Daily GK Updates - 6th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi announces setting up of ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in the Parliament that Cabinet has approved the Ram Mandir Trust named as ‘Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra’. There will be 15 trustees in Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust while one trustee will always be from Dalit society. K. Parasaran (92-years) has been appointed the chairman of the trust, take decision-related to the construction of the temple.

2. UP government approves five acre land to Sunni Waqf Board in Ayodhya: Uttar Pradesh cabinet government headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has approved five-acre land to Sunni Waqf Board at village Dhannipur under Sohaval Tehsil near Raunahi police station in Ayodhya district. The proposed land is 18 kilometres from Ayodhya. The supreme court in its historic decision on 9th November 2019 had ordered to allot five-acre land in Ayodhya to Sunni Waqf Board for construction of a Mosque.

3. Atal Innovation Mission starts “series of innovation demo days”: Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog has begin a series of innovation demo days. The series aims to unite the stakeholders of the food processing and agriculture sector in India. The innovation demo days will act as a platform where start-ups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), entrepreneurs, corporate partners and sector academics are brought together to be spectator of government-funded innovations.

4. Union Cabinet clears the setting up of Major Port at Vadhavan: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its in-principle approval for setting up a new Major Port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharashtra. The new Major Port will be established on the basis of land lord model. The projected cost of the Vadhavan Port is over Rs 65,000 crore. For the implementation of the project, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed along the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) which will act as the lead partner with equity participation of 50% or more.

5. 5 IIITs to get the status of Institution of National Importance: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved to bestow the status of Institution of National Importance to the five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs). The status will be provided with the inception of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The bill will provide the status of Institutions of National Importance to the remaining five IIITs along with the existing 15 IIITs in PPP mode. The 5 IIITs in PPP mode includes IIITs in Bhopal, Raichur, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Surat.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US Prez Donald Trump acquitted of all impeachment charges: The United States President Donald Trump has been acquitted of all impeachment charges. The US Senate has acquitted President Trump on two articles of impeachment that are the abuse of power and obstruction to Congress. The Republican-majority Senate voted 52-48 to acquit him of abuse of power and 53-47 to acquit him of obstruction of Congress.

Note: Capital of the United States, the Washington, D.C.; Currency: Dollar

2. Romania's pro-European govt collapses after no-confidence vote: Romania's pro-European government collapsed in a parliamentary no-confidence vote after only three months in office. A total of 261 of 465 MPs voted in favour of a motion against the minority government led by Ludovic Orban, which took over in November. Now, President Klaus Iohannis appoint a new Prime Minister who in turn must try to assemble a majority.

Note: President of Romania: Klaus Iohannis; Currency of Romania: Romanian leu; Capital of Romania: Bucharest.

3. WHO calls for USD 675m in donations to fight novel coronavirus: Geneva-based WHO has called for 675 million US dollars in donations for a plan to fight the novel coronavirus. This announcement was made by the Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom in Geneva. They are launching a strategic preparedness and response plan and requesting 675 million dollars to fund the plan for the next three months. 60 million US dollars of the funds would be for WHO operations while the remainder would go to countries requiring assistance to guard against the deadly virus. World Health Organisation was sending 500,000 masks and 40,000 respirators to 24 countries from its warehouses in Dubai and Accra. Director-General of WHO also hailed a 100 million dollar donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced earlier.

Note: The World Health Organization was established on 07th April 1948; Headquarters of WHO is in Geneva, Switzerland.

4. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation: 6 February: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is observed globally on 6 February. This day is sponsored by the United Nations for their efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation. 2020 Theme: “Unleashing Youth Power”. Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It was first introduced in 2003.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Weightlifter Sambo Lapung wins gold with national record of 188kg: Weightlifter Sambo Lapung has won the gold medal in the men’s 89kg event of the National Weightlifting Championships held in Kolkata. He has made a new national record of 188kg in clean and jerk event in men’s 89kg. The previous national record of clean and jerk was of 187kg. Sambo Lapung is from Arunachal Pradesh.

2. Rakhi Halder bags gold at Senior Women's National Weightlifting Championship: Rakhi Halder has bagged gold in the 64kg category of the Senior Women's National Weightlifting Championships (35th edition) in Kolkata. Halder lifted 93 kg in snatch & 117 kg in clean and jerk to clinch the gold medal. She was 10kg ahead of her nearest rival Harjinder Kaur of Chandigarh.

3. Sourav Ganguly to be Indian team’s Goodwill Ambassador for Tokyo Olympics: The Indian Olympic Association has invited BCCI President Sourav Ganguly to become the Goodwill Ambassador of the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics. The Tokyo Olympic Games will be held from July 24 to August 9.

Note: President of Indian Olympic Association: Narinder Dhruv Batra; Headquarters of Indian Olympic Association: New Delhi.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI’s 6th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy 2019-20 released: RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 5.15%: The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee has released its 6th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy 2019-20. The Reserve Bank of India’s MPC has decided to keep the policy repo rate unchanged to 5.15%. The MPC has also decided to maintain the accommodative stance of monetary policy to revive growth, while ensuring that inflation remains within the target.

The key decisions taken in the 6th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting are:

The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) left unchanged to 5.15%.

The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands same i.e. 4.90%.

The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate also remains same i.e. 5.40%.

RBI has increased the real GDP growth for fiscal year 2020-21 from 5% to 6%.

2. DICGC increases the insurance coverage for depositors to Rs 5 lakh: The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India, has raised the limit of insurance cover for bank deposits in insured banks from the present level of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per depositor, to provide a greater measure of protection to depositors in banks. The enhanced limit is in effect from February 4, 2020.

Deposits with all commercial banks and cooperative banks are insured under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). Only Primary Cooperative Societies are not covered under DICGC. DICGC covers all deposits such as savings, fixed, current, recurring and so on except for the following deposits: Deposits of foreign governments; Deposits of Central/State Governments; Inter-bank deposits; Deposits of the State Land Development Banks with the State co-operative bank;

Note: Chairman of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation: B.P.Kanungo; B.P. Kanungo is the Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India.

Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) came into existence on July 15, 1978. The Head Office of the Corporation is at Mumbai.

3. Reliance General launches health insurance plan “Infinity”: Reliance General Insurance Company Limited has launched a comprehensive health insurance plan named “Reliance Health Infinity”. The policy offers 90 days pre and 180 days post hospitalization cover, along with sum insured ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 1 crore, and free restore benefits. This insurance plan (offers Ayush benefit), expenses incurred are covered on treatment in a hospital under Ayurveda, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy.

Note: Reliance General Insurance headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Reliance General Insurance ED and CEO: Rakesh Jain; Reliance General Insurance founded: 17 August 2000.

4. Fitch forecasts India’s GDP growth at 5.6% for Financial Year 2021: Fitch Ratings has estimated India’s GDP growth of 5.6% in the next FY21 in its India Economic Outlook. This forecast is lower than the projection made by the government’s Economic Survey. For the current fiscal 2019-20 (FY 20), GDP is projected at 4.6%. Fitch has also estimated that in the fiscal year 2022, government debt will remain 70% of total GDP.

Note: CEO of Fitch Ratings: Paul Taylor; President of Fitch Ratings: Ian Linnell; Headquarters of Fitch Ratings: New York, USA.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Indian Oil & Phinergy to jointly make metal-air batteries in India: Indian Oil has picked up a minority equity stake in Israel’s battery developer Phinergy to jointly set up a facility in India to manufacture metal-air batteries for electric vehicles. This collaboration helps in the field of Al-Air battery system including research & development, customization, manufacturing, assembly, sale and service of aluminium-air energy systems technology.

Note: Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC): Sanjiv Singh; Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) founded: 30 June 1959; Headquarters of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC): New Delhi.

2. Eastern Railways partners with Amazon India to set up kiosk: Eastern Railways has partnered with Amazon India to set up a pick-up kiosk at the Sealdah railway station in Kolkata, West Bengal. This follows after the successful pilot of pickup kiosks in four railway stations across Mumbai in 2019. A kiosk is a small open-fronted hut or cubicle from where newspapers, refreshments, tickets, etc will be sold.

