Daily updates 9 July 2020

National News

1. AIIB extends $50 mn loan to L&T Infra Finance Ltd

• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has released $50 million loan to L&T Infrastructure Finance Ltd.
• This is the first tranche of a $100 mn loan to L&T Infrastructure Finance Ltd for funding Renewable Energy projects in the country.
• This loan has been extended by the Bejing-based multilateral development bank to on-lend to large and mid-scale wind and solar power infra projects in India.
• A $100 million loan sanctioned by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to the unit of L&T Finance Holdings is AIIB’s first loan to a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Managing Director & CEO of L&T Finance Holdings: Dinanath Dubhashi.
• President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: Jin Liqun.

International News

2. Maldives & Sri Lanka eliminate measles & rubella, ahead of 2023 target

• According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO), South-East Asian Region (SEAR) office, Maldives and Sri Lanka were verified for having eliminated measles and rubella.
• Now, Maldives and Sri Lanka are the first two countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve measles and rubella elimination ahead of the 2023 target.
• The Maldives reported last endemic case of measles in 2009 and of rubella in October 2015, while Sri Lanka reported last endemic case of measles in May 2016 and of rubella in March 2017.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of Sri Lanka: Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
• Prime Minister of Sri Lanka: Mahinda Rajapaksa.
• Capital of Sri Lanka: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
• Currency of Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan rupee.
• President of the Maldives: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
• Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency of the Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa.

3. US formally announced its withdrawal from WHO

• The United States has formalized to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 6, 2021.
• The actual project of disentangling the U.S. from WHO began on July 6, 2020, with a letter signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It will take one year to go into effect.
• In April, the US stopped funding to WHO as the Trump administration reviewed the ties. A month later, President Donald Trump announced the US was terminating the relationship.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Headquarters of WHO: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Director-general of WHO: Tedros Adhanom.

4. Bangladesh launches "Digital Haat" for sacrificial animals

• ‘Digital Haat' platform has been launched by the government of Bangladesh for online sale and purchase of sacrificial animals ahead of the festival of Eid-Ul-Azha.
• The platform has been launched to save the cattle farmers and traders from financial loss amid the Corona pandemic.
• It also aims to avoid crowding in order to stop further transmission of the COVID-19 in the country.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.

Agreements News

5. CBDT & SEBI signs MoU for data exchange

• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has signed an agreement for data exchange.
• The agreement will facilitate the sharing of information and data between the two organisations on an automatic and regular basis.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chairperson of CBDT: Pramod Chandra Mody.
• Headquarters of CBDT: New Delhi.
• Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India: Ajay Tyagi; Headquarter: Mumbai.
• Chairman of National Highways Authority of India: Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.

Appointments News

6. GoI extends Bansi Lal Bhat's tenure as chairperson of NCLAT

• The tenure of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat as the chairperson of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has been extended by the Government of India.
• His tenure has been extended for three months or till further orders.
• He is also holding the post of Member (Judicial) at the appellate tribunal.

Banking News

7. KVB tie-up with Bajaj Allianz Life to offer life insurance solutions

• Karur Vysya Bank has signed an agreement with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance to offer life insurance solutions to its customers.
• Bajaj Allianz’s products will be available at the Bank’s 780 branch offices spread across India.
• Under this partnership, all retail and group products of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance will be made available to the Bank’s customers, including savings, retirement, investment, protection and critical illness life insurance products.
• KVB will also benefit from the advantage to offer their customers a value-packed life insurance solutions for their financial requirements under a single roof.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Headquarters of Karur Vysya Bank: Karur, Tamil Nadu.
• The tagline of Karur Vysya Bank: Smart Way to Bank.
• Chairman of Karur Vysya Bank: N. S. Srinath.
• Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra.
• Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance MD & CEO: Tarun Chugh.

Defence News

8. Akash Missile: BDL signs licence agreement & ToT with DRDO

• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed License Agreement and Transfer of Technology (ToT) with Defence Research and Development Organisation–Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDO–DRDL) for Akash Missile Weapon System (Indian Army Variant).
• Akash Missile is the first medium-range Surface to Air missile produced in India which can engage multiple targets from multiple directions.
• The missile flies at a speed of nearly 860 meters per second at a maximum altitude of 18 km.

Summits and Conferences

9. 4th edition of the virtual Ministerial on Climate Action held

• The fourth edition of the virtual Ministerial on Climate Action was co-chaired by European Union, China and Canada.
• In the meeting, India was represented by the Union Environment Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar.
• The meeting witnessed the countries deliberating on how countries are aligning economic recovery plans with the Paris Agreement as well as the critical enabling conditions to ensure continued climate action.

