Showing posts with label Daily news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily news. Show all posts

Friday, 12 June 2020

Live updates 12 June 2020 India

Coronavirus Live Updates: Total number of positive cases in Maharashtra crosses 1 lakh mark

Total number of cases now stands at 1,01,141 after 3,493 positive cases were reported today. Total death toll stands at 3,717.

09:29 PM

10 additional flights between India & USA under Vande Bharat Mission phase 3 will be operated between 20th June & 3rd July. 4 each from/to NewYork & Washington and one each from/to San Francisco & Chicago. Bookings will open only on Air India website, on 13th June from 6 pm IST.

- Air India

08:55 PM

Lockdown to be imposed in Dehradun on Saturdays and Sundays, will further order, in the wake of rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases. Essential services to remain exempted from the lockdown: Dehradun District Magistrate Dr Ashish Kumar Srivastav, Uttarakhand

08:27 PM

An Assistant Sub Inspector of Police, who was admitted to a hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, died today.

- Delhi Police

08:27 PM

With the spike of 366 new COVID-19 positive cases, the total number of positive cases in Haryana rise to 6334: State Health Department

08:26 PM

India permits entry of certain categories of foreigners, including Overseas Citizens of India, into country amid COVID-19 curbs: Officials


08:22 PM

Railway Protection Force, Pune today launched a robot ‘CAPTAIN ARJUN'

ANI

✔@ANI

Railway Protection Force, Pune today launched ‘CAPTAIN ARJUN’, a robot to screen passengers while they board trains: Central Railways #COVID19

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8:05 PM - Jun 12, 2020

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08:21 PM

495 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 31 deaths have been reported in Gujarat in the last 24 hours. State tally rises to 22,562 including 15,501 cured/discharged and 1416 deaths: State Health Department

08:13 PM

Covid-19 cases in India cross 3 lakh mark

08:04 PM

Goa detects 46 new COVID-19 positive cases, taking the total number of positive cases to 463

08:02 PM

A total of 47,793 people have been discharged from after making a full recovery from COVID-19, out of this 1718 were discharged today.

- Maharashtra health department


08:02 PM

The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra crosses 1 Lakh, stands at 1,01,141 after 3493 positive cases were reported today. Total death toll stands at 3717 out of which 127 were reported today.

07:49 PM

Assam-68 new COVID-19 cases reported in Assam today. Total cases now at 3,498

07:42 PM

We were testing only around 10,000-20,000 people per day about 6 weeks ago, now we are testing almost 1.5 lakh people per day and this number is going up every day.

- Dr. Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director

07:41 PM

There are some anti-viral drugs which are being used, one of them is 'Remdesivir' that is being made by a company from US. Data suggests that it helps to decrease hospital stay but it doesn't show benefit as far as death or mortality benefit is concerned.

- AIIMS Director

07:30 PM

AIIMS Director says Delhi needs to increase the capacity to manage increasing load that is coming

Number of cases in Delhi may not be as high as predicted but still whatever be the number, we've to increase our capacity so that we can manage increasing load that healthcare system is going to get: AIIMS Director on Delhi Dy CM's statement 'by 31 July, 5.5 lakh cases are expected'

07:27 PM

AIIMS Director says India at 4th rank in Covid cases due to population

Although India has gone up to the 4th rank as far as COVID19 cases are concerned, we've to accept that it is because of the population we have. If we look at the number of cases per million population, we still are very low in terms of number of cases: Dr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director

07:25 PM

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the incident where 14 bodies were dragged on road

"I am anguished by the callous manner in which 14 bodies were dragged on road. I took to writing to the Chief Secretary & Home Secretary. Home Secretary has responded. His response is virtually an admission that the protocol was not in place.""These 14 bodies had come from a hospital morgue & were patients at one point of time. Each patient will have a history when he breathed last, none of that is being revealed. It's my obligation to thoroughly probe the matter & make it transparently apparent to the people."

07:07 PM

99 cases & 4 deaths reported in Punjab today.

