Daily GK Updates - 3rd January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Railways rename RPF as Indian Railway Protection Force Service: The Indian Railways has renamed its security force RPF (Railway Protection Force) as Indian Railway Protection Force Service. The ministry has accorded organised Group A status to RPF and renamed it. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is a security force, enacted by the Indian Parliament for “the better protection and security of railway property”. The force is under the authority of the Indian Ministry of Railways.

Note: Union Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal.

2. UPSRTC launched ‘Damini’ helpline service for women: UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) has launched ‘Damini’ helpline service considering the safety of the women passengers. As the extension of ‘Nirbhaya Yojana’ the unique number “81142-77777” has been subscribed for this helpline. Using these helpline women passengers can lodge their complaints by calling the helpline number and by using WhatsApp service.

Note: UP Present CM: Yogi Adityanath, Governor: Anandiben Patel.

3. ‘Lai Haraoba’ ritualistic festival begins in Tripura: In Tripura, Lai Haraoba, a ritualistic festival observed by Manipuri meitei communities began in Agartala. The 5-day long festival is jointly organised by the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, Government of Tripura, Puthiba Lai Haraoba Committee and Puthiba Welfare & Cultural Society, Agartala. Lai Haraoba is celebrated through oral literature, music, dance and rituals.

A cultural troupe from Manipur has also come to take part in the festival.

Note: Tripura Capital: Agartala; CM of Tripura: Biplab Kumar Deb; Governor: Ramesh Bais.

4. Andhra Pradesh Govt. appoints two ‘Disha Special Officers’: The Andhra Pradesh government-appointed Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official Dr Kritika Shukla and Indian Police Service (IPS) official M Deepika, as Special Officers for implementing the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act 2019. The Act is intended for speedy trial and faster execution in cases of sexual offences against women in the state. To ensure a speedy trial, the state will set up exclusive special courts in all the 13 districts to deal with cases of offences against women and children including rape, acid attacks, stalking, voyeurism, social media harassment of women, sexual harassment and all cases under POCSO Act.

Note: Andhra Pradesh CM: YS Jaganmohan Reddy; Governor: Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.

5. 28th World Book Fair to focus on Gandhi as writer: The annual New Delhi World Book Fair, in its 28th edition, will focus on how Mahatma Gandhi influenced generations of writers through his writings. The fair, organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) in association with ITPO, will be inaugurated by Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. The theme for World Book Fair 2020 is ‘Gandhi: The Writers’ Writer. Commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi, the theme pavilion, inspired by Sabarmati Ashram, uses hand-spun materials as wall-cladding. Besides an exclusive exhibition of 500 books on and by Gandhi in different languages, it will also host 30-panel discussions, book launches and performances related to the theme.

6. Rajnath Singh to head the Group of ministers to review crop insurance scheme: The Union government has set up a 7 members Group of Minister (GoM) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to review the crop insurance scheme, “Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)”. The GoM will also make suggestions to improve the insurance scheme according to the needs of the farmers. The GoM includes home minister Amit Shah and agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, the ministers of state for agriculture, finance, tribal affairs, and animal husbandry. This move comes after concerns over the exit of a few states, dropping out of insurance companies and growing dissent among farmers on the government’s flagship crop insurance scheme.

Note: The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched on 14th January 2016 to provide financial support to farmers suffering from crop loss or damage due to an unforeseen event.

7. Entire Nagaland declared ‘disturbed area’ for six more months under AFSPA: The entire state of Nagaland has been declared a disturbed area for a period of six months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, AFSPA. The Act empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice. The Central Government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole state of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civil power is necessary. Nagaland has been under AFSPA for almost six decades now.

8. Visakhapatnam will host the 14th Global Healthcare Summit 2021: Visakhapatnam will host the prestigious three-day 14th Global Healthcare Summit from January 3, 2021. Being organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the conference will see the participation of over 500 doctors from the US, Australia, Britain, and other countries. The brochure of the summit was released on 30 December 2019 by MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana. The focus of the Global Health Summit is an Indian-centric approach, with special events such as global impact and India’s contribution in providing cost-effective medicines and addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals. For the first time, the 14th Global Health Care summit will be held in AP and is expected to boost the healthcare in the region.

