosal and translated by Arunava Sinha. The announcement about the release of the book was made on 5th January 2022, the birthday of Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister (CM) of West Bengal and the leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party. The book explores and examines why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost the 2021 West Bengal Election.

 

6. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day: 11th January: This year National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed on January 11, 2022, which is on Tuesday. The day aims at raising awareness of the plight of human trafficking victims, and promoting and protecting their rights. Though the entire month of January has already been recognized as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, this day is specifically dedicated to awareness and prevention of illegal practice.

History of the day: In 2007, the United States Senate ratified the resolution establishing January 11th as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. In 2010, President Obama dedicated the entire month of January to awareness and prevention of human trafficking. Today, there are over 50 established organizations that globally combat this illegal practice, and more awareness has been raised than ever before.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Chinese diplomat Zhang Ming takes charge of Secretary-General of SCO: China’s senior diplomat Zhang Ming has taken charge as the new Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in which India is a member. He has taken charge from Vladimir Norov, former Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan for a three-year term. He was until recently China’s ambassador to the European Union.

The SCO comprises eight member states: India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It also comprises four countries with “observer” status and six more as “dialogue partners”. India joined SCO at the Astana summit in 2017. 2022 will be an important year for India at SCO as, for the first time, it will assume the presidency of SCO, after Uzbekistan, for the period 2022-2023 which will culminate with the SCO Summit to be hosted by the Indian side in 2023. The SCO Summit is the meeting of the Council of Heads of States (HOS) and along with the Council of Heads of Government (HOG) makes two most important dialogue mechanisms among SCO member states.

 

2. Antigua and Barbuda joined ISA as the 102nd member: The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as the 102nd member by signing the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement, the India-led global green energy initiative. The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne signed the framework agreement in the presence of Indian High Commissioner Dr K. J. Srinivasa to catalyze global energy transition through a solar-led approach.

ISA was jointly launched by India and France in 2015 during the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change COP-21 in Paris, France to promote solar energy.

Note: Antigua and Barbuda Capital: Saint John’s; Antigua and Barbuda Currency: East Caribbean Dollar; Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister: Gaston Browne.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI cancelled authorisation certificates of Muthoot Vehicle Finance, Eko India: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA) of two Payment System Operators (PSOs): Muthoot Vehicle and Asset Finance Limited and Eko India Financial Services Private Limited, citing non-compliance with regulatory requirements under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Both Muthoot Vehicle and Asset Finance Limited and Eko India Financial Services Private Limited had the certificate of authorisation issued by the RBI for issuance and operation of prepaid payment instruments.

The RBI further mentioned in its press release that the COA cancellation came into force on December 31, 2021. But RBI clarified in its notice that the customers or merchants who have a valid claim on these companies as PSOs can approach them for settlement of their claims within three years from the date of cancellation.

 

2. Shafali Verma appointed as Brand Endorser of Bank of Baroda: State-owned Bank of Baroda has signed cricketer Shafali Verma as its brand endorser. The Bank continuously supports the youth of the country through its various banking and non-banking initiatives and this announcement reflects the bank’s ethos of adding value to its customer experience by choosing youth-icons like Shafali to inspire them.” In 2019, at the age of 15, Shafali became the youngest cricketer to play in a Women’s Twenty20 International match for India. Previously in 2021, Shafali Verma became the 1st Women Cricketer to Hit 3 Sixes in Test Match.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Google acquires Israeli cybersecurity startup Siemplify for $500 million: Alphabet Inc-owned, Google has acquired Israeli cybersecurity startup Siemplify, in a deal worth $500 million. This acquisition will expand the U.S. tech giant’s security offerings in the country amid rising cyber-attacks. Siemplify will be integrated into Google Cloud’s Chronicle operation. As a part of Google Cloud’s security team, Siemplify will help companies better manage their threat response. About the Acquisition:

(1) This purchase marks the fourth acquisition of an Israeli company by Google and its first in the cybersecurity industry outside the US.

(2) Siemplify was founded in 2015 by Amos Stern (CEO), Alon Cohen (CTO) and Garry Fatakhov (COO). It has offices in Tel Aviv and headquarters in New York.

(3) Siemplify specializes in end-to-end security services for enterprises, typically referred to as security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) services.

Note: Google CEO: Sundar Pichai; Google Founded: 4 September 1998, California, United States; Google Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. South Indian Bank won UiPath Automation Excellence awards 2021: South Indian Bank (SIB) won the UiPath Automation Excellence Awards 2021 for Best Automation under ‘Crisis for Business Continuity’. The 2021 edition of the award recognises the contribution of the individuals and organizations across India and South Asia (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal) for bringing change through transformative automation projects.

Other Awards:

 

Category	Individual/Organisation
Best Cognitive Automation	EY Global Delivery Services and PricewaterhouseCoopers
Best First Time Automation	Teejay and Shapoorji Pallonji and Co.
Best Automation Center of Excellence	Reckitt and JSW Global Business Solutions
Best Citizen Developer Program	Firstsource Solutions and HP Inc
Special UiPath Recognition	JSW Steel Limited and Omega Healthcare

 

2. JC Chaudhry gets first ever Guinness World Record in Numerology: India’s one of the top numerologists, JC Chaudhry has achieved the first-ever Guinness World Record in Numerology and the first world record of 2022 by educating about ancient science to around 6000 participants, enthusiasts of numerology joined from the United States, the United Kingdom, Middle East, and India. The Guinness World Record London office has opened a new category, “Numerology” for this achievement. The initiative was organised by CNPL (Chaudhry Nummero Pvt Ltd) and the Indian Institute of Numerology to create awareness regarding numerology, which is prevalent across ancient cultures like Greece, Egypt, China, Chaldea and India.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Shillong Chamber Choir founder Neil Nongkynrih passes away: Founder of Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC) and renowned Indian concert pianist Neil Nongkynrih passed away. In 2010, SCC performed for former US President Barack Obama & Michelle Obama during their visit to India. SCC’s version of ‘Vande Maataram’ was played during the live telecast program Indian space rocket Chandrayaan – 2’s landing on the moon. In 2015, he was awarded the Padma Shri – India’s fourth-highest civilian honour.

 

2. First black man to win Best Actor Oscar, Sidney Poitier passes away: Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1964, has died at the age of 94. In 1963, Poitier had made a film in Arizona, Lilies of the Field. The performance led to a huge milestone making him the first black winner of a lead-acting Oscar. He was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by President Obama for his work.

Sidney Poitier started his career as an actor in theatre in the 1940s before his breakthrough film role in the 1950 release No Way Out. Over a five-decade career in films, he worked both as an actor and director. His last appearance on screen was in the 1997 film Jackal.

Daily GK Update- 10th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Himachal Pradesh became 1st LPG enabled & smoke free state of the country: Himachal Pradesh became the first LPG enables, also, smoke-free state. This milestone was achieved due to the Ujjwala Scheme and Grahini Suvidha Yojana by Centre. The Ujjwala scheme was introduced by the government to get rid of the smoke. The Grahini Suvidha Scheme was introduced to assist the women of rural areas. Ujjwalla Yojna was started by the Centre government with the view to free the women of the country from indoor pollution. Along with this, the Himachal government also started the Grihini Suvidha Yojana to benefit as many women as possible, under the scheme.

About the Ujjwalla Yojna: Under the Ujjwala yojana with an expenditure of Rs. 21.81 crore 1.36 lakh free domestic connections were given in Himachal, while under the Grihini Suvidha Yojana of the Himachal government, 3.23 lakh housewives were provided free gas cylinders at a cost of Rs. 120 crore.

About the Mukhya Mantri Grihini Suvidha Yojana: Mukhya Mantri Grihini Suvidha Yojana was launched on 26th May 2018. With the concerted efforts of the Centre and State government, the women of the state have become free from indoor pollution. Besides this, in order to conserve the environment, free LPG connection is given to families with no gas connection.

Note: Himachal Pradesh Capital: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter); Himachal Pradesh Governor: Rajendra Arlekar; Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur.

 

2. Kerala’s High Court: India’s First paperless court: The Kerala High Court is all set to become India’s first paperless court. Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud inaugurated the smart courtrooms on 1 January 2022. In the 1st phase six courtrooms, including the Chief Justice’s room, will be converted into smart courts. Also, case files will be made available to the lawyers on the computer screen.

Working Process: Cases e-filed will be processed, verified and cured through e-mode, stakeholders can avail the option of hearing of cases in hybrid mode involving physical hearing as well as through videoconferencing, and orders and judgments will also be delivered through e-mode. Every part of the process can be viewed, processed through the dashboard or virtual box of individual stakeholders and participants in the judicial process. All stakeholders, including litigants, could access, work and update cases from the comfort of their homes, offices or in transit, added the communication.

 

3. Ayush Minister lays foundation stone of International Yoga Academy: Union Ayush Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal has laid the foundation stone of the Heartfulness International Yoga Academy in Hyderabad, Telangana. He also launched 75 crores suryanamaskar initiative as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. The academy tries to reach all levels of society through training programmes and these will be overseen by an international team. This the academy has therapeutic Yoga rooms for consultation, one to one training spaces or small group classes; pre-natal Yoga rooms; a lecture hall with  200 sitting capacity; a full-fledged recording studio with editing suites for pre-recorded wellness programs; a recording Yoga hall fully equipped for Live online Yoga Classes; a Yoga library with books from every Yoga Institutions and access to Yoga research articles.

About the Suryanamaskar initiative: The 75 crore Suryanamaskar project is a tribute to 75 years of India’s independence. Surya Namaskar’s practice of sun salutation’ literally means the sun salutation and the project will continue until February 20. The programme is supported by some central ministries and is led by five international organizations – Patanjali Yogpeeth, Heartfulness Institute, NYSF-National Yogasana Sports Federation, Geeta Parivar and Kreeda Bharati. The 75 crores Suryanamaskar challenge aims to create the largest congregational Surya Namaskar event with each participant receiving a certificate upon completion of the 21-day Suryanamaskar challenge.

 

4. G Asok Kumar named as DG of National Mission for Clean Ganga: Additional Secretary under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, G Asok Kumar was appointed as the new Director-General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. He succeeded Director-General, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra. Kumar is popularly known as ‘the Rain Man of India’ for his excellent work in rainwater harvesting under the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” campaign.

About the National Mission for Clean Ganga: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860. It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986. NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect from the 7th October 2016, consequent to the constitution of the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred to as National Ganga Council).

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Atul Keshap appointed as President of US-India Business Council: Indian-origin American diplomat Atul Keshap has been appointed as the President of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) by the US Chambers of Commerce. His term is effective from January 05, 2022. The US Chambers of Commerce is the parent body of USIBC. Atul Keshap replaces Nisha Desai Biswal. Prior to this, Keshap served in Delhi as United States Chargé d’Affaires to India, leading the US Embassy team. The USIBC represents top global companies operating across the United States, India, and the Indo-Pacific.

 

2. Indian-Origin Captain Harpreet Chandi reaches South Pole: Captain Harpreet Chandi, Indian-origin British Sikh Army officer and physiotherapist, also known as Polar Preet, has created history by becoming the first woman of colour to complete a solo unsupported trek to the South Pole. Capt. Chandi announced her history-making feat at the end of Day 40 after travelling 700 miles (1,127 kilometres) while pulling a pulk or sledge with all of her kit and battling temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of around 60mph.

As part of a Medical Regiment in the northwest of England, Capt. Chandi’s primary role is to organise and validate training for medics in the Army as Clinical Training Officer.

 

3. World Hindi Day: 10th January: World Hindi Day is celebrated on January 10 since 2006 to promote the language at the global stage. The day marks the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference which was inaugurated on January 10, 1975, by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. However, the celebration of first World Hindi Day was commenced on 10 January 2006 by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Significance: The language got its name from the Persian term ‘Hind’ which means ‘the land of Indus’. The language is spoken in India, Trinidad, Nepal, Guyana, Mauritius and other countries.

History of the day: The first World Hindi Day conference was organised on January 10, 1975, in Nagpur, a city in the state of Maharashtra. The grand event registered the participation of 122 representatives from 30 countries. The day is observed in India from the year 2003. The Ministry of External Affairs began the tradition of celebrating World Hindi Day in other nations in 2006 with an aim to promote this language across the world.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI issued framework for offline digital payments: Reserve Bank of India has issued a framework for facilitating small-value digital payments in offline mode using cards, wallets, mobile devices, etc, to push digital transactions in rural and semi-urban areas. The upper limit of an offline payment transaction was fixed at Rs 200, with a total limit of Rs 2,000 at any point in time. The framework will enable the Authorised Payment System Operators (PSOs) and Payment System Participants (PSPs), Acquirers and Issuers (banks and non-banks) to conduct small value offline digital payments.

Under the offline mode, payments can be carried out face-to-face (proximity mode) using any channel or instrument like cards, wallets, and mobile devices. These transactions will not require an additional factor of authentication (AFA), the Reserve Bank of India said, adding that since the transactions are offline, alerts (by way of SMS and/or e-mail) will be received by the customer after a time lag.

 

2. RBI: Airtel Payments Bank gets scheduled bank status 2022: Airtel Payments Bank has been categorised as a scheduled bank by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the second schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. With this, Airtel Payments Bank can now pitch for the government. Airtel Payments Bank is among the fastest-growing digital banks in the country, with a base of 115 million users. It offers a suite of digital solutions through the Airtel Thanks app and a retail network of over 500,000 neighbourhood banking points. The bank turned profitable in the quarter ended September 2021.

Note: Airtel Payments Bank’s MD and CEO: Nubrata Biswas; Airtel Payments Bank Headquarters: New Delhi; Airtel Payments Bank Founded: January 2017.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India records highest-ever monthly exports at $37 billion in December: The preliminary data released by the commerce and industry ministry, India exported goods worth $37.29 billion in December, the highest ever in a month, as demand for items such as engineering products, petroleum items, and gems and jewellery continued to soar. India’s export has increased by 37 per cent from the figures of December 2020. The import has also increased by 38 per cent from last December. India’s exports of goods will cross 400 billion dollars in this fiscal year.

According to the data:

(1) Shipments during April-December 2021 crossed $300 billion.

(2) Engineering goods export has grown by 37% over the last December while export of Gems and jewellery has increase by 15.8%.

(3) Readymade garments and cotton yarn export has grown by 22% and 46% over the last December respectively.

(4) India’s export of services during April-December 2021 was $178.81 billion.

(5) India will soon sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UAE to increase export.

 

2. NBBL launched UPMS to simplify recurring bill payments: NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd. (NBBL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India has introduced a functionality called ‘Unified Presentment Management System’ (UPMS). NBBL through UPMS will enable the customers to set up standing instructions – from any channel and for any mode on their recurring bill payments. The bills will be automatically fetched from the billers and presented to customers for their action, in terms of auto-debit and bill payment management.

About the UPMS: The bills will be automatically fetched from the billers and presented to customers for their action, in terms of auto-debit and bill payment management. UPMS will be available to customers through the centralized infrastructure and application support provided by Bharat BillPay Central Unit (BBPCU).

Note: NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd Founded: 2021; NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd CEO: Noopur Chaturvedi.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism awards announced: The Indian Express Group has announced the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards (RNG Awards) for journalists across the country, for their work done in 2019. RNG awards are one the most prestigious awards in India in the field of journalism, held annually since 2006. The photo stories of our winners appeared in our print and digital editions between December 24, 2021, and January 4, 2022.

List of winners:

 

Hindi (Print): Anand Choudhary, Dainik Bhaskar

Hindi (Broadcast): Sushil Kumar Mohapatra, NDTV India

Regional Languages (Print): Aniket Vasant Sathe, Loksatta

Regional Languages (Broadcast): Sunil Baby, Media One TV

Environment, Science And Technology Reporting (Print): Team Pari (People’s Archive Of Rural India)

Environment, Science And Technology Reporting (Broadcast): Team Scroll

Uncovering India Invisible (Print): Shiv Sahay Singh, The Hindu

Uncovering India Invisible (Broadcast): Tridip K Mandal, The Quint

Business And Economic Journalism (Print): Sumant Banerji, Business Today

Business And Economic Journalism (Broadcast): Ayushi Jindal, India Today TV

Reporting On Politics And Government (Digital): Dheeraj Mishra, The Wire

Reporting On Politics And Government (Broadcast): Seemi Pasha, Thewire.in

Sports journalism (Print): Nihal Koshie, The Indian Express

Sports journalism (Broadcast): Team NewsX

Investigative Reporting (Print): Kaunain Sheriff M, The Indian Express

Investigative Reporting (Broadcast): S Mahesh Kumar, Manorama News

Reporting On Arts, Culture And Entertainment: Uday Bhatia, Mint

Prakash Kardaley Memorial Award for Civic Journalism: Chaitanya Marpakwar, Mumbai Mirror

Photojournalism: Zishaan A Latif, The Caravan

Books (Non-Fiction): Arun Mohan Sukumar

About the Awards: The award is given to honour journalists across the country from print, broadcast and digital media who have maintained the highest standards of their profession and, despite immense challenges, produced work that sustains public trust in the media and impacts the lives of people. The award is named after Ramnath Goenka, the founder of “The Indian Express” and Indian Express Group in 1932.

Daily GK Update- 9th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Raj Kumar Singh dedicates Automatic Generation Control to nation: Power and new and renewable energy minister, Raj Kumar Singh has dedicated Automatic Generation Control (AGC) to the nation. The AGC sends signals to power plants every four seconds to maintain the frequency and thereby reliability of India’s power system. It will help in achieving the government’s target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel-based generation capacity by 2030.

About the Automatic Generation Control:

(1) Automatic Generation Control will be operated by Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) through National Load Despatch Centre.

(2) POSOCO will send signals to every power plant through AGC every 4 seconds to maintain the frequency and reliability of the Power System.

(3) R.K. Singh has also released a report titled “Assessment of Inertia in Indian Power System”. It has been prepared by POSOCO with the help of IIT Bombay.

(4) India has achieved an installed capacity of 150 GW of renewable energy and aims to achieve a renewable energy capacity of 175 GW in 2022.

