Daily GK Updates – 12th Feb, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Delhi Cabinet Approves ‘MukhyamantriVigyanPratibhaPariksha’ Scheme: The Delhi cabinet has approved “MukhyamantriVigyanPratibhaPariksha” in which Rs 5,000 will be provided to 1,000 meritorious students of Class 9 in schools of Delhi as a science scholarship. The scholarship will provide a boost to science education in secondary classes at the school level. Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal termed this as a crucial step for our government to promote excellent and talented students. Delhi government seeks to promote the pursuit of excellence and scientific temper among the children. According to the release, the students studying in Delhi schools who have secured more than 60 per cent in Class 8 are eligible for the examination. Students belonging to SC, ST, PH, or OBC category will be given a relaxation of up to 5 per cent of marks.

Note: Chief Minister of Delhi: ArvindKejriwal; Governor of Delhi: Anil Baijal.

 

2. Tamil Nadu set to create state’s 5th tiger reserve: The Central government has given its approval for the creation of a fifth tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu that will encompass the Meghamalai and Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuaries. It will be the 51st Tiger Sanctuary of India. The SrivilliputhurMegamalai Tiger Reserve will span the forests of Megamalai wildlife sanctuary and Srivilliputhur grizzled squirrel wildlife sanctuary spread across the districts of Theni, Virudhunagar and Madurai. The 100,000-hectare area is home to a range of mammals and bird species and more than a dozen tigers. Forest officials have noticed 14 tigers regularly in both the wildlife sanctuaries.

Note: Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai; Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami; Tamil Nadu Governor: BanwarilalPurohit; Tamil Nadu State Dance: Bharathanatyam.

 

3. “Platform Scale: For a Post-Pandemic World” authored by Sangeet Paul Choudhary: A Book titled ‘Platform Scale: For a Post-Pandemic World’ has been authored by Sangeet Paul Choudhary. It is published by Penguin Random House India. It explains the importance of inner workings of platform business models and their ability to scale rapidly. The 1st edition of Platform Scale was published in 2015.

About the book: The book tells how the decade leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic witnessed the rise of platform business models as they drove stock market gains and extended their influence across the economic and political activity.

 

4. FSSAI caps Trans fatty acids to 2% in food products from January 2022: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has restricted the permissible amount of industrial Trans Fatty Acid (TFA) in food products to 2 per cent. The latest amendment will come into effect from January 01, 2022. Currently, the permissible limit for trans fats in food products in 2021 is 3 per cent, cut down from the previous limit of 5 per cent. FSSAI has amended the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 to put into effect the new Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2021.

What does this amendment mean: As per the new rule, the food products in which edible oils and fats are used as an ingredient shall not contain industrial trans fatty acids more than 2% by mass of the total oils/fats present in the product, starting from January 01, 2022.

About the Trans Fat: Trans fat regulation, that aims to limit the amount of “trans fat”, fat-containing trans fatty acids — in industrial food products, has been enacted in many countries. These regulations were motivated by numerous studies that pointed to significant negative health effects of trans fat. Trans fats are associated with increased risk of heart attacks and death from coronary heart disease.

Note: FSSAI Chairperson: Rita Teaotia; FSSAI Chief Executive Officer: ArunSinghal; FSSAI Founded: August 2011; FSSAI Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

5. Skyroot, Bellatrix signs MoU to use latter’s orbital transfer vehicle: Skyroot Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bellatrix Aerospace to make use the Orbital Transfer Vehicle, being developed by Bellatrix Aerospace, in the upper stage of Vikram series of launch vehicles, being developed by Skyroot. The vehicle is expected to launch to low earth orbit in 2023 on the Vikram rocket. The vehicle is expected to help global operators reduce time and costs for launching communication and earth observation satellites.

Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV): It is a spacecraft that can perform various in-orbit operations such deployment of customer payload to precise orbits, allowing a launch vehicle to deliver satellites to more orbits than what was conventionally possible. In simple words, OTV is like a ‘taxi in space’ to take small satellites into their operational orbits. OTV will offer ride-sharing for small satellites and drop each one of the passengers to their intended slots in space.

Note: Founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace: Pawan Kumar Chandana; Skyroot Aerospace Founded: 12 June 2018; Skyroot Aerospace Headquarters location: Hyderabad.

 

6. National Productivity Day 2021:12th February: National Productivity Day is observed every year in India on February 12. The objective of National Productivity Council is stimulating and promoting productivity and quality consciousness across all sectors in the country. The main observance of the day is to encourage all stakeholders in the implementation of productivity tools and techniques with contemporary relevant themes.

The day is celebrated by the National Productivity Council (NPC) to promote productivity culture in India. National Productivity Council (NPC) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Government of India is a premier institution for propagating productivity movement in India. NPC works for providing solutions towards accelerating productivity, enhancing competitiveness, increasing productivity.

Note: Director-General of National Productivity Council: Arun Kumar Jha; National Productivity Council of India established: 1958; National Productivity Council of India HQ: New Delhi.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. India and Afghanistan Inks MoU for the construction of the Lalandar “Shatoot” Dam: India and Afghanistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU over video-teleconferencing (VTC), for the construction of the Shahtoot Dam (Lalander Dam) on a tributary of the Kabul River in Afghanistan. The project, which costs nearly $ 300 million, is a part of the New Development Partnership between India and Afghanistan.

About the Memorandum of Understanding: The MoU was signed between External Affairs Minister DrJaishankar and Afghanistan Foreign Minister MrHanifAtmar, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Shri NarendraModi and Afghanistan President Dr Mohammad Ashraf Ghani. The Lalander [Shatoot] Dam would meet the safe drinking water needs of Kabul City, provide irrigation water to nearby areas, rehabilitate the existing irrigation and drainage network, aid in flood protection and management efforts in the area, and also provide electricity to the region. This is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the India- Afghanistan Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was inaugurated in June 2016.

Note: Afghanistan Capital: Kabul; Afghanistan President: Ashraf Ghani; Afghanistan Currency: Afghan afghani; Afghanistan Official languages: Pashto, Dari.

 

2. World Unani Day: 11th February: World Unani Day has observed every year on 11th February.  The main objective of World Unani Day is to spread awareness about health care delivery through the Unani system of medicine through its preventive and curative philosophy. This day is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of great Unani scholar and social reformer Hakim Ajmal Khan. The first Unani Day was celebrated in 2017 at Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM), Hyderabad.

What is the Unani system of medicine: The Unani system of medicine has a long and impressive record in India. It was introduced in India by the Arabs and Persians sometime around the eleventh century. It has the largest number of Unani educational, research and health care institutions. The Unani system of medicine originated in Greece. Its foundation was laid by Hippocrates. The system owes its present form to the Arabs who not only saved much of the Greek literature by rendering it into Arabic but also enriched the medicine of their day with their own contributions.

 

3. International Day of Women and Girls in Science: 11th February: International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed globally on 11 February. International Day of Women and Girls in Science to recognize the critical role of women and girls play in science and technology. In December 2015, the United Nations adopted a resolution to celebrate February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In 2016 is the first time it was celebrated. The idea behind this day is to ensure equal participation and involvement of women and girls in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Ishant Sharma becomes third Indian pacer to take 300 Test wickets: Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma became the sixth Indian and third pacer from the country to take 300 wickets in Test cricket. The 32-year-old Ishant reached the milestone in 98 matches, more than the other Indian bowlers in the club. Ishant reached the landmark when he trapped Dan Lawrence with a delivery that swung back sharply before hitting his pads in England”s second innings on the fourth day of the opening Test. Besides Anil Kumble (619) and KapilDev (434), RavichandranAshwin (377 before this game), Harbhajan Singh (417), and Zaheer Khan (311) are the other bowlers from the country who have reached the landmark.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. PhonePe partners with Axis Bank on UPI multi-bank model: Digital payments platform, PhonePe has announced that it has partnered with Axis Bank on a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) multi-bank model. The partnership will provide PhonePe users with the option to create and use multiple UPI IDs with Axis Bank’s “@axl” handle. This collaboration with PhonePe strengthens our commitment towards digitisation of the Indian payment ecosystem. It will help expand our reach to customers and the merchant community while offering secure and seamless payment experiences. PhonePe had emerged as the top UPI app in January, processing 968.72 million transactions worth ₹1.92 trillion, according to data by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). PhonePe will also start acquiring merchants with Axis Bank in addition to its partnership with YES Bank. It will help expand our reach to customers and the merchant community while offering secure and seamless payment experiences.

Note: CEO of Phonepe: Sameer Nigam; Headquarters location of Phonepe: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Robert Irwin wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021: Robert Irwin, an Australian wildlife photographer, has won the first prize in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award Contest. Robert won the award for the image titled ‘bushfire’, which is the picture of the devastating Australian Bushfire in 2020, he captured using a drone, near the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York, Queensland. The image shows a line of fire burning in between the bushes, dividing it into parts. Irwin’s image was chosen from a shortlist of 25 finalists that received a total of 55,486 votes. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the largest wildlife photography competition in the world, organised by the Natural History Museum.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Tony Trabert, 10-time tennis Grand Slam champion, passes away: Tony Trabert, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion from the United States who produced one of the greatest seasons in tennis history in 1955, died. He was 90. Trabert captured the 1953 US Open, the 1954 French Open and the 1955 US and French Opens and Wimbledon. Trabert served as the Hall of Fame’s president from 2001 to 2011 and spent 30 years as a television analyst. He also served as an author and coach and captained the US Davis Cup team from 1976-1980, guiding the squad to titles in 1978 and 1979.

