DAILY GK 21 JULY 2020
1. INDIAN RAILWAYS TO LAUNCH 1ST SET OF PRIVATE
TRAINS BY 2023
·
In accordance with the initial timeline
drawn by the railways, it has planned to roll out 151 private train services by
2027 on 109 pairs of routes across the country.
·
In this regard, Indian Railways is ready
to introduce 12 trains in 2022-23, 45 in 2023-2024, 50 in 2025-26 and 44 more
in the next fiscal, taking the total number of trains to 151 by the end of FY
2026-2027.
·
There would be Rs 30,000 crore
private sector investment in this project.
·
The private player will pay the railways
fixed haulage charges, energy charges as per actual consumption and a share in
gross revenue.
·
The railways is expected to receive total
haulage charges of around Rs. 3,000 crore per annum from operation of these 151
trains.
2. DRONES TO INSPECT POWER LINES AND TRANSMISSION
TOWERS
·
Maharashtra State Electricity
Transmission Company Limited(MSETCL) has started to use drones for aerial
surveillance and inspection of extra high
voltage(EHV) power transmission lines and towers.
·
Maharashtra becomes the 1st state to do
so.
·
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs and
the Director General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) gave approval for this
purpose.
3. NEW MD & CEO OF SBI CARDS AND PAYMENT SERVICES
·
SBI (State Bank of India) cards and
payment services appointed, Mr. Ashwini Kumar Tewari as its new Managing
Director (MD) and Chief Executive officer (CEO) who is intended to be in charge
from August 1, 2020.
·
His new appointment will be valid
for 2 years.
·
SBI is the Largest bank in India
with 23% market share asset.
·
SBI Cards and payment services are the
country’s second-largest credit card issuer.
4. 1ST ARAB NATION TO LAUNCH SPACE MISSION TO
MARS
·
United
Arab Emirates (UAE) became the first West Asian and Arab nation to embark on a
first-ever interplanetary space mission to Mars (Red Planet) namely “Hope
Probe mission” from Tanegashima Space Centre, off the coast of Kyushu,
Japan atop a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket.
·
Also
known as Al-Amal or Emirates Mars Mission,
this $200 million mission will be the first to study both
Martian climate viz. diurnal (daily) and seasonal cycles.
·
-China’s
Tianwen-1 mission is scheduled to blast off on July 23, 2020.NASA’s (National
Aeronautics and Space Administration) Mars 2020 mission to take off on July 30
by launching rover Perseverance.
5. 1ST WORLD CHESS DAY CELEBRATED ON JULY
20, 2020
·
This day
also marks the 95th Anniversary of the International Chess
Federation (FIDE – Fédération Internationale des Échecs).
·
The
FIDE’s motto of 2020 is “Teach someone how to play chess.”
