DAILY GK: 22,23 APRIL 2021

 DAILY GK: 22,23 APRIL 2021

1.INSURANCE SCHEME UNDER PMGKP EXTENDED FOR 1 MORE YEAR

      The Central Government has extended the Insurance scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) for Health workers fighting COVID-19 for a period of one year.

      It was announced by the Government as part of its INR 1.7 Lakh Crore COVID-19 relief package.

      The insurance scheme provides an insurance cover of INR 50 Lakh to health workers fighting COVID-19 & for those who lost their lives on account of COVID-19 duty, it lapsed on March 24, 2021.

      The scheme is implemented by New India Assurance (NIA) Company Limited.

 

2.GENDER SAMVAAD LAUNCHED

      The event Gender Samvaad was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development’s  Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihood Mission(DAY-NRLM) to create  awareness about gender related interventions.

      The Event was launched as a part of the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav.

 

3.1ST COUNTRY TO RATIFY FREE TRADE AGREEMENT RCEP

      Singapore ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), with this it became the 1st Participating country to ratify the RCEP, which is the World’s Largest Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

      RCEP is an initiative led by China, India had pulled out of the pact in 2019.

      In November 2020, 15 Asia -Pacific countries including 10 members of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and their 5 Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia signed the RCEP.

 

4.INDIA ELECTED TO 3 BODIES OF UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

      India has been elected by acclamation (a form of election that does not use a ballot) to 3 bodies of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

      It has been elected to the 3 bodies for a 3-year term beginning January 1, 2022.

      Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)

      Executive Board of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women)

      Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP)

 

5.BITE FIRST CRYPTOCURRENCY EXCHANGE TO PROVIDE INVESTMENT DECLARATION

      Bitex, the UAE based Cryptocurrency exchange, has announced its issuing of investment declaration reports for all its retail and institutional investors in compliance with the amendments made to the Companies Act 2013, by which it became the first Cryptocurrency exchange in India to provide such reports.

      The report will contain information about what the investors have sold or bought, hence, it will act as proof of the exact money the investors made or lost while trading in cryptocurrencies to tax authorities.

 

6.NEOBANK FI FOR MILLENNIALS

      Sujith Narayanan and Sumit Gwalani , co-creators of Google Pay have announced the launch of Fi,a NeoBank for salaried millennials in partnership with Federal Bank.

      Fi’s android app will start operation from 21st April 2021 and its iOS app is still in processing and will be launched soon.

 

7.ICC DEVELOPMENT AWARDS FOR 2020

      The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Argentina, Brazil, Uganda and Vanuatu as the global winners of the ICC Development Awards for 2020 for their contribution to cricket through different exceptional programmes in 2020.

      ICC Development Award 2020:

Award Category

Awardee

Awardee’s Contribution to the game

ICC Development Initiative of the Year               

Cricket Argentina

Attracted local audiences in South America to cricket              

100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year           

Cricket Brazil

Developed women’s game in South America

ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year Association

Vanuatu Cricket 

Provided cricket to fans during the pandemic             

Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year

Uganda Cricket Association

Supported their players, volunteers and their families through a COVID-19 relief programme

 

8.EX RBI GOVERNOR M NARASIMHAM PASSES AWAY

      13th Reserve Bank of India(RBI) Governor Maidavolu Narasimham passed away at Hyderabad due to Covid-19.

      He was born on 3rd June 1927 in Guntur,Andhra Pradesh.

      M Narasimham was popularly known as The Father of  Banking sector reforms in India for his contribution to the Indian banking and financial sector.

      He also served as the Executive director in World Bank and in International Monetary Fund.

      He also served as the Vice President of Asian Development Bank(ADB).

 

9.WORLD CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION DAY 2021

      The United Nations(UN)’s World Creativity and Innovation Day is annually observed across the globe on 21st April to create awareness about the role of creativity and innovation in all the aspects of human development.

 

10.NATIONAL CIVIL SERVICES DAY 2021

      The National Civil Services Day is annually observed across India on 21st April to acknowledge and appreciate the contribution of the civil servants towards ensuring the seamless functioning of the public administration.

 

11.  INDIA’S DEMOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGE TO OVERTAKE CHINA’S BY 2035

      China’s demographic transition owing particularly to its stricter birth policies has grappled it with the problem of ageing population and dwindling work-force.

      A report released by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank, said that China should immediately liberalize its birth policies to tackle the problems of an ageing population and plan to compete economically with a demographically young India and an immigration-friendly US.

