Daily Current Affairs Military seizes power in Myanmar, announces 1 year emergency The Myanmar Military Tatmadaw has announced a one year state of emergency in the country. The Vice President Myint Swe has been made the acting President and all powers have been transferred to the Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing. The Military said that the leaders have been detained for committing fraud in the national elections held on Nov. 8. AstraZeneca to supply additional 9 million Covid vaccine doses by March: EU The European Union has said that UK-Swedish drug firm AstraZeneca will now supply an additional nine million Covid vaccine doses by March, after days of criticism of the bloc's vaccination programme. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced that the extra jabs will come in the first three months of the year, making a total of 40 million doses for that period. The EU was angry that Britain was getting its UK-made contracted supplies from AstraZeneca while it suffered a shortfall. So the bloc announced it was introducing export controls on coronavirus vaccines made inside the EU to try to protect its supplies. Daily Current Affairs India, Qatar hold fourth Foreign Office Consultations virtually The fourth Foreign Office Consultations between India and Qatar were held virtually. The Indian side was led by Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa and OIA), Ministry of External Affairs. The Qatari side was led by Dr. Ahmad Hassan Al-Hamadi, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Office Consultations provided an opportunity to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, energy, trade, investments, defence, food security, health security, science and technology, consular, community and cultural issues. Smriti Irani inaugurates 8th India International Silk Fair Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the 8th India International Silk Fair on Virtual Portal. The fair is considered to be India’s biggest silk fair, being held under one roof on Indian Silk Export Promotion Council’s virtual platform. The five days event is being held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic. India is the only country in the world which produces all the four major varieties of silk - Mulberry, Eri, Tassar, and Muga. Daily Current Affairs VP M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurates National Tribal Festival ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ in National Capital Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated Aadi Mahotsav, a National Tribal Festival at Dilli Haat in INA in the National Capital. It will continue till 15th of this month. The festival was an attempt to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country, in one place. Around one thousand tribal artisans, artists and chefs from more than 20 States of the country will participate and provide a glimpse of their rich traditional culture. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addresses inaugural ceremony of ASEAN India Hackathon Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the inaugural ceremony of the ASEAN India Hackathon. ASEAN-INDIA Hackathon is an initiative taken by the Ministry of Education. The ASEAN India Hackathon is being organized online from 1st -3rd February 2021 and prize distribution will take place on 4th February. Daily Current Affairs Lt General Chandi Prasad Mohanty takes charge as Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty took over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff . An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Lt Gen CP Mohanty was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment in 1982. RS Sharma to take over as CEO, National Health Authority RS Sharma, former Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) has been appointed the new CEO of National Health Authority, NHA. Sharma will replace Indu Bhushan who is currently heading the NHA as CEO. NHA is responsible for implementing the country’s flagship public health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat or also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Also, Sharma had recently been named as the Chairperson of an empowered committee for COVID- 19 vaccine delivery technology platform, Co-WIN. Daily Current Affairs 14 new minor forest produce items included under MSP scheme to provide fair prices to tribal gatherers The Union government has decided to include 14 new minor forest produce items under the mechanism for marketing of minor forest produce through a minimum support price scheme to provide remunerative and fair prices to tribal gatherers of forest produces. Newly included items are Tasar Cocoon, elephant apple dry, bamboo shoot, malkangani seed and wild dry mushroom among others. The Central government had introduced a minimum support price for a selected list of minor produce items through mechanism for marketing of Minor Forest Produce through Minimum Support price and development of Value Chain of MFP Scheme in 2011. Centre allows cinema halls to operate with full capacity from February 1 The Centre has allowed cinema halls to operate with their full capacity from February 1. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar released the new Standard Operating Procedures-SOP on preventive measures to contain spread of COVID-19 for cinema halls and theatres. The SOP states that no Exhibition of Film shall be allowed in containment zones and States and Union Territories may consider proposing additional measures as per their field assessment. Daily Current Affairs Tejas Mark II roll out next year; high-speed trials in 2023 A more potent version of the indigenous Tejas multirole combat jet featuring a much powerful engine, greater load carrying capability, next-generation electronic warfare system and an array of superior avionics is expected to be rolled out next year and its first high-speed trials will start in 2023, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. R. Madhavan said. Tejas Mark II is likely to roll out by August-September of 2022 after that the first flight will take some time. Tejas is a single engine and highly agile multi-role supersonic fighter manufactured by the State-run HAL. The aircraft is a potent platform for air combat and offensive air support with reconnaissance and anti-ship operations as its secondary roles. 'This Life at Play: A Memoir by Girish Karnad' in English to be out in May 2021 Girish Karnad's memoir, "This Life at Play: A Memoir by Girish Karnad", will now be out in May after final touches by award-winning translator Srinath Perur. It will be released on the director's 83rd birth anniversary on May 19 by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Karnad, considered one of modern India's greatest cultural figures, first published his memoir in Kannada in 2011. Daily Current Affairs Highlights of Union Budget 2021-2022 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2021-2022 in the Lok Sabha. For the first time, Ms. Sitharaman presented a paperless Budget. The Budget proposals for this financial year rest on six pillars — health and well-being, physical and financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R&D, and 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance'. Health and Sanitation: A new scheme, titled PM Atma Nirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana, to be launched to develop primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare Mission POSHAN 2.0 to improve nutritional outcomes across 112 aspirational districts Operationalisation of 17 new public health units at points of entry Modernising of existing health units at 32 airports, 15 seaports and land ports Jal Jeevan Mission Urban aimed at better water supply nationwide Strengthening of Urban Swachh Bharat Mission will be implemented with an outlay of over Rs. 1.4 lakh crore for the next 5 years Education: 100 new Sainik Schools to be set up 750 Eklavya schools to be set up in tribal areas A Central University to come up in Ladakh Infrastructure: Vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles – all vehicles to undergo fitness test in automated fitness centres every 20 years (personal vehicles), every 15 years (commercial vehicles) Government aims to complete 11,000 km of national highway infrastructure this year, Highway and road works announced in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam National Asset Monetising Pipeline launched to monitor asset monetisation process National Rail Plan created to bring a future ready Railway system by 2030. Rs. 1.10 lakh crore allotted for Indian Railways 100% electrification of Railways to be completed by 2023 Daily Current Affairs Metro services announced in 27 cities, plus additional allocations for Kochi Metro, Chennai Metro Phase 2, Bengaluru Metro Phase 2A and B, Nashik and Nagpur Metros National Hydrogen Mission to be launched to generate hydrogen from green power sources. Rs. 3.05 lakh crore for the power sector in the country. Recycling capacity of ports to be doubled by 2024 Gas pipeline project to be set up in Jammu and Kashmir Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (LPG scheme) to be extended to cover 1 crore more beneficiaries Tax: No IT filing for people above 75 years who get pension and earn interest from deposits Reopening window for IT assessment cases reduced from 6 to 3 years. However, in case of serious tax evasion cases (Rs. 50 lakh or more), it can go up to 10 years Affordable housing projects to get a tax holiday for one year