Science and Technology

10. ‘Compact XL’ system for covid-19 tests lauched by MyLab

• Mylab Discovery Solutions has launched the ‘Compact XL’ system for conducting a wide range of tests, including RT-PCR tests for COVID-19.
• This is India’s first machine to automate the manual processes of molecular diagnostic tests such as RNA/DNA-based tests including COVID-19 RT-PCR tests.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Mylab Discovery Solutions Executive Director: Shailendra Kawade.
• Mylab Discovery Solutions Managing Director: Hasmukh Rawal.
• Mylab Discovery Solutions Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra.

Obituaries

11. Veteran bollywood actor Jagdeep passes away

• Veteran Bollywood actor-comedian, Jagdeep passed away.
• He was born as Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri, the legendary actor was popularly known as Jagdeep, his stage name.
• He was best known for his roles in films such as Sholay, Purana Mandir and Andaz Apna Apna.
• He was last seen in 2012 movie Gali Gali Chor Hai, in which he played the role of a police constable.

12. Kannada TV actor Susheel Gowda passes away

• Kannada TV actor, Susheel Gowda passed away.
• He joined the Kannada television serials in 2015 and acted in one or two Kannada films also.
• He played a role in serial Anthapura and was looking forward to establishing himself in the Kannada Film Industry.
• Other than an actor, he was also a fitness trainer.

Miscellaneous News

13. Himalayan Golden Birdwing butterfly named as India’s largest butterfly

• Himalayan Golden Birdwing butterfly named as India’s largest butterfly, a record an unknown specimen had held for 88 years.
• The female Golden Birdwing with 194 mm wingspan was recorded at Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district’s Didihat town, while the male Golden Birdwing with 106 mm wingspan was recorded at the Wankhar Butterfly Museum (in Shillong).

Daily updates 8 July 2020

National News

1. World Bank approves $400 mn for rejuvenation of river Ganga

The World Bank has signed a loan agreement of $400 million with Government of India to enhance support for the Namami Gange programme and to make the Ganga a clean and healthy river. The loan amount of $400 million comprises a loan of $381 million and a proposed Guarantee of up to $19 million. The new project will aim to stem the pollution levels in the iconic river and work towards strengthening the management of the river basin which is home to more than 500 million people.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of World Bank: David Malpass.

2. PM Modi to unveil Asia's largest solar plant in MP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil Asia's largest 750 MW Rewa ultra mega solar plant in Madhya Pradesh on July 10. The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar is established in the Rewa district of Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh, with a total solar installed capacity of 750 MW. It is one of the largest single-site solar power plants in Asia.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

State News

3. West Bengal Govt launches 'Self Scan app' to scan documents

West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee has launched a new mobile application called "SelfScan" which has been developed by the state's information technology department, to scan documents. It is a completely safe and protected app. Documents can be edited too on the application besides the scanning feature. The mobile application came days after the Centre banned 59 Chinese mobile applications and amid a call for the boycott of Chinese goods.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

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

4. IARI Jharkhand's building named after Late Shyama Prasad Mukherjee

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Jharkhand new administrative and the academic building have been named after Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Late Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his 119th birth anniversary. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee dedicated his life to the unity and integrity of the country and gave the call for one nation-one law.

Banking News

5. Fino Payments Bank launches 'Bhavishya' savings account

'Bhavishya' savings account has been launched by the Fino Payments Bank Limited for minors aged between 10-18 years. 'Bhavishya', a subscription-based savings account, can be opened by paying a nominal amount. The savings account scheme will be initially rolled out by the bank in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. There is not any minimum account balance requirement to open the 'Bhavishya' savings account. The bank is targeting to open around one lakh Bhavishya Savings Accounts by the end of Fiscal Year 2021.

6. Karur Vysya Bank partners with Star Health Insurance

The Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has entered into a partnership with Star Health and Allied Insurance Co to provide a wide range of health insurance options to its customers. According to the partnership, all the health insurance products of Star Health & Allied Insurance will be made available through all 780 branches of the Karur Vysya Bank. This agreement will help the bank to provide cost-effective insurance products and quick settlement of claims to its customers.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Headquarters of Karur Vysya Bank: Karur, Tamil Nadu.
• The tagline of Karur Vysya Bank: Smart Way to Bank.
• Chairman of Karur Vysya Bank: N. S. Srinath.

