Daily GK Update- 26th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UNESCO: Historic Urban Landscape project launched for Gwalior, Orchha: In the state of Madhya Pradesh, the cities of Orchha and Gwalior have been selected by UNESCO under its ‘Historic Urban Landscape Project.’ This project was started in the year 2011. UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape project for the cities of Orchha and Gwalior was launched through video conferencing by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan.Six cities of South Asia, including the Indian cities of Varanasi and Ajmer, are already involved in this project. Gwalior and Orchha have been included as the 7th and 8th cities of South Asia.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

 

2. FinMin Joint Secretary Rashmi R Das appointed to UN Tax Committee: The joint secretary of the Finance Ministry, RasmiRanjan Das has been appointed to the UN tax committee as a member for the term period 2021 to 2025. Das is among the tax experts from around the world who has been appointed as a member of the UN tax committee. She is Joint Secretary – (FT&TR-I), Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.

About UN Committee:Formally known as the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, this committee helps the countries’ efforts to advance stronger and forward-looking tax policies which are adapted to suit the realities of a digitalised economy, globalised trade and investment and the ever-worsening environmental degradation.It assists countries in their efforts to prevent double or multiple taxations as well as non-taxation, broaden their tax base, strengthen their tax administrations, and curb international tax evasion and avoidance.

 

3. IIT-K launches technology innovation hub to find cyber security for drones: Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) has launched the first technology innovation hub to find cybersecurity solutions for anti-drones technologies, intrusion detection systems, block-chain and cyber-physical systems. As many as 13 start-ups and 25 research and development principal investigators were selected after a rigorous application process. The presence of cutting-edge technology in cybersecurity is accompanied by an increasing need to protect digital assets and deploy solutions for the common public as well as government and industry.IIT Kanpur’s C3i hub will focus on safeguarding cyberspace including critical infrastructure.” The government is promoting Make-in India cybersecurity solutions to counter rising threats from neighbouring countries, particularly China.

 

4. Kargil Vijay Diwas: 26th July:Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year on July 26 since the year 1999, to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil conflict. This year nation is celebrating the 22 years of victory in the Kargil war. It was in 1999 that a high altitude mountain war broke out along the peaks of Kargil near the Line of Control, the de-facto border that divides Kashmir between the two nations.

History of Kargil War:The Kargil War was fought between May-July of 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC) in which India got the victory.The Kargil war was fought for more than 60 days, ended on 26 July.On this date in 1999 Pakistan army taking advantage of the melting snow and betraying the bilateral understanding of both the nations (that the post would remain unattended during the winter season) took command of the high outposts of India.

Operation Vijay:The operation was launched in 1999. Both the operations were of huge success. However, the Kargil Vijay However, the Kargil Vijay Diwas is marked on the culmination of Kargil war.July 26 is celebrated as “Kargil Vijay Diwas” every year to mark the successful completion of “Operation Vijay” that ended the 3-month war along the Line of Control. Nearly 490 Indian army officers, soldiers and jawans were martyrs during the course of the battle.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge opened in Amsterdam:The world’s first 3D-printed steel bridge was opened to the public in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was developed by MX3D, a Dutch robotics company, in collaboration with a consortium of experts, and represents a major milestone for 3D-printing technology. After four years of development, the bridge was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. It was installed over one of the oldest canals in Amsterdam’s city centre – the OudezijdsAchterburgwal.About the bridge:

(1) The 12-metre-long steel structure will be a ‘living laboratory’ that will capture and transmit data on its health in real-time to show how it changes over its lifespan.

(2) The length of the bridge is nearly 40 feet. It is a 6-ton stainless steel structure.

(3) The smart sensor network was designed and installed by a team from The Alan Turing Institute.

(4) The sensors attached to the structure will gather data on air quality, temperature, strain, displacement and vibration.

(5) The data will be used by the bridge’s ‘digital twin’, a computer model that will emulate the actual bridge in real-time, to improve accuracy over time.

(6) The computer model will help understand how a full-scale 3D-printed steel structure works in the real world.

Note: Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam; Currency: Euro.

 

2. India sees significant improvement in UNESCAP score: India has scored 90.32 per cent in the 2021 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation. India’s score was 78.49 per cent in 2019. The overall score of India is found to be greater than many OECD countries including France, UK, Canada, Norway, Finland. India is the best-performing country when compared to the South and South-West Asia region (63.12%) and the Asia Pacific region (65.85%). The overall score of India is even greater than the average score of the EU.

