Daily GK Updates - 25th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind visits Rajgir for Golden Jubilee celebration of Vishwa Shanti Stupa: President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated day long golden jubilee celebrations of Vishwa Shanti Stupa (World Peace Pagoda) in Rajgir, Bihar. More than 300 Buddhist monks, devotees and eminent personalities from Japan, Thailand, Srilanka, Bhutan, Nepal, US and other countries have arrived to take part in the function. During his brief visit, the President participate in prayers and also address the gathering at the venue.

Note: The Vishwa Shanti Stupa has completed 50 years of its establishment. Vishwa Shanti Stupa is situated on Ratnagiri hillock, constructed by Japanese Buddhist monk popularly known as Fujii Guruji in 1969. Ratnagiri hillock of Rajgir attaches important relation with Lord Buddha because after getting the enlightenment he spent a monastic life and preached his disciples at nearby Gridhakut Parvat.

2. First “Global Bio-India 2019” Summit to be held in New Delhi: The first-ever Global Bio-India 2019 Summit will be held at New Delhi (from 21 to 23 November 2019). It is for the first time that India will host a mega event for the biotech community to attract investments, showcase our indigenous strengths and more importantly fuel the hopes and aspirations of the indigenous talent pool. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India along with its Public Sector Undertaking, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is organizing this event.

3. BPRD releases “Data on Police Organizations (DoPO 2018)”: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy has released the Bureau of Police Research and Development’s flagship publication “Data on Police Organizations” (DoPO 2018) in New Delhi. The Data on Police Organisation in India is an important compilation of information on police infrastructure, manpower and other resources from all States, Union Territories, CAPFs and CPOs.

Major highlights of the DoPO 2018: There has been an increase of 19,686 Police personnel in the sanctioned strength of the State Police and 16,051 in the strength of CAPFs. There has been 20.95% increase in the strength of Woman Police which brings the total percentage of women in the Indian Police to 8.73%. Police Stations have increased from 15579 to 16422. This includes Cyber Police Stations whose number has risen from 84 to 120.

4. Chenani-Nashri Tunnel renamed as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Tunnel: J&K’s Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, a 9 km-long tunnel that reduces the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 31 km has been renamed as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Tunnel. The ‘Chenani-Nashri Highway Tunnel’ is not only India’s longest highway tunnel but also Asia’s longest bi-directional highway tunnel. The renaming of the tunnel aims to preserve Mukherjee’s heritage and memory as well as a tribute for his sacrifice for the nation.

5. Indian Railway launches One Touch ATVM: Indian Railways has launched ‘one touch ATVM’ at 42 suburban stations of Central Railway over Mumbai Suburban Network. The machine has been launched to render fast ticketing to millions of commuters. This new machine will reduce the waiting time of the passengers and allow passenger to avoid standing in long queues. The new machine is loaded with the user friendly procedure which will greatly ease the load on ticketing system of Mumbai Suburban Network. A total of 92 ATVMs has been installed at 42 suburban stations.

6. Yogi Adityanath to launch Kanya Sumangala Yojana: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched its flagship scheme Kanya Sumangla Yojna in Lucknow. The scheme will provide an amount of 15 thousand rupees in a phased manner to every family in which a girl child takes birth. The scheme has been designed in a way that parents have to take care of girl child’s health and education to get the benefit. Funds will be released in instalments when a girl child completes various achievements, like vaccination, admission in class 1, 5 and 9, graduation.

7. Ayurveda Day: 25th October: Government of India is celebrating 4th Ayurveda Day (Dhanvantari Jayanti) on 25th October 2019. The Ministry of Ayush has distributed “National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Award” on National Ayurveda Day. The award comprises of trophy and cash reward of Rs 5 lakhs. Ayurveda Day is being celebrated as a part of the mission’s role in creating awareness about the medicines. Government has also upgraded a lot of Ayurvedic institutions as a part of AYUSH Mission.

8. Arvind Singh appointed the chief of Airports Authority of India: Senior IAS officer Arvind Singh has been appointed as the Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI). The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is a statutory body working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Senior IAS officer Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (1988-batch: Uttarakhand cadre) will head the National Highways Authority of India. The National Highways Authority of India (NIA) is an autonomous agency of the Government of India responsible for the management of a network of over 50,000 km of National Highways out of 1,15,000 km in India. Ganji Kamala V Rao has been named the chairman and managing director, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Artist’s Day: 25th October: International Artist’s Day is being observed every year on October 25th to honour artists and all the contributions they make. The day also celebrates one of the most famous artists, Pablo Picasso. The Spanish artist was born on October 25th, 1881. Artists work hard to create their work. They add beauty to the world around us. Most artists work with many different mediums.

