DAILY GK 29 JULY 2020

DAILY GK 29 JULY 2020

1. GOI FUNDED 10 BROAD GAUGE LOCOMOTIVES HANDED OVER TO BANGLADESH

·        Indian Railways handed over the specifically modified 10 railway broad gauge locomotives to Bangladesh, which will help in handling the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh.

·        All locomotives can attain speed of up to 120 km per hour and have a residual life of 28 years or more.

·        The locomotives were flagged off virtually to Bangladesh by External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Railway Minister Piyush Vedprakash Goyal.

·        New rail link, between Agartala in India and Akhaura in Bangladesh is being constructed & financed under Grant Assistance of India to further strengthen rail connectivity.

2. RAVINES OF CHAMBAL REGION INTO ARABLE LAND 

·        Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare announced that the Central Government in collaboration with the World Bank has decided to convert the area of ravines in the region of Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh into cultivable land.

·        Around 3 lakh hectares land of this region are non-cultivable, this conversion will improve and support the integrated development of the Bihad area in the region of Gwalior-Chambal.

3. INDIA’S GDP BOOSTS TO 2.5% BY AI : REPORT

·        Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare announced that According to The report titled, ’Implications of AI on the Indian Economy’ by National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) along with the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and Google, a unit increase(measured as the ratio of AI to total sales) in Artificial Intelligence(AI) intensity can result in a 2.5% increase in India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) in the immediate term.

·        The report noted that the Investment of Rs 7,000 crore, announced in the Union Budget towards AI program will increase AI investments at rates higher than the business-as-usual-rates.

4. 100 ELECTRIC POTTERS WHEELS TO ARTISANS OF GUJARAT

·        Under the ‘Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana’ of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Union Home Minister Amit Shah distributed 100 electric potters wheels to 100 trained artisans of Gujarat.

·        The KVIC have trained around 100 potters from around 14 villages and distributed around 100 electric potters wheels and 10 blunger machines.

5. CROP INSURANCE CAMPAIGN, ‘BOHOT ZAROORI HAI’

·        Bharti AXA General Insurance has launched its crop insurance campaign,’Bohot Zaroori Hai’ for farmers in Maharashtra and Karnataka to encourage them about their yield protection and financial security.

·        It aims to create awareness to farming communities about the relevance and significance of crop insurance.

·        Bharti AXA General Insurance had received Rs 800 crore worth crop insurance mandate from the governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka to insure their farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) 

6. LIQUIDITY SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES IN MALDIVES

·        On the occasion of Independence Day of the Maldives on July 26, 2020, the largest Indian public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI) provided liquidity support of USD 16.20 million as a COVID-relief for the Government of Maldives to overcome liquidity shortage.

·        It should be noted that the year 2020 marks the 55 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and the Maldives.

·        The growing relationship between both nations is premised upon the ‘India First’ policy of Maldives and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy of India.

7. INDIAN OIL AND FRANCE’S  JV TO MAKE SUPERIOR QUALITY BITUMEN

·        Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) has formed an equal(50:50) Joint Venture(JV) with France’s Total S.A. to manufacture and market high-quality innovative bitumen derivatives and superior quality products like polymer-modified bitumen, crumb rubber modified bitumen among others for the growing road-building industry in India.

·        The JV will commence by taking over an existing plant of Total at Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

8. ANTÓNIO GUTERRES’S NEW YOUTH ADVISORY GROUP ON CLIMATE CHANGE

·        The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres named Indian climate activist Archana Soreng among 7 members to his new Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change.

·        The members will advise him regularly on accelerating global action and also provide solutions to tackle the worsening climate crisis.

·        This is to mobilize climate action as part of the COVID-19 recovery efforts.

·        The members are between the ages of 18 and 28 years old

9. WORLD HEPATITIS DAY 2020 – JULY 28

·        The first World Hepatitis Day was observed on 28th July 2011.

·        Theme- “Hepatitis-free future” focusing on prevention of Hepatitis B among mothers and newborns.