Daily GK Updates – 11th Feb, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Madhya Pradesh launches ‘SAANS’ campaign to reduce infant mortality: The health department in Madhya Pradesh has launched the Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (‘SAANS’) campaign. The main purpose of the campaign is to reduce the death rate due to pneumonia among infants a strategy is being chalked out under the Social awareness campaign in which medical staff is being trained.

About the campaign: Training will be imparted at the community and primary health centres. Around 4,000 Health and Wellness Centres have been set up in Madhya Pradesh for this purpose. The State government has also developed training modules in partnership with PGIMER, Chandigarh, and UNICEF, which will be used to enhance the skills of health workers, including doctors and paramedical staff.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

 

2. UP Government announces unique 16-digit Unicode to identify landholdings: Uttar Pradesh government has introduced a system of issuing a unique 16-digit Unicode to mark all kinds of landholdings in the state. The main purpose of the system is to check the cases of land disputes, put an end to fake registries of the disputed land and save people from falling into the trap of fraudsters. Every piece of land in the state will have its own unique identity. The Unicode would be issued by the state revenue department for marking all kinds of agricultural, residential and commercial land.

Note: Uttar Pradesh Capital: Lucknow; Uttar Pradesh Governor: Anandiben Patel; Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath.

 

3. Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions to be under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will, from now on, also look after the development of ropeways and alternate mobility solutions. The move is expected to give a boost to the sector, by setting up a regulatory regime, and facilitating research and new technology to come into this sector. An amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 has been notified to enable this step. The Ministry will have responsibility for development of ropeways and alternative mobility solutions technology, as well as construction, research and policy in this area.

 

4. Samarpan Diwas: Deen Dayal Upadhyay Death Anniversary: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays floral tribute to former Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on his 53rd death anniversary as part of ‘Samarpan Diwas’, in New Delhi on Feb. 11, 2021. Deendayal Upadhyaya was an Indian politician and thinker of right-wing Hindutva ideology espoused by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and leader of the political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of Bharatiya Janata Party.

 

5. Ramnath Kovind Inaugurates Museum Dedicated to General KS Thimayya: President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated a museum, dedicated to the life of former Army Chief General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya, in Karnataka. General Thimayya served as the Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961. The ancestral house of General Thimayya called “Sunny Side” at Madikeri in Kodagu district of Karnataka has been renovated and converted into a museum.

About the museum: A museum celebrating the life of former Army Chief General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya, housing a variety of antique weaponry and war relics. A statue of the General from Kodagu in uniform greets as one enters the museum, which also showcases a slice of Indian military history. The museum also acknowledges the contribution of General Thimayya’s siblings, including two of his brothers, who too were Army officers, and his wife Nina, who was bestowed with “Kaiser-e-Hind” award in recognition of her work in public service. Key attractions on the premises of this war memorial include a battle tank, one of those used by the Army during the war with Pakistan in 1971.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. 14th International Children’s Film festival concludes in Bangladesh: The 14th International Children’s Film Festival of Bangladesh (ICFFB) came to an end in Dhaka. A total of 12 awards were presented to the winners at the concluding ceremony. 179 films from 37 countries were shown at various venues during the 7-day long festival organised by the Children’s Film Society (CFS) of Bangladesh. Apart from Bangladesh, films from India, Armenia, US, UK, Ireland, Japan and China among others were shown in the course of the festival. Dutch Film Jackie and Oopjen were awarded the Best International Feature Film Award. Bangladeshi film Maati got The Young Talent Award while Lottery won the Special mention under the Young Talent Award.

Note: Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka; President of Bangladesh: Abdul Hamid.

 

2. NASA Selects SpaceX to launch its SPHEREx Mission: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected spaceflight company, SpaceX to launch its SPHEREx Mission. Through this mission, NASA aims to perform an all-sky survey to measure the near-infrared spectra of approximately 450 million galaxies across the universe and 100 million stars inside our Milky Way galaxy.

About the SPHEREx Mission: The SPHEREx or the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) spacecraft. The small astrophysics spacecraft, SPHEREx, weighs 329-lb. (178 kilograms). It will be launched to space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, in June 2024, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Note: Acting Administrator of NASA: Steve Jurczyk; Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States; NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.

