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CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Day of War Orphans 2021: Jan 06
- The World Day of War Orphans is observed on January 6 every year.
- The day aims to raise awareness about children who have been orphaned due to wars. The objective of the day is to voice out the predicament of war orphans and highlight the emotional, social, and physical challenges children face while growing up.
- The day also strives to ensure that war orphans are not forgotten and neglected in the future.
History & significance of the day :
- The day was initiated by France based SOS Enfants En Detresse (SOSEED), a sponsorship program for orphans.
- World Day of War Orphans aims to remember war orphans and reminds people about their responsibility of helping children in crisis-hit areas.
About SOSEED:
- Headquarters : Paris, France
- Established : 2002
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
Centre decided to form a committee to develop Ladakh
- The Centre has decided to form a committee to protect the language, culture and land of Ladakh and ensure citizen’s participation in the Union Territory’s development.
- The Committee will be headed by the Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy and will include elected representatives from Ladakh, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, central government, and the Ladakh administration.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah met a 10-member delegation from Ladakh who expressed their views about the need to protect Ladakh’s unique cultural identity.
- The delegation also spoke about the geographic location and strategic importance of Ladakh, its demographic changes and the need for generating more employment opportunities in the UT.
About Ladakh:
- Capitals:Leh
- Lieutenant Governor: Shri Radha Krishna Mathur
Govt. gave nod to form a management committee of Human-Wildlife Conflict across the country
- The Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife (SC-NBWL) in its 60th meeting has approved the advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) in the country.
- The advisory makes important prescriptions for the States/ Union Territories for dealing with Human-Wildlife conflict situations and seeks expedited inter-departmental coordinated and effective actions.
- The advisory envisages empowering gram panchayats in dealing with the problematic wild animals as per the section 11 (1) (b) of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Utilising add-on coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna for crop compensation against crop damage due to HWC and augmenting fodder and water sources within the forest areas are some key steps envisaged to reduce HWC.
- Payment of a portion of ex-gratia as interim relief within 24 hours of the incident to the victim/family.
PM Modi to inaugurate Rewari-Madar freight corridor
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 306-km New Rewari-New Madar section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC)
- PM Modi will also flag off the world’s first Double Stack Long Haul 1.5km container train hauled by electric traction from Haryana’s Ateli to Kishangarh in Rajasthan.
Rewari-Madar section of WDFC
- The Rewari-Madar section is situated in Haryana, approximately 79km in Mahendragarh and Rewari districts and Rajasthan approximately 227km, in Jaipur, Ajmer, Sikar, Nagaur and Alwar districts.
- It consists of nine newly-built DFC stations in which six are crossing stations of New Dabla, New Bhagega, New Sri Madhopur, New Pachar Malikpur, New Sakun and New Kishangarh while the other three are in Rewari, New Ateli and New Phulera are junction stations.
- The opening of this stretch will benefit various industries in Rewari, Manesar, Narnaul, Phulera and Kishangarh areas of Rajasthan and Haryana and will also enable better usage of the container depot of CONCOR at Kathuwas.
- This section will also ensure seamless connectivity with the western ports of Kandla, Pipavav, Mundhra, and Dahej in Gujarat.
- The inauguration of this section will bring about seamless connectivity between the WDFC and EDFC.
- The Prime Minister dedicated the 351km New Bhaupur-New Khurja section of EDFC on December 29, 2020.
India-Germany Leaders’ held a Video-Tele conference
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video-teleconference with his German counterpart Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.
- Mr Modi appreciated the long-standing role of Chancellor Merkel in providing stable and strong leadership at the European and global stage and thanked her for guiding the growth of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership.
- The two leaders discussed key issues of mutual importance including the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral ties, regional and global issues, particularly India-EU relations.
- This year marks the 70th anniversary of setting up bilateral relations between India and Germany and 20th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership, the two leaders agreed to hold the sixth Inter-Governmental Consultations at an early date in 2021 and to set an ambitious agenda for the same.
Health Minister releases India report on LASI Wave-1
- Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan released India report on Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) Wave-1 on the virtual platform.
- LASI is a full-scale national survey of scientific investigation of the health, economic, and social determinants and consequences of population ageing in India.
- Highlighting the importance of the report, Dr Harsh Vardhan said, in the 2011 census, the 60 plus population accounted for 8.6 per cent of India’s population, accounting for 103 million elderly people.
- Growing at around three per cent annually, the number of elderly people will rise to 319 million in 2050.
- He said, 75 per cent of the elderly people suffer from some chronic diseases.
- About 40 per cent of the elderly people have one or the other disability and 20 per cent have issues related to mental health.
Finance Minister reviews progress of NIP implementation
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reviewed the progress of National Infrastructure Pipeline, NIP implementation in New Delhi.
- The agenda of the meeting was to discuss the progress of NIP projects, expenditure incurred so far and the initiatives taken to expedite the project implementation.
- This was the second review meeting by the Finance Minister with various Ministries and Departments to monitor and accelerate NIP project implementation.
- Despite the COVID pandemic, the NIP has managed to achieve substantial progress.
- The NIP was launched with 6,835 projects, which is now expanded to more than 7,300 projects.
CSIR-NPL celebrates its 75th Foundation Day
- The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at the National Metrology Conclave 2021 organized by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) -National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi on its 75thyear of inception.
- This special day as its NPL Foundation Day Celebrations, CSIR-NPL organised a National Metrology Conclave.
- The theme of the conclave was ‘Metrology for the Inclusive Growth of the Nation’.
- D.K. Aswal is Director, CSIR- National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi
Govt. aims to launch seaplane services with airline operators
- The project execution and implementation would be through Sagarmala Development Company Ltd (SDCL), which is under the administrative control of the ministry.
- The government is in the process to launch seaplane services on several routes, including Delhi-Ayodhya, in collaboration with the airline operators, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
- The development follows the launch of a seaplane service between Kevadia and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2020.
- The seaplane services to facilitate faster and hassle-free travel across the country will prove to be a game-changer.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Japan to launch the first wood-based satellite by 2023
- The first ever wooden satellite could be launched from Japan in 2023.
- The Japanese firm Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University have joined forces in the aim of developing a wooden satellite that would burn up more readily as its lifespan ends, without leaving debris or waste behind.
- The project involves researching wood-based materials and coatings capable of withstanding the extreme conditions of space.
- Currently, the initiative is in the nascent stage as several wooden materials are being tested by the research team to find a suitable one for space missions.
- It is also reported that the team is also working towards developing wooden materials extremely resistant to temperature changes and sunlight.
- According to the European Space Agency (ESA) statistical model, there are more than 130 million pieces of anthropogenic space debris waste residue due to human activities smaller than a millimeter around our planet.
- The debris can travel at a speed of more than 22,300 mph and can impact other satellites.
About ESA :
- Headquarters : Paris, France
- Founded : 30 May, 1975
- CEO : Johann- Dietrich Worner
About Japan :
- Capital : Tokyo
- Currency : Japanese Yen
- Prime Minister : Yoshihide Suga
2020 was 8th warmest year since 1901: IMD
- The year 2020 was the eighth warmest year on record since nation-wide records commenced in 1901, the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
- However, the past year was substantially lower than the highest warming recorded in 2016.
- As per the IMD, the five warmest years on record in order were 2016, 2009, 2017, 2010 and 2015.
- Past two decades (2001-2010 and 2011-2020) were also the warmest on record with anomalies of 0.23 degree Celsius /0.34 degree Celsius.
About IMD :
- Comes Under Ministry of Earth Science
- Director General : Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
- Headquarters : New Delhi
- Founded : 1875
India calls for self-observation within UNSC over lack of representation of African countries
- India has called for introspection within UN Security Council over the lack of representation of African countries among its permanent members.
- Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, even though more than half of the issues on the agenda of the Security Council are related to Africa, the African continent does not even have a single voice amongst the permanent membership to defend its own interests.
- He said, the world body needs to correct this historical anomaly, and collectively support the Ezulwini consensus.
India and France – Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi
- India and France are scheduled to hold their annual Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi.
- At the dialogue, the Indian side will be led by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
- The French side will be represented by Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron.
- “The two sides will hold discussions on wide-ranging bilateral and global issues. Emmanuel Bonne will also call on other Indian dignitaries,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release.
- Indo-French Strategic Dialogue was last held in February last year in Paris.
- Bonne is arriving in India on a two-day visit – the first by a foreign dignitary in 2021.
- The visit comes on the back of an uptick in bilateral relations between India and France.
- French Defence Minister Florence Parly was in India in September last year for the induction ceremony of first of Rafale fighter jets, which India has acquired from France’s Dassault Aviation.
