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CONTENTS Government Schemes and Initiatives ...... 4 National News ...... 16 International News ...... 24 State News/ Uts ...... 28 Assam ...... 28 ...... 30 Bihar ...... 30 ...... 31 ...... 31 Kerala ...... 32 ...... 34 Mizoram ...... 35 Odisha ...... 35 Puducherry ...... 36 Rajasthan ...... 36 ...... 37 Uttar Pradesh ...... 37 ...... 39 India and its neighbourhood ...... 40 Defence ...... 42 Science and Technology ...... 46 Space and IT ...... 46 Biotechnology And Diseases ...... 49 New Developments ...... 50 Indian Polity ...... 51 Art and Culture ...... 53 Economy/Banking/Finance ...... 55 Indian economy...... 55 Union Budget 2021-22 ...... 56 Infrastructure and Energy ...... 62 Corporates/Companies ...... 65 Banking/Finance ...... 67

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Geography ...... 68 Environment and Ecology ...... 69 MoUs/Agreements ...... 71 Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings ...... 77 Reports and Indices/Rankings ...... 82 Books and Authors ...... 87 Awards and Prizes ...... 89 Personality in News ...... 93 Appointments ...... 96 Sports ...... 101 Committees/ Commissions/Taskforces ...... 108 Important Days ...... 108 Miscellaneous ...... 114

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GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES Unified web portal for monitoring progress of GOBARDHAN activities launched.

 Unified web portal for monitoring progress of GOBARDHAN activities has been jointly launched by union ministers of Agriculture, Petroleum, Animal Husbandry and Jal Shakti.

 GOBARDHAN activities form a key component of Swachh Bharat Mission Phase-2 for organic solid waste management.

 GOBARDHAN programme will provide people a way for proper disposal of dung and achieve the goal of ODF Plus.

 Petroleum Minister said that through scheme of GOBARDHAN, people would get ethanol, bio- diesel and compressed bio-fuel in future.

 Agriculture Minister said that ODF Plus goal in Phase 2 of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) will depend on GOBARDHAN scheme.

 As per Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Ministry of Jal Shakti will work to implement GOBARDHAN scheme.

 GOBARDHAN scheme is being operationalized as a programme under Swachch Bharat Mission Grameen-Phase 2.

 Swachch Bharat Mission Grameen-Phase 2:

o Phase 2 of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) was approved by Cabinet one year ago in February 2020.

o Swachch Bharat Mission Grameen-Phase 2 focuses on Open Defecation Free Plus (ODF Plus). ODF sustainability and Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) are two components of ODF Plus.

Government had launched ‘KAPILA’ program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness.

 Union Education Minister has launched the Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness (KAPILA) campaign on 15 October 2020.

 Its main objective is to raise awareness about the importance of patenting and inventions.  Under this program, students and faculties of higher educational institutions will get information about the process of patenting their inventions.

 Patent in India: o In India, Patent is governed by the Patents Act of 1970. o The main aim of the patent is to encourage innovation and research and development. o In India, the patent is granted for 20 years. o The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks administers the Indian law of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram is an important scheme for the development and empowerment of youth.

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 It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.  Its main objective is to develop leadership and personality development qualities in youth.

 The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has merged some schemes in the Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakaram (RYSK). It is also running the National Service Scheme (NSS) and Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) for the youths of the country.  Rs. 486.48 Crores is allocated for the RYSK scheme in the year 2020-21.

 Kiren Rijiju is the current Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports.  The scheme merged in the Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram (RYSK) are:

 Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS)  National Youth Corps (NYC)  National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development (NPYAD) Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram  International Cooperation (IC)  Youth Hostels (YH)  Assistance to Scouting and Guiding Organisations  National Young Leaders Programme (NYLP) “Nai Roshni”- Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women.

 ‘Nai Roshni’ scheme was launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs in 2012-13. It is a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women.  The main objective of this scheme is to empower minority women by providing them knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions.

 It is implemented with the help of NGOs, Civil societies and Government Institutions across the country.  Under this scheme, women are trained through pre-designed training modules covering issues related to women such as Health and Hygiene, Legal rights of women, Financial Literacy, etc.

 The Seekho Aur Kamao Scheme and Nai Manzil scheme are also helping in the economic empowerment of Minority women. Government approved Startup India Seed Fund Scheme for the next four years.

 The Government has approved the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme for the next four years. It will be implemented from 1 April 2021.  It was announced by the Prime Minister at the Startup India’s international summit Prarambh.

 The Government has allocated Rs 945 Crore corpus under Startup India Seed Fund Scheme for the period of 2021-25.  Startup India Seed Fund Scheme will support 3600 entrepreneurs through 300 incubators. It will mainly support startups from the education, agriculture, food processing, biotechnology, healthcare and energy sectors.  Startup India Seed Fund Scheme:

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o The main objective of this scheme is to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. o Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is the implementing body of this scheme. o Under this scheme, selected startups will get a grant of Rs 20 lakhs for proof of concept and Rs 50 lakhs through debt to commercialize the product. Government launched a new scheme for formation and Promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations.

 A new Scheme titled “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)” has been launched by the Ministry of Agriculture.

 The main objective of this scheme is to help small and marginal farmers through Farmer Producer Organizations. It will help them in accessing new technology, credit, and markets for improving the productivity of their produce.  It will help in the government vision of ‘Doubling of Farmer’s Income’ by 2022. It will help in generating employment and strengthen the rural economy.

 Features of the scheme: o Under this scheme, 10,000 new FPOs will be formed over five years. o The formation and promotion of FPOs will be done through nine implementing agencies. o The Cluster Based Business Organizations, with the help of implementing agencies, will promote the FPOs. o NAFED, with the help of other implementing agencies, will provide market and value chain linkages to FPOs. o A National Project Management Agency will be set up for overall project guidance, coordination and data maintenance. o Each FPOs will receive financial assistance of Rs 18.00 lakh for a period of 3 years. A credit guarantee facility of Rs 2 crore will also be provided to every FPOs. o A District Level Monitoring Committee will be set up to coordinate and monitor the scheme in the district. o Training will be provided to FPOs through different training institutes of India. Institutional deliveries have increased under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).

 Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Ashwini Kumar Choubey has replied in Rajya Sabha that the institutional deliveries have increased under the Janani Suraksha Yojana.

 Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): o It is a safe motherhood intervention under the National Rural Health Mission. o It was launched on 12 April 2005. o It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme that aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality rate by promoting institutional delivery.

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o Government provides cash assistance to the pregnant women for giving birth in a government or accredited private health facility, irrespective of the age of the mother and number of children. o It focuses mainly on poor pregnant women (especially belonging to SC, ST and BPL households) in states like , Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir. These states have low institutional delivery rates. o Women health volunteers, ASHA, are given performance based incentives under the scheme for promoting institutional delivery.

Rs. 1050 crore budget allocated to Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) for 2021-22.  The allocation for 2021-22 is more than the allocation made last year. In the last six years (2014-15 to 2020-21), government has released Rs.4556.93 crores of funds under SMAM.

 Government launched Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) in 2014-15.  Under SMAM, government proposed to set up Village Level farm Machinery Bank (VLFMB) and Custom Hiring Centers (CHC).  SMAM aims at making farm mechanization available to small and marginal farmers. It also aims at setting up hubs for hi-tech & high value farm equipment and creating awareness among stakeholders.

 Performance testing and certification at designated testing centers is also an objective of SMAM. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana’s statistics have been provided by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development.

 The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, provided information about the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in Rajya Sabha.

 She has provided statistics that a total of 1.83 crore pregnant women have received the benefit from PMMVY scheme from 2018-19 till 29.1.2021.

 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: o It was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2017. o It is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for pregnant women and lactating mothers. o It provides wage compensation of Rs 5000 in three installments for the loss of wages of working women due to pregnancy.

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o The cash incentive will be provided for only the first living child of the family. o Madhya Pradesh has got the 1st prize in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna. TIFAC launched Saksham job portal and Seaweed Mission.

 The Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) has launched SAKSHAM (Shramik Shakti Manch) job portal and Seaweed Mission.

 The initiatives have been launched on the occasion of the 34th foundation day of TIFAC. TIFAC has also released two reports- ‘Techno-economic feasibility on Indian bamboo as Wood Substitute’ and ‘Opportunities for Fruit and Vegetable Processing in North Eastern region of India’.

 SAKSHAM (Shramik Shakti Manch) job portal: o It is a dynamic job portal that provides a common platform to connect the requirements of MSME sector and the skill of workers across the country. o It will use algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for the geospatial information on demand and availability of workers. o It will help in eliminating the role of middle man between worker and MSME. o It will create 10 lakh jobs in the country and it will help workers in getting jobs in the nearest MSME.  Seaweed Mission: o Seaweed Mission has been launched to promote seaweed production in India. At present, India produces only 0.01-0.02% of the global seaweed production. o According to an estimate, seaweed cultivation in 5% of the EEZ area of India can generate 50 million employment. o This mission has been launched on the recommendation of a report developed by CSIR- CSMCRI and other stakeholders.

 Features of Seaweed Mission: o It aims to establish model farms in more than 1 hectares for the cultivation of seaweeds in different states along the coast of India. o It will establish seaweed nurseries for supplying seed material for seaweed cultivation. o The processing plant will also be set up for the industrially important algae such as seaweeds such as agar, agarose, carrageenan and alginates. o The TIFAC, CSIR labs, ICAR labs and state Fisheries Departments will be the implementing agencies of this mission. Commercial Jute seed distribution scheme launched by Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani.

 In August 2020, an MoU was signed between Jute Corporation of India and National Seeds Corporation.

 This MoU was signed for commercial distribution of 1 thousand Metric Tonne certified jute seeds in 2021-22.

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 Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani said that Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Jute had been increased by nearly 76 % in the last 6 years.  Golden Fibre Revolution is related to jute production in India. Jute is a bast fibre. Bast fibre is obtained from the phloem.

 Jute is mainly cultivated in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh.  Jute Industry in India: o India is the largest producer of jute. It is the second-largest exporter of jute and jute goods after Bangladesh. o Jute Industry in India is mainly concentrated at Haora and Bhatapara in West Bengal. Jute Industry in India faces the problem of lack of both diversification and modern technology. Around 110 lakh hectares area treated with Micro-nutrients and Bio-fertilizers under National Food Security Mission in the last five years.

 The National Food Security Mission was launched in October 2007. It was launched to increase the production of rice, wheat and pulses.

 Under this mission, around 110 hectares of land have been treated with Micro-nutrients and Bio- fertilizers in the last five years.  Around 2.74 lakh pump sets and 1.26 lakh sprinklers are distributed to farmers. It will help in achieving the objective of the ‘Har Khet Ko Pani’ and ‘Per Drop More Crop’ initiative.

 About 60,000 cropping system-based training sessions were conducted for improving crop production and adoption of new technology.

 About 15 lakh improved farm implements were distributed under NFSM between 2014-15 to 2019-2020 for strengthening the mechanization at farmer’s field.  National Food Security Mission: o It is a centrally sponsored scheme for the agriculture sector. o The main objective of this scheme are: . To increase the production and productivity of crops. . To raise the income of farmers . Creation of employment opportunities o At present, National Food Security Mission has six components. These are: . NFSM-Rice . NFSM-Wheat . NFSM-Pulses . NFSM-Coarse Cereals . NFSM-NFSM-Nutri-Cereals . NFSM-Commercial Crops

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Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan launched by Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

 Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan under Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban has been launched by Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

 It will be carried out to assess equitable water distribution, wastewater reuse and mapping of water bodies.

 Under the survekshan, data on drinking water and conditions of three water bodies in the city will be collected.  Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan will be later extended to all the AMRUT cities. As of now, it has been launched in 10 cities given below. Agra Badlapur Bhubaneswar Churu Kochi Madurai Patiala Rohtak Surat Tumkur  Government designed the Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban to provide universal water coverage supply to all households through functional taps in all 4,378 towns.  A Technology Sub-Mission for water is also proposed. Various reforms are proposed under this Sub-Mission. Some of them are given next. o City Water Potability Index and reduction in non-revenue water o Recycle water to meet at least 20% of total water demand by 2025 o Revival of three water bodies per Urban Local Body  Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Defence Minister launched the E-Chhawani portal.

 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the E-Chhawani portal and mobile app. It will provide online municipal services for the residents of 62 Cantonment Boards across the country.  The portal is developed by eGov Foundation, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) and National Informatics Centre (NIC).

 The residents of Cantonment areas can register their civic complaints through this online portal.  It will provide various services, including renewal of leases, online registration of births and deaths, online application for water and sewerage connection, etc.  It will help in the timely distribution of services to the resident of Cantonment Boards.

 Cantonment Boards: o It is a civic administration body under the Ministry of Defence. o It is regulated by the Cantonments Act, 2006. o The tenure of a member of a board is of five years. Government has invited suggestions on Blue Economy Policy.

 The Ministry of Earth Sciences has invited suggestions from NGOs, industries, academia, and citizens on the draft of the blue economy policy.

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 The draft will finalize the vision and strategy for the promotion of the Blue Economy in India. It will be a road map to utilize the available oceanic resources in the country.  The draft will aim to increase the contribution of the blue economy to India’s GDP.

 It will also help in improving the lives of coastal people, preserving marine biodiversity and maintaining national security of marine areas.  India has a coastline of 7,500 kilometers and nine states are along the sea. India has an EEZ of over 2 million square kilometers.  Blue Economy: According to the World Bank, it is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. Government launched a new messaging app called ‘Sandes’.

 Sandes app has been launched by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). It is an Indian government alternative to WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps.  The instant messaging app, called Sandes, has been launched by the government for secure communication.

 The first version of this app was launched in August 2020. At present, it is available for government officers as well as for the common public.

 It is available on Android and iOS platforms. It allows users to backup chat histories to a registered email.  It has an additional safety feature, which enables the user to mark a message as confidential.

 It has been launched to promote the use of made-in-India apps. Central government launched ‘Go Electric Campaign’ to promote adoption of electric vehicles and cooking appliances.

 In order to ensure energy security, the Union government has launched ‘Go Electric Campaign’ of BEE.

 The aim of this campaign is to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and cooking appliances.  This campaign will promote cost-effective, environment-friendly and domestically made electric products. It will reduce dependency on imported fossil fuels.  Through this campaign, people will shift from conventional vehicles and cooking methods to electric vehicles and electric cooking appliances.

 Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is responsible for undertaking an awareness drive so as to promote Public Charging, e-mobility and its ecosystem. BEE works under the aegis of Ministry of Power.

 In February 2021, CM of Delhi launched the ‘Switch Delhi’ campaign to promote use of electric vehicles.  The government had earlier launched Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) scheme.

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 Electric vehicles are run by electric motors, which are powered by energy stored in batteries. These batteries can be recharged by electricity from an external source. Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0.

 Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 (IMI 3.0) has been launched by Dr. Harsh Vardhan to expand immunization coverage across the nation.  Two rounds for 15 days each will start from 22 February and 22 March.

 Focus of IMI 3.0 will be the children and pregnant women who did not get the vaccine during COVID-19 pandemic.  IMI 3.0 aims to achieve 90% full immunization coverage in all districts of India.

 As of now, Mission Indradhanush has covered 690 districts and vaccinated 37.64 million children and 9.46 million pregnant women.

 Intensified Mission Indradhanush: o Mission Indradhanush was launched in December 2014 to ensure full immunization with all available vaccines for children up to two years of age and pregnant women. o To further intensify the immunization programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) on October 8, 2017. o Vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, severe form of childhood tuberculosis, hepatitis B, meningitis and pneumonia (Hemophilus influenza type B infections), Japanese encephalitis (JE), rotavirus vaccine, IPV, adult JE vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and measles-rubella (MR) vaccine are provided under this programme. Government launched National Urban Digital Mission.

 The National Urban Digital Mission and other initiatives have been launched by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Minister of Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad on 23 February.

 National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM): o The main objective of the National Urban Digital Mission is to create a digital infrastructure for cities in the country. o It will help cities and towns in developing digital infrastructure by working across the three pillars of people, process, and platform. o It aims to create citizen-centric digital infrastructure in 2022 cities by 2022, and it will cover all cities of India by 2024. o It will create a shared digital infrastructure for different initiatives of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which will help in resolving the local challenges of cities.

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o It is based on the technology design principles of the National Urban Innovation Stack (NUIS).  Other initiatives to boost digital infrastructure: o India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX): . It is jointly developed by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Smart Cities Mission. . It is an open software platform for the exchange of data among various data platforms. . It is a secure and reliable medium for data producers or owners to share their data. o SmartCode Platform: . It is a platform that will work as a repository of open-source code for various solutions and applications for urban governance. . It will help urban local bodies in the development of digital applications. . It will provide the source code without any fees and licensing. o New Smart Cities Website ver. 2.0 and GMIS: . The new version of the Smart Cities Mission website has been launched. . It will be a one-stop solution for all Smart Cities initiatives. It will work as a gateway for the different platforms and initiatives of the Smart Cities Mission. . The Geospatial Management Information System has been integrated with this new version of the website.  Smart Cities Mission was launched in 2015 to develop smart cities which are sustainable and citizen-friendly. Under the mission, 100 cities have been identified to be developed as Smart cities. Union Cabinet approves PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals and IT Hardware.

 Cabinet approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the pharmaceuticals and IT hardware sectors.

 It aims to promote domestic manufacturing and attract investment in the IT and pharmaceuticals sectors.  PLI Scheme for IT Hardware: o It will start from 1 April 2021. It will promote domestic manufacturing of IT hardware including laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs and servers. o The estimated cost of this scheme is around Rs 7,350 crore over four years. o It could generate 1.80 lakh employment in a direct and indirection manner. o A total of 15 companies, five global firms and 10 domestic firms, are expected to benefit from it.

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o It aims to reduce India’s dependency on foreign IT hardware. Under this scheme incentive will be given to beneficiary companies.  PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals: o It has been approved for a period of Financial Year 2020-21 to 2028-29. o It aims to increase the production of high-value products and promote exports of products. o It has an employment generation potential of 20 thousand direct and 80 thousand indirect jobs. o It will promote innovation in the Pharmaceuticals sector. It could attract an investment of 1500 crore. o It will be part of the main scheme for the development of the Pharmaceutical Industry.  Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme: o The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme was launched by the government for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and exports in 10 key sectors. o Under this scheme, the Automobiles and Auto Components sector have received the maximum incentive. PM-Kisan scheme completed two years.

 PM-Kisan scheme has completed two years on 24 February 2021.  Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN): o It was launched on 24 February 2019. o It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme. It is also known as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. It was announced during the interim budget of 2019. o Under this scheme, Rs 6,000 per year is transferred by the Central Government in three equal installments of Rs 2000 to the bank accounts of the cultivable land holding farmer family having landholding of up to 2 hectares. o It is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. o The main objective of this scheme is to increase the income of small and marginal farmers. o The estimated cost of this scheme is around ₹75,000 crore per annum. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary launched City Innovation Exchange (CiX).

 Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Durga Shanker Mishra, has launched the City Innovation Exchange (CiX) platform.  The platform has been launched to promote innovation in the Urban ecosystem.

 It is a platform to bring citizen organisations, academia, businesses and government together to create the future of Urban India.

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 Smart Cities Mission will partner with Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations (AGNIi) and other initiatives.  City Innovation Exchange (CiX): o It will connect cities to innovators to develop solutions for the challenges faced by them. o The platform will help cities to find innovative and fitting solutions. o It is developed on the concept of ‘open innovation’, i.e., ‘everyone is an innovator’. FASTag made mandatory for all the lanes on toll plazas of National Highways.

 FASTag has been made mandatory for all the lanes on toll plazas of National Highways from midnight of February 15, 2021.

 NH Fee Rules 2008 has a provision of fee, which has to pay on entering in Fastag lane without Fastag.  This fee also applies to entering vehicles without valid, functional FASTag. As per the rules, such vehicles are required to pay a fee equal to two times the fee applicable to their category of that vehicle.

 FASTag: o It is a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag. RFID is a method of automatic identification and data capture. o Government launched FASTag in 2014 on a pilot basis. It is affixed on the windscreen of any vehicle. o The RFID reader fixed at the toll plaza reads it and toll fare is deducted from the account. MSME Minister inaugurated SFURTI clusters to promote the traditional craft.

 Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated 50 artisan-based SFURTI clusters spread across 18 states.  It will support 42000 artisans involved in traditional industries of muslin, khadi, coir, handicraft, handlooms, woodcraft, leather, etc.  The Minister emphasized the need for a web portal for traditional products. He also discussed the improvement in the design of traditional products and the formation of more clusters.

 At present, 371 clusters have been approved by the government, of which only 82 are functional. The government aims to help at least 1 cluster in each district. Regular Cluster (500 artisans) with Government Types of SFURTI clusters assistance of up to Rs.2.5 crore Major Cluster (more than 500 artisans) with Government assistance up to Rs.5 crore  Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) scheme: o The revamped SFURTI scheme was started on 1 August 2014 by the Ministry of MSMEs for promoting Traditional Industries. o The main objective is to organize traditional industries and artisans into clusters to make them competitive and increase their income.

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o It provides support to clusters through various Facilitation Centers (CFCs).

NATIONAL NEWS 8th India International Silk Fair inaugurated by Union Minister for Textiles, Smriti Irani.

 8th India International Silk Fair is being organized on the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council’s virtual platform. It will continue for five days from 31 January to 4 February 2021.

 India is the 2nd largest producer of silk. All the four major types of silk - Mulberry, Eri, Tassar, and Muga, are produced in India. India is the only country in the world producing all four major types of silk.

 India International Silk Fair is considered to be India’s biggest silk fair. Indian Silk Export Promotion Council, under the Ministry of Textiles, organizes it. Department of Commerce sponsors it.

 Silk is obtained from silkworms (larvae of Bombyx mori). Cultivation of silkworms is called sericulture.

 Karnataka, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh produce 90% of raw silk produced in India.

India’s biggest Aero show started at Bengaluru.

 The 13th edition of the Aero India air show started at Bengaluru in Karnataka. It is inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. It is scheduled to be held from 3rd to 7th February 2021.

 In this three-day event, more than 200 MoUs is signed between different procurement and manufacturing agencies.  The Defence Ministers of 27 countries participated in this event for the first time.

 Aero India 2021 logo is inspired by the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).  For the first time, Aero India show will be organised in physical and virtual mode.

 In this year’s Aero show, aircraft like Dakota, B-1 Lancer, Surya Kiran, Sarang helicopters will participate.

 Aero India: o It is a biennial air show held at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka. o It is organized by the Defence Exhibition Organisation, Ministry of Defence. o It is Asia’s largest Aero show. Development Status of AIIMS in the Country.

 The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) aimed to set up 22 new AIIMS in the country. It includes 10 AIIMS sanctioned in 2017-18.

 In 22 new AIIMS, six have become functional. These six AIIMS are at , Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh.

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 In another 6 AIIMS, OPD services have become functional. These are at Rae Bareli, Mangalagiri, Gorakhpur, Bathinda, Nagpur and Bibinagar.  MBBS course has been started in AIIMS at Mangalagiri, Nagpur, Kalyani, Gorakhpur, Bathinda, Rae Bareli, Deoghar, Bibinagar, Guwahati, Bilaspur, Jammu and Rajkot.

 The construction work of 16 AIIMS is in different stages.  Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY): o It was launched in 2003. o It aims to curb regional imbalances in the field of healthcare services. o It also aims to promote facilities for quality medical education in India. o The scheme has two components- . Setting up of AIIMS like institutions . Upgradation of Government Medical College/Institutions Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations inaugurated by PM Modi in Gorakhpur, UP.

 Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations has been inaugurated by PM Modi in Gorakhpur, UP via video-conferencing.

 The Chauri Chaura centenary celebrations are being held to mark 100 years of the Chauri Chaura incident. PM Modi also released a postal stamp dedicated to the Chauri Chaura Centenary.

 Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations will be held for a year from 4 February 2021 to 4 February 2022. State government has also launched a website on this occasion.

 UP CM has ordered the inclusion of Chauri Chaura event in the curriculum of UP Board. Efforts are being made to record Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations in the Guinness Book by singing Vande Mataram.

 In Indian history, violence at village Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur on 04 February 1922 is known as Chauri Chaura incident. After Chauri Chaura incident, Gandhi Ji withdrew Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922.

Government inked a pact with Zomato under PM SVANidhi Scheme.

 The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has signed an MoU with Zomato under the PM SVANidhi Scheme.

 It will provide thousands of consumers to street vendors, which will help them to grow their businesses.

 MoHUA has also launched a Mobile application under PMSVANidhi se Samriddhi for Socio- economic profiling of PM SVANidhi beneficiaries. It will help in door to door data collection of PM SVANidhi beneficiaries and their families in 125 cities.  Earlier, MoHUA had also signed a similar type of pact with Swiggy on October 5, 2020.

 PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANIDHI): o It was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on 1 June 2020.

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o It will provide affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods during the COVID-19 lockdown. o It will provide a capital loan of up to ₹10,000, which must be repaid in monthly installments in one year. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways issued finalized guidelines for floating structures.

 Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has issued guidelines for the upcoming projects related to floating structures. It is issued for the development of world-class floating infrastructure in India.  The guidelines laid down various technical aspects for implementing Floating Jetties / Platforms for Marinas, Minor Harbors, Fishing Harbours / Fish landing centers, Waterdromes and such other similar facilities in coastal areas, estuaries, waterways, rivers and reservoirs.

 Government has set the standard specifications of floating infrastructure par with international standards.

 The floating structures are more beneficial than conventional fixed concrete structures. The benefits of the floating structure are Cost-effectiveness, faster implementation, easily expandable, and re-locatable.  Government has implemented few floating infrastructure projects at water-aerodromes at Sabarmati River and .

 Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways: o It was formed on 17 November 2000. o Recently, the Ministry of Shipping has been renamed as Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. o Mansukh Mandaviya is the current Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. Himachal Pradesh becomes the first State to implement end to end e-cabinet.

 Himachal Pradesh has become the first State in the country to implement end to end e-cabinet process. It has been inaugurated by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.  It will make the whole process of cabinet decision-making paperless. The entire process from initiation of cabinet memo to approval by the Chief Minister has been made online.

 The e-cabinet system has various features, including notification of the cabinet meeting, record of the cabinet proceedings and decisions, showing the status of cabinet decision, etc. It also generates SMS for every step involved in the cabinet decision-making process.

 The IT application for e-cabinet has been developed by the Department of Information Technology. It is the first of its kind application in the entire country.  It will reduce the time for conducting a cabinet meeting and increases the efficiency of the decision-making process.  Arunachal Pradesh is the first State in the northeast to implement the e-Cabinet solution. It had launched the e-Cabinet system in 2017. India’s first geothermal power project will be established in .

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 Scientists have identified the Puga village of Ladakh as the hotspot of geothermal energy in India. Puga has a potential of more than 100 MW of geothermal energies.  The first geothermal power project of India, Geothermal Field Development Project, will be established in Puga village, Ladakh.

 Under the first phase of the pilot project, 1 MW power will be generated, and for this, a tripartite MoU has been signed between ONGC Energy, LAHDC, Leh and the Power Department of UT Ladakh.

 The project is likely to be commissioned by the end of 2022.  Research and Development stage or demo of the project will be the second phase of the project.

 Under the third phase, joint ventures and commercial projects will be promoted.  Geothermal energy is the heat derived within the sub-surface of the earth. It can be used for heating, cooling and generating clean electricity.

 Geothermal fields of India are categorised into five classes, viz. North- western Himalaya, Son- Narmada-Tapti (So-Na-Ta) Lineament, West Coast Margin, Thermal field of eastern and north east region and other geothermal regions. 1st Tibetan Village ‘Dungti’ has been electrified by Global Himalayan Expedition.

 Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) has electrified the first Tibetan Village, ‘Dungti’ near Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.  GHE team of Engineers has electrified the 51 households of this village by providing Solar based DC electricity.

 Some Tibetan families are settled in the Dungti village of Ladakh. The peoples of this village are dependent only on the income from selling Pashmina.  Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) has electrified more than 100 hamlets in Ladakh.

 Global Himalayan Expedition is one of the world’s first organizations using tourism and technology to bring solar energy to remote communities. It is one of the winners of the UN Global Climate Action Award 2020. Union Education Minister addressed ASEAN India Hackathon inaugural session.  The Union Education Minister Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the inaugural ceremony of ASEAN India Hackathon.

 ASEAN-INDIA Hackathon is being organised by the Ministry of Education. It is being held from 1- 3 February. It is a 36 hours Hackathon.

 Hackathon will help India and ASEAN countries in solving the challenges related to Blue Economy, agriculture, tourism, health care and education.  Hackathon will also help in strengthening the economic and cultural ties between India and ASEAN countries through cooperation in the field of education, science and technology.

 Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN):

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o It was established on 8 August 1967. ASEAN includes 10 countries in Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos. o ASEAN is India's fourth-largest trading partner and is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia. o ASEAN-India relations were upgraded into ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership in 2012. o ASEAN-India Plan of Action, 2016-2020 was adopted in 2015 by the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting. First ever Mahila Jan Sunwai Programme has been organised by NCW in association with J&K government.

 The National Commission for Women (NCW), in association with the Social Welfare Department of Jammu & Kashmir, has organised the first-ever Mahila Jan Sunwai Programme in Jammu.  Chairman of NCW Rekha Sharma has chaired the Jan Sunwai programme.

 In this Programme, cases related to women were disposed and Chairman collected information about the problems faced by the women.  National Women Commission: o It is the statutory body that usually advises the government on all policy matters affecting women. o It was formed in 1992. o Its headquarters is located in New Delhi. o The chairperson of the National Commission for Women is Rekha Sharma. Union Transport Minister launched India’s first CNG tractor.

 The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has launched India’s first- ever converted CNG tractor.  It has been converted from a diesel tractor by the Rawmatt Techno Solutions & Tomasetto Achille India.

 It will help farmers in saving fuel costs and generate new job opportunities in rural areas.  Features of CNG tractor are: o It will use Compressed Natural Gas as fuel, which will reduce pollution in the atmosphere. o The engines have a longer life-line and require less maintenance. o It is cheaper than diesel tractors. o The stubble can be used for producing Bio-CNG fuel. o It produces more power than diesel tractors.  Compressed natural gas: It is formed by compressing natural gas to less than 1% of the volume. It can be used as an alternative to petrol and Diesel. PM unveiled several development projects worth 8000 crores in Tamil Nadu.

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 Prime Minister unveiled and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth over 8000 crore rupees at Chennai in Tamil Nadu.  He also handed over indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to the Army.

 He laid the foundation stone for the extension, renovation and modernization of the Anicut Canal System. It will improve irrigation facilities in the Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts.  PM appreciated farmers of Tamil Nadu for the record food grain production and wise use of water resources.  He also inaugurated Phase-I extension part of Chennai Metro Rail. It will connect North Chennai to Airport and Central Railway Station. He also inaugurated the fourth line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu.

 He laid the foundation stone for the Discovery Campus of IIT Madras and inaugurated the Railway Electrification of single line section in Villupuram - Cuddalore - Mayiladuthurai - Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur.

 Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A): It has been indigenously designed and manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It is an upgraded version of Arjun Main Battle Tank. DRDO, in collaboration with Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), had started the Arjun Main Battle Tank project in 1972.

 Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension,  Fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu,  Railway Electrification of single line PM inaugurated and laid foundation of various section in Villupuram - Cuddalore - projects in Tamil Nadu Mayiladuthurai - Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur.  Discovery Campus of IIT Madras  Extension, Renovation and Modernization of the Grand Anicut Canal System “Hunar Haat” has been organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs on 20th February.

 Ministry of Minority Affairs has organized “Hunar Haat” at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi from 20th February to 1st March 2021. It is inaugurated by the Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.  It is the 26th edition of “Hunar Haat”, whose theme will be “Vocal for Local”.

 It is organised by the government to promote indigenous products of artisans and craftsmen.  The government will give employment to 7.5 lakh artisans and craftsmen through 75 “Hunar Haat” till the completion of 75 years of India’s Independence. Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey chaired an inauguration function related to SANKALP initiative.

 The Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship chaired an inauguration ceremony of ‘Transforming skilling through strategic partnerships under SANKALP’ and Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF).

 SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion):

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o It is a World Bank-supported programme for strengthening district skill administration and the District Skill Committees. o It will support the Training of Trainer (ToT) system in the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode, which is a collaborative approach between industries and the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem. o A ‘Cluster Approach’ has been adopted to implement this project. TVET trainers are trained in domain Knowledge, pedagogical skills and industrial experience. o An academic partnership between IIMs, IITs, GIZ-IGVET, KILA has been established under the SANKALP scheme for skill development. o Awards for Excellence in District Skill Development Planning (DSDP Awards) had been established under SANKALP in 2018.  Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship: o It is a Certificate Program in Public Policy and Management offered by IIMs. It has been designed at the initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). o MSDE has collaborated with the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) for capacity building programmes. o It has now been extended to all over the country and more IIMs are added for this project.

 On this occasion, “Skill training on Gender Sensitisation and Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) at the workplace” projects were also launched. Rashtrapati Bhavan Krida Sthal in President’s Estate inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind.

 President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Rashtrapati Bhavan Krida Sthal in President’s Estate on 16th February.

 Rashtrapati Bhavan Krida Sthal includes Football Ground and Basketball Court. Prakash Javadekar launched Atal Paryavaran Bhavan at Lakshadweep.

 Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has unveiled the Atal Paryavaran Bhavan in Kavaratti island, Lakshadweep.

 During the inauguration, he released a book titled “Faunal Diversity of Biogeographic Zones: Coasts of India”.  Mr. Javadekar is on a 4-day official visit to Lakshadweep.

 Lakshadweep: o It is a group of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km. o It is the smallest Union Territory of India. o It was formed in 1956 and was named Lakshadweep in 1973. o Capital of Lakshadweep: Kavaratti o Administrator of Lakshadweep: Shri Praful Patel

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o Entry to the islands of Lakshadweep is allowed after an entry permit is issued by Lakshadweep Administration. Government selected 12 iconic sites under Phase IV of Swachh Iconic Places.

 The Government has selected twelve iconic sites under Phase IV of Swachh Iconic Places.  The Swachh Iconic Places is an initiative under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen. It is implemented by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in association with the Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and the concerned State governments.  The objective behind selecting sites is to improve the sanitation and cleanliness standards at Tourism sites. It will help in boosting tourism in the country.

 The twelve sites selected under phase-IV are: Ajanta Caves Jaisalmer Fort Sun Temple (Odisha) Banke Bihari Temple () (Rajasthan) (Uttar Pradesh) Stupa Ramdevra Rock Garden Agra Fort (Madhya Pradesh) (Rajasthan) (Chandigarh) (Uttar Pradesh) Kumbhalgarh Fort Golconda Fort Dal Lake (Jammu & Kalighat Temple (Rajasthan) (Telangana) Kashmir) (West Bengal)  Swachh Bharat Mission: It was started in 2014. It is an initiative by the to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management. Government issued guidelines and code of ethics for social media channels and OTT platforms.

 Central Government has declared guidelines and digital media ethics code for social media platforms, digital channels and OTT platforms.

 The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 are framed under section 87 (2) Information Technology Act, 2000.  The guidelines related to Social Media will be administered by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, while the digital media ethics code will be administered by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

 Salient features of Guidelines Related to Social Media: o A grievance redressal mechanism will be established for resolving complaints from the users or victims. o Social media platforms have to remove the content related to nudity or morphed images of women within 24 hours of complaints. o Significant Social Media Intermediary will have to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, a Nodal Contact Person and Resident Grievance Officer for grievance redressal. o Social media intermediaries must identify the “first originator” of the information.

 Salient features of Digital Media Ethics Code related to Digital Media and OTT Platforms: o The digital Code of Ethics must be followed by OTT platforms and online news and digital media entities.

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o OTT platforms must categorize their content into five categories of - U (Universal), U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+, and A (Adult). o A three-level grievance redressal mechanism has been established with different levels of self-regulation. Union Agriculture Minister inaugurated Saras Aajeevika Mela 2021 at Noida.

 Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated Saras Aajeevika Mela 2021 at Noida Haat.  The Saras Aajeevika Mela 2021 will be organised from 26th February to 14th March 2021 by the Ministry of Rural Development.

 Around 300 rural self-help groups and many craftsmen’s from different states will participate in the Mela.  Workshops on various topics including product packaging and design, communication skills, and social media publicity will be also organised to educate the self-help groups and craftsman in the Mela.  Minister spoke that Self Help Groups can play a vital role in the vision of making India a self-reliant country.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS United Kingdom made formal request for joining Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

 United Kingdom has announced that it is making a formal request for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

 UK is the first non-founding country making a formal request for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

 Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) or TPP-11:

o It is a trade agreement that was signed in March 2018 and became effective in December 2018.

o It includes 11 Asia and Pacific nations. They are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

UN Security Council asks for immediate release of Myanmar’s President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and others.

 UN Security Council has asked for the immediate release of Myanmar’s President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and others.

 UN Security Council members have also expressed deep concern over the imposition of an emergency in Myanmar.

 On 1 February, Military (Tatmadaw) imposed an emergency in Myanmar and detained many leaders, including President Win Myint and first State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

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 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, National League for Democracy, had won Myanmar’s general election in November 2020. First session of Myanmar Parliament was scheduled to start on 1 February.

 Myanmar:

o It is a Southeast Asian country that shares its border with China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Laos.

o It shares a 1600 km long boundary with India’s Four North-Eastern States viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.

o Its capital is Naypyidaw and the currency is Burmese Kyat. Sittwe Port is located in Myanmar.

o The Parliament of Myanmar has two Hluttaw (assemblies): upper house and lower house. Official name of the Armed forces of Myanmar is Tatmadaw.

Denmark to build first energy island of the world in North Sea.

 Denmark has approved a plan to create the world’s first energy island in the North Sea.  The island will produce and store green energy to cater to the demands of 3 million European households.

 The island will be located 80 kilometers off Denmark’s west coast and will have an initial capacity of 3 Gigawatt.

 In its initial phase, the artificial island will be linked to various offshore wind turbines.  The decision is a part of the European Union’s plan to move towards renewable energy and increase its offshore wind energy capacity 25 times by 2050.

 Denmark is also planning for an energy island in the Baltic Sea.  Denmark: o It is a Nordic country that shares its border with Germany. o Capital: Copenhagen o Currency: Danish krone o Prime Minister: Mette Frederiksen o It became a member of EU in 1973. United States will re-engage with the United Nations Human Rights Council.

 The US government has announced to re-engage with the United Nations human rights council (UNHRC).

 The US had left the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2018.  The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the US decision of re-engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Council.

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 The United States will start its re-engagement as an observer of the United Nations Human Rights Council.  United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC): o It was founded on 15 March 2006. o It is a body of the United Nations. o It aims to promote and protect human rights worldwide. o It has 47 members elected for a three-year term. o It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. US President Joe Biden cancelled national emergency order to provide money for Donald Trump’s Mexico border wall project.

 President Biden wrote a letter to Congress, the United States legislature, and said that the national emergency order was unwarranted.  Biden had earlier passed an order to stop the construction of the US-Mexico border wall. In February 2019, President Trump had declared National Emergency over the Southern Border of US.  This permitted President Trump to bypass the US legislature and use military funds for the construction of the wall.

 Mexico-US border separates Mexico and US. The physical barriers along Mexico-US border are not continuous. Mexico is located in the South of US.

 The expansion of Mexico-US barriers during Donald Trump was called the Trump wall. Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California are four states in the US that lie on Mexico-US border. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based translation software Amar Vasha launched by Bangladesh Supreme Court.

 It will translate Bangladesh Supreme Court’s orders and judgements from English to Bangla.

 Amar Vasha is developed with India’s EkStep foundation. It is based on ‘Anuvaad’ translation software.  ‘Anuvaad’ translation software of ‘EkStep’ foundation is used in India for the translation of English into Indian languages, including Bangla.

 Supreme Court of India is using SUVAS (Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software) since November 2019.

 Bengali language is one of the 22 languages recognized in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution. It is also known by the name of Bangla. US officially re-entered the Paris Climate Agreement.

 United States has once again become the party to the Paris Climate Agreement.  US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will host a climate summit of world leaders on 22 April 2021 (Earth Day). During this summit, he will unveil the US’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris agreement.

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 In 2017, US became the first nation to formally withdraw from the Paris Accord. The withdrawal came into effect on 4 November 2020.  Paris Climate Agreement: o It is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. o It was adopted on 12 December 2015 at CoP 21 in Paris. It came into effect on 4 November 2016. o It aims to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. o Countries were to submit their NDCs by 2020. In their NDCs, countries communicate actions they will take to reduce their Greenhouse Gas emissions in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. NCDs are non-binding plans. o Fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate agreement was celebrated on 12 December 2020. o CoP 26 will be held in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. External Affairs Minister inaugurated new building of Indian High Commission in Mauritius.

 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has inaugurated the new Indian High Commission building in Mauritius.  He reviewed the Dagotière Social Housing Project. Under this project, 956 Housing Units are constructed with the support of the Indian government.

 Dr. S. Jaishankar inaugurated the building during his two-nation visit to Maldives and Mauritius.  Recently, the Union Cabinet of India has approved a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement between India and Mauritius.  Mauritius: o It is an island nation which is located in the Indian Ocean. o Its capital is Port Louis and its currency is Mauritian Rupee. o Pravind Kumar Jugnauth is the current Prime Minister of Mauritius. o Mauritius is the fourth largest contributor to India’s FDI in 2020-21. Australia passed law to make Google, Facebook pay for news.

 The Parliament of Australia has passed a law after which the big companies of the digital sector, Google and Facebook, will have to pay appropriately for the news.

 The Parliament has passed this law by amending the ‘News Media Bargaining Code’.  The new law will encourage deals between tech giants and local media organizations. It will bring investment in local media companies. The law will ensure a fair price for the local media companies for their news.  If negotiation fails between tech giants and local media companies, then an independent arbitrator will set the rates for them.

 Australia has become the first country in the world to pass such kind of law.

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Pakistan will remain on FATF’s ‘grey list’ till June.

 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has announced to keep Pakistan on its ‘grey list’ till June.

 FATF has said that Pakistan should effectively implement financial sanctions against all the designated terrorists. Pakistan must take action against UN-designated terrorists and their associates.

 FATF also demanded that the Pakistan court must give effective, decisive and proportionate punishment to persons involved in terrorism and Pakistan must create an effective system to deal with terror financing.  In October 2020, FATF had decided to keep Pakistan on its grey list. Pakistan is on the grey list of FATF since June 2018.  Financial Action Task Force (FATF): o It is a global money-laundering watchdog. It was established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terror financing and other related threats to the international financial system. o It is headquartered in Paris, France. o Currently, it has 39 members.

STATE NEWS/ UTS ASSAM First heliport of Assam in Majuli district inaugurated.

 First heliport of Assam in Majuli district has been inaugurated by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

 The heliport has a facility for simultaneous landing of three helicopters. Assam CM said that aim of building a heliport is to boost tourism in Majuli.

 Majuli:

o Majuli is the world’s largest river island. It is also the first island which was made a district in India. It lies in the Brahmaputra River.

o It is located on the east of Guwahati. It is considered the world’s oldest and largest inhabited riverine island.

Assam Government will give financial assistance to 7.5 lakh people under Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar scheme.

 Under Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar scheme, Assam Government will give financial assistance of 3000 rupees each to 7.5 lakh people.  It will be given to people working in tea garden areas.

 Union Finance Minister and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will participate in the third phase of the Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar mela.

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 Earlier, the government has given financial assistance of 5000 rupees to tea garden workers in two installments.  Assam Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Scheme: o It was launched by the Assam government in 2017-18. o The main objective of this scheme is to support tea garden workers financially. o The beneficiaries receive financial assistance directly in their bank account. PM Modi launched ‘Asom Mala’ road project.

 PM Modi launched the ‘Asom Mala’ road project, which aims to further develop state highways.  ‘Asom Mala’ road project also aims to improve major district road networks in Assam. It is planned to be finalized in five years.  PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for two medical colleges and hospitals located at Biswanath and Charaideo districts of Assam.

 On 07 February 2021, PM Modi visited Dhekiajuli in the Sonitpur district of Assam to lay the foundation stone for several different projects.  Assam: o Its capital is Dispur. Its largest city is Guwahati. It has 34 districts. o State Dance: Bihu, State Bird: White-winged wood duck o Governor of Assam is Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister is Sarbananda Sonowal. o seats: 14, Rajya Sabha Seats: 7 o Kaziranga National Park located in Assam is known for One-horned rhinos. PM Modi launches ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ and multiple development projects in Assam.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Mahabahu-Brahmaputra project. He also laid the foundation stone of Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge and performed the groundbreaking ceremony of Jorhat - Majuli Bridge.

 Mahabahu-Brahmaputra project was launched with the Ro-Pax vessel service’s inauguration between Neamati-Majuli Island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati and Dhubri-Hatsingimari. Under this initiative, tourist jetties at four locations and Inland Water Transport Terminal at Jogighopa will also be constructed.

 These projects will help in improving the connectivity and reducing the travel time in eastern states part of India.

 The Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge over the Brahmaputra River will be the longest river bridge in the country. It will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya. It will reduce the distance of 205 km to merely 19 km.

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 The Jorhat-Majuli Bridge on the Brahmaputra will connect Neematighat and Kamalabari. It will help in providing connectivity to Majuli Island to other parts of Assam. Majuli Island, the world’s largest river island, is on the Brahmaputra River.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH Arunachal Pradesh Statehood Day: 20 February

 Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged state of India on 20 February, 1987.

 In the year 2021, Arunachal Pradesh is celebrating its 35th statehood day.  Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya celebrate their statehood days on 21 January.

 Sikkim statehood day is observed on 16 May. Assam celebrates its statehood day on 26 January.  Arunachal Pradesh: o It is the easternmost state of India. o It shares its border with Assam, Nagaland, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. o Capital of Arunachal Pradesh: Itanagar o Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: Pema Khandu o Governor of Arunachal Pradesh: B D Mishra o Namdapha National Park, Pasighat, Nuranang falls, Sangti Valley, Bumla Pass, Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary are some famous tourist destinations in Arunachal Pradesh. o Major Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh: Adi (Abor), Aka, Apatani, Nyishi, Tagin, Galo, Khampti, Bugun (Khowa), Mishmi, Momba (Monpa), Sherdukpen, Singpho o Losar festival is celebrated by the Monpa tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.

BIHAR Bihar CM Nitish Kumar expanded his cabinet.

 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expanded his cabinet. The new ministers have taken oath on 9th February.  At present, there are 14 ministers along with Chief Minister in the Bihar government.

 The council of ministers of state is collectively responsible to the legislative assembly of state and individually responsible to the Governor.  According to the 91st Amendment Act 2003, the total number of ministers in the council of ministers in the state shall not exceed 15% of the total strength of the legislative assembly.  The Bihar Legislative Assembly has a strength of 243 members. The maximum number of ministers could be 36.

 Article related to the council of ministers in state: Article 163: There shall be a council of Ministers Article 164: The Chief Minister shall be appointed with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the

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advise the Governor in the exercise of his Chief Minister. The Ministers shall hold office functions. during the pleasure of the Governor. Bihar:

 It is located in the eastern part of the country.  It shares boundary with Uttar Pradesh, Nepal, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

 It is the third-largest state by population.  The State Governor is Phagu Chauhan and Chief Minister is Nitish Kumar.  It has 40 Lok Sabha seats and 16 Rajya Sabha seats.

HIMACHAL PRADESH Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh launched ‘e-Parivahan Vyavstha’.

 Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur, has launched ‘e-Parivahan Vyavstha’ of HP Transport Department.  It will provide faceless services to the people with respect to Driving License, Registration Certificates, Permits, etc.

 Himachal Pradesh government had first started e-Vidhan Sabha (upgraded as NeVA), followed by e-Budget, e-cabinet and now e-Parivahan.

 Himachal Pradesh: o It is a state in north India that shares borders with Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Tibet. o It is located in the western Himalayas. It has 12 districts grouped into three divisions- Kangra, Mandi and Shimla. o Summer capital of Himachal Pradesh is Shimla and winter capital is Dharamshala. o Governor of Himachal Pradesh: Bandaru Dattatreya o Himachal became the 18th state of India on 25 January 1971. o Reo Purgyil is the highest of Himachal Pradesh. o In 2006, it was declared India’s second open-defection free state. o Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. o Gaddis, Gujjars, Kanauras, Bhots, Swangals are the major tribes of Himachal Pradesh.

KARNATAKA Karnataka Digital Economy Mission office has been inaugurated.

 The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) office has been inaugurated. The “Beyond Bengaluru” report has also been launched on this occasion.  The main objective of KDEM is to increase the share of the digital economy in Gross State Domestic Product to 30 percent. It will also work for the employment generation in the state.

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 The mission aims to attract investment from the IT/ITeS sector in the state. It will also help the state government in achieving the goal of 300 billion dollars economy by 2025.  Beyond Bengaluru project has been started to increase the contribution of other regions of the state in the GSDP. It aims to increase the other region contribution to 10 per cent of GSDP. At present, Bengaluru is the main contributor to GSDP.

 The Government will provide 24/7 electricity, improve connectivity, and develop infrastructure to boost the digital economy in the state.

 Digital economy: It refers to a broad range of economic activities that use digitized information and knowledge as key factors of production. became the 31st district of Karnataka.

 Karnataka government has formed Vijayanagara district by carving out areas from the Ballari district.

 Vijayanagara district will be comprised of six taluks and Hosapete will be its administrative headquarters.  The campaign to form a new Vijayanagara district was started by BS Yediyurappa in September 2019.

 The state cabinet had approved the creation of the Vijayanagara district on 18 November 2020.  Vijayanagara District: It is famous for the and Virupaksha Temple. It is located in the north- eastern part of Karnataka.  Karnataka: o It is the largest state in South India. o It shares its border with Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. o At present, it has 31 districts. o Chief Minister is B S Yediyurappa and Governor is Vajubhai Vala. o The Karnataka legislature is a bicameral legislature.

KERALA PM Modi launched multiple Power and Urban sector project in Kerala.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated several key projects of power and urban sector in Kerala.