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

Capital of West Bengal: Kolkata.

DEFENCE

1. Prime Minister of India sets target at DefExpo of 5 billion dollar USD in upcoming 5 years: Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has stated that NDA government set a defense export target of 5 billion dollars in the upcoming five years. The export of defense equipment from India was about 2,000 crore rupees. In the past 2 years, it has gone up to 17,000 crore rupees.

Note: Rajnath Singh is the Union defense minister of India.

General Bipin Rawat is the current Chief of Defence Staff of India.

2. HAL & Israel Aerospace Industries to jointly make armed UCAVs: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the 1st time, will sign a partnership pact with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at the DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. This pact is signed for manufacture advanced Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) in India.

Note: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Founded: 1940(As Hindustan Aircraft) &1964 (Renamed

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka.

Chairman and managing director of HAL: R Madhavan.

Israel Aerospace Industries Headquarters: Lod, Israel; Israel Aerospace Industries CEO and President: Nimrod Shefer; Israel Aerospace Industries Founded: 1953.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Assam Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi passes away: Former Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker and sitting Congress MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) Pranab Kumar Gogoi passed away. He was first elected as Legislator from the Assam Legislative Assembly from Sivasagar, Assam for 4 consecutive terms. He also served as minister in Tarun Gogoi-led cabinet from 2006-2011 and speaker of the Assam legislative assembly in 2011. In 2015, Pranab Kumar took the definition of the term ‘Assamese’.

2. Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas passes away: Hollywood legend and veteran actor Kirk Douglas (103-years) passed away at Beverly Hills, California in the US. He is perhaps best known for his role as Spartacus, a Stanley Kubrick classic which won four Oscars and was so popular that its iconic "I am Spartacus" scene entered the pop culture lexicon. The actor came to limelight in 1940’s and played various roles in nearly 100 movies in his 60-year career. He was also the father of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas.

Daily GK Update - 5th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind inaugurates Annual Rashtrapati Bhavan Udyanotsav 2020: President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the annual ‘Udyanotsav’ at the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan on 4th February 2020. The 15-acre Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be opened for the general public from February 5 to March 8, 2020 between 10 am to 4 pm. The gardens will be closed for visitors on Mondays, on account of maintenance.

2. India’s biggest rural technical festival ‘Antahpragnya 2020’ kicks off: India’s biggest rural technical festival titled ‘Antahpragnya 2020’ held in Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT), Basar, Nirmal District, Telangana, from January 31 to February 2, 2020. The theme of the National Level technical fest was ‘Spot and encourage rural tech innovators’. Thousands of students belonging to reputed colleges across the length and breadth of India participated in the three-day Technical Festival, that seeks to spot and encourage rural tech innovators.

Note: Chief Minister of Telangana: K. Chandrashekar Rao; Governor of Telangana: Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan; Capital of Telangana: Hyderabad.

3. GoI unveils new vaccine to control classical swine fever: The government of India unveiled a new indigenously developed vaccine for controlling classical swine fever (CSF). CSF is a highly contagious fatal pig disease. The new vaccine, developed by Uttar Pradesh-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), will be much cheaper than the existing one.

Note: ICAR Founded: 16 July 1929; ICAR Director: Dr Trilochan Mohapatra; ICAR Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

4. Karnataka launches Janasevaka scheme for home delivery of govt services: The Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has launched the doorstep delivery scheme named ‘Janasevaka’ on 4th February 2020, to ensure home delivery of various government services like ration cards, senior citizen identity and health cards. The Janasevaka scheme will cover 53 services involving 11 departments. Janasevaka scheme is launched under the Sakala scheme of the state government, which aims to ensure in-time delivery of government services to citizens. The project was launched on a pilot basis in T Dasarahalli Assembly constituency in February 2019 and now it has been further launched in Bommanahalli, Rajajinagar and Mahadevapura constituencies in Phase I. The government plans to extend it to 27 Assembly segments in Bengaluru city in later stage. After successful implementation, the service will be extended to Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad.

5. 4th EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation to be held in Chennai: India is set to host the 4th East Asia Summit (EAS) Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation in Chennai from February 6-7, 2020. The conference will be organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in partnership with the governments of Australia and Indonesia. The National Maritime Foundation (NMF) and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) are the knowledge partners of the Conference. The Conference serves as a platform for free and open dialogue among all the EAS partners on various issues of maritime security cooperation, and to come up with useful suggestions on tackling challenges in the maritime domain in a cooperative manner. The earlier three editions of the EAS Maritime Security Conferences organised by the Indian government were held at New Delhi in November 2015, Goa in November 2016 and Bhubaneswar in June 2018.​

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Somalia declares national emergency over locust surge: Somalia has become the first country in the Horn of Africa to declare a locust infestation sweeping the region as a national emergency. Experts say the locust swarms are the result of extreme weather swings. The emergency declaration was made to focus efforts and raise funds because it was critical to contain the locust swarms before harvests are due in April.

2. Albin Kurti Appointed New Prime Minister of Kosovo: Kosovo’s parliament has approved Albin Kurti (44-years) as the new prime minister of the country on 3rd February 2020. Albin Kurti, leader of the political party Vetëvendosje, will serve as the fourth Prime Minister of Kosovo. He was named PM after his left-wing Vetevendosje party forged a coalition with the centre-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Kurti’s government was supported by 66 out of 120 votes, while 10 MPs abstained from voting.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Deepa Malik Elected President of Paralympic Committee of India: Indian para-athlete Deepa Malik, has been elected unopposed as President of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) during the elections held in Bengaluru recently. However, the results of the elections are subject to a pending case in the Delhi High Court. The 49-year-old Deepa is the first Indian woman to win a medal at Paralympic Games. She won a silver in shot put F-53 event in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. Other members elected for the committee includes:

Gursharan Singh – secretary general

Kavender Chaudhury and Shashi Ranjan Prasad Singh – vice presidents

M Mahadeva – treasurer

Nale Nandkishor Baburao and Kantilal Parmar – joint secretaries.

Note: Headquarters of Paralympic Committee of India: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Cabinet approves amendments to bring co-operative banks under RBI: The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the Banking Regulation Act to empower India’s Central Bank (Reserve Bank of India) to have better control over urban co-operative banks and multi-state cooperative banks. These amendments will apply to the urban co-operative banks and multi-state cooperative banks. In present, cooperative banks are governed by dual control of cooperative societies as well as the Reserve Bank of India. While the role of cooperative society includes incorporation, registration, management, recovery, audit, supersession of board of directors and liquidation, the central bank’s role is responsible for regulatory functions.

Note: The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 is legislation in India that regulates all banking firms.

Governor of the Reserve Bank of India: Shaktikanta

OBITUARIES

1. Sahitya Akademi Awardee Jaswant Singh Kanwal passes away: Eminent Punjabi writer, Sahitya Akademi Awardee Jaswant Singh Kanwal passed away. He was bestowed the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship award for his book ‘Pakhi’ (Hand Fan). He received the Sahitya Akademi award (in 1998) for his novel ‘Taushali Di Hanso’ and Sahitya Shiromani Award of the Punjab government (in 2007). Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar conferred on Kanwal the degree of Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) for Punjabi literature.

2. Kenya's longest serving President Daniel Arap Moi passes away: Former Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi (95-years), who ruled the country for 24 years has passed away. He was 95. He became the Minister of Home Affairs and President Jomo Kenyatta later named him Vice President in 1967. He became Kenya's second president after independence and went on to rule from 1978 to 2002.

Daily GK Updates - 4th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Union govt sets target of 30km of highways a day in current fiscal: According to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Union Government has set the target for construction of highways about 30 kilometres per day in the current fiscal. The average construction of Highways is 25.23 kilometres per day till December in 2019-20. It was 24.37 kilometres per day during the corresponding period in 2018-19. Total 2155 kilometres length of roads has been built in the first three months of the current financial year.