 

12. RAILWAY AWARDED FOR MAYUR SHELKE FOR EXEMPLARY ACT OF BRAVERY

      Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has announced a 50 thousand rupees award for Mayur Shelke for exemplary acts of bravery.

      Mayur showed exceptional courage in saving a precious life by rescuing a child who had slipped and fallen on the tracks from the platform.

 

13. 5TH GLOBAL FORUM ON TB VACCINE VIRTUALLY

      Dr Harsh Vardhan addressed the 5th Global Forum on TB Vaccines virtually from 20th April to 22nd April 2021.

      The forum is convened by Stop TB Partnership Working Group on New Vaccines in association with International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) & TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI).

      Union Minister Harsh Vardhan called upon the global community to ensure fundings to develop the TB vaccine by 2023 and to eradicate TB in India by 2025 and globally before 2030.

      Lakshadweep became the 1st TB Free Union Territory in India.Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) 1st TB Free District of India.

 

14.‘FORM-BASED CODES’ FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY LAND

      The Indian Railways Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) has developed 1st of its kind ‘Form-based codes’ for commercial development of railway lands.

      The initiative aims to transform railway lands or railway station areas into Railopolis.

 

15.WORLD CITIES CULTURAL FORUM 2021

      Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi will be representing Delhi and India at the World Cities Cultural Forum (WCCF) 2021.

      The Forum comprises 40 world cities including London, Tokyo and New York.

      The WCCF 2021 Forum was hosted by London.

      The theme of WCCF 2021 is “The Future of Culture”.

 

16.WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX 2021

      India with a score of 46.56 retained 142nd Rank (out of 180 countries) in the World Press Freedom Index 2021 released by international journalism not-for-profit body, Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) (also known as Reporters Without Borders).

      The index was topped by Norway (for the 5th time), followed by Finland & Sweden.

      India has been classified as a country with a ‘bad’ environment for Press Freedom, it shared the classification with Brazil, Mexico & Russia.

 

17.GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION INDEX 2021

      India with a score of 53 has been ranked 87th (out of 115 countries) in the Global Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2021 released by World Economic Forum (WEF) in its report ‘Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2021’ edition.

      The index was topped by Sweden, Norway & Denmark.

      The report has been prepared by WEF in partnership with Accenture.

 

18.FIRSTRAND BANK TO EXIT INDIA

      FirstRand Bank , the second largest bank in South Africa has decided to withdraw its banking services from India just within a week of Citi banks exit.

 medium enterprises only in 2012.

 

19.LG ELECTRONICS CLOSES DOWN MOBILE PHONE BUSINESS

      South Korea’s LG Electronics has announced that it is closing down its mobile phone business unit worldwide after nearly six years of losses totalling $4.5 billion. The decision was approved by its board of directors April 2021.

 

20.INDIA’S CAG  G C MURMU APPOINTED EXTERNAL AUDITOR OF OPCW

      India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu has been appointed as External Auditor of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for a three-year term starting 2021.

      India was also selected as a member of the Executive council of the OPCW representing the Asia group for another 2-year term.

 

21.4TH KHELO INDIA YOUTH GAMES 2021

      Haryana is set to host the 4th edition of theKhelo India Youth Games 2021, which will be held from 21st November 2021 to 5th December 2021 at Panchkula, Ambala, Shahabad, Delhi and Chandigarh.

      This will be the first time that the Khelo India Youth games are held away from the January window and in multiple cities.

      Some of the (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – BRICS) BRICS Games 2021 will also be organised during Khelo India Games.

 

22.INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY 2021

      The United Nations(UN)’s International Mother Earth Day has been observed annually across the globe on 22nd April since 2009.

      The day aims to create awareness about the deteriorating environment,to protect the people’s livelihood and to stop the biodiversity decline.

      The theme of the Earth Day 2021 is “Restore Our Earth”.

 

23.COVISHIELD TO COST RS 400 FOR STATE GOVT HOSPITALS

      Serum Institute of India has announced the price for its COVISHIELD vaccine for State governments and Private Hospitals in the country.

      The Vaccine will cost 400 rupees per dose for the state governments whereas Private Hospitals will have to pay 600 rupees for each dose.

 

24.HERO JOINS HANDS WITH TAIWAN’S GOGORO

      Hero MotoCorp has formed a partnership with Taiwan’s Gogoro Inc to develop electric vehicles for the Indian market.

      The two companies will establish a battery swapping joint venture to bring Gogoro’s battery swapping platform to India and will collaborate on EV development to bring Hero-branded, powered-by-Gogoro Network vehicles to the domestic auto market.