Note: AAPI is the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States representing over 60,000 doctors of Indian-origin practicing in America. The organization founded in 1982 spearheads legislative, educational, charitable and philanthropic initiatives in India and the United States. AAPI headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois serves as an umbrella organization for over 150 local chapters.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. S. Korean president vows to build peace community on the Korean Peninsula: The South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed to build a peaceful community of co-existence and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula this year. He made the remarks during a New Year's event at the headquarters in Seoul of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Moon noted that the leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States maintained their willingness for dialogue, while the South Korean government gradually moved toward the peninsula peace last year in coordination with the international community.

2. Iran’s Gen Qassem Soleimani killed in US airstrike on Baghdad airport: General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC's) Quds Force, and architect of its regional security apparatus has been killed following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport. The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Iran's IRGC as well as Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) umbrella grouping of Iran-backed militias, also confirmed the deaths of Soleimani and al-Muhandis. Soleimani, who led a special forces unit of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, has been a key figure of Iranian and Middle East politics. His death exacerbated already-high tensions between Iran and the United States and triggered concerns of retaliation from Iranian forces. After the news of Soleimani’s death, oil prices jumped more than 4% and fuelling fears of a conflict in the crude-rich region.

Note: Iran Capital: Tehran; Currency of Iran: Rial; President of Iran: Hassan Rouhani.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. National Ice Hockey Championship-2020 begins in Leh: The 5th Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) National Ice Hockey Championship -2020 has begun in Leh, Ladakh. The tournament will continue till 7th January in Karzoo Ice Hockey Rink in Leh, where the Army, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and home team Ladakh are fighting for the championship in U-20 boys category. Similarly, in Girls category Ladakh, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Chandigarh are playing for the championship.

Note: President of Ice Hockey Association of India: K. L. Kumar.

2. MS Dhoni picked captain of ESPN Cricinfo's ODI and T20 teams of the past decade: Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was picked as captain of ESPN Cricinfo's ODI and Twenty20 teams of the decade, while Virat Kohli was named the leader in Tests. Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal, were the only other Indians to make the Test XI. Former skipper Mithali Raj and fast bowler Jhulan Goswami were named in the same women's team picked for both the ODIs and T20s. Australia's inspirational cricketer, Meg Lanning was named the captain of the side.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Piyuus Jaiswal honoured with Global Bihar Excellence Awards 2019: Piyuus Jaiswal was awarded the Global Bihar Excellence Award 2019. This award was presented by Rajya Sabha MP and Padma Shri Awardee Dr CP Thakur and Bihar Women Commission president Dilmani Devi in Patna to promote women empowerment. Piyuus Jaiswal was recently awarded the humanitarian award with the Global Peace Excellence Humanitarian Award 2019 on the occasion of International Human Day. The award was given to recognise and felicitated Piyuus Jaiswal’s contribution towards social welfare, women empowerment and introducing new talent in the field of arts and culture.

Note:  Governor of Bihar: Phagu Chauhan, Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar.

2. Swarna Jayanti Fellowships awarded to 14 scientists: The Union Ministry of Science and Technology have awarded Swarna Jayanti Fellowships to 14 scientists to pursue basic research in frontier areas of science and technology. The fellowship covers all the requirements for performing the research and includes a fellowship of 25 thousand rupees per month. A research grant of five lakh rupees for five years is also being provided in addition to their salary. Swaran Jayanti Fellowships are awarded to young and brilliant scientists to pursue unfettered research with financial freedom and flexibility.

Note: Union Minister of Science and Technology: Dr Harsh Vardhan.

OBITUARIES

1. Natyasurya Awardee dramatist Ratna Ojha passed away: Eminent Assamese dramatist, litterateur and social activist Ratna Ojha (88) passed away in Guwahati, Assam. Recipient of the prestigious Natyasurya Award in 2005 for his contributions to theatre, Ojha had introduced street plays in Assam in 1971 with his skit 'Kokaideo' to revive the theatre movement in the state that was fading with the death of his mentor Phani Sarma. Ojha had also introduced 'cartoon theatre' in the Northeast.

2. Senior NCP leader DP Tripathi Passes Away: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader DP Tripathi passed away in New Delhi. He was the general secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party and a former students' union leader. Despite visual impairment, he worked throughout life. He has also written several books, including Congress and Independent India, Jawahar Satkam, Celebrating Faiz and Nepal Transition-A way forward among others.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kerala becomes the first state to pass anti-CAA resolution:  On 31st December 2019, the Kerala Government has passed a resolution to roll back the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that was passed during this winter session of Parliament. According to the Kerala Government, the CAA act contradicts the basic principles of the Constitution. According to the Government of Kerala, the act was against secularism and has triggered widespread protests in the country. The act also dented India’s image among the international community The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 was passed in December 2019. The act amended the Citizenship act passed in 1955. It allows Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, and Parsi religious minorities to gain Indian citizenship.

2. Andhra Pradesh Government plans to deliver sand at doorsteps: The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to introduce door-delivery of sand from January 2, 2020. As a pilot project, it is to be started from in Krishna district on an experimental basis and then extend it. Under this initiative, the AP government will deliver sand at doorsteps and collect transportation charges from the customers. In order to make the initiative successful, the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation will stock 15 lakh tons of sand per month for the next four months. At present, the demand for sand in the state is 80,000 tonnes a day. The step will help address issues of sand scarcity and sand mafia.

3. 10,000 cameras to be used for 2020 lion census in Gujarat: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will conduct the Asiatic Lion Census in May 2020. The Institute will use 10,000 cameras to conduct the census. Around 8,000-10,000 cameras will be used to carry out the 2020 lion census in Gujarat, the last abode of the Asiatic lion. The 2015 lion census had counted 523 lions in the state. The number is expected to have risen phenomenally the population may have crossed the 1,000-mark. The government will adopt the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA)’s technology for the lion census. The entire census area is to be divided into a 3-km grid. Officers will collect hair, nails, teeth, etc. The collection process is to be carried out using scientific methods laid out by NTCA. Around 1,000 to 2,000 officers are to be employed. In the second phase, 10,000 cameras are to be used to capture the lions.

Note: The Asiatic Lions in Gujarat are restricted to Gir National Park in the state. The lions are listed as “Endangered” in the IUCN Red List.

4. VK Yadav re-appointed as Railway Board Chairman:  The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the re-employment of V K Yadav as the Chairman of Railway Board. The appointment has been done for a period of one year. He took over as Railway Board Chairman from Ashwani Lohani on January 1, 2019. He has also held the post of General Manager of South Central Railway (SCR). He is an electrical engineer and belongs to the 1980 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers.

5. ISRO will set up launch port for small satellite launch vehicles: Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chief K Sivan announced that India's second spaceport for launching small satellites will be established in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district. The country's first spaceport is at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km northeast of Chennai. Thoothukudi is about 600 km southeast of Chennai. The new location is ideal for launching smaller satellites of less than 500 kg in the sun-synchronous orbit. He also announced that the process of Astronaut selection is over for India’s 1st manned mission to outer space i.e. “Gaganyaan” to be launched by 2022 and that the Government has approved the Chandrayaan–3 mission to the moon, comprising of a lander and a rover.

6. Flipkart signed an agreement with MoHUA to support DAY-NULM: Indian e-commerce company Flipkart has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry to support the ministry’s ‘Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)’. Under the MoU Flipkart will sell the products made by women self-help groups under Deendaya lAntyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) on the e-commerce platform. The e-commerce company will collaborate with state missions to establish the 'Flipkart Samarth programme' in 22 states in India. DAY-NULM consists of 44 lakh women across the country which aims to make women financially independent. The government is likely to sign MoU with Amazon on January 7, 2020, for the same purpose.