 

3. Serum Institute of India, UNICEF Enter into Long-term Supply for COVID-19 Vaccines: The Serum Institute of India (SII) and UNICEF have entered into a long-term supply agreement for the AstraZeneca/Oxford and the Novavax vaccines, with the UN children’s agency saying it will have access to up to 1.1 billion doses of vaccines for around 100 countries. India is one of the world’s biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines. While Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield is being manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute, and the Novavax is being produced by US-based Novavax Inc. This is great value for COVAX donors and a strong demonstration of one of the fundamental principles of COVAX – that by pooling our resources we can negotiate in bulk for the best possible deals.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Steve Smith claims Allan Border Medal for third time in his career: Former Australian captain Steve Smith won the third Allan Border Medal of his career at the Australian Cricket Awards for the period 2020-21. The Allan Border Medal recognises the most outstanding male Australian cricketer of the past season as voted by his peers, the media and umpires. Apart from this, Beth Mooney bagged Belinda Clarke Award, the top honour for a female player at the Australian Cricket Awards. This is the maiden Belinda Clarke Award for Mooney. List of 2021 Australian Cricket Awards:

Belinda Clark Award: Beth Mooney.

Allan Border Medal: Steve Smith.

Men’s Test Player of the Year: Pat Cummins.

Women’s One Day International Player of the Year: Rachel Haynes.

Male One Day International Player of the Year: Steve Smith.

Female International Twenty20 Player of the Year: Beth Mooney.

Male International Twenty20 Player of the Year: Ashton Agar.

Female Domestic Player of the Year: Elyse Villani.

Male Domestic Player of the Year: Shaun Marsh.

Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year: Hannah Darlington.

Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: Will Sutherland.

Community Impact Award: Joshua Lalor.

Hall of Fame inductions: Johnny Mullagh, Merv Hughes, Lisa Sthalekar.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI to conduct bond purchases for Rs 20,000 crore: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it will purchase four government securities (G-Secs) that amount to ₹20,000 crores. The central bank will purchase it on February 10, 2021, under the open market operations (OMOs). This move was announced in aftermath of the yields that were moving up to touch the intra-day high of 6.1634 per cent recently. The RBI was concerned about the higher government borrowing. After the announcement of the OMO purchase was made, the yield on the benchmark 10-year G-Sec slowed down by 3-4 basis points. It now carries a coupon rate of 5.77 per cent as opposed to its previous closing yield of 6.1283 per cent.

What is the Open Market Operation: Open Market Operations are the purchase and sale of the Government securities (G-Secs) by RBI from and to the market. The Open Market Operations are conducted with the objective of adjusting the rupee liquidity conditions in the economy. In such operations, when RBI sells the government security in the market banks use to purchase them. When the banks purchase the Government securities, their ability to lend money to the industries, households and other commercial sector gets reduced. Following the reduced surplus cash, the liquidity of the rupee also contracts. This results in contraction of the credit creation or the credit supply. On the other hand, when the RBI purchases the securities, commercial banks find gets surplus cash and this in turn creates more credit in the system.

What are government securities or G-Sec: Government securities are the debt instruments which are issued by the government to borrow money. It is divided into two categories namely,

Treasury bills are short-term instruments. They get mature in 91 days, 182 days, or 364 days. Dated securities which are the long-term instruments. They get mature in between 5 years to 40 years.

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. First Women Team Inducted in CRPF’s CoBRA Commando Unit: A maiden contingent of 34 CRPF women personnel has been inducted into its specialized jungle warfare commando force CoBRA. The contingent will soon be deployed in the anti-Naxal operations grid of the country. This women’s contingent will undergo pre-induction training for 3 months and then deployed with the units in Naxal violence-affected districts of Chhattisgarh like Dantewada, Sukma, and Bijapur. The members of the 34 CRPF women personnel contingent have been chosen from the 6 all-women battalions of CRPF. The first battalion of CRPF numbered 88, was raised this day in 1986 at a CRPF base in Delhi. An all-women brass band of CRPF was also commissioned during the ceremony that was held to mark the 35th Raising Day anniversary of the first women’s battalion of CRPF.

About the CoBRA Commando Unit: The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was raised under the CRPF in the year 2009 for undertaking intelligence-based jungle warfare operations. Till now, the force was an all-male unit and it is for the first time that a contingent of women personnel has been inducted into it. The commandos of the CoBRA teams are expected to be mentally and physically tough and most of the teams are deployed in Maoist violence-affected states of the country. Some of the CoBRA teams are also deployed in the northeastern states for undertaking counter-insurgency operations. A ceremony was held to mark the induction of women contingent in Kadarpur village wherein the chosen women personnel performed combat drills.

