Daily GK Update- 1st May, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Bank approved $47 million program for India’s Mission Karmayogi program: The World Bank has approved a USD 47 million projects to support the Government of India’s Mission Karmayogi, a national program to build civil service capacity. There are nearly 18 million civil servants employed across India, with approximately two-thirds at the state government and local authority levels. The Bank’s financing aims to support the Government’s objectives of enhancing the functional and behavioural competencies of approximately four million civil servants. It will focus on three components: the development and implementation of competency frameworks; the development of an integrated learning platform; and program monitoring, evaluation, and management. About the project:

a)      The Project is aligned with the India Country Partnership Framework (CPF) FY18-22 which includes strengthening public sector institutions as one of the four areas of engagement for the World Bank in India.

b)      The project is also aligned with the World Bank’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and building shared prosperity, as building the capabilities of government officials to implement policy priorities and deliver effective services is critical to the achievement of these aims.

 

2. In Bengaluru, Prime Minister Modi introduced the Semicon India Conference 2022: The Semicon India Conference-2022 will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bengaluru will host this three-day conference. According to a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) statement, the three-day conference is being held to advance Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s objective of making India a leader in electronics manufacturing, semiconductor design, production, and innovation. Key Points:

a)      The conference is intended to serve as a springboard for the country’s aspiration to become a worldwide semiconductor hub and to develop the chip design and manufacturing ecosystem.

b)      This conference will feature eminent specialists from industry associations, research organisations, and academia.

c)       They will discuss policy, talent, and the government’s role and efforts in fostering a favourable growth environment for the country’s semiconductor ecosystem.

d)      Minister of State for MeitY Rajeev Chandrasekhar earlier stated that the Semicon India 2022 conference will attract the best minds from around the world from the semiconductor industry, research, and academia, and will serve as a major step toward realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a global hub for electronics manufacturing and semiconductor industry.

 

3. New Space India Limited and OneWeb signed for satellite launches: One Web, a Bharti group company, and New Space India Limited, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation, have signed a satellite launch deal. The Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, is expected to launch New Space in 2022. Key Points:

a)      OneWeb’s whole in-orbit constellation of 428 satellites, or 66% of the intended total fleet, will be added to the global network to enable high-speed, low-latency connectivity.

b)      This launch contract follows a separate agreement announced in March 2022 between OneWeb and SpaceX to allow the firm to resume satellite launches.

c)       As demand for OneWeb’s broadband connectivity services continues to rise from a variety of sectors and markets, the firm has already activated service with its network above the 50th parallel and above.

d)      The upcoming launches will add to OneWeb’s total in-orbit constellation of 428 satellites, accounting for 66% of the planned total fleet, in order to build a global network that will deliver high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband services to rural and remote areas around the world, including India.

OneWeb is launching a global fleet of 648 low-earth-orbit satellites.

Note: NSIL CMD Radhakrishnan Durairaj; NSIL Director, Technical & Strategy: Arunachalam; ISRO Chairman: Sreedhara Panicker Somanath

 

4. Statehood Day 2022 of Maharashtra and Gujarat: Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrated their statehood day on 1st May 2022. On May 1st, 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was divided into two separate states by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960: Maharashtra for Marathi speaking people and Gujarat for Gujarati speaking people. Gujarat was established as the 15th state of the Indian Union.

Maharashtra

a)      Capital: Mumbai

b)      Sex Ratio: 929 female per 1000 male (National: 943)

c)       Literacy: 82.34% (National: 74.04%)

d)      Arabian Sea guards the western boundary of Maharashtra, while Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are on the northern side. Chhattisgarh covers the eastern boundary of the State. Karnataka and Telangana are on its southern side.

e)      The State has been identified as the country’s powerhouse and Mumbai, its capital as the centre point of India’s financial and commercial markets.

Gujarat

a)      Capital: Gandhinagar

b)      Sex Ratio: 919 female per 1000 male (National: 943)

c)       Literacy: 78.03% (National: 74.04%)

d)      The state is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the west, Pakistan and Rajasthan in the north and north-east respectively, Madhya Pradesh in the south-east and Maharashtra in the south.

e)      Gujarat is the first state in the nation to start a separate department of ‘climate change’ to tackle the issue of global warming.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Russia withdraws from UN tourism body ahead of vote on its suspension: Russia is withdrawing from the United Nation’s tourism body, the UN World Tourism Organization ahead of a vote to suspend Moscow’s membership over its military operation of Ukraine. The UNWTO announced in March that it wanted to suspend Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

It said that the decision must be approved by two-thirds of its 159 member states at a two-day extraordinary general assembly.

