Current Affairs 27th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of various development projects in Coimbatore

• On February 25, 2021, Prime Minister visited Tamil Nadu to dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple infrastructure projects in Coimbatore.

The Projects are :

• 1000 MW Neyveli New Thermal Power Project
• 709 MW Solar Power Project of NLCIL
• He laid the foundation stone for design, supply, installation and commissioning of a 5MW grid connected ground based solar power plant at V.O.Chidambaranar Port and for the extension, renovation and modernisation of Lower Bhavani Project System.
• He also laid the foundation stone for development of Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC) in nine Smart Cities including Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Thanjavur, Vellore, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi.
• He inaugurated the 8-laning of Korampallam Bridge and Rail Over Bridge (ROB) at V.O.Chidambaranar Port and the tenements constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme. 
• The Prime Minister said that the modernization of Bhawani Sagar Dam will irrigate over 2 lakh acres of land and farmers of several districts will benefit from this project
  Governor, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi were present on the occasion.

PM Modi will address Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University’s 33rd convocation 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 33rd Convocation of the Tamil Nadu M.G.R. Medical University through video conferencing.
• A total of 17 thousand five hundred 91 candidates will be conferred with Degrees and Diplomas in the Convocation.
• Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit will be present on the occasion.
• The University is named after the former Chief Minister Dr. M. G. Ramachandran.
• It has a total of 686 affiliated institutions under its umbrella, encompassing the disciplines of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, AYUSH, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Allied Health Sciences.
• These institutions are spread across the length and breadth of the state, including 41 Medical Colleges, 19 Dental Colleges, 48 AYUSH Colleges, 199 Nursing Colleges, 81 Pharmacy Colleges and the rest being specialty post-doctoral medical and allied health institutions.

President’s Rule imposed in Puducherry 

• Puducherry has been placed under the President’s rule days after the Congress-led Government collapsed after several resignations.
• The Home Ministry issued a notification of imposing the President’s rule in the Union Territory.
• President Ram Nath Kovind suspended the Puducherry Assembly as well.
• The Legislative Assembly of the Union territory is now placed under suspended animation.
• The Assembly polls are due in the Union Territory shortly.

2nd edition of Global Bio-India – organised from 1st to 3rd March

• To showcase the strength and opportunities of the India’s biotechnology sector at national level and to the global community, the second edition of Global Bio-India will be organized from 1st to 3rd March. 
• The theme for this year is transforming lives and tag line is Biosciences to Bio economy.
• Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will inaugurate the event virtually.
• Global Bio-India is one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders’ conglomerates that is being co-organized by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology along with its Public Sector Undertaking, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, BIRAC in partnership with industry association CII, Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises and Invest India.

Current Affairs 26th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh Gets International Airport License From DGCA

• The under-construction Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh has received the International Airport license from Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). 
• Once operational, this will be the third international airport in UP after Lucknow and Varanasi.
• With this, UP is set to become the state with the highest number of airports after the upcoming Ayodhya Airport also joins the list.
• That will boost tourism in the region & facilitate travel on Buddhist circuit by providing direct aviation connectivity to the city.
• Currently the other two international airports functional in Uttar Pradesh are Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Varanasi.
• Chitrakoot will be the first airport in Uttar Pradesh with ‘Table Top’ runway.

About Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) :

• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Minister : Suresh Prabhu
• Comes Under Ministry of Civil Aviation

About UP :

• Capital : Lucknow
• Governor : Anandiben Patel

Current Affairs 25th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 

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Central Excise Day: 24 February 2021

• Central Excise Day is observed every year on ’24 February’.
• On this day in the year 1944, the Central Excise and Salt Law was created.
• The Central Excise Department has an important role in the industrial development of the country.
• Objective: to encourage the employees of the excise department in carrying out the central excise duty in a better way.
• This Ministry has reformed the tax system to make payment of taxes easier and has also increased the use of techniques.

About Customs and Central Excise : 

• The Customs & Central Excise department was established in the year 1855 by the then British Governor General of India, to administer customs laws in India and collection of import duties / land revenue.
• It is one of the oldest government departments of India.

Important Points About BHIM App and UPI – Banking Awareness

 Dear Readers, Here we have given the Important Information about BHIM APP and UPI which was the most essential Banking Awareness Topic for Upcoming IBPS, SBI, RBI, and all other Banking Exams, candidates who are preparing for competitive exams can use this.

Important Points About BHIM App and UPI – Banking Awareness

Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM APP):

Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM App) is a mobile app developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It was based on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI). The BHIM app supports all Indian banks which use that platform, which is built over the IMPS infrastructure and allows the user to instantly transfer money between bank accounts of any two persons. It can be used on all smart mobile phones.

Features of BHIM App:

• BHIM App allows users to send or receive money to or from UPI payment addresses and also to non-UPI-based accounts.
• Users can create their own QR code for a fixed amount of money, which is helpful in retail transactions. Users can also have more than one payment address.
• Allows users to check the current balance in their bank accounts and to choose which account to use for conducting transactions, although only one can be active at any time.
• No need to register the payee before the transaction.
• For using the BHIM app there is no need for Internet Banking.
• There is a ‘Scan and Pay’ facility which makes the payment transfer quick, especially between merchants and consumers.
• There is no charge for transactions from 1 to Rs. 1 lakh.
• BHIM App currently supports 20 languages including English.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India facilitating inter-bank transactions. It has been developed for all payments in the country to make the transfer of money easy and simple.

UPI is built over Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) for transferring funds. Being a digital payment system it is available 24*7 and across public holidays. The UPI was launched on 11^th April 2016 in Mumbai. It is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application, merging several banking features, seamless fund routing, and merchant payments into a single platform.

UPI withdraws and deposits funds directly from the bank account whenever a transaction is requested. At the initial, ten major banks have integrated the interface with their mobile apps and they are State Bank of India, Canara Bank, BOI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, HSBC, and Citi Bank.

Features of UPI:

Current Affairs 24th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 

Current Affairs: National News

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Resigns

• Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy, has submitted the letter of his resignation and his council of ministers on February 22, 2021 to the Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.
• The decision was taken as the Congress-led Government in the UT lost its majority in the House, which is 14.
• Following a series of resignations, the ruling government was reduced to a strength of 12. Two MLA resigned in January 2021 while 2 resigned in February 2021.
• Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has forwarded the resignation letter of Mr. Narayanasamy and a report on the Assembly proceedings to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for its consideration.

Current Affairs 23rd February 2021| Current Affairs News

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World Thinking Day : Observed On Feb 22 

• World Thinking Day is celebrated each year by the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts across the world on the 22nd February. 
• The aim of Thinking Day is to bring together young people from across the world; nearly 150 countries choose to take part in the celebrations  to celebrate international fun and friendship, as well as to help raise money and focus on the year’s global theme.
• 2021 Theme of World Thinking Day is: “Peacebuilding”

Importance Of The Day :

• Thinking Day offers the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting community the opportunity to think about others and focus on the wider issues impacting those within the Guiding and Scouting movement.

History :

• Thinking Day originated from a desire by the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to dedicate a day to thinking about and appreciating the global spread of these movements.
• The observance of Thinking Day has been celebrated every year since 1926, and began over 90 years ago.
• The day began when the delegates from the Guide and Girl Scout organizations from across the globe attended the 4th world conference where it was decided that the day would be created and would be held on Lord Baden-Powell’s birthday, the founder of the Girl Scout and Guide movements.

Current Affairs 21st and 22nd February 2021| Current Affairs News

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International Mother Language Day – Observed on Feb 21

• International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.
• The themeof International Mother Language Day 2021 is “fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society.”
• International Mother Language Day recognizes that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion and the Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind.
• UNESCObelieves education, based on the first language or mother tongue, must begin from the early years as early childhood care and education is the foundation of learning.

Current Affairs 20th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi to launch Mahabahu-Brahmaputra initiative in Assam

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi would launch the Mahabahu-Brahmaputra initiative and lay the foundation stones of one bridge and perform a ground-breaking ceremony (bhumi pujan) of another in Assam via video conferencing.
• Aim : To improve connectivity in the eastern states, will be marked by the inauguration of the Ro-Pax vessel operations between Neamati-Majuli Island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati and Dhubri-Hatsingimari.
• Foundation stone of Inland Water Transport Terminal at Jogighopa and various tourist jetties on Brahmaputra and launch of digital solutions for Ease-of-Doing-Business will also be a part of the initiative.
• The PM will lay the foundation stone for a four lane bridge over the Brahmaputra between Dhubri (on North Bank) and Phulbari (on South Bank).

About Assam :

• CM : Sarbananda Sonowal
• Capital : Dispur

Indian Government Launches Sandes, a Whatsapp Like Instant Messaging App For Government Employs

• The National Informatics Centre (NIC) of India has launched an instant messaging app just like WhatsApp for government employees called Sandes.
• The government is currently asking employees to use the GIMS/Sandes app. There is still no word if this app will ever be available for all users in the future.
• Just like WhatsApp, one can share images, videos, voice messages, create groups on the app. Users can also set up their profile pictures and status.
• Notably, this app is an upgrade to NIC’s existing Government Instant Messaging System (GIMS) app.
• While the Sandes app allows users to backup chat histories to a registered email, it does not allow users to change their mobile number or email address registered with the app

Current Affairs 19th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

Amazon announces first device manufacturing line in India

• E-commerce giant Amazon has announced its plans to begin manufacturing devices in India.
• This is the first Amazon manufacturing line in India and reiterates the firm’s commitment to the government’s “Make in India” for an Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• Amazon will commence manufacturing with contract manufacturer Cloud Network Technology, a subsidiary of Foxconn, in Chennai, and start production later this year.
• The programme will churn out hundreds of thousands of Fire TV Stick devices every year. Amazon will evaluate scaling capacity to additional marketplaces and cities, depending on the domestic demand.
• In 2020 Amazon announced “Local Shops on Amazon”, a programme that retailers and local shops be self-dependent, and benefit from selling online.
• It now has over 22,000 neighbourhood stores registered across the country, gathering additional footfalls through their online presence and furthering their earning potential by acting as pickup points, logistics partners, and experience centres for e-commerce.

Current Affairs 18th February 2021| Current Affairs News

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Taj Mahotsav – Observed on 18 February to 27 February

• Taj Mahotsav has been celebrated successfully since 1992 in Agra in the month of February for ten days, from 18th February to 27th February in Shilpgram, Near Taj Mahal, Agra.
• This festival invokes the memories of the old Mughal era and nawabi style prevalent in Uttar Pradesh in the 18th and 19th centuries.
• Organized by:Department of Tourism, Government of India
• 2021 Theme: Together in the diverse culture
• Celebrated to promote rich arts, crafts, culture, cuisine, dance and music of the state and country.
• A procession taken out in the typical Mughal era style, food festival, performances by folk musicians and dancers, etc

Current Affairs 17th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS : DAYS

Safer Internet Day 2021 : Observed On Feb 09

• Safer Internet Day is observed every year on the second day of the second week of February
• Theme of 2021 : Together for a better internet”.
• This year marks the 18th edition of Safer Internet Day with actions taking place right across the globe.
• From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns.

History :

• SID was first initiated in 2004 and is as part of the EU’s ‘Better Internet for Kids’ policy, which aims to increase access to high-quality content for children and young people, increase awareness and empowerment, create a safe environment for children online, and fight against child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation.

Aim :

• To provide safer and better internet, where every user gets to use the internet responsibly and without getting their data leaked.
• The day is being celebrated in around 15 countries across the world.

Current Affairs 16th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 

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National Productivity Day 2021 : 12 February

• The National Productivity Day is observed every year on February 12 by the National Productivity Council (NPC).
• The main objective of the celebration is to encourage stakeholders in implementing productivity tools and techniques.
• The National Productivity Council celebrates the National Productivity Week from 12 February to 18 February, 2020

About NPC :

• Director General : Arun Kumar Jha
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• It is a national-level organisation that promotes production in India.
• It was established in 1958 by the Ministry of Industry, Government of India. It is an autonomous, multipartite, non-profit organisation and has been registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• Also, NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) that is an Inter-Governmental Body, of which the Government of India is a founding member.

Current Affairs 14th and 15th February 2021| Current Affairs News

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National Women’s Day in India Celebrated On Feb 13

• In India, the National Women’s Day is observed every year on 13 February.

Purpose :

• To mark the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu, who is also popularly known as ‘The nightingale of India.

About Sarojini Naidu :

• Born in Hyderabad, Sarojini Naidu belonged to a Bengali Brahmin family with her ancestral roots in Bangladesh.
• Aghorenath Chattopadhyay was the principal of Nizam’s College with a doctorate of Science from Edinburgh University.
• The political activist and poet was garnered with the title ‘the Nightingale of India’, or ‘Bharat Kokila’ by Mahatma Gandhi because of colour, imagery, and lyrical quality of her poetry.
• In 1925, Sarojini Naidu was appointed as the first woman President of the Indian National Congress and later the first woman to be a governor of a state.
• She was appointed as the governor of the United Provinces, known as Uttar Pradesh today.
• A proponent of civil rights, women’s emancipation, and anti-imperialistic ideas, she was an important figure in India’s struggle for independence from colonial rule.

Current Affairs 13th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

India’s first ever CNG Tractor to be launched

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will formally launch India’s first-ever diesel tractor converted into a CNG tractor on February 12.
• This conversion is jointly done by Rawmatt Techno Solutions and Tomasetto Achille India.
• The CNG tractor will help farmers to increase their income, by lowering costs and help to create job opportunities in rural India.
• This will help them to improve their livelihood.
• The farmers can save up to 50 per cent on the fuel cost as the current Diesel prices are around 77 rupees per litre whereas CNG is only 42 rupees per kilogram
• The conversion from diesel to CNG will be beneficial as it is a clean fuel with lowest carbon and pollutant content. It is also economical as it has zero lead and is non-corrosive, non-dilutive and non-contaminating which helps in increasing the life of the engine.

World Radio Day 2021: Significance, History And Theme of 13th February

 World Radio Day 2021: World Radio Day is observed on 13th February every year. This year is the 10th anniversary of World Radio Day. PM Modi has greeted ‘Happy World Radio Day ‘to all the radio listeners. According to the United Nations, World Radio Day celebrates radio as “part of humanity’s history”.Radio is the most effective way of delivering information. It is a free, democratic, and trusted one. Radio has the widest reach and the greatest audiences compared with the Internet, television, and newspapers. On November 3, 2011, UNESCO  at its 36th conference decided that a day will be dedicated to the radio and its importance in the growing world.

Significance of World Radio Day

The United Nations has marked that the radio has played a significant role during the Covid-19 pandemic. The medium made it possible to ensure continuity of learning, to fight against misinformation, and to promote barrier gestures.

World Radio Day is celebrated to pay tribute to the medium and the way in which it has adapted to “societal transformations and listener’s new needs” for over a century. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s  ‘Mann Ki Baat ‘radio program has gained huge popularity.

History of World Radio Day

World Radio Day was started in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO and in later 2012, it was adopted by the United Nations general assembly. The objective of World Radio Day is to promote the medium, increase accessibility, and encourage more people to use it.

The theme of World Radio Day 2021

On the occasion of World Radio Day 2021, UNESCO called on radio stations to celebrate its 10th anniversary and the more than 110 years of radio through three sub-themes.

Evolution: The world changes, radio evolves radio is resilient and sustainable;

Innovation: The world changes, radio adapts and innovates- radio adapts to new technologies and remains the go-to medium of mobility, accessible everywhere and to everyone;

Connection: The world changes, radio connects – radio services our society during natural disasters, socio-economic crises, epidemics, etc.

The UN has said,” New World, New Radio” is an “ode to the resilience of radio“,  World Radio Day was started in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO

Current Affairs 12th February 2021| Current Affairs News

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International Epilepsy Day 2021 – Feb 08

• The second Monday of February is observed as International Epilepsy Day, a special event which focuses on promoting awareness on epilepsy.
• The Day is a joint initiative by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).
• This day is celebrated mainly to raise awareness about epilepsy and highlight the kinds of problems faced by victims, their friends and family.

About Epilepsy :

• Epilepsy is a neurological condition which can cause seizures. The severity of these seizures can differ from person to person.
• Having an epileptic attack can be scary and confusing for both the patient and the caregiver.
• Hence, it is important to spread as much awareness and understanding about the condition, so that the caregivers can handle an unexpected seizure attack anytime, anywhere.

Current Affairs 11th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 

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World Pulses Day: 10 February

• The World Pulses Day is observed every year on 10 February.
• This day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
• Theme of 2021 is Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future.
• It has been designated on February 10 of each year since 2019 by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 20, 2018.
• Objective: World Pulses Day is to disseminate information and organize activities related to pulses throughout the world.
• Importance : to recognize the importance of the legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas and lupines among others) as a global food.

Purpose :

• The World Pulses Day provides an opportunity to disseminate the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production with the aim of optimizing food security and nutrition.
• World Pulses Day also seeks to maintain the achievements obtained after the announcement of the International Year of Pulses 2016 by the FAO.

About FAO :

• Headquarters : Rome, Italy
• Founded : 16 October, 1945
• Head : Qu Dongyu

National Inventors’ Day: Observed on February 11

• National Inventors Day honors Thomas Edison and all inventors, recognizing the enormous impact inventions have on technology industry and society worldwide.
• On February 11, the United States recognizes National Inventors’ Day, a day to salute past and present great inventors.
• First signed into declaration on February 11, 1983, President Ronald Reagan chose the date because it was Thomas Edison’s birthday.
• Just think about all the inventions, and the resulting new products, processes and procedures that we have seen in our lifetime.
• It readily gives us an appreciation for the inventors that allowed these things to come into being.
• On National Inventors Day, spend a few minutes to appreciate inventors, whatever their field.
• If you are lucky enough to know one, let them know just how much you appreciate them.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

Tamil Nadu set to create state’s 5th tiger reserve

• With the Centre’s approval, Tamil Nadu government passed an order for creating the fifth tiger reserve in the state and the 51st in the country.
• The Srivilliputhur Megamalai 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
• Fourteen tigers have so far been identified in Meghamalai and Srivilliputhur sanctuaries following scat analysis between 2017 and 2018.
• Meghamalai is home to a large population of hoofed animals, spotted deers, Indian gaurs, etc. while Sriviliputhur has Nilgiri tahrs, Sambars, elephants, and bird species among others.
• The first tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu – Kalakkad Mundanthurai – was formed around 1988-89, which was followed by Anamalai and Mudumalai in 2008 and 2009. The fourth reserve – Sathyamangalam was created around 2013-14.

About Tamil Nadu :

• CM : Edappadi K Palaniswami
• Governor : Banwarilal Purohit
• Capital : Chennai

Current Affairs 10th February 2021| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

President Kovind Inaugurates General KS Thimayya Museum In Karnataka

• On Feb 06, 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a museum, dedicated to the life of former Army Chief General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya, in Karnataka.
• Sunny Side, the erstwhile ancestral house of General Thimayya, who served as the Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961, has been renovated and converted into a museum.
• General Thimayya is the pride of Kodagu and the memorial museum aims to retell the life-story of the General in an inspiring manner.
• 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.

About Karnataka :

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

GMR Group inks MoU with Airbus for aircraft maintenance & other airport services

• GMR Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus (a leading manufacturer of commercial aircrafts) to explore collaboration opportunities across aviation services, technologies and innovation.
• The MoU was signed at Aero India 2021, Bangalore.
• As part of the MoU, GMR Group and Airbus will collaborate to explore a broad scope of aviation services, both for commercial and military aircraft to benefit the entire aerospace ecosystem in the country.
• The main objective of this partnership will be to explore potential synergies in several strategic areas of aviation services like maintenance, components, training, digital.

About GMR Group :

• Founded: 1978
• Headquarters : New Delhi