Daily GK Update: 19th August 2022

 Sports

1. FIBA U-18 women Asian Basketball championship to be held in Bengaluru

• Dr. Narayanagowda (Karnataka Sports and Youth Empowerment minister) has announced that Bengaluru will host FIBA U-18 women Asian Basketball championship from September 5th to 11th.
• The international event will be organised in the Sree Kanteerava Indoor stadium and Koramangala Indoor stadiums.
• Division A team will compete with Division B team in the championship to qualify for the FIBA World Championship to be held in July 2023 in Spain. 

 National Affairs

2. PM Modi addressed `Har Ghar Jal Utsav’ in Goa virtually

• PM Narendra Modi has virtually addressed the Har Ghar Jal Utsav, that was organized in Goa under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• The event will be attended by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Goa CM, Pramod Sawant.
• During the event, the QR code payment system for water bills was also launched.
• Goa is the first State, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is the first UT in the country, to achieve 100% Har Ghar Jal certification.

 Defense

3. India, China participate in Vostok-2022 held in Russia

• Indian army and Chinese Army will attend the Vostok 2022 military exercises that will held in Russia from August 30 to September 5.
• Other participants: Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikstan.
• The strategic command and staff exercise will be held under the chief of Russia's General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, at 13 training grounds of the Eastern Military District.
• In 2021, India had attended ZAPAD 2021 drills in Russia in which 17 countries including China and Pakistan.

 National & International Appointments

4. Anuj Poddar appointed as MD, CEO of Bajaj Electricals

• Bajaj Electricals has elevated its Executive Director Anuj Poddar to Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• The company has separated the post of Chairman & Managing Director to marks the company's commitment to strong corporate governance standards.
• Shekhar Bajaj will continue as Executive Chairman of the company.
• Bajaj Electricals had a turnover of Rs 4,813 crore in FY22.
• Bajaj group founder: Jamnalal Bajaj; Founded: 1926; HQ: Pune, Maharashtra.

 Banking & Finance

5. HDFC Bank launched ‘Vigil Aunty’ Campaign

• HDFC Bank has launched latest campaign 'Vigil Aunty’ with an aim to promote safe banking habits among people.
• Anuradha Menon who plays the popular character of ‘Lola Kutty’ on television, will be the face of the ‘Vigil Aunty’ campaign.
• This campaign will run with the Bank’s popular ‘Mooh Band Rakho’ campaign, that urges people not to share their confidential banking information with others.
• The Vigil Aunty campaign will run for 4-6 weeks.
• HDFC Bank CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan

 Defense

6. Vietnam-India bilateral army exercise Vinbax 2022 concluded at Chandimandir

• The 3rd Edition of Ex VINBAX 2022 Bilateral Army Exercise between India and Vietnam has been concluded at Chandimandir, Haryana.
• Theme of Ex VINBAX – 2022: Employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team under United Nations Contingent for Peacekeeping Operations.
• Focus: Strengthening mutual confidence and interoperability.
• The next edition of VINBAX will be hosted in Vietnam in 2023.

 National Affairs

7. Minister of Fisheries, Parshottam Rupala launches 'Aqua Bazar' app

• The National Fisheries Development Board (NPFB) has conducted the 9th governing body meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Minister of Fisheries, Parshottam Rupala.
• During the event, he has also launched an online marketplace feature - 'Aqua Bazar' app.
• The app will help the fish farmers and stakeholders to source the inputs such as fish seed, feed and medicines required for fish culture.
• He has released a book on Super Success Stories from Indian Fisheries.

 National Affairs

8. India’s first electric double-decker bus unveiled in Mumbai

• Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari has unveiled Switch EiV 22, India’s first electric double-decker air-conditioned bus, in Mumbai.
• The electric bus was designed, developed and manufactured in India by Switch Mobility, Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle arm.
• The double decker has a lightweight aluminium body construction that provides higher passenger-to-weight ratio and a competitive cost per km, per passenger.

 National Affairs

9. Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik scheme completed 5 years successfully

• Ministry of Civil Aviation’s flagship program Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNagrik) has completed 5 years of success.
• Aim: An enhanced aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in tier II and tier III cities.
• In 2014, there were 74 operational airports, but after the launch of the UDAN scheme this number has been increased to 141 by now.
• Under the scheme, more than 1 crore passengers have been benefited till August 4, 2022.

 Important Dates

10. World Photography Day 2022: 19 August

• World Photography Day is observed on August 19 every year to celebrate the beautiful art of photography.
• Theme 2022: Pandemic Lockdown through the lens
• This day was originated after the invention of the 'daguerreotype'.
• Daguerreotype is a photographic process that was developed in 1837 by Frenchmen Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce.
• On August 19, 1839, the French government has announced about the invention of the daguerreotype.

 National & International Appointments

11. India's IT Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma appointed to UN internet panel

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Electronics and Information Technology Secretary of India, Alkesh Kumar Sharma to a panel of 10 eminent experts on internet governance.
• The panel includes: Vint Cerf, Hatem Dowidar, Lise Fuhr, Maria Fernanda Garza, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Maria Ressa, Karoline Edtstadler, Gbenga Sesan, Lan Xue.
• Agenda: To deal with strategic and urgent issues of the Internet and provide solution

 National Affairs

12. Ratan Tata invests Goodfellows, senior companionship startup

• Ratan Tata has invested in Goodfellows, a senior companionship startup that provides companionship services to senior citizens.
• The startup is designed to pair senior citizens with young graduates to form meaningful friendships.
• The company offers a freemium subscription model in which the first month is free only to understand the concept without actually going through it.
• The second month onward, the user has to pay a small subscription fee.

 Obituaries

13. Author of Kocharethi, Narayan passed away

• Kerala’s first tribal novelist and short story writer, Narayan has been passed away at the age of 82 in Kochi due to age-related ailments and had tested Covid positive.
• He was born in the Malayaraya community in Kadayathur hills in Thodupuzha taluk in 1940.
• His debut novel, 'Kocharethi' published in 1998, was selected for the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 1999.
• The novel has been translated to English, Hindi and south Indian languages.