The total number of positive cases in the state is now 2986 including 641 active cases and 2282 recovered patients. Death toll stands at 63.

07:01 PM

A penalty of Rs 100 will be levied if any person is found not wearing a face mask in Chhattisgarh: State Minister Ravindra Choubey

07:01 PM

UK economy takes 25% hit from COVID-19, recovery seen slow

06:53 PM

Tamil Nadu Covid-19 tally crosses 40,000

1982 new cases of Coronavirus reported in the state today.1479/1982 cases are from Chennai.1342 patients discharged today with 18 new Covid-19 deaths.Total tally: 40,698 cases, 22,047 discharged, 367 deaths.

06:47 PM

Uttar Pradesh records 20 more COVID deaths, biggest single-day spike of 528 cases

Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported 20 more coronavirus deaths528 fresh cases were reported, this is the biggest single-day spike so farThe death toll in the state now is 365 with the coronavirus tally reaching 12,616.

06:25 PM

Punjab CM approves weekend & holiday curbs, says tough measures necessary to save lives

All non-essential shops to remain closed on Sundays, close by 5 PM on SaturdaysNo inter-district movement except for essential/medical needs, marriage functions allowed with e-passes for 50 persons

06:11 PM

Pakistan reports 6,397 new COVID-19 cases

06:05 PM

Uttarakhand reports 37 new COVID-19 cases, total count of cases goes up to 1,692

05:51 PM

May food inflation at 9.28%, government withholds headline CPI growth on lack of data

05:24 PM

Movement of people strictly prohibited between 9 pm and 5 am across country, except for essential activities during 'Unlock 1'

- MHA

05:19 PM

Temple employee tests positive for COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh; devotees barred for two days

05:08 PM

India's virus cases now 4th highest in world

India's coronavirus caseload, overtook Britain, by adding 10,956 new cases in yet another biggest spike.India's two-month lockdown kept transmissions low but in a large population, people remain susceptible.The campaign against the virus is likely to go on for months, said Balram Bhargava, DG of the ICMR.The spiking caseload came after India allowed the reopening of shops, shopping malls, factories and religious places.

04:57 PM

Karnataka's Udupi, Yadgir among emerging districts of concern for COVID-19 in country

The Centre has identified Karnataka's Udupi and Yadgir among the "emerging districts of concern" for COVID-19.There was a sudden spurt of cases due to Maharashtra returnees turning positive, a top state official told PTI

04:47 PM

China has reported 10 new coronavirus cases, including two more confirmed infections in Beijing,

04:46 PM

J Radhakrishnan brought back as TN Health Secy

Tamil Nadu government has transferred out Beela Rajesh and brought back her predecessor J Radhakrishnan as health secretaryRadhakrishnan had a long stint helming the department and hands on experience in tackling crisis situations.This comes against the backdrop of the state recording 1,500 plus fresh virus cases on a daily basis

04:45 PM

UK's industrial output sees largest monthly fall of 20.3 per cent in April

04:39 PM

448 new cases have been reported in Nepal in last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the country to 5062, including 16 deaths.

04:38 PM

Delhi housing society buys oxygen concentrators

ANI

✔@ANI

Delhi: Residents’ Welfare Association of G-17 in Paschim Vihar has purchased three oxygen concentrators. Society's President Lokesh Munjal says, "In view of rising number of #COVID19 cases in Delhi, we've purchased the machines to provide free oxygen to the needy in the society".

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4:22 PM - Jun 12, 2020

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04:36 PM

Thailand has eased more coronavirus restrictions and has ended curfew.

