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Current Affairs Weekly PDF – February 2021 1st

Week (1-8)
NATIONAL AFFAIRS

NCAVES India Forum-2021 organized by MoSPI held virtually

NCAVES (Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of the Ecosystem Services) India Forum-2021 was
organized by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) through virtual mode
on January 14, 21, 28, 2021. The NCAVES project was initiated in 2017 by European Union (EU). Spread
the knowledge of Environmental-Economic accounting for Sustainable Economic Growth using the
United Nations’ System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework. Participating
Countries – India, Brazil, China, Mexico & South Africa. MoSPI released ‘EnviStats India’ report
highlighting the efforts taken by it under the NCAVES Project.

Maharashtra CM unveiled the 1st indigenous Metro racks at Charkop Metro Depot
On 29th January 2021, Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister of Maharashtra unveiled the first indigenous
metro racks for the new Metro line of Mumbai – Metro 2A and 7 at the Charkop Metro Depot, Mumbai,
Maharashtra. Metro line 2A will run from Dahisar to D N Nagar & it is an 18.58-km-long elevated
corridor built at an estimated cost of Rs 6,410 crore, the metro line 7 from Andheri (East) to Dahisar
(East) is an 16.47-km-long built at an estimated cost of Rs 6,208 crore.The rake was manufactured by
Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and delivered the first ‘Made in India’ rake from the Bengaluru
facility of BEML.

Third Batch of 3 Rafale Aircraft From France Landed At an IAF Base

On 27th January 2021, The 3rd batch of 3 Rafale Aircrafts which got airborne from Istres Air Base,
France landed at an Indian Air Force Base, India. The non-stop flight for 7000 km was supported by the
inflight refuelling by Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) , UAE Air Force.
The Rafale jets are manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. This is India’s 1st major
acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets from Russia.

Nepal awards Construction of 679 MW Lower Arun Hydropower Project to India’s SJVN
On 30th January, 2021, During the 46th meeting of the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) chaired by
Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli awarded the contract for construction of 679 MW (MegaWatt)
Lower Arun Hydropower Project to India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Ltd under public-private
partnership.The project has been awarded to SJVN after a successful International Competitive Bidding.

India’s Transition towards EV in 2020-30 to cost around INR 19.7 Lakh Crore: NITI Aayog &
RMI Report
According to the report ‘Mobilising Finance for EVs in India: A Toolkit of Solutions to Mitigate Risks and
Address Market Barriers, January 2021’ released by NITI Aayog & Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI),
India’s transition towards Electric Vehicles (EVs) adoption between the years 2020-2030 will need a
capital of INR 19.7 Lakh Crores (USD 266 Billion) they will be utilized for construction of vehicles,
charging stations, and batteries & other infrastructures.

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India to emerge as 2nd most Resilient Economy in 2021, Germany tops the list:PHDCCI IER
Rankings
According to the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) International Economic Resilience
(IER) India is set to emerge as the 2nd Most Resilience Economy in 2021 among top-10 leading
economies showcasing the strong recovery of Indian Economy in the Post COVID-19 era. Germany took
the top spot & South Korea took the 3rd spot It is based on 5 Macroeconomic indicators.

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal addressed the inaugural session 2021 ASEAN-India
Hackathon
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the inaugural session of 2021’s
ASEAN-India Hackathon. ASEAN-INDIA Hackathon 2021 is launched by Association of Southeast Asian
Nation (ASEAN) in partnership with Ministry of Education (MoE).This ASEAN-India Hackathon, a brain
child of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came as an outcome of the Singapore India Hackathon in 2019.
2 broad themes are “Blue Economy” & “Education”.

HAL to Launch Tejas Mark II in 2022; High-speed trials to be conducted in 2023

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is planning to launch the Indigenous Tejas Mark II Multirole
Combat Jet in August-September of 2022. The 1st high-speed trial of the jet will be started in 2023 and
productions are expected to begin in 2025.The new version of Tejas will have Bigger fuselage, longer
range, better maintainability, greater load carrying capability, stronger engine power & superior net-
centric warfare systems.

Government approves INR 945 Crore for ‘Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)’
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry
has given the approval for setting up of Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) with a Corpus of INR
945 crores for the period 2021-25. The Scheme will come into force from April 1, 2021 & DPIIT will be
the implementing agency of the scheme. The scheme will provide funds to startups for proof of concept,
prototype development, product trials, market entry & commercialization.

VP Venkaiah Naidu Inaugurates National Tribal Festival – Aadi Mahotsav 2021 at New Delhi
On February 1, 2021, Vice President (VP) of India inaugurated the National Tribal Festival ‘Aadi
Mahotsav’ 2021 at Dilli Haat, New Delhi. The festival will be held from February 1-15, 2021 will
showcase Tribal art, crafts, medicine, cuisine & folk performances from Tribal Artists and chefs from
more than 20 states of the country. The festival is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs &
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).

Overview of France’s Ecological Transition Minister, Barbara Pompil’s 5-day Visit to India
Barbara Pompili, French Minister for Ecological Transition made a 5-day Visit to India from January 28-
February 1, 2021. During the visit several key initiatives were signed & discussed between the two
countries for boosting the Indo-French cooperation in sustainable development such as sustainable
development, renewable energy, Biodiversity Conservation, Smart cities & plastic waste management.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs includes 14 New MFP items under MSP scheme to provide fair prices
to Tribal Gatherers
Ministry of Tribal Affairs has included 14 additional Minor Forest Produce (MFP) items under the under
the ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through Minimum Support Price (MSP) &
Development of Value Chain for MFP’ scheme to ensure that Tribal Gatherers get fair prices for their
Forest Produces. 14 items are Tasar Cocoon, Cashew Kernel, Elephant Apple Dry, Bamboo Shoot,

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Malkangani Seed, Mahul Leaves, Nagod, Gokhru, Pipla/Uchithi, Gamhar/Gamari, Oroxylumindicum,

Wild Mushroom dry, Shringraj & Tree Moss.

India, Qatar Hold Fourth Foreign Office Consultations Virtually

On 1st February 2021, the fourth Foreign Office Consultation was held between India and Qatar over a
virtual platform to review the complete scope of the bilateral relations, including political, energy,
trade, investments, Defence, food security, health security, science and technology, consular, community
and cultural issues.. Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa and OIA), Ministry of
External Affairs(MEA), India led the Indian side and Dr. Ahmad Hassen Al-Hammadi, Secretary General,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar, led the Qatari side.

