Daily updates 14 April 2021

14 April 2021
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14th April 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Here is the Daily GK Update of 14th April 2021 covering the following news headlines: ICC Players of the Month award, IAF Commanders' Conference 2021, National Anti-Doping Agency, Ambedkar Jayanti, World Chagas Disease Day.

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 14th April 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

State News

1. Maharashtra gets India's first floating LNG storage and regasification unit

• India’s first Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) has arrived at H-Energy’s Jaigarh Terminal in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, on the west coast of India.
• FSRU based LNG Terminals aim at providing the ability to enhance the pace of natural gas import capability in an environment-friendly and efficient manner". The port is the first deepwater, 24x7 operational private port in Maharashtra.
• Höegh Giant will deliver regasified LNG to the 56-km long Jaigarh-Dabhol natural gas pipeline, connecting the LNG terminal to the national gas grid. The facility will also deliver LNG through truck loading facilities for onshore distribution, the facility is also capable to reload LNG onto small-scale LNG vessels for bunkering services.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
• Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai.
• Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.

Appointments News

2. Siddharth Longjam appointed new NADA DG

• IAS officer, Siddharth Singh Longjam will take over as the National Anti-Doping Agency's Director-General. Longjam is currently serving as joint secretary in the sports ministry and is also the CEO of the currently suspended National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL).
• He will replace Navin Agarwal who listed the creation of Athletes Biological Passport (ABP) for around 60 elite Indian sportspersons as one of the highlights of his tenure.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• NADA Headquarters location: New Delhi;
• NADA Founded: 24 November 2005.

Summits and Conferences News

3. Rajnath Singh inaugurates IAF Commanders' Conference 2021

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the First bi-annual Indian Air Force, IAF Commanders' Conference 2021 at Air Headquarters Vayu Bhawan in New Delhi.
• The conference is attended by the Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief of all Commands of IAF, all Principal Staff Officers and all Director Generals posted at Air Headquarters.
• The conference of apex level leadership is aimed at addressing the issues of IAF's operational capabilities in the times to come.
• A series of discussions would be conducted over a period of three days to address strategies and policies related to capabilities that would give IAF a significant edge over its adversaries.
• Various welfare and Human Resource measures to improve HR and administrative efficiency will also be discussed. The Conference provides a forum to the senior leadership of the IAF to discuss critical issues pertaining to Operations, Maintenance and Administration.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

4. PM Modi Inaugurates 6th Raisina Dialogue

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 2021 “Raisina Dialogue”, through video-conferencing.
• The Raisina Dialogue 2021 is the sixth edition of the annual dialogue, organised from April 13 to 16, 2021, in full digital form for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic. Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, organised annually since 2016.
• The theme for the 2021 conference is “#ViralWorld: Outbreaks, Outliers and Out of Control”.
• The four-day dialogue is jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the think-tank Observer Research Foundation.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Minister of External Affairs: S. Jaishankar.

Awards News

5. Kane Williamson awarded Sir Richard Hadlee medal

• New Zealand star cricketer Kane Williamson was recently awarded the Sir Richard Hadlee medal. It was his 4th Sir Richard Hadlee award in 6 years.
• On the other hand, the Women’s team all-rounder Amelia Kerr was also honoured along with the upcoming star Devon Conway at the New Zealand Cricket Awards for the 2020-21 season. Meanwhile, Devon Conway was awarded the Men’s Player of the year award in both ODIs and T20s.
• Whereas the 21-year old Fin Allen was honoured with the Super Smash player of the year award for his staggering strike rate of 193.

6. Seville to be host city for Laureus World Sports Awards 2021

• The Spanish city of Seville will host the 22nd Laureus World Sports Awards in a virtual ceremony owing to the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
• The awards show, featuring presentations and related news stories will be available to the world's media and broadcast extensively on Laureus social media platforms.
• The winners of Laureus World Sports Awards are selected by a jury comprising 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy. The last was in Barcelona in 2007, which is a long time.
• Among the many big names who have had a year to remember and who will be in contention for the awards are Rafael Nadal, Lewis Hamilton, LeBron James, Robert Lewandowski (Sportsman), Naomi Osaka, Federica Brignone (Sportswoman).