04:34 PM

Substandard hand sanitisers readily available in market, researchers say

An international team of researchers has warned the public to beware of sub-standard hand sanitisers.These might appear similar to hand disinfectants, but purchasers are often unaware that such products cannot ensure disinfection.They discourage the public from buying hand sanitisers from unknown or unreliable e-commerce sitesIn an article in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, they have also provided "recipes" for making good hand sanitising gels

04:30 PM

Govt mulls including sudden loss of taste, smell as criteria for COVID-19 test: report

The government is mulling to include sudden loss of taste and smell as a criteria for COVID-19 testing, sources told PTIThe issue was discussed in a meeting of the National Task Force on COVID-19 held last SundaNo consensus on the matter has been reached yet.Some experts believe that it could be one of the early signs of the onset of the disease.The symptom though is not specific to COVID-19; one may suffer loss of smell and taste when they have flu

04:25 PM

Ramping up bed capacity should be topmost priority: L-G

Lt Governor Anil Baijal has said ramping up bed capacity and medical resources should be the topmost priority in handling the COVID-19 situationThis is to ensure that a surge in coronavirus cases does not overwhelm the city's healthcare system, he said.The L-G's comments came after CM Arvind Kejriwal said that Delhi would need 1.5 lakh beds by July 31

04:22 PM

Uttarakhand reported three more deaths of COVID-19 patients and 37 fresh cases, taking the tally in the state to 1,692.

04:03 PM

Some television news channels and social media platforms are speaking about lockdown being reimposed and closure of all shops. But the government has not taken any such decision.

- Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra CM

03:54 PM

The Supreme Court has reacted strongly to Arvind Kejriwal's failure. Delhi's truth is out in front of us. Kejriwal is a failure.

- Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson

02:31 PM

Beijing city govt has reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases, marking the second consecutive day of new infections

02:14 PM

Supreme Court allows Tamil Nadu Government to find out the ways and means to sell liquor, whether online or at physical outlets.

02:13 PM

Delhi High Court orders interim release of pending salaries of MCD doctors in Delhi

02:09 PM

8 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura, raising the total tally in the state to 916.

02:06 PM

Extreme poverty could rise to over one billion people globally:report

Global poverty could rise to over one billion people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, says a new reportMore than half of the 395 million additional extreme poor would be located in South Asia,South Asia would be the hardest-hit region in the world, the report saysResearchers from King's College London and Australian National University published the new paper.

02:02 PM

China promises Philippines will get vaccine

President Rodrigo Duterte has been promised by his Chinese counterpart that the Philippines “as a friendly neighbour” will be prioritised when China is able to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.

Friday, 15 May 2020

NPTEL NBA Accreditation and Teaching-Learning in Engineering (NATE) Assignment 1

Assignment 1

1 point
These two became the foci of higher education in India since 2015. 
 
 
 
 
1 point
Two activities engineers are likely to get involved more during the first few years after graduation include
 
 
 
 
1 point
Washington Accord
 
 
 
 
1 point
An Outcome is
 
 
 
 
1 point
In Outcome Based Education
 
 
 
 
1 point
The criterion “Faculty Information and Contributions” carries maximum weightage in accreditation (200 out of 1000 marks) because
 
 
 
 
1 point
Criterion 4: Performance of students is at the Program level.  Performance with respect to Criterion 4 is partly measured through two of the following
 
 
 
 
1 point
Education in its technical sense
 
 
 
 
1 point
Teaching is
 
 
 
 
1 point
These two are important features of an outcome statement
 
 
 
 

Monday, 10 February 2020

Daily news 8 February 2020

International News

1. NASA's Astronaut Christina Koch comes back to Earth after record stay in space

Christina Koch, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s astronaut has returned to earth. She stayed on the International Space Station for 328 days and has surpassed Peggy Whitson's record for an American woman on a single spaceflight at 289 days.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Headquarters of NASA: Washington, D.C.
  • Established: July 29,1958.

State News

2. Andhra Pradesh government has inaugurated Disha Police Station in Rajamahendravaram

The state government of Andhra Pradesh has launched the first Disha Police Station in Rajamahendravaram city to provide speedy justice for female victims of Sexual assault (rape), Sexual harassment and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Important Takeaways for upcoming competitive Exams:

  • Biswabhushan Harichandan is the current Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
  • Capital City of Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati.
  • Jaganmohan Reddy is the leader of YSR Congress Party.

