Tuesday 16 February 2021
GK Update of eighth February 2021 masking the next information headlines: Ease of Doing Business, South Korea, Asom Mala, Google Cloud, United Nations Climate Envoy.
National News
1. 4 extra states full ‘Ease of Doing Business’ Reforms
- As per the latest knowledge by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), 4 extra states have accomplished the reforms within the ‘Ease of Doing Business’, as stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
- The 4 states are- Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. These states have develop into eligible to mobilise further monetary assets to the tune of Rs 5,034 crore via open market borrowings.
- Now the overall variety of state that has undertaken the reforms to advertise Ease of Doing Business until now has gone as much as 12. The different states are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
International News
2. South Korea to Build World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm
- President Moon Jae-in-led, South Korea Government has authorised a plan to construct the world’s largest wind energy plant within the nation by 2030. Currently, the world’s largest offshore wind farm is Hornsea 1 in Britain, which has 1.12 GW capability.
- The mission will assist to foster an environmentally-friendly restoration from the COVID-19 pandemic and fasten the step to attain the goal of turning into carbon impartial by 2050.
- The estimated value of the mission is 48.5 trillion gained ($43.2 billion).
- The Windpower Plant can be positioned within the southwestern coastal city of Sinan. It could have a most capability of 8.2 gigawatts.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- South Korea Capital: Seoul.
- South Korea Currency: South Korean gained.
States News
3. PM Modi launches Asom Mala in Assam’s Sonitpur district
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Asom Mala’ programme in Dhekiajuli of Sonitpur district, Assam.
- As per the PMO, this initiative will increase the state’s highway infrastructure and contribute to Assam’s financial progress and enhance connectivity.
- The programme is exclusive for its emphasis on efficient upkeep via steady subject knowledge assortment and its linkage with the Road Asset Management System.
- PM Modi additionally laid the inspiration stones of medical schools and hospitals in Biswanath and Charaideo with an purpose to spice up Assam’s well being infrastructure.
- The two medical schools and hospitals are being arrange at Biswanath and Charaideo at a complete estimated mission value of over Rs 1,100 crores. Each hospital could have a 500-bed capability and 100 MBBS seat capability.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Assam CM: Sarbananda Sonowal.
- Assam Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.
4. Uttarakhand Chamoli glacier burst
- The glacier burst befell on the Rishiganga energy mission after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan space of Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on seventh February morning and broken the Rishiganga dam on Alaknanda river.
- National Thermal Power Corporation’s (NTPC) Tapovan Vishnugad mission on Dhauliganga river and Rishi Ganga Power Corporation Ltd’s mission, with a deliberate capability of 520 MW and 13.2 MW, respectively, have been practically washed away.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat.
- Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.
Appointments News
5. Google Cloud appoints Bikram Singh Bedi as MD for India
- Google Cloud has appointed Bikram Singh Bedi as the brand new Managing Director for its India Business. He will succeed Karan Bajwa, who has been elevated as Vice president for the Asia Pacific (APAC) area cloud operations at Google Cloud.
- At Google, Bikram Bedi can be chargeable for main Google Cloud’s gross sales and operations groups on this dynamic market.
- Google Cloud can also be on observe to launch its Delhi cloud area in India this 12 months – its second after Mumbai that was launched in 2017.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- CEO of Google: Sundar Pichai; Headquarters: California, United States.
6. Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala set to develop into the primary feminine Chief of WTO
- Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been chosen as the following Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
- She could be the primary lady in addition to the primary African nation to guide the group. Okonjo-Iweala, the previous finance minister of Nigeria, will succeed Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down in August 2020.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- World Trade Organization Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
- World Trade Organization Founded: 1 January 1995.
7. Michael Bloomberg Re-Appointed as United Nations Climate Envoy
- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres re-appointed Michael Bloomberg as his Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions.
- Bloomberg is the founder and proprietor of Bloomberg LP, the mum or dad firm of Bloomberg News. He was beforehand appointed because the U.N. particular envoy for local weather motion between March 2018 and November 2019.
- Bloomberg will work to strengthen the group of governments, firms, cities and monetary establishments which might be working to succeed in carbon neutrality by 2050, according to the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
- He would additionally work to mobilise stronger and extra bold local weather motion within the lead-up to 2021 United Nations Climate Change convention in Scotland in November 2021.