Textile Minister Smriti Irani virtually Inaugurates 8th India International Silk Fair
On 31st January 2021, Union Minister for Women & Child Development and Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani
virtually addressed the inaugural session of India’s Biggest Silk Fair, the 8th India International Silk
Fair. The 5 daylong events was virtually organised by Indian Silk Export Promotion Council (ISEPC), a
non-profit organisation under the Ministry of Textiles & Sponsored by Department of Commerce.

India’s 1st Wetland Conservation Centre to be set up at Chennai

Minister of State for Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Babul Supriyo
announced the establishment of India’s 1st Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM)
at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is being set up as a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal
Management (NCSCM) Institute, a research institute under MoEFCC. It was launched on occasion of the
World Wetland Day observed on February 2, 2021.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Inaugurates 2nd Exclusive LCA Tejas Production Plant in
Bengaluru
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) 2nd
Exclusive Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas Fighter Jets Production Plant at Doddanekundi, Bangalore,
Karnataka.The Plant will double HAL’s production capacity of LCA Tejas to 16 LCA Tejas Aircrafts a year
(at present it is 8). The Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, indigenously designed by Aircraft Development
Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). India has set a
target of achieving a turnover of INR 1.75 Lakh Crore (USD 25 Billion) in Defence Manufacturing by
2025.

PGIMER Launched India’s First Amputee Clinic in Chandigarh

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) launched India’s first Amputee
Clinic, “PGI Amputee Clinic” in Chandigarh. The PGI Amputee clinic was inaugurated by PGIMER
Director Prof. Jagat Ram.The purpose is to improve the amputation patients, care by providing
collection of services in one place with significant coordination.

UP’s Shravasti Tops NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Ranking in December 2020
Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh(UP) topped the Aspirational Districts Ranking of NITI Aayog in
December 2020, the ranking is done every month. Health and nutrition, education, agriculture and
water resources, financial inclusion, skill development and basic infrastructure were the development
areas that were considered for the ranking. Dhalai of Tripura secured the 2nd position followed by
Garhwa of Jharkhand, Baksa of Assam and Bokaro of Jharkhand in 3rd, 4th and 5th position
respectively.

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MCA amends One Person Companies (OPCs) rules; revises paid up capital & Turnover
threshold for Small Companies
Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has amended the ‘Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014’ to make
changes in the definition of One Person Companies (OPCs) Rule. The new changes will be called as
‘Companies (Incorporation) Second Amendment Rules, 2021’. The Changes allow Non-Resident Indians
(NRIs) to incorporate one person companies (OPCs) in India.The residency period for being considered
as a Resident in India has been reduced to 120 days from 182 days for NRIs. MCA has also revised the
limit of paid-up capital & Turnover of small companies under Companies Act , 2013.

MCA initiates process of Decriminalization of Compound Offences under LLP Act, 2008
Based on the recommendations of the Company Law Committee (CLC) headed by Corporate Affairs
Secretary, Rajesh Verma, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has started the process of
Decriminalization of Compound Offences under the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008. MCA
has adopted three principles for the Decriminalization process. MCA has also proposed to allow LLPs to
raise capital through issue of Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) (alternative to equity participation)
from investors regulated by SEBI or RBI.

Cabinet Committee Gave In-Principle Approval for 100% Disinvestment of GoI Shareholding in
RINL
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave in-principle approval for 100% strategic
divestment of Indian Government’s shareholding in Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). In addition
to this it also gave approval for management control of RINL by way of privatization. The Government
in the budget 2021-2022 stated that it has set a target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore from stake sale in public
sector companies and financial institutions, including 2 Public Sector Banks and one General Insurance
company…Click here for more detail

ARAI and AIM-Niti Aayog signed a SOI to Boost Startup ecosystem in Mobility Sector
Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) signed a statement of intent (SOI) with Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM) the flagship initiative of NITI Aayog to boost the start-up ecosystem in the
mobility sector. ARAI and AIM will collaborate under the Atal New India Challenge(ANIC) for the
development of the technologies. The objective of the partnership includes, to create mobility, electric
mobility, transportation, sustainable development goats and digital infrastructure in cities and villages
across India.

IIT – BHU Signs MoU with MoRTH for Scientific Up-gradation of Indian Roads
Indian Institute of Technology – Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) signed an Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) as a move to up-grade
road construction in India, through scientific research. In November 2020, Ministry of Education
requested all technical institutions in the country (including IITs & NITs) to provide technical supports
to upgrade stretches of National Highways on voluntary basis.

MUI urges Shipping Ministry to take note of ‘Neptune Declaration’

Maritime Union of India (MUI) urged the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India to take
note of “Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change” while preparing the ‘Maritime
India Vision 2030’. Neptune declaration initiated by Global Maritime Forum focuses on Recognition of
seafarers as key workers by Governments of all countries in line with UN General Assembly resolution
adopted on December 1, 2020.

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2nd CCTNS Hackathon and Cyber Challenge 2020-21 of NCRB inaugurated in New Delhi
2nd Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) Hackathon and Cyber Challenge 2020-
21 of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) was inaugurated in New Delhi to enhance analysis and
deepen understanding of police personnel. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by the Union
Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla.Ram Phal Pawar, IPS, Director of NCRS along with other senior
officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and NCRB participated in the inauguration event.

Commerce Ministry Organised Udyog Manthan To Focus On Quality And Productivity in Indian
Industry
Ministry of Commerce and Industry has organised Udyog Manthan under which a series of webinars
were conducted on 45 sectors which includes pharma and electronics. Udyog Manthan focuses on
quality and productivity in all the major sectors of manufacturing services. Udyog Manthan started on
4th January 2021 and concluded on 2nd March 2021. Udyog Manthan covers various sectors like
pharma, medical devices, closed circuit camera, electronics system design and manufacturing, new and
renewable energy, robotics, aerospace and defence.

BEML signs MoU with CSIR-NAL for Development of Two-Seater Trainer Aircraft; HAL receives
proposal for 70 Trainer Aircraft
During the Aero India 2021 show being held at Yelahanka Air Force Base, Bengaluru, Karnataka, BEML
Ltd (previously Bharat Earth Movers Limited) signed a MoU with CSIR-NAL (Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research-National Aerospace Laboratory) for development of two-seater trainer aircraft
through technology transfer. The MoU was exchanged between A K Srivastav, Director Defence and
Aerospace, BEML & R Venkatesh, Director, Business Development of NAL.