3. Madhya Pradesh to employ "Drones" for mapping of the villages

Madhya Pradesh government has entered into an agreement with the Survey of India to employ drones for mapping of villages. The Survey of India is the India's national mapping agency. Drones will be used for the mapping of 55 thousand villages of the state on a scale of 1:500.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

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

Economy & Banking News

4. Minimum net worth for pension fund managers has been raised to Rs 50 cr by PFRDA

The minimum net worth criterion for pension fund managers has been raised from Rs 25 crore to Rs 50 crore by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). This will bring pension funds on par with mutual funds which have to meet a minimum net worth requirement of Rs 50 crores as per Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) rules.

5. WhatsApp receives NPCI's approval to expand its UPI project to 10 million users

The instatnt messaging platform "WhatsApp" has received the National Payments Corporation of India's approval to expand its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services to 10 million users through "WhatsApp Pay".

Appointments

6. C N R Nair has been appointed by Supreme Court to make inventory of ornaments at Sabarimala temple

Retired Kerala High Court judge C N Ramachandaran Nair has been appointed by the Supreme Court of India  for the formulation of the inventory and valuation report of ornaments at Sabarimala temple.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan; Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan.

7. Pinelopi Koujianou has resigned from the World Bank as the chief economist

Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg has announced her resignation as the Chief Economist of the World Bank. Aart Kraay will be the interim WB chief economist until the appointment of a new permanent chief economist.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • President of World Bank: David Robert Malpass.
  • Managing Director(MD) and Chief Financial Officer(CFO): Anshula Kant.

Defence News

8. Indian Army develops world's first bulletproof helmet

World's first bulletproof helmet has been developed by the Indian Army. The bulletproof helmet can stop an AK-47 bullet round fired from a distance of 10 meters. The Ballistic helmet is developed by An Indian Army Major Anoop Mishra.

Wednesday, 23 October 2019

Daily updates 23 October 2019

National

1. Indian Railways install Electronic Interlocking System on Grand Chord route
  • Indian Railways has installed the most advanced Electronic Interlocking System on the Grand Chord route.
  • The measure is expected to help Indian Railways speed up trains and achieve the objective of reducing the travel time between Delhi and Howrah to about 12 hours from the existing 17 to 19 hours.
  • Grand Chord is part of the Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line.
  • The new Electronic system has replaced outdated 65-year old mechanical signalling system at Tundla Junction in Uttar Pradesh on the route.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:
  • Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal.
2. IIM Kozhikode & MRPL to support women entrepreneurs
  • IIM Kozhikode and Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd. have announced a special drive Labelled as "La Eve (meaning The Woman)" to support women entrepreneurs in the country.
  • The initiative aims to identify innovative, promising women-founded start-ups to provide a comprehensive start-up support programme. The initiative would be steered by the institute's entrepreneurship development centre, Laboratory for Innovation, Venturing and Entrepreneurship or IIMK LIVE.
  • Under the drive "La Eve" IIMK LIVE would identify women-founded, innovation-led start ups and provide incubation that would provide access to the institutes intellectual, network and infrastructural resources. MRPL would provide seed fund assistance from the start funding initiative under start-up India Program.

States News

3. No govt. jobs in Assam for people with more than two children
  • The State Cabinet of Assam has decided to make government jobs out of bounds for people with more than 2 children.
  • The policy will come into effect from January 1, 2021.
  • The Cabinet also adopted a new land policy that will make the landless indigenous people eligible for 3 bighas (43,200 sq. ft.) of land for farming and half a bigha for constructing a house. The beneficiary will be able to sell the given land only after 15 years of use.

