CONTENTS

S. No. Chapter Name Page No.

RBI 5TH BI-MONTHLY MONETARY POLICY REVIEW 1. 1 2020-21

2. INTERNATIONAL AND BILATERAL 2

3. NATIONAL 3 -6 4. STATES 7-11 5. ECONOMY AND BANKING 12-15 6. RBI UPDATES 16-17 7. SCHEMES & INITIATIVES 18-19 8. CABINET APPROVALS 20

9. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 21-22

10. DEFENCE 23

11. AWARDS AND HONOURS 24-25 12. SPORTS 26-27

13. OBITUARIES 28

14. REPORTS, INDICES AND RANKING 29

15. COMMITTEES 30

16. SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES 31

17. APPOINTMENTS 32

18. DAYS AND THEMES 33 19. DEFENCE EXERCISES AND OPERATIONS 34 20. BOOKS AND AUTHORS 34

21. CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS 35-50

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1. RBI 5TH BI-MONTHLY MONETARY POLICY REVIEW 2020-21

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy 0.625% by another six months i.e. from April 1, Committee (MPC) met on 3rd, 4th and 5th February, 2021 to October 1, 2021. 2021 which projected India’s gross domestic Product ➢ Apart from above, it was also decided to defer the (GDP) growth at 10.5% for the FY2021-22, 26.2 to implementation of Net Stable Funding Ratio 8.3% in H1 FY22 and 6.0 % in Q3 FY22.This is 5th (NSFR) from April 1, 2021 to October 1, 2021 Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Committee Meeting for amid COVID-19 stress. FY 2020-21.The projection of Consumer Price Index ➢ RBI also decided to extend the dispensation of (CPI) inflation has been revised to 5.2% for the Q4 enhanced HTM of 22% up to March 31, 2023 FY21, 5.2 % to 5.0 % in H1 FY22 and declined to include securities acquired between April 1, 2021 4.3% by Q3 FY22. and March 31, 2022. ➢ The MPC has given the mandate to maintain annual ➢ The Reserve Bank on September 1, 2020, increased inflation at 4% until March 31, 2021 with an upper the limits under Held to Maturity (HTM) category tolerance of 6% and lower tolerance of 2% i.e. within from 19.5% to 22% of net demand and time a band of +/- 2 %. liabilities (NDTL) in respect of statutory liquidity ➢ The MPC kept the interest rates unchanged the fourth ratio (SLR) eligible securities acquired on or after time in a row which are as follows: September 1, 2020, up to March 31, 2021. Policy Repo Rate 4.00% ➢ The retail investors are allowed to access Reverse Repo Rate 3.35% government securities (G-Secs) market both Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) 4.25% primary and secondary – directly through the Rate Reserve Bank (‘Retail Direct’) along the facility to Bank Rate 4.25% open their gilt securities account. With this, India Highlights of Monetary Policy review has become the first country to do so. ➢ RBI extends Targeted Long Term Repo Operations ➢ The digital payments ecosystem, major payment (TLTRO) scheme to NBFCs system operators are required to set up centralised ➢ The RBI also extended the deadline for meeting the industry-wide 24×7 helpline by September, 2021. last tranche of capital conservation buffer (CCB) of

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US officially rejoined Paris Climate Sea which will produce and store green energy Agreement enough to cover the electricity requirement of 3 ➢ On 19th February 2021, the United States of million households in Europe. America (USA) formally rejoined the Paris ➢ The construction of the island will cost around Climate agreement which was adopted by 196 210 billion Danish krone (around Rs.2.4 lakh countries in 2015. crore). Energy target of Denmark: Denmark aims ➢ The new government of America under Joe to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by Biden aims to strengthen the US’s 2030 emission 2030 from 1990 levels. reduction pledge under the pact by 22nd April ➢ The island is expected to commence operation by 2021, Earth day. Gina McCarthy has been named 2033. as the head of a new National Climate Task • Denmark Capital: Copenhagen Force. •Currency: Danish krone ➢ America is the biggest historical polluter and • PM: Mette Frederiksen 2nd biggest current emitter after China. European Saudi Arabia allows women to join Union nations and India are in 3rd and 4th armed forces position. ➢ In a landmark decision, the Kingdom of Saudi South Korea signs $43 billion deal to Arabia has allowed Saudi Arabian women to take create world’s biggest offshore wind up arms and enter the military. farm ➢ Saudi Arabian women can now be employed as ➢ On February 5, 2021 South Korean President soldiers, lance corporals, corporals, sergeants and Moon Jae-in announced a $43 billion deal to staff sergeants. The Military is the latest create world’s biggest offshore wind farm, a profession in the Kingdom that has opened up to major component of South Korea’s Green New female recruits. Deal. With this deal the South Korean • Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh government plans to attain Carbon neutrality by •Currency: Danish krone 2050. • King : Mohammed bin Salman ➢ The plant is planned at the south western coastal Myanmar political crisis: Military takes town of Sinan. control of the country, declares state ➢ Maximum production capacity- 8.2 Gigawatts of emergency (GW) which is equivalent to the generation ➢ The Myanmar military on February 1, 2021, capacity of 7 Nuclear power generators. staged a coup and declared a state of emergency ➢ This will boost the wind power capacity upto in the country for one year. The powerful 16.5 GW by 2030. military has also detained the state counsellor of • South Korea Capital: Seoul Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi and several other • Currency: Won civilian leaders. • President: Moon Jae-in ➢ Currently, the state power has been handed over Denmark is set to build the world’s to Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of first energy island in North Sea Defence Services, while the first Vice President ➢ On 4th February 2021, the Government of of Myanmar Myint Swe will be serving as the Denmark approved the plan to build the world’s acting President of the country. first energy island (Artificial island)in the North • Myanmar Capital: Naypyitaw •Currency: kyat

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National Urban Digital Mission every dropped out and left out child and pregnant launched woman. ➢ Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, ➢ The scheme was launched in 2014 to provide Hardeep Singh Puri and Minister of Electronics affordable and accessible healthcare to all and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the citizens of the country. National Urban Digital Mission’ (NUDM) at a ➢ It aims to immunise all children under the age of virtual event, to create a digital infrastructure for 2 years, as well as all pregnant women, against cities in India. eight vaccine-preventable diseases. ➢ The NUDM has been launched jointly by the ➢ These diseases are diphtheria, whooping cough, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs along tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, with the Ministry of Electronics and Information meningitis and Hepatitis B. Technology. MSDE launches Mahatma Gandhi ➢ The mission aims to put in place a “citizen- National Fellowship 2021-23 centric” and “ecosystem-driven” approach to ➢ Ministry of Skill Development and ‘urban governance and service delivery in cities Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched a Two-year by 2022, and across all cities and towns by 2024. Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) The mission has three pillars – people, process, 2021-23 programme during the event and platform. ‘Transforming Skilling through Strategic ➢ Apart from this, several other digital initiatives of partnerships under SANKALP’. MoHUA also launched which includes: India ➢ MGNF will be a certificate program in Public Urban Data Exchange (IUDX), SmartCode Policy and Management offered by IIMs. platform, Smart Cities 2.0 website, and ➢ The fellowship has been rolled out under the Geospatial Management Information System World Bank loan assisted programme (GMIS). SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Dr Harsh Vardhan launched Intensified Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) and will be Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0 hosted by the 9 IIMs (Indian Institutes of ➢ Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr Management). Harsh Vardhan has launched the Intensified ➢ MSDE will implement the fellowship in Mission Indradhanush 3.0, (IMI 3.0), to expand collaboration with State Skill Development immunization coverage across the country. Missions (SSDMs). ➢ The focus of IMI 3.0 will be on children and ➢ IIT Delhi and IIT Kharagpur were taken as pregnant women who missed their vaccine doses evaluation partners for DSDP Awards. during the COVID-19 pandemic. ➢ The scheme will be rolled out in more than 660 ➢ The IMI 3.0 will have two rounds, of 15 days districts across India. each. Kushinagar Airport gets international ➢ The first round will begin on February 22, 2021, airport licence from DGCA and the second round will begin on March 22, ➢ The under-construction Kushinagar Airport in 2021. Uttar Pradesh has received the necessary ➢ The vaccination drive will be conducted in pre- clearances from aviation regulator Directorate identified 250 districts and urban areas across 29 General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to operate States and UTs in the country to reach out to international flights. Once operational,

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Kushinagar airport will become the third India & Maldives sign 5 MOU’S to boost functional international facility in the state. infrastructure ➢ Currently, the two international airports ➢ External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar functional in Uttar Pradesh are Chaudhary was on a two-day official visit to the Maldives to Charan Singh International Airport at Lucknow review bilateral ties and development and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at cooperation. During this visit, Jaishankar offered Varanasi. a $40-million line of credit (LoC) to support the ➢ Kushinagar airport will serve as the closest development of sports infrastructure in the international airport to several Buddhist Maldives. The 5 MOU,s are: pilgrimage sites like Lumbini, Shravasti, and ➢ Amendatory Agreement to repurpose an older Kapilvastu. EXIM Bank of India Line of Credit of USD 25 •DGCA Headquarters: New Delhi million for road development. •Established: Jan 1978 ➢ Letter of Intent between EXIM Bank and local India & Nepal inaugurated the newly authorities for financing a housing project of constructed 108Km road connecting 2000 units in Hulhumale. Indo-Nepal Border ➢ MoU on grant funding USD 0.5 million for a fish ➢ India and Nepal jointly inaugurated the newly processing plant in Kendhikulhudhoo in the constructed 108 kilometer road which connects northern Maldives. the Indo-Nepal border with several areas of ➢ MoU on capacity building and exchange of Himalayan Country. content and expertise between Prasar Bharati and ➢ The road connects the Indian border Laxmipur- Public State Media, Maldives. Balarawith to Gadhaiya in Sarlahi District Nepal. ➢ MoU on sustainable urban development between ➢ The blacktopped road connecting India and MoHUA and Ministry of national planning, Nepal was constructed with the Indian Grant housing and infrastructure, Maldives. assistance of Rs.44.48 million India-Australia circular Economy India & Ethiopia sign two MOU’s on Hackathon (I-ACE) visa facilitation and leather technology ➢ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ➢ India and Ethiopia signed two agreements related addressed the valedictory function of the India to visa facilitation and leather technology. The Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE) Ethiopia Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign via videoconferencing. Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen is on a 4- ➢ A circular economy implies reusing waste back day visit to India to hold useful and productive into the production cycle to make new products discussions on a range of bilateral and regional instead of wasting such materials with embedded issues. resources. ➢ During the course of meetings, India’s External ➢ The I-ACE was jointly organized by Atal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Ethiopian Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of minister Hassen agreed to expand India and India and Commonwealth Scientific and Ethiopia bilateral agenda especially defence, Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), economic, S&T, digital and cultural cooperation. Australia. More than 200 participants in 39 teams • Ethiopia Capital: Addis Ababa. from India and 33 teams from Australia took • Currency: Ethiopian Birr. part. • President: Sahle-Work Zewde. • Australia Capital: Canberra • Prime Minister: Abiy Ahmed. • Currency: Australian dollar. • Prime Minister: Scott Morrison.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Thaawarchand Gehlot releases 3rd software so as to build an ecosystem of edition of Indian sign language indigenously developed products. dictionary •NIC Founded: 1976. •Headquarters: New Delhi ➢ The Union Minister for Social Justice and •Director-General: Neeta Verma. Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot released India and Afghanistan inks MoU for the the “3rd edition of the Indian Sign Language construction of the Lalandar “Shatoot” (ISL) Dictionary, in a virtual event. Dam ➢ The 3rd edition of the ISL dictionary contains a ➢ India and Afghanistan have signed a total of 10,000 terms. These include the 6000 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) over terms of the first and second edition of the video-teleconferencing (VTC), for the dictionary. construction of the Shahtoot Dam (Lalander ➢ The terms are of everyday use from academic Dam) on a tributary of the Kabul river in terms, legal & administrative terms, medical Afghanistan. terms, technical terms and agricultural terms. ➢ The project, which costs nearly $ 300 million, is ➢ The Dictionary has been developed by the Indian a part of the New Development Partnership Sign Language Research and Training Centre between India and Afghanistan. (ISLRTC), an autonomous Institute under the ➢ The Lalander [Shatoot] Dam would meet the safe Department of Empowerment of Persons with drinking water needs of Kabul City. Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social ➢ This is the second major dam being built by India Justice & Empowerment. in Afghanistan, after the India- Afghanistan ➢ The 1st edition of the ISL Dictionary was Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was launched on 23 March 2018 with 3000 terms. inaugurated in June 2016. ➢ The 2nd edition was launched on 27th February • Afghanistan Capital: Kabul. 2019, with 6000 terms (including earlier 3000 • Currency: Afghan afghani. terms). • President: Ashraf Ghani India’s new Instant Messaging platform 4 more states completed ‘Ease of ‘Sandes’ launched by NIC Doing Business’ reforms ➢ The National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the ➢ As per the recent data by the Department for Ministry of Electronics and Information Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade Technology, has launched an instant messaging (DPIIT), four more states have completed the platform called “Sandes”. Similar to WhatsApp, reforms in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’, as the new government instant messaging systems stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, (GIMS) platform can be used for all kinds of Ministry of Finance. communications by anyone using a mobile ➢ The four states are- Assam, Haryana, Himachal number or email id. Pradesh and Punjab. These states have become ➢ The need to build a home-grown messaging eligible to mobilise additional financial resources platform was felt by the government to ensure to the tune of Rs 5,034 crore through open secure communication between people as they market borrowings. worked from home, following the nationwide ➢ Now the total number of states that have lockdown imposed to contain the spread of undertaken the reforms to promote Ease of Doing Covid-19. Business till now has gone up to 12. The other ➢ The Sandes app is also a part of the government states are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, strategy to encourage the use of India-made Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Central Government announces 30 ➢ This expressway will reduce the distance percent fare hike in air travel between the two cities from 235 km to 210 km, ➢ The central government announced an increase in and travel time from the current 6.5 hours to just fares for air travel by up to 30 percent. The 2.5 hours i.e reduction of 4 hours. government stated that the fare hike was ➢ The contracts for the construction will be necessitated due to the opening of the aviation awarded by March 2021 and will be completed in market. The order of the Ministry of Civil the next two years. Aviation (MoCA) stated that it is a routine ➢ This expressway project was approved by Union change. Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari, MoRTH with an ➢ The upper price band on 180-210 minute flights outlay of Rs 13,000 crore. will be increased by about 30 percent from Rs ➢ The expressway will have a minimum speed of 18,600 to Rs 24,200, which is an increase of Rs 100 kilometre per hour. 5,600. India approves export of 156 defence MoE to rename schools under Samagra equipment, including Brahmos, Tejas, Shiksha Abhiyan after Subas Chandra Astra missile Bose ➢ The Central Government on February 4, 2021, ➢ Ministry of Education (MoE) is set to rename gave its approval for the export of artillery guns, residential schools and hostels funded under indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, tanks and Samagra Shiksha scheme of MoE as ‘Netaji missiles, explosive, anti-tank mines, and others. Subhas Chandra Bose residential schools and ➢ In total, 156 defence equipment have been hostels’ to inspire them to achieve high standards approved for exports by the government in order of quality education & create awareness about to boost its arms export to the friendly nations. the facility of such residential schools & hostels. The list of the items was released by the Defence ➢ Under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, MoE Research Development Organisation. provides financial assistance to States & UTs to ➢ Earlier, India had given clearance for the export set up residential schools & hostels in hilly of Akash Missile, but now even Brahmos weapon terrain, small & sparsely populated areas for system, Beyond Visual range air-to-air missile children who are in need of shelter and care. Astra and anti-tank guided missile Nag are also Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to feature ready for the export. India’s 1st & Asia’s largest 12 Km Amazon India to begin its 1st wildlife protection corridor manufacturing line in India at Chennai ➢ The upcoming 210 kilometres long Delhi- ➢ Amazon India announced that it will begin its 1st Dehradun Expressway (Delhi-Saharanpur- device manufacturing line in India for production Dehradun Economic corridor) is all set to of electronic devices at Chennai by the end of become India’s first highway with 12 km long 2021. It has collaborated with Contract elevated corridor for the protection of wildlife as Manufacturer Cloud Network Technology, a it will pass through pristine forest areas. It will subsidiary of Foxconn for the manufacturing also be Asia’s largest wildlife corridor. process. ➢ The project will be executed under the ➢ Amazon’s announcement came after a virtual Engineering, Procurement, and Construction meeting between Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union (EPC) mode by the Ministry of Road Transport Minister for Electronics & Information and Highways (MoRTH). Technology and Amit Agarwal, Head of Amazon India & Amazon’s Global Senior Vice-President.