2. Pramod Agrawal takes Charge as Chairman of Coal India Ltd.: A 1991 batch IAS officer Pramod Agrawal assumed charge as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Ltd (CIL) on 1st February 2020. He succeeds A K Jha who retired on January 31, 2020. Coal India Limited (CIL) is an Indian state-owned coal mining and refinery company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

3. Five archaeological locations to be developed into 'Iconic Sites': Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned in her budget speech that five archaeological sites will be developed into iconic sites of India. These five archaeological locations are Sivasagar (Assam), Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Dholavira (Gujarat), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh) and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu).

She also added that each site will have an on-site museum.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pakistan declares national emergency over locust swarms: Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has declared a national emergency in the country to battle locust swarms. The insects are destroying crops on a large scale in Punjab province, country’s main region for agricultural production.

Note: Capital of Pakistan: Islamabad; President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi.

2. Sri Lanka celebrates 72nd years of Independence: Sri Lanka is celebrating the 72nd Independence Day in a grand ceremony in Colombo. The theme of 2020 Independence Day ceremony is “A Secured Nation - A Prosperous Country”. Ending 134 years of colonial rule, Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, gained independence from Great Britain on 4th February 1948.

3. UAE finds new natural gas field between Abu Dhabi, Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the discovery of a natural gas field containing 80 trillion standard cubic feet of gas between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This new discovery reinforces the nation's goal of achieving gas self-sufficiency, enabling major development projects. The new Jebel Ali field would help the Emirates become more energy independent. Qatar is the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer.

4. World Cancer Day: 4th February: The world cancer day is being observed on 4th February every year to raise awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. According to WHO, every year 8.8 million people die of cancer in low- and middle-income countries. Last year, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) launched a new three years (2019-2021) campaign with the theme: “I Am and I Will.”

5. Gopal Baglay appointed Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka: Senior Diplomat Gopal Baglay (Indian Foreign Service - 1992-batch) has been appointed India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. Mr. Baglay succeeds Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Baglay has held many key positions including spokesperson of the MEA and Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan. He had also handled the sensitive PAI (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) division in the MEA.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. BCCI constitutes 3-members in Cricket Advisory Committee: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed new members of its 3-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) on 31st January 2020. The new members of the CAC include former India cricketers Rudra Pratap Singh, Madan Lal and Sulkashana Naik. All the three have been appointed for a term of one year. The newly-formed CAC will succeed the trio of Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad, and Shanta Rangaswamy.

Note: BCCI President: Sourav Ganguly; Headquarter of BCCI: Mumbai.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Fitch Predicts India’s GDP Growth for FY20 at 4.6% and FY21 at 5.6%: US-based rating agency Fitch Ratings Inc. has projected GDP growth of India for the next financial year 2020-21 at 5.6 percent. For the current fiscal 2019-20, GDP is projected at 4.6 percent. The Union Budget for 2020-21 had projected a GDP growth of 6-6.5 per cent.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Paytm launches Android POS device for SMEs & merchant partners: Paytm has launched an Android POS device for small and medium businesses (SMEs) & merchant partners. The android based device will enable the merchants to accept payments in various ways like debit and credit cards, Paytm Wallet, UPI-based apps and cash.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 2020 EE British Academy Film Awards: The 73rd edition of the annual British Academy Film Awards, also known as BAFTA, was held on 2 February 2020 in London. The award is presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, to honor the best national and foreign films of 2019 of any nationality that were screened at British cinemas in 2019. The Film ‘1917’ received the highest number of awards at 7 with nominations in 9 categories.

