Daily GK Update- 16th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Supreme Court appoints 5-member panel headed by former judge Indu Malhotra: The Supreme Court of India has constituted a five-member committee to probe the security breach during the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Punjab. The committee will be headed by former apex court judge Justice Indu Malhotra. Other members of the panel include the Inspector General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Director-General of Police of Chandigarh, the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Additional DGP (Security) of Punjab.

Points of reference of the panel: To inquire who all are responsible for the security breach and to what extent the remedial measures are necessary. Give suggestions on the security of constitutional functionaries ensuring that such incidents do not take place in future.

 

2. Kochi became India’s first city to have a Water Metro Project: Kochi, Kerala has become India’s first city to have a Water Metro Project after the launch of its first boat in December 2021, namely ‘Muziris,’ among the 23 battery-powered electric boats being manufactured by Cochin Shipyard Limited. This launch is a part of the Rs 747-crore project which is operated by Kochi Water Metro Ltd (KWML). The boats will be called Water Metros. With a total outlay of Rs 819 crore, the project’s major part is financed under Indo-German Financial Cooperation through a long-term loan agreement of 85 million Euros (Rs 579 crore) with the German funding agency, KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau).

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

 

3. Indian Railways launches Mission Amanat to help passengers track their lost belongings: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Western Railways zone of Indian Railways has launched a new initiative called “Mission Amanat” to make it easier for railway passengers to get back their lost luggage. Under Mission Amanat, the details of lost luggage and belongings along with photos will be uploaded on the official website of the zonal railway, https://wr.indianrailways.gov.in/. This will help the passengers in tracking and getting back their lost belongings as well as ensure the safety and security of passengers and their luggage and belongings.

Note: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Railway Board: Vinay Kumar Tripathi.

 

4. 9th edition of North East Festival concludes: The 9th edition of the North East Festival concluded in Guwahati, Assam. The main purpose of this festival is to promote and highlight the commercial and tourism potential of the North East region. The festival was organised in the format of a carnival with live music and dance performances, engaging the visitors throughout the day in the open area while serious discussions on business, economic, socio-political issues of the region engrossed the intellectuals in the conference halls. The festival aimed at integrated marketing of the entire North-East to attract tourists and investments. The closing day was graced by Assam’s Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, who interacted with entrepreneurs participating from across the North-East region.

 

5. India’s oldest sloth bear ‘Gulabo’ passes away at Van Vihar National Park: India’s oldest female sloth bear, whose name was Gulabo, has passed away at the Van Vihar National Park and Zoo, located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Gulabo was the oldest sloth bear of the country. She died at the age of 40. She was rescued from a street performer (Madaari) in May 2006, when she was 25 years. Gulabo was one of the star attractions in the park. The Van Vihar National Park, located on the banks of Bhopal’s Upper Lake, also runs a rescue and breeding centre for sloth bears.

 

6. A book on Arundhati Bhattacharya “Indomitable: A Working Woman’s Notes on Life, Work and Leadership” released: HarperCollins is set to publish “Indomitable: A Working Woman’s Notes on Life, Work and Leadership” the autobiography of Arundhati Bhattacharya, retired Indian banker and former first-ever woman Chairperson of the State Bank of India. Indomitable features the story of Arundhati Bhattacharya’s life as a banker and the difficulties she faced in the male-dominated sector. She is the chairperson and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of salesforce India, a cloud-based Software as a service (SaaS) company headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States of America.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Cyprus detects new ‘Deltacron’ Covid variant: Cyprus has detected a new variant dubbed as “Deltacron”, that has a similar genetic background to the Delta variant, coupled with 10 mutations from Omicron. The variant has already affected 25 people in Cyprus. According to Dr Leondios Kostrikis, the head of the laboratory of biotechnology and molecular virology at the University of Cyprus, of the 25 samples taken in Cyprus, 11 were hospitalised due to the virus, while 14 were from the general population.

The new variant from the lineage named B.1.640.2 is believed to have infected 12 people in the country, according to the yet-to-be peer-reviewed study supported by the French government. Studies have shown that the co-existence of Delta and Omicron increases the chances of a new variant as a result of them trading genes.

Note: Cyprus Capital: Nicosia; Cyprus Currency: Euro; Cyprus Continent: Europe; Cyprus President: Nicos Anastasiades.

 

2. David Bennett world first human receives a Pig Heart Transplant: A US man has become the first person in the world to get a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig. David Bennett, 57, is doing well three days after the experimental seven-hour procedure in Baltimore. The possibility of using animal organs for so-called xenotransplantation to meet the demand has long been considered, and using pig heart valves is already common. Pigs are increasingly becoming popular candidates for organ transplantation. This is because their organs are anatomically similar to those of humans. What’s more, porcine components are more tuned for genetic engineering.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Mission Olympic Cell adds 10 athletes to the TOPS list: Mission Olympic Cell under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has added ten athletes to the list of athletes who would be provided support under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Total 10 new entrants, five athletes have been included in the Core group while five have been added to the Development group. Now, the total number of athletes under TOPS has increased to 301, which includes 107 in the Core group while 294 in the Development group.

Athletes added to the Core group includes:

Aditi Ashok (Golf)

Fouaad Mirza (Horse Rider/ Equestrian)

Anirban Lahiri (Golf)

Diksha Dagar (Golf)

Mohammed Arif Khan (Alpine Skiier )

Athletes added to the Development group includes:

Shubhankar Sharma (Golf)

Tvesa Malik (Golf)

Yash Ghangas (Judo)

Unnati Sharma (Judo)

Linthoi Chanambam (Judo)

 

2. South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris retires from cricket: South African all-rounder Chris Morris has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Morris has played in four Tests, 42 ODIs and 23 T20Is for South Africa. Morris made his Test debut as late as 2016 and featured in only four games in the traditional format, making 173 runs and taking 12 wickets.

With the bat in hand, Morris scored 467 runs in ODIs and 133 in T20s respectively. In February 2021, Rajasthan Royals doled out a record INR 16.25 crores to avail his services. Morris has also played for Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings franchises in the IPL.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Axis Bank tie-up with MinkasuPay for biometric-based banking payments: Axis Bank has tied up with MinkasuPay to offer a biometric authentication solution for net banking payments in merchant apps using Fingerprint or Face ID, without the need for usernames, passwords, and One-Time Passwords (OTPs). This Solution will reduce the time of payment from 50-60 seconds to just 2-3 seconds and also increase the transaction success rate.

MinkasuPay’s biometric authentication solution, which is a 2-Factor-Authentication (FA) solution (mandated by the Reserve Bank of India), will help in increasing quick and secure digital transactions through device binding and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

Note: Axis Bank Founded: 3 December 1993; Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai; Axis Bank MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhary; Axis Bank Chairperson: Shri Rakesh Makhija; Axis Bank Tagline: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Retail inflation rises to 5.59% in December 2021: Retail inflation in December 2021 rose to a six-month high of 5.59 per cent from 4.91 per cent in November 2021, mainly due to a sharp rise in food prices as food inflation for the period under review also rose steeply to 4.05 per cent against 1.87 per cent in November 2021. According to data released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, prices of cereals, egg, milk products and prepared meals went up during December 2021. Apart from these items, prices of clothing and footwear, education, health as well as recreation activities and transportation too witnessed a rise in December 2021 compared to November 2021.

 

2. UBS Projects India’s GDP forecast at 9.1% in FY22: Swiss brokerage UBS Securities has lowered the growth forecast of the Indian economy for the current financial year (FY22) to 9.1 per cent due to a massive surge in Omicron infections. Earlier this was estimated at 9.5 per cent. However, UBS Securities has revised upwards the real GDP forecast of India in FY23 to 8.2 per cent. This was projected at 7.7 per cent earlier.

 

3. World Bank projects India’s GDP growth at 8.3% in FY22: The World Bank has projected the Indian economy to grow at the following rate in its ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report released on January 11, 2022. The World Bank retained its FY22 growth forecast for India at 8.3 per cent but upgraded it to 8.7 per cent for FY23, from 7.5 per cent estimated earlier, citing improving growth prospects, especially a reviving private capex cycle. The forecast for FY2022/23 and FY2023/24 for India has been upgraded to 8.7 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively, reflecting higher investment from the private sector and in infrastructure, and dividends from ongoing reforms.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Actress Harshaali Malhotra awarded 12th Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar Award 2022: The 2015 film Bajrangi Bhaijaan fame actress, Harshaali Malhotra has been awarded the 12th Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar Award 2022. She received the award from Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Governor of Maharashtra, for her commendable performance in the movie and contribution in the field of Indian Cinema. The Government of Maharashtra organised the Bharat Ranta Dr Ambedkar national Awards 2022 ceremony in the memory of Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar as a part of the upcoming 73rd Republic Day.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. India successfully test-fires naval variant BrahMos cruise missile: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired an extended range sea-to-sea variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile for the Indian Navy. This advanced sea to sea variant of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise missile was launched from INS Visakhapatnam, a stealth guided-missile destroyer of the Indian Navy.

About the Missile: BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russian joint venture, produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms. The missile can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.

BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Olympic medal-winning Athlete Deon Lendore passes away: Olympic athlete Deon Lendore, who participated in the 400 meters race at the 2020 Olympics, passed away at the age of 29 years due to a fatal car accident in Texas, United States (US). He was born on 28 October 1992 in Trinidad and Tobago (the Caribbean Islands, South America), was an expert of 400 meters championships. He participated in the London Olympics in 2012 and won a Bronze medal in 4×400 meter relay. He also participated in the Tokyo Olympic 2021 and in 2016 Rio Olympics.

Daily GK Update- 15th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s first heli-hub to be set up in Gurugram: Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala announced that Gurugram will get India’s 1st heli-hub with all aviation facilities. The heli-hub will be the first of its kind in India to have all facilities at one place for helicopters. The heli-hub is proposed to be built in Gurugram & would be near the metro facility along with easy connectivity to industrial areas (Noida & Bhiwadi). The Haryana government has proposed to set up the first heli-hub of the country in Gurugram designed to have many aviation facilities like heliport, hangars, repairs, and any other related services.

 

2. Bhupender Yadav chaired 19th Meeting of National Tiger Conservation Authority: The 19th meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was held under the chairmanship of the union minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. Currently, there are 51 Tiger Reserves in India and more than 35 rivers originate from those areas which are crucial for water security.

About the meeting:

(1) The environment minister launched an action plan for the reintroduction, protection and conservation of 7 major big cats in India including the cheetah, which has become extinct in independent India.

(2) Under the action plan, 50 of these big cats will be introduced in the next 5 years in various parks.

(3) He announced that 14 Tiger reserves across India have received accreditation of the global Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS). He underlined the need to meetings of NTCA in the first week of April, August & December every year.

 

3. Kevadia railway station renamed as Ekta Nagar railway station: The Ministry of Railways has approved the renaming of the Kevadiya railway station in the Narmada district of Gujarat, as Ekta Nagar railway station. The Statue of Unity’s Kevadiya railway station falls under the Vadodara division. The station code of Ekta Nagar railway station will be EKNR. The numerical code of the station will be 08224620.

Last year, the Ministry of Railways had said tourists visiting the world’s tallest statue in Gujarat “Statue of Unity” will be able to experience the rich cultural history of the state at the Kevadiya railway station itself. Under the public-private partnership (PPP) initiative, the Vadodara Division of Western Railways had awarded first of its kind contract in the Indian Railways network for the development of an Art Gallery with a Souvenir shop at Gujarat’s Kevadiya Railway station.

 

4. Ratan Tata’s biography ‘Ratan N. Tata: The Authorized Biography’ to be out in Nov 2022: Tata Sons emeritus Chairman, veteran industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata’s authorized biography titled ‘Ratan N. Tata: The Authorized Biography’ is set to hit the stands in November 2022. The biography is penned by a former senior bureaucrat and retired IAS officer Dr Thomas Matthew. It will be published by HarperCollins. The book chronicles around the 84-year-old Ratan Tata’s childhood, college years, and early influences, among other things.

 

5. Indian Army Day: 15th January: The Army Day in India is celebrated on 15 January every year, to salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens. This year marks the 74th Indian Army Day. The day is marked to commemorate the day when General (later Field Marshal) KM Carriappa took over the command of the Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army post Independence.

Note: 28th Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Alikhan Smailov appointed as new Prime Minister of Kazakhstan: The parliament of Kazakhstan has unanimously approved the appointment of Alikhan Smailov as the new Prime Minister of the country. His name was nominated by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on January 11, 2022. Prior to this, the 49-year-old Smailov served as the country’s finance minister from 2018 to 2020. He became the first deputy prime minister in the Cabinet in 2019.

Note: Kazakhstan Capital: Nur-Sultan; Kazakhstan Currency: Kazakhstani tenge.

 

2. Henley Passport Index 2022: India Ranks 83rd in Q1: India has improved its position by seven places to rank at 83rd place among 111 countries in the latest Henley Passport Index, released for Q1 of 2022. India ranked at 90th spot among 116 countries in Q4 of 2021 in October. The Indian passport has visa-free access to 60 destinations worldwide in Q1 2022, as compared to 58 destinations in Q4 of 2021. Oman and Armenia are the latest destinations where Indian passport holders can visit without obtaining a visa.

On a global level: Japan and Singapore have retained the joint top position in the Henley Global Mobility Report 2022 Q1. Their passports holders are allowed to travel visa-free to 192 countries. Afghanistan has the world’s least powerful passports, with a visa-free score of 26.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Rafael Nadal wins 2022 Melbourne Summer Set tennis tournament: World number six Rafael Nadal won the men’s singles tennis title at 2022 Melbourne Summer Set 1. Nadal beat American qualifier Maxime Cressy 7-6(6), 6-3 to earn his 89th career ATP title. In the women’s singles, Simona Halep beat Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6–2, 6–3 to win her 23rd career WTA title. Meanwhile in the Melbourne Summer Set 2 tennis tournament, American player Amanda Anisimova won the women’s singles tennis title, to earn her second career WTA title. American duo Bernarda Pera and Kateřina Siniaková won the women’s doubles tennis title.

 

2. New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel wins ICC Player of the Month Award: India-born New Zealand cricketer Ajaz Patel has won the ICC Player of the Month award for December following his stupendous 10-wicket haul against Virat Kohli and Co. in the second Test in Mumbai. The left-arm spinner was nominated for the award alongside India opener Mayank Agarwal and Australian pacer Mitchell Starc but beat them to it on the back of his incredibly rare feat. Ajaz picked up 14 wickets in the Mumbai Test match in early December against India, including all 10 in the first innings, to become only the third player in Test history, after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble, to achieve the remarkable milestone.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI set up a separate department for “FinTech”: Reserve Bank of India has set up a separate internal department for fintech (Financial technology). The new department has been created with effect from January 04, 2022, by subsuming the FinTech Division of Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, Central Office (DPSS, CO).

The department will not only promote innovation in the sector but also identify the challenges and opportunities associated with it and address them in a timely manner. Ajay Kumar Choudhary, who was recently promoted as the Executive Director of RBI was appointed as head of the department.

Note: Reserve Bank of India Founded: April 1, 1935; Reserve Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Reserve Bank of India Governor: Shaktikanta Das.

 

2. Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel Appointed as Vice President of AIIB: Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Urjit Patel has been appointed as Vice President of the multilateral funding institution Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for a period of three years. He will be one of the five Vice Presidents of the AIIB. He is expected to take charge from February 2022. He will succeed outgoing Vice President D J Pandian, who is in charge of sovereign and non-sovereign lending of the AIIB in South Asia, the Pacific Islands and South-East Asia.

Note: President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: Jin Liqun; Headquarters of AIIB: Beijing, China; AIIB established: 16 January 2016.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Airtel Payments Bank tie-up with Park+ to offer FASTag-based Parking Solutions: Airtel Payments Bank and Park+ have collaborated to offer FASTag-based smart parking solutions to marquee commercial and residential properties across India. This partnership will utilize the reach of Airtel Payments Bank to digitize the parking ecosystem using FASTag associated with the vehicle. Park+ is backed by Sequoia Capital and Matrix Partners and is engaged in automating parking spaces through FASTag.

About the collaboration: The collaboration aims to leverage the deep distribution reach and digital payments stack of Airtel Payments Bank to digitize the parking ecosystem using FASTag associated with the vehicle. Park+ will offer its entire suite of FASTag services including issuance, acquiring, recharge, and technology support to Airtel Payments Bank. Park+ access control systems are installed at over 1500 societies, over 30 malls, and over 150 corporate parks across the country.

Note: Airtel Payments Bank’s MD and CEO: Anubrata Biswas; Airtel Payments Bank Headquarters: New Delhi; Airtel Payments Bank Founded: January 2017.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. ‘Kerala Arts and Crafts Village Organization’ won ‘International Craft Award 2021: Kerala Arts and Crafts Village Organization (KACV) from Kovalam, Kerala was awarded the ‘International Craft Award for 2021’ for the best craft village in the world by the World Crafts Council International. It is the only award India received in the non-individual category. The KACV was established by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (UL CCS) for the State Tourism Department of Kerala. In 2021, the Village of the Year award was won by ‘Kraf Komuniti Ku’ in Malaysia.

Other Awardee’s:

 

Category of the award	Winners
Craft Icon of the Year	Chandramali Liyangane of the National Crafts Council, Sri Lanka.
Sustainable Development & Social Inclusion in the Handicrafts Sector	Malaysian Prison Department
Craft Persons of the Year	Shahrbanoo Arabian (Iran) and Dalavayi Kullayappa (India)
Craft Designers of the Year	Zohra Said  (Morocco) and Ismario Ismael (Mexico)
Next Generation Craft Designers of the year	Qiling Zhang (China) and Mubin Khatri (India)
The Master Artisans	Amita Sachdeva (India) and Mubarik Khatri (India)

Daily GK Update- 14th Jan, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Uttar Pradesh Govt Declares 4 Villages Near Nepal Border as Revenue Villages: Uttar Pradesh government declared four villages located near the Nepal border in the district as revenue villages. District Magistrate of Bahraich, Dinesh Chandra Singh said the decision was taken before the announcement of the general elections to the UP Legislative Assembly. These four villages are Bhavanipur, Tedhia, Dhakia and Bichhia located in Mihinpurwa tehsil of the district. All these villages are Vantangiya villages. The Vantangiya’ community comprises people brought from Myanmar during the colonial rule to plant trees. There are around 225 families in these four villages consisting of over 1,500 members.

What is a revenue village: A revenue village is a small administrative region with defined borders. One revenue village may contain many hamlets. A village administrative officer is the head officer of a revenue village. The people of these villages will now get the benefits of all the schemes of the government.

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

 

2. PM declares December 26 to be observed as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ annually: Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has declared that starting from the year 2022, December 26 will be observed as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ every year. The day will be commemorated as a tribute to the courage of the 4 Sahibzades (the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji), who attained martyrdom in the 17th century. The announcement was made by PM Modi on the occasion of the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, or the birth anniversary of the 10th guru of Sikhs and the founder of the Khalsa community.

History of the day: 26 December marks the day on which Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji (younger pair of Sahibzade) attained martyrdom after being sealed alive in a wall, at the tender age of 6 and 9 years. Sahibzada Ajit Singh Ji and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Ji (older pair of Sahibzade) attained martyrdom on December 21, 1705, fighting the enemy in battle at Chamkaur Sahib at the young age of 18 and 14 years.

 

3. TCS bags phase 2 of Centre’s passport plan: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has signed an agreement with Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) for the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP-V2.0). TCS will be the service provider for the Passport Seva Project, which it has been for over 10 years. The PSP-V2.O envisages rolling out chip-enabled e-passports, increasing data security and ensuring the next level of customer experience with the use of biometrics, artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics and auto-response.

In the next phase of the programme, TCS will refresh existing facilities and systems, and develop new solutions to enable the issuance of e-passports using technologies such as biometrics, artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics, chatbots, auto-response, natural language processing, and the cloud.

Note: Tata Consultancy Services Limited CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan (21 Feb 2017–); Tata Consultancy Services Limited Founded: 1 April 1968; Tata Consultancy Services Limited Headquarters: Mumbai.

 

4. GoI extends Navrang Saini’s term as interim chief of IBBI: The Government of India has extended the tenure of Navrang Saini as interim Chairperson of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for three more months till March 05, 2022. Mr. Saini, who is a Whole Time Member of IBBI, was assigned additional charge of Chairperson in addition to his existing duties in October 2021 for three months till January 13, 2022. The post of full-time Chairperson has been lying vacant after M.S. Sahoo retired upon completing a five-year tenure on September 30, 2021.

Note: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India Headquarters: New Delhi; Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India Founder: Parliament of India; Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India Founded: 1 October 2016.

 

5. Armed Forces Veterans Day: 14 January 2022: In India, the Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed each year on 14 January since 2017. The day aims to acknowledge and honour the selfless devotion and sacrifice of our veterans in the service of the nation. 2022 marks the 6th Armed Forces Veterans Day. It is observed as a mark of respect and recognition of the services rendered by Field Marshal KM Cariappa OBE, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces who retired on 14 January 1953.

About the day: Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed to reiterate the resolve of services for the well being of veterans and assure them that their valuable suggestions are always welcome. Last year, Admiral Karambir Singh released the ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ song dedicated to our brave and courageous soldiers of the 1971 war. At various events, stalls are set up at the venue for the benefit of ex-servicemen, which includes health and medical check-up camp, job placement and resettlement stall. In addition, there are informative lectures on pensions and welfare-related subjects. Various government departments commemorate the day in their own unique way.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas appointed as next IMF’s Chief Economist: French-born economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas has been named as the next chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He will succeed Gita Gopinath, the first woman to serve as the Fund’s chief economist. He will take over as first deputy managing director of IMF from January 21 2022. Initially, Gourinchas will join the IMF on a part-time basis from January 24, 2022. He will take upon a role on a full-time basis from April 1, 2022.

Note: International Monetary Fund Formed: 27 December 1945; International Monetary Fund Headquarters: Washington D.C., USA; International Monetary Fund Member countries: 190; International Monetary Fund Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva.

 

2. Chennai International Airport ranks 8th in Global List for ‘On-Time Performance’: The Chennai International Airport is one of the top 10 large international airports in the world that ensures ‘on-time’ departures. In a review conducted by Cirium, an organisation that specialises in offering aviation data to travel, finance, aerospace, and aviation industries, the airport has been ranked 8th for ‘on-time performance’ for the year 2021. According to the latest traffic figures of Chennai Airport, it has done recovery of 80 % in domestic traffic. It is the sixth busiest airport in India. Besides that, Chennai airport is the only Indian airport to figure in the top 10 positions of the list.

Top 3 Airports in the list:

Rank     Airports

1st         Miami Airport (United States)

2nd       Fukuoka Airport (Japan)

3rd        Haneda Airport (Japan)

8th        Chennai Airport (India)

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Bharath Subramaniyam named India’s 73rd chess Grandmaster: Tamil Nadu’s Bharath Subramaniyam became India’s 73rd chess Grandmaster. He secured the third and final Grandmaster norm at an event at Cattolica in Italy. He scored 6.5 points from nine rounds along with four others and finish seventh in the event. He secured his third GM norm here as well as touched the requisite 2,500 (Elo) mark. Fellow Indian player M R Lalith Babu became the winner in the tournament, with seven points. He won the title on the basis of a better tie-break score as he tied with three others including Anton Korobov from Ukraine. In order to become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms as well as cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.

 

2. Gael Monfils wins 2022 Adelaide International 1 tennis tournament: French tennis player Gael Monfils beat Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the men’s singles event of the 2022 Adelaide International 1 to claim the 11th ATP title of his career. In the women’s category, World number one Australian star Ashleigh Barty beat Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan to win her second Adelaide International title. 2022 Adelaide International 1 was a combined ATP Tour 250 and WTA 500 tournament.

List of winners:

Men’s single: Gaël Monfils (France)

Women’s single: Ashleigh Barty (Australia)

Men’s doubles: Rohan Bopanna and Ramkumar Ramanathan (India)

Women’s double: Ashleigh Barty and Storm Sanders (Australia)

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBL Bank tie-up with Google to advance next-gen customer experience: RBL Bank and Google announced a strategic collaboration to fuel the Bank’s customer experience strategy. Through this, the bank will expand its value proposition to serve its rapidly growing customer base through the digital platform, Abacus 2.0. It will enable better customer data management, and analytics, enabling effective cross-selling within the Bank’s large customer base. RBL Bank currently has over 4 million urban retail asset and liability customers.

This collaboration will enable better customer data management, and analytics, enabling effective cross-selling within the Bank’s large customer base and subsequently reducing the cost of customer acquisition, significantly. Through Abacus 2.0, the Bank aims to provide a superior and holistic one-stop solution to its existing and new customers, to seamlessly deliver its different product offerings across channels.

Note: RBL Bank Founded: 1943; RBL Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; RBL Bank CEO & MD: Rajeev Ahuja; RBL Bank Tagline: Apno Ka Bank.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. SBI Ecowrap: India’s Real GDP projected to grow at around 9.5% in FY22: The economic research team of the State Bank of India (SBI) released its Ecowrap report. In the report, SBI researchers have revised upwards the real GDP of India to around 9.5 per cent in 2021-22 (FY22) on a year-on-year (YoY). The report believes that though rising Covid infections could impact mobility, yet economic activity is not expected to get much affected.

 

2. RBI data: Forex reserves decline by USD 1.466 bn to USD 633.614 bn: As per the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, the foreign currency reserves of India declined by $1.466 billion to $633.614 billion, in the last week of 2021, which ended December 31, 2021. Gold reserves rose by USD 14 million to USD 39.405 billion. India’s forex touched a lifetime high of USD 642.453 billion in the week ended September 03, 2021. Forex reserves include foreign currency assets (FCAs), gold reserves, SDRs and the country’s reserve position with the IMF.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Golden Globe Awards 2022 announced: The Golden Globe Awards 2022 ceremony was held to recognise excellence in film, both American and international, and American television. This was the 79th edition of the annual event, which honoured the best in American television, as well as film in 2021 as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Two of the films namely The Power of the Dog and the West Side Story, won the most number of awards with 3 each. List of winners in the Motion Picture category:

 

Category	Winners
Best Film (Drama)	The Power of the Dog
Best Film (Musical or Comedy)	West Side Story
Best Actor (Drama)	Will Smith for King Richard as Richard Williams
Best Actress (Drama)	Nicole Kidman for Being the Ricardos as Lucille Ball
Best Actor (Musical or Comedy)	Andrew Garfield for tick, tick… BOOM! as Jonathan Larson
Best Actress (Musical or Comedy)	Rachel Zegler for West Side Story as María Vasquez
Best Supporting Actor	Kodi Smit-McPhee for The Power of the Dog as Peter Gordon
Best Supporting Actress	Ariana DeBose for West Side Story as Anita
Best Director	Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog
Best Screenplay	Kenneth Branagh for Belfast
Best Original Score	Hans Zimmer for Dune
Best Original Song	“No Time to Die” (Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell) – No Time to Die
Best Animated Feature	Encanto
Best Non-English Film	Drive My Car (Japan)

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. European Parliament President David Sassoli passes away: European Parliament President, David Sassoli has passed away due to health issues. He had served as the President of the European Parliament from July 2019 until his death in January 2022. He was first elected as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2009. Later in July 2014, Sassoli was elected Vice-President of the European Parliament. In the 2019 European Parliament election in Italy, he was elected as new president with 128,533 votes. European Parliament is one of the seven branches of the EU. Its headquarter is at Strasbourg, France.

 

2. Kannada writer ‘Champa’ passes away: Prominent Kannada writer Chandrashekhar Patil, popularly known as “Champa”, passed away at the age of 82. He was a Kannada language activist, a poet and a playwright and also served as President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) and Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority.

Daily GK Update- 13th Dec, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. KVIC launched India’s first “Mobile Honey Processing Van”: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman, Vinai Kumar Saxena has launched the country’s first Mobile Honey Processing Van at Village Sirora in Ghaziabad. The Mobile Van has been designed in-house by KVIC at its Multi-disciplinary Training Centre, Panjokehra, at a cost of Rs 15 lakh. This mobile honey processing unit can process up to 300 KG of honey in 8 hours. The van is also equipped with a testing laboratory that would instantly examine the quality of honey.

About the Van:

(1) The Mobile Honey Processing Van comes as a major development under KVIC’s Honey Mission which aims at training beekeepers, distributing Bee Boxes to farmers and helping rural, educated as well as unemployed youth to earn extra income through beekeeping activities.

(2) In line with the Prime Minister’s dream of “Sweet Kranti” (Sweet Revolution) through honey production, the KVIC has come up with this unique innovation to enable beekeepers and farmers to get a fair price for their honey production.

(3) KVIC has designed the innovative Mobile Honey Processing Van that will process beekeepers’ honey at their doorsteps and thus save them the hassle and the cost of taking the honey to processing plants in far off cities for processing.

 

2. Sudhir Kumar Saxena committee constituted to enquire security lapses during PM Punjab visit: Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted a committee to enquire into the serious lapses in the security arrangements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab. It is a three-member committee and will be headed by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat. It also comprises Balbir Singh, Joint Director, IB and Suresh, IG, SPG.

The committee has been asked to inquire about the alleged lapses in the security arrangements of PM Modi “which led to the exposure of the VVIP to grave risk” and submit the report at the earliest. The move comes just ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing on the PM’s security breach. It was the government’s own former ASG, Maninder Singh, who moved SC seeking an independent probe into the PM’s security breach.

 

3. Hyderabad gets India’s first Open Rock Museum: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated India’s first Open Rock Museum in Hyderabad, Telangana. Museum displays around 35 different types of rocks from different parts of India with ages ranging from 3.3 billion years to around 55 million years of the Earth’s history.

About the Open Rock Museum: The Open Rock Museum, set up with the aim of educating and enlightening the masses about several lesser-known facts, displays around 35 different types of rocks from different parts of India. These rocks also represent the deepest part of the earth, up to 175 km from the surface of the earth. The rocks have been sourced from Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir and others.

 

4. Rajnath Singh inaugurates Kalpana Chawla Centre For Research at Chandigarh University: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space Science and Technology (KCCRSST) at Chandigarh University. The Union Minister also launched Chandigarh University’s Defence Scholarship Scheme, worth Rs 10 Crore, for the wards of Defence Personnel of the three services. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space.

 

5. Sikkim celebrated Losoong (Namsoong) Festival: Losoong (Namsoong) is annually celebrated across the Indian State of Sikkim on the 18th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan Lunar Calendar, which also marks the beginning of the harvest season. The Namsoong festival begins on the 1st day of the new moon phase Kurneet Lovo, as per the Lepcha lunisolar Calendar known as Dungkit Karchu. The losoong festival is celebrated as Sonam Losoong, by the Sikkimese Bhutia and as Namsoong by the Lepchas. The festival is also celebrated in Nepal and Bhutan.

Note: Chief Minister of Sikkim: PS Golay; Governor of Sikkim: Ganga Prasad; Sikkim’s capital and largest city: Gangtok.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Australia & Japan signed defence agreement to counter China: The leaders of Japan and Australia signed a “landmark” defence agreement that allows closer cooperation between their militaries and stands as a rebuke to China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met in a virtual summit to sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement, the first such defence pact signed by Japan with any country other than the United States.

About the agreements:

(1) The agreement follows more than a year of talks between Japan and Australia aimed at breaking down legal barriers to allow the troops of one country to enter the other for training and other purposes.

(2) Morrison called the pact a “pivotal moment for Australia and Japan and (for) the security of our two nations and our people.”

(3) The pact builds on the strategic dialogue known as “the Quad,” which includes Japan, Australia, the United States and India. Australia last year also signed the Aukus agreement with the United States and Britain, both of which have pledged to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. World Rapid Chess Championship 2021 won by Nodirbek Abdusattorov: Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan), won the World Rapid Chess Championship 2021 by defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) in a tiebreaker and dethroning Magnus Carlsen, the current World Number 1. 2020 FIDE Championship was won by Magnus Carlsen. Nodirbek won the title along with a prize of $60,000, where he lost only one match against the Ukrainian Anton Korobov, and tied in five others. The Uzbeki Grand Master (GM), received the Mard Uglon (“Brave Son”) Presidential medal.

 

2. LLC named Jhulan Goswami as Ambassador of All Women Match Official Team: Legends League Cricket (LLC) has appointed Jhulan Goswami as an ambassador to its All Women Match Official Team to promote Women’s Empowerment initiatives of the LLC and to increase participation of women in cricket. The LLC set up an All Women Match Official Team for the League. This is the first of its all-women official teams that would officiate an entire men’s league.

About the Legends League Cricket (LLC): Legends League Cricket (LLC) is the professional cricket league for retired cricketers. The inaugural session of LLC will be organized from January 20 2022 at Oman Cricket Stadium in Muscat, Oman. Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2022 teams: Indian Maharaja, Aisan Lions, World Giants.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI increased banks’ LCR maintenance on Funds received: The Reserve Bank of India has increased the threshold limit for Banks to maintain the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) on deposits and other ‘extension of funds’ received from non-financial small business customers from Rs 5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore. This is applicable on all Commercial Banks other than Regional Rural Banks, Local Area Banks, and Payments Banks. To better align RBI’s guidelines with the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) standard and enable banks to manage liquidity risk more effectively.

Liquidity Coverage Ratio: LCR promotes the short-term resilience of banks to potential liquidity disruptions by ensuring that they have sufficient high-quality liquid assets (HQLAs) to survive an acute stress scenario lasting for 30 days.

 

2. RBI issues eligibility norms for entities harnessing credit bureau data: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued eligibility criteria for entities that harness data from credit information companies (CICs) or credit bureaus. These newly-formed guidelines said that a company’s net worth must be at least Rs 2 crore and owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens to become a designated user with a credit bureau, which comes amid accusations of lending applications with Chinese ties functioning in India.

According to the eligibility criteria for entities to be categorised as Specified User under clause (j) of Regulation 3 of the Credit Information Companies (Amendment) Regulations, 2021:

(1) A company incorporated in India or a Statutory Corporation constituted in India shall be the entity.

(2) The governing statute of the Statutory Corporation or Memorandum of Association of the Company, as the case may be, should allow the business/activity of processing of information for the support or benefit of credit institutions.

(3) The guidelines said a company’s net worth must be at least two crore rupees as of the most recent audited balance sheet, and it must meet the criterion on a continuous basis.

(4) Also, the company must be owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens/an Indian company owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens in the case of a company. The ownership of the company shall be well diversified.

(5) The corporation must have at least three (3) years of experience in the business/activity of processing information for the assistance or benefit of credit institutions, as well as a clean track record.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Reliance acquires controlling stake of 73.37% in New York’s Mandarin Oriental hotel: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has announced the acquisition of a controlling stake of 73.37% in Mandarin Oriental New York, a premium luxury hotel in midtown Manhattan. RIL through its wholly-owned arm Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited has acquired the entire share capital of Cayman Islands-based Columbus Centre Corporation (Cayman), for an equity value of approximately $98.15 million (Rs 735 crore).

Cayman is the parent company of Mandarin Oriental hotel. It had indirect ownership of a 73.37 per cent stake in the hotel. Reliance will also take over the hotel’s debt in excess of $115 million to take the entire deal value to around $270. The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of March 2022.

Note: Reliance Industries Ltd CEO: Mukesh Ambani (31 Jul 2002–); Reliance Industries Ltd Founder: Dhirubhai Ambani; Reliance Industries Ltd Founded: 8 May 1973, Maharashtra; Reliance Industries Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai.

 

2. NSO projects Indian economy to grow 9.2% in FY22: National Statistical Office (NSO) has estimated India’s GDP to grow at 9.2 per cent in the current fiscal, 2021-22. NSO released its first advance estimates of economic output on January 07, 2022. The GDP estimate for the 2020-21 fiscal was projected at a contraction of 7.3 per cent by NSO.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Satish Adiga gets ICMR national award “Dr Subhas Mukherjee Award”: A professor in the clinical embryology department at Kasturba Medical College (KMC), under Manipal Academy of Higher education (MAHE), Dr Satish Adiga has been selected by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its national award. He will receive Dr Subhas Mukherjee Award from ICMR in recognition for his outstanding contribution to the field of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). He has contributed significantly to both clinical IVF and fertility research.

 

2. Forensic Science Laboratory won SKOCH award for combating crime against children: The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) won SKOCH Award in the Silver category for its work towards combating Crime and Violence against Children. The award was given out at the 78 SKOCH Summit. The “State of Governance” was the theme of the summit. Deepa Verma, the Director of the Rohini-based lab, has accepted the award on behalf of the lab. FSL is a scientific department and a participant in the criminal justice system whose mission is to investigate incidents of crime and violence against children who have suffered physical, sexual, financial, or emotional harm.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Oscar and Grammy-winning lyricist Marilyn Bergman passes away: Marilyn Bergman, the Oscar, Emmy and Grammy-winning American lyricist and songwriter has passed away. Bergman collaborated with her husband, Alan Bergman for song-writing. The renowned music-writing duo wrote the music and lyrics for numerous celebrated television shows, films, and stage musicals. The pair was nominated for Oscars 16 times and won three times.