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PM Modi inaugurates oil, gas sector ➢ ‘Majuli’ Bridge is an 8 Km long two-lane bridge projects in Tamil Nadu on the river Brahmaputra, it will connect ➢ Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of Neematighat (on Jorhat side) & Kamalabari (on key oil, gas sector projects in Tamil Nadu Majuli side). ➢ Modi dedicated the Ramanathapuram- ➢ PM Modi also launched 2 e-portals namely Car- Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline and Gasoline D & PANI for promoting Ease of Doing Business Desulphurisation Unit at Chennai Petroleum and also laid foundation stone for North Esat’s Corporation Limited, Manali. 1st National data centre at Guwahati ➢ He also laid the foundation stone of the Cauvery Goa to become India’s first fisheries Basin Refinery at Nagapattinam. hub with an investment of INR 400 ➢ The launch of these projects will result in socio- Crore economic benefits as well as will help in boosting ➢ Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry the country’s mission towards ‘Urja and Dairying, Giriraj Singh has stated that the Atmanirbharata’. Central Government is set to Invest INR 400 About projects crore in Goa to transform the state into India’s ➢ Ramanathapuram-Thoothukudi natural gas First Fisheries Hub. pipeline:The 143 km section of the Ennore ➢ Of the INR 400 Crore Investment, The Union Thiruvallur-Bengaluru-Puducherry- Minister has already sanctioned INR 41.7 Crores Nagapattinam-Madurai-Turicorinm pipeline is to Goa under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya constructed at the cost of Rs. 700 crores. Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). ➢ Gasoline Desulphurisation Unit at the Chennai Tamil Nadu CM inaugurated AIIRLAS, Petroleum Corporation Limited has been Asia’s biggest cattle park in Salem constructed at the cost of Rs. 500 crores. ➢ Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (CM) Edappadi K ➢ Cauvery Basin Refinery: The refinery will Palaniswami inaugurated Asia’s biggest cattle consist of a capacity of 9 million metric tonnes park, Advanced Institute for Integrated Research per annum. It will be set up through a joint on Livestock and Animal Sciences (AIIRLAS) in venture of CPCL and IOCL at an estimated Thalaivasal, Salem district. It was constructed at project cost of Rs. 31, 500 crores. a cost of Rs 1,023 crore. It is the state’s 5th PM launches ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ veterinary college and is spread over 1,100 acres Programme & lays foundation stone for ➢ On the occasion, he also announced that a frozen 2 bridges in Assam semen station will be set up in Karumandurai, ➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launched Salem at the cost of Rs 100 crore the ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ programme & laid 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival the foundation stone for 2 bridges ‘Dhubri- organised in Khajuraho, MP Phulbari’ bridge which is set to be India’s ➢ Ms Usha Thakur, Minister of Culture and Longest Bridge & ‘Majuli’ Bridge in Assam. The Tourism of Madhya Pradesh inaugurated the 47th total cost of the programme is INR 3, 231 crore. edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival on 20th ➢ The 19.282 Km ‘Dhubri Phulbari’ 4-lane bridge February 2021. will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in ➢ The 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival at Meghalaya. It will be constructed on the river of Khajuraho, a United Nations Educational, Brahmaputra. Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Heritage site in Madhya Pradesh. This 7-day ➢ The approval for setting up SMTR was given by dance festival is organised by the Ustad Alauddin the National Tiger Conservation Authority Khan Music and Arts Academy under the (NTCA) under Section 38 V(1) of the Wildlife Department of Culture, Government of Madhya (Protection) Act, 1972. Pradesh from 20th February to 26th February ➢ Meghamalai WLS covers the district of Theni & 2021. Madurai and Srivilliputhur WLS lies along the PM Modi unveiled postage stamps on Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala. Diamond Jubilee of Gujarat High Court ➢ Forest Officials have identified around 14 tigers ➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually in Meghamalai and Srivilliputhur Wildlife inaugurated the event organised to mark the Sanctuaries. Diamond Jubilee of the Gujarat High Court and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar unveiled the commemorative Postage Stamps to inaugurated Atal Paryavaran Bhavan in mark the completion of 60 years of establishment Lakshadweep of the High Court of Gujarat on May 1 2020. ➢ Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Forest, Vikram Nath is the Current Chief Justice of Environment and Climate Change inaugurated Gujarat High Court. The event which was the Atal Paryavaran Bhavan, Forest Department scheduled to take place in 2020 was postponed Headquarters in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep. due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ➢ Atal Paryavaran Bhavan is a unique eco-friendly Himachal Pradesh became the first green building in an area of 22,150 sq. ft. with state to implement e-Cabinet modern hi-tech facilities for coral and other ➢ Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal marine biodiversity research. Pradesh inaugurated the first e-cabinet at Shimla. ➢ This is the biggest office complex of the Union The state became the first to implement e-cabinet Territory. and make the end-to-end processing of cabinets Jammu & Kashmir’s Chenab Valley paperless. celebrates 3 day Kanchoth Festival ➢ The e-cabinet application for the e-cabinet was ➢ The 3 day Kanchoth festival, a symbol of ancient developed by the Department of Information Nag culture is observed annually across Chenab Technology, Himachal Pradesh. This is the first valley region of Jammu and Kashmir during the of its kind electronic platform in India. ‘Shukla Paksha of Magh month’ in January or ➢ Around 32 cabinet memos were discussed and February. It is mainly celebrated by Nag processed through this application. followers. Kanchoth festival 2021 begins from Central Govt. approves Srivilliputhur- February 14, 2021. Meghamalai Tiger Reserve in TN; set ➢ Reason for the Celebration: It is believed that on to become 5th tiger reserve in TN Gouri Tritiya (February 14), Lord Shiva and ➢ The Government of India (GoI) has approved the Goddess Parvati got married. Srivilliputhur-Meghamalai Tiger Reserve Mandu Festival held at Mandu in Dhar (SMTR) in Tamil Nadu (TN), it will be TN’s 5th district of Madhya Pradesh tiger reserve and the largest ever tiger reserve in ➢ On February 13-15, 2021, a three-day Mandu the state. It is also India’s 51st tiger reserve. Festival was held at Mandu in Dhar district of ➢ SMTR is spread over an area of 1 lakh hectares Madhya Pradesh on the theme “Khojne mein and encloses lands which fall under the Kho Jao (feel lost in discovering)”. This festival Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary & Srivilliputhur familiarizes people around the world with the Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS). special culture of rural Madhya Pradesh.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest India’s first Digital University set up in Haryana, Switzerland to share expertise in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala skill development, tourism & dairy sector ➢ The state government of Kerala, on the line of its ➢ On February 5, 2021, Ralf Heckner, Ambassador digital transformation initiatives announced in of Switzerland to India meets Manohar Lal Budget 2021, has launched India’s first Digital Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana. During the University, Kerala University of Digital meeting, both sides agreed to share their Sciences, Innovation and Technology (KUDSIT) expertise in the areas of skill training, tourism & in Technocity at Mangalapuram in dairy sector. Thiruvananthapuram by upgrading its two- ➢ They also agreed to explore possibilities of decade old Indian Institute of Information signing MoUs for teacher-student & Cultural Technology and Management Kerala (IIITM-K), Exchange programmes. a center of excellence in information ➢ Haryana is one of the five States in India where technologies. Swiss Companies have fully established their ➢ The Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan businesses. inaugurated the KUDSIT through ➢ Approximately 10% business of Swiss videoconferencing. Companies is in Haryana ➢ The University will initiate with 5 Schools of ➢ Ralf Heckner stated India’s first Skill University Knowledge with master (post graduate) level has been set up at village Dudhola in district programmes and research. Palwal. India’s 1st undersea tunnel to come at West Bengal Budget: Mamata Banerjee Mumbai by 2023 presented Rs 2,99,688 cr budget for FY22 ➢ Two undersea tunnels are under construction in ➢ West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Mumbai city, as a part of the 10.58 kms long, Banerjee presented the state’s annual budget Mumbai’s Coastal Road Project. 2 tunnels each worth Rs 2,99,688 crore (net) for FY2022 stating 3-3.2 m wide are constructed for 2.07 km long of an increase of 17.21% over 2020. She has which one kilometer is constructed under the presented the budget in place of Finance Minister seabed. Amit Mitra who is unwell. The state tax revenue ➢ This is India’s 1st undersea tunnel which will is projected to increase to Rs 75,415.74 crore in come to operation by 2023. FY22. ➢ The tunnel is being build by Brihanmumbai ➢ West Bengal’s debt to GSDP ratio is estimated to Municipal Corporation (BMC). reduce to 34.81 in 2021-22. ➢ The tunnel will start from the Priyadarshani Park ➢ The state has allocated the maximum amount and will terminate at the Netaji Subhash Road in (highest) towards panchayat and rural Marine Drive. It will pass through Arabian Sea development at Rs 23,983.27 crore. near Girgaon Chowpatty. Uttar Pradesh Budget: UP Finance Minister Assam’s first heliport inaugurated at Majuli presented Rs 5,50,270.78cr state budget ➢ Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam, for FY21-22 inaugurated the first heliport of Assam in Majuli ➢ The Finance Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), district. The heliport was constructed at a cost of Suresh Kumar Khanna, presented Rs 5,50,270.78 Rs.50 lakh. This heliport is aimed to boost the crore in the presence of UP Chief Minister (CM) tourism of Majuli, the world’s largest river Yogi Adityanath. It is the state’s and Adityanath island. The Heliport has the facility to government’s first paperless budget and also the simultaneously land 3 helicopters. largest budget in the history of UP in terms of fund allocation. It marks an increase of around

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Rs 37,000 cr from the previous year’s budget ➢ The highest allocation of Rs 38,035.93 crore has size. been made for education ➢ The budget’s target is to make Uttar Pradesh ➢ Bihar has consistently claimed to be a revenue- “Aatmanirbhar” and ensure all round surplus state since 2004-05. development of the state including new schemes Rajasthan Budget: Rajasthan CM worth Rs 27,598.40 crore. Ashok Gehlot presents state budget for Odisha Budget: Odisha Finance Minister the year 2021-22 presented INR 1.7 lakh crores state budget ➢ Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who for FY 2021-22 holds the Finance Portfolio presented the state’s ➢ Odisha’s Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari 1st paperless Budget. Rajasthan is the 2nd State presented the State Budget for the Financial Year after Uttar Pradesh to table a paperless budget. 2021-22 with an budget outlay of INR 1, 70, 000 ➢ Fiscal Indicators crores. •Revenue Expenditure – INR 1, 89, 701.80 crore ➢ The Budget was presented through the National • Revenue Deficit – INR 41, 721.61 crore e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) & Odisha Budget • Estimated Revenue Deficit – INR 23, 750.04 Mobile App. crore in FY 2021-22 ➢ It was presented in 2 parts – ‘Agriculture Budget’ • Estimated Fiscal Deficit – INR 47, 652.77 crore & ‘General Budget’. which is 3.98% of Gross State Domestic Product ➢ The Major emphasis of the budget was ‘New (GSDP) in FY 2021-22 Odisha-Empowered Odisha’. The major areas of Major Announcement focus were health, agriculture, education, ➢ A New Universal Health Care scheme worth INR livelihoods, infrastructure & industries. 3, 500 crore was announced, under the scheme UP introduced 16 digit unicode to identify every family in the state will get medical the landholdings insurance benefit of up to INR 5 Lakh. ➢ The government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has E-Kuber Payments System of RBI launched introduced a new system to issue a unique 16- in Jammu and Kashmir digit unicode to identify the landholding in UP. ➢ Govt of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) formally The unicode will be used to check on cases of launched e-Kuber payments system of Reserve land dispute and protect people from fraudsters. Bank of India(RBI).With this J&K is the 1st Bihar Budjet: Bihar Deputy CM presented Union Territory to implement version 2.9 of e- Rs 2,18,302.70 crores state budget for FY Kuber payments system. 2021-22 ➢ The system will be initially implemented in the ➢ The Deputy Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar Civil Secretariat treasury on pilot basis and Tarkishore Prasad, who holds the finance shortly will be launched in for other treasuries. portfolio, presented his maiden Rs 2,18,302.70 ➢ E-Kuber is the Core Banking Solution (CBS) crore budget of Bihar for FY 2021-22, which is platform of RBI. Rs 6,541.21 crore more than the FY 2020-21 ➢ It enables each bank to connect their single estimates of Rs 2,11,761.49 crore. current account across the country. ➢ The state’s fiscal deficit in the budget has been ➢ It is capable of making 50,000 transactions at a estimated at Rs 22,510.78 crore which is 2.97% time. of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), ➢ G-Secs are issued through auctions conducted by estimated at Rs 7,57,026 crore. The budget RBI on E-Kuber proposed to keep the fiscal deficit target within the 3% limit.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest AP Cabinet approves ‘EBC Nestam’ Welfare be built with a financial outlay of Rs 1,000 crore. Scheme for providing financial assistance It will impart training to over 10,000 students in to women 12 disciplines. The university is expected to be ➢ The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet headed by Chief completed by 2026. It will have “understandings” Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy approved a with countries like Germany, Taiwan, South new welfare scheme called ‘Economically Korea, Israel, Japan,England. Backward Classes (EBCs) Nestam’ for providing Uttarakhand Chamoli glacier burst financial assistance to women belonging to the ➢ The glacier burst took place at the Rishiganga EBCs. An assistance of INR 15, 000 per year will power project after a portion of Nanda Devi be extended to women in the age group of 45-60 glacier broke off in Tapovan area of Joshimath in for a period of 3 years. Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on 7th February ➢ The scheme is set to be implemented from morning and damaged the Rishiganga dam on November, 2021 and will benefit 6 lakh women. Alaknanda river. ➢ The state government has allocated INR 670 ➢ National Thermal Power Corporation’s (NTPC) crore per annum for the scheme, totalling to INR Tapovan Vishnugad project on Dhauliganga river 2, 010 crores for 3 years. and Rishi Ganga Power Corporation Ltd’s Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad to be project, with a planned capacity of 520 MW and renamed as ‘Narmadapuram’ 13.2 MW, respectively, have been nearly washed ➢ Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh away. Chouhan announced that the Hoshangabad city in Madhya Pradesh launches ‘SAANS’ the state will be renamed as ‘Narmadapuram’ as campaign to reduce infant mortality a tribute to River Narmada. ➢ The health department in Madhya Pradesh has ➢ The river is one of the major rivers of the states launched the Social Awareness and Action to and flows through important cities like Jabalpur, Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (‘SAANS’) Omkareshwar, Jhabua. The name change campaign. proposal has been sent to the Central ➢ The main purpose of the campaign is to reduce Government. the death rate due to pneumonia among infants. Himachal Pradesh Govt. launched ‘e- A strategy is being chalked out under the Social Parivahan Vyavstha’ awareness campaign in which medical staff is ➢ Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal being trained. Pradesh launched the state Transport ➢ Around 4,000 health and wellness centres have Department’s “e-Parivahan Vyavstha” enabling been set up in Madhya Pradesh for this purpose. faceless services on Driving Licence, Registration Certificates, Insurance, Permits etc. Chandigarh became the first Union Territory in India to launch Carbon Watch People of Himachal Pradesh can avail the online ➢ Chandigarh became the first state or Union transport service. Previously the state also Territory in India to launch Carbon Watch, a initiated similar online services like e-Vidhan mobile application to assess the carbon footprint Sabha, e-Budget, e-Cabinet making services of an individual. Although the app can be easily accessible. accessed by everyone, it has specific options for Assam CM lays foundation of first skill the residents of Chandigarh to compile a detailed university of eastern India study.As a person downloads the application, ➢ The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda they will need to fill details in four parts Water, Sonowal has laid the foundation of the first skill Energy, Waste Generation and Transport university of eastern India in Darrang district in (Vehicular movement). Assam.The state-of-the-art skill university would 11 IACE (Indian Academy of Competitive Exams) www.iace.co.in Toll Free: 1800-270-9975, Ph: 9533200400

•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 5. ECONOMY AND BANKING

Indian economy to contract by 8% India, AIIB sign agreement to improve in 2020-21: NSO estimates Assam power transmission ➢ The GDP growth of India during 2020-21 is ➢ The Government of India and the Asian estimated to contract 8 per cent, as per the second Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have advanced estimates projected by the National signed a $304 million loan agreement on Statistical Office (NSO). February 23, 2021, for the Assam Intra-State ➢ This was 4.9 per cent in 2019-20. NSO had Transmission System Enhancement Project. projected a GDP contraction of 7.7 per cent in its ➢ The project aims to improve the reliability, first advance estimate. capacity and security of the power transmission SBI joins JPMorgan’s blockchain payments network in the northeastern state of Assam. network •AIIB President: Jin Liqun. ➢ State Bank of India has tied up with JPMorgan to •Headquarters: Beijing, China. use the US bank’s blockchain technology to India, World Bank ink $68 million project speed up overseas transactions. for enhancing school education in ➢ The tie-up is expected to reduce SBI customers’ Nagaland transaction costs and time taken for payments. ➢ The Government of India, the Government of SBI has joined Liink, a new blockchain-based Nagaland and the World Bank signed a $68 interbank data network developed by JPMorgan. million agreement for “Nagaland: Enhancing By integrating the technology, the bank expects Classroom Teaching and Resources Project”, to to reduce transaction costs and improve cross- enhance the governance of schools across border payments for its customers. Nagaland. ➢ Liink is a peer-to-peer network and ecosystem ➢ The $68 million loan from the International Bank operating under the umbrella of JPMorgan’s for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has blockchain- and digital-currency-focused a final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace business, dubbed Onyx. period of 5 years. •JPMorgan CEO: Jamie Dimon. •Nagaland CM: Neiphiu Rio • Headquarters: New York, US •Governor: R. N. Ravi. NPCI enables UPI AutoPay live on music ICICI Bank launches ‘Namma Chennai streaming platform ‘Gaana’ Smart Card’ ➢ National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) ➢ ICICI Bank has announced the launch of a has announced that UPI AutoPay has now gone Common Payment Card System (CPCS) in live on Gaana. Its integration with UPI AutoPay partnership with the Greater Chennai Corporation has made Gaana the 1st player in the Media & (GCC) and Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL) Entertainment industry to roll out the innovative to provide citizens with a one-stop solution for e-mandate feature on UPI. making various kind of payments. ➢ The introduction of UPI AutoPay will empower ➢ The prepaid card also facilitates retail payments Gaana’s users to experience a smooth and within Chennai as well as in retail stores and e- seamless mechanism of renewing their commerce websites across the country. This will subscriptions. offer a common payment card platform to •NPCI MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe. residents for making payments for various •Headquarters: Mumbai. •Founded: 2008 services within the city.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest ➢ The Namma Chennai Smart Card has various •Regional Rural Banks features, which residents can manage seamlessly •Foreign Banks online on a dedicated customer portal. These •Other Indian Scheduled Commercial Banks (in include features like card block/unblock, the private sector) activation, pin-reset, etc. •Fino Payments Bank MD & CEO: Rishi Gupta India signs trade deal, $100 million •Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra defence agreement with Mauritius ICICI Lombard partners with Flipkart to ➢ The Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar was on offer ‘Hospicash’ insurance an official visit to two key Indian Ocean region ➢ The e-commerce company Flipkart has partnered countries- Maldives and Mauritius. with ICICI Lombard to offer its customers the ➢ The External Affairs Minister (EAM) S ‘Group SafeGuard’ insurance, a group health Jaishankar visited the Island nation Mauritius to insurance policy. review the comprehensive and important bilateral ➢ The ‘Group SafeGuard’ comes with daily cash relationship between the two nations. benefits starting from Rs 500, and ‘Hospicash’ ➢ India signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or benefit for Flipkart consumers. (Comprehensive Economic Cooperation ➢ The product will allow consumers to avail a Partnership Agreement-(CECPA)) with payout for each day of hospitalisation. Mauritius. ➢ The fixed daily amount will enable consumers to ➢ The FTA or CECPA is the first such pact with pay for incidental medical or emergency any African country, and will help Mauritius to expenses. emerge as a “hub of Africa”. Federal Bank launches ‘FedFirst’ savings ➢ India has also offered a USD 100 million Line of account scheme for children Credit (LoC) to Mauritius to facilitate the ➢ Federal Bank has launched a special savings procurement of defence assets. account scheme for children below the age of 18 •Mauritius Capital: Port Louis. years, called FedFirst. •Currency: Mauritian rupee. ➢ The account will develop among children a •Prime Minister: Pravind Jugnauth; healthy saving and spending habits, and give •President: Prithvirajsing Roopun. them the freedom to save, spend and earn. Fino Payments Bank is now Scheduled ➢ The account comes with FedFirst contactless Commercial Bank Debit Card with a daily cash withdrawal limit of ➢ The Reserve Bank of India has included the Fino Rs. 2,500. Payments Bank in the Second Schedule of the ➢ POS/e-com limit of Rs. 10,000. Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. ➢ It offers free online facilities including access to ➢ This inclusion gives Fino Payments Bank, the internet banking, mobile alerts and e-mail alerts. status of scheduled commercial bank. ICICI Bank signs MoU with MUFG Bank, ➢ Fino will now be able to enhance its banking position in the treasury and participation in Japan to jointly cater banking needs of liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) window. Japanese Corporates in India ➢ Scheduled Commercial Banks in India are ➢ ICICI Bank has signed a Memorandum of categorised into five groups based on their Understanding (MoU) with MUFG Bank Ltd, ownership/nature of operation. These bank Japan to jointly cater the banking requirements of groups are: Japanese corporates present in India. •State Bank of India and its Associates ➢ It establishes a framework of partnership between •Nationalised Banks the banks across various domains including trade, investment, treasury, corporate and retail banking

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Bank of Maharashtra entered into a Co- milk collection centre to provide banking Lending Agreement with LoanTap Credit services to farmers. Products for MSME Loans PhonePe Partnered with Axis Bank on UPI ➢ Bank of Maharashtra entered into a co-lending Multi-Bank agreement with Non-Banking Financial ➢ The digital payment platform PhonePe has Company (NBFC), LoanTap Credit Products to partnered with India’s third largest bank, Axis extend credit to Micro, Small and Medium Bank on a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Enterprise (MSME) loans. multi-bank model. It will enable the PhonePe ➢ Under this agreement, 80% of the loan will be users to create and use multiple UPI IDs with braced by the bank and the remaining 20% by the Axis Bank’s “@axl” handle. Loan Tap. ➢ Until now, the PhonePe’s key banking partner ➢ BoM with this partnership will get faceless was Yes Bank. sanctions and disbursals using mobile app. ➢ This collaboration will also give PhonePe access ➢ The bank can co-lend with all registered Non- to the Axis bank’s merchant base. Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) • PhonePe CEO: Sameer Nigam including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) to • Headquarter: Bengaluru priority sector borrowers based on a prior • Axis Bank MD& CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry agreement. •Headquarter: Mumbai CREDAI, IPPB ink pact to open bank Sri Lanka settles $400 million currency accounts for construction workers swap facility with India ➢ On the lines of the labour welfare initiatives by ➢ The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) repaid the Central Government, the Confederation of USD 400 million currency swap to the Reserve Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India Bank of India (RBI). RBI and Sri Lanka entered (CREDAI) has inked memorandum of into this facility in July 2020 under the South understanding (MoU) with Indian Payments and Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Postal Bank (IPPB) to facilitate opening of bank (SAARC) currency swap framework. This accounts for construction workers. facility was got for an initial period of 3 months ➢ This MoU will ensure accessible financial to cope with the severe economic impact of services for construction workers along with COVID-19 pandemic. Further, RBI provided a financial literacy and digital inclusion. three-month rollover at CBSL’s request, until Stellapps signs MoU with IPPB to digitise February 1, 2021. milk procurement Central Govt. to Infuse Rs 1,500 crore into ➢ Stellapps, an IIT(Indian Institute of Technology) EXIM Bank in FY 22 Madras incubated dairy-tech startup signed a ➢ The government of India has decided to infuse Rs Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with 1,500 crore capital into Export-Import Bank of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to digitize the India (EXIM Bank) in FY 22. This equity dairy milk procurement value chain and improve support/subscription is to maximise the paid up banking facilities at milk collection centres. capital of the bank to the level of its authorised ➢ Under the MoU, a pilot project has been capital. launched in 4 villages in Dharmapuri district of ➢ This amount is Rs 200 crore higher than the Tamil Nadu with 200 farmers at a greenfield amount (Rs1,300 crore) earmarked by the dairy. government to be infused in the bank in FY 21. ➢ Under the partnership, the local post office will •EXIM Bank MD: David Rasquinha appoint an official who will visit the respective •HQ: Mumbai •Established :1982

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest NBFCs in India need to plan for effective FY20 from 96.6% in FY19. LIC was ranked 17th IBOR transition: EY India among the 24 life insurers. ➢ In accordance with the new EY (Ernst & Young) ➢ Among, private sector life insurer Max Life had India report titled “Impact of IBOR transition on the highest claim settlement ratio for the industry NBFCs in India”, Indian Non-Banking Finance at 99.2% followed by HDFC Life and TATA Companies (NBFCs) require an effective plan for AIA – with a settlement ratio above 99%. Inter Bank Offered Rate (IBOR) transition, as On the front of overall life insurance sector 8.46 majority of London Inter Bank Offered Rate lakh claims were paid on individual policies, with (LIBOR) rates are likely to be phased out by the a total payout of Rs 18042 crore in the FY20. end of 2021. •IRDAI Chairman: Ajay Tyagi ➢ LIBOR is one of the most common series of •HQ: Hyderabad •Established :1999 benchmark rates for determining short-term Star Health and Allied Insurance launched interest rates across the world which are its Arogya Sanjeevani Policy on PhonePe measured in trillions of dollars across global ➢ Star Health & Allied Insurance Co. Ltd launched currencies. its Arogya Sanjeevani policy on PhonePe. This SEBI to introduce pre-expiry margins to launch enables all the users of PhonePe to protect their families from financial burdens in case of curb negative price scenarios any medical emergency. ➢ In order to strengthen the risk management ➢ To avail this policy the user has to pay an annual framework, Securities and Exchange Board of premium of Rs. 2985/- (excluding Goods and India (SEBI) will introduce pre-expiry margins Service Tax- GST) for sum insured of Rs. 1 lakh. on cash settled contracts with effect from April 1, ➢ It covers any person upto the age of 65 and also 2021. Under this underlying commodities are has sum insured options upto Rs. 10 lakh deemed to be susceptible to possible near zero or ICICI Prudential Life Insurance launched a negative prices. new savings product, ‘ICICI Pru ➢ These margins will be levied during the last five Guaranteed Income for Tomorrow’ (GIFT) trading days prior to expiry date, wherein they ➢ ICICI Prudential Life Insurance launched a new will increase by 5% every day. goal based savings product ‘ICICI Pru ➢ These will be applicable on certain commodities Guaranteed Income for Tomorrow’ (GIFT). The under the Alternate Risk Management non-participating savings product helps Framework (ARMF). customers to eliminate the uncertainty of future •SEBI Chairman: Ajay Tyagi income streams to a large extent. It also provides •HQ: Mumbai •Established :1992 financial security to the family. IRDAI Annual Report 2019-20: LIC’s claim RIL gets world’s 1st Carbon-Neutral Oil settlement ratio deteriorated in FY20 to from Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, US 96.6% ➢ Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has received 2 ➢ In accordance with the data by Insurance million barrels cargo of ‘carbon-neutral oil’ from Regulatory and Development Authority of Oxy Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV), a division India’s (IRDAI) annual report 2019-20, the claim of US oil major occidental on January 28, 2021 at settlement ratio of Life Insurance Corp. of India Jamnagar, Gujarat. It is the world’s 1st (LIC) declined in FY20 to 96.6% from 97.7% in consignment of carbon-neutral oil and is also the FY19. energy industry’s 1st major petroleum shipment. ➢ On the other hand, Private Insurers have RIL to become a net zero-carbon company by increased their settlement ratio to 97.18% for 2035.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 6. RBI UPDATES RBI issues master directions for exceeding 90% and above Rs 30 lakh and up to Housing Finance Companies Rs 75 lakh with LTV ratio exceeding 80%. ➢ They also cannot offer housing loans to ➢ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued individuals above Rs 75 lakh with LTV ratio “Master Direction – Non-Banking Financial exceeding 75%. Company – Housing Finance Company (Reserve ➢ Guidelines on Minimum Capital Ratio :Every Bank) Directions, 2021”. These directions come housing finance company should maintain a into force with immediate effect. minimum capital ratio on an ongoing basis ➢ These are applicable to every Housing Finance consisting of tier-I and tier-II capital, which shall Company (HFC) registered under Section 29 A not be less than 13% as on March 31, 2020, 14% of the NHB Act, 1987. on or before March 31, 2021, and 15% on or ➢ Guidelines on Liquidity Risk Management before March 31, 2022, and thereafter. Framework: All non-deposit taking HFCs with ➢ Exposure in Group Companies: HFC exposure in asset size of Rs 100 crore and above and all group companies, directly or indirectly, cannot be deposit taking HFCs (irrespective of asset size) more than 15% of owned fund for a single entity require liquidity risk management. in the group and 25% of owned fund for all such ➢ Guidelines on Maintenance of Liquidity group entities. Coverage Ratio (LCR): HFCs need to maintain a liquidity buffer in terms of LCR to ensure RBI has brought State Bank of Sikkim sufficient High Quality Liquid Asset (HQLA) to under its regulatory purview survive any acute liquidity stress scenario lasting ➢ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has brought the for 30 days. State Bank of Sikkim under its regulatory purview. The bank only operates within Sikkim ➢ In this regard, all non-deposit taking HFCs with an asset size of Rs 10,000 crore and above, and and is wholly-owned by the state government. all deposit taking HFCs irrespective of their asset The bank is also responsible to handle the size will have to achieve a minimum LCR of treasury function of the State. 50% by December 1, 2021 and gradually to ➢ With this regulatory purview, the ownership 100% by December 1, 2025. structure of the bank will not be changed and will be regulated by the RBI on a par with other ➢ Non-deposit-taking HFCs with an asset size of Rs 5,000 crore and above, but less than Rs banks. 10,000 crore will have to reach a minimum LCR ➢ Bank of Sikkim Head Office :Gangtok,Sikkim of 30% by December 1, 2021 and to 100% by RBI issues draft guidelines on Credit December 1, 2025. Default Swaps ➢ Guidelines on Maintenance of loan-to-value ➢ Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the (LTV): HFCs lending against the collateral of Draft Reserve Bank of India (Credit Derivatives) listed shares should maintain a loan-to-value Directions, 2021 in exercise of the powers (LTV) ratio of 50%.For loans granted against the conferred under section 45W of the RBI Act collateral of gold jewellery, HFCs should 1934 read with section 45U. maintain an LTV ratio not exceeding 75%. ➢ The guidelines are for allowing derivatives ➢ Guidelines on Housing Loans: The housing trading in the credit default swaps (CDS) in over- finance company should not grant housing loans the-counter (OTC) markets and on recognised to individuals up to Rs 30 lakh with LTV ratio stock exchanges in the country.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest RBI permits residents to make RBI tightens norms for investments in remittances to IFSCs under LRS NBFCs from 17 Non-FATF Countries ➢ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) permitted ➢ The 17 countries (or jurisdictions) flagged by the resident individuals to make remittances under Financial Action Task Force (FATF) under its Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) to publications of ” High-risk jurisdictions subject International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) to a Call for Action “, and “jurisdictions under set up in India under the Special Economic Zone Increased Monitoring” will face restrictions on Act, 2005. the fresh investments in India’s Non-Banking ➢ In this regard, Authorized Dealer (AD) Category Finance Companies (NBFCs). 1 Banks allow resident individuals to make these ➢ New Investors: The threshold for new Investors remittances subject to the following conditions: from FATF-flagged jurisdictions as a whole • The remittance shall be made only for making should be smaller than 20% of the voting power investments in IFSCs in securities, other than (including potential 1 voting power) in the those issued by entities/companies resident existing NBFCs or in the NBFCs seeking (outside IFSC) in India. Certification of Registration (COR). • Resident Individuals can open a non interest ➢ Existing investors: The existing investors of bearing Foreign Currency Account (FCA) in NBFCs that now belong to FATF- flagged can IFSCs, for making the investments under LRS. continue to invest or make additional investments • Any funds lying idle in the account for a period under existing regulations. This provision is in upto 15 days will be immediately repatriated to lieu of encouraging business continuity in India. domestic INR account of the investor in India. RBI announces Rs 20,000 cr Open • Resident Individuals shall not settle any Market Operations on February 10 domestic transactions with other residents ➢ In order to boost liquidity in the economy, On through these FCAs held in IFSC. February 10, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India RBI issued Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBI) purchase Rs 20,000 crore ($2.74 billion) of (RBIA) guidelines for select NBFCs & government securities under Open Market UCBs Operations (OMO). ➢ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued ➢ This purchase will also boost government’s guidelines on Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) borrowing programme worth Rs 12.06 lakh crore for selected Non-Banking Financial Companies which will initiate in April 2021. (NBFCs) and Primary (Urban) Co-operative ➢ This decision has been taken due to the Banks (UCBs). The mentioned entities have to increasing yields on government securities. implement the RBIA framework by March 31, RBI appointed external professional IT 2022. The guidelines also specified that these firm to audit HDFC Bank’s IT entities may also set up a committee of senior Infrastructure executives to formulate a suitable action plan. ➢ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed ➢ The RBIA framework is applicable for the an external professional IT firm to carry out a following NBFCs and UCBs: special audit of the entire IT infrastructure of ➢ • All deposit taking NBFCs of all sizes HDFC bank under Section 30 (1-B) of the ➢ • All Non-deposit taking NBFCs (including Core Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The audit will be Investment Companies) with asset size of Rs conducted at the cost of the bank under Section 5,000 crore and above 30 (1-C) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. ➢ • All UCBs that have asset sizes of Rs 500 crore The name of the IT firm was not disclosed. and above.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 7. SCHEMES & INITIATIVES