Agreements

4. AYUSH, Defence ministries ink MoU to provide traditional medicine services
  • The AYUSH ministry has signed an MoU with the Defence Ministry to provide traditional medicine services at the armed forces’ hospitals and dispensaries.
  • Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik inaugurated an Ayurveda Palliative Care Unit at the Base Hospital in the Delhi Cantonment.
  • Under the MoU, Ayurveda units will also be established at palliative care centres at the Army Research and Referral Hospital, Air Force Hospital, Hindon in Ghaziabad and five identified ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinics in Delhi–NCR.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:
  • Union Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh.
5. Grasim partenered with German's MR to produce insulators
  • Grasim Industries Limited has signed a definitive agreement to form a joint venture company in India with Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH (MR) of Germany.
  • The joint venture is for the manufacturing and sale of Composite Hollow Core Insulators to serve the power transmission and distribution (T&D) industry globally.
  • This joint venture will bring together Aditya Birla Insulators (a unit of Grasim) and Reinhausen Power Composites (a unit of MR).
  • ABPCL will build a fully integrated CHCI plant at Halol, bringing the latest technology for Composite Hollow Insulators from Europe.
  • It will serve the insulator requirements of Indian and global OEMs in the power equipment industry.

Appointment

6. Ashok Malik appointed as Policy Advisor in MEA
  • Ashok Malik has been appointed as the Policy Advisor in the External Affairs Ministry in the rank of Additional Secretary.
  • The Distinguished Fellow of the prominent think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) will have a 2-year tenure.
  • Ashok Malik has previously served as the Press Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind from August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2019.
7. Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas elected as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cabo Verde
  • The Ministry of External Affairs notified that Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas (IFS:1993), presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Senegal, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cabo Verde.
  • He will replace Rajeev Kumar.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:
  • Union Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
8. Pankaj Kumar appointed as new CEO of UIDAI
  • The Government of India appointed IAS officer Pankaj Kumar as the new CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
  • He is currently Additional Secretary in the Ministry Of Electronics and IT.
  • The UIDAI is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 by the government under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, with the mandate to issue Unique Identification numbers (UID), or Aadhaar, to all residents of India to eliminate duplicate and fake identities.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:
  • Headquarters of UIDAI: New Delhi.
9. Sourav Ganguly take Charges as new BCCI President
  • One of India's most decorated captains Sourav Ganguly takes over as the 39th President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
  • Ganguly is the unanimous nomination for the post of BCCI President along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah as the Secretary.
  • Mahim Verma of Uttarakhand is the new Vice President of BCCI.

Defence

10. DRDO starts work on ‘next-gen’ hypersonic weapon
  • The Defence Research and Development (DRDO) has started work to produce hypersonic weapon missiles that travel at 5 times speed of sound, or a little over a mile every second.
  • A wind tunnel to test and fine-tune the technology will be operational soon.
  • Hypersonic weapons are specifically designed for increased survivability against modern ballistic missile defence systems.
  • These missiles are capable of delivering conventional or nuclear payloads at speeds not imagined hiterto over long ranges.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:
  • DRDO Chairman: G Satheesh Reddy; Formed: 1958; Headquarters: New Delhi.

Summit and Conference

11. 1st India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' meet in Guwahati
  • The 1st India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' meet was held in Guwahati. Bangladesh was represented by Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.
  • India is the second-largest trading partner of Bangladesh.
  • A 70-member delegation from Bangladesh is participating in the meet, while a similar top-level team will represent the host nation.
  • The idea of the meet is to put Assam at the focus point of India's trade expansion with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:
  • Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka; PM: Sheikh Hasina.

Ranks and Reports

12. IIT-Bombay again tops this year’s QS India University Rankings 2020
  • The latest 2 edition of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) India University Rankings 2020 released.
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) has again topped all Indian Institutes in the list with an overall score of 88.5 followed by IISc- Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (ranked 2 with 84.7 score) & Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD),which has improved a notch to rank 3 with 82.2 scores.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:
  • Headquarters of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS): London, United Kingdom
  • Founded: 1990
  • Founded by Nunzio Quacquarelli, QS is a British company specialising in education.