 

2. PM chose Puducherry as host of National Youth Festival: Puducherry has been handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to host the 25th National Youth Festival. The 25th National Youth Festival is going to be held in Puducherry from 12th to 16th January 2022. The festival has been organised as part of the Azadi ki Amrit Mahotsav marking the 75th year of Independence, said Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur. Key points of the festival:

(1) The festival is likely to draw around 7000 youths in the age group of 18 to 22 from across the country. Around 500 youths from Puducherry will take part in the event.

(2) The government of India holds National Youth Festival, as a part of National Youth Week celebrations. It is organised with the aim of propagating the concept of national integration, brotherhood, the spirit of communal harmony, courage and adventure amongst the youth.

(3) This aim is achieved by organizing gatherings of youth and encouraging them to take part in different activities.

 

3. Odisha’s Ganjam district is now child marriage free 2022: Odisha’s Ganjam has declared itself a child marriage free district, the first in the State. The district administration has been able to stop as many as 450 child marriages and video-record 48,383 marriages in two years — 2020 and 2021. After verification, the Ganjam administration declared it a child marriage free district. Sarpanchs and task force committee members had sent recommendations that no child marriage had taken place in their respective areas.

About the programme: Ganjam had started a programme Nirbhaya Kadhi (Fearless bud). All heads of educational institutes were directed to inform the administration if any girl aged between 12 and 18 remained absent from school for five days. As many as one lakh teenagers have undergone counselling in the past two years. The administration also made the production of Aadhaar cards mandatory for any marriages to take place.

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

 

4. Alka Mittal becomes 1st women head of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation: Director HR in ONGC, Alka Mittal has been given the additional charge as the new interim chairman and managing director (CMD) of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the largest oil and gas producer in India. She is the first woman to head the top post at the Maharatna company. She replaces Subhash Kumar who superannuated on December 31. He was also serving as an interim head. Alka Mittal has been appointed for a period of six months with effect from January 1, 2022, or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post, or until further order, whichever is the earliest.

Note: ONGC Headquarters: Vasant Kunj, New Delhi; ONGC Founded: 14 August 1956.

 

5. Pravasi Bhartiya Divas: 9th January: The Non-Resident Indian Day or also known as the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is celebrated every year on 9th January every year. The aim of the event is to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots. On the occasion of 2022 Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD), Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan will speak at a virtual youth PBD conference on the “role of Indian diaspora” in innovation and new technology.

History and Significance: On 9 January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi came to India from South Africa and became the greatest Pravasi who led India’s Freedom Struggle and made India free from British or colonial rule. As a Non-Resident Indian or Pravasi, he is presented as a symbol of a change and development that could bring into India.

Note: Union Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announces resignation: Prime Minister of Sudan, Abdalla Hamdok has announced his resignation on January 02, 2022. The decision follows a military coup that caused political deadlock and widespread pro-democracy protests in the country. The 66-year-old Hamdok served as the 15th Prime Minister of Sudan from 2019 to 2022. Mr Hamdok called for a dialogue to agree on a “national charter” and to “draw a roadmap” to complete the transition. The October coup had upended Sudan’s plans to move to democracy after a popular uprising forced the military’s overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government in April 2019.

Note: Sudan Capital: Khartoum; Currency: Sudanese pound.

 

2. Apple becomes world’s first company to hit $3 trillion M-Cap: The stock market value of Apple Inc. hit $3 trillion and became the world’s first company to do so. The market cap of Apple hit $182.86 per share, which made it the world’s first company to touch the $3 trillion mark. However shortly after hitting the mark, the share value dipped below it and did not rise again until the market closed. The iPhone maker passed $2 trillion in 2020 and over $1 trillion in 2018. The world’s most valuable company reached the milestone as investors bet that consumers will continue to shell out top dollar for iPhones, MacBooks and services such as Apple TV and Apple Music. In China, the world’s largest smartphone market, Apple continued to lead for the second straight month, beating rivals such as Vivo and Xiaomi, recent data from CounterPoint Research showed.

Note: Apple Inc. CEO: Tim Cook; Apple Inc. Founded: 1 April 1976, California, United States; Apple Inc. Headquarters: Cupertino, California, United States; Apple Inc. Founders: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI Retains SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank as D-SIBs 2022: Reserve Bank of India has retained State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs). These three banks have continued to be on the D-SIBs list published by RBI, since Sep 04, 2017. Domestic Systemically Important Banks are those banks which if fail would have a significant impact on the economy.

The D-SIBs banks are classified into 5 buckets. Bucket 1, Bucket 2, Bucket 3, Bucket 4 and Bucket 5. With Bucket 5 being the most important followed by rest in decreasing order. State Bank of India is in Bucket 3, while ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank are in Bucket 1. The updated list is based on the data collected from banks as of March 31, 2021.