Government approves INR 945 crore The programme encourages girls to nurture their for ‘Startup India Seed Fund Scheme interest in science and build a career in Science (SISFS)’ for 2021-25 Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ➢ Department for Promotion of Industry and (STEM). Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & ➢ The 1st phase was launched in 2019, by the Industry has given the approval for setting up of Department of Science & Technology (DST), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) with a Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST). Corpus of INR 945 crores for the period 2021-25. ➢ The programme has been successfully running in The Scheme will come into force from April 1, 50 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) since 2021 & DPIIT will be the implementing agency of December 2019 and now has been expanded to 50 the scheme. more JNVs for the year 2021-22. ➢ The scheme will provide funds to startups for NeGPA: The Mission of Digital proof of concept, prototype development, product Agriculture trials, market entry & commercialization. ➢ National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture Ministry of Tribal Affairs includes 14 (NeGPA) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme New MFP items under MSP scheme to initiated in 2010-11 as a pilot project in 7 India provide fair prices to tribal gatherers states viz. Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, ➢ The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has included 14 Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra & Madhya additional Minor Forest Produce (MFP) items Pradesh. It was then extended for all the under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) Scheme remaining States and 2 UTs in 2014-15 for a to ensure that Tribal Gatherers get fair prices for period of 5 years. Now, this 5 year period was their Forest Produces. extended up to March 31, 2021. ➢ The 14 items are Tasar Cocoon, Cashew Kernel, Ministry of Jal Shakti selects 12 sites Elephant Apple Dry, Bamboo Shoot, Malkangani under Phase-IV of ‘Swachh Iconic Seed, Mahul Leaves, Nagod, Gokhru, Places (SIP)’ Pipla/Uchithi,Gamhar/Gamari,Oroxylumindicum, ➢ Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation Wild Mushroom dry, Shringraj & Tree Moss. (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti has selected 12 ➢ The 14 new items have been added to MSP under iconic sites which will be transformed into the ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’ under Phase-IV of Produce through Minimum Support Price (MSP) ‘Swachh Iconic Places (SIP)’ initiative of Swachh & Development of Value Chain for MFP’ scheme. Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G). ➢ The Central Government introduced MSP for ➢ Selected Sites: Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra), certain products of MFP through the ‘Mechanism Sanchi Stupa (Madhya Pradesh), Kumbhalgarh for Marketing of MFP’ scheme in 2011. Fort (Rajasthan), Jaisalmer Fort(Rajasthan), 2nd phase of Vigyan Jyoti Programme Ramdevra(Jaisalmer, Rajasthan), Golconda launched Fort(Telangana), Sun Temple(Odisha), Rock ➢ The second phase of Vigyan Jyoti programme Garden(Chandigarh), Dal Lake(Jammu & launched on the occasion of International Day of Kashmir), Banke Bihari Temple (Uttar Women and Girls in Science on February 11, Pradesh),Agra Fort(Uttar Pradesh), Kalighat 2021. This phase will cover 50 more districts in Temple(West Bengal). addition to the existing 50 districts across India.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Punjab CM Amarinder Singh launched ➢ PMFBY was launched in January 13, 2016 ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’ Mission GoI launches new scheme ‘Formation ➢ Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Promotion of 10, 000 new FPOs’ virtually launched ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar ➢ The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Safai’ mission, aimed at providing 100% potable stated that the Government of India (GoI) has water supply to all rural households of the state by launched a new central sector scheme named March, 2022. ‘Formation and Promotion of 10, 000 new Farmer Delhi CM launched “Switch Delhi” Producer Organizations (FPOs)’. Under the campaign to promote electric vehicles Scheme, GoI will form and promote 10, 000 new ➢ Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, FPOs in India with a budget of INR 6865 Crores. launched “Switch Delhi” a campaign to promote ➢ More than 86% of farmers in India are small, the use of electric vehicles and to encourage marginal and landless farmer.This scheme aims to people to buy electric vehicles to reduce the integrate them under FPOs. pollution in Delhi. ➢ The FPOs will be provided financial assistance of ➢ The government of Delhi has set a target of 25% upto INR 18 Lakh per FPO for a period of 3 years. of electric vehicles in the total registration in UP CM Yogi Adityanath launches ‘UP Delhi by 2024. Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana 2021’ Odisha Cabinet approves ‘REWARD’ ➢ Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi project with assistance from World Adityanath launched ‘UP Mukhyamantri Bank Abhyudaya Yojana 2021’. Under the scheme, ➢ On February 9, 2021, Odisha Cabinet headed by Free-of-cost coaching centres will be established its Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the across the state, through which students can proposal for implementation of the ‘Rejuvenating prepare for competitive exams like IAS, PCS, Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through NDS, CDS, NEET & JEE. Innovative Development (REWARD)’ project. West Bengal CM launches ‘Maa’ The estimated expenditure for the project is INR scheme for providing meals at INR 5 500 crores, of which the World Bank will provide ➢ West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata assistance of INR 350 crores. Banerjee virtually launched ‘Maa’ Scheme under ➢ The implementation period of the project is 6 which the Government will provide subsidised years beginning from April, 2021. cooked meals for the poor & destitute at a cost of Government of India allocates Rs. INR 5. The state government has allotted a budget 16000 crore for PMFBY for FY22 of INR 100 crore for the scheme. ➢ The Central Government has allocated Rs 16000 2nd anniversary of Pradhan Mantri crores for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN) (PMFBY) for FY22, an increase of around Rs 305 ➢ 24th February, 2021 is the 2nd Anniversary of the crore as compared to FY21. starting of the Central Sector Scheme ‘Pradhan ➢ The reason behind an increase in the amount is to Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN)’. It boost the safety of farmers’ crops and ensure was launched by 24th February, 2019 by Prime maximum benefit of crop insurance. Minister Narendra Modi at Gorakhpur, Uttar ➢ The scheme covers the entire cropping cycle from Pradesh. It is 100% funded by the Central pre-sowing to post-harvest which include loss Government coverage due to prevented sowing and mid-season ➢ The Government has allocated INR 65, 000 crore adversities. for the scheme in the Union Budget 2021-22.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 8. CABINET APPROVALS

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Cabinet approves Production Linked (CCEA) Chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Incentive Scheme for pharmaceuticals Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals in February 2021. & IT Hardware ➢ The Union Cabinet approved the Production Cabinet approves amendments to the Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme with an outlay of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection Rs 15,000 crore for the pharmaceuticals and with of Children) Act, 2015 Rs 7,350 crore for IT (Information Technology) ➢ The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of hardware. Duration for PLI scheme for Ministry of Women and Child Development pharmaceuticals 9 years (2020-21 till 2028-29). (MoWCD) to make amendments in the Juvenile ➢ The PLI Scheme for IT hardware duration for a Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, period of four years. 2015 or JJ Act by introducing measures for the ➢ About PLI scheme:It was announced for 13 strengthening of Child Protection. These mainly sectors. In order to boost manufacturing in India, include empowerment of District Magistrate. the finance minister also announced a production ➢ The amendment has authorized District linked incentive (PLI) scheme with an outlay of Magistrate (DM) including Additional District Rs 1.97 lakh crore for 5 years starting this fiscal Magistrate to issue adoption orders under Section in the Union Budget 2021-22. 61 of the JJ Act.The District Child Protection Units will function under the DMs. Cabinet Committee gave in-principle ➢ Union Minister of Women and Child approval for 100% disinvestment of GoI Development: Smriti Zubin Irani shareholding in RINL ➢ On January 27, 2021 The Cabinet Committee on Union Cabinet approves President’s Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave in-principle rule in Puducherry approval for 100% strategic divestment of Indian ➢ The Union Cabinet also approved the proposal of Government’s shareholding in Rashtriya Ispat the Home Ministry to dissolve the Puducherry Nigam Limited (RINL) popularly known as vizag Assembly and impose President’s rule in the steel plant. In addition to this it also gave Union Territory. This decision has been taken as approval for management control of RINL by no party claimed to form a government following way of privatization. the resignation of the Chief Minister, Velu ➢ Reason of Privatization: The Government in the Narayanasamy. budget 2021-2022 stated that it has set a target of ➢ About President’s rule: It is a suspension of state Rs 1.75 lakh crore from stake sale in public government and imposition of direct Union sector companies and financial institutions, government rule in a state. It is imposed under including 2 Public Sector Banks and one General Article 356 of the Constitution of India. No Insurance company. The disinvestment will begin major government decisions can be made and no from April 1 of FY 2021-2022. projects can be sanctioned till the time the ➢ Strategic Disinvestment in FY 2021-22: Stake President’s rule is revoked and the next sale of Corporation in FY 2021-22- Bharat government is formed. Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Air India (BPCL), ➢ Time frame:Maximum 6 months. This timeframe Shipping Corporation of India, Container can be extended up to three years, in phases. It Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan can be revoked at any time by the President and Hans and Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd among others. this does not require Parliament’s approval.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 9. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IMD to establish India’s first and will be at the International Space Station thunderstorm research testbed at until May 2021. Balasore, Odisha ➢ Cygnus NG-15 cargo is a Northrop Grumman- ➢ The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is built Cygnus cargo ship was launched by NASA set to establish India’s first thunderstorm research on February 20, 2021, from Virginia to carry testbed at Balasore, Odisha. vital supplies for astronauts on the International ➢ The testbed will be established in collaboration Space Station (ISS). between the Ministry of Earth Science, IMD, Perseverance rover has successfully Defence Research and Development landed on Mars Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space ➢ The NASA Perseverance rover safely landed on Research Organisation (ISRO). Mars after its 292.5 million-mile journey from ➢ Its aim to reduce the human fatalities and loss of Earth. The rover has been on a nearly 300 properties due to lightning strikes in Odisha and million-mile journey since it left Earth more than Eastern States. 6 months ago. Perseverance and her teams lived ➢ IMD Director-General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra up to the namesake, overcoming the challenges has also announced that the first of its kind of preparing for the journey’s final stages during monsoon testbed is also being planned near a pandemic. Bhopal. ➢ The attitude control system is responsible for ISRO’s PSLV-C51 launches Brazil’s pointing the rover in the direction it needs to be Amazonia-1 satellit and also helps figure out where the spacecraft is ➢ The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) oriented in space. successfully made its first launch of 2021. PSLV- ➢ Indian-American named Dr Swati Mohan, C51 has been launched from the Satish Dhawan who first confirmed that the rover had survived a Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharkota, carrying 19 particularly tricky plunge into the martian payloads: Brazil's 637-kg Amazonia-1 (its atmosphere. Mohan, who successfully primary passenger) plus 18 co-passenger spearheaded the development of attitude control satellites. and the landing system for the rover, was among ➢ The 637-kg Amazonia-1 which became the first the team of scientists behind the historic mission. Brazilian satellite to be launched from India is an ISRO opens satellite testing centre for optical earth observation satellite of the National private sector Institute for Space Research (INPE). ➢ Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has Spacecraft named in honour of black opened its UR Rao Satellite Centre for testing woman ‘hidden Figures’ mathematician satellites developed by the private sector for the ➢ A space supply ship, Cygnus NG-15 cargo first time in its history. dubbed as ‘S.S. Katherine Johnson has been ➢ Two satellites, developed by the Indian startups named in honour of Katherine Johnson, a Black SpaceKidz India and Pixxel (incorporated as NASA mathematician, who played a critical role Sygyzy) were tested at the UR Rao Satellite in the success of the first U.S. crewed Centre. spaceflight, Mercury-Atlas 6 Mission. The S.S. ➢ ISRO also helped these two companies in fixing Katherine Johnson arrived on February 22, 2021, problems with the solar panels on their respective satellites.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest HAL to develop world’s first high- ➢ SKAO is a 10-member intergovernmental altitude pseudo satellite organisation dedicated to radio astronomy. The ➢ The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is members of SKAO are Australia, Canada, China, developing a futuristic high altitude pseudo India, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, satellite with a start-up company, to strengthen Netherlands and UK. The headquarters of SKAO the country’s military strike capabilities. is situated at the University of Manchester’s ➢ It is a first of its kind project in the world, where Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, United a manned aircraft will operate within the Kingdom. boundary and the unmanned aircraft will enter Bellatrix Aerospace is building a the enemy zone and can carry out strikes deep ‘space taxi’ for satellites inside the enemy territory. ➢ Skyroot Aerospace and Bellatrix Aerospace have Nitin Gadkari launched India’s 1st signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Diesel-converted CNG Tractor to use the Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) being ➢ Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Ministry of developed by Bellatrix Aerospace in the upper Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) stage of Vikram series of launch vehicles being launched India’s first-ever diesel tractor developed by Skyroot Aerospace. converted Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) ➢ The Bellatrix Aerospace’s OTV will work as a tractor which was co-developed by Thane, “taxi in space” to ferry small satellites into Maharashtra based Rawmatt Techno Solutions multiple orbits. It will be big development for and Tomasetto Achille India as a pilot project.90 global operators to reduce time and costs. ➢ This conversion will aid in saving more than one SpaceX announced world’s first all lakh rupees annually on fuel costs, which will civilian mission to space improve the livelihood of farmers. It will also ➢ SpaceX announced its plan for the World’s first create job opportunities in rural India. all civilian mission to space, the mission is China’s Tianwen-1 enters Mars orbit, named Inspiration4 in recognition of the 4-person joining UAE’s Hope Probe crew to support St. Jude Children’s Research ➢ On February 10, 2021, Chinese Spacecraft Hospital. ‘Tianwen-1’ (Means “Quest for Heavenly ➢ The mission commanded by Jared Isaacman, a Truth”) entered the Mars orbit. It became the 37-year-old entrepreneur the founder and CEO of World’s second one in two days after United Shift4 Payments and accomplished pilot will be Arab Emirates’ ‘Hope’ Space Probe entered the launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Mars Orbit on February 9, 2021. The Chinese Florida. Spacecraft will probe for signs of ancient life on US Startup bluShift Aerospace launches Mars. ‘Stardust 1.0’ – world’s 1st commercial Square Kilometre Array – world’s rocket powered by biofuel ➢ United States (US) based Startup bluShift largest Radio Telescope ➢ Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) Aerospace launched ‘Stardust 1.0’ from Loring Council held its maiden meeting. During the Commerce Centre in Maine, US. It is the world’s meeting they approved the establishment of 1st commercial rocket launch powered by world’s largest Radio Telescope namely ‘Square biofuel. Kilometre Array’. ➢ The solid biofuels used in the launch is non- ➢ The telescope will consist of a vast number of toxic, Carbon Neutral & can be sourced from radio receivers which will be positioned in South America.It uses Nitrous Oxide bubbled with Africa and Australia. Oxygen as an oxidizer.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 10.DEFENCE

CRPF inducts first-ever 34 all-women ➢ With this, L&T has successfully completed commandos into elite anti-naxal delivery of all 100 Howitzer guns under the INR CoBRA unit 4,366 crore contract awarded to it by the Ministry ➢ For the first time in its history, the Central of Defence in May 2017. Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has inducted 34 DRDO completes joint user trials for women commandos in its elite Commando HELINA & Dhruvastra versions of Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit. ATGM ➢ The induction took place on the occasion of the ➢ On February 19, 2021, DRDO (Defence 35th Raising Day of the 88th Mahila battalion of Research & Development Organization) CRPF on February 06, 2021. successfully conducted the trials of HELINA ➢ The 34 women personnel from the 6 Mahila (Helicopter Launched Nag) (Army version) & Battalions of CRPF who are joining the COBRA, Dhruvastra (Air Force Version) of the Anti-Tank will undergo a strenuous CoBRA pre-induction Guided Missiles (ATGM) from Advanced Light training of 3 months, before being sent to Naxal- Helicopter (ALH) platform in Pokhran, hit areas of the country. Rajasthan. •Director General of CRPF : Kuldiep Singh ➢ The Missiles have been developed indigenously MDL delivers ‘INS Karanj’ – India’s 3rd byDRDO. Kalvari-Class Submarine to Indian ➢ HELINA has a range of 7 Kms. Navy ➢ It is a 3rd Generation, Lock on Before Launch ➢ On February 15, 2021, Mazagon Dock (LOBL) Fire & Forget ATGMS. Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) delivered the third Indian Coast Guard’s C-453 Interceptor of six Kalvari-class submarines based on Boat Commissioned at Chennai ‘Scorpene Class’ to the Indian Navy at Mumbai, ➢ On February 19, 2021, Indian Coast Guard’s Maharashtra. The submarine will be (ICG) C-453 Interceptor Boat was commissioned commissioned into the Indian Navy in March, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. C-453 is the 17th of 18 2021 as ‘INS Karanj’.The submarine has been Interceptor Boats which are being indigenously designed by French company ‘The Naval Group’ built by Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (formerly known as DCNS) & constructed in ➢ The ship was commissioned by Leena Nanda, MDL, Mumbai under Project 75 (P-75). Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs. L&T delivers 100th & Final K-9 Vajra DRDO successfully conducts maiden Howitzer Gun to Indian Army launch of VL-SRSAM Missile ➢ On February 18, 2021, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) ➢ On February 22, 2021, Defence Research & delivered the 100th & Final K-9 Vajra-T 155 Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully mm/52 calibre self-propelled Howitzer guns to conducted 2 launches of Vertical Launch Short the Indian army from L&T’s Armoured Systems Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from Complex (ASC) situated at Hazira near Surat, the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Gujarat. The K-9 Vajra was flagged off by Chief Odisha.This is the maiden launch of the missile of Army Staff General MM Naravane. system. ➢ K-9 Vajra has a range of 38 kms and is an ➢ The missile has been indigenously designed and indigenized version of K-9 Thunder of South developed by DRDO for Indian Navy. Korea. ➢ It has a strike range of 40-50 kms.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 11. AWARDS AND HONOURS

India’s Anjali Bharadwaj among 12 Television Series – Dheeraj Dhoopar •Performer people named by Biden administration of the Year – Nora Fatehi •Outstanding for newly-instituted Anti-corruption Contribution to Film Industry – Dharmendra Award •Outstanding Contribution to Literature in Indian ➢ Anjali Bharadwaj, an Indian social activist, has Cinema – Chetan Bhagat been named among 12 “courageous” individuals Golden Globe Awards 2021 for the newly-instituted International Anti- ➢ The 78th edition of Golden Globe Awards 2021 Corruption Champions Award by the US was held on February 28, 2021 to recognise President Joe Biden administration. excellence in film, both American and ➢ The 48-year-old Bhardwaj has served as an international, and American television. active member of the Right to Information ➢ American TV series “The Crown” won the most Movement in India for over two decades. awards for the ceremony with four awards. Sushant Singh Rajput posthumously ➢ Late American actor Chadwick Boseman won the honoured at Dadasaheb Phalke Golden Globe award for Best Actor in Drama International Film Festival with Critic’s category, posthumously, for his portrayal of Best Actor Award Levee Green in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. ➢ The prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke International Four women scientists won SERB Film Festival awards were announced on Women Excellence Award 2021 February 20, 2021, to honour the best in Indian ➢ The Science and Engineering Research Board cinema, television, music, and OTT. (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of The winners for 2021are as follows: Science and Technology (DST) has announced •Best Actor (Female) – Deepika Padukone, the SERB Women Excellence Award for the year Chhapaak •Best Actor (Male) – Akshay Kumar, 2021, on the occasion of the International Day of Laxmii •Critic’s Best Actress – Kiara Advani, Women and Girls in Science on 11 February. Guilty •Critic’s Best Actor – Late Sushant Singh ➢ Four young women fellows of National Science Rajput, Dil Bechara •Best Film – Tanhaji: The Academies have been awarded SERB Women Unsung Warrior •Best International Feature Film Excellence Award 2021. The winners include: – Parasite Most Versatile Actor – Kay Kay ➢ Dr. Shobhna Kapoor – Assistant Professor at Menon •Best Director – Anurag Basu, Ludo Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, •Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Vikrant ➢ Dr. Antara Banerjee – Scientist B National Massey, Chhapaak •Best Actress in Supporting Institute for Research In Reproductive Health, Role – Radhika Madan, Angrezi Medium •Best Mumbai. Actor in Comic Role – Kunal Kemmu, Lootcase ➢ Dr. Sonu Gandhi – Scientist D from National •Best Actor (Web Series) – Bobby Deol, Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad. Aashram •Best Actress (Web Series) – Sushmita ➢ Dr. Ritu Gupta – Assistant Professor at Indian Sen, Aarya •Best Web Series – Scam: 1992 Institute of Technology Jodhpur. •Album of the Year – Titliyaan •Best Television Tamil Movie “Koozhangal” wins Tiger Series – Kundali Bhagya •Photographer of the Award at Rotterdam International Film Year – Daboo Ratnani •Style Diva of the Year – Festival 2021 Divya Khosla Kumar •Best Actress in Television ➢ The Tamil film “Koozhangal” has won “Tiger” Series – Surbhi Chandna •Best Actor in award, at the 50th edition of the International

