Daily GK Updates - 15th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ghaziabad police launches ‘Operation Nakail’ for auto-rickshaw drivers: The Ghaziabad police authorities have announced to launch an initiative named ‘Operation Nakail’ under which the identity of all auto-rickshaw drivers plying in the district will be verified and a unique four-digit number will be allotted to them. The drivers will be required to get the unique number painted on front, left, right and rear side of the auto-rickshaws. Apart from the unique number, the drivers will also be required to get their names and mobile number of the auto-rickshaw owner painted on the vehicles. This initiative aims to keep check on cases of loot or harassment in auto-rickshaws.

Note: Governor of Uttar Pradesh:  Anandiben Patel; Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath; Capital of Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow.

2. Maharashtra govt announces five-day working week for its employees: The Maharashtra government has announced a five-day working week for its officers and employees. The Maharashtra state cabinet also extended the current work hours by 45 minutes. The new routine would start from 29th February this year. Currently, Maharashtra government officials work on the first and third Saturdays of the month and get an off on the second and fourth Saturdays.

3. Debasish Panda appointed finance secretary: Senior IAS officer Debasish Panda (1987-batch - Uttar Pradesh cadre) has been appointed as the new finance secretary. Currently, Mr Panda is a special secretary, department of financial services. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as secretary, department of financial services, in place of Rajiv Kumar, who superannuates this month-end.

4. ISRO G Narayanan to head space PSU NSIL: Veteran space scientist G Narayanan has been named the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation’s newly formed commercial entity New Space India Ltd (NSIL). He was earlier working as deputy director (systems reliability and quality assurance) at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), a Thiruvananthapuram-based unit of ISRO that designs, develops liquid propulsion stages for launch vehicles.

Note: ISRO Director: K. Sivan, Headquarters: Bengaluru, Established: 1969.

5. National Women’s Day: 13th February: India celebrates Sarojini Naidu's birthday as National Women's Day of India every year on February 13. This year Nation celebrates its 141st Birth Anniversary. Sarojini Naidu was India's first women governor and also famous as ‘Nightingale of India’ or 'Bharat Kokila' because of her poems. Sarojini Naidu was born on February 13, 1879. She actively participated in the Indian National Movement for the independence of the country.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mobile World Congress cancelled over coronavirus fears: The annual telecoms industry gathering .The Mobile World Congress’ at Barcelona cancelled. The decision comes after dozens of tech companies and wireless carriers dropped out, with the latest cancellations by Nokia, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Britain’s BT. The event was hosted by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) telecoms association. More than 100,000 people usually attend the annual event, about 6,000 of whom travel from China.

Note: GSMA chief executive: John Hoffman; Headquarters of GSMA: London, UK.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Kiren Rijiju announces Ladakh and J&K will host Khelo India Winter Games 2020: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has announced Khelo India winter games 2020 which will be held in the Union Territory of Ladakh later this month followed by a similar event in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in March. The Khelo India Ladakh Winter Games will feature an open ice hockey championship, figure skating and speed skating and the competition will be conducted at the block, district and UT levels with the expected participation of about 1700 athletes.

The competitions of the Khelo India J&K Winter Games will be held at Kongdori, Gulmarg in four age categories for both boys and girls. Athletes in the age categories of 19-21 years, 17-18 years, 15-16 years and 13-14 years can compete in alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. GIC Re gets license from Bank of Russia for reinsurance business: India’s reinsurance company, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) has received the license from Bank of Russia to commence reinsurance business in Russia. GIC Re has obtained license from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia) for its subsidiary company “GIC Perestrakhovanie LLC”, Moscow for the commencement of reinsurance business. The license enables the subsidiary to commence transacting domestic and international reinsurance business in Russia based on the capital invested by the Corporation.

Note: Chairman and MD of General Insurance Corporation of India: Devesh Srivastava; Headquarters of General Insurance Corporation of India: Mumbai.

President of Russia: Vladimir Putin; Capital: Moscow

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Indian Feminist Scholar Gita Sen Wins prestigious Dan David Prize: India’s pioneering feminist scholar and activist Gita Sen, has won the prestigious Dan David Prize 2020 in present category. She has worked hard in the fields of women’s rights, reproductive and sexual health and poverty eradication. Sen is the director of the Ramalingaswami Centre on Equity and Social Determinants of Health at the Public Health Foundation of India.