Note: Central Reserve Police Force Director-General: AP Maheshwari; Central Reserve Police Force Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Founder of Rang Vidushak, Padma Shri Bansi Kaul Passed away: Founder of Rang Vidushak and theatre director Padma Shri Bansi Kaul passed away. He was born in 1949 in a Kashmiri Pandit family, Bansi Kaul was a Hindi theatre director and the founder of Rang Vidushak, a theatre group and theatre institute in Bhopal. He was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995 and Padma Shri in 2014. He received Rashtriya Kalidas Samman for the year 2016–17.

Daily GK Updates – 10th Feb, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. National Horticulture Fair 2021 begins: The Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Kailash Choudhry has inaugurated the National Horticulture Fair (NHF) 2021 on February 08, 2021, in Bengaluru via virtual mode. The five-day-long event has been organised by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), from February 8 to February 12 at its IIHR campus situated in Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru. The theme of NHF 2021 is ‘Horticulture for Start-Up and Stand-Up India’.

For the first time, the event is being held in hybrid mode, i.e., the participants are allowed to attend the event online as well as offline. The NHF will showcase cutting edge technologies, crop varieties, pest and disease management practices and processing methods among others. The IIHR is a subsidiary of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Note: ICAR Director: Trilochan Mohapatra; Headquarters of ICAR: New Delhi; ICAR founded: 16 July 1929.

 

2. Punjab’s first central water treatment plant starts drinking water supply to 85 Moga villages: Set up with the assistance of the World Bank for Rs 232 crore, Punjab’s first ‘Central Water Treatment Plant’ has started supply of clean drinking water in 85 villages of Moga district. The plant was setup at village Daudhar of Moga. Under this project, 21.52 cusecs of water per second (50 MLD) is being treated from Abohar Canal Branch, which is being supplied further to the people of 85 villages through underground pipes. These 85 villages include one village of Moga-1, 47 villages of Baghapurana and 37 villages of Nihal Singh Wala. The project has been developed by the company Larsen & Toubro (L&T). The company is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the project for the next 10 years.

 

3. Gujarat govt to set up Indian Institute of Skills in Gandhinagar: In Gujarat, the State Government has asked the Tata group to start the work on setting up Indian Institute of Skills- IIS. This was conveyed during a meeting between the high powered team from Tata Group and senior officials of Gujarat Government held in Gandhinagar. IIS is being set up by the Labour and Employment Department of Gujarat along with Tata Group at Nasmed village of Gandhinagar. The State Government has allotted around 20 acres of land for Tatas to start Indian Institute of Skills. The institute is being developed on a Not-for-profit Public Private Partnership mode by the Tata Group along with the state’s Labour and Employment Department.

 

4. Cabinet gives in-principle approval for 100% divestment in RINL: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave in-principle approval for 100 percent divestment of Centre’s stake in Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) said. As per the decision finalised by the Cabinet, the Centre would completely divest its stake from the loss-making public sector unit (PSU). The government has budgeted Rs 1.75 lakh crore from disinvestment in 2021-22 fiscal beginning April 1.Strategic disinvestment of BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan Hans, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd, among others, is scheduled to be completed in 2021-22.

 

5. ‘Govt to give ₹ 1 Lakh Crore additional income to farmers’: Union Minister Pradhan: The government will provide ₹ 1 lakh crore additional income to farmers that will be generated by converting waste into energy, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told Rajya Sabha. The government has started the Gobar Dhan scheme. Cow dung, agriculture waste, city waste, forest waste, the carbon in biomass, everything will be converted into energy. In a few days, the heap of waste at Ghazipur will be cleaned up. The energy that will make from that is going to give additional income of ₹1 lakh crore in the accounts of farmers. He said the government has come up with a scheme to procure ethanol worth ₹20,000 crore which will help increase farmer’s income.

 

6. Andhra SEC launches ‘e – watch’ app designed to receive gram panchayat elections related complaints: State Election Commissioner N. Ramesh Kumar launched ‘e-Watch’, a mobile application and a call centre to help curb malpractices during the gram panchayat elections. The App will be available on Google PlayStore from February 4 for lodging complaints of enticements and other objectionable actions. It was intended to ensure transparency in the gram panchayat election process, thereby instilling confidence in the public that the commission was wary of the scope for malpractices and it would take necessary action on those vitiating the elections.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India, EU hold high-level dialogue: The first India-European Union High-Level Dialogue was co-chaired by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal from India side and the European Union Executive Vice-President & Trade Commissioner Mr Valdis Dombrovskis, from the EU side. This Dialogue was organised in line with the commitment made at the 15th India-EU Leader’s Summit held in July 2020.

