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Current Affairs for Competitive Exam
Table of Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
CABINET APPROVALS ................................................................................................................................................. 5
PARLIAMENT NEWS ................................................................................................................................................. 12
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION ................................................................................................................................. 14
FESTIVALS ................................................................................................................................................................. 29
OTHER NEWS ............................................................................................................................................................ 30
STATE NEWS ................................................................................................................................................................. 58
GOVT SCHEMES ............................................................................................................................................................. 84
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................................................... 88
VISITS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 101
INDIAN VISIT ........................................................................................................................................................... 101
FOREIGN VISIT ........................................................................................................................................................ 102
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 105
BANKING NEWS ...................................................................................................................................................... 105
RBI IN NEWS ............................................................................................................................................................ 105
LOANS ISSUED BY BANKS ...................................................................................................................................... 115
TECHNOLOGY IN BANKING .................................................................................................................................... 116
AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED.............................................................................................................................. 117
OTHER BANK NEWS ............................................................................................................................................... 124
FINANCE NEWS ....................................................................................................................................................... 149
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS ................................................................................................................................... 162
MoU’s & AGREEMENTS ............................................................................................................................................... 170
COMMITTEES & MEETINGS ....................................................................................................................................... 189
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE.......................................................................................................................... 195
INDEX ........................................................................................................................................................................... 209
RANKING .................................................................................................................................................................. 209
REPORTS .................................................................................................................................................................. 226
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 246
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 266
ACQUISITION & MERGERS ......................................................................................................................................... 281
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY........................................................................................................................................... 288
DEFENCE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 301
EXERCISE ................................................................................................................................................................. 301

DEALS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 305
TESTING ................................................................................................................................................................... 306
OTHER DEFENCE NEWS ......................................................................................................................................... 308
SPORTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 315
OBITUARY .................................................................................................................................................................... 329
BOOKS & AUTHORS..................................................................................................................................................... 333
IMPORTANT DAYS ...................................................................................................................................................... 345
APPS & WEB PORTAL ................................................................................................................................................. 372
ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................................................... 380
STATIC GK FROM CURRENT AFFAIRS ....................................................................................................................... 383
BANKS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 383
BANKING TERMINOLOGIES ................................................................................................................................... 387
INDIAN STATES ....................................................................................................................................................... 388
OTHER COUNTRIES................................................................................................................................................. 391
MINISTRY IN NEWS ................................................................................................................................................ 394
ORGANIZATIONS IN NEWS .................................................................................................................................... 396
OTHER STATICS IN NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 401

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
CABINET APPROVALS
Cabinet Approvals on March 3, 2021
On March 3, 2021, The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi approved the following
Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs).
• MoU between India & France in the field of Renewable Energy cooperation
• MoU between India & Fiji for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
Cabinet Approval for MoU between India & France
In January 2021, India & French Republic signed an MoU in the field of Renewable Energy cooperation.
Objective
• To establish a platform for promotion of bilateral cooperation in the field of new and renewable energy on the
basis of mutual benefit, equality and reciprocity.
• It covers renewable energy technologies relating to Solar, Wind, Hydrogen & Biomass energy.
Components of the Agreement
• Exchange & Training of Scientific and Technical personnel
• Exchange of Scientific & technological information and data
• Organization of workshops & seminars; transfer of equipment, know-how & technology
• Development of Joint Research and Technological projects
Benefits
• It will help in developing the technological know-how in the field of Renewable energy
• Technical knowledge will help India to attain its target of 450 GigaWatts (GW) of installed Renewable Energy
Capacity by 2030.
About France
President – Emmanuel Macron
Capital – Paris
Currency – Euro,CFP franc
Cabinet Approval for MoU between India & Fiji
The Union Cabinet also approved the signing of a MoU between the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, India
& Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Fiji for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
• The MoU will come into effect on the data of its signing and the time period of the agreement is 5 years.
The MoU provides for agreement in the below areas
• Exchange of Research personnel, scientific experts, specialists & Technical trainees
• Enhancement & Transfer of Technology
• Development of infrastructure for agriculture development
• Development of human resources through training of officers & farmers by conducting seminars & workshops
• Promotion of Joint Ventures between private sectors of both countries
• Boosting investment in marketing & value addition of agricultural commodities.
• Capacity development in all areas of agriculture
• Promotion of direct trade of agriculture products through market access
• Joint planning & development of research proposals & execution of research projects & programmes
• Establishment of an Indo-Fiji Working Group for dealing with phytosanitary issues.
• Other forms of cooperation mutually agreed by the parties
Joint Working Group (JWG)
• A JWG is to be constituted for laying down procedures & plans for achieving the aims through Executing
agencies of the two countries.
• JWG will hold meetings alternately in India & Fiji once in every 2 years.

About Fiji
Prime Minister – Frank Bainimarama
Capital – Suva
Currency – Fijian Dollar (FJD)
Union Cabinet
• A small executive body which is the supreme decision-making body in India.
• Only the Prime Minister & Ministers of the rank of Cabinet Minister are members of the Union Cabinet in
accordance with Article 75 of the Indian Constitution.
Recent Related News:
i.February 2, 2021, Barbara Pompili, French Minister for Ecological Transition made a 5-day Visit to India from
January 28-February 1, 2021.
ii.Fijian Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan, the chief diplomat of Fiji in Geneva won the Presidency Election of
theUNHRC. Fiji became the first Pacific Island nations to win the presidency election of the UNHRC.

On March 10, 2021, The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for
• Creation of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for health from
Health & Education Cess.
• Amendment for Insurance Act, 1938 to increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the sector to 74%
from 49%.
Creation of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN)
PMSSN was approved as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for a share of Health from the proceeds of Health &
Education Cess levied under Section 136-b of Finance Act, 2007.
• PMSSN will be administered & maintained by the Ministry of Health &Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Features
i.It will serve as a Non-Lapsable reserve fund for Health in Public Account.
• A non-lapsable fund would mean the unspent amount from capital budget of the ministry will not lapse, and
will continue in the next fiscal.
ii.Proceeds of the share of health in Health & Education cess will be credited into PMSSN.
iii. The Accruals from the proceeds will be utilized for implementing the schemes of the Ministry of Health & Family
Welfare namely
• Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)
• Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs)
• National Health Mission
• Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)
• Emergency & disaster preparedness & responses during health emergencies
• Future programme/scheme whose target will be to achieve SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) & other
targets set out in the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017.
• In any Financial Year, the expenditure on such schemes of MoHFW will be initially drawn from PMSSN &
thereafter from Gross Budgetary Support (GBS).
Benefits
• Increased access to universal & affordable health care through the availability of designated funds.
• It will also ensure that the amount allocated does not lapse at the end of each Financial Year.
Health is vital for improved developmental outcomes,
• Health & Nutrition have a direct impact on productivity & income
• Reduces losses due to premature death
• Prolonged disability and early retirement.
• One extra year of population life expectancy raises GDP per capita by 4%.
Education Cess to Health & Education Cess
During the budget speech of 2018, the then Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley announced the replacement of the
existing 3% Education Cess by 4% Health & Education Cess.

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Cabinet approves Amendment to hike FDI to 74%
The cabinet approved the Amendment for Insurance Act, 1938 to increase FDI in the Insurance Sector to 74% from
49%.
• The increase in FDI is expected to improve capital availability & boost competition in the sector.
• It was announced by the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2021-22.
Under the new structure,
• The majority of directors on board & key management persons would be resident Indians.
• At least, 50% of directors being independent directors & specified percentage of profits will be retained as a
general reserve.
Penetration of Insurance in India
• At present, the Life Insurance premium as a percentage of GDP is 3.6% in India which is less than the global
average of 7.13%.
• In the case of General Insurance, it is 0.94% of India’s GDP, the world average is 2.88%.
India has already allowed 100% FDI in Insurance intermediary services which include insurance brokers,
reinsurance brokers, insurance consultants, corporate agents, third party administrators, surveyors & loss assessors.
i.On December 16, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the
proposals detailed by Union Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B),
Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises (MoHI&PE), and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change (MoEFCC).
ii.November 26, 2020, The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the following
approvals on November 25, 2020, which were detailed by Union Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar during a press
conference.
Union Cabinet:
• A small executive body that acts as the supreme decision-making body in India.
• Only the Prime Minister & Ministers of the rank of Cabinet Minister are members of the Union Cabinet
following Article 75 of the Indian Constitution.
• The total number of ministers in the Union Cabinet must not exceed 15% of the total number of members of
Lok Sabha.

On March 16, 2021, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi gave approval to several
important proposals. They are
• Approval for the closure of Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation of India Limited (HHEC).
• Approval for Revised Cost Estimates for the strengthening of Transmission & Distribution in Arunachal
Pradesh & Sikkim.
• Clearance for Development Finance Institution (DFI) with Capital Infusion of INR 20, 000 Crore.
• MoU between India & Maldives on Cooperation in Sports and Youth Affairs.
Closure of Handicrafts & Handlooms Export Corporation of India Limited (HHEC)
The cabinet approved the closure of HHEC, New Delhi. HHEC is a Government of India undertaking under the
administrative control of the Ministry of Textiles.
• All the permanent employees and Management Trainees will be given an opportunity to avail the benefit of a
Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) as per rules laid down by the Department of Public Enterprises.
• The closure approval will benefit the Government’s Exchequer by reducing recurring expenditure on
salary/wages.
• HHEC has been facing losses since FY 2015-16 and is being closed due to insufficiency to meet its running
expenses.
Approval of RCE for Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs headed by PM Narendra Modi approved the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of
‘Comprehensive Scheme for Strengthening of Transmission & Distribution in Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim’. The
estimated cost of RCE is INR 9129.32 Crore.

• Objective – To Strengthen the Intra-State Transmission & Distribution Infrastructure in the 2 states by
providing grid connectivity to remote areas.
• It will be implemented through POWERGRID, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Ministry of Power in
partnership with Sikkim & Arunachal Pradesh. It is targeted to be commissioned in a phased manner by
December 2021.
Benefits
• Creation of a reliable power grid that will extend the benefits of connected power to remote & border areas of
Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim.
• It will increase the per capita power consumption of these states & contribute to overall economic
development.
• Post Completion, the assets created under the scheme will generate considerable local employment
opportunities.
Comprehensive Scheme for Strengthening of Transmission & Distribution in Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim
• The scheme was approved in December 2014 as a Central Sector Plan Scheme of the Ministry of Power.
• The entire cost of the scheme will be borne by the Government of India through the Plan Scheme of
the Ministry of Power.
Establishment of DFI
Approval for Development Finance Institution (DFI) with Capital Infusion of INR 20, 000 Crore. The setting up of
DFI was announced in the Union Budget 2021-22.
• Objective – To raise funds from Pension, Sovereign wealth funds for Long-term funding of Infrastructure &
Developmental Activities.
• Target – To have a lending Portfolio of at least INR 5 Lakh Crore within 3 years’ time.
• DFI will be fully government-owned initially and the promoter’s stake will be brought down to 26 per cent
in the next few years.
• The government will provide a 10-year tax exemption to funds invested in the DFI to attract long-term
players such as insurance and pension funds.
• The government is planning to issue some securities to the proposed DFI, through which the cost of funds will
come down.
Funding
• Capital Infusion for 2021 – INR 20, 000 Crore
• Initial Grant – INR 5, 000 Crore
• Additional Increments of the grant will be made within the limit of INR 5, 000 Crore.
Key Points
• According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), DFI is a government-
backed specialised banking institution for enabling the development of the private sector in developing
countries.
• Along with the announcement of setting up DFI, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also included
capital expenditure of INR 5.54 Lakh Crore for the FY 2021-22.
MoU between India & Maldives on Cooperation in Sports and Youth Affairs
The Union Cabinet approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Youth Affairs &
Sports of India & the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment of the Maldives for cooperation in
Sports & Youth Affairs.
The agreement was signed in November 2020.
Objective
• Bilateral Exchange Programme in the field of sports & youth affairs between the two sides.
• Sharing Knowledge & Expertise in the area of sports science, sports medicine, coaching techniques,
participation in youth festivals & Camps.
• The main aim of the collaboration is to improve the performance of our sportspersons in International
Tournaments.

i.On November 26, 2020, The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the
Amalgamation of Lakshmi Vilas Bank with DBS Bank India Limited
ii.On December 30, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the approval for INR
3,004.63 Crore project to turn Paradip Port in Odisha into a world-class port.
About Maldives:
Capital – Male
President – Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR)

On March 23, 2021, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi approved several important
proposals.
• Cabinet was appraised on the progress under the National Health Mission (NHM) during FY 2019-20.
• Approval of signing of MoU between UPSC, India & Independent Administrative Reforms & Civil Services
Commission (IARCSC), Afghanistan.
• Memorandum of Cooperation signed between India & Japan in Water Resources Field.
Appraisal of NHM’s progress during FY 2019-20
• NHM comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it stated an Expenditure of INR 27, 989 Crore
(Central Share) during the FY 2019-20.
Key Points
i.MMR, URMR & IMR
• Acceleration in decline of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) & Infant
Mortality Rate (IMR) since the launch of NRHM/NHM.
• At this rate of decline, India will be able to reach its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets (70 Maternal
Deaths per 10,000; U5MR- 25 deaths per 1000 live births) before the due year 2030.
ii.Decline of Diseases
• Malaria – A decline of 61% malaria cases & 83% deaths was recorded in 2018 compared to 2014. In 2019,
Malaria cases & deaths declined by 21.27% and 20% respectively compared to 2018.
• Dengue – In 2019, the Case Fertility Rate (CFR) in relation to Dengue was reduced to 0.1% (National Target
was to sustain CSR at Less than 1%).
iii.Others
• Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 to reach and unreached and partially vaccinated children in 29
States/UTs.
• Implementation of Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) in 3 States/UT. It was launched in
2016 to support dialysis facilities in all district hospitals.
New Initiatives started by NHM in 2019-20
i.SAANS
• SAANS stands for Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully
• To accelerate action for reducing deaths due to childhood pneumonia.
ii.SUMAN
• It stands for Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN).
• To provide free quality healthcare to pregnant women, new mothers and newborns.
• Through this initiative, the government aims to achieve the target of reducing maternal and infant mortality.
iii.Midwifery Services Initiative
• To create a cadre of Nurse Practitioners in Midwifery who are skilled in accordance with competencies
prescribed by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).
• To train Nurse Practitioners who are knowledgeable and capable of providing compassionate women-
centered, reproductive, maternal and newborn health care services.

