Current Affairs 06th March 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi pays tributes to 105th Birth Anniversary of former Odisha CM Biju Patnaik 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former Chief Minister of Odisha Biju Patnaik on his 105th Birth Anniversary(5th March).

• Mr Modi said, Biju Babu’s futuristic vision for India, emphasis on human empowerment as well as social justice inspires us all. 
• He said, the nation is proud of his efforts for Odisha’s progress.

PM Modi to hold virtual summit with Swedish counterpart 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual summit with his Swedish counterpart Stefan Löfven. 

• This will be the fifth interaction between the two leaders since 2015. 
• India and Sweden have warm and friendly relations based on shared values of democracy, freedom, pluralism and rules-based international order.
• During the Summit, the two leaders will hold comprehensive discussions on the entire spectrum of the bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global issues including further strengthening of cooperation in the post-COVID era.
• Around 250 Swedish companies are actively operating in India in various sectors such as health and life sciences, auto industry, clean technology, defence, heavy machinery and equipment. Around 75 Indian companies are also active in Sweden.

Union Education Minister announces opening of 2 new KVs in Punjab and Karnataka 

• Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced opening of two new Kendriya Vidyalayas in Karnataka and Punjab. 
• KV Sadalaga, Belagavi, in Karnataka and KV IIT Ropar in Punjab will be two new additions to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. 
• With this, the total number of KVs across the country will rise to 1247.

• Initially, these two Vidyalayas will function with classes I to V and grow consequentially upto class XII. 
• When these Vidyalayas start functioning in full capacity, around 1000 students of the area will be benefited in each school. 
• The Admission process in both the Vidyalayas will start in the academic session 2021-22.

Combined Commanders’ Conference starts at Kevadiya in Gujarat

• A three-day Combined Commanders’ Conference will begin at Kevadia in Gujarat.
• Theaterisation of armed forces, self-reliance in the defence sector and evolving threats in the region will be the focus areas during the three-day annual event.  
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address the top commanders of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

• During the conference, the setting up a new air defence command and maritime command is likely to be discussed at length. 
• Implementation of the air defence command timeline is also likely to come up for discussion.
• The formation of theatre commands will synergise the capabilities and combat potential of the three forces during war and peace

IMPCL decided to sell products on Government e-Market portal

• Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (IMPCL) will sell products on the Government e-Market (GeM) portal. 
• The IMPCL and GeM has finalised a deal in this regard and now the Ayurvedic and Unani medicines of IMPCL will figure on the GeM portal to hundreds of government sector buyers. 
• This will facilitate quick procurement of these medicines by Central and State Government institutions for their healthcare programmes. 
• It will also help to streamline the procurement and distribution of Ayurvedic and Unani medicines by State Units.  
• The thousands of patients and other clients who visit Government Ayush hospitals every day stand to gain because of this increased availability of such medicines even in far-flung Ayush Hospitals and Clinics. 
• The GeM has created 31 categories covering 311 medicines which live in the marketplace and IMPCL can now upload these medicines on GeM Portal. 
• IMPCL, the 100 crore rupees turnover PSU of the Ministry of AYUSH, is one of the most trusted manufacturers of Ayush medicines in the country and is known for the authenticity of its formulations. 

Current Affairs : International News

SpaceX successfully tests Starship SN10 rocket 

• SpaceX successfully tested its Starship SN10 prototype rocket after two recent failed attempts.
• The rocket prototype was launched to an altitude of 10,000 kilometers and then landed back on the ground. However, the rocket exploded about six minutes after landing.
• The test launch is deemed successful because the goal was to gather information on how the flaps work to control the rocket when it is horizontal as it is falling back to earth.
• The SN10 is an early prototype of the Starship Mars rocket of SpaceX which aims to get people and payloads to the moon, Mars and other distant destinations.
• This rocket is also a part of the company’s strategy to phase out its other flight hardware including, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and Dragon cargo and crew capsules, and let Starship shoulder the entire load.