 

2. World Laughter Day: 1st May: World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of every May to remind people to laugh and make those around them laugh. This year the day is celebrated on 1st May. It has been scientifically observed that laughter tends to decrease the cortisol level in the brain, which subsequently, affects positively on the body. Laughter has utmost importance when it comes to lifting the mood or tweaking the train of thought that is not heading in the right direction.

World Laughter Day History: World Laughter Day was first celebrated in Mumbai in 1998 when Dr Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga Movement, highlighted a theory through that movement. He hypothesised that facial movements could reflect the mental state of a person. And so, slowly and gradually, parks and fields in the morning started filling up with roars of laughter. And this is how, with the advent of Laughter Yoga, was born the World Laughter Day.

 

3. International Labour Day: 1st May: International Labour Day is observed globally on 1st May every year. It is also known as International Worker’s Day and May Day. The day is celebrated to spread awareness about Labour’s rights and mark their achievements. The day aims to pay tribute to workers’ sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.

History of International Labour Day: This all started in 1886 when on 1st May when people in the United States of America started a strike to fix the working duration to a maximum of 8 hours per day. Soon, there was a bomb blast that took place on 4th May in Haymarket Square of Chicago in which many people died and many others were severely injured. With respect to those who died in the incident, the socialist pan-national organization started on 1st May as International Labour Day which also promoted labour welfare throughout the world.

In India, the first Labour Day or May Day was celebrated in Madras (now known as Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923. It was also the first time when the Red Flag which symbolises Labour Day was used in India for the first time. In Hindi, Labour Day is also known as Kamgar Din or Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas, Kamgar Divas in Marathi and Uzhaipalar Naal in Tamil.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Ravi Dahiya completes hat-trick of gold medals at Asian Wrestling Championships: Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya became the first Indian male wrestler to win 3 gold medals at the Asian Championships when he finished on the top step of the podium in the 57kg category in Mongolia. Ravi Kumar Dahiya won the gold medal bout in the men’s 57kg freestyle category, beating Kazakhstan’s Rakhat Kalzhan on technical superiority. Ravi had won gold at the 2020 edition of the Asian Wrestling Championships in Delhi and in Almaty last year.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Bank launched India’s ‘open-for-all’ digital ecosystem for MSMEs: ICICI Bank has launched India’s first ‘open-for-all’ comprehensive digital ecosystem for all Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, which can also be used by the customers of other banks. Anyone can use the benefits of digital solutions on the InstaBIZ app. MSMEs customers of other banks can avail of a host of services by logging in as a ‘Guest’ in the app. It provides sanctions of instant and paperless overdraft facility up to Rs 25 lakh through ‘InstaOD Plus’.

The benefits of the new digital ecosystem can be availed by downloading the latest version of the InstaBIZ app, a super app for businesses. The app is available on Google Play, Apple App Store and at the bank’s Corporate Internet Banking (CIB) platform. The ecosystem offers the facility of digital and instant current account opening through video KYC.

Note: ICICI Bank Headquarters: Vadodara; ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Chairperson: Girish Chandra Chaturvedi; ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka.

 

2. RBI: India among worst-hit in pandemic, economy will recover in 13 years: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its latest report said India was one of the worst-hit nations during the Covid-19 pandemic and that it will take up to 13 years for India to fully recover from the scars of the Covid-19 pandemic. India suffered among the biggest pandemic induced losses in the world in terms of output, lives and livelihoods, which may take years to recover. Economic activity has barely recovered to pre-COVID levels even after two years.

According to the report:

a)      The pre-COVID trend growth rate works out to 6.6 per cent (CAGR for 2012-13 to 2019-20) and excluding the slowdown years it works out to 7.1 per cent (CAGR for 2012-13 to 2016-17).

b)      Taking the actual growth rate of (-) 6.6 per cent for 2020-21, 8.9 per cent for 2021-22 and assuming a growth rate of 7.2 per cent for 2022-23, and 7.5 per cent beyond that, India is expected to overcome COVID-19 losses in 2034-35.

c)       The RBI report further added that the pandemic is a watershed moment and the ongoing structural changes catalysed by the pandemic can potentially alter the growth trajectory in the medium-term.

d)      Sustained thrust on capital expenditure by the government, push to digitalisation and growing opportunities for new investment in areas like e-commerce, start-ups, renewables and supply chain logistics could in turn, contribute to step up the trend growth while closing the formal-informal gap in the economy.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Former SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar joined Indifi Technologies as advisor: Online lending platform, Indifi Technologies has appointed former chairman of SBI, Rajnish Kumar as an advisor. Presently, he sits on the boards of HSBC Asia Pacific, L&T Infotech, Hero MotoCorp and BharatPe. As an advisor, he will engage with the management on the company’s growth strategy and provide guidance in the financial services sector. In this capacity, Kumar will engage with the management on the company’s growth strategy and provide guidance in the financial services sector.

 

2. Air Asia to merge by Tata Group with Air India 2022: The Tata Group has been attempting to improve Air India’s performance since its takeover in January 2022. That includes its on-time performance. The Tata’s most recent job is to consolidate their aviation operations. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has already been notified of Air India’s intention to merge with AirAsia India. Key Points:

a)      In December 2020, Tata increased its stake in AirAsia India to 67 percent.

b)      AirAsia India, which began operating in June 2014, provides scheduled passenger, cargo, and charter flight services throughout the country.

c)       It does not operate on a global scale.

d)      In January of this year, Tata acquired Air India and Air India Express. It made a bid of Rs 18,000 crore, which included a cash payment of Rs 2,700 crore and the assumption of the carrier’s debt of Rs 15,300 crore.

e)      Vistara Airlines is also owned by the Tata group, although it has opted out of the merger plan so far.

f)        Singapore Airlines, a joint venture partner in Vistara, may not want a stake in the combined Air India because it competes with the Indian carrier on foreign routes, according to sources.

g)      Tata Group, which includes Air India, Vistara, and AirAsia, has a combined market share of 9%, making it the second-largest domestic airline business behind IndiGo.

Daily GK Update- 30th April, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Maharashtra became India’s 1st state to develop Migration Tracking System app: Maharashtra became the first state in India to develop a website-based Migration Tracking System (MTS) application to track the movement of migrant workers through individual unique identity numbers. The MTS project aims to ensure the continuity of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) for migrant beneficiaries, such as children under the age of 18, lactating mothers, and pregnant women who are registered with Anganwadi centres.

Migration workers will be tracked to ensure the portability of the ICDS for their families in their destination districts within or outside the state until their return to their native places. ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It was launched in 1975.

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

 

2. Telangana and Google have inked a MOU on Digital Economy for Young and Women entrepreneurs: Google signed a MoU with the Telangana government to bring the benefits of the digital economy to the state’s young and women entrepreneurs, and officially off the construction of its three million square foot headquarters in the city from the ground up.

Key Points:

a)      For decades to come, a 3 million sq ft energy-efficient campus designed with sustainability will be a hallmark for Hyderabad.

b)      Google will work with the government through its various arms to provide scholarships for Google Career Certificates to Telangana’s youth, support women entrepreneurs through digital, business, and financial skills training, and support the government’s efforts to modernise schools with digital teaching and learning tools and solutions under the new initiative.

c)       The US-based Corporation will also support the state government’s attempts to improve public transportation and the use of digital technologies in agriculture as part of the cooperative endeavour.

d)      Making a step-change in communities like as youth, women, and students, as well as citizen services, is the focus of the new MoU. Sanjay Gupta, Google India’s Country Head and Vice President, remarked that since the company’s inception in India, Hyderabad has been home to one of the company’s largest staff bases.

Note: Chief Minister of Telanga: Sri Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao

Google CEO: Sundar Pichai; Google India’s Country Head and Vice President: Sanjay Gupta

 

3. Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) program: The launch of the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) program was announced by the government of India with the aim of creating Microprocessors for the country’s and the world’s future and to achieve industry-grade commercial silicon and design for the next generation of microprocessors by the month of December 2023. RISC-V is an open and free ISA that will enable a new era of processor innovation through collaboration. This initiative is in line with the government’s ambition toward Atmanirbhar Bharat.

About DIR-V program: DIR-V will be witnessing partnerships between academia, start-ups, and multinationals with the aim of making India not a talent hub of RISC-V as well as a supplier of RISC-V SoC (System on Chips) to the world for mobile devices, servers, IoT, automotive, microcontrollers, etc.

 

4. IndiGo becomes first airline to use indigenous navigation system GAGAN: IndiGo becomes the first airline in Asia to land its aircraft using the indigenous navigation system GAGAN. This is a huge leap for Indian Civil Aviation and a firm step toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat, as India becomes the third country in the world to have its own SBAS system after the USA and Japan.

The flight was conducted using an ATR-72 aircraft and landed at the Kishangarh airport in Rajasthan on Wednesday (April 27) morning, using GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation (GAGAN), which has been jointly developed by the Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Note: IndiGo CEO: Rono Dutta (24 Jan 2019–); IndiGo Founded: 2006; IndiGo Headquarters: Gurugram.

 

5. Devendra Fadnavis Releases the book on Amit Shah “Amit Shah Ani Bhajapachi Vatchal”: Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra, released a Marathi book on Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs, titled “Amit Shah Ani Bhajapachi Vatchal”, a Marathi version of the book “Amit Shah and The March of BJP”. The book is published by Bloomsbury India. The book was originally written by Dr Anirban Ganguly and Shiwanand Dwivedi and it has been translated into Marathi by Dr Jyostna Kolhatkar. The book documents the life and political journey of Amit Shah and details his contribution to BJP in making it the world’s biggest political organisation.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. US lists India, Russia and China on its intellectual property protection priority watch list: India, China, Russia, and four other countries were added to the US’s annual ‘Priority Watch List’ for intellectual property protection and enforcement. Argentina, Chile, Indonesia, and Venezuela are among the other countries on the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s list. Key Points:

a)      All seven countries on this year’s list were also on the previous year’s list.

b)      US Trade Representative Katherine Tai indicated in her Special 301 Report on the adequacy and effectiveness of US trading partners’ protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights that these nations will be the focus of particularly intense bilateral engagement in the next year.

c)       Algeria, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam are among the countries on the Watch List, which require bilateral attention to address underlying IP issues.

d)      The Special 301 Report is an annual assessment of the state of intellectual property protection and enforcement around the world.

e)      For this year’s Special 301 Report, USTR looked at over a hundred trading partners.

 

2. International Jazz Day: 30th April: International Jazz Day is celebrated every year around the world on 30 April. This day is observed to promote Jazz and raise awareness about its significance. According to United Nations, Jazz is recogniSed for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity, and respect for human rights and human dignity, eradicating discrimination, promoting freedom of expression, fostering gender equality, and reinforcing the role of youth for social change. The theme for International Jazz Day 2022 is ‘A Call for Global Peace and Unity’. It focuses on the importance of unity and peace through dialogue and diplomacy.

History of International Jazz Day: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed 30 April as International Jazz Day on November 2011. The day was designated to bring together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts from across the world to celebrate and learn about the art of jazz and its impact.

Note: Director-General of UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO formation: 4 November 1946; UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France.

 

3. World Veterinary Day: 30th April: World Veterinary Day is observed on the last Saturday of April every year. This year it falls on 30th April 2022. The theme for World Veterinary Day 2022 is “Strengthening Veterinary Resilience”. This essentially means providing veterinary doctors with all kinds of help, and resources they require in their journey. The main objective of the World Veterinary Association is to promote animal health & welfare and eradicate issues related to animal safety and the environment. Veterinarians play the role of advocates for animal health and welfare.

History of the day: In 2001 World veterinary Association came up with World veterinary day. It all started with an international veterinary congress meeting led by a person named John Gamgee who was a veterinary college professor. This was the first international veterinary congress meeting which was held in 1863 in Hamburg Germany. This congress came to be addressed as World veterinary congress. Then in the 8th congress, a permanent committee was formed to create a link between these congresses. In the 15th congress which was held in Stockholm, the committee members realized to have an international organization and constitution. As a result of this meeting, in 1959 during the very next meeting held in Madrid, Spain the world witnessed the foundation of the World veterinary association.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bank of Baroda launched a new feature ‘bob World Gold’ for senior citizens: Bank of Baroda has launched “bob World Gold”, a new feature on its bob World mobile banking platform for seniors and the elderly. It is a unique digital banking platform that has been designed to provide its senior customers with a simple, smooth and secure mobile banking experience. This platform has easy navigation, large fonts, sufficient spacing and clear menus. The idea behind bob World Gold was to look at every element from the lens of this demographic and understand their specific requirements from a digital banking platform.

Features of bob World Gold:

a)      Simple and Easy User Interface: A minimalistic design and simple infographics supported by easy-to-navigate screens and ready-to-assist voice-based search service, provided right on the dashboard.

b)      Customization: bob World Gold is customized to understand the preferences of senior citizen customers with relevant and favourite menu options.

c)       Preferential research-based service: bob World Gold is customized specifically for senior citizens (60 years and above) and provides a new revamped dashboard with larger icons and fonts, better-contrasting colours with special attention given to helping text, tooltips, and navigation.

Note: Bank of Baroda Founded: 20 July 1908; Bank of Baroda Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat; Bank of Baroda Managing Director & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha; Bank of Baroda Tagline: India’s International Bank; Bank of Baroda Amalgamated Banks: Dena Bank & Vijaya Bank in 2019.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Bruce de Broize appointed as MD & CEO of Future Generali India Life Insurance: Generali Asia has appointed Bruce de Broize as MD and CEO of Future Generali India Life Insurance (FGILI). He takes over from Miranjit Mukherjee who served as interim CEO since September 2021. He was the Regional Head of Distribution for Generali Asia based in Hong Kong for over five years. In March, Generali has become the majority shareholder of the Indian life insurance joint venture after getting all regulatory approvals.

Prior to this, Broize was the regional head of distribution for Generali Asia based in Hong Kong where he oversaw life, health and p&c distribution for Generali’s operations across China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Note: Future Generali India Life Insurance Founded: 2000; Future Generali India Life Insurance Headquarters: Mumbai.

 

2. Pencilton introduces contactless RuPay card in the form of keychain: Pencilton, a teen-focused fintech startup, has launched PencilKey, a National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) compliant RuPay contactless keychain, in partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Transcorp. Users can activate and manage their PencilKey through the Pencilton app which is also used to load money, check spends, block/unblock the account, set limits, etc. Key points:

a)      PencilKey is linked to the PencilCard which is an all-in-one prepaid card, metro card, and bus card. PencilKey is equipped with the benefits of NCMC which works at the Delhi Airport Metro line and Goa’s buses currently.

b)      It is also scheduled to be accepted for metro travel in Pune, Chennai & Mumbai as well as in BEST buses in Mumbai. According to Pencilton, the virtual PencilCard comes for free.

c)       Users can buy their PencilKey for ₹150 and PencilCard for ₹100, but as part of the company’s launch offer, users can also buy a PencilKit (combo) which includes both PencilCard and PencilKey for ₹200.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. BRO’s Atal Tunnel Receives ‘Best Infrastructure Project’ Award: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) engineering marvel, Atal Tunnel, built-in Rohtang in Himachal Pradesh, received the Indian Building Congress (IBC) ‘Best Infrastructure Project’ award in New Delhi. More than thirty state-of-the-art infrastructure projects were nominated for the award. The IBC jury selected the strategic tunnel as the ‘Best Project for Excellence in Built Environment’ in 2021. About the Atal Tunnel

a)      The tunnel, built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2020.

b)      It is equipped with a semi-transverse ventilation system, where large fans separately circulate air throughout the tunnel. For evacuation during emergencies, an emergency tunnel has been integrated into the tunnel cross-section beneath the main carriageway.

c)       Fires inside the tunnel will be controlled within an area of 200 metres, and fire hydrants are provided at specific locations throughout the tunnel.

d)      Pollution sensors continuously monitor the air quality in the tunnel, and if the air quality is below the desired level, fresh air is injected into the tunnel via two heavy-duty fans on each side of the tunnel.

 

2. Snow leopard conservationist Charudutt Mishra wins Whitley Gold Award: Noted snow leopard expert and wildlife conservationist Charudutt Mishra has won the prestigious Whitley Gold Award for his contribution to involving indigenous communities in the conservation and recovery of big cat species in Asia’s high mountain ecosystems. Princess Anne presented the award to Mishra at London’s Royal Geographic Society. This is his second Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) Award. He got the first in 2005.

UK-based wildlife conservation charity WFN said Mishra was given the award for his work in 12 snow leopard range countries including Afghanistan, China, and Russia. In 2017, Mishra wrote a paper on eight approaches to community-based conservation that helped involve local communities in snow leopard protection in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, leading to a reduction in retribution killings of the big cats. UN Biodiversity Conference recognised his approach as an outstanding global practice.

 

3. Ardeshir B K Dubash honoured with highest diplomatic award by Peru Government: The former Honorary Consul of Peru in Mumbai, Ardeshir B.K. Dubash has received the Order of “Merit in the Diplomatic Service of Peru Jose Gregorio Paz Soldan” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru. Ambassador of Peru in India, H.E. Carlos R. Polo has conferred the award to him. Dubash was designated as Honorary Consul of Peru on August 13th, 1973. His career as Honorary Consul, which spans almost half a century, has seen 14 Presidents of Peru and 15 Ambassadors of Peru to India.

About the award: The Order of Merit, which was instituted in 2004, takes its name from Jose Gregorio Paz Soldan, a distinguished Peruvian official who established the Peruvian diplomatic service and who held the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs on three different occasions. The award is normally reserved for career diplomats who have excelled in their work to promote the democratic, historical and institutional values of the Ministry, and who have made outstanding contributions to Peruvian foreign policy.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Film and TV actor Salim Ghouse passes away: Film and TV actor Salim Ghouse passed away in Mumbai after suffering a cardiac arrest. He started his acting journey in 1978 with the movie Swarg Narak, following which he featured in films like Chakra (1981), Saaransh (1984), Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! (1984), and several others. He was also a known face in the television industry. He essayed the roles of Rama, Krishna and Tipu Sultan in Shyam Benegal’s TV Series Bharat Ek Khoj. He was also a part of the sitcom Wagle Ki Duniya (1988).

Daily GK Update- 29th April, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UP’s Agra becomes first city to have vacuum-based sewer systems: Agra, Uttar Pradesh has become the first city in the country to have vacuum-based sewer systems. These vacuums would be used in public places. Agra Smart City officials told the media that the municipal corporation has linked 240 such houses near the Taj Mahal with vacuum-based sewers, where conventional sewer systems could not be used.

The estimated cost for the work of sewer connection is Rs 100 crore. Presently, this technology is being used in low-lying areas. The Maintenance and complete care will be done by the Netherlands Company for up to five years. A vacuum sewer network of 240 houses has been constructed at Rs 5 crore. All the chambers are equipped with geographic information system (GIS) based sensors, which will help pinpoint the area of the chamber and the problem.

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

 

2. ABPMJAY- SEHAT scheme: Samba becomes 1st district to cover 100% households: In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Samba district of the Jammu division has become the first district in India to cover 100% of households under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) - SEHAT scheme. The district achieved this milestone after the conclusion of a special registration drive organized by the State Health Agency (SHA) from April 11 to April 21 in all BDO offices across the district which was aimed to cover all families under the ABPMJAY SEHAT scheme in the district.

The Samba district has a total of 62,641 families with 3,04,510 people eligible for ABPM-JAY SEHAT golden cards. However, 100% family coverage for the Ayushman Bharat Golden card in the district is a major achievement for the UT Government. This ambitious health insurance scheme enables all the residents of J&K including employees and pensioners as well as their families to avail of cashless quality healthcare services across public and empanelled private hospitals across India.

About the ABPMJAY SEHAT scheme: The ABPMJAY SEHAT scheme is the world’s largest health insurance scheme fully financed by Government and the people with Ayushman Bharat Golden Card get free treatment up to Rs. 5 lakh in all government and empanelled private hospitals across India.

Note: J&K Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha; J&K Formation (Union territory): 31 October 2019.

 

3. Netflix & GoI collaborate for video series on ‘women change-makers’: Netflix India, in collaboration with the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, has released a series of short video series under an initiative called ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniya’, highlighting the role of women achievers. As part of a broader partnership, the global OTT platform will also conduct workshops and masterclasses for the skill development of Indian filmmakers.

Under this partnership:

a)      Netflix and ministry will partner to develop a creative ecosystem by organizing training programs for post-production, VFX, animation, and music production among others and will be organized on the ground and virtually.

b)      The Minister lauded the remarkable achievements of the three women on the dais and said their stories will inspire people across the country. He also expressed hope that after this collaboration filmmakers from across the world will come to India to make films and documentaries for not just the Indian audience but to showcase it to the entire world.

 

4. Vijay Sampla appointed NCSC chairperson for second time: BJP leader and former Union minister Vijay Sampla has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) for a second time. Sampla had resigned as the NCSC chairman ahead of the Punjab elections and had contested the polls. The official order for his appointment was issued by President Ram Nath Kovind.

 

5. A new book titled “Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings in the BCCI” by Vinod Rai: Padma Bhushan Vinod Rai, former (11th) Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) India, has authored a new book titled “Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings in the BCCI”. The book features his 33-month stint as the Chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The book is published by Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2016 for civil service. He was appointed as the first Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) in 2016.

 

6. Deepika Padukone on Cannes Film Festival jury: Deepika Padukone will grace the Cannes Film Festival as a member of the jury, this year. The actress-producer has attended the prestigious film festival several times in the past, in the capacity of an ambassador of the beauty brand L’Oreal. The jury for the 75th edition of the film festival is headed by French actor Vincent Lindon, who won Best Actor at Cannes in 2015.

With her induction into the Cannes jury, Deepika Padukone has become a part of a select group of Indian stalwarts who served in the same role in the past, including Sharmila Tagore, Nandita Das, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Vidya Balan.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Estonia hosts the world’s largest cyber exercise: The Tallinn, Estonia NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, abbreviated as CCDCOE, is organising the Locked Shields 2022, the largest and most complex annual international live-fire cyber defence exercise in the world. This year’s exercise has particular importance as it takes place amid the rising threat of cyber-attacks since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the exercise:

a)      Cyber experts practise the protection of national civilian and military IT systems and critical infrastructure in a large-scale cyber-attack. It is conducted under conditions of intense pressure, with teams countering a series of sophisticated cyberattacks.

b)      The exercise provides an opportunity to practice cooperation in a crisis situation between both civilian and military units, as well as public and private sectors, as in the event of a large-scale cyber-attack these tactical and strategic decision-makers must work together.

c)       The exercise is organised by the CCDCOE in cooperation with NATO, Siemens, Microsoft, Tallinn University of Technology and other partners.

d)      The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence is a NATO-accredited cyber defence hub that supports the alliance’s member nations and the alliance itself with cyber defence expertise.

Note: Estonia Capital: Tallinn; Currency: Euro.

 

2. International Dance Day: 29th April 2022: The International Dance Day is observed globally on 29 April every year. The day celebrates the value and importance of the dance and encourages participation and education in this art form through events and festivals.  This day is also celebrated to promote the multiple benefits of dancing, to recognize dance as a stress reliever, expressing oneself, a way of celebrating happiness, and an activity that brings people together.

History of the day: In 1982 the Dance Committee of ITI founded International Dance Day to be celebrated every year on the 29th of April, the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), creator of modern ballet. The intention of the International Dance Day Message is to celebrate dance, revel in the universality of this art form, cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers, and bring people together with a common language – dance.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Anshul Swami, former retail chief of RBL Bank, named as MD-CEO of Shivalik Small Finance Bank: Anshul Swami has been named managing director and chief executive officer of Shivalik Small Finance Bank. Swami’s nomination has already been accepted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Swami succeeds Suveer Kumar Gupta, who co-founded the bank and guided it through its transformation from an urban co-operative to a local finance institution. According to insiders, Gupta will now serve as an adviser to the Board of Directors. Key Points:

a)      Swami worked for RBL Bank as Head – Retail & Inclusion, Products before joining Shivalik SFB. He’s previously worked at Barclays, Citi Financial, and Britannia.

b)      Swami will be in charge of the bank’s digital activities, with an emphasis on small businesses and growing the bank’s footprint across the country.

