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Home , Captain Tom Moore, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Krishnappa Gowtham, Nirupama Mankad, Sanjay Vatsayan, Sena Medal

Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I September 2020

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Table of Contents

Awards and Honors ...... 3 Mergers and Events ...... 9 Days and Events ...... 11 MoU and Agreements ...... 15 Appointment ...... 23 Obituaries ...... 31 International Affairs ...... 34 Person in News ...... 42 Govt. Policies and Schemes ...... 45 Science and Tech ...... 50 Business and Economy ...... 54 Sports ...... 62 Defence ...... 68 Books and Authors...... 73 National Affairs ...... 75 Committees and Recommendations ...... 83

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

Awards and Honors PM Modi to receive an award in March 2021  Narendra Modi will receive the CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award during the CERAWeek Conference-2021 in the first week of March 2021.  He's being awarded in recognition of his commitment to sustainability in the energy and the environment.  PM Modi will also deliver the keynote address at the conference, which will be held virtually from 1 to 5 March 2021. Sahitya Akademi fellowship for Velcheru Rao  A distinguished scholar, writer, translator and critic, Professor Velcheru Narayana Rao has been elected for an honorary fellow of Sahitya Akademi.  The election of Narayana Rao has been made based on his contribution to Telugu literature.  His publications include Girls for Sale: Kanyashulkam and A play from Colonial . Uttama Lahiri selected for TATA Fellowship  In Gujarat, Professor Uttama Lahiri, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at IIT Gandhinagar has been selected for the TATA Innovation Fellowship for 2020-21.  She received the award from Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan on 26 February 2021.  The award includes a monthly fellowship amount and a contingency grant for three years. UP: Fastest to implement PM Kisan scheme  Uttar Pradesh received an award for the fastest implementation of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana on 24 Feb'21.  It has been awarded in the category of fastest take off in year 2020-21.  More than 27110 crores have been transferred in the accounts of farmers of the state under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna.  PM Kisan scheme is run under the Ministry for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Glenmark receives an award from govt of India  Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company, received the India Pharma Innovation of the Year award, as part of the India Pharma and India Medical Device Awards 2021, on 25 Feb 2021.  The prestigious award was conferred by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals, and Fertilizers.  This is the fourth time Glenmark has won an award from the . Anjali Bhardwaj gets US anti-corruption award  Right to Information activist Anjali Bhardwaj has been honoured by the US with the newly-constituted International Anti-Corruption Champions Award.  She is the founder of the Satark Nagrik Sangathan, a Delhi-based citizens’ group working to promote accountability and transparency in government functioning.  Besides her, the award recipients also included Ardian Dvorani of Albania, etc. Top states awarded under the PM-KISAN scheme  Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar awarded the top-performing states and districts for their exemplary work with respect to the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme on 24 Feb 2021.

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

was awarded in the category of Good Performance in Physical Verification and Grievance Redressal. Citation given to security forces: Manipur  In Manipur, Governor Dr Najma Heptulla handed over citation and Certificate of Appreciation for the year 2020 to different units of , State Police, and individuals on 23 Feb 2021.  The function was organized to appreciate and encourage the security forces who are contributing to bringing peace and tranquillity in the state including the campaign against drug menace and trafficking. Steel Authority of India Ltd bags six awards  The Steel Authority of India Ltd has bagged 6 awards for its efforts in the field of communication at the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) National Awards-2020.  SAIL has been awarded in House Journal (English), Best Communication Campaign (External Publics), Communications Campaign of the Year - COVID-19, Special/Prestige Publication, E-newsletter, and Corporate Website categories. Anantapuramu chosen for Kisan National Award  The Anantapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh has been chosen for the Prime Minister Kisan National Award.  It was chosen as it completed 99.6% physical verification of the beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.  District Collector Gandham Chandrudu would be presented the award in on February 24, 2021.  The district has a total of 5,76,972 beneficiaries. 10th National Awards for Technology Innovation  Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister DV Sadananda Gowda presented the 10th National Awards for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals and Downstream Plastics Processing Industry in New Delhi on 23 Feb 2021.  The award is aimed at felicitating and recognizing the innovative efforts of renowned scientists, researchers and industrialists in the broad areas of Polymer Science and Technologies. Ayodhya district receives Skoch Gold Award  The Ayodhya district administration has been felicitated with Skoch Gold Award for the measures taken to contain COVID-19.  Skoch Award was started in 2003 to facilitate people, projects and institutions for their contributions to society and make India a better nation.  The city had participated in the esteemed 68th SKOCH awards, which were organised through the digital mode on 20 Feb 2021. Deepika Padukone bags Award  Deepika Padukone and Akshay Kumar bagged Dadasaheb Phalke Awards for 'Best Actor' on 20 Feb 2021.  They won the award for their movies 'Chhapaak' and 'Laxmii', respectively.  'Chhapaak' is based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.  Kiara Advani won the 'Critic's Best Actress' award and Sushmita Sen won 'Best Actress-Web Series'. "Prabha Varma" bags Kunchan Nambiar Award  Renowned poet Prabha Varma has bagged Mahakavi Kunchan Nambiar Award 2021 for his outstanding contributions to Malayalam language and literature.  The award comprises a purse of Rs 25,001, a citation and a plaque.

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

 The honour was instituted by the Kunchan Nambiar Memorial Trust, which works to retain the legacy of the 18th century legendary poet-performer Nambiar. Andhra CM announces hike in cash award  Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan has announced a ten-time hike in cash award for the Armed Forces personnel from the state who will win gallantry medals.  The cash award for winners of Param and Ashoka Chakra will be increased to Rs 1 crore.  For and Keerti Chakra, the number of State incentives will be increased from Rs 8 lakhs to Rs 80 lakhs. Trident Limited bags 1st prize at FICCI Awards  Trident Limited has been awarded the joint first prize at FICCI Water Awards 2020 in the category of 'Industrial Water Use Efficiency.'  The award is instituted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, (FICCI).  Trident Limited has been chosen for this award for the measures undertaken for the establishment of water-efficient machinery, zero liquid discharge system, etc. WCCB receives an award by UNEP  The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has received the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award- 2020 awarded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has been awarded this year under the Innovation category.  Earlier, the Bureau had received the award in 2018 under the same category. : 2020 Tree City of the World  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the Arbor Day Foundation have recognized Hyderabad as a 2020 Tree City of the World.  It has been recognized for its commitment to growing and maintaining urban forests.  It is the only city in India to earn the title.  Most of the other cities were from the United States, , Canada, and Australia. K.K.Menon: Most Versatile Actor award  Kay Kay Menon has been honoured with the award for 'Most Versatile Actor' at Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival 2021.  DPIFF is one of India's prestigious awards ceremony which honours actors and artists who have contributed to the Indian cinema.  It is India’s only independent award function with a mission to celebrate the legacy of Dadasaheb Phalke, Father of Indian Cinema. Andhra CM conferred Skoch CM of the Year award  Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been conferred the Skoch Chief Minister of the Year award.  The award was presented to him by the Chairman, Skoch Group, Sameer Kochhar, at the CM’s camp office on 16 Feb 2021.  The award selection was based on a study of project-level outcomes in various states. Women Excellence Award 2021  Four young women fellows of the Indian National Science Academy have been awarded the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) Women Excellence Award 2021.  The four women scientists include Shobhna Kapoor, Antara Banerjee, Sonu Gandhi, and Ritu Gupta.  All four women received a grant of ₹15 lakh for a period of three years to pursue their research ideas. Theodore Baskaran wins an award

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

 Writer, historian, naturalist, and activist, S Theodore Baskaran has won the Sanctuary Lifetime Service Award 2020.  He was awarded for his dedication to wildlife conservation and his writing prowess in English and Tamil that contribute to the conservation discourse.  Theodore is prolific in Tamil and some of his Tamil works include Vaanil Parakkum Pullelam and Kal Mel Nadandha Kaalam. Manipur doctor wins high Japanese honour  Japan has conferred the "Order of the Rising Sun" for Manipur physician and former President of state tourism forum, Dr. Thangjam Dhabali Singh.  The honor is given to felicitate his contribution to strengthening ties between Japan and India, and Japan and Manipur.  It is one of the highest orders conferred by Japan govt. to non-military and apolitical personalities, constituted in 1875. Awards given for writing competition  The High Commission of India in Dhaka has announced the winners of the writing competition on the subject ‘What Liberation means to me’ for the youth of Bangladesh.  The prize-giving ceremony was organised on 15 Feb 2021 at the High Commission of India in Dhaka.  In Category A of Bangla competition, Afsara Tasnim of Dhaka University was adjudged the Champion. Best Marching Contingent award presented  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on 15 February 2021, presented the Best Marching Contingent award of Republic Day Parade 2021.  'Best marching contingent among the three services' was presented to Jat Regimental Centre.  'Best marching contingent among CAPF and other auxiliary forces' was won by Delhi Police. SERB Women Excellence Award 2021  The women scientists Dr.Shobhna Kapoor, Dr. Antara Banerjee, Dr.Sonu Gandhi, and Dr.Ritu Gupta are selected for the SERB Women Excellence Award 2021.  Award provides a grant of Rs.15 lakhs for a period of 3 yrs to the scientists below the age of 40.  It is given by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology. Indian film 'Bittu' shortlisted for Oscars  Indian short film Bittu has been shortlisted in top 10 films under Live Action Short film category for the 93rd Oscar Awards.  Indian filmmakers Shreya and Karishma dev Dube are producer and directors of this film.  For the short film category, it had received 174 films out of which 10 films were shortlisted including Bittu. Yuva Vigyan Puraskar  As many as 46 students were awarded the Yuva Vigyan Puraskar during a function organized by the Himachal Pradesh Science, Technology Environment Council.  This scheme was started in 2018 to encourage students to take up science subject, thereby motivating them to do research.  Under this programme first 10 positions in XII Faculty of Science in School Education Board examinations were awarded. Bodo film “Sijou” bags four awards

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

 A Bodo film, “Sijou” has bagged four awards at the Golden Sparrow International Film Festival 2021 in .  It is written and directed by Vishal P. Chaliha, and produced by national award-winning filmmakers Preeyam Kherkatary Chaliha and Omprakash Kherkatary.  It won “Best Director”, “Best Debut Filmmaker”, “Best Screenplay Writer”, and “Special Jury Award". Vinothraj’s Pebbles wins Tiger Award  The International Film Festival Rotterdam was held from February 1 to February 7, 2021.  The Indian drama film Pebbles directed by Vinothraj PS bagged the Tiger Award for Best Film.  The Tiger Award also comes with a 40,000 Euro cash prize which is to be shared by the director and producer of the winning film. Sasmita Lenka wins UN's award  In a first for India, a female forest officer from Odisha, Sasmita Lenka has been felicitated with United Nation's Asia Environmental Enforcement Award.  Lanka, who is a divisional forest officer in Athgarh, Cuttack, received the award under the 'Gender Leadership and Impact' category.  Lenka has helped in busting an international network of pangolin in Athgarh and Khunnpunni. Bengaluru airport bags a global recognition  The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has won the Airports Council International World's 'Voice of the Customer' award.  The 'Voice of the Customer' initiative recognizes airports that continued to prioritize their customers during the novel coronavirus pandemic in 2020.  Under the #WeAreHereForYou umbrella of BIAL, various campaigns were launched to rebuild passenger confidence. BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal awarded  Iqbal Singh Chahal, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner, has been conferred the 'Covid Crusader Award-2020'.  He has been awarded by the Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) in the Indian Bureaucrats Category.  He has become the first Indian bureaucrat to be recognized and receive global acknowledgment for his contribution in controlling Covid in . 14th ICFFB concludes in Bangladesh  The 14th International Children’s Film Festival of Bangladesh (ICFFB) came to an end on 5 Feb 2021.  Dutch film 'Jackie and Oopjen' was awarded the Best International Feature Film Award.  The Best Director award went to Ani Oganesyan for his film Stork’s Nest from Armenia.  Bangladeshi film 'Maati' got The Young Talent Award while 'Lottery' won the Special mention under the Young Talent Award. Bangladesh honours Indian citizens  The govt of Bangladesh honoured a number of Indian citizens for their outstanding contribution to the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, on 6 Feb 2021.  Information Minister of Bangladesh Dr Hasan Mahmud gave them the ‘Freedom Fighter Friendship Award’ in .  Family members of poet Govinda Halder, legendary Singer and former CM Siddhartha Shankar Roy were also honoured.

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

Antonio Guterres honored with Zayed Award  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and French-Moroccan activist Latifa Ibn Ziaten are the co- recipients of the 2021 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.  The award was inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity, which was signed by Grand Imam Al- Tayeb and Pope Francis on Feb. 4, 2019, in the UAE’s capital.  The award carries a cash prize of $500,000. "Writing with Fire" wins audience award at SFF  “Writing with Fire” has won the audience award in the World Cinema Documentary category at the Sundance Film Festival 2021.  It is directed, edited and produced by R. Thomas and S. Ghosh.  The festival, which started from 28 Jan and concluded on 3 Feb, is presented by Sundance Organisation, a nonprofit that discovers and supports independent artists, and introduces audiences to their work. Best training institutions awards  The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has won its first round of best training institute award for Gazetted Officers.  The awards have been declared by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for a span of four consecutive years, starting from 2016 to 2020.  CRPF’s Shivpuri school and training institute in Neemach have been awarded as the best training centres for years 2017 and 2018. Rishabh Pant nominated for an award  Rishabh Pant has been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award along with England's Joe Root and Ireland's Paul Stirling.  Pant played two Tests against Australia where he scored a 97 at Sydney and led India to a historic win.  In January 2021, Root played two Tests against Sri Lanka, where he scored a 228 and 186 and led his team to a 2-0 Test series victory. Jindal Steel conferred with Mahatma Award 2020  Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Naveen Jindal has been conferred with the Mahatma Award 2020.  He has been awarded for his humanitarian effort to support the communities and local administration in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Mahatma Award was founded and constituted by Amit Sachdeva, more famously known as 'The CSR Man of India'. Writer Ranendra conferred with an award  Hindi writer and storyteller Ranendra bagged the ‘Shrilal Shukla Smriti IFFCO Sahitya Samman-2020’ award by Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO).  He made his debut in the literary world in 2008 with his novel ‘Global Gaon ke Devta’ in which he talked about a tribal community called ‘Asura’.  The award had earlier been conferred on Vidyasagar Nautiyal, Shekhar Joshi, etc.

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

Mergers and Acquisition ReNew Power to merge with RMG  Goldman Sachs backed ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd has announced a merger agreement with RMG Acquisition Corp. II (RMG II).  RMG is a Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).  The transaction puts an enterprise value of around $8 billion on ReNew Power and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021. Ashok Leyland to buy stake in Hinduja Tech  Hinduja Group flagship firm Ashok Leyland has entered an agreement with Nissan International Holding BV to acquire 38% stake in Hinduja Tech for ₹70.20 cr.  It will acquire 58,500,000 shares for a total consideration of ₹70.20 cr constituting 38% in the paid-up share capital of Hinduja Tech Ltd.  Prior to the stake sale, Hinduja Tech Ltd was wholly-owned unlisted subsidiary of Ashok Leyland. ABFRL picks up 33.5% stake in GPPL  Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail (ABFRL) has acquired 33.5% stake in Goodview Properties Private Limited (GPPL).  GPPL was founded by fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani, for Rs 67 crore.  Under this partnership, ABFRL and Tahiliani will also form a new entity.  ABFRL will hold 80% stake in the new entity while Tahiliani will hold the remaining 20%. CDPQ set to acquire 2% stake in PharmEasy  Canada's second-largest pension fund, CDPQ has received the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) approval to acquire a 2% stake in PharmEasy.  CDPQ had also participated in PharmEasy’s $220 million funding round in November 2019.  In 2020, PharmEasy had merged with Medlife to create a combined entity that was valued at about $1.2 billion at the time of the transaction. MoD clears defense buys worth ₹13,700 crore  The Defense Acquisition Council approved capital acquisition proposals of various weapons, platforms, equipment, systems required by the , Navy and Air Force on 23 Feb'21.  Three Acceptance of Necessities (AoNs) for an overall cost of Rs 13,700 cr were accorded.  These acquisitions will include platforms and systems designed and developed by the DRDO. Vedantu acquires a doubt-solving app Instasolv  Indian online tutoring startup Vedantu has acquired Instasolv, a doubt-solving app,marking its first acquisition in the educational technology space.  Vedantu had also invested $2 million in Instasolv in July 2020.  The latest acquisition will bring on board Instasolv's 1 million learners to Vedantu's platform which is already 25 million strong. Byju’s to acquire Edtech platform Scholr  Edtech unicorn BYJU'S has acquired Mumbai-based doubt-solving ed-tech startup Scholr.  The size of the deal is in the range of Rs 15-20 crore.  Scholr provides video solutions for class 6 to 10 students to solve their doubts via Android and iOS apps.  Scholr was founded by Himanshu Nimje, Manil Gupta, Piyush Agarwal and Aniket Singh in 2015.

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

Airtel to acquire stake in Bharti Telemedia  Bharti Airtel will acquire Warburg Pincus affiliate's 20% equity stake in its DTH arm Bharti Telemedia.  The deal involves a total consideration of Rs 3,126 cr which will be discharged primarily via issuance of 3.64 cr equity shares of Airtel at a price of Rs 600 per share, and up to Rs 1,037.8 cr in cash.  Airtel will issue its shares to the Warburg Pincus affiliate at a premium of 0.50%. DLF acquires 51.8% stake in Fairleaf  DLF Group's rental arm DLF Cyber City Developers Limited (DCCDL) has acquired a 51.8% stake in Fairleaf Real Estate Pvt Ltd for ₹780 crores.  Fairleaf has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of DCCDL with effect from 18th February 2021.  In December 2020, DCCDL had entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with funds managed by Hines (Hines) for the acquisition of their stake in Fairleaf. Piramal Group to take over DHFL  The Reserve Bank of India has given the nod to Piramal Group led by Ajay Piramal for the takeover of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL).  The lenders are now in the process of taking the proposal to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).  RBI’s approval comes a month after the Piramal Group won the bidding for bankrupt DHFL. CCI approves BOI's stake-buy in BOI AXA  Competition Commission of India has approved Bank of India's acquisition of 49% stake each in BOI AXA Investment Managers (BAIM) and BOI AXA Trustee Services (BATS).  The total asset under management (AUM) of BOI AXA Mutual Fund was ₹2,426 crores as of 30 November 2020.  Following the transaction, both the entities- BAIM and BATS - will become Bank of India's fully-owned subsidiaries. Tata Consumer to acquire Kottaram Agro Foods  Tata Consumer Products will acquire Bengaluru-based Kottaram Agro Foods for Rs 155.8 crore to expand its product portfolio.  The company will acquire 100% of the issued and paid-up equity share capital of KAF.  Kottaram Agro Foods (KAF) is primarily engaged in the business of healthy breakfast cereals and millet- based snacks under the trademark Soulfull.  Brand Soulfull was launched in 2013. Uber to buy Drizly for $1.1 billion  Uber Technologies Inc. has agreed to acquire Drizly Inc for $1.1 billion.  Drizly is an alcohol e-commerce platform that facilitates the delivery of alcohol.  The deal is Uber’s biggest since July 2020 when it bought Postmates, a food delivery app.  The Drizly purchase primarily consists of Uber stock, with less than 10% in cash.  The acquisition excludes Drizly’s cannabis delivery arm.

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

Days and Events National Science Day 2021  National Science Day day is celebrated every year on 28th of February to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’.  The theme for National Science Day 2021 is ‘Future of Science and Technology and Innovation: Impact on Education Skills and Work'.  Physicist CV Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 for discovery of "Raman Effect". DBT celebrates its 35th Foundation Day  The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) celebrated its 35th Foundation Day on 27 Feb 2021.  The celebrations also marked giving away of prestigious BRITE (Biotechnology Research Innovation and Technology Excellence) Awards in various categories.  The e-book "DBT Fights COVID- From Virus to Vaccine" which showcases the initiatives of DBT in the mitigation of the COVID pandemic was also unveiled. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's death anniversary  Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born May 28, 1883, at Bhagur village of Nashik district in Maharashtra.  He passed away on February 26, 1966, in Bombay.  He was a nationalist and one of the most important figures of the Hindu Mahasabha ("Great Society of Hindus"), a Hindu nationalist organization and political party.  He got the nickname 'Veer' at the age of 12 after performing a bravery act. Chandrashekhar Azad's death anniversary  On February 27, 1931, one of India’s most prominent freedom fighters Chandra Shekhar Azad chose to take a bullet to his head with his own hands rather than be taken captive by British colonialists.  Chandra Shekhar Azad, born on July 23, 1906, was most well-known for the Kakori Train Robbery of 1925.  At the age of 14, Azad joined Mahatma Gandhi-led Non-co-operation Movement of 1920. Guru Ravidas Jayanti celebrated on 27 Feb  Guru Ravidas Jayanti is being celebrated all across the country on 27 Feb 2021.  Bhakti movement saint Guru Ravidas is well-known for making efforts in eradicating the caste system.  He was a contemporary to Kabirdas and Mirabai was a disciple of Ravidas.  His importance in Sikhism is denoted by the fact that 40 of his poems were included in the sacred Adi Granth. Central Excise Day: 24 February  Central Excise Day is celebrated every year on February 24 across India.  In India, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is responsible for administering Customs, Goods, and Service Tax (GST), Central Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics in India.  The Customs and Central Excise/ Central GST department was established to administer customs laws. 21 February: International Mother Language Day  In 1999, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO) had declared 21st February as International Mother Language Day.  The theme for the year 2021 is "Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society".  This year Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and IGNCA are organizing a four-day virtual event to mark the day.

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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |February 2021

World Day of Social Justice: 20 February  World Day of Social Justice is observed on February 20 every year.  It is a global observance to raise voice against social injustice.  The theme for 2021 is "A Call for Social Justice in the Digital Economy".  The UN General Assembly declared February 20 as the annual World Day of Social Injustice in 2007.  It was in 2009 that the day was first observed. Birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj  February 19, 2021, marks the 391st birth anniversary of Shivaji Bhonsle, popularly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.  He was born on February 19, 1630, in Shivneri fort in Junnar tehsil of .  He established the Maratha kingdom, with Raigarh as its capital.  On June 6, 1674, he was crowned as the Chhatrapati – the King of Marathas. Ramakrishna's birth anniversary: 18 February  18 February marks the birth anniversary of Ramakrishna Paramhansa.  Born on 18 February 1836, Gadadhar Chattopadhyay, who came to be known as Ramakrishna later in life, hailed from a poor Brahmin family from Kamarpukur village, in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.  The saint was given the title of ‘Paramhansa’ by his Vedantic guru, Totapuri, a monk from Punjab. 74th foundation day of Delhi Police  16 February marks the foundation day of the Delhi Police.  The year 2021 marked its 74th foundation day.  As Home Minister, Amit Shah is in charge of the Delhi Police.  Delhi Police comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.  In 2015, sanctioned strength of Delhi Police was 84,536 making it one of the largest metropolitan police forces in the world. National Women's Day: 13 February  National Women's Day in India is celebrated on 13 Feb every year.  It is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of the nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu.  She is one of the most recognised persons in the Indian freedom movement.  She made history by becoming the first woman Governor in India.  In 1947, she became the Governor of the United Province, which is now known as Uttar Pradesh Swami Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti: 12 Feb  12 Feb marks the birth anniversary of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj.  Swami Dayanand Saraswati denounced the caste system and encouraged education and equal rights of men and women.  He was a renowned scholar who promoted the Vedic philosophy and principles of karma and reincarnation.  His mission in life was universal brotherhood and for this, he founded the Arya Samaj. Financial Literacy Week concludes  The RBI had launched the Financial Literacy Week on the theme of 'Credit Discipline and Credit from Formal Institutions'.  It was observed from Feb 8-12, 2021.  The 5-day event was launched by Ajay Kumar, Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India, New Delhi.

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 The RBI has been conducting it every year since 2016 to propagate financial education messages on a particular theme across the country. World Radio Day: 13 February  World Radio Day is celebrated all over the world on February 13.  The day aims at promoting the medium and encouraging people to use it.  The World Radio Day 2021 theme is “New World, New Radio”.  The day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day.  It was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011. Samarpan Diwas: 11th February  'Samarpan Diwas' is observed on the death anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on 11th February.  Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) thinker and former leader of the political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of Bharatiya Janata Party.  He became President of the Jana Sangh in December 1967.  He passed away on February 11, 1968. Day of Women and Girls in Science: 11 February  The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated on 11 February every year.  The theme for the year 2021 is “Women Scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19”.  According to a UN study from 14 countries, the probability for female students graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in science is 18%, while the male equivalent is 37%. World Pulses Day: 10 February  World Pulses Day is observed on the 10th of February every year.  Pulses are the legume branches or small plants that contain edible seeds including beans, peas chickpeas and lentils.  Pulses are a rich source of protein, dietary fibre and minerals.  In 2019, the General Assembly proclaimed 10 February as the World Pulses Day. Dr Zakir Hussain's birth anniversary: 8 Feb  8 February marks the birth anniversary of former President Dr. Zakir Hussain.  Born on 8 February 1897, he served as the third President of the country from 13 May 1967 till his death on 3 May 1969.  He previously served as Governor of Bihar from 1957 to 1962 and as Vice from 1962 to 1967. Safer Internet Day: 9 February  Safer Internet Day (SID) is celebrated around the world in February of each year, with Safer Internet Centres, SID Committees and other supporters in each of the countries coming together to plan and organise events.  SID celebration for 2021 took place on 9 February with the slogan "Together for a better internet".  The day was first celebrated in the year 2012. International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM  The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is observed on Feb 6 every year.  About 120 to 140 mn women have been subject to FGM and 3 million girls are at risk each year,

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according to WHO.  FGM relates to all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. 4 Feb: Sri Lanka's 73rd Independence Day  Sri Lanka marked its 73rd Independence Day on 4 Feb 2021, with the main celebration event held at the iconic Independence Square in Colombo.  Actual independence for the dominion of Ceylon came on February 4, 1948, when the constitution of 1947 went into effect.  In 2021, Independence Day celebrations held under the theme ‘Prosperous Tomorrow – Prosperous Maubimik’. International Day of Human Fraternity: 4 Feb  In December 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare 4 February as International Day of Human Fraternity.  The day aims to underline the importance of raising awareness about different cultures and religions, or beliefs, and the promotion of tolerance.  The day was celebrated for the very first time on February 4, 2021, with the theme ‘A Pathway to the Future’. World Cancer Day: 4 February  World Cancer Day is observed on 4th February every year.  The aim to observe World Cancer Day is to reduce misconceptions about cancer and to help people in getting the right information about it.  The top cancers that affect the Indian population are lung, breast, cervical, head and neck and colorectal cancer (CRC).  The theme for World Cancer Day 2021 is 'I Am and I Will.' World Wetlands Day: 2 February  2 February is celebrated as World Wetlands Day every year.  It raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet.  This day also marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.  Wetlands are land areas that are saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally. 1 February: Indian Coast Guard day  Indian Coast Guard Day is celebrated on 1st February every year.  The interim Indian Coast guard was established on 1 February 1977 to prevent sea-borne smuggling of goods which were hampering India's domestic economy.  ICG is celebrating its 45th Raising Day on 1 Feb 2021.  Since its inception, the ICG has saved over 10,000 lives and apprehended around 14,000 miscreants.

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MoU and Agreements FB signs deals with 3 Australian publishers  Facebook has announced preliminary agreements with three Australian publishers.  Letters of intent had been signed with independent news organizations Private Media, Schwartz Media and Solstice Media.  These agreements will bring a new slate of premium journalism, including some previously paywalled content, to Facebook. Ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan  India and Pakistan armies have agreed to cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) from midnight of February 24-25, 2021.  The Director Generals of Military Operations of the two countries agreed to observe a ceasefire to maintain peace along LoC.  Amid heightened tensions along the LoC and LAC in 2020, this is the first such contract between India and Pakistan. Brazil signs contract with Bharat Biotech  Health Ministry of Brazil signed a contract to purchase 20 million doses of vaccine made by India's Bharat Biotech, on 25 Feb 2021.  The first 8 million doses are expected to arrive in March 2021.  Meanwhile, Brazil reported 1,541 new COVID-19 deaths on 25 Feb 2021, the second-highest daily death toll ever since the pandemic began, taking total fatalities to 251,498. IWAI inks pact with MOL  An MoU was signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the MOL (Asia Oceania) Ltd for transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas through barges on National Waterways-1 and 2.  IWAI will provide support for, facilitating the handling of LPG cargo on IWAI terminals or Multimodal Terminals at Haldia, Sahibganj and Varanasi.  MOL Group is the world's largest gas carrier company. Ministry of Corporate Affairs, CBIC sign MoU  The Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs have signed an MoU for the exchange of data for enhancing the ease of doing business in India and improve overall regulatory enforcement.  The MoU was signed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs Manoj Pandey and Additional Director General, CBIC B. B. Gupta. Foxconn to form EV partnership with Fisker  Foxconn Technology Group will develop an electric vehicle with Fisker Inc.  The car will be built by Foxconn, targeted at multiple markets including North America, Europe, China and India, and sold under the Fisker brand.  Production is set to start in the fourth quarter of 2023.  The company is expected to build more than 250,000 vehicles annually for the Fisker partnership. MoA signed between ICAR-CCARI and GSBB  A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CCARI), Goa, and Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB), Goa.  It has been signed for commercialization of ICAR-CCARIs technology.

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 The technology helps in the effective utilization of pericarp (outer cover of nutmeg fruit), otherwise discarded, by preparing the nutmeg taffy. Coal India signs MoU with Railways' CRIS  Coal India Limited (CIL) has joined hands with the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), an arm of the Ministry of Railways, for freight monitoring and data sharing.  CIL will get access to the Freight Operations Information System (FOIS) of Indian Railways, through which it will monitor movement of coal rakes and coal despatch activity.  CIL has signed an MoU with CRIS for the same. HarperCollins, Amar Chitra Katha announce JV  Amar Chitra Katha has joined hands with HarperCollins India to bring the iconic folktales of India from its comic books in a new format for younger readers.  Each book in the Amar Chitra Katha Folktales Series is adapted from the original Amar Chitra Katha comics.  Founded in 1967, Amar Chitra Katha has been a household name for generations of Indians. Bharat Forge joins hands with Paramount Group  Bharat Forge has inked a pact with global aerospace and technology firm Paramount Group to manufacture armoured vehicles like Kalyani M4 in the country.  An agreement to this effect was signed by both companies during the International Defence Expo (IDEX 2021) in Abu Dhabi.  The Kalyani M4 is a multi-role platform, designed to meet the specific requirements of armed forces for quick mobility. Centre signs $304 million pact with AIIB  The Centre on 23 Feb'21 signed an agreement with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for borrowing $304 million (over ₹2,200 crore) to improve power transmission network in Assam.  The fund will be utilized for the 'Assam Intra-State Transmission System Enhancement Project'.  The project aims to improve reliability, capacity and security of the power transmission network in the state. TERI, POSOCO sign MoU  The Energy and Resources Institute has signed an MoU with Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) to encourage research in the domestic power sector.  Both have agreed to work together to strengthen research-industry interaction for knowledge sharing and capacity building through collaboration and to encourage research on issues related to the Indian power sector. NHA signs MoU with CSCs  The National Health Authority has signed an MoU with Common Service Centres (CSCs) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.  It will generate new PVC beneficiary cards called Ayushman cards under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.  Eligible beneficiaries will now be able to get their Ayushman cards issued free of cost (at no charge to the beneficiary). India signs trade deal with Mauritius  India signed major trade and defence deals with Mauritius on 22 Feb 2021.

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 During External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Mauritius, the two sides signed a free trade agreement (FTA) or CECPA — the first such pact with any African country.  India and Mauritius also signed a $100 million Defence Line of Credit, to facilitate the procurement of Indian defence equipment. Centre, Nagaland govt sign $68 million project  The Centre along with the Nagaland govt has signed a 68 million dollar project with the World Bank.  The project is named “Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources”.  It will improve classroom instruction; create opportunities for the professional development of teachers, and build technology systems to provide students and teachers with more access to blended and online learning. Amazon India partners with Mahindra Electric  Amazon India has partnered with Mahindra Electric to strengthen its commitment to electric mobility in the country.  It is looking to add 10,000 electric vehicles in its local delivery fleet by 2025.  Mahindra’s Treo Zor vehicles have been deployed in 7 cities--Bengaluru, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Indore, and , with Amazon India’s network of delivery service partners. Airtel partners with Qualcomm  Bharti Airtel has partnered with Qualcomm Technologies for accelerating 5G services in India.  Airtel will utilize the Qualcomm SG RAN Platforms to roll-out virtualized and Open RAN-based 5G networks.  In addition, Airtel and Qualcomm Technologies will collaborate to enable a wide array of use cases, including 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). JMC signs MoUs with IPCA, UNDP  The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has signed two MoUs with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA) to make Jammu plastic-free.  At present, around 80 percent of door-to-door garbage collection is done within the limits of the JMC.  Two new waste management plants are also being planned in Jammu. WE HUB inks MoU with JKEDI  WE HUB has signed an MoU with Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI).  The MoU will have a pre-incubation program for aspiring entrepreneurs from Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir catering 30 from each state.  After the pre-incubation program and rigorous interventions, a total of 60 start-ups from Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir will undergo a co-incubation program. Indian Bank signs MOU with SID of IISc  Indian Bank has entered into an MOU with the Society for Innovation and Development (SID) for extending exclusive credit facility to start-ups and MSMEs.  SID is an initiative of the Indian Institute of Science.  The Bank will extend loans of up to Rs 50 crore to the start-ups for their working capital requirements or for the purchase of machinery, equipment etc. Amazon India inks MoU with DGR  Amazon India has signed an MoU with the Directorate General Resettlement (DGR).  Under the MoU, Amazon India would continue to create career opportunities for the ex-service

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personnel who had served the country.  Veterans would have access to the work opportunities, including a mix of individual contribution and managerial roles in fulfilment centres, sort centres, and delivery stations. India signs $50 mn defence deal with Maldives  EAM S.Jaishankar signed a $50 million defence Line of Credit Agreement with the island nation Maldives to facilitate capability building in the maritime domain on 21 Feb 2021.  The deal will lead to useful exchange on defence cooperation.  Jaishnakar is on a two-day visit to Maldives, held discussions with Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Didi. Flipkart signs MoU with Tamil Nadu government  E-commerce marketplace Flipkart has signed an MoU with Tamil Nadu MSME Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau to bring local artisans, weavers, & SMBs into e-commerce fold.  The MoU will provide these societies with new vigour & link them to a national market for their products.  The TN govt also has announced MSME Policy 2021 with a target to attract new investments worth ₹2 lakh cr by 2025. CSIR and B&M Gates Foundation sign MoU  Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CSIR signed an MoU to support the development, conduct & promotion of health research in country on 19 Feb'21.  Both will work together to identify opportunities to initiate scientific & technological collaborations.  It will focus on developing & testing new prevention therapies that can help to solve major health concerns in developing countries. Airbus, FlyBlade to offer helicopter services  European aviation major Airbus has signed an initial pact with FlyBlade India to develop the on-demand helicopter services market in South Asia.  The collaboration will create awareness about on-demand helicopter services, among helicopter operators, customers and other stakeholders in the region.  The 2 partners will also work to identify ways to increase BLADE's fleet size in South Asia. India, Ethiopia sign agreements  India and Ethiopia have signed two agreements related to visa facilitation and leather technology.  The agreements were signed in the presence of Ethiopia Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.  Hassen was on a 4-day visit to India, from February 16, 2021. IKEA signs MoU with UP government  Swedish furniture giant IKEA signed MoU with the Uttar Pradesh govt on 19 Feb'21 for Rs 5,500 cr investment.  The investment will be spread over 5 years, Paving way for international furniture and home goods store in the state, and the largest in the country.  The project will generate direct and indirect employment of 50,000 in the next 5 yrs in UP. ICICI Lombard partners with Flipkart  Flipkart has partnered with ICICI Lombard to offer 'Group SafeGuard' insurance.  Compared to the standard indemnity health insurance policies, Group SafeGuard is a benefit offering

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that allows consumers to avail a payout for each day of hospitalisation.  With daily cash benefits starting from Rs 500, 'Hospicash' benefit under Group SafeGuard insurance will provide cover to Flipkart consumers. PHDCCI inks pact with SIDBI  PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has signed an agreement with the Small Industries Development Bank of India.  It will facilitate providing of various credit and other schemes of SIDBI to micro, small and medium enterprises in the country.  SIDBI is an all India financial institution dedicated to providing term loans, working capital and venture funding assistance to MSMEs. India, Nepal signs MoU  India and Nepal have signed an MoU for the reconstruction of six secondary schools in the Himalayan nation.  The MoU was signed between the Indian Embassy and Nepal's Central Level Project Implementation Unit (Education) of Nepal Reconstruction Authority (NRA).  The schools will be constructed at a total cost of Nepali Rupees 518 million. GE Power Conversion, GRSE ink pact  GE Power Conversion and Garden Reach Shipbuilders Engineers signed a pact on 16 Feb 21 to collaborate on propulsion system design.  GE Power Conversion is a pioneer in the field of integrated, full electric and hybrid propulsion systems for commercial and military naval sectors globally.  GRSE is a shipbuilding company in India under the administrative control of the defense ministry. Tata Electronics signs MoU with Tamil Nadu  Tata Electronics has signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government to set up a facility for manufacturing mobile components.  Tata Electronics Rs 4684 crore project in Krishnagiri is for manufacturing mechanical enclosures for mobile phones.  The state also signed an MoU with Grasim Industries to establish a paint manufacturing unit at Cheyyar with an investment of Rs 750 crore. Tatas to acquire 68% stake in Bigbasket  Salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group has signed a deal to acquire a 68 percent stake in BigBasket, an online grocery platform.  The stake worth ₹9,500 crores is being acquired through Tata Digital, a subsidiary of Tata Sons.  The agreement puts BigBasket's enterprise value at more than ₹13,500 crores.  Founded in 2011, BigBasket operates in 25 Indian cities. India, Russia hold talks on UNSC issues  India and Russia held bilateral consultations on UNSC issues in Moscow at the DG level on 16 Feb'21.  The Russian delegation was led by Peter Ilichev, Director of the Department of International Organizations of Russian Foreign Ministry, and Prakash Gupta, Joint Secretary (UNP and Summits) led the Indian delegation.  Both sides agreed to work closely together on key issues on the UNSC agenda. Army joins hands with Pune-based foundation

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 Indian Army's Chinar Corps entered into an MoU with a Pune-based Indrani Balan Foundation on 15 Feb'21 to provide better education facilities to the youths of J&K.  The Foundation will finance four Goodwill schools of Uri, Wayne, Trehgam, Hajinar in Baramulla and Kupwara districts.  It will also build infrastructure for the Pariwar School Society for specially-abled children at Baramulla. AYUSH Ministry, WHO SEARO ink pact  The AYUSH Ministry and the WHO's South-East Asia Regional Office has signed a Letter of Exchange to implement its regional traditional medicine action plan.  The agreement will lead to the deputation of an AYUSH expert to WHO's regional traditional medicine program.  The initiative aims to support the South-East Asia Region in implementing the regional traditional medicine action plan. Tata Communications partners with Google  Tata Communications Ltd has partnered with Google Cloud.  Its collaboration with Google Cloud will help businesses deploy the services for modernising infrastructure, transforming data centres, smart analytics, multi-cloud deployments, among others.  The partnership will enable organisations to deploy and access Google Cloud services through Tata Communications’ IZO managed cloud. HCL Tech inks pact with IIT Kanpur  HCL Technologies has inked an agreement with IIT Kanpur to collaborate in the area of cybersecurity.  As part of the pact, HCL will work with C3iHub, a specialized cybersecurity research center at IIT Kanpur.  The teams will develop a security framework and solutions for cybersecurity challenges in current and future operational technologies as one of the first areas of interest. join hands with Titagarh Wagons  Titagarh Wagons has signed a contract for construction and supply of five Diving Support Craft from the Indian Navy.  The project cost is about Rs. 174.76 crore only and has to be completed within 30 months.  Diving support craft will help in the diving operation and will serve as an ideal platform for conducting training of the Indian Navy's diving cadre. World Bank signs project with Chhattisgarh  The Government of India, the Government of Chhattisgarh and the World Bank have signed a $100 mn project.  It is titled 'CHIRAAG – Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and Accelerated Agriculture Growth'.  It has been signed to develop sustainable production systems that allow tribal households in remote areas of Chhattisgarh to practice round-the-year production of diversified and nutritious food. J&K joins hands with UK Space Agency  Jammu and Kashmir has joined hands with the UK Space Agency's programme for collaborative projects on Impact Based Flood Forecasting using Earth Observation (EO) based Information.  The National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) is a new programme established by the UK Space Agency which supports collaborative projects between UK organisations and international partners. Meghalaya Police sign MoU with SBI  Meghalaya Police sign MoU with SBI for implementation of the e-Challan within the jurisdiction of the

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Shillong Traffic Police(STP).  The e-challan system will provide a digital traffic enforcement solution whereby imposing penalties on violators of traffic rule by generating challan.  The System has been integrated with VAHAN & SARATHI applications to fetch the details of traffic violators. Flipkart signs MoU with Maharashtra govt  Flipkart has entered into an MoU with Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (MSSIDC) and Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board (MSKVIB).  The MoU will onboard local artisans and entities on the company's flagship initiative Flipkart Samarth.  The partnership will enable Maharashtra's local artisans, weavers, and craftsmen to showcase their hallmark products. PhonePe, Axis Bank partner on UPI multi-bank  PhonePe has partnered with India’s third-largest bank, Axis Bank on UPI multi-bank model.  It will offer its users the chance to create and use multiple UPI IDs with Axis Bank’s “@axl” handle.  The platform enables the users to choose between multiple handles for their UPI transactions on the multi-bank model. Bank of Maharashtra ties up with LoanTap  Bank of Maharashtra has entered into a co-lending agreement with non-banking financial company LoanTap Credit Products for MSME loans.  LoanTap offers a range of business, vehicle and personal loans to the underserved segment.  With LoanTap, the bank would be getting into faceless sanction and disbursals using mobile app. PNB inks deal with Indian Oil  Punjab National Bank (PNB) has inked a pact with Indian Oil Corporation to provide up to ₹2 crores to the oil company's dealers.  Punjab National Bank signed an MoU with India Oil Corporation Ltd in this regard.  The MoU would benefit dealers with credit facilities at lower interest rates, nil margin, and with minimum or zero collateral requirements through the PNB e-Dealer scheme. Centre, SPPU sign MoU  The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and the Ministry of AYUSH signed an MoU with the consortium of Ayush institutions on 10 February 2021.  The consortium comprises a group of institutions of national importance such as Teaching Research in Ayurveda (ITRA).  The tie-up will help in research activities, realizing the need to study, understand, validate and integrate the Ayush systems. Skyroot, Bellatrix sign MoU  Skyroot Aerospace and Bellatrix Aerospace have signed an MoU to use the Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) being developed by Bellatrix Aerospace.  An Orbital Transfer Vehicle is a spacecraft that can perform various in-orbit operations, allowing a launch vehicle to deliver satellites to more orbits.  Skyroot and Bellatrix plan to have the first mission of a Vikram launcher with an OTV by 2023. IEPFA signs MoU with IGNOU  The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and Indira Gandhi National Open

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University (IGNOU) have signed an MoU.  It is for collaboration in utilizing the tele-lecturing facility of Gyan Darshan Channel (EPMC) for a telecast of Investor Awareness Programmes (IAPs) through distance learning mode.  So far, IEPFA has conducted around 50 thousand IAPs. Apple partners with TSMC  Apple Inc has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to develop micro OLED displays, which it plans to use in its upcoming augmented reality (AR) devices.  TSMC is the sole supplier of iPhone processors.  Micro OLED displays are thinner, smaller, and use less power, making them more suitable for use in wearable AR devices.

