Daily GK Update: 23rd September 2022

 Honours & Awards

1. Daniel A. Spielman awarded 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics

• Daniel A. Spielman has been honoured with the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics for multiple discoveries in theoretical computer science and mathematics.
• In Fundamental Physics:
  • Charles H. Bennett, Gilles Brassard, David Deutsch and Peter Shor
  • Reason: Discovering the fundamental physics that underlie quantum computation.
• Life Sciences:
  1. Clifford Brangwynne and Anthony Hyman
  2. Demis Hassabis and John Jumper
  3. Emmanuel Mignot and Masashi Yanagisawa

 International Affairs

2. Gates Foundation provides $1.27 billion aid for poverty, social inequality

• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced to provide financial assistance of USD 1.27 billion to address poverty and social inequalities.
• A per the annual Goalkeepers report, that every indicator of the UN SDGs are off track for achieving them by 2030.
• 2022 Goalkeepers awards:
  • Global Goalkeeper Award: Ursula von der Leyen (Germany)
  • Campaign Award: Vanessa Nakate (Uganda)
  • Changemaker Award: Zahra Joya (Afghanistan)
  • Progress Award: Dr. Radhika Batra (India)

 Honours & Awards

3. Author-poet, Meena Kandasamy wins German PEN award

• Indian author and poet, Meena Kandasamy has been named as the recipient of the Hermann Kesten Prize by the PEN Centre in Germany’s Darmstadt.
• The Hermann Kesten Prize honours to those personalities who are in the spirit of the charter of the PEN association and stand up for the rights of persecuted authors and journalists.
• Her notable works: The Gypsy Goddess (2014), When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife (2017), and Ms Militancy (2010).

 Summits & Conferences

4. EAM Dr. S Jaishankar hosts G-4 meeting of Foreign Ministers

• External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S Jaishankar has hosted the G-4 meeting of Foreign Ministers.  
• The summit was attended by Ministers Foreign Ministers -
  • Carlos França (Brazil)
  • Yoshimasa Hayashi (Japanese)
  • Annalena Baerbock (German)
• He is on visit USA from 18-28 September 2022.
• He led India delegation for the High Level Week at the 77th Session of UNGA.
• 77th UNGA theme: Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges

 Important Dates

5. Sign Language Day 2022: 23rd September 2022

• The United Nations has declared 23rd September as the International Day of Sign Languages to spread the awareness about the importance of sign language in the realisation of the human rights of people who are deaf.
• Theme 2022:  Sign Languages Unite us
• The first International Day of Sign Languages was celebrated in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf.
• Indian govt conduct Sign Language Day event, in which Indian Sign Language Dictionary App launched.

 Banking & Finance

6. RBI cancels license of Maharashtra-based Laxmi Cooperative Bank

• RBI has cancelled the licence of Maharashtra-based the Laxmi Co-operative Bank.
• Reason: Lack of adequate capital
• Claim: Every depositor would be entitled to receive a deposit insurance claim amount upto 5 lakh rupees.
• The Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies (Maharashtra) has also been asked wind up the business and appoint a liquidator for the bank.
• As per the data, 99% of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of DICGC.

 Summits & Conferences

7. Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates conference on consciousness

• Ayush Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the international conference on Consciousness at NIMHANS, Bengaluru.
• Theme 2022: Exploring Consciousness- From Non- Locality to Non- Duality: The Man- Machine Debate
• The conference was organized by India Foundation and NIMHANS and supported by Ministry of Ayush.
• He has also inaugurated the Centre of Excellence project in the Department of Integrative Medicine at NIMHANS, Bengaluru as part of Ayurswasthya Yojana.

 Agreement

8. NCC, UNEP sign MoU to tackle the issue of plastic pollution

• National Cadet Corps (NCC) has signed an MoU with and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Aim: To tackle the issue of plastic pollution and achieve the universal goal of clean water bodies through Puneet Sagar Abhiyan and Tide Turners Plastic Challenge programme.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• Puneet Sagar Abhiyan, was launched by the NCC on 1st December 2021.
• National Cadet Corps DG: Lt. Gen. Gurbirpal Singh

 National & International Appointments

9. SC appoints former Judge L Nageswara Rao for amending IOA's Constitution

• The bench of SC, headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud, has appointed former apex court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao for amending constitution of Indian Olympic Association.
• Responsibility: To prepare a road map for amending the constitution and holding elections by December 15, 2022.
• Background: IOC had issued a final warning to IOA to resolve its governance issues and hold elections by December.
  • Impact: If failed to do so, then the world sports body will ban India.

 National Affairs

10. 3rd edition of Lok Manthan programme inaugurates by VP Jagdeep Dhankhar

• VP, Jagdeep Dhankhar has inaugurated 3rd edition of the Lok Manthan programme at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati.
• Theme of 2022 biennale is Lokparampara (Lok traditions).
• Kerala Governor, Arif Muhammad Khan will be the Chief Guest at the concluding session (24th September).
• Lokmanthan: It is an occasion where artists, intellectuals, and academicians are come from different parts of the country converge and brainstorm on the questions that haunt the society. 

 Banking & Finance

11. Japan’s MUFG Bank injects ₹3,000 crore in India biz

• MUFG Bank (Japan) has boosted the capital of its branches within India by ₹3,000 crore ($380m).
• Reason: As the bank looks to expand its India business
• Impact: It will strengthen its financial base in India and better respond to the diverse financing needs of its clients
• With this capital injection, the total capital of MUFG Bank in India will rise to ₹5,207 crore.
• The bank has already expanded its presence by opening a branch at Gujarat International Finance TecCity.

 National & International Appointments

12. Max Life ropes Rohit Sharma and Ritika Sajdeh as brand ambassadors

• Max Life Insurance has appointed Indian men’s cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma and his wife, Ritika Sajdeh as their new brand ambassadors for two years.
• The core message of Max Life Insurance is to be prepared mentally, physically, and financially for emerging challenges.
• Aim: To promote the Max Life brand ethos of valuing the 'self' to determine the right financial value to protect themselves and their family.

 Sports

13. India to host maiden Moto GP race in 2023

• India will host its maiden MotoGP World Championships race at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida in 2023.
• MotoGP commercial rights owner, Dorna has signed an MoU with the Noida-based race promoters, Fairstreet Sports to host the premier two-wheel racing event in India for next seven years.
• MotoGP has plans to also introduce MotoE into the Indian racing scenario that will not only be a first in Asia but a green initiative with net zero carbon emission.