Friday 19 March 2021
GK Update of eleventh March 2021 overlaying the next information headlines: Lunar Space Station, Digital Payment Scorecard, IDBI Bank, Wear N Pay, ISRO, NASA.
International News
1. Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou wins Africa’s prime prize
- Mahamadou Issoufou, the incumbent President of Niger has gained the “2020 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership”, the world’s largest management prize, value $5 million.
- He is the sixth winner of the Ibrahim Prize because it was launched in 2006, by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim’s basis to advertise good governance on the planet’s poorest continent.
- The 69-year-old Issoufou is stepping down as president of Niger in April 2021, after serving two phrases in workplace. He first took workplace in 2011 and was then re-elected in 2016.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Niger Capital: Niamey.
- Niger Currency: West African CFA franc.
2. China and Russia Inks MoU to collectively construct Lunar Space Station
- The area businesses of China and Russia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of their nationwide governments, to collectively assemble a lunar area station that shall be open to all nations.
- The MoU was formally signed between the Chinese area company, China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Russian area company Roscosmos, on March 09, 2021.
- Dubbed because the “International Scientific Lunar Station (ISLS)”, the centre shall be a “complex of experimental and research facilities” created on the moon’s floor and/or in orbit of the moon.
- The purpose of organising ISLS is strengthening analysis cooperation and selling the exploration and use of outer area for peaceable functions within the pursuits of all mankind.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- China Capital: Beijing.
- China Currency: Renminbi.
- China President: Xi Jinping.
- Russia President: Vladimir Putin.
- Russia Capital: Moscow.
- Russia Currency: Russian Ruble.
Banking News
3. MeitY launched the record of “Digital Payment Scorecard”
- The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the record of “Digital Payment Scorecard”. In the record, the State Bank of India (SBI) has topped for the third consecutive months.
- The digital fee scorecard tracks the efficiency of the Commercial Banks on a number of digital parameters. SBI maintained the highest remitter financial institution by recording the very best UPI transaction quantity which accounted for practically Rupees 640 million.
- SBI has additionally emerged as the most important issuer of debit playing cards. It issued over 290 million debit playing cards with a 30% market share with respect to card spends and 29% share with respect to transaction quantity. Bank has additionally made regular progress with respect to rising fee acceptance infrastructure.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- SBI Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara.
- SBI Headquarters: Mumbai.
- SBI Founded: 1 July 1955.
4. RBI removes PCA restrictions on IDBI Bank
- The Reserve Bank of India has eliminated IDBI Bank from its enhanced regulatory supervision or Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework.
- It was famous that as per printed outcomes for the quarter ending December 31, 2020, the financial institution just isn’t in breach of the PCA parameters on regulatory capital, web NPA and leverage ratio.
- The financial institution has additionally supplied a written dedication that it might adjust to the norms of minimal regulatory capital, web NPA and leverage ratio on an ongoing foundation and has apprised the RBI of the structural and systemic enhancements that it has put in place which might assist the financial institution in persevering with to satisfy these commitments.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- IDBI Bank CEO: Rakesh Sharma.
- IDBI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
5. Axis Bank launches “Wear N Pay” contactless fee wearable units
- Axis Bank has launched a spread of wearable contactless fee units underneath the model Wear ‘N’ Pay. These units come in numerous types of wearables like a band, key chain and watch loop and can be found beginning at Rs 750.
- The wearables are instantly linked to the checking account of an Axis Bank buyer and performance like a daily debit card. It permits purchases at any service provider retailer which accepts contactless transactions.
- Axis Bank’s new ‘Wear N Pay’ units can be found in a wide range of equipment just like the band, key chain, and watch loop.
- Users don’t want to hold their smartphones and pockets for funds anymore. These wearable units will be worn simply to hold out contactless transactions on the go.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Axis Bank Commenced operations: 1994.
- Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Axis Bank Tagline: Dil Se Open.
- Axis Bank MD and CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry.
Defence News
6. India-Uzbekistan joint army train DUSTLIK II commences in Ranikhet
- The India – Uzbekistan joint army train DUSTLIK II has commenced in Foreign Training Node Chaubatia, Ranikhet in Uttarakhand. This is the Second Edition of the annual bilateral joint train of each armies.
- It will proceed until the nineteenth of this month. The first version of the train was held in Uzbekistan in November 2019. 45 Soldiers every from Uzbekistan and the Indian Army are taking part within the train.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Capital of Uzbekistan: Tashkent; Currency: Uzbekistani Som.
President of Uzbekistan: Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Science and Technology News
7. ISRO Develops Joint Earth Observation Satellite Mission Radar With NASA
- ISRO has accomplished the event of a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) able to producing extraordinarily high-resolution photographs for a joint earth remark satellite tv for pc mission with the US area company NASA. NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a joint collaboration for a dual-frequency L and S-band SAR for earth remark.
- NISAR would be the first satellite tv for pc mission to make use of two totally different radar frequencies (L-band and S-band) to measure modifications in our planet’s floor lower than a centimetre throughout.
- The mission is focused to launch in early 2022 from ISRO’s Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district, about 100 km north of Chennai.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan.
- ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- ISRO established: 15 August 1969.
- Acting Administrator of NASA: Steve Jurczyk.
- Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.
- NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.
Appointments News
8. Girish Murmu re-appointed Chairman of UN Panel of External Auditors
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), Girish Chandra Murmu has been re-appointed because the Chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations for the 12 months 2021. Prior to this, Mr Murmu was elected as Chairman of the Panel for 2020 as properly.
- At current, the panel consists of 13 nations that are India, Germany, Chile, China, United Kingdom, France, Philippines, Switzerland, Italy, Ghana, Indonesia, Canada and Russia.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- CAG Founded: 1858.
- CAG Headquarters location: New Delhi.
Awards News
9. Amitabh Bachchan to be honoured with 2021 FIAF Award
- Megastar Amitabh Bachchan shall be honoured with an award by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF).
- The veteran actor would be the first Indian cinema persona to be bestowed with the FIAF Award for his dedication and contribution to the preservation of the world’s movie heritage.
- Amitabh Bachchan was nominated for the award by the FIAF affiliate Film Heritage Foundation which is a not-for-profit organisation based by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur a filmmaker & archivist. This basis is devoted to protect, restore, doc, exhibit and research the movie heritage of India.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- FIAF Founded: 17 June 1938; Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
Important Days
10. Central Industrial Security Forces Celebrates its 52nd Raising Day
- The Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) – Raising Day (CRD) is noticed on March 10 in India yearly. In 2021, the nation is celebrating the 52nd Raising Day of CISF. The fundamental goal of the CISF is Better “protection and security” of commercial undertakings in each authorities and personal sectors within the nation.
- CISF was arrange underneath an Act of the Parliament of India on 10 March 1969, for the higher safety and safety of commercial undertakings within the nation.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Director-General of Central Industrial Security Force: Subodh Kumar Jaiswal.
Obituaries News
11. Veteran Marathi Actor Shrikant Moghe Passes Away
- The Marathi stage and movie actor, Shrikant Moghe has handed away. He was in style for his work in each Marathi and Hindi languages. He was born at Kirloskarwadi within the Sangli district of Maharashtra.
- He is understood for his performances in Marathi movies like Madhuchandra, Sinhaasan, Gammat Jammat and Umbaratha, and performs resembling Varyavarchu Varaat and Tuze Aahe Tujapashi.
Miscellaneous News
12. President Ram Nath Kovind presents Baton of Honor to Kiran Bedi
- President Ram Nath Kovind has introduced a baton of honour and a letter of appreciation to former Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- The former Puducherry lieutenant governor acquired a Baton of Honor adorned with the symbol of the Indian Republic and the appreciation letter recognizing her service within the Union Territory of Puducherry.
- Kiran Bedi was eliminated because the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry on February 16 by the President of India and Tamilisai Soundararajan took extra cost because the Lieutenant Governor on February 18.
13. Deepika Padukone joins WEF record of Young Global Leader
- Actor Deepika Padukone has joined the record of the Young Global Leaders (YGLs) compiled by the World Economic Forum. The record additionally consists of a number of Indian residents and India-origin individuals.
- They be part of a bunch of Nobel Prize recipients, Pulitzer winners, heads of state and chief govt officers dedicated to bettering the state of the world.
- The Forum of Young Global Leaders was based in 2005 by Klaus Schwab, founder and govt chairman of the WEF, to create a world the place leaders take duty for a sustainable future whereas assembly more and more advanced and interrelated challenges.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- World Economic Forum Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland.
- World Economic Forum Founder: Klaus Schwab.
- World Economic Forum Founded: January 1971.