Current Affairs Today 23rd January 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 23rd January 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

  • Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti is celebrated on 23 January 2020.
  • The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched a blockchain-technology based payment system ‘Vajra Platform’.
  • ICICI Bank has rolled out “Cardless Cash Withdrawal” service through ATM.
  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated India’s growth rate for the fiscal year 2019 as 4.8%.
  • The United Nations has lowered India’s GDP growth rate to 5.7% for the Fiscal Year 2019-20 in its World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2020 report.
  • GAIL India Ltd. plans to invest over Rs.45,000 crore over the next five years.
  • Union Cabinet approved to revised cost estimates for the establishment of permanent campuses of new National Institutes of Technology (NITs).
  • India joined the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Reskilling Revolution on 22 January which is being held in Davos, Switzerland
  • Uttarakhand has become the 1st state in the country where the government has made a policy to lease agricultural land.
  • The annual wildlife census has begun in the Kalakkadu – Mundanthurai tiger sanctuary in Tamil Nadu on 22 January 2020. It will be held until 27 January.
  • The Punjab Government has announced a ban on three-wheelers that are older than 15 years and run on fossil fuel.
  • Madhya Pradesh state government has announced incentives for the players who performed well in Khelo India Youth Games 2020 in Guwahati, Assam.
  • The Andhra Pradesh State Legislative assembly passed the Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill 2020 and the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of all Regions Bill 2020 on 20 January.
  • The Jaipur Literature Festival has commenced in Jaipur today. Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the festival.
  • In Gujarat, the two day Odisha Mahaotsav as a part of Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat Programme was launched
  • The Union Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the High-level roundtable of United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) programme at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
  • Guyana under Ambassador Rudolph Ten-Pow took over the chairmanship of G77.
  • Election Commission of India (ECI) is to host the 10th Annual Meeting of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) and an International Conference on Strengthening Institutional Capacity.
  • The national conclave on Emerging Opportunities in the natural gas sector was held on 23 January in New Delhi.
  • The coal-belching town of Jharia in Jharkhand to be the most polluted city in India according to a Greenpeace India Report.
  • India ranked 51st in the Democracy Index 2019.
  • Indian Oil has signed an MoU with Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority for proper execution of the Ghana’s National LPG Promotion Policy.
  • The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
  • The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Challa Sreenivasulu Setty as the Managing Director of the State Bank of India.
  • Ministry of Defence approved the procurement of military equipment worth over Rs.5,100 crore from indigenous sources.
  • The founder and CEO of India based HealthSetGo, Priya Prakash, has won the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award for 2019
  • The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented the 14th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in New Delhi.
  • President Ram Nath Kovind presented the ICCW National Bravery Award 2019 to 10 girls and 12 boys.
  • France will train Indian flight surgeons for the ambitious human space mission Gaganyaan.
  • The Indian Space Agency Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) unveiled Vyommitra, a prototype of half humanoid.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti is celebrated on 23 January

  • Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti is celebrated on 23 January 2020.
  • The day marks the 124th birth anniversary of Bose.
  • Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary commemorates his contribution to India’s struggle for independence.

Extra Shots:

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose:

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was born in Cuttack, Odisha on 23 January 1897. He ranked second in the matriculation examination and fourth in the Indian Civil Services (ICS) examination. He was a member of the Indian National Congress (INC). He introduced the famous slogan ‘Jai Hind’. He revamped the Indian National Army (INA).

BANKING AND FINANCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Blockchain-Based “Vajra Platform” launched by NPCI for secure payments

  • The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched a blockchain-technology based payment system ‘Vajra Platform’.
  • The newly launched platform, which is based on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) has been designed for automating payment clearing and settlement processes of NPCI products such as unified payments interface (UPI) and Rupay card.
  • The platform has three types of nodes:
  1. Clearing House node (CHN) for NPCI.
  2. UIDAI node for Aadhaar authentication.
  3. Participant node (PN) for all banks.

Extra Shots:

NPCI: The National Payments Corporation of India is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.