Note: The award is given by the Dan David Foundation headquartered at Tel Aviv University, Israel, annually in three categories, which is past, present and future. Each category carries $1 million prizes. The award recognizes individuals or organisations, for their outstanding contributions in the fields of science, technology, culture or social welfare, for expanding the knowledge of the past, enrich society in the present, and promise to improve the future of our world.

2. BioAsia 2020 announces Genome Valley Excellence Award: BioAsia 2020 has announced the Genome Valley Excellence Award. American immunologist and oncologist Dr. Carl H June and Novartis CEO Dr. Vasant Narsimhan will be presented this award for their contributions to life sciences. The function will be organized by the Telangana government annual global biotechnology & life sciences forum.

Note: Chief Minister (CM): Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao; Governor of Telangana: Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan; Capital of Telangana: Hyderabad.

OBITUARIES

1. Indian environmentalist and former Chief of TERI, Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, passed away: Indian environmentalist Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, who was the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of UN, has passed away. He was 79. Pachauri was the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from 2002 to 2015. IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2017. He was also the former Chairman and Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). He also received Padma Vibhushan in 2008 & Padma Bhushan in 2001 from the Government of India.

2. Baseball legend Katsuya Nomura passes away: Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame catcher and renowned manager Katsuya Nomura (84-years) passed away due to heart failure. Nomura was one of NPB’s greatest slugging catchers, amassing 657 home runs, 1,988 RBIs and 2,901 hits in 3,017 games over 26 seasons spent mostly with the Hawks. In 1965, he became the first NPB batter to win the Triple Crown in the postwar era.

Daily GK Updates - 14th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Government renames two prominent institutes after Sushma Swaraj: The Government of India has renamed two institutions after Sushma Swaraj in an honour of the late External Affairs Minister. The two institutions are: the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra and the Foreign Service Institute.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra has been renamed as Sushma Swaraj Bhavan as the late External Affairs Minister was known for her empathy in reaching out to distressed Indians worldwide. The Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra is a cultural centre which reflects India’s connection with its diaspora around the world.

The Foreign Service Institute has been renamed as Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service. The Foreign Service Institute is an institution where the training of the diplomats takes place.

Note: Late External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was the youngest Cabinet Minister in the Haryana government, served as the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi and was also the first woman spokesperson for a national political party in the country. She had also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha between 2009-14.

2. India bans e-cigarettes in both domestic and international flights: The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India, has issued a circular that Electronic-Cigarettes and all forms of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System(ENDS) will not be allowed in both domestic and international flights as well as at airports. Under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act which is passed in December 2019.

 The order issued with the approval of DG (director-general) BCAS, Rakesh Asthana, is valid from the date of issuance. The circular also announced that the offenders will be sentenced into prison up to one year and also a fine of Rs. 1 lakh. In the case of repeat offenders, the jail term is increased to 3 years with Rs. 5 lakhs fine.

Note: Bureau of Civil Aviation Security headquarters: New Delhi; Bureau of Civil Aviation Security founded: 1976.

3. New Delhi to host “National Organic Food Festival”: The National Organic Food Festival is going to be held for women entrepreneurs in New Delhi. The festival will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). The festival will be held with the theme of “Unleashing India’s Organic Market Potential”. The National Organic Food Festival will strengthen the branding of Indian organic sector by increasing processing potential and making India export competitive. The festival aims to boost the organic products and to promote the women entrepreneurship in the area of production and processing. It will also focus on encouraging Indian women entrepreneurs and farmers to link with the buyers and empower them along with the promotion of organic food produce in India.

Note: Union Minister for Food Processing Industries: Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

4. 15th Finance Commission constitutes panel on Defence & Internal security: The Fifteenth Finance Commission has formed a 5-members panel on defence & internal security. The constituted panel aims to study whether a separate mechanism should be organised for the funding of defence and internal security and if yes, then how this mechanism could be operationalised. The panel will be headed by the Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission N K Singh, expenditure secretary T V Somanathan, defence secretary Ajay Kumar, finance commission Member AN Jha and home affairs secretary Ajay Bhalla as its members.