Sports News

7. Bhuvneshwar Kumar wins ICC Players of the Month award

• India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has won the ICC Player of the Month award for his superlative show in the recent limited over series against England in March. Bhuvneshwar became the third successive Indian recipient of the award since its inception early this year.
• South African Lizelle Lee, who played four ODIs against India where she scored a century and two half-centuries to move to the top of Women's ODI batting rankings, was named the ICC Women's Player of the Month for March.

Important Days

8. World Chagas Disease Day: 14 April

• The World Chagas Disease Day is observed on 14 April to raise public awareness and visibility among people about Chagas Disease (also called American trypanosomiasis or silent or silenced disease) and the resources needed for the prevention, control or elimination of the disease.
• The WHO approved the designation of Chagas Disease Day on May 24, 2019, at the 72nd World Health Assembly. It is one of 11 official global public health campaigns marked by WHO.
• The first World Chagas Disease Day was observed on 14 April 2020. The day has been named after Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, the Brazilian doctor who diagnosed the first case on 14 April 1909.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Headquarters of WHO: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Director general of WHO: Tedros Adhanom.
• WHO founded: 7 April 1948.

9. Ambedkar Jayanti: 14 April

• Ambedkar Jayanti ( also known as Bhim Jayanti) is an annual festival observed on 14 April to commemorate the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar who was born on 14 April 1891.
• The Day has been observed as an official public holiday throughout India since 2015. In 2021, we are marking the 130th birth anniversary of Babasaheb. Dr Ambedkar is known as the Father (chief architect) of the Indian Constitution.
• He was the first Law and Justice Minister of the country after the independence. Dr Bhim has been bestowed with the country’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna in 1990 posthumously.

10. International Turban Day: April 13

• The International Turban Day is celebrated every year on April 13 since 2004 to bring awareness of the strict requirement on Sikhs to put the turban as a mandatory part of their religion.
• The 2021 Turban Day marks the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and the festival of Baisakhi. The turban, also known as “dastar” or “pagri” or “pag” refer to the garment worn by both men and some women to cover their heads.

Obituaries News

11. Hockey Player Balbir Singh Junior passed away

• Balbir Singh Junior, who was a member of the silver medal-winning 1958 Asian Games Indian hockey team passed away.
• In 1962, he joined the Army as an emergency commissioned officer. He played for the Services hockey team in the national tournaments at Delhi. Singh retired as a Major in 1984 and later settled in Chandigarh.

12. Eminent Historian Yogesh Praveen passes away

• Eminent Historian and an expert on Awadh especially Lucknow Yogesh Praveen. Through his books and articles, he enabled the public to know about the rich heritage and culture of Avadh. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2019.
• The titles of his books like 'Dastan-e-Avadh', 'Tajdare-Avadh', 'Bahar-e-Avadh', 'Gulistan-e-Avadh', 'Doobta Avadh', 'Dastan-e-Luknow' and 'Aapka Lucknow' tell a long-lasting affair he had with the city.

Miscellaneous News

13. 'Lost golden city of Luxor' discovered by archaeologists in Egypt

• 'Lost golden city of Luxor' discovered by archaeologists in Egypt. The 3,400-year-old royal city was built by Amenhotep III, abandoned by his heretic son, Akhenaten, and contains stunningly preserved remains.
• Egyptologist Betsy Bryan has called the discovery ‘the second most important one since the tomb of Tutankhamun’.
• Akhenaten, who left the ‘golden city’ for a new capital at Amarna, encouraged a startlingly different style of Egyptian art. Here he is shown with his wife, Nefertiti, and three daughters.

Daily updates 6 April 2021

06 April 2021
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06th April 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Here is the Daily GK Update of 06th April 2021 covering the following news headlines: Miami Open, BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit, Sankalp se Siddhi, National Maritime Day, AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships.

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 06th April 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Business News

1. World Bank, AIIB approve loan for USD 300 million projects to Punjab

• The World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have approved the loan for USD 300 million (about Rs 2,190 crore) canal-based drinking water projects in Punjab. The project is aimed at ensuring quality drinking water and minimise water losses for Amritsar and Ludhiana.
• The entire project will be co-financed by IBRD (World Bank) – USD 105 million, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank – USD 105 million and the Punjab government – USD 90 million.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: Jin Liqun.
• Headquarters of AIIB: Beijing, China.
• AIIB established: 16 January 2016.
• Punjab CM: Captain Amarinder Singh.
• Punjab Governor: V.P.Singh Badnore.