  • Headquarters location: Mumbai
  • Founded: 2008
  • Number of employees: 1,000
  • Type of business: Section 8 Company
  • Founders: Reserve Bank of India, Indian Banks’ Association

ICICI Bank launches ‘Cardless Cash Withdrawal’ via ATM

  • ICICI Bank has rolled out “Cardless Cash Withdrawal” service through ATM.
  • The “Cardless Cash Withdrawal” service can be used for cash withdrawal having a per day transaction limit of Rs 20,000.
  • The service will enable the ICICI customers to withdraw cash from the ATM by putting a request on ICICI Internet Banking App “iMobile”.
  • Hence, this service provides cash withdrawal facility from ATM without any use of Debit Card.
  • The service also comes with secure and convenient cash withdrawal process for everyday usage and purchases, everything from the convenience of the user’s mobile phone.

Extra Shots:

ICICI: ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra with its registered office in Vadodara, Gujarat. As of 2018, ICICI Bank is the second largest bank in India in terms of assets and market capitalisation.

  • CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Founder: Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

IMF has lowered India’s growth rate to 4.8% for FY 2019

  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated India’s growth rate for the fiscal year 2019 as 4.8%.
  • IMF has lowered India’s growth rate stating weak income growth in rural areas and the increasing stress in the non-bank financial sector.
  • IMF has also projected India’s growth rate as 5.8% in 2020 and 6.5% in 2021.

Extra Shots:

IMF: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 189 countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world while periodically depending on World Bank for its resources.

  • Headquarters: Washington, D.C. U.S.
  • Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva
  • Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath

UN lowers India’s GDP growth rate to 5.7% for FY 2019-20

  • The United Nations has lowered India’s GDP growth rate to 5.7% for the Fiscal Year 2019-20 in its World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2020 report.
  • UN has lowered the growth rate to 5.7% from 7.6% which it projected in its WESP 2019 report.
  • UN has also projected India’s growth rate at 6.6% for FY 2020-21 and 6.3% for FY 2021-22.
  • According to the UN, India’s growth rate for FY 2018-19 was 6.8%.

Extra Shots:

UN: The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization responsible for maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and being a center for harmonizing the actions of nations.

  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States
  • Official languages: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish;
  • Secretary General: António Guterres

GAIL to invest over Rs.45,000 crore to expand the National Gas Pipeline Grid

  • GAIL India Ltd. plans to invest over Rs.45,000 crore over the next five years.
  • The move is to expand the National Gas Pipeline Grid and city gas distribution network.
  • The investment aims to boost the greater use of environment-friendly fuel.

Gas pipelines:

♦ The gas pipelines are planned to take the fuel to the east and northeast regions and to consumers in the south

♦ The move is in line with the government’s aim to raise the share of natural gas in India’s energy basket to 15% by 2030 from the current 6.2%.

♦ It also supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of creating a gas-based economy that is less reliant on polluting fuels for meeting its energy needs.

♦ GAIL is currently operating 12,160 km of the pipeline network. It markets two-thirds of all natural gas sold in the country.

♦ It is currently executing more than 5,500 km of pipeline projects in India.

Extra Shots:

GAIL: Gail Limited is Government of India undertaking company. Gail is the largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company in India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It is a state-owned enterprise of the Government of India, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

  • CEO: Sh B. C. Tripathi
  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • Owner: Government of India

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Cabinet approved revised cost estimates for new NITs

  • Union Cabinet approved to revised cost estimates for the establishment of permanent campuses of new National Institutes of Technology (NITs).
  • It also at a total cost of Rs.4371.90 crore for the period till 2021-2022.
  • The cabinet also approved the extension of tenure of the Commission constituted under Article 340 of the Constitution, to examine the issue of sub-categorization within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central List.

 

India joins Reskilling Revolution scheme at the WEF annual meet

  • India joined the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Reskilling Revolution on 22 January which is being held in Davos, Switzerland. The 50th WEF Annual Meeting is being held from 21-24 January 2020.
  • The Reskilling Revolution scheme aims to train workers from technological change and help economies by providing new skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

WEF’s Reskilling Revolution:

♦ The scheme will act as a public-private platform to generate new employment opportunities.

♦ The initiative plans to provide one billion people with better education, skills, and jobs by 2030.

♦ WEF released a report titled Jobs of Tomorrow: Mapping Opportunity in the New Economy.