The survey reveals that India has made significant improvement in the scores on all 5 key indicators, as follows:

(1) Transparency: 100% in 2021 (93.33% in 2019),

(2) Formalities: 95.83% in 2021 (87.5% in 2019),

(3) Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation: 88.89% in 2021 (66.67% in 2019),

(4) Paperless Trade: 96.3% in 2021 (81.48% in 2019) and

(5) Cross-Border Paperless Trade: 66.67% in 2021 (55.56% in 2019)

About the survey: The survey is conducted by the United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) every two years since 2015 to help countries benchmark and reduce the time and cost of trading across borders, as well as helps businesses in their investment decisions.The survey evaluates 143 economies on 58 trade facilitation measures covered by the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and 5 key indicators which are Transparency, Formalities, Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation, Paperless Trade, and Cross-Border Paperless Trade.

 

3. International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem: 26 July:The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem (or World Mangrove Day) is celebrated annually on 26 July. The day is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem” and to promote solutions for their sustainable management, conservation and uses.The day was adopted by the General Conference of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2015. It was on this day in 1998, that a Greenpeace activist Hayhow Daniel Nanoto, died of a heart attack during a massive protest to re-establish the mangrove wetlands in Muisne, Ecuador.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Tokyo 2020: MirabaiChanu wins Silver in weightlifting: MirabaiChanu won the silver medal and became the first Indian to win an Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the Women’s 49kg category. China’s ZhihuiHou won the gold medal in the women’s 49-kg weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics, lifting a total of 210 kg, while Indonesia’s Windy CantikaAisah won the bronze medal. Chanu managed to lift a total of 202 kg in the women’s 49kg category to become the second Indian weightlifter after KarnamMalleswari to win an Olympic medal. A new Olympic record was registered by MirabaiChanu with a successful lift of 115kg in clean and jerk.

 

2. IOA ropes in Adani Group as sponsor for Tokyo Olympics: The Indian Olympic Association has roped in Adani Group as a sponsor for the Indian contingent at the ongoing Tokyo Games. IOA secretary general Rajiv Mehta, who is in Tokyo, announced the development. The IOA had earlier entered into sponsorship deals with various private entities, including dairy giant Amul, mobile gaming platform MPL Sports Foundation, JSW Sports among others. IOA had inked the deals after dropping Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning as the Indian team’s official kit sponsor for the Tokyo Olympics and stating that the country’s athletes will wear unbranded apparel during the Games.

Note: Indian Olympic Association President: Narayana Ramachandran; Indian Olympic Association Founded: 1927.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI allows loans up to Rs 5 cr to other banks’ directors: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has overhauled rules for extending loans to directors of other banks and relatives of directors. As per the amendments, the central bank has allowed banks to extend personal loans up to ₹5 crores to directors of other banks and directors’ relatives other than spouses without board approval. The earlier limit for such loans was ₹25 lakh.

The regulations apply to directors, including the Chairman/Managing Director, of other banks, any firm in which they are interested as a partner or guarantor, or any company in which they hold substantial interest or is interested as a director or as a guarantor. Personal loans refer to loans given to individuals and consist of consumer credit, education loans, loans given for the creation or enhancement of immovable assets like houses, and loans given for investment in financial assets, such as shares, debentures, etc.

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Max Bupa Health Insurance rebrands itself as Niva Bupa: The standalone health insurer Max Bupa Health Insurance has rebranded itself as ‘Niva Bupa Health Insurance. This development comes after the company’s promoter, Max India, which owned 51 per cent of the insurer sold its stake to True North in February 2019 for Rs 510 crore. With the entry of private equity firm True North, it was decided that the use of the “Max” brand will be phased out over a period of two years and replaced with a suitable name, to create a new brand identity. Niva Bupa targets to become aRs 2,500 crore company by FY 2021-22.

Note: Max Bupa Health Insurance CEO: Krishnan Ramachandran; Max Bupa Health Insurance Headquarters: New Delhi, India; Max Bupa Health Insurance Founded: 2008.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. NgangomBala Devi named AIFF ‘Women’s Footballer of the Year’ 2020-21: Indian Women’s National Team Forward, NgangomBala Devi has been named as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Women’s Footballer of the Year 2020-21. Bala currently plays for Rangers Women’s FC in Scotland. She made her debut for the team in February 2020 and created history as she scored her first competitive goal for the side in December last year. She is the first Indian woman footballer to sign a professional contract with an overseas club in Europe. Bala was a part of the Manipur U19 team that took part in the Under-19 Women’s Championship in Assam in 2002, where she was declared the best player. She has also represented the Manipur Senior Women’s Football Team in the India women’s football championship.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Noted Carnatic Classical Violinist Sikkil R Bhaskaran passes away: Noted Carnatic Classical Violinist ‘Kalaimaamani’ Sikkil Shri R Bhaskaran passed away. He started learning the Violin at the age of 11 from Thiruvarur Shri SubbaIyer and later trained under Mayuram Shri Govindarajan Pillai. He was an ‘A” Grade Artist of AIR and has served for nearly 2 decades in Chennai radio Station from 1976 to 1994. Bhaskaran has served as an Executive Committee member of the ThiruvaiyaruThyaga Brahma Festival for more than 2 decades. During his close to 5 decades of Musical Career, Bhaskaran has been bestowed with many laurels, Awards &Honours.

 

2. India’s oldest student BhageerathiAmma passes away at 107: BhageerathiAmma, the oldest woman in India to take the equivalency exams, has passed away due to age-related ailments. She was 107-years-old. Amma, who hailed from the Kollam district of Kerala, decided to continue her education at the age of 105. Amma had quit formal education in class three, when she was 9 years old. The centenarian was felicitated with the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar by the central government for her exceptional contribution towards women’s empowerment. 

Daily GK Update- 25th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. CM KCR to Launch ‘Telangana Dalit Bandhu’ from Huzurabad: Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao will launch his government’s new Dalit empowerment scheme, now christened DalitaBandhu, on a pilot basis from the Huzurabad assembly constituency. The scheme, which was to be called Dalit Empowerment Scheme, has now been renamed as DalitaBandhu scheme. As part of the scheme, eligible Dalit families would be given Rs 10 lakh in cash directly to their accounts. The sanctioned amounts will be deposited in the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries.Poll-bound Huzurabad constituency has five mandals and the total number of Dalit families in this constituency stands at 20,929. All these families will be scrutinised before the final beneficiary list is made. All those found eligible will be extended the benefits of the scheme. Huzurabad constituency has only a total of around 2 lakh voters. Out of the total, CM KCR’s scheme will benefit nearly 21,000 families, which accounts for around 60,000 to 80,000 people, if this scheme is implemented soon.

Note: Telangana Capital: Hyderabad; Telangana Governor: TamilisaiSoundararajan; Telangana Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao.

 

2. MoRTH’s Secretary AramaneGiridhar gets additional charge as NHAI Chairman: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Secretary, AramaneGiridhar (IAS) has been given additional charge of the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Present NHAI Chairman, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu has been appointed the new Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand. He took over as NHAI Chainman in October 2019.

Note: National Highways Authority of India Founded: 1988; National Highways Authority of India Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

3.Vice President Venkaiah Naidu addresses the World Universities Summit 2021: The Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated and addressed the World Universities Summit as Chief Guest. The Union Education and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also addressed the summit. The Summit was organized by O.P. Jindal Global University, located at Sonipat, Haryana. The theme of the summit was “Universities of the Future: Building Institutional Resilience, Social Responsibility and Community Impact”. The World Universities Summit 2021 provided a platform to bring together over 150 thought leaders to deliberate on the ways in which higher education institutions can strengthen their vision and commitment towards institutional resilience, social responsibility and community impact.

 

4. JNCASR hits Nature Index Top 50 for materials science: The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre For Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, has been placed in the top 50 institutions worldwide for advances in materials science by the prestigious Nature Index. The list which includes 18 institutes from China, 12 from the United States and two from the United Kingdom places the JNCASR in the 23rd position globally among universities and institutions as part of its ‘50 Rising Institutions’ list.

The centre is also the only Indian institute on the list and shares the privilege with others such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University which is in the first place, the University of Texas Austin (fourth), the University of Berkley (12th) and the University of Cambridge (27th). JNCASR president Professor Giridhar U Kulkarni, who is also a materials scientist, described the mood at the centre as being jubilant.

 

5. A book title ‘Bank With A Soul: Equitas’ by Dr. C K Garyali: Former RBI Governor, DuvvuriSubbarao has unveiled a book ‘Bank With A Soul: Equitas’ authored by Dr. C K Garyali. Dr. Garyali is a founder trustee of EDIT (Equitas Development Initiative Trust) and the book chronicles the journey of Equitas and EDIT in transforming the lives of women with frequent social reform initiatives helping them set up micro-enterprises.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. G20 Environment Ministers’ Meeting 2021: The G20 Environment Ministers’ Meeting 2021 is one of the ministerial meetings organized as part of the G20 Leaders Summit 2021, which will be hosted by Italy in October 2021. The 2021 G20, under the Italian Presidency, will focus on three broad, interconnected pillars of action: People, Planet, Prosperity. Within these pillars, the G20 aims to take the lead in ensuring a swift international response to the COVID-19 pandemic – able to provide equitable, worldwide access to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines – while building up resilience to future health-related shocks.India was represented by a delegation led by Hon’ble Union Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav and include Minister of State, Ashwini Kumar Choubey and senior officers of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Countries Participated:The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the European Union. The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the US.

 

2. UNESCO removes Liverpool from world heritage list: The UN’s cultural agency UNESCO has voted narrowly to remove Liverpool’s waterfront from its list of world heritage sites, citing concerns about overdevelopment, including plans for a new football stadium. At committee talks chaired by China, 13 delegates voted in favour of the proposal and five against, just one more than the two-thirds majority required to delete a site from the global list.Those against delisting Liverpool included Australia, whose own listing for the Great Barrier Reef is threatened in this year’s UNESCO deliberations. Others opposing included Brazil, Hungary and Nigeria, arguing any step should be deferred a year to give the UK and Liverpool authorities more time.

