Daily GK Updates – 28th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches E-Sampada web portal: Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri has launched E-Sampada, a new web portal and mobile app on Good Governance Day. The new application provides a single-window for all the services including an allotment for over one lakh government residential accommodations, office space allotment to government organisations in 45 office complexes in 28 cities and booking of 1,176-holiday homerooms.

About E-Sampada Portal: The portal provides online facility to users across India to lodge complaints, submit documents and appear for the virtual hearing. This is a significant step towards the promotion of e-governance to enhance transparency and accountability in providing various estate services like allotment, retention, regularisation and no dues certificate. The real-time information on utilisation of assets and delivery of service will facilitate optimum utilisation of resources. The automated processes will minimize human intervention and will lead to greater transparency.

 

2. Punjab Govt launches mobile app and web portal ‘PR Insight’: Punjab Chief Minister Captain, Amarinder Singh has launched Mobile Application and web portal called ‘PR Insight’, to improve the delivery of citizen-centric services, based upon the feedback of its citizens on government policies. The basic objective of PR Insight is to re-orient the existing schemes and programmes of the state government to the people’s satisfaction after meticulously monitoring their feedback. About “PR Insight”:

(1) PR Insight application has been developed by the Information & Public Relations Department to provide a single repository & dashboard of all the news articles & social media posts of the State.

(2) This single repository of news articles and social media posts are then analysed using advance analytics and sentiment analysis tools to understand citizen feedback on Government policies and perception of Governance by the citizens.

(3) As many as 31 leading Newspaper agencies/portals have been integrated online with PR Insight application & portal and all the State Departments’ news articles are fetched from these newspaper agencies on a real-time basis.

(4) The app will monitor the citizen’s feedback and subsequently ensure responsive and transparent administration in the State.

Note: Chief Minister of Punjab: Capt. Amarinder Singh; Governor: V.P. Singh Badnore.

 

3. India’s first Lithium refinery to be set up in Gujarat: India’s first Lithium refinery is soon going to be set up in Gujarat. Manikaran Power Limited, one of the country’s largest power trading and renewable energy company will invest around Rs 1,000 crore to set up this refinery. The refinery will process Lithium ore to produce battery-grade material. Lithium is a rare element and is usually not found in India. Last year, Manikaran Power had collaborated with Australian firm Neometals to tap the Mount Marion Lithium mine in Western Australia. The proposed project is expected to help Gujarat secure the raw material supply for domestic manufacturing of Lithium batteries as it looks to promote electric vehicles.

 

4. Niti Aayog launches Cloud Storage Service ‘DigiBoxx’: NITI Aayog has launched indigenously developed India’s first Digital Asset Management and Storage platform, called ‘DigiBoxx’. The initiative will give a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, as India now has its own cloud storage platform. This cloud storage and file sharing service will be available for desktop, iOS, and Android users, including both regular users as well as businesses. Digiboxx offers free 20GB cloud storage space, and 100GB space per month at just Rs 30.

Note: Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog: Amitabh Kant; Chairperson of NITI Aayog: PM Narendra Modi.

 

5. Himachal CM unveils 18-feet statue of Vajpayee in Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has unveiled an 18-feet tall statue of late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the occasion of his 96th birth anniversary at the historic Ridge in the state capital. The statue has been built at a cost of Rs 1.08 crore. The Ridge Maidan also houses statues of Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Note: Chief Minister of HP: Jairam Thakur; Governor of HP: Bandaru Dattatraya.

 

6. Devendra Fadnavis releases book ‘Ayodhya’ written by Madhav Bhandari: Maharashtra former Chief Minister and present leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis has released the book ‘Ayodhya’ written by Madhav Bhandari. The book will serve as a key reference document summarising the protests held for the cause of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. The book brings together various references that are related to Ayodhya town in Uttar Pradesh. The invaders had destroyed the Ram temple there and a defeatist mentality was thrust upon Hindus for years to come. The (temple) campaign was undertaken to counter this mentality and awaken the community.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UNICEF launches Covid-19 vaccine market dashboard: UNICEF has launched an interactive tool to help track the developments in the “rapidly evolving” Covid-19 vaccine market as the designated procurement coordinator and procurement agent for COVAX. UNICEF’s Covid-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard is “an interactive tool for countries, partners and industry” which tracks Covid-19 vaccine market developments and “the efforts of the COVAX Facility to ensure fair and equitable access for every country in the world.”.

