Daily Current Affairs and GK | 22 January 2020

1. Defense Equipment procurement above INR 5000 crore approved

• Defense Acquisition Council has approved the procurement of defense equipments worth INR 5100 crore.
• The procurement finalized includes an Electronic Warfare system, trawl assemblies for T-72, T-90 tanks, etc.
• The Defense Acquisition Council also approved the inclusion of Innovations for Defense Excellence (IDEX) within the defense procurement procedure for facilitating the capital acquisitions by the innovators and start-ups.
• It also approved the shortlisting of the strategic partners and potential Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for the production of 6 conventional submarines.
• The strategic partnership model was started in 2017.
• Defense Acquisition Council: The council chaired by the Defense Minister approves the procurement of the defense equipment for the defense forces i.e Army, Navy and Airforce.

2. Jair Bolsonaro to be the Chief Guest of India's Republic Day Parade 2020

• Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro will be the Chief Guest of India’s 71^st Republic Day Parade.
• He will also address the Indo-Brazilian Business Forum.
• Brazil:
  • It is a South American country with capital Brasilia.
  • Its currency is Brazilian real.
• Republic Day: It is celebrated on January 26 annually to commemorate the enforcement of the Indian constitution.

3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold interactions through the PRAGATI platform

• Indian PM Narendra Modi will hold interactions through the PRAGATI platform.
• He will chair the 32^nd interaction through PRAGATI in New Delhi.
• In the 31^st interaction, 9 projects worth over INR 61 thousand crores related to 16 states and UT Jammu and Kashmir were taken up.
• PRAGATI:
  • It is an ICT based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation started on March 25, 2015.
  • The platform takes up the grievances of the citizens.
  • It is also used for the review of various programs and projects of the centre and the state governments.

4. Divyansh Singh Pawar, Apurvi Chandela won gold in Meyton Cup

• Indian shooters Divyansh Singh Pawar, Apurvi Chandela clinched the gold medal in Meyton Cup in Innsbruck, Austria.
• Divyansh Singh Pawar won gold in men’s 10-meter air rifle event while Deepak Kumar bagged the bronze medal.
• Apurvi Chandela won gold in women’s 10-meter air rifle event while the bronze medal was bagged by Anjum Moudgil.
• Meyton Cup: It is a private tournament in which the shooters participate to gain experience before going for the international event.

5. Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes AP Decentralization and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill

• Andhra Pradesh assembly has passed AP Decentralization and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill to have legislative, executive and judicial capitals for the state.
• The bill proposes Vishakhapatnam to be the executive capital.
• Amravati is proposed to be the legislative capital.
• Kurnool has been proposed as the judicial capital.
• The bill proposes to divide the state into various zones and establish zonal planning and developmental boards.
• Currently, the capital of Andhra Pradesh is Amravati.

6. Capacity of the Avadi Ordnance factory doubled up for the manufacturing of engines of the battle tanks

• The capacity of the Avadi Ordnance Factory to manufacture the engines of the battle tanks has been increased to 750 per annum from 350 per annum.
• The board chairman Hari Mohan also inaugurated the Flexible Manufacturing System-FMS, and thus, the factory became the 1^st ordnance factory to have such a system in the country.
• Avadi Ordnance factory near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is the only unit in India that produces fully indigenized engines for the Army’s Main Battle Tanks.

7. Global Social Mobility Index launched by the World Economic Forum

• Global Social Mobility Index has been launched by the WEF before its 50^th meet in Davos, Switzerland.
• The index measures the social mobility in different countries based on 5 broad indicators which are Health, Education (Quality, Access, and Equity), Technology, Work (Wages, conditions and opportunities) Protections and Institutions (inclusive institutions and social protection).
• Denmark has topped the index followed by Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
• India has been ranked 76 out of the 82 countries.
• India ranks 3^rd among the countries that will stand to gain the most from the improved social mobility after China and the U.S.A
• World Economic Forum:
• It is a Geneva-based NGO that was founded in 1971.
• Its headquarters is in Cologny, Switzerland.

8. Carbon Disclosure Project report released

• The report released by an NGO and surveys the corporate commitments to the science-based targets, thus measuring the carbon reduction activities of the companies.
• India has been ranked 5^th in the report.
• According to the Carbon Disclosure Project India's annual report, a total of 58  Indian companies out of the 59 surveyed have disclosed the environmental-related activities undertaken by them in 2019.
• India is also the 1^st developing country to have the maximum number of companies committed to science-based targets.
• US, Japan, U.K, and France have been ranked as 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th respectively in the report.

9. Global Investment Trend Monitor Report released by UNCTAD

• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has released Global Investment Trend Monitor Report 2019.
• According to the report, the global FDI declined by 1% because of weaker macroeconomic performance and policy uncertainty.
• Developing economies attracted more than half of the global FDI inflows while that to the developed countries decreased by 6%.
• The U.S remained the largest recipient, followed by China and Singapore.
• India has been ranked among the top 10 countries in the case of FDI inflows and recorded an increase of 16% in the FDI inflows.
• UNCTAD:
  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development is an intergovernmental body under the United Nations formed in 1964.
  • UNCTAD is tasked at formulating policies related to development like trade, transport, finance, etc.
  • Its headquarter is in Geneva.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Who among the following chairs the Defence Acquisition Council?

A. Prime Minister

B. Home Minister

C. Defence Minister

D. None of the above

2. Jair Messias Bolsonaro, who will be the chief guest of the 71^st Republic Day Parade in India, is the President of which of the following countries?

A. Brazil

B. Russia

C. Bolivia

D. Sweden

3. Which of the following is the correct full form of PRAGATI?

A. Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation

B. Pro-Active Governance and Administration and Timely Implementation

C. Prime- Active Governance and Timely Implementation

D. Pro- Authority Governance and Timely Implementation

4. Meyton Cup related to the shooting has been held in which of the following countries?

A. Romania

B. Italy

C. Russia

D. Austria

5. Which of the following states has proposed legislative, executive and judicial capital?

A. Telangana

B. Andhra Pradesh

C. Karnataka

D. Kerala

6. Avadi Ordnance factory is located in which of the following states?

A. Kerala

B. Gujarat

C. Uttar Pradesh

D. Tamil Nadu

7. Global Social Mobility Index is released by which of the following institutions?

A. World Economic Forum

B. New Development Bank

C. Asian Development Bank

D. World Bank

8. What is the rank of India in the Carbon Disclosure Project Report?

A. 8^th

B. 7^th

C. 6^th

D. 5^th

9. Which organization releases the Global Investment Trend Monitor Report?

A. United Nations Economic and Social Council

B. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

C. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

D. None of the above

Solution:

1. C

2. A

3. A

4. D

5. B

6. D

7. A

8. D

9. B