Current Affairs 19th January 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DAYS

NDRF Celebrates Its 16th Raising DayOn Jan 18

• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated  its 16th Raising Day On 18th January.

About NDRF :

• The National Disaster Response Force is an Indian specialized force constituted “for the purpose of special response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster” under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• The Apex Body  for Disaster Management in India is the National Disaster Management Authority
• Founded : 2006
• Minister : Amit Shah
• Comes Under Ministry of Home Affairs
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Director General : SN Pradhan

CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

PM flags off 8 trains to boost connectivity to Statue of Unity

• On Jan 17, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off eight trains connecting different regions of the country to Kevadiya with an aim to facilitate seamless connectivity to the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
• Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and Union railways minister Piyush Goyal were also present on the occasion.
• These trains will connect Kevadia to Varanasi, Dadar, Ahmedabad, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Rewa, Chennai and Pratapnagar.
• PM Modi also inaugurated the Dabhoi Chandod converted broad gauge railway line, Chandod Kevadia new broad gauge rail line, newly electrified Pratapnagar Kevadia section and the new station buildings of Dabhoi, Chandod and Kevadia.

Purpose :

• This connectivity will be beneficial for tourists coming to see the Statue of Unity but it will also help in changing the lives of the tribal community of Kevadiya.
• It will bring new opportunities for jobs and self-employment.
• These trains will help boost tourism in the tribal region and increase connectivity to the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, which he inaugurated in October 2018 on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 143rd birth anniversary.

Nitin Gadkari inaugurates Road Safety Month

• Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated Road Safety Month where he highlighted the Central Government’s commitment towards safety.
• National Road Safety Month to be held from January 18 to February 17, 2021 and India accounts for 11 percent of accident-related fatalities worldwide
• The function was launched by Union Minister for Defence, Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways & MSME, Nitin Gadkari. The Minister of State for RTH, Gen (Retd) VK Singh and CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant also participated.
• The initiative aims to build awareness about road safety and reduce road accidents in the country. It will be held till 17 February 2021.
• Globally India is one of the worst-hit nations when it comes to road accidents. India accounts for about 5 lakh road accidents annually, one of the highest in the world, in which about 1.5 lakh people die and another 3 lakh become crippled.
• Centre is also taking several measures to reduce road accidents by Restructuring and Strengthening 4E’s of Road safety, which are:

1. Engineering
2. Education
3. Enforcement
4. Emergency care Services

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US designates UAE, Bahrain as ‘major strategic partners’

• The United States has designated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain as its major strategic partners of the Country.
• The announcement was made by White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
• A new level of partnership between the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom Bahrain, and represents an enduring commitment to economic and security cooperation.
• It also reflects their extraordinary courage, determination, and leadership in entering into the Abraham Accords.
• In addition to that,  Both of the countries have been designated for their commitment to countering violent extremism across the region, exceptional security partnership and exemplified by their hosting thousands of US airmen, soldiers, marines and sailors.

About UAE :

• President : Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed AI Nahyan
• Currency : United Arab Emirates dirham
• Capital : Abu Dhabi

About Bahrain :

• King : Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
• Prime Minister : Salman, Crown Prince of Bahrain
• Capital : Manama
• Currency : Bahrani Dinar

Pakistan PM Imran Khan special permit for Dubai royals to hunt houbara bustard

• The Pakistan government has issued at least seven special permits to Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and six other members of the ruling family to hunt the internationally protected bird houbara bustard during the 2020-21 hunting season.
• After the Permission, eleven members of the UAE royal family reached the Panjgur district in Balochistan, Pakistan for hunting the highly vulnerable and internationally protected houbara bustard under pakistan,s foreign ministry license.

About Pakistan :

• President : Arif Alvi
• Prime Minister : Imran Khan

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ECONOMY NEWS

CARE lowers Centre’s fiscal deficit projection to 7.8% of GDP

• CARE Ratings has revised downwards its projection of the Centre’s fiscal deficit to 7.8 percent of GDP during FY21 against its earlier estimate of 9-9.5 per cent.
• The combined effect of lower revenues and higher expenditure is likely to push the fiscal deficit to 7.8 percent of GDP

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA targets final test of ‘world’s most powerful rocket’

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is looking to carry out the eighth and final test in its “Green Run” test series on January 17.
• This eighth stage, termed hot fire will bring to an end a series of tests which, NASA says, will gradually bring together the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) to life for the very first time.
• The core stage of the SLS will form the backbone of what NASA says will be the “most powerful rocket in the world” and will power its next-generation human Moon Missions

About National Aeronautics and Space Administration: 

• Headquarters : Washington, DC, United States
• Founder : Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Founded : 1 October, 1958, United States
• Administered By : Jim Bridenstine

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan digitally chairs 148th session of Executive Board of WHO

• Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan digitally chaired the 148th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization through video conference.
• Distinguished Members of the WHO Executive Board,Hon’ble Ministers, Excellencies & Member State representatives,WHO Director-General, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia and Other Regional Directors,Heads & Representatives of UN Agencies and Partner Organizations
• The 148th session of the Executive Board has been organised from 18-26 January 2021.
• In addition to that the WHO has declared the Year 2021 as the Year of Global Solidarity and Survival.
• The meeting provides a platform to bring together all member states to set the directions and agenda to continue striving for our objective of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.

About WHO :

• Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded : 7 April 1948
• Heads : Tedros Adhanom, Soumya Swaminathan, Jane Ellision

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AGREEMENTS 

India and Japan Sign Agreement to Promote movement of Skilled Workers

• India and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on a basic partnership framework for operation of the ‘specified skilled worker’ (SSW) system under which the Japanese government accepts foreign nationals who have a certain level of expertise and skill.
• The memorandum was signed by Japanese Ambassador to India Suzuki Satoki and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla 
• There are 14 specified industry fields that fall under SSW and workers and professionals in those sectors could be eligible,
• These are: nursing care (caregiving); building-cleaning management; machine parts and tooling industries; industrial machinery industry; electric, electronics and information industries; construction industry; shipbuilding and ship machinery industry; automobile repair and maintenance; aviation industry; accommodation industry; agriculture, fishery & aquaculture; manufacture of food and beverages; and food service industry.

About SSW :

• SSW is a new status of residence created in Japan in April, 2019, to accept foreign nationals who have a certain level of expertise and skill. Indian nationals with certain professional and language skills will be eligible to work under the SSW system.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCHEMES

Kerala to launch ‘One school, One IAS’ programme

• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has launched Vedhik Erudite Foundation’s ambitious scheme to provide free coaching for civil services and other competitive examinations to 10,000 meritorious students.
• This higher education platform will give children a chance to completely redecorate their future plans and broaden their horizons totally, rewriting their value capital.
• The Programme will be providing free training to the students who are economically backward but are academically brilliant aspirants of civil service and other competitive exams.
• The beneficiaries will be selected by a panel headed by the heads of respective educational institutions.

About Kerala :

• CM : Pinarayi Vijayan
• Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
• Governor : Arif Mohammad Khan

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENT NEWS

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw selected as one of US-India Business Council’s vice-chair

• US-India Business Council (USIBC) has selected Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw as one of its vice-chairs effective immediately.
• US Chamber of Commerce’s USIBC on January 14 announced three vice-chairs to its 2021 Global Board of Directors.
• The two other business executives joining Shaw as vice-chairs are Amway CEO Milind Pant and Edward Knight who is the vice-chair at Nasdaq.
• The Council advocates for strengthening the US-India commercial relationship for the future.
• The three new appointees will now work with USIBC President Nisha Biswal and the Council’s policy directors.
• Their aim is to elevate priorities in important sectors and also to lead meetings between the government and the industries.

About US India Business Council :

• Chairman : Nisha Biswal
• Founded : 1975
• Headquarters : Washington, DC, United States

Uganda’s Museveni wins sixth term, rival alleges fraud

• President Yoweri Museveni won a sixth five-year term, extending his rule to four decades, according to official results announced .
• Museveni received 58 percent of the vote to Wine’s 34  percent, with a voter turnout of 52  percent.
• The 76-year-old Museveni, in power since 1986 and one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders and is one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents.

About Uganda :

• Capital : Kampala
• Currency : Ugandan shilling
• President : Yoweri Museveni

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS

In IFFI Biswajit Chatterjee conferred ‘Indian Personality of the Year’ award at IFFI

• Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, announced a new ‘Indian Personality of the Year’ award.
• The 84-year-old actor is known for featuring in films like Bees Saal Baad, “Night In London” and “April Fool”.
• Chatterjee started his career in the late 1950s and went on to work in films like “Biwi Aur Makan”, “Sagaai”, “Kohra” among others.
• In 1975, he directed and produced “Kahte Hain Mujhko Raja”, featuring himself along with Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Rekha.
• Some of Chatterjee’s Bengali films include “Chowringhee” (1968), “Garh Nasimpur” and “Amar Geeti”.  Chatterjee had also contested the 2014 general elections from a Delhi seat on a Trinamool Congress ticket but had later joined BJP in February 2019.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

In Ladakh Khelo India 1st Zanskar Winter Sports Festival begins

• In Ladakh, Khelo India 1st Zanskar Winter Sports Festival began On Jan 18, 2021.
• Aim : Engaging the Youth and opening new vistas of tourism in Zanskar are the main aims of the festival.
• Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal inaugurated Chadar Trek to kick start and set the tone for 13- Day Zanskar Winter Sports Festival from the confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers near Sangam, Leh.
• On 21st January Union Youth Affairs & Sports Minister Kirren Rijiju will be inaugurating the Zanskar Winter festival.
• A series of snow based activities are scheduled for next 13 days in the Snow bound, picturesque remote Zanskar.
• The first ever Zanskar winter festival would definitely open a new arena in Ladakh for adventure and Nature loving tourists and a boost for local Youth to hone up their skills in winter sports to represent India.

Sporting facilities to be named after renowned athletes

• Sports Ministry has decided to name all upcoming and upgraded sporting facilities of the Sports Authority of India, after renowned athletes, who have contributed to sports in India
• At First, the newly built air-conditioned wrestling hall and the learners swimming pool in the National Centre of Excellence, NOCE in Lucknow, the 100-bedded hostel in NCOE Bhopal, the multipurpose hall and Girls’ hostel in NCOE Sonepat will be named after local star sportspersons.
• Sports Minister : Kiren Rijiju

Axelsen And Marin Win Titles At Yonex Thailand Open

• Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen and Spain’s Carolina Marin have won the men’s and women’s singles titles at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Yonex Thailand in Bangkok, the first of three competitions in the Thai capital.
• It was held from 12 January 2021 to 17 January 2021.
• It was the first badminton tournament of 2021 by Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Other Winners List :

1. Men’s Double – Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin
2. Women’s Double – Indonesia’s Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu
3. Mixed Double – Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai

About BWF :

• Headquarters : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Founded : 5 July 1934
• President : Poul Erik Høyer Larsen
• Formation : 1934

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Former Union Minister Kamal Morarka Dies At 74

• Former Union minister and noted businessman Kamal Morarka has passed away. He was 74.

About Kamal Morarka :

• Mr Morarka was a Union minister in the Chandra Shekhar government in 1990-91 and a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan from Janata Dal (Secular) during 1988-94.
• He has headed the Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) since 2012.
• In addition to that, Mr Morarka had a keen interest in sports and served as vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Vice President of Rajasthan Cricket Association.
• He was also a philanthropist and social worker and contributed to organic farming in his native Shekhawati in Rajasthan.
• He also published a book of wild life photographs.

Legendary musician Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan passes away at 89

• Indian classical musician Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan passed away at the age of 89.
• He was known for the Hindustani classical genre of music.

Achievements :

• He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, followed by Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018.
• In 2003, he was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artistes.

Daily CA on Jan 17 & 18 :

• India launched the much awaited, world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination programme.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the programme through video conferencing.
• National Informatics Centre and Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE will jointly launch CollabCAD Software to provide a total engineering solution for students and Faculty of Engineering Graphics Curriculum.
• The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Health & Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan dedicated an Innovation Portal, developed by National Innovation Foundation (NIF)  India, an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, to the nation, in New Delhi.
• On Jan 14, 2021, Harvest Festival Makar Sankranti is being celebrated.The festival is seen as a celebration of the end of the winter solstice month and also marks the end of the winter harvest
• The two day ‘Prarambh’, Startup India International Summit began in New Delhi,  with members of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries participating in the inaugural event.
• The ministry of external affairs confirmed that there will be no foreign head of state or government as the chief guest for the Republic Day event on January 26.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of Rs 1,000-crore ‘Startup India Seed Fund‘ to support startups and help budding entrepreneurs pursue innovative ideas.
• The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry launched a month-long mass awareness campaign ‘SAKSHAM’ to spread awareness about green and clean energy.
• Donald Trump became the first US president in history to be impeached twice.The House of Representatives voted to charge him with inciting last week’s mob attack on Congress.
• In Manipur, the Cherry Blossom Mao Festival was held at Senapati district marking the beginning of pink season in the district.
• Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) has developed the country’s first indigenous machine pistol ASMI.
• Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has set-up a committee to study health insurance products with the help of scientists and doctors in the panel.
• Intel announced that its board of directors has appointed 40-year technology industry leader Pat Gelsinger as its new chief executive officer, effective February 15, 2021.
• YES Bank in collaboration with Aditya Birla Wellness Private Limited has launched ‘YES BANK Wellness’ and ‘YES BANK Wellness Plus’ credit cards with the aim of holistic health, self-care and wellness growth of the consumers.
• FSS (Financial Software and Systems), a leading global payment processor and provider of integrated payment products, announced partnering with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to promote financial inclusion among underserved and unbanked segments.
• Walmart-owned Flipkart has partnered with Niti Aayog to launch the revamped Women Entrepreneurship Platform.

Daily CA On Jan 19 :

• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated  its 16th Raising Day On 18th January.
• On Jan 17, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off eight trains connecting different regions of the country to Kevadiya with an aim to facilitate seamless connectivity to the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
• Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated Road Safety Month where he highlighted the Central Government’s commitment towards safety.
• The United States has designated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain as its major strategic partners of the Country.
• The Pakistan government has issued at least seven special permits to Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and six other members of the ruling family to hunt the internationally protected bird houbara bustard during the 2020-21 hunting season.
• CARE Ratings has revised downwards its projection of the Centre’s fiscal deficit to 8 percent of GDP during FY21 against its earlier estimate of 9-9.5 per cent.
• Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan digitally chaired the 148th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization through video conference.
• India and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on a basic partnership framework for operation of the ‘specified skilled worker’ (SSW) system under which the Japanese government accepts foreign nationals who have a certain level of expertise and skill.
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has launched Vedhik Erudite Foundation’s ambitious scheme to provide free coaching for civil services and other competitive examinations to 10,000 meritorious students.
• US-India Business Council (USIBC) has selected Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw as one of its vice-chairs effective immediately.
• President Yoweri Museveni won a sixth five-year term, extending his rule to four decades, according to official results announced .
• Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, announced a new ‘Indian Personality of the Year’ award.
• In Ladakh, Khelo India 1st Zanskar Winter Sports Festival began On Jan 18, 2021. Aim : Engaging the Youth and opening new vistas of tourism in Zanskar are the main aims of the festival.
• Sports Ministry has decided to name all upcoming and upgraded sporting facilities of the Sports Authority of India, after renowned athletes, who have contributed to sports in India
• Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen and Spain’s Carolina Marin have won the men’s and women’s singles titles at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Yonex Thailand in Bangkok, the first of three competitions in the Thai capital.
• Former Union minister and noted businessman Kamal Morarka has passed away. He was 74.
• Indian classical musician Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan passed away at the age of 89.