♦ LinkedIn will act as a data partner for the Reskilling Revolution scheme.

Extra Shots:

WEF: The World Economic Forum, based in Cologny-Geneva, Switzerland, is an NGO, founded in 1971. The WEF’s mission is cited as “committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas”.

  • Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland
  • Founder: Klaus Schwab
  • Founded: January 1971
  • Leader: Klaus Schwab
  • Motto: Committed to improving the state of the world
  • Subsidiary: Golomt Financial Group Llc

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Uttarakhand will soon going to implement Agricultural land leasing policy

  • Uttarakhand has become the 1st state in the country where the government has made a policy to lease agricultural land.
  • In lieu of giving land on a 30-year lease, the concerned farmer will get the rent for the land.
  • In the hilly areas of the state, the obstacles of leasing land for farming, agriculture, horticulture, herbs, off-season vegetables, milk production, tea plantation, fruit hybridization and solar energy has been removed with this step.

Extra Shots:

Uttarakhand:

  • Capital: Dehradun
  • Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat
  • Governor: Baby Rani Maurya
  • Literacy Rate: 78.82%
  • National Park: Corbett National Park, Gangotri National Park, Govind National Park, Nanda Devi National Park, Rajaji National Park, Valley of Flowers National Park

Wildlife census began in Kalakkadu-Mundanthurai tiger reserve

  • The annual wildlife census has begun in the Kalakkadu – Mundanthurai tiger sanctuary in Tamil Nadu on 22 January 2020. It will be held until 27 January.
  • The census results will be included in the annual State of Wild Life Population report of the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment.

Survey:

♦ The survey will be conducted in the entire 60,000 hectare area of the sanctuary.

♦ In the first phase of the survey, carnivores like jackals, tiger, crocodile, etc, will be counted.

♦ In the second phase, herbivores like elephants, deer, gaur, etc will be considered.

Extra Shots:

Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR):

Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve is located in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu. It was established in 1988. As per the 1977 Census, there are at least 150 endemic plants, 33 fish, 37 amphibians, 81 reptiles, 273 birds and 77 mammal species in the reserve.

Tamilnadu

  • Capital: Chennai
  • Chief Minister: Edappadi K.Palanisamy
  • Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
  • Chief Justice of Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
  • National Park: Guindy NP,Gulf of Mannar Marine NP, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP,     Mudumalai NP, Mukurthi NP.

Punjab bans Autos older than 15 years in the state

  • The Punjab Government has announced a ban on three-wheelers that are older than 15 years and run on fossil fuel.
  • The vehicles will be replaced with electric or compressed natural gas (CNG) engines.

Ban on Autos:

♦ The move comes as there is a large number of the auto that is more than 15 years are operating in the state.

♦ Earlier, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has already banned the registration of new diesel/petrol three-wheelers in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, and Mohali districts.

♦ The ban on autos in Patiala and Bathinda districts is underway.

♦ Also, in major cities, the CNG supply stations have been set up.

♦ State Police have been empowered to remove the old autos.

Extra Shots:

Punjab:

  • Capital: Chandigarh
  • Chief Minister: Captain Amarinder Singh
  • Governor: V.P. Singh Badnore
  • State Formed on: 1 November 1966
  • Literacy Rate: 75.84%

MP to give incentives for medal winners in Khelo India Youth Games

  • Madhya Pradesh state government has announced incentives for the players who performed well in Khelo India Youth Games 2020 in Guwahati, Assam.

Incentives:

♦ The state players will be provided international level sports infrastructure, sports equipment, training in the modern and scientific methods, and all other required facilities.

♦ The government will give an incentive of Rs.1 lakh to the gold medal winner, Rs.75,000 to the silver medalist and Rs.50,000 to the bronze medalist of the Khelo India Youth Games.

♦ Madhya Pradesh had won a total of 46 medals including 15 gold and 11 silver medals. In 2019, the state won only 8 gold medals in Khelo India 2019.

