DAILY GK: 7, 8 MAR 2021

 DAILY GK: 7, 8 MAR 2021

1. MARITIME INDIA SUMMIT-2021

•      PM Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the 2nd Edition of Maritime India Summit-2021 (MIS-2021)-“Exploring the potential business opportunities in Indian Maritime sector and making Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

•      On the sidelines of the MIS-2021, Chabahar day was commemorated on March 4, 2021.

•      PM Modi launched ‘Sagar-Manthan’: Mercantile Maritime Domain Awareness Centre (MM-DAC).

•      Around 574 Projects costing USD 82 Billion (~ INR 6 Lakh Crore) have been identified for implementation between 2015-2035 under the Sagarmala Project.

 

2. BOFA REPORT ON GENDER INEQUALITY

•      According to a report compiled by the economists of Bank of America (BofA), Gender inequality has cost the world USD 70 Trillion since 1990.

•      It also states that it would take a minimum of 257 years to bridge the gender gap.

•      If all countries become gender-equal, the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will increase by up to USD 28 Trillion by 2025.

•      Also as per LinkedIn’s  “The Opportunity Index 2021”, revealed that 85% of Indian women felt missed out of Salary hike or promotion because of their gender.

 

3. NPCI TIE UP WITH SBI PAYMENTS

•      National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnered with SBI Payments to launch the ‘RuPay SoftPoS’ solution.

•      It will convert the merchants and retailers NFC enabled smartphones into Point of Sale terminals.

•      Using this facility merchant were able to do digital payment and acceptance of up to INR 5000 through a simple ‘tap and pay’ mechanism via their smartphones.

 

4. RBI ANNOUNCES OPERATION TWIST CUM OMO

•      Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is all set to conduct the simultaneous purchase and sale of Government securities (GS) under Open Market Operations (OMO) for an aggregate amount of Rs 20,000 crore under purchase and Rs 15,000 crore under sale on March 10, 2021.

•      This makes it a combination of Operation Twist of Rs 15,000 crore and OMO of Rs 5000 crore.

•      The bids for the same will be accepted by RBI in electronic format through its Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber).

 

5. COMMITTEE TO COMMEMORATE 75 YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE DAY

•      The Government of India constituted a National Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 75 years of Independence day which falls on 15th August 2022.

•      The day will be commemorated at national and international level in the form of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

•      The committee consists of 259 members.

 

6. G R CHINTALA TOOK OVER AS CHAIRMAN OF APRACA

•      GR Chintala, the Chairman of the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) took over as the Chairman of Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA). 

•      He succeeds DPK Gunasekera, General Manager of Bank of Ceylon (BOC).

•      APRACA is an international organisation which performs information exchange, takes capacity building initiatives and creates new institutions.

 

7. 1ST INDIAN CHAIRPERSON OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF UNHRC

•      Ajai Malhotra has become the first Indian to be elected as the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). 

•      His 3-year term on the committee will expire on 30th September 2023.

•      The Advisory Committee is a body of 18 independent experts serving as a think-tank to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

 

8. DRDO SUCCESSFULLY TESTS SOLID FUEL DUCTED RAMJET TECHNOLOGY

•      Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight demonstrated Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur in Balasore, Odisha.

•      With this test, DRDO achieved a technological advantage of developing long range air-to-air missiles (AAMs) with SFDR.

•      Meanwhile the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata, carried out keel laying of Yard 3024 (third stealth frigate) for the Navy under Advanced Stealth Frigate Project, P 17A.

 

9. VIVO REGAINS IPL TITLE SPONSORSHIP

•      Chinese smartphone maker, VIVO, regained its Title Sponsorship in 2021’s edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).

•      Previously, in 2018 VIVO acquired the title sponsorship of IPL for 5 years at a cost of Rs. 2,199 crores, ie; 440 crores per year.

•      Due to the backslash of Chinese products in 2020, VIVO took a temporary break from the IPL’s title sponsorship, which was acquired by Dream11 at 50% cost of Rs. 222 crores for 2020 edition.

 

10. M.G. GEORGE MUTHOOT PASSED AWAY AT 71

•      Mathai George George Muthoot (MG George Muthoot), Chairman of the Muthoot Group passed away at the age of 71 in New Delhi. 

•      He was born in November 1949 in Kerala.

 

11. 2 NEW KVS IN PUNJAB AND KARNATAKA

•      Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced opening of two new Kendriya Vidyalayas in Karnataka and Punjab.

•      KV Sadalaga, Belagavi, in Karnataka and KV IIT Ropar in Punjab will be two new additions to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.

•      With this, the total number of KVs across the country will rise to 1247.

 

12. INDIAN ARMY LAUNCHES COMMUNITY RADIO STATION

•      The first of its kind in North Kashmir, Community Radio Station with the tagline “Radio Chinar 90.4, Har Dil Ki Dhadkan” was inaugurated by the Indian Army for the Awam in Mazbugh, Sopore.

•      The reach of the Community Radio Station will be Sopore, Bandipora and Baramulla Districts.