Note: Canadian artist, Chris MacClure started International Artist’s Day in 2004. Since then, October 25th has been a day dedicated to celebrating all the contributions artists have given to society.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. China to host the inaugural edition of expanded 24-team Club World Cup 2021: According to Gianni Infantino (FIFA president), China will host the inaugural edition of the expanded 24-team Club World Cup. Gianni Infantino (FIFA president) made the announcement after a meeting in Shanghai of the FIFA Council, the decision-making unit of football's world governing body. The FIFA Council has decided, unanimously, to appoint China as the host of the new FIFA World Cup for Clubs. The current Club World Cup features seven teams including the holders of the UEFA Champions League. Qatar will host the competition this year and in 2020.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IRDAI forms working group to revisit the product structure of title insurance: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has set a 12 membered working group to revisit the product structure of title insurance. The panel will be headed by T L Alamelu.

Note: Title insurance is an insurance of indemnity. It basically provides indemnity to developers and the subsequent homeowners of the property against losses and risks related to defects in the title of the property.

2. IRDAI sets up panel to evaluate application under Regulatory Sandbox: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has set up an eight-member committee to evaluate applications filed under the Regulatory Sandbox approach to promote innovative ideas to foster growth in insurance sector. The committee will be headed by International Institute of Information Technology (Bangalore) Director S Sadagopan.

Note: Regulatory Sandbox (RS) refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled/test regulatory environment for which regulators may permit certain relaxations for the limited purpose of testing.

3. ICICI Bank exits GST Network, sells entire 10% stake to 13 state govts: ICICI Bank which had 10% stake in GST Network, has sold its entire 10% stake to 13 state Governments. The stake sale is for aggregate cash consideration of Rs 1 crore. The bank will transfer 0.14 per cent stake to the Assam government and 0.81 per cent stake to the Telangana government. Besides, it will transfer Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Tripura, West Bengal, Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh governments 0.82 per cent stake each. Presently, Central Government and State Government had a total of 49% stake in GSTN (with 24.5% stake of each) while the remaining 51% was divided between 5 private firms with, HDFC, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and NSE Strategic Investment Co hold 10% each and LIC Housing Finance Ltd holding 11%.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Ilham Tohti Wins European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize 2019: The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize to Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti. He has been awarded the Sakharov Prize for his attempts to “foster dialogue” between Chinese people and the Uighur. Ilham Tohti, who is from the Uighur minority, has been a fierce critic of China’s treatment of the Uighur people. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment in China for “separatism”. The outspoken former Professor of economics at a Beijing university was sentenced in 2014.

Note: Sakharov prize is named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov. It was created in 1988 to honour individuals or groups who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms.

OBITUARIES

1. Sports journalist and author K R Wadhwaney passes away: Veteran sports journalist and author K R Wadhwaney passed away at the age of 90 years. Wadhwaney was the Sports Editor of the Indian Express newspaper. He worked as a freelance writer for several Indian newspapers after his retirement.

Daily GK Updates - 24th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Cabinet approves merger of BSNL and MTNL: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the merger of loss-making telecom firms BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) and MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited)  as part of a revival package. The revival package includes raising sovereign bonds, monetising assets and voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for employees. The revival package for BSNL and MTNL includes raising of Rs 15,000 crore sovereign bonds and monetising Rs 38,000 crore of assets in next 4 years. Under the package, 4G spectrum worth Rs 20,000 crore will be administratively allotted to the two firms.

Note: Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) is a state-owned telecommunications service provider in the metro cities of Mumbai and New Delhi in India and in the island nation of Mauritius in Africa. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is an Indian state-owned telecommunications company headquartered in New Delhi.

2. Deepika Padukone, PV Sindhu named as ambassadors for ‘Bharat Ki Laxmi’ initiative: Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone and Indian badminton player PV Sindhu were named the ambassadors for Bharat Ki Laxmi. It is an initiative by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The aim of this initiative is to celebrate the contribution & accomplishments of women of the nation for the public good. The hashtag for the initiative is #BharatKiLaxmi.

3. A new book entitled “Ten Studies in Kashmir: History and Politics” released: An Indian historian, educationist and Padma Shri recipient, Kashi Nath Pandit’s new book entitled “Ten Studies in Kashmir: History and Politics”, published by Academic Foundation. A new book looks at the riveting history of Jammu and Kashmir from the time of its political and geographic consolidation to the abrogation of the state’s special status. The book, which comes after the scrapping of Article 370 provisions in August, will shed light on the happenings from 1947 till the revocation of the special status of the state.

4. ITBP celebrated its 58th Raising Day: Indo-Tibetan Border Police celebrated its 58th Raising Day on 24th October 2019. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy took the salute of the Raising Day Parade ITBP’s Headquarters in Greater Noida. The Parade comprised of all Frontier Contingents of the Force including women, Commando, Skiing, mountaineering and paratroopers’ contingents besides the dog squad & mounted columns. The parade showcased valour and courage of various contingents.

Note: Indo-Tibetan Border Police was raised on 24 October, 1962 in the wake of Chinese aggression on Indo-China border.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kais Saied sworn in as new president of Tunisia: Kais Saied (61-years) has been sworn in as Tunisia's new President. He succeeds Beji Caid Essebsi , who died in office on July 2019. Saied won just over 72% of the votes, with about 27% of ballots cast for his media-mogul opponent Nabil Karoui.

Note: Tunisia is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east; Capital: Tunis ; Currency: Tunisian dinar

2. President Kovind lays foundation stone for Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti Project in Japan: President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone for Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti Project at Sai no Sato, Kakegawa, Japan. Sai no Sato will be developed as a temple on the lines of Akshardham and Swaminarayan Temple to promote Indian traditional culture.  Earlier, President Kovind also attended a banquet hosted in his honour by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.

3. India set to sign agreement on Kartarpur corridor with Pakistan: India and Pakistan will sign a pact to operationalize the Kartarpur corridor.  The pact would be signed by the officials of both the countries at Zero point at Dera Baba Nanak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the corridor in November this year.

Note: The corridor will connect ‘Dera Baba Nanak’ (in Gurdaspur district-India) to the ‘Gurdwara Darbar Sahib’ (in Kartarpur in Narowal district of Pakistan). The Kartarpur Gurudwara (Darbar Sahib Kartarpur) is situated on the banks of river ‘Ravi’, considered to be the first gurdwara ever built.

4. Amazon’s male white bellbird is the world’s loudest bird:The male white bellbird is the world’s loudest bird which hits 125.4 decibels. This study was published in the journal Current Biology. This was recorded by Biologist Jeff Podos at Brazil in the mountains of the northern Amazon. The call by the bird is made as part of their mating rituals and it’s mating call is about three times louder than screaming phias. The screaming phias (Lipaugus vociferans), also an Amazonian species, previously held the record of being the world’s loudest bird.

5. World Development Information Day: 24 October: The United Nations observes World Development Information Day on 24 October every year. The General Assembly in 1972 established World Development Information Day to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them. The General Assembly decided that the date for the Day should coincide with United Nations Day i.e. 24 October.

6. United Nations Day: 24 October: 24th October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. The United Nations was founded in 1945 to support collective action to realize peace, development and human rights for all. United Nations will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020 with inclusive global conversation on the role of global cooperation in building the future we want. The UN75 initiative seeks to spark dialogue and action on how we can build a better world despite the many challenges we face.

Note: In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly had declared 24th October as the United Nations Day by adopting Resolution 2782.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Praveen Kumar wins gold in Wushu World Championship: Praveen Kumar has become the 1st Indian man to win a gold medal at the Wushu World Championships. He defeated Philippines’ Russel Diaz by 2-1 in the men’s sanda event in the 48kg category of the 15th World Wushu Championships held in Shanghai. Among other Indians, Poonam in women’s 75kg category and Sanathoi Devi in women’s 52kg category secured silver medals while Vikrant Baliyan bagged the bronze in the men’s 60kg category. India finished third overall in the championship in event with a gold, two silvers and a bronze.

Note: Wushu is a Chinese martial art which combines full-contact kickboxing, including close-range punches and kicks, with wrestling, takedowns, throws, sweeps and kicks catch.

2. Abhishek Nayar retires from all forms of cricket: Veteran Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He represented India in 3 One Day Internationals but his record as a First Class player is more promising. He played 103 first-class games, most of them for Mumbai, and scored 5749 runs with 13 centuries and 32 fifties while taking 173 wickets in a career spanning a decade and a half. He also played 99 List-A games in which he amassed 2145 runs and picked 79 wickets.

3. Rohit Sharma becomes 3rd Indian batsman to reach top 10 in all formats: The 'Hitman' Rohit Sharma has become the third Indian batsman to reach the top 10 in all three formats (Test, ODIs & T20). The 'Hitman' has held a career-high ranking of second in ODIs in February 2018 and seventh in T20 in November 2018. Rohit's player of the series effort of 529 runs helped him make huge strides from 44th place before the series. He remains the third-best Indian batsman in terms of Test rankings after Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Vreedhi Financial Services receives an NBFC licence from RBI: Vreedhi Financial Services (VFS) has secured a non-banking finance company licence from the Reserve Bank of India. The objective of the licence is to provide credit and other services to micro-enterprises operating in tier two-three cities and small towns. The company will create a digital lending model by the next financial year. It will address the gap between the addressable and viable credit in the micro-enterprises space which is $123 billion as per the study conducted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Note: Governor of RBI: Shaktikanta Das; Headquarters: Mumbai.

2. GeM and Federal Bank sign MoU for payment related services: The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Federal Bank to offer a number of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG) and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to the registered users on the portal. The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal and would create an efficient procurement system for government entities.

Note: MD & CEO of Federal Bank: Shyam Srinivasan; Tagline: Your Perfect Banking Partner; Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala.

3. Vijaya Bank Museum inaugurated in Bengaluru: The Vijaya Bank Heritage Museum has been inaugurated at the headquarters of the erstwhile Vijaya Bank i.e. Bengaluru. The museum has a rare collection of photos through which the growth of the bank is showcased. The memories of the erstwhile Vijaya Bank can now be refreshed at a museum dedicated to its history. Vijaya Bank was one of the premier nationalised banks in the country. The erstwhile Vijaya Bank, along with the erstwhile Dena Bank, was amalgamated with Bank of Baroda on April 1, 2019.