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Film Festival Rotterdam 2021. The Tiger award AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is the top honour of the festival, given for best received the SKOCH Challenger Award film. – Chief Minister of the Year Award ➢ Koozhangal (meaning Pebbles) has been ➢ YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister of produced by Nayanthara and directed by Vinod Andhra Pradesh received the SKOCH Challenger Raj PS. Award – Chief Minister of the Year Award. The ➢ This is the second Indian film to win this award of the SKOCH Group was presented to international award and the first Tamil Film. The him by Sameer Kochhar, Chairman of SKOCH first Indian film was “Durga” directed by the Group.This award was given to YS Jagan Mohan Malayalam director Shashidharan. Reddy based on the year long study on the Manasa Varanasi of Telangana government project- level outcomes across crowned VLCC Femina Miss India different states of India. World 2020 S Theodore Baskaran honoured with ➢ Telangana-based Manasa Varanasi has been Sanctuary Lifetime Service Award crowned as the winner of VLCC Femina Miss 2020 India World 2020. ➢ S Theodore Baskaran, Conservation writer, ➢ Manasa Varanasi was crowned by the winner of historian, naturalist and veteran activist was Miss India 2019, Suman Ratan Singh Rao from honoured with the Sanctuary Lifetime Service Rajasthan on 10 February 2021. Award 2020 by the Sanctuary Nature ➢ The 23-year-old, will now represent India at the Foundation. He has been honoured for his 70th Miss World pageant in December 2021. contribution towards wildlife conservation and ➢ Born in Hyderabad, Manasa Varanasi is an for his legacy of writing in Tamil and English engineer by profession and works as financial which contributes towards the discussions on information exchange analyst. conservation. Other winners: Hyderabad recognised as the ‘2020 ➢ Manika Sheokand of Haryana – Miss Grand Tree City of the World’ by Arbor Day India 2020 Foundation & FAO ➢ Manya Singh of Uttar Pradesh – Miss India 2020 ➢ The Arbor Day Foundation and the United runner-up Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization Robert Irwin wins Wildlife (FAO) of the United Nations(UN) have Photographer of the Year 2021 recognised Hyderabad (Telangana) as one of the ➢ Robert Irwin, an Australian wildlife ‘2020 Tree City of the World’ for its photographer, has won the first prize in the contributions and commitment towards growing Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s and maintaining urban forest. Choice Award Contest. ➢ Hyderabad became the first and only city in India ➢ Robert won the award for the image titled to be recognised as the 2020 Tree City of the ‘bushfire’, which is the picture of the devastating World. Australian Bushfire in 2020, he captured using a ➢ 68 cities from 17 countries were recognised in drone, near the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in the 1st year of the programme. Cape York, Queensland. ➢ 2020 ‘Tree cities of the world’ is the 2nd year of ➢ The image shows a line of fire burning in the programme. between the bushes, dividing it into parts. ➢ Presently around 120 cities from 63 countries ➢ This event was organised by the Natural History were assessed as the Tree cities of the World. Museum.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 12. SPORTS

India’s Rishabh Pant & South Africa’s Indian women boxers claim 5 gold Shabnim Ismail Won ICC Player of the medals at 30th ‘Adriatic Pearl’ Month awards for January 2021 Tournament ➢ Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant won the ➢ Indian Boxing contingent finished with 12 International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Player medals at the 30th Youth International Boxing of the Month award for January 2021 and South Tournament ‘Adriatic Pearl’ held at Budva, African cricketer Shabnim Ismail won the ICC Montenegro from February 16-22, 2021. It Women’s Player of the Month award for January finished 2nd in the overall medals tally, 2021. This is the first edition of the ICC Player of Uzbekistan took the 1st place while Ukraine the Month Awards. finished 3rd in the medals tally. Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan ➢ Indian women’s team won 10 medals (5 Gold, 3 announces retirement from all forms of Silver & 2 Bronze) while Indian Men’s team cricket bagged 2 Bronze medals. ➢ Former Indian cricketer & all-rounder Yusuf ➢ With 10 medals, Indian women’s team finished at Pathan has announced retirement from all forms the top of the women’s medals tally. Uzbekistan of cricket at the age of 38. Yusuf Pathan hails (2 Gold) & Czech Republic (1 Gold) finished at from Vadodara (Baroda), Gujarat. the 2nd & 3rd position. ➢ He has represented India in 57 ODIs & 22 T20Is ➢ With two Bronze medals from Priyanshu Dabas scoring 1046 runs & 46 wickets across the 2 (49 kg) & Jugnoo (91+ kg) for the Indian Men’s formats. He plays for Baroda in Ranji Trophy & Team. has represented teams like Rajasthan Royals, ➢ Vinka (60 Kg) who won the Gold Medal from Kolkata Knight Riders & Sunrisers Hyderabad in India received the Best Woman Boxer of the IPL. Tournament Award .Only Boxers who were India’s Ankita Raina claims her Maiden under the age of 18 years took part in the tournament. WTA doubles title Novak Djokovic beats Daniil Medvedev ➢ India’s Ankita Raina partnered with Russia’s to win his 9th Australian Open Title Kamilla Radhikova to defeat the Russian pair of ➢ Novak Djokovic (Serbia) defeated Daniil Anna Blinkova & Anastasia Potapova in the final Medvedev (Russia) to win the 2021 Australian of Phillip Island Trophy Tennis Tournament at Open Men’s Title (The Men’s Singles Trophy of Melbourne, Australia to win her maiden WTA Australian Open is also known as Norman (Women’s Tennis Association) 250 Doubles title. Brookes Challenge Cup). The win made Ankita India’s first WTA ➢ It is Djokovic’s 9th Australian Open Title & Champion since Sania Mirza. overall 18th Grand Slam Title. Sri Lankan cricketer Upul Tharanga ➢ Djokovic’s first Australian Open Title came in announces retirement at the age of 36 2008. ➢ Former Sri Lankan Limited Overs Captain (ODIs Naomi Osaka defeats Jennifer Brady to & T20Is) & Batsman Upul Tharanga announced win her 2nd Australian Open Title retirement from International cricket at the age of ➢ Naomi Osaka (Japan) defeated Jennifer Brady 36.He has represented Sri Lanka in 31 tests, 235 (USA) to win the 2021 Australian Open ODIs & 26 T20Is. Women’s Title (The Women’s Singles Trophy of

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Australian Open is also known as Daphne ➢ Under the 3-year agreement BYJU’s will partner Akhurst Memorial Cup). all the events of ICC from 2021 to 2023, ➢ It is Naomi’s 2nd Australian Open Title & including the Men’s T20 World Cup in India, and overall 4th Grand Slam Title. the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New ➢ Naomi’s 1st Australian Open Title came in 2019. Zealand. Karnataka to host 2nd Edition of Khelo Indian cricketer Ashok Dinda India University Games in 2021 announced his retirement from all ➢ Karnataka is set to host the 2nd Edition of Khelo forms of cricket India University Games (KIUG) in 2021. The ➢ Indian bowler Ashok Dinda announced his games will be hosted in Jain University, retirement from all formats of cricket at the age Bengaluru and other venues in Karnataka in of 36. He is one of the quick bowlers in Indian collaboration with Association of Indian domestic cricket.He hails from West Bengal. Universities (AIU). KIUG is the largest ➢ He has around 420 first class wickets and has University level sports competition in India. featured 13 ODIs and 9 Twenty20 (T20) ➢ The KIUG 2021 will see the addition of 2 new representing India and took 12 and 17 wickets native sports namely ‘Yogasana’ & respectively. ‘Mallakhamb’ in the medal events. The total R. Vinay Kumar announces retirement number of medal events/sports will be 19. from all forms of cricket ➢ The games will be conducted in the U-25 age ➢ Former India cricketer and Karnataka captain R. category in accordance with the World Vinay Kumar has announced his retirement from University Games norms. international and first-class cricket. Sri Lankan cricketer Dhammika Prasad ➢ The 37-year-old pace bowler, Vinay Kumar has announces retirement from International represented India in all formats, playing single cricket Test, 31 ODIs and 9 T20Is for India between ➢ Sri Lankan fast bowler Dhammika Prasad 2010 and 2013. announced his retirement from International ➢ He has led Karnataka to consecutive Ranji Cricket at the age of 37. He has represented Sri Trophy titles, in his 17-year domestic career. Lanka in 25 Tests, 24 One Day Internationals Tamil Nadu wins 2020-21 Syed (ODIs) & 1 Twenty20 International (T20I). Mushtaq Ali T20 competition Former Indian cricketer Naman Ojha ➢ Tamil Nadu Cricket Team defeated Baroda in the retires from all forms of cricket finals of the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 ➢ Former Indian Wicketkeeper – Batsman Naman Competition held at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ojha (37 years old) from Madhya Pradesh(MP) Ahmedabad,Gujarat to win the trophy. announced his retirement from all forms of ➢ The 12th edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Cricket(international and BCCI/MPCA domestic was held from January 10-31, 2021. The Tamil first-class cricket). He has represented India in all Nadu cricket team was led by Dinesh Karthik. three formats and holds the record for the most Odisha to host Indian Women’s League dismissals (351) by a wicketkeeper in Ranji (IWL) 2020-21 Trophy. ➢ Odisha has been chosen as the host for the the ICC announced BYJU’s as global fifth edition of Hero Indian Women’s League partner from 2021 – 2023 (IWL) 2020-21 edition, by the All India Football ➢ The International Cricket Council (ICC) Federation (AIFF). announced BYJU’s as its global partner from 2021 to 2023.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 13. OBITUARIES

Arjuna awardee & former Davis Cup battles including the 1962 Indo-China war, and coach, tennis legend Akhtar Ali passed 1965 and 1971 India-Pakistan war, has passed away at 81 away. He was 87. ➢ Indian tennis legend, Akhtar Ali, the former ➢ Hailing from Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Mahapatra Davis Cup Coach, passed away at the age of 81 was commissioned into armoured corps (Tanks) in Kolkata, West Bengal. of the Indian Army as a Combat Officer and was ➢ He has supported the career development of the popularly known as ‘Tank Man’. legendary Leander Paes. He was born on 5th July ➢ Mohapatra was conferred with the prestigious Ati 1939. He hails from Kolkata, West Bengal. Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM). ➢ He received the Arjuna Award in Lawn tennis for Padma Shri winning theatre director his lifetime contribution to tennis in 2000. and founder of Rang Vidushak, Bansi Michael Somare, first Prime Minister of Kaul passes away at 71 Papua New Guinea passed away at 84 ➢ Bansi Kaul, a noted Indian theatre director and ➢ The first Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, the founder of Rang Vidushak, a theatre group in Sir Michael Somare passed away at the age of 84. Bhopal, has passed away. He was 71. He is popularly known as the “Father of the ➢ Kaul was honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s nation” and he is also referred to as the Chief by fourth highest civilian honour, in 2014, and was the people of Papua New Guinea. also a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Justice M Rama Jois, former Governor Award in 1995, among other awards. of Bihar & Jharkhand passed away at 1995 Nobel Chemistry Prize winner 88 Paul Crutzen passes away at 87 ➢ Justice Mandagadde Rama Jois, the former ➢ The Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul J. governor of Bihar and Jharkhand passed away at Crutzen, has passed away. He was 87. Dr. the age of 89 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was Crutzen won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in born on 27th July 1931 at Shimoga, Karnataka. 1995, jointly with Mario J. Molina and F. ➢ He served as the Chief Justice of Punjab & Sherwood Rowland, for their work in Haryana High Court. atmospheric chemistry, particularly concerning Padma Shri winning eminent malayalam the formation and decomposition of ozone. poet Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri passes Former Union Minister and veteran away at 81 congress leader captain Satish Sharma ➢ Renowned Malayalam poet, priest and passes away at 73 academician Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri, has ➢ Veteran Congress leader and former Union passed away. He was 81. He was honoured with Minister Captain Satish Sharma passed away in the Padma Shri in 2014, for his contribution in Goa after a brief illness, and suffering from the world of Malayalam literature for decades. cancer. He was 73. Indo-Pak war veteran retired major ➢ He served as the Union Minister of Petroleum general BK Mahapatra passes away at and Natural Gas from 1993 to 1996 in the 87 Narasimha Rao government. ➢ War veteran Major General (retired) Basant ➢ He was a three-time Lok Sabha MP, representing Kumar Mahapatra, who had participated in major Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 14. REPORTS, INDICES AND RANKINGS

India slips to 53rd rank in EIU’s With 1% of world’s vehicles, India Democracy Index 2020; Norway tops accounts for 11% of global deaths in ➢ According to the ‘Democracy Index 2020’ road accidents: World Bank report released by the Economist Intelligence Unit ➢ According to the report ‘Traffic Crash Injuries (EIU), India with a score of 6.61 slipped two and Disabilities:The Burden on Indian Society’ places to 53rd rank (out of 167 countries) in the released by the World Bank with 1% of World’s Index due to decline in Civil Liberties. Norway vehicles, India accounts for 11% of Global Road topped the index followed by Iceland & Sweden. Accident deaths & 6% of total road crashes. ➢ India along with the US, France, Belgium & ➢ In India, annually around 4.5 Lakh road crashes Brazil have been classified under ‘Flawed take place out of which 1.5 Lakh people die. Democracy’ Category. ➢ The World Bank report was prepared in ➢ Based on scores on 60 indicators, countries have association with Save LIFE Foundation (SLF). been classified into one of the four types of ICICI Lombard General Insurance regime. They are Launched its 1st Corporate India Risk • Full Democracy – 23 countries Index 2020 • Flawed Democracy – 52 countries, India has ➢ ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd been classified under this category. launched its 1st ‘Corporate India Risk Index • Hybrid Regime – 35 countries 2020’.India’s Corporate India Risk Index stands • Authoritarian regimes – 57 regimes at 57.The HealthCare Sector topped among the India to emerge as 2nd most resilient sectors with the highest score of 70, which economy in 2021, Germany tops the indicates that it manages the risk well. list: PHDCCI IER Rankings ➢ The Corporate India Risk Index 2020 uses a risk ➢ According to the PHD Chamber of Commerce measurement tool that has been developed by and Industry (PHDCCI) International Economic ICICI Lombard in partnership with Frost and Resilience (IER) India is set to emerge as the 2nd Sullivan, a leading management consulting firm. most resilient economy in 2021 among top-10 ➢ The Corporate India Risk Index 2020 covers top leading economies showcasing the strong 150 companies from its own investment portfolio recovery of Indian Economy in the Post COVID- across 15 Key Sectors. 19 era. Germany took the top spot & South Korea Number of new cancer cases in North took the 3rd spot. East Region expected to increase to Reliance Jio becomes world’s 5th 57, 131 by 2025: ICMR-NCDIR Report strongest brand; Wechat tops: Brand ➢ According to the report ‘Profile of Cancer and Finance’s Global 500 2021 Related Health Indicators in the NorthEast ➢ As per the Global 500 2021, an annual report on Region of India-2021’ released by Indian Council the most valuable and strongest global brands of of Medical Research (ICMR) & National Centre Brand Finance, Reliance Jio has been ranked in for Disease Informatics & Research (NCDIR), 5th position as world’s strongest brand with a the number of new cancer cases in North East Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 91.7 out of Region (NER) is set to increase to 57, 131 by 100 and AAA+ brand strength rating. Reliance 2025(Cancer cases in NE to rise by 13.5% by Jio enters the ranking for the 1st time. The list is 2025), which is a big increase over the estimated topped by WeChat with a BSI score of 95.4. 50, 317 cases of cancer in NER in 2020.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 15. COMMITTEES 259-member high-level national ➢ The committee reviewed the current regulatory committee headed by Prime Minister approach and recommend suitable measures to constituted to commemorate 75 years strengthen the sector. of India’s independence ➢ Suggest effective measures for faster ➢ The Government of India has set up a 259- rehabilitation and resolution of UCBs and assess member high-level national committee, to be potential for consolidation in the sector headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to IRDAI forms 14 member committee commemorate 75 years of India’s independence. headed by Janakiram to review its ➢ The 259 member national committee will provide Information & cyber security policy direction and guidelines for the guidelines formulation of programmes for the 75th ➢ The Insurance Regulatory and Development anniversary commemoration of the Indian Authority of India (IRDAI)has formed a 14 Independence. member committee to review its information and ➢ The 75 years of India’s Independence will be cyber security guidelines. The committee is observed on 15 August 2022 and the celebrations required to submit its report in 2 months for the same are proposed to be launched 75 ➢ The committee is headed by Prof Janakiram, weeks prior to this date on 12 March 2021. chairman of Institute for Development and ➢ 12 March marks the 91st anniversary of the Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT). historic Salt Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi. ➢ IRDAI issued cyber security guidelines in April ➢ The celebrations will be held at national and 2017 international level in the form of ‘Azadi Ka Central Govt. forms expert committee Amrit Mahotsav’. headed by TP Rajendran to review ➢ The high-level committee will hold its first proposal to ban 27 pesticides meeting on March 8, 2021. ➢ The government of India has forms an expert ➢ Before this, a National Implementation panel to review the objections of industry to the Committee was also formed under the proposed ban on 27 pesticides,these are chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit mentioned as harmful to animals and humans by Shah to guide the policies and programs to be the government. undertaken by various Ministries. ➢ The committee is headed by TP Rajendran, ➢ A Committee of Secretaries has also been set up former assistant director general of Indian for this purpose. Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). RBI constitues eight-member expert ➢ These 27 pesticides that are widely used are part panel for strenthening Urban Co- of 66 contentious pesticides that are being operative Banks reviewed for their toxicity. Already, in 2018, the ➢ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted government had banned 18 of them. an eight-member expert committee on Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs) to examine issues and suggest a road map for strengthening the sector. ➢ The committee will be chaired by the former RBI Deputy Governor N. S. Vishwanathan.

