NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. PM
Modi inaugurates World Sustainable Development Summit 2021: Prime Minister
NarendraModi has inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021
through video conferencing. The theme of the Summit is ‘Redefining our common
future: Safe and secure environment for all’. 2021 WSD Summit is the 20th
edition of the flagship event organised by ‘The Energy and Resources Institute
(TERI)’. The Summit will bring together a wide number of governments, business
leaders, academicians, climate scientists, youth, and the civil society in the
fight against climate change. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate
Change, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Ministry of Earth Sciences are
key partners of the Summit.
2.
India’s 1st Thunderstorm Research Testbed to be established in Odisha: The India
Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced to set up the first ‘Thunderstorm
Research Testbed’ of the country at Odisha’s Balasore district. The main
objective of the “Thunderstorm Research Testbed” is to minimalise human
fatalities and loss of property due to lightning strikes. The facility will be
established in a collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Sciences, IMD,
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO). Besides this, the IMD has also planned to set up a
first-of-its-kind monsoon testbed near Bhopal. Currently, both the projects are
in the planning stage and detailed project reports are being made.
Note: India Meteorological Department (IMD)
Director-General: MrutyunjayMohapatra; India Meteorological Department Founded:
1875; India Meteorological Department Headquarters: MausamBhavan, Lodhi Road,
New Delhi.
3.
Vijayanagara officially declared as 31st District of Karnataka: The Karnataka
government issued an official gazette notification to declare Vijayanagara as
the 31st district of the state. The new district has been carved out of Ballari
and named after the Vijayanagaraempire that ruled from this region. The
Vijayanagara district will have six taluks and its headquarter will be at
Hosapete. The other taluks in the new district are Kudligi, HagaribommanaHalli,
Kotturu, HoovinaHadagali, and Harapanahalli. The iconic cluster of monuments at
Hampi or Hampe, a UNESCO world heritage site, will be part of the Vijaynagara.
Note: Chief Minister of Karnataka: B.S.
Yediyurappa; Governor: VajubhaiVala.
4.
Indian Army lays foundation of 100-foot-high national flag in Gulmarg: The Indian Army
has laid the foundation stone of the tallest ‘Iconic National Flag’ at the
famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. The flag will be on a 100
feet-high pole, the highest Tricolour in the Valley. The Indian Army in
collaboration with the Solar Industry India will install the ‘Iconic National
Flag’ at Gulmarg. The foundation stone for the iconic national flag was laid by
Dagger Division General Officer Commanding (GoC) Major General Virendra Vats
along with Bollywood actor-producer Arbaaz Khan and actress VidyaBalan. This
iconic Indian national flag will be a first in many ways. The site is expected
to become another tourist attraction, among the snow-clad mountains of Kashmir.
5.
‘By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life’ authored by M Hamid Ansari: A book titled ‘By
Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life’ has been authored by M Hamid
Ansari. Mohammad Hamid Ansari was the vice president of India and chairman of
the RajyaSabha for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2017. A former diplomat,
he served as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran, and
Saudi Arabia, as high commissioner to Australia and as permanent representative
to the United Nations in New York.
About the book: The book is an account of a
life of unplanned happenings that took M. Hamid Ansari away from his preferred
fancy for academia to professional diplomacy and then be co-opted in public
life and catapulted to the second-highest office in the land for two
consecutive terms. None of his predecessors, except DrSarvepalliRadhakrishnan,
had experienced this honour. Besides chairing the RajyaSabha and shedding
interesting light on some of its functional aspects, Ansari used the vice
presidency as a formidable pulpit to express himself candidly on a range of
issues at different times in India’s changing political landscape.
6.
National Women’s Day of India: 13th February: In India, the National Women’s Day
is observed every year on 13 February to commemorate the birth anniversary of
Sarojini Naidu. This year Nation celebrates its 142nd Birth Anniversary. She
was born on February 13, 1879. She was famous for her nickname ‘Nightingale of
India’ or ‘Bharat Kokila’ because of her poems. Sarojini Naidu was not only a
freedom fighter, but she also became the first woman governor of the United
Provinces, the present Uttar Pradesh. She was one of the forefront leaders who
led the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement. She was an
important figure in India’s struggle for independence from colonial rule.
INTERNATIONALUPDATES:
1.
UAE Hope Probe successfully enters Mars’ orbit: The United Arab
Emirates (UAE) has put a probe called Hope in the orbit around the MARS. UAE
has become the fifth country to launch the spacecraft into the orbit of MARS
after United States, Soviet Union, Europe and India. With the successful launch
of spacecraft in orbit, UAE scientists can now study the planet’s atmosphere.
The space mission will carry the study on daily and seasonal weather cycles and
weather events such as dust storm in the lower atmosphere. It will study how
the weather varies in different regions on the MARS.