Note: UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France; UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.

 

3. World Drowning Prevention Day: 25th July:World Drowning Prevention Day, declared through the April 2021 UN General Assembly Resolution “Global drowning prevention”, is held annually on 25 July. This global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and to offer life-saving solutions to prevent it.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Madhya Pradesh Para Shooter Rubina Francis bags gold at Peru event: Madhya Pradesh shooter, Rubina Francis has set a world record at the ongoing Para Sport Cup in Peru. She has won gold in the 10-metre air pistol para-event for women. Scoring 238.1 points, she went past the world record of AysegulPehlivanlar of Turkey. This win also secured her the quota for India at the Tokyo Summer Paralympics 2020. Over the years, she has earned more than 15 medals from national and international events. Presently, Rubina is training under the guidance of Jaspal Rana, former shooter and coach of the Junior Indian Pistol Shooting Team.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. U GRO Capital & Bank of Baroda in tie-up for MSME co-lending: U GRO Capital, a non-bank financier, and state-owned Bank of Baroda have partnered for co-lending to the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector. Under the co-lending programmePratham, Bank of Baroda and U GRO will together disburse loans worth Rs 1,000 crore to MSMEs. The aim is to dispense the entire amount by the end of this financial year. The loan amount ranges from ₹50 lakh to ₹2.5 crores to be offered at an interest rate starting from 8% with a maximum tenure of 120 months. The programme is accessible to MSMEs across U GRO’s over 200 channel touchpoints around nine locations in Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

Note: U GRO Capital’s Managing Director: ShachindraNath.

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

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Cachar district received National Silver SKOCH award: Cachar Deputy Commissioner, KeerthiJalli received the National Silver SKOCH Award a few days ago for ‘PushtiNirbhor’ (nutrition-dependent), a convergence project on transformation and development entailing setting up Nutri-gardens at houses in DinnathpurBagicha village. The village is near the India-Bangladesh border in the Katigorah circle of the Cachar district.

Under the project: 30,000 seedlings of vegetables, fruits and herbal plants were distributed among 140 beneficiaries. Each household of the village was also given payment for 75 man-days to implement the project. The main objective was to train the villagers toward becoming self-reliant during the pandemic, grow enough for their own nutritional needs and sell the surplus in the markets.

About the award: Instituted in 2003, SKOCH Award salutes people, projects and institutions that go the extra mile to make India a better nation.

 

2. Sandesh Jhingan named AIFF men’s Footballer of Year: Senior India defender, Sandesh Jhingan was named the AIFF men’s Footballer of the Year 2020-21 season. It is the first time that the towering central defender has received the AIFF Player of the Year award, having won the Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2014.

About Jhingan:Jhingan made his senior national team debut in 2015 in Guwahati and has since gone on to make 40 appearances for the Blue Tigers, scoring four goals. He was part of the Indian sides that lifted the Intercontinental Cup in 2018 and played out a memorable draw at the home of the Asian champions Qatar in 2019. Jhingan has captained the senior team on five occasions, the most recent being the international friendly against Oman in Dubai in March. He was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award last year.

Another award: While midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam was picked as the Emerging Player for the year award for 2020-21. The 20-year-old Suresh, who made his Blue Tigers debut earlier this year against Oman, was part of the Indian side that competed at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017.

Note: All India Football Federation President: Praful Patel; All India Football Federation Founded: 23 June 1937; All India Football Federation Headquarters: Dwarka, Delhi.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Gira Sarabhai co-founder of National Institute of Design passes away: Gira Sarabhai co-founder of the National Institute of Design has passed away. The pioneer of design education in the nation has played a vital part in establishing several other institutions and also made remarkable contributions in the field of art and architecture. Sarabhai was the daughter of industrialist Ambalal Sarabhai & sister of DrVikram Sarabhai. She also established the Calico Museum of Textiles. She was trained at the famous Taliesin West Studio in Arizona with noted architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

Daily GK Update- 24th July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Perumkulam is Kerala’s first ‘Book Village’: Perumkulam, in Kollam District, has been bestowed with the title Kerala’s first ‘Book Village’. This claim to fame results from years of concerted efforts aimed at encouraging the habit of reading. Perumkulam is a small village in Kulakkada near Kottarakkara in Kollam district. BapujiSmarakaGrandhasala’, a library in the village is at the forefront in this effort of making it the first book village of the State.

About the library:

(1) The library inculcates passion towards reading by setting up bookshelves, or ‘Book Nests’ placed at different corners of the village. Anybody can take books from the book nests, read them, and keep them back.

(2) Eleven such shelves have been set up in the village, and the house more than seven thousand books.

(3) The library also delivers books to homes. Legendary Malayalam writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair hailed it as the ‘Book village’.

(4) Following this, State Library Council reported its unique feat to the Chief Minister, and he officially conferred the title of ‘Book village’ to Perumkulam on this year’s Reading Day.

(5) The initiative of distributing books at houses helped several people- not just to increase knowledge, but also to fight the pandemic blues! A team has been deployed to distribute books by adhering to COVID norms. Eminent author M. Mukundan serves as the library’s patron.

Note: Kerala CM: PinarayiVijayan; Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

 

2. GoI extends ‘Stand Up India Scheme’ up to 2025: The Government of India has extended the duration of the ‘Stand Up India Scheme’ up to the year 2025. The scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on 05 April 2016 to facilitate loans to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and women borrowers, to promote entrepreneurship among them.

About the scheme: The scheme offers bank loans to women and SC & ST communities to encourage them in setting up a greenfield enterprise, outside of the farm sector, that is in the manufacturing, services or trading sector. A total of 1,16,266 loans amounting to Rs. 26204.49 crore has been extended under the Scheme since its inception. The loan under Stand Up India Scheme is extended by Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs.1 Crore.

 

3. IOC to set up first ‘green hydrogen’ plant at UP: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), India’s largest oil firm, will build the first ‘green hydrogen’ plant of the country at its Mathura refinery, to meet the growing demand for both oil and cleaner forms of energy. This will be the nation’s first green hydrogen unit. Previously, projects have been announced to produce ‘grey hydrogen’ using fossil fuels such as natural gas.For this, the company will make use of 250 MW of electricity which it produces from renewable sources like solar power, to produce absolutely green hydrogen through electrolysis. Mathura has been selected by virtue of its proximity to TTZ (Taj Trapezium Zone). Hydrogen is the latest buzz for meeting the world’s energy needs. Hydrogen, in itself, is a clean fuel but manufacturing it is energy-intensive and has carbon byproducts.

Note: Indian Oil Corporation Chairperson: ShrikantMadhav Vaidya; Indian Oil Corporation Headquarters: Mumbai; Indian Oil Corporation Founded: 30 June 1959.

 

4. Vice President releases book ‘PallekuPattabhishekam’: Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu has released a book titled ‘PallekuPattabhishekam’ authored by former MP Yalamanchili Sivaji. This book is based on rural India and agriculture. The Vice President said that villages and agriculture are intrinsically connected and we must address their issues holistically to bring ‘Gram Swarajya’ to our villages.

 

5. RakeyshOmprakashMehra announces autobiography ‘The Stranger In The Mirror’: Filmmaker RakeyshOmprakashMehra has announced his autobiography, “The Stranger In The Mirror”.  He has co-written the book with noted author Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. The autobiography has published by Rupa Publications, the book will hit the stands across the country on July 27. Ad maker-turned-director Mehra, known for helming movies like Rang De Basanti, Delhi-6, BhaagMilkhaBhaag and the recently released Toofan. According to a press release, The Stranger In The Mirror features first-person accounts of noted personalities from the cinema and advertising world including Waheeda Rahman, A.R. Rahman, Bajpayee, Abhishek Bachchan, Akhtar, Kapoor Ahuja, Tandon, Ronnie Screwvala, Atul Kulkarni, R. Madhavan, Divya Dutta and PrahladKakar.

 

6. AaykarDiwas (Income Tax Day): 24th July: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) observed the 161st Income Tax Day (also known as AaykarDiwas) on 24 July 2021. In India, the Income Tax Day is celebrated every year on July 24, as it was on 24 July 1980 that Income Tax was introduced for the first time in India by Sir James Wilson. The purpose of this tax was to compensate for the losses incurred by the British regime during the first war of independence against British Rule in 1857. July 24 was first celebrated as Income Tax day in 2010.

Note: Central Board of Direct Taxes chairman: JagannathBidyadharMohapatra; Central Board of Direct Taxes Established: 1924; Central Board of Direct Taxes Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Leftist school teacher Pedro Castillo declared New Peru President: Rural teacher-turned-political novice, Pedro Castillo became the winner of Peru’s presidential election after the country’s longest electoral count in 40 years. Castillo, whose supporters included Peru’s poor and rural citizens, defeated right-wing politician Keiko Fujimori by just 44,000 votes. Electoral authorities released the final official results more than a month after the runoff election took place in the South American nation. The economy of Peru, the world’s second-largest copper producer, has been crushed by the coronavirus pandemic, increasing the poverty level to almost one-third of the population and eliminating the gains of a decade.

Note: Peru Capital: Lima; Peru Currency: Sol.

 

2. Ariel Henry to take over as new Haitian Prime Minister: Ariel Henry has formally assumed the post of Prime Minister of Haiti. He assumed the role of the leader of the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation in a ceremony in the capital Port-Au-Prince. Henry was installed as head of a new government in an attempt to stabilize a country on the brink of chaos since the murder of President JovenelMoise at his residence in the early hours of July 7. The swearing-in of Henry, who was named to the post by Moise days before his death, was seen as a key step towards holding elections as demanded by many Haitians.

Note: Haiti Capital: Port-au-Prince; Haiti Currency: Haitian gourde; Haiti Continent: North America.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. AmanGulia and SagarJaglan become cadet world champions: Young wrestlers AmanGulia and SagarJaglan emerged as the new world champions in their respective categories as India dished out an impressive show on the second day of the Cadet World Championship 2021 at Budapest, Hungary. Gulia emerged the winner with a convincing 5-2 win over American Luke Joseph Lilledahl in a 48kg final while Jaglan blanked James Mockler Rowley 4-0 in the 80kg summit clash.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Bank, HPCL launch ‘ICICI Bank HPCL Super Saver’ Credit Card: ICICI Bank has announced the launch of a co-branded credit card with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to enable users to get benefits and reward points for using multiple credit cards in one. Named, ‘ICICI Bank HPCL Super Saver Credit Card’, the card offers best-in-class rewards and benefits to customers on their everyday spends on fuel as well as other categories including electricity and mobile, departmental stores like Big Bazaar and D-Mart, and e-commerce portals, among others. Powered by VISA, the card is unique among its peers which typically offer benefits on only one category of spends.

Customers can apply for the ‘ICICI Bank HPCL Super Saver Credit Card’ through the Bank’s internet banking platform or the mobile banking app, iMobile Pay. They get a digital card in a 100% contactless and paperless manner. The physical card is also sent to the customer by ICICI Bank within a few days. Further, customers can manage their transaction settings and credit limit conveniently on the iMobile Pay app.

Note: ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, KhayalApka;

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Headquarters: Mumbai; Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited CEO: Mukesh Kumar Surana; Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Chairperson: Mukesh Kumar Surana.

 

2. Kotak Mahindra Bank signs MoU with the Indian Navy for salary account: The Indian Navy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kotak Mahindra for salary accounts of all its personnel – both serving and retired. The bank will reportedly offer special salary account benefits to the Indian Navy like enhanced complimentary personal accident insurance cover, special education benefit for children, and additional girl child benefit, and attractive rates and zero processing fees on personal loans, home loans and car loans.

The Kotak salary account provides a range of privileges, and we have further personalized our offering, keeping in mind the requirements of Indian Navy personnel and their families. With a full suite of products, we will support the Indian Navy with all their banking requirements, backed by quality customer service and digital-first solutions.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh; Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950.

Kotak Mahindra Bank Establishment: 2003; Kotak Mahindra Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Kotak Mahindra Bank MD & CEO: Uday Kotak.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Dvara E-Dairy partners with IFFCO Tokio General Insurance for AI-led tag: Dvara E-Dairy Solutions, a portfolio company of Dvara Holdings has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) led digital tag ‘Surabhi e-Tag’ to identify cattle based on muzzle identity. This will be used for cattle insurance products offered in partnership with IFFCO Tokio General Insurance.

Under this initiative:

(1) Muzzle images of the cattle are collected through the Surabhi mobile application and stored in hi-resolution images as a unique digital identity.

(2) The artificial intelligence-driven mobile application of Dvara E-Dairy captures muzzle images with the mobile phone, compares the cattle’s unique digital identity stored in a secured cloud server and retrieves the results in less than 60 seconds.

(3) Conventional methods like polyurethane ear tags (PU ear tags) can be easily tampered with and are prone to duplication and fraud.

(4) Also, Injectable Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are considered expensive and require specialized skills.

(5) On the other hand, muzzle printing or nose printing is a unique identifier because it perceives patchy traits on the muzzle of cattle, just like human fingerprints.

Note: IFFCO Tokio General Insurance CEO: Anamika Roy Rashtrawar; IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Headquarters: Gurugram; IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Founded: 2000.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. DRDO successfully flight-tests indigenously developed MPATGM: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested indigenously developed third-generation Man-Portable Antitank Guided Missile (MPATGM) for its minimum range. The missile was launched from a man-portable launcher integrated with a thermal site, and all the mission objectives were met.

About the Missile: The missile has already been flight-tested for the maximum range. MPATGM is a low weight, fire and forgets missile, incorporated with state-of-the-art Miniaturized Infrared Imaging Seeker along with advanced avionics. It is being developed to strengthen the combat capabilities of the Indian Army.

Note: Chairman DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy; DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi; DRDO Established: 1958.

 

2. DRDO successfully test-flights surface-to-air missile ‘Akash-NG’: The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the New Generation Akash Missile (Akash-NG), from Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the coast of Odisha. The Akash missile system has been developed by the DRDO’s laboratory in Hyderabad in collaboration with other wings of the premier defence research organisation. The Akash-NG weapon system is a surface-to-air missile that can strike targets at a distance of around 60 km and fly at a speed of up to Mach 2.5. The flight data on the missile confirmed the success of the test. DRDO deployed a number of monitoring mechanisms such as electro-optical tracking systems, radar and telemetry. 

Daily GK Update- 23rd July, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Govt to set up Indian Institute of Heritage at Noida: The government has decided to set up the Indian Institute of Heritage at Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar. This will impact higher education and research in the field of rich Indian heritage and its conservation, leading to Masters and PhD courses in History of Arts, Conservation, Museology, Archival Studies, Archaeology, Preventive Conservation, Epigraphy and Numismatics, Manuscriptology as well as conservation training facilities to in-service employees and students of the institute.

This institute is being set up is deemed to be a university by integrating Institute of Archaeology (Pt DeendayalUpadhyaya Institute of Archaeology), School of Archival Studies under National Archives of India, New Delhi, the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC), Lucknow, National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology (NMICHM) and Academic Wing of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi.

 

2. Assam CM HimantaBiswa assures govt jobs for National Games Medalists: The Assam State Chief Minister DrHimantaBiswaSarma has assured jobs for all National Games medalists of Assam from now on. He also mentioned that all those who won medals in National Games so far for Assam would be given Sports Pension by the State Government. He hoped that this decision would help the sportspersons of the state.The Chief Minister also announced that the house would send a goodwill message to boxer LovlinaBorgohain who will be vying for a medal in Tokyo Olympics. The Chief Minister stated about the increase of sports pension on the sixth day of the Assam Assembly cabinet meeting. Further, the minister also said that the government is planning to increase the pension of sportsperson from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 10,000.

Note: Assam Governor: JagdishMukhi; Assam Chief Minister: HimantaBiswaSarma.

 

3. NMGC approves new projects for rejuvenation of 6 rivers in Uttarakhand: The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in its 36th Executive Committee has approved new projects for the rejuvenation of six rivers in Uttarakhand. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), there are a total of nine polluted stretches in Uttarakhand and six of them are in the Udham Singh Nagar district on various tributaries or small rivers such as Bhela, Dhela, Kichha, Nandor, Pilankha and Kosi.The projects shall cover the six polluted river stretches in the Kumaon region. Out of the rest three polluted stretches, the project of Ganga at Jagjeetpur, Haridwar has already been commissioned and on the remaining two, NamamiGange projects are already under execution. It also approved Sewerage (I&D) scheme (Dhela River) Phase-1 of District Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand under NamamiGangeProgramme at a sanctioned cost of Rs 199.36 crore.

Note: Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya; The chief minister of Uttarakhand: Pushkar Singh Dhami.

 

4. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi appointed Deputy Leader of House in Rajya Sabha: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced the appointment of the Union minister for minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as the deputy leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. Naqvi takes over from Piyush Goyal who has been elevated as the leader of the house in the Upper House. Both Goyal and Naqvi have their job cut out for them. They will have to handle the opposition in the Upper House and ensure that the house proceedings are conducted smoothly to allow the passage of bills.

 

5. IIT Ropar develops first-of-its-kind Oxygen Rationing Device ‘AMLEX’: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar has developed a first-of-its-kind Oxygen Rationing Device called AMLEX, to save the oxygen which otherwise gets wasted unnecessarily, and in turn, increase the life of medical oxygen cylinders three folds. The device will supply a required volume of oxygen to the patient during inhalation and will trip when the patient exhales carbon dioxide.The demand for liquid medical oxygen increased four times to 2,800 TPD. Further, with the second wave, the demand has gone up more than seven times—5,000 tonnes per day against the pre-Covid 19 level of 700 TPD. So far, during exhalation, the oxygen in the oxygen cylinder/pipe is pushed out along with the exhaled CO2 by the user.

About the “AMLEX”: “AMLEX”, on the other hand, was a system developed specifically for oxygen cylinders synchronising the flow of oxygen with inhalation and exhalation of the patient, thus conserving a large amount of oxygen in the reservoir for a long-lasting operation. As “AMLEX” supplies a required volume of oxygen to the patient during inhalation and trips when the patient exhales CO2, it saves the flow of oxygen at that time.

 

6. National Broadcasting Day: 23rd July: National Broadcasting Day is observed on 23rd July every year, to celebrate the radio, which has been an important part of people’s life in India, both as an easy medium of entertainment along with the news. On this day in 1927, the first-ever radio broadcast in the country went on the air from the Bombay Station under the Indian Broadcasting Company.

History of National Broadcasting Day: The first radio broadcast was made on July 23, 1927, from Bombay Station. The station was then owned by a private company called the Indian Broadcasting Company. The Government took over the broadcasting on April 1, 1930, and renamed it as Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS). It was initially on an experimental basis. Later it permanently came under government control in 1932. On 8th of June, 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service became All India Radio. Currently, AIR is one of the largest public broadcasting organisations in the world.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. China unveils 600 kph maglev train makes public debut: China unveiled a maglev train capable of a top speed of 600 kph. The maximum speed would make the train, self-developed by China and manufactured in the coastal city of Qingdao, the fastest ground vehicle globally. Using electromagnetic force, the maglev train “levitates” above the track with no contact between body and rail. China has been using the technology for almost two decades on a very limited scale. About the train:

(1) Shanghai has a short maglev line running from one of its airports to town.

(2) At 600 kph, it would only take 2.5 hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai by train – a journey of more than 1,000 km.

(3) Launched in October 2016, the high-speed maglev train project saw the development of a magnetic-levitation train prototype with a designed top speed of 600 km per hour in 2019 and conducted a successful test run in June 2020.

Note: China Capital: Beijing; China Currency: Renminbi; China President: Xi Jinping.

 

2. Jeff Bezos launches to space aboard New Shepard rocket ship: Billionaire Jeff Bezos has made a short journey to space, in the first crewed flight of his rocket ship, New Shepard. He was accompanied by Mark Bezos, his brother, Wally Funk, an 82-year-old pioneer of the space race, and an 18-year-old student. They travelled in a capsule with the biggest windows flown in space, offering stunning views of the Earth. On this flight was the oldest person who has been to space, Wally Funk and the youngest, student Oliver Daemen. When the capsule touched back down after the 10-minute, 10-second flight, Jeff Bezos exclaimed: “Best day ever!”. New Shepard, built by Bezos’ company Blue Origin, is designed to serve the burgeoning market for space tourism.

Note: Amazon CEO: Andrew R. Jassy; Amazon Founded: 5 July 1994.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Australia’s Brisbane to Host 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has voted the Australian city of Brisbane as the host city for the 2032 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games. Brisbane is the third Australian city to host the Olympic Games after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. With this, Australia will also become the only second country in the world, after the United States, to stage the summer Olympic Games in three different cities.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI selects Paisalo as its National Corporate Business Correspondent: State Bank of India (SBI) has selected “Paisalo Digital” as the National Corporate Business Correspondent of the Bank for financial inclusion by providing banking services through kiosks. The signing of the Service Level Agreement and other formalities shall be done shortly. Paisalo is tapping into the Rs 8 lakh crore market opportunity of small-ticket loans for India’s 365 million unbanked population.

Ensuring superior financial inclusion and increasing the outreach, the financial solutions company shall extend its services and its reach to the general public including its existing customers and new customers. As a business correspondent for State Bank of India, they will focus and improve the synergy with the thrust of the already up and running fully digital small loan business under SBI-Paisalo Loan Co-origination.

About the Paisalo Digital Limited: Paisalo Digital Limited is a Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking NBFC registered with the Reserve Bank of India. The Company was incorporated in the year 1992 as a Private Limited Company, converted itself in a Public Limited Company in the year 1995 and got listed in the year 1996 through Initial Public Offer (IPO). Presently the company is listed on NSE & BSE.

Note: SBI Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara; SBI Headquarters: Mumbai; SBI Founded: 1 July 1955.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. ADB projected India’s economic growth forecast at 10% in FY22: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has downgraded India’s economic growth forecast for the financial year 2021-22 (FY22) to 10 per cent, in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) Supplement for July. Earlier this was estimated at 11%. The multilateral funding agency has lowered the GDP growth forecast on account of the adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Further, ADB has projected the GDP growth rate for FY2022 (2022-23) to 7.5 per cent from the earlier projection of 7 per cent.

 

2. Goldman Sachs open its global centre in Hyderabad: Banking and financial services major, Goldman Sachs has opened a new facility in Hyderabad as part of its commitment to expand its global centre for engineering and business innovation in India. Hyderabad is emerging as a key investment destination for banking & financial service. The new office is expected to have about 800 people by year-end and grow to over 2,500 people by 2023. The new office will host functions across engineering, finance, human capital management, and support for consumer banking, and specialise in digital banking, artificial intelligence and machine learning areas.

Note: Goldman Sachs CEO: David M. Solomon (Oct 2018–); Goldman Sachs Headquarters: New York, New York, United States; Goldman Sachs Founded: 1869.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. OFT hands delivery of 25 remote control guns to Navy: Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli hands over Fifteen 12.7 mm M2 NATO Stabilized Remote Control Gun to Indian Navy & 10 to Indian Coast Guard. It is manufactured with the transfer of technology agreement from Elbit Systems, Israel. This gun is equipped with an inbuilt CCD camera, thermal imager & a laser range finder for observation & tracking of targets through the day and night operations. The gun is meant for marine applications and can remotely engage targets.