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 16. SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

S.No Name Of The Summit & Conference Details ➢ The first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors G20 Finance Ministers and Central (FMCBG) meeting was held under the Italian Presidency on 1. Bank Governors Meeting February 26, 2021.This meeting is follow-up for the upcoming (virtual mode) 2021 G20 Summit, the sixteenth meeting of Group of Twenty, scheduled to take place in Rome, Italy, on 30–31 October 2021. ➢ BRICS Sherpas and Sous Sherpas held their first meeting under India’s Chairmanship from February 24-26, 2021. ➢ During the meeting, India presented its priorities for its BRICS BRICS 1st SHERPA MEETING Chairmanship 2021 under the theme -"BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus” ➢ The conference which includes INDIA PHARMA 2021 & INDIA MEDICAL DEVICE 2021 is scheduled to take place 6th International Conference on from February 25-26, 2021 & March 1-2, 2021. 2. Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices ➢ The theme of India Pharma 2021 is ‘Indian Pharma Industry: (virtual mode) “Future is Now”. ➢ The theme of India Medical Device 2021is “India MedTech Future: Innovate & Make in India through Global Alliance”. ➢ It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi through video conferencing on February 10, 2021. 20th World Sustainable Development ➢ It was organized by ‘The Energy and Resources Institute 3. Summit 2021 (TERI)’. (virtual mode) ➢ The theme of the Summit is ‘Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all’. ➢ The first India-European Union High Level Dialogue (HLD) was held on 5th February 2021. First India-EU High Level Dialogue on ➢ The HLD was co-chaired by the Minister of Commerce and 4. Trade and Investment Industry Shri Piyush Goyal from India side and the European (virtual mode) Union Executive Vice-President & Trade Commissioner Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis, from the EU side. ➢ European Union (EU) Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium ➢ The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 13th edition of Aero India 2021 at the Yelahanka Air Force 5. Aero India 2021 Station in Bengaluru on February 3, 2021. It was held in hybrid mode. ➢ The first-ever ASEAN-India Hackathon was organised from February 01-04, 2021, by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Ministry of External Affairs. 6. First ASEAN-India Hackathon 2021 ➢ AICTE implemented the initiative with the support of nodal agencies from all ten ASEAN countries. ➢ ASEAN Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 17. APPOINTMENTS S.No Name Appointed as

1. Vijay Sampla Former Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment( 2014 to 2019), Vijay Sampla takes charge as Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes 2. Sharad Goklani Appointed as the President & Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Jaipur-based AU Small Finance Bank. 3. Shantanu Mitra Appointed as CEO and MD of Fullerton India Credit Company. Mitra will take over the new role with effect from 2nd April, 2021. 4. Irakli Garibashvili Sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Georgia on February 22, 2021. This is his second term as the Prime Minister. •Georgia Capital: Tbilisi •Currency: Georgian lari •President: Salome Zourabichvili 5. Ajai Malhotra Elected as the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). He is the first Indian to be elected to the post. •UNHRC Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland 6. Preeti Sinha The UN Capital Development Fund has appointed Indian-origin investment and development banker Preeti Sinha as its Executive Secretary, the highest leadership rank in the institution. She succeeds Judith Karl. The New York-based United Nations Capital Development Fund is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP. 7. Dr Ajay Mathur Elected as new Director Genera of International Solar Alliance (ISA). He succeeds Upendra Tripathy. •ISA Headquarters: Gurugram •Member countries:73 8. Mario Draghi Sworn in as Prime Minister of Italy. He succeeds Giuseppe Conte • Italy Capital: Rome •Currency: Euro 9. Justice Puligoru Venkata Sworn in as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court. He was Sanjay Kumar appointed by the President of India Ramnath Kovind, in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India. 10. Kuldiep Singh Centre has appointed IPS officer Kuldiep Singh to hold additional charge as the Director General (DG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), with effect from March 01, 2021. He succeeds A P Maheshwari, who completed his tenure on February 28, 2021. 11. Matam Venkata Rao Sworn in as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of state-run of Central Bank of India. The appointment of Rao is effective from March 01, 2021, for a period of three years. 12. Natalia Mikhailovna Renowned Russian supermodel, entrepreneur, public speaker and Vodianova, philanthropist Natalia Mikhailovna Vodianova, has been appointed as the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) goodwill ambassador , •UNFPA headquarter- New York, United States

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 18. DAYS AND THEMES

Date Day Description & Theme of 2020 February 28th National Science Day Theme of 2021: ‘Future of STI: Impact on Education Skills and Work’

February 27th National Protein Day Theme of 2021: Powering with Plant Protein. The day was launched by the ‘Right to Protein’, a national- level public health initiative on February 27, 2020

February 22th World Thinking Day Theme of 2021: “Peacebuilding”

February 21st International Mother Theme of 2021: “Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in Language Day education and society”

February 20th World Day of Social Justice Theme of 2021: “A Call for Social Justice in the Digital Economy.”

February 19th Soil Health Card Day 2021 marks the sixth year of the launch of the SHC Scheme.

February 13th National Women’s Day In India, the National Women’s Day is observed every year on 13 February to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu, also known as the Nightingale of India.

February 12th National Productivity Day Theme of 2021: Udyog Manthan for Productivity

February Financial Literacy Week RBI conducts Financial Literacy Week (FLW) every year 8th to 12th 2021 since 2016 to propagate financial education Theme of 2021:”Credit Discipline and Credit from Formal Institutions”.

February 11th World Unani Day World Unani Day is observed globally on February 11 every year to mark the birthday of “Hakim Ajmal Khan”, an eminent Indian Unani physician.

February 10th World Pulses Day Theme of 2021 : “Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future”.

February 6th International Day of Zero Theme of 2021 : No time for global inaction: unite, fund Tolerance to Female Genital and act to end FGM/Con 10 January 2006. Mutilation

February 4th International Day of Human Theme of 2021 : A Pathway to the Future Fraternity

February 4th World Cancer Day Theme of 2021 : ‘I Am And I Will’

February 2nd World Wetlands Day Theme of 2021 : ‘Wetlands and Water’

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 19. DEFENCE EXERCISES AND OPERATIONS

Name of the Exercise Description

➢ The Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy conducted the Passage Exercise PASSEX (PASSEX) on February 18, 2021 in the Arabian Sea. ➢ Indian naval ship INS Talwar and Indonesian Navy’s multirole corvette KRI Bung Tomo participated in the exercise.

➢ India joined Iran and Russia in the naval exercise dubbed as “Iran-Russia Iran-Russia Maritime Maritime Security Belt 2021”, which kicked-off in the northern part of the Security Belt 2021 Indian Ocean on February 16, 2021. The Chinese navy will also join the exercise. ➢ The drill will cover an area of 17,000 square kilometres (6,500 square miles). 20. BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Book title Author

Stories I Must Tell Kabir Bedi, Veteran bollywood actor

The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News Meghna Pant, Eminent writer, journalist and speaker

Unfinished Priyanka Chopra, Bollywood actress

By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life Hamid Ansari, Former Vice President of India

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 21. CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS 1. Which type of cargo is allowed for transportation 7. Which state govt. recently (in Feb’21) launched the through National Waterways-1 & 2, as per the Indira Gandhi Urban Credit Card Scheme to provide MoU signed (in Feb’21) between Inland interest free loan upto Rs. 50,000 to street vendors? Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and MOL a) Rajasthan b) Chhattisgarh (Asia Oceania) Pte. Ltd? c) Punjab d) Tamil Nadu a) Medical apparatus e) Kerala b) Bio Fertilizers 8. Which state/ UT became the 1st in India to launch c) Electrical machinery & equipment “Carbon Watch”, to monitor Carbon footprint? d) Aluminum & Automobile a) Punjab b) Chandigarh e) Liquefied Natural Gas c) Gujarat d) New Delhi 2. How many sites were selected in the Phase-IV of e) Ladakh ‘Swachh Iconic Places (SIP)’ for transforming into 9. Over which river is the World’s Highest Rail Bridge ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’? a) 10 b)14 is being built, that is expected to be completed by c) 15 d) 9 2021? e) 12 a) Beas b) Sutlej c) Ravi d) Chenab 3. Where was the NAVDEX 21 (Naval Defence Exhibition) & IDEX 21 (International Defence e) Gomati Exhibition) held, that saw the participation of 10. Recently (in Feb’21), India’s Exim bank provided a Indian Navy’s INS ‘Pralaya’? financial support of USD 130 mn for construction of a) Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka social housing units in Maldives. Who is the present b) Abu Dhabi, UAE c) Jakarta, Indonesia MD of Exim bank? d) Cannes, France e) Brussels, Belgium a) David Rasquinha b) G.R. Chintala 4. What is the Nomenclature given to IRDAI’s new c) Mohammad Mustafa d) M R Kumar Standard Personal Accident Insurance Product,that e) Ajay Tyagi was launched in February 2021? 11. What is the maximum permissible limit for a) Jan Suraksha Laghu Bima contactless payments? b) Fasal Bima Yojana a) Rs.2000 b) Rs. 10,000 c) Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana c) Rs. 50,000 d) Rs. 15000 d) Saral Suraksha Bima e) Rs. 5000 e) Sampoorna Suraksha Bima 12. In Feb’21, Union Cabinet approved the Production 5. Which bank (in Feb’21) acquired 9.99% stake in Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme with an outlay of Rs Ferbine Private Ltd to set up a Pan India Umbrella 15,000 crore for the pharmaceuticals, on a move to entity (PUE) for retail payments? increase exports. What is India’s rank globally in a) HDFC Bank b) ICICI Bank pharmaceutical production? c) Kotak Mahindra Bank d) Both 1 & 2 a) 1st b) 5th e) Both 1 & 3 c) 4th d) 3rd 6. Former PM Sir Michael Somare, popularly known as e) 2nd ‘Father of Nation’ passed away recently in February

2021. Which country does he belong to? 13. Which country hosted the 2021’s BRICS Financial Cooperation Meeting? a) Fiji a) Brazil b) Russia b) New Zealand c) Papua New Guinea d) Seychelles c) India d) China e) South Africa e) Philippines

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 14. Which of the following tool is used by SEBI in 21. Where is the Asia’s largest Cattle Park, Advanced case of a near zero and negative pricing situation Institute for Integrated Research on Livestock and for any of its commodities (especially, crude oil)? Animal Sciences (AIIRLAS) located? a) Sebi COmplaints REdress System (SCORES) a) Hubli, Karnataka b) Ongole, Andhra Pradesh b) Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and c) Ludhiana, Punjab d) Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) e) Salem, Tamil Nadu c) External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) 22. In Feb’21, “National Urban Digital Mission d) Alternate Risk Management Framework (NUDM)” was launched to create a digital (ARMF) infrastructure all over India by ______. e) Electronic Clearing System (ECS) a) 2025 b) 2030 15. Which bank partnered with Greater Chennai c) 2024 d) 2028 e) 2022 Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Smart City Ltd 23. Which organisation received the Genome Valley (CSCL) to launch, ‘Namma Chennai Smart Card’? Excellence Award for the year 2021 during the a) HDFC Bank b) Union Bank of India BioAsia 2021 event? c) ICICI Bank d) Canara Bank a) Bharat Biotech e) UCO Bank b) Serum Institute of India 16. Who was appointed as the Chairman of 6th c) Indian Council of Medical Research National Commission for Scheduled Castes d) AIIMS, New Delhi (NCSC)? e) JIPMER a) Vijay Sampla b) Thawar Chand Gehlot 24. Who is the American Indian responsible for c) Ram Katheria d) George Baker handling the Guidance, Navigation, and Controls e) Ghayorul Hasan Operations (GN&C) of NASA’s ‘Perseverance 17. Who was appointed as the head of IRDAI’s review rover’ to Mars? committee on Information and cyber security a) Swati Mohan b) Minal Rohit guidelines in Feb’21? c) Ritu Karidhal d) Moumita Dutta a) Subhash Chandra Khuntia e) Shruthika Padhy b) Janakiram c) Jayanth Kumar 25. In Feb.2021 Which organisation signed an MoU d) M R Kumar e) Nithiyanantham with Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) for customized data access through Freight 18. Where did Geological Survey of India (GSI) Operation Information System (FOIS)? recently found the fossils of Earth’s‘oldest animal’, a) Food Corporation of India (FCI) Dickinsonia in Feb.21? b) Coal India Ltd (CIL) a) Auditorium Cave b) Edakkal Caves c) National Mineral Development Corporation c) Pattadakal d) Ajanta Caves (NMDC) e) Chovvanur Burial Cave d) NLC India Ltd 19. Which is the 1st African country to sign a trade e) Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) Agreement with India in Feb’21? 26. Which of the following diseases was recently a) Mauritius b) Madagascar added to National Programme for Prevention & c) Ethiopia d) Kenya e) Sierra Leone Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular 20. In Feb’21, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS)? approved INR 8, 300 crore for procurement of 118 a) Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) indigenously developed Arjun Mark – 1A (MK-1A). b) Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) What is Arjun MK-1A? c) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) a) Cruise Missile b) Stealth Submarine d) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease c) Laser Cannon d) Battle Tank (COPD) e) Stealth Bomber e) Alzheimer’s Disease

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 27. Where did Indian govt. invested Rs. 400 crores to 33. Indian Govt. has approved (in Feb’21) for the create India’s 1st Fisheries Hub under the Pradhan creation of 8 toy manufacturing clusters at a cost of Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)? Rs 2,300 crore. Which organisation(s) will be a) Tamil Nadu developing the toy clusters? b) Gujarat a) Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises c) Kerala b) Department for Promotion of Industry and d) West Bengal Internal Trade e) Goa c) Department of Children, Equality, Disability, 28. Where was the 17th India International Mega Integration and Youth Trade Fair (IIMTF) – 2021 conducted? d) Only 1 & 2 e) All 1, 2 & 3 a) Kolkata, West Bengal 34. Where is India’s 1st Digital University located? b) Jaipur, Rajasthan a) Kerala b) Uttar Pradesh c) Bhubaneswar, Odisha c) Maharashtra d) Gujarat d) New Delhi e) New Delhi e) Hyderabad, Telangana 35. In February 2021, Indian Sign Language Research 29. What is the strike range of Astra Mk2 Missile, a and Training Centre (ISLRTC) has published the 3rd Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile edition of the Indian Sign Language (ISL) (BVRAAM)? Dictionary with ______terms. a) 200 km b) 90 km a) 3000 b) 15000 c) 125 km d) 175 km c) 12000 d) 6000 e) 10000 e) 160 km 36. Recently Kotak Standard Multicap Fund has been renamed as Kotak Flexicap Fund, as Mulitcap funds 30. Which of the following is the benchmark interest are required to invest 65% of assets in equity and rate that is used by global banks to lend to one equity-related investments as per the guidelines of another? ______. a) Sterling Overnight Index Average (SONIA) a) Reserve Bank of India b) London Interbank Mean Rate (LIMEAN) b) Small Industries Development Bank of India c) Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) c) Association of Mutual Funds in India d) Euro Interbank Offer Rate (EURIBOR) d) Securities and Exchange Board of India e) London Inter Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) e) Ministry of Corporate Affairs 31. Who was appointed as the Managing Director 37. In Feb.21,Which Insurance company launched the General of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in ‘Bima Jyoti’ insurance Plan that offers guaranteed February 2021? addition at a rate of 5% at the end of each policy a) Masatsugu Asakawa year? b) Rajesh Khullar a) Max Life Insurance c) Takeo Konishi b) Life Insurance Corporation of India d) Marcos Prado Troyjo c) United India Insurance e) Woochong Um d) HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company 32. Which state govt. announced the “Mukhyamantri e) The Oriental Insurance Company Pravasi Shramik Udyamita Vikas Yojana” to provide 38. Which organisation recently launched a Space self-employment opportunities to migrant workers? Station Supply Ship, named after mathematician a) Rajasthan S.S. Katherine Johnson, to the International Space b) Odisha Station (ISS)? c) Bihar a) ISRO b) JAXA d) Gujarat c) SpaceX d) NASA e) Uttar Pradesh e) Roscosmos