7. Haryana CM Inaugurates Atal Kisan-Mazdoor canteens in Karnal: The Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has inaugurated the first Atal Kisan-Mazdoor canteens in Karnal where the farmers and labourers will get food for Rs 10.The canteen will provide Veg-thali comprising four chapatis, rice, dal and seasonal vegetable, all for Rs 10, with the capacity to serve 300 persons daily. The canteen has been named after former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It has been set up by the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB) in collaboration with the state rural livelihood mission.

8. Odisha Government Launches Mobile App Pauti& E-Certificate Project to provide Caste, Residence Certificates Online: The Odisha government has launched ‘e-Certificate portal’, a unique project to provide official documents such as caste certificate, permanent residence certificates, income or similar other certificates online without the need to visit Tehsil offices or Common Service Centres. The initiative has been launched by the Revenue and Disaster Management department of the state as part of its 5T model of governance. The applicants will not be required to pay any fees as well for the service. Patnaik also launched a mobile App “Pauti”, to facilitate online payment of land revenue so that citizens need not visit government offices for the same. They can download the application and make payment.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Umaro Cissoko Embalo wins Guinea-Bissau presidential election: Umaro Cissoko Embalo has won the Guinea-Bissau‘s presidential election. According to the National Electoral Commission of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro won the presidential election with 53.55% of votes. He will replace the incumbent President Jose Mario Vaz. His rival Domingos Simoes Pereira, head of the country's ruling PAIGC party, took 46.45 percent in Sunday's runoff.

Note: Capital of Guinea-Bissau: Bissau; Currency: Eco.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. ICC plans to scrap five-day Tests from 2023; set to be limited to four: The Cricket’s apex body, the International Cricket Council has planned to reduce all Test matches, including the Ashes, from five days to four from 2023, to ease workload on players in the crowded calendar. Test matches have been set at five days since 1979.England are backing the plans as it could provide a sustainable solution to the complex scheduling needs and player workloads.

2. India women's hockey team defender Sunita Lakra announces retirement: Indian women's hockey team defender Sunita Lakra, who was part of the 2018 Asian Games silver-winning side, announced her international retirement, citing a knee injury that would require another surgery. The 28-year-old said the nagging injury has come in the way of her dream to be a part of India's Tokyo Olympics campaign this year.

In the team since 2008, Lakra captained India during the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy, leading the side to a second-place finish in the event. In all, she played 139 matches for India and her achievements also included being part of the side that claimed the 2014 Asian Games bronze medal.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Interest Rates for Small Savings Schemes Unchanged for the Fourth Quarter 2019-20 (Jan-Mar): The government has kept the interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for the fourth quarter of FY 2019-20 (January-March).The interest rates on small savings schemes are reviewed every quarter by the government. The formula to arrive at the interest rates of the small savings scheme was given by the Shyamala Gopinath Committee. Accordingly, the Rates of Interest on various Small Savings Schemes for the Fourth Quarter of the Current Financial Year 2019-20 is as given below:

Sr. No	Instrument	Interest Rate (January 2020-March 2020)	Compounding frequency*
1	Savings Deposit	4	Annually
2	1 Year Time Deposit	6.9	Quarterly
3	2 Year Time Deposit	6.9	Quarterly
4	3 Year Time Deposit	6.9	Quarterly
5	5 Year Time Deposit	7.7	Quarterly
6	5 Year Recurring Deposit	7.2	Quarterly
7	5 Year Senior Citizen Savings Scheme	8.6	Quarterly and paid
8	5 Year Monthly Income Account	7.6	Monthly and paid
9	5 Year National Savings Certificate	7.9	Annually
10	Public Provident Fund Scheme	7.9	Annually
11	Kisan Vikas Patra	7.8 (will mature in 113 months)	Annually
12	Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme	8.4	Annually

Daily GK Updates - 1st January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indore tops national cleanliness rankings for first two quarters: The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has announced the results of the 1st and 2nd quarters of the SwachhSurvekshan 2020.Around 4,372 cities participated in the league. The rankings were conducted in a league format for the first time and were split into three quarters (April to June, July to September and October to December 2019) and different categories based on the population of the city.The rankings were based on collection, transportation, processing and disposal of waste.Some key results of the SwachhSurvekshan 2020:

Top three cities with over 10 lakh population in 1st quarter (April to June): (1) Indore (Madhya Pradesh); (2) Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh); (3) Surat (Gujarat)

Top three cities with over 10 lakh population in 2nd quarter (July to September): (1) Indore (Madhya Pradesh); (2) Rajkot (Gujarat); (3) Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Top two cities with 1 lakh to 10 lakh population in 1st quarter (April to June): (1) Jamshedpur (Jharkhand); (2) New Delhi

Top two cities with 1 lakh to 10 lakh population in 2nd quarter (July to September): (1) Jamshedpur (Jharkhand); (2) Chandrapur (Maharashtra)

Note: Ministers of State (Independent Charge) of Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.

2. Bengaluru set to host the 107th edition of the Indian Science Congress: Bengaluru will host the 107th edition of the Indian Science Congress. It will be the ninth time the city will host the annual convention. University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru will host the event.The congress has chosen ‘science and technology: rural development’ as its theme for the 107th edition. A Farmer’s Science Congress will take part in it for the first time, hence providing a platform for innovative farmers.There will also be a ‘Women’s Science Congress’, ‘Children’s Science Congress’, ‘Science Communicator’s Meet’, and ‘Science Exhibition: Pride of India’. The convention will see the participation of over 15,000 delegates, including 8,000 students from across the country and 74 scientists from abroad.

3. Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System launched by EC: The Election Commission of India has launched a Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System (PPRTMS). The system enables the applicants to track the status of the applications for the party registration.The Commission has also amended the guidelines for registration which came into force from 1st January 2020. Under the new guidelines, the applicants applying for the party registration from 1st of January 2020 will be able to track the progress of applications and will get the status through SMS and e-mail.An association seeking registration has to submit an application to the Commission within a period of 30 days from the date of its formation. This should be done as per the guidelines prescribed by the Commission in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.The status can be tracked through the Commission’s portal “pprtms.eci“.

Note: The registration of political parties is governed by the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

4. Deadline for Linking PAN-Aadhaar Extended till March 2020: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the last date for the mandatory linking of the Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar till March 2020. The earlier deadline was December 31.This is the eighth time that the deadline has been extended for individuals to link their PAN with Aadhaar.In September 2018, Supreme Court had declared the Centre’s flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid and made biometric ID mandatory for the filing of I-T returns and allotment of the PAN.

5. Venkaiah Naidu Releases Book of ArunJaitley Titled ‘The Renaissance Man-The Many Facets of ArunJaitley’: India’s Vice President Shri M Venkaiah Naidu released a book on former Finance Minister Late Shri ArunJaitley on his birth Anniversary on December 28, 2019.The book titled- ‘The Renaissance Man-The Many Facets of ArunJaitley’ has writings on Jaitley compiled by MuppavarapuHarshavardhan and Deepa Venkat, the son and daughter of Naidu.

6. 27th National children’s science congress 2019 held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The 27th edition of National Children’s Science Congress (NCSC) 2019 was held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala from December 27 -31,2019.The congress was attended by the Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu. The theme of the congress was “Science, Technology, and Innovation for a clean, green and healthy nation” Jointly organized by Kerala state council for science, technology, and environment (KSCSTE) and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India the congress was inaugurated on by the Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala, PinarayiVijayan.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Palau the first country to ban reef-bleaching toxic sunscreen: The Pacific nation of Palau has become the first country in the world to ban sunscreen that is harmful to corals and sea life.From January 1, sunscreen that includes ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate is no longer allowed to be worn or sold in the Palau.The compounds are commonly used in sunscreen formulas as they absorb ultraviolet A rays.

Note: A lagoon in Palau’s Rock Islands is a Unesco World Heritage site. Palau is renowned for its marine life and is regarded as one of the world’s best diving destinations.

President of Palau: Tommy Remengesau; Capital: Ngerulmud; Currency: US Dollar.

2. Nepal launches ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’ campaign: President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari launched a much-awaited Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign amidst a spectacular ceremony held at historic DasarathaRangashala in Kathmandu on January 1, 2019.The ambitious campaign is aimed to promote tourism in Nepal and attract 2 million tourists during the year 2020.Visit Nepal Year 2020 will create a new image of Nepal in the hearts and minds of the world community. Mythical creature Yeti has been selected as a mascot of the campaign.The campaign was also launched in all seven provinces of Nepal.

Note: President of Nepal: Bidhya Devi Bhandari; Currency of Nepal: Nepalese rupee.

3. Violence against Children surpassed to 1,70,000: UNICEF Report: The annual report published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on December 31, 2019, stated that since 1989, the number of countries experiencing conflicts has increased and the attacks on children have increased as well.UNICEF has named the last decade as “Deadly Decade” because as per the report, the number of attacks on children since 2010 has increased to three-fold.The world agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children around the world says that in 2018, around 24,000 grave violations were recorded against children and the number has gone up highly to 1,70,000 in 2019.This includes abductions, killing, sexual violence, maiming, child recruitment, denial of humanitarian access and attacks in schools and hospitals.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Lawn bowls & Cycling to be included in 3rd Khelo India Games:Chief Executive Officer of “Khelo India Games” has announced that “Lawn bowls” and “cycling” will be included in the 3rd edition of Khelo India Games. The two games will be included in the event for the first time. The 3rd edition of the tournament will be held in Guwahati, Assam in January 2020, in which 6500 athletes from 37 teams are expected to take part.Athletes from all over the country will be coming to Guwahati for the Khelo India Youth Games.

Note: Chief Executive Officer of “Khelo India Games”: Avinash Joshi.

2. Weightlifter Seema receives four-year ban for doping: India’s Commonwealth Championship silver medallist weightlifter Seema has been slapped with a four-year suspension for a doping violation.In a statement, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) said Seema’s dope sample was collected this year during the 34th Women National Weightlifting Championship in Vishakhapatnam.“Presence of prohibited substances were found in her system during an ongoing Championship to enhance her performance which amounted to a clear cut case of cheating and outright violation of National Anti-Doping rules,” said a statement.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. “MANI” to help visually challenged to identify currency notes: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a mobile app “Mobile Aided Note Identifier (MANI)”. The visually challenged people can identify the denomination of a currency note by using the mobile app “MANI”.The application also works offline once installed. The application scans the currency notes using the camera of the mobile phone and also gives audio output in Hindi and English. The app does not authenticate a note as either genuine or counterfeit.

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

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India may overtake Germany to become the fourth-largest economy by 2026: The report titled 'World Economic League Table 2020' was released by the UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).According to the report, India is expected to become the fourth-largest economy by 2026 and the third-largest by 2034.The CEBR report states that India would surpass Germany to become the fourth-largest economy by 2026 and further topple Japan in 2034 to become the third-largest economy.Today, India is the fifth-largest economy in the World after the US (20.49 trillion USD), China (13.41 trillion USD), Japan (4.97 trillion USD) and Germany (4 trillion USD).India has decisively overtaken both France and the UK to become the world's fifth-largest economy in 2019.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Sanjay Gupta to be honoured with LokmanyaTilak journalism award: Sanjay Gupta, the editor-in-chief of 'Jagran', will be honoured with the 'LokmanyaTilak National Journalism Award' for his contribution to the field of journalism.The award, instituted by the Kesari-Maratha Trust, will be conferred on Gupta in Pune on 139th Foundation Day of 'Kesari', the newspaper started by LokmanyaTilak.The award is given to recognize the work of an individual, which he or she has carried out for the larger good of the journalistic field.The award aims to promote the courageous and idealistic journalistic practices started by LokmanyaTilak.

2. IMS and Sum Hospital conferred with Six Sigma Healthcare Excellence Award 2019: The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and SUM Hospital was adjudged the best medical college of the year and conferred with the Six Sigma Healthcare Excellence Award for 2019.Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur presented the award at a special function held at New Delhi.SOA University also won a separate award on the occasion as its founder president ManojranjanNayak was chosen as the dynamic entrepreneur of the year.

