Daily GK Update: 10th August 2022

 National & International Appointments

1. James Marape sworn in as prime minister of Papua New Guinea for second term

• James Marape, who become the prime minister of Papua New Guinea in 2019, has been re-elected as PM of the country for second term.
• Papua New Guinea has been governed by multi-party coalitions.
• He joined the PANGU Pati in May 2019 and announced to lead the PANGU Pati.
• About Papua New Guinea:
  • Capital: Port Moresby; Currency: Kina
  • It is a South Pacific nation.
  • It got independence from Australia on 16 September 1975.
  • It is rich reserves of copper, gold, and oil

 National Affairs

2. PM Modi dedicate second generation (2G) Ethanol Plant in Panipat, Haryana

• PM Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation the 2nd Generation (2G) Ethanol Plant at Panipat in Haryana through video conferencing.
• The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, at an estimated cost of over 900 crore rupees.
• The project will utilise about two lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around three crore litres of Ethanol per annum.
• It will also contribute to a reduction of Greenhouse Gases.

 Obituaries

3. AIADMK's MP, K Maya Thevar passes away

• Former MP of AIADMK, K Maya Thevar has been passed away at 88 due to age-related ailments.
• He started his career as lawyer, and practised as an advocate at the Madras HC.
• Later he moved to politics and joined AIADMK, and becomes the candidate for the first-ever Lok Sabha election faced by the AIADMK after the formation of the party in 1972 by former CM MG Ramachandran.
• He had also selected the two-leaves symbol for seeking a mandate from Dindigul constituency, TN.

 Obituaries

4. Asian Championship medalist Kamaraj passes away

• Former Athlete, P V Kamaraj has been passed away at 68 due to a massive heart attack in Chennai.
• He was a part of the 4x400m Indian men's relay team that won bronze at the 1979 Asian Championships, Tokyo.
• He was retired as a Chief Reservation Officer with the Indian Railways and had contributed immensely to athletics in Tiruchi (hometown of Kamaraj).
• He was a NIS-trained coach and had trained the Tamil Nadu state team for several years.

 Sports

5. 44th Chess Olympiad concluded; India's men & women team win bronze medal

• The 44th edition of the Chess Olympiad has been concluded in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• India 'B' team (Men's) comprising D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwaniand and Adhiban won the bronze medal after defeating Germany.
• India 'A'  team (Women's) comprising Vaishali and Koneru Humphy, Tania Sachdev and Bhakti Kulkari won the bronze medal.
• The Uzbekistan team won gold medal in the men's section and Armenia clinched the silver medal.

 Sports

6. Serena Williams announces her retirement from professional tennis

• American legendary tennis player, Serena Williams has announced her retirement from professional tennis.
• The US Open 2022 would be her farewell tournament.
• She has been ranked singles world No.1 by the Women's Tennis Association for 319 weeks.
• She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the second most of all time by any player in the open history after an Australian player, Margaret Court (24).
• She won her first Grand Slam, the U.S. Open in 1999.

 International Affairs

7. Singapore declared Padang as 75th national monument of the country

• Singapore has declared its 200-year-old iconic green open space Padang as its 75th national monument as the country celebrates its 57th National Day (9th August).
• From this site, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had given his ‘Delhi Chalo’ slogan in 1943.
• From now, the Padang has been preserved and accorded the highest level of protection in Singapore under the Preservation of Monuments Act.
• The victory parade of Japanese surrender on September 12, 1945 was held on Padang.

 Defense

8. 12th edition of Defence Expo to be organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

• The 12th edition of the Defence Expo, India's flagship exhibition on Land, Naval and Homeland Security systems will be organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The event will be held between October 18 and 22, 2022.
• Theme: Path to Pride
• Focus: Live demonstrations showcasing the equipment and skill set of the Armed Forces, DPSUs and Industry.
• The exhibition is in line with the vision of PM Modi to achieve self-reliance in defence and achieve export of $5 billion by 2025.

 National Affairs

9. Google launches 'India Ki Udaan' to mark 75 years of independence of India

• Google has launched the 'India ki Udaan' project to celebrate the 75 years of Independence of India in the presence of Union Culture and Tourism Minister, G Kishan Reddy and other senior officials.
• It was executed by Google Arts and Culture.
• It is based on the theme ‘Unwavering and undying spirit of India over these past 75 years’.
• The project will use rich archives and feature artistic illustrations to tell the story of India.
• Google CEO: Sundar Pichai

 Important Dates

10. World Biofuel Day 2022: August 10

• World Biofuel Day is celebrated annually on August 10 to mark the importance of non-fossil fuels as a replacement for conventional fossil fuels.
• On this date, Sir Rudolf Diesel (German) successfully ran his diesel engine on peanut oil. 
• In India, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change started celebrating World Biofuel Day 2015 onwards.
• Three types of biofuels used in India: Bioethanol, biodiesel, and biogas

 Agreement

11. Microsoft join ONDC to launch a shopping app in India

• Microsoft becomes the first global Big Tech Company to join the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
• ONDC is an Indian government initiative for developing a first-of-its-kind open network for digital commerce.
• Microsoft has intended to introduce social e-commerce via its app in the Indian market later this year.
• Initially, the network began its pilot in De­lhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Bho­pal and Shillong.
• ONDC is sponsored by the DPITT.

 National & International Appointments

12. Pramod Kumar appointed as CFO of Power Grid Corporation

• Board of Directors of the Powergrid Corporation of India Limited has approved the appointment of Pramod Kumar as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
• Prior to this, he served as the Executive Director (Finance) of the company.
• He has an experience of 35 years in the Power Sector including Finance and Accounting functions i.e. finalisation of Corporate Accounts, formulation of Capital Budget etc.
• Power Grid HQ: Gurgaon; Chairman & MD: Kandikuppa Sreekant

 Banking & Finance

13. PNB HFC increases its Unnati portfolio to offer affordable loans

• PNB Housing Finance has revamped its 'Unnati' loan portfolio to offer affordable housing loans of ₹9-12 lakh to target customers.
• PNB Housing has created a small vertical under Unnati which will be different from existing ₹18-19 lakh as affordable housing loans.
• In the June quarter, PNB HFC has already opened 10 more branches.
• PNB HFC:
  • HQ: New Delhi
  • MD & CEO: Hardayal Prasad
  • It was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956.