IIT Kharagpur and NIUA Signs MoU for ‘Building Accessible Safe and Inclusive Indian Cities
(BASIIC)’
Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Kharagpur signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the
National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for ‘Building Accessible Safe and Inclusive Indian Cities
(BASIIC) to develop a framework for universal city planning for accessible, safe and inclusive cities in
India to benefit all sections of the society including the disabled and elderly persons.

Number of New Cancer Cases in North East Region expected to increase to 57, 131 by 2025:
ICMR-NCDIR Report
According to the report ‘Profile of Cancer and Related Health Indicators in the North East Region of
India-2021’ released by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) & National Centre for Disease
Informatics & Research (NCDIR), the number of New Cancer Cases in North East Region (NER) is set to
increase to 57, 131 by 2025, which is a big increase over the estimated 50, 317 cases of Cancer in NER
in 2020. The report prepared by ICMR-NCDIR has been funded by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India.

PM Modi Released Postage Stamp to Mark the Beginning of Centenary Celebration of Chauri
Chaura Incident
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the postage stamp to mark the beginning of the centenary
celebrations of the Chauri Chaura Incident in Uttar Pradesh(UP) over a virtual platform. The stamp was
released during the event organised to inaugurate the Centenary celebration of the Chauri Chaura
incident. The state government has also planned to develop the “Chauri Chaura Shaheed Memorial”in
Gorakhpur as a heritage tourist site.

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GRSE signs contract with Seychelles to deliver Fast Patrol Vessel,Zoroaster

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has signed a contract with Seychelles for delivering
1 Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) called ‘Zoroaster’ to the Seychelles Coast Guard.“Zoroaster” will be a
powerful, fuel-efficient platform which will be capable of performing operations like Patrolling, anti-
smuggling, anti-poaching & search and rescue operations.The overall design of the FPV was developed
indigenously by GRSE.

BEL Enters into Offset Contract with JSC Rosoboronexport, Russia

6th India-Russia Military Industrial Conference(IRMIC) was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. On this
occasion, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) entered into an Offset Contract under invest in kind with
Rosoboronexport, a Joint Stock Company(JSC) in Russia to set up industrial facilities to manufacture a
diverse range of aviation hoses at BEL Optronic Devices Limited, Pune, a subsidiary of BEL.

MoAFW Gets DGCA Nod for a 1st of its kind Pilot Study using drones to capture crop images
Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) gave approval to Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare(MoAFW) to use drones(Unmanned Aerial Vehicles -UAVs) to capture images of rice and wheat
fields in 100 districts to assess crop yields at gram panchayat level under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal
Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Government of India’s Crop Insurance Scheme.This is the 1st time in India that
remote sensing technology based largest pilot study is conducted for crop yield estimation.

Paras Aerospace, Spear UAV sign Agreement to Introduce ‘Ninox 40’ Micro-Tactical UAV in
India
During the Aero India Show 2021, Spear UAV of Israel & Paras Aerospace of India signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduce ‘Ninox 40’ Micro-tactical UAV System (Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle) into the Indian market. Ninox 40 drone system consists of a Drone & a control unit and is
intended for use by Military Forces, Paramilitary, Internal Security & Law Enforcement agencies. It has
been designed especially for single-user operations.

MoHUA Signs MoU with Zomato ; Mobile App for PM Svanidhi Se Samriddhi Launched
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with
Zomato to onboard street food vendors on its food-tech platform. This is part of Prime Minister Street
Vendor’s AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme.MoHUA launched the Mobile Application for
PMSVANidhi se Samriddhi. This is an additional component of the scheme. In a first of its kind initiative,
MoHUA signed a MoU with Swiggy on October 5, 2020 to take street food business online under PM
SVANIDHI.

GoI brings Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions under Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways
Government of India has brought Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions (such as Ropeway, Cable
Car, Funicular Railway & Electric Public transport) under the ambit of Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways (MoRTH) by amending the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules,
1961.Ropeways earlier work under Ministry of Railways.
MoRTH will now be responsible for development, construction, research and policy formulation in
Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions.

Environment Ministry approves Lakhwar Electricity Project on Yamuna River, Uttarakhand

Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) gave approval for the Lakhwar
Electricity Project at a cost of Rs 5747.17 crore on the Yamuna river at Dehradun district, Uttarakhand.
With this project, Electricity upto 572.54 million units can be generated per year. In addition to the

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electricity generated, the water storage capacity is also increased.330 metric cusec meters of additional
water can be stored.

India’s Tea Output Drops 9.7% in 2020 Due to Flood & COVID Restriction; Lifts Average Prices
to Record High
The production of tea in India dropped by 9.7% in 2020 due to the flood and movement restrictions due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduction in the tea production increased the price of tea by 31% from
the price of 2019, to a record price of Rs.184.69 per Kg. This increase in price has supported the Indian
tea industry which was under severe stress due to the rising production cost.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs to launch MCA21 Version 3.0 Portal in Fiscal 2021-22;1st Mission
Mode e-Governance Project of GoI
Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is set to launch the portal ‘MCA21 Version 3.0’ during the Fiscal
Year 2021-22. The portal will be the 1st Mission Mode e-Governance project of Government of India
(GoI).MCA21 portal is used by companies for submitting various documents as part of compliance
requirements under the company law. Driven by Data Analytics the portal will be equipped with Micro-
services architecture for advanced analytics & emerging digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence
(AI) & Machine Language (ML).

Himachal Pradesh Became the First State to Implement e-Cabinet

Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh inaugurated the first e-cabinet at Shimla. The state
became the first to implement e-cabinet and make the end-to-end processing of cabinets paperless.The
e-cabinet application for the e-cabinet was developed by the Department of Information Technology,
Himachal Pradesh. This is the first of its kind electronic platform in India.

IMD to Establish India’s First Thunderstorm Research Testbed at Odisha

India Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to establish India’s first thunderstorm research testbeds
at Balasore, Odisha to reduce the human fatalities and loss of properties due to lightning strikes in
Odisha and Eastern States.The testbed will be established in collaboration between the Ministry of
Earth Science, IMD, Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) and Indian Space
Research Organisation(ISRO).

A target of Rs. 16.50 Lakh Crore for Ground Level Credit (GLC) to Agriculture has been fixed for
2021-22
Government has fixed the target of Rs. 16.50 lakh crore for Ground Level Credit (GLC) to agriculture for
2021-2022. It is an increase of 10% over the previous year’s Rs 15 lakh crore. The target has been fixed
considering the performance under GLC flow during 2013-14 to 2020-21. This enhancement will
further boost the efforts of concessional institutional credit to farmers and is bound to act as an enabler
in doubling farmers’ income by reducing the cost of credit.

45th International Kolkata Book Fair will be held in July: Theme country to be Bangladesh
45th International Kolkata Book Fair, will be held in July 2021 at the Central Park, Salt Lake, Kolkata,
West Bengal. The fair will be organised by Publishers & Booksellers Guild. The fair which was scheduled
to be held in January 2021 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Focal theme country of the
Book fair 2021 will be Bangladesh, since the year 2021 marks the 100th birth anniversary of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangladesh’s 50 year of Independence.

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India ranked 86 in COVID Performance Index, New Zealand tops : Lowy Institute
According to the ‘COVID Performance Index : Deconstructing Pandemic Responses’ released by
Australia based Lowy Institute, India ranked at 86 out of 98 Countries with a score of 24.3 on basis of its
response towards tackling the Pandemic. New Zealand topped the list followed by Vietnam & Taiwan.
Rank Country Average
86 India 24.3
1 New Zealand 94.4
2 Vietnam 90.8
3 Taiwan 86.4

UN World Tourism Organization named 2020 as ‘worst year on record’

In accordance with the latest United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN-WTO) “World Tourism
Barometer”, the year 2020 was the “worst year on record” as global tourism suffered adversely due to
international travel bans implemented to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. The travel ban resulted in an
estimated loss of USD 1.3 trillion in export revenues.

Investment in Upskilling has potential to boost Global GDP by USD 6.5 Trillion by 2030: WEF
Report
According to the report ‘Upskilling for Shared Prosperity’ – January 2021 released by World Economic
Forum (WEF) in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Investments in Upskilling can
boost the Global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by USD 6.5 Trillion by 2030 also adding that it has the
potential to boost India’s GDP by USD 570 Billion (INR 40 Lakh Crore) by 2030. The report was released
during WEF’s The Davos Agenda 2021. Upskilling has the potential to create 5.3 Million new jobs by
2030.

India slips to 53rd Rank in EIU’s Democracy Index 2020; Norway tops the Index
According to the ‘Democracy Index 2020’ released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), India with a
score of 6.61 slipped two places to 53rd Rank (out of 167 countries) in the Index due to decline in Civil
Liberties. Norway topped the index followed by Iceland & Sweden.The least country placed in the index
is North Korea.India was ranked 51st in 2019 Democracy Index.

More than 39 Billion In-school Meals were Missed Across the Globe During COVID-19 Pandemic
Closures: UNICEF Report
United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) Office of Research – Innocenti and the World Food
Programme (WFP) released a new report titled “COVID-19: Missing More Than a Classroom. The impact
of school closures on children’s nutrition” which states that more than 39 billion in-school meals were
missed due to the closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is observed that the Midday
Meals Scheme (MDMS) of India has reduced the calorie deficits in children by 30%.

Prahlad Singh Patel Co-Chairs the Virtual 8th ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers Meeting2021
8th ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations)-India Tourism Minister Meeting 2021 took place
virtually, it was co-chaired by Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, India & Dr.
Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia.8th ASEAN-India Tourism Minister meeting was part of the
24th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers (24th M-ATM) which took place from February 2-5, 2021
hosted by Cambodia.

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India, Bahrain hold 1st Joint Working Group Meeting 2021 in the field of Renewable Energy
India & Kingdom of Bahrain held the 1st Joint Working Group Meeting 2021 in the field of Renewable
Energy (RE) in a virtual format. The Indian side was led by Mr Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale, Joint Secretary,
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy & Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza, President of Sustainable Energy
Authority led the Bahraini side. In July 2018, Both sides had signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) for boosting cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy.

Piyush Goyal Co-Chaired 1st High-Level Dialogue on India-EU Bilateral Trade and Investment
Agreement (BTIA) 2021 Virtually
On February 5, 2021 1st High-Level Dialogue(HLD) on India-European Union(EU) Bilateral Trade and
Investment Agreement (BTIA) 2021 Held virtually. It was co-chaired by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of
Commerce and Industry and Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Executive Vice-President & Trade
Commissioner.This dialogue has been established as an outcome of the 15th India-EU Leader’s Summit
held in July 2020, which aims to provide ministerial-level guidance on bilateral trade and investment
relations.

South Korea signs $43 billion deal to create World’s Biggest Offshore Wind Farm
South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced a $43 billion deal to create World’s Biggest offshore
wind farm, a major component of South Korea’s Green New Deal. With this deal the South Korean
government plans to attain Carbon neutrality by 2050.Signed by– The agreement involves 33 different
entities, among them regional governments, the electricity generator KEPCO, and major private firms
including Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction and SK E&S.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Cancels Licence of Shivam Sahakari Bank Ltd, Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)cancelled the licence of Shivam Sahakari Bank Ltd, a co-operative bank in
Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Following the cancellation of its license, the bank will stop to carry
on the banking business, which includes accepting and repaying deposits as defined in Section 5(b) read
with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation(BR) Act, 1949, with effect from the close of business on
January 29, 2021.

RBI Appointed External Professional IT Firm to Audit HDFC Bank’s IT Infrastructure

Reserve Bank of India has appointed an external professional IT firm to carry out a special audit of the
entire IT infrastructure of HDFC bank under Section 30 (1-B) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The
audit will be conducted at the cost of the bank under Section 30 (1-C) of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949. The name of the IT firm was not disclosed.

SEBI Revises Objective, Eligibility Criteria of Innovation Sandbox

On February 3, 2021 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) revised the objective and
eligibility criteria of innovation sandbox to encourage innovation and boost participation in the
securities market.Innovation Sandbox eases access to an environment (testing facilities and test data)
that is provided by Enabling Organizations like Stock Exchanges ,Depositories and Qualified
Registrar and Share Transfer Agents(QRTAs).

AMCs of Mutual Funds to Set Up LPCC by Contributing Rs 150 Crore: SEBI

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released the guidelines to set up Limited Purpose
Clearing Corporation (LPCC) by Asset Management Companies (AMCs) of Mutual Funds(MFs) to clear

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and settle the repo transactions in corporate debt securities.. As per the guidelines, AMCs needs to
contribute Rs 150 crore towards share capital of LPCC.

Federal Bank Launched FedFirst, a Special Savings Account for Children

On February 3, 2021 Federal Bank Ltd headquarters at Aluva, Kerala launched FedFirst, a special
savings account for children up to age of 18 years (both Resident and Non-Resident Indians-NRIs). The
account is designed to help children learn about the importance of money management. FedFirst
contactless Debit Card is given to this account holder.

RBI Issued Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) Guidelines for Select NBFCs & UCBs
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines on Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) for selected Non-
Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs). The mentioned
entities have to implement the RBIA framework by March 31, 2022. The guidelines also specified that
these entities may also set up a committee of senior executives to formulate a suitable action plan.RBIA
is an audit methodology that links with an organisation’s overall risk management framework.

IRDAI Releases Guidelines on Standard Vector Borne Disease Health Policy

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) issued guidelines on Standard
Vector Borne Disease Health Policy to encourage all general and health insurers to offer this product.
They can offer this product by 1st April, 2021. The product will offer a policy tenure of a year (12
Months). The nomenclature of the product should be in the name of the insurance company followed by
“Mashak Rakshak”…Click here for more detail

Bharti AXA General Insurance Launches ‘Salute to Caregivers – Ek Naya Nazariya Campaign’ for
Cancer Survivors
Bharti AXA General Insurance has launched ‘Salute to Caregivers – Ek Naya Nazariya Campaign’ to
support the cancer survivors in the battle against cancer.To commemorate the World Cancer
Day(February 4, 2021) Bharti AXA General Insurance has collaborated with poetess Priya Malik, who
wrote a poem on the Campaign & she also expressed her experience as a caregiver.Tagline of the
Campaign– ‘Iss Jung Mein Hum Sang Hai’.

ICICI Bank Signs MoU with MUFG Bank, Japan to Jointly Cater Banking Needs of Japanese
Corporates in India
ICICI Bank has signed a MoU with MUFG Bank Ltd, Japan to jointly cater the banking requirements of
Japanese corporates present in India. It establishes a framework of partnership between the banks
across various domains including trade, investment, treasury, corporate and retail banking.The
Headquarters of ICICI Bank is Mumbai, Maharashtra.The headquarters of MUFG Bank Ltd is Tokyo,
Japan.

SEBI Releases New Norms of SEBI (Mutual Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released new norms of Securities and Exchange
Board of India (Mutual Funds) ( Amendment) Regulations, 2021. This regulation came into force by
amending, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996. SEBI has
amended the regulation in exercise of its powers conferred by section 30 read with clause (c) of sub-
section (2) of section 11 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992).

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ECONOMY & BUSINESS

BSE Established ‘Innovation Sandbox’ Web Portal

BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) has set up an ‘Innovation Sandbox’ web portal, a workflow-
based platform. It is a testing environment that enables FinTech firms and individuals to do offline
testing of their applications. The innovation sandbox is set up as per the guidelines of Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI).Main aim is to create an ecosystem which promotes innovation in the
securities market.

Reliance Jio Becomes World’s 5th Strongest Brand: Brand Finance’s Global 500 2021
As per the Global 500 2021, an annual report on the most valuable and strongest global brands of Brand
Finance, Reliance Jio has been ranked in 5th position as world’s strongest brand with a Brand Strength
Index (BSI) score of 91.7 out of 100 and AAA+ brand strength rating. Reliance Jio enters the ranking for
the 1st time. The list is topped by WeChat followed by Ferrari. Russian bank Sber is spotted in 3rd rank.
• In the list of Top 500 most valuable global brands, Apple is ranked 1st. Among the Indian brands
Tata Group(77th rank) topped in the 500 Most Valuable Global Brand 2021.
• In the list of top 100 CEOs in Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index 2021, Mastercard’s Ajay
Banga secures the 1st rank.From India, 5th rank- Rajesh Gopinathan(TCS).

PFC raises USD 500 Million: Largest Tenor Bond Issuance from India in 2021
Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has successfully raised USD 500 Million through issuance of USD
Denominated Bonds under ‘Reg S route’. The Bonds have a Fixed Coupon of 3.35% and will mature on
May 16, 2031 making it the Longest Tenor Bond Issuance from India since the start of 2021.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Uttar Pradesh Adjudged as the Best Tableau Award Among the 32 Participants: Republic Day
Parade
Republic Day parade tableau of Uttar Pradesh was adjudged as the best tableau among the 32 tableaux
that participated in the Parade on 26th January 2021. The theme of the UP tableau was “Ayodhya: The
cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh”. Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sport presented the
awards and prizes to the participants.The tableau of the Department of Biotechnology won the top
honours among the 9 tableaus from various ministries, departments, paramilitary forces and Defence
Ministry.

“Aatmanirbharta” named Oxford Hindi Word of 2020

Oxford Languages has named “Aatmanirbharta or Self-Reliance” as the Hindi Word of the year 2020
since it validated the day-to-day achievements of the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the
perils of a pandemic. The word was chosen by the advisory panel of language experts: Kritika Agrawal,
Poonam Nigam Sahay and Imogen Foxell.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Rama Mohan Rao Amara Appointed as the MD and CEO of SBI Card; Succeeds Ashwini Kumar
Tewari
On January 30, 2021 Rama Mohan Rao Amara took charge as the Managing Director(MD) and Chief
Executive Officer(CEO) of SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd for a period of 2 years. He succeeds

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Ashwini Kumar Tewari, who was appointed as one of the 4 Managing Directors(MDs) of State Bank of
India (SBI).

R S Sharma appointed as the CEO of National Health Authority ;Succeeds Indu Bhushan
On February 1st, 2021 Ram Sewak Sharma(R.S. Sharma), former Chairman of Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) took charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health
Authority (NHA) of India. R.S. Sharma replaced the outgoing CEO Indu Bhushan. NHA, an autonomous
body is responsible for implementing Ayushman-Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-
PMJAY).

Jeff Bezos to Step Down as CEO of Amazon; Andy Jassy Succeeds Jeff Bezoz
On 2nd February 2021, Jeff Bezos, the Founder and CEO of Amazon, will step down as the CEO of
Amazon in the third quarter October 2021 and Andy Jassy, the lead of Amazon Web Services(AWS), the
cloud computing unit of Amazon will take over as the New CEO.Jeff Bezos will be taking up the role of
executive chair of the Amazon’s Board of Directors.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah Elected as the New President of Asian Cricket Council
Jay Shah, secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) was elected as new President of Asian
Cricket Council (ACC) at the Annual General Meeting of ACC which was held virtually due to the COVID-
19 pandemic. Jay Shah(32 years) is the youngest administrator to be appointed as the President of
ACC.He will succeed Nazmul Hasan Papon, the Chief of Bangladesh Cricket Board(BCB).

Ajay Singh Re-elected as President of Boxing Federation of India for 2nd Term
Ajay Singh has been re-elected as the president of Boxing Federation of India(BFI) for the second term
after securing 37 votes in the general elections held on February 3, 2021 at Gurugram(Gurgaon),
Haryana. Hemanta Kumar Kalita was elected as the secretary and Digvijay Singh as treasurer.

Labour Ministry appointed SN Subrahmanyan, the CEO & MD of L&T Ltd as the Chairman of NSC
Ministry of Labour and Employment has appointed SN Subrahmanyan, the CEO and Managing
Director(MD) of Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T Ltd) as the new Chairman of National Safety
Council(NSC).He will be holding the position for a period of 3 years.
Satish Reddy was the last chairman of the NSC who served from 2015 to 2018.

Padma Shri Sridhar Vembu, Founder & CEO of Zoho Appointed to the National Security
Advisory Board
Padma Shri Sridhar Vembu, founder & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Zoho has been appointed to the
National Security Advisory Board(NSAB). Generally, members of NSAB have a 2-year term. National
Security Advisor (NSA) heads the NSAB. Currently, Ajit Doval is the NSA.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI Approves Acquisition of GIL’s Indo Gulf Fertilisers by Indorama India Private Limited
Competition Commission of India (CCI) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002, gave
approval for the acquisition of Indo Gulf Fertilisers(IGF), a fertiliser division of Grasim Industries
Limited (GIL) by Indorama India Private Limited (IIPL). IIPL will acquire Indo Gulf Fertilisers as a going
concern on a slump sale basis.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

US Startup bluShift Aerospace launches ‘Stardust 1.0’ – World’s 1st Commercial Rocket
powered by Biofuel
United States (US) based Startup bluShift Aerospace launched ‘Stardust 1.0’ from Loring Commerce
Centre in Maine, US. It is the World’s 1st Commercial Rocket launch powered by Biofuel. The solid
biofuels used in the launch is non-toxic, Carbon Neutral & can be sourced from America. bluShift
Aerospace’s Rocket Engine is a hybrid of solid and liquid propellant called ‘Modular Adaptable Rocket
Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL)’.

Skyroot Aerospace Signs Non-Disclosure Agreement with ISRO

Skyroot Aerospace has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) on behalf of Department of Space (DoS), through which Skyroot Aerospace can use
the facilities & technical expertise in ISRO centers for development of their Launch Vehicle
Development Program.

Union Ministers Jointly Launched Unified Portal of Gobardhan to Promote GOBAR-DHAN

Scheme
Union Ministers jointly launched a ‘Unified Portal of Gobardhan’ to promote ‘Galvanizing Organic Bio-
Agro Resources Dhan’ (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme, an initiative that aims to manage cattle and
biodegradable waste and also help enhance farmers’ income. The portal also helps to track real time
progress of the scheme. Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme is
implemented under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin-Phase 2, by the Department of Drinking Water
and Sanitation under the Jal Shakti ministry.

Indian Navy’s IL 38SD Aircraft successfully fires ‘Combat Kh35E’ Anti-Ship Missiles during
TROPEX-21
Indian Navy’s long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, Ilyushin 38SD successfully fired ‘Combat
Kh35E’ anti-ship missile during the Theatre level Readiness and Operational Exercise 2021 (TROPEX-
21) being carried out in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). TROPEX-21 is a Biennial exercise which aims to
test the combat readiness of the Navy with the assets of the Air Force, Army & Coast Guard. The IL38SD
is a maritime patrol & anti-submarine aircraft developed by Soviet Union.

Pakistan successfully Test Fires Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile ‘Ghaznavi’

Pakistan’s Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) successfully Test Fired the Nuclear-Capable Surface-
to-Surface Ballistic Missile ‘Ghaznavi (Hatf-III)’.Ghaznavi has a range of 290 Kms & can carry both
Nuclear & Conventional Warheads.It was launched by ASFC as part of its Annual Field Training Exercise.
It is a Hypersonic Missile developed by National Development Complex (NDC), Pakistan.

ISRO set to launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 on February 28

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 through India’s Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)- C51 on February 28, 2021. This also marks ISRO’s 1st space mission in
2021. The mission includes Amazonia-1 as the primary payload along with 20 other satellites
(Including 3 developed by Indian grown organisations). Launch Site- Satish Dhawan Space Centre
(SDSC)-SHAR, Sriharikota.It is PSLV-C51 is the 53rd mission of PSLV.

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ENVIRONMENT

Cyrtodactylus arunachalensis: New Species of Gecko Named After Arunachal Pradesh

A team of researchers from 5 institutes discovered a new species of gecko in Arunachal Pradesh. The
species is named “Cyrtodactylus arunachalensis” after Arunachal Pradesh, the state in which it was
discovered.The paper on the newly discovered Gecko was published in “Evolutionary Systematics”, an
international peer reviewed journal. Cyrtodactylus arunachalensis belongs to the genus Cyrtodactylus,
commonly known as bent-toed geckos.

SPORTS

Domestic Cricket: Tamil Nadu wins 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 competition
On January 31, 2021, Tamil Nadu Cricket Team defeated Baroda in the finals of the 2020-21 Syed
Mushtaq Ali T20 Competition held at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat to win the trophy. The
12th Edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was held from January 10-31, 2021. The Tamil Nadu
cricket team was led by Dinesh Karthik.

Indian Cricketer Ashok Dinda Announced His Retirement From All Forms Of Cricket
On 2nd February 2021, Indian bowler Ashok Dinda announced his retirement from all formats of
Cricket at the age of 36. He is one of the quick bowlers in Indian Domestic cricket.He Hails from West
Bengal. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in May 2010 against Zimbabwe.