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Appointment Tarun Bajaj gets extra charge of Revenue Dept  Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs Tarun Bajaj has been given additional charge of Department of Revenue.  He has been given an additional charge after the retirement of Revenue Secretary Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey.  He was appointed as the economic affairs secretary on May 1, 2020.  Previously he was serving as an additional secretary in Prime Minister’s Office. Hima Das inducted as DSP in Assam  Sprinter Hima Das was inducted as Deputy Superintendent of Assam Police in the presence of CM Sarbananda Sonowal on 26 Feb'21.  She had won a silver in women’s 400m in the 2018 Asian Games and was also part of the gold-winning women’s 400m relay and mixed 400m relay quartets in the quadrennial event in Jakarta.  She is also known as ‘Dhing Express’. New Naval Officer-In-Charge  M Goverdhan Raju, NM took over as Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andhra Pradesh) from Commodore Sanjiv Issar at a ceremonial parade held in the Naval Base at on 26 Feb 21.  He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 1989 and is a specialist in Navigation and Direction.  He is a recipient of the Nao (Devotion to Duty) in 2014. L. Noronha: Assistant Secretary-General of UN  UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Ligia Noronha of India as Assistant Secretary- General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme.  She has worked as Director of UNEP’s Economy Division based in Nairobi since 2014.  Noronha will succeed fellow Indian and development economist Satya Tripathi. ADB appoints Bruno Carrasco as Director Gen.  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Bruno Carrasco as Director General and concurrently Chief Compliance Officer of its sustainable development and climate change department.  Carrasco has worked at ADB for more than 23 years.  He was most recently Chief of ADB's governance thematic group. Carrasco has also worked at the United Nations Office for Project Services. Japan appoints Minister of Loneliness  In a bid to tackle the rise in suicide rates, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto as its first-ever Minister for Loneliness.  Besides this, Sakamoto is also in charge of managing the nation's falling birth rate and strengthening regional economies.  The Japanese government has also created an isolation/ loneliness countermeasures office. Kalpesh Kikani: CEO of Piramal Alternatives  Piramal Enterprises Ltd has appointed Kalpesh Kikani as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its ₹11,000 plus crore Assets Under Management (AUM) Alternatives business managed through its subsidiaries and joint ventures.  He served as Managing Director at AION Capital (a JV between Apollo Global Management and ICICI Group) earlier.

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 He also has spent over 15 years at ICICI Bank. Joe Biden nominates Indian-American lawyer  US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American lawyer Kiran Ahuja to head the Office of Personnel Management.  She will be the first Indian-American to head this department.  She had served as Chief of Staff to Director of US Office of Personnel Management from 2015 to 2017.  The United States Office of Personnel Management is a federal agency that manages US civilian services. Fullerton India appoints Shantanu Mitra as CEO  Fullerton India Credit Company (Fullerton India)has announced the appointment of Shantanu Mitra as its new CEO and MD with effect from 2 April 2021.  Mitra has over 40 years of experience in financial services, with over 20 years at Standard Chartered and Citibank.  His last role in Standard Chartered was Senior Regional Risk Officer, India, Middle East and Africa, based in Mumbai. Vijay Sampla takes charge as Chairman of NCSC  Vijay Sampla assumed the charge of Chairman National Commission for Scheduled Castes(NCSC) in New Delhi on 24 February 2021.  He has been the former Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment from 2014-2019.  He served as Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Board, Punjab from 2009-2012, and subsequently, his name was recommended for Rashtrapati Award. Ajay Kochhar takes charge as the FOCWF  Ajay Kochhar took over as the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) at a ceremony held onboard INS Vikramaditya on 24 Feb 21.  He took over from Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan.  Rear Admiral Ajay Kochhar, a specialist in Gunnery and Missile Warfare, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 Jul 1988.  He has commanded 5 warships on both the Western and Eastern seaboard. Levi's appoints Deepika as brand ambassador  Levi's has appointed Deepika Padukone as its global brand ambassador.  The association will help attract a new generation of women consumers as it looks to expand the women's wear category.  Deepika is the first female to become the face of the brand in India.  She will be seen spearheading the new campaign focused on a new range of fashion fits from Levi’s. takes command of  Rear Admiral Tarun Sobti, took over the Command of the Eastern Fleet, the sword arm of the at Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam, on 23 Feb 2021.  He has taken over the Command from Rear Admiral .  Rear Admiral Tarun Sobti was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1988 and is a specialist in Navigation and Direction. Dr Shakti Gupta: First Director of Jammu AIIMS  Dr Shakti Kumar Gupta has been appointed as the first Director of the upcoming AIIMS at Vijaypur in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir.

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 He is serving as a Medical Superintendent at Dr RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in AIIMS-New Delhi.  PM Modi laid the foundation of AIIMS-Jammu in February 2019, which will be completed in 2023. Jindal Power appoints Anil Kumar as Chairman  Jindal Power Ltd (JPL) has appointed former bureaucrat Anil Kumar Jha as its Chairman.  Jha is the former Chairman of Coal India Limited.  JPL is a subsidiary of steelmaker Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL).  JPL operates a coal-based thermal power plant with an installed capacity of 3,400 MW located at Tamnar, Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh. Yanira Ramirez as Country Sales Manager: H&M  Swedish fashion retailer H&M has named Yanira Ramirez as Country Sales Manager for India, a market where it has 50 stores.  Ramirez, a qualified lawyer, joins as country head after leading Hennes & Mauritz group's fashion brand ‘&Other Stories’ as its Global Sales Manager.  She was appointed country HR for H&M UK and Ireland, before joining the global sales and operations HR team in Sweden. Mehbooba Mufti re-elected as President of PDP  Former CM of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti has been re-elected as President of Peoples’ Democratic Party.  Ms Mehbooba Mufti was unanimously re-elected as JK-PDP President for a period of three years.  She has been elected for the seventh consecutive term.  She was first elected to the post in 2003 after her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became the CM of the erstwhile state of J&K. President appoints 2 new judges in Delhi HC  Two new judges have been appointed in Delhi High Court, while the Kerala High Court has got four new Additional Judges.  The President of India has appointed Jasmeet Singh and Amit Bansal as the Judges of the Delhi High Court from the date they assume charge.  He also appointed Murali P, Ziyad Rahman, K. Babu, and Dr. Kauser Edappagath as the Additional Judges of the Kerala High Court. Makhtar Diop to head Int. Finance Corporation  Makhtar Diop, the World Bank’s most recent Vice President for infrastructure, has been chosen to head of the International Finance Corporation.  He will succeed Frenchman Philippe Le Houérou.  Since July 2018, Diop had been the World Bank’s Vice President for infrastructure.  He was also in charge of the energy and extractive industries, transport and digital development, etc. KP Krishnan: Chairman of Shriram Capital board  Shriram Capital Ltd (SCL) has appointed K.P. Krishnan as the new chairman on the board of the company.  SCL is the holding company for financial services and insurance entities of the Shriram Group.  Krishnan has served as special and Additional Secretary with the Department of Land Resources and also in the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (2010-2012). Rajesh Vaidya: AFMC's new Dean  Air Vice-Marshal Rajesh Vaidya assumed the appointment of Dean and Deputy Commandant of Armed

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Forces Medical College, Pune, on 20 Feb 2021.  An alumnus of AFMC from the 1981 batch, he was commissioned in Air Force in 1985.  He had served as Medical Officer in both fighter and transport squadrons.  He was awarded the Vishishta Seva Medal in 2019 and the Cheif of Air Staff Commendation in 2013. Hashimoto: President of Olympic Committee  The Tokyo 2020 Executive Board has appointed seven-time Olympian Hashimoto Seiko as the new President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee.  She was the Minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, Minister in charge of Women's Empowerment, and Minister of State for Gender Equality in the Government of Japan. N.V.Reddy takes over as Principal DG, AIR News  Indian Information Service officer N. Venudhar Reddy took over as Principal Director General of All India Radio News on 18 February 21.  Prior to this, he was working as Joint Secretary in the Dept of Investment and Public Asset Management under the Finance Ministry.  He has earlier served as Additional Director General in the Bureau of Outreach and Communication. Dhanasekaran: TN Information Commissioner  The Tamil Nadu govt has appointed P. Dhanasekaran and M. Sreedhar as State Information Commissioners in the Tamil Nadu Information Commission.  Their appointment comes after R. Dhakshinamurthy and G. Murugan ceased to hold the post.  They will hold office for a term of 3 years from the date on which they enter their office or the date on which they attain 65 years of age, whichever is earlier. Mahender Singh Kanyal: Ambassador to Syria  Senior diplomat Mahender Singh Kanyal has been appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to Syria.  Kanyal, who is presently Ambassador of India to Suriname, is expected to take up the assignment shortly.  India is also gifting 2,000 metric tonnes of rice to Syria following a request from the Arab republic. Brooks-LaSure: 1st Black woman to head CMS  President Joe Biden has picked Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  She will be the 1st Black woman to head CMS, which has under its umbrella Medicare, Medicaid, children's health insurance, and the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.  CMS, the linchpin of the health care system, is the agency that oversees govt. health insurance programs. Preeti Sinha to lead United Nations CDF  The UN Capital Development Fund has appointed Indian-origin investment & development banker Preeti Sinha as its Executive Secretary.  Sinha succeeded Judith Karl & commenced her tenure as UNCDF Executive Secretary, the highest leadership rank in an institution, on 15 Feb'21.  She will oversee the UN agency with special emphasis on supporting sustainable development in under- served communities. relieved as lieutenant governor  Kiran Bedi was removed as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry by the central government on 16 Feb'21.

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 Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan has been given the additional charge of Puducherry.  The decision to relieve Bedi is the culmination of a long-running feud between her and CM Narayanasamy. Ajai Malhotra:1st Chairperson at HRC advisory  Ajay Malhotra has become the first Indian to be elected as Chairperson of Advisory Committee of the Human Right Council (HRC).  He has served as the Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation till his retirement in 2013.  After retirement, he served from 2015 to 2019 as Independent Director Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), as also of ONGC Videsh (2017-2019). Patel elected as Asian Zone President  Ajay H Patel was elected as the Chief of Asian Zone during the Annual General Body meeting of All India Chess Federation held on 14 Feb'21.  Patel is the President of Gujrat State Chess Association as well as the Chairman of Gujarat State Co- operative Bank.  The AGB has also decided to nominate AICF secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan as FIDE Delegate to represent India in the world body. Okonjo-Iweala makes history at WTO  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala becomes the first woman and first African Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Her term will start on 1 March 2021.  She is a development economist and formerly worked as a Finance Minister of Nigeria.  She will replace former Director-General, Roberto Azevêdo. Rashmi Samant to head Oxfords Students' Union  Rashmi Samant is the first Indian woman to occupy the prestigious position of President of the Oxford Student's Union.  She is a student of MSc in energy systems at Linacre College, also an alumna of 's Manipal Institute of Technology.  She received more than the combined votes of the other three candidates for the post. S. Balakrishnan, new MD and CEO of Aegon Life  Aegon Life Insurance has appointed Satishwar Balakrishnan as its new Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO).  He was working as a Chief Financial Officer of Aegon Life since June 2019.  Aegon Life is India's first and leading digital-only life insurance provider. Britain's Karim Khan, Chief Prosecutor at ICC  Britain's Karim Khan is elected as a Chief Prosecutor at International Criminal Court.  He is elected for a nine-year term, starting on 16 June 2021, and will replace lead prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.  British barrister Karim is best known for heading the United Nations' special investigative team looking into Islamic State crimes in Iraq. Nasa's candidature for SpaceX Crew-4 mission  National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has assigned Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines as Commander and Pilot respectively, for SpaceX Crew-4 mission.

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 These are the Additional crew members for the project, assigned as mission specialists.  The mission is expected to launch in 2022 on SpaceX's rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Mario Draghi, Italy's new Prime Minister  Former Chief of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi is formally sworn in as Italy's new Prime Minister on 13 February 2021.  He succeeded Ex-PM Giuseppe Conte who has resigned in January'21 due to the collapse of a coalition government.  Draghi`s government is the 67th to take office since 1946 and the seventh in the last decade alone. Muskan, Himachal’s Youngest ZP Chairperson  Muskan, 21, is the youngest person to be elected as Zila Parishad Chairperson from Bilaspur dist, Himachal Pradesh.  In Panchayati Raj Institution polls held in hilly state, over 68% of the representatives elected to zila parishads, panchayats & urban bodies are below the age of 40 years.  Over 32% of these are in the age group of 21 to 30 yrs, out of which Muskan is youngest to head top post. CEAT ropes in Rana Daggubati as ambassador  Tyre maker CEAT has roped in Rana Daggubati as its brand ambassador for promoting the 'Puncture Safe' range of bike tyres.  As part of the campaign across all 5 southern states, he will feature in the new commercial for these tyres to be aired across TV and digital platforms.  The company has launched the tyres for motorcycles in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Volvo Cars appoints Jyoti Malhotra as MD  Volvo Cars India has appointed Jyoti Malhotra as the new Managing Director of the company.  The new appointment will come in to effect from 1 March 2021.  With the appointment of Jyoti Malhotra, Volvo Cars India has chosen the first Indian to lead the company in India.  Currently, Malhotra serves as the Director Sales and Marketing for the company and he joined the company in August 2016. Ajay Mathur to take over as ISA chief  Ajay Mathur, who heads the Energy and Research Institute, is set to become the next Director General (DG) of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).  ISA, co-founded by India and France, is the first treaty-based international government organization to be based in India.  Mathur is also a member of the PM's Council on Climate Change and was earlier the DG of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Puligoru Venkata: CJ of Manipur High Court  President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.  Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar is presently Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.  The President has also appointed Pushpa Virendra Ganediwala as an Additional Judge of the Bombay

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High Court. Mallikarjun Kharge: Next Leader of Opposition  The Congress has nominated Mallikarjun Kharge as the new Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha.  Incumbent Ghulam Nabi Azad's term end on February 15, 2021.  Congress President Sonia Gandhi informed Upper House Chairman Venkaiah Naidu about Mr. Azad's replacement. Marc Llistosella, new CEO & MD of Tata Motors  Tata Motors Ltd, India's largest vehicle maker appoints Marc Llistosella as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD and CEO) of its India business.  He will take a charge from July 1, 2021.  Previously he was serving as President and CEO of Fuso Truck Bus Corporation and Head of Daimler Trucks in Asia.  He will replace Guenter Butschek, who will work with Tata Motors till June Aditya Mittal appointed ArcelorMittal CEO  ArcelorMittal, one of the world's biggest steel producers, has announced that Aditya Mittal would take over as the Chief Executive Officer from his father, Lakshmi Mittal.  Lakshmi Mittal who would take on the mantle of Executive Chairman.  Aditya Mittal was previously the President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company, and CEO of its European arm. Assam government appoints Hima Das as DSP  Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal has appointed athlete Hima Das as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the state.  The cabinet also decided to amend the integrated sports policy of the state by appointing sportspersons as Class-I and Class-II officers in different departments of the state.  Medal winners in Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games will be appointed as Class- I officers. VP Joy appointed Kerala's Chief Secretary  Additional Chief Secretary VP Joy will succeed Vishwas Mehta as Kerala's Chief Secretary.  Mehta will retire on February 28, 2021, and is expected to take over as the Chief Information Commissioner.  He had returned to the state cadre recently after his central deputation.  On his return, he was appointed the officer on special duty in the rank of additional chief secretary. Suzanne: Next CEO of US Chamber of Commerce  The US Chamber of Commerce will soon see Suzanne Clark as its next CEO, the first woman to lead the group.  Clark, who's currently the President of the US Chamber, will succeed Thomas J. Donohue.  The position is effective on 11 March 2021.  She was named as the President in June 2019.  She serves on the boards of agricultural equipment maker AGCO and TransUnion. IIT Gandhinagar Director elected to US NAE  Director of IIT Gandhinagar, Prof Sudhir K Jain, has been elected as an international member of the US

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National Academy of Engineering (US NAE).  Jain is among 23 international members elected in 2021.  He will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting on 3 October 2021.  A awardee, Dr Jain is the only incumbent IIT Director to be ever elected to this body. FICCI reappoints Star India’s Sanjog Gupta  The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), has announced the re- appointment of Sanjog Gupta, head- sports, Star India, as the chairperson to FICCI’s Sports Committee in 2021.  FICCI is the first national chamber of commerce to establish a dedicated sports vertical under the aegis of the sports committee.  Chanakya Chaudhary will co-chair the committee. ICICI appoints Anand Shah as head of PMS, AIF  ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited has appointed Anand Shah as the head of Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) Investments.  Portfolio Management Services offer a customized investment portfolio in equity or debt asset classes.  While AIF is an investment avenue to pool in funds for investing in private equity, real estate, or hedge funds.

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Obituaries Michael Somare passes away  Papua New Guinea’s first Prime Minister, Michael Somare passed away in Feb 2021.  Known as the “father of the nation”, Somare led the nation to independence from Australia in 1975 and served four times as the Prime Minister.  Prior to independence, he was the CM of the Australian-administered territory of Papua New Guinea.  He most recently served as the country’s leader briefly in 2011. Poet Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri passes away  Eminent Malayalam poet, Vedic scholar and academician Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri passed away in February 2021.  His collections of poems include Ujjayiniyile Raappakalukal, Charulatha, Bhoomigeethangal, Pranayageethangal etc.  He was conferred with Padma Shri in 2014.  He is also a recipient of several literary honours including the Kendra Sahitya Akademi, Kerala Sahity Akademi, etc. Rahul Khullar passes away  Rahul Khullar, former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman and Commerce Secretary, passed away in February 2021.  A 1975-batch IAS officer, Khullar’s first deputation with the central government was as Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office in 1985.  In 2009, he was appointed the Commerce Secretary, a post which he held till 2012 when he was selected to head TRAI. Former PGIMER director BK Sharma passes away  Professor BK Sharma, former director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, passed away in Chandigarh on 19 February 2021.  He had joined the institute in 1967 as a lecturer and had become the head of the internal medicine department and subsequently the Director in 1990s.  He was fondly called a doyen in medicine. Former Governor M Rama Jois passes away  Former Governor of Bihar and Jharkhand M Rama Jois passed away on 16 February 2021.  He had served as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, also the member of Rajya Sabha.  He wrote several books on ancient Indian law, Habeas Corpus law, Raja Dharma and Bharathiya way to lead a purposeful life. Justice PB Sawant passes away  Former Supreme Court Judge PB Sawant passed away on February 15, 2021.  He was one of the chief organizers of the 2017 ‘Elgaar Parishad’.  Justice Sawant started practicing in the Bombay High Court in 1973 and was appointed justice in the Supreme Court in 1989.  In 2002, he served on an Indian People’s Tribunal headed by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer to investigate the 2002 Gujarat riots. Bansi Kaul passes away  A stage designer and a theatre director Bansi Kaul passed away in Feb 2021.