2. World Bank approves USD 32 million projects to Mizoram

• The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a USD 32 million projects to improve management capacity and quality of health services in Mizoram.
• The project titled “Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project” will strengthen the governance and the management structure of the Mizoram Health department and its subsidiaries.
• This project will support the state government's efforts to deliver quality healthcare for the poor and vulnerable and those located in remote areas.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• World Bank Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States.
• World Bank Formation: July 1944.
• World Bank President: David Malpass.
• Chief Minister of Mizoram: Pu Zoramthanga; Governor: P.S. Sreedharan Pillai.

Appointments News

3. RBI deputy governor BP Kanungo retires

• BP Kanungo has stepped down from the post of the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India after his term ended on 2 April, cutting short all expectations of an extension of his tenure.
• He was appointed deputy governor in 2017 for three years. His term was extended by one more year in 2020. The other deputy governors of the RBI are Rajeshwar Rao, M.K. Jain and Michael Patra.

4. Shabir Khandwawala appointed new BCCI ACU chief

• Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala, who has served as the Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) before, is the new BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit chief.
• The 70-year-old, a 1973 batch IPS officer, takes over from Ajit Singh whose tenure ended on March 31.
• After retiring as Gujarat DGP in late 2010, Khandwawala worked with the Essar Group as an advisor and was also part of the central government's Lokpal Search Committee.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Secretary of BCCI: Jay Shah.
• President of BCCI: Sourav Ganguly.
• Headquarters of BCCI: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Founded: December 1928.

Schemes News

5. TRIFED launches “Sankalp se Siddhi”- Village and Digital Connect Drive

• Tribal Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (TRIFED) has launched Sankalp Se Siddhi - Village & Digital Connect Drive. It is a 100-day drive which was started on the 1st of April.
• The drive entails 150 teams visiting 10 villages each of which 10 in each region from TRIFED & State Implementation Agencies, visiting 10 villages each.
• The main aim of this drive is to activate the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras. Ministry of Tribal Affairs in a statement said that 100 villages in each region and 1500 villages in the country will be covered in the next 100 days.
• They will also identify tribal artisans and other groups and empanel them as suppliers so that they can have access to larger markets through the Tribes India network - both physical outlets and TribesIndia.com.
• It is expected that Sankalp Se Siddhi will aid in effecting a complete transformation of the tribal ecosystem across the country.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Minister of Tribal Affairs: Arjun Munda.

Awards News

6. Alfred Aho Wins the 2020 ACM Turing Award

• Lawrence Gussman Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Alfred V. Aho has won the 2020 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) A.M. Turing Award, known informally as the "Nobel Prize of computing." Aho shares the award with his long-time collaborator Jeffrey David Ullman.
• The Turing Award carries a $1 million prize, with financial support provided by Google, Inc. It is named for Alan M. Turing, the British mathematician who articulated the mathematical foundation and limits of computing.

7. Suman Chakraborty to get 30th GD Birla Award for Scientific Research

• Professor Suman Chakraborty has been selected for the 30th GD Birla Award for Scientific Research for his outstanding contribution to engineering science and its applications in developing technologies for affordable healthcare. He is a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur’s department of mechanical engineering.
• Instituted in 1991, the award recognises eminent Indian scientists below the age of 50 for their original and outstanding contributions to any branch of science or technology. It carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh.
• The recipient is chosen by a selection board, whose present head is professor Chandrima Shaha, the president of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA).

Sports News

8. Tashkent to host 2023 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships

• President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Umar Kremlev during his visit to Uzbekistan officially announced that AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships will take place in Tashkent in 2023.
• The city of Tashkent is awarded the 2023 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships after the successful bid presentation by the Boxing Federation of Uzbekistan. The AIBA Board of Directors voted in favour of the major event candidate city.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Uzbekistan Capital: Tashkent.
• Uzbekistan President: Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
• Uzbekistan Currency: Uzbekistani soʻm.

9. Hurkacz beats Sinner to win Miami Open

• Hubert Hurkacz of Poland won the biggest title of his career by beating 19-year-old Jannik Sinner of Italy 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the Miami Open final. Hurkacz became his country's first Masters 1000 champion.
• The world number 37 is the lowest-ranked player to win a Masters event since Tomas Berdych in Paris in 2005.

Important News

10. International Day of Sport for Development and Peace: 6 April

• The United Nations celebrates the 6th of April every year as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. Sport has historically played an important role in all societies, be it in the form of competitive sport, physical activity or play. Sports also presents a natural partnership for the United Nations (UN) system.
• Sport can help promote fairness, team building, equality, inclusion and perseverance. Sport and physical activity can also help us get through times of crisis, like COVID-19, by reducing anxieties and improving physical and mental health.
• The professional sport also provides employment and income to many people around the world and an integral sector to the economic success of many communities and regions.

11. Nation celebrates 58th edition of National Maritime Day

• National Maritime Day in India is observed on 5 April every year. This year is the 58th edition of the National Maritime Day. The National Maritime Day is celebrated every year day to illustrate the awareness in supporting intercontinental commerce and the global economy as the most well-organized, safe and sound, environmentally responsive approach of transporting goods from one corner to another corner of the world.
• The National Maritime Day was first celebrated on April 5, 1964. The saga of India shipping first started on April 5, 1919, when the SS Loyalty, the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd travelled from Mumbai to the United Kingdom (London). On this day an award called “Varuna” is conferred to those who made an outstanding contribution to the Indian maritime sector.

Obituaries News

12. Malayalam screenwriter P. Balachandran passes away

• Malayalam screenwriter, filmmaker, dramatist and actor, P. Balachandran has passed away. He is best known for the play Paavam Usman for which he won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and Kerala Professional Nataka Award in the year 1989.
• Balachandran has scripted many films including Ulladakkam (1991), Pavithram (1994), Agnidevan (1995), Punaradhivasam (2000), and Kammatti Paadam (2016). His directorial debut is Ivan Megharoopan (2012). He has also acted in a few films, the most notable being Trivandrum Lodge (2012).

The Covid situation in India has been becoming "bad to worse over the last few weeks,"

New Delhi: 

The Covid situation in India has been becoming "bad to worse over the last few weeks," the Centre said on Tuesday. "Trends show the virus is still very active just when we think we can control it, it sparks back," said VK Paul, chairman of the National Expert Committee on Vaccine Administration. He, however, denied that the mutated strains have a role to play in this surge. States are being told to enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour -- "Use the law, use fine... people need to wear a mask," he said.

Here are the Top 10 points in this big story:

1. "Punjab is neither doing adequate number of tests, nor is isolating infected people properly. Maharashtra has 3.37 lakh active cases. Death has increased from 32 in Feb to 118 now. Karnataka needs to improve testing and isolation," VK Paul said, discussing the situation in the states.
2. Delhi, taken as one district, is among top 10 COVID-19 high-burden districts. Eight such districts are from Maharashtra, he added.
3. "We have taken pride that fatality has been low. But the death rate is now at four times -- at 271 from 73. The virus needs to be eliminated," Mr Paul said. "We want to emphasize that without contact tracing, quarantining, isolation etc. we cannot contain the virus," he added.
4. Denying that there is an Indian variant of the virus, Mr Paul said "There is a concept of virus shift drift and shift. There is no such thing as an Indian strain. It is not a cause to panic". Mutations, he said, are sporadic and "not significant".
5. The ministry also said the presence of foreign mutant variants of the virus is low. Of the 11,064 genome samples sequenced in 10 national laboratories, the scientists have found 807 cases of the UK variant, 47 South African variant and one of the Brazilian variant so far.
6. The Centre has told the states that there should be saturation of vaccination for priority age groups in districts that are reporting a surge in cases.  As of March 30 morning, 6.11 lakh vaccine doses have been administered.
7. All private facilities must be utilised optimally for vaccination, Mr Paul said. The facility must have adequate space for waiting, vaccination and observation room. The hospital must have a functional cold chain storage, adequate number of verifier and vaccinators. They must also have facilities to address adverse events following immunization.
8. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has said there are seven more COVID-19 vaccine candidates in various stages of clinical trials, and a further two dozen in pre-clinical trials, At present India has two vaccines - AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
9. Both Covaxin and Covishield are effective against the UK, Brazilian variant of the virus, the government said. Work is on against the South African variant.
10. More than 68,000 new cases were reported on Monday, the most in a day since October. On Tuesday morning, more than 56,000 fresh cases were reported, taking the country's active caseload to nearly 5.5 lakh.