c)       Last year, Shivalik Small Finance Bank became the first Universal Cooperative Bank to change to a Small Finance Bank structure.

d)      Total advances were Rs 804.9 crore at the end of March, up 12 percent year on year, while total deposits were Rs 1,244.5 crore, up 9.2 percent year on year.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. SBI Cards tie-up with TCS to boost digital transformation: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has expanded its strategic partnership with SBI Cards and Payments Services Ltd to power SBI Card’s digital transformation. TCS had helped the SBI cards to transform its core cards sourcing platform and digitized a significant portion of the process. TCS has been providing services to SBI Card for over a decade since 2008, and the new deal represents an extension of that relationship. How does TCS help SBI cards?

a)      TCS had helped the company transform its core cards sourcing platform and digitized a significant portion of the process.

b)      With this expansion in partnership, it will further digitalize the online onboarding processes enabling a faster turnaround and frictionless experience with greater customer satisfaction. In addition, it will enable SBI Card to grow its e-card issuance.

c)       TCS will continue to digitalize and change online onboarding processes in order to provide a faster and more frictionless experience for customers, resulting in higher customer satisfaction.

Note: SBI Card CEO: Rama Mohan Rao Amara (30 Jan 2021–); SBI Card Headquarters: Gurugram; SBI Card Founded: October 1998.

 

2. L&T tie-up with IIT Bombay to develop Green Hydrogen Technology: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to jointly pursue research and development work in the Green Hydrogen value chain. Under the agreement, both the institutions would contribute to the development of the Green Hydrogen industry in India while developing technology in this field. Hydrogen when produced through the electrolysis process using renewable energy is known as Green Hydrogen which has no carbon footprint.

The Central Government in February 2022 notified the Green Hydrogen policy aimed at boosting the production of Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia to help the nation become a global hub for the environmentally friendly version of the molecule. For countries like India, with its ever-increasing oil and gas import bill, Green Hydrogen will help provide crucial energy security by reducing the overall dependence on imported fossil fuels. It should be noted that India has its own ambitious target of becoming net-zero by 2070.

Note: Larsen & Toubro Limited Founded: 7 February 1938; Larsen & Toubro Limited Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Larsen & Toubro Limited CEO & MD: S.N. Subrahmanyan.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. India Pharma and India Medical Devices Awards 2022: The India Pharma Awards 2022, and India Medical Device Awards 2022 were handed over by the Minister of State for the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba. The awards were handed over during the seventh edition of India Pharma and Indian Medical Device 2022 which was organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Department of Pharmaceuticals. The awards were given to various industry players in the field of medical and pharmaceutical devices.

Category	Winners
Indian Pharma Leader of the Year	Cipla Ltd.
India Pharma Innovation of the Year	Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Indian Pharma (Formulation)	Micro Labs Ltd.
Indian Pharma CSR of the year	Zydus Lifesciences Ltd
India Medical Device Leader of the Year	Poly Medicure Ltd.
India Medical Device Company of the Year	Trivitron Healthcare Pvt Ltd.
India Medical Device MSME of the Year	Nice Neotech Medical Systems Pvt Ltd.
Indian Medical Device Start-up of the Year	Vanguard Diagnostics Pvt Ltd.
Indian Medical Device Innovation of the Year	Meril Lifesciences Pvt Ltd.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. IAF organizes National Level Logistics Seminar ‘LOGISEM VAYU – 2022’: A national seminar on Logistics Management ‘LOGISEM VAYU – 2022’ was held on 28 April 2022 at Air Force Auditorium, New Delhi. The Chief of the Air Staff Vivek Ram Chaudhari inaugurated the seminar and delivered the keynote address. He emphasized the need for exploiting advancements in digital technologies, which would aid in sustaining logistics stamina in support of operations. CAS also urged stakeholders in IAF to work towards achieving the broad aims of the National Logistics Policy (NLP) and Atmanirbharta goals of Govt of India.

A document on the logistics philosophy of IAF titled ‘Tenets of Logistics’ and a book on the history of Logistics in IAF titled ‘Footprints in Sands of Time’ were released. The ‘Tenets of Logistics’ in IAF outlines the logistics credo in terms of the concept of logistics operations, core functional areas, leveraging technology for the conduct of business processes and the necessity for jointness with sister services.