About the D-SIB: The D-SIB framework requires the central to disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs starting from 2015 and place these lenders in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs). SIBs are seen as ‘too big to fail (TBTF)’, creating expectations of government support for them in times of financial distress. These banks also enjoy certain advantages in funding markets.

 

2. RBI approved Fino Payments Bank for international remittance business: Reserve Bank of India has approved Fino Payments Bank for commencing international (Cross Border) remittance business under the Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS). The approval will enable the customers of Fino Payments Bank to receive money sent from foreign countries. The Bank plans to implement the service in its mobile applications as well and it also plans to partner with more leading money transfer operators (MTOs) to improve its cross-border remittance.

What are the benefits of the bank?

(1) The Bank will be undertaking inward cross-border money transfer activities and will be partnering with an overseas principal.

(2) It has also received the approval to partner with one of the largest global remittance service providers as its overseas principal.

(3) The customer segment of Fino Bank at the middle of the pyramid is targeted to families of many of the people working in foreign countries.

(4) The money remitted by family members abroad can now be directly withdrawn at the nearest micro-ATM or Aadhaar-Enabled Payment Services (AEPS) enabled Fino Bank’s neighbourhood merchant point.

Note: Chairman of Fino Payments Bank: Prof Mahendra Kumar Chouhan; Fino Payments Bank established: 13 July 2006; MD & CEO of Fino Payments Bank: Rishi Gupta; Headquarters of Fino Payments Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Nippon India MF launches India’s first Auto ETF 2022: Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited, asset manager of Nippon India Mutual Fund (NIMF), has announced the launch of India’s First Auto sector ETF – Nippon India Nifty Auto ETF. Nippon India Nifty Auto ETF will predominantly invest in stocks comprising of the Nifty Auto Index in the same proportion as the Index. It will provide exposure to Top 15 (as per Nifty Auto Index methodology) companies representing auto-related sectors like Automobiles 4 wheelers, Automobiles 2 & 3 wheelers, Auto Ancillaries, and Tyres.

The Nippon Auto ETF will start operation from January 5, 2022 to January 14, 2022. The minimum investment amount required is Rs 1,000 and in multiples of Rs 1 aftermath. The investment objective of the scheme is “to provide investment returns closely corresponding to the total returns of the securities as represented by the Nifty Auto Index before expenses, subject to tracking error. However, there can be no assurance or guarantee that the investment objective of the Scheme will be achieved.

 

2. CryptoWire introduces India’s first global index of cryptocurrencies IC15: CryptoWire, a global crypto super app that is a special business unit of TickerPlant, announced the launch of India’s first index of Cryptocurrencies – IC15, which is a rule-based broad market index by market capitalisation. The IC15 tracks and measures the performance of the top 15 widely traded liquid cryptocurrencies listed on leading crypto exchanges of the world, the company stated. The Mumbai-based company has been designed to provide insights into crypto mining and the true benchmark and a mirror of the underlying crypto market, a barometer of the industry in a sense, with a diversified representation of overall market sentiments.

About the Index:

(1) CryptoWire’s Index Governance Committee, comprising domain experts, industry practitioners, and academicians, will maintain, monitor, and administer the index while rebalancing it every quarter.

(2) The Base Value of the index is set at 10,000 and the base date is April 1, 2018.

(3) Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, Litecoin, Binance Coin, Chainlink, Polkadot, Uniswap, Dogecoin, Solana, Terra, Avalanche, and Shia Inu will be the constituents of IC15.

(4) The index enables crypto enthusiasts, investors, and investment managers to monitor the performance of cryptocurrencies in the global markets.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. 3-time Olympic Gold winning Triple Jump Champion Viktor Saneyev passes away: The Olympic triple jump 3-time gold medalist and former world record holder, Viktor Danilovich Saneyev passed away in Australia. He was a triple long player who represented the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in the Olympic Games. Later he worked as a coach in Australia. He secured gold medals in European Games organized in 1969 Athens and 1974 Rome.

 

2. Sindhutai Sapkal popular as ‘Mother of Orphans’ passes away: Social worker Sindhutai Sapkal, who was called as ‘Mother of Orphans’ passed away at the age of 73 years. She was also referred to just as ‘Sindhutai’ or ‘Mai’. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 in the Social Work category. Apart from this, she had received more than 750 awards and honours in her lifetime. She adopted close to 2,000 orphans and is grandmother to even more. She was from Maharashtra. A biopic on her life titled “Mee Sindhutai Sapkal“ was released in the year 2010.