The dashboard provides a regularly updated overview of the global research and development pipeline, the projected production capacity, publicly announced bilateral and multilateral supply agreements as well as reported price points.

 

2. China’s new space carrier rocket successfully launches five satellites on its maiden flight: China’s new medium-lift carrier rocket Long March-8 made its maiden flight sending five satellites successfully into planned orbit from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan. The five experimental satellites will carry out the in-orbit verification of microwave imaging and other technologies. They will conduct experiments in space science, remote sensing and communication technologies. The Long March-8 rocket which has a total length of 50.3 meters, and a take-off mass of 356 tonnes can carry a payload of at least 4.5 tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. FIFA cancels next year’s U-20, U-17 World Cups: FIFA has cancelled men’s U-20 and U-17 World Cup tournaments in 2021 for the novel coronavirus. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided to cancel the 2021 editions of the men’s FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA U-17 World Cup, and to appoint Indonesia and Peru respectively, who were due to host the tournaments in 2021, as the hosts of the 2023 editions. So Peru will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023. In the same year, the FIFA U-20 World Cup will be held by Indonesia.

Note: President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Founded: 21 May 1904; Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI cancels the Licence of the Subhadra Local Area Bank, Maharashtra: The Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the banking licence issued to Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd., Kolhapur, Maharashtra to carry on banking business in India. The Reserve Bank cancelled the licence of the Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd as it had breached the minimum net worth requirement for two quarters in the financial year 2019-20. The affairs of the Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd. were conducted in a manner detrimental to the interests of its present and future depositors. After this, there are only two Local Area Banks operational in India, i,e.– Coastal Local Area Bank Ltd and Krishna Bhima Samruddhi LAB Ltd.

Note: Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd MD & CEO: Sanjay Agrawal.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Ind-Ra revises India’s GDP contraction to 7.8% for FY21: India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised India’s GDP estimate for the current financial year 2020-21 (FY21) to -7.8 per cent from -11.8 per cent estimated earlier. This lower contraction rate is mainly due to the easing of COVID-19 curbs and better-than-expected recovery in the second quarter. Ind-Ra has also estimated the GDP to grow by 9.6% in 2021-22 (FY22).

 

2. DFC to invest USD 54 million in India to support critical infrastructure projects: The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has announced to invest $54 million in India to support the development of critical infrastructure projects in the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DFC will invest this $54 million in equity for the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) in India. NIIF will use this capital to support economic growth and address critical development challenges in the country. This financing is part of NIIF’s final round of fund-raising for the fund.

About Development Finance Corporation: DFC is the development finance institution of the United States federal government, primarily responsible for providing and facilitating the financing of private development projects in lower- and middle-income countries.

Note: National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Headquarters: Mumbai, India; National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Founded: February 2015; National Investment and Infrastructure Fund MD and CEO: Sujoy Bose.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. HDFC Bank ranks top among 100 BFSI Firms in India: HDFC Bank is the top-ranked company among the 100 Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) companies in the country, as per the BFSI Movers and Shakers 2020 report by Wizikey. HDFC Bank has topped because of its customer service, monetary management, and innovative offerings amid the coronavirus pandemic. ICICI Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) are ranked second and third, respectively. Other top 10 banks in 2020 Wizikey’s BFSI Movers and Shakers report are Yes Bank, PNB, HSBC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bank of Baroda, Deutsche Bank, and IDBI. Other Category Winner:

Wallet and UPI segment: Google Pay.

Neo Banks segment: YONO.

Payments bank category: Airtel Payments Bank.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: Sashidhar Jagdishan(Succeeds Aditya Puri); The tagline of HDFC Bank: We understand your world.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former England batsman John Edrich passes away: Former English first-class batsman John Edrich has passed away. He was amongst the best players of his generation, during a career that ran from 1956 to 1978. He played 77 test matches for England, and scored more than 5,000 runs, spanning 13 years between 1963 and 1976. He scored a triple-century during a test match in 1965 that is the fifth-highest Test score for England.

 

2. Legendary Urdu poet Shamsur Rahman Faruqi passes away: Legendary Urdu poet and critic, Shamsur Rahman Faruqi has passed away, a month after recovering from COVID-19. He received Saraswati Samman in 1996 for his work ‘She’r-e Shor-Angez’, a four-volume study of the eighteenth-century poet Mir Taqi Mir. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2009.

Daily GK Updates – 27th Dec, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Bank signs $500mn project to develop highways in India: The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $500 million project to build safe and green national highway corridors in the states of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. The project will also enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in mainstreaming safety and green technologies. The $500 million loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development a lending arm of World Bank Group, has a maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of five years. About Green National Highways Corridors Project:

(1) The Green National Highways Corridors Project will support MoRTH construct 783 km of highways in various geographies by integrating safe and green technology designs such as local and marginal materials, industrial byproducts, and other bioengineering solutions.

(2) The project will help reduce GHG emissions in the construction and maintenance of highways.

(3) The ultimate objective of transport infrastructure is to provide seamless connectivity and reduce logistics costs.

(4) The Government of India has launched many investment programs in road sector infrastructure to strengthen and improve logistics performance.

(5) This project will also support analytics to map the freight volume and movement pattern on the National Highway network, identify constraints, and provide innovative logistics solutions.

Note: World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, United States; World Bank President: David Malpass; World Bank Founded: 1944.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways:  Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

 

2. Cabinet approves 100% FDI in DTH services:  The Union Cabinet approved revised guidelines for Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcasting services, allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as increasing the licence period to 20 years. Due to our I&B guidelines, this field was not getting the benefit of 100 per cent FDI. After changing the guidelines, the guidelines will have the same guidelines as the Commerce Ministry and will come under 100 per cent FDI. Under the revised guidelines the licenses will be issued for a period of 20 years, compared to 10 years at the moment, and will be renewed for a 10-year period. The license fee has been revised from 10 per cent of gross revenue (GR) to 8 per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which will be calculated by deduction of GST from GR.

Note: Minister of Information and Broadcasting: Prakash Javadekar.

 

3. Cabinet approves the merger of four Govt film media units: The Cabinet approved the merger of four government-run film and media units- the Films Division, the Directorate of Film Festivals, the National Film Archives of India and the autonomous body Children’s Film Society, with the National Film Development Corporation. The merger of Film Media Units under one corporation will lead to convergence of activities and resources and better coordination, thereby ensuring synergy and efficiency in achieving the mandate of each media unit. This will lead to a reduction in duplication of activities and direct savings to the exchequer.

About the Films Division: The Films Division, which was established in 1948 and is the oldest of the four units, was created primarily to produce documentaries and news magazines as publicity for government programmes and to keep a cinematic record of Indian history.

About the National Film Archives of India: The National Film Archives of India was established in 1964 with the primary objective of acquiring and preserving Indian cinematic heritage.

About the Directorate of Film Festivals: The Directorate of Film Festivals was set up in 1973 to promote Indian films and cultural exchange.

About The Children’s Film Society: The Children’s Film Society, which was founded in 1955 with the specific objective of providing children and young people value-based entertainment through the medium of films.

 

4. Karnataka unveils “FRUITS” portal for farmers: Karnataka government has unveiled the Farmer Registration and Unified beneficiary Information System (FRUITS), an e-governance portal, to create a repository of farmland information and farm loan details on a single platform. All farmers will be registered and given an identification number on the portal. The FRUITS Portal is integrated into the BHOOMI Package of the Karnataka State for fetching and validating the land details. One other important facility of this Portal is online creation of charge by which visit of farmers to Sub-Registrar Office is avoided. Canara Bank has agreed to run FRUITS on a pilot basis.

Canara Bank observed that Karnataka State Government has always been in the forefront of technology initiatives to improve the ease of Banking as can be seen from the various initiatives like BHOOMI Package, Debt Waiver Portal and currently, the FRUITS Portal. Using this number, banks and other lending institutions can access the land details of farmers as well as details of their existing borrowings and take a quick decision on lending.

Note: Chief Minister of Karnataka: B.S. Yediyurappa; Governor: Vajubhai Vala.

 

5. VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually released the book ‘Oh Mizoram’: VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually released the book ‘Oh Mizoram’, written by Governor of Mizoram, Shri P S Sreedharan Pillai. Pillai is a lawyer, an orator, a prolific writer, a philanthropist, and a thinker. He has written 125 books in Malayalam & English. Oh, Mizoram is his first poetry collection in English.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India’s largest hockey stadium to be set up in Odisha: Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik has announced that India’s biggest hockey stadium is being set up in Rourkela city of Odisha. The stadium will be constructed in the Biju Patnaik University of Technology campus, Rourkela.

About the Stadium: It will have a sitting capacity of 20,000 people, spread over 15 acres of land. The stadium will be developed as a benchmark for other hockey stadiums around the world. It must be noted that Odisha will be hosting FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup for a second consecutive time, in 2034, at two venues, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund launches Business Cycle Fund: ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched a open-ended equity scheme Business Cycle Fund, which will invest in equity and equity-related securities, with a focus on riding business cycles through dynamic allocation across sectors and stocks. The New Fund Offer opens on December 29 and closes on January 12. The fund will follow a top down approach right from monitoring macro indicators (global and domestic), identifying business cycle followed by determining suitable sectors, and selecting the stocks within these sectors.

 

2. Indian Army and Bank of Baroda enter into MoU for Baroda Military Salary Package: Indian Army and Bank of Baroda have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU for Baroda Military Salary Package.  The MoU lays down the basis on which banking services would be provided by Bank of Baroda to serving and retired Army personnel. The package offers very attractive benefits including free Personal Accidental Insurance cover, Permanent Total Disability cover, Partial disability Cover and Air Accident Insurance Cover of sizeable amounts, as well as Higher Education Cover and Girl Child Marriage Cover on death in case of serving personnel.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. IIFL Home, ICICI Bank join hands for affordable housing, MSME loans: IIFL Finance said its home loan subsidiary IIFL Home Finance Ltd has tied up with ICICI Bank to provide affordable housing and MSME loans. Under the tie-up, IFL Home will originate and service customers through the entire loan life-cycle including sourcing, documentation, collection and loan servicing and in turn, ICICI Bank will provide funding to these customers.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. NTPC wins the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2020: Country’s largest power producer, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has been conferred “Excellence” in the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2020 in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Domain. NTPC has been honoured in the Corporate Excellence Category, Commendation for Significant Achievement. This is the highest award conferred by CII-ITC in CSR domain. NTPC is the only PSU to receive the award in the Corporate Excellence category. NTPC wins the prestigious CII-ITC Sustainability Awards in Corporate Excellence category second time in a row i.e. in the year 2019 and 2020.

Note: NTPC MD & CEO: Gurdeep Singh; NTPC Founded: 1975; NTPC Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Kabul’s Deputy Governor killed in a blast in Afghanistan: A bomb attack in Afghanistan’s capital city killed the deputy governor of Kabul, adding a sticky bomb was attached to his car by unknown assailants. Mahboobullah Mohebi, the deputy governor was travelling with his security guards when the blast occurred. Two guards were injured in the blast. No militant group has made an immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

 

2. Former Liverpool, France coach Gerard Houllier passes away: Former Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and France coach Gerard Houllier has passed away. He was 73. Houllier, who had a long association with the national team as a youth coach, an assistant and head coach between 1992 and 1993.He resigned after failing to take the team to the 1994 World Cup in the United States. He rebuilt his reputation at Liverpool, however, joining as co-manager with Roy Evans in 1998 before assuming full responsibility and leading the team to a treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001. He also had success back in France with Lyon, leading them to back-to-back Ligue 1 titles.He returned to management after taking a break in 2010.

Daily GK Updates – 26th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Dharmendra Pradhan dedicates Bengal’s 1st oil and gas reserve ‘Bengal Basin’: Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan has dedicated West Bengal’s first oil and gas reserve, ‘Bengal Basin’, to the nation. The Bengal Basin is explored and owned by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). It is the eight producing basins of India by ONGC. The others are Krishna-Godavari (KG), Mumbai Offshore, Assam Shelf, Rajasthan, Cauvery, Assam-Arakan Fold Belt and Cambay. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited commenced the production of crude oil from the Asokenagar-1 well, Bengal Basin in 24 Paragana district of the state on 20 December 2020.

Note: Chief Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee; Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar.

 

2. 12th GRIHA Summit of TERI Concludes: The 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit was held virtually. It was inaugurated by Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu virtually. The Summit provides a platform to deliberate on innovative technologies and solutions to help in creating robust mechanisms for developing sustainable and resilient solutions for the benefit of the entire community. The theme of the Summit was “Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats”. It is the annual flagship event organized by GRIHA Council in association with ‘key stakeholders in the construction industry’ to discuss and deliberate on the furtherance of Sustainable Habitat Development in India.

GRIHA Council: It is an independent, not-for-profit society jointly setup by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India to promote and administer green buildings in India. Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is the national rating system of India for any completed building construction. It has been being recognised as India’s own green building rating system in India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

 

3. ADB announces Rs 2100 crore loan to Tripura: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced to provide Rs 2,100 crore loan to the Tripura government for the development of urban areas and tourism in the northeastern state. From the total fund of Rs 2,100 crore, Rs 1600 crore will be for urban development and Rs 500 crore for the tourism sector.

About the Project: Under this, all 20 urban local bodies in Tripura would be covered and in the tourism sector, all tourism destinations, roads leading to them and tourist facilities would be covered. Under the loan arrangement, initially ADB would provide Rs 40 crore for engagement of project design and management consultants for urban and tourism sectors. Once the projects are prepared, ADB would provide Rs 1,600 crore for development works in urban areas and Rs 500 crore in the tourism sector over the next three years.

Note: President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines; ADB Established: 9 December 1966.

 

4. UN Women and Kerala govt tie-up for India’s 1st Gender Data Hub: The UN Women and Kerala government have collaborated to establish India’s first Gender Data Hub. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Three key areas of co-operation, as specified in the MoU, will be setting up the Gender Data Centre at The Gender Park, launching the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality, and increasing engagement on the global normative frameworks on gender equality and empowerment of women.

About Gender Data Hub: The Gender Hub builds on the goals established through the International Conference on Gender Equality held in November 2015, to collect, analyse and use more nuanced data and inform policy formulation in a manner that centre-stage women’s rights. This collaboration will broaden and deepen various pioneering initiatives for gender equality and women empowerment launched by the Social Justice Department of Kerala through The Gender Park.

Note: Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan; Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

 

5. Vineet Agarwal takes over as new Assocham President: Managing Director of logistics major Transport Corporation of India Limited, Vineet Agarwal has taken over as the new President of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). He replaces Niranjan Hiranandani, Co-Founder and MD, Hiranandani Group of Companies. Sumant Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director of ReNew Power, is the new Senior Vice-President of Assocham.

Note: Assocham Headquarters: New Delhi; Assocham Founded: 1920.

 

6. Satyendra Garg assumes Andaman and Nicobar DGP charge: Senior IPS officer, Satyendra Garg has assumed Andaman and Nicobar DGP charge. Garg, a 1987-batch IPS officer was posted as joint secretary in the Union home ministry. He was handing the North East division in the home ministry as a joint secretary before being repatriated to his cadre. Among other top-level reshuffle IPS officer, Ranvir Singh Krishna is named the police chief of Puducherry. He will replace 1988-batch IPS officer Balaji Srivastava who will assume charge in Delhi. Srivastav has been transferred to the Delhi Police.

Note: Andaman and Nicobar Island (Lieutenant Governor): D K Joshi.

 

7. Amit Shah to lead panel on Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary event: The Union Government has decided to constitute a High-Level Committee (HLC) to commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The High-Level Committee will be headed by the Union Home Minister,  Amit Shah. This HLC will decide on the activities for a one-year-long commemoration beginning 23 January 2021, as a tribute and mark of gratitude to the contribution made by Netaji in India’s freedom struggle. The other members of the High-Level Commemoration Committee will include experts, historians, authors, family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as eminent persons associated with Azad Hind Fauj/INA.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Yo Mahesh, former Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings pacer, retires from all forms of cricket: Former Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seamer Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Vijay, now 36 and a veteran of 61 Tests, 17 ODIs and nine T20Is, played three matches for the Chennai Super Kings in the latest edition of the IPL, but without a noteworthy performance. He is vastly experienced in the format, having turned out in 169 T20 matches over the years, scoring 4223 runs at an average of 26.22 and strike rate of 122.19, with three centuries. The right-arm medium-fast bowler ends his career with 108 wickets in 50 first-class matches. He also scalped 93 wickets.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Bank launches online portal ‘Infinite India’: ICICI Bank has launched an online platform ‘Infinite India’ to support foreign companies to establish or expand business in India. The one-stop portal will offer banking solutions as well as value-added services such as the incorporation of a business entity, corporate filings, licences and registrations, HR services, compliances and taxation among others. Through this initiative, ICICI bank aims to strengthen its position in the multinational corporations (MNC) segment. The initiative is part of our strategy to further strengthen our technology-enabled offerings aimed to partner with foreign companies coming to India.

