• Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton (UK) won the British Grand Prix 2021 (record 8th time).
• The win was the 99th of seven-times world champion Hamilton's Formula One career, fourth of the current campaign.
• The event was held at the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom.
• Monaco-based Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished at second.
• Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas (Finland) finished third after being told to let Hamilton through to chase Leclerc.

• The US, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan will create a new Quad group to promote the Afghan peace process, stability and trade in the region.
• The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing.
• This development comes as the security situation in Afghan has been deteriorating following the withdrawal of US military forces from the country.

• Ordnance Factory of Tiruchirappalli handed over the locally assembled 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control Gun (SRCG) system to the Navy and Coast Guard for enhanced surveillance.
• The first batch consisted of 25 weapons.
• They were assembled in the Trichy factory through the transfer of technology (ToT) initiative with the support of Israel-based defense company Elbit Systems.
• The SRCG is fitted with a 12.7 mm M2 NATO standard heavy machine gun.

• MeitY has inked an MoU with MapmyIndia to enable the map services in “UMANG App”
• Aim: to ease the lives of citizens by facilitating online delivery of Government services and further enhance the initiatives of Digital India Programme, keeping in view the theme of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
• After this citizens will be able to find government facilities nearest to their location, such as mandis, blood banks, and much more, at the click of a button.

• The govt notified a hike in the FDI limit in pension fund management to 74% from 49% under the national pension system (NPS).
• The higher FDI limit in pension fund managers (PFMs) follows a Parliament nod in March to hike the FDI limit in the insurance business to 74% from 49%.
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Act links the FDI ceiling in the sector to the same in the insurance sector.

• Bank of Maharashtra has signed an MoU with NABARD to boost ongoing developmental initiatives linked to priority sector lending in Maharashtra.
• The MoU envisages joint initiatives for the benefit of farmers, farmer producer organisations, joint liability groups, self help groups, rural artisans, weavers, agri-preneurs, agri start-ups, micro, small and medium enterprises in the State.
• BoM is the convener of State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) for Maharashtra.

• Viswanathan Anand won the Sparkassen Trophy held in Dortmund, Germany.
• He defeated Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in his 4th and final round.
• Playing white in a Tarrasch variation, Anand settled for a draw in 40 moves, to win the match 2.5-1.5.
• The event was played as part of the "No-Castling" Chess devised by the Russian GM.
• Castling is a special move to protect the king and activate the rook. It is the only time in chess a player can move two pieces in one move.

• Mumbai-based filmmaker Payal Kapadia has bagged the Oeil d'or (Golden Eye) award for Best Documentary for her film 'A Night of Knowing Nothing' at Cannes Film Festival.
• 'A Night of Knowing Nothing' has emerged the winner in a list of 28 documentaries submitted from around the world.

• The cultivation of monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) from China has been taken up for the first time in India by the Palampur-based CSIR-IHBT.
• The monk fruit is known for its properties as non-caloric natural sweetener. Its sweet taste is attributed to cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides known as mogrosides, which is about 300 times sweeter than sucrose or cane sugar.
• In spite of its high demand, this crop is only cultivated in China. However, suitable agro climatic conditions are also available in India, particularly in Himachal.

Download Daily GK PDF of 19 July 2021