Daily GK Update- 8th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launches NEAT 3.0: Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan has launched National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT 3.0), and regional language textbooks prescribed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). NEAT 3.0 aims to provide the best-developed ed-tech solutions and courses to students on a single platform. It will be beneficial especially among the economically disadvantaged students. It is a Public-Private Partnership model between the Government (through its implementing agency AICTE) and the Education Technology companies.

58 global and Indian ed-tech startup companies have come together for this solution and are offering 100 courses and e-resources to enhance learning outcomes, developing employable skills as well as overcome learning loss. The collaboration of global ed-tech companies and Indian start-ups by way of NEAT will help to build on the digital education bedrock of India.

 

2. Sushmita Dev in 31-member Panel to examine bill on raising legal age of marriage: The parliamentary standing committee constituted to examine “The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021” comprise of a total of 31 members, including only one women representative. Out of the total 31 members, TMC MP Sushmita Dev is the sole woman representative in the committee. The Bill seeks to raise the legal age of marriage for women in India from 18 to 21 to bring it at par with men.

About the Bill: The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021 seeks to amend the “Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006” and seven personal laws, which are: Indian Christian Marriage Act; the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act; the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act; the Special Marriage Act; the Hindu Marriage Act; and the Foreign Marriage Act.

 

3. Telangana tops in highest number of ODF villages: Telangana stood first in the country in the list of the highest number of open defecation free (ODF Plus) villages under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II programme till December 31, 2021. As many as 13,737 out of 14,200 villages in the State are on the ODF Plus list, which is 96.74%. This was followed by Tamil Nadu with 4,432 villages (35.39%) and Karnataka with 1,511 villages (5.59%). Gujarat took the 17th position with only 83 villages (0.45%).

The State government has enacted a new Telangana Panchayat Raj Act to ensure the holistic development of villages. A secretary has been posted in every panchayat for smooth execution of welfare programmes, close monitoring, digital reporting and to ensure the prevalence of good governance in villages. Multi-purpose workers have been appointed to maintain proper sanitation in villages. There are 12,769 dedicated compost sheds in all gram panchayats. Tankers have also been provided to water the plants for greenery in villages.

 

4. Vinod Kannan named as next CEO of Vistara airline: Vinod Kannan took over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vistara Airlines. He replaced Leslie Thng who was the CEO from July 16, 2017, to December 31, 2021. It added that Deepak Rajawat has been elevated to take up the role of Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer. Vistara, is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines.

Kannan spent over two decades working with SIA and has held several senior positions in the airline’s head office in Singapore as well as overseas. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore and the University of California, Los Angeles.

 

5. Ladakh celebrated traditional new year ‘Losar Festival’: The Losar Festival in Ladakh is celebrated at the onset of the New Year in the traditional schedule of Tibetan Buddhism. It is celebrated by the Buddhist Community in the Ladakh region. The Losar is a 15 days festival, from the start of the Tibetan Lunar calendar, marking the 1st day of the 11 months in the Tibetan Calendar. Losar is a Tibetan word that means ‘New Year’.

The festivities began with the celebration of Birth and Nirvana Anniversary Je Tsongkhapa with illuminations of religious places like Monasteries,  Stupas, residential and other places. The eve of the Losar festival is also celebrated with memorial food offerings for the departed loved ones.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Ex-UK PM Tony Blair joins top royal order 2022: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Baroness Amos are to be appointed as members of the Order of the Garter, England’s oldest and most senior order of chivalry. The former prime minister now will be known as ‘Sir Tony’. The appointments are the personal choice of the Queen, who has up to 24 “knight and lady companions”. The ceremonial order, founded in 1348, is a recognition of significant public service and made without prime ministerial advice.

Under Sir Tony’s leadership, the UK joined the US-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan – an official inquiry into the 2003 Iraq war was strongly critical of his government and UK military chiefs. He famously referred to Diana, Princess of Wales, as the “people’s princess” after her death.

 

2. Russia’s test-fires new hypersonic Tsirkon missiles 2022: Russia successfully test-fired around 10 new Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missiles from a frigate and other two missiles from a submarine. The Zircon missile would be capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of 1,000 kilometres (620 miles). The Tsirkon Cruise Missile will join Avangard glide vehicles and the air-launched Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles in Russia’s hypersonic arsenal. Zircon is intended to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines. It is one of several hypersonic missiles under development in Russia. The launch was the latest in a series of tests of Zircon, which is set to enter service next year.

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

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SEBI reconstitutes its primary market advisory committee: Capital markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India has restructured its primary market advisory committee on data. The committee aims to measure pertaining to areas such as securities market data access and privacy. Sebi has appointed Professor at National Law University, Delhi and former chairperson, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India S Sahoo as Panel Head. Earlier this panel was headed by Madhabi Puri Buch, an ex-whole time member of Sebi.