5. Rajiv Bansal appointed as Air India CMD: Senior IAS officer (Nagaland cadre) Rajiv Bansal has been appointed as the Chairman and managing director (CMD) of Air India. Rajiv Bansal will take over from Ashwani Lohan. Rajiv Bansal is currently the additional secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He is the 1988-batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre. Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, owned by Air India Limited and operates a fleet of Airbus & Boeing aircraft serving 90 domestic and international destinations.

Other Appointments:

Rajiv Ranjan has been made Secretary of Fisheries in place of Rajni Sekhri Sibal, who is retiring this month.

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, has been named Secretary, Consumer Affairs.

Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Usha Sharma has been moved to the Department of Youth Affairs as Secretary.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Rishi Sunak appointed as UK’s new Finance Minister: Rishi Sunak has been appointed as the Finance Minister of the United Kingdom. He will replace Pakistani Chancellor Sajid Javid. Now three Indian origin Members of Parliament are a part of Britain’s most diverse cabinet led by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Along with Rishi Sunak, Priti Patel has been appointed as the Home Minister and Alok Sharma has been appointed as the Business Secretary in the British Cabinet. Rishi Sunak is the Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's son-in-law

Note: Capital of the United Kingdom: London; The currency of the United Kingdom: UK Pound.

2. Scientists discovered the nearest known planet “2MASS 1155-7919 b”: The scientists from Rochester Institute of Technology has discovered the nearest-known ‘baby giant planet’ which is named as “2MASS 1155-7919 b”. The scientists has used the data from Gaia space observatory to find the baby giant planet. The newly discovered baby giant planet which is named as “2MASS 1155-7919 b” lies about 330 light-years from our solar system. The planet is closer to Earth and is located in the Epsilon Chamaeleontis Association. This planet orbits a star that is about 5 million years old. The planet has only ten times the mass of Jupiter.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh named Player of the Year 2019 by FHI: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has awarded Indian men’s hockey team captain & midfielder Manpreet Singh with “Player of the Year for 2019” award. Manpreet became the first Indian to win the accolade since the awards were introduced in 1999. He beat competition from Belgium's Arthur van Dorren and Lucas Villa of Argentina, who came second and third.

Note: Chief executive Officer of International Hockey Federation (FIH): Thierry Weil; President of Hockey India: Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad

2. Amit Panghal is World No.1 in IOC's Boxing Task Force rankings for Olympic: World silver-medallist Amit Panghal has been ranked number one in the 52 kilogram category for Olympic Qualifiers. The list was released by the International Olympic Committee's Boxing Task Force ahead of next month's Olympic Qualifiers. Last year, he became the first Indian to claim a silver medal at the world championships after notching up a gold at the Asian meet.

3. Robin Singh appointed as UAE’s director of cricket: Former Indian Cricket all-rounder Robin Singh was appointed as director of cricket of the United Arab Emirates. He was appointed by Emirates Cricket Board after the dismissal of head coach Douglas Robert Brown. Robin Singh represented India for 1 test and 136 ODIs (One Day International) between 1989 & 2001. He was associated with the Indian Premier League's Mumbai Indians franchise, Caribbean Premier League's Barbados Tridents since 2013 and T10 franchises in the T10 league here.

Note: President of UAE: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Capital of UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency of UAE: UAE dirham.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IndusInd Bank tops list of ‘Highest increase in brand value’: According to ‘The Banker’s Top 500 Banking Brands 2020’ report, IndusInd Bank has topped the list of ‘Highest increase in brand value’ among global banks. The brand value of Induslnd Bank has increased by 122% over the past 12 months, making it the highest placed for growth in brand value, across the globe.

As a part of the report, the list “Top 50 by Total Brand Value by Country” has been topped by China, followed by United States (US) at 2nd position while Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) ranked at 3rd and 4th spots. Japan has moved up to the fifth spot. India ranked 8th in this list in comparison to 10th place in 2019.

Note: Managing Director & CEO of IndusInd Bank: Romesh Sobti; Headquarter of IndusInd Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. EIU lowers global growth forecast for 2020 to 2.2%: The Economist Intelligence Unit has revised downwards its global growth forecast for 2020 to 2.2%. (Earlier, 2.3%). It has lowered the forecast due to the new risks that have emerged following the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. The Economist Intelligence Unit's baseline scenario is that the public health emergency in China will be brought under control by end-March.

Note: Economist Intelligence Unit Managing Director (MD): Robin Bew; Economist Intelligence Unit headquarters: London, England; Economist Intelligence Unit founded: 1946.

OBITUARIES

1. Padma Shri awardee Wendell Rodricks passes away: Famous Indian fashion designer Wendell Rodricks passed away. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2014 and also Chevalier de L’ordre des Arts et Lettres (Knight of the order of arts and letters) by the French Ministry of Culture in 2015. He wrote books namely: The Greenroom, Poskem: Goans in the shadows, Moda Goa- History & Style.

Daily GK Updates - 13th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Amit Shah inaugurated the Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a two-day Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking for for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Partner Nations, at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The conference is being organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau. The platform will provide the opportunity to all the member nations to deliberate on the increased threats posed by drug trafficking and the collective steps that are required to negate the threats by learning from the best practices adopted by member countries.

Note: The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation comprising seven countries. These are India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. BIMSTEC Headquarter: Dhaka, Bangladesh

2. Mumbai Plans to get India’s largest air quality monitoring network: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to develop a network of 90 air quality monitoring stations in Mumbai. This will make the city that has the largest network of air monitoring in India. The time to complete the project is estimated to be over the next five years. BMC is planning to invest Rs. 9.5 crores to install 80 real-time air monitoring stations. These stations will give location-wise updates on the quality of air. Currently, Mumbai has 30 air quality monitoring stations. Mumbai plans to overtake Delhi, which presently has the largest networking of air quality monitors with 38 monitoring stations.

Note: Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Bal Thackeray; Governor of Maharashtra: Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) of Maharashtra: Ajit Anantrao Pawar; Capital of Maharashtra: Mumbai.

3. National Workshop on Disaster Risk Financing, Insurance and Risk Transfer held in Mumbai: The National Workshop on Disaster Risk Financing, Insurance and Risk Transfer was held in Mumbai on February 13, 2020. The workshop was organized by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), in partnership with Insurance Institute of India. Purpose: focus on the importance of financing resilience in areas frequently hit by natural disasters and discuss the issues and challenges faced by different stakeholders in assessment of insurance, along with the capacity gap in undertaking such initiatives. The event was a precursor to the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR), to be held in May 2020.

4. Haryana launches ‘Reading Mission’ initiative: The state government of Haryana has launched an initiative called ‘Reading Mission- Haryana’. The initiative was launched to encourage reading habit among the young students of the state. The scheme is on the lines of the ‘Reading Mission 2022’, launched by the central government. Under the state’s initiative, monthly book review sessions and mass book reading are to be organised by students in educational institutions.

Note: Haryana Governor: Satyadeo Narayan Arya; Chief Minister (CM): Manohar Lal Khattar.

5. Piyush Goyal inaugurates Kolkata’s East-West Metro line: Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the first phase of “East-West Metro line” in Kolkata. In this phase, trains will play from Salt Lake's sector five to Salt Lake Stadium. Passenger services will start in this 5.8 Kilometres stretches from Friday. The services will remain open from 8 in the morning to till 8 at night with 20 minutes frequencies of trains within six stations

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

6. Atul Gupta elected as New President of ICAI: CA Atul Kumar Gupta has been elected as the new President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for the term 2020-21. Nihar Niranjan Jambusaria has been elected as the Vice President of the ICAI for 2020-21. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is the national professional accounting body of India, established on 1st July 1949.

Note: Headquarters of Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI): New Delhi.

7. Dharmendra Rai’s book “The Thin Mind Map Book” launched: “The Thin Mind Map Book” authored by a mind mapping & brain literacy pioneer Dharmendra Rai was launched recently. The book is designed to make anyone an expert in mind mapping by devoting 2 full days to reading & doing all the experiential exercises mentioned in the book. Mr. Rai is a mind mapping & brain literacy pioneer and has a world record of conducting more than 380 mind mapping seminars in under 10 years.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise 2020 Held in Odisha: The BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise 2020, was held from February 11 to 13 at the Ramachandi Beach, Puri, Odisha. This is the second edition of such exercise. The first edition was held in 2017. The exercise was organised by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Odisha, on behalf of the Government of India. The BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Representatives of BIMSTEC member countries namely Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India participated in the exercise. Bhutan and Thailand did not participate in this edition. Purpose: sharing best practices and expertise, consolidating the disaster response, coordination and cooperation among BIMSTEC countries during disasters. The theme of this year’s exercise is “A cultural heritage site that suffers severe damage in the earthquake and flooding or storm.”

2. UK’s start-up launches 1st big batch of satellites: The UK-based company OneWeb has sent 34 satellites into orbit on a single Soyuz rocket, from Baikonur port, Kazakhstan. The aims are to have the full network in operation by the end of 2021. This is the 50th Soyuz mission conducted by Arianespace, as the company plans to perform 19 more medium-lift Soyuz from three spaceports by 2021. Its mission was to drop its satellite batch into one of 12 planes planned for the constellation.

Note: OneWeb company CEO: Adrian Steckel; OneWeb company Headquarters: London, England.

3. World Radio Day: 13th February: World Radio Day is celebrated on 13 February each year to recognize radio as a powerful medium, which brings people together from every corner of the globe, to promote diversity and help build a more peaceful and inclusive world. The day provides an opportunity to honour how radio is uniquely positioned to bring communities together and promote positive dialogue for change. The theme of World Radio Day 2020 is ‘Radio and Diversity’.

Note: The Day was proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012

4. Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa arrives in New Delhi: Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has arrived in New Delhi on a four-day visit to India. During the visit, President Sousa will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow followed by a visit to Rajghat. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will also travel to the states of Maharashtra and Goa during his visit.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. FIFA, FIFPRO to launch global fund for salary protection of players – $16m by 2022: FIFA and FIFPRO (World Players’ Union) will launch a global fund for football players to provide financial support to players who have not been paid and have no chance of duly receiving the wages agreed with their clubs. FIFA has set aside USD 16m for the fund up to 2022, and the allocation will be divided as follows: USD 3m in 2020, USD 4m in 2021 and USD 4m in 2022, plus a further USD 5m set aside for the retroactive protection of players’ salaries for the period between July 2015 and June 2020.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Government Notifies ‘Printing of One Rupee Currency Notes Rules, 2020’: The Union Ministry of Finance has notified ‘Printing of One Rupee Currency Notes Rules, 2020’. These include details about the colour, design, standard weight, dimensions etc. The One Rupee notes shall be printed at the note printing presses for issue under the authority of Government of India for circulation. Here are basic features of the new one rupee note:

Dimension – 9.7 x 6.3 cms

Colour: The overall colour will be predominantly pink green on obverse and reverse in combination with others.

Signature: Bilingual signature of Shri Atanu Chakraborty, Secretary, Ministry of Finance.

The new note will have image of ‘Sagar Samrat’, the oil exploration platform. The note will be rectangular, with its paper made of 100 percent (cotton) rag content. The note will be 110 microns thick, weighing 90 GSM (Grams per Square Meter). Multi-tonal watermarks.

Note: Union Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. President Kovind presents President’s Colour to INS Shivaji: President Ram Nath Kovind presented the President’s Colour to INS Shivaji on 13 February. INS Shivaji is an Indian Naval station located in Lonavala, Maharashtra and houses the Naval College of Engineering which trains officers of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. INS Shivaji is commemorating 75 years of its glorious service to the Indian Navy in February 2020.

Note: The President’s Colour is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit. The motto of this establishment is Karmasu Kaushalam which translates to imbibing the concept of Skill at Work in all facets of human endeavour.

DEFENCE

1. DRDO developing new 200-km strike range Pranash ballistic missile: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing a 200-km strike range tactical ballistic missile named ‘Pranash’. Use: Will be used by the Army and the Air Force for destroying enemy targets at short ranges. Version: The missile is an advanced version of the 150-km strike range Prahar missile which was being developed for tactical missions. Type: Surface-to-surface ballistic missile and single-stage solid-propellant missile. Strike range: 200 km

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

OBITUARIES

 

1. Renowned Journalist Nandu R Kulkarni Passes Away: Veteran journalist Nandu R Kulkarni, has passed away following a heart attack. He was 69. Kulkarni was the Mumbai Bureau Chief of the Kolkata-based newspaper “The Statesman”. He started his career as an intern with ‘The Indian Express’ in 1976 and worked there for 16 years. In 1992, Nandu joined “The Statesman”.

Daily GK Updates - 12th February, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Medical devices to come under CDSCO’s purview from 1st April: The Government of India has decided to consider all medical devices including implants and contraceptives as “Drugs”. The notification regarding the re-categorization was issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With the implementation, all the medical devices will come under the purview of the Central Drugs and Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). The re-categorization will be implemented from 1st April 2020 in the phase manner. The re-categorization will enable the drugs regulator “CDSCO” to tighten the regulation to improve the safety and quality.

Note: Union Minister of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Harsh Vardhan.

2. Delhi Election Results 2020 Updates: AAP gets 62 seats, BJP 8: In Delhi Assembly Election, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party scored a landslide victory. This is the second time in a row as Aam Aadmi Party swept aside both BJP, which was again restricted to a single digit and Congress which could not win a single seat. In the 2015 Assembly Election, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had won 67 seats out of 70. BJP has won eight seats, five more than the 2015 assembly election. However, the party managed to increase its vote share by over 6% from the last elections. 0.5% (approx) voters pressed the NOTA (None of the Above) button.

3. Ground Water Act-2020 approved by UP Government: The Uttar Pradesh government has given its approval to the Ground Water Act-2020. The Ground Water Act-2020 has been approved with an objective of improving the falling groundwater level in the state. In order to achieve this aim, the state cabinet chaired by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the Ground Water Act-2020.

4. NSG organises 20th International Seminar against terrorsim at Manesar, Haryana: National Security Guard (NSG) has organised the 20th International Seminar on “Comprehends the Evolving Contours of Terrorism & IED Threat-Wayahead for the Security Community” at Manesar, Haryana. The seminar was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy. Senior Police and security officers and delegates from various countries are participating in the Seminar. A wide spectrum of Counter Terrorism and Counter-IED issues in wilbe covered in the two-day seminar. He also presented the Counter-IED Innovators awards and released the 30th volume of “The Bomshell”.

5. 3-Day global meet on climate change ‘ClimFishCon 2020’ to be held in Kochi: A three-day international conference titled ‘ClimFishCon 2020’ to deliberate on the impact of climate change on ‘hydrological cycle, ecosystem, fisheries and food security’ will be held in Kochi, Kerala from February 12 to 14, 2020. It has been organized by the CUSAT School of Industrial Fisheries in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Kerala. Theme: Climate Change-Effective Adaptation for a Secure Future. More than 300 delegates from 12 countries including scientists, researchers, administrators, policymakers, academicians, and entrepreneurs will deliberate on strategies to: (1) deal with climate emergency and changing hydrological cycles; (2) preserve the ocean and other aquatic biodiversity; (3) build a circular and blue economy

6. National Productivity Day: 12th February: National Productivity Day is being observed on 12th February annually to increase the productivity culture in India. It is celebrated by the National Productivity Council (NPC), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Government of India is a premier institution for propagating productivity movement in India. NPC works for providing solutions towards accelerating productivity, enhancing competitiveness, increasing productivity.

Note: Chairman of National Productivity Council: Guruprasad Mohapatra; Director-General of National Productivity Council: Arun Kumar Jha.

7. Elephant and Indian Bustard to be included in India’s global conservation list: India to include the Asian Elephant and the Great Indian Bustard in the list of species that merit heightened conservation measures. The list will be debated at the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environment treaty under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Note: Headquarters of United Nations Environment Programme: Nairobi, Kenya; Director of United Nations Environment Programme: Inger Andersen.

8. UP Govt launches toll free helpline numbers for students: Uttar Pradesh Government has launched toll-free helpline numbers (1800-180-5310 and 18001805312) to solve the queries of students ahead of the Board Examinations starting next week. Experts of different subjects including English, life sciences, geography, general science, Hindi, Sanskrit, chemistry will be available on call on these numbers. The helpline numbers will remain active from 8 am to 8 pm.

9. Union Cabinet approves changes in 'Vivad se Vishwas' Bill: Union Cabinet has approved changes in the Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020. It seeks to increase its scope to cover litigations pending in various debt recovery tribunals (DRTs). It was proposed to cover tax disputes pending in Income Tax Appellate Tribunals, High Courts and the Supreme Court. Union Cabinet has given its in-principle approval for capital infusion of 2,500 crore rupees in three Public Sector General Insurance Companies.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. WHO officially names Coronavirus disease as “Covid-19”: The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially named the disease caused by the new coronavirus as “Covid-2019”. The new name “Covid-2019” has been taken from the words “corona”, “virus” and “disease”, with 2019 representing the year in which it emerged. The word coronavirus refers to the group of viruses it belongs to. The naming of the disease was done as the researchers were calling for an official name of the disease to avoid confusion and stigmatisation of any group or country. The virus was also designated as SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.

Note: WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; Director general: Tedros Adhanom.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami Win FIH Rising Star of the Year Awards 2019: Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami have won the FIH Rising Star of the Year Awards 2019 in the male and female category respectively. The award is given by International Hockey Federation for players in the field of Hockey. Lalremsiami is the first woman from India to win this award while Vivek is the first male player from India to win this award.

2. ICC penalizes 3 Bangladesh and 2 India U-19 cricketers: The International Cricket Council has penalized three Bangladesh as well as two Indian U-19 cricketers. The players have been sanctioned by ICC for violating the Code of Conduct for players. ICC found them guilty of the Level 3 breach during the U-19 World Cup finals between India and Bangladesh, held in South Africa. ICC found them guilty as they were involved in an exchange of words with some pushing and shoving on the field after the final match.

The list of punished players includes Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan of Bangladesh, and Akash Singh and Ravi Bishnoi of India. The Bangladesh cricketers were handed six demerit points as per the ICC code of conduct. While Indian players were penalized with five demerit points for the post-match incidents.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. India out of US’ developing nations list for trade benefits: The US removed India from its list of developing countries that are exempt from investigations into whether they harm American industry with unfairly subsidised exports. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) eliminated a host of countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Africa and Argentina.

The US removed India from the list on account of it being a G-20 member and having a share of 0.5% or more of world trade. The move has cast a shadow on India being able to restore preferential benefits under the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) as part of its trade talks with the US, as only developing countries are eligible for it. India’s share in global exports was 1.67% in 2018. In global imports, it was 2.57%.

Note: Capital of the USA: Washington, D.C.; President of USA: Donald Trump.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. 13th edition of ESPNcricinfo Awards 2019 announced: ESPNcricinfo (sports news website) announced the 13th edition of the Annual ESPNcricinfo Awards 2019. The awards were presented under 12 categories & selected by a jury comprising former cricketers, ESPNcricinfo senior editors, writers & global correspondents. Captain of the year award: Eoin Joseph Gerard Morgan was named as the ‘captain of the year’ for leading England to win the World Cup Title against New Zealand.

Here is the list of winners of ESPNcricinfo Awards 2019:

Sr. No.	Category	Winner
1	Captain of the year	Eoin Morgan (England)
2	Test batting performance of the year	Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka)
3	Test bowling performance of the year	Kemar Roach (West Indies)
4	ODI batting performance of the year	Ben Stokes (England)
5	ODI bowling performance of the year	Matt Henry (New Zealand)
6	T20I batting performance of the year	Gleen Maxwell (Australia)
7	T20I bowling performance of the year	Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
8	Debutant of the year	Jofra Archer (England)
9	Women’s batting performance of the year	Meg Lanning (Australia)
10	Women’s bowling performance of the year	Ellyse Perry (Australia)
11	Associate batting performance of the year	George Munsey (Scotland)
12	Associate bowling performance of the year	Bilal Khan (Oman)