Daily GK Updates - 31st December, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CACS & e-BCAS launched to enhance security & ease of doing at airports: Minister of State (I/C) for Civil Aviation launched the Biometric enabled Centralised Access Control System (CACS) and ‘e-BCAS Project Training Module’ in New Delhi. The two projects aims to enhance security and ease of doing business at airports.

The CACS project is aimed to digitize the employee movement process at the airports. This multi-layered security system encompasses the uniqueness of the Airport Entry Permit (AEP) users, biometric authentication in addition to PIN-based identity verification through contactless smart card technology.

The ‘e-BCAS’ project envisaged to achieve a “paperless office” under e-Governance initiative of Government of India. The ‘e-BCAS Project: Training Module’ aims to switch from manual process of training to digital platform. The objective of the e-BCAS project is to make all the activities in the BCAS transparent, user-friendly, and efficient. It also intends to provide an ease of doing business with the stakeholders.

Note: Minister of State (I/C) for Civil Aviation: Hardeep Singh Puri.

2. 11-day long ‘Dhanu Jatra’ begins in Odisha: The 11-day long ‘Dhanu Jatra’ begins at Bargarh in western Odisha. Dhanu Jatra is considered as the largest open-air theatre of the world. It is based on the mythological story of Lord Krishna and his demon uncle King Kansa. It is about the episode of Krishna and Balaram’s visit to Mathura to witness the Dhanu ceremony organized by their (maternal) uncle King Kansa.

Note: Dhanu Jatra is the annual drama-based open-air theatrical performance celebrated in and around Bargarh city. The annual festival came into being in 1947-48 to celebrate Indian’s Independence and to symbolize the victory of good over evil.

3. Indian Railways introduces a new Passenger Information System: Indian Railways introduced a new “Passenger Information System” at Anakapalle Railway Station of Vijayawada Division in South Central Railway. The comprises “At a Glance Display Board” which gives a glance of the status of various train timings at the Station and “Coach Guidance Display Board” which provides the Coach Composition position of a train. The application aims to provide better features and easy guidance to the passengers and hence providing satisfactory user experience. The system provides automated display information about the trains expected at the station in the next two hours in Trilingual form i.e. in three languages: Telugu, English and Hindi.

Note: Union Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal.

4. “India State of Forest Report 2019” released: The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the biennial “India State of Forest Report (ISFR)”, in New Delhi. The report provides information on forest cover, tree cover, mangrove cover, growing stock inside and outside the forest areas, carbon stock in India’s forests, Forest Types and Biodiversity, Forest Fire monitoring and forest cover in different slopes & altitudes. The report is published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI). The FSI has been mandated to assess the forest and tree resources of the country including wall-to-wall forest cover mapping in a biennial cycle. This is the 16th edition of India State of Forest Report. In comparison to the assessment of 2017, there is an increase of 5,188 sq. km in the total forest and tree cover of the country.

Some key highlights of the report: (1) The total forest and tree cover of the country is 80.73 million hectare. It is 24.56% of the total geographical area of the country. (2) Area-wise, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country. (3) In terms of forest cover as percentage of total geographical area, the top five States are Mizoram (85.41%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.63%), Meghalaya (76.33%), Manipur (75.46%) and Nagaland (75.31%). (4) The top 3 states showing increase in forest cover are Karnataka (1,025 sq. km) followed by Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km) and Kerala (823 sq km).

Note: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Prakash Javadekar.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sarbananda Sonowal launches torch relay of Khelo India Youth Games: Assam Chief Minister has launched the torch relay of the Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati, Assam. The 3rd edition of the tournament will be held in January 2020. Athletes from all over the country will be coming to Guwahati for the Khelo India Youth Games. The officials of the competition are preparing a total of eight venues for the tournament to make the Games one of the largest sporting spectacles of the country.

Note: Chief Minister of Assam: Sarbananda Sonowal; Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

2. IOA ends boycott call for 2022 Commonwealth Games: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has withdrawn its boycott call for the 2022 Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham. The decision was taken during its Annual General Meeting held in New Delhi. The cause of the boycott call was exclusion of shooting. IOA also announced that the country will bid to host either the 2026 or the 2030 edition.

