Daily GK Update: 18th April 2021

Important Dates

World Heritage Day or International Day for Monuments and Sites is observed every year on April 18 to recognizing sites of historical importance, raising awareness regarding them, and stressing the need to restore and preserve them.
Theme 2021: Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures.
UNESCO’s General Conference established 18 April as World Heritage Day in 1982.
The day is promoted by International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) globally.

Banking & Finance

RBL bank has tied-up with Mastercard to launch mobile app titled as ‘Pay by Bank App’
The app is a mobile-based customer-friendly payment solution for growing demand of digital, contactless payments to ensure social distancing norms
Through this, bank customers will be able to make contactless transactions across the globe, both online and in-store, at all Mastercard accepting merchants across the world
Customers can make bill payments through mobile banking
HQs: Mumbai

Science & Technology

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has awarded Elon Musk’s SpaceX a contract to develop the first commercial moon, under its Artemis programme.
Total value of contract: $2.89 billion.
Under this, SpaceX will develop a spacecraft ‘ SpaceX Starship’ to land next two US astronauts, including a women astronaut at the lunar south pole region, by 2024.
NASA also aims to bring the first person of colour to the moon’s surface as part of the Artemis programme.

Obituaries

Former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ranjit Sinha (68 years) passed away due to COVID-19 in Delhi
He was a 1974-batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre and served as CBI Director from 3 December 2012 to 2 December 2014.
He also served as Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force, Railway Protection Force and several other senior positions in the CBI
Awards: Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1991 and President’s Police Medal in 1997

Science & Technology

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has virtually launched World 1st affordable and long-lasting hygiene product DuroKea Series to combat COVID-19 virus spreading
It has been developed by IIT Hyderabad researchers
The products kills 99.99% of germs instantly and leaves behind the long-lasting protective nanoscale coating up to 35 days till next wash.
DuroKea antimicrobial technology starts at Rs. 189.

State Affairs

Chairman of Expert Group on five All-India Surveys, S.P. Mukherjee has inaugurated an additional office of Labour Bureau in the Salt Lake City, Kolkata.
This new office will become a hub of important survey related activities for the entire Eastern Region.
It will serve the purpose of coordinating/ monitoring the progress of the field work through a dedicated team of Young Professionals/ Subject Matter Experts and officers of the Labour Bureau.

Obituaries

Renowned radiologist, Dr. Kakarla Subba Rao (96 years) passed away while undergoing treatment at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Secunderabad
He was a well-known radiologist both in India and overseas as well and served as the first director of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad
Award: Padma Shri in 2000
He was the founder president of Telugu Association of North America (TANA), an umbrella organisation for Telugu speaking people in US

Obituaries

Former Election Commissioner of India, G.V.G. Krishnamurty (86 years) passed away due to age-related ailments in New Delhi.
He had served as Election Commissioner from October 1, 1993 to September 30, 1996.
He was one of the founding fathers of the Indian Society of International Law and personally supervised and ensured the construction of its Building, opposite the Supreme Court of India.

Books & Authors

Suresh Raina’s much-awaited autobiography titled as ‘Believe – What Life and Cricket Taught Me’, is set to hit the bookstands in May 2021
It has been co-authored by Suresh Raina and sports author Bharat Sundaresan
It will be published by Penguin India publishing house.
The book talks about the story of Raina’s early days as a budding cricketer in UP, and the challenges he faced as a young cricketer and on the way to becoming a record-breaking batsman

Science & Technology

Skygazers watched a rare celestial event, known as occultation, when the moon came between Earth and Mars
Occultation (term used in astronomy): An event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer
If the closer body does not entirely conceal the farther one, it is called a transit
Both transit and occultation may be referred to generally as occlusion; and if a shadow is cast onto the observer, it is called an eclipse