Daily GK Update: 7th October 2021

 Honours & Awards

1. Benjamin List and David WC MacMillan wins 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

• Benjamin List (Germany) and David MacMillan (USA) has been awarded with Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2021 for the development of asymmetric organo-catalysis.
• This award comes with a gold medal and prize money of 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1.14 million).
• Between 1901 and 2021, 113 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry have been awarded
• Their chemical toolkit has been used for discovering new drugs and making molecules that can capture light in solar cells.

 Important Dates

2. World Cotton Day: 7th October

• World Cotton Day (WCD) is observed every year on October 7 to celebrate international cotton industry and its contribution to communities and the global economy.
• It was first introduced in 2019 by World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, following an initiative of the Cotton-4 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali to reflect the importance of cotton as a global commodity
• Cotton is a global commodity grown in over 75 countries across 5 continents.

 Banking & Finance

3. RBI grants license to NARCL under Sarfaesi Act

• RBI has granted license to National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) to register as an asset reconstruction company (ARC) under Section 3 of SARFAESI Act 2002
• As per Section 3 of SARFAESI Act, company can be an ARC only after obtaining registration certificate from RBI and having owned fund of not less than 2 crore or amount not exceeding 15% of financial assets acquired
• NARCL has been incorporated under Companies Act and public banks will hold 51% in NARCL.

 National Affairs

4. ICMR releases MUDRA toolbox in 5 Indian languages

• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released Multilingual Dementia Research and Assessment (MUDRA) Toolbox in 5 Indian languages: Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam
• MUDRA Toolbox: Comprehensive tool specifically to diagnose dementia in Indian population
• It includes various cognitive tests to assess different domains of cognition
• It is an initiative by ICMR Neuro-Cognitive Toolbox (ICMR -NCTB) consortium
• It is a collective effort by 7 leading centres

 State Affairs

5. Alibaug white onion from Maharashtra gets GI tag

• Famous Alibaug white onion from Maharashtra’s Raigad district has received Geographical Indication (GI) tag
• Now, Alibaug will get worldwide recognition for its unique sweet taste, no-tears factor white onions.
• Soil of Alibaug taluka has low sulphur content and so the onion has low pungency, low pyruvic acid, high protein, fat and fibre content, besides high antioxidant
• It boosts immunity, helps with insomnia, blood cleaning, blood pressure and heat-related ailments

 State Affairs

6. M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurates Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre in Guwahati

• Vice-President, M. Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre at Panbazar in Guwahati, Assam
• This new heritage site has been made by renovating and converting British-era bungalow atop the Barphukanar Tila (Barphukan’s Hillock) in Panbazar.
• Heritage centre will depict the life along the Brahmaputra River and has on display the heritage of boats, an Amphitheatre, an exhibition space, a cafeteria, so on and so forth.

 Banking & Finance

7. SBI launches NAV-eCash Card for Indian Navy onboard INS Vikramaditya

• SBI has partnered with Indian Navy to launch NAV-eCash card for naval personnel onboard the country’s largest Naval Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
• It will remove the difficulties faced by personnel onboard in handling physical cash during deployment of the ship at high seas.
• It will facilitate both online as well as offline transactions with its dual-chip technology, even when the ship is in high seas where there is no connectivity.

 Banking & Finance

8. Moody’s upgrades India’s rating outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’

• Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded India’s sovereign rating outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’, following an improvement in the financial sector and faster-than expected economic recovery across sectors.
• However, Moody’s had retained India’s sovereign rating at Baa3.
• Moody’s expects India’s GDP for financial year 2021-22 (FY22) at 9.3%, followed by 7.9% in FY23 (2022-23).

 Obituaries

9. Veteran TV actor, Arvind Trivedi passes away

• Veteran television actor Arvind Trivedi (82 years) passed away, following a heart attack
• He is famously known for his iconic role of demon-king Raavan in Ramanand Sagar’s TV serial Ramayan.
• He has also served as the MP from Sabarkatha constituency in Gujarat from 1991 to 1996.
• He served as the acting chairman of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from 2002 to 2003.

 Banking & Finance

10. RBI superseded the board of directors of SIFL and SEFL

• RBI has superseded the Board of Directors of Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited (SIFL) and Srei Equipment Finance Limited (SEFL) under Section 45-IE (1) of RBI Act, 1934.
• SIFL and SEFL are NBFCs.
• This decision has been taken by RBI owing to governance concerns and defaults in meeting their payment obligations
• RBI has appointed Rajneesh Sharma as its Administrator 
• RBI’s Advisory Committee: R. Subramaniakumar, T T Srinivasaraghavan and Farokh N Subedar.

 National Affairs

11. Centre approves setting up 7 PM MITRA Parks at Rs. 4,445 crores

• Centre has approved setting up of seven new mega textile parks, or PM MITRA parks to facilitate the growth of textile sector in the economy and position India strongly on Global textiles map.
• Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks (MITRA) will be based on the 5F vision: Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign
• Total outlay: Rs 4,445 crore for 5 years
• It will be setup at Greenfield and Brownfield sites in PPP Mode.

 National Affairs

12. Ministry of Textiles approves continuation of CHCDS

• Ministry of Textiles has approved continuation of Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) up to March 2026
• Total outlay of CHCDS: 160 crores
• Aim: Upliftment and development of handicrafts artisans
• Infrastructural support, market access, design and technology up-gradation support will be provided to handicrafts artisans
• Mega handicraft clusters having more than 10,000 artisans will be selected for overall development under this scheme.

 Summits & Conferences

13. Tourism Ministry organizes Conference in Bodhgaya

• Ministry of Tourism has organized Conference in Bodhgaya to promote potential of Buddhist tourism
• Aim: to present the efforts and developments that have taken place in Buddhist Circuit and to discuss and deliberate the way forward for the promotion of Buddhist Tourism in India.
• It has been scheduled from 4th to 8th October 2021.
• Buddhist Circuit Fam Tour will start from Safdarjung Railway Station.

 Science & Technology

14. Govt to set-up 75 Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Hubs

• Government will be setting up 75 Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Hubs in different parts of India, exclusively for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
• STI Hubs has been established by Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• This will develop, nurture, and ensure the delivery of appropriate and relevant technologies for inclusive socio-economic development.
• It will also improve Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) through inputs of S&T.

 Obituaries

15. Noted Cartoonist Chackalethu John Yesudass passes away

• Noted Cartoonist Chackalethu John Yesudasan (83 years) passed away in due to Covid 19.
• He entered the world of political cartoons through Janayugom Malayalam Daily.
• He worked with Shankar's Weekly published from New Delhi and satirical magazines Cut-Cut and Tuk Tuk.
• He also joined Malayala Manorama Group of Publications as its Staff Cartoonist, where he served for 23 years.
• He was the former Chairman of Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy