DAILY GK 5 AUG 2019

DAILY GK 5 AUG 2019

1. Lok Sabha to become paperless from next session

✔Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla announced that the Lower House will become paperless from the next session. It will save crores of rupees to the exchequer/ national treasury.

2. Netherlands imposed ban on burqa and niqab in public places

✔The cabinet of Netherlands imposed a ban on Burqa or niqab in public places, including public transport, government buildings and at health and education institutions. Anyone found guilty will have to pay a fine of Rs 28,000.

✔Along with burqa, niqab or veil, it also banned motor helmets and ski masks. It does not include headscarves, as they cover only the head and not the face. A fine of 150 euros will be imposed on breaking the law.

3. Reserve Bank bars NBFCs from Charging Loan pre-payment Penalties

✔The Reserve Bank of India has barred the both deposit-taking and non- deposit taking NBFCs from charging pre-payment /foreclosure charges on any floating rate term loans sanctioned for purposes other than business to individual loan borrowers.

✔The move will affect income line of NBFCs which are now troubling with the stock of issues including liquidity crisis.

✔RBI barred commercial banks from charging such penalties from individual borrowers with mortgage loans in May 2014. But it allows banks to charge on unsecured loans like credit cards, personal loans.

4. Microsoft joins hands with Apollo Hospitals to use AI for Cardiovascular Disease

✔Microsoft India has partnered with  Apollo Hospitals Group to set up a National Clinical Coordination Committee, which will guide the two entities on all cardiovascular-related Artificial Intelligence projects.

✔It will work for the AI-powered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score API (application program interface) built on Microsoft Azure (cloud computing service), to predict the risk of disease.

✔It will help Apollo & Microsoft to fight against the rising of Non-Communicable Diseases & help attain World Health Organization’s goal of reducing the risk of premature mortality by 25% from NCDs, including CVDs, by 2025.

5. Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev conferred with Bharat Gaurav Award 2019

✔Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev was conferred with Bharat Gaurav Award 2019 on the 100th foundation day of East Bengal Club at the award ceremony held at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal.

• Footballer Bhaichung Bhutia was honoured with the ‘Identifying and Nurturing the Icon’ award.
• Former India captains Manoranjan Bhattacharya and Bhaskar Ganguly were conferred with lifetime achievement award.
• Iconic footballer P.K. Banerjee was conferred with the ‘Coach of Coaches’ award.

6. Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Cyprus

✔Ministry of External Affairs Ms. Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Cyprus.

✔She is a 1999 batch Indian Foreign Service Officer presently working as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

✔She succeeds RK Raghavan.

7. India test-fires QRSAM from a test range in Odisha

✔India successfully test-fired its all-weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) from a mobile launcher at launch complex III of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.

✔This Missile Jointly developed by DRDO and Bharat Electronics Ltd.

✔QR-SAM weapon system is a quick reaction, network-centric missile system capable of search-on-the-move. QR-SAM system can also engage multiple targets within a range of around 25 to 30 km with 2 vehicle configuration for area air defence. It is a truck-mounted missile with a 360 degree rotatable, electro-mechanically operated, turret-based launch unit.

8. Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament 2019 held in Kaspiysk, Russia

✔21st Edition of Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament 2019 was held in Kaspiysk, Russia.

✔Indian boxers claimed 6 medals at the tournament- 2 golds, 1 silver and 3 bronze.

• Boxer Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) defeated Italy’s Assunta Canfora and won Gold medal.
• Neeraj (57kg) defeated Russia’s Malika Shakhidova and clinched gold medal.
• ii. Gaurav Solanki had to settle for a silver against Uzbekistan’s Abdulkhay Sharakhmatov.
• iii. Pooja Rani (75kg), Govind Sahani (49Kg) and Jony (60Kg) settled for bronze.

9. Free electricity up to 200 units in Delhi: CM Arvind Kejriwal

✔The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal announced free electricity to those consuming up to 200 units a month with effect from August 1, 2019.

✔Consumption of electricity between 201-400 units will approximately get 50% subsidy.

✔The allocation to subsidy will approximately remain the same from Rs 1800 crore to Rs 2000 crore.