Note: President of Commonwealth Games Federation: Dame Louise Martin; Chief of Indian Olympic Association: Narinder Batra.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. CBIC paid Rs 1,12,000 crore as IGST refunds to exporters: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has announced that it has paid Rs 1,12,000 crore as Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) refunds to exporters. According to CBIC, over 83,000 exporters have been benefited by these refunds. The numbers indicated the government’s efforts to fast track refunds under GST especially to exporters. Also, as of now, refunds of only 3,604 crores are pending with Customs. CBIC is using data analytics to identify risky exporter entities that “take input tax credit fraudulently and monetize it by paying IGST and taking refund”. Such exporters are being subject to KYC and verification process before the grant of refund.

Note: Chairman of CBIC: Pranab Kumar Das.

2. Karnataka Grameena Bank signs MoU on sustainable energy solutions: Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) and SELCO Solar Light Pvt. Ltd. have signed a memorandum of understanding on solar lighting and livelihood solutions. Under the MoU, finance livelihood solutions that are backed by solar power will be provided by the bank. This is done to improve the quality of life of micro and small entrepreneurs, economically weaker sections(EWS), sustainable agriculture and for women’s empowerment. SELCO Solar Light Pvt is a social enterprise that provides sustainable energy solutions to under-served households and businesses.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Nirmala Sitharaman unveils ₹102 lakh crore national infrastructure plan: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced 102 lakh crore for the National Infrastructure Pipeline. India plans to invest about ₹102 lakh crore in the infrastructure sector in the next five years to achieve the GDP target of $5 trillion by 2024-25. The finance ministry admitted that the availability of quality infrastructure is a pre-requisite to achieve broad-based and inclusive growth on a sustainable basis. Earlier in September, the government had set up a task force headed by Economic Affairs Secretary to prepare a road map for the "national infrastructure pipeline" from 2019-20 to 2024-25 under the ₹100 lakh crore infra plan. The task force was planning a list of 10 major infrastructure projects including greenfield and brownfield projects costing above ₹100 crores each.

2. GoM constituted to expedite revival plan of BSNL & MTNL: The government of India has constituted a seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to expedite and oversee the implementation of the Rs 69,000 crore the revival plan of state-owned telecom corporations BSNL and MTNL. The high-level group will expedite the smooth implementation of recent decisions taken on the revival of BSNL and MTNL that includes crucial elements like allocation of 4G spectrum and asset monetization. The GoM includes Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In October 2019, the government had approved a Rs 69,000 crore revival package for BSNL and MTNL that includes merging the two loss-making firms, monetizing their assets and giving VRS to employees so that the combined entity turns profitable in two years.

DEFENCE

1. S S Deswal given additional charge of DG of CRPF: S S Deswal has been given the “additional” charge to head Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The Union home ministry took the decision as CRPF’s serving Director General (DG) R R Bhatnagar retired on 31st December, 2019. S S Deswal is presently serving as the Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Note: CRPF is India’s as well as the world’s largest paramilitary force with over 3.25 lakh personnel in its ranks. It was raised as the Crown Representatives Police (CRP) in 1939 under the British and post Independence, named as CRPF in 1949.

2. General Mukund Naravane takes charge as new Army chief: On 31st December 2019, General Manoj Mukund Naravane took over as the 28th Chief of Army Staff. He succeeded General Bipin Rawat who retired on 31st December, 2019. He will helm the 1.3 million-strong force at a time India faces evolving security challenges such as cross-border terrorism and an assertive Chinese military along the border.  Earlier, General Naravane was serving as vice chief of the Indian Army. In his 37 years of service, Gen Naravane served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.

Note: Gen Naravane was commissioned into the 7th battalion, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980. He has been awarded the 'Sena Medal' (Distinguished) for effectively commanding his battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. He is also a recipient of the 'Vishisht Seva Medal' for his services as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland and the 'Ati Vishisht Seva Medal' for commanding of a prestigious strike corps.