4. World Bank Report: India takes Huge Strides in improving Ease of Doing Business: As per the World Bank’s latest Doing Business Report 2020 (DBR), India has recorded 63rd rank (rank of 77 in 2019) among 190 countries assessed by the World Bank. India's leap of 14 ranks in the Ease of Doing Business ranking is significant considering that there has been continuous improvement since 2015. India has improved its rank in seven out of 10 indicators and has moved closer to international best practices (Distance to Frontier score). Significant improvements have been registered in ‘Resolving Insolvency’, 'Dealing with Construction Permits', ‘Registering Property’, ‘Trading across Boards’ and ‘Paying Taxes’ indicators.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Mohun Bagan confers life membership to Abhijit Banerjee: The Mohun Bagan Athletic Club has conferred life membership to Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee. The club handed him the First Day Cover of 1911 and the maroon green jersey with his name written on it. He was also given a book on the history of the club. In 1911, Mohun Bagan became the first Indian club to win the Indian Football Association (IFA) Shield beating the East Yorkshire Regiment of the British Army in the final.

2. Panchayati Raj Minister confers National Panchayat Awards 2019: Minister of Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar conferred the national Panchayat Awards, 2019 at a function in New Delhi. 246 Awards were given to awardee Panchayats and States in various categories for their best performance at different levels, including the delivery of services. 195 awards were conferred under Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar category, 20 Gram Panchayats in Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar category and 3 Gram Panchayats in Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award category. 22 Gram Panchayats were awarded in Child-Friendly Gram Panchayats Award and six states were awarded under e-Panchayat Puraskar category.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been incentivizing the best performing Panchayats as recommended by the State Governments since 2011-12. According to Narendra Singh Tomar, in 14th Finance Commission, over two lakh crore rupees have been allocated to Gram Panchayats as against 65,000 crore rupees given under 13th Finance Commission. The Minister also launched the ‘Gram Manchitra’ app which is a Geo-Spatial based decision support system for panchayats.

DEFENCE

1. Indian Army to conduct 2019 “Sindhu Sudarshan” exercise 2019 in Rajasthan deserts: The Indian Army (IA) is to conduct exercise codenamed “Sindhu Sudarshan” for the year 2019 in the deserts of Rajasthan from November 29 to December 4, 2019. The aim of this exercise is to evaluate the capability of the defence services in an integrated air-land battle. In the Sindhu Sudarshan exercise, operational efficiency of the Strike Corps fighting in the desert terrain will be assessed and the Indian Air Force (IAF) will provide support in terms of destruction of targets and airlifting troops. The exercise showcasing a high degree of synergy between the Army and Air Force will be reviewed by Lieutenant General SK Saini.

Note: Chief of the Army Staff: General Bipin Rawat; Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

OBITUARIES

1. Belgian Paralympian Marieke vervoort ends life through euthanasia at 40: Marieke Vervoort, Belgian Paralympic athlete has ended her life at the age of 40 through euthanasia (the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering). She was suffering from a muscle disease that caused her constant pain, paralysis in her legs. She was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 14, after which she made her life in the sport and took part in basketball, swimming and triathlon in a wheelchair. She won gold in the 100 meters and silver in the 200 meters at the 2012 London Games, while at the Rio Games 2016 she managed to win silver in the 400 meters and bronze in the 100 meters. She signed euthanasia documents in 2008, to allow a doctor to end her life.

Daily GK Updates - 23rd October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Railways install Electronic Interlocking System on Grand Chord route: Indian Railways has installed the most advanced Electronic Interlocking System on the Grand Chord route. The measure is expected to help Indian Railways speed up trains and achieve the objective of reducing the travel time between Delhi and Howrah to about 12 hours from the existing 17 to 19 hours. Grand Chord is part of the Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line. The new Electronic system has replaced outdated 65-year old mechanical signalling system at Tundla Junction in Uttar Pradesh on the route.

2. IIM Kozhikode & MRPL to support women entrepreneurs: IIM Kozhikode and Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd. have announced a special drive Labelled as “La Eve (meaning The Woman)” to support women entrepreneurs in the country. The initiative aims to identify innovative, promising women-founded start-ups to provide a comprehensive start-up support programme. The initiative would be steered by the institute’s entrepreneurship development centre, Laboratory for Innovation, Venturing and Entrepreneurship or IIMK LIVE. Under the drive “La Eve” IIMK LIVE would identify women-founded, innovation-led start ups and provide incubation that would provide access to the institutes intellectual, network and infrastructural resources. MRPL would provide seed fund assistance from the start funding initiative under start-up India Program.

3. No govt. jobs in Assam for people with more than two children: The State Cabinet of Assam has decided to make government jobs out of bounds for people with more than 2 children. The policy will come into effect from January 1, 2021. The decision comes two years after the State Assembly on September 2017 passed the ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’ to encourage small families. The Cabinet also adopted a new land policy that will make the landless indigenous people eligible for 3 bighas (43,200 sq. ft.) of land for farming and half a bigha for constructing a house. The beneficiary will be able to sell the given land only after 15 years of use.

4. AYUSH, Defence ministries ink MoU to provide traditional medicine services: The AYUSH ministry has signed an MoU with the Defence Ministry to provide traditional medicine services at the armed forces’ hospitals and dispensaries. Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik inaugurated an Ayurveda Palliative Care Unit at the Base Hospital in the Delhi Cantonment. Under the MoU, Ayurveda units will also be established at palliative care centres at the Army Research and Referral Hospital, Air Force Hospital, Hindon in Ghaziabad and five identified ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinics in Delhi–NCR.

5. IIT Bombay tops QS India university rankings 2020: The latest 2 edition of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) India University Rankings 2020 released. The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) has topped the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) India University Rankings 2020 released. Six other IITs have also made it to the list of top 10 institutes. Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science has been ranked second followed by the IITs in Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Roorkee, and Guwahati. The University of Hyderabad (8) and the University of Delhi (7) are the only two central varsities among the top 10 institutes.

Note: Headquarters of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS): London, United Kingdom; Founded: 1990; Founded by Nunzio Quacquarelli, QS is a British company specialising in education.

6. Ashok Malik appointed as Policy Advisor in MEA: Ashok Malik has been appointed as the Policy Advisor in the External Affairs Ministry in the rank of Additional Secretary. The Distinguished Fellow of the prominent think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) will have a 2-year tenure. Ashok Malik has previously served as the Press Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind from August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2019.

7. Union Govt. appoints Pankaj Kumar as UIDAI chief: The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of multiple ministries and departments. Pankaj Kumar (1987 batch IAS officer) has been appointed as CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Currently, Pankaj Kumar is the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Braj Raj Sharma (1984 batch officer) has been appointed Chairman of Staff Selection Commission (SSC). Tuhin Kanta Pandey (Odisha cadre IAS officer) Secretary Department of Investment and Public Asset Management. Sanjeev Nandan Sahai (1986 batch officer) will be the new Power Secretary. Pramod Kumar Das (and Madhya Pradesh Cadre IAS) has been appointed Minority Affairs Secretary.

Note: Headquarters of UIDAI: New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Justin Trudeau wins 2nd term as Prime Minister of Canada: Justin Trudeau (47-years) has won the second term as the Prime Minister of Canada after his Liberal Party won 157 seats of the total 338 seats. The ‘Conservative Party’ led by Andrew Scheer has won 121 seats and remained the Official Opposition. The New Democratic Party led by ‘Jagmeet Singh’ has won 24 seats. However, Mr Trudeau’s party failed by 13 seats to form a majority government. This means Trudeau will have to work with other parties in order to govern the country.

Note: Canada Capital: Ottawa; Currency: Canadian dollar

2. President Kovind attend Japan's Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony: President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Tokyo after concluding his five-day state visit to the Philippines. Mr. Kovind also attended the enthronement ceremony of Japan's Emperor Naruhito. Naruhito is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession. The president visited a Buddhist temple in Tokyo where he planted a Bodhi sapling, which he carried from India. This is the first presidential visit to Japan from India after a gap of 29 years.

Note: Japan Capital: Tokyo; Currency: Japanese yen

3. Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas elected as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cabo Verde: The Ministry of External Affairs notified that Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas (IFS:1993), presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Senegal, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cabo Verde. He will replace Rajeev Kumar.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Graeme Smith has been elected as MCC Honorary Life Member: Former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith has been elected an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Smith has an impressive record in One-Day International, scoring 6,989 runs including ten centuries and also became South Africa’s youngest ever captain at 22. Former Australian off-spinner Tim May was also awarded Honorary Life Membership in recognition of his outstanding achievements in cricket. The pair follows Paul Collingwood, AB de Villiers, Mitchell Johnson and Adrian Morgan in being awarded Honorary Life Membership of MCC in 2019.

2. Anandan wins 2 golds at the 7th CISM World Military Games: Para-athlete Anandan Gunasekaran has won 2 gold medals at the 7th CISM World Military Games held in Wuhan, China. He won the medal in the disabled men’s 100m and 400m IT1 events. Gunasekaran finished the 100m race in 12 seconds and won India’s 1st medal in the ongoing Games. He clinched his 2nd gold clocking 53.35s in the disabled men’s 400m IT1 event.

3. 2024 Olympic Games logo unveiled in Paris: The logo for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games unveiled at a ceremony in the French capital. The circular design with Paris 2024 in the art deco style which was in vogue in 1924 when Paris last hosted the Games also incorporates the lips and outline of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic since the revolution in 1789.

Note: President of France: Emmanuel Macron; Capital: Paris; Currency: Euro, CFP Franc.

4. Rajasthan Royals appoints Andrew McDonald as new head coach: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals have appointed Australian coach Andrew Barry McDonald (38-year) as new head coach for three years. The former Australian all-rounder has outstanding credentials and has coached Leicestershire, Victoria, and the Melbourne Renegades. Earlier, McDonald has played for Delhi Daredevils in 2009 IPL before being signed up by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012-2013.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IRDAI imposes a penalty of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS GIC: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) have imposed penalties of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd. The insurer was penalised for violations observed during an inspection. The penalty of Rs 1 crore is for violation of Clause 15 of Schedule I of IRDA (Health Insurance) Regulations, 2013 which clearly specifies that no commission shall be payable to any intermediary on the acceptance of a ported policy. The other penalty of Rs 1 lakh is for motor insurance and was for violating the outsourcing guidelines by agreeing to payment terms not in the interests of the insurer.

Note: Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd is an Indian insurance firm and a joint venture between the Murugappa Group (Indian conglomerate) and the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group (Japanese insurance company).

IRDAI Chairman: Subhash Chandra Khuntia; Headquarters: Hyderabad.

2. Global Wealth Report: India contributes 7% to global wealth rise: As per CSRI’s (Credit Suisse Research Institute) Global Wealth Report (10th edition), the global wealth has risen by USD 9 trillion to USD 360 trillion in 2019. India has made a contribution of USD 625 billion (nearly 7% of total) to global wealth. The biggest contribution has come from the US at USD 4 trillion (45% of total) and China at USD 1.9 trillion (21% of total). Wealth per adult for India at USD 14,569 (globally USD 70,849) is nearly 80% below the global average. The US and Europe have the highest wealth per adult at USD 417,694 and USD 153,973, respectively. According to the Wealth Report, personal debt for India is estimated to be at USD 1,345, or 8% of gross assets.

DEFENCE

1. DRDO starts work on ‘next-gen’ hypersonic weapon: The Defence Research and Development (DRDO) have started work to produce hypersonic weapon missiles that travel at 5 times speed of sound, or a little over a mile every second. A wind tunnel to test and fine-tune the technology will be operational soon. Hypersonic weapons are specifically designed for increased survivability against modern ballistic missile defence systems. These missiles are capable of delivering conventional or nuclear payloads at speeds not imagined hiterto over long ranges.

2. IAF fires two BrahMos missiles at Trak Island in Andaman Nicobar: Two BrahMos surface to surface missiles were fired by Indian Air Force at Trak Island in the Andaman Nicobar group of islands. The twin firings have been carried out as a part of the routine operational training. The missile engaged the designated mock targets close to 300 Kilometres away. A direct hit on the target was achieved in both cases. The firing of the missiles has enhanced Air force capability to engage the grounds targets with pinpoint accuracy from a mobile platform.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union Culture Minister launches E-Portal, YouTube Channel of CCRT: Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (IC), Prahlad Singh Patel launched the E-Portal of Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) ‘Digital Bharat Digital Sanskriti’ and CCRT YouTube Channel in New Delhi. For this initiative, CCRT has tied up with Routes 2 Roots, an NGO, for connecting seamlessly all the CCRT Regional Centres i.e., Guwahati, Udaipur and Hyderabad. On this Occasion Union Minister also released a film ‘Rahas’ directed by Sunil Shukla. Rahas is basically Raaslila of Chhattisgarh. Subsequently, he released a book “Dewas ki Sanskritik Parampara” written by  Jeewan Singh Thakur.

Note: Director of CCRT: Rishi Kumar Vashist; CCRT Established: 1979.

2. World’s highest battlefield ‘Siachen glacier’ opens for tourism: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has announced that the Siachen Glacier (the world’s highest battlefield) is now open for tourism. The decision comes months after declaring Ladakh as a Union Territory. This is the first time that the area has been opened by the army for tourists. Now, you can travel from the Siachen Base Camp (altitude of 12,000 feet) to Kumar Post. The Siachen Glacier is on the eastern Karakoram Range in the Himalayas.

Note: The Siachen Glacier at the height of around 20,000 ft in the Karakoram range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. The Glacier came under the strategic control of India in 1984 following ‘Operation Meghdoot’.

3. Delhi becomes the first Asian city to get public transport feature from Uber: American multinational ridesharing company Uber has launched its public transport service in Delhi. With this feature, Uber users in Delhi would be able to use the public transport option that will appear on the app. Once the users use this option, Uber will show the best three routes for using metro or bus in the city. Uber has tied up with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the new service. Uber will show end-to-end directions from point A to point B.

4. WB Govt to invest Rs 540 Cr for infrastructural development of Calcutta Leather Complex: The West Bengal Government has decided to invest Rs 540 Cr for infrastructural development of Calcutta Leather Complex (renamed as Karmadiganta) situated at Bantala in South 24 Parganas District. The Karmadiganta complex is considered Asia’s first integrated leather complex. The West Bengal Government is aiming to raise the target to Rs 30,000 Cr in the next five years. At present, 385 tanneries and 40 leather Goods units are operational. The tanneries from Kolkata, Kanpur and Chennai are being shifted to the leather complex to take advantage of modern infrastructure.

5. NCRB releases Crime in India Report 2017: National Crime Records Bureau has released the annual “Crime in India Report 2017”. The report has been released after a delay of 2 years.

Key findings of the report are:

According to the report, 3.59 lakh cases of crime against women were reported in the country. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 56,011 cases followed by Maharashtra with 31,979 cases and West Bengal 30,002 in cases of crime against women. Majority of cases under crimes against women were registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or his Relatives’ (27.9%) followed by ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (21.7%), ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (20.5%) and ‘Rape’ (7.0%).

The NCRB report also cited 58,880 incidents of rioting in 2017. Maximum incidents of rioting were reported from Bihar (11,698), followed by Uttar Pradesh (8,990) and Maharashtra (7,743).

The incidents registered under the Scheduled Caste Prevention of Atrocities Act saw an increase from 5,082 incidents reported in 2016 to 5,775 in 2017.

The NCRB for the first time collected data on circulation of “false/fake news and rumours”. Under the category, maximum incidents were reported from Madhya Pradesh (138) followed by Uttar Pradesh (32) and Kerala (18).

A total of 28,653 murder cases were registered across the country in 2017 and enmity cited as the maximum triggers for such murders. Among Union Territories, Delhi recorded the most murder cases in 2017 at 487.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-Bangladesh Stakeholders’ Meet begins in Guwahati: Today, India-Bangladesh Stakeholders’ Meet begins in Guwahati with trade and connectivity high on the agenda. A 70-member delegation from Bangladesh, including two Central ministers and two advisors of the Prime Minister, are participating in the meet. A similar top-level team from India, including Union ministers, will represent the host nation. The idea of the meet is to put Assam at the centre point of India’s trade expansion with ASEAN and Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal or BBN countries. Country’s first International multi-model hub will be set up at Jogighopa in Assam at a cost of 600 crore rupees.

2. China signs deal to lease ‘Tulagi’ island: A Chinese company has signed an agreement to lease an entire island in the Solomon Islands. Tulagi, an island about two square kilometres (0.8 square miles) with a population of 1,200. It is the site of a former Japanese naval base and was the scene of fierce fighting in World War II. The agreement with China Sam mentions developing a refinery on the island, but its potential for dual use as a Chinese military base is certain to raise concerns with the United States and Australia.

3. United Nations WFP launches ‘Feed Our Future’ cinema ad campaign: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a cinema advertisement campaign ‘Feed Our Future’ to raise awareness and take steps against hunger and malnutrition in India. This programme held in Facebooks Mumbai office, Maharashtra with support from UFO Moviez India Limited and Indian digital cinema distribution network. The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization committed to saving lives in emergencies and changing lives through sustainable development. In India, WFP has been working in partnership with the Government for more than 50 years to contribute to its efforts to achieve food and nutrition security.

Note:  Executive Director of WFP: David Beasley; Formed: 19 December 1961; Headquarters: Rome, Italy.

4. The 18th NAM Summit to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit has been scheduled to be held between 25 October and 26 October 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The 18th NAM summit 2019 will be preceded by Ministerial meetings and senior official meetings. The 18th Summit Conference of the NAM will be hosted by H.E. Mr Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Nepal PM Oli and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina will be attending the summit. The Non-Alignment Movement was founded in 1961. India is a founding member of the NAM summit. NAM was based on Bandung principles that were adopted at the Belgrade Summit, an Afro-Asian Conference, in 1955. The movement worked towards the attainment of independence for many countries. The principles of non-alignment constitute one of the basic tenets of Nepal’s foreign policy NAM. The 17th NAM Summit was held in 2016 at the Island of Margarita, Venezuela.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Raunak Sadhwani becomes India’s 65th Grandmaster: Raunak Sadhwani has becomes India’s 65th Grandmaster. He defeated Russian GM Alexander Motylev to become the Grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 9 months and 28 days. Sadhwani’s first GM norm came in the 2019 Aeroflot Open and the 2nd in the 2019 Porticcio Open and the final norm at FIDE-Chess Grand Swiss. With the victory, Sadhwani has joined the growing list of country’s teenaged GMs that includes enormously-talented Nihal Sarin, R. Praggnanandhaa and D. Gukesh, among others.

2. Denis Shapovalov wins the Stockholm Open: Canadian player Denis Shapovalov has won the Stockholm Open title. He defeated Filip Krajinovic by 6-4, 6-4 in the Stockholm Open final. Denis Shapovalov has become the first Canadian ATP singles champion since Milos Raonic won at Brisbane in January 2016.

3. Riya Bhatia wins ITF title in Nigeria: Riya Bhati has won the ITF women’s tennis tournament in Lagos, Nigeria. She defeated Slovenian player Nastja Kolar of Slovenia 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 in the summit clash of the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament. This was the 3rd singles title in the professional circuit for Riya, who had won her last two titles in 2016 and 2017.

4. Rohit Sharma set a record of highest average in Test cricket: Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma smashed the former Australia cricketer Don Bradman’s record of highest average in Test cricket on home soil. He set the record on day two of the third Test match against South Africa. He broke the 71-year-old record that was previously held by Bradman by scoring an average of 99.84. Bradman, the legendary Australia cricketer had an average of 98.22.

5. RCB becomes the first IPL team to hire a woman in support staff: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has appointed Navnita Gautam as their Sports Massage Therapist. Navnita Gautam became the first Indian Premier League (IPL) team to have a woman in the support staff. Navnita will work with Evan Speechly, the Head Physiotherapist and Basu Shanker, Strength and Conditioning Coach. She will be responsible for performing specialized techniques pertaining to the preparation, motivation, overall supervision and all individual physical ailments relating to the team.

6. Ronaldo Singh wins the gold medal at Asian Track Cycling Championships: Indian cyclist Ronaldo Singh has won a gold medal in the men’s junior Keirin event at the Asian Track Cycling Championships at Incheon in South Korea. Earlier, Ronaldo Singh had created a Junior Asian record during the Track Asia Cup in September this year in New Delhi. Apart from Ronaldo, James Singh clinched a bronze medal in the event.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI Card launches contactless mobile phone payments facility: SBI Card announced the launch of ‘SBI Card Pay’, a feature which allows contactless payment using mobile phones at PoS terminals. Using SBI Card Pay, customers can make contactless payments at near field communication (NFC) enabled point of sale terminals with just one tap of their mobiles, without using the physical credit card or entering any PIN. SBI Card Pay is a payment feature based on Host Card Emulation (HCE) technology for faster, convenient and more secure card payments using mobile phones.

Note: CEO of SBI Card: Hardayal Prasad; Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana.

2. Govt rolls out 6th tranche of Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019-20: The Union Govt rolls out 6th tranche of Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019-20 (continue till 25th Oct 2019). The issue price of the Bond during this subion period is 3835 rupees per gram, with the settlement date of 30th of this month. The Centre, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to allow a discount of 50 rupees per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and make the payment through the digital mode. For such investors, the issue price of Gold Bond will be three thousand seven hundred and eighty-five rupees per gram of gold. Government of India (consultation with the RBI) has decided to allow a discount of Rs 50 per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and the payment is made through digital mode.

The features of the Bond are:

No.	Item	Details
1	Product name	Sovereign Gold Bond 2019-20
2	Issuance	To be issued by Reserve Bank India on behalf of the Government of India.
3	Eligibility	The Bonds will be restricted for sale to resident individuals, HUFs, Trusts, Universities and Charitable Institutions.
4	Denomination	The Bonds will be denominated in multiples of gram(s) of gold with a basic unit of 1 gram.
5	Tenor	It will be for a period of 8 years with exit option after 5th year to be exercised on the interest payment dates.
6	Minimum size	The minimum permissible investment will be 1 gram of gold.
7	Maximum limit	The maximum limit of subscribed shall be 4 KG for individual, 4 Kg for HUF and 20 Kg for trusts and similar entities per fiscal (April-March) notified by the Government from time to time.

AWARDS

1.”Gully Boy” & “Delhi Crime” wins at Asian Academy Creative Awards: “Gully Boy” & “Delhi Crime” have won awards at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt-starrer “Gully Boy” won the best film from India award in the regional finals at the Asian Academy Creative Awards ceremony. Netflix series “Delhi Crime” has won in a number of categories at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. Delhi Crime won for Best Actress, Best Direction, Best Drama Series, Best Editing and Best Original Programme.

DEFENCE

1. DAC cleared indigenous projects worth Rs 3,300 crore: The Defence Acquisition Council has approved 3 projects worth Rs 3,300 crore of “indigenously designed and developed equipments”. The projects include 3rd generation Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) and Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) for the T-72 and T-90 Tanks to be executed by the Indian industry. This is the first time the Ministry of Defence has offered complex military equipment to be designed, developed and manufactured by the Indian private industry. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

OBITUARIES

1. Dhyanchand award recipient Wrestler Dadu Chougule passes away: Dadu Chougule, wrestler and recipient of Major Dhyanchand award, passed away. In 1973, Chougule had won the titles ‘Rustum-e-Hind’ and ‘Mahan Bharat Kesari’ in national-level tournaments. In the 1974 Commonwealth Games, he won the silver medal. He won the ‘Maharashtra Kesari’ title twice in 1970 and 1971 and was awarded by the state government with ‘Shivchattrapati Puraskar’.

2. Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd passes away: Oracle co-CEO (until last month) Mark Hurd (62-years) passed away. Mr. Hurd made his name as a strong-willed leader who helped revive the fortunes of two companies, including Hewlett Packard (HP), where he was CEO last decade. Earlier, Hurd had taken a leave of absence last month to focus on his health.