About the mission: The spacecraft
had left the Earth seven months ago. The spacecraft carries three instruments
with it to observe how neutral atoms of Oxygen and Hydrogen leak into space.
The hydrogen and oxygen came into the MARS’ atmosphere are the remnants from
Mars’ once abundant water. The Hope spacecraft will bring the spectacular,
high-resolution, full-disk images of MARS. The spacecraft also seeks to study
why the planet is losing the hydrogen and oxygen into space.
Note: President of UAE: Sheikh Khalifa bin
Zayed Al Nahyan; Capital of UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency: United Arab Emirates
dirham.
2.
World Radio Day: 13th February: World Radio Day is celebrated on 13
February each year to recognize radio as a powerful medium, which brings people
together from every corner of the globe, to promote diversity and help build a
more peaceful and inclusive world. The theme of World Radio Day 2021 is “New World, New Radio”. On the occasion of
World Radio Day 2021 (WRD 2021), UNESCO calls on radio stations to celebrate
this event’s 10th anniversary and the more than 110 years of radio through
three sub-themes.
Evolution: The world changes, radio evolves
– radio is resilient and sustainable;
Innovation: The world changes, radio adapts
and innovates- radio adapts to new technologies and remains the go-to medium of
mobility, accessible everywhere and to everyone;
Connection: The world changes, radio
connects – radio services our society during natural disasters, socio-economic
crises, epidemics, etc.
History of the day: The day was Proclaimed
in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO and adopted by the United Nations
General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day, February 13 became World
Radio Day (WRD).
Note: UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France;
UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.
United Nations Headquarters in New York,
USA.
Mr Antonio Guterres is the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
RBI Organises Financial Literacy Week from February 8-12: The Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) has launched the Financial Literacy Week (FLW) from February
8-12, 2021, to propagate financial education.
RBI conducts Financial Literacy Week (FLW) every year since 2016 to propagate
financial education messages on a particular theme every year across the
country, through a focused campaign. The theme for 2021 FLW is ”Credit
Discipline and Credit from Formal Institutions”.
Banks have been advised to disseminate the
information and create awareness among its customers and the general public.
Further, RBI will undertake a centralized mass media campaign during the month
of February 2021 to broadcast essential financial awareness messages to the
general public.
Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das;
Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
SBI revises India’s GDP estimates to -7.0 percent for FY21: The State Bank of
India’s (SBI) Economic Research Department has revised GDP estimates of India
for FY21 to contract 7.0%. Earlier this was estimated GDP at -7.4%. The SBI
Research Report has retained its GDP forecast for FY22 at 11 per cent.
2.
India Ratings: India will grow 10.4% in FY22: India’s growth
would bounce back to 10.4% in the upcoming fiscal according to India Ratings
and Research (Ind-Ra). FY22 would broadly be covering the lost ground of FY21.
Regarding this reduced allocation to the rural employment guarantee scheme. The
rating agency expects GDP growth to turn positive at 0.3 per cent in the
January-March quarter of FY21 after shrinking in the first nine months of the
year. When the crisis is largely under control, not completely taken care of,
but the Covid-19 situation is under control, with the economy opening up, the
requirement for fiscal stimulus will reduce, and that is what is being
reflected in the budget.
Note: MD & CEO of India Ratings and
Research: Rohit Karan Sawhney; India Ratings and Research Headquarters: Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
Bengaluru Airport Bags ACI World’s ‘Voice Of The Customer’ Award: The Bangalore
International Airport Limited’s (BIAL) or Kempegowda International Airport
Bengaluru has bagged global recognition from the Airports Council International
World’s ‘Voice of the Customer’ award. The ‘Voice of the Customer’ recognises
airports that continued to prioritise their customers and remained committed to
ensuring that their voice was heard during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. BLR
Airport has made significant efforts in gathering passenger feedback through
ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme and this helped better understand
the customers and demonstrate BIAL’s commitment towards delivering a superior
customer experience under trying circumstances. Under the #WeAreHereForYou
umbrella of BIAL, various campaigns were launched to spread the message and
rebuild passenger confidence in air travel following the outbreak of Covid-19
in 2020.
2.
Manasa Varanasi crowned VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020:Telangana-based
Manasa Varanasi has been crowned as the winner of VLCC Femina Miss India World
2020. Manasa Varanasi was crowned by the winner of Miss India 2019, SumanRatan
Singh Rao from Rajasthan. The 23-year-old will now represent India at the 70th
Miss World pageant in December 2021. Born in Hyderabad, Manasa Varanasi is an
engineer by profession and works as a financial information exchange analyst.
Other winners:
ManikaSheokand of Haryana: Miss Grand India
2020
Manya Singh of Uttar Pradesh: Miss India 2020 runner-up
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