Daily GK Update: 2nd February 2021

Important Dates

World Wetlands Day (WWD) is observed every year on February 2 across the globe.
This day is celebrated to mark the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands (February 2, 1971) in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
World Wetlands Day was first commemorated in 1997.
WWD 2021 marks 50 years of adopting Convention on Wetlands.
Theme 2021: ‘Wetlands and Water’
Wetlands: lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic eco-systems.

National & International Appointments

Rama Mohan Rao Amara has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd (SBI Card).
He has been appointed for 2 years with effect from 30 January 2021.
He succeeded Ashwini Kumar Tewari, who has been appointed as MD of State Bank of India (SBI).
Prior to this, Mohan Rao was the Chief General Manager at SBI Bhopal Circle.
SBI Cards HQs: Gurugram.

State Affairs

Uttarakhand sets up first of its kind botanical garden named as ‘Shivalik Arboretum’ in Nainital for conserving over 210 species of trees found in Shivalik range of Himalayas
It will showcase information like scientific information about particular species, cultural significance, medicinal use, country of origin, type of habitat in which it is found and all possible uses including as timber, dyes.
Preserved trees: Kafal, Buransh, Tejpat and Sanjeevani

National & International Appointments

Ruling Community Party of Vietnam has re-elected its General Secretary as Nguyen Phu Trong (76 years) for 3rd five-year term
Nguyen Phu Trong is serving as Communist Party Chief since 2011
He was granted an exemption to contest in the election as he was above 65 years
4 main leaders that run govt in Vietnam: General Secretary, PM, President, National Assembly chair
General Secretary is the highest office
He is also President of Vietnam since 2018
Vietnam Capital: Hanoi

Banking & Finance

Govt has announced introduction of unified securities markets code in Budget 2021-22, boosting ease of doing business in India's financial markets
Under this, provisions of SEBI Act, 1992, Depositories Act, 1996, Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 and Government Securities Act, 2007 will be consolidated into rationalized single Securities Markets Code
Govt will also support Fin-Tech hub development at GIFT-IFSC and frame Permanent institutional framework.

National Affairs

Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting Union Budget FY 2021-22 has approved policy of strategic disinvestment of public sector enterprises
It consists of 2-fold sectors:
- Strategic Sector: to be privatised or merged or subsidiarized with other CPSEs or closed. Ex: Atomic energy, Space and Defence, Transport, Banking, Insurance and financial services
- Non- Strategic Sector: In this sector, CPSEs will be privatised, otherwise shall be closed

Banking & Finance

Punjab National Bank (PNB) has decided to restrict its customers from withdrawing money from non-EMV automated teller machines (ATMs) with effect from 1 February 2021
Move is line with an attempt to check frauds, related to money transactions.
This restriction will apply to both financial and non-financial transactions.
Non-EMV ATMs: It reads data through magnetic strips and do not hold the ATM card during the transaction.
PNB Chairman: SS Mallikarjuna Rao.

Banking & Finance

Govt has extended eligibility for claiming tax holiday for start-ups by 1 more year till 31stof March 2022 to incentivise start-ups in the country
Govt has also extended capital gains exemption for investment in start-ups by one more year to incentivise funding of the start-ups.
Govt has increased FDI limit from 49 to 74% in Insurance Companies and allowed foreign ownership
Govt has proposed to infuse Rs 20,000 crore to re-capitalized Public Sector Banks

Sports

24-member Indian shooting contingent has topped medals tally in 1st-ever Asian Online Shooting Championship, organised by Kuwait Shooting Federation
India won total 11 medals, which included 4 gold medals, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals.
274 shooters from 22 Asian countries took part in it
List of Winners from India:
- Gold: Saurabh Chaudhary (men’s 10m air pistol), Divyansh Singh Panwar (men’s 10m air rifle), Kynan Chenai (men’s trap) and Rajeshwari Kumari (women’s trap).

Sports

Dinesh Karthik led Tamil Nadu team beat Baroda to win Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2020-21 by 7 wickets
It was the 12th edition of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and was played at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
This is the 2nd Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title for Tamil Nadu, and their 1st title in 13 years.
The team claimed their first SMAT title in 2006-07, that too under Karthik’s captaincy.
Player of the match: Manimaran Siddharth (Tamil Nadu) who picked 4 wickets.

National & International Appointments

Facebook Inc. has appointed Henry Moniz as its first-ever Chief Compliance Officer.
He will join Facebook on February 8 to lead the company’s global compliance team, to enhance its global compliance and risk management and promote the highest standards of legal and ethical conduct at the company.
Prior to this, Henry Moniz had been the chief compliance officer and chief audit executive at media company ViacomCBS Inc.
Facebook CEO: Mark Zuckerberg

International Affairs

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi along with President Win Myint and other members of ruling party has been detained in Myanmar’s military coup
Coup (coup d’état): Removal of an existing government from power, usually through violent means
Myanmar military is also known as the Tatmadaw, took this step because they declared Myanmar general election results fraudulent, in which Aung San Suu Kyi won.
2021 coup d’état is the third in Myanmar’s political history