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 39. Which was the app launched by Indian 47. In Feb’21, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs Government as a Made in India alternative to (MoHUA) has selected 25 cities to adopt the WhatsApp in Feb’21? ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ on a pilot a) Agriota b) MyBharat basis. Under which scheme the challenge is c) Sandes d) Visitassam conducted? e) CuRED a) Smart Cities Mission 40. Where is the 2nd Edition of Khelo India University b) AMRUT Games (KIUG) – 2021 planned to be conducted? c) Swachh Bharat Mission a) Bangalore, Karnataka d) HRIDAY b) Dispur, Assam e) DAY- National Urban Livelihoods Mission c) Leh, Ladakh 48. Which country’s Navy participated with Indian d) Shimla, Himachal Pradesh Navy in the bilateral military exercise ‘PASSEX’ e) Bhubaneswar, Odisha (Passage Exercise) in Arabian Sea on February 18, 41. Who won the 2021’s Australian Open Women’s 2021? Singles Trophy? a) Indonesia b) South Korea a) Ashleigh Barty b) Simona Halep c) Australia d) Japan c) Jennifer Brady d) Sofia Kenin e) Singapore e) Naomi Osaka 49. Which bank signed an MoU with Society for 42. Who authored the book, “Agriculture Acts 2020”? Innovation and Development (SID), an initiative of a) Venkaiah Naidu b) N. V. Ramana IISc, Bengaluru to provide loans to startups & c) Manmohan Singh d) A.K. Rajan MSMEs? e) Uday Lalit a) DBS Bank b) Indian Bank c) State Bank of India d) HDFC Bank 43. In February 2021, Govt of Jammu and Kashmir e) ICICI Bank (J&K) formally launched ______payments system of RBI replacing all existing types of Govt. 50. Which is the 1st & only Indian City to be named as payments? ‘2020 Tree City of the World’? a) eMudhra b) PayBima a) New Delhi b) Bangalore c) Sachet d) e-Kuber e) TReDS c) Mysore d) Hyderabad 44. Where was the 47th edition of Khajuraho Dance e) Gandhinagar Festival conducted? 51. Who was appointed as the President of 2020 Tokyo a) Gujarat b) Odisha Olympics? c) Maharashtra d) Uttar Pradesh a) Yoshiro Mori e) Madhya Pradesh b) Seiko Hashimoto 45. When is the UN’s World Day of Social Justice c) Usha Rao-Monari observed annually? d) Yasushi Akimoto a) 19th February b) 15th February e) Shuhei Toyoda c) 21st February d) 17th February 52. In Feb’21, DRDO successfully conducted the trials e) 20th February of HELINA & Dhruvastra missiles. Which type of 46. As per the revised Income Tax slab for FY 2020-21, Missile does HELINA & Dhruvastra belong to? employees with annual income less than ______a) Anti-Torpedo Defence System are exempted from paying Tax. b) Anti-satellite Weapons a) 1 lakh b) 5 lakhs c) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles c) 3 lakhs d) 2.5 lakhs d) Cruise Missiles e) 1.5 lakhs e) Submarine Launched Ballistic Missil

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 53. In Feb’21, Where did PM Modi lay foundation 59. How much of investment amount needed for India to stone for a Cauvery Basin Refinery, at an reach its target of 450 Gigawatts (GW) of estimated cost of INR 31, 500 Crore? Renewable Energy (RE) by 2030 according to report a) Salem, Tamil Nadu released by Institute for Energy Economics and b) Hassan, Karnataka Financial Analysis (IEEFA)? c) Karaikal, Puducherry a) USD 100 Billion b) USD 200 Billion d) Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu c) USD 300 Billion d) USD 400 Billion e) Mysore, Karnataka e) USD 500 Billion 54. As per RBI’s guidelines (in Feb’21) to Housing 60. Name the ministry which launched ‘Pey Jal Finance Company (HFC), minimum Liquidity Survekshan’ under Jal Jeevan Mission-Urban on a Coverage Ratio (LCR) of 100% is targeted to be pilot basis in 10 cities? achieved by ______. a) Ministry of Statistics and Programme a) December 1, 2021 b) December 1, 2030 Implementation c) December 1, 2025 d) December 1, 2035 b) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs e) December 1, 2028 c) Ministry of New and Renewable Energy 55. Which organisation got approval (in Feb’21) from d) Ministry of Jal Shakti RBI to acquire Dewan Housing Finance e) Ministry of Minority Affairs Corporation Ltd (DHFL)? 61. Who is appointed as the head of 8 member a) Piramal Capital and Housing Finance committee formed by RBI on regulation of Urban b) Oaktree Capital Management Co-operative Banks? c) Adani Group a) N. S. Vishwanathan b) Shri B.P. Kanungo d) Brookfield Asset Management c) Dr. M. D. Patra d) Dr. Urjit R. Patel e) Aditya Birla Group e) S. S. Mundra 56. RBI has released the Draft Reserve Bank of India 62. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,who was appointed as the 7th (Credit Derivatives) Directions, 2021 in exercise of Director General of the World Trade the powers conferred under section ______Organisation(WTO) is from which country? of the RBI Act 1934 read with section 45U. a) Africa b) Jamaica a) 45J b) 45M c) Nigeria d) West Indies c) 45K d) 45W e) Sudan e) 45L 63. Dr Ajay Mathur has been named as the new 57. Chief Minister of which state has recently received Director-General of ______. the SKOCH Challenger Award – Chief Minister of a) BIMSTEC the Year Award on 16th February 2021? b) G20 a) Tamilnadu b) UttarPradesh c) IBSA Dialogue Forum c) Gujarat d) Andhra Pradesh d) International Solar Energy Society e) Odisha e) International Solar Alliance 58. In which entity does the Government of India hold 64. Name the third Kalvari-class submarine based on 26.12% Stake and decide to sell it by March 20, ‘Scorpene Class’ delivered by Mazagon Dock 2021? Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) to the Indian Navy at a) Tata Consultancy Service Mumbai, Maharashtra. b) Tata Communications a) INS Karanj b) INS Vagir c) Tata Power c) INS Khanderi d) INS Vela d) Tata Consumer Products e) INS Kursura e) Tata Chemicals

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 65. Connecting which cities, the India’s 1st and Asia’s 71. Which bank recently (in Feb’21) introduced its largest Wildlife corridor is being built (as of Forex Remittance Services offering remittance in 15 Feb’21)? currencies with maximum remittance upto US$ a) Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway 25,000/day to its customers? b) Lucknow–Kanpur Expressway a) Kotak Mahindra Bank b) Karur Vysya Bank c) Delhi-Dehradun Expressway c) IDFC FIRST Bank d) ICICI Bank d) Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway e) Federal Bank e) Delhi–Meerut Expressway 72. Which state government is planning (as of Feb’21) 66. Under which Ministry, the Mahatma Gandhi to establish Free-of-cost coaching centres National Fellowship (MGNF) is launched? dedicatedly for competitive exams, under its a) Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana 2021? b) Ministry of Skill Development and a) Gujarat b) Maharashtra Entrepreneurship c) West Bengal d) Uttar Pradesh c) Ministry of Minority Affairs e) Karnataka d) Ministry of Science and Technology 73. When was ‘Swachh Iconic Places (SIP)’ initiative of e) Ministry of Education Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) launched? 67. Where was the 2nd International Conference on a) 2014 b) 2017 Gender Equality (ICGE II), a carbon neutral event, c) 2018 d) 2015 held? e) 2016 a) Jaipur, Rajasthan 74. Which organisation launched ‘mooPay’, a direct b) Nagpur, Maharashtra payment platform for Dairy farmers? c) Kozhikode, Kerala a) HDFC Bank b) Stellapps d) Hyderabad, Telangana c) ICICI Bank e) New Delhi d) Financial Software Systems (FSS) 68. Where is India’s 1st full-fledged International e) PolicyBazaar Cruise Terminal ‘Sagarika’ located? 75. Which technology is used in Contactless payment a) Willingdon Island, Kerala system? b) Mangalore, Karnataka a) Serverless Computing c) Paradeep, Odisha b) Blockchain d) Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu c) Internet of Things e) Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh d) Radio-Frequency Identification e) Augmented Reality 69. What is the revised upper ceiling amount for 76. Recently (in Feb’21), USA rejoined the Paris family pensions, as of February 2021? Climate agreement that was aimed at reducing a) Rs 45,000/month pollution by 2030. Which country is the top polluter b) Rs 50,000/month as of 2021? c) Rs 100,000/month a) China b) USA d) Rs 150,000/month c) Russia d) India e) Japan e) Rs 125,000/month 77. Union Minister Sadananda Gowda, presented (in 70. In Feb’21, RBI revised the rules for investment in Feb’21) the 10th National Awards for Technology NBFCs from non- FATF countries. As per the Innovation in Petrochemicals and Downstream revised rules, what is the maximum holdings limit Plastics Processing Industry. Which of the by a new Investor from these countries? following is not a petrochemical product? a) 20% b) 25% a) Detergents b) Gypsum c) 12% d) 17% c) Fertilizers d) Rubbers e) 23% e) Paints

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 78. Annually, World Pangolin Day is observed on 3rd 86. In February 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind Saturday of February to create awareness against accepted the resignation of V Narayanasamy, CM of Pangolin Trafficking.Pangolin are ______. Puducherry and imposed President Rule in the UT. a) Vultures b) Flying squirrels Under which article of the Indian Constitution c) Star Tortoise d) Anteaters President Rule is imposed? e) Wild Goose a) Article 352 b) Article 370 79. Which Article of the Indian Constitution deals with c) Article 356 d) Article 368 National Commission for Scheduled Castes e) Article 360 (NCSC)? 87. When was National Smart Cities Mission initiated? a) Article 338 b) Article 312 a) 2014 b) 2018 c) Article 343 d) Article 340 c) 2017 d) 2015 e) Article 325 e) 2016 80. Which city is known as the “Sports Capital of 88. Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, launched Intensified India”? Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0 expanding the a) Ahmedabad b) Coimbatore immunization coverage across the country in c) Bhubaneswar d) Nagpur February 2021. When was Mission Indradhanush e) Kolkata launched? 81. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, is a) 2004 b) 2017 an initiative by Govt. of India that provides c) 2006 d) 2014 e) 2015 incentive to companies in _____ key sectors. 89. Which of the following tournaments is played in a) 13 b) 25 “Clay Courts”? c) 12 d) 5 a) Australian Open b) French Open e) 10 c) Wimbledon d) Davis Cup 82. Which is the only Paleolithic site in India? e) US Open a) Edakkal Caves b) Bhimbetka rock shelters 90. Which of the following is the largest Freshwater lake c) Kupgal petroglyphs of India? d) Kudakkallu Parambu a) Dal Lake b) Wular Lake e) Burzahom c) Pulicat Lake d) Chilika Lake 83. What is the total monetary benefit given to farmers e) Vembanad Lake through PM KISAN scheme? 91. Which bank (in Feb’21) partnered with the a) Rs. 3000/year b) Rs. 6000/year Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ c) Rs. 10000/year d) Rs. 15000/year Associations of India (CREDAI) to launch a new e) Rs. 9000/year bank account for construction workers? 84. Where is the world’s largest cricket stadium, a) Airtel Payments Bank “Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium” located? b) Indian Payments and Postal Bank a) Mumbai b) New Delhi c) NSDL Payments Bank c) Vadodara d) Rajkot d) Paytm Payments Bank e) Ahmedabad e) Fino Payments Bank 85. In Feb’21, Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) got Rs. 92. Which Insurance provider has launched a new goal 10,000 crore order from Indian Navy for based savings product, ‘Guaranteed Income for construction of 6 Next-Generation Missile Vessels Tomorrow’ (GIFT)? (NGMV). Which is India’s 1st Indigenous Aircraft a) ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Carrier that was built by CSL? b) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance a) INS Vikrant b) INS Kolkata c) SBI Life Insurance c) INS Viraat d) INS Arihant d) HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company e) INS Vikramaditya e) IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 93. What was India’s retail inflation rate in January 99. What is the maximum project loan limit allocated 2021, as per NSO’s Consumer Price Index (CPI)? per FPO under the Credit Guarantee Facility of a) 4% b) 4.59% Central govt. ‘Formation and Promotion of 10, 000 c) 5.32% d) 1.39% new FPOs’ scheme? e) 4.06% a) Rs. 2 Lakhs b) Rs. 2 Crore 94. In Feb’21,who was appointed as the new Prime c) Rs. 20 Lakhs d) Rs. 15 Lakhs Minister of Italy? e) Rs. 5 Crore a) Giuseppe Conte b) Sergio Mattarella 100. Which sector of Indian companies received the c) Jüri Ratas d) Mario Draghi highest score in ICICI Lombard General Insurance e) Kaja Kallas Co. Ltd.’s 1st ‘Corporate India Risk Index 2020’? 95. Which organisation is developing the World’s 1st a) Banking high altitude pseudo satellite, “Combined Air b) Pharmaceuticals and Biotech Teaming System” (CATS)? c) Information Technology (IT)/Information a) Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Technology enabled Services( ITeS) b) SpaceX d) Manufacturing c) Defence Research and Development e) HealthCare Organisation (DRDO) 101. Which payment service provider partnered with Star d) Roscosmos Health & Allied Insurance Co. Ltd to provide e) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) ‘Arogya Sanjeevani policy’ in its app? a) Google Pay b) Paytm 96. In India, National Women’s Day is annually c) PhonePe d) Freecharge e) Samsung Pay celebrated on 13th February. It is celebrated to 102. Which book received the 70th annual National Book mark the birth anniversary of which freedom Award 2019 in fiction category? fighter? a) The Testaments a) Annie Besant b) Trust Exercise: A Novel b) Sarojini Naidu c) Girl, Woman, Other c) Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit d) Mostly Dead Things d) Rani Lakshmi Bai e) The Dutch House e) Madam Bhikaji Cama 103. Which wing of the Indian Armed force conducts its 97. Which is the 1st Indian state to sign a MoU with largest War Game event ‘Theatre Level Operational UNEP for developing a framework to achieve Readiness Exercise (TROPEX)’? climate resilience by 2040? a) Indian Army b) Indian Coast Guard a) Odisha b) Kerala c) Indian Air Force d) Indian Navy c) Tamil Nadu d) Maharashtra e) Central Armed Police Forces e) Bihar 104. Which of the following is India’s 1st Aircraft 98. Which Indian organisation has organized the India- carrier & also the world’s longest serving warship? Australia Circular Economy (I-ACE) Hackathon, a) INS Vikrant b) INS Vikramaditya 2021? c) INS Arihant d) INS Viraat a) Department of Science and Technology e) INS Sahyadri b) Data Security Council of India (DSCI) 105. Which Life Insurance company has the highest c) Ministry of Skill Development and claim settlement ratio for FY20 as per IRDAI’s Entrepreneurship annual report 2019-20? d) Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & a) ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Industry (FICCI) b) HDFC Life c) Tata AIA Life Insurance e) NITI Aayog d) Max Life Insurance e) Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 106. Which bank committed (in Feb’21) to invest USD 112. Which organisation released the “India Energy 100 Million into the National Investment and Outlook 2021”, that predicted India will surpass Infrastructure Fund (NIIF’s) Fund of Funds (FoF)? European Union to become the World’s 3rd largest a) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) energy consumer by 2030? b) World Bank a) International Energy Agency (IEA) c) International Monetary Fund (IMF) b) Ministry of New and Renewable Energy d) New Development Bank (NDB) c) International Energy Forum (IEF) e) The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking d) Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Corporation (HSBC) e) International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA) 107. Which bank recently (in Feb’21) signed an MoU 113. Which year was declared as “the International Year with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) to provide of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture” by Food & interest free loans upto Rs. 2 crores to Indian Oil Agriculture Organisation (FAO)? dealers? a) 2020 b) 2021 a) Punjab National Bank (PNB) c) 2022 d) 2023 b) HDFC Bank e) 2025 c) Oriental Bank of Commerce 114. What is the theme of RBI’s Financial Literacy Week d) Bank of Baroda (BOB) (FLW) – 2021 that was celebrated from February 8 e) State Bank of India (SBI) to 12? 108. Central government is planning to sell 20% stake a) KYC, Exercising Credit Discipline, Grievance of National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) through an Offer b) Redressal and Going Digital Consumer For Sale (OFS) method for ______. Protection a) Rs 400 crore b) Rs 250 crore c) Credit Discipline and Credit from Formal c) Rs 2400 crore d) Rs 1500 crore Institutions e) Rs 900 crore d) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises e) Farmers 109. Marking the birth anniversary of ______, every year February 11th is celebrated as the 115. Which financial service provider partnered with World Unani Day. AGS Transact Technologies Ltd (AGSTTL)to a) Ibn-e- Sina introduce India’s 1st Contactless ATM’s that allows b) Hakim Ajmal Khan cash withdrawal through QR code? c) Agathiyar a) Mastercard b) American Express d) Charaka c) Visa d) PayPal e) Maestro e) Samuel Hahnemann 116. In Feb’21, Working Group Committee (WGC) of IRDAI recommended the introduction of index- 110. In which state Nongkrem Dance Festival is linked insurance policies (Ilips). What is the lock- celebrated? in period for an index-linked insurance plan? a) Meghalaya b) Nagaland a) 10 years b) 15 years c) Mizoram d) Assam c) 25 years d) 5 years e) 12 years e) Tripura 117. In February 2021, NPCI launched a Global level 111. What was the total amount allocated by central Hackathon ‘NPCI PayAuth Challenge’ supported government for FY22, for its crop insurance by APIX. What is the aim of Hackathon? program, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana a) Enhance Innovation in Cardless Transaction (PMFBY)? b) Promote Cashless Economy a) Rs. 15000 crores b) Rs. 13150 crores c) Find alternate authentication for UPI transaction c) Rs. 16000 crores d) Rs. 11500 crores d) Distributed Security handling of Online e) Rs. 3050 crores Transaction e) Smoother & Secured RTGS Transaction