Sports

13. Graeme Smith has been elected as MCC Honorary Life Member
  • Former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith has been elected an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
  • Smith has an impressive record in One-Day International, scoring 6,989 runs including ten centuries and also became South Africa’s youngest ever captain at 22.
  • Former Australian off-spinner Tim May was also awarded Honorary Life Membership in recognition of his outstanding achievements in cricket.
  • The pair follows Paul Collingwood, AB de Villiers, Mitchell Johnson and Adrian Morgan in being awarded Honorary Life Membership of MCC in 2019.
14. Anandan wins 2 golds at the 7th CISM World Military Games
  • Para-athlete Anandan Gunasekaran has won 2 gold medals at the 7th CISM World Military Games held in Wuhan, China.
  • He won the medal in the disabled men’s 100m and 400m IT1 events.
  • Gunasekaran finished the 100m race in 12 seconds and won India’s 1st medal in the ongoing Games.
  • He clinched his 2nd gold clocking 53.35s in the disabled men’s 400m IT1 event.
15. Bengal Warriors wins 7th season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League 2019
  • In the final of 7th season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League 2019, Bengal Warriors won their first title by defeating Dabang Delhi by 39-34 at the EKA Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
  • Most Valuable Player award of the League was bagged by Naveen Kumar from Dabang Delhi, Best raider to Pawan Kumar Sherawat from Bengaluru Bulls; Best defender award to U Mumba's Fazel Atrachali and New Young Player of the season to UP (Uttar Pradesh) Yoddha's Sumit.
16. 2024 Olympic Games logo unveiled in Paris
  • The logo for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games unveiled at a ceremony in the French capital.
  • The circular design with Paris 2024 in the art deco style which was in vogue in 1924 when Paris last hosted the Games, also incorporates the lips and outline of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic since the revolution in 1789.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:
  • President of France: Emmanuel Macron; Capital: Paris; Currency: Euro, CFP Franc.

Miscellaneous

17. IRDAI imposes penalty of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS GIC
  • The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has imposed penalties of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS GIC.
  • The insurer was penalised for violations observed during an inspection.
  • The penalty of Rs 1 crore is for violation of Clause 15 of Schedule I of IRDA (Health Insurance) Regulations, 2013 which clearly specifies that no commission shall be payable to any intermediary on the acceptance of a ported policy.
  • The other penalty of Rs 1 lakh is for motor insurance and was for violating the outsourcing guidelines by agreeing to payment terms not in the interests of the insurer.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:
  • IRDAI Chairman: Subhash Chandra Khuntia; Headquarters: Hyderabad.

Saturday, 19 October 2019

Daily updates 18 October 2019

National

1. NITI Aayog launches India Innovation Index 2019
  • NITI Aayog with Institute for Competitiveness as the knowledge partner released the India Innovation Index (III) 2019. Karnataka is the most innovative major state in India.
  • Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh form the remaining top ten major states respectively.
  • Sikkim and Delhi take the top spots among the northeastern & hill states, and union territories/city-states/small states respectively.
  • Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh are the most efficient states in translating inputs into output.
  • The study examines the innovation ecosystem of Indian states and union territories.
  • The aim is to create a holistic tool which can be used by policymakers across the country to identify the challenges to be addressed and strengths to build on when designing the economic growth policies for their regions.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB (Clerk) Mains:
  • Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog: Rajiv Kumar; CEO, NITI Aayog: Amitabh Kant.
2. Commemorative stamp on centenary of NIN released
  • Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan released a postal stamp to commemorate the centenary celebrations of the city-based ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) at a function held at Indian Council of Medical Research in New Delhi.
  • The postal stamp has been brought out under the ‘Corporate My Stamp’ scheme of India Posts.
  • About 5,000 stamps with a face value of ₹5 each have been printed and the India Posts would print an additional 1,000 sheets for sale online at the e-post office and for display and sale at national and global philately exhibitions by the Department.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB (Clerk) Main 2019:
  • ICMR Director: Balram Bhragava; NIN Director: R. Hemaltha.
3. NH No. 703AA in Punjab named as Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg
  • Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced the naming of new National Highway No. 703AA as "Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg."
  • The road starting from Kapurthala connecting Goindwal Sahib and terminating near Taran Taran in Punjab. The naming would be effective from next month.
  • The decision has been taken to mark the 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB (Clerk) Main 2019:
  • CM of Punjab: Amarinder Singh; Governor: VP Singh Badnore.