Defence News
8. sixteenth India-US joint navy train ‘Yudh Abhyas 20’ commenced
- The India-US joint navy train “Yudh Abhyas 20” commenced in Mahajan Field Firing Range of Bikaner district in Rajasthan.
- This is the sixteenth version of an annual bilateral joint train of each the armies. It will proceed until the twenty first of this month.
- About 250 US and 250 Indian military troopers are collaborating within the train. Both the armies will share their war-related methods, abilities and expertise with one another throughout this train. The train is likely one of the largest navy coaching and defence cooperation efforts between India and the United States.
Summits and Conferences News
9. India, EU maintain high-level dialogue
- The first India-European Union High-Level Dialogue was co-chaired by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal from India aspect and the European Union Executive Vice-President & Trade Commissioner Mr Valdis Dombrovskis, from the EU aspect.
- This Dialogue was organised according to the dedication made on the fifteenth India-EU Leader’s Summit held in July 2020.
- Ministers agreed for additional deepening of bilateral commerce and funding relationship via a sequence of normal engagements, aiming at fast deliverable for the companies in these robust occasions.
- They additionally agreed to satisfy inside the subsequent three months, to succeed in consensus on a number of bilateral commerce & funding cooperation points like bilateral Regulatory Dialogue; an India-EU Multilateral Dialogue to discover additional prospects of cooperation.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- European Union (EU) Headquarters location: Brussels, Belgium.
- European Union (EU) Founded: 1 November 1993.
- European Parliament President: David-Maria Sassoli.
Science and Technology News
10. NASA Selects SpaceX to launch its SPHEREx Mission
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has chosen spaceflight firm, SpaceX to launch its SPHEREx Mission.
- Through this mission, NASA goals to carry out an all-sky survey to measure the near-infrared spectra of roughly 450 million galaxies throughout the universe and 100 million stars inside our Milky Way galaxy.
- The SPHEREx or the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) spacecraft.
- The small astrophysics spacecraft, SPHEREx, weighs 329-lb. (178 kilograms).
- It can be launched to area aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, in June 2024, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Acting Administrator of NASA: Steve Jurczyk.
- Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.
- NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.
11. Square Kilometre Array Observatory launched
- The newly constituted Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) Council has authorised for the institution of the world’s largest radio telescope. The telescope will allow astronomers to observe the sky in unprecedented element and survey all the sky a lot quicker than any system presently in existence.
- To look into among the unexplored areas of the universe and search solutions about its historical past and evolution, research basic physics in excessive environments and find out about galaxies over cosmic time.
- Radio telescopes, in contrast to optical telescopes, can detect invisible fuel and may reveal areas of area which may be obscured by cosmic mud.
Sports News
12. Joe Root turns into first batsman to attain 200 in one centesimal Test
- Joe Root, the England captain, despatched India on a leather-based hunt, turning into the first participant in historical past to rating a double century in his one centesimal Test match.
- In the method, Root additionally surpassed former Pakistan captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq because the participant with the very best particular person rating enjoying the one centesimal Test match of his profession. Inzamam had hit 184 in opposition to India in a Test match in Bengaluru in 2005, which Pakistan had gained by 168 runs.
Obituaries News
13. Oscar-winning Canadian actor Christopher Plummer passes away
- Oscar-winning actor Christopher Plummer, who rose to prominence for his critically-acclaimed movie ‘Sound of Music’, has handed away. He gained the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on the age of 82 for Beginners (2010), turning into the oldest individual to win an appearing award.
- The prolific and versatile Canadian-born actor has obtained varied awards for his work, which incorporates Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a British Academy Film Award.
14. Indian tennis nice Akhtar Ali passes away
- Tennis legend Akhtar Ali, a father determine in Indian tennis, handed away. He represented India in eight Davis Cup ties in opposition to Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, Mexico, Japan and Monaco between 1958 and 1964.
- Born on July 5, 1939, Akhtar made his mark in 1955 when he grew to become the National junior champion and reached the junior Wimbledon semifinals. He performed alongside stalwarts like Ramanathan Krishnan, Naresh Kumar, Premjit Lall and Jaidip Mukerjea.