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 118. Which Insurance provider launched an innovative 125. Which company has collaborated with Hindustan insurance plan, “Health AdvantEDGE”, to carter Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) (in Feb’21) to manufacture the pre & post hospitalization needs of its 3D printed Aero Engine Component? customers? a) Survey 2 CAD b) Industrial3D a) Reliance Health Insurance Ltd. c) Dassault Systemes d) Wipro 3D b) ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd. e) TrueCADD c) Bharti AXA General Insurance Co. Ltd. 126. Which is the target year set by India, to bring down d) Max Bupa Health Insurance Co. Ltd. its Defence Equipment Import bill by at least ~ USD e) SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd. 2 Billion? 119. “SmartUp grants” is the Corporate Social a) 2021 b) 2025 Responsibility (CSR) program of ______. c) 2024 d) 2022 a) Citibank b) HDFC Bank e) 2023 c) ICICI Bank d) Axis Bank 127. When is the Indian Aero Components Sector e) RBL Bank expected to double its size from the present INR 30, 000 Crore to INR 60, 000 Crore? 120. Which Indian state has introduced a ‘16-digit a) 2022 b) 2025 unicode’ to identify the landholdings in the state? c) 2030 d) 2024 a) Bihar b) Madhya Pradesh e) 2028 c) Rajasthan d) Maharashtra 128. What is the theme of National Horticulture Fair e) Uttar Pradesh 2021? 121. Recently a 2-year-old tigress has died after getting a) Horticulture for Start-up and Stand-up India stuck in a wire trap allegedly laid by poachers in b) Making Farming an Enterprise Kanha Tiger Reserve. Where is Kanha Tiger c) Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life Reserve located? d) Horticulture for Promotion of Rural a) Odisha Entrepreneurship b) Madhya Pradesh e) Horticulture for Rural Prosperity c) Rajasthan 129. How many women personnel were inducted into d) Maharashtra CRPF’s maiden all women contingent for e) Uttar Pradesh commando force ‘CoBRA’? 122. Which among the following is the most water a) 34 b) 6 intensive crop? c) 12 d) 18 e) 51 a) Wheat b) Sugarcane 130. In Feb’21,which bank entered into a co-lending c) Soya d) Groundnut e) Rice agreement with NBFC – LoanTap Credit Products, 123. Which state government approved the creation of extending credits to Micro, Small and Medium Srivilliputhur-Meghamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR), Enterprise(MSME) sector? the 51st Tiger Reserve of India? a) Bank of Maharashtra a) Meghalaya b) West Bengal b) United Bank of India c) Assam d) Tamil Nadu c) UCO Bank e) Karnataka d) Syndicate Bank 124. Which country/countries participated with India in e) Oriental Bank of Commerce the 16th Edition of joint military exercise “Yudh 131. Which organisation announced its plan for the Abhyas 20” held in Rajasthan from 8 – 21 February, World’s 1st all civilian space mission 2021? ‘Inspiration4’? a) Australia b) Japan a) ISRO b) NASA c) USA d) Both 2 & 3 c) Roscosmos d) SpaceX e) All 1, 2 & 3 e) JAXA

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 132. Over which river, Krishna Raja Sagara Dam was 139. Where was India’s 1st thunderstorm research constructed? testbed planned (as of Feb 2021) to be established by a) Mahanadi b) Kaveri India Meteorological Department (IMD)? c) Krishna d) Tungabhadra a) Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha e) Kabini b) Digha, West Bengal 133. In Feb’21, PM Modi launched ‘Asom Mala’ c) Balasore, Odisha programme in Assam. What is the aim behind d) Sagar Island ‘Asom Mala’ programme? e) Kolkata, West Bengal a) Improve Water Transport System 140. What was the targeted Ground Level Credit (GLC) b) Awareness to use LPG for Cooking for agriculture & allied sectors set by Govt. of India c) Enhance Healthcare System for 2021-22? d) Awareness on Women Education a) Rs. 15 lakh crore e) Improve Road Network b) Rs. 12 lakh crore 134. Which state govt. started its 1st human milk bank c) Rs. 13.50 lakh crore called ‘Nectar of Life’? d) Rs. 16.50 lakh crore a) Kerala b) West Bengal e) Rs. 15.75 lakh crore c) Sikkim d) Manipur 141. What is the focal theme of 45th International e) Tripura Kolkata Book Fair, planned to be held in July 2021? 135. What was India’s GDP growth rate projected by a) Climate Change RBI for FY 2021-22, as of Feb’21? b) North East India a) 5.2% c) Gandhi: The Writers' Writer b) 10.5% d) Books for Readers with Special Needs c) 6.0% e) Bangladesh d) 26.2% 142. Which online payment company will shut down all e) 8.3% its domestic payment services in India on April 1, 136. As per RBI guidelines, India became the 1st country 2021? to allow access to govt. securities by an entity or a a) PayUmoney person including ‘a person resident outside India’ b) Paytm through ______. c) Instamojo a) FCNR account d) PayPal b) Money Market Deposit Account e) Razorpay c) Gilt Account 143. In Feb 2021, which country announced a $43 d) Checking Account billion deal to create World’s biggest offshore e) Ledger Account wind farm? 137. Who authored the book, ‘By Many a Happy a) India b) Japan Accident: Recollections of a Life’? c) South Korea d) Denmark a) Venkaiah Naidu b) Pratibha Patil e) France c) Ram Nath Kovind d) L K Advani 144. What can be the maximum duration taken by a e) Hamid Ansari Mutual Funds to pay back dividends to unitholders 138. Which represents the rate, that RBI uses to lends as per the new norms of Securities and Exchange money overnight to scheduled banks in an Board of India (Mutual Funds) (Amendment) emergency situation? Regulations, 2021? a) Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) a) 30 days b) 10 days b) Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate c) 45 days d) 15 days c) Repo Rate d) Reverse Repo Rate e) 50 days e) Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF)

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 145. Which country recently (in Feb 2021), virtually 152. What was the percentage increase in the price of tea participated with India in its 1st Joint Working from the price in 2019, due to flood and COVID-19 Group Meeting 2021 on Renewable Energy (RE)? restrictions in 2020? a) Bahrain b) Indonesia a) 9.7% b) 15.2% c) Japan d) Australia c) 25% d) 44.6% e) Denmark e) 31% 146. When was the UN’s 1st ever International Day of 153. Recently (in Feb 2021), BHEL commissioned the Human Fraternity observed across the globe? 2nd Unit of 1600 MW Gadarwara thermal power a) 7th February 2021 b) 8th February 2021 project. Where is Gadarwara thermal power plant c) 4th February 2021 d) 3rd February 2021 located? e) 5th February 2021 a) Jharkhand b) Gujarat 147. As per the guidelines of Ministry of Road c) Assam d) Madhya Pradesh Transport and Highways, all private vehicles e) West Bengal should renew their Fitness Certificate (FC) after 154. A total of ______school children are estimated ______. to be at the risk of dropping out of schools due to a) 20 years b) 5 years COVID-19 pandemic, as per “COVID-19: Missing c) 15 years d) 10 years e) 7 years More Than a Classroom. The impact of school 148. Which line acts as the boundary between North & closures on children’s nutrition” report. South Korea? a) 24 million a) Siegfried Line b) 49th Parallel b) 39 million c) 44th Parallel d) 38th Parallel c) 44 million e) Hindenburg Line d) 31 million 149. What is the theme of ASEAN summit for 2021 e) 14 million under the chair of Brunei Darussalam? 155. Recently (in Feb 2021), Indian Railway Finance a) Advancing Partnership for Sustainability Corporation (IRFC) sold USD 750 million worth b) Resilient and Innovative of dollar-denominated bonds to overseas investors c) ASEAN – A Community of Peace and Shared at a fixed interest rate of _____. Future a) 2.12% b) 5.40% d) We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper c) 2.80% d) 3.92% e) Cohesive and Responsive e) 3.21% 150. Which district registered the highest cancer rate 156. Which city is nicknamed as the “Yoga Capital of among females in India, as per ‘Profile of Cancer the World”? and Related Health Indicators in the NorthEast a) Badrinath Region of India-2021’ report? b) Kedarnath a) Nellore, Andhra Pradesh c) Haridwar b) Papumpare, Arunachal Pradesh d) Rishikesh c) Lunglei, Mizoram e) New Delhi d) Darrang, Assam 157. What is the required minimum duration of stay in e) Mokokchung, Nagaland India a Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to be 151. Recently, Ministry of Environment, Forests and considered as Resident of India as per ‘Companies Climate Change (MoEFCC) gave approval for the (Incorporation) Second Amendment Rules, 2021’? Lakhwar Electricity Project. Across which river the a) 186 days Project is constructed? b) 90 days a) Beas b) Sutlej c) 100 days c) Yamuna d) Ganges d) 120 days e) Alakananda e) 136 days

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 158. In Feb 2021, Cabinet Committee on Economic 164. Federal Bank Ltd launched ‘FedFirst’, a special Affairs (CCEA) gave approval for 100% strategic savings account. Who will be benefitted through this divestment of Indian government’s share in initiative? ______. a) Front line workers b) Elderly a) Power Finance Corporation (PFC) c) Children d) CRPF personnel b) Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) e) Indian Army c) Oil India Limited 165. Who became the New CEO of Amazon after its d) Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers (RCF) founder Jeff Bezos stepped down in February 2021? e) National Aluminium Company (NALCO) a) Tom Alberg b) Werner Vogels 159. What is promoted through the “Switch Delhi” c) Andy Jassy d) MacKenzie Scott campaign? e) Elon Musk a) Use of Disposable Mask 166. What was India’s Rank in the ‘Democracy Index b) LED Bulbs 2020’ released by the Economist Intelligence Unit c) Electric Vehicles (EIU)? d) Water Conservation a) 9th b) 44th e) Pollution Control c) 11th d) 14th 160. Recently (in Feb 2021), Indian Navy’s Ilyushin e) 53rd 38SD successfully fired ‘Combat Kh35E’ anti-ship 167. Which was named as the Hindi Word of the Year missile during TROPEX-21. Where was 2020 by Oxford Languages? TROPEX-21 carried out? a) Aadhar a) Indian Ocean b) Odisha Coast b) Samvidhaan c) Gujarat Coast d) South China Sea c) Aatmanirbharta e) Baltic Sea d) Nari Shakti 161. Where was India’s 1st Centre for Wetland e) Krishi Conservation and Management (CWCM) recently 168. How many products were recently (in Feb 2021), (in Feb 2021), got established by MoEFCC? added to Minor Forest Produce (MFP) under the a) Nagpur, Maharashtra central government’s scheme that receive b) Chandigarh Minimum Support Price (MSP)? c) Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh a) 49 b) 63 d) Kochi, Kerala c) 6 d) 9 e) Chennai, Tamil Nadu e) 14 162. Which district topped the Aspirational Districts 169. Which State government recently (in Feb 2021), Ranking of Niti Aayog for December 2020? launched ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’ mission, a) Shravasti, UP aimed at providing 100% potable water supply to b) Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu all rural households? c) Jamnagar, Gujarat a) Rajasthan b) Haryana d) Aurangabad, Maharashtra c) Gujarat d) Bihar e) Baksa, Assam e) Punjab 163. Which country’s military recently (in Feb 2021), 170. Which organisation launched the World’s 1st transferred all powers to its Commander in Chief Commercial Rocket powered by Biofuel ‘Stardust and announced a state of emergency in the country 1.0’? for 1 year? a) Exodus Space Corp a) Pakistan b) Nepal b) BluShift Aerospace c) North Korea d) Myanmar c) SpaceX e) Afghanistan d) JAXA e) NASA

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 171. Which of the following is not a source of Biofuel? 180. According to Union Budget 2021-22, gross a) Sugarcane b) Vegetable Oil borrowing from the market for the next year would c) Methane d) Polystyrene be around e) Ethanol a) 12 lakh crore b) 15 lakh crore 172. Which country is the world’s largest producer of c) 10 lakh crore d) 16 lakh crore Silk? e) 13 lakh crore a) India b) Bangladesh 181. In Budget 2021-22, National Infrastructure Pipeline c) Sri Lanka d) China e) Pakistan was expanded to cover 7400 projects. What is the 173. Which country recently (in Jan 2021) received the capital expenditure announced to fund the same? Geographical Indicator (GI) tag for “Basmati a) Rs 2.54 lakh crore b) Rs 3.54 lakh crore rice”? c) Rs 4.54 lakh crore d) Rs 5.54 lakh crore a) India b) Bangladesh e) Rs 6.54 lakh crore c) Pakistan d) Afghanistan 182. According to the budget 2021-22, what is the e) Saudi Arabia disinvestment target for FY22? 174. Which team won the 12th Edition of the Syed a) 1.75 lakh crore b) 1.60 lakh crore Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy? c) 2 lakh crore d) 1.90 lakh crore a) Tamil Nadu b) Punjab e) 1.85 lakh crore c) Gujarat d) Vadodara 183. The second Khelo India National Winter Games has e) Mumbai been organised in which place? 175. Which country has the highest number of new a) Gangtok cases of leprosy per annum in the world as per b) Dehradun World Health Organization’s data, as of February c) Gulmarg 2021? d) Dalhousie a) Brazil b) Somalia e) Ranikhet c) India d) Indonesia 184. According to the second advanced estimates of e) Bangladesh the National Statistical Office (NSO),what is the 176. Which Indian Brand was ranked 5th as per the projected GDP growth rate of India in the fiscal Global 500 – Brand Strength Index (BSI) 2021? 2020-21? a) Bharti Airtel b) Flipkart a) -8% b) -11% c) Reliance Jio d) Paytm c) -9% d) -10% e) IRCTC e) -12% 177. According to the budget 2021-22, how much amount 185. Which country was the largest trading partner is allocated for PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat of India in the year 2020? Yojana? a) Japan b) UAE a) 64,180 crore b) 89,634 crore c) United States d) United Kingdom c) 70,000 crore d) 65,000 crore e) China e) 72,237 crore 186. The Kushinagar Airport in India has received the 178. Ujjawala Scheme has been extended to how many Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) more districts? licence to operate as international airport. The a) 150 b) 110 airport is based in which state? a) Uttar Pradesh c) 120 d) 160 e) 100 b) Bihar 179. In Union Budget 2021-22, how much amount is c) Assam allocated for tea workers in Assam & West Bengal? d) Haryana a) 2000 crore b) 1000 crore e) Uttarakhand c) 3000 crore d) 2500 crore e) 1500 crore

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest 187. Which stadium in India has been renamed as the 193. Recently, which bank has joined JPMorgan’s Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium? blockchain payments network. a) Brabourne Stadium a) AU Small Finance Bank b) State Bank of India b) Eden Gardens Stadium c) Bank of Baroda c) Motera Stadium d) Reserve Bank of India d) Holkar Stadium e) ICICI Bank e) Wankhede Stadium 194. Which of the following banks recently awarded 188. The National Urban Digital Mission’ (NUDM) has “Best Service Provider” in Human Resources at been launched by the Ministry of Housing and the 29th Global HRD Congress awards? Urban Affairs in partnership with which ministry? a) Central Bank of India b) Union Bank of India a) Ministry of Electronics and Information c) Canara Bank d) State Bank of India Technology e) Bank of Baroda b) Ministry of Sports 195. The US has officially rejoined the Paris Climate c) Ministry of External Affairs Agreement in February 2021. The landmark deal d) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was signed in which year? e) Ministry of Skill Development and a) 2013 b) 2015 Entrepreneurship c) 2017 d) 2012 e) 2010 189. ‘Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Journey of an 196. DRDO Which country was the largest trading Actor’ is the autobiography of partner of India in the year 2020? ______. a) Japan b) UAE a) Karan Johar c) United States d) United Kingdom b) Naseeruddin Shah e) China c) Shekhar Kapur 197. In which year was the Soil Health Card (SHC) d) Kabir Bedi Scheme launched? e) Anupam Kher a) 2014 b) 2017 190. Rahul Khullar who has passed away recently was the c) 2015 d) 2016 e) 2020 former Chairperson of which body? 198. Which The newly-instituted International Anti- a) SEBI b) IRDAI Corruption Champions Award has been launched c) TRAI d) BSNL by which country? e) NABARD a) France b) United States 191. Which film has won the Best International Feature c) Singapored) Germany Film award at the 2021 Dadasaheb Phalke e) Italy International Film Festival awards? 199. The Indian navy has joined the “Iran-Russia a) Roma b) The Outpost Maritime Security Belt 2021”. The exercise has been c) Parasite d) Cold War organised in which region? e) Chhapaak a) Arctic Ocean b) Pacific Ocean 192. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated c) South China Sea d) Indian Ocean the 26th edition of ‘Hunar Haat’ in New Delhi. e) Atlantic Ocean What is the theme of the event? 200. Which of the following countries recently has a) Vocal for Local overtaken the United States (US) as the biggest b) Sabka Saath , Sabka Vikas , Sabka Vishwas trading partner of the European Union (EU) in c) Aspirational India 2020? d) Caring Society a) North Korea b) India e) Digital India c) China d) Russia e) Japan

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•Telegram: https://t.me/IACE4GovtJobs •YouTube: https://rb.gy/zhm0ll March 2021– Digest Answers

1 e 21 e 41 e 61 a 81 a 101 c 121 b 141 e 161 e 181 d

2 e 22 c 42 d 62 c 82 b 102 b 122 e 142 d 162 a 182 a

3 b 23 a 43 d 63 e 83 b 103 d 123 d 143 c 163 d 183 c

4 d 24 a 44 e 64 a 84 e 104 d 124 c 144 d 164 c 184 a

5 e 25 b 45 e 65 c 85 a 105 d 125 d 145 a 165 c 185 e

6 c 26 a 46 d 66 b 86 c 106 d 126 d 146 c 166 e 186 a

7 a 27 e 47 a 67 c 87 d 107 a 127 d 147 c 167 c 187 c

8 b 28 c 48 a 68 a 88 d 108 a 128 a 148 d 168 e 188 a

9 d 29 e 49 b 69 e 89 b 109 b 129 a 149 d 169 e 189 d

10 a 30 e 50 d 70 a 90 b 110 a 130 a 150 b 170 b 190 c

11 e 31 e 51 b 71 a 91 b 111 c 131 d 151 c 171 d 191 c

12 d 32 e 52 c 72 d 92 a 112 a 132 b 152 e 172 d 192 a

13 c 33 d 53 d 73 e 93 e 113 c 133 e 153 d 173 c 193 b

14 d 34 a 54 c 74 b 94 d 114 c 134 a 154 a 174 a 194 b

15 c 35 e 55 a 75 d 95 a 115 a 135 b 155 c 175 c 195 b

16 a 36 d 56 d 76 a 96 b 116 d 136 c 156 d 176 c 196 e

17 b 37 b 57 d 77 b 97 e 117 c 137 e 157 d 177 a 197 c

18 a 38 d 58 b 78 d 98 e 118 c 138 b 158 b 178 e 198 b

19 a 39 c 59 e 79 a 99 b 119 b 139 c 159 c 179 b 199 d 20 d 40 a 60 b 80 c 100 e 120 e 140 d 160 a 180 a 200 c

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