The outcome of HLD: Ministers agreed for further deepening of bilateral trade and investment relationship through a series of regular engagements, aiming at quick deliverable for the businesses in these tough times. They also agreed to meet within the next three months, to reach consensus on a host of bilateral trade & investment cooperation issues like bilateral Regulatory Dialogue; an India-EU Multilateral Dialogue to explore further possibilities of cooperation.

Note: European Union (EU) Headquarters location: Brussels, Belgium; European Union (EU) Founded: 1 November 1993; European Parliament President: David-Maria Sassoli.

 

2. Square Kilometre Array Observatory launched: The newly constituted Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) Council has approved for the establishment of the world’s largest radio telescope. The telescope will enable astronomers to monitor the sky in unprecedented detail and survey the entire sky much faster than any system currently in existence.  To look into some of the unexplored areas of the universe and seek answers about its history and evolution, study fundamental physics in extreme environments and know about galaxies over cosmic time.

What are radio telescopes: Radio telescopes, unlike optical telescopes, can detect invisible gas and can reveal areas of space that may be obscured by cosmic dust.

Where will be the world’s largest radio telescope located: The SKAO telescope will be an array of antennas located in two continents, i.e. Africa and Australia. The operation, maintenance and construction of the telescope will be overseen by SKAO. The development of the telescope is expected to take nearly a decade at a cost of over £1.8 billion.

What is SKAO: SKAO is a new intergovernmental organisation dedicated to radio astronomy. The headquartered of SKAO is based in the United Kingdom Currently organisations from ten countries are a part of the SKAO, which include Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK. French-born Dr Catherine Cesarsky has been appointed as the first Chair of the SKAO Council. The Indian contingent of over 20 institutions will be lead by Pune-based National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of TIFR.

 

3. Pakistan test fires Ghaznavi Ballistic Missile: Pakistan successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile named Ghaznavi which can strike targets up to 290 kilometres.  The launch of Ghaznavi missile was “culmination of Annual Field Training Exercise of Army Strategic Forces Command. The training launch was witnessed by Commander Army Strategic Forces Command Lt Gen Muhammad Ali, senior officers from Strategic Plans Division, Army Strategic Forces Command, Scientists and Engineers of the strategic organizations.

 

4. International Epilepsy Day 2021: 8th February: The International Epilepsy Day is observed on the second Monday of February every year across the world. In 2021, the International Epilepsy Day was observed on February 08. The day is organised jointly by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) to raise awareness about epilepsy and highlight the kinds of problems faced by victims, their friends and family. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder which makes a person go through sudden and recurrent episodes of sensory disturbances.

 

5. World Pulses Day: 10th February: The United Nations designated World Pulses Day is observed every year on 10 February. The day has been established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognize the importance of pulses (dry beans, lentils, dry peas, chickpeas, lupins) as a global food. The theme, “Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future,” was decided back in 2016 when the year was nominated to be celebrated as International Year of Pulses. Since then, the theme has remained the same from 2019 to 2021.

History of the day: In 2018, the UN General Assembly decided to mark 10 February as World Pulses Day. The first WPD was held on February 10, 2019.  On 20 December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/68/231) proclaiming 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP). The celebration of the year, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), increased the public awareness of the nutritional and environmental benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production.

Note: Food and Agriculture Organization Head: Qu Dongyu; Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters: Rome, Italy; Food and Agriculture Organization Established: 16 October 1945.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Rishabh Pant wins inaugural ICC Player of the Month January 2021: The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has won the inaugural ICC Player of the Month award 2021. Pant has been honoured for his superlative performances in the two Tests against Australia in January 2021, wherein he scored a 97 at Sydney and an unbeaten 89 at Brisbane, leading India to an incredible series win. Apart from this, Shabnim Ismail of South Africa has been named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month following her performances across three ODIs and two T20Is in January 2021. A fast bowler, Ismail took seven wickets in ODI series against Pakistan to gain victory and five wickets in the second T20 International against the same opposition.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India’s Near-term Fiscal Deficit Target Higher Than Expected: Fitch: India’s fiscal deficit target in the near-term is higher than expected and medium-term consolidation is at a more gradual pace than anticipated, said Fitch Ratings in its comments on the just unveiled Union Budget for the financial year beginning April 1. India, which has often complained its sovereign credit ratings by agencies such as Fitch not reflecting the economy’s fundamentals, put the fiscal deficit – the excess of government expenditure over its revenues – at 9.5 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the current fiscal ending March 31, against a planned 3.5 per cent.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Indian Documentary ‘Writing With Fire’ Wins Audience Award At Sundance Film Festival: “Writing with Fire”, an Indian film chronicling the rise of Khabar Lahariya, India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women, has won the audience award in the World Cinema Documentary category at the Sundance Film Festival 2021. Writing with Fire premiered in the World Cinema Documentary Competition segment, which celebrates 10 non-fiction feature films from emerging talent around the world. The festival, which started from January 28 and will close on February 3, is presented by Sundance Organisation, a nonprofit that discovers and supports independent artists, and introduces audiences to their work.Fire in the Mountains, directed by debutant Ajitpal Singh, was another Indian title to be screened at the festival.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Bollywood actor Rajiv Kapoor passes away: Bollywood actor and Raj Kapoor’s son Rajiv Kapoor passed away. He made his acting debut with 1983 movie Ek Jaan Hain Hum. He gained recognition with his father’s last directorial Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985). Some of his other memorable films include Aasmaan (1984), Lover Boy (1985), Zabardast (1985) and Hum To Chale Pardes (1988). But soon Rajiv also addressed as Chimpu, moved to film direction and production. In 1996, Rajiv directed Prem Granth which featured his elder brother Rishi Kapoor in the lead role along with Madhuri Dixit. He ventured into production with brother Randhir Kapoor’s directorial Henna in 1991 and also produced Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999).

Daily GK Updates – 9th Feb, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. 4 more states complete ‘Ease of Doing Business’ Reforms: As per the recent data by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), four more states have completed the reforms in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’, as stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. The four states are- Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. These states have become eligible to mobilise additional financial resources to the tune of Rs 5,034 crore through open market borrowings. Now the total number of state that has undertaken the reforms to promote Ease of Doing Business till now has gone up to 12. The other states are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

Reforms of ‘Ease of Doing Business’: Altogether, these twelve states have been granted additional borrowing permission of Rs 28,183 crore. In May 2020, the central government had announced to link grant of additional borrowing permissions to states who undertake the reforms in four citizen-centric sectors to facilitate ease of doing business. The four citizen-centric areas for reforms identified were -implementation of one nation one ration card system, ease of doing business reform, urban local body/ utility reforms and power sector reforms.

 

2. PM Modi launches Asom Mala in Assam’s Sonitpur district: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Asom Mala’ programme in Dhekiajuli of Sonitpur district, Assam. As per the PMO, this initiative will boost the state’s road infrastructure and contribute to Assam’s economic progress and improve connectivity. The programme is unique for its emphasis on effective maintenance through continuous field data collection and its linkage with the Road Asset Management System.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stones of medical colleges and hospitals in Biswanath and Charaideo with an aim to boost Assam’s health infrastructure. The two medical colleges and hospitals are being set up at Biswanath and Charaideo at a total estimated project cost of over Rs 1,100 crores. Each hospital will have a 500-bed capacity and 100 MBBS seat capacity.

Note: Assam CM: Sarbananda Sonowal; Assam Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

 

3. Uttarakhand Chamoli glacier burst: The glacier burst took place at the Rishiganga power project after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on 7th February morning and damaged the Rishiganga dam on Alaknanda river. National Thermal Power Corporation’s (NTPC) Tapovan Vishnugad project on Dhauliganga river and Rishi Ganga Power Corporation Ltd’s project, with a planned capacity of 520 MW and 13.2 MW, respectively, have been nearly washed away. Many villages were evacuated as floods swept away five bridges, damaged homes and the nearby NTPC power plant, and washed away a small hydropower project near Rishiganga. National and state disaster response teams have been deployed, as have teams from the ITBP. The Army has sent six columns and the Navy seven diving teams.

Note: Uttarakhand Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat; Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. South Korea to Build World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm: President Moon Jae-in-led, South Korea Government has approved a plan to build the world’s largest wind power plant in the country by 2030. Currently, the world’s largest offshore wind farm is Hornsea 1 in Britain, which has 1.12 GW capacity.

About the project: The project will help to foster an environmentally-friendly recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and fasten the step to achieve the target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The estimated cost of the project is 48.5 trillion won ($43.2 billion). The Windpower Plant will be located in the southwestern coastal town of Sinan. It will have a maximum capacity of 8.2 gigawatts.

Note: South Korea Capital: Seoul; South Korea Currency: South Korean won.

 

2. Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala set to become first female Chief of WTO: Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been chosen as the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). She would be the first woman as well as the first African nation to lead the organization. Okonjo-Iweala, the former finance minister of Nigeria, will succeed Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down in August 2020.

Note: World Trade Organization Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; World Trade Organization Founded: 1 January 1995.

 

3. Michael Bloomberg Re-Appointed as United Nations Climate Envoy: The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres re-appointed Michael Bloomberg as his Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions. Bloomberg is the founder and owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. He was previously appointed as the U.N. special envoy for climate action between March 2018 and November 2019.

Bloomberg will work to strengthen the group of governments, companies, cities and financial institutions that are working to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. He would also work to mobilise stronger and more ambitious climate action in the lead-up to 2021 United Nations Climate Change conference in Scotland in November 2021.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Joe Root becomes first batsman to score 200 in 100th Test: Joe Root, the England captain, sent India on a leather hunt, becoming the first player in history to score a double century in his 100th Test match. In the process, Root also surpassed former Pakistan captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq as the player with the highest individual score playing the 100th Test match of his career. Inzamam had hit 184 against India in a Test match in Bengaluru in 2005, which Pakistan had won by 168 runs.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI Monetary Policy: Policy Rate unchanged: The six-member Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), headed by Governor Shaktikanta Das, has decided to maintain the status quo on policy rate amid sticky rate of inflation. At this point, the repo rate or the rate at which RBI lends to banks stands unchanged at 4 per cent. The reverse repo rate also stayed unchanged at 3.35 per cent. The MPC committee members voted unanimously in favour of the decision. The key decisions taken in the Monetary Policy Committee meeting are:

(1) The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) has been kept unchanged at 4.00%.

(2) The reverse repo rate under the LAF has been kept unchanged at 3.35%.

(3) The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate have been kept unchanged at 4.25%.

RBI Monetary Policy Highlights & Key Decisions:

(1) Governor Shaktikanta Das proposes to put in place criteria for NBFC dividend distribution, introduces risk-based audit in large NBFCs & co-op banks.

(2) RTGS will soon be made 24X7 in the next few days.

(3) The business sentiment of manufacturing firms is gradually improving.

(4) CPI inflation is seen at 6.8% for Q3 and 5.8% for Q4.

(5) Real GDP growth for FY21 is projected at -7.5%. Q3 FY-21 GDP is seen at +0.1% while Q4 FY-21 GDP is seen at +0.7%.

(6) Corporate bond spreads have narrowed to pre-covid levels.

(7) RBI proposes to enhance limits for contactless card payments from ₹2000 to ₹5000 from Jan 2021.

(8) On-tap Targeted Long Term Repo Operations (TLTRO) will be expanded to cover other stressed sectors in tandem with Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) scheme.

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Google Cloud appoints Bikram Singh Bedi as MD for India: Google Cloud has appointed Bikram Singh Bedi as the new Managing Director for its India Business. He will succeed Karan Bajwa, who has been elevated as Vice president for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region cloud operations at Google Cloud. At Google, Bikram Bedi will be responsible for leading Google Cloud’s sales and operations teams in this dynamic market. Google Cloud is also on track to launch its Delhi cloud region in India this year – its second after Mumbai that was launched in 2017.

About the Bikram Singh Bedi: Bedi, a senior leader with more than 26 years of leadership experience, will be responsible for leading Google Cloud’s sales and operations teams in this dynamic market. He joined Google Cloud from Indian online grocery delivery startup, Grofers where he served as President Strategy and New Initiatives. Prior to that, he set up the AWS business in India and was the head of India and South Asia for six years. He also held various leadership positions at IBM and Oracle.

Note: CEO of Google: Sundar Pichai; Headquarters: California, United States.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. 16th India-US joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 20’ commenced: The India-US joint military exercise “Yudh Abhyas 20” commenced in Mahajan Field Firing Range of Bikaner district in Rajasthan. This is the 16th edition of an annual bilateral joint exercise of both the armies. It will continue till the 21st of this month. The previous version of the joint exercise was held at Seattle in the United States. This exercise is another step in the growing military cooperation between the two countries, which shows the growth in Indo-US relations. It is also a sign that both India and the US understand the threat of terrorism and are standing shoulder to shoulder in combating the same.

About the exercise: About 250 US and 250 Indian army soldiers are participating in the exercise. Both the armies will share their war-related techniques, skills and experience with each other during this exercise. The exercise is one of the largest military training and defence cooperation efforts between India and the United States.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Indian tennis great Akhtar Ali passes away: Tennis legend Akhtar Ali, a father figure in Indian tennis, passed away. He represented India in eight Davis Cup ties against Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, Mexico, Japan and Monaco between 1958 and 1964. Born on July 5, 1939, Akhtar made his mark in 1955 when he became the National junior champion and reached the junior Wimbledon semifinals. He played alongside stalwarts like Ramanathan Krishnan, Naresh Kumar, Premjit Lall and Jaidip Mukerjea. Akhtar, who was groomed by former Australian Davis Cup coach Harry Hopman, also played in the Wimbledon and French Open grand slam events. He was the winner of the Asian mixed doubles championship. His last ATP tour outing was against Vijay Amritraj in a clay court match in Bombay on November 11, 1974.