Shooting : India tops Medals tally by bagging 11 Medals at First Asian Online Shooting
Championship
India’s 24-Member Indian Shooting Contingent topped the Medals Tally by bagging 11 Medals – 4 Gold,
2 Silver & 5 Bronze Medals at the First Asian Online Shooting Championship organized by Kuwait
Shooting Federation from January 29-30, 2021. The Indian Shooters participated in the online
competition from the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, New Delhi.
Indian Medals Tally: Gold Medal
Winner Category
Saurabh Chaudhary Men’s 10m Air Pistol
Divyansh Singh Panwar Men’s 10m Air Rifle
Kynan Chenai Men’s Trap
Rajeshwari Kumari Women’s Trap

OBITUARY

Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen, died at 87

Nobel Prize winning atmospheric chemist Paul Jozef Crutzen passed away at the age of 87. He was born
in Amsterdam in 1933.He made Key studies on degradation of Ozone layer by pollutants, which served
as a base to 1987’s Montreal Protocol. In his key finding he described that Nitrogen Pollution destroys
the ozone layer in the atmosphere.

Oscar Winner Christopher Plummer, Canadian Actor Passed Away at 91

On 5th February 2021, the legendary Canadian Actor Christopher Plummer, the star of “The Sound of
Music” and the oldest person to win the Oscar Award passed away at the age of 91 at his residence in
Connecticut, United States of America. He was born on 13th December 1929 in Toronto, Ontario,

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Canada. At the 84th Academy Awards, Plummer won the Oscar for his performance in the film
“Beginners”(2011).

American Tennis Legend Tony Trabert passed away at 90

On 3rd February 2021, legendary American tennis champion Marion Anthony Trabert (Tony Trabert)
who was a 5-time Grand Slam singles champion passed away at the age of 90 in his residence in Ponte
Vedra Beach, Florida. He was born on 16th August 1930 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He won 3 grand slams
singles in 1955 US Open and French Open and Wimbledon.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Hollywood Actor & Writer Seth Rogen Authored his First Book Titled “Yearbook”
Seth Rogen, Hollywood Actor, comedian, and a writer authored his debut book titled “Yearbook” a
collection of true stories and essays of Seth Rogen. The hardcover and digital format of the book will be
published by Crown Publishing Group and the audio edition of the book will be released by Penguin
Random House Audio. Yearbook” is a collection of true stories and funny essays of Seth Rogen that
speaks about his grandparents, about him from doing standup comedy during his teenage and Jewish
summer camp.

Pavan C. Lall Authored Book Titled “Yes Man: The Untold Story of Rana Kapoor” Released
Pavan C.Lall’s new book titled “Yes Man: The Untold Story of Rana Kapoor” provides the details about
the rise and fall of one of the India’s promising bankers Rana Kapoor and it also questions the banking
system, its regulators and the business environment that led to the fall of YES Bank.The book was
published by HarperCollins.

“This Life at Play: A Memoir by Girish Karnad” Memoir of Girish Karnad Translated From
Kannada into English
The English translation of the “This Life at Play: A Memoir by Girish Karnad” the Kannada book
authored by Girish Karnad is set to be released on the 83rd birth anniversary of Girish Karnad, on 19th
May 2021 by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publisher.The Kannada book is translated into
English by writer and translator Srinath Perur and Girish Karnad.The book is published by
HarperCollins India Publisher.

Dalai Lama’s New Book Titled “The Little Book of Encouragement” Released
His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama authored a new book titled “The Little Book of Encouragement”. The
book edited by Renuka Singh is published by Penguin Random House is set to be released. The book is a
compilation of Dalai Lama’s quotes and ideas to deal with the new realities of the post pandemic world
along with how to combat rising extremism, polarity and climate change and his views on Tibet.

Pulitzer Prize Awardee Jhumpa Lahiri’s New Book “Whereabouts” is set to Release
Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri is set to release her new novel titled “Whereabouts”. The book is
published by Penguin Random House India is about a woman protagonist and her journey through life.
The book will be released in April. The novel Whereabout was written in Italian and translated into
English by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Vineet Bajpai Authored a New Novel Titled ‘1857 – The Sword of Mastaan’
A new novel titled ‘1857 – The Sword of Mastaan’ has been authored by Vineet Bajpai. It is published by
Delhi-based publishing house, TreeShade Books. The book has been launched online and offline across

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India.It is part two of the Mastaan Trilogy. The first part of the trilogy, Mastaan – The Fallen Patriot of
Delhi, was released in October 2019.It is author’s 5th fiction novel and 8th book overall.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu Released a book ‘Parliamentary Messenger in Rajasthan’

Authored by Dr K.N. Bhandari
M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India released a book titled ‘Parliamentary Messenger in
Rajasthan’. The book is authored by Dr K.N. Bhandari. The book focuses on the health and education
initiatives that were launched through the Members of Parliament Local Area Development(MPLAD)
Scheme on the recommendation of Dr Abhishek Singhvi in Rajasthan over 12 years from 2006 to 2018.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Leprosy Day 2021 – 31st January

World Leprosy Day is annually observed across the globe on the last Sunday of January to create
awareness about leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease. This day is a celebration of the leprosy
community to advocate the rights of the person affected with the Leprosy and to create awareness
about the medical and social implications of Leprosy. The World Leprosy Day 2021 falls on 31st January
2021. The theme of the 2021 World Leprosy day is “Beat Leprosy, End Stigma and Advocate for Mental
Well-Being”.

Indian Coast Guard Day 2021 – February 1

Indian Coast Guard Day is annually observed across India on 1st February which marks the Raising day
of the Indian Coast Guard.1st February 2021 marks the 45th Raising day of the Indian Coast Guard,
Operating under the Defence Ministry. ICG cooperates with Indian Navy, the Department of Fisheries,
the Department of Revenue (Customs) and the Central and State police forces.

World Wetlands Day 2021 – 2nd February

World Wetlands Day is annually observed across the globe on 2nd February to create awareness about
the importance of wetlands and their roles towards humans and the planet.2nd February 2021 marks
the 25th World Wetlands Day. The theme of World Wetlands Day 2021 is “Wetlands and Water”.It aims
to highlight the importance of wetlands as the source of freshwater and to promote the actions to
restore and stop the loss of wetlands.

