NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Union
Cabinet approves President’s Rule in Puducherry: The Union Cabinet
has approved to dissolve the Puducherry Assembly and impose President’s rule in
the Union Territory, following the resignation of the Chief Minister, V
Narayanasamy, whose government lost majority power in the assembly. The
decision was taken as no party claimed to form a government, following which,
Lieutenant Governor TamilisaiSoundararajan had recommended President’s Rule.The
approval will now be sent to the President, RamnathKovind. The legislative
assembly of the UT will be dissolved once the President accords his permission.
Prior to this, the President’s rule was imposed in Puducherry between March and
July in 1991 when the JD-DMK coalition government fell.
2. India,
World Bank ink project for enhancing school education in Nagaland: The Government of
India, the Government of Nagaland and the World Bank signed a $68 million
agreement for “Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project”,
to enhance the governance of schools across Nagaland. The $68 million loan from
the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a final
maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period of 5 (five) years.
About the project:The “Nagaland:
Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project” will improve classroom
instruction; create opportunities for the professional development of teachers,
and build technology systems to provide students and teachers with more access
to blended and online learning as well as allow better monitoring of policies
and programmes.
As many as 1,50,000 students and 20,000
teachers in the government education system in Nagaland will benefit from the
statewide reforms in schools.
Note: Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu
Rio; Governor of Nagaland: R. N. Ravi.
World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC,
United States; World Bank President: David Malpass; World Bank Founded: July
1944.
3. PM
Narendra Modi to Inaugurate 2nd Edition of ‘Maritime India Summit’: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi will inaugurate the virtual Maritime India Summit (MIS) 2021,
from March 2 to 4, 2021. The ‘Maritime India Summit 2021’ is the flagship
initiative of the Union Ministry of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways
(MoPSW), Government of India. FICCI is the industry partner for the summit.The
theme of the event is “Exploring the potential business opportunities in the
Indian Maritime sector and making Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.The objective of the
Summit is to promote both domestic and international investment in the Indian
Ports and Maritime sector. The summit will provide a powerful platform for
international collaboration with partner countries for mutual exchange of
knowledge and opportunities. Around one lakh delegates and 40 partner countries
are expected to participate in the event.
Note: Minister of State (Independent
Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping: Mansukh L. Mandaviya.
4. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of various
development projects in Puducherry: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was on an
official visit to Puducherry on 25 February 2021, to inaugurate and lay the
foundation stone of various development initiatives in in the Union Territory.Projects
whose foundation stone were laid included:
(1) 4 laning of NH45-A – 56
kmsSattanathapuram – Nagapattinam package of Villupuram to Nagapattinam project
covering Karaikal District – Rs. 2426 crore.
(2) Medical College Building at Karaikal
New Campus– Phase I, Karaikal District (JIPMER) – Rs. 491 crore.
(3) Minor Port at Puducherry under
Sagarmala Scheme – Rs 44 crore
(4) Synthetic Athletic Track, Indira Gandhi
Sports Complex, Puducherry – Rs. 7 crore.
Projects inaugurated were:
(1) Blood Centre at Jawaharlal Institute of
Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Puducherry – Rs. 28 crore.
(2) 100 bed girls’ hostel at Lawspet, Puducherry
– Rs 12 crore
(3) Reconstructed Heritage Marie Building –
Rs. 15 crore.
5. Kushinagar
Airport Gets International Airport Licence from DGCA:The
under-construction Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh has received the
necessary clearances from aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA) to operate international flights. Once operational, Kushinagar
airport will become the third functional international facility in the state.
Currently, the two international airports functional in Uttar Pradesh are
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri
International Airport at Varanasi.
About Kushinagar airport:Kushinagar airport
will serve as the closest international airport to several Buddhist pilgrimage
sites in Lumbini, Shravasti, and Kapilvastu.The new airport will boost tourism
in the region & facilitate travel on the Buddhist circuit by providing
direct aviation connectivity to the city.
Note: HQ of DGCA: New Delhi; Established in
Jan 1978.
INTERNATIONALUPDATES:
1. India
signs trade deal, $100 million defence agreement with Mauritius: The Indian
foreign minister S Jaishankar was on an official visit to two key Indian Ocean
region countries- Maldives and Mauritius. The External Affairs Minister (EAM) S
Jaishankar visited the Island nation Mauritius to review the comprehensive and
important bilateral relationship between the two nations. India signed a Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) or (Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Partnership
Agreement-(CECPA)) with Mauritius.About the agreement:
(1) The FTA or CECPA is the first such pact
with any African country, and will help Mauritius to emerge as a “hub of
Africa”.
(2) India has also offered a USD 100
million Line of Credit (LoC) to Mauritius to facilitate the procurement of
defence assets.
(3) Apart from this, an agreement has also
been signed between the two countries to provide a Dornier aircraft and an
Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv on lease to Mauritius on a gratis basis for 2
years, so that the country can carry out patrolling activities and monitor its
vast maritime domain more effectively.
(4) India delivered 100,000 doses of Made
in India COVID-19 vaccines to the country. It had supplied 100,000 doses
earlier. Both the countries also signed MoU on Consumer Protection and a
Contract for an 8 MW solar plant.
Note: Prime Minister of Mauritius:
PravindJugnauth; President: PrithvirajsingRoopun; Mauritius Currency: Mauritian
rupee; Mauritius Capital: Port Louis.
2. Gajendra
Singh Shekhawat inaugurates ICOLD Symposium: Union Minister of Jal Shakti,
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has inaugurated the International Commission on Large
Dams (ICOLD) Symposium in New Delhi. The theme of the symposium is “Sustainable
Development of Dams & River Basins”. More than 300 delegates from across
the country and abroad will participate in the Symposium.The symposium has been
organised by the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), at New Delhi
in Hybrid format from 24 to 27 February 2021, in collaboration with Central
Water Commission (CWC), Dam Rehabilitation Improvement Project (DRIP) and
National Hydrology Project (NHP).
The objective of this symposium:Provide an
excellent opportunity to Indian Dam Engineering Professionals and Agencies to
share their experiences, ideas and latest developments in new materials and
construction technologies, advancement in investigation techniques, best
engineering practices, dam safety issues etc.Offer the opportunity to network
with the world-renowned dam experts from different countries and global
organizations involved in Dam Construction, management and operation and
maintenance for mutual benefits.
Note: International Commission on Large
Dams President: Michael Rogers; International Commission on Large Dams Founded:
1928; International Commission on Large Dams Headquarters location: Paris,
France.
3. Spacecraft
Named in Honor of Black Woman ‘hidden Figures’ Mathematician: A space supply
ship, Cygnus NG-15 cargo dubbed as ‘S.S. Katherine Johnson has been named in
honour of Katherine Johnson, a Black NASA mathematician, who played a critical
role in the success of the first U.S. crewed spaceflight, Mercury-Atlas 6
Mission. The S.S. Katherine Johnson arrived on February 22, 2021, and will be
at the International Space Station until May 2021.
Cygnus NG-15 cargo:A Northrop
Grumman-built Cygnus cargo ship, a space supply ship, was launched by NASA on
February 20, 2021, from Virginia to carry vital supplies for astronauts on the
International Space Station (ISS).The launch coincided with the 59th
anniversary of America’s first orbit around the Earth. On 20 February 1962,
astronaut John Glenn, became the first American to orbit Earth.The space supply
ship carried more than 8,200 lbs. (3,719 kilograms) of cargo including
scientific equipment, fresh food and supplies, new hardware and spacewalk
equipment for the seven astronauts onboard the International Space Station.
About Katherine Johnson:Mrs Johnson was a
pioneering mathematician known for her hand-written calculations. She helped
astronaut John Glenn, to become the first American to orbit Earth, after
personally verifying his Mercury missions’ orbital trajectory calculations. Her
contributions were also featured in the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures.
Note: Acting Administrator of NASA: Steve
Jurczyk; Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States; NASA Founded: 1
October 1958.
OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. ICICI
Bank launches ‘Namma Chennai Smart Card’: ICICI Bank has announced the launch
of a Common Payment Card System (CPCS) in partnership with the Greater Chennai
Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL) to provide citizens
with a one-stop solution for making various kind of payments. The prepaid card
also facilitates retail payments within Chennai as well as in retail stores and
e-commerce websites across the country. This will offer a common payment card
platform to residents for making payments for various services within the city.
About the Namma Chennai Smart Card:The Namma Chennai
Smart Card has various features, which residents can manage seamlessly online
on a dedicated customer portal*. These include features like card
block/unblock, activation, pin-reset, etc.Additionally, in the coming days,
residents will also be able to reload the card digitally through UPI on the
customer portal or the iSmart City app. Customers will also get exciting
discount offers on the card around the year, which will be promoted in the
coming days on the Bank’s website.
Users also have the option to manage the
card online through a dedicated customer portal or the iSmart City app.
Note: ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai,
Maharashtra; ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum
Hai Na, KhayalApka.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. DadasahebPhalke
International Film Festival Awards 2021 announced: The prestigious
DadasahebPhalke International Film Festival awards 2021 were announced, to
honour the best in Indian cinema, television, music, and OTT. Late actor
Sushant Singh Rajput was posthumously awarded ‘Critics Best Actor’ for his
performance in DilBechara.The winner of the Award for 2021 are as follows:
Best Actor (Female): DeepikaPadukone,
Chhapaak
Best Actor (Male): Akshay Kumar, Laxmii
Critic’s Best Actress: Kiara Advani, Guilty
Critic’s Best Actor: Late Sushant Singh
Rajput, DilBechara
Best Film: Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Best International Feature Film: Parasite
Most Versatile Actor – Kay Kay Menon
Best Director: Anurag Basu, Ludo
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Vikrant
Massey, Chhapaak
Best Actress in Supporting Role: Radhika
Madan, Angrezi Medium
Best Actor in Comic Role: KunalKemmu,
Lootcase
Best Actor (Web Series): Bobby Deol,
Aashram
Best Actress (Web Series): Sushmita Sen,
Aarya
Best Web Series: Scam (1992)
Album of the Year: Titliyaan
Best Television Series: KundaliBhagya
Photographer of the Year: DabooRatnani
Style Diva of the Year: Divya Khosla Kumar
Best Actress in Television Series:
SurbhiChandna
Best Actor in Television Series:
DheerajDhoopar
Performer of the Year: Nora Fatehi
Outstanding Contribution to Film Industry:
Dharmendra
Outstanding Contribution to Literature in Indian Cinema: Chetan Bhagat
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