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 He won Padma Shri in 2014 and Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1995.  He was also the designer and show director for the Commonwealth Games’ opening ceremony (2010) and art director for Khajuraho Festival (1986 and 1987).  He established the theatre group Rang Vidushak that trained a number of theatre-persons. Actor-director Rajiv Kapoor passes away  Actor-director Rajiv Kapoor, son of filmmaker-actor , passed away in February 2021.  Rajiv Kapoor made his acting debut with 1983 film “Ek Jaan Hain Hum”, but made the first appearance as a leading man in blockbuster “Ram Teri Ganga Maili” (1985).  Rajiv Kapoor’s last film as a hero was 1990’s “Zimmedaar”.  He then made a switch to production and direction. legend Akhtar Ali passes away  Tennis legend Akhtar Ali passed away in February 2021.  He represented India in eight ties against Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, Mexico, Japan, and Monaco between 1958 and 1964.  He was the winner of the Asian mixed doubles championship.  His last ATP tour outing was against Vijay Amritraj in Bombay on November 11, 1974. Former US Secretary George Shultz dies  Former US Secretary of State, George Shultz passed away in February 2021.  He served three former Presidents - Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan - in various roles.  His efforts as America's top diplomat from 1982 to 1989 under the former President Ronald Reagan helped lead to the conclusion of the four decade long Cold War that began after World War Two. Christopher Plummer passes away  Christopher Plummer passed away in February 2021.  He became the oldest actor to win an Oscar in 2012.  Plummer appeared in more than 100 films and also was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Russian author Leo Tolstoy in 2009's 'The Last Station'.  He won two Tony Awards for his Broadway work, two Emmy Awards for TV work and performed for some of the world's top theatre companies. US actor Dustin Diamond passes away  US actor Dustin Diamond, best known for playing the nerdy Screech on the hit TV series Saved By The Bell passed away in Feb 2021.  He started his career with Good Morning, Miss Bliss, a series about junior high students that only lasted one season, but which spawned Saved By The Bell.  In 2009, his tell-all book" Behind The Bell was published. UK WWII veteran Tom Moore passed away  Captain Tom Moore, the WWII veteran who walked into the hearts of a nation in lockdown as he shuffled up and down his garden to raise money for health care workers passes away in Feb 2021.  He became known in news headlines and TV interviews set out to raise £1,000 for Britain's by walking 100 laps of his backyard.  In July 2020, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Hollywood actor Hal Holbrook passes away

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 Hal Holbrook, the award-winning character actor who toured the world for more than 50 years as Mark Twain in a one-man show, passed away in Jan 2021.  He won five Emmys and a Tony in his career.  In 2008 he received his 1st Oscar nomination for playing a lonely widower who befriends young wanderer Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) in director Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild.” Actor, screenwriter John Frey passes away  Actor, screenwriter, and director John Frey, widely known for the 2018 film 'Cabaret Maxime', passed away in January 2021.  He won the Portuguese Society of Authors best screenplay award for Bruno de Almeida's film 'Cabaret Maxime'.  Frey and de Almeida collaborated on several films including 'On the Run' (1999), 'The Lovebirds' (2009), 'The Lecture' (2012), and 'Operation Autumn' (2013). Emmy-winning writer Allan Burns passes away  The Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated screenwriter and producer Allan Burns passed away in January 2021.  He has received 16 Emmy nominations, and he was honoured in 1988 with the WGA's prestigious Laurel Award.  He was occasionally worked in the movies, and he was nominated for an adapted screenplay Oscar for 'A Little Romance' (1979). Paul Crutzen passes away  Paul Crutzen passes away on Jan 2021.  The Dutch chemist was a co-recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his work on stratospheric ozone destruction.  He popularized the term Anthropocene in 2000 to define the current geological era in which human activity is influencing the planet. Hilton Valentine passes away  The Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine, who created one of the most famous riffs in pop music in the 1960s, passed away in Jan 2021.  The British band's version of blues standard The House of The Rising Sun topped the UK and US charts in 1964.  Valentine co-founded the Animals in Newcastle in 1963 alongside singer Eric Burdon, bassist Chas Chandler, organist Alan Price, and drummer John Steel. Singer Somadas Chathannoor passed away  Famous Malayalam singer and ex-Bigg Boss contestant Somadas Chathannoor passed away in January 2021.  He got recognition from Pirannoree Mannum Maarukilla, a song from the film Kabuliwala.  He had also sung in a few Malayalam films including Annarakannanum Thannalayathu, Mr Perfect and Mannankattayum Kariyilayum.

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International Affairs UN recommends Bangladesh graduation from LDC  The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has recommended the graduation of Bangladesh from the category of Least Developed Country (LDC).  It fulfilled the eligibility criteria in terms of per capita income, human assets and economic and environmental vulnerability.  This is the second consecutive time since 2018 that the CDP has made the recommendation for Bangladesh. South Korea begins mass immunization drive  South Korea began a mass immunization drive on 26 February 2021 by giving coronavirus shots from AstraZeneca to staff and residents at nursing homes.  Authorities plan to inoculate 70% of the population of 52 million by November 2021.  Inoculations with another vaccine, developed by BioNTech-Pfizer began on 27 February 2021. US carries out air strike in Syria  The US military carried out an air strike targeting Iran-backed militias in Syria in Feb 2021.  It was the first military action ordered by the Biden administration and came in response to rocket attacks against US and coalition personnel in Iraq.  The attack destroyed multiple facilities located at a border control point used by a number of Iranian- backed militant groups. China celebrates ‘Lantern Festival'  China celebrated its traditional Lantern festival on 26 February 2021.  The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month.  China ushered into Lunar New Year - the ‘Year of the Ox’ on 12th Feb'21.  The Lantern Festival traditionally marks the end of the Chinese New Year also known as ‘Spring Festival’ period. Pakistan to be on FATF Grey list till June'21  The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided to keep Pakistan on its terrorism financing Greylist.  The FATF is an inter-governmental body set up in 1989 to combat money laundering, terror financing, and other related threats to the international financial system.  Currently, it has 39 members.  Pakistan has been on the Grey list since June 2018. Australia passes a new law  Australia has passed a world-first law aimed at making Google and Facebook pay for news content on their platforms.  The amended legislation - the News Media Bargaining Code - was passed by Australia's House of Representatives on 25 Feb 2021 after going through the Senate.  The news code encourages tech giants and news organizations to negotiate payment deals between themselves. Japan appoints Minister of Loneliness  In a bid to tackle the rise in suicide rates, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto as its first-ever Minister for Loneliness.  Besides this, Sakamoto is also in charge of managing the nation's falling birth rate and strengthening

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regional economies.  The Japanese government has also created an isolation/ loneliness countermeasures office. Pakistan extends line of credit to Sri Lanka  Pakistan has extended a $ 50 million line of credit for the defence to Sri Lanka.  Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan was on a 2-day visit to Colombo in February 2021.  During the visit, the Pakistani delegation also invited Colombo to use its Gwadar port, part of the multi- billion dollar China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor (CPEC), for trade with China and Central Asia. Ghana receives world's 1st free Covax vaccine  The western African country Ghana has become the 1st country to receive Coronavirus vaccines through the Covax vaccine-sharing initiative.  Around 6 lakhs doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and produced by the Serum Institute of India arrived in Ghana on 24 Feb 2021.  Covax is aiming to deliver about 2 bn doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally by the end of 2021. Thailand receives its 1st COVID-19 vaccines  Thailand received its first 200,000 doses of Sinovac Biotech's CoronaVac on 24 February 2021 from China.  It is the country's first batch of coronavirus vaccines.  Thailand is expecting to take delivery of a further 1.8 mn doses of CoronaVac in March and April-2021, to be given mainly to health workers and at-risk groups. Israel launches "green pass"  Israel has launched a coronavirus "green pass" system, which allows people who have been vaccinated to access public facilities.  Israelis who have got both Pfizer vaccine shots and those who have recovered from the virus get a "Green Pass" certificate in the form of a QR code or printout.  The pass allows entry to gyms, swimming pools, hotels, entertainment venues and sporting events. Nepal's Supreme Court reinstates Parliament  The Supreme Court of Nepal reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives on 24 Feb 2021.  A five-member constitutional bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana annulled the government's decision to dissolve the House of Representatives on the 20th of December 2020.  Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had dissolved Parliament and announced midterm elections in April-May 2021. 3-day plenary meeting of FATF commences  The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) commenced its three-day plenary meeting on 22 Feb 2021.  In its last plenary held in October 2020, the FATF had kept Pakistan on the grey list citing its failure to fulfill six out of 27 obligations of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.  Staying in the grey list has made it difficult for Pakistan to secure any financial aid. Pakistan to register Himalayan pink salt as GI  Pakistan has decided to register Himalayan pink salt as Geographical Indications (GI) to prevent its unauthorised use by other countries.  A GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess origin-based qualities and reputation in the region.  The salt is extracted from the Salt Range in Punjab which extends along the south of the Potohar

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Plateau. US President, Canadian PM to meet virtually  US President Joe Biden will hold his first bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 23 February 2021.  The meeting will review joint efforts in the areas of mutual interest such as COVID-19 response, climate change and economic ties.  It is Biden's first one-on-one meeting with a foreign counterpart after assuming office. Youngest solo female to row Atlantic Ocean  A 21-year-old swimming teacher, Jasmine Harrison from North in the UK has become the youngest woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  She reached Antigua in the Caribbean after 70 days, three hours and 48 minutes after covering 3,000 miles.  The previous youngest female solo ocean rower was 22-year-old Katie Spotz from the USA who rowed the Atlantic east-to-west in 2010. ISS supply ship named after K. Johnson  An International Space Station (ISS) supply ship named after the African-American NASA mathematician 'SS Katherine Johnson' was launched into orbit on 20 February 2021.  Northrop Grumman launched the 4-ton shipment for NASA from Virginia’s eastern shore.  The launch coincided with the 59th anniversary of astronaut John Glenn's historic launch, who became the first American to orbit Earth. First case of H5N8 avian flu in humans  Russian scientists have detected the first case of transmission of the H5N8 strain of avian flu to humans and alerted the World Health Organization.  Other strains H5N1, H7N9 and H9N2 have been known to spread to humans.  Outbreaks of the H5N8 strain have been reported in Russia, Europe, China, the Middle East and North Africa since december'20 but so far only in poultry. EU to double Covax vaccine funding to €1 bn  The European Union's Executive Commission pledged on 19 Feb 2021 to double its contribution by giving additional 100 mn euros to the WHO’s Covax program.  It will support vaccination campaigns in Africa in partnership with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The funding will be used to strengthen health systems, ensure the cold chains, buy equipment and train staff. Google to invest $75 mn in small businesses  Google is teaming up with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and two other organisations in Latin America and Asia.  It will provide $75 million in funding to small- and medium-sized companies suffering from the impact of COVID-19.  The funds are part of an $800 million initiative announced in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. Bangladesh SC launches ‘Amar Vasha’  The Bangladesh Supreme Court on 19 Feb 2021 launched the Artificial Intelligence (AI) based translation software ‘Amar Vasha’ through a virtual event.

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 The software will translate orders and judgements of the Supreme Court from English to Bangla.  The Software has been developed with ‘EkStep’ foundation of India.  It is based on their ‘Anuvaad’ translation software used in India. Facebook blocks Australians from sharing news  Facebook has barred users from sharing or reading news from Australian publishers on its platform.  Facebook announced the decision in response to proposed legislation in Australia that would force tech platforms to pay news publishers for content.  Total web traffic to Australian news sites dropped by around 13% after Facebook Inc blocked their content on the social media platform. Russia will register CoviVac on 20 Feb  Russia will register CoviVac, its third vaccine against the novel coronavirus pandemic, on 20 February 2021.  Human trials of the Russian vaccine Sputnik have also been ongoing in India, conducted by India's Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd and supported by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).  26 other countries have also approved the inoculation for use. 3rd India-Australia-Japan-USA ministers Meet  The 3rd India-Australia-Japan-USA Ministerial Meeting will be held with the participation of the respective Foreign Ministers on 18 Feb 21.  The Ministers will exchange views on regional and global issues especially practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.  The previous meeting was held in October 2020. Brooks-LaSure: 1st Black woman to head CMS  President Joe Biden has picked Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  She will be the 1st Black woman to head CMS, which has under its umbrella Medicare, Medicaid, children's health insurance, and the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.  CMS, the linchpin of the health care system, is the agency that oversees govt. health insurance programs. UN releases $15 million to fight Ebola  The United Nations announced, the release of USD 15 mn from its emergency relief fund to help Guinea and Congo combat new outbreaks of Ebola on 16 Feb'21.  This is the first time that Ebola has been recorded in Guinea since an outbreak that ended in 2016.  Neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia have put their citizens on high alert because of the situation in Guinea. Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021  Iran and Russia began a joint naval drill in the Indian Ocean dubbed "Maritime Security Belt 2021" on 16 Feb 2021.  India has also joined Iran and Russia in a two-day navy exercise with a select group of vessels.  The exercise aimed at enhancing the security of maritime trade in the region.  The drill will cover an area of 17,000 square kilometres. SpaceX launches 19th mission  SpaceX successfully launched 60 more Starlink satellites on 15 February'21 as part of 19th Starlink

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mission but failed to land Falcon 9 rocket's reusable first-stage booster.  Starlink satellites had launched from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral.  The satellites are part of a constellation designed to provide broadband internet service around the globe. ‘Pahela Phagun’ celebrated in Bangladesh  The first day of the spring called ‘Pahela Phagun’ was celebrated in Dhaka on 14 Feb 2021.  Various programmes were held at the Suhrawardy Udyan, Nandan Manch of Shilpakala Academy and several other locations.  The Jatiya Basanta Utsab Udjapan Parishad organized the programme at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.  The programme featured dance and musical performances. Microsoft, HPE to launch AI on Space Station  Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) have partnered to deliver edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and Azure cloud computing capabilities on the International Space Station.  The collaboration aims to further accelerate space exploration by delivering state-of-the-art technologies to tackle a range of data processing needs while in orbit. Russia launches cargo spacecraft "Progress 77"  Russia launched its cargo spacecraft Progress 77 from Kazakhstan to the International Space Station on 15 Feb'21.  Progress MS-16 cargo ship, also called Progress 77, was launched by Russia's space agency Roscosmos.  An uncrewed Russian Progress 77 is carrying approximately 2,460 kg of cargo and supplies for the crew currently onboard the station. Okonjo-Iweala makes history at WTO  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala becomes the first woman and first African Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Her term will start on 1 March 2021.  She is a development economist and formerly worked as a Finance Minister of Nigeria.  She will replace former Director-General, Roberto Azevêdo. US Senate acquits Trump for second time  The US Senate has acquitted former President Donald Trump for a second time.  Mr. Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in January 2021 on the charge that he incited an insurrection when his supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.  The House accused him of inciting the riot in which his supporters entered the Senate chamber and offices of officials. Japan officially approves Pfizer vaccine  The Japanese government has officially approved a coronavirus vaccine developed by the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer.  The vaccine is the first to be given the green light for use against the coronavirus in the country.  The vaccine will be given to people aged 16 or older.  Two shots will be administered three weeks apart.  Inoculations are expected to begin on 17 February 2021. Rashmi Samant to head Oxfords Students' Union

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 Rashmi Samant is the first Indian woman to occupy the prestigious position of President of the Oxford Student's Union.  She is a student of MSc in energy systems at Linacre College, also an alumna of Karnataka's Manipal Institute of Technology.  She received more than the combined votes of the other three candidates for the post. Pak approves China's CanSinoBIO COVID vaccine  Pakistan has approved China`s CanSino Biologics Inc`s (CanSinoBIO) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.  Pakistan is the second country to approve CanSinoBio after Mexico.  Earlier, Pakistan has also approved vaccines developed by China's Sinopharm, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Russia's Sputnik V.  Pak began vaccination drive with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm donated by longtime ally China. Britain's Karim Khan, Chief Prosecutor at ICC  Britain's Karim Khan is elected as a Chief Prosecutor at International Criminal Court.  He is elected for a nine-year term, starting on 16 June 2021, and will replace lead prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.  British barrister Karim is best known for heading the United Nations' special investigative team looking into Islamic State crimes in Iraq. Nasa's candidature for SpaceX Crew-4 mission  National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has assigned Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines as Commander and Pilot respectively, for SpaceX Crew-4 mission.  These are the Additional crew members for the project, assigned as mission specialists.  The mission is expected to launch in 2022 on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Mario Draghi, Italy's new Prime Minister  Former Chief of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi is formally sworn in as Italy's new Prime Minister on 13 February 2021.  He succeeded Ex-PM Giuseppe Conte who has resigned in January'21 due to the collapse of a coalition government.  Draghi`s government is the 67th to take office since 1946 and the seventh in the last decade alone. Pakistan's successful launch of Babur missile  The Pakistan Army successfully test-fired a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic Babur cruise missile IA on 11 Feb'21.  It is capable of hitting land and sea targets with high precision up to 450 kilometres away.  The Babur cruise missile IA was launched from a state of the art Multi Tube Missile Launch Vehicle.  It earlier conducted a successful test of the ballistic missile Shaheen-III. Oxford Covid vaccine to be tested on children  The University of Oxford will begin testing the coronavirus vaccine it developed with AstraZeneca, on kids for the first time.  Oxford University has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the Covid-19 vaccine it has developed with AstraZeneca, in children.  Around 300 volunteers, aged 6 to 17, will be enrolled and first inoculations are expected in February

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2021. NDB commits $100 mn to NIIF Fund of Funds  New Development Bank (NDB), the multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states, has announced a commitment of $100 million into the NIIF Fund of Funds (FoF).  With NDB's investment, the FoF has secured $800 million in commitments and joins the Government of India (GoI), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) as an investor in the FoF. Biocon Biologics, Viatris receive EC approval  Biocon Biologics Ltd. has announced that Kixelle, biosimilar insulin, co-developed with NASDAQ-listed Viatris Inc., has received marketing authorization approval from the European Commission.  It is a fast-acting insulin analog indicated for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in adults.  It has been approved as a 100 units/ml solution for injection in the vial. Strides Pharma receives USFDA approval  Strides Pharma Science's subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global Pte Ltd, has received approval from the US health regulator for Prednisone tablets.  The tablet is prescribed for a variety of conditions, including allergies, respiratory illness, and arthritis.  It has received approval for Prednisone tablets USP in the strengths of 10 mg and 20 mg from the United States Food and Drug Administration. WHO, EU to launch vaccine rollout program  WHO and the European Union will launch a 40-million euro ($48.5 million) program.  It will help deploy COVID-19 vaccines in six former Soviet republics.  The program will involve Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova.  AstraZeneca’s vaccine will become a key part of the rollout of vaccines.  The recommended dosage is two doses administered over an interval of 8-12 weeks. China celebrates Lunar New Year  China celebrated Lunar New Year on 12 Feb 2021 as it stepped into the Year of the Ox.  It is one of the most important Chinese festivals, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival.  The festival lasts 15 days, starting with a feast on New Year's eve and ending with the Spring Lantern Festival on 26th Feb.  Festivities started in the last lunar month on Laba Festival. Joe Biden revokes national emergency order  US President Joe Biden has revoked the national emergency order used to fund former President Donald Trump's Mexico border wall project.  In 2019, former US President Trump had declared a state of emergency over the southern border, which had allowed him to bypass Congress and use military funds for its construction.  About 25 billion dollars had been spent on the project. USA to rejoin UNHRC  The US is rejoining the United Nations Human Rights Council.  Former President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the international body in 2018.  In the immediate term, the US would engage as an observer.  The United Nations Human Rights Council is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world.

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Bangladesh receives USD 200 mn from World Bank  Bangladesh has received USD 200 million for Water Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) project for rural areas from the World Bank.  An agreement regarding this was signed between the government of Bangladesh and the World Bank on 9 February 2021.  The project will help 3.6 million to access hygienic sanitation facilities and about 6 lakh people to access clean water in rural areas. Joe Biden announces launch of China task force  US President Joe Biden has announced the launch of a new China task force.  It will provide recommendations on military strategy to the Department of Defense, DoD to counter growing challenges posed by Beijing.  The 15-member task force will have a broad portfolio, including defense strategy, Chinese technology and intelligence, and U.S alliances and partnerships in Asia.

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Person in News Cricketer Yusuf Pathan announces retirement  India's all-rounder Yusuf Pathan announced his retirement from all formats of the game on 26 February 2021.  He played 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is for India between 2007 and 2012.  He was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup as well as the 2011 ODI World Cup, both of which were won by the Indian team. Osamu Suzuki announces retirement  Suzuki Motor Corp's 91-year old chairman, Osamu Suzuki, announced he will retire in June 2021.  However, he will remain active as an adviser.  He headed the company for more than four decades.  His son Toshihiro Suzuki is the President and CEO of the company.  Osamu Suzuki, who joined Suzuki Motor in 1958, became President in 1978 and was also appointed as Chairman in 2000. RBI ropes in Punjabi rapper for a campaign  The Reserve Bank of India has roped in Punjabi singer-rapper Viruss in its public awareness campaign.  The campaign also includes Viruss' popular 2017 Indie hit 'Bam Bhole' that was recreated for Akshay Kumar-Kiara Advani's film Laxmii.  RBI's latest public directives on how one can and should protect themselves from cyber crimes and identity theft come along with rap music. Puducherry CM tenders his resignation  Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy tendered his resignation on 22 Feb 2021 after failing to win the trust motion moved by him.  He was appointed as the CM in the year 2016.  His cabinet colleagues and other members and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) members also handed over their resignation letter to the Lt. Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan. Honda CEO to step down  Honda Motor Co's Chief Executive Officer Takahiro Hachigo would step down, handing over the reins to the Head of Honda's research and development arm, Toshihiro Mibe, on April 1, 2021.  Hachigo will remain on the board.  Mibe joined Honda in 1987.  He became President of Honda's R&D unit in 2019. Akanksha announces candidacy for Sec. General  An Indian-origin employee at the UN Akanksha Arora has announced her candidacy to be its next Secretary-General.  Antonio Guterres is the current UN Secretary General.  Guterres's first term ends on December 31, 2021,and the term of the next Secretary-General will begin on January 1, 2022.  Akanksha is working as an audit coordinator for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Tokyo Olympics Chief resigns  The President of the Tokyo Olympics Yoshiro Mori resigned on 12 Feb 2021.  He was the President of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games organising committee.