Extra Shots:

Madhya Pradesh:

  • Capital: Bhopal
  • Chief Minister: Kamal Nath
  • Governor: Lalji Tandon
  • National Park: Bandhavgarh NP, Fossil NP, Kanha NP, Madhav NP, Panna NP, Pench NP, Sanjay NP, Satpura NP

AP passed bills for three capital system in the State

  • The Andhra Pradesh State Legislative assembly passed the Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill 2020 and the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of all Regions Bill 2020 on 20 January.
  • The bills were aimed to decentralize the state’s capital between Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, and Kurnool.
  • The Decentralization Bill provides the provision to divided the state into various zones and establishing zonal planning and development boards.

3 Capitals:

♦ The three capitals are Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, and Kurnool

  • Amaravati will remain as the legislative capital
  • Vishakhapatnam will remain as the executive capital
  • Kurnool will remain as the judicial capital.

♦ Andhra Pradesh state government adopted the three-capital system in order to ensure equal development throughout the state.

Extra Shots:

Andhra Pradesh:

  • Capital: Amravati
  • Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
  • Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
  • State Formed in: 1 November 1956
  • Literacy Rate: 67.4 %
  • National Park: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Sri Venkateswara National Park, Papikonda National Park

Jaipur Literature Festival begins today

  • The Jaipur Literature Festival has commenced in Jaipur today. Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the festival.
  • This is the platform where people can share their views without any hesitation.

Extra Shots:

Rajasthan:

  • Capital:Jaipur
  • Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot
  • Governor: Kalraj Mishra
  • Literacy Rate: 11%
  • National Park: Sariska National Park, Ranthambhore National Park, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Desert National Park, Mukundra Hills (Darrah) National Park

Odisha Mahaotsav in Gujarat begins today as part of Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat

  • In Gujarat, the two day Odisha Mahaotsav as a part of Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat Programme was launched
  • More than one lakh people from Odisha are settled in Surat and other parts of Gujarat.
  • They will showcase the art, culture, traditions and rich heritage of Odisha in this festival. According to Odisha Samaj sources, most of the Odisha people staying in Surat are from Ganjam district of Odisha.
  • Recently, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had also attended the cultural event of Odisha Samaj in Surat.

Extra Shots:

Gujarat:

  • Capital: Gandhinagar
  • Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
  • Governor: Acharya Devvrat
  • State formed on: 1 May 1960
  • Literacy Rate: 79.31%
  • National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP, Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch

Odisha:

  • Capital: Bhubaneswar
  • Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
  • Governor: Ganeshi Lal
  • State Formed in: 1 April 1936
  • Literacy Rate: 72.87%
  • National Park: Bhitarkanika NP, Simlipal NP

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya participate at UNAIDS Programme

  • The Union Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the High-level roundtable of United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) programme at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
  • The theme of the programme is “Access for all: Leveraging Innovations, Investments and Partnerships for Health”.
  • The main objective of the programme is to coordinate global action on the AIDS disease and alleviate its impact.
  • It was established in 1994.

 

Guyana took over the G77 chairmanship from Palestine

  • Guyana under Ambassador Rudolph Ten-Pow took over the chairmanship of G77.
  • It assumed the chairmanship of the Group from the State of Palestine.
  • In 2020, Group of 77 will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
  • The Group of 77 (G77) is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations.
  • India is a member of the G77.

Extra Shots:

Guyana (Capital/Currency): Georgetown/ Guyanese dollar (GYD)

  • President: David A. Granger
  • Prime Minister: Moses V. Nagamootoo

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

ECI to host 10th Annual Meeting of FEMBoSA at New Delhi

  • Election Commission of India (ECI) is to host the 10th Annual Meeting of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) and an International Conference on Strengthening Institutional Capacity.
  • The theme of the 10th annual meeting of the forum is Strengthening Institutional Capacity.
  • There will be three sessions during the Conference focusing on Election Management Bodies and international organizations.
  • The meeting aims to Strengthen Institutional Capacity of EMBs in various countries.
  • The 9th annual meeting of FEMBoSA was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in September 2018.

Extra Shots:

ECI: The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India at national, state and district level.