International

4. Italy set to introduce web tax on digital giants from 2020
  • Italy approved a new tax on digital companies, including U.S. tech giants, as part of its 2020 draft budget on October 16.
  • The levy, due to be introduced from next year, will oblige companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, to pay a 3% levy on internet transactions, according to a text of the draft budget.
  • The Italian scheme is expected to yield about 600 million euros ($662 million) a year.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:
  • President: Sergio Mattarella; Prime Minister: Giuseppe Conte.
  • Capital: Rome; Currency: Euro.

State News

5. Odisha's first Robot Restaurant opens in Bhubaneswar
  • Odisha's smart city Bhubaneswar gets it 1st Robo Chef Restaurant in Odisha.
  • The Robot Restaurant opened at the Infocity DLF tower of Bhubaneswar claims to be the first restaurant in Eastern India where two indigenously developed robots, 'Champa' and 'Chameli' are engaged.
  • The robots are developed at a Jaipur-based startup using SLAM technology, and It automatically navigates like humans, follows the routes and instructions.
  • Not only this, after serving the food, the robots will also ask you for feedback in Odia that 'Are you happy'.
  • Earlier Chennai and Bengaluru had introduced smart restaurants with robots machines imported from China.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB (Clerk) Main 2019:
  • Utkal Divas or Odisha Day falls every year on 01st April.
6. CM Kamal Nath inaugurates "Magnificent Madhya Pradesh Conference"
  • Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath formally inaugurated the 2-day Magnificent Madhya Pradesh Conference started.
  • Many well-known industrialists are attending this conference held in Indore.
  • The event showcasing various opportunities that exist in the state in variegated sectors, including food processing, pharmaceuticals, textile and garment, warehousing and logistics, IT &ESDM, urban development and renewable energy.
  • Chief Minister Kamal Nath also inaugurated the Global Trade Exhibition at the Brilliant Convention Centre, Indore.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB (Clerk) Mains:
  • Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.
7. Tamil Nadu constitutes two panels over water disputes with Kerala
  • The Tamil Nadu government constituted two committees to deal over water disputes with Kerala relating to the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) and the Pandiyar-Punnampuzha project.
  • Secretary of Tamil Nadu’s Public Works Department (PWD) K. Manivasan would lead both the committees constituted by the State government.
  • Cauvery Technical Committee chairperson R. Subramanian is also part of both the panels.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB (Clerk) Mains:
  • Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu: Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
  • Governor of Tamil Nadu: Banwarilal Purohit.
  • Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai.
8. Satya Pal Malik inaugurates J&K Bazar
  • Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has inaugurated J&K Bazar.
  • J&K Bazar is a retail showroom of authentic Jammu Kashmir Handicrafts, Handlooms, Silk, Agro-based products and Restaurant serving Authentic Kashmiri Cuisine at J&K House in New Delhi.
  • The newly constructed state-of-the-art showroom is for promoting J&K specific products of handicrafts and authentic cuisine.
  • The newly inaugurated showroom shall cater to the people who cherish the Kashmiri handicraft and relish the traditional Kashmiri food which is now available in the heart of Delhi.
  • Other handicraft products in the showroom which are on display include-Paper Mache items, carved walnut-wood items, Pashmina shawls and Kashmiri embroidery sarees.

Appointments

9. World Steel Association elected Sajjan Jindal as vice Chairman
  • The World Steel Association (Worldsteel) has elected Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director, JSW Steel, as Vice-Chairman of the association for one year.
  • The association has also appointed Tata Steel CEO and MD T V Narendran and Arcelor Mittal Chief L N Mittal as its members.
  • The board also elected a 14-member Executive Committee.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains:
  • Chairman of World Steel Association: Andre Johannpeter; Formed: 10 July 1967.
  • Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

Agreement

10. Home Credit India join hand with Karur Vysya Bank for joint lending
  • Home Credit India (HCIN), a local arm of the international consumer finance provider, has tied-up with Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for joint lending using end-to-end automated processing which will help the customer get real-time approval and disbursement.
  • Under the agreement, HCIN and KVB will disburse loans in a single amount to customers.
  • With this partnership and by leveraging the lower cost of funds of KVB, Home Credit India will be able to reach out to a new segment of customer.
  • Home Credit India has operations spread over 179 cities across 20 States in India.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains:
  • Managing Director and CEO: PR Seshadri; founded: 1916.
  • Headquarters: Karur, Tamil Nadu.
  • Tagline: Smart Way to Bank.

Awards

11. Hong Kong's orchestra wins "Orchestra of the year award 2019" at Gramophone Awards
  • Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has been named orchestra of the year at the 2019 Gramophone Awards.
  • The group is the first Asian orchestra to win the award, a fact noted by its Dutch-born conductor Van Zweden, who has been its Music Director since 2012.
  • The category is the only one of the classical music magazine’s awards open to the public vote. This award is often likened to the Oscars for the classical music world.

Defence

12. India, Japan joint Air Force exercise 'Shinyuu Maitri' 2019 began in West Bengal
  • Indian Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) carrying out a joint military air force exercise named 'Shinyuu Maitri' began from October 17 to 23, at the air force station, Arjan Singh in Panagarh town in West Bengal.
  • C-130 J aircraft of the Special Operations Squadron of IAF and C-130 H of Tactical Airlift Squadron of JASDF will participate in the exercise.
  • The focus of the exercise will be to undertake Joint Mobility and Tactical interoperability among the two forces.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains:
  • Motto of the Indian Air Force: Nabha Sprsham Deeptam (The Glory that touches the sky).
  • Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.
13. India-Oman begin joint training exercise 'EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V'
  • Indian Air Force (IAF) kickstarted its bilateral joint exercise with Royal Air Force Oman (RAFO), named 'EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V' at Air Force Base Masirah, Oman.
  • The exercise will be held till October 26. The IAF contingent comprises of MiG-29 and C-17 aircraft.
  • MiG-29 will be exercising with Royal Air Force Oman’s Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 and Hawk.
  • For the first time, MiG-29 fighter aircraft will be participating in an international exercise outside India.
  • The exercise will enhance inter-operability during mutual operations between the two Air Forces and will provide an opportunity to learn from each other's best practices. Last time, the bilateral exercise was held in 2017 at Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:
  • Oman Capital: Muscat, Currency: Omani rial.

Books and Authors

14. A new book titled "India in a Warming world: Integrating Climate Change and Development" set to release
  • A new book titled "India in a Warming World: Integrating Climate Change and Development" is set to release on November 2019.
  • This book is featuring a collection of articles by climate experts including Sunita Narain, Anil Agarwal, Dr Friederike Otto & Shibani Ghosh, edited by Navroz K Dubash.
  •  It is published by Oxford University Press(OUP).
  • This book aims to bring together the many and growing, voices that seek to find the language and ideas with which to engage climate change and to do so from a perspective that resonates with broader Indian development policy discourses.

Sports

15. England all-rounder Jennifer Louise Gunn announces retirement from international cricket
  • England all-rounder Jennifer Louise Gunn has announced her retirement from international cricket.
  • Gunn, who is England’s most capped player in T20Is, made 259 appearances for her country, winning 3 World Cups and five Ashes series.
  • She was a member of the England side that won the inaugural Women’s World T20 in 2009, and also featured in her country’s Women’s World Cup-winning campaign that same year.

Miscellaneous

16. NCERT to revise 14-year-old curriculum framework
  • The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is planning to review the 14-year-old National Curriculum Framework (NCF) in accordance with new national education policy (NEP) and set up a committee for the purpose.
  • The NCF has been revised four times so far - in 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005. A panel led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Kasturirangan had submitted the draft of the new national education policy to Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
  • The new proposed revision will be a 5th of the framework. The council is also undertaking a survey in six blocks to analyse the quality of primary education available and the areas that need change.
  • The revision of NCERT textbooks has also been recommended in the new education policy draft.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB (Clerk) Mains:
  • Director of NCERT (ex-officio) Chairperson: Prof. Hrushikesh Senapaty.
  • Headquarters of NCERT: New Delhi.