7. SBM Bank partners with MasterCard for smarter payments solutions

Private lender, SBM Bank (India) Ltd has partnered with Mastercard to revolutionize domestic and cross-border payments and remittances services. The SBM Bank India customers will be able to make real-time domestic business-to-consumer transfers quickly and efficiently using 'Mastercard Send'. SBM Bank India is the first bank to receive a universal banking licence from the RBI to set up and operate as a scheduled commercial bank through the wholly-owned subsidiary mode.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• SBM Bank CEO: Parvataneni Venkateswara Rao.
• SBM Bank Headquarters: Port Louis, Mauritius.
• Mastercard CEO: Ajaypal Singh Banga.
• Mastercard Headquarters: New York, United States.

Agreements News

8. Microsoft ties up with NSDC to provide digital skills

Microsoft has partnered with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to offer digital skills to India's youth in the next 12 months amid the COVID-19 crisis. Microsoft will provide free access to learning resources and conduct digital skilling awareness drives by collaborating with eSkill India portal of NSDC. This partnership will help in creating a digital skills ecosystem which will prepare India’s workforce for jobs of the future. As a part of the partnership, "Microsoft Learn" a learning resource center of Microsoft will be integrated with the eSkill India digital platform and offer access to personalized learning paths and resources that are required in today’s economy and expected to continue to grow in the future.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• CEO & MD of National Skill Development Corporation: Manish Kumar.

9. Ola partners with PhonePe for digital payments

Mobility platform Ola has entered into a partnership with digital payments platform PhonePe to expand payment options for riders. The partnership will help the mobility platform enable better digital payments experience on its Ola app. Ola customers across the country will now be able to pay for their ride using PhonePe. It will also benefit the digital payments platform in order to help it expand its user base. Ola’s customers can use all of PhonePe’s payment options, including the PhonePe wallet, to make payments in addition to UPI.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• CEO of Phonepe: Sameer Nigam
• Headquarters location of Phonepe: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• CEO of Ola: Bhavish Aggarwal.
• Headquarters location of Ola: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Appointments News

10. UKIBC appoints Jayant Krishna as Group CEO

The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) has appointed Jayant Krishna as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the group. He will replace the current Group CEO, Richard Heald. Prior to this, Jayant Krishna has served as the CEO of Prime Minister’s Skill India mission as well as the Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Jayant Krishna will be the first UKIBC Group CEO to be based in India.

11. Sijo George appointed to Centre’s committee on STIP 2020

Sijo Kuruvilla George has been appointed to the Central Government's committee on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 (STIP 2020). He is a founding CEO of Startup Village and founder of Re-think Foundation. With this, he has become the part of the eight-member panel which is led by Harkesh Mittal, who also heads the Department of Science and Technology. The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 (STIP 2020) was formulated by the Department of Science and Technology and Principal Scientific Advisor of the Union government.

Defence News

12. India, Indonesia Coast Guards signs MoU to boost maritime relations

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Bakamla RI (Indonesian Coast Guard) have signed a memorandum of understanding on ‘Maritime Safety and Security’ to boost maritime relations. This MoU will strengthen cooperation by augmenting information exchange mechanisms. This real-time Maritime Domain Awareness will then be the foundation for controlling and responding to incidents of piracy, smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal migration and other such maritime crimes which will bring safety and security to the region and also result in protection of our precious marine environment.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Director-General of Indian Coast Guard: Krishnaswamy Natarajan.
• Headquarters of Indian Coast Guard: New Delhi.
• Capital of Indonesia: Jakarta.
• The currency of Indonesia: Indonesian rupiah.
• President of Indonesia: Joko Widodo.

Sports News

13. G Akash becomes India's 66th Chess Grandmaster

G Akash has become India's 66th Chess Grandmaster. The second council meet of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for the year 2020 confirmed Akash's GM title. He won the national title in 2012 and earned the International Master title subsequently. Along with him, Ameya Audi of Goa has earned International Master title.

Obituaries

14. British film and TV actor Earl Cameron passes away

British film and television actor Earl Cameron passed away. The actor first appeared on screen in the 1951 film Pool of London. He was appointed as the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours. He also starred in 1965 Bond movie Thunderball and Doctor Who. He also starred in 2005 film The Interpreter along with Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman.

Miscellaneous News

15. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson becomes Instagram's highest-paid celebrity

Wrestler-turned-actor, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has been named Instagram's highest-paid celebrity. Dwayne has dethroned Kylie Jenner as Instagram’s highest-paid celebrity. According to social media marketing firm Hopper HQ, Johnson has 189 million followers while Jenner has 183 million followers. Also on this year’s list were pro soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who charged about $889,000 per post and Jenner’s sister Kim Kardashian, who could charge $858,000.

Daily updates 6 july 2020

National News

1. M. Venkiah Naidu launches social media super app 'Elyments'

Vice President of India, M. Venkiah Naidu has launched India's first social media application, "Elyments". It is a first Made-in-India social media super-app, developed by Bengaluru-based software company, Sumeru Software Solutions Pvt Ltd, in close competition with similar platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. This application is available in eight languages including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and English. It allows users to stay in touch through a vibrant feed, free audio/video calls, and private/group chats.

States News

2. Odisha Govt launches ‘Balaram Yojana’ to provide crop loan

Odisha government has launched ‘Balaram Yojana’ to provide crop loans to landless farmers. Under the new scheme, the landless cultivators will get loans through joint liability groups (JLGs). Under this scheme, the government has set a target to provide farm loans to 7 lakh landless farmers in the next two years. The Institute on Management of Agricultural Extension (IMAGE) will coordinate to implement the scheme at the state level, the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) will coordinate at the district level.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Governor of Odisha: Ganeshi Lal.

Banking News

3. HDFC Bank to offer 'ZipDrive' online instant auto loans

HDFC Bank offers instant car loans to existing customers through an initiative called "ZipDrive" in 1,000 cities. This solution gives the customer with a pre-approved loan offer to avail an auto loan through net banking or via assistance from the bank’s phone banking team. It is a technology-enabled loan product where credit assessment is done by banking software.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Managing Director of HDFC Bank: Aditya Puri.

Agreements & MoUs

4. CBSE tie-up with Facebook to introduce curriculum on digital safety

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has partnered with Facebook to launch a free and comprehensive training program for teachers and students of its affiliated schools in the first phase. The program will cover teacher training on augmented reality and student training on digital safety and online well- being. In the second phase, CBSE will introduce the training program on digital safety and augmented reality for 30 thousand students in each category.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• CBSE chairman: Manoj Ahuja.
• Headquarters of CBSE: New Delhi.
• CBSE was established on 3 November 1962.

Awards & Rewards

5. India's Freya Thakral wins "The Diana Award 2020"

A 13-year-old student of the British School New Delhi, Freya Thakral has received the 2020 Diana Award for her "Recycler App". She developed this App to connect users with waste-handlers as a measure to help the ragpickers of Delhi. Recycler App is a web-based mobile application which connects the users with waste handlers. The service through the app is provided in the south Delhi region with plans to extend to the other parts with an aim to transform the lives of the ragpicker community.

Sports News

6. Quinton de Kock adjudged South Africa Men's Cricketer of the Year

At the Cricket South Africa annual awards 2020, Quinton de Kock was named as the men’s cricketer of the year, while Laura Wolvaardt was named as the women’s cricketer of the year.

here is the complete list of awards:

• Men's Cricketer of the Year: Quinton de Kock
• Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Laura Wolvaardt
• Test Cricketer of the Year: Quinton de Kock
• Women's ODI Cricketer of the year: Laura Wolvaardt
• Men's ODI and T20 Player of the Year: Lungi Ngidi
• Women’s T20 Player of the Year: Shabnim Ismail
• Fans’ Favourite Player of the Year: David Miller
• International Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Anrich Nortje
• Women’s Newcomer of the Near: Nonkululeko Mlaba

Books & Authors

7. Urjit Patel pens book ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’

Former RBI governor, Urjit Patel has written a book titled ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’. The book focuses on the non-performing assets (NPAs) issue that has afflicted Indian banking in recent years. It will be published by Harper Collins India.

Miscellaneous News

8. Delhi govt to launch "Paudhe lagao, Paryavaran Bachao" campaign

Delhi government will launch a mega tree plantation drive under the 'Paudhe lagao, Paryavaran Bachao' campaign. The campaign aims to reduce air pollution by increasing green cover in the national capital. It has been planned that during the campaign, in 17 days, 31 lakh of tree saplings will be planted under the campaign. Out of the 31 lakh saplings, 20 lakh saplings will be of big trees and the remaining 11 lakh saplings will be of shrubs that will be planted on both sides of the road.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Governor of Delhi: Anil Baijal.
• Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal.
• Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

9. Lt Col Bharat Pannu secures podium position at vRAAM 2020

Indian Army officer, Lt Col Bharat Pannu has secured the 3rd position on the leaderboard at the first edition of the Virtual Race Across America (VRAAM) 2020. He became the first-ever Indian to secure a podium position in the international ultra-cycling race. In cycling circles, RAAM is considered to be one of the toughest races. The coronavirus outbreak this year forced the organisers to hold it `virtually’, where cyclists from across the world competed against each other on indoor trainers.