World Cancer Day 2021 – February 4

World Cancer Day is annually observed across the globe on 4th February to create awareness and
educate the general public about the stigma around cancer and to reduce the preventable deaths. The
World Cancer Day is a global uniting initiative led by the Union of International Cancer Control (UICC).
The theme of the World Cancer Day for 2019 to 2021 is “I Am and I Will”. The theme of World Cancer
Day 2021 is “I Am and I Will: “Together, all our actions matter”.

First Ever International Day of Human Fraternity – 4th February 2021

United Nations(UN)’s observed the first ever International Day of Human Fraternity across the globe on
4th February 2021 to raise awareness about different cultures and religions or beliefs and to promote
cultural and religious tolerance, understanding. The theme of the International Day of Human
Fraternity 2021 is “A Pathway to the Future”.

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2021 – February 6
United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is annually
observed across the globe on 6th February to heighten the efforts towards eliminating the process of

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Female Genital Mutilation(FGM). The theme of International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital
Mutilation 2021: “No Time for Global Inaction, Unite, Fund, and Act to End Female Genital Mutilation”.

STATE NEWS

Rajeev Ranjan IAS Appointed as Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu; Succeeds K Shanmugam
On 31st January 2021, Rajeev Ranjan, a senior IAS officer of 1985 batch Tamil Nadu cadre was
appointed as the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu following the retirement of the incumbent K
Shanmugam.He took charge as the new Chief Secretary on 1st February 2021 .Rajeev Ranjan was
serving as the Union secretary for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy development in New Delhi. He
will attain his superannuation on 30th September 2021.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot launches New Phase of Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi
Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojana
On 30th January, 2021 Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, launched a new Phase of the state
government Insurance scheme “Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojana”
from Jaipur. The scheme will provide free treatment to its beneficiaries in both private & state-run
hospitals. The scheme will provide INR 5 lakhs worth benefits to 1.1 crore families.

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh launched ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’ Mission
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh virtually launched ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’
mission, aimed at providing 100% potable water supply to all rural households of the state by March,
2022. CM inaugurated Mega Surface Water Supply Scheme, covering 85 villages in Moga district, 144
new water supply schemes for 172 villages, 121 Arsenic & Iron removal plants. Funded by World Bank,
Jal Jeewan Mission of GoI, NABARD and State Budget.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal launches 2 Schemes for College Students, Literary bodies
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched 2 schemes namely – ‘Pragyan Bharati’ & ‘Bhasha
Gourab’ in the State. Under the schemes monetary assistance will be provided to college students &
literary bodies of the state.The main objective is to encourage the young generation to Strive for
Knowledge through Education and to provide financial assistance to writers & indigenous Sahitya
Sabhas.

Uddhav Thackeray Maharashtra CM Launched Intellectual Property Rights Scheme & Quality
Testing & Certification Scheme
On 2nd February 2021, Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister of Maharashtra launched Intellectual
Property Rights Scheme and Quality Testing & Certification Scheme to provide financial support to the
innovative startups to file for IT patents.Both the schemes will be implemented by the Maharashtra
State Innovation Society(MSInS) under the Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,
Government of Maharashtra.

Punjab’s First ‘Central Water Treatment Plant’ at Moga starts Drinking Water Supply
Punjab’s First ‘Central Water Treatment Plant’ set up at Village Daudhar of Moga, Punjab began to
supply Clean Drinking Water to 85 Villages of Moga district. This plant was built with a financial
assistance worth INR 232 Crores from World Bank. The Project was developed by Larsen & Toubro
(L&T), which will be responsible for operation & maintenance of the project for the next 10 years.

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Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner launches ‘e-Watch’ app

Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner(AP SEC) N. Ramesh Kumar launched the ‘e-Watch’ app to
receive complaints related to poll related irregularities. This launch comes ahead to the Gram
Panchayat Elections of Andhra Pradesh state, that is planned to be held on February 21, 2021.The App
is developed by SEC with the initial cooperation of Reliance Jio.

Arvind Kejriwal Delhi CM Launched “Switch Delhi” Campaign to Promote Electric Vehicles
Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, launched “Switch Delhi” a campaign to promote the use of
Electric Vehicles and to encourage people to buy electric vehicles to reduce the pollution in Delhi.The
government of Delhi has set a target of 25% of electric vehicles in the total registration in Delhi by
2024.

Maharashtra Cabinet approves ‘Chief Minister Water Conservation Programme’

Maharashtra Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray approved the implementation of INR
1, 340 Crore worth ‘Chief Minister Water Conservation Programme’. It will be implemented for a period
of 3 years (April 2020-March 2023) by the Soil and Water Conservation Department of
Maharashtra.Objective of the Scheme – To undertake repair & restoration of existing water bodies in
Maharashtra & improve the irrigation capacity.

CM Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurated Assam’s First Heliport at Majuli

Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam, inaugurated the first Heliport of Assam in Majuli district.
The heliport was constructed at a cost of Rs.50 lakh.This heliport is aimed to boost the tourism of
Majuli, the World’s largest river island.The Heliport has the facility to simultaneously land 3 helicopters.

Haryana, Switzerland to share expertise in Skill Development, Tourism & Dairy Sector
Ralf Heckner, Ambassador of Switzerland to India meets Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of
Haryana. During the meeting, both sides agreed to share their expertise in the areas of Skill Training,
Tourism & Dairy Sector.They also agreed to explore possibilities of signing MoUs for teacher-student &
Cultural Exchange programmes. MoU & Exchange programme will help in enhancing the bilateral ties
between Switzerland and India, particularly with Haryana.

Government of Goa signs an MoU with CII to establish Model Career Centre in Goa
State government of Goa signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of
Indian Industries (CII) to establish a Model Career Centre (MCC) at Goa. This MoU is signed with a
motive to find suitable employment & livelihood for the youth. This is an online service, through which
an employer can select the best available candidate from the wider pool of job seekers.

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GA Questions Asked in Exams

• GA Questions asked in SBI PO Mains 2021 – Jan 29
• SBI Clerk Mains 2020
• IBPS RRB Officer Scale II GBO Exam 2020
• RBI Assistant Mains 2020
• GA Questions Asked in IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2020 – 90% Questions Covered by AC
• GA Questions asked in SBI PO 2019 Main Exam
• GA Questions asked in SBI Clerk Main Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS PO Main Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in RBI Grade B Prelims Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS RRB PO Mains Exam 2019

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