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 The event is scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.  It was originally scheduled from 24 July to 9 August 2020 but was postponed in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bumble’s CEO becomes a rare female billionaire  Bumble, a company catering to women and led by women has made its CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd a billionaire.  Bumble Inc. sold shares in its upcoming trading debut at $43, valuing Whitney’s stake at more than $900 million and lifting her overall fortune above $1 billion.  Wolfe Herd founded Bumble, a Texas-based company in 2014 following her departure from Tinder. Mahima Kaul resigns from  Mahima Kaul has resigned from the post of Director, Public Policy, India and South Asia at Twitter.  She served at Twitter India for five years.  Mahima Kaul will continue in her role till the end of March 2021.  Ankhi Das had also quit as the Twitter India's policy head earlier in October 2020. Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan renamed  Aakashvani Sangeet Sammelan will henceforth be called Pt Bhimsen Joshi Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan.  Shri Prakash Javadekar made this announcement at a Pt Bhimsen Joshi Centenary Commemorative function at Pune.  The government decided to celebrate the year-long birth centenary of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi from 4th February 2021 to 2022.  He was awarded the Bharat Ratna award in 2009. World's 1st double face, hand transplant  Joe DiMeo from New Jersey who suffered horrific injuries in a car accident has become the world's first person to undergo a successful face and double hand transplant.  The surgery was carried out on 12 Aug 2020 and lasted approximately 23 hours.  It involved a team of 96 health care personnel, led by surgeon Eduardo Rodriguez, director of the Face Transplant Program at NYU Langone. Praveen Sinha takes over as CBI Interim Chief  Praveen Sinha, currently Additional Director of the CBI, was appointed as its Interim Chief on 2 Feb 2021, as current Chief R.K Shukla’s two-year tenure ended.  Mr Shukla, a 1983 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IPS officer, was appointed in January 2019.  Sinha is a 1988 batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer. US actor Dustin Diamond passes away  US actor Dustin Diamond, best known for playing the nerdy Screech on the hit TV series Saved By The Bell passed away in Feb 2021.  He started his career with Good Morning, Miss Bliss, a series about junior high students that only lasted one season, but which spawned Saved By The Bell.  In 2009, his tell-all book" Behind The Bell was published. UK WWII veteran Tom Moore passed away  Captain Tom Moore, the WWII veteran who walked into the hearts of a nation in lockdown as he shuffled up and down his garden to raise money for health care workers passes away in Feb 2021.

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 He became known in news headlines and TV interviews set out to raise £1,000 for Britain's National Health Service by walking 100 laps of his backyard.  In July 2020, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Hollywood actor Hal Holbrook passes away  Hal Holbrook, the award-winning character actor who toured the world for more than 50 years as Mark Twain in a one-man show, passed away in Jan 2021.  He won five Emmys and a Tony in his career.  In 2008 he received his 1st Oscar nomination for playing a lonely widower who befriends young wanderer Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) in director Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild.” Biden appoints Dr Raj Panjabi to lead his MI  US President Joe Biden has appointed Indian-origin Dr Raj Panjabi to lead his Malaria Initiative, which is mainly in African and Asian countries.  He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, trained in internal medicine and primary care at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.  He has served as a faculty member at the Harvard Kennedy School. Merv Hughes in Australian Hall of Fame  Former pacer Merv Hughes has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.  He captured 212 Test at an average of 28.38 in a career spanning 53 Tests and 33 ODIs for Australia from 1985 to 1994.  In 2005, Hughes became a selector for the Australian cricket team, a role he held until 2010. Actor, screenwriter John Frey passes away  Actor, screenwriter, and director John Frey, widely known for the 2018 film 'Cabaret Maxime', passed away in January 2021.  He won the Portuguese Society of Authors best screenplay award for Bruno de Almeida's film 'Cabaret Maxime'.  Frey and de Almeida collaborated on several films including 'On the Run' (1999), 'The Lovebirds' (2009), 'The Lecture' (2012), and 'Operation Autumn' (2013). Emmy-winning writer Allan Burns passes away  The Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated screenwriter and producer Allan Burns passed away in January 2021.  He has received 16 Emmy nominations, and he was honoured in 1988 with the WGA's prestigious Laurel Award.  He was occasionally worked in the movies, and he was nominated for an adapted screenplay Oscar for 'A Little Romance' (1979). Singer Somadas Chathannoor passed away  Famous Malayalam singer and ex-Bigg Boss contestant Somadas Chathannoor passed away in January 2021.  He got recognition from Pirannoree Mannum Maarukilla, a song from the film Kabuliwala.  He had also sung in a few Malayalam films including Annarakannanum Thannalayathu, Mr Perfect and Mannankattayum Kariyilayum.

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Govt. Policies and Schemes Maharashtra govt to launch a scheme on March 8  In a bid to empower women in rural Maharashtra, the state government has announced the Mahasamruddhi Mahila Sashaktikaran scheme.  It will be launched on March 8, 2021.  Under the scheme, self-help groups will organise exhibitions to display rural women’s work and encourage greater participation across fields.  Members of women cells at the village level will also be involved. Manipur CM launches PM FME Scheme  Manipur CM N. Biren Singh has launched the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) Scheme.  The PM FME Scheme aims to provide financial, technical and business support to micro food processing units, Farmer Producer Organizations and Self Help Groups.  The scheme will also promote One District One Product to get more benefit. NITI Aayog’s policy on migrant workers  NITI Aayog, along with a working subgroup of officials and members of civil society, has prepared a draft national migrant labour policy.  The draft describes two approaches to policy design: one focussed on cash transfers, special quotas, and reservations, and the other which enhances the agency and capability of the community. Delhi government notifies a scheme  The Delhi government has notified its flagship scheme for the doorstep delivery of ration that is likely to be rolled out from March 2021.  The 'Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojna' (MMGGRY) under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) of the National Food Security Act, 2013, was notified by the government on February 20, 2021.  It involves the delivery of packed wheat flour and rice. PLI scheme approved for Pharmaceuticals  The Union Cabinet has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Pharmaceuticals over a period of the financial year 2020-21 to 2028-29.  It will benefit domestic manufacturers and is expected to contribute to the availability of wider range of affordable medicines for consumers.  The scheme is also expected to bring in investment of Rs.15,000 crore in the pharmaceutical sector. Cabinet approves a scheme for IT Hardware  The Union Cabinet has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for IT Hardware.  The scheme proposes a production-linked incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the value chain of IT Hardware.  The target segments under the proposed scheme include laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, and servers. Andhra govt to provide Rs 15,000 to women  From the financial year 2021-22, an assistance of Rs 15,000 per year will be extended to women in the age group of 45-60 from economically backward classes (EBCs) belonging to upper castes, on the lines of Kapu Nestham and YSR Cheyutha.  The castes include Brahmin, Vysya, Velama, Kshatriya, etc.  The new scheme EBC Nestham has been allocated Rs 670 crore for the next three years.

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PM-Kisan scheme completes two years  The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme, launched with an aim to ensure a life of dignity for farmers completed two years on 24 Feb 2021.  It is a central sector scheme with 100% funding from the govt of India.  Under this, income support of Rs.6000/- per year is provided to all farmer families across the country in 3 equal instalments of Rs.2000/- each every 4 months. Govt sanctions more houses under PMAY (Urban)  The government has sanctioned over 56,000 more houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).  The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee has approved them.  Out of the total validated demand of 1 crore 12 lakh houses by 2022, nearly 1 crore 11 lakh homes are now sanctioned.  The govt has set a target to provide pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries of Urban India by 2022. Cabinet approves ₹12,195 crore PLI  The Union Cabinet has approved a production-linked incentive (PLI) of ₹12,195 cr to locally manufactured telecom and networking equipment.  The scheme will reduce the country’s imports of telecom equipment worth over ₹50,000 crores.  Currently, India imports 85% of its wireless telecom equipment even as it is preparing for a rollout of 5G service, which needs robust network and infrastructure. Jharkhand: hike in pay of mid-day meal worker  The Jharkhand government has decided to hike the pay for mid-day meal kitchen assistants at government schools by Rs 500.  Following the hike, 79,551 kitchen assistants in the state would get ₹2,000 per head each month for the work.  The hike will be effective from April 1, 2021.  Chief Minister Hemant Soren has approved the spending of ₹39.79 crore for the revised pay. Jute seed distribution scheme launched  Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani rolled out the commercial jute seed distribution scheme on 15 Feb 2021.  Jute Corporation of India had signed an MoU with National Seeds Corporation in 2020 for commercial distribution of 1,000 Metric Tonne certified jute seeds for the year 2021-22.  MSP for jute stands at 4,225 rupees for the financial year 2020-21 compared to 2,400 in the year 2014- 15. Kerala: Free internet service to 20L families  Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has launched the KFON (Kerala Fibre Optic Network) to provide free internet service.  Service will be provided to 20 lakh BPL families, including villages in all 14 districts of Kerala.  30,000 government institutions will also get high bandwidth connectivity with KFON.  KFON is a JV of Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited and Kerala State Electricity Board. UP CM inaugurates Abhyudaya scheme  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the 'Abhyudaya' scheme on 15 Feb 2021 and interacted with registered candidates under the scheme.

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 For competitive examinations, the programme will offer a free coaching center for competitive examinations --IAS, IPS, PCS, NDS, CDS, NEET, and JEE.  Students will also be provided with offline classes along with online study material. TN govt rolls out crop loan waiver scheme  Tamil Nadu govt has rolled out the Rs 12,110 cr crop loan waiver scheme for over 16 lakh farmers.  CM K Palaniswami gave away certificates to 9 farmers on 13 Feb 2021.  The certificates state that loans taken from cooperative banks and due on 31 Jan'21 have been waived.  On 5 Feb'21, CM had announced waiver of Rs 12,110.74 crore crop loans availed by 16,43,347 farmers from cooperative banks. New Sand policy announced  Karnataka Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani has announced a new Sand policy to ensure a hassle-free supply of sand to the common man.  The new sand provisions will benefit Ashraya and other housing schemes of the Government.  A single window agency will clear the extraction of sand from 183 sand blocks in the state.  A mines university will also be set up in the state. Government notifies a scheme  The government has notified a scheme for extending financial assistance to project proponents for enhancement of ethanol distillation capacity or to set up distilleries for producing 1st Generation (1G) ethanol from feedstocks.  Under the scheme, the government would bear interest subvention for five years for setting up of new distilleries; expansion of existing distilleries, etc. Govt launches new Central Sector Scheme  The govt has launched a new Central Sector Scheme titled 'Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs)'.  It has a budgetary provision of Rs 6,865 crore.  Under this Central Sector Scheme with funding from the government of India, the formation and Promotion of FPOs are to be done through implementing agencies, and at present, nine such agencies have been finalized. Assam CM launches schemes for college students  Assam CM has launched two schemes to provide monetary assistance to college students and literary bodies of the state.  Under Pragyan Bharati scheme, 3,26,046 college students were given ₹1,500 each for purchasing textbooks.  The 2nd scheme is Bhasha Gourab, under which the govt provided 21 Sahitya Sabhas (literary bodies) with a total of ₹43 crore as contribution towards their corpus funds. Delhi Cabinet approves a scheme  The Delhi cabinet has approved 'Mukhyamantri Vigyan Pratibha Pariksha'.  Under this, Rs 5,000 will be provided to 1,000 meritorious students of Class 9 in schools of Delhi as a science scholarship.  The scholarship will provide a boost to science education in secondary classes.  Students studying in Delhi who have secured more than 60% in Class 8 are eligible for the examination. Rajasthan government launches a campaign

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 A campaign for 'beggar-free' Rajasthan has been started in .  Beggars are being rehabilitated here with the joint efforts of Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) and Sopan Institute of Science, Technology and Management.  Currently, 43 beggars have been provided with a shelter where yoga, sports, and computer classes are being imparted to them. Delhi CM launches 'Switch Delhi' campaign  To promote the use of electric vehicles, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a ‘Switch Delhi’ campaign on 4 Feb 2021.  It will educate people about the benefits of electric vehicles (EV) and urge them to make a switch.  The campaign aims at informing, encouraging, and motivating each and every person in Delhi to switch from polluting vehicles to zero-emission electric vehicles. 1,000 more mandis will be linked to e-NAM  The government has announced that 1,000 more mandis will be integrated with e-NAM in 2021-22.  So far, 1,000 mandis have been integrated with electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) in 21 states and Union Territories with 1.69 cr farmers registered on it.  Direct payment to farmers has also been enabled on this platform. Maharashtra to provide assistance to startups  Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray launched a financial assistance scheme for startups on 2 Feb 2021.  Under this, the govt will reimburse up to 80% amount of patent registration and product testing and certification cost.  Reimbursement of up to Rs10 lakh will be given for filing international intellectual property rights applications.  Quality testing certificate cost will also be reimbursed. 'Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai' mission  Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has virtually launched the 'Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai' mission as part of the government's campaign to accomplish the goal of 100 per cent potable piped water supply in all rural households by March 2022.  He also inaugurated one Mega Surface Water Supply Scheme covering 85 villages in the Moga district, and 144 new water supply schemes for 172 villages. ₹1.41L cr for Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0  Finance Minister N Sitharaman has announced ₹1.41 lakh cr for the Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, which will be completed over a span of 5 years from 2021-26.  4,378 urban local bodies would be benefited, and liquid waste management would be carried out across 500 AMRUT cities.  In 2020, ₹9,994 cr were allocated for Swachh Bharat Mission Rural and ₹2,300 cr for Swachh Bharat Mission Urban. Govt proposes vehicle scrappage policy  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the voluntary vehicle scrappage policy to phase out unfit, pollution-causing vehicles.  The policy will help reduce vehicular pollution and cut oil import bill.  Vehicles will undergo a fitness test in automated centres.  Age of the vehicles will be 15 years in case of commercial vehicles and 20 years in case of personal

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vehicles. India gets electricity distribution scheme  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a massive ₹3.05 trillion electricity distribution reform programme.  The Reforms-Linked, Result-Based Scheme for Distribution, initially referred to as the Atal Distribution System Improvement Yojana, is aimed at helping power discoms trim electricity losses to 12-15% from current levels.  The scheme will work in phases. ₹64,000 crore health scheme announced  The government will spend ₹64,180 crores over the next six years to improve healthcare services available across primary to tertiary care facilities.  A new centrally sponsored scheme, PM Atmanirbhar Swasthya Yojana will be launched.  The scheme will support over 17,000 rural and over 7,000 urban health and wellness centres.  This scheme is in addition to the existing National Health Mission. Govt approves ₹945-cr seed fund for startups  The government has approved the ₹945-crore Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) for the period 2021-25 to offer early-stage funding to startups.  The funding will be disbursed through selected incubators assisted by the central government or state governments.  The selected incubators will disburse up to Rs 20 lakhs as a grant to startups. Rajasthan launches health insurance scheme  Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has launched a major health insurance scheme starting from 30 January 2021.  The scheme will provide health care benefits to around 1 crore 10 lakh poor families.  It has been named as Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Health Insurance Scheme.  The scheme will cost Rs 1400 crore to the state and Rs 400 crore to the central government every year.

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Science and Tech ISRO to launch Amazonia-1 satellite  ISRO launched the Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on 28 Feb'21.  Along with Amazonia-1, 18 other co-passenger satellites will also be onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C51).  PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is the 1st dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a GoI company under the Space department. New alpine plant species discovered  A new species of alpine plant in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district has been discovered by a group of scientists of three institutes of the country.  The new species belongs to the family of the Himalayan sunflower.  The discovery of the species was published in Biodiversitas: Journal of Biological Diversity.  It is named as Cremanthodium Indicum and generally flowers from July to August. JNCASR scientists develop a new molecule  Scientists have developed a small molecule that disrupts the mechanism through which neurons become dysfunctional in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).  The molecule could be a potential drug candidate to halt or cure the leading cause of dementia (70-80%) worldwide.  A team of scientists at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have designed and synthesized the molecules. DRDO Skill Centre for Fire Safety Training  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated Skill Development Centre (SDC) for Fire Safety Training at DRDO at Pilkhuwa in Uttar Pradesh.  The facility is created by the Delhi-based DRDO laboratory Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES).  It is aimed at developing trained human resources, fire safety technology and products to save precious human lives and valued assets. Mindtree achieves Google specialization  Technology services company Mindtree has achieved the Application Development Partner Specialization in the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program.  Mindtree is a premier Google Cloud partner, offering clients a complete spectrum of cloud services, including big data services, migration, and transformation, implementing SAP, data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning services. NASA’s Perseverance lands successfully on Mars  NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully touched down the surface of Mars on 18 Feb'21, after its 292.5 million-mile journey from Earth.  Perseverance, the biggest, most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, became the 9th spacecraft since the 1970s to successfully land on Mars.  The rover will begin its search for traces of ancient microbial life on Mars.  Perseverance was launched on 30 July 2020. SpaceX launches 19th Starlink mission

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 SpaceX successfully launched 60 more Starlink satellites on 15 February'21 as part of 19th Starlink mission but failed to land Falcon 9 rocket's reusable first-stage booster.  Starlink satellites had launched from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral.  The satellites are part of a constellation designed to provide broadband internet service around the globe. Russia launches cargo spacecraft "Progress 77"  Russia launched its cargo spacecraft Progress 77 from Kazakhstan to the International Space Station on 15 Feb'21.  Progress MS-16 cargo ship, also called Progress 77, was launched by Russia's space agency Roscosmos.  An uncrewed Russian Progress 77 is carrying approximately 2,460 kg of cargo and supplies for the crew currently onboard the station. India to start trials of Astra missile  India would start testing the Astra Mark 2 missile, which would be capable of taking down enemy aircraft from a range of 160 kilometers.  The trial for the Astra Mark would be starting in the second half of 2021.  The Astra is a beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), which flies over four times the speed of sound at Mach 4.5. ISRO tests satellites made by private sector  2 satellites by Indian startups- SpaceKidz India and Pixxel, were tested at the UR Rao Satellite Centre of ISRO in Bengaluru in Feb'21.  This is a first for the space agency, which so far has only taken help in manufacturing and fabrication of various parts of satellites and rockets from the Indian industry.  It also helped these two fix problems with the panels on their satellites. Anti-clotting therapy may prevent Covid death  A clinical study circulated by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claims strong evidence that prompt preventive blood-thinning drugs may reduce the risk of death in COVID-19 patients.  Patients given preventive blood-thinning drugs (prophylactic anticoagulants) within 24 hours of admission to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to die compared with those who do not receive them. Amalfiaco sells 6.06% in CG Consumer  Advent International Corp’s Amalfiaco sold 6.06% in CG Consumer Electricals for ₹1,492 crores in open market transaction on 9 Feb 2021.  Amalfiaco Ltd sold 38 million shares or 6.06% of CG Consumer for ₹392.45 apiece.  As per the latest shareholding pattern, Amalfiaco Ltd held 11.42% in the firm.  In Nov'20, Amalfiaco and MacRitchie Investments Pte Ltd sold 8.77% in CG Consumer for ₹1631 cr. NASA picks SpaceX to help with a mission  NASA has picked SpaceX to launch a telescope into orbit for a two-year mission starting 2024.  The mission, called SPHEREx, will cost NASA about $98.8 million.  SPHEREx is a that would survey the sky in near-infrared light, which the human eye can't see.  The data that it collects would help astronomers understand the evolution of the universe. World's 1st double face, hand transplant

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 Joe DiMeo from New Jersey who suffered horrific injuries in a car accident has become the world's first person to undergo a successful face and double hand transplant.  The surgery was carried out on 12 Aug 2020 and lasted approximately 23 hours.  It involved a team of 96 health care personnel, led by surgeon Eduardo Rodriguez, director of the Face Transplant Program at NYU Langone. Device that creates 3D images of skin  A team from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a portable device that produces high-resolution 3D images of human skin within 10 minutes.  The portable skin mapping (imaging) device could be used to assess the severity of skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis.  The researchers designed a prototype of their device using polylactic acid (PLA). Mummy with a gold tongue found in Egypt  Archaeologists have found a 2,000-year-old mummy with a gold tongue at an ancient Egyptian site called Taposiris Magna.  The archaeologists, led by Kathleen Martinez, from the Dominican Republic, discovered the mummy in one of 16 burials at Taposiris Magna, which has temples dedicated to Osiris and Isis, a goddess who was both the wife and sister of Osiris. bluShift Aerospace launches 1st Biofuel rocket  Maine-based rocket startup bluShift Aerospace launched the world's 1st commercial booster powered by biofuel on 31 Jan 2021.  The biofuel prototype, called 1.0, took off despite freezing temperatures and 2 false starts.  The company's rocket engine called the Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL) uses a proprietary solid biofuel which is ecofriendly. New chameleon species found in Africa  On an expedition in the North of Madagascar, a team of scientists, led by the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, has discovered a minuscule new species of chameleon.  Scientists have named the new species Brookesia nana.  With a body size of just 13.5 mm (0.53 inches), this Nano-Chameleon (Brookesia nana) is the smallest known male of the roughly 11,500 known reptile species. 1st unmanned space flight set to launch in Dec  India’s first unmanned space flight as part of the ‘’ mission is listed to be launched in Dec 2021.  Initially planned for Dec 2020, the launch was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  2 unmanned GSLV rockets will be tested before the actual human flight takes place. Researchers discovers multi-planetary system  A team of researchers researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology has discovered a multi- planetary system.  The planetary system has been discovered around star HD 108236 that’s just 200 light-years away.  According to the study, the innermost planet orbiting the HD 108236 star (also called TOI-1233) could possibly be a rocky planet.  It could provide insights into planetary evolution. Researchers discover new gecko species

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 A team of researchers from five institutes across India have discovered a new gecko species in Arunachal Pradesh.  Their discovery was published in the international peer-reviewed journal Evolutionary Systematics on 28 Jan 2021.  The new species belongs to the genus Cyrtodactylus.  The researchers have named the species Cyrtodactylus arunachalensis after the state in which it was discovered. Next SpaceX commercial crew mission in April  The 2nd operational SpaceX commercial crew mission to the International Space Station will be launched on 20 April 2021.  It will be carrying astronauts from ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan) and NASA (US).  The four astronauts will replace the Crew-1 astronauts who flew to the station in Nov 2020 on the 1st operational Crew Dragon mission.