List of Winners of BAFTA 2020:

Sr. No.	Category	Winner
1	Best Film	1917
2	Outstanding British Film	1917
3	Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer	Mark Jenkin (Writer/Director), Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers) (Movie: Bait)
4	Film Not In The English Language	Parasite
5	Documentary	For Sama
6	Animated Film	Klaus
7	Director	Sam Mendes (1917)
8	Original Screenplay	Han Jin Won, Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
9	Adapted Screenplay	Jojo Rabbit
10	Leading Actress	Renee Zellweger (Judy)
11	Leading Actor	Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
12	Supporting Actress	Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
13	Supporting Actor	Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood)
14	Original Score	Joker
15	Casting	Joker
16	Cinematography	1917
17	Editing	Le Mans ’66
18	Production Design	1917
19	Costume Design	Jacqueline Durran (Little Women)
20	Make Up & Hair	Vivian Baker, Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan (Bombshell)
21	Sound	1917
22	Special Visual Effects	1917
23	British Short Animation	Grandad Was A Romantic
24	British Short Film	Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl)
25	Ee Rising Star Award	Micheal Ward

2. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das Named Central Banker of the Year 2020: The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, has been named as the ‘Central Banker of the Year 2020 for the Asia-Pacific region’ by ‘The Banker’ magazine, owned by London-based Financial Times (FT). The Banker‘s Central Banker of the Year 2020 awards celebrate the officials that have best managed to stimulate growth and stabilise their economy. Das has been credited for bringing in measures to tighten the rules around shadow banking as well as several major steps to bring banking in India up to the standard through a restrained approach to governance.

Note: Headquarters of RBI: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

DEFENCE

1. 11th DefExpo 2020 to be held in Lucknow: The 11th edition of the biennial mega defence exhibition, DefExpo 2020, will begin on 5 February at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. The main theme of DefExpo India-2020 will be “India: the emerging defence manufacturing hub”.

Note: Defence Minister of India: Rajnath Singh.

2. Indian Navy Conducts Coastal Security Exercise ‘Matla Abhiyan’: The Indian Navy launched a unique coastal security exercise named ‘Matla Abhiyan’ in Kolkata, West Bengal to spread awareness on coastal security from 29th January to 2nd February 2020. Under the exercise, two naval boats were flagged off to move along the the river Matla in the Sundarbans region up to Hemnagar. This is also the international trade protocol route between India and Bangladesh. During the exercise, the Navy interacted with the local community to make them aware of the coastal security and also carried out activity to understand the navigational complexities in the Sundarbans Delta.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Assam Assembly Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi passes away: Former Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly & Congress MLA of Sibsagar Pranab Kumar Gogoi (84-years) passed away at a private hospital in Guwahati. Mr. Pranab Gogoi served as a minister in Tarun Gogoi-led cabinet from 2006-2011. He was also elected as the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly (in 2011).

Daily GK Updates - 3rd February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. YSR Pension Kanuka doorstep pension scheme launched in AP: Adhra Pradesh Government has initiated a doorstep pension delivery schemeYSR Pension Kanuka across the state, under which, various welfare pensions is being delivered at the doorstep of the pensioners. Also, the age for old age pensioners (OAP) has been reduced from 65 to 60 years. The Disabled Pensions (DP) will be Rs 3,000 per month, while the CKDU/Dialysis Pensions will receive Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mohammad Allawi named as new PM of Iraq: The President of Iraq Barham Saleh has named former Communication Minister, Mohammad Allawi as the country’s new Prime Minister. The 65-year-old succeeds Adel Abdel Mahdi, who resigned November 2019 due to anti-government protests. He would run the country until early elections are held.

Note: Capital of Iraq: Baghdad; Currency of Iraq: Iraqi dinar.

02. Ajay Bisaria appointed India's next High Commissioner to Canada: Ajay Bisaria, a 1987 batch IFS officer, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada. Currently, he is India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan. Bisaria will succeed Vikas Swarup, who has been appointed as the Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs.

Note: Union Minister of External Affairs:  Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

3. E-Visas for travel from China to India suspended: Travel to India on E-visas from China suspended with immediate effect, Due to certain current developments. This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People’s Republic of China. All those who have a compelling reason to visit India may contact the Embassy of India in Beijing or the Indian consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou, as well as the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Adarsh, Shreya win double titles at National Shooting trials: Adarsh Singh (from Haryana) and Shreya Agrawal (from Madhya Pradesh) won double titles at the ongoing national trials for rifle and pistol disciplines in Thiruvananthapuram. Tokyo Olympics quota winner Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar also won the men's 50 metres rifle 3 positions T2 trial to continue his good form in the competition.

2. Anjali Saraogi and Awadh Yadav wins Kolkata Full Marathon 2020: Lucknow-based runner Awadh Narayan Yadav and Anjali Saraogi from Kolkata has clinched the top honours in the Kolkata Full Marathon 2020 in men’s and women’s categories respectively on 2nd February 2020.  Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was the brand ambassador of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon 2020. Anjali Saraogi clocked 3:24.02 to win the title for the third consecutive year, and in the process became the first runner to clinch a hat-trick of titles at the Kolkata Full Marathon. Awadh clocked a timing of 2 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds.

Note: The annual Kolkata Full Marathon 2020 was held in four different categories including the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, Timed 10k Run and the 5k Fun Run and over 12,000 runners participated in the event from across the country.

3. NADA Suspends Weightlifter Ramshad AR for 2 Years and Wrestler Ravinder Kumar for 4 Years: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has suspended weightlifter Ramshad AR for a period of 2 years after being found guilty of violating the anti-doping rule. Ramshad, winner of silver medal in the National Weightlifting Championship was found guilty of inhaling a prohibited substance by the NADA. In addition to this, NADA has also banned Indian wrestler Ravinder Kumar for 4 years for failing a dope test.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. ICICI Bank Launches a unique self-service delivery facility ‘iBox’: The private lender ICICI Bank has launched a first-of-its-kind, unique self-service delivery facility, called ‘iBox’, that will enable its customers to collect their deliverables such as debit card, credit card, cheque book and returned-cheques, in a hassle free manner, anytime any day. This facility is especially useful for customers who are not available at home to receive their package during working hours. The Bank has introduced the iBox facility at over 50 branches in 17 cities in the country. The ‘iBox’ terminals have been stationed outside the premises of the Bank’s branches and are accessible beyond the official hours.

What is iBox? The unique facility is equipped with an OTP based authentication system and can be accessed by customers using their registered mobile number 24X7. The customer needs to visit the ‘iBox’, enter his/her registered mobile number and submit the OTP or show the QR code to open the box and access the package. The deliverable stays in the ‘iBox’ for seven days during which the customer can collect at any time of the day.

2. BoB signed pact with CARE Ratings to assess the credit quality of SMEs: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with Care Ratings for assessing the credit quality of small and medium enterprises (SME) customers. This partnership will help to grade the credit quality of the bank’s current and prospective SME customers by processing and analyzing structured, unstructured and new data streams.

3. R A Sankara Narayanan, MD & CEO of Canara Bank Retires: R A Sankara Narayanan, the Managing Director and CEO of public sector lender Canara Bank has retired from the post, upon his superannuation. He took charge as MD & CEO of Canara Bank on 15 April 2019.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Abidali Neemuchwala Steps Down as CEO and MD of Wipro: The chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of Wipro, Abidali Z Neemuchwala has quit the post, giving “family commitments” as the reason behind the decision. The 52-year-old will continue to hold office until a successor is appointed. Neemuchwala joined Bengaluru-based Wipro in April 2015 as the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Waheeda Rehman to be Conferred Kishore Kumar Samman for 2017-18: Veteran yesteryear actor Waheeda Rehman will be conferred the Madhya Pradesh government’s National Kishore Kumar Samman for the year 2017-18 on 4th February 2020 at her residence in Mumbai. The award carries cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and citation and is presented for outstanding achievement in cinema. The 82-year-old actor was to be presented the prestigious honour on 13 October 2019, coinciding with the death anniversary of singing legend Kishore Kumar, but could not be given as the actor was unwell.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath; Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.

OBITUARIES

1. Eminent Punjabi novelist Dalip Kaur Tiwana passed away: Padma Shri awardee and renowned Punjabi novelist, Dalip Kaur Tiwana (84-years) passed away due to old age ailments.

She was well known for novels ‘Teeli da Nishaan’ and ‘Sooraj te Samandar’. She was also a former president of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi.