Current Affairs 20th April 2019 | Daily GK Update

Dear Aspirants,

The General Awareness Section plays an important role in scoring well above cut off marks in any competitive exam. The Banking Awareness and Static Awareness questions asked in the General Awareness Section are based on Current Affairs mainly. So you need to prepare well this section to score good marks. Here is the Daily GK Update to get you acquainted with the top events that made the headlines today!

National News

1. India And France To Hold Largest Ever 'Varuna' Naval Exercise Off Goa Coast

i. India and France will conduct their largest ever naval exercise 'Varuna' in May 2019. It will witness the participation of aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines, and fighters.

ii. India will deploy its aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya with its MiG-29K fighters. Similarly, the French Navy will send its aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle with its Rafale-M naval jets, and other warships for the "Varuna" exercise.

2.INS Kolkata, Shakti To Participate In IFR In China

i. The Indian Navy will participate in International Fleet Review (IFR) that is scheduled to take place in Qingdao, China as part of 70th Anniversary celebrations of People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy).
ii. The Indian Navy would be represented in the IFR by indigenously built stealth guided missile destroyer INS Kolkata and fleet support ship INS Shakti.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

Indian Navy Chief: Admiral Sunil Lanba.

Banking News

3. Exim Bank Funds Projects Worth USD 267 mn In Rwanda

i. Exim Bank has provided soft loans of USD 266.60 million to Rwanda for various projects.

ii. The funding, done in three separate tranches to Rwanda, is to support agricultural projects, development of special economic zones (SEZs) and for financing a road project in the African nation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

Rwanda Capital- Kigali, Currency- Rwandan franc.

Awards

4. Cipla Chairman Yusuf Hamied Receives UK Royal Society Honour

i. Prominent scientist and businessman Yusuf Hamied is among a host of Indian-origin experts honoured in the 2019 list of new fellows of the UK's Royal Society.

ii. The 82-year-old chairman of pharmaceutical major Cipla has been made an Honorary Fellow of the prestigious body, comprising of many of the world's most eminent scientists.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for LIC AAO Exam:

The Royal Society is an independent scientific academy of the UK and the Commonwealth, dedicated to promoting excellence in science.

Books and Authors

5. Book On Jallianwala Bagh Poem 'Khooni Vaisakhi' Released In UAE

i. A book containing English translation of the 100-year-old classic Punjabi poem about Jallianwala Bagh massacre, 'Khooni Vaisakhi' has been released in Abu Dhabi. India's Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri commended the launch of the book.

ii. The poem was translated by Mr. Suri whose grandfather, revolutionary poet and novelist Nanak Singh, a Jallianwala Bagh survivor, wrote it after witnessing first-hand the events of April 13, 1919.

Obituaries

6. Scotland All-rounder Con de Lange Passes Away

i. Scotland all-rounder Con de Lange who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour has passed away at the age of 38.

ii. The South Africa-born de Lange played 21 internationals for Scotland, making his debut in a T20I against Ireland in June 2015.

7. NASA's 1st Female Astronaut Candidate Jerrie Cobb Passes Away

i. America's first female astronaut candidate, pilot Jerrie Cobb passed away in Florida at the age of 88 following a brief illness.

ii. In 1961, Cobb became the first woman to pass astronaut testing. Altogether, 13 women passed the arduous physical testing and became famous as the Mercury 13.