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Business and Economy 16.37 % increase in paddy procurement  In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, paddy procurement is continuing with the purchase of over 663.68 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of paddy up to 26 February 2021.  This is an increase of 16.37 % against 2020's corresponding purchase of 570.30 LMT.  Out of the total purchase of 663.68 LMT, Punjab alone has contributed 202.82 LMT which is 30.56 % of total procurement. O2 Power to acquire stake in SPV  O2 Power is acquiring a 49% stake in Hero Future Energies Pvt. Ltd’s special purpose vehicle (SPV)--Clean Solar Power Bhainsada, which is setting up a 250 megawatt (MW) solar capacity in Rajasthan.  The SPV won this project by quoting a tariff of Rs2.53 per unit and has a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). Shyam Metalics files DRHP for ₹1,107 crore IPO  Shyam Metalics and Energy Ltd has filed a draft red herring prospectus with the Securities Exchange Board of India to raise nearly ₹1,107 crore through an initial public offering (IPO).  The offer comprises a fresh issue of ₹657 crore and an offer for sale of up to ₹450 crore.  It may decide to undertake a pre-IPO placement of ₹250 crore subject to consultation with merchant bankers. GDP growth for Q3 shows positive growth  Real GDP growth of 0.4 percent in the third quarter of 2020-21 has returned the economy to the pre- pandemic times of positive growth rates.  The recovery has been driven by rebounds in both Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) and Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF).  GFCF has improved from a contraction of 46.4% in quarter one to positive growth of 2.6 per cent in the third quarter. Products for ODOFP finalised  Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry has finalized the products for One District One Focus Product, ODOFP.  The products have been identified from agricultural, horticultural, animal, poultry, milk, fisheries and aquaculture, marine sectors for 728 districts across the country.  These include paddy, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, spices, fruits, honey, and processed products. Infra.Market raises $100 million  Infra.Market has raised $100 million in a growth round led by Tiger Global, valuing the procurement marketplace for construction materials at $1 billion.  Founded in 2016, the Mumbai-based company operates as a one-stop marketplace for real estate and construction materials.  It also focuses on high-volume construction products under its own brands and aims to solve existing issues. Infrastructure FY22 outlook rises to stable  Credit rating agency India Ratings and Research has revised its overall infrastructure sector outlook to stable for FY22 from negative in 2020.  Some sectors, such as airports and power, will continue with a negative outlook, as signs of

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demand recovery are scarce on the ground.  The traction in InvITs (infrastructure investment trusts) is expected to rise by about Rs 850 bn in roads. IIFL,Axis Securities to acquire Karvy accounts  Brokerage firms IIFL Securities and Axis Securities will acquire the accounts of Karvy Stock Broking after winning the bids conducted by exchanges and depositories.  While IIFL will get the Demat accounts of Karvy with depositories NSDL and CDSL, Axis Securities will obtain the trading or broking accounts.  IIFL Securities will get more than 1.1 million Demat accounts. Just Dial launches its B2B platform, Jd Mart  Just Dial Limited has launched its business-to-business (B2B) portal, Jd Mart, across various platforms for users.  Jd Mart is an exclusive B2B portal for a new wholesale experience.  B2B buyers can discover quality vendors offering a wide selection of products to choose from, spread across various categories to suit all their B2B needs. Wipro launches Cisco Business Unit  Wipro has launched a Cisco Business Unit.  It will focus on the development and adoption of end-to-end digital transformation solutions leveraging Cisco Systems Inc. technologies for customers.  Wipro, a gold-certified Cisco partner, is among top 10 global systems integrator partners of Cisco.  The Cisco Business Unit will provide a full stack of industry offerings aligned to customers needs. ICICI Bank launches ‘Namma Smart Card’  ICICI Bank has announced the launch of a Common Payment Card System (CPCS) in partnership with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL).  Called ‘Namma Chennai Smart Card’, the Rupay powered co-branded, contactless prepaid card, will facilitate various digital payments like tax and utility bill payments at the GCC centres. Airtel enters advertising business  Bharti Airtel Ltd has launched an advertising platform.  The platform, Airtel Ads, allows brands to curate consent-based and safe campaigns for subscribers of the telco.  Airtel has over 320 million customers across businesses - mobile, direct-to-home (DTH) and homes  Airtel Ads has already collaborated with PepsiCo, Zomato, CRED, Tata AIG Insurance, Lenskart, Apollo 24*7, Gameskraft, etc. GST share disbursed to Maharashtra  The Union Finance Ministry has disbursed a GST share of 11,519 crore rupees to Maharashtra.  This was informed by Maharashtra BJP President Chandrakant Patil.  He also pointed out that in 2019-20 the Centre had disbursed as much as 19 thousand 2 hundred and 33 crore rupees to Maharashtra. Telangana govt to grow life sciences sector  Telangana government has set the vision to grow the life sciences sector to $100 billion dollars by 2030.  This was announced by the state's Industry Minister K. T. Rama Rao at Bio Asia 2021, the annual flagship event which began on 22 Feb 2021.  The life sciences sector in Telangana in terms of value is $13 billion while in terms of cluster revenues it

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is $50 billion. China: India's top trade partner  China regained its position as India’s top trade partner in 2020.  Two-way trade between both nations stood at $77.7 billion in 2020, according to provisional data from India’s Commerce Ministry.  Total imports from China at $58.7 billion were more than India’s combined purchases from the U.S. and the U.A.E, which are its second and third-largest trade partners, respectively. Odisha Finance Minister presents state budget  In Odisha, Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented the budget for 2021-22 in the Odisha Assembly on 22 Feb 2021.  The budget, with an outlay of Rs 1,70,000 crore, is about 26 per cent more than the revised estimate for 2020-2021.  The budget has some new features that include the introduction of Sustainable Development Goals in budget document and the introduction of fiscal risk statement. UP govt presents biggest ever budget  UP govt, on 22 Feb 2021, presented the biggest ever budget of around Rs 5,50,270 crores.  More than Rs 27,500 crores have been allocated for the new schemes and projects launched by the state government in this budget which is over Rs 37,410 crore more than the last budget.  The budget focuses on farmers welfare, women empowerment and the health sector along with the development projects. UP to export Buddha rice to Singapore  Uttar Pradesh is set to send a consignment of 20 tonnes of Buddha Rice, popularly known as "Kala Namak" rice, to Singapore soon.  It is one of the finest varieties of aromatic rice in India.  The consignment will be sent to Singapore by the end of March 2021.  A Kala Namak Rice festival on the pattern of Strawberry Festival will also be held in the state in near future. Mindtree achieves Google specialization  Technology services company Mindtree has achieved the Application Development Partner Specialization in the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program.  Mindtree is a premier Google Cloud partner, offering clients a complete spectrum of cloud services, including big data services, migration, and transformation, implementing SAP, data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning services. Paddy procurement registers jump of 15.91%  In the current Kharif marketing season, the paddy procurement has registered a jump of 15.91 percent in comparison to the corresponding period in 2020.  Till 20 Feb 2021, over 651 lakh Metric Tonnes of paddy have been purchased against 2020's corresponding purchase of over 561 lakh Metric Tonnes.  Out of the total purchase, Punjab alone has contributed over 202 lakh Metric Tonnes. FPIs invest Rs 24,965 cr in February so far  According to depositories data, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) pumped in ₹24,204 crores into equities and ₹761 crores in the debt segment, taking the total net investment to ₹24,965 crores during February

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1-19,2021.  In January 2021, FPIs were net investors of ₹14,649 crores.  Only India and Taiwan have received meaningful FPI flows in February 2021. Govt releases ₹5k cr to meet GST dues  The Centre has released the 17th weekly instalment of ₹5k cr to 23 states and 3 UTs to meet the GST compensation shortfall.  Till Feb'21, 91% of estimated GST compensation shortfall has been released to states & UTs.  An amount of ₹100k cr has been borrowed by Govt. through special borrowing window at an interest rate of 4.83%.  Total 17 rounds of borrowings have been completed from 23 Oct'20. e-Kuber payments system launched in J&K  Jammu and Kashmir has formally rolled out the e-Kuber payments system of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).  Initially, e-Kuber would be implemented in the Civil Secretariat treasury on a pilot basis.  The system is capable of making 50,000 transactions at a time, while all government-related financial transactions would be dealt directly with RBI, without any intermediary bank. India: Fastest growing market economy  India will be one of the fastest-growing emerging market economies with a 10% growth in the next fiscal.  This was informed by S&P Director, Sovereign and International Public Finance Ratings, Andrew Wood while speaking in a webinar on India outlook.  The forecast for India in 2021 is on the stronger side and shows that a lot of economic activity is coming back online to normalization. Budget of Science and Tech Dept increased  The Union Govt has increased the budget of the Dept of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences by 30%.  An allocation of Rs 16,695 crore has been given for the two Ministries.  Over Rs 50,000 crore have been allocated for the National Research Foundation.  A Deep Ocean Mission will also be launched with a budget outlay of over Rs 4000 crore. Wipro Consumer Care invests in OneLife  Wipro Consumer Care Ventures, the venture capital arm of Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, has announced an investment in OneLife brand owner, OneLife Nutriscience.  Onelife sells products in the wellness, immunity, and overall nutraceutical segment including a range of health supplements, teas, and vitamins.  It will use the funds for its next level of growth. RBI announces Operation Twist  The RBI will simultaneously sell and purchase government securities under open market operations (OMOs) on 25 February 2021.  Typically, the central bank conducts OMO sales to drain liquidity in the financial system and OMO purchases to infuse liquidity.  It will purchase securities maturing in 2025, 2029 and 2033, and sell short-dated securities maturing in Nov 2021 and Feb 2022.

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Kotak Mahindra Bank launches Kotak Remit  Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched its outward forex remittance service, Kotak Remit, hence allowing its users to directly send money abroad from their phones.  The feature is already live on the Kotak Mobile Banking App.  For the first time, Kotak customers can conveniently transfer money internationally to their beneficiaries straight from their mobile, through this. IT industry to grow by 2.3% in FY21: NASSCOM  The Indian IT industry revenues are set to grow by 2.3 percent to USD 194 billion in FY2020-21 and the exports will go up by 1.9 percent to USD 150 billion.  This was informed by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).  The industry has become the first sector to recover from the pandemic-induced crisis. Arohan Financial files for ₹1,800 crore IPO  Kolkata-based Arohan Financial Services Ltd has filed the draft red herring prospectus with the Securities Exchange Board of India to raise funds via initial public offering (IPO).  The Aavishkaar group promoted lender plans to raise between ₹1750-1800 crore through IPO.  The public offer comprises a fund raise via fresh issuance of shares amounting to ₹850 crores. Govt announces Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban)  The govt has announced the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) in the Union Budget 2021-22 on the lines of Jal Jeevan Mission (Rural).  It will be implemented over 5 years, with an outlay of Rs 2,87,000 crore.  The govt has set aside 50,000 crore rupees for drinking water and ten thousand crore rupees for sanitation.  The budget allocation for Jal Jeevan Mission has increased by 450% for 2021. CDSL: 1st to open 3 cr active Demat accounts  Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL) has become India's first and only listed depository to open three crore plus (30 million) active Demat accounts.  CDSL is currently the largest depository in the country in terms of active Demat accounts.  The depository facilitates holding and transacting in securities electronically and facilitates settlement of trades on stock exchanges. Anil Agarwal joins hands with Centricus  Anil Agarwal has announced teaming up with London-based firm Centricus to create a $10-billion fund that will invest in stake sale of public sector undertakings.  Centricus is a global investment firm.  Agarwal is the executive chairman of Vedanta Resources.  Vedanta Resources Ltd is a globally diversified natural resources company. Assam's interim budget presented  In Assam, Finance Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the interim budget in the assembly on 12 Feb 2021.  The Minister informed that the annual growth rate at 7.71% was higher against the national annual growth rate of 6.11% during the period 2016-17 to 2019-20.  General Budget will be placed before September 30, 2021. Government allocates for Rs. 500 cr for NBHM

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 The government has approved the allocation for Rs. 500 crores for National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) for three years (2020-21 to 2022-23).  NBHM aims for the overall promotion and development of scientific beekeeping in the country to achieve the goal of ‘Sweet Revolution’ which is being implemented through the National Bee Board (NBB). Goa: 6th to successfully undertake ULB reforms  Goa has become the 6th State in the country to successfully undertake Urban Local Bodies reforms stipulated by the Department of Expenditure.  It has now become eligible to mobilize additional financial resources of Rs 223 cr through Open Market Borrowings.  Goa has joined five other states - Andhra Pradesh, MP, Manipur, Rajasthan, and Telangana, who have completed Urban Local Bodies reforms. Govt to sell stake in National Fertilizers Ltd  The central government has decided to sell 20% stake in National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) through an offer for sale.  It is the second-largest producer of Urea in the country with a share of about 15% of total Urea production in the country.  Incorporated in 1974, the NFL has an authorised capital of ₹1,000 crores and a paid-up capital of ₹490.58 crores. Kotak Mahindra Bank revises FD rates  Kotak Mahindra Bank has revised interest rate on fixed deposits (FD).  The bank's FD interest rates range from 2.50% to 5.25% on maturities with different tenures.  For FDs maturing in 7 to 30 days, 31 to 90 days and 91 to 179 days, Kotak Mahindra Bank offers interest rate 2.5%, 2.75% and 3.25% respectively.  For term deposits maturing in 180 days to less than a year, it offers 4.40% interest. More than 620 lakh tonnes of paddy procured  Government has procured more than 620 lakh tonnes of paddy in the current Kharif marketing season.  This is an increase of 17.60 percent against 2020's corresponding purchase of around 527 lakh tonnes.  Out of the total purchase, Punjab alone has contributed over 202 lakh tonnes which is 32.71 percent of total procurement. Tesla invests in bitcoin  Tesla has invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin, making it the biggest investment by a mainstream corporation into the most popular cryptocurrency.  In addition, the company plans to start accepting digital currency as a payment option for its products.  Soon after Tesla’s announcement, the rate of bitcoin skyrocketed to an all-time high, breaching the $44,000-mark for the first time. Rs 400 cr investment for fisheries sector  The government has proposed investment of Rs 400 crore towards the revival of the fisheries sector in Goa.  It is aimed at making Goa as “fishing hub” in the country and the initial focus is laid on cage farming techniques spread across 75 sq kms.  The centre has already sanctioned Rs 41.47 crore to the state.

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Amalfiaco sells 6.06% in CG Consumer  Advent International Corp’s Amalfiaco sold 6.06% in CG Consumer Electricals for ₹1,492 crores in open market transaction on 9 Feb 2021.  Amalfiaco Ltd sold 38 million shares or 6.06% of CG Consumer for ₹392.45 apiece.  As per the latest shareholding pattern, Amalfiaco Ltd held 11.42% in the firm.  In Nov'20, Amalfiaco and MacRitchie Investments Pte Ltd sold 8.77% in CG Consumer for ₹1631 cr. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance launches GIFT  ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has launched Guaranteed Income for Tomorrow or GIFT.  It helps policyholders to achieve their long-term financial goals.  It also enables customers to eliminate the uncertainty of future income streams by providing guaranteed income.  The policyholder can opt to receive the maturity benefit in the form of guaranteed income for a period of 5, 7, or 10 years. Rajasthan: 12th to undertake ONORC reform  Rajasthan has become the 12th state in the country to successfully undertake 'One Nation, One Ration Card' system reform stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.  Now, the state has become eligible to mobilize additional financial resources of Rs 2,731 crore through Open Market Borrowings, and permission in this regard has been issued. Defence gets nearly 19% rise in capital outlay  In the Union Budget for 2021-22, the allocation for the Defence services has been increased to ₹4.78 lakh cr compared to ₹4.71 lakh cr in the 2020-21 budget.  There is nearly a 19% hike in capital expenditure and it is the highest-ever increase in the last 15 years.  Rs 1,35,000 cr has been set aside for capital expenditure that includes purchasing new weapons, aircraft, warships, etc. Retail food declines to 3.41% in Dec  The Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry has informed that retail food inflation has declined in the country.  Retail food inflation declined to 3.41% in December 2020 in comparison to 11.73% in April 2020 as per Consumer Food Price Index.  The govt has also approved an action plan for the construction of steel silos in the country for a capacity of 100 lakh metric tonnes. IDFC Floating Rate Fund launched  IDFC Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the IDFC Floating Rate Fund.  It is an open-ended debt scheme predominantly investing in floating rate instruments.  IDFC Floating Rate Fund aims to invest a minimum of 65% of its corpus in floating rate securities issued by corporates or the government.  The New Fund Offer (NFO) will open on 10 February and close on 16 February 2021. HP govt proposes outlay of Rs 9,405.41 crores  Himachal Pradesh government has proposed an outlay of 9,405.41 crore rupees under the developmental budget for the year 2021-22.  This was announced by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while presiding over MLA's meeting on 8 Feb 2021.

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 Out of this amount, Rs 565.52 cr has been provided for roads and bridges while Rs 360.72 crore has been provided for minor irrigation and drinking water schemes. RBI announces government bond purchase  The RBI will purchase government securities worth ₹20,000 crores through open market operations (OMOs) to keep the yields in check.  It will purchase long-term securities maturing in 2024, 2028, 2030, and 2034.  So far this fiscal, RBI has undertaken OMO purchases of government securities worth ₹3.57 trillion and OMO purchases of state development loans worth ₹300 billion. Rs 1000 cr for welfare of tea workers of Assam  The Centre has proposed to provide Rs. 1000 cr for the welfare of tea workers of Assam and West Bengal.  The amount will be spent especially for the welfare of women and children associated with the tea gardens in these states.  In addition to this, the Budget also has outlays for additional funding for development of social and physical infrastructure in the states of Assam and West Bengal.

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Sports Strandja Memorial: Deepak Kumar wins silver  Boxer Deepak Kumar (52kg) won the silver medal in the men's flyweight at the 72nd Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on 27 Feb'21.  He lost the final face-off in a split decision against Bulgaria’s Daniel Asenov. Indian men's skeet team wins bronze  The Indian trio of Mairaj Ahmed Khan, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa and Gurjoat Khangura won the bronze medal in the men’s skeet team event at the International Shooting Sport Federation tournament (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup in Cairo, on 26 Feb 2021.  The Indians defeated the Kazakhstan team of David Pochivalov, Eduard Yechshenko and Alexandr Mukhamediyev 6-2 in the bronze medal match. Cricketer Yusuf Pathan announces retirement  India's all-rounder Yusuf Pathan announced his retirement from all formats of the game on 26 February 2021.  He played 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is for India between 2007 and 2012.  He was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup as well as the 2011 ODI World Cup, both of which were won by the Indian team. 2nd Khelo India National Winter Games  PM& Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at the 2nd Khelo India National Winter Games on 26 Feb 2021. through video conferencing.  The games will begin on 27 Feb 2021 and will continue till 2 March 2021.  The sports activities will include alpine skiing, nordic ski, snowboarding, ski mountaineering, ice hockey, ice skating, etc.  27 states and UTs are participating in the games. Tech Mahindra to launch Global Chess League  With an aim to revolutionize and popularise chess across the world, Tech Mahindra has announced the launch of the Global Chess League.  It will be a first-of-its-kind phygital (physical and digital) format league.  Tech Mahindra has also roped in five-time world chess champion and Indian chess grandmaster as mentor and partner for the league. G Sathiyan wins 82nd National TT Championship  G Sathiyan won over in the 82nd National Table Tennis Championships on 23 Feb 2021.  This is his first national title.  World No. 37 Sathiyan beat three-time Olympian Achanta Sharath Kamal 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, thus denying the latter a record-extending tenth national title. Training facilities inaugurated at SAI  Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju laid the foundation stone for a 330- bedded hostel, up-gradation of kitchen and dining hall, and synthetic athletics track in the Bengaluru campus of Sports Authority of India on 22 Feb 2021.  He also inaugurated a gym complex and modern change room.  He also felicitated the sportsmen who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Indian women boxers claim five gold medals

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 Indian women boxers ended with five gold medals overall in the 30th Adriatic Pearl tournament in Budva, Montenegro, on 21 Feb 2021.  Lucky Rana (64kg) secured a silver.  Indian women emerged as the top team with 10 medals (five gold, three silver and two bronze).  Uzbekistan (2 gold) and Czech Republic (1 gold) ended at second and third position respectively. Karnataka to host second Khelo India Games  Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has announced that the 2nd Khelo India University Games will be hosted by Karnataka.  It will be held in partnership with the Association of Indian Universities.  Over 4,000 sportsmen under the age of 25 will compete.  The 1st edition was held in Bhubaneswar in 2020.  In the 2nd edition of the games, Yogasana and Mallakhamb have also been added. Novak Djokovic wins 9th title  In Tennis, Novak Djokovic won his ninth Australian Open title, beating Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in the final at Melbourne Park on 21 Feb 2021.  The victory takes Djokovic’s singles tally to 18, just two behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.  In men's doubles, Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek won the title on 21 Feb 2021.  This was their first Grand Slam as a team. Naomi Osaka won her fourth Grand Slam title  Nomi Osaka won her fourth Grand Slam title by pulling away to beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 in the Australian Open final.  Osaka has won her past 21 matches at all tournaments dating to last season.  She also won the U.S. Open in 2018, and the Australian Open in 2019.  Osaka's victory at a floodlit Arena gave the Japanese her fourth major crown. LSRC lifts 1st Lt Governor Ice Hockey Cup  Regiment Centre (LSRC) Men's and Kharu women lifted the 1st Lieutenant Governor Ice Hockey Cup in their respective sections, in Leh on 19 Feb 2021.  Kharu beat the Domkhar women by 3-1 goal in a penalty shootout.  While Ladakh Scouts won the finals, beating the ITBP, by 3-0 goals.  A total of 8 men teams and five women teams have played for the cup. Elise Mertens, Aryna Sabalenka win doubles  In Tennis, the Belgian and Belarus pair of Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka has won the WOMEN'S doubles final of the Australian Open 2021.  They defeated Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in straight sets of 6-2, 6- 3.  The women's singles final will be played on 20 Feb 2021 while the men's singles clash will be held on 21 Feb 2021. Chris Morris becomes costliest player at IPL  Chris Morris became the costliest ever player at an IPL auction for Rajasthan Royal.  Krishnappa Gowtham became the costliest Indian uncapped player for at the IPL 2021 auction.

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was also sold to Chennai Super Kings.  A total of 292 players were enlisted for the auctions- 164 of them Indian and 125 overseas. VIVO returns as title sponsor for IPL  The (IPL) has made an announcement that smartphone manufacturer VIVO will be returning as the title sponsor for 2021.  Brijesh Patel, the Chairman of the Indian Premier League made this announcement.  Under the IPL "mini-auction" for 2021, 291 players will be listed.  The cricketers have been shortlisted by the eight franchises. S.Africa's declares Retirement  Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis announced his retirement from on 17 February 2021.  Faf du Plessis played 69 Tests, scoring 4163 runs at an average of 40.02. He stepped down as South Africa's Test and T20I captain in 2020.  He desires to focus on his career in the shorter formats with T20 being the priority. India's largest hockey stadium in Rourkela  Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone of India's biggest international hockey stadium at Rourkela in Sundergarh district on 16 Feb'21.  The new hockey stadium will be named after freedom fighter 'Birsa Munda' and will have a seating capacity of more than 20k.  The state govt has set a target to complete the construction of stadium ahead of the men's FIH Hockey World Cup 2023. M Rawat wins inaugural 35km race walk gold  Olympian Manish Rawat of Uttarakhand won the inaugural men's 35km event of the National Open Race Walking Championships held on 13th and 14th Feb'21 in Ranchi.  Rawat beat Tamil Nadu's Ganapati Krishnan comfortably and qualified for next World Athletics Championships.  The 35km race walk event was being staged in India for the first time. Naman Ojha retires from all forms of cricket  Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 15 Feb'21.  He holds the record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the Ranji Trophy, has featured in one Test, one ODI & two T20 Internationals.  Ojha made his international debut in 2010 in his only ODI against Sri Lanka, followed by his first T20I match in Zimbabwe. Hsieh Su-Wei becomes oldest quarterfinalist  In Australian Open Tennis, 35-year-old Hsieh Su-Wei has become the oldest first-time quarterfinalist in a Grand Slam.  Hsieh is the current doubles world number one but ranked 71 in singles.  She made her Grand Slam debut in 2005 but had never gone beyond the fourth round before in 37 previous attempts. Ravichandran: First to take 200 wickets  In cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin has become the first player in the 143-year history of Test cricket to

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take 200 wickets against left-handed batsmen.  He achieved the feat during India’s second Test against England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.  Stuart Broad was the 200th left-hander to be dismissed by Ashwin.  Ashwin has picked 391 wickets in his career so far. Abhin Devadiga, Ancy Sojan claim 200m titles  Karnataka's Abhin Bhaskar Devadiga and Kerala's Ancy Sojan claimed the under-20 men and women's 200m crowns respectively on the final day of the 36th National Junior Athletics Championships on 10 Feb 2021.  Praveen Chithravel won the triple jump event, while MP's Arjun Waskale rewrote the under-18 boys 1500m meet record by winning the race with a timing of three minutes 50.38 seconds. Rishabh Pant wins ICC's Player of the Month  Rishabh Pant has been named the winner of ICC's inaugural Player of the Month Award.  He has been awarded for Jan 2021 for his performances in the two Tests against Australia where he scored a 97 at Sydney and an 89 at Brisbane that led India to a historic series win.  Among female cricketers, the award was won by South Africa Shabnim Ismail for her performance in series against Pakistan. BCCI can use drones for aerial cinematography  Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted a conditional exemption to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the deployment of drones for live aerial cinematography of the India Cricket Season in 2021.  The Drone Rules 2021 are in the final stages of discussion with the Law Ministry and approval is expected by March 2021. : 5th to feature in Grand Slam  Ankita Raina on 7 Feb 2021, qualified for the doubles event of the Australian Open and became the fifth Indian woman to secure a place in the main draw of a Grand Slam.  Ankita along with her Romanian partner Mihaela Buzarnecu earned a direct entry for the doubles event.  Nirupama Mankad, Nirupama Vaidyanathan, and Shikha Uberoi have competed in the Grand Slam main draws earlier. ICC announces BYJU'S as global partner  The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced edu-tech company BYJU'S as its global partner from 2021 to 2023.  The three-year agreement will see BYJU'S partner all ICC events over the period, including the forthcoming men's T20 World Cup in India and the women's World Cup in New Zealand.  In August 2019, the company became the official jersey partners of the Indian cricket team. Ishant: 3rd Indian to take 300 Test wickets  Ishant Sharma has become the sixth Indian and third pacer from the country to take 300 wickets in Test cricket, joining former India captains and .  Ishant reached the landmark on 8 February 2021.  Ravichandran Ashwin (377 before this game), (417), and (311) are the other bowlers from the country who have reached the landmark. Drass Red wins 13th CEC Cup Ice Hockey C'ship

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 The 13th CEC Ice Hockey Cup 2021, organized by the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Kargil concluded at Ice Hockey Rink Biamathang, in Ladakh on 7 Feb 2021.  In the final of the men’s category, Drass Red won over Chiktan Ice Hockey Club with a margin of 3-2 goals.  In the women’s category, Chiktan Women Ice Hockey Club won over Wakha Mulbekh Club with a margin of 1-0 goal. Root becomes first player to score 200 in Test  England's Joe Root became the first cricketer to score 200 in his 100th Test, touching the milestone on the second day of the first Test against India, on 6 Feb 2021.  Former Pakistan skipper Inzamam ul Haq, who hit 184 against India in Bengaluru in 2005, held the previous best score in the 100th Test.  This was Root's fifth double century. Lisa in Australian Cricket Hall of Fame  Former Australia captain Lisa Sthalekar has become only the fourth female cricketer inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.  She was the first woman to achieve the career double of 1,000 runs & 100 wickets in ODIs.  Sthalekar is also one of just two women to have scored at least one century and taken at least one 5-for in both Tests and ODIs, the other being Ellyse Perry. Ajay Singh re-elected as President of BFI  Ajay Singh has been re-elected as President of the Boxing Federation of India after defeating former Maharashtra Sports Minister Ashish Shelar in the polls.  He received 37 votes while Shelar, who has held many top positions in sport, including the role of President of Maharashtra Cricket Association and Mumbai District Football Association, got 27 votes in the BFI elections on 3 Feb 2021. New Zealand in final of World Test C'ship  New Zealand has become the first team to reach the final of the inaugural World Test Championship.  India will qualify if they beat England in the upcoming series that will kickstart from February 5, 2021, by winning at least two matches.  As of now, India has the highest percentage points 71.7 while New Zealand has 70.  The WTC final is scheduled to be held from June 18 at the Lord's. Rishabh Pant nominated for an award  Rishabh Pant has been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award along with England's Joe Root and Ireland's Paul Stirling.  Pant played two Tests against Australia where he scored a 97 at Sydney and led India to a historic win.  In January 2021, Root played two Tests against Sri Lanka, where he scored a 228 and 186 and led his team to a 2-0 Test series victory. UP man unfurls national flag at Kilimanjaro  Mountaineer Nitish Singh from Gorakhpur unfurled the national flag at Mount Kilimanjaro peak, the highest mountain in the African continent.  He scaled a height of 5,895 m above sea level and unfurled the Indian tricolor flag at the mountain on 26 January 2021.  He has also raised a flag for the transgender community for supporting him in his journey.

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Ashoke Dinda retires from all forms of cricket  Fast bowler Ashoke Dinda announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 2 Feb 2021 after 15 years in Bengal cricket.  Dinda played 116 first-class matches for Bengal, bagging 420 wickets at a of 28.28.  The right-handed pacer made his international debut in 2009, in a T20I against Sri Lanka, followed by making his ODI debut in Zimbabwe in 2010. Merv Hughes in Australian Cricket Hall of Fame  Former pacer Merv Hughes has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.  He captured 212 Test wickets at an average of 28.38 in a career spanning 53 Tests and 33 ODIs for Australia from 1985 to 1994.  In 2005, Hughes became a selector for the Australian cricket team, a role he held until 2010. Tamil Nadu wins T20 Trophy  In Cricket, Tamil Nadu lifted the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy after defeating Baroda by seven wickets in the final at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad on 31 Jan 2021.  This was Tamil Nadu’s second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) triumph, after winning their first title way back in 2006-07.  Baroda had won the title twice in the past (in 2011-12 and 2013-14). Zanskar Sports and Youth Festival concludes  In Kargil, Ladakh, the first-ever Zanskar Winter Sports and Youth Festival, 2021 concluded at Munskit Chumik Zanskar on 30 Jan 2021.  The 13 days festival featured various cultural and sports activities like ice hockey, snow skiing, horse riding, yak riding, ice climbing, snow sculpture, etc.  Around 700 people from various different parts of Zanskar participated in the event.

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Defence IAF to participate in celebrations of SLAF  The aerobatic display teams, the fixed-wing Suryakirans and rotary wing ‘Sarang’, along with Light Combat Aircraft Tejas arrived at Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 27 Feb'21.  These will participate in an Air Show scheduled from 3-5 March'21 as part of the 70th-anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).  Suryakiran Aerobatic Team had earlier toured Sri Lanka in 2001. Ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan  India and Pakistan armies have agreed to cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) from midnight of February 24-25, 2021.  The Director Generals of Military Operations of the two countries agreed to observe a ceasefire to maintain peace along LoC.  Amid heightened tensions along the LoC and LAC in 2020, this is the first such contract between India and Pakistan. India-USA Executive Steering Group meet  The 24th edition of the India-USA Executive Steering Group meeting was held at New Delhi from 22nd to 24th February 2021.  The forum is an Army to Army engagement that meets every year alternately in India and the US to discuss Army to Army cooperation.  Major General Daniel McDaniel, Deputy Commanding General, US Army Pacific was the Head of delegation from the US side. MoD clears defense buys worth ₹13,700 crore  The Defense Acquisition Council approved capital acquisition proposals of various weapons, platforms, equipment, systems required by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force on 23 Feb'21.  Three Acceptance of Necessities (AoNs) for an overall cost of Rs 13,700 cr were accorded.  These acquisitions will include platforms and systems designed and developed by the DRDO. IAF Chief on 3-day visit to Bangladesh  The Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhaduaria arrived in Dhaka on 22 Feb 2021 on a three-day visit.  He was invited by his Bangladeshi counterpart Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat.  He is accompanied by a two-member delegation.  He will also be visiting other major Bangladesh Airforce Bases across Bangladesh during the course of his visit. DRDO conducts two launches of VL-SRSAM  DRDO conducted two successful launches of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL- SRSAM) on 23 Feb 2021.  The launches were carried out from a static vertical launcher from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha.  Indigenously designed and developed for the Indian Navy, VL-SRSAM is meant for neutralizing various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets. Indian Naval ship INS Pralaya arrives in UAE  Indian Naval ship Pralaya arrived at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on 19 Feb'21.

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 The vessel will participate in the NAVDEX 2021 and IDEX 2021 scheduled to take place from 20 to 25 Feb'21.  Participation of INS Pralaya highlights the strong bilateral relationship shared by India and the UAE.  NAVDEX is one of the world's most prominent naval defense and maritime security exhibitions. Helina and Dhruvastra successfully tested  India successfully test-fired the Army and Air Force versions of Anti Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) from desert ranges on 19 Feb 2021.  Joint user trials of Army version Helina and Air Force version Dhruvastra missile systems were carried out from the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform.  The missiles have been Indigenously developed by DRDO. Enhanced delegation of financial powers  The cabinet has approved enhanced delegation of financial powers under capital procurement to levels below Vice-Chief of Armed Forces.  Under Other Capital Procurement Procedure of Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020, financial powers up to Rs 100cr has been delegated to General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Flag Officer Commanding- in-Chief, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Indian Coast Guard. INS Karanj delivered to Indian Navy  The Indian Navy is all set to get its third Scorpene-class submarine in March 2021, with the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) handing over the sub to the force in Feb 2021.  The submarine has been handed over to the Navy three years after sea trials began in January 2018.  INS Kalavari was the first such submarine which was commissioned into the Indian Navy in October 2017. Best Marching Contingent award presented  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on 15 February 2021, presented the Best Marching Contingent award of Republic Day Parade 2021.  'Best marching contingent among the three services' was presented to Jat Regimental Centre.  'Best marching contingent among CAPF and other auxiliary forces' was won by Delhi Police. Sniffer dogs participate in Navy's exercise  2 explosive sniffing dogs, named Minki and Mukti, were slithered down from a naval helicopter onto the offshore oil platform Neelam as part of a simulated bomb threat during Exercise Prasthan and Sea Vigil held in Feb'21.  Clearance Divers of the Western Naval Command slithered down onto the oil rig platform with the two dogs.  The dogs then proceeded to do their job of sniffing out IEDs. Indian Navy commences COVID-19 vaccination  COVID-19 vaccination drive for naval personnel serving on front line naval units of Eastern Naval Command(ENC) began on 14 Feb 2021 at Visakhapatnam.  This is a part of the largest vaccination drive being undertaken across the nation.  Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain PVSM, AVSM, VSM Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief ENC received the first dose of vaccine at INHS Kalyani. Arjun Main Battle Tank handed over to the Army  PM Modi handed over the indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (Mark 1A) to Army Chief

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General MM Naravane in Chennai on 14 Feb 2021.  PM Modi was in Chennai to launch various government programs in Tamil Nadu.  The tank is indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured by DRDO's Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment in Chennai. Divya-Drishti 202 organised by CLAWS  Indian Army National Seminar-cum-Webinar, named as Divya-Drishti 202 on Multi-Domain Operations: Future of Conflicts was organized by Centre for Land Warfare Studies, CLAWS on 11 Feb'21.  It aimed to bring together national and international experts and practitioners to deliberate on the subject of multi-domain operations.  The inaugural address was delivered by Army Chief General MM Naravane. BHEL bags order from the Indian Navy  Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has bagged an order from the Indian Navy for supplying 2 Super Rapid Gun Mounts (SRGM).  These are the main guns standardised for all warships of the Indian Navy.  It has indigenised these guns and has established dedicated manufacturing and inspection facilities at its Heavy Electrical Equipment Plant, Haridwar for production and installation of these guns. Coast Guard conducts a workshop at Porbandar  The Coast Guard District Headquarters Number-1 conducted the district-level Pollution Response Workshop and Mock Drill - 2021 at Porbandar, Gujarat from 9-10 Feb 2021.  It was conducted to revalidate the response mechanism for oil pollution incidents and enable the Indian Coast Guard to fine-tune the Regional and National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan. TROPEX 21: Indian Navy’s largest war game  The Navy’s largest war game, the biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX-21), has completed the weapon work-up phase on Feb 10, 2021.  The exercise is currently underway with participation of all its operational units as well as units of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.  Commenced in January 2021, the exercise will culminate by third week of February'21. Defence gets nearly 19% rise in capital outlay  In the Union Budget for 2021-22, the allocation for the Defence services has been increased to ₹4.78 lakh cr compared to ₹4.71 lakh cr in the 2020-21 budget.  There is nearly a 19% hike in capital expenditure and it is the highest-ever increase in the last 15 years.  Rs 1,35,000 cr has been set aside for capital expenditure that includes purchasing new weapons, aircraft, warships, etc. Foundation laid for 100-foot-high flag  The Indian Army has laid the foundation stone of the tallest 'Iconic National Flag' at the famous ski- resort of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir.  The flag will be on a 100 feet-high pole, the highest Tricolour in the valley.  The Indian Army in collaboration with the Solar Industry India will install the flag.  This iconic Indian national flag will be a first in many ways. ‘Yudh Abhyas 20’ commences in Rajasthan  The India-US joint military exercise "Yudh Abhyas 20" commenced on 8 Feb 2021 in Mahajan Field Firing Range of Bikaner, Rajasthan.

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 This is the 16th edition of the exercise and will continue till 21 Feb 2021.  The previous version of the joint exercise was held in Seattle in the US.  It is one of the largest military training and defense cooperation efforts between India and the US. Indian Navy receives helicopters from HAL  The Indian Navy received three made in India Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on 5 Feb 2021.  The helicopters are customised for coastal security.  Out of 16 Mk-III helicopters ordered, three have been delivered.  The naval version of ALH is fitted with an array of advanced sensors that can detect Mumbai terror attacks like intrusions on Indian waters. HAL to develop high-altitude pseudo satellite  The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) announced that it is developing a futuristic high altitude pseudo satellite with a start-up company, a first of its kind in the world.  The satellite will be solar energised and become a big asset flying unmanned around 70,000 ft for 2-3 months and taking information.  The technology is named Combined Air Teaming System (CATS). Air Marshal Manavendra Singh: AOC-in-Chief  Air Marshal Manavendra Singh has been appointed the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the IAF's Southern Air Command.  He takes over from Air Marshal Amit Tiwari who has been posted as Chief of the Central Air Command.  He has held a number of command and staff positions.  He has commanded various frontline airbases besides heading the IAF peacekeeping contingent in Bukavu in Congo. ‘Yudh Abhyas’ to begin in Rajasthan from 8 Feb  The 16th edition of Indo-US joint military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' will be held in Rajasthan between Feb 8-21, 2021.  The exercise aims at enhancing cooperation and interoperability between the two armies and will focus on counter-terrorism operations under the United Nations mandate.  The 11th Battalion of , part of the South Western Command will represent Indian Army. ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ victory flame received  As part of ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ celebration commemorating 50 years of the 1971 war triumph against Pakistan, one of the victory flames was received at Air Force Station Adampur, on 3 Feb 2021.  Many Air veterans were felicitated during the event.  During the war, SU-7 and MIG-21 aircraft from the base operated over Shakargarh and Chhamb battlefields losing 9 pilots, killed in action. Zoho's founder named to NSA's advisory board  Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has been appointed to the reconstituted National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) led by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.  He is one of the Padma Shri awardees announced by the government of India on 26 Jan 2021.  The members of NSAB typically have 2-year terms.  Other new members in this term include K Radhakrishnan, Anshuman Tripathy and Arun K Singh.

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Govt formally seals deal to procure Tejas LCA  The govt has formally sealed the ₹48,000 cr deal to procure 83 Tejas light combat aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.  Tejas is a single-engine and highly multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.  The deal for procurement of the 73 Tejas Mk-IA variant and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-I trainer aircraft was approved in Jan 2021. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh felicitated  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was felicitated in Bengaluru on 2 Feb 2021 by the State Government and industry bodies.  He was honoured for giving HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) an order of Rs 48,000 crore to manufacture 83 LCA Mark 1A fighter aircraft.  The order to HAL will help generate 5,000 direct jobs and 25,000 secondary jobs in the country and 230 equipment suppliers. Iran launches new satellite-carrying rocket  Iran's defence ministry launched a new satellite carrier with its "most powerful" solid-fuel engine on 01 Feb 2021.  It was the first launch of the Zoljanah hybrid satellite carrier for sub-orbital testing.  Zoljanah can put satellites in a 500 KM altitude orbit and carry a 220-KG payload.  The rocket can be launched from a "mobile platform", which provides it with "special capabilities". DM to inaugurate HAL's 2nd LCA production line  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate 2nd production line of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited''s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft in Bengaluru on 2 Feb 2021.  The delivery of the Tejas LCA to the Indian Air Force under a ₹ 48,000-cr deal will begin from March 2024.  Annually around 16 aircraft will be rolled out till the completion of the total supply of 83 jets.

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Books and Authors Kabir Bedi's memoir to be released in April  Veteran actor Kabir Bedi's memoir will be published this April 2021.  It is titled 'Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Journey of an Actor'.  It will take readers through the highs and lows of Bedi's professional and personal life.  Bedi's career spans three continents in three mediums: film, television and theatre.  He has acted in over 65 Hindi movies, including 'Main Hoon Na'. Devir SIngh Bhandari's new book  A new book titled 'Yuva Bharat: The Heroes of Today' has come up.  It has been published by Bloomsbury and written by filmmaker-entrepreneur Devir Singh Bhandari.  The book traces the journey of over 60 eminent young personalities.  The book includes the journey of actor Rao, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb, etc. Maverick Messiah: Political biography on NTR  ‘Maverick Messiah’ is a political biography of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, late Shri N T Rama Rao.  The book has been authored by senior journalist, Ramesh Kandula.  NTR was ranked among the top pioneers of 'alternative politics'.  The actor-leader was a phenomenon who had made stellar contributions to cinema and politics. Home Minister releases a book  Home Minister Amit Shah released a book 'Rashtra Pratham - 82 Varshon ki Swarnim Gatha' in New Delhi on 19 Feb 2021.  The book has the glorious history of CRPF since its raising in 1939 and it has a detailed and thoroughly researched account of CRPF's journey, challenges, successes, and sacrifices.  The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is India's largest Central Armed Police Force. 'Fractured Mosaic': A book by Sabarna Roy  Sabarna Roy, the author of six critically acclaimed books, unveiled his seventh book, Fractured Mosaic on 17 Feb'21.  Fractured Mosaic has been published by Leadstart of Mumbai.  The book "Fractured Mosaic" is a sequel to his fifth literary work, titled: Random Subterranean Mosaic: 2012 - 2018. Jual Oram launched book on economic awareness  Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense and MP Jual Oram has launched "Turn Around India: 2020- Surmounting Past Legacy", a book on creating economic awareness among masses.  The book is written by RP Gupta.  It provides viable options to revive the Indian economy to create new jobs, increase public revenues and structural reforms to overcome the economic crisis due to pandemic. Priyanka Chopra's new book  Priyanka Chopra Jonas has come up with her autobiography, title 'Unfinished: A Memoir'.  It was officially published on February 9, 2021.  The book chronicles all the important moments of her life from winning the title of “Miss World” to her break in , from the death of her father to her marriage to Nick Jonas.

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 The book was released by Penguin Random House. Dalai Lama's new book  Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has come up with his new book "The Little Book of Encouragement".  It has 130 quotes and is edited by Renuka Singh and published by Penguin Random House.  He has praised India's rich civilisational heritage in his book, saying it is rooted in the long-standing traditions of karuna and ahimsa: compassion and non-violence. Hamid Ansari's new book  Former Vice President Hamid Ansari has come up with his new autobiography called 'By Many a Happy Accident'.  It is on Ansari’s life as a diplomat, and then Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman for two terms.  It also contains several accounts of Ansari’s interactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of them being when he had just become Vice President.

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National Affairs FICCI Higher Education Summit held  Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution addressed the FICCI Higher Education Summit on 26 Feb'21.  He informed that with the National Education Policy every child in the country will get equal quality of education.  Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is a non-governmental trade association. DBT celebrates its 35th Foundation Day  The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) celebrated its 35th Foundation Day on 27 Feb 2021.  The celebrations also marked giving away of prestigious BRITE (Biotechnology Research Innovation and Technology Excellence) Awards in various categories.  The e-book "DBT Fights COVID- From Virus to Vaccine" which showcases the initiatives of DBT in the mitigation of the COVID pandemic was also unveiled. 97th Annual Convocation of Delhi University  Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' addressed the 97th Annual Convocation of the University of Delhi, held on 27 February 2021 in Delhi.  First time in the history of the University, 1,78,719 digital degrees were distributed online by the Union Minister of Education.  The University also launched the Vidya Vistar scheme to support institutions in remote areas. National Bamboo Mission organizes a conference  The National Bamboo Mission organized a two-day conference ‘National Consultation on Opportunities and Challenges for Bamboo in India’ on 25-26 Feb'21.  NITI Aayog and Invest India also joined hands with the National Bamboo Mission to conduct the event.  The aim of it was to deliberate on the bamboo ecosystem for promoting the holistic growth of the sector across the entire value chain. Priority to people with Down syndrome  India plans to prioritise people with Down syndrome for Covid-19 vaccination.  The development came after a global research involving Down syndrome patients from Europe, the US, Latin America and India was published in Lancet's 'EClinical Medicine'.  Adults with Down syndrome were around three times more likely to die from covid-19 than the general population, according to the research. Centralised control room set up for Kumbh  A centralised control room has been set up at Haridwar railway station ahead of Kumbh Mela.  All the nearby railway stations have been connected through CCTV, with their feed being streamed at this control room.  A telephone line has also been set up at the centre.  The Kumbh Mela will be held from 1-30 April 2021 in Haridwar.  The Uttarakhand govt has decided to limit the Kumbh for 30 days. Om Birla inaugurates an outreach program  In Meghalaya, a familiarization and outreach program for local bodies of the North East was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Shillong on 26 Feb 2021.

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 Titled 'Strengthening Decentralized Democracy', the program is aimed at improving the functioning of various local bodies.  The program is organized by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE). Toy manufacturing cluster proposed in Koppal  Karnataka State Industries Department has proposed a Toy manufacturing cluster in Koppal district.  Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa laid the foundation stone for the cluster on January 9th, 2021.  The traditional Channapattana wooden toys and Koppal Kinhal toys and dolls will be promoted through the cluster.  Seven MoUs have been signed to date for setting up industries in the cluster. Foundation laid for a medical college  Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan laid the foundation stone of Mon Medical College covering 30 acres of land at District Hospital Mon, Nagaland, on 26 Feb 2021.  He also appealed the Nagaland government and the people to actively participate in an ambitious programme of the central government in eliminating Tuberculosis by 2025. 2nd phase of vaccination from 1 March: Gujarat  The Gujarat govt has announced the new phase of vaccination drive against Covid 19 from 1 March 2021.  People above 60 years will be covered under the new phase of the vaccination drive.  All eligible persons can register their names on the Cowin2.0 portal in advance for vaccination at govt and private centres.  In the first week of March 2021, about 500 vaccination centres will be available. Ban on international flights extended  The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the suspension of international commercial passenger flight services till March 31, 2021.  Scheduled international flight operations were suspended from March 23, 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.  The restriction will not apply to cargo flights and flights specifically approved by DGCA. CSCs to be integrated with e-daakhil portal  E-Daakhil portal for consumer grievance redressal is now operational in 15 states and UTs.  To facilitate the rural consumers for e-filing, it has been decided to integrate the Common Service Centres with the e-daakhil portal.  The portal was launched by National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission on 7th September, 2020 for online redressal of consumer grievances. No COVID-19 vaccination sessions on Feb 27-28  COVID 19 vaccination sessions will not take place on 27 and 28 Feb 2021 in the wake of the IT system transition from Co-Win 1.0 to Co-Win 2.0.  The COVID vaccination was launched on 16th January 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  The vaccination exercise is being expanded to include those above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with co-morbidities from 1st March 2021. DGCA to give concession in ticket prices  Directorate General of Civil Aviation has allowed domestic flight operators to give concessions in ticket prices to travellers who carry no baggage or only cabin baggage.

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 At present, a traveller can carry up to 7 kg of cabin baggage and 15 kg of check-in baggage without having to pay any additional cost.  Scheduled airlines will be allowed to offer free baggage allowance. Union Health Secretary chairs a meeting  Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired a high-level meeting with the Health Secretaries of states and UTs on the vaccination of age-appropriate groups on 26 Feb 2021.  They were explained the basic features of version 2.0 of the digital platform CO-Win, which is a population-scale software with the capacity of processing several thousands of entries. MHA extends COVID Guidelines till 31 March  Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the existing COVID Guidelines for Surveillance, Containment and Caution till 31st of March 2021.  The states and UTs have been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population to break the chain of transmission.  The Standard Operating Procedures prescribed in respect of various permitted activities will be followed thoroughly. Saras Aajeevika Mela inaugurated  Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Saras Aajeevika Mela 2021 at Noida Haat on 26 February 2021.  It is being organized from 26th February to 14th March 2021 by the Ministry of Rural Development.  More than 300 rural self-help groups and craftsman from 27 states are participating in the Mela. The India Toy Fair 2021 inaugurated  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India Toy Fair 2021 through video conferencing on 27 February 2021.  The four-day event aims to bring together all stakeholders including buyers, sellers, students, teachers and designers on a virtual platform.  Over 1000 exhibitors from across 30 states and UTs will display their products.  The fair will be held till 2 March 2021. Gujarat govt launches Budget mobile app  Gujrat's Deputy CM Nitin Patel launched 'Gujarat Budget' mobile application at Gandhinagar on 26 Feb'21.  The app will have 5 different sections, comprising budgetary allocations for 27 departments, budget highlights, finance minister's speech, important aspects of the budget & its news coverage.  Budget publications will be available online, therefore the govt will print only 20% of material. Kerala to provide free RT-PCR tests  Kerala government will conduct RT-PCR tests free of cost for expatriates returning to the state.  The Centre has issued this kind of direction based on the fact that there was a 31% increase in Covid-19 cases in the state in the last week of Feb'21.  There are chances of the second wave of Covid-19 spread in 16 states in the country. J&K UT issues ‘Student Health Card’  Jammu and Kashmir administration has started health check-ups of students and issued ‘Student Health Card’ in all the government schools under the Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme across the Union Territory.  Student Health Card has been issued from the age group of 5-12 years after filling a form with complete

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health-related details to ascertain any deficiencies among the kids. Nagaland's first air cargo service  Nagaland will have its first air cargo service soon from Dimapur airport.  The Security clearance for domestic cargo operation was approved by the Director General, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Ministry of Civil of Aviation.  This cargo service will boost the farming community of the state and ensure timely and efficient transport of their produce to other parts of the country. Walmart expands Vriddhi programme to UP  Walmart has expanded its supplier development programme Vriddhi to Uttar Pradesh, by launching an e-Institute in Agra to provide small businesses in Uttar Pradesh skills and competencies.  With the new e-Institute, Walmart is expanding its Vriddhi Supplier Development Program to empower 50,000 MSMEs across India.  Walmart opened its first Vriddhi e-Institute in Haryana in October 2020. Odisha CM launches slew of initiatives- I  Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a slew of initiatives of the successful 5T mantra and Mission Shakti programmes on 26 Feb 2021.  The new steps are ‘Mo-Chhatua App’ for streamlining supply chain management of Take Home Ration (Chhatua); e-Kalika, an application for monitoring crèches for children under three; ‘Mo Sishu portal’, a comprehensive web-based system, etc. Odisha CM launches a slew of initiatives-II  He also launched ‘emanadeya’ portal, for seamless, paperless transfer of honorarium to 1, 34,758 AWWs, mini anganwadi workers and helpers.  The Women and Child Development department also entered into a technical collaboration with CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute) for improving the quality of THR (Take Home Ration). Over 1,000 extremists lay down arms in Assam  Over 1,000 militants laid down weapons before Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on 23 Feb 2021.  The rebels, belonging to five groups that were active mostly in the hill district of Karbi Anglong, had declared a unilateral ceasefire with the government earlier.  All communities in Karbi Anglong are living together peacefully. Maruti and IIM Bangalore to nurture startups  Maruti Suzuki India Limited and IIM Bangalore will jointly nurture and mentor 26 startups in the mobility sector through up to a nine-month-long incubation program.  The selected startups will undergo a three-month pre-incubation journey during which they will be engaged in various peer-to-peer learning activities.  The incubation program will help the startups become large-scale businesses. Leh all set for Rs 100 cr holistic development  One of the famous tourist destinations in the country, Leh is all set for a near 100 crore rupees holistic development.  A team of consultants from the Tourism Ministry visited Leh for spot inspection on 254Feb 2021.  Leh has been shortlisted under the National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme.

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50 FPOs linked to Unified Market Platform  In Karnataka, 50 Farmer Producer Organisations, FPOs supported by NABARD were linked to Unified Market Platform of Rashtriya e-Market Services in Bengaluru on 25 Feb 21.  These FPOs will now be accessible by 44,000 traders registered across 162 markets trading in agricultural commodities.  The online e-market platform has helped trading of 81 million metric tonnes of agricultural commodities. Retirement age of government employees raised  In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palananiswami has announced that the retirement age of state government employees has been increased from 59 to 60 years.  The order would be applicable to employees of government-aided schools, legal and constitutional bodies, etc.  All those who were in service and those who would retire on 31 May 2021, would be covered under the announcement. Dynamic testing of prototype train conducted  The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) conducted dynamic testing of prototype train at Charkop Depot before its actual trial run.  Commissioner of MMRDA R. A. Rajeev flagged off the Prototype Metro Train on 25 Feb 2021.  The MMRDA has announced to begin trial runs on the Metro Line 2A Dahisar to D.N. Nagar, Andheri, and Line 7 Andheri East to Dahisar East from March 2021. Centre announces guidelines for OTT  The Centre has announced guidelines and digital media ethics code for Over The Top (OTT), online streaming, and social media platforms.  The social media platforms have to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer of complaints, Nodal Contact person, and a Resident Grievance officer.  Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced a three-tier mechanism for their regulation. Sites selected under Swachh Iconic Places  Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has announced the selection of 12 iconic sites under Phase IV of Swachh Iconic Places.  These sites include Ajanta Caves, Sanchi Stupa, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Jaisalmer Fort, Ramdevra, Golconda Fort, Konark Sun Temple, etc.  The initiative aims at improving the sanitation and cleanliness standards at and around the sites. President rule imposed in Puducherry  In the UT of Puducherry, the president rule was imposed following the fall of the Congress DMK alliance govt led by CM Narayanasamy.  After imposition of president rule, the administration of the UT can not be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the govt of Union Territories Act 1963.  It suspends the operation until the constitution of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Puducherry. Himachal Pradesh's ‘e-Parivahan Vyavstha’  Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘e-Parivahan Vyavstha’ of the State Transport Department on 25 February 2021.  It aims to provide faceless services to the people of the State regarding Driving Licence/Registration

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Certificates/Permits etc.  Previously, the state government had also started various digital initiatives like e-Vidhan Sabha, e- Budget and e-Cabinet. India’s first Toy Fair  India’s first Toy Fair will be held virtually from February 27 to March 2, 2021.  It is the first-ever digitally accessible exhibition.  It will provide an opportunity to explore and buy a variety of toys from over 1,000 exhibitors across states and union territories.  Toy Fair is a visionary initiative that will reduce the dependence of toys on foreign markets. Airbus selects L&T Technology Services  L&T Technology Services (LTTS) has been selected by Airbus, as part of the Skywise Partner Programme to provide technology and digital engineering solutions for Airbus Skywise platform.  More than 130 airlines across the world are already connected to Airbus Skywise platform.  The platform plays a crucial role in enabling and accelerating the digital transformation of the aviation sector. Technology Innovation Hub inaugurated  Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur has inaugurated Technology Innovation Hub developed with an investment of Rs 110 crore at IIT Mandi.  He presided over the 12th Foundation Day programme of IIT Mandi held on February 24, 2021.  An MoU was also signed between the district administration and IIT Mandi in presence of the CM for development and deployment of Landslide Monitoring System in Mandi. Women's Commando Force inaugurated  Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the Women's Commando Force and Smart Cheetah Police of Uttarakhand on 24 Feb 2021.  He also honoured Commando Instructor Shifu Shaurya Bhardwaj and Military Officer Rubina Korky.  Uttarakhand has become the fourth state in the country where a squad of women commandos has been added to the police department. Punjab to amend Prisons Act  The Punjab government has decided to amend the Prisons Act for more stringent punishments to deter inmates from committing offences like escaping from prison.  A Bill to bring in the necessary changes will be introduced in the Budget Session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, scheduled to begin on March 1, 2021.  A section 52-A(1) has been amended with imprisonment of not less than three years. Mumbai’s undersea tunnel: The first in India  Mumbai will be home to India’s first undersea tunnel by 2023.  The twin tunnels, which have a length of 2.07 km of which a kilometre will be under the sea, are being built as part of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project.  The project is a 10.58-km stretch starting from the Marine Drive promenade to the Worli-end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. PM Modi inaugurates key projects in Tamilnadu  PM laid the foundation stone of multiple infrastructure projects worth over Rs 12,400 cr at Tamilnadu on 25 Feb'21.

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 PM dedicated Rs 8k cr Neyveli New Thermal Power Project, also 709 MW Solar Power Project of NLCIL to the nation.  He also laid the foundation stone of the extension of the Lower Bhavani Project System, taken up at a cost of ₹934 cr under NABARD infrastructure assistance. PM Modi visits Puducherry  PM Modi visited Puducherry on 25 Feb'21 and laid the foundation stone for several projects there.  The projects include the inauguration of a 100-bed girls’ hostel at Lawspet also, the reconstructed Heritage Marie Building built by the French.  He also laid the foundation stone for Minor Port at Puducherry, the Synthetic Athletic Track at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, etc. Vaccine to people above 60 yrs from 1st March  Government will start administering Covid-19 vaccine to people above 60 years of age from 1st March 2021.  Those above 45 years of age with comorbidities will also be vaccinated in this phase.  The vaccine will be administered free of cost at ten thousand government hospitals to these groups.  The cost of the vaccine at 20 thousand private vaccination centres will be borne by the government. Delhi govt introduces contactless tickets  The Delhi government on 24 Feb 2021, for the first time since its inception, expanded its ambitious contactless ticketing service to all its Delhi transport corporation (DTC) buses.  The ticketless scheme was introduced by the government in May-June, 2020 during the lockdown.  The scheme is aimed at reducing physical human interaction that increased the chances of the spread of Covid-19. Assam declared as ‘disturbed area’  Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi declared the entire state as a ‘disturbed area’ for 6 months beginning February 27, 2021.  Assam is declared as a ‘disturbed area’ under the powers conferred in Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958.  As of Feb-21, besides Assam, AFSPA is in force in Nagaland and parts of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. CCI imposes Rs 4 lakh penalty on FPBAI  The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 4 lakh on the Federation of Publishers and Booksellers Association in India (FPBAI) and its present and past Presidents for anti- competitive practices.  An investigation revealed that by restricting discounts, FPBAI indirectly determined sale prices of books, journals, sold by FPBAI members. Prime Minister addresses a webinar  Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a webinar on the effective implementation of budget provisions in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) on 24 Feb 2021.  He informed that an empowered group of Secretaries has been formed to connect with the investors.  He also informed that a production-linked incentive has been introduced to encourage investors. PM Narendra Modi chairs 36th PRAGATI Meeting  Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 36th PRAGATI meeting on 24 Feb 2021.  In the meeting, 10 agenda items were taken up for review including 8 projects, grievance relating to 1

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scheme, and 1 programme.  In the previous 35 PRAGATI interactions, 290 projects having a total cost of about ₹13.60 lakh crore, along with 51 programmes/schemes have been reviewed. Punjab launches 'PSCADB' mobile app  The Punjab State Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank (PSCADB) has launched the 'PSCADB' mobile app.  It has been launched in a bid to benefit common people in general and farmers in particular.  It will also help in locating the Punjab Agricultural Development Banks in the villages.  The Android and iOS version of this app is designed and developed by National Informatics Centre.

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Committees and Recommendations IRDAI forms a working group committee  The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed a working group committee to relook its information and security guidelines amid the exponential increase in cyberattacks across the globe in the wake of covid-19.  The committee will review whether to extend the applicability of guidelines for insurers to other entities, with or without modification.

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