Daily GK Update- 4th Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Minister Amit Shah launches the “Dairy Sahakar” scheme: The Union Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah has launched the “Dairy Sahakar” scheme at Anand, Gujarat during a function organised by Amul to celebrate the 75th Foundation Year of Amul. The total outlay of the Dairy Sahakar scheme is Rs 5000 crore. The scheme will be implemented by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) under the Ministry of Cooperation.

About the scheme: The scheme will supplement the existing efforts of strengthening the dairy sector in the country, doubling the farmer’s income as well as realizing the vision of ‘from cooperation to prosperity’. Under the scheme, NCDC will extend financial support to eligible cooperatives for activities like bovine development, milk procurement, processing, quality assurance, value addition, branding, packaging, marketing, transportation and storage of milk and milk products, exports of dairy products among others.

 

2. Union Minister Jitendra Singh launches ‘Samudrayan Project’: The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh officially launched India’s First Manned Ocean Mission called the “Samudrayan project” at Chennai. The Unique Ocean Mission aims to have deep underwater manned vehicles for carrying out subsea activities. With this technology, India joins the elite club of nations such as the USA, Russia, Japan, France and China to have such underwater vehicles. About the Project:

(1) The Unique Ocean Mission aims to have deep underwater manned vehicles for carrying out subsea activities.

(2) The deepwater manned submersible has been codenamed as the ‘MATSYA 6000’.

(3) It is developed by the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).

(4) The technology will help to conduct deep-ocean exploration of the non-living resources located at a depth of about 1000 and 5500 meters, such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts.

 

3. Public Affairs Index 2021: Kerala topped in governance performance: According to the 6th edition of the Public Affairs Index (PAI 2021) report by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), a Bengaluru- based non-profit think tank, the top three slots have been taken by Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana among 18 large states. PAI 2021 highlights the state government’s quality governance and especially the state’s government involvement over the curb of Covid-19.

Toppers among large states:

1)      Kerala (1.618)

2)      Tamil Nadu (0.857)

3)      Telangana (0.891)

 

Toppers among small states:

1)      Sikkim (1.617)

2)      Meghalaya (1.144)

3)      Mizoram (1.123)

 

Toppers among Union Territories:

1)      Puducherry (1.182)

2)      Jammu and Kashmir (0.705)

3)      Chandigarh (0.628)

 

4. IRCTC & Truecaller partnered to reduce fraud in the railways: The Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has partnered with Truecaller India to provide passengers with greater trust in communication. This partnership aims to reduce fraud in the railways. Under this partnership, the integrated National Railways Helpline 139 has been verified by Truecaller Business Identity solutions. This partnership aims to assure the passengers that critical communications such as booking details and PNR status are delivered only by IRCTC.

Note: IRCTC Founded: 27th September 1999; IRCTC Headquarters: New Delhi; IRCTC CMD (Additional Charge): Rajni Hasija.

 

5. GoI appoints Ashok Bhushan as NCLAT Chairperson: The Centre has appointed former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ashok Bhushan as the new Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), for a period of four years or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is the earliest. He was the former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. NCLAT was formed by the government under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013. Apart from this, Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar has been appointed as the new President of the quasi-judicial body, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for five years or till he attains the age of 67 years. Justice Sudhakar was the former Chief Justice of Manipur High Court.

Note: National Company Law Appellate Tribunal Founded: 1 June 2016.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Glasgow climate summit 2021: PM Modi speech highlights: Addressing the COP26 Glasgow Climate Summit held in Scotland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will reach net-zero carbon emission by 2070. PM Modi stressed on a five-point plan or ‘Panchamrit’ to fight the devastating effects of global warming and climate change. More than 120 world leaders were present at the COP26 Glasgow Climate Summit. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target. China has said that it would reach the net-zero carbon emission goal in 2060 while the United States and the European Union are aiming for reaching the goal by 2050. Highlights from PM Modi’s speech:

(1) India would increase its 2030 target for an installed capacity of ‘non-fossil energy’, mostly solar from 450 to 500 gigawatts.

(2) PM Modi said that India will fulfil 50% of its energy requirement through renewable energy by 2030.

(3) India is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes and a net 45% carbon reduction among the five-point plan.

(4) The number of goods produced per unit of energy would be reduced by 45% by 2030. The previous goal was 35%.

 

2. SpaceX sets up subsidiary in India: World’s richest person Elon Musk-owned SpaceX has incorporated its wholly-owned subsidiary in India to start local broadband operations. SpaceX’s satellite broadband arm Starlink aims to start broadband services in India from December 2022, with 2 lakh active terminals subject to permission from the government. The company is charging a deposit of USD 99 or Rs 7,350 per customer and claims to deliver data speeds in the range of 50 to 150 megabits per second in the beta stage. The services of the company will compete with that of Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea in broadband and it will be a direct competitor to Bharti Group-backed OneWeb. The company is keen to work in rural areas for providing broadband services.

Note: SpaceX founder & CEO: Elon Musk; SpaceX Founded: 2002; SpaceX Headquarters: California, United States of America.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. J&K team clinch 1st position in World Deaf Judo Championship: The Jammu & Kashmir team for deaf clinched 1st position in World Deaf Judo Championship held at Paris Versailles, France. Rakshanda Mehak who is part of the Indian team for the deaf clinched the bronze medal by defeating the South Korean team in the semifinal. The championship was held at Versailles, France. The championship is organised by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.

Note: International Committee of Sports for the Deaf Founded: 1924; International Committee of Sports for the Deaf President: Rebecca Adam.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Yes Bank and BankBazaar launched ‘FinBooster’ Credit Card: Yes Bank and BankBazaar.com together launched a Co-Branded credit card named FinBooster to measure the Creditworthiness of the customers. FinBooster is built around a credit fitness tracker. FinBooster uses the CreditStrong app Subscription (credit fitness report) which helps customers to track creditworthiness that improves the Credit score. The tracking of a credit scores will be done through an intuitive CreditStrong app subscription (credit fitness report), which is complimentary for the cardholder for the first year. The credit card offers never expiring rewards points with no capping on the accrual. Customers can earn accelerated rewards points on online dining, grocery and apparel purchases which can be easily redeemed for more than 250 catalogue products.

Note: Yes Bank Founded: 2004; Yes Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Yes Bank CEO: Prashant Kumar; Yes Bank Tagline: Experience Our Expertise.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Yezdi Nagporewalla named as new CEO of KPMG India: Financial services firm KMPG has announced the appointment of senior partmer Yezdi Nagporewalla as the new chief executive officer (CEO) for the India division. Nagporewalla has been appointed as the new CEO of KPMG India for a four-year term with effect from February 7, 2022 till December 31, 2026. Nagporewalla will replace current Chairman and CEO, Arun M. Kumar, who completes his five-year term on February 6, 2022. With the new appointment, KPMG India has split the roles of Chairman and CEO. The new Chairman will be named over the next few months.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. IAF participated in International Exercise ‘Blue Flag 2021: A total of 84 Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel took part in the international multilateral combat exercise Blue Flag 2021, along with IAF’s Mirage 2000 aircraft squadron at Israel’s Ovda Airbase. The theme of Blue Flag 2021: Integration of fourth and fifth-generation aircraft in complex operational scenarios. The exercise involves Air Force missions from 8 countries, to share knowledge and combat experience to improve operational capabilities. The other seven countries that have participated in the exercise include the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, and Israel.

Note: Israel Capital: Jerusalem; Israel Currency: Israeli Shekel; Israel Prime Minister: Naftali Bennett; Israel President: Isaac Herzog.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former PM of Afghanistan Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai passes away: Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, the former Prime Minister (PM) of Afghanistan and a renowned jihadi leader passed away at the age of 77 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai has served as the acting PM of Afghanistan under President Burhanuddin Rabbani during 1995-1996 prior to the 1996 Taliban Takeover.

Daily GK Update- 3rd Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Dr Jitendra Singh dedicates ‘Sardar Patel Leadership Centre’ to the Nation: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has dedicated to the nation “Sardar Patel Leadership Centre” at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie. The Sardar Patel Leadership Centre aims to lay the foundation capacity building for future generations of Civil Servants from India and Abroad, as visualised by the Father of All India Services. The Centre aims to emerge as a Huge Resource Centre to provide continuous study and learning opportunities to Civil Servants so that they learn from the best practices of leadership across the world while remaining connected with their cultural ethos, values and roots.

 

2. National Small Matchbox Manufacturers Association increases price of matchbox: National Small Matchbox Manufacturers Association has increased the price of a matchbox from Rs.1 to Rs. 2 per box. This will come into effect from December 01, 2021. The increase in the price of matchbox has been done after 14 years since last increase in 2007 from 50 paise to Re. 1. However, with the increase in the price of matchboxes, the number of matchsticks in each box has also been increased from 36 matchsticks to 50 matchsticks. The increase in price was necessary as the price of all the 14 key raw materials of the matchstick has increased.

 

3. Chennai-Mysore-Chennai Shatabdi Express gets IMS certification: The Chennai-Mysore-Chennai Shatabdi Express has become the first train of Southern Railway to receive Integrated Management Systems (IMS) certification. It got the certificate for world-class maintenance of the train, environment-friendly resources and convenient and safe travel of the passengers. It is also the first Shatabdi train and the only second mail/express train of Indian Railways to receive this prestigious certification. The IMS certificate provided are ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018. The first train of Indian Railways to be IMS certified is Habibganj-Hazrat Nizamuddin-Habibganj Bhopal Express.

 

4. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches 6th edition of National Formulary of India (NFI): The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launched the 6th edition of National Formulary of India (NFI). NFI is published by Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC). The main purpose of NFI is to promote rational use of medicines in the country and proves to be beneficial for Clinicians and Healthcare professionals while prescribing the medicines to the patients.

 

4. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches 6th edition of National Formulary of India (NFI): The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launched the 6th edition of National Formulary of India (NFI). NFI is published by Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC). The main purpose of NFI is to promote rational use of medicines in the country and proves to be beneficial for Clinicians and Healthcare professionals while prescribing the medicines to the patients.

 

5. National Commission For Women launches legal awareness programme for women in partnership with NALSA: The National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has launched a Legal Awareness Program for Women, titled “Empowerment of Women through Legal Awareness”.

Objective: to impart practical knowledge to women about legal rights and remedies provided under various women-related laws, and hence making them fit to face the challenges in real-life situations. It is a pan-India initiative. It was launched at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh by Hon’ble Justice UU Lalit, Judge Supreme Court of India. Earlier in 2020, the NCW had launched a pilot project ‘Legal Awareness Programme’ in collaboration with NALSA.

 

6. CBSE launches Veer Gatha project in schools: CBSE launches Veer Gatha project in schools to raise awareness on Gallantry Awards. Schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have been asked to prepare projects and engage in activities based on the Gallantry Award winners. The Veer Gatha project aims to raise awareness about the brave acts and sacrifices of the Gallantry Award winners among school students. The Veer Gatha project is being conducted from October 21- November 20. The projects can be interdisciplinary & in various formats such as poems, essays, etc.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. 2021 G20 Summit Concludes with Adoption of Rome Declaration: The 2021 G20 (Group of Twenty) Summit was held in Rome, Italy on October 30 and 31, 2021. It was the 16th meeting of G20 group. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Moto: People, Planet, and Prosperity; Agenda: climate change, economic recovery, the pandemic and the global minimum corporate tax rate.

The summit concluded with the adoption of the Rome Declaration by G20 Leaders. Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi led the Indian delegation at the Summit. The Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal was India’s G20 sherpa or personal representative of the head of government. The final document committed the G20 members nation leaders to the following:

(1) providing $100 billion every year from now until 2025 to counter climate change.

(2) to end international financing for all new coal plants by the end of 2021,

(3) take action to limit global warming at 1.5 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels.

(4) strengthen the WHO on Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for Covid-19 vaccines.

 

2. ‘Vax’ named Oxford English Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2021:  ‘Vax’ has been chosen as the word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in 2021. Vax is derived from the Latin word Vacca, which means cow. Vax is used as a short form for vaccines and means a substance put into a person’s body to prevent them from getting a disease. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, words related to vaccines saw a surge in 2021, including terms like double-vaxxed, unvaxxed and anti-vaxxer.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Harbhajan Singh & Javagal Srinath awarded MCC life membership: The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has released the list of 18 Cricketers who were selected for the MCC awards Honorary Life Membership of the Club. The list witnessed the names of 2 former Indian cricketers – Harbhajan Singh and Javagal Srinath. This year’s list saw the names of 18 players, including 16 Male & 2 Female players (Sarah Taylor & Sara McGlashan).

MCC awards Honorary Life Membership Complete List:

 

England	Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Marcus Trescothick, Sarah Taylor
South Africa	Hashim Amla, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis & Morne Morkel
West Indies	Ian Bishop, Shivnarine Chanderpaul & Ramnaresh Sarwan
Australia	Alex Blackwell & Damien Martyn
India	Harbhajan Singh & Javagal Srinath
Sri Lanka	Rangana Herath
New Zealand	Sara McGlashan
Zimbabwe	Grant Flower

 

Note: Melbourne Cricket Club Founded: 1838; Melbourne Cricket Club Location: Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Cricket Club President: Clare Connor (1st Female President of MCC).

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Federal Bank and Aditya Birla Health Insurance tie-up for Bancassurance: The Federal Bank and Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited (ABHICL) entered into a Bancassurance Partnership. As a part of this alliance, Federal Bank will provide to its customer’s innovative health insurance solutions offered by ABHICL. Customers of Federal Bank will have facilities like Day 1 cover for asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, coaching on nutrition etc. Customers will have access to ABHICL’s industry-first innovative solutions such as, Day 1 cover for asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes; wellness coaching on nutrition and fitness; counselling on mental health; incentivized wellness benefits of up to 100% Health Returns TM (health premiums) and chronic management program, etc. Consumers can avail of benefits of various retail and group affinity products through the Bank’s various distribution channels.

Note: Federal Bank Founded: 23 April 1931; Federal Bank Headquarters: Aluva, Kerala; Federal Bank MD & CEO: Shyam Srinivasan; Federal Bank Tagline: Your Perfect Banking Partner.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Microsoft surpasses Apple to become world’s most valuable company: Microsoft Corp. has surpassed Apple Inc. to become the world’s most valuable publicly-traded company by market capitalisation. At market close on October 29, 2021, Apple stood at about $2.46 trillion while Microsoft reached nearly $2.49 trillion. Apple had held the top position for more than a year.

Microsoft became the second US public firm to surpass a $2 trillion market value in June, driven by expectations that its dominance in cloud computing and enterprise software will expand further in a post-coronavirus future. This year, its stock has outpaced Apple and Amazon.com Inc. on forecasts of long-term earnings and revenue growth, as well as expansion in areas such as machine learning and cloud computing. Microsoft is up more than 49%, Apple is up around 13%, and Amazon is up more than 3%.

 

2. Isha Ambani appointed to Smithsonian’s board of trustees: Board member of Reliance Jio Infocomm, Reliance Retail and Reliance Foundation, Isha Ambani was appointed on the Board of Trustees of the prestigious Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. The appointment is for 4 years. Apart from Isha Ambani, Carolyn Brehm, founder and CEO of the consulting firm Brehm Global Ventures LLC and lecturer, and Peter Kimmelman, also joined the board. Antoine van Agtmael is the chair of the museum’s board of trustees.

About the Museum: The museum collection of Asian art includes more than 45,000 objects, dating from the Neolithic period to the present, originating from the ancient Near East to China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia and the Islamic world. Opened as the Freer Gallery of Art in 1923, the museum will celebrate its centennial in 2023.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Navy stealth frigate Tushil launched in Russia: The seventh Indian Navy frigate of the P1135.6 class was launched at the Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad in Russia. The ship has been formally named as Tushil, a Sanskrit word that means protector shield. Tushil will be commissioned into the Indian Navy in mid-2023 followed by its sister ship by the end of 2023.

About the ship:

(1) The ship has been developed under the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between India and Russia in 2016 for the construction of four additional P1135.6 class ships for Indian Navy.

(2) Out of the four ships, two ships of Project 1135.6 ships were to be constructed in Russia and two ships in India at M/s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).

(3) The Project 1135.6 class is also called Talwar class and the Talwar class frigates are built by Russia for Indian Navy.

Daily GK Update- 2nd Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launches knowledge App “CUNSULT”: Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari has launched a knowledge App and platform CUNSULT. Emphasizing innovation, entrepreneurship, science technology, research and skill for knowledge transformation. The app is the first such global facility by which people who need information, advice, counsel, guidance can contact and call up experts in multiple sectors. The app will be a forum for mentors to share their life experiences. The app will allow people to learn from the wisdom which has been acquired over the lifetime. Each expert also gets a unique, exclusive page reflecting their contributions by way of articles and video blogs and this serves as their intellectual legacy and helps to promote interest in them. CUNSULT uses the framework of context and convergence to instantly connect knowledge seekers and knowledge givers.

 

2. Karnataka tops State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2020: Karnataka has topped the State Energy Efficiency Index 2020 (SEEI), scoring 70 points out of 100 on the back of several initiatives to improve energy efficiency in the state. Rajasthan is on second rank followed by Haryana on third. Last year i.e in SEEI 2019 ranking, Rajasthan was on top. The State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2020 was released under the Ministry of Power.

About the State Energy Efficiency Index:

(1) State Energy Efficiency Index is released by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Alliance for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE).

(2) The SEE index, assesses the states in four categories of Aspirant with a score below 30 points, Contenders with a score between 30-50, Achievers with a score of 50-60 and the Frontrunners with above 60 points score.

(3) SEEI 2020 has assessed the performance of 36 states and Union territories in energy efficiency (EE) using 68 qualitative, quantitative, and outcome-based indicators aggregating to a maximum score of 100 across six sectors.

 

3. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar addresses National Conference on ‘International Year of Fruits and Vegetables’: The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar addressed a National Conference on “International Year of Fruits and Vegetables”. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It was held to commemorate 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, as declared by United Nations Organization. The theme for International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021 is “Awareness about the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables for balanced and healthy diet and life style.”

 

4. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurates 14th Urban Mobility Conference 2021: The 14th edition of Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference 2021 was held through video-conferencing. The conference was inaugurated by Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs & Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Hardeep S. Puri from New Delhi. The theme of the day long Conference “Mobility for All”. It was held under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Objective: provide an opportunity to decision makers and delegates to interact with professionals, experts, academia, industry, civil society, technology, services providers and other stake holders in Urban Transport, both domestic and international, to develop their urban transport along a sustainable path, as well as discuss key issues relevant to the sector and suggest measures to address them.

 

5. NITI Aayog Releases Report on ‘Health Insurance for India’s Missing Middle’: NITI Aayog has released a comprehensive report titled “Health Insurance for India’s Missing Middle”. The report highlights the gaps in the health insurance coverage across the country and offers solutions to address the situation. The report has a Foreword by NITI Aayog Member Dr V.K. Paul. The report has stated that 30% of the Indian population are devoid of health insurance, and has termed them as the “missing middle”

 

6. Agriculture Minister inaugurated “Apple Festival” in Jammu and Kashmir: Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar and Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha has virtually inaugurated Apple Festival, organized for the first time in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. It will provide a better platform to apple growers and other stakeholders. With an annual production of more than 2 million metric tonnes, apple from J&K contributes to 87% of the national production and is linked to the livelihood of about 30% of the population of Jammu and Kashmir.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. South Korea inaugurated World’s Largest Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant: The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea held that the ‘Shinincheon Bitdream Fuel Cell Power Plant’ at the Shinincheon Bitdream headquarters of Korea Southern Power in Seo-gu, Incheon has been completed and inaugurated. The power plant is operated by South Korea’s independent power production company, POSCO Energy and Doosan Fuel Cell. It has a capacity of 78 MW constructed in four stages from 2017. The project cost about 340 billion won ($292 million).

Note: South Korea Capital: Seoul; South Korea Currency: South Korean won; South Korea President: Moon Jae-in.

 

2. THE’s World Reputation Rankings 2021 announced: 4 Indian institutes have made it to the Times Higher Education (THE)’s World Reputation Rankings 2021, the annual ranking of THE that features the top 200 universities based on the votes from leading academics across the globe. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru ranked among the top 100 (91-100) has topped the Indian Institutes. The other 3 Indian institutes are the IIT Bombay, the IIT Delhi, and the IIT Madras.

Harvard University of the United States of America (USA) has topped the 2021 ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA and University of Oxford from the United Kingdom (UK) has secured the 2nd and 3rd rank respectively.

Globally:

Ranking	Institute
1	Harvard University (US)
2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
3	University of Oxford (UK)
10	Tsinghua University (China)

 

Ranking of Indian Institutes:

Ranking	Institute
91-100	IISc Bangalore
126-150	IIT Bombay
176-200	IIT Delhi
176-200	IIT Madras

 

3. International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists: 2nd November: The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is an UN-recognized day observed annually on 2 November. The day draws attention to the low global conviction rate for violent crimes against journalists and media workers, estimated at only one in every ten cases.

History of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists: The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2 November as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’ in General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163. The Resolution urged the Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity. The date was chosen in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on 2 November 2013.

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

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Kotak Mahindra Bank partnered NPCI to launch Rupay Credit Cards ‘Veer’: Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch Kotak credit cards on the RuPay network named ‘Veer’ for Indian armed forces i.e. the Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel. In India’s 75th year of Independence, the first credit card to be introduced by KMBL on the RuPay network is the ‘Veer’ credit card, exclusively for the armed forces. The launch of Veer credit card for the armed forces marks Kotak’s 1st credit card under the RuPay network. The credit card is available in two variants as Kotak RuPay Veer Platinum and Kotak RuPay Veer Select. These contactless cards come with a zero joining fee and provide multiple exciting benefits to cardholders.

Note: Kotak Mahindra Bank Founded: 2003; Kotak Mahindra Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Kotak Mahindra Bank MD & CEO: Uday Kotak; Kotak Mahindra Bank Tagline: Let’s make money simple.

 

2. Centre approves reappointment of Shaktikanta Das as Governor of RBI: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the reappointment of Shaktikanta Das as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI) for a further period of three years with effect from December 10, 2021. He assumed the charge as the 25th governor of RBI on December 12, 2018, for three years. Before his appointment at RBI, Das served as a member of the 15th Finance Commission. He is a 1980 batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Govt approves interest rate on EPF for FY21 at 8.5%: Ministry of Finance has approved the interest rate on employees’ provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2020-21 at 8.5%. The rate has been kept unchanged as for the year 2019-20. EPF is one fixed-income instrument that is completely tax-free under the exempt-exempt-exempt (EEE) regime, along with PPF and the Sukanya Samriddhi Account. Now the labour ministry will notify the interest rate for it to come into effect.

 

2. ADB approves $250 million loan for India’s NICDP: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 250 million (about Rs 1,875 crore) loan to support India’s National Industrial Corridor Development Program (NICDP). This is the first subprogram of the programmatic USD 500 million loans to develop 11 industrial corridors spanning 17 states.

About the NICDP: NICDP aims to develop world-class industrial nodes that are supported by efficient urban agglomerations and multimodal connectivity, including international gateways like ports and airports and inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable infrastructure.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Australian legend Alan Davidson passes away: Australian legend Alan Davidson has passed away. The bowling allrounder, who made his Test debut against England in 1953, represented Australia 44 times in the longest format. The left-arm pacer had finished his career with a stunning average of 20.53, having picked up 186 wickets. His career-best figures of 7/93 came against India in 1959. Davidson was a handy batsman as well, registering five vital half-centuries in his career, including the 80 he hit in the first-ever tied Test match in 1960 against West Indies. In the same game, he had also picked up 11 wickets.

 

2. Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar passes away: Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar passed away due to a fatal cardiac arrest. He was the son of legendary actor Rajkumar. He was known to fans as “Appu” – after the 2002 film. He was also a singer and was admired for his dance skills. Puneeth was the presenter of Kannadada Kotyadhipathi, the Kannada version of the game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”.

Daily GK Update- 1st Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Uttarakhand gets country’s largest aromatic garden: Uttarakhand gets India’s largest aromatic garden in the Nainital district. The research wing of the Uttarakhand forest department inaugurated the biggest aromatic garden of India in Lalkuan of Nainital district. Established in an area of over 3 acres, the garden has 140 different species of aromatic species from across India. The project was initiated in the year 2018-19 after approval of the Research Advisory Committee in June 2018.

Note: Uttarakhand Founded: 9 November 2000; Uttarakhand Governor:  Lt Gen Gurmit Singh; Uttarakhand Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami; Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer).

 

2. ADB and India sign $251 million loan for Integrated Urban Flood Management in Chennai: The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed $251-million loan for climate-resilient, integrated urban flood protection and management in the Chennai–Kosasthalaiyar basin to strengthen the resilience of Chennai city to floods. Building disaster-resilient infrastructure will help residents of Chennai–Kosasthalaiyar basin to cope with intensifying rainfall, a higher sea level rise, and a storm surge caused by cyclones, and protect lives, economy, and the environment.

 

3. GoI reconstitutes seven-member Economic Advisory Council-PM: The Central Government of India has reconstituted the seven-member Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM). Bibek Debroy continues to be the Chairman of the Council. EAC-PM has been reconstituted for a period of 2 years. EAC-PM was set up in September 2017 with a term of two years and it replaced the erstwhile Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (PMEAC).

Other six members of EAC-PM: (1) Rakesh Mohan; (2) Poonam Gupta; (3) TT Ram Mohan; (4) Sajid Chenoy; (5) Neelkanth Mishra and (6) Nilesh Shah.

 

4. SC set up a committee to Probe unauthorized surveillance using Pegasus: Supreme Court of India has appointed a three-member committee to look into allegations of unauthorized surveillance using Pegasus, a spyware developed by Israeli firm NSO Group. It will be headed by retired judge Justice R V Raveendran. He will supervise the functioning of the technical committee, which will look into the “truth or falsity of the allegations” and will submit a report “expeditiously”. Justice Raveendran was part of the R M Lodha Committee appointed by the SC in 2015 to reform the BCCI.

Committee Other members: 

Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, professor (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics)

Prabaharan P, professor (School of Engineering)

Ashwin Anil Gumaste, institute chair associate professor (Computer Science and Engineering)

 

5. MeitY Startup Hub and Google tie-up to launch ‘Appscale Academy’ Programme: MeitY Startup Hub, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Google have partnered to launch ‘Appscale Academy’, a growth and development programme, to train early to mid-stage startups across India. The programme focuses on the emerging startup ecosystem in Tier II and Tier III cities of India to provide them with the help needed to build scalable app solutions. About the Appscale Academy:

(1) Appscale Academy will focus on helping local early to mid-stage startups build and scale a range of world-class apps across domains, including gaming, healthcare, fintech, edtech, social impact, and others.

(2) Applications for the Appscale Academy will be open till December 15, 2021. Out of the applicants, 100 startups will be selected based on defined qualitative and quantitative parameters by a panel of industry experts, members of MeitY Startup Hub, and Google Play.

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

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Indo-Canadian Anita Anand appointed Canada’s defence minister: Indo-Canadian Anita Anand became just the second woman to be appointed Canada’s minister of national defence as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his new cabinet. The ministers were sworn in by governor-general Mary May Simon in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. She is the first woman to serve as defence minister since Kim Campbell in the 1990s.

Note: Canada Capital: Ottawa; Currency: Canadian dollar.

 

2. “Global Climate Tech Investment trend” report: India ranked 9^th: In accordance with the report ‘Five years on: Global climate tech investment trends since the Paris Agreement’ by London & Partners, and Co, India ranked 9th in the list of top 10 countries for climate technology investment from 2016 to 2021. Indian climate tech firms received USD 1 billion in venture capital (VC) funding in this period.

About the report: The report analyzed the trends in the climate sector since the 2016 United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Paris, France. The list has been topped by the United States (US) with USD 48 billion which is followed by China USD 18.6 billion.

Top 10 country in the list:

Rank	Country
1	United States (US)
2	China
3	Sweden
4	United Kingdom (UK)
5	France
6	Germany
7	Canada
8	The Netherlands
9	India
10	Singapore

 

3. World Vegan Day: 1st November: World Vegan Day is observed globally on 1st November every year. This day is celebrated to spread the benefits of veganism for humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment. Vegan Day is an opportunity to promote the benefits of a vegan diet and veganism in general.

History of World Vegan Day: The day was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organisation and the coining of the terms “vegan” and “veganism”. The President of the Vegan Society decided to elect the date of the 1st of November. This is now recognised as the date on which the Vegan Society was founded and on which Vegan Day would be observed.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Google Pay tied up with SBI General Insurance to offer Health Insurance: SBI General Insurance made a technological partnership with Google Pay to enable users to buy SBI General’s health insurance on the Google Pay app. This collaboration marks Google Pay’s 1st partnership with an insurer in India to offer health insurance. The users were enabled to buy both individual and family plans under SBI General’s Arogya Sanjeevani policy through Google Pay Spot.

Note: SBI General Insurance Founded: 24 February 2009; SBI General Insurance Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; SBI General Insurance MD & CEO: Prakash Chandra Kandpal.

 

2. Baldev Prakash appointed as MD & CEO of J&K Bank: The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Baldev Prakash as Managing Director and CEO of J&K Bank for a period of three years from the date of taking charge or April 10, 2022, whichever is earlier. The actual date of appointment of Baldev Prakash as MD & CEO of J&K Bank will be announced by the bank subsequently. Rajesh Kumar Chhibber is the present Chairman and Managing Director of J&K Bank. He assumed charge of the bank in June 2019. The government of Jammu & Kashmir holds a majority shareholding of 68.18% in the bank. The headquarters of J&K Bank is located in Srinagar.

Note: Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) Bank Headquarters: Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indigenously-built ICGS ‘Sarthak’ dedicated to the Nation: A new Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Sarthak’ has been dedicated to the nation on October 28, 2021. It will be based at Porbandar in Gujarat. The indigenously built ship was commissioned by the Director-General of Indian Coast Guard, K Natarajan, at Goa. ICGS Sarthak is commanded by Deputy Inspector General MM Syed and has a complement of 11 Officers and 110 men.

About the ICGS Sarthak:

(1) ICGS Sarthak is fourth in the series of five Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) being built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the ICG, to boost maritime safety and security of India.

(2) The 105-meter-long ship displacing 2,450 tons is propelled by two 9,100 kilowatt diesel engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots.

(3) The ship is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, machinery, sensors and weapons which enables it to function as a command platform and undertake mandated Coast Guard charter of duties including search & rescue, combating maritime crimes and preserving & protecting the marine environment. Indian Coast Guard is a pioneer in inducting indigenous platforms and ICGS Sarthak is a glowing example of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

Note: Director-General of Indian Coast Guard: Krishnaswamy Natarajan; Indian Coast Guard Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Hiroshima nuclear bomb attack survivor, Sunao Tsuboi passes away: Hiroshima nuclear bomb attack survivor, Sunao Tsuboi has passed away. A leading Japanese campaigner against nuclear weapons who survived the world’s first atomic bomb attack has died at the age of 96. Some 140,000 people were killed and Tsuboi dedicated his life to campaigning to eradicate nuclear arms. He met Barack Obama on his historic visit to Hiroshima as US president.

 

2. Eminent Oncologist Padma Shri Dr Madhavan Krishnan Nair passed away: Padma Shri Dr Madhavan Krishnan Nair, an eminent Oncologist and the founding director of the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), has passed away. He has served as a member of the expert group that prepared the National Cancer Control Plan of India. He has also served on the Expert Advisory Panel on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO). The GoI has honoured him with the Padma Shri for medicine in 2001.