About SpaceX :

• Founder & CEO : Elon Musk
• President & COO : Gwynne Shotwell
• Founded : 2002
• Headquarters : California, United States

Bangladesh govt. launched national app portal

• The Government of Bangladesh has launched its national app portal bdapps.com. 
• The agreement between the ICT division of the government of Bangladesh and the telecom company Robi was signed in Dhaka.
• Through this agreement, BDApps will be established as the hub of the ICT division for application developers. 
• Under the agreement, the ICT division will collaborate with bdapps to organise exclusive boot camps and software development events in the country.
• Launching the app portal as the national app portal, ICT minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that app developers from any organisation can use this platform to upload their apps. 
• He said that the ICT division will seek exemption on income tax for the developers and the abolition of VAT on apps. 
• The minister announced that training facilities of the ICT department will be extended to developers seeking to put their apps on the portal.
• BDApps is the largest mobile application platform in Bangladesh hosting more than 23,000 apps developed by 12,000 developers.

EAM Dr S Jaishankar speaks to his German counterpart

• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar spoke to his German counterpart Heiko Maas. 
• Dr Jaishankar said, they discussed 70 years of India-Germany diplomatic relations and the COVID situation and regional issues.

Current Affairs : State News

Karnataka launches engineering research policy

• The Karnataka government has launched the country’s maiden Engineering Research & Development (ER&D) Policy to raise its contribution to the sector in the country to 45% in the next five years.
• The new policy envisages creation of an additional 50,000 jobs.
• According to industry apex body Nasscom, ER&D has the potential to become a $100-billion industry in the country in the next five years.
• The new policy, drafted jointly by the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society, and Nasscom in consultation with industry stakeholders
• It has identified five key focus sectors such as 

1. aerospace and defence; 
2. auto, auto components and EV; 
3. biotechnology, pharma and medical devices; 
4. semiconductors, telecom, ESDM; 
5. software products.

• The policy will also support industrial application of academic research, spend ₹10,000 per student on training and certification as provide grants to universities to set up laboratories.

About Karnataka :

• CM : BS Yediyurappa
• Capital : Bangalore 
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala

Udaipur Science Centre inaugurated at Udaipur , Tripura

• The Udaipur Science Centre, at Udaipur, Tripura was dedicated to the people by the Governor of Tripura, Shri Ramesh Bais on 28th February 2021. 
• The Udaipur Science Centre has been developed at a cost of Rs 6 crore funded jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Tripura Government and with this; National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) has now set-up science centres in all the north eastern states
• It is the 22nd Science Centre which has been developed by NCSM and handed over to the State Governments under the Ministry of Culture’s Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science
• It is funded jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and Dept. of Science, Technology & Environment, Government of Tripura and with this; NCSM has now set-up science centres in all the north eastern states.

About National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) :

• Founded: 4 April 1978
• Headquarters: Kolkata
• Director General: Shri A. D. Choudhury

About Tripura :

• Capital: Agartala
• Governor: Ramesh Bais

Mumbai’s CSMT becomes first railway station to get IGBC Gold Certification

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Railway Station of Central Railway is the first railway station in Maharashtra to be awarded with Gold certification as per CII’s Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) ratings.
• The rating system gives impetus to the national priorities like energy efficiency, water conservation, handling of waste measures and motivates the adoption of green standards for buildings and its environment.
• Central Railway has implemented various green initiatives across its zone, with plantations creating green areas, installation of solar panels, customer-friendly initiatives at many stations, LED bulbs and lights etc.

About Indian Green Building Council :

• Founded: 2001
• Headquarters : Hyderabad

Indian Army launches Community Radio Station 

• The first of its kind in North Kashmir, Community Radio Station with the tagline “Radio Chinar 90.4, Har Dil Ki Dhadkan” was inaugurated 04 Mar 2021 by the Indian Army for the Awam in Mazbugh, Sopore. 
• The Radio Station was inaugurated by Lt Gen BS Raju, General Officer Commanding Chinar Corps in presence of Maj Gen HS Sahi, General Officer Commanding Kilo Force and various Army and civil dignitaries. 
• The reach of the Community Radio Station will be Sopore, Bandipora and Baramulla Districts.
• This Community Radio Station has been started with an aim to revitalize the connection within different segments of the community. 
• This will provide a good platform for a community dialogue, sharing of information, art & culture. 
• It will build a community environment, which is better connected with issues which are local and important to the community.

Meghalaya: State Govt launches online registration portal for migrant workers

• In Meghalaya, the State Government launched the online registration portal for migrant workers under the Meghalaya Identification Registration (Safety and Security) of Migrant Workers Act 2020, in a function organized by the Labour Department in Shillong.
• Launching the portal, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said, the online portal will improve the ease of doing business. 
• He urged all stakeholders to utilize the portal so that a record of genuine migrant labourers or workers is maintained in the State. 
• He said, this move is crucial for the development of the State as labour forces from other parts of the country are required to complete projects of different departments. 
• He reiterated that only those migrant workers/labourers who fulfil various criteria stated under the Act, will be issued with a labour license. 

Current Affairs : Banking News

World Bank plans $100-mn guarantee scheme for solar rooftop projects

• The World Bank plans to introduce a $100-million credit guarantee scheme to boost India’s rooftop solar programme.
• The scheme will allow micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to avail concessional debt financing for setting up rooftop solar units.
• The World Bank scheme, along with State Bank of India (SBI) and the MSME ministry to accelerate adoption of rooftop solar units, will help MSMEs access credit of around $1 billion. 
• The arrangement will be beneficial for the firms that often do not meet the lending criteria of banks and other financial institutions, with their financial woes being exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic.

About World Bank :

• Headquarters : Washington, D.C.
• Founded : July 1944
• Founders: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White

About SBI :

• Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 1 July 1955

About MSME 

• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Founded: 2007
• Joint secretary : Ateesh Kumar Singh

PNB Housing Finance and Yes Bank sign strategic co-lending pact 

• PNB Housing Finance said it has tied up with Yes Bank for a strategic co-lending service that will facilitate retail home loans at competitive rates.
• PNB Housing Finance said in a regulatory filing that PNB Housing and Yes Bank will synergise capabilities to provide an efficient and seamless experience to existing and new retail home loan customers.
• It added that this strategic co-lending agreement will offer “convenient and customised retail loans to homebuyers at competitive interest rates”.

• PNB Housing and Yes Bank will jointly do due diligence and co-originate the loan at an agreed ratio.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Amazon changes its app icon 

• E-commerce Company Amazon has renewed its iOS and Android app icon again.
• According to Mashable, a month ago, the company introduced a new icon for its mobile apps, replacing the old ‘shopping cart’ icon with one that combined Amazon’s smile logo and a blue adhesive tape strip on a brown background, as a nod to Amazon’s shipping boxes.
• The problem with that design, apparently, was that the adhesive tape strip looked a bit too much like the moustache of Adolf Hitler, which was noticed on social media. 
• The new design is very similar, but the adhesive tape strip has been redesigned to look nothing like a moustache.

Current Affairs : Agreements

India signs pact with Philippines for supply of BrahMos missile

• India and the Philippines have signed a key agreement to facilitate government-to-government deals on military hardware, including the potential supply of BrahMos cruise missiles.
• The BrahMos missile is produced by an India-Russian joint venture “BrahMos Aerospace” and it can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or from land platforms.
• The pact was signed by under-secretary Raymundo Elefante of the Philippines’ department of national defense and Indian ambassador Shambu Kumaran at Camp Aguinaldo, headquarters of the Filipino armed forces
• It is the fastest supersonic cruise missile in the world.
• Currently the missile is used only by India, however several countries including Philippines, Vietnam, South Africa, Egypt, Oman, Chile and Brunei have expressed interest in the procurement of the missile.

Current Affairs :Appointments

Manpreet Vohra Appointed India’s High Commissioner To Australia

• Senior diplomat Manpreet Vohra has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Australia, the Ministry of External Affairs
• Mr Vohra, a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is presently Ambassador of India to Mexico.
• He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
• Mr Vohra’s appointment comes at a time India-Australia ties are at an upswing and the two countries are stepping up cooperation particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.

About Australia :

• PM : Scott Morrison
• Currency : Australian dollar
• Capital : Canberra

Cricketer Rohit Sharma appointed as brand ambassador of Glenmark Pharma 

• Drug major Glenmark Pharma said it has signed cricketer Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador for its product Candid Powder. 

• The company said in a statement that Sharma has “officially signed on to represent Glenmark’s Candid Powder, a legacy brand of the company’s consumer care division”.

Hollywood Critics Association honoured Director Zack Snyder with special ‘Valiant Award’ 

• American filmmaker Zack Snyder will be presented with the first-ever Valiant Award from The Hollywood Critics Association at the virtual fourth Annual HCA Film Awards ceremony.
• According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Hollywood Critics Association is presenting Snyder with this first-ever Valiant Award as an honour for how the filmmaker and his wife, and producing partner, Deborah Snyder, responded to their 20-year-old daughter autumn’s suicide in 2017.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

PM Modi to receive CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award. 

• He will also deliver a keynote address at the Cambridge Energy Research Associates Week -2021 via video conferencing.
• CERA Week was founded in 1983 by Dr. Daniel Yergin. 
• CERA Week Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award was instituted in 2016. 
• It recognizes the commitment of leadership on the future of global energy and environment and for offering solutions and policies for energy access, affordability and environmental stewardship

Hyundai i20 bags ICOTY 2021 and Tata Nexon EV bags Green Car award

• The Tata Nexon EV won the inaugural Green Car award. 
• Hyundai i20 has won the 2021 Indian car of the year award (ICOTY). 
• The third-gen hatchback was amongst the nine contenders competing for the most esteemed car award in the country.
• Tata Nexon EV claimed the top honour in its category with 106 points, followed by Hyundai Kona with 99 points, and the MG ZS EV in third with 93 points.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

QS World University Rankings: 12 Indian Institutions on securing position in top 100 

• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has congratulated 12 Indian Institutions on securing a position in top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021.
• These institutions are IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IISC Bangalore, IIT Guwahati, IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, JNU, Anna University, University of Delhi, and O P Jindal University.
• IIT Madras has been ranked 30th in the world for Petroleum Engineering, IIT Bombay has been ranked 41st and IIT Kharagpur has been ranked 44th in the world for Minerals and Mining Engineering, and University of Delhi has been ranked 50th in the world for Development Studies.

Daily CA On March 05 :

• National Safety Day is observed on March 4 every year to commemorate the foundation of the National Safety Council.
• On March 4 India is celebrated as National Security Day (Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas) every year, in the honor of the Indian Security Forces.
• Government on 2nd March 2021 notified comprehensive amendments to the Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017, with a view to improve the working of the Insurance Ombudsman mechanism to facilitate resolution of complaints regarding deficiencies in insurance services in a timely, cost-effective and impartial manner.
• The ‘Made in India’ optical spectrograph named as Aries-Devasthal Faint Object Spectrograph & Camera (ADFOSC) is indigenously designed and developed by Aryabhatta Research Institute of observational sciences (ARIES), Nainital.
• Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that the Nag River Pollution Abatement Project has been approved at a cost of over Rs 2,117 crore.
• Wipro has joined the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) ‘Partnering for Racial Justice in Business’ initiative to promote a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity and justice for people of all racial backgrounds in the workplace.
• Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar held a meeting with representatives of Over the Top, OTT industry and explained to them the provisions of the new OTT rules.
• The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution sponsored by India and supported by over 70 nations declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets
• Newly formed Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir Union Territories will have a separate cell in National Commission for Women (NCW). 
• Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has tweeted that Bengaluru has emerged as the most livable city in India in the Ease of living Survey conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) Mutual Funds has launched its first overseas offering on 1 March 2021.
• Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank will handle the salary account of the Indian army personnel.
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Board has approved sale of its 61.65 percent stake in Numaligarh Refinery for 9,875 crore rupees.
• India received the highest ever Foreign Direct Investments of over 67 billion US dollars for the first nine months of a financial year, last year. 
• Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri announced the release of the final rankings of Ease of Living Index-2020 and the Municipal Performance Index-2020 in New Delhi in an online event.
• IPS officer Kuldiep Singh has assumed the additional charge of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) director general (DG).
• Six-time world champion pugilist Mary Kom has been appointed as the Chairperson of the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) champions and veterans committee.
• The 30th Bihari Puraskar for 2020 will be given to Mohankrishna Bohara for his Hindi book of Criticism, titled Taslima: Sangharsh aur Sahitya.
• Mumbai City FC beat ATK Mohun Bagan 2-0 and finished at the top of the ongoing Indian Super League, thereby clinching the ISL League Winners Shield and securing a spot in the 2022 AFC Champions League.
• On Feb 25 to 28, 2021, Indian shuttlers Varun Kapur and Malvika Bansod registered hard-fought wins to clinch the men’s and women’s singles titles respectively at the 2021 Uganda International in Kampala.
• India captain Virat Kohli has recorded another century, albeit not on the pitch this time, as he became the first cricketer in the world to have 100 million followers on social media platform Instagram.

Daily CA On March 06 :

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former Chief Minister of Odisha Biju Patnaik on his 105th Birth Anniversary(5th March).

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual summit with his Swedish counterpart Stefan Löfven. 

• Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced opening of two new Kendriya Vidyalayas in Karnataka and Punjab. 
• A three-day Combined Commanders’ Conference will begin at Kevadia in Gujarat.
• Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (IMPCL) will sell products on the Government e-Market (GeM) portal. 
• SpaceX successfully tested its Starship SN10 prototype rocket after two recent failed attempts.
• The Government of Bangladesh has launched its national app portal bdapps.com. 
• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar spoke to his German counterpart Heiko Maas. 
• The Karnataka government has launched the country’s maiden Engineering Research & Development (ER&D) Policy to raise its contribution to the sector in the country to 45% in the next five years.
• The Udaipur Science Centre, at Udaipur, Tripura was dedicated to the people by the Governor of Tripura, Shri Ramesh Bais on 28th February 2021. 
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Railway Station of Central Railway is the first railway station in Maharashtra to be awarded with Gold certification as per CII’s Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) ratings.
• The first of its kind in North Kashmir, Community Radio Station with the tagline “Radio Chinar 90.4, Har Dil Ki Dhadkan” was inaugurated 04 Mar 2021 by the Indian Army for the Awam in Mazbugh, Sopore. 
• In Meghalaya, the State Government launched the online registration portal for migrant workers under the Meghalaya Identification Registration (Safety and Security) of Migrant Workers Act 2020, in a function organized by the Labour Department in Shillong.
• The World Bank plans to introduce a $100-million credit guarantee scheme to boost India’s rooftop solar programme.
• PNB Housing Finance said it has tied up with Yes Bank for a strategic co-lending service that will facilitate retail home loans at competitive rates.
• E-commerce Company Amazon has renewed its iOS and Android app icon again.
• India and the Philippines have signed a key agreement to facilitate government-to-government deals on military hardware, including the potential supply of BrahMos cruise missiles.
• Senior diplomat Manpreet Vohra has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Australia, the Ministry of External Affairs
• Drug major Glenmark Pharma said it has signed cricketer Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador for its product Candid Powder. 
• American filmmaker Zack Snyder will be presented with the first-ever Valiant Award from The Hollywood Critics Association at the virtual fourth Annual HCA Film Awards ceremony.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award. 
• The Tata Nexon EV won the inaugural Green Car award. 
• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has congratulated 12 Indian Institutions on securing a position in top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021.