  • Formed: 25 January 1950
  • Objectives: Constitutional Autonomous Body conducts the elections to the offices of the President and Vice-President of India,Parliament,State Legislative assemblies and Legislative councils
  • Jurisdiction: Government of India
  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • First executive: Sukumar Sen
  • Preceding executive: Om Prakash Rawat

National Conclave on Emerging Opportunities in Natural Gas sector held in New Delhi

  • The national conclave on Emerging Opportunities in the natural gas sector was held on 23 January in New Delhi.
  • It was graced by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • The present share of gas in the energy basket of the country is 6.2% and the target is to take it to 15% by 2030.
  • In India, Gujarat has a 26% share of gas-based energy.

Extra Shots:

  • Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

RANKS AND INDICES

Greenpeace India Report: Jharia most polluted city in India

  • The coal-belching town of Jharia in Jharkhand to be the most polluted city in India according to a Greenpeace India Report.
  • Jharkhand’s Dhanbad, known for its rich coal reserves and industries, is the second-most polluted city in India.
  • Delhi is the 10th-most polluted city in India, according to the report.
  • As per the report, 6 of the top-10 polluted cities are in Uttar Pradesh comprising of Noida, Ghaziabad, Bareilly, Allahabad, Moradabad and Firozabad. Lunglei in Mizoram is the least polluted city in the country.
  • The report is based on analysis of PM10 data from 287 cities across the country.

India ranked 51st in the 2019 Democracy Index

  • India ranked 51st in the Democracy Index 2019.
  • It has dropped 10 places in the Democracy Index’s global ranking.
  • The survey described the erosion of civil liberties in India as the primary cause of democratic regression.

Top 5 countries in the List:

1) Norway with 9.87

2) Iceland with 9.58

3) Sweden with 9.39

4) New Zealand with 9.26

5) Finland with 9.25

Bottom 5 countries:

163) Chad with 1.61

164) Syria with 1.43

165) The Central African Republic with 1.32

166) The Republic of Congo with 1.13

167) North Korea with 1.08

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

Indian Oil to provide assistance for Ghana’s National LPG Promotion Policy

  • Indian Oil has signed an MoU with Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority for proper execution of the Ghana’s National LPG Promotion Policy.
  • According to the MoU, Indian Oil will provide its technical expertise and assistance to Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority.
  • The MoU is expected to strengthen the ties between India and Ghana in the field of Petroleum as Indian Oil will help Ghana in the successful execution of its plan of Re-circulation Model (CRM) of LPG.
  • The MoU will also provide for administrative support to Indian Oil in case it decides to take part as a commercial participant in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.

Extra Shots:

Indian Oil Corporation Limited, commonly known as IndianOil is an Indian government owned oil and Gas Company headquartered in New Delhi. It is the largest commercial oil company in the country.

  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • Chairperson: Sanjiv Singh

MoRD signs MoU with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen grassroots institutions

  • The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
  • The MoU aims to strengthen grassroots institutions of the rural poor.
  • The MoU will remove barriers such as gender inequality and lack of opportunities for women’s entrepreneurship and poor health.
  • It will provide access to financial institutions and markets.

APPOINTMENT

PRESENT PERSON APPOINTED

(MD & CEO)
 Indian Overseas Bank R Koteeswaran
Oriental Bank of Commerce Animesh Chauhan,
Vijaya Bank Kishore Kumar Sansi
United Bank of India P Srinivas
Canara Bank Lingam Venkat Prabhakar
Bank Of Baroda Sanjiv Chadha
Bank Of India Atanu Kumar Das
   

 

Challa Sreenivasulu Setty appointed as MD of SBI

  • The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Challa Sreenivasulu Setty as the Managing Director of the State Bank of India.
  • Department of the Financial Services proposed his name to the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet for the position of Managing Director of the State Bank of India.
  • Setty’s appointment has been done for 3 years.
  • Challa Sreenivasulu Setty is presently serving in the State Bank of India as its Deputy Managing Director.

Extra Shots:

State Bank of India: Founded on: As 2 June 1806 (Bank of Calcutta), 15 April 1840 (Bank of Bombay), 1 July 1843 (Bank of Madras), 27 January 1921 (Imperial Bank of India), 1 July 1955 (State Bank of India)

  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
  • Chairman: Rajnish Kumar
  • SBI is the largest commercial bank and the largest mortgage lender across the country.
  • SBI has 22,010 branches and 58,000 ATM/CDM across India.

DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

MoD approves procurement of military equipment worth over Rs.5,100 crore

  • Ministry of Defence approved the procurement of military equipment worth over Rs.5,100 crore from indigenous sources.
  • It also approved the construction of six conventional submarines for the Navy in India under the strategic partnership model.

Approved by:

  • The approval was announced after the meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and several top officials.

DAC Approvals:

  • The procurement includes sophisticated Electronic Warfare Systems for the Army designed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
  • The equipment will be manufactured locally by the Indian industry.
  • Also, DAC shortlisted Indian strategic partners (SP) and the potential Original Equipment

Extra Shots:

  • Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh

AWARDS

HealthSetGo CEO Priya Prakash wins Cisco Youth Leadership Award 2019

  • The founder and CEO of India based HealthSetGo, Priya Prakash, has won the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award for 2019.
  • The award was given for her school health program that provides healthcare support to children. The prestigious award honours an individual aged 18 – 30 who is bringing about a positive change in the world by solving some of its biggest global challenges.
  • The award includes a US $250,000 prize.
  • HealthSetGo is a healthcare organisation that supports the UN’s (United Nation) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to improve the health & lives of children.
  • HealthSetGo in a span of 4 years has become India’s largest healthcare organisation for schools.

 

Ramnath Goenka Excellence Awards presented by President Kovind

  • The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented the 14th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in New Delhi.
  • These awards are one of the most prestigious awards in India in the field of journalism, held annually since 2006.
  • These are awarded to honour journalists across the country from print, broadcast and digital media who have maintained the highest standards of their profession and, despite immense challenges, produced work that sustains public trust in the media and impacts the lives of people. The award is named after Ramnath Goenka, who was an Indian newspaper publisher and founder of “The Indian Express” and Indian Express Group.

President Ram Nath Kovind presented the ICCW National Bravery Award

  • President Ram Nath Kovind presented the ICCW National Bravery Award 2019 to 10 girls and 12 boys. He also awarded 16-year-old Muhammed Muhsin, who drowned while saving three of his friends in the rough sea in April 2019, from Kozhikode in Kerala posthumously. He was chosen for the ICCW Abhimanyu Award.
  • Indian Council for Child Welfare Award:
  • The National Bravery Award, ICCW award, was instituted in 1957 by Indian Council for Child Welfare.
  • The award recognizes children who perform outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service.
  • So far, the award has been awarded to 1,004 children, of which 703 are boys and 301 are girls.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Gaganyaan Mission’s Flight Surgeons will be trained by France

  • France will train Indian flight surgeons for the ambitious human space mission Gaganyaan.
  • The training is a critical aspect of the Gaganyaan project that is aimed at sending three Indians to space by 2022.
  • The flight surgeons, who will be Indian Air Force doctors specialising in aviation medicines and responsible for the health of astronauts before, during and after the flight.
  • France has a well-established mechanism for space medicine.
  • It also has the MEDES space clinic, a subsidiary of CNES, where space surgeons undergo training.
  • The four shortlisted astronauts all test pilots from the Indian Air Force are currently in Russia for an 11-month training programme.

Extra Shots:

France (Capital/Currency): Paris/Euro

  • Prime Minister: Édouard Philippe
  • President: Emmanuel Macron

ISRO to send half humanoid Vyommitra as a trial to space ahead of Gaganyaan mission

  • The Indian Space Agency Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) unveiled Vyommitra, a prototype of half humanoid.
  • ISRO has decided to send Vyommitra as a trial to space before Gaganyaan which has aimed at sending astronauts to space in an orbital spacecraft.
  • Vyommitra will be sent ahead of the first unmanned mission under Gaganyaan.
  • It has been designed in a way that it will simulate most of the human body functions.
  • The half humanoid has no legs. It will try to simulate a human and report back to ISRO.
  • ISRO has selected 4 Indian astronauts for India’s first human space mission.
  • The training of the Indian astronauts will take place in Russia.

Extra Shots:

ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organisation is the space agency of the Government of India and has its headquarters in the city of Bengaluru. Its vision is to “harness space technology for national development while pursuing space science research & planetary exploration”.

  • Headquarters: Bengaluru
  • Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
  • Founded: 15 August 1969
  • Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan
  • Subsidiary: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

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