 He also inaugurated the Pugalur - Thrissur Power Transmission Project. It is India’s first HVDC link featuring state-of-the-art VSC technology.  He also inaugurated Kasaragod Solar Power Project. It has been developed under the National Solar Energy Mission. A Water Treatment Plant was also inaugurated by PM at Aruvikkara.

 Prime Minister participated in the Convocation Ceremony of Visva-Bharati in virtual mode. Visva- Bharati was established by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in 1921. It is the oldest central University in the country.

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Project Inaugurated Laid foundation stone Pugalur - Thrissur Power Transmission Project Integrated Command and Control Centre Kasaragod Solar Power Project Smart Roads Project in Thiruvananthapuram Water Treatment Plant at Aruvikkara - Kerala government inaugurated first phase of Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) project.

 Kerala government has inaugurated the first phase of the Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) project.

 Under KFON, a complementary optical fiber network will be laid across Kerala and broadband infrastructure would be strengthened.  Under the second phase, KFON infrastructure would be used to provide free internet connectivity to economically backward families and subsidized connectivity to others.

 KFON project is a joint venture between two entities of Kerala and Kerala government. Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Ltd and Kerala State Electricity Board are names of these entities.

 Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) led consortium is executing KFON. BEL will operate and maintain a 35,000-km-long network for the coming seven years. Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board is funding the project.  As of now, Kerala is the only state that has made the ‘Right to Internet’ a basic right of its citizens. Finland is the world’s first country to make broadband Internet a legal right for every citizen.  In Faheema Shirin v. State of Kerala case, Kerala High Court has recognized the right to internet access as a fundamental right.

 The working of optical fibre is based on the phenomenon of Total Internal Reflection. PM launched Rs. 6100 crore worth projects in Kerala.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched several key development projects worth 6,100 crore rupees at Kochi in Kerala.

 PM also launched India's first full-fledged international cruise terminal, Sagarika and Marine Engineering Training Institute of Cochin Shipyard Ltd.  He also unveiled the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project of Bharat Petroleum Corporation at Kochi.

 He launched a Ro-Ro service at Willingdon Islands in Kochi and laid the foundation stone of Cochin Port Trust's South Coal Berth. Ro-Ro service will help in reducing the congestion and transportation cost.

 Kerala: o It was formed on 1 November 1956. o It is known as the Spice Garden of India. o It shares its border with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. o Pinarayi Vijayan is the Chief Minister and Arif Mohammad Khan is the Governor of Kerala. o It is the most literate state in India, with a 96.2% literacy rate.

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o It has 20 Lok Sabha seats and 9 Rajya Sabha seats.

MADHYA PRADESH Mandu Festival celebrated on 13-14th February.

 The two-day-long Mandu festival was organised on 13-14th February in the historical city Mandu, Madhya Pradesh. It was the second edition of Mandu Festival.

 It was organised by the Tourism department of Madhya Pradesh.  Many activities were organised during the festival, which includes photo contests, yoga workshops, musical performances, etc.

 Mandu: o It is also known as ‘The City of Joy’ and Shadiabad. o It is located in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. o Mandu is mainly known for the love story of Sultan Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati. o Baz Bahadur’s Palace, Rewa Kund, Jahaz Mahal, Hindola Mahal, etc. are some prominent historical places of Mandu. Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) campaign launched by Madhya Pradesh government.

 SAANS campaign aims to reduce infant mortality due to pneumonia. In the SAANS campaign, medical staff is being trained at community and primary health centres.

 Nearly 4,000 Health and Wellness Centres have been established in Madhya Pradesh for training. Over 57,000 water structures in MP under ‘Jalabhishekam’ campaign virtually inaugurated by Union Defence Minister on 11 February.

 The virtual inauguration programme was organized under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar also attended it.

 These water structures were created at the cost of more than 2000 crore rupees by linking the work with the MNREGA scheme.  In 2006, Jalabhishek Abhiyan (Jalabhishek campaign) was launched to prevent ground water level decline and ensure water conservation. Madhya Pradesh Government’s other important schemes in 2021 MP Prakhar Scheme Focused on School Education MP Pankh Scheme Focused on Girl Child and launched on National Girl Child Day MP Launch Pad Scheme Focused on starting of business by youth in Madhya Pradesh will be renamed as Narmadapuram.

 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that Hoshangabad city will be renamed as Narmadapuram. He announced it during the Narmada Jayanti programme in Hoshangabad.  The state government will send the proposal to the central government for changing the name of Hoshangabad.

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 Hoshangabad: o Hoshangabad is a city in the of Madhya Pradesh. It is located along the bank of the . o It is the headquarters of Hoshangabad district and Narmadapuram division. o The city is named after Hoshang Shah. o It is famous for the ghats along the Narmada River.

 Madhya Pradesh:

o Madhya Pradesh ranks second in terms of area in the country after Rajasthan.

o The state capital is Bhopal.

o The Chief Minister is Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Governor is Anandiben Patel.

o The state animal of MP is Barasingha.

o The state bird of Madhya Pradesh is the Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Dudhraj).

o Madhya Pradesh has 29 seats in the Lok Sabha and 230 seats in the state legislative assembly

MIZORAM Mizoram Statehood Day: 20 February

 Mizoram became a state of India on 20 February, 1987.

 It became the 23rd state of India through the 53rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1986.  Mizoram: o It is a state in northeast India that shares its border with Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Bangladesh and Myanmar. o Capital of Mizoram: Aizawl o Governor of Mizoram: P S Sreedharan Pillai o Chief Minister of Mizoram: Zoramthanga o It is one of the four northeast states mentioned in the sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution. Other three states are Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. o It has one Lok Sabha seat and one Rajya Sabha seat. o The highest peak in Mizoram is the Blue Mountain (Phawngpui). o 5 major tribes of Mizoram are- Lushei, Ralte, Hmar, Paihte, Pawi (or Poi). o There are three main festivals celebrated by Mizos- Mim Kut, Chapchar Kut and Pawl. o Cheraw or Bamboo Dance is one of the famous dances performed by Mizos.

ODISHA Covid Warrior Memorial will be established in Bhubaneswar.

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 Odisha Government will construct a Covid warrior memorial at the Biju Patnaik Park in Bhubaneswar. It will be inaugurated on 15th August 2021.  It will be built to honour the sacrifice and services of health workers who lost their lives in the fight against the COVID pandemic.

 The State Government had already announced that the martyr status and ₹50 lakh ex-gratia would be given to all health workers who lost their life due to Covid-19.

 Odisha: o It is a state on the Bay of Bengal in eastern India. o It is the 8th largest state of India in terms of area. o Its capital is Bhubaneswar. o The Chief Minister is Naveen Patnaik and Governor is Ganeshi Lal. o Some famous dance of Odisha are- Gotipua, Odissi, Ghumura. o Jagannath Temple and Lingaraja Temple are located in Odisha.

PUDUCHERRY Narayanasamy resigns as Puducherry CM before floor test.

 V Narayanasamy has resigned as Chief Minister of Puducherry before the floor test.  V Narayanasamy government had lost its majority in the Legislative assembly of Pondicherry after five Congress and one Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA have resigned.

 The Puducherry Legislative Assembly has 33 seats. At present, the Puducherry Legislative Assembly has a strength of 26 seats because seven seats are vacant.  Recently, Tamilisai Soundararajan is appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

 Union Territory Delhi, Jammu Kashmir and Puducherry have an elected Legislative Assembly.  Qualifications for Chief Minister: o He/She should be a Citizen of India. o He/She should be of 25 years of age or more. o He/She should be a member of either house of the State Legislature.  Puducherry: o Puducherry is one of the 8 union territories of India. o The Union Territory of Puducherry is located in the southern part of the Indian peninsula. o It is made up of four regions of preceding French India, Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe. It is named after the largest district of Puducherry.

RAJASTHAN Rajasthan government started campaign to make Rajasthan beggar free and rehabilitate the beggars.

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 The campaign started in Jaipur. Government will later expand the campaign to cover other districts of the state if it is successful in Jaipur.  The campaign involves the rehabilitation of beggars with combined efforts of Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) and an institute.

 The name of the institute is Sopan Institute of Science, Technology, and Management. The campaign also involves the opening of ‘Kaushal Vardhan Kendra’ to provide skills to beggars.

 The campaign is a component of the Chief Minister’s BHOR scheme - Bhikshu Orientation and Rehabilitation for poor and homeless people.  Under the campaign, beggars will be kept for three and half months and get skill training. Rajasthan government will pay 215 rupees a day to beggars.

 Rajasthan:

o It is the largest state in India in terms of area.

o Its capital Jaipur was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 due to its iconic architectural heritage and vibrant culture.

o The Chief Minister of Rajasthan is Ashok Gehlot and Governor is Kalraj Mishra.

o The state has 25 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha seats.

SIKKIM Sikkim Government launched ‘Free Gift Milk to Girl Students of Sikkim’ initiative.

 The Chief Minister of Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang launched ‘Free Gift Milk to Girl Students of Sikkim’.  Under this initiative, 200 ml of milk will be provided to around 1500 girl students every day. It has been launched to reduce malnutrition in children. The government will expand it later on a large scale.  Sikkim: o It is a state in northeast India. It shares its border with West Bengal, Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal. o It is the least populous state of India. o Its capital is Gangtok. o The Chief Minister of the state is Prem Singh Tamang and the Governor is Ganga Prasad.

UTTAR PRADESH A 16-digit Unicode will identify the landholding in Uttar Pradesh.

 Uttar Pradesh government has launched a system of issuing 16-digit unique code for all kinds of landholding in the state.  This 16-digit code will be issued by the revenue department of the state for all kinds of agricultural, residential and commercial land.

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 The first six digits of the code will be based on the population of the land and the next four-digits will provide a unique code to the land. The next four-digits from 11 to 14 will determine the number of the division of the land. The last two digits will be based on the category of the land.  It will help resolve the issues of fake registration of land and reduce the land dispute cases in the state.

 Uttar Pradesh: o It is the most populous state in India and ranks 4th in terms of area after Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. o The Chief Minister of the state is Yogi Adityanath and Governor is Anandiben Patel. o Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya are Deputy CMs. Foundation stone of Maharaja Suheldev Memorial in UP laid by PM Modi.

 PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of the development work of Chittaura Lake in Bahraich district of UP. The event commemorates the birth anniversary of Maharaja Suheldev.  Maharaja Suheldev was from Shravasti. He is famous for defeating Ghazi Salar Masud (Ghazi Miyan) in the Battle of Bahraich in 1034 CE.

 He was included in Mirat-i-Masudi, a biography written by Abdur Rahman Chishti. Amish Tripathi is the author of Legend of Suheldev: King Who Saved India, which was published in June 2020.

 Chittaura Lake is also known as Ashtwarka jheel. Teri Nadi flows from it. UP government starts free of cost training for aspirants of various competitive exams under Mukhyamantri Abhyuday Yojana.

 Over five lakh candidates were registered for training in the first phase. Out of them, 50 thousand aspirants were selected for training in the first phase.

 Coaching for selected candidates will start at the divisional level from Basant Panchami. The scheme will be extended at the district level later.  Under the scheme, guidance will be provided for UPSC, UPPCS, Subordinate Services, Banking Services, NEET, NDA, CDS, TET and other examinations.  Under the scheme, the government has decided to run a free training centre at each divisional headquarters of UP. There are eighteen divisional headquarters in UP. Jewar Airport in UP to be developed as Asia’s biggest airport.

 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that the state government is planning to develop Jewar Airport as Asia’s biggest airport.  The state government has allocated Rs. 2,000 crore in its budget 2021-22.

 The number of runways of the Jewar Airport has been increased from two to six.  Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has been appointed as the implementing agency for the Jewar Airport on behalf of the state government.

 Noida International Airport (NIAL), a special agency floated by the government, is managing and operating the project.

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 The airport will be developed in PPP mode and is expected to be completed by 2023.  Ayodhya Airport, which is under construction, will be named Maryada Purushottam Sriram Airport.

 Rs. 101 crores have been allocated for the Ayodhya airport under the budget 2021-22.  Ayodhya Airport will be made an international airport. UP government presented first paperless budget for FY 2021-22.

 Uttar Pradesh government presented its biggest-ever budget of Rs 5,50,270 crores for FY 2021- 22. It is the first paperless budget of the UP government.  The Budget has focused on making Uttar Pradesh self-reliant. It is presented by Finance Minister Suresh Khanna.

 The Uttar Government had presented the budget of around 5.12 lakh crore rupees for the FY 2020-21.

 Major details of the Budget: o Around Rs 27,500 crores have been allocated for new schemes. o Atmanirbhar Krishak Samanvit Vikas Yojna has been launched for the welfare of the farmers of the state. o 700 crores have been allocated for irrigation facilities and loan will be given to farmers at a low rate of interest. Around 1500 solar pumps will be set up in the state. o 100 crore has been allocated for the nutrition of girl child and 32 crores for the establishment of Mahila Shakti Kendras. o Under Mahila Samarthya Yojana, financial assistance will be provided to destitute women. o Free tablets will be given to eligible students under the Abhyudaya Scheme.

WEST BENGAL West Bengal Government launched ‘Maa’ scheme to provide meal at ₹5.

 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched the ‘Maa’ scheme to provide a meal to poor people for ₹5.

 Under this scheme, people will get rice, dal, vegetable, and egg curry in a meal at ₹5. The state government will bear a subsidy of Rs 15 per plate.  Government has allocated ₹100 crores for this scheme. The meal will be provided through Maa kitchens at different locations in the state. The kitchens will be operated by the Self Help Groups.

 ‘Didir Rannaghar’ Scheme was also launched to provide meals to migrant workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID pandemic in September 2020.

 West Bengal: o It is a state of eastern India. It is located between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.

o It shares its boundary with three countries-Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

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o The Chief Minister of West Bengal is Mamta Banerjee and Governor is Jagdeep Dhankhar

Foundation stone of 2nd Catalytic iso dewaxing Unit at Haldia refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Limited laid by PM Modi.

 Foundation stone of 2nd Catalytic iso dewaxing Unit at Haldia refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Limited has been laid by PM Modi.

 PM Modi also inaugurated three other projects at Haldia in West Bengal. They are given next. o BPCL’s LPG Import Terminal o GAIL’s Dobhi (Bihar)-Durgapur (West Bengal) Natural Gas Pipeline o NHAI’s four-lane road over bridge cum flyover at Ranichak

 On this occasion, he spoke about one nation-one gas grid, Hydrogen Mission and Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Pipeline.  He also said that India is one of the countries with the highest consumption of gas.

 Furthermore, he mentioned that the Dobhi-Durgapur Natural Gas Pipeline section would benefit West Bengal and some districts of Bihar and Jharkhand.

 Dobhi-Durgapur Natural Gas Pipeline section is a component of Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Pipeline.  Hydrogen Energy Mission: o In Budget 2021-22 speech, Finance Minister proposed launching of a Hydrogen Energy Mission in 2021-22 to produce hydrogen from green power sources. o Government’s plan to start a comprehensive National Hydrogen Energy Mission was announced by PM Modi at third Re-invest Conference in November 2020.

INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD India's Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam to get contract for building of Lower Arun Hydropower Project.

 Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, a Public Sector Enterprise under Ministry of Power, will get contract for building of Lower Arun Hydropower Project.  Nepal has taken this decision at a meeting of its Investment Board. The ownership of project will be given to government of Nepal after 20 years from the start of operation.  Lower Arun Hydropower Project on Arun River has capacity of 679 MW. It is located in Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts of eastern Nepal.

 Lower Arun Hydropower Project is located upstream of the proposed Sapta Koshi High Dam project on Saptakoshi River of Nepal.  The Saptakoshi River has seven major tributaries- Indrawati, Sunkoshi, Tamakoshi, Likhu, Dudhkoshi, Arun and Tamor. Nepal’s Supreme Court annulled the government’s decision of dissolving the lower house of Parliament.

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 In a historic verdict, the Supreme Court of Nepal has annulled the decision taken by the government to dissolve the House of Representatives on 20 December 2020. Supreme Court has reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives.  The decision has been taken by a five-member Constitutional bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher.

 The constitutional bench has declared the decision of dissolution “unconstitutional” and ordered the government to summon a session within next 13 days.

 Recently, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has been expelled from the primary membership of the Nepal Communist Party for his decision to dissolve the Parliament.  Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli had recommended for the dissolution of Parliament on 20 December over a tussle for power with Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.

 Nepal Parliament: It is a bicameral legislature, which is composed of the National Assembly as the upper house and the House of Representatives as the lower house. The House of Representatives has 275 members.

 Nepal: o It shares a border with Indian states, namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, and Bihar. o Its capital is Kathmandu and the currency is Nepalese Rupees. o Bidya Devi Bhandari is the President and Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the Prime Minister of Nepal. India-China agreed on new disengagement agreement in eastern Ladakh.

 Indian and Chinese troops have commenced their disengagement along the North and South banks of Pangong Lake in Ladakh. It is the first step to resolve the standoff between both countries near Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.  Under this agreement, the Chinese troops will go back to Finger 8 position from their current position of Finger 4. Indian troops will be stationed at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3.  Both countries have agreed that the area between Finger 3 and Finger 8 will be the no- patrolling zone temporarily.

 Both sides will remove all the construction work done by them on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake since 2015.

 This agreement is the result of the ninth round of the senior commander meeting on 24 January. It is only restricted to Pangong Lake areas.  Pangong Lake areas significance: o It is the strategically most important location in eastern Ladakh. o The north and south bank of this lake is the area where a standoff between both countries had started in May 2020.

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 Line of Actual Control: o It is a line that separates India controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory. o The major disagreement between India and China is on the western side of the LAC. o India-China LAC is divided into three parts: . Arunachal and Sikkim Border . Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh Border . Ladakh Border

DEFENCE IN FAC T-81 of Super Dvora MK II class decommissioned from service.

 On 28 January, Indian Naval Fast Attack Craft (IN FAC) T-81 was decommissioned from service.  IN FAC T-81 Fast Attack Craft of Super Dvora MK II class was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.

 On 05 June 1999, IN FAC T-81 was commissioned into Indian Navy. It was built at Goa Shipyard Ltd with Israel.  It had been specially designed for shallow waters. IN FAC T-81 is 25 meters long vessel. It has maximum speed of 45 knots. It has 60 tonnes displacement. Indian Navy gets three advanced light helicopters from HAL for coastal security.

 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered three MK III advanced light helicopters to Indian Navy. These helicopters will be used for coastal security.

 Indian Navy had ordered 16 MK III advanced light helicopters to replace their existing fleet.  It is equipped with advanced sensors, full glass cockpit, latest-generation avionics, low -frequency dunking sonars system, etc.

 It has a powerful engine, “Shakti,” and synthetic aperture radar for target detection.  It is fitted with a surveillance radar system with coverage of 270 degrees. It can detect and track multiple marine targets.

 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL): o It was formed on 1 October 1964. o It is a government-owned corporation involved in the design, fabrication and assembly of aircraft, jet engines, and helicopters. o Its headquarters is located in Bengaluru. Yudh Abhyas 20: India-US Joint military exercise held in Rajasthan.

 The joint military exercise between US and India, Yudh Abhyas 20, held at Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.

 This exercise is the 16th edition of the annual bilateral military exercise Yudh Abhyas.

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 The exercise held from 8 February to 21 February 2021.

 11th battalion of Jammu and Kashmir rifles is representing India in the exercise.

 The exercise will promote sharing of war-related techniques, skills and experience between the two armies.

 This is one of the largest military training exercises between the two countries.

 In January 2021, the air forces of India and France held a joint exercise Desert Knight-21 at Jodhpur Air force station in Rajasthan.

 Yudh Abhyas: o It is a bilateral exercise between the armies of India and US. o The exercise aims at increasing cooperation and interoperability between the two armies. o The first edition of this exercise was held in 2004 in Mizoram. o The 2019 edition was held at the Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, US.

 Other India-US joint exercises: o Vajra Prahar- Army o Red Flag- Air force o Tiger Triumph- Triservice o Malabar- Navy o PASSEX- Navy Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) launched Dishani and Garudastra during Aero India- 2021.

 The Chairman and Managing Director of BDL provided a model of Dishani and Garudastra to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 06 February 2021.

 While Garudastra is an advanced anti-submarine self-guided homing torpedo, Dishani is an expendable air-deployed ASW sonobuoy system. Products launched at Aero India- 2021 Name of agencies designing and developing Garudastra Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, DRDO with BDL as the development partner Dishani Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, DRDO with BDL as the development partner  Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL): o It was established in 1970. Year 2020 is Golden Jubilee Year of BDL. o It is headquartered in Hyderabad. Commodore Siddharth Mishra (Retd) is its Chairman and Managing Director. o In June 2019, it won Governance Now PSU Award - 2018 for Consistent Growth (Miniratna - I Category). Biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 21) concluded.

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 Biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 21) concluded in Indian Ocean Region and adjacent areas.  TROPEX 21 was started in early January. It will end by the third week of February. Its participants are: o All operational units of Indian Navy, including ships, submarines, and aircraft o Units of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard

 Naval headquarters are overseeing TROPEX 21. Tri-Services Command at Port Blair and all three Commands of the Indian Navy are also involved in overseeing TROPEX 21.  TROPEX 21 is being carried out in different phases. In the first phase, the coastal defence exercise Sea Vigil was carried out on 12-13 January 2021.  After exercise Sea Vigil, AMPHEX-21 was carried out in Andaman and Nicobar Islands from 21-25 January. It is a tri-service joint amphibious exercise.

 TROPEX 21 has the theme of being a ‘Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive force’. It is described as the Indian Navy’s largest war game.  Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX) is an inter-service military exercise. It began in 2005. It was held annually till 2013. Defence Minister gives Best Marching Contingent award of Republic Day parade 2021.

 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented “Best Marching Contingent” award of Republic Day parade 2021.  Delhi Police has won the ‘Best marching contingent’ award among CAPF and other auxiliary forces.

 Jat Regiment has been selected for the best marching contingent award in the Armed Forces category.

 India has celebrated its 72nd Republic Day on 26 January 2021. On 26 January 1929, Indian National Congress had proclaimed Purna Swaraj.  Central Armed Police Force: o Central Armed Police Force refers to seven security forces in India. They are the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Service Selection Board, Central Industrial Security Force, National Security Guards and Assam Rifles. o Central Armed Police Force works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.  Jat Regiment: It is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army.

 Delhi Police: It was formed in 1861 and was reorganized in 1946. It works under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021” naval exercise concluded.

 The “Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021” naval exercise concluded. It is the second joint exercise between Iran and Russia since 2019.

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 It was started in the northern part of the Indian Ocean on 16 February. Many vessels of Iranian Army and Russian Navy have participated in this exercise.  India didn’t participate in this two-day naval exercise.

INDRA Triservice

PASSEX India -Russia Navy

India successfully tested Anti-tank missiles Helina and Dhruvastra.

 India successfully launched Helina (Army Version) and Dhruvastra (Air Force Version) Missile Systems from Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv in desert ranges.  These missile system has been designed and developed indigenously by DRDO.

 For evaluating missile capabilities in minimum and maximum range, five missions were carried out during the trial.

 Now, the missile system is ready for induction in defense forces.  HELINA: o It is a third-generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile. It has a maximum range of 7 km. o It is an air version of the Nag missile. It has all weather day and night capability. It can hit the target in direct hit mode as well as top attack mode. o It has been manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). o Standoff Anti-tank Guided Missile is an upgraded version of the HELINA missile. Indian and Indonesian navies carry out Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in Arabian Sea.

 Indian Navy Ship INS Talwar and Indonesian Navy’s multirole Corvette KRI Bung Tomo participated in the PASSEX.

 Earlier, the Indian Navy had participated in PASSEX with Australian Navy, Vietnamese Navy, Russian Navy and USS Nimitz strike group.

 In November 2020, the 24th edition of Malabar exercise was hosted by the Indian Navy. Navies of US, Japan and Australia took part in this Malabar exercise. DRDO successfully launched Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM).

 The Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM), indigenously developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), was successfully launched from the coast of Odisha.

 It has been indigenously developed by the DRDO for the Indian Navy. It will help in neutralizing those aerial threats, which can avoid radar systems.

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 During the test launch, the missile was tested for minimum and maximum range, flight path, and vehicle performance parameters were also monitored.  The launch was carried out from a static vertical launcher from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the Odisha Coast.

 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO): o It was established in 1958. It is involved in developing critical defense technologies and products to meet the requirements of the Indian Armed Forces. o It works under the Ministry of Defence. It has a network of 52 laboratories in the country. o G. Sateesh Reddy is the current chairman and Headquarters is located in New Delhi.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SPACE AND IT NASA, ASI, CSA and JAXA planning to launch robotic Mars ice mapping mission.

 NASA, Italian Space Agency (ASI), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and JAXA are planning to launch a robotic Mars ice mapping mission.  NASA, ASI, CSA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced their intention to create a mission plan for robotic Mars ice mapping mission.  The mission could be ready for launch in 2026. Mars ice mapping mission might help in finding out suitable landing site on Mars (also called Red Planet) and define objectives for human missions to Mars.

 On 18 February 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover is likely to land at Jezero Crater on Mars. It is likely to collect samples of regolith (Broken rock and soil) before returning to Earth.

 Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity are names of other Mars rovers sent by NASA. Sojourner was NASA’s first Mars rover. Skyroot Aerospace and Bellatrix Aerospace signed an MoU to launch space taxis.

 Skyroot Aerospace and Bellatrix Aerospace have signed an MoU to use Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) in the upper stage of Vikram series of launch vehicles.

 OTV is a spacecraft that can perform different in-orbit operations through which a launch vehicle can deliver satellites to more orbits.  OTV is being developed by Bellatrix and Vikram launchers are being developed by Skyroot.

 The first mission of Vikram launcher with OTV i.e., space taxi, is planned by 2023.  This is the first contract between Indian space startups after ISRO and the union government decided to support private space companies through the formation of IN-SPACe.  IN-SPACe is an independent nodal agency under Department of Space for allowing space activities and usage of DOS owned facilities by NGPEs as well as to prioritize the launch manifest. Tianwen-1 probe has sent back first image of Mars.

 China’s Tianwen-1 probe has sent back its first picture of Mars.

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 China had launched a mars mission named Tianwen-1 on 23 July 2020. It comprises a lander, orbiter and rover.  Tianwen-1 main objective is to conduct a survey of the planet and collect information about its geological structures, surface characteristics, and climate.

 The image has been taken from 2.2 million kilometers from Mars. The image shows the geological feature of the surface of Mars.

 Tianwen-1 is China’s first independent interplanetary mission. It is expected to land on Mars on 10 February 2021.  USSR was the first country to carry out a Mars landing in 1971, followed by US. India is the first country to reach Mars in its first attempt.

 UAE’s Mars mission ‘Hope Probe’ had also been launched in July 2020. UAE’s Mars mission ‘Hope Probe’ entered in Mars orbit.

 UAE’s first mars mission, ‘Hope Probe,’ was launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan in July 2020. It has now entered the orbit of Mars after seven months.

has become the fifth country to reach the Martian orbit after the US, Russia, China, the EU, and India. It has become the second country to enter Mars’ orbit in the first attempt.  UAE’s Mars mission is developed and operated by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre with the support of Arizona State University, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Colorado-Boulder.

 It is equipped with a high-resolution camera and a spectrometer. The Hope Probe was launched by the H-II A rocket.

 Its main objective is to collect information about Martian climate dynamics and also find out the reason for the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases.  It is the UAE’S fourth space mission and first interplanetary mission. It will spend one Martian year (687 days on earth) on Mars.

 In 2020 mars mission launched are: Mission Name Country/ Organisation Objective Perseverance NASA To search for signs of ancient life on Mars. Tianwen-1 China To conduct survey of the planet Hope Probe UAE To study Mars Climate dynamics NASA’s fifth rover ‘Perseverance’ successfully landed in Jezero crater on Mars.

 NASA’s fifth rover ‘Perseverance’ successfully landed yesterday in the Jezero crater on Mars.  It successfully landed on Mars after a risky landing phase known as the seven minutes of terror.  Rover ‘Perseverance’ will remain on Mars for at least two years. It will drill into rocks on Mars and search for signs of past life.

 It is a six-wheeled vehicle having the size of an SUV. It weighs a ton. It has seven feet long robotic arm. It also has cameras, microphones and other instruments.

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 It has a laser spectrometer. Laser spectrometer will help to study rocks using different wavelengths of energy.  In the context of the Mars mission, seven minutes of terror refers to its entry, descent and landing (EDL) phase.

 During EDL phase, radio signals do not reach Earth from Mars. Jezero crater is a deep crater near equator of Mars.

 ‘Perseverance’ is the NASA’s fifth rover to land on Mars. It was launched in July 2020. Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity are the other four rovers sent by NASA to Mars.  In 1997, Sojourner was NASA’s first rover to reach Mars. It was sent under NASA’s Pathfinder mission. Partnership announced between Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and MapmyIndia.

 The partnership has been announced between ISRO and MapmyIndia to provide fully indigenous mapping portals, apps and geospatial services.  These services would be provided through digital maps and technologies of MapmyIndia and ISRO’s catalogue of satellite imagery and earth observation data.

 This partnership will help in the development of geospatial solutions using Earth Observation Datasets, NavIC, Bhuvan, VEDAS and MOSDAC Geoportals.

 Department of Space has signed MoU with CE Info Systems Pvt Ltd to provide these geospatial services. ISRO comes under the Department of Space.  CE Info Systems Pvt Ltd owns MapmyIndia. It is an Indian company that builds digital map data and other services. It is India’s leading digital mapping company.

 MapmyIndia had won Aatma Nirbhar App Innovation Challenge 2020 of Government of India.  Bhuvan is a national geo-portal. ISRO developed it. It was released in 2009.

 VEDAS is an online geoprocessing platform. Its full form is “Visualisation of Earth observation Data and Archival System”.

 MOSDAC (Meteorological and Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre) is a data repository of ISRO’s meteorological missions. Government releases guidelines for acquiring and producing Geospatial data.

 On 15 February 2021, the government released guidelines for acquiring and producing Geospatial data.

 These guidelines would also apply to acquiring and producing of Geospatial Data Services, including Maps.  These guidelines have provisions for the liberalisation of acquisition and production of geospatial data and geospatial data services, including maps.  In the guidelines released by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), government has highlighted the importance of the availability of Geospatial data for the blue economy and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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 Fisheries, deep-sea mining and offshore oil and gas come under the blue economy.  Guidelines will apply to Geospatial Data Services, maps and products provided by government agencies, private organizations and individuals.

 Autonomous bodies, academic and research institutions and NGOs offering these services will also be required to follow the guidelines.  As per the guidelines, political maps published by the Survey of India would be taken as standard and private entities should adhere to these standards when publishing such maps.  Digital Maps/Geospatial Data with accuracy greater than the threshold value can be stored on the domestic cloud or servers physically located within the territory of India.

 As per the guidelines, DST would constitute the Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee for the promotion of activities related to Geospatial Data.  The guidelines say that only Indian Entities would get access to Indian ground stations for real- time positioning and their data.  Only Indian Entities would be allowed to carry Terrestrial Mobile Mapping Survey, Street view surveys. Similarly, only Indian entities would be allowed to survey in Indian territorial waters. A spacecraft named after mathematician Katherine Johnson reached International Space Station.

 A space station supply ship named after NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson has reached International Space Station with 8,000 pounds of cargo.  The S.S. Katherine Johnson, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, was launched on 20 February from a NASA facility in Virginia. It is Northrop Grumman’s 15th space station supply spacecraft for NASA.

 It has reached International Space Station with supplies related to science and research, crew and vehicle hardware. It will support muscle experiments and has brought computer equipment to increase data processing speed on the space station.

 Katherine Johnson: o Katherine Johnson is one of the scientists behind the success of the first American human spaceflight. She had worked for various space program of NASA, including the Apollo program. o She is famous for calculations of orbital mechanics. o Her work gets more recognition after the film “Hidden Figures”.

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND DISEASES First round of Pulse Polio Programme 2021 launched by President Ram Nath Kovind.

 First round of Pulse Polio Programme 2021 was launched by President Ram Nath Kovind on 30 January 2021.  Polio vaccination day was on 31 January. It is also called National Immunisation Day or Polio Ravivar.

 Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has rescheduled the Polio vaccination day (National Immunisation Day or Polio Ravivar) to 31 January 2021.

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 This was done because the COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched by PM Modi on 16 January 2021.  Polio vaccination day (National Immunisation Day or Polio Ravivar) was earlier scheduled to start from 17 January 2021.

 World Polio Day is celebrated annually on 24 October. In March 2014, WHO certified India as a polio-free country. The last case of polio was recorded in India in January 2011.

 Government launched National Immunization Day (NID) or Pulse Polio Immunization programme in 1995. It is carried out twice in early part of each year  Polio: o It is an infectious disease caused by Poliovirus. o The Poliovirus is a virus that affects the nervous system which can cause paralysis o There are mainly three kinds of wild Poliovirus and to declare a country polio-free, all three kinds of virus transmission have to be stopped. o It can be prevented by the inactivated poliovirus vaccine or Oral poliovirus vaccine. India becomes the first country in the world to give importance to the cure of NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease).

 Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has issued procedural guidelines for linking NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases) with NPCDS (National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke).  India has become the first country to identify the need for tackling Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

 Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is due to the accumulation of extra fat in liver cells that is not caused by alcohol. The more severe form of NAFLD is called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

 According to a study, NAFLD is present in 9% to 32% of the general population in India. People with type 2 diabetes and obesity are more prone to NAFLD. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in NAFLD.  The main objective of integrating NAFLD with NPCDCS is to prevent and control it with the given below measures: o Through behaviour and lifestyle changes o By early diagnosis and management of NAFLD o Capacity building for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD at various level of Health care

NEW DEVELOPMENTS CSIR – CMERI developed Solar-Biodiesel Minigrid System.

 CSIR-CMERI-Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery has developed a Solar Biodiesel Hybrid Minigrid system of 50kW peak capacity.

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 It will provide 24X7 power supply to Center for Excellence in Farm Machinery (COEFM) in Ludhiana.  It will reduce dependency on fossil fuels for the production of Power and it could help in providing uninterrupted power supply in villages and hilly areas.

 It a unique method of producing power at the local level with the help of renewable energy. The other renewable source of energy like wind energy and Biogas can be integrated into this system.

 This Minigrid System will be also used to provide electricity to agricultural pumps.  Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): CSIR is India’s largest research and development organization and an autonomous body.

 CMERI is a laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

INDIAN POLITY Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 introduced in Rajya Sabha.

 Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has been introduced in Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy.

 Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance of 2021 will be replaced through Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

 Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance was promulgated by President last month to merge the J & K cadre of Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and Indian Forest Service with AGMUT cadre.

 AGMUT means Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory.

Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 passed in Rajya Sabha.

 Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 has been passed in Rajya Sabha for regulation, operation and planning of major ports in India.

 The bill will provide greater autonomy to major ports and replace Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.  As per the bill, a Board of Major Port Authority will be created for each major port to replace existing Port Trusts.

 Port Authority has now been given powers to fix tariffs, which will act as a reference tariff for purposes of bidding for PPP projects.  An Adjudicatory Board will be set up to resolve the disputes between ports and PPP concessionaires and to review stressed PPP projects.  Union Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the bill does not in any way privatize the ports.

 Union Cabinet approved the bill in February 2020 and Lok Sabha passed it in September 2020.  Major ports in India: o There are 13 major seaports in India, 12 of which are government and one (Ennore Port of Chennai) is corporate.

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o The other 12 major ports of India are as follows: Kolkata Port, Paradip Port, New Mangalore Port, Cochin Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai Port, Kandla Port, Visakhapatnam Port, Chennai Port, Tuticorin Port, Mormugao Port and Port Blair Port. Tamilisai Soundararajan has been given additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

 Tamilisai Soundararajan, the governor of Telangana, has been given additional charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

 Kiran Bedi has been removed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. She is the first female IPS officer of India.  Article 239 states that each Union Territory shall be administered through an Administrator appointed by the President.

 Lieutenant Governor: o He is appointed by the President. o The term of Lieutenant Governor is of five years. o He is responsible for the administration of Union territories. Union Cabinet approves President’s Rule in Puducherry.

 The Union Cabinet has approved the President’s Rule proposal in Puducherry. No party has claimed to form government in Puducherry that’s why the Union Cabinet has approved the imposition of president rule.  Recently, V Narayanasamy has resigned as Chief Minister after losing the majority in legislative assembly.

 The legislative assembly will get dissolved after the assent of the President.  President Rule: o Article 356 of the Constitution of India gives the President of India the power to impose President Rule in a state or Union territory on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers. o The president rule must be approved by the houses of parliament within two months. o President rule is imposed after considering the following conditions: . If the President is satisfied that the government of state government cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution. . If no party claims to form government in the state. . If a state fails to comply with the direction given by the center. Basarvaraj Horatti elected as Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council.

 JDS MLC Basavaraj Horatti has been elected as Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council. He belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has defeated Congress candidate Naseer Ahmed.  M K Pranesh was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Council in January 2021.

 Karnataka’s upper house has a strength of 75 members.

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 At present, six states of India have a legislative council. These states are- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka.  Legislative Council: o Article 169 of the Constitution of India deals with the Abolition or creation of Legislative Councils in States. o According to Article 171, the Legislative Council of a state shall not have more than one- third of the total strength of the State Assembly, and not less than 40 members. o The members of the Legislative Council are either nominated by the Governor of the state or are indirectly elected. o The Chairman of the Legislative Council is elected among its members. He acts as a presiding officer of the Council. o The members of the Legislative Council are elected for six years. Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar appointed as Chief Justice of Manipur High Court.

 President has appointed Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court.

 He had started his practice in Andhra Pradesh High Court as an Advocate in 1988. Later, he was appointed as Additional Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2008.  Chief Justice of High Court: o Appointment: The President appoints the Chief Justice of the High Court after consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the governor of the state. o Tenure: A Chief Justice of High Court holds the office until he completes the age of 62 years. o Qualification: . He should be a citizen of India. . He should have held a judicial office in India’s territory for ten years or have been an advocate of a high court for ten years. o Oath: The oath is administered by the governor of the state or Lieutenant Governor in Union Territories or a person appointed by the President.

ART AND CULTURE PM mentioned Bhagyashree Sahu's efforts in promoting 'Pattachitra' painting in his Mann ki Baat programme.

 Prime Minister has mentioned the story of Bhagyashree Sahu's efforts for the promotion of Pattachitra' painting in his Mann ki Baat programme.

 Pattachitra painting (Odisha): o It is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha. o It is a mural painting and origin can be traced from religious centers of Puri, Konark and Bhubaneshwar.

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o The colours used in this painting are prepared from materials like vegetables, stones and minerals. o It mainly depicts the stories of Hindu deities. The popular theme of this painting are based on Lord Jagannath, Vaishnava culture and Krishna and Radha Government to rename Akashvani Music Festival after the name of Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

 Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the renaming of Akashvani Music Festival at Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Centenary Commemorative function in Pune.  From now on, Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan will be known as Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan.

 Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was awarded Bharat Ratna in 2009. Pandit Sawai Gandharva was his guru. 11th Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav concluded at Cooch Behar.

 The 11th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav concluded at Cooch Behar in West Bengal on 14th February 2021.

 It has been inaugurated by the Governor of West Bengal Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar and Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel.  Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav is organised by the Ministry of Culture since 2015. It helps in connecting people to their indigenous culture.

 It has been organised under the goal of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” initiative to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the country.

 It is scheduled to be held from 14 to 28 February, 2021 at Cooch Behar (14th to 16th February, 2021), Darjeeling (22nd to 24th February, 2021) and Murshidabad (27th to 28th February, 2021). 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival going on in Madhya Pradesh.

 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival, which is based on the Indian classical dance tradition, is going on in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.

 Through Ustad Alauddin Khan Music and Arts Academy Bhopal, the Culture Department is organizing this week-long festival.  After a gap of 44 years, the event is being held in the temple complex of the Western Temple Group of Khajuraho.  There are 8 Indian classical dances- Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Sattriya, Kathak, Kathakali, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi.

 Khajuraho Group of Monuments: o The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty. o These temples belong to two different religions- Hinduism and Jainism. o It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. o These temples are built in the Nagara style of temple architecture and are famous for their erotic sculptures.

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ASI discovered Ancient Buddhist monastery in Jharkhand.

 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered a Buddhist monastery in the Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.

 Almost 900 years old monastery was buried under a mound in a village of Jharkhand.  Two months earlier, an ancient Buddhist shrine was discovered buried under a similar mound, 100 meters away from the existing site.  Artifacts obtained from excavation: o Four Stone statues of deity Tara in Varad Mudra and six statues of Buddha in Bhumisparsa Mudra o A sculpture that appears to be of Shaivite deity Maheswari- with coiled crown and chakra o Nagri script (previous version of Devnagri) on a Tara Statue  Deity Tara’s statue indicates that the site was an important centre of Vajrayana Buddhism.

 Varad Mudra- Gesture of hand showing dispensing of boons  Bhumisparsa Mudra- Gesture of hand showing five fingers of right hand towards the earth symbolising the Buddha’s enlightenment  Vajrayana is a sect of Buddhism that flourished in India from 6th to 11th century. It is also known as Tantric Buddhism.

ECONOMY/BANKING/FINANCE INDIAN ECONOMY Government will bring law to ban cryptocurrencies.

 The Government will bring a law to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in this session of parliament.

 The Government will also introduce an official digital currency issued by the Reserve Bank of India.  The Reserve Bank of India had banned cryptocurrency trading in India in April 2018.

 In March 2020, the Supreme Court had lifted the Ban on Cryptocurrencies and had directed the government to regulate Cryptocurrency.  Cryptocurrency: o It is a specific type of virtual currency, which is decentralized and protected by cryptographic encryption techniques. It works on blockchain technology. o Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple are some examples of cryptocurrencies. o Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency. o Cryptocurrency is not a legal tender in India.

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India’s trade deficit with China is on decline.

 In recent years, India’s trade deficit with China has declined continuously.

 According to the government, 23% of contraction has been observed in the trade deficit of the last three financial years.

 India’s export has increased to more than 24% while import has reduced to 14%.  Government has taken several initiatives to reduce the trade deficit with china, including the promotion of domestic manufacturing, encouraging export, etc.

 The trade deficit between both countries was at USD 53.56 billion in 2018-19 and USD 63 billion in 2017-18. It fell to USD 48.66 billion in 2019-20.  The two countries traded about $92.68 billion worth of goods in 2019.

 In recent years, China has emerged as a major market for Indian products like seafood, petrochemicals, gems and jewellery.

 India and China trade detail: Financial Year Trade in Million US$ Trade Deficit EXPORT IMPORT 2017-18 13333.53 76380.70 63047.16 2018-19 16752.20 70319.64 53567.43 2019-20 16612.75 65260.75 48647.99 2020-21 (Apr- 13639.18 38817.90 Nov)* India to be one of fastest growing emerging market economies.

 India will be one of the fastest-growing emerging market economies with a 10% growth in the fiscal year 2021-22.  Standard & Poor’s Director, Sovereign & International Public Finance Ratings, Andrew Wood, made this estimate in a webinar on India’s outlook for 2021.

 As per Andrew Wood, the forecast for India in 2021 is very good. He said that forecasts show that economic activity is returning to normalization. As per S&P, India’s economy has stabilized in recent months.

 S&P is an American credit rating agency. S&P, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings are known as Big Three credit-rating agencies.

UNION BUDGET 2021-22  India’s first ever digital Union Budget presented by Union Finance Minister on 01 February 2021.

 Union Budget 2021-22 is India's first ever digital Union Budget. Union Budget documents have not been printed in physical form for the first time.

 Union Budget 2021-22 will be available online on ‘Union Budget Mobile App’. Union Budget 2021- 22 has six pillars as given below.

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o Health and Wellbeing o Physical & Financial Capital and Infrastructure o Inclusive Development for Aspirational India o Reinvigorating Human Capital o Innovation and R&D o Minimum Government and Maximum Governance  In addition to budget speech, the budget also contains Annual Financial Statement (Article 112), Demands for Grants (Article 113), Finance Bill (110) and other documents.

 Budget in general o The budget in India is presented by the Finance Minister on the first day of February since 2016. o James Wilson presented the first budget in India on February 18, 1860. o After independence, the first union budget was presented on 26 November 1947 by independent India’s first Finance Minister, R.K. Shanmukham Chetty.

 Health and wellbeing o Outlay for health and wellbeing in Union Budget 2021-22 increased from Rs. 94,452 crore to Rs. 2,23,846 crore. This is an increase of 137% from last year. o Further, Union Budget 2021-22 announces that PM AatmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will be launched as a new centrally sponsored scheme with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore over 6 years. o Main interventions under PM AatmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will be establishment of National Institution for One Health, 4 regional National Institutes for Virology and Integrated public health labs in all districts. o In Budget 2021-22, it has also been announced that Mission Poshan 2.0 will be launched and Rs. 2, 87,000 crore will be allocated over 5 years for Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban). o Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) will be launched to provide 2.86 crore household tap connections, universal water supply in all 4,378 Urban Local Bodies and liquid waste management in 500 AMRUT cities. o Budget 2021-22 also proposes Rs. 1, 41,678 crore over 5 years for Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. It provides Rs. 2,217 crore for air pollution of 42 urban centers with a million- plus population. o It proposes voluntary vehicle scrapping policy and fitness tests after 20 years in case of personal vehicles and after 15 years in case of commercial vehicles. o Rs. 35,000 crore has been allocated for COVID-19 vaccine in Budget Estimate 2021-22. o As per Union Budget 2021-22, Made-in-India Pneumococcal Vaccine will be launched all over India. Pneumococcal Vaccine will save 50,000 child deaths annually.

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o Pneumococcal Vaccine or Pneumonia vaccine prevents bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae infections that can cause pneumonia, meningitis (infection of membranes covering brain and spinal cord) and septicemia (blood poisoning). o Currently, Pneumococcal Vaccine is available in five states (Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar) since 2016.

 Physical and Financial Capital and Infrastructure o A comprehensive National Hydrogen Energy Mission 2021-22 to be launched. o Union Finance Minister has announced Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) scheme in Budget of 2021-22.  The government will set up seven textile parks in three years under the mega investment textile parks scheme.

 Under the scheme, textile parks will be set up to provide world-class infrastructure to textile Industries. The objective of the scheme is to make India a manufacturing and exporting hub of textiles.

 It will help India’s Textile Industries in becoming globally competitive, generate employment, increase export and attract investment. o A system of Regulated Gold Exchanges will also be set up. Rs. 1,000 crore and Rs. 1,500 crore will be infused in Solar Energy Corporation of India and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, respectively. o Rs. 1,18,101 lakh crore, highest ever outlay, for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways – of which Rs. 1,08,230 crore is for capital. o In Budget 2021-2022, government increased FDI limit in Insurance Companies from 49% to 74%. o Budget 2021-22 has proposal for recapitalization of PSBs with Rs. 20,000 crore in 2021-22 and setting up of Asset Reconstruction Company Limited and Asset Management Company. o The development of a single Securities Markets Code from consolidation of provisions of SEBI Act, 1992 and other acts is also proposed in Budget 2021-2022. o It is proposed that minimum loan size eligible for debt recovery under SARFAESI Act, 2002 will be lowered from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh. o Budget 2021-2022 also proposes change in definition of small companies under Companies Act, 2013 as given below.  Threshold for Paid up capital of small companies is proposed to be revised from “not exceeding Rs. 50 Lakh” to “not exceeding Rs. 2 Crore”.

 Threshold for turnover of small companies is proposed to be revised from “not exceeding Rs. 2 Crore” to “not exceeding Rs. 20 Cr”. o Making NCLT framework strong, implementation of e-Courts system and launching of MCA21 Version 3.0 are the steps proposed for faster resolution of cases. MCA21 is an e- Governance initiative of Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).

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o Government announced Strategic Disinvestment policy for the FY 2021-22.

 Government has announced a policy of strategic disinvestment for the growth and better management of Central Government Public Sector Enterprises.

 Union Finance Minister announced this policy of disinvestment in the Budget of FY 2021-22.  The government will disinvest its stake from non-strategic and strategic sectors companies.

 Main features of Policy on Strategic Disinvestment:  It will cover CPSEs, Public Sector Banks and Public Sector Insurance Companies.  The government will disinvest its stake in BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan Hans, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited in FY 2021-22.

 The government will also privatize two other Public Sector Banks and one General Insurance company.

 The IPO of LIC will be released in 2021-22.  The Union Government will also incentivise States for disinvestment of their Public Sector Companies through incentive package of Central Funds.

 A Special Purpose Vehicle will be established for the monetization of idle land.

 A revised mechanism will be set up for the closing of sick or loss-making CPSEs.  Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM): It is responsible for the monetization of non-core assets of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) under strategic disinvestment or closure and enemy property of the value of ₹100 crore and above.  Agriculture o Government increased agriculture credit target to Rs. 16.5 lakh crore in Financial Year 2021-22. o In Budget 2021-2022, allocation for Rural Infrastructure Development Fund is proposed to be increased from 30,000 to 40,000 crore rupees. o Operation Green Scheme would be applicable to 22 perishable products. It is currently presently applicable to tomatoes, onions and potatoes. o 1,000 more mandis will be integrated with e-NAM. APMCs will be given access to the Agriculture Infrastructure Funds. o SWAMITVA Scheme will be extended to all States/UTs. Micro Irrigation Fund will be doubled to Rs. 10,000 crore.

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o In her budget 2021-22 speech, finance minister said that 5 major fishing harbours will be developed as s hubs of economic activity. Their names are Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat. o Finance minister also proposed setting up of a Multipurpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu to promote seaweed cultivation.

 Reinvigorating Human Capital o Government has announced various programme and policy for reinvigorating Human Capital in the Budget of 2021-22. o School Education:  Government has announced that more than 15000 schools will be set up as exemplar schools. These schools will include all components of the new National Education Policy.

 The government will also set up more than 100 new Sainik Schools in collaboration with NGOs and private schools.

 The government will establish 750 Eklavya model residential schools for students of tribal areas. About 4 crores SC student will get financial assistance from the revamped Post Matric Scholarship Scheme. o Higher Education:

 A Higher Education Commission of India will be formed for standardization, regulation, accreditation, and funding of higher education.

 A central university will be established in Leh for higher education.  An organised structure will be set up for the regulation of government institutions. o Skilling:  The government will promote the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme.

 Government has collaborated with UAE and Japan for creating a pool of skilled workforce.  PSLV-CS51 to be launched by New Space India Limited (NSIL) carrying Brazil’s Amazonia Satellite and some Indian satellites  Fiscal Position o During budget 2021-2022 speech, Finance Minister announced that fiscal deficit in Budget Estimate (BE) 2021-2022 estimated to be 6.8% of GDP. o Fiscal deficit in Revised Estimate (RE) 2020-21 is expected to be at 9.5% of GDP. o In Budget Estimate (BE) 2021-2022, total resources being transferred to the states are 13 lakh 88 thousand 502 crore rupees.  Tax Proposals announced under the Union Budget of 2021-22

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o The Finance Minister has announced direct and indirect tax proposals for the FY 2021-22 in her Budget speech. o Key points about Direct tax proposal are:

 The government exempted 75 years or above senior citizens from filing income tax returns if their only source of income are pension and interest.  The dividend payment to REIT/InvIT will be exempted from TDS.

 The tax holiday period for startups has been extended by one more year till 31 March 2022.  A Dispute Resolution Committee will be set up to resolve the tax dispute up to Rs. 10 lakh.  National Faceless Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Centre will be established to increase transparency in disposal of tax related appeals.

 The government will promote zero-coupon bonds to raise funds for infrastructure projects.  The Budget proposes tax incentives to promote the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in GIFT City.

 The return filers in 2020 are almost 6.48 crores.  The Budget proposes a new tax exemption for promoting affordable rental housing projects. The time period for claim of the additional deduction for the purchase of an affordable house has been extended till 31st March 2022. o Key points about Indirect tax proposal are:

 Customs Duty rates has been revised for some items like Gold, Silver, Solar inverters, etc. for promoting domestic manufacturing.  Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) has been imposed on petrol and diesel at Rs2.5 and Rs.4 per litre respectively.  Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD) and Counter-Veiling Duty (CVD) revoked on certain steel products.

 The Budget proposes an increase of customs duty on cotton to 10% and raw silk and silk yarn to 15%.  Customs duty for parts used in manufacturing of mobile parts has been increased from 0 to 2.5%.  The government will take various steps for the enhancement of capacity of GSTN system. o The Borrowing is the biggest source of revenue for the government, it is followed by GST. The Government maximum expenditure goes to Interest payments, it is followed by state share of Tax and Duties.

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 2021 Year of milestones for Indian history o It will be the 75th year of India’s independence and 50th year of the 1971 India-Pakistan War. o The 8th Census of Independent India will begin in February 2021. o India will host the 13th BRICS Summit in 2021. o Chandrayaan-3 will be launched in 2021. o Kumbh Mela will be held in Haridwar in 2021.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENERGY Nuclear Energy Production in India.

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 At present, there are 22 nuclear reactors with a capacity of 6780 MW are operational in India.  In addition to these nuclear reactors, 8 nuclear reactors of 6000 MW capacity are under construction.  The government has aimed to increase the nuclear capacity to 22480 MW by 2031.  The government has also approved the construction of 10 indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors and 2 Light Water Reactors (LWRs).  Currently, India produces less than 2% of its electricity from nuclear power plants. India will add a nuclear capacity of 5,300 MW in the next five years.  Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL): o It is an Indian public sector undertaking. o It is responsible for the generation of nuclear power for electricity. o It works under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

Work on Banihal-Qazigund tunnel to be completed soon.

 Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh, has said that work on the Banihal-Qazigund tunnel will be completed soon.

 Specifically, the work on the double tube of Banihal-Qazigund tunnel will be completed soon. It would probably open for traffic in March.

 Banihal-Qazigund tunnel would decrease the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km. Banihal lies in Jammu province and Qazigund lies in South Kashmir.

 Banihal-Qazigund tunnel is 8.5-kilometre long. It is along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH- 44).

 It is at an elevation of 1,790 meters and it is only a four-lane twin-tube tunnel in UT of J&K. Its construction was started in 2011.

 Banihal-Qazigund tunnel will bypass Jawahar Tunnel and Shaitan Nalla. Jawahar Tunnel is also known as Banihal Tunnel. It also lies between Banihal and Qazigund.

 In October 2020, world’s longest road tunnel, Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, was inaugurated and the foundation stone of Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh was laid.

South Korea signs an agreement to build world’s largest offshore wind farm.

 South Korea has signed a 48 trillion won ($43 billion) agreement to build world’s largest offshore wind farm near Sinan in its southwest.  After signing the deal, the Government of South Korea announced that it intends to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm by 2030. It will have a maximum capacity of 8.2 gigawatts.

 As per President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, this offshore wind farm will be bigger than the world’s current largest offshore wind farm.

 President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, last year announced the goal of achieving carbon neutrality (net zero carbon dioxide emissions) by 2050.  South Korea aims to become one of the world’s top five offshore wind energy powerhouses by 2030. It also aims to reduce the number of nuclear power plants from 24 to 17 by 2034.

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 Sinan is a county (administrative division) in Jeonnam or South Jeolla province of South Korea. Won (South Korean won) is the official currency of South Korea.  Hornsea 1 in the UK is the world’s largest offshore wind farm as of January 2020. It has a capacity of 1.12 GW. Increase in India’s energy demand to be largest in the world by 2040.  As per India Energy Outlook 2021, an increase in India’s energy demand will be the largest in the world by 2040.

 International Energy Agency (IEA) has recently released India Energy Outlook 2021.  As per India Energy Outlook 2021, India’s energy demand is projected to increase by almost 25% between 2019 and 2030 and India’s energy consumption will nearly double by 2040.  IEA has said that India’s dependence on oil imports is projected to rise to 90% by 2030.

 Currently, India is the world’s second-biggest net oil importer after China and the world’s fourth- largest liquefied natural gas importer. Environment Ministry allowed the expansion of Kulda mines despite the fear of air pollution.

 The Environment Ministry expert appraisal committee (EAC) has given the environment clearance to Coalfields Limited for increasing the capacity of Kulda coal mines in Odisha.

 This clearance has been given despite the fear of the adverse impact on health, agriculture and water bodies of the region.  The clearance has been given on the condition that Mahanadi Coalfields Limited has to plant 100,000 native trees in villages and 50,000 trees along the transportation route in two years.  Kulda coal mines output will be increased from 4 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 19.60 MTPA.

 Coal mines in Odisha: o Odisha has the second-largest reserve of coal in India. o It produces around 15 percent of the total coal production of India. o Talchar coalfield, located in Angul district of Odisha, has the country’s highest coal reserve of 51.163 billion tonnes. It is spread over an area of 500 km2. o Rampur-Himgir and Ib River are the other coalfields of Odisha. Ib River coalfield has the third-highest coal reserve in the country. LNG Kochi terminal of Petronet becomes first LNG dispensing station in India.

 The Kochi terminal of Petronet LNG Ltd has become the first LNG dispensing station in India. It has received approval from the Petroleum Explosive and Safety Organisation.

 The LNG dispensing station will provide fuel to motor vehicles.  Petronet LNG Ltd is planning to establish this kind of station at different locations in Kerala. It will also launch a fishing boat running on LNG with the help of Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council.

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 It will help in reducing pollution and increase the use of LNG as fuel in the automotive sector.  Liquefied Natural Gas: It is a Liquefied Natural Gas converted to liquid form through liquefaction. It is mainly used for cooking purposes. Methane is the main component of LNG.

 Petronet LNG Ltd: o It was formed in 1998. o It is a joint venture company of the government to import liquefied natural gas and set up LNG terminals. o Its headquarters is located in New Delhi. o Akshay Kumar Singh is the current MD & CEO of Petronet LNG Ltd. Kushinagar Airport gets approval from the DGCA for the operation of international flights.

 Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted a license to Kushinagar Airport for operating international flights.

 It has become the third airport in Uttar Pradesh to get this license after Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport. It has also become the 87th airport in India to operate international flights.  DGCA has approved a 4C license to Kushinagar Airport. Now, it can operate both domestic and international flights.

 Kushinagar: It is one of the sacred places of Buddhism. Buddha had attained Mahaparinirvana (salvation) in 483 BC at Kushinagar.

 Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): o It is the statutory body formed under the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020. o It registers civil aircraft, certifies airports, provides a license to pilots and air traffic controllers and coordinates International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) matters. o It works under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. o Its headquarters is located in New Delhi. o Director General: Arun Kumar

CORPORATES/COMPANIES Privatisation of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) approved by cabinet.

 But it has not been decided whether its subsidiaries will be part of the privatization or not.

 Orissa Minerals Development Company Ltd (OMDC) and Bisra Stone Lime Company Ltd (BSLC) are RINL’s subsidiaries.

 BSLC operates mining of limestone and dolomite at mines located in Birmitrapur in Odisha’s Sundargarh district.

 OMDC runs six iron ore and manganese ore mining leases. They are located at Barbil in Odisha’s Keonjhar district. The names of mines are given below.

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Dalki manganese mines Kolha Roida iron & manganese mines Thakurani iron & manganese mines Bariaburu iron mines Belkundi iron & manganese mines Bhadrasai iron & manganese mines  Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) is a navratna PSU. It runs Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Currently, government’s stake in Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) is 100%.

Government to hold at least 75% stake in Life Insurance Corporation of India for coming five years.

 As per the amendments to Life Insurance Act, 1956 tabled in Parliament with Finance bill, government will hold at least 51% stake in LIC after five years.

 In amendments to Life Insurance Act 1956, it is proposed that authorized share capital of LIC would be increased to 25,000 crore rupees.

 In Union Budget 2021-2022 speech, Finance Minister has announced that government would bring Initial Public Offering (IPO) of LIC. LIC is owned by government of India.

 Y Viswanatha Gowd has been appointed as new CEO of LIC Housing Finance Ltd (LICHFL). Siddhartha Mohanty has become Managing Director of LIC.

 LIC was formed on 1 September 1956. It is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Its chairperson is M R Kumar. Its slogan is yogakshemam vahamyaham (Your welfare is our responsibility).

Tata Communications and Google Cloud India entered into a partnership.

 Tata Communications and Google Cloud India has entered into a partnership to drive cloud adoption and transform Indian businesses.

 Because of this partnership, organizations will be able to deploy and access Google Cloud services through the IZO Managed Cloud platform of Tata Communications.  With the help of Tata communication’s IZO Cloud Command portal, it will become possible to integrate different enterprise IT environments into a single dashboard.

 With this partnership, Tata Communications, Google Cloud India will be able to provide its customers a unified, end-to-end experience and make cloud management easier for them.

 Tata Communications will help organizations in infrastructure modernization, data centre transformation, application modernization, etc., with the help of google. Amazon India to start manufacturing of electronic products in India.

 Amazon India will begin manufacturing of electronic products in India by the end of 2021.  In the starting, the company will produce Amazon Fire TV sticks in India. Amazon will set up a manufacturing line in Chennai.  Amazon India will begin its manufacturing efforts with contract manufacturer Cloud Network Technology. The production will start by the end of this year.

 Cloud Network Technology is a subsidiary of Foxconn. Foxconn is a Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer.

 Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994. It is an American multinational technology company.

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TIGER uncrewed Ultimate Mobility Vehicle concept introduced by Hyundai.

 It is Hyundai’s first uncrewed Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV) concept. TIGER stands for Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot. TIGER is Hyundai’s second Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV).  The UMV can transform itself into a four-legged walking machine from a four-wheeler. It can use its walking ability to travel over difficult terrain.

 It uses robotic and wheeled locomotion technologies. It can connect to drones.  It can be used for 360-degree surface evaluation in areas affected or damaged by sudden natural disasters. It can also be used as a mobile exploration platform in extreme, remote locations.

 Hyundai Motor Group’s New Horizons Studio is developing the UMV in collaboration with Autodesk and Sundberg-Ferar. X-1 is the first version of TIGER.

 Elevate was Hyundai Motor Group’s first-ever UMV concept. Hyundai is a South Korean automotive manufacturer. Corporate Affairs Ministry advised investors to verify the status of Nidhi Company before investing.

 The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has advised investors to verify the status of Nidhi Company before investing.

 According to the rules of the amended Companies Act, 2013 and the Nidhi Rules 2014, Nidhi companies will have to inform their status to the Corporate Ministry.  The Corporate Ministry has found in their investigation that many Nidhi companies have not complied with the provisions of the rules.

 Nidhi Company: o It is a non-banking financial company (NBFC). o It is formed for borrowing and lending money between its members. o They are regulated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. o It can be started with an initial capital of Rs. 5 lakhs.

BANKING/FINANCE Monetary Policy Committee decides to keep repo rate unchanged at 4.0%.

 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to keep the repo rate and reverse repo rate unchanged at 4.0% and 3.35%, respectively.

 It has also kept Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and Bank Rate unchanged at 4.25%. Besides keeping the policy rates unchanged, MPC decided to maintain accommodative stance as long as needed.

 Additionally, RBI revised projection for CPI inflation to 5.2 % in Q4:2020-21 and projected the real GDP growth at 10.5% in 2021-22.

 Monetary Policy Committee’s next meeting will be from April 5 to 7, 2021.

RBI publishes annual report of its Ombudsman Schemes for 2019-20.

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 RBI published the annual report of its Ombudsman Schemes for 2019-20 on 08 February 2021.  As per the report, the receipts of complaints under three Ombudsman Schemes has seen an increase of nearly 65%.

 The complaints received by the offices of Banking Ombudsman were mainly related to ATM/Debit Cards and Mobile/Electronic banking.  Complaints received by Digital Transactions Ombudsmen were mainly about fund transfer.

 In its Monetary Policy Statement on 5 February, RBI had announced that it would integrate three Ombudsman Schemes and launch Integrated Ombudsman Scheme in June 2021.

 RBI’s Ombudsman Schemes for grievance redressal: o The three Ombudsman Schemes are - Banking Ombudsman Scheme of 2006, Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies of 2018 and Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions 2019. o RBI had notified Banking Ombudsman Scheme for the first time in 1995. RBI administers Banking Ombudsman Scheme through 22 offices of Banking Ombudsman. All states and UTS are covered under the scheme. Two legislations are likely to be amended by government to facilitate privatization of PSU banks.

 In Union Budget 2021-2022, Finance Minister had proposed privatization of two PSBs and two legislations are likely to be amended by government to facilitate it.

 Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 and Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980 will need to be amended for privatization of banks. Both of these laws are related to the nationalization of banks.

 National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill, 2021 is scheduled to be taken up during the ongoing Budget session.  Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021 will also be taken up during the ongoing Budget session.

 Last year, ten public sector banks were consolidated into four and the number of Public Sector Banks was reduced from 27 to 12.

GEOGRAPHY Bursting of Nanda Devi glacier led to flooding of Dhauliganga River near Rishiganga Power Project.

 Bursting of Nanda Devi glacier led to the flooding of Dhauliganga River near Rishiganga Power Project at Raini village in Tapovan area of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.  Massive flooding due to glacier burst swept away 13.2 MW Rishiganga hydropower project near Joshimath.

 Massive flooding partially destroyed 520 MW NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project on the Dhauliganga River.

 Teams of State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police, and Defense personnel are carrying out rescue operations in affected areas.

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 Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers meet at Vishnuprayag. Joshimath is a town along the banks of River Alaknanda.  Nanda Devi (7817 metres) is the third highest peak of the Himalayas in India after Kanchenjunga (8598 metres) and Nanga Parbat (8126 metres). Researchers observed a declining trend of rainfall near the highest rainfall areas of world.

 According to a study by researchers, it has been found that there is a declining trend of rainfall at Cherrapunji and nearby areas.  The researchers observed the rainfall pattern from 1901-2019 and the team found that the annual mean rainfall of the region has a declining trend.

 Data shows that from 1973-2019 the annual rainfall has declined by 0.42 mm per decade in the regions of Agartala, Cherrapunji, Guwahati, Kailashahar, Pasighat, Shillong and Silchar.

 The data also reveals that from 2006 onwards vegetation area has decreased while the area of cropland has increased.  The main cause for the declining rainfall is- o Increase in the Indian Ocean temperature o Deforestation in the region o Conversion of forestlands and vegetation area to croplands areas  Due to change in rainfall pattern Jhum cultivation or shifting cultivation has decreased, which impacted the livelihoods of the people of the region.

 Northeast India is one of the most biodiversity-rich regions of the world. It is one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world.  The change in the rainfall pattern can be stopped with solid water management strategies, Afforestation, etc.  Mawsynram is a town in Meghalaya. It is the wettest place on Earth.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY Uttarakhand established its first arboretum in Nainital district.

 Uttarakhand has set up its first arboretum with 210 species of trees found in the Shivalik range of the Himalayas. It is established in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.  It is one of the biggest botanical gardens in the state. It has been inaugurated by renowned environmentalist Ajay Singh Rawat.

 It has been named as ‘Shivalik Arboretum’. It also conserves species of moss, lichen and ferns found in the Shivalik range.

 Its main aim is to educate people about nature and generate awareness about the conservation of nature. It will also help in providing scientific information, medicinal use, and cultural significance about any particular species of tree.  The largest botanical garden of India is Indian Botanic Garden in Kolkata.

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India will set up its first Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management at Chennai.

 The Environment Ministry has announced to set up a Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management at Chennai on World Wetland Day.

 It will be established as a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai.

 It will work as a knowledge hub and full-fill the research needs for the conservation and management of wetlands.  It will assist State/ UT Wetland Authorities in the formulation of regulatory frameworks and implementation of policy for the conservation of wetlands.

 The world has celebrated the 50th anniversary of Ramsar Convention on 2 February 2021.  India has 42 Ramsar sites and wetlands cover about 4.7% of the total geographical area of the country.  National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management: It is a research institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It is located in Chennai. Total 93 thousand 491 birds reported from Kaziranga National Park.  Total 93 thousand 491 birds were reported from Kaziranga National Park in a 2 day census conducted recently by the park authority.

 The number of birds has nearly increased by 59 thousand. Last year, total 34 thousand 284 birds were reported from Kaziranga National Park.

 Kaziranga National Park, Assam, has the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceros.  Nepal’s Chitwan National Park has the second highest population of one-horned rhinoceros in the world.

 In another survey, 58 species of waterfowls have been recorded in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam.  Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as Mini Kaziranga. It is famous for the world’s highest density of one-horned rhinoceros.  The density of one-horned rhinoceros in Pobitora is higher than Kaziranga National Park. One- horned rhinoceros are herbivores. They are listed as vulnerable in IUCN Red list. Chandigarh launched India’s first Carbon Watch to assess the carbon footprint.

 India’s first Carbon Watch has been launched by the Environment and Forest department of Chandigarh. It is a mobile application for assessing carbon footprint.  It assesses the amount of carbon dioxide emission due to an individual into the atmosphere. It also suggests ways to reduce the carbon footprint at an individual level. It provides information about the national and world average of the emission.

 For using this app, a person has to provide detail in four category- Water, Energy, Waste Generation and Transport (Vehicular movement). The app analyses the given data and then calculates the carbon footprint of an individual.

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 A Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide emissions associated with all the activities of a person, corporation, building, etc. It includes all direct as well as indirect emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

MOUS/AGREEMENTS US and Russia extended the New START nuclear treaty for the next five years.

 The United States and Russia have extended the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) nuclear treaty for the next five years. The treaty is expiring on 5 February.

 It limits the number of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers, and heavy bombers equipped with nuclear warheads.

 Now, it will expire on 5 February 2026.  New START Treaty: o It was signed on 8 April 2010 and came into force in February 2011. o It has replaced the 1991 START I treaty and superseded the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT). o It is a treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. HAL signed a pact with MIDHANI for development and manufacturing of raw materials.

 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed an MoU with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) for the development and production of composite raw materials. It has been signed during the Aero India 2021.

 It is the first time that an MoU has been signed for composite raw materials. The composite materials will be used as the raw material for aircraft manufacturing.  At present, India imports the Composites raw materials, but this step will reduce India’s dependency on foreign manufacturers.

 A composite material is a material that is produced from two or more constituent materials. It is widely used in the Aircraft Industry. Its light-weight and high-temperature resistant properties help in the development of highly efficient aircraft. Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)  It is a Public Sector Undertaking.  It was formed on 1 October 1964.  It is a specialized metals and metal  It works under the Ministry of Defence. alloys manufacturing facility.  It is a government owned corporation  It is located in Hyderabad. involved in the design, fabrication and  It works under the Department of assembly of aircraft, jet engines, and Defence Production. helicopters.  Its headquarters is located in Bangalore. Central government and Uttarakhand government signed MoU to establish Science city in .

 Central government and Uttarakhand government have signed an MoU to establish Science city in the Jhajhra area of Dehradun.

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 The project for setting up of Science city will be complete in four years. Total value of project is Rs 173 crore.  Out of this, Central government will provide Rs. 88 crore and State government will provide Rs. 85 crore.

 The names of agencies signing the MoU are Uttarakhand State Council for Science & Technology and National Council of Science Museums (NCSM).

 Ministry of Culture had approved Uttarakhand’s proposal to change Regional Science Centre, Dehradun into Science City. The approval was given under scheme of Promotion of Culture of Science (SPoCS).  Then, Delegated Investment Board of Ministry of Culture approved Uttarakhand’s proposal in April 2020.

 NCSM is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture. Its headquarters are located in Kolkata. An MoU signed between India and Afghanistan for the construction of Shahtoot Dam.

 On 9 February 2021,India and Afghanistan have signed an MoU for the construction of Shahtoot dam near Kabul.

 The dam will provide drinking water facility to the people living in Kabul.  India has committed to rebuild Afghanistan through development of $80 million worth of projects.  PM Modi cited the “civilizational connect” between India and Afghanistan and assured long term commitment for peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

 Lalandar/Shahtoot Dam: o It will be built on the Kabul river basin. o The project is a part of the New Development Partnership between India and Afghanistan. o It is the second major dam being constructed by India in Afghanistan after Salma Dam. o Salma Dam, India-Afghanistan friendship dam, was inaugurated in June 2016. Bihar signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNEP.

 Bihar signed MoU with UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for a climate-resilient and low-carbon development path.

 Under the partnership, carbon footprint of different sectors in Bihar would be assessed with the support of UNEP.  A plan would also be prepared with the support of UNEP to minimize carbon dioxide emissions and improve carbon sinks.

 Bihar would prepare climate impact vulnerability assessments and greenhouse gas inventory with the help of UNEP.

 Revision of Bihar’s State Action Plans on Climate Change is also a part of a partnership with UNEP.

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 Bihar government had launched Jal-Jeevan Hariyali Yojana to promote the plantation of trees. It has been working to control pollution in cities such as Patna, Gaya and Muzaffarpur.  CPCB had identified certain polluted cities as non-attainment cities. In these cities, National Ambient Air Quality Standards are breached. An MoU signed between Maharashtra government and Flipkart.

 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Maharashtra government and Flipkart.  The purpose of signing MoU is to promote wooden toys, local artifacts and handicrafts.

 Under the MoU, Flipkart will provide free training to artisans, weavers, craftsmen & MSMEs from Maharashtra.

 The MoU will help these manufacturers to display their products to millions of customers in India. India, Mauritius trade pact has been approved by the Cabinet.

 The Union Cabinet has approved a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CEPA) between India and Mauritius. Both countries have been negotiating for this pact since 2005.

 The CEPA between both countries will cover more than 300 export items of India from agriculture, textiles, electronics and other sectors.  Both countries have agreed on reducing or eliminating the customs duties for the promotion of free trade.

 They also agreed to negotiate an Automatic Trigger Safeguard Mechanism (ATSM) for some sensitive products.  India is negotiating this kind of pact with Australia, New Zealand and the European Union.

 India has already signed this type of free trade agreement with Japan, Korea and ASEAN.  India- Mauritius Trade: o Mauritius was the second biggest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India in 2019-20. o The bilateral trade between India and Mauritius was USD 690 million in 2019-20. o India mainly exports pharmaceuticals, cereals, cotton and electrical machinery, apparel to Mauritius. Mauritius export iron, steel, pearls, precious/semi-precious stones to India. MoU for reconstruction of six secondary schools in Nepal signed between India and Nepal.

 An MoU for the reconstruction of six secondary schools in Nepal has been signed between India and Nepal.  More specifically, an MoU has been signed between Indian Embassy and Nepal Reconstruction Authority (NRA).

 Out of the six schools, four schools are located in the Kathmandu district of Nepal. Others are located in the Kavre district of Nepal. Two agreements signed between India and Ethiopia.

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 Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, is on a 4-day visit to India.  During this visit, two agreements have been signed between India and Ethiopia on visa facilitation and leather technology.

 India and Ethiopia have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two nations in various fields like defence, economic, Science and technology, digital and culture.

 Ethiopia: o It is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. o It shares its borders with Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Somalia. o Capital of Ethiopia: Addis Ababa o Currency of Ethiopia: Birr o The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, received the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. o President of Ethiopia: Sahle-Work Zewde Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CSIR signed an MoU to promote research in the field of Health.

 The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to promote research in the field of health in India.  The main focus of this MoU will be on the development and testing of new preventions and therapies. It will help in solving the major health issues of India and developing countries.

 Under this MoU, both sides will collaborate in various fields. These fields are: o Genetic diseases that impact infant and neonatal mortality o Diagnostics and devices for infectious disease o Development of cost-effective process of manufacturing the drug, vaccine and diagnostics

 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): It was established on September 26, 1942. It is India’s largest research and development organization. Its current Director-General is Shekhar C Mande. It has 38 laboratories in India.

 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: It was launched in 2000. It is an American private foundation founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is the largest private foundation in the world. India and Maldives signed agreements in many areas.

 India and Maldives signed agreements in many areas such as fish processing, public broadcasting, sustainable urban development, road infrastructure and housing.

 External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar is on a two-nation visit to Maldives and Mauritius.  He reached Male (capital of Maldives), and agreements were exchanged between External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid.

 Both of them reviewed bilateral ties and bilateral projects. They also discussed the ongoing COVID situation and other issues.

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 The agreement in the field of public broadcasting is aimed at cooperation between Prasar Bharti and the official State Media of Maldives.  The agreement is also aimed at collaboration and capacity building in the area of public broadcasting. India ink a pact with Maldives for a $50 million defence Line of Credit.

 India signed a $50 million defence Line of Credit Agreement to boost the maritime capabilities of Maldives.  The Finance Ministry of Maldives and the Export-Import Bank of India have signed this agreement.

 India and Maldives also signed an agreement for the UTF Harbour Project. The agreement will help in enhancing the capability of the Maldivian Coast Guard.

 Under the UTF Harbour Project agreement, India will develop a Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard Harbour at Sifvaru.  The agreement has been signed under India’s commitment to provide support and cooperation in enhancing the capability of the Maldives Defence Forces in maritime surveillance. India and AIIB signed a loan agreement for Assam power transmission project.

 A $304-mn loan agreement is signed between India and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for strengthening the power transmission network in Assam. It has a maturity period of 24 years.  The project aims to strengthen the power transmission network in the State of Assam. It will help in constructing 10 transmission substations and laying transmission lines.

 Under this project, 15 existing substations will also be upgraded. The existing ground wire will be upgraded by optical power ground wire.

 The project will help the Assam government in providing affordable, efficient and 24-hour electricity supply.  Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB): o It was established by a multilateral treaty on December 25, 2015, and began operations in January 2016. o It is a multilateral development bank that aims to support the construction of infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region. o Its headquarters is located in Beijing, China. o Jin Liqun is the current President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. World Bank signed 68 million dollar pact to improve the Quality of Education in Nagaland.

 The Union Government of India, Nagaland and the World Bank have signed a 68 million dollar loan project for enhancing the quality of education in Nagaland.  The project aims to improve classroom instruction and professional development of teachers. It will also help in the development of technology for online learning.

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 It will help in better monitoring and management of policies and programme related to education in the state.  Around 1 lakh 50 thousand students and 20 thousand teachers in the government education system will get benefited from this project.

 The project has been named “Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources”. Under this project, about 15 out of 44 higher secondary schools will be developed into school complexes.

 The project will strengthen the Education Management and Information System (EMIS) of Nagaland.  World Bank: It is one of the world’s largest finance providers aiming to end extreme poverty and promote shared growth. Its headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., and has 189 members. David Malpass is the current President of the World Bank. Ministry of Corporate Affairs and CBIC signed an MoU for Ease of Doing Business in India.

 The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has signed an MoU with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs for data exchange.  Both organisations will share their database for promoting ease of doing business in India and improving overall regulatory enforcement.

 Both organisations will also share the details of import-export transactions and consolidated financial statements of companies registered in the country.

 A Data Exchange Steering Group is also formed for further improvement in the data exchange mechanism.  Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC): o It was established on 1 January 1964. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It is headed by Muttoli Ajit Kumar (M. Ajit Kumar). o It is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance. o After GST, the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has been renamed as Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. o It formulates and implements policies for Central GST, Central Excise Duty and Custom/Import Duty.

 Ministry of Corporate Affairs: It is responsible mainly for the regulation of Indian enterprises in the Industrial and Services sector. Nirmala Sitharaman is the current head of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. IWAI and MOL sign MoU for transportation of LPG.

 Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed an MoU with MOL (Asia Oceania) Limited for transportation of LPG through Waterways-1 and Waterways-2.  IWAI will provide support for handling LPG cargo on IWAI terminals or multimodal terminals at Sahibganj, Haldia and Varanasi. It will also provide the Least Available Depth (LAD) information on a fortnightly/ monthly basis.

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 MOL (Asia Oceania) Limited is the world’s largest gas carrier company. It will invest for the construction and operation of dedicated LPG barges under Make-In India.  Currently, 60% of LPG is transported via road to various locations at the cost of 5 to 6 rupees per metric tonne per kilometer.

 Advantages of Handling LPG via waterways: o Reduce carbon footprints o Lower overall logistics cost o Reduce transportation cost of LPG o Contribution to government schemes like Ujjwala Yojana  Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI): o It is a statutory authority that is incharge of waterways in India. o It was formed in 1986 under the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985. o Headquarters of IWAI: Noida, UP o Current Chairman of IWAI: Amita Prasad

SUMMITS/ CONFERENCES/ MEETINGS India-Bahrain first Joint Working Group meeting in the field of Renewable Energy concluded.

 The first Joint Working Group meeting between India and Bahrain in the field of renewable energy concluded on 4 February 2021.  India and Bahrain had signed an MoU in July 2018 for cooperation in the field of renewable energy.

 In this meeting, both sides agreed on sharing the experience, expertise and best practices related to Renewable Energy.

 Both countries agreed for engagement in capacity building and deeper cooperation of private sectors of both countries.  Bahrain: o It is a country in the Persian Gulf. o It is Asia’s third smallest nation. o Its Capital is Manama and its Currency is Bahraini Dinar. o Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa is the Prime Minister of Bahrain. PM Modi inaugurated World Sustainable Development Summit 2021.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021 on 10 February in virtual mode.

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 The theme of this year’s summit is “Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all”.  It will be the 20th edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit. It is scheduled to be held from 10-12 February.

 The World Sustainable Development Summit is organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) annually. The summit is being organized in collaboration with Ministry of Forest and Environment, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Ministry of Earth Sciences.

 The main objective of this summit is to bring governments, business leaders, academicians, climate scientists on a common platform to discuss the issues related to climate change.  Many topics will be discussed during the summit including adaptation and resilience, nature-based solutions, climate finance, circular economy, clean oceans, air pollution, etc.

 Sustainable Development Goals: These are a collection of 17 goals designed to achieve a better and more sustainable future. It was launched in 2015 by the UNDP and these have to be achieved by 2030. First India-EU High Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment concluded.

 India and EU first High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment concluded on 5 February.

 In this dialogue, both countries agreed to further deepen ties on bilateral trade and investment.  Both sides agreed to discuss the bilateral investment cooperation issues through bilateral Regulatory Dialogue and an India-EU Multilateral Dialogue in the next three months.  It has been co-chaired by the Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the European Union Executive Vice-President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

 This High-Level Dialogue was established during the fifteenth India-EU Summit in 2020.  European Union: o It is a political and economic union of 27 member states which are mainly located in Europe. o It was founded on 1 November 1993. o It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Indian Army’s National Seminar-cum-Webinar organized by Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).

 Indian Army’s National Seminar-cum-Webinar on ‘Multi-Domain Operations: Future of Conflicts’ was organized by Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) on 11 February.

 National Seminar-cum-Webinar is named “Divya-Drishti 2021”. Chief of the Army Staff, General MM Naravane, delivered the inaugural address for it.

 It aimed to bring together experts and practitioners to deliberate on subject of multi-domain operations (MDO).  This National Seminar-cum-Webinar had three sessions focused on three different subjects as given below. o First session: Future Threats and Challenges: India’s Preparedness in Multi Domain Ops

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o Second session: Enhancing Jointness in MDO o Third session: Achieving Convergence & Collusivity in MDO  Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) is an independent think tank on strategic studies and land warfare located in New Delhi. Joint Conference of 11th World PetroCoal Congress and World Future Fuel Summit addressed by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

 The Joint Conference of 11th World PetroCoal Congress and World Future Fuel Summit addressed by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi.

 He talked about different steps taken by the government and said that LPG coverage had been increased from 56% to nearly 99.5% in less than seven years.  He said that India’s solar capacity increased by 13 times in the last six years and nearly 37 crore LED bulbs have been distributed under UJALA scheme. He also talked about National Hydrogen Energy Mission.

 World PetroCoal Congress is the world’s only congress on Petroleum-Coal-Gas industries. World Future Fuel Summit is held annually. Quad’s 3rd ministerial meeting held on 18 February.

 The 3rd India-Australia-Japan-USA Ministerial Meeting held on 18 February. The foreign ministers of all four countries are participating in this meeting.  The 2nd edition of the Quad Ministerial meeting was held in Tokyo in October 2020.

 The leaders will discuss many issues in this meeting, including regional and global issues, Covid-19 challenges, and areas of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.  The first Quad ministerial meeting was held in New York in 2019. Foreign S Jaishankar Marise Payne Toshimitsu Motegi Antony J. Blinken Ministers Countries India Australia Japan USA  QUAD: o It was established in 2007. o Australia, India, Japan, and the United States are members of this forum. o It aims to establish an “Asian Arc of Democracy”, including the countries in Central Asia, Mongolia, the Korean peninsula, and other Southeast Asia countries. India and Russia organised a bilateral meeting on UNSC issues.

 India and Russia held a bilateral meeting on UNSC issues in Moscow at the DG level. Both countries agreed to work together on key issues at UNSC.  Peter Ilichev has led the Russian delegation, while the Indian delegation was led by Prakash Gupta.

 Both countries discussed a various range of issues related to the agenda of the UNSC.  Recently, India has started its tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC. India has become a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the eighth time.

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 United Nations Security Council: It is one of the six major organs of the United Nations, responsible for ensuring international peace and security. There are 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members in this council.  Russia: o It is the world’s largest country in terms of area. o It ranks sixth in terms of population. o Its currency is Russian ruble and the Capital is Moscow. o Vladimir Putin is the current President and Mikhail Mishustin is the Prime Minister. India hosted a workshop on COVID-19.

 India hosted a workshop on “COVID-19 Management: Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward” on 18 February 2021.

 Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles and Sri Lanka have participated in this workshop.

 It has been chaired by the Health Secretary of India Rajesh Bhushan. Each country health secretaries and Head of the Technical Team of COVID management will participate in this workshop.  India has also hosted a meeting on COVID-19 management with SAARC countries. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the members of SAARC. PM Modi chaired 6th meeting of Governing Council of NITI Aayog.

 Sixth meeting of the governing council of NITI Aayog was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 The council discussed upon various topics, including infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, health, human resource development, etc.  Ladakh will participate for the first time. At the same time, Jammu and Kashmir will participate for the first time as UT.

 In the sixth meeting, UTs with administrators are also invited.  NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India): o It was formed on 1 January 2015 and replaced the Planning Commission. o It is a policy think tank of Government of India. o What is the composition of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog?- It comprises the Prime Minister (Chairman), Vice Chairman, Full-time members, Ex-officio members, Chief Ministers of States and Union Territories, UTs with Legislatures and Lt Governors of other UTs. o The council provides a platform to discuss issues at various levels such as inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues. o Who is the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog?- Rajeev Kumar

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o Who is the CEO of NITI Aayog?- Amitabh Kant Asia Economic Dialogue 2021 held from 26 February.

 The Asia Economic Dialogue 2021 was organized by the Pune International Centre and the Ministry of External Affairs. It was held from 26 to 28 February.  The External Affairs Ministers of India, Japan, Australia, Maldives, Mauritius and Bhutan participated in this meet.  The theme of the conference was ‘The post-COVID global trade and finance dynamics’.

 Asia Economic Dialogue is a platform for Asian countries to discuss trade, finance, and other issues. First meeting of BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies hosted by India.

 India has virtually hosted the first meeting of BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies.

 Secretary Economic Affairs, Tarun Bajaj and Deputy Governor of RBI, Michael Patra, co-chaired this meeting.  The meeting was attended by BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.

 India is the Chair of BRICS for 2021 and will host 13th BRICS Summit. 12th BRICS Summit was hosted by Russia.

 BRICS is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2021.  India aims to strengthen collaboration among the BRICS nations via Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus. The theme for India’s chairship is “BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation”.

 It is the third time India will host BRICS summit after 2012 and 2016.  BRICS: It was formalised as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) in September 2006. First BRIC Summit was held in Russia on 16 June 2009. South Africa became full member in September 2010 and the group was renamed as BRICS. India, France, Australia held the trilateral dialogue for cooperation in Indo-Pacific region.

 India, Australia and France hold trilateral dialogue for increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

 It was co-chaired by foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, secretary-general Francois Delattre from the French Ministry for Europe and foreign affairs, and Australian foreign affairs secretary Frances Adamson.  It aims to build strong bilateral ties between the three countries. The three sides agreed on holding this dialogue on annual basis.

 The three sides discussed the economic and geostrategic challenges that emerged due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Indo-Pacific region. They also discussed the priorities, challenges and trends of regional and global multilateral institutions.

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 They also discussed various issues such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, oil spill management, and disaster resilience of small island countries in the Indo Pacific region.  The first Foreign Secretary-level Trilateral Dialogue between the three sides was held in September of 2020. France Australia  France is a Western European country  Australia is the largest country in whose capital is Paris. Oceania.  The President of France is Emmanuel  Its capital is Canberra. Macron and the Prime Minister is Jean  The Prime Minister of Australia is Scott Castex. Morrison.  The currency of France is Euro.  The currency is Australian dollar.  It is one of the five permanent Australia is one of the members of the members of the UNSC. Quadrilateral Dialogue or QUAD. 2nd edition of Global Bio-India will be organised between 1st to 3rd March.

 The second edition of Global Bio-India will be organised from 1st to 3rd March. It will be inaugurated by the Science and Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.  It will be organised under the theme of ‘Transforming lives’. The tagline of this edition will be“Biosciences to Bioeconomy”.

 At present, Switzerland is the partner country and Karnataka is the partner state for this event. Representatives from more than 50 countries will participate in the Global Bio-India 2021.

 The government has recognized the Biotechnology sector as one of the key sectors for the Indian economy. The government has aimed for a USD 150 billion bio-economy by 2025.  The first edition of Global Bio-India was held in New Delhi in 2019.

 Global Bio-India: It is one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders conglomerates. It is organised for attracting investment in the bio-technology sector. India hosted Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave.

 India hosted Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave with the theme of Enhanced Peace, Security and Cooperation in the Indian Ocean.

 India hosted it on the sidelines of Aero India 2021. Defence Ministers of four countries -Maldives, Comoros, Iran and Madagascar have confirmed their physical participation.

 Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave is an initiative to promote dialogue on peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region.

 Information-sharing towards increased maritime domain awareness, Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief and other aspects will also be addressed during the conclave.

 The Indian Ocean is the world’s third-largest ocean. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east.

REPORTS AND INDICES/RANKINGS India rank 10th in Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index 2020.

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 India has been ranked 10th in the Asia Pacific Personalised Health Index 2020.  It is released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

 It measures health readiness of 11 countries- Australia, China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and New Zealand.  This Index is based on the 27 indicators in four categories. The four categories are- o Policy Context o Health Information o Personalized Technologies o Health Services

 In the health information category, India has got a score of 41. India got 11th rank with a score of 24 in the health services. India has got 5th rank in the Policy Context category. India has been ranked ninth in the Personalized Technologies category with 30 points.  Singapore has bagged top position in the Asia Pacific Personalised Health Index 2020. Taiwan and Japan are on 2nd and 3rd position respectively. Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index Ranking:

Country Rank Singapore 1 Taiwan 2 Japan 3 Australia 4 Maharashtra rank first in the second edition of the India Justice Report 2020.

 According to the second edition of the India Justice Report 2020, Maharashtra is on the top position in delivering justice to people.

 Tamil Nadu and Telangana are on the second and third spot in the India Justice Report 2020.  Tamil Nadu has improved its ranking from the third position to the second position while Kerala slipped from the second to fifth in 2020.

 In small states, Tripura is on the top position. Sikkim and Goa are on the 2nd and 3rd position respectively.

 India Justice Report 2020 is prepared by Tata Trusts with the help of many other organizations.  The report is based on the statistics of four pillars of Justice delivery system: Police, Judiciary, Prisons and Legal Aid.

 Key Facts of this report: o Rajasthan is on the top position in the Prisons category. o Himachal Pradesh is on the top position among small states in Prisons category. o Only 29 percent of Judges in India are Women. 2020 has been the worst year for World Tourism.

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 According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer report, 2020 has been the worst year for World Tourism. International arrivals have dropped by 74% in 2020.  Tourism Industry of Asia and Pacific regions have been impacted most by the pandemic. It has recorded a decline of 300 million tourists.  The Middle East and Africa regions have recorded a decline of 75%. Europe recorded a -70% decrease in arrivals.  The report has estimated a loss of US$1.3 trillion and job loss of about 100 million people.  The report shows a mixed prospect for 2021. Some of the experts expect better prospects for 2021 compared to last year while many experts expect further worsening of the situation.  Most of the experts believe that pre-pandemic levels cannot be achieved before 2023.  World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): o It is a United Nations specialized agency. o It is responsible for the promotion of tourism as a driver of economic growth. o It has 159 member and 6 associate members. o Its headquarters is located in Madrid, Spain.

India ranks 53rd in EIU’s Democracy Index 2020.

 The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released the Democracy index report 2020 titled “Democracy in sickness and in health?”.  In the recently released Democracy Index 2020, India has ranked 53rd, higher than most of its neighbouring countries.

 India has slipped two places as compared to the 2019 index. Its overall score is 6.61.  India slipped from 27th (in 2014) to 53rd (in 2020) due to democratic backsliding.  Norway has topped the index, followed by Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada.

 The index 2020 classifies 23 countries as full democracies, 52 as flawed democracies, 35 as hybrid regimes and 57 as authoritarian regimes.  Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia are given ‘full democracy’ status.

 India is placed under the ‘flawed democracy’ category.  Afghanistan ranks 139th and is classified as an ‘authoritarian regime’.

 Democracy Index: o It is released annually by EIU, a UK-based company. o It ranks 167 countries and classifies them under various categories: o The score is calculated under 5 categories having 60 indicators: . Electoral Process and Pluralism . Functioning of government . Political participation . Political culture . Civil liberties

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o The countries are further classified into one of the four regimes based on their scores. These four regimes are: . Full Democracy . Flawed Democracy . Hybrid Regime . Authoritarian Regime Five Indian business schools are in the top 100 of FT Global MBA ranking 2021.

 In the FT Global MBA ranking 2021, five Indian business schools have found a place in the top 100 MBA colleges.  According to the FT Global MBA ranking 2021, the Indian School of Business is the best institute in India. It has been placed on the 23rd spot.

 IIM Bangalore has been placed in 35th position, IIM Calcutta in 44th position, IIM Ahmedabad in 48th position and IIM is in 94th position.

 INSEAD and London Business School are on the first and second spot in the FT Global MBA ranking 2021.  The ranking is based on the various factors such as salary drawn by the alumni after three years of graduation, quality of research, value for money, etc. South Korea got first rank in the latest Bloomberg Innovation Index.  South Korea has got the first rank in the latest Bloomberg Innovation Index.

 Singapore and Switzerland got second and third rank in the latest Bloomberg Innovation Index.  Germany’s rank in the index declined to the fourth position. Germany ranked first in Bloomberg Innovation Index 2020.  US is not included in the economies achieving top 10 ranks in the Bloomberg innovation index 2021.

 China is ranked at 16th place in Bloomberg Innovation Index 2021. China’s rank declined by one place.  India’s rank has improved in Bloomberg Innovation Index 2021. It appeared in the top 50 for the first time since 2016.  Uruguay entered Bloomberg Innovation Index for the first time. Bloomberg Innovation Index is released annually. Union Minister of Coal provided information about National Coal Index in Parliament.

 Union Minister of Coal Shri Pralhad Joshi has provided information about National Coal Index in Lok Sabha.  National Coal Index: o It was launched by the Ministry of Coal on 4 July 2020.

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o It will help in fixing the revenue share from commercial mining. It will give information about the change in the price level of coal on a particular month relative to the base year. o The base year for this Index is FY 2017-18. o It is based on the three sub-indices of Non-Coking Coal and two sub-indices of Coking Coal. Google was top mobile publisher all over the world in January 2021.

 Google was the top mobile publisher all over the world in January 2021, as per the report by Sensor Tower, a market insights provider for the global app economy.

 Google was also a top mobile publisher all over the world in December 2020. Facebook occupied the second position in the list of the top five most installed mobile publishers all over the world in January 2021.  Voodoo, AppLovin, and Crazy Labs were also present in the list of the top five most installed mobile publishers all over the world in January 2021.

 The most downloaded non-gaming app all over the world in January 2021 was Telegram. India accounted for the largest number of downloads of Telegram.

 TikTok was the second most downloaded non-gaming app all over the world in January 2021. In December 2020, TikTok was the most downloaded app.  Signal, Facebook, and WhatsApp were also included in the top five most downloaded non-gaming apps worldwide in January 2021. India accounts for 11% of global deaths in road accidents as per the World Bank report.

 India accounts for 11% of global deaths in road accidents, as per the World Bank report released by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on 13 February 2021.  World Bank report is titled as “Traffic Crash Injuries And Disabilities: The Burden on India Society”.

 Often the poor, especially male road-users of working-age, form the category of vulnerable road users (VRUs) in India as per the report.

 As per the report, India’s share (11%) of global deaths due to road accidents is the highest. India has only 1% of the world’s vehicles.  The report says that 53 road crashes occur every hour in India and one person is killed every 4 minutes due to the road crashes in India.

 As per a study by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the cost of road crashes stands at 3.14% of GDP.

 The 2019 World Bank report estimates the cost of road crashes and serious injuries at 7.5% of India’s GDP for 2016.  Guide for Road Safety Opportunities and Challenges: Low- and Middle-Income Countries Country Profiles is the title of this report.

 As per World Bank, the road crash fatality rate is three times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries.

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BOOKS AND AUTHORS Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse is writing ‘Race With Me' book.

 Canadian Olympian sprinter Andre De Grasse is writing a book named "Race With Me!" for children. It is a picture book.  Andre De Grasse and Robert Budd are co-authors and it is illustrated by Joseph Osei Bonsu.

 It will be released in July 2021 and it will be published by Scholastic Canada.  It is a motivational book having pictures of Andre De Grasse.

 Andre De Grasse: o He is a Canadian sprinter. o He has won the silver medal in the 200 m and bronze medals in the 100 m and 4×100 m relay at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. o He is the first Canadian sprinter to win three medals in a single Olympics. Dalai Lama penned a new book titled ‘The Little Book of Encouragement’.

 Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has authored a new book, “The Little Book of Encouragement”.  The book has been edited by Renuka Singh and published by Penguin Random House. The book is comprised of 130 quotes.

 In this book, he mentioned that the key to happiness is inner peace. We need to inculcate human values for inner peace.  In his book, he discussed the challenges and impact of COVID-19. He has also written about various issues such as climate change, global warming, Sino-India ties, Tibet, etc.  Dalai Lama is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Hamid Ansari released his book titled ‘By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life’.

 The former Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, has penned a book named ‘By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life’. It is the autobiography of him.  The book narrates his personal life and Public life incidents. Rupa Publications India has published it.

 He has also written about his diplomacy and presidential days experiences.  Mohammad Hamid Ansari was the Vice President of India from 2007 to 2017. He has written many books, including Citizen and Society, Teasing Questions, Dare I Question books, etc.  He has also served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and the Vice- Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University. Jual Oram launched book “Turn Around India: 2020- Surmounting Past Legacy”.

 Jual Oram, the chairperson of Standing Committee on Defence, launched the book “Turn Around India: 2020- Surmounting Past Legacy”.

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 The author of this book is R P Gupta.  The book suggests options for reviving the Indian economy for creating new jobs and also structural reforms for dealing with economic crisis arising due to COVID-19 pandemic. Priyanka Chopra wrote the memoir “Unfinished”.

 Actress and producer Priyanka Chopra has penned the memoir “Unfinished”.  In this book, she has written about the whole journey of her life from childhood to the United States.

 She also wrote about the winning Miss World experience and her acting career. She has written this book during the lockdown period.  She was the winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant and has been honoured with many awards, including Padma Shri, National Film Award, etc. “The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News” - upcoming book of Meghna Pant.

 Meghna Pant has penned a new book titled “The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News”. It will be published by the Penguin Random House India.

 This book will be released in April 2021 and soon be seen as a film under the title ‘Badnam Ladoo’.  The book is about a woman in a conservative family who decides to use a sperm donor to have a baby.

 Meghna Pant is a noted Indian author. She has written many books, including One & a Half Wife, The Trouble Book with Women, Feminist Rani, etc. She had also previously worked as a Journalist. Amit Shah launched book ‘Rashtra Pratham - 82 varshon ki Swarnim Gatha’ in New Delhi.

 A book titled ‘Rashtra Pratham - 82 varshon ki Swarnim Gatha’ was released in New Delhi by Amit Shah.

 The book contains the detail about the history of CRPF since its inception in 1939- its challenges, successes and sacrifices.  Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): o The Central Reserve Police Force is the largest Central Armed Police Force in India. o It functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. o It was established on 27 July 1939. o It is headquartered in New Delhi. o Its motto is ‘Service and Loyalty’. o Director General of CRPF- A P Maheshwari M. Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled “Maverick Messiah - A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao”.

 Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled “Maverick Messiah - A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao” in Hyderabad.

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 It has been written by senior journalist Ramesh Kandula. It is based on the life of Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.  Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao: o He was an Indian actor, producer, director, film editor and politician. He also served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. o He is one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema. He had received many awards including three National Film Awards, Rashtrapati Awards, Filmfare Award for Best Actor, etc. Books Authors Maverick Messiah - A Political Biography of N.T. Ramesh Kandula Rama Rao Rashtra Pratham - 82 varshon ki Swarnim Gatha Released By Amit Shah The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News Meghna Pant Memoir “Unfinished” Priyanka Chopra Turn Around India: 2020- Surmounting Past Legacy R P Gupta By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life Hamid Ansari The Little Book of Encouragement Dalai Lama Race With Me Andre De Grasse

AWARDS AND PRIZES Iqbal Singh Chahal awarded Citizen of Mumbai by Rotary Club.

 The Rotary Club has awarded BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal the Citizen of Mumbai Award.

 He was awarded for his tireless service in Mumbai during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In 2020, he was conferred the top ‘COVID Crusader Award 2020’ by the Indo American Chamber of Commerce in the Indian Bureaucrats category. Bodo film Sijou won 4 awards at Golden Sparrow International Film Festival 2021.

 Bodo film ‘Sijou’ has bagged four awards at the Golden Sparrow International Film Festival 2021.

 The film has won “Best Director”, “Best Debut Filmmaker”, “Best Screenplay Writer”, and “Special jury award,” in Indian feature film Category.

 This film is written and directed by Vishal P. Chaliha. The film will be released by the end of 2021.  Golden Sparrow International Film Festival 2021 has been organised in Tamil Nadu. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport received ACI Voice of Customer award.

 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) have received the ACI (Airports Council International) ‘Voice of Customer’ award.  The award has been given for their efforts in improving the Customer service.

 Both airports had adopted new measures for the safe travel of passengers after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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 Indira Gandhi International Airport has installed XOVIS Passenger Tracking System to maintain social distancing at the airport.  Rajiv Gandhi International Airport had launched a paperless e-boarding facility and ‘Air Suvidha’ portal for international passengers.

 Earlier, both airports had received the ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Departures Awards 2019.

 Airports Council International (ACI): It was established in 1991. It is a global trade representative of the world’s airport authorities. Australian bushfire photo won Wildlife Photography of the Year People’s Choice Award.

 The drone image of a bushfire in northern Australia captured by Robert Irwin has won the Wildlife Photography of the Year People’s Choice Award 2020.

 He has clicked this image at Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York, Queensland. He has received 55,485 votes across the world.  The Natural History Museum, London, gives the wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards every year.

 Many people had died and around 2.5 million acres of land had burned due to the Australian bushfire in 2019 and 2020. Mountaineer Narender Singh Yadav will not get Tenzing Norgay Award.

 Narender Singh Yadav will not get the Tenzing Norgay Award in the land adventure category of 2020. He will not be conferred this award due to fake documents submission.  Nepal government has banned Narender Singh Yadav and Seema Rani from mountaineering in the Himalayan country for six years.

 He had claimed to conquer in 2016. His certificate of climbing Mount Everest peak has also been revoked by the concerned authorities.

 Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award: o It is given for adventure on land, sea and air. A certificate and Rs 5 lakh cash is given to the awardee. o It is the highest national award for outstanding achievements in adventure on land, sea and air. o It is given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. o Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Manasa Varanasi won the VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020 award.

 Manasa Varanasi has won the VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020 award. Manya Singh and Manika Sheokand are the first and second runner-up of this competition.

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 Manasa Varanasi is an engineer from Telangana. Manya Singh is from Uttar Pradesh, while Manika Sheokand is from Haryana.  It was the 57th edition of the Femina Miss India beauty pageant. Ministry of Tribal Affairs received Award of Appreciation in 18th CSI SIG E-Governance Awards 2020.

 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has won the Award of Appreciation in the 18th CSI SIG E-Governance Awards 2020.  This award has been given for the performance dashboard initiative. The dashboard provides real- time information about the 11 schemes of the Ministry. It also gives detail about the implementation of schemes.

 Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been a pioneer in implementing the e-governance initiative.  Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has won the SKOCH Challenger Award for its “Best Performance in eGovernance”. It has won 5 SKOCH awards for different projects.  CSI SIG E-Governance Awards: o It is given by the Computer Society of India at State, Department, District and Project level in the field of e-Governance. o These awards are conducted by the CSI-SIGegov.

 Computer Society of India: It was launched in 1965. It is a body of computer professionals in India. Jagan Reddy has been conferred SKOCH CM of the Year Award.

 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has received the SKOCH CM of the Year Award. He is selected for his governance projects in the state.

 He has started some revolutionary initiatives like the opening of Rythu Bharosa Kendra for village level procurement, Cheyutha Scheme for the empowerment of middle-aged women, Disha and Abhay initiative for women safety, etc.  Recently, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has got SKOCH Challenger Award under the “Transparency in Governance” category.  SKOCH Award: o It was established in 2003. o It is the highest civilian honour of the country presented by an independent organization. Asia Environmental Enforcement Award 2020 conferred to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.

 The Asia Environmental Enforcement Award has been given to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau for 2020. It is given by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

 It has received the award in the Innovation category. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has received this award twice in the last three years.

 Asia Environmental Enforcement Award is given to government officials and institutions or teams for their efforts in the fight against environmental crime.  Wildlife Crime Control Bureau:

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o It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. o It was established in 2006. It was established under the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006. o Its headquarters is located in New Delhi. o It is responsible for tackling wildlife-related crimes in the country. It helps the government agencies in formulating the policy related to wildlife crime. Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2021 Winners announced.

 Dadasaheb Phalke Award was started in 1969 by the government to recognize the contribution of film personalities to Indian Cinema. Devika Rani was the first recipient of this award.

 It is the most prestigious award of Indian Cinema and is given in honour of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke.

 It is being given for film, television, music and OTT.  Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2021 Winners list: o Best Actor (Female) award: Deepika Padukone for her performance in Chhapaak o Best Actor in a supporting role: Vikrant Massey for Chhapaak o Best Actor (Male) award: Akshay Kumar for his film Laxmii o Best Actor in Web Series (Male): Bobby Deol for Aashram o Best actor in a Web-Series (Female): Sushmita Sen for Arya o Best Web Series - Scam: 1992 o Critics’ Choice Best Actress award: Kiara Advani o Critic’s Best actor (Male) posthumously: Sushant Singh Rajput o Best Film Award: Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior o Best Director: Anurag Basu for Ludo o Best Actress in a Television Series - Surbhi Chandna o Best Actor in a Television Series - Dheeraj Dhoopar PM Modi to be conferred with CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be conferred the CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award.  He will receive this award during the CERAWeek Conference-2021, which is scheduled to be organised between 1-5 March in virtual mode. It will be the 39th edition of this conference.

 He will get the CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award for his efforts towards sustainability in energy and the environment.

 Recently, PM Narendra Modi has received the ‘Legion of Merit’ award.

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 CERAWeek global energy conference: It is an annual conference of energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers and energy technology innovators. Anjali Bharadwaj is one of the winners of the newly-instituted Anti-corruption award.

 Anjali Bharadwaj, an Indian social activist, is one of the 12 winners of the Anti-corruption Champions Award 2021. Anti-Corruption Champions Award is a newly instituted award of the Joe Biden administration.

 She is an Indian social activist working on issues of transparency and accountability. She is the founder of the Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS).  She is a co-convener of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI). She was also involved in the creation of Lokpal and the Whistle Blowers’ Protection Act.

PERSONALITY IN NEWS Birth centenary celebrations of legendary classical singer Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi started.

 Birth centenary celebrations of legendary classical singer Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi has started.

 The birth centenary celebrations will continue throughout the whole year. Government of India is celebrating his birth centenary by organizing various events.

 On this occasion, Films Division of India will screen a biopic on Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, directed by Gulzar. Rithwik Foundation for Performing Arts is organizing two-day event, SwarBhaskar 100, in Mumbai to commemorate his legacy.

 SwarBhaskar 100 will come to an end with a rendition of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s compositions by Jayateerth Mevundi of Kirana Gharana.

 Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was from Kirana Gharana of the Hindustani style of Indian classical music. He got Bharat Ratna in 2009.

 Gharana:

o Hindustani style and Carnatic style are two styles of Indian classical music. The term ‘Gharana’ refers to sub-style within Hindustani styles of Indian classical music.

o Agra gharana, gharana, Jaipur gharana, Kirana gharana and Mewati gharana are names of some gharanas within Hindustani style of Indian classical music.

President paid homage to Dr. Zakir Hussain on his birth anniversary.

 President Ram Nath Kovind paid tribute to former President Zakir Hussain on the occasion of his birth anniversary.  Dr. Zakir Hussain: o He was born on 8 February 1897. o He was the third President of India. He served as President from 13 May 1967 to 3 May 1969. o He was the co-founder of Jamia Milia Islamia.

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o He was the first Muslim President of India and he is the first President to die in office. o He received Bharat Ratna in 1963. Renowned Indian tennis player Akhtar Ali passed away.

 India tennis legend Akhtar Ali passed away at the age of 83 in Kolkata.

 He represented India in the eight Davis cup between 1958 to 1964. He had also served as coach of the Indian Davis Cup team.  He was the winner of the Asian mixed doubles championship and played his last match in 1974.

 He received Arjuna Award in 2000 for his contribution to Indian Tennis.  Davis Cup is an international tennis tournament of men’s tennis. Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s birth anniversary has been celebrated across the country.

 The birth anniversary of Swami Dayanand Saraswati has been celebrated across the nation on 12 February.

 Swami Dayanand Saraswati: o He was born on 12 February 1984, in and his real name was Mool Shankar. o He founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay in 1875. o He had given the slogan- ‘Go back to the Vedas‘ and ‘the Vedas are the source of all knowledge’. He emphasized the doctrine of Karma and Reincarnation. o He was against the caste system, idol worship, and untouchability. He had founded the Dayanand Anglo Vedic schools for the education of men and women. o He has written several famous books, including Satyarth Prakash, Sanskarvidhi, Rigvedadi Bhashya Bhumika, etc. Former Governor and renowned jurist M Rama Jois has passed away.

 A noted jurist and former Governor M. Rama Jois, has passed away at the age of 88.

 He had served as governor of Bihar and Jharkhand. He was also the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was a former Rajya Sabha MP.

 He will be remembered for his contribution to the Indian judiciary.  Some of the notable books authored by him are: o Seeds of Modem Public Law in Ancient Indian Jurisprudence o The Legal and Constitutional History of India o Dharma: The Global Ethic o Historic Legal Battle Ramakrishna Paramhansa Birth Anniversary: 18 February

 The whole nation celebrated the Birth Anniversary of Ramakrishna Paramhansa on 18 February.

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 Ramakrishna Paramhansa: o He was born on 18 February 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur near Kolkata. o His original name was Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya. o He was one of the greatest saints of modern India. He was well versed in the Puranas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana. o Swami Vivekananda was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. He founded the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Former TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar has passed away.

 Former TRAI Chairman Rahul Khullar has passed away in New Delhi.  He served as the Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce from 2009 to 2012. He was appointed as chairman of TRAI chief in 2012. He had worked as TRAI Chairman for three years.

 He was also a former Income Tax Commissioner.  Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI): o It is a statutory body established under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. o It issues directions, orders and regulations concerning tariffs, interconnection, quality of service and governance. o It consists of one Chairperson, two full-time members and two part-time members. o Its headquarters is located in New Delhi and its current chairman is P D Vaghela. Malayalam Poet Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri passed away.

 Malayalam poet Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri passed away at the age of 81.  He was born on 2 June 1939 in Thiruvalla.

 Some of his works include Pranaya Geethangal, India Enna Vikaram, Ujjayiniyile Raappakalukal, Aranyakam, Parikramam, Aparajitha, etc.

 He was conferred with various awards like Odakuzhal Award, Vallathol Prize, Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award in 1979, Central Sahitya Akademi Award in 1994, Padma Shri in 2014. Guru Ravidas Jayanti is being celebrated across the country.

 The 644th birth anniversary of saint Guru Ravidas is being celebrated on 27 February. He is famous for his effort against the caste system.

 A famous sufi saint, Guru Ravidas is also known as Raidas, Rohidas and Ruhidas.  Guru Ravidas: o He was born in 1450 AD at Varanasi.

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o His 40 devotional poems were included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred book of Sikhism. o He was a great saint and a social reformer of medieval India. o He was contemporary to Kabirdas and Mirabai. o He had founded the Ravidassia religion in the 14th- century.

APPOINTMENTS Bhavya Lal is appointed as acting chief of staff of NASA.

 Indian-American scientist Bhavya Lal has been appointed as the acting chief of staff of NASA.

 She has worked as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defence Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020.

 NASA: o The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent space agency of the U.S. federal government. o It was established in 1958 and it is responsible for the space program, and Space research in the USA. o Its headquarters is located in Washington, D.C. Air Marshal GS Bedi appointed as Director General (Inspection & Safety) at Air Head Quarters.

 Air Marshal GS Bedi has taken charge as Director General (Inspection & Safety) at Air Head Quarters. He was appointed on 1 February 2021.  Air Marshal GS Bedi has served in various key positions in Indian Air force. He has also served as the Air Adviser at the High Commission of India, London.

 He has experience in flying fighters and trainer aircraft.  He has received Vishisht Seva Medal in 2010 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2020.

 Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria is the current Chief of the Air Staff. Airforce headquarter is located in New Delhi. SN Subrahmanyan appointed as Chairman of National Safety Council.

 SN Subrahmanyan has been appointed as Chairman of the National Safety Council for three years.

 At present, he is CEO and Managing Director of L&T Ltd.  His appointment has been approved by the Ministry of Labour & Employment.  Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is an Indian company. It is headquartered in Mumbai. It is one of the largest construction companies in India.

 National Safety Council: o It was established under the Ministry of Labour and Employment in 1965.

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o It was established to generate, develop and sustain a voluntary movement on Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at the national level. o It is registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950. o It is headquartered in Mumbai. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria set to become next Director General of WTO.

 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria is set to become the next Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala would be the first female leader and first African national to become Director General of WTO.  On 5 February 2021, US administration under Biden has announced support for Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala.

 In October 2020, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria and Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea were selected from list of eight candidates for post.  In October 2020, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala had largest support. However, US President Trump did not support Dr. Okonjo-Iweala.  Final selection of Director General of WTO requires consensus from all its members (164). The post of Director General of WTO is currently vacant.

 Roberto Azevedo of Brazil served as Director General of WTO from 2013 to 2020. Peter Sutherland was the first Director General of WTO. Karim Khan elected as new prosecutor of International Criminal Court (ICC).

 A British lawyer, Karim Khan, has been elected as the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. He will replace Fatou Bensouda.

 He will begin his nine-year term in June 2021. He received the vote of 72 countries and defeated the candidates of Ireland, Spain and Italy.

 He will be the third prosecutor in the history of ICC. The first task for him will be to increase the legitimacy of ICC among member states.  Earlier, the United States, China and Russia have refused to recognize the jurisdiction of ICC. India is not a member of ICC.

 International Criminal Court (ICC): o It was established in 2002. o It is an intergovernmental organization that can prosecute individuals for international crimes like war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, etc. o Its headquarters is located in The Hague, Netherlands. o Chile Eboe-Osuji is the current President of the International Criminal Court. o It is comprised of 123 members.

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Mario Draghi sworn in as new Prime Minister of Italy.

 Former chief of European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Italy.

 He is also known as “Super Mario” for his role in saving the Euro during Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. He doesn’t belong to any party.

 He has replaced former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.  The political turmoil started after Matteo Renzi had withdrawn his support from the ruling coalition.

 The main challenges for the newly elected Prime Minister will be the Vaccination programme and the recovery of the economy.

 Italy: o It is a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline. o Its capital is Rome and the currency is Euro. o The President is Sergio Mattarella and the Prime Minister of Italy is Mario Draghi. o Italy has a parliamentary form of government. The President of Italy appoints the Prime Minister. Dr. Ajay Mathur announced as new Director-General of International Solar Alliance (ISA).

 Dr. Ajay Mathur has been announced as the new Director-General of International Solar Alliance (ISA).  He was elected at the first special assembly of ISA members. Assemblies of ISA are held annually.

 He will replace Upendra Tripathy. Upendra Tripathy was the Director General of ISA since 2015.  The aim of ISA is to generate more than one trillion dollars investment into solar projects by 2030.

 Dr. Ajay Mathur has won IconSWM-CE Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. As per ISA Website, 86 countries are its members.

 International Solar Alliance (ISA): o It was launched on 30 November 2015 at COP21 in Paris. India and France jointly launched the ISA. o It is an international intergovernmental organization. o ISA Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana Preeti Sinha appointed as Executive Secretary of the UN Capital Development Fund.

 Indian-origin investment and development banker Preeti Sinha has been appointed as the Executive Secretary of the UN Capital Development Fund.  She has replaced Judith Karl and will assume the office from 22 February 2021.

 She will focus on providing financial assistance to women, youth, and small enterprises.

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 UN Capital Development Fund: o It was established in 1966. o It is the capital investment agency of the United Nations for the least developed countries. o Its headquarters is located in New York. o Executive Secretary is the highest post of this institution. N. Venudhar Reddy becomes Principal Director General of All India Radio News.

 N. Venudhar Reddy has become Principal Director General of All India Radio News.  He belongs to the 1988 batch of Indian Information Service. He was Joint Secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). DIPAM comes under the Finance Ministry.

 He has also served as Additional Director General in the Bureau of Outreach and Communication.  N. Venudhar Reddy has replaced Jaideep Bhatnagar. Jaideep Bhatnagar will become Principal Director General of PIB from 1 March 2021.  All India Radio: o It was established in 1936. It is a division of Prasar Bharati. o Its motto is ‘Bahujan Hitaya: Bahujan Sukhaya’. It is officially known as Akashvani. Seiko Hashimoto appointed as new president of Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee.

 Japanese Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto is appointed as the new president of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee.

 Seiko Hashimoto has replaced Yoshiro Mori. Yoshiro Mori had resigned from the post due to his sexist comments against women.

 She had participated in the seven Olympic Games. She had won the bronze medal in the 1500 m speed skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics.  Tokyo Olympics 2020 is scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021. Japan will host its fourth Olympics. Pravas Kumar Singh appointed as Member of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.

 Pravas Kumar Singh has been appointed as Member (Law) of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).  R K Singh, Minister of State for Power, administered the oath of office to him.

 He previously served as Member (legal) in Jharkhand SERC.  Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC): o It is a statutory body formed on 24 July 1998 under the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998. o It is the central commission functioning under section 76 of the Electricity Act 2003.

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o It consists of a Chairperson and four other members. Chairperson of Central Electricity Authority is the ex-officio member of CERC. o Chairperson of CERC- P K Pujari

 Functions of CERC: o Regulate tariff of generating companies owned or controlled by central government o Regulate the tariff of other generating companies having a composite scheme for generation and sale of electricity in more than one state, o Regulate the inter-State transmission of electricity o Determine tariff for inter-State transmission of electricity o Advice to central government for the formulation of National Electricity Policy and Tariff Policy o Advice for promotion of competition, efficiency and economy in electricity sector o Advice for promotion of investment in electricity sector Vijay Sampla appointed Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).

 President has appointed Vijay Sampla as the Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

 The post was vacant since May 2020 after Ram Shankar Katheria’s term ended.  Vijay Sampla has earlier served as the Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment from 2014-19.

 He also served as Chairman of Punjab Dalit Vikas Parishad, Bharat Gaurav and KVIC Board, Punjab (2009-12).

 National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC): o It is a constitutional body that provides safeguards against the exploitation of SCs and Anglo Indian communities. o The first commission for scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was formed in August 1978. o 89th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 replaced the National Commission for SCs and STs with National Commission for SCs and National Commission for STs. o It was formed on 19 February 2004. o Suraj Bhan was the Chairman of the first National Commission for Scheduled Castes set up in 2004. o Article 338 of the Indian Constitution is related to National Commission for SCs. o President of India appoints the Chairman and other members of NCSC. o Sixth National Commission for Scheduled Castes has been constituted in 2021 with Vijay Sampla as the Chairman and Shri Arun Halder as the Vice-Chairman. Ligia Noronha appointed as UN Assistant Secretary-General.

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 Indian economist Ligia Noronha is appointed as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme.  She has replaced Indian economist Satya Tripathi.

 She had worked for more than 30 years in the field of sustainable development. She had also worked as Director of UNEP’s Economy Division.  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): o It is an authority that sets the global environmental agenda and helps developing countries implement environment-related policies. o Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya

 Gita Sabharwal of India as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand  Soumya Swaminathan as the Chief Scientist at the World Health Recent Appointments in UN’s agencies Organisation  Preeti Sinha as Executive Secretary of the UN Capital Development Fund

SPORTS Tamil Nadu clinched Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.  Tamil Nadu won Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy by beating Baroda by seven at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.

 It is the second time that Tamil Nadu has won the . Dinesh Karthik was leading the Tamil Nadu team.  Tamil Nadu had won their first Syed Mushtaq Ali title in 2006-07.

 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: o It is a domestic championship. o It is organised by the Board of Control for (BCCI). o Karnataka was the winner of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019-20. ICC nominated Rishabh Pant and two others for ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.

 ICC has nominated Rishabh Pant, England skipper Joe Root and Ireland’s Paul Stirling for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. It will be given for January month.  In January, Joe Root has scored 426 runs in two test matches, Rishabh Pant has scored 245 runs in two test matches and Paul Stirling has scored 420 runs in 5 ODIs.

 In the women category, Pakistan’s Diana Baig and South African cricketer Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp are nominated for the monthly honour.

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 ICC has introduced the ICC Player of the Month awards in January 2021. It recognizes the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket.  International Cricket Council: o The International Cricket Council is the global governing body of cricket. o It was established in 1909 by the representatives of Australia, England, and South Africa as the Imperial Cricket Conference. o It is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ajay Singh elected for second consecutive term as President of Federation of India (BFI).

 Ajay Singh has been elected for second consecutive term as Boxing Federation of India (BFI) President.

 He defeated former Maharashtra sports minister Ashish Shelar in the general elections held on 3 February.

 Hemanta Kumar Kalita and Dig Vijay Singh were elected as Secretary General and Treasurer of BFI, respectively.

 Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is a nodal body for Olympic-style . It will host International Association Men’s World Championship in 2021.

Ashok Dinda announces retirement from all forms of cricket.

 Ashok Dinda, a fast bowler, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.  He had made his international debut in 2009 against Sri Lanka.

 He has taken 420 first-class wickets and 12 wickets in 13 International ODIs. He has also taken 17 wickets in 9 T20 matches.  He had played for Kolkata Knight Riders and Pune Warriors in the . He was part of Bengal Cricket team.  Indian Cricketers that announced retirement in 2020 are: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Wasim Jaffer, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Parthiv Patel, Tanmay Srivastava. Joe Root becomes the first batsman to score a double century in his 100th Test.

 Joe Root, the England captain, has become the first player in history to score a double century in his 100th Test match.  He has a scored double century in the first test match of India- England test series.

 He has also equaled Graeme Smith and ’s record of five double centuries in .  He also became the first England batsman to score a double century with a six. Byju’s to remain a global partner of ICC until 2023.

 Byju’s will remain a global partner of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2021 to 2023.

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 Byju’s will be seen as a partner of ICC in major upcoming events, including ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.  In August 2019, Byju’s became the official jersey partners of the Indian cricket team.

 Byju’s is a Bengaluru based ed-tech company. Steve Smith bagged his third Allan Border Medal.

 Former Australian Captain, Steve Smith, has won the Allan Border Medal. It is his third Allan Border Medal.

 He has been awarded for his performance in all three formats of the game.  Beth Mooney has been conferred with the Belinda Clarke Award 2021. It is her first Belinda Clarke Award.

 She has received the award for her contribution to Australian women’s cricket.  In 2020, David Warner had won the Allan Border Medal and Ellyse Perry had won the Belinda Clarke Award.  Australian Cricket Awards: Allan Border Medal: It is named after former Belinda Clark Award: It is given to Australia’s Australian cricketer Allan Border. It is a best women’s international cricketer. The award prestigious award in Australian men’s cricket. It is named after former Australian women’s team was started in 2000. captain Belinda Clark. Rishabh Pant won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for January 2021

 India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for January 2021. He has received the award for his performances in the two Tests against Australia.  South African cricketer Shabnim Ismail has won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for January 2021.

 ICC Player of the Month awards is given to recognize the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket. Drass Red wins 13th CEC Cup Ice Hockey Championship.

 Drass Red has won the 13th CEC Cup Ice Hockey Championship. Drass Red has beaten the Chiktan team in the finals.

 Shakar Chiktan Team has won the first Women CEC Ice Hockey Cup 2021. Shakar Chiktan team has defeated Wakha Mulbekh Team in the final match.

 In the 13th CEC Cup Ice Hockey Championship, 32 Men teams and 5 Women Teams have participated.  Ice hockey: o It is a sport that is played by two teams on the ice. Each team has six players. o The Ice Hockey Association of India is the governing body of . Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the first bowler to take wickets of 200 left-handers batsman in Test matches.

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 Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the first bowler to dismiss 200 left-handed batsmen in Test matches. Stuart Broad was the 200th left-hander batsman.  He has achieved this milestone during India’s second Test against England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

 Muttiah Muralitharan is the second most successful bowler against left-handed batsmen in test cricket. Naman Ojha announces retirement from all forms of cricket.

 India wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

 He has played one Test, one ODI and two T20 international matches for India.  He holds the record of most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the . He had a debut against Sri Lanka in 2010.  He had played for Madhya Pradesh team in Ranji Trophy. He also played for Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. Vinay Kumar announced retirement from all forms of cricket.

 Vinay Kumar, a pace bowler, has announced retirement from cricket. He is also known as “Davangere Express”.  He has represented India in 31 One-day Internationals, nine Twenty20 Internationals and one Test match. He had played for the Karnataka cricket team.

 He played for Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.  Indian Cricketers that announced retirement in 2020-21 are: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Wasim Jaffer, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Parthiv Patel, Tanmay Srivastava, and Ashok Dinda. IPL Auction 2021 held in Chennai.

 IPL Auction 2021 held in Chennai. The auction has been organised for the 14th edition of IPL.  Chris Morris becomes the costliest player at an IPL auction of 2021. He was picked up by Rajasthan Royal.  Krishnappa Gowtham became the costliest Indian uncapped player at IPL Auction 2021. He was picked up by Chennai Super Kings. Cheteshwar Pujara was also picked up by Chennai Super Kings.

 All 8 teams have participated in the IPL Auction 2021. A total of 292 players were listed for the auction.

had the highest purse available of Rs 53.20 crore for nine players.  The 13th edition of IPL was held in the UAE in 2020. Mumbai Indians was the winner of the IPL 2020. IPL 2021 is scheduled to be held in India between April and May. IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab renamed as Punjab Kings.

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 IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab renamed as Punjab Kings before IPL Auction 2021. A new logo has also been released for the team, which represents the spirit of Punjab.  The Punjab Kings IPL franchise is owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta and Karan Paul. Satish Menon is the CEO of the franchise.

 Punjab Kings hasn’t won any title of IPL. KL Rahul is likely to remain captain of the team in IPL 2021. Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic clinched 2021 Australian Open title.

 Naomi Osaka of Japan has won the Australian Open title by defeating Jennifer Brady.

 It is her second Australian Open title after her first win in 2019.  Earlier, she had won the US Open title in 2018 and 2020.

 Novak Djokovic has won his ninth Australian Open title by defeating Daniil Medvedev.  He had earlier clinched the Australian Open titles in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021.  In Men’s doubles, Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek have won their first Grand Slam as a team.

 In Mixed doubles, Barbora Krejcikova and Rajeev Ram have clinched the Australian Open 2021.  In Women’s doubles, Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka are the winners of the Australian Open 2021.

 Australian Open: o It is the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments. The other three are- French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. o The first Australian tennis tournament was played in Melbourne in 1905. Ankita Raina and her partner Kamilla Rakhimova won Phillip Island Trophy.

 India’s Ankita Raina and her Russian partner Kamilla Rakhimova clinched the doubles event title in the Phillip Island Trophy.

 The Ankita-Kamilla pair has defeated Anna Blinkova and Anastasia Potapova by 2-6, 6-4, 10-7 in the finals.

 Ankita has become the second Indian player to reach in top-100 in the WTA rankings in doubles after .  Ankita Raina has also won the gold medals in the women’s singles and mixed-doubles events at the 2016 South Asian Games.

 Phillip Island Trophy 2021: It is a tennis tournament. It is played on outdoor hard courts in Melbourne, Australia. Manika Batra wins Senior National Table Tennis Championship.

 Manika Batra has won the women’s singles title in the 82nd Senior National Table Tennis Championships in Panchkula. She defeated Reeth Rishya in the finals.

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 It is the second time that Manika has won this title. She had won her first title in 2015 at Hyderabad. She was also runner-up at Ranchi in 2017.  Now, she will compete in various events, including the WTT Contender events, World and Asian Olympic qualifiers, etc.

 Achievement of Manika Batra: o She won three gold medals at the 2016 South Asian Games in the women’s doubles event. o She led the Indian women’s team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. o She is the only Indian to receive “The Breakthrough Star Award”. o She and her partner win the silver medal in the women’s doubles category at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. o She received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2020. Second Khelo India University Games to be held in Karnataka.

 Kiren Rijiju, Union Sports Minister, has announced that Karnataka would host the 2nd Khelo India University Games.  Bengaluru will host the 2021 Khelo India University Games in partnership with the Association of Indian Universities.

 Jain University of Bengaluru will host a maximum number of events.  Yogasana and Mallakhamb have been added in the second edition of University Games.

 Kiren Rijiju also inaugurated four new sporting facilities at the Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru campus.

 Khelo India University Games: o It is a multi-sport event which is organized by the Sports Authority of India, and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, along with the Association of Indian Universities, Indian Olympic Association and National Sports Federation. o It is the largest University level sports event. o The first edition of the Khelo India University games was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in 2020. o Panjab University emerged as the winner in the first edition of the University Games. o Khelo India University Games is held for the Under-25 age group. President inaugurated the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

 The world’s largest Cricket Stadium at Motera in Ahmedabad was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind.  It is spread over 63 acres, with a seating capacity of 1.32 lakh people. It is the second-largest sports ground in the world.

 It will host a day-night pink ball test match between India and England.

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 The Motera cricket stadium has all modern facilities for cricket. It has LED lights on the roof.  The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium (former Rungrado May Day Stadium) in North Korea is the world’s largest stadium. Melbourne Cricket Ground is the second-largest cricket stadium in the world. Indian Boxers won gold medals in 30th Adriatic Pearl tournament in Montenegro.

 Arundhati Choudhary in 69 kilogram category and Naorem Babyrojisana Chanu 51 kilogram category have won gold medals in the 30th Adriatic Pearl tournament in Budva, Montenegro.  Indian boxing women team has won five gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Indian team is in the top position in the women category.

 Babyrosijana has defeated Sabina Bobokulova, while Arundhati beat Marina Stoiko in the finals.  Indian male boxers have won three bronze medals in this tournament. IOC confirms Brisbane as preferred candidate for the 2032 Olympic Games.

 The International Olympic Committee has announced that Brisbane, Australia is a preferred location for the 2032 Olympic Games.

 The IOC future host commission has recommended talking with Brisbane bid organizers and the Australian Olympic Committee.  The Queensland state had hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2018. Australia had hosted the Olympics in 2000 in Sydney.

 International Olympic Committee is a non-governmental sports organization. It is the apex authority for organizing the Olympic Games. Its current President is Thomas Bach.  Tokyo Olympics 2020 is scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021. Olympics game Venue Olympics Games 2020 Tokyo (Japan) Olympics Games 2024 Paris (France) Olympics Games 2028 Los Angeles (United States) Second Khelo India Winter Games being held from 26 February to 2 March.

 Second Khelo India Winter Games has started at , Jammu and Kashmir.

 Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council and the Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir, is organizing the event.

 The sports activities include alpine skiing, nordic ski, snowboarding, ski mountaineering, ice hockey, ice skating, ice stock.  Khelo India Winter Games: o It is a national-level multi-sport event. o First Khelo India Winter Games were held in Leh and Gulmarg in 2020. o Jammu and Kashmir emerged as the winner of the first Khelo India Winter Games. Haryana Deputy CM re-elected President of TTFI.

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 Deputy CM of Haryana Dushyant Chautala was re-elected as the President of Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).  He was elected at the 84th annual meeting of TTFI.

 Panchkula will host the Commonwealth table tennis championship in 2021.  Arun Banerjee will be the new secretary and Gurpreet Singh will be the new treasurer.

 Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI): o It is the governing body for table . o It was established in 1926. o Headquarters of TTFI: New Delhi

COMMITTEES/ COMMISSIONS/TASKFORCES RBI will set up a committee for strengthening and consolidation of Urban Cooperative Banks.

 The Reserve Bank of India has announced to set up a committee for strengthening and consolidation of Urban Cooperative Banks. Former RBI Deputy Governor N.S. Vishwanathan will be the head of this committee.  The committee will suggest measures for faster rehabilitation resolution of Urban Cooperative Banks. It will create a road map for a vibrant and resilient urban co-operative banking sector by considering the recent amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.  It will also review steps taken by the Reserve Bank and other authorities for UCBs in the last five years. It will also identify key constraints in the implementation of the steps taken.

 For enhancing the resilience of UCBs, the committee will examine the need for differential regulations and possibilities of more permissible activities for UCBs.  Urban Co-operative Banks: o These are the primary banks that are located in urban and semi-urban areas. They primarily lend to small borrowers and businesses. o These are classified as scheduled and non-scheduled urban co-operative banks. o These are partly regulated by RBI.

IMPORTANT DAYS Indian Coast Guard Raising Day: 01 February.

 Indian Coast Guard Raising Day is on 01 February and 44th Indian Coast Guard Raising Day was celebrated on 01 February 2020.

 Indian Coast Guard is the world’s fourth-largest Coast Guard. Its motto is Vayam Rakshamah (We Protect).

 A committee under the chairmanship of KF Rustamji recommended establishing a Coast Guard type organization in its report of 1975. The committee was set up in 1974.

 Indian Coast Guard was established on 01 February 1977. Fourth Prime Minister Morarji Desai formally inaugurated the Indian Coast Guard on 19 August 1978.

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 Its headquarters are in New Delhi. It has five regional headquarters at Mumbai, Chennai, Gandhi Nagar, Kolkata and Port Blair.

 It functions under the Ministry of Defence. Krishnaswamy Natarajan is the current Director- General of the Indian Coast Guard.

World Wetland Day 2021: 2 February

 It is celebrated every year on 2 February to raise awareness about the importance of wetland for humans and earth.

 It is observed to mark the date of adopting the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.

 The theme for World Wetlands Day 2021 is ‘Wetlands and Water’.  The Ramsar Convention was adopted in 1971 and came into force in 1975. It provides a framework for the conservation of all wetlands across the world.

 At present, 42 wetlands of India are under the Ramsar list.  Wetland is an area of land that is either covered with water or saturated with water. It includes mangroves, deltas, floodplains, rice-fields, coral reefs, etc. World Cancer Day celebrated on 4 February.

 World Cancer Day is celebrated every year on 4 February to raise awareness about cancer- its detection, prevention and treatment.

 It is celebrated to mark the anniversary of the signing of the ‘Charter of Paris Against Cancer’.

 It was started at first ‘World Summit Against Cancer’ held in Paris in 2000.

 It is organised by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

 The theme of this year’s World Cancer Day is “I Am and I Will”.

 Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. In the world, 17 people die every minute from cancer. Chemotherapy is used in the treatment of Cancer.

World Pulses Day 2021: 10 February

 World Pulses Day is observed every year on 10 February to raise awareness about the nutritional values of Pulses.

 This year’s theme is “Love Pulses- for a healthy diet and planet.”  The UN General assembly had adopted 10 February as World Pulses Day in 2019. Burkina Faso had proposed this day in General Assembly.

 UN General Assembly had announced 2016 as the International Year of Pulses.  World Pulses Day is part of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 “Zero Hunger.”  Pulses: o It is a rich source of protein and plays a vital role in a healthy diet.

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o India is the largest producer of pulses, followed by Canada. o Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of Pulses in India. o Some prominent types of pulses are- Chickpeas, Black Gram, lentils, etc. International Day of Women and Girls in Science: 11 February.  International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed every year on 11 February to highlight the role of women in the field of science and technology.

 The theme of International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021 is “Women Scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19”.

 The United Nations General Assembly had decided to celebrate 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2015.  On this occasion, the 6th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly will be organised virtually.

 It is celebrated to raise awareness about the role of women in achieving development goals.  Sustainable Development Goal 5: Its objective is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  Facts about Women role in science and technology: o Only 30 percent of researchers around the world are women. o Around 30 percent of female students have selected STEM-related fields in higher education between 2014-2016. o Enrollment of female students is very low in mathematics and statistics, engineering, ICT fields. o Only 12 percent of women are in a STEM job. World Unani Day celebrated on 11 February.

 World Unani Day is celebrated every year on 11 February to commemorate the birth anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan.  It is observed around the world to raise awareness about healthcare delivery through the Unani system of medicine.

 It was first celebrated at Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM), Hyderabad, in 2017.  Unani system of medicine: o It originated in Greece. It is based on the teachings of Greek physician Hippocrates and Roman physician Galen. o It is a traditional medical system that offers treatment of all diseases related to all the body’s systems and organs. o It uses herbal medicines and specific exercises for the treatment of disease.  Hakim Ajmal Khan:

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o He was a renowned Unani physician, scholar and a noted social reformer. o World Unani Day is celebrated to mark his contribution to the field of Unani medicine. National Productivity Day: 12th February

 12th February is celebrated every year as Productivity Day and National Productivity Week is celebrated every year from 12th February to 18th February.

 National Productivity Council is organizing seminars on different topics during National Productivity Week this year.

 ‘Udyog manthan for productivity’ is the theme for the year 2021. Productivity Day marks the formation of National Productivity Council.  National Productivity Council: o It comes under the administrative control of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. o It was formed on 12th February 1958. Minister of Commerce and Industry is its President. o It is an autonomous, tripartite (having three parties), non-profit organization. World Radio Day: 13 February

 World Radio Day is celebrated across the world every year on 13 February. It is celebrated to raise awareness among the people regarding the importance of radio for getting the information.

 The theme of this year’s World Radio Day is “New World, New Radio”, and it is divided into three sub-themes: evolution, innovation and connection.  This year is the 10th edition of World Radio Day.

 In its 67th session in 2012, UNGA had formally adopted the resolution to celebrate 13 February as World Radio Day.  In India, the first program was aired by the Radio Club of Bombay in 1923. All India Radio (AIR) was established in 1936.  Radio: o Guglielmo Marconi is the inventor of the radio. o It uses radio waves for communication. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). National Women’s Day (Birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu): 13 February

 Every year 13 February is celebrated as the National Women’s Day in India. The day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu.  International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8 March.

 Sarojini Naidu: o She was born on 13 February 1879 in Hyderabad. o She is known as the nightingale of India.

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o She was the first woman governor of India. She became governor of the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) in 1947. o She was the first Indian woman President of the Indian National Congress. She presided over the 1925 Kanpur session of INC. o She was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. o Some of her notable works: . The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and the Spring . The Gift of India . Muhammad Jinnah: An Ambassador of Unity . The Sceptred Flute: Songs of India . Allahabad: Kitabistan . The Indian Weavers International Mother Language Day: 21 February.

 International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on 21 February, and in the year 2021, it is being celebrated with the theme “Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society”.

 UNESCO had declared 21 February as International Mother Language Day in 1999. The decade 2022-2032 will be observed as the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages.  Year 2008 was declared as the International year of languages by the UN General assembly.

 In India, the Ministry of Education celebrates 21 February as Matribhasha Diwas (Mother Language Day) since 2015. A four-day long virtual event is being organized by three different organizations to mark the day this year.

 The names of three organizations are Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).  On this occasion, the International virtual calligraphy exhibition will be inaugurated by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. World Thinking Day is annually celebrated on 22 February.

 World Thinking Day is a special day celebrated annually on 22 February and “peacebuilding” is the theme for World Thinking Day 2021.  As per the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Thinking Day is a day of international friendship and a fundraising opportunity for girl guides and girl scouts in 150 countries.  Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, as well as Scout and Guide organizations all over the world, celebrate it.

 22 February was selected because it is the birthday of two famous personalities mentioned below. o Robert Baden Powell (R. B. Powell): He is the founder of Boy Scout movement. He was the first Chief Scout.

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o Olave Baden Powell: She was the wife of R. B. Powell and first Chief Guide for Britain.  World Thinking Day is celebrated since 1926. It was earlier known as Thinking Day.  World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts every year selects a theme for World Thinking Day. It was founded in 1928. It is headquartered in London. Central Excise day: 24 February

 Central Excise Day is observed every year on 24 February to commemorate the implementation of the Central Excise and Salt Act on 24 February 1944.  Apart from this, this day is also celebrated to honour the hard work done by the employees of the excise department. It encourages the employees of the excise department to perform their duties.

 Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs celebrates this day in India.  Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC): o It was established on 26 January 1944. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It is headed by Muttoli Ajit Kumar (M. Ajit Kumar). o It is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance. o It formulates and implements policies for Central GST, Central Excise Duty and Custom/Import Duty. World NGO Day: 27 February.

 World NGO Day is celebrated annually on 27 February across the world.

 It is celebrated to highlight the contribution of NGOs and social workers in making the world a better place.

 It is also celebrated to encourage and inspire people involves in Social work. It creates awareness about the role of NGOs among the public and private sectors.  Marcis Liors Skadmanis started this day then it was officially adopted in the X Baltic Sea NGO Forum in 2012.

 It was adopted by the UN, EU leaders and international organizations in 2014.  Non-governmental organization (NGO): A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a non-profit group that functions independently. It plays a vital role in international development, improving communities, and philanthropy work. National Science Day: 28 February.

 National Science Day is celebrated annually on 28 February, and ‘Future of STI: Impacts on Education, Skills, and Work’ is the theme for National Science Day 2021.

 National Science Day is celebrated to remember the announcement of the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C.V. Raman on 28 February 1928.  Indian physicist Sir C.V. Raman won Nobel Prize in Physics 90 years ago in 1930 for the discovery of the Raman Effect.

 28th February was designated as National Science Day by Government of India in 1986. Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister of India at that time.

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 National Council for Science & Technology Communication is the nodal agency for celebration of National Science Day all over India. It is a division of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).  National Awards for Science Popularization are given every year on National Science Day. They were started by DST in February 1987.

 The theme for National Science Day 2020 was ‘Women in Science’. National Technology Day is celebrated on 11 May.

 When light passes through a transparent material, the wavelength and amplitude of some deflected light change; this is called Raman scattering and is a consequence of the Raman Effect. Sir C.V. Raman worked on inelastic scattering of light by molecules.

MISCELLANEOUS Government will rename 1063 residential schools funded under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme.

 The Ministry of Education has announced that residential schools and hostels funded under the Samagra Shiksha scheme would be renamed as “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Residential Schools/Hostels”.

 It will inspire children, teachers and staff to achieve a high standard of excellence. This step will also help to raise awareness about these residential schools.

 Under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, the government gives financial assistance for opening and running of Residential Schools and Hostels in hilly terrain, small and sparsely populated areas.  The main aim of these schools is to provide quality education in remote areas of the country. It mainly focuses on aspiration districts, Left Wing Extremism affected districts and Educationally Backward Blocks.  At present, 1063 residential schools are available in India.

 Samagra Shiksha scheme: o It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education. o It subsumes three Schemes- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE). o Its goal is to achieve Sustainable Development Goal Number 4- Quality Education by 2030. 3rd Bangladesh Film Festival started in Kolkata.

 The five-day-long 3rd Bangladesh Film Festival-2021 started in Kolkata on 5 February.

 Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Information Minister of Bangladesh, has inaugurated this film festival.  Dr. Hasan Mahmud has also inaugurated an art exhibition based on the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.  The event is being organised to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh Independence. National Horticulture Fair 2021 started in Bengaluru.

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 National Horticulture Fair 2021 started with the theme of Horticulture for Start-Up and Stand-Up India.  It started at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research campus, Bengaluru. It is a five-day long fair.

 People from all across India can participate virtually in National Horticulture Fair 2021.  The fair is being organized both online and offline by Indian Council for Agricultural Research and IIHR.  Indian Council of Agricultural Research: o It is the apex body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and education in agriculture. o It works under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Its headquarters is in New Delhi. Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2021 celebrated in Mumbai.

 The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is celebrated between 6-14 February in Mumbai.

 It was started in 1999. This year’s festival is the 22nd edition of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.  It is one of the largest multicultural festivals in Mumbai. The venue for this art festival is the historic Kala Ghoda Art Fort.  Many events will be organised at this festival, which includes dance, theatre, visual art, comedy, etc. It is organised by Kala Ghoda Association every year. Fossil of the world’s ‘oldest animal’ found in Bhimbetka caves.  Experts of the Geological Survey of India have discovered a fossil of world’s ‘oldest animal’ in Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh. It has been found on the roof of ‘Auditorium Cave’.

 It could be the first-ever fossil of ‘Dickinsonia’, the Earth’s ‘oldest animal, in India.  The fossil is 17 inches long and it can help scientists in finding many answers about the evolution of life.  Bhimbetka rock shelters: o It is located in the district of Madhya Pradesh. o It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India. o It is famous for the prehistoric and Mesolithic period paintings. o The Bhimbetka rock shelters were discovered by V S Wakankar. o It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The India Toy Fair 2021 to be organized from 27th February 2021 to 2nd March 2021.

 The India Toy Fair 2021 will be organized from 27th February 2021 to 2nd March 2021.  India Toy Fair 2021 is India’s first virtual toy fair. Government of India is organizing it on a virtual platform.

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 The Toy Fair aims to bring together policy makers, children, parents, teachers and Indian Toy Industry together.  It is an attempts to promote the growth of the Indian Toy Industry. Virtual Exhibition with over 1000 virtual stalls are the main attraction of India Toy Fair, 2021 Lunar New Year is being observed today.

 Lunar New Year is being observed today and it is one of the most important Chinese festivals.  It is also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. It is also celebrated in other Asian nations such as Vietnam and South Korea.

 Chinese New Year or Spring Festival lasts 15 days. It will end this year with the Spring Lantern Festival on 26th February.

 Laba Festival is a festival celebrated in the 12th month of Chinese calendar. Luna is other word used for moon.  This year, China entered the Year of Ox. Ox is the second animal in Chinese zodiac. Last year was called Year of Rat. Rat is first animal in Chinese zodiac. Year of Tiger will come after Year of Ox. India’s microblogging site Koo gains momentum.

 The indigenously developed microblogging site ‘Koo’ is becoming popular among people.  The Koo App was launched in November 2019. It is an Indian version of the social networking platform.

 It is the winner of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat App innovation challenge. It was launched to promote the use of made in India apps.  It is available in many languages and has a word limit of 400 characters.

 The microblogging site was co-founded by Aparmeya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidwatka. IIT Bombay launches its first-ever annual fundraising campaign.

 IIT Bombay has launched its first-ever annual fundraising campaign named ‘Cherish IIT Bombay 2021’.

 The fund will be used for the creation of world-class laboratories, modernization of lecture halls, and continuation of awards.

 IIT Bombay: o It was established in 1958. o It is one the ‘Institute of National Importance’ institutions of India. o It offers different programmes in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. o It is in the 3rd position in the NIRF Engineering Rankings 2020. Third edition of Indian Sign Language Dictionary released by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot.

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 Third edition of the Indian Sign Language Dictionary has been released by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot.  Third edition of the Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary has 10 thousand terms including 6 thousand earlier terms. It also has regional signs used in different parts of India.

 Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) has brought out this dictionary.  ISLRTC is an autonomous Institute under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Editions of ISL dictionary Launch date Number of terms 1st edition 23rd March 2018 3 Thousand 2nd edition 27th February 2019 6 Thousand 3rd edition 17th February 2021 10 Thousand IIT Madras-Incubated start-up launched an e-bike ‘PiMo’.

 Pi Beam, an incubated start-up of IIT Madras, has launched an e-bike named ‘PiMo’.

 The price of ‘PiMo’ is Rs 30,000, and it can be charged faster even than a smartphone.  About 90% of the components of this e-bike have been developed in India. It can go up to 50 km on a single charge.  The maximum speed of this e-bike is 25kmph.

 Pi Beam: o It is an incubated start-up of IIT Madras. o It was founded by Alum Visakh Sasikumar. o It has aimed to sell 10,000 e-bike by the financial year 2021-22. Hyderabad recognized as a ‘2020 Tree City of the World’.

 Hyderabad has been recognized as a ’2020 Tree City of the World’ by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the Arbor Day Foundation.

 It is the only city to get this recognition in India. It has joined the network of cities which recognize the importance of trees in the city.

 Most of the cities that get this recognition are from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc. In the last two years, 120 cities from 63 countries have got this status.  The Tree Cities of the World programme is an initiative to recognize cities committed to the management of urban forests and trees.  Tree Cities of the World programme was introduced at World Forum on Urban Forests in 2018 in Italy.

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Recently appointed Brand ambassdors  Levi’s appointsed Deepika Padukone as global brand ambassador.  Unacademy appointed as brand ambassador.  Howzat and website by Junglee Games, has appointed cricketer as its brand ambassador.  Redmi India has appointed actor Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador for smartphones.

Download February 2021 Monthly Banking Awareness SAGA- English

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