About France:
- Capital:Paris
- Currency: Euro
- President:Emmanuel Macron
- Prime minister:Jean Castex
AI Based survey – African elephants
- A new approach for surveying African elephants using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI) could help in solving some of the present challenges in the conservation of the species.
- The survey method was developed by an international team of researchers led by University of Oxford.
- The team detailed their work in a paper titled ‘Using very high-resolution satellite imagery and deep learning to detect and count African elephants in heterogeneous landscapes’, published in the academic journal Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation.
World Bank reported Bangladesh to grow at 1.6 percent in 2020-21
- The World Bank has projected an economic growth rate of 1.6 percent for Bangladesh for the FY 2020-21.
- In its latest report on Global Economic Prospects released, the Bank has noted that the world economy is likely to grow by 4 percent in 2021.
- The report points out that in Bangladesh, which had been one of the fastest growing emerging market and developing economies prior to the pandemic, growth is estimated to have decelerated to 2% in FY 2019/20.
About Bangladesh:
- Capital:Dhaka
- Currency:Bangladeshi taka
- President:Abdul Hamid
- Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS
Government signs 2 loan agreements of USD 646 million with NDB for upgrading State Highway and District Road Network in Andhra Pradesh
- Government signed two loan agreements of USD 646 million with New Development Bank for upgrading State Highway Network and District Road Network in Andhra Pradesh.
- The first project is Andhra Pradesh Roads and Bridges Reconstruction Project comprising widening of 1,600 kilometre of State Highways to double lane and reconstructing dilapidated bridges on the State Highway network.
- The second project is Andhra Pradesh Mandal Connectivity and Rural Connectivity Improvement Project comprising widening of 1,400 kilometre of district roads to double lane and reconstructing dilapidated bridges on the district road network.
- The Government of Andhra Pradesh will implement the Projects through the Roads and Buildings Department.
- These two projects are expected to improve mobility and connectivity to the socioeconomic centres, enhance transport efficiency, improve road safety and riding quality, and provide all-weather accessibility for the State’s road users.
- The projects will increase the roads’ daily traffic capacity to 15,000 passenger car units, which is expected to meet the projected traffic growth over the next 20 years.
About New Development Bank :
- Headquarters : Shanghai, China
- President : Marcos Prado Troyjo
- Founder : BRICS
- Founded : 15 July, 2014.
Justice Hima Kohli becomes first woman Chief Justice of Telangana HC
- Justice Hima Kohli has become the first woman Chief Justice of Telangana High Court following her swearing-in.
- She will become the first woman Chief Justice of Telangana HC.
- Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has administered oath to her at a special ceremony held at the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad.
- Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, several judges of the State High Court, Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy, several Ministers from Telangana and leaders of various political parties were among those present on this occasion.
About Justice Hima Kohli :
- Justice Hima Kohli, a postgraduate from the Delhi University, studied Law on the same campus and enrolled herself in the Bar Council in 1984.
- She was appointed as additional judge of Delhi HC on May 29 in 2006 and became a permanent judge on August 29 in 2007.
- She was serving as the Executive Chairman of Delhi State Legal Services Authority and also as a Member of National Law University Governing Council.
About Telangana:
- Capital: Hyderabad
- Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
- Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
Asian Water bird Census starts in Andhra Pradesh
- The two-day Asian Water bird Census-2020 commenced in Andhra Pradesh under the aegis of experts from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), covering at least two dozen sites, including Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Kolleru Lake and Krishna Sanctuary.
- BNHS Assistant Director P. Sathiyaselvam, S. Siva Kumar and BNHS Andhra Pradesh coordinator K. Mrutyunjaya Rao trained amateur birdwatchers on technical aspects of the bird census and challenges, enabling them to conduct the task on their own.
About Andhra Pradesh:
- Capitals:
- Amaravati is the legislative Capital,
- Visakhapatnam is the executive capital,
- Hyderabad, Kurnool is the judicial capital
- Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
- Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
UP: CM increases stipend amount – MBBS, BDS interns
- In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered to increase the stipend amount with immediate effect as a new year gift to students who are doing internships after completion of MBBS and BDS course.
- CM has decided to increase the stipend from 7,500 to 12,000 rupees.
- This increase in allowances has come after 10 years.
- As per the information from Chief Minister’s Office, students doing internships by qualifying MBBS or BDS examination from State Medical Colleges, institutes and universities will now get 12,000 rupees internship allowance per month.
About Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital:Lucknow
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- Chief minister:Yogi Adityanath
MP & AP become first states to complete ONOR Card reforms
- Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have become the first group of states to complete three out of the four citizen-centric reforms stipulated by the Ministry of Finance.
- Andhra Pradesh will get an additional amount of Rs.344 crore while Madhya Pradesh has become entitled to receive 660 crore.
- The two states have completed the One Nation, One Ration Card Reforms, Ease of Doing Business Reforms and Urban Local Bodies Reforms.
- Consequent upon completion of reforms in the three sectors, the Finance Ministry has decided to provide additional financial assistance amounting to 1,004 crore to these states under the newly launched Scheme of Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure.
- This scheme was announced by the Central government in October last year as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat package.
- The additional financial assistance for the capital expenditure is in addition to the permission of 14,694 crore issued to the two states for extra borrowings for completing the reforms.
About Madhya Pradesh:
- Capital:Bhopal
- Chief minister:Shivraj Singh Chouhan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING
RBI makes Legal Entity Identifier mandatory for transactions over Rs 50 lakhs in CPS from April 1, 2021
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to introduce the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) system for all payment transactions of value ₹50 crore and above undertaken by entities (non-individuals) via RTGS and NEFT.
- Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) are the Centralised Payment Systems operated by RBI.
- This will come into effect from April 01, 2021.
About LEI :
- LEI is a 20-digit number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide.
- LEI has been introduced by the Reserve Bank in a phased manner for participants in the over the counter (OTC) derivative and non-derivative markets as also for large corporate borrowers.
- LEI can be obtained from Legal Entity Identifier India Ltd. (LEIL), which is also recognised as an issuer of LEI by the Reserve Bank under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
About Reserve Bank :
- Governor : Shaktikanta Das
- Headquarters : Mumbai
- Founded : 1 April 1935, Kolkata
RBI unveils guidelines for digital payment infra fund
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced operational guidelines for the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) scheme, aimed at encouraging deployment of more digital payments infrastructure across tier-3 to tier-6 centres.
- The PIDF will be operational for three years from 1 January 2021, and may be extended for two more years based on progress.
- An advisory council (AC) under the chairmanship of RBI deputy governor BP Kanungo has been constituted for managing the PIDF.
- The fund has a corpus of ₹345 crore, of which ₹250 crore was contributed by RBI and ₹95 crore by authorized card networks operating in India.
Shivalik Bank Becomes India’s First Urban Co-Operative Bank to transition to SFB
- Uttar Pradesh-based Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank (SMCB) stated it has received a license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a Small Finance Bank (SFB).
- The RBI had given an 18 month timeline to commence business.
- Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank (SMCB), it has become India’s first urban co-operative bank (UCB) to transition to a Small Finance Bank (SFB). SMCB will begin its banking operations from April 2021 onwards under the name Shivalik Small Finance Bank (SSFB).
About SSRB :
- SSFB operates through 31 branches and over 250 banking agents in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand with 400,000 customers. As on March 31, 2020, the total deposit base of the bank stood at Rs 1,140 crore and total advances stood at Rs 719 crore.
About Shivalik Mercantile Cooperative Bank :
- MD & CEO : Suveer Kumar Gupta
- Headquarters : Saharanpur, UP
Indian economy to contract by 9.6% in 2020-21, predicts World Bank
- The World Bank has projected that India’s economy is estimated to contract by 9.6 percent in the fiscal year 2020-21.
- It reflects a sharp drop in household spending and private investment, and the growth is expected to recover to 5.4 percent in 2021.
- The global economy is estimated to expand by 4 percent in 2021 by the World Bank.
- According to the report, global growth is projected to moderate to 3.8 percent in 2022.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : BUSINESS NEWS
Karan Bajwa to head Google Cloud in Asia Pacific
- Google Cloud announced the elevation of Karan Bajwa as its new leader for the Asia Pacific. Presently, Bajwa leads Google Cloud in India.
- He will lead all regional revenue and go-to-market operations for Google Cloud, including on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Google Workspace.
- Bajwa succeeds Rick Harshman who leaves the organisation for a new opportunity.
- At present, Bajwa is based in Gurgaon but will relocate to Singapore in 2021. He will continue to lead Google Cloud in India until a new senior leader for the business is appointed.
- Google Cloud has ANZ Bank, Lendlease, Optus, Sharechat, Tech Mahindra, L&T Finance, Wipro, Samsung Electronics, Foxconn, Kia Motors, Go-JEK, Tokopedia, and XL Axiata as some of its customers.
About Google :
- CEO : Sundar Pichai
- Headquarters : California, US
- Founded : 4 December, 1998
Global Economic Prospects Report released by World Bank
- Global Economy to Expand by 4% in 2021;
- Vaccine Deployment and Investment Key to Sustaining the Recovery.
- The global economy is expected to expand 4% in 2021, assuming an initial COVID-19 vaccine rollout becomes widespread throughout the year.
- A recovery, however, will likely be subdued, unless policy makers move decisively to tame the pandemic and implement investment-enhancing reforms, the World Bank says in its January 2021 Global Economic Prospects.
About World Bank:
- President: David Malpass
- Headquarters:Washington, D.C., United States
- MD & CFO: Anshula Kant
CURRENT AFFAIRS: ECONOMY
India’s growth to rebound to 5.4% in FY 22: World Bank
- The World Bank estimates India’s growth to recover to 5.4% in FY22, as the rebound from a low base is offset by muted private investment growth given financial sector weaknesses.
- Output is estimated to contract by 9.6% in fiscal year 2020-21, due to drop in family spending and personal funding, at the same time as excessive frequency information point out restoration gaining momentum in providers and manufacturing, in accordance to the World Bank’s January 2021 Global Economic Prospects
About World Bank:
- President : David Malpass
- Headquarters : Washington DC, USA
- Founded : July 1944
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS
Alex Ellis appointed new British high commissioner to India
- Alex Ellis, a British strategic expert, will take charge as the new UK High Commissioner to India, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) a
- The 53-year-old civil servant has been serving as Deputy National Security Adviser in the UK Cabinet Office for the government’s Integrated Review on diplomacy, development and defence.
- He will succeed Sir Philip Barton.
- Mr Alex Ellis CMG has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of India in succession to Sir Philip Barton KCMG OBE.
- Mr Ellis will take up his appointment during January 2021.
- He has also served as British Ambassador to Brazil between 2013 and 2017 and as ambassador to Portugal between 2007 and 2010.
- Ellis was also Director of Strategy in the Foreign Office, responsible for developing new tools for improving FCO and government policy.
About Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office :
- Secretary : Dominic Raab
- Founded : 1782
About UK :
- Capital : London
- Prime Minister : Boris Johnson
Arup Kumar Goswami take oath as Andhra Pradesh Chief Justice
- Arup Kumar Goswami who was previously the Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court, sworn in as the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.
- Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan administered the oath of office to Justice Goswami at a brief function in Vijayawada.
- He replaced K.Maheswari who has been posted as the Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court.
Lt Gen Shantanu Dayal to take charge as Deputy Chief of Staff
- Lt Gen Shantanu Dayal has been named the new DCOAS. Lt Gen Dayal is the Corps Commander of the Tejpur based 4 Corps.
- He will take the place of Lt Gen SS Hasabnis who superannuated on December 31 as soon as his replacement arrives.
- Indian Army has undergone a major reshuffle at the top within the Army Headquarters and at the various other formations including the Corps Commanders, administrative and training institutions witnessing the change of guard.
- The other significant change is in the newly-created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) with Chief of Defence Staff as its first Secretary.
- Lt Gen Taranjit Singh, the first Army officer to join as the Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) under the Ministry of Defence.
- He was the Deputy Chief (Operations) in the Integrated Defence Staff which has become a part of the DMA since the formation of the post of the Chief of Defence Staff.
- He took charge in his place who till recently has been the Corps Commander of Army’s 12 Corps. Lt Gen PS Minhas is taking charge as the 12 Corps Commander.
About Ministry of Defence :
- Minister : Rajnath Singh
- Headquarters : New Delhi
- Founded : 15 August, 1947
- Chief of the Army Staff : General Manoj Mukund Naravane
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
KVIC signs MoU with ITBP
- Khadi and Village Industries Commission signed MoU with Indo-Tibetan Border Police, ITBP for supply of 1,72,000 cotton durries every year.
- The total value of these durries is eight crore 74 lakh.
- The agreement has been signed for one year which will be renewed thereafter.
- The development comes after Home Minister Amit Shah gave instructions to the paramilitary forces to encourage local products to support the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
- KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena termed the development as “historic” saying this would not only encourage the use of Swadeshi products in our forces but also create large-scale additional employment for Khadi artisans.
- “Providing the best quality products to our jawans and timely delivery of consignment will be the top priority of KVIC.
- The purchase orders from the CAPFs is also a matter of pride for Khadi artisans who are serving the country’s jawans in their own ways,” Saxena said.
Memorandum of Cooperation between India, Japan – ‘Specified Skilled Worker’
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Government of India and Government of Japan, on a Basic Framework for Partnership for Proper Operation of the System Pertaining to “Specified Skilled Worker”.
- The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) would enhance people-to -people contacts, foster mobility of workers and skilled professionals from India to Japan.
Beneficiaries:
- Skilled Indian workers from fourteen sectors viz. Nursing care; Building cleaning; Material Processing industry; Industrial machinery manufacturing industry; Electric and electronic information related industry; Construction; Shipbuilding and ship-related industry; Automobile maintenance; Aviation; Lodging; Agriculture; Fisheries; Food and beverages manufacturing industry and Food service industry would have enhanced job opportunities to work in Japan.
About Japan:
- Capital: Tokyo
- Currency:Japanese yen
- Prime minister: Yoshihide Suga
CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS
India, Israel successfully test MRSAM air and missile defence system
- India and Israel successfully tested a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) defence system.
- The missile has been jointly developed by IAI and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- This has been done in a partnership with other defence companies in Israel and India.
About MRSAM :
- The MRSAM is being used by all the three wings of the Indian army and also Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
- MRSAM is an air and missile defence system that can destroy enemy aircraft from a distance of 50 to 70 km.
- The MRSAM is an advanced path breaking air and missile defense system that provides ultimate protection against a variety of aerial platforms.
About IAI :
- CEO : Boaz Levy
- Headquarters : Israel
- Founded : 1953
About DRDO :
- Chairman : Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
- Founded : 1958
- Headquarters : New Delhi
About Israel Defence Forces :
- Founder : David Ben-Gurion
- Founded : 26 May, 1948
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AGREEMENT NEWS
Tata Power teams up with SIDBI to provide solar financing to MSMEs
- Tata Power announced its partnership with SIDBI to provide a finance scheme to the MSME players in the rooftop solar segment.
- This Scheme is easy financing and has been one of the barriers for penetration of solar in the MSME sector.
- That will empower MSMEs to adopt sustainable energy for their business and promote greener.
- Tata Power and SIDBI have joined hands to design a solar financing solution to help MSME players with financial aid without any collateral at an interest of less than 10 percent.
- The scheme will also be complimented with a sanction time of seven days and disbursal of money in four days.
- The benefits of the scheme can be availed by both off-grid and on-grid solar connections.
About SIDBI :
- Established : 2nd April 1990
- Headquarters : Lucknow, UP
- Chairman & MD : Devendra Kumar Singh
About Tata Power :
- CEO : Praveer Sinha
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
About MSME :
- Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
- Headquarters : New Delhi
- Founded : 2007
- Joint Secretary : Ateesh Kumar Singh
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES
Bob Brett, coach to Grand Slam tennis champions, dies at 67
- Bob Brett, a tennis coach whose players included Grand Slam champions Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic and Marin Cilic, has died. He was 67.
- Brett coached Becker from November 1987 to February 1991, a span that included three of the German’s six career major titles and a rise to No. 1 in the ATP rankings.
- Brett received the ATP’s Tim Gullikson Career Coach award in November.
- He also opened a private tennis academy in San Remo, Italy.
Daily CA on Jan 06th
- The Journalist Day is observed by the Maharashtra state government on 6th January every year.This day was celebrated in memory of late journalist Balshastri Jambhekar.
- Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister for Textiles and Women & Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani jointly launched the Toycathon
- The government has set up a high-level group headed by former Union power secretary Ram Vinay Shahi and tasked it with helping build a South Asia-focused energy security architecture.
- Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched a Freight Business Development Portal as a one stop solution for all the needs of freight customers.
- The 51st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from January 16 to January 24, 2021.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his Republic Day visit to India later this month, citing the need to oversee the Covid-19 pandemic response at home. The development comes as Britain began its third Covid-19 lockdown.
- On January 6, 2021, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s government will launch an initiative named ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’
- This is mainly for double the income of farmers of the state.
- IDBI Bank announced the launch of video KYC account opening (VAO) facility for savings bank accounts.
- The Government of India and the Government of West Bengal and the World Bank signed a $105 million project to improve the inland water transport infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with Quality Council of India (QCI), National Productivity Council (NPC), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Industry Chambers is organising Udyog Manthan – a marathon of focused sector-specific webinars for promoting Quality and Productivity in Indian Industry.
- The All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), the national apex body of the gems and jewellery industry, has announced the appointment of Ashish Pethe as chairman and Saiyam Mehra as vice chairman for a period of two years.
- Sanjay Kapoor was elected president of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) while Bharat Singh Chauhan retained the secretary’s post .
- Malayalam poet and lyricist Anil Panachooran passed away. He was 51.
- Mali’s former prime minister Modibo Keita died at the age of 78.
Daily CA on Jan 07th
- The World Day of War Orphans is observed on January 6 every year. The day was initiated by France based SOS Enfants En Detresse (SOSEED), a sponsorship program for orphans.
- The Centre has decided to form a committee to protect the language, culture and land of Ladakh and ensure citizen’s participation in the Union Territory’s development.
- The Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife (SC-NBWL) in its 60th meeting has approved the advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) in the country.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 306-km New Rewari-New Madar section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC)
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video-teleconference with his German counterpart Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.
- Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan released India report on Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) Wave-1 on the virtual platform.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reviewed the progress of National Infrastructure Pipeline, NIP implementation in New Delhi.
- The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at the National Metrology Conclave 2021 organized by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) -National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi on its 75thyear of inception.
- The project execution and implementation would be through Sagarmala Development Company Ltd (SDCL), which is under the administrative control of the ministry.
- The first ever wooden satellite could be launched from Japan in 2023. The Japanese firm Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University have joined forces in the aim of developing a wooden satellite that would burn up more readily as its lifespan ends, without leaving debris or waste behind.
- The year 2020 was the eighth warmest year on record since nation-wide records commenced in 1901, the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
- India has called for introspection within the UN Security Council over the lack of representation of African countries among its permanent members.
- India and France are scheduled to hold their annual Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi.
- A new approach for surveying African elephants using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI) could help in solving some of the present challenges in the conservation of the species.
- The World Bank has projected an economic growth rate of 6 percent for Bangladesh for the FY 2020-21.
- Government signed two loan agreements of USD 646 million with New Development Bank for upgrading State Highway Network and District Road Network in Andhra Pradesh.
- Justice Hima Kohli has become the first woman Chief Justice of Telangana High Court following her swearing-in.
- The two-day Asian Water bird Census-2020 commenced in Andhra Pradesh under the aegis of experts from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), covering at least two dozen sites, including Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Kolleru Lake and Krishna Sanctuary.
- In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered to increase the stipend amount with immediate effect as a new year gift to students who are doing internships after completion of MBBS and BDS course.
- Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have become the first group of states to complete three out of the four citizen-centric reforms stipulated by the Ministry of Finance.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to introduce the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) system for all payment transactions of value ₹50 crore and above undertaken by entities (non-individuals) via RTGS and NEFT.
- Google Cloud announced the elevation of Karan Bajwa as its new leader for the Asia Pacific. Presently, Bajwa leads Google Cloud in India.
- Global Economy to Expand by 4% in 2021;
- The World Bank estimates India’s growth to recover to4% in FY22, as the rebound from a low base is offset by muted private investment growth given financial sector weaknesses.
- Alex Ellis, a British strategic expert, will take charge as the new UK High Commissioner to India, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) a
- Arup Kumar Goswami who was previously the Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court, sworn in as the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.
- Lt Gen Shantanu Dayal has been named the new DCOAS. Lt Gen Dayal is the Corps Commander of the Tejpur based 4 Corps.
- Khadi and Village Industries Commission signed MoU with Indo-Tibetan Border Police, ITBP for supply of 1,72,000 cotton durries every year.
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Government of India and Government of Japan, on a Basic Framework for Partnership for Proper Operation of the System Pertaining to “Specified Skilled Worker”.
- India and Israel successfully tested a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) defence system.
- Tata Power announced its partnership with SIDBI to provide a finance scheme to the MSME players in the rooftop solar segment.
- Bob Brett, a tennis coach whose players included Grand Slam champions Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic and Marin Cilic, has died. He was 67.