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

 

2. BoB signs MoU with defence forces named “Baroda Military Salary package”: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard under which the bank would offer customised services along with a host of facilities to account holders. The bank has also renewed its existing MoU with the Indian Army to offer specially customised banking services through ”Baroda Military Salary Package”.

About “Baroda Military Salary Package”: Services under ”Baroda Military Salary Package will be offered to serving and retired personnel of Indian Armed Forces through the Bank”s network of over 8,200 domestic branches and around 20,000 business correspondent touchpoints. The package offers very attractive benefits including free Personal Accidental Insurance cover, Permanent Total Disability cover, Partial disability Cover and Air Accident Insurance Cover of sizable amounts, as well as Higher Education Cover and Girl Child Marriage Cover on death in case of serving personnel. Other offerings under the package include unlimited free ATM transactions at all bank ATMs, waivers or concessions on various service charges in retail loans, free remittance facility through RTGS/NEFT, free Demand Draft/Banker”s Cheque, substantial discount in locker rentals, and various additional benefits in the usage of Cards.

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

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. NCAER projects India’s GDP to contract 7.3% in FY21: The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected the Indian economy to contract 7.3 per cent in FY21, compared to -12.6% forecast in September 2020. The Delhi based economic think tank released its mid-year review of the Indian economy virtually on 21 December 2020.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay-NIF book prize announced: The winners of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation Book Prize 2020 for the best non-fiction book on contemporary/ modern India were announced. The Prize was given jointly to Amit Ahuja for his Mobilizing the Marginalized: Ethnic Parties without Ethnic Movements (Oxford University Press) and to former Union minister Jairam Ramesh for his A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives of VK Krishna Menon (Penguin Random House), a biography of politician and diplomat VK Krishna Menon. The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, that will be shared by the two authors.

 

2. Srinagar’s Amar Singh College recognised with UNESCO Award: Srinagar based Amar Singh College has been recognized with the ‘Award of Merit’ in the 2020 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The restoration of the Amar Singh College brought back one of the most prominent institutional buildings in Kashmir to its former glory. The college building is 80 years old and INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) chapter in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir had carried out the conservation work at the Amar Singh College.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran politician Radhika Ranjan Pramanik passes away: Veteran politician and five-time MP Radhika Ranjan Pramanik died of age-related ailments. He was 88. He was elected to Lok Sabha five times from Mathurapur on a CPI(M) ticket, beginning 1989. Before that he represented Magrahat (East) assembly constituency. Pramanik left the CPI(M) to join the TMC during the later phase of his political career.

 

2. Noted Marathi musician Narendra Bhide passes away: Marathi music composer Narendra Bhide who is known for his passion for music passed away due to heart attack. He was 47. He is known for giving music to many Marathi films, dramas, and serials. He also worked as an actor in the 2018 film Mulshi Pattern. He was also the director at the Pune-based studio Dawn Infotainment. Some of his noteworthy work is included in films such as A Paying Ghost, Deool Band, Bioscope, Harishchandrachi Factory, Sane Guruji, and Pushpak Vimaan. Bhide contributed to the entertainment industry through his music in films, serials, plays and jingles. Bhide bagged many prestigious awards such as the State Drama Award and Zee Gaurav Puraskar for his plethora of work.He has also been honored with the Sahyadri Cine Award, V Shantaram Award, Shrikant Thackeray Award, M.A. Ta. Honors, State Film Awards, among others.

Daily GK Updates – 25th Dec, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Bank approves several projects to support development in India: The World Bank has approved 4 India projects worth over $800 million. The projects will support a range of development initiatives that supports the efforts of India to rebuild itself by creating a sustainable and resilient economy. The projects that have been approved are:

$400 Million Second Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program: The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $400 million Second Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program. The project supports and protects India’s efforts to provide social assistance to poor and vulnerable households, severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the 2nd operation in a programmatic series of 2. The 1st operation of $750 million was approved in May 2020. The Program builds on the outcomes achieved by the 1st operation.

CHIRAAG project: Amount sanctioned: USD 100 million; CHIRAAG aims at promoting nutrition-supportive agriculture for tribal households in Chhattisgarh; It will develop sustainable production systems that allow tribal households in remote areas of Chhattisgarh to practice round-the-year production of diversified and nutritious food. It will be implemented in the southern tribal-majority region of the state where a large population is undernourished and poor. The project will benefit over 180,000 households from about 1,000 villages in eight districts of Chhattisgarh.

Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project: Amount approved: USD 68 million. It will improve classroom instruction; create opportunities for the professional development of teachers, and build technology systems to provide students and teachers with more access to blended and online learning as well as allow better monitoring of policies and programs. It will enhance overall quality education in the state

Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2): Financial aid approved: USD 250 million. DRIP-2 will improve the safety and performance of existing dams across various states of India, and strengthen dam safety by building dam safety guidelines; bring in global experience; and introduce newer technologies.

Note: World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, United States; World Bank President: David Malpass; World Bank Founded: 1944.

 

2. India’s first Maritime Theatre Command to take shape next year: The country’s first Maritime Theatre Command (MTC) is set to take concrete shape by next year, with its commander-in-chief having full operational control over western and eastern naval fleets, maritime strike fighter jets and transport aircraft, two amphibious infantry brigades and coastal patrol vessels.  The MTC will be the first new “geographical” theatre command to be created as part of the biggest-ever military restructuring plan. Maritime theatre command’s HQ to be at Karwar. The Maritime Theatre Command to be created as part of the biggest-ever military restructuring plan to build an integrated land-airsea war-fighting machinery for greater combat punch in a more cost-effective manner.

 

3. UP Chief Minister approves name, design of Noida’s Jewar Airport: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the design, name and logo of the international airport to be constructed in Noida’s Jewar. It will be named Noida International Greenfield Airport while a picture of stork-the state bird will used in its logo. It will be designed on the lines of world-famous airports in London, Moscow and Milan. This airport will become the pride of India and will be one of the best in the world.

 

4. Centre approves Rs 90.60 Cr for new ICP in Tripura’s Sabroom: The Centre has approved of Rs 90.60 crore for land acquisition for the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Sabroom subdivision of south Tripura. The estimated cost of the proposed ICP at Sabroom is around Rs 300 crore which will have separate passenger and cargo terminals with state-of-the-art facilities. The ICP will have a common boundary with the Sabroom railway goods yard for seamless transportation of goods from both ends.

 

5. AICTE to release Rs 20,000 maintenance grants to students enrolled under PMSSS: An Expert Group was constituted by the Prime Minister for enhancing employment opportunity among youths of J&K and Ladakh and formulate job opportunities in public and private sectors.  Subsequently, Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) is being implemented by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi. In order to support & empower students for completing online studies, it has been decided to release the installment of Rs. 20,000. The amount shall be released to all the beneficiaries pursuing classes in Odd Semester (July-December 20). The subsequent installment shall be released once the students shall join physically at their respective institutions based on the verification of continuation certificate issued by the Institution.

 

6. Good Governance Day: 25th December: In India, Good Governance Day (Sushasan Divas) is observed annually on 25th December. In this day nation celebrates the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Prime Minister Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the Indian people of accountability in government. In keeping with this principle, the Good Governance Day has been declared to be a working day for the government.

About Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India for three times. His first term was for only 13 days in 1996. He served his second term for a period of thirteen months from March 1998 to April 1999 and then a full term from 1999 to 2004. His first entry into parliament was in 1962 through the Rajya Sabha. He was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times. In 2015, Mr Vajpayee was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Russia launches 36 UK telecom satellites into space: Bharti Global and UK government said their joint venture OneWeb, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications operator launched 36 satellites from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia. The launch was the first and only one to take place from the cosmodrome this year. This takes the total in-orbit constellation to 110 satellites, part of OneWeb’s 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity. OneWeb plans for its global commercial internet service to be operational by 2022, supported by some 650 satellites.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Novak Djokovic clinches 2020 ATP Player of the Year 2020 Award for record equalling 6th time: The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) 2020 Awards were announced to felicitate the players and others for their performance during 2019-20 season. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) has been awarded with the ATP Player of the Year 2020 award, as he finished the year as No. 1 in the ATP Singles Rankings. This is the record sixth time for Djokovic to win the title. This record was till now achieved only by Pete Sampras, who won the title continuously from 1993-98. Complete list of Winners:

Player of the Year – Novak Djokovic

Doubles Team of the Year – Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares

Coach of the Year – Fernando Vicente (coached Andrey Rublev)

Tim Gullikson Career Coach Award – Bob Brett (Australia)

Most Improved Player – Andrey Rublev (Russia)

Newcomer of the Year – Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)

Comeback Player of the Year – Vasek Pospisil (Canada)

ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite – Roger Federer (Switzerland)

ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite Team – Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award – Rafael Nadal (Spain)

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year – Frances Tiafoe (US)

Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award – Kevin Mitchell (A sportswriter for The Guardian)

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Yes Bank partners VISA, introduces new line of E-series debit cards: In partnership with VISA as a payment processor, YES BANK has launched a new line of debit cards – E-series. It will enhance payments efficiency for salaried and YES FIRST account holders. The Bank has also introduced a new line of vertical Debit cards under the E-series across Mastercard and VISA cards. With the new design, the card number and CVV details have been discreetly placed at the back, thereby improving security by making it less easy to capture these details while using it at ATMs or POS terminals. The E-series also offers a measure of choice to consumers to become eligible for a higher card variant, for a fee.

 

2. PayU ties up with Google Pay to introduce tokenised payments: PayU with Google Pay has introduced tokenised payments flow for Indian merchants. With the digital token linked to the phone and card information tokenised, Google Pay users can make repeat payments seamlessly and securely. Through the option of one-click payment, one doesn’t need to re-enter the payment data, as the OTP is read automatically and the payment is processed instantaneously.

What are tokenised payments? Tokenised payments offer a highly convenient, safe, and friction-free payment experience, and we are excited to partner with Google Pay to make this available for our merchants. It will help them build lasting trust and loyalty with customers, reduce risks of cart abandonment and payment failures, and scale up their businesses.

Note: CEO of Google: Sundar Pichai; Headquarters: California, United States.

PayU Founded: 2006; PayU CEO: Laurent le Moal.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. FADA, ASDC join hands with Google India to bridge digital skills gap in auto dealerships: The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said it along with Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) has tied up with Google India to bridge the digital skills gap in the country’s auto dealerships and build their capacity in this critical growth driver. ASDC and FADA in partnership Google India aims to prepare over 20,000 auto dealerships to engage with customers in the ongoing and post pandemic era.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Donald Trump Honours PM Modi with Top US Honour ‘Legion Of Merit’: US President Donald Trump has presented America’s highest military decoration, ‘The Legion of Merit’, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The prestigious Legion of Merit was given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership in elevating strategic partnership of the two countries. The award was accepted by India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu on behalf of the prime minister from the US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien at the White House on 21 December 2020.

 

2. Musician Shankar Mahadevan, Designer Raghavendra Rathore Winners Of UK’s Icon Awards: Musician Shankar Mahadevan and fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore have been named among 15 winners of the annual 21st Century Icon Awards, unveiled virtually from London. Mahadevan, awarded the 2020 Magnificent Performing Arts Award and Rathore, the recipient of the Exquisite Art & Fashion Award. Among some of the other 2020 winners included the Dedicated Stalwart Award for Mohit Burman, Vice-Chairman of Dabur India Ltd, and Competitive Sports Awards for Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle and Argentinian polo player Adolfo Cambiaso.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Renowned Malayalam poet Sugathakumari passes away: Renowned poet and activist, Sugathakumari passed away, after testing positive for the coronavirus. She was one of the most active campaigners of the Save Silent Valley Movement when it took shape in the 1970s. She wrote a poem Marathinu Sthuti (Hymn to a Tree), which was recited at every other protest to save the Silent Valley. Sugathakumari was awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 2006.