The objective of the Committee: The scope of the work of the committee includes identifying segment-wise data perimeters, data needs and gaps, recommending data privacy and data access regulations applicable to market data. It is responsible for recommending appropriate policy for access to securities market data. In addition, the committee recommends standardization of data definitions; data identification logic ( usage of uniform codes for identifying and storing data – raw data and derived data) and data validation techniques (single source of truth, validation).

Other members of the committee: Members of the committee include Ashlesh Gosain, Regional Head South Asia, Bloomberg LP, Mumbai; Reena Garg Scientist F & Head (Electronic & Information Technology Department) at BIS; Kiran Shetty, CEO and Regional Head – India & South Asia at SWIFT India; Ganesh Ramakishnan Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering in IIT Bombay.

Also, BSE Managing Director and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan; NSE MD and CEO Vikram Limaye; Mahesh Vyas, MD of CMIE; Prithvi Haldea, chairman at Prime Database; and Anuj Kumar, CEO of CAMS are also the members.

 

2. RBI named Ajay Kumar Choudhary and Deepak Kumar as new Executive Directors: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Deepak Kumar and Ajay Kumar Choudhary as new executive directors (ED) with effect from 03 January. Prior to being promoted as ED, Deepak Kumar was heading the department of information technology of RBI, while Ajay Choudhary was Chief General Manager-in-Charge, Department of Supervision.

About the Deepak Kumar: Kumar has over a span of three decades working in RBI’s central office departments covering policy making and project management functions in the areas of information technology, cyber security, payment systems, currency management, human resource management, banking supervision, foreign exchange management.

About the Ajay Kumar Choudhary: Meanwhile, Choudhary has, over a span of three decades, served in supervision, regulation, currency management, payments and settlements, and other areas in the Reserve Bank, in its Central Office as well as Regional Offices. He will look after the fintech department, risk monitoring department and inspection department.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. NTPC plans to buy 5% equity in Power Exchange of India Ltd: State-owned power generation company NTPC Ltd. is set to acquire a 5 per cent equity stake in Power Exchange of India Ltd (PXIL). It must be noted that the government is planning to expand the share of the spot power market in the total electricity supply in India to 25 per cent by 2023-24. At present, the size of short-term power trading is about 5 per cent.

About Power Exchange of India Ltd:

(1) It was incorporated on February 20, 2008, as India’s first institutionally promoted power exchange.

(2) PXIL provides various electricity trading solutions and helps in connecting buyers with sellers.

(3) The authorised share capital of the PXIL is Rs 120 crore and the paid-up capital is Rs 58.47 crore.

 

2. Indian-origin Ashok Elluswamy was first employee to be hired for Tesla’s: Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk, who has been using social media to recruit people, has disclosed that Indian-origin Ashok Elluswamy was the first employee to be hired for his electric vehicle company’s Autopilot team. Before joining Tesla, Mr Elluswamy was associated with Volkswagen Electronic Research Lab and WABCO Vehicle Control System.

Ashok Elluswamy holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the College of Engineering Guindy, Chennai and a Master’s degree in Robotics System Development from Carnegie Mellon University.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Zishaan A Latif won Ramnath Goenka Award in Photo journalism: Zishaan A Latif won Ramnath Goenka Award in the Photo Journalism category. He won the award for his photo essay, The arduous struggle for inclusion in the NRC, which was published in The Caravan in October 2019. He documented the plight of people who were dropped from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and put a face to an untold human story. About a month after the NRC list was released, Latif made his way through four districts in Assam, documenting people’s struggle for inclusion in the NRC.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Legendary Kenyan Conservationist and Fossil-hunter Richard Leaky passes away: World-renowned Kenyan politician, conservationist and fossil hunter Richard Leakey has passed away. The legendary paleoanthropologist is credited for the discovery of ‘Turkana Boy’ in 1984 which led to groundbreaking discoveries proving that humankind evolved in Africa. Turkana boy is the most complete fossil Skelton of a human ancestor ever found. Paleoanthropology is the study of human evolution through fossil and archaeological records. Leakey is also known to spearhead campaigns against the ivory trade to save the population of African elephants.

 

2. Indian Navy’s 1971 war veteran Vice Admiral S H Sarma passes away: The Indian Navy’s 1971 Indo-Pak war veteran Vice Admiral S.H. Sarma has passed away, at the age of 100. He was the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet during the 1971 war. India had defeated Pakistan in the 1971 war leading to the creation of Bangladesh. Vice Admiral Sarma had celebrated his 100th birthday on December 1 last year. He also took part in the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav celebration in Delhi recently. Sarma was the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet during the 1971 war. India had defeated Pakistan in the 1971 war leading to the creation of Bangladesh.