iv.School Health and Wellness Ambassadors Initiative
• School Health and Wellness Ambassadors Initiative was launched under the AB-HWCs (Ayushman Bharat-
Health and Wellness Centre) Programme.
• It was launched in partnership with the Ministry of Education to promote health and well-being through an
active lifestyle amongst school children.
Regarding Diseases
• MMR has declined by 443 points from 556 per one lakh live births in 1990 to 113 in 2016-18. A decline of 80%
(since 1990) which is higher than the global decline of 45%.
• TFR (Total Fertility Rate) in India declined from 2.3% in 2013 to 2% in 2018.
• Incidence of TB per 1, 00, 000 population has declined from 234 in 2012 to 193 in 2019. Mortality due to TB
per 1 Lakh populations for India reduce to 33 in 2019 (from 42 in 2012).
• The percentage of Kala-Azar endemic blocks, achieving the elimination target of Less than 1 KA case per 10,
000 population, increased from 74.2% in 2014 to 94% in 2019-20.
• The National target of sustaining case fatality rate (CFR) to less than 1% was achieved.
Targets
• Reduce MMR to 1/1000 live births
• Reduce IMR to 25/1000 live births
• Reduce TFR to 2.1
• Reduce prevalence of Leprosy to Less than 1/10, 000 population and incidence to zero in all districts
• Annual Malaria Incidence to be Less than 1/1000
• Prevent and reduce mortality & Morbidity from Communicable, non-communicable; injuries and emerging
diseases.
• Reduce household out-of-pocket expenditure on total health care expenditure
• Ending the TB epidemic by 2025 from India.
National Health Mission
• NHM was launched in 2013 subsuming the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) & National Urban Health
Mission.
• Objective -For access to affordable and quality health care to rural populations, with focus on vulnerable
groups.
• Ministry of Finance accorded interim extension of NHM for a period up to 31st March, 2021 or till the date the
recommendation of 15th Finance Commissions come into effect.
Cabinet Approval with Other Countries
The Union Cabinet approved the signing of a MoU between Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), India &
Independent Administrative Reforms and Civil Services Commission (IARCSC), Afghanistan
Objective
• To strengthen the relationship between IARCSC & UPSC
• To facilitate sharing of experience & expertise of both parties in the area of recruitment.
Features of MoU:
• Exchange of experience on modern approach to public service recruitment and selection.
• Exchange of information and expertise including books, manuals and other documents.
• Sharing of expertise in use of Information Technology (IT) in the preparation of written examinations and
holding of Computer Based Recruitment Tests & Online Examinations.
• Sharing of experience in the Single Window System for faster scrutiny and speedy disposal of applications.
• Sharing of experience and expertise on various processes involved in the examination system.
• For Organization of training sessions for officials, including short attachments to the Parties’
secretariat/headquarters.
• Sharing of experience regarding processes and procedures followed by various government agencies in
recruitment of posts.
About Union Public Service Commission (UPSC):
Chairman – Pradeep Kumar Joshi
Head quarter – New Delhi, Delhi.

About Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC):
Chairman -Ahmad Nader Nadery
Head quarter – Kabul, Afghanistan
Approval of MoC between India & Japan
The Union Cabinet approved an MoC signed between the Department of Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India & Water and Disaster Management bureau, Ministry
of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan in the field of Water resources.
Objective – To achieve water security, improved irrigation facility and sustainability in water resources
development.
Benefits
• It was signed for development of long-term cooperation in the field of Water and Delta management, and
Water technology.
• It will increase the exchange of information, knowledge, technology and scientific allied experience,
• The agreement will also facilitate implementation of joint projects between the two countries.
i.On February 24, 2021, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved proposals
regarding Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Pharmaceuticals & IT Hardware and proposal of the Home
Ministry to dissolve the Puducherry Assembly and impose President’s rule in the Union Territory.
Union Cabinet:
• A small executive body that acts as the supreme decision-making body in India.
• Only the Prime Minister & Ministers of the rank of Cabinet Minister are members of the Union Cabinet
following Article 75 of the Indian Constitution.
• The total number of ministers in the Union Cabinet must not exceed 15% of the total number of members of
Lok Sabha.
PARLIAMENT NEWS
President Ram Nath Kovind gives Assent to 3 Major Bills
President Ram Nath Kovind gave his Assent to 3 Major Bills passed by the Indian Parliament. They are
• National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Bill, 2021
• The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021
• The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021
National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Bill, 2021
Ministries involved – Ministry of Finance;Corporate Affairs;Information and Broadcasting.
i.It aims to establish the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NBFID) as the principal
Development Financial Institution (DFI) for Infrastructure financing in India.
• It will be set up as a corporate body with authorised share capital of One Lakh Crore Rupees & INR 20, 000
crores as equity & INR 5,000 crore as grant.
• DFI will provide long-term finance for segments of the economy in which risks involved are beyond the
acceptable limits of commercial banks & other financial institutions.
• A 5 years’ tax break to NaBFID or DFI was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to ensure that
more funds flow to it.
• The ambit of developmental projects to be undertaken by the NaBFID includes social sector infrastructure
projects including Health & Education.
In the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act),in section 2, after clause (ccc), the
following clauses shall be inserted, namely:
• ‘(ccci) “National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development” means
the Institution established under section 3 of the National Bank for Financing
Infrastructure and Development Act, 2021.
• (cccii)” other development financial institution” means a development financial institution licensed under
section 29 of the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Act, 2021.

Objectives
It basically has 2 objectives – Financial & Developmental
• Financial – To directly or indirectly lend, invest, or attract investments for infrastructure projects located
entirely or partly in India.
• Developmental – Facilitating development of the market for bonds, loans, and derivatives for infrastructure
financing.
Functions
• Extending Loans and advances for Infrastructure projects & taking over or refinancing such existing loans
• Attracting Investment from private sector investors & institutional investors for infrastructure projects
• Organising and facilitating foreign participation in infrastructure projects
• Facilitating negotiations with various government authorities for dispute resolution in the field of
infrastructure financing
• Providing consultancy services in infrastructure financing.
Sources of Fund
• The shares of NBFID will be held by the Central Government, Multilateral Institutions, Sovereign Wealth
Funds, Pension Funds, Insurers, Financial Institutions, Banks & other institutions prescribed by the Central
Government.
• The Central Government will own 100% shares of Institution which will subsequently be reduced up to
26%.
• It may also borrow money from the Central Government, RBI, Scheduled Commercial Banks, Mutual Funds,
Multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
Support from Central Government
• It will provide grants worth INR 5, 000 Crore to NBFID by the end of the first financial year.
• Government will also provide guarantee at a concessional rate of up to 0.1% for borrowing from multilateral
institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and other foreign funds.
Management
It will be governed by a Board of Directors. The Chairperson will be appointed by the Central Government in
consultation with RBI.
The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021
Ministry Involved – Home Affairs
It amends the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.
Key Points
• It provides for the functioning of the Legislative Assembly and the Government of the National Capital
Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
• It amends certain powers and responsibilities of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi and the Lieutenant
Governor.
• Article 239 which deals with the administration of Union Territories like Delhi. In section 21 of the
Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), after
sub-section (2), the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely, The Bill provides that the term
‘Government’ referred to in any law made by the Legislative Assembly will imply Lieutenant Governor (LG).
Other Changes
• It prohibits the Legislative Assembly from making any rule to enable itself or its Committees to consider the
matters of day-to-day administration of the NCT of Delhi & conduct any inquiry in relation to administrative
decisions.
• It gives power to the LG to make rules in matters which fall outside the purview of the elected government in
Delhi.
• Further it states that, the opinion of the LG of Delhi should be obtained before the state government takes any
form of executive action based on decision taken by an individual minister or cabinet.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021
(Ministry of Mines)
It amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (which regulates the mining sector in
India).
i.The main objective of the Bill is to Reform the Mining sector in India.
• The act provides for removal of distinction between captive and merchant mines. Captive mines can now sell
up to 50% of their annual mineral production in the open market after meeting their own needs.
• It empowers the Central Government to issue directions regarding composition & utilization of funds
maintained by the District Mineral Foundation.
• At present, India utilizes only 45% of its Mineral resources, which have resulted in dependence on imports.
Benefits
• It is expected to increase the production level of minerals, generate employment, increase revenues and
ensure private participation in the exploration and mining activities.
• The reforms are expected to create more than 55 Lakh employment in India.
• It will aid Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) & technologies in the mining sector.
• Government has also proposed to make the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) an autonomous and
professional body which would provide funds for exploration.
• The bill empowers the Central Government to specify a time for completion of the auction process in
consultation with the State Government.
Reasons for Reforms:
• India’s mineral sector contributes only 1.75% to India’s GDP, with India importing minerals worth INR 2.5
Trillion annually.
• National Mineral Policy has set a goal to increase mineral production by 200% in 7 years. Out of India’s
geological potential area of 0.571 million square Kms, only 10% has been explored.
About President of India:
Constituting Instrument – Article 52 of the Indian Constitution
About Ministry of Mines:
Union Minister – Pralhad Joshi (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Dharwad, Karnataka)
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

MoHUA launches Field Assessment of Swachh Survekshan 2021
On March 1, 2021, Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the
field assessment for the 6th Edition of the Annual Cleanliness Survey ‘Swachh Survekshan 2021 (SS2021)’ (urban) in
New Delhi, which is said to be World’s largest cleanliness survey.
• The Survey (face-to-face citizen’s feedback) will be conducted between January 4-31 every year but the same
is set to be conducted between March 1-28, 2021 due to pandemics.
• In SS2021, apart from ranking cities & states, districts are also set to be ranked (based on the performance of
their cities).
• MoHUA conducts the survey while the Quality Council of India (QCI) is the Implementing Agency.
Feedback through Digital Platforms
• SS2021 has already got 3 Crore citizen feedback through a variety of digital platforms like Vote for Your City
App, Swachhata App & Swachh Survekshan Portal and through the Integrated Management Information
System (MIS) portal.
Objective of Swachh Survekshan
• To create a healthy competition amongst towns & cities by improving service delivery to citizens & moving
towards creating cleaner cities.
• To Encourage Large Scale participation, ensure sustainability of initiatives taken towards garbage free & open
defecation free cities.

Background
• Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene & sanitation in cities & towns across India. It is
conducted in both Rural & Urban Areas.
• It was launched in 2016 by MoHUA as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to make India clean & free of open
defecation by October 2, 2019.
• MoHUA conducts the surveys in Urban Areas (Swachh Survekshan-Urban), while the Ministry of Jal Shakti
conducts surveys in Rural areas (Swachh Survekshan-Gramin).
Indicators
SS2021 will be categorised on the basis of six select Indicators. They are
• Segregation of Waste into Wet, Dry and Hazard Categories
• Processing capacity against wet waste generated
• Processing and recycling of wet & dry waste
• Construction and Demolition waste processing
• Percentage of waste going to landfills
• Sanitation status of cities
Parameters like waste processing capacities, unprocessed/processed waste going to landfill, remediation of
dumpsites, wastewater treatment & reuse along with faecal sludge management have been given focus.
Prerak Dauur Samman
A New Performance category called ‘Prerak Dauur Samman’ has been announced as part of Swachh Survekshan 2021,
where cities will be rewarded for their performance based on indicators from SS-2021 ‘Service Level Progress’.
• They have a total of 5 additional subcategories called – Divya (Platinum), Anupam (Gold), Ujjwal (Silver),
Udit (Bronze) & Aarohi (Aspiring).
Progress of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U)
Since the launch of SBM-U in 2014, around 4360 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) have been declared ODF (Open
Defecation Free), 2158 cities certified ODF+ & 551 cities certified ODF++.
• Around 66 Lakh Individual toilets & around 6 Lakh community/public toilets have been constructed/under
construction.
• Regarding Solid Waste Management – A total of 6 cities have been certified as 5 Star, 86 as 3 star & 65 star
under Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free Cities.
2nd Phase of SBM-U
The 2nd Phase of SBM-U for a period of 5 years (2021-26) has been announced in the Union Budget of 2021.
• It will focus on sustainable sanitation (faecal sludge & wastewater management), solid waste management and
eliminating the use of single-use plastic (SUP).
• It will also focus on mitigating air pollution through management of construction & demolition waste &
reducing soil pollution through remediation of legacy dumpsites.
i.On August 20, 2020, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (MoS)-Independent Charge (I/C) MoHUA announced the
5th edition of the annual cleanliness urban survey of India i.e. “Swachh Survekshan 2020 (SS2020)”, Madhya
Pradesh’s Indore Creates record as India’s cleanest city for the 4th consecutive time.
ii.On July 03, 2020, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri launched the toolkit for the 6th edition of the annual cleanliness survey
of urban India ‘Swachh Survekshan (SS) 2021’
About Quality Council of India (QCI):
Chairperson – Mr Adil Zainulbhai
Location – New Delhi
Swachhta Saarthi Fellowships launched by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser
On March 1, 2021, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (GoI) under its “Waste to
Wealth” Mission launched the “Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship”. These fellowships will recognize students, community
workers/self-help groups (SHGs), and municipal/sanitary workers who are working as Swachhta Saarthis to tackle
the challenge of waste management, scientifically and sustainably through various initiatives.

Key Points:
–The fellowships are divided into 3 categories:
• Category-A – Open to School students from 9th to 12th standards engaged in waste management community
work
• Category-B – Open to College students (UG, PG, Research students) engaged in waste management community
work
• Category-C – Open to Citizens working in the community and through SHGs, municipal or sanitary workers
working beyond specifications of their job requirement/descriptions
–Under this, applications are invited from students and community workers who have engaged in waste management
activities.
–The last date for applying to the fellowship is March 19, 2021
through https://www.wastetowealth.gov.in/fellowship.
Point to be noted:
The Waste to Wealth Mission is one of the nine national missions of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and
Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). The other 8 are Natural Language Translation, Quantum Frontier, Artificial
Intelligence, National Biodiversity Mission, Electric Vehicles, Bioscience for Human Health, Deep Ocean Exploration,
and AGNIi.
PM-STIAC – Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council is a principal council that allows
the Principal Scientific Adviser’s Office to assess the status in specific science and technology domains, comprehend
challenges in hand, formulate specific interventions, develop a futuristic roadmap and advise the Prime Minister
accordingly.
i.On January 15, 2021, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched First-of-its-kind “Street Theatre and
Performing Arts Fellowship” Scheme for Artists. The fellowship will help artists to showcase their craft, which will
help in spreading a taste for art and culture among the people of Delhi.
About Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the GoI:
Establishment– 1999
Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI– Professor Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan
Headquarter– New Delhi
Saras Aajeevika Mela 2021 at Noida Haat to Bring Rural Women SHGs Under One Platform
On 26th February 2021, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Rural Development, inaugurated the Saras
Aajeevika Mela 2021 at Noida Haat to bring rural women Self-Help Groups(SHGs) under one platform. The Saras
Aajeevika Mela 2021 has been organised from 26th February 2021 to 14th March 2021.
More than 300 SHGs and craftsmen from 27 states are participating in the mela organised by the Ministry of Rural
Development.
PM Modi inaugurated Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and Research at IIT Kharagpur
Prime Minister(PM) Shri Narendra Modi has addressed the 66th Convocation of IIT Kharagpur through a video
conference and also inaugurated Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and Research at IIT
Kharagpur
• Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and Research is a super specialty hospital that has been
set up by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur with support from the Minister of Education.
Harsh Vardhan launches “CSIR Floriculture Mission”

On March 4, 2021, Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Science & Technology virtually launched the CSIR
(Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Floriculture Mission from New Delhi. It has been approved by the
Government of India for implementation in 21 States and Union Territories (UTs) of India.
• Under this, CSIR will combine latest technologies in the field of floriculture.
Who will implement the mission?
The mission will be implemented in collaboration of the following organizations:

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Directorate of Floriculture
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED)
• Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh), Ministry of Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME)
• Universities
Features of CSIR Floriculture Mission:
i.It will create opportunities for entrepreneurship development in floriculture.
ii.The mission will focus on commercial floral crops, seasonal/annual crops, wild ornaments and cultivation of flower
crops for honey bee rearing.
iii.The popular crops under this include Gladiolus, Canna, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Gerbera, Lilium, Marigold,
Rose, Tuberose etc.
About Floriculture:
i.Floriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and
ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry.
ii.The Indian floriculture market was worth Rs 15700 cr in 2018. The market is projected to reach Rs 47200 cr by
2024 during 2019-24.
iii.Floriculture which can give 5 times more return than the traditional crops.
CSIR’s Societal Portal along with the Android App launched
Dr. Harsh Vardhan also launched CSIR’s Societal Portal along with the Android App which has been developed by
CSIR Team with the help of MyGov Team.
• The Portal will facilitate the public to submit the societal problems that can be resolved using S&T (Science &
technology) interventions.
• This is the first step in terms of seeking inputs on challenges and problems being faced by different stake
holders in society.
Key Participants:
Shekhar C. Mande, Diector General CSIR; Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary Department of Agricultural Research
and Education (DARE)
i.On January 19, 2021, the state government of Gujarat is all set for the formation of ‘Mukhyamantri Bagayat Vikas
Mission’ or ‘Horticulture Development Mission’ to accelerate agriculture, horticulture and promote farming of herbal
plants in the state.
ii.ADB (Asian Development Bank) & GoI signed USD 10 Million Project Readiness Financing (PRF) to help finance
piloting activities, project for expanding horticulture production & farm household income in Himachal Pradesh.
About Ministry of Science and Technology:
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Constituency– Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
Departments under the ministry– Department of Science & Technology(DST), Department of Biotechnology(DBT),
Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR)
Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre Inaugurated TEPC’s “India Telecom 2021” Exclusive International Business Expo
On 3rd March 2021, Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State, Ministry of Communication inaugurated the virtual
“India Telecom 2021”, an Exclusive international business expo organised by Telecom Equipment Export Promotion
Council(TEPC).
• India Telecom 2021 was organised under the Market Access Initiative Scheme (MAI) of Department of
Commerce, Government of India.
• The expo was supported by the Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of External Affairs(MEA).
India Telecom 2021:
India Telecom 2021 is a platform for convergence of technologies and business exchange
The event encloses strategies and learning that goes beyond Telecom and IT industries.

Inaugural session:
Rahul Chhabra, Secretary (ER), Ministry of External Affairs, Anita Praveen, Additional Secretary, Department of
Telecommunications, and other senior officials and industry leaders addressed the inaugural session of India
Telecom 2021.
Promoting fastest growing sector:
i.IT & Electronics industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in India, both in terms of production and
export.Information Technology and Business process management (IT-BPM) industry revenue grew 7% y-o-y to
reach US$ 191 billion in FY20 and is estimated to grow to US$ 350 billion by 2025.
ii.Moreover, revenue from the digital segment is expected to account for 38% of the total industry revenue by 2025.
Digital economy is estimated to reach US$ 1 trillion by 2025.
Telecom Equipment Export Promotion Council(TEPC).
TEPC was established by the Ministry of commerce and Industry and Ministry of Communication, Government of
India.
Aim:
To promote and develop the Export of telecom equipment and services.
Role of the Committee:
Disseminates the trade related data to its members.
Recommends changes in various policies and procedures for promotion of Exports and Services.
Undertake activities to promote exports (Commissioning of Studies to find potential markets, National/International
Seminars, Participation of exporters in various overseas exhibitions).
About TEPC:
Chairman– Sandeep Aggarwal
Headquarters– New Delhi
India’s first forest healing centre inaugurated in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand

On March 9, 2021, India’s first Forest Healing centre was inaugurated by noted environmentalist Joginder Bisht in
the pine dominated forest located at Ranikhet in Kalika Uttarakhand. It was developed by the Research Wing of
Uttarakhand Forest Department in an area of around 13 acres.
• The centre is based on the concept of healing and revitalizing the overall health and well being of people by
bringing them into direct contact with nature.
Theme of Forest:
The forest is inspired from the Japanese technique of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and ancient Indian traditions. It is
themed on ‘be silent, go slow, think less and feel more’.
Why it is located in pine dominated forest?
This healing centre has been established in a pine-dominated forest because it has been found that Pine trees emit
certain oil compounds to safeguard themselves from various microbes and pathogens, which are called phytoncides.
These compounds help to multiply natural killer (NK) cells in the human being blood, which help in fighting infections
and cancerous growth and enhance overall immunity.
Key Features of Centre:
The key activities at the centre include forest walking, tree-hugging, forest meditation and sky gazing.
i.Mediation: The meditation here is different from the traditional meditation system of controlling thoughts or
concentrating the awareness on some particular point. This practice is based more on immersing oneself in silence
and the ambience of the forest.
ii.Sky Gazing: It involves having a gaze at the swaying canopy above and the ever-changing sky.
iii.Tree-hugging: It increases the level of feel-good hormones like oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine, creating the
pleasant effect.
Visitors are advised to leave behind phones, cameras or any other distractions to feel the sensations a direct contact
with nature sends to the brain.

i.Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, inaugurated 1st of its kind Doppler Weather Radars at
Mukteshwar (Uttarakhand) on the occasion of 146th Foundation Day of India Meteorological Department (IMD) on
January 15, 2021.
ii.On 4th February 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) gave approval for the
Lakhwar Electricity Project at a cost of Rs 5747.17 crore in the Yamuna river at Dehradun district, Uttarakhand.
About Uttarakhand:
National Parks– Govind National Park, Corbett National Park, and Rajaji National Park
Rishikesh– Yoga Capital of the World
Dehradun– School Capital of India
Mussoorie– Queen Of Hills
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated India’s first ‘World Skill Center’ in Bhubaneswar
On March 05, 2021, Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the India’s first World Skill Center(WSC),
an advanced skill training institute at Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar with the cost of Rs 1342.2crore, under the Odisha
Skill Development Project.
• The Centre is developed with the assistance of Asian Development Bank(ADB) and ITE Education Services
(ITEES), Singapore as the knowledge partner. ADB will share the cost for developing the WSC center.
Aim:
To provide advance skill training to the youth of the state and prepare them for competing at Global level.
To expand the skill development to reach every village and to make children aware of career choices.
World Skill Center (WSC):
• WSC is the 18-storey state-of-the-art building with a helipad and is now the tallest structure in the State.
• The center is built over an area of 4.5 lakh sq ft in Mancheswar Industrial Area.
• The center seeks inspiration from Institute of Technical Education Services (ITEES), Singapore, World Skills,
Russia and Global Institute for Transferring Skills, South Korea the knowledge partners.
Note: The state is set to create Odisha Skill Vision 2030 to guide future efforts of all implementing departments.
Functions of WSC:
• The center acts as a nodal agency for preparing Odisha’s youth to meet their aspirations and make them
globally employable by competing with their counterparts anywhere.
• It will act as the Centre for Industry Partnership and landing point for industries in Odisha for their
employment needs.
• Serves as a center for capacity building for ITI and polytechnic teachers.
• Offers its first set of courses in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Mechanical and Electrical Services, Vertical
Transportation, Precision Engineering, Mechatronics, and Electrical Technology.
• At first the center will train 3000 students in eight trades.
Personalities present over the inauguration:
• Skill Development and Technical Education Minister –Premananda Nayak
• Odisha Skill Development Authority, Chairman – Subroto Bagchi
• Asian Development Bank, DG – Kenichi Yokoyama
• ITEES, CEO –Bruce Poh
The achievements of ‘Skilled-in-Odisha’ were also highlighted in the event. The inauguration day was coincided with
the birth anniversary of his late father and former CM Biju Patnaik.
On January 19, 2021, Jammu & Kashmir’s Department of Skill Development signed an MoU with IIT Jammu to
increase the skill sets of students and their employability by exposing them to Latest Technologies.
About Odisha:
Lakes – Chilika Lake (2nd largest brackish water lagoon in the world), Ansupa Lake, Pata Lake, Kanjia Lake.
Dams – Hirakud dam, Rengali dam, Indravati dam, Jalaput dam (between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha), Mandira dam,
Patora dam.

About Asian Development Bank(ADB):
Headquarters – Metro Manila, Philippines
Establishment – 19th December 1966
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Country Director for India – Takeo Konishi
PM Narendra Modi Virtually Inaugurated ‘Maitri Setu’ Bridge between India and Bangladesh Over Feni River
On March 9, 2021, Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi Inaugurated the ‘Maitri Setu’ (India-Bangladesh Friendship
Bridge) virtually between India and Bangladesh over Feni River at Sabroom in south Tripura. During the event he
also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for eight other infrastructure projects together worth ₹ 3,518 crore.
Objective -The Maitri Setu Bridge will help improve connectivity and enhance economic opportunities for people of
both the countries.
About Maitri Setu Bridge:
i.Maitri Setu Bridge is 1.9 Km long.
ii.Maitri Setu Bridge Connects Tripura, India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.
iii.National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd constructed the Bridge at a project cost of Rs.
133 Crores.
iv.With this inauguration, Tripura is set to become the ‘Gateway of North East’ with access to Chittagong Port of
Bangladesh, which is just 80 Kms from Sabroom.
v.The Bridge will also benefit the government of Assam, Mizoram, Manipur because it will help to connect the above
mentioned states with Bangladesh as well as with the other countries of SouthEast Asia.
Note – Once the Feni Bridge becomes operational, Agartala will become closest city in country to an international sea
ports.
PM of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Addressed the Event
• Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina had send a video message during the inauguration ceremony.
• While addressing the event, Chittagong Port and Mongla port as Port of Call to facilitate India’s uninterrupted
international and domestic trade activities through waterways in Bangladesh.
Other Inaugurations by PM Narendra Modi in Tripura:
While addressing the event, PM Narendra Modi talked about the HIRA development i.e. Highways, i-ways, Railways
and Airways for Tripura & inaugurated various projects viz,
i.PM, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for setting up an Integrated Check Post at Sabroom.
• The Check Post will be constructed by the Land Ports Authority of India at an estimated cost of about Rs. 232
Crores.
ii.He also laid the foundation stone of 80 Km Long NH 208 connecting the Unakoti district headquarters at
Kailashahar with the Khowai district headquarters.
• NH 208 project will be constructed by National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation
Limited(NHIDCL) with a project cost of Rs. 1078 Crores.
iii.He will also inaugurate State Highways and other district roads, with a financial outlay of Rs. 63.75 Crores.
• It will be developed by the State government & will provide all weather connectivity to the people of Tripura.
iv.He will inaugurate 40978 houses constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), completed with the
financial outlay of Rs. 813 Crores.
v.He will also inaugurate the Integrated Command and Control Centre built under Agartala Smart City Mission. & will
lay the foundation stone for the development of Multi Level Car Parking and Commercial Complex at Old Motor Stand.
It will be developed at an investment of about Rs 200 crore.
vi.He will also lay foundation stone for widening of road from Lichubagan to the airport from two lanes to four lanes.
The work is being implemented by Agartala Smart City Mission at a project cost of about Rs 96 crores.
i.On February 18, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launched the ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ programme
& laid the foundation stone for 2 Bridges ‘Dhubri-Phulbari’ bridge which is set to be India’s Longest Bridge & ‘Majuli’
Bridge in Assam.

ii.On January 22, 2021, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma inaugurated India’s Longest Steel Arch Bridge
‘Wahrew Bridge’ at Tharia Village in Meghalaya. The 169 metre long bridge connects Bholaganj & Sohbar to Nongjri
in East Khasi Hills and runs over the river Wahrew.
About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana -Urban (PMAY-U):
PMAY-U is a flagship Mission of Government of India being implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA), was launched on 25th June 2015.
Target – To provide housing for all in urban areas by year 2022.
Budget Allocation – In Union Budget 2021-22, MoHUA was allocated with Rs 27,500 crore for Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana (PMAY).
About Tripura:
Kokborok is the main native language of the Tripuri people of the Indian state of Tripura and neighbouring areas of
Bangladesh. Its name comes from kok meaning “verbal” and borok meaning “people” or “human”.
Chief Minister – Biplab Kumar Deb
Capital – Agartala
About Bangladesh:
Prime Minister – Sheikh Hasina
Capital – Dhaka
Currency – Bangladeshi Taka
Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda Inaugurated First of its Kind “Tribes India GI Mahotsav” at LBSNAA,
Mussoorie
On 5th March 2021, Arjun Munda, Union Minister, Ministry of Tribal Affairs(MoTA) inaugurated the “Tribes India GI
Mahotsav” at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration(LBSNAA), Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. This is
the first of its kind exhibition featuring the GI Products from across India.
• The Tribes India GI Mahotsav: Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India was organised by Tribal
Cooperative Marketing Federation of India(TRIFED), under MoTA in collaboration with LBSNAA, Mussoorie
and Ministry of Culture.
Key People:
Bhaskar Khulbe, Advisor to the Prime Minister of India; Sanjeev Chopra, Director of LBSNAA; Pravir Krishna,
Managing Director of TRIFED and Padmashri Dr. Rajni Kant, Advisor of TRIFED Atmanirbhar Bharat project on GI
products participated in the event.
Purpose of “Tribes India GI Mahotsav”:
• To increase the awareness about the GI tagged products among the IAS probationers at LBSNAA.
• To sensitize them about the rich cultural heritage of India so that they can formulate policies to safeguard the
interest of GI products in their region.
Other Inaugurations and Launches:
i.Union Minister Arjun Munda also inaugurated the 130th Tribes India Showroom and Cafe of Tribes India at
Velridge Building, near LBSNAA, Mussoorie.
• The showroom will market and promote GI Products, high quality handcrafted designs from various states of
India and organic products.
ii.At the event, the TRIFED jackets are made in the traditional geometric Ikat weaving style by the weavers of
Pochampally was also launched.
About TRIFED:
Managing Director– Pravir Krishna
India Sets Up 1st of its kind ‘India Energy Office’ inaugurated in Moscow,Russia; Enhances Cooperation in
Energy Sector
On 2nd March, 2021 A 1st of its kind India Energy Office (IEO) was inaugurated by Tarun Kapoor, Secretary, Ministry
of Petroleum and Natural Gas at Russia’s landmark Federation Tower in Moscow. India’s top 5 eminent oil companies
– ONGC Videsh, IndianOil, GAIL, Oil India Ltd and Engineers India Ltd will use this as a common platform to expand

cross investment in the Energy Sector.Indian is World’s third-largest oil consumer.
Note – Russia is India’s largest defence supplier.
i.IEO will promote mutual investment in the Energy Sector between Indian & Russian companies.
ii.Opening of IEO coincides with the participation of Indian oil companies in Russian Arctic Exploration project,
“Vostok Project”.
iii.Russia, one of the World’s largest Energy Producers has the potential to act as an alternative to India’s
overdependence on West Asia.
About Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas:
Union Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan (Constituency – Madhya Pradesh)
Secretary – Tarun Kapoor
About Russia:
President – Vladimir Putin
Capital – Moscow
Currency – Ruble
Lena River is the longest river in Russia.
Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest Railway line in the world.
Ramesh Pokhriyal inaugurates 29th Edition of New Delhi World Book Fair 2021
Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ inaugurated the 29th Edition of New Delhi World Book Fair
2021 – Virtual Edition. The fair was held from March 6-9, 2021. The theme of the book fair was ‘National Education
Policy-2020’. The New Delhi World Book Fair is organized by the National Book Trust. The event saw participation
of people from 15 countries including the UK, and US, UAE, China, France, Iran, Nepal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, and
Italy.
President Laid Foundation Stone for Conservation Works at Singorgarh Fort in MP

On 7th March 2021, Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, laid the foundation stone for the conservation works at
the Singorgarh fort and addressed the State level (Janjatiya Sammelan) Tribal conference in Singrampur village
of Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh(MP).Singorgarh fort was a magnificent fort and a residence of Rajgond rulers of
Central India.
President participated in the event during his 2-day visit to MP from 6th March 2021 to 7th March 2021.
• The program was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Madhya Pradesh’s Tribal
Affairs Department.
• He also inaugurated the new Jabalpur circle of Archaeological Survey of India(ASI)
PM Inaugurated the Curtain Raiser Activities of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (India@75)

On 12th March 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the curtain raiser activities of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav’ (India@75), the government’s initiative to mark 75 years of India’s Independence at the event organised
in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.It will continue till 15 August, 2023.
He also flagged off the Padyatra (Freedom March) from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad to Dandi, Gujarat as a part
of the India@75 programme. This marks the 91st anniversary of Gandhi’s 1930 Dandi March.
He has also launched various cultural and digital initiatives for the celebration of India@75.
PM Modi launched a website for Amrit Mahotsav as well as an ‘Atmanirbhar Incubator’ that seeks to support around
40,000 families involved in traditional craft.
Key People:
Acharya Devvrat, governor of Gujarat; Vijay Rupani Chief Minister of Gujarat and Prahalad Singh Patel, Union Minister
of State (independent charge), Ministry of Culturewere present at the event.
Committee headed by Amit Shah:
The Central government has constituted a committee under Union Home Minister Amit Shah to chalk out policies and
planning of various events to be undertaken as part of the celebrations.

Highlights:
i.The 241 miles Padyatra has been undertaken by 81 marchers from Sabarmati Ashram which will end on 5th April
2021(lasting for 25 days)
ii.Union MoS Prahlad Singh Patel led the first lap of 75 kilometers of the padyatra.
iii.5 Pillars to celebrate 75 years of India’s independence are Freedom Struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75,
Actions at 75 and Resolve at 75.
iv.He also urges the youths of the nation to take responsibility in documenting the history of the freedom fighters
who sacrificed their life during the freedom movement.
v.The Mahotsav will be celebrated as a Jan-Utsav in the spirit of Jan-Bhagidari.
vi.Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav means elixir of energy of independence. It means elixir of inspirations of the warriors of
freedom struggle; elixir of new ideas and pledges and nectar of Aatmnirbharta.
Efforts to preserve the history of Independence:
Various sites with historic importance were being revived, the sites include,
• Sites associated with the Dandi Yatra were completed.
• The site in Andaman, where Nethaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisted the tricolour flag after the formation of the
first independent government in India.
• Sites associated with Baba Saheb have been developed in the form of Panchtirtha.
• The memorial in Jallianwala Bagh and memorial of the Paika movement have also been developed.
On 1st December, 2020 Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda launched the first ever virtual edition of Aadi
Mahotsav, at Madhya Pradesh. Aadi Mahotsav also known as National Tribal festival is conducted to promote the
tribal, products, culture thereby increasing Tribal income.
Foreign Secretary Shringla inaugurates South Asia Group on Energy (SAGE) at RIS, New Delhi
On 10th March 2021, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringala inaugurated the South Asia Group of Energy
(SAGE) at the Research & Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) in New Delhi. He highlighted various
initiatives taken by India through its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
Note – India is the largest producer and consumer of energy in this region.
Highlights of Inaugural Speech:
i.India is working with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan & Myanmar to promote them into an energy hub.
ii.As a 1st of kind move in Asia, India makes cross border transport of hydrocarbons to Nepal through pipelines. And
provides gas through pipelines to neighbouring Bangladesh & Bhutan.
iii.Currently, 3000MW of Electricity is traded among the 4 South-Asian neighbours, India, Nepal, Bhutan &
Bangladesh.
iv.Bhutan sells India about 1400MW of its Surplus Hydrocarbon, that accounts for 25% of its GDP.
About Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS):
RIS is an autonomous policy research institute.
Aim- To promote cooperation between developing countries, to strengthen policy coherence on international
economic issues & development.
Chairperson – Dr. Mohan Kumar
Director General – Sachin Chaturvedi
Headquarters – New Delhi, India
PM Modi launches the Kindle version of Swami Chidbhavanandaji’s Bhagavad Gita

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Kindle version of Swami Chidbhavanandaji’s Bhagavad Gita through
virtual mode.
• Swami Chidbhavanandaji is the founder of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam Ashram at Thirupparaithurai,
Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, who has authored 186 books and all genres of literary composition.
• Tamil version of the Gita was published in 1951, followed by the English in 1965

Harsh Vardhan addresses the inaugural session of Techbharat 2021
On March 6, 2021, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan addressed the inaugural session of
2nd edition of TechBharat 2021, e-conclave of HealthTech & Edutech sectors. Laghu Udyog Bharati and IMS
Foundation have organized the 2nd edition of the conclave. In the Union Budget 2021-22, ₹2,23,846 crore budget
outlay was allocated in health and well-being, “highest ever funding for the health sector”.
Power Minister R K Singh launches GRAM UJALA in Bihar; 1st Carbon Credits Programme in India
On March 19, 2021, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, R K Singh virtually launched the ‘GRAM
UJALA’ programme in Arrah, Bihar. Under the programme, 15 Million (1.5 Crore) LEDs with 3 years of warranty will
be given to rural customers on submission of working incandescent bulbs.
• The scheme was unveiled by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL).
• GRAM UJALA Scheme was launched since the rural population of India was still unable to afford discounted
LEDs.
• Under this scheme Government will offer the world’s cheapest LED bulbs in rural areas at an INR 10.
• The LEDs distributed have the capacities of 7-watt & 12-watt.Each household can get up to 5 LEDs.
Note – According to EESL, India is currently the second-largest LED market in the world by value.
Financial Support:-
• This scheme will be financed entirely through Carbon Credits making it the first such program in India. The
scheme will claim carbon credits under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
• Under the scheme, the Revenue earned from carbon credits will contribute ₹60 per LED bulb piece, with the
balance of ₹10 to be paid by the rural consumer.
Impacts of Implementation
• It will have a significant impact on India’s climate change action energy savings of 2025 million kWh/year and
CO2 reductions of 1.65 million tonnes CO2/year.
• It also aims to bring in better illumination at affordable prices, a better standard of life, financial savings, more
economic activity & better safety for rural citizens.
• If all 300 Million lights in India were placed, the total energy savings will be 40, 743 million kWh/year.
• It will result in avoiding peak demand of 22, 743 MW/year & CO2 reductions of 37 million tons per year.
1st Phase of Implementation
• Under the 1st phase of the program, it will be implemented across villages of 5 states – Aarah (Bihar),
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Nagpur (Maharashtra) & in villages of Western
Gujarat.
Carbon Credit
• It refers to Carbon offset as a financial tool to reduce carbon emissions by storing carbons for future or
later use.
• It will help the individual to adopt a more concerted and disciplined approach to reduce their carbon
footprints.
Background– The government’s previous Ujala (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All) scheme had cut LED bulb
prices to ₹70 apiece from around ₹310 in 2014.
i.On November 17, 2020 EESL signed an MoU with the Department of New & Renewable Energy (DNRE), Government
of Goa to discuss the implementation of India’s First 100 MW(MegaWatt) decentralized solar convergence project
under the newly formed Convergence Energy Services Limited (Convergence) in Goa.
About Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL):
It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL)
CEO – Mahua Acharya.
Sadananda Gowda inaugurates 11th Edition of India Chem 2021 in New Delhi
Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers inaugurated ‘India Chem 2021’ – the 11th Biennial
International Exhibition & Conference at New Delhi. It is organized by the Department of Chemicals &

Petrochemicals, Government of India & FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and will be
held from March 17-19, 2021.
• Theme – “India: Global Manufacturing Hub for Chemicals and Petrochemicals”
• Objective – To highlight the investment potential in Indian Chemicals & Petrochemicals Industry.
• India Chem is one of the largest composite events of the Chemical & Petrochemical sector in the Asia-Pacific
event.
Event Held
i.During India Chem-2021 events such as Global CEOs Round Table, Conclaves on Global Chemical Industry;
Petrochemical Industry;Global Agrochemical Industry;Capital Goods; Plant Machinery were held.
ii.Three Bilateral events were held for enhancing bilateral trade and investment opportunities in the sector. They
were
• India-Japan Chemical and Petrochemical Forum
• India-EU Chemical and Petrochemical Forum
• India-US Chemical and Petrochemical Forum
Investment of 8 Lakh by 2025
Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda stated that an investment of INR 8 Lakh Crore is anticipated in the Indian
Chemicals & Petrochemical industry by 2025.
• Government has launched 12 Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for direct/indirect benefit of the
chemicals sector.
Budget allocation in Union Budget 2021-22
In the Union Budget 2021-22, Government has increased budgetary allocation for the Department of Chemicals &
Petrochemicals by 7% from INR 218.34 crore in 2020-21 to INR 233.14 Crore.
• INR 53.73 crore for promotion of petrochemicals.
• INR 117.88 Crore for Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology.
• The import duty on Naphtha has been reduced from 4.0% to 2.5% in the budget.
i.On February 23, 2021, Union Minister Sadananda Gowda, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers (MoC&F) presented
the 10th National Awards for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals and Downstream Plastics Processing Industry
for FY 2019-20 at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
About Ministry for Chemicals & Fertilizers:
Union Minister – D V Sadananda Gowda (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Bangalore North, Karnataka)
Minister of State – Mansukh Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha MP – Gujarat)
PM Modi launches ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan:Catch the Rain’; MoA signed for implementation of Ken Betwa Link
Project
On the Occasion of World Water Day (March 22, 2021), Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched/witnessed two
key events
• Launch of ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan:Catch the Rain’ campaign to undertake water conservation at grass-root level
through people’s participation.
• PM witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Union Minister of Jal Shakti &
the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for implementation of the Ken Betwa Link Project
(KBLP). It is the 1st project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers.
‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan:Catch the Rain’
• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Jal Shakti under National Water Mission (NWM).
• Theme – ‘Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls’.
• Objective – To create rainwater harvesting structure suitable to climatic conditions & ensuring proper storage
of rainwater.
• Funds from MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) will be used for the
Rainwater conservation programme.
• It will be undertaken in both rural and urban areas from 22nd March, 2021 – 30th November, 2021.
• The campaign will be carried out as a Jan Andolan (People’s mass movement).

• It will be carried out across India’s 734 districts covering 600, 000 villages.
KBLP – India 1st Project under National Perspective Plan for Interlinking of rivers
KBLP is the 1st Project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers. Under this project, water from
the Ken river (in Madhya Pradesh) will be transferred to the Betwa river (in Uttar Pradesh). Both rivers are
tributaries of river Yamuna.
To implement the Ken Betwa Link Project (KBLP),
Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Union
Minister of Jal Shakti(Presently – Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat) and the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh
(Currently- Shivraj Singh Chouhan) and Uttar Pradesh
(Currently- Yogi Adityanath) was signed.
• Objective – To Transfer surplus water from Ken
river to Betwa river to irrigate the drought-prone
Bundelkhand region.
• It is one of the 30 river interlinking projects
conceived across India.
• Cost – The Estimated cost of KBLP according to the Comprehensive Detailed Project Report is INR 35, 111.24
Crore at 2017-18 prices.
• Points of Conflict – Some areas of KBLP project lie within the core tiger habitat of Panna Tiger Reserve
(Madhya Pradesh).
• The project involves building a 77-metre tall and a 2-km wide Dhaudhan dam and a 230-km canal. Originally,
this phase envisaged irrigating 6,35,661 hectares annually (3,69,881 ha in M.P. and 2,65,780 ha in U.P.). In
addition, the project was to provide 49 million cubic metres (MCM) for drinking water supply en route.
Benefits
• It will provide annual irrigation of 10.62 Lakh Hectares.
• Provide drinking water supply to about 62 Lakh people.
• Generate 103 MW of hydropower.
• The project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved region of Bundelkhand, especially to the districts
of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen of Madhya Pradesh and
Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh.
Future Enhancements:
Project needs approval on the share of Centre and State in funding, forming a new organisation, “Ken Betwa Link
Project Authority” to execute the project and obtaining a stage 2 forest clearance for constructing the Daudhan dam.
The project, as of today, is expected to be ready in 8 years.
Importance of Water Conservation
• India’s water demand is likely to double by 2030, potentially costing a 6% loss in GDP by 2050.
• India sustains 18% of the world’s population & 15% of global livestock with just about 4% of global freshwater
resources.
• India’s most water-stressed blocks are in Tamil Nadu (541), Rajasthan (218), Uttar Pradesh (139) & Telangana
(137).
i.November 10, 2020, Tamil Nadu won the first place in the Union ministry of Jal Shakti’s 2nd National Water Awards
for 2019 under the best state (normal) category for the conservation and management of water.
About Ministry of Jal Shakti:
Union Minister – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Jodhpur, Rajasthan)
Minister of State – Rattan Lal Kataria (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Ambala, Haryana)
Maldives inaugurates ‘Fiyavathi Home for Vulnerable Children’ funded by India

On March 24, 2021, Maldives Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services inaugurated the renovated ‘Fiyavathi
Home for Vulnerable Children’ in Hulhumale. A Cash grant of ~ 1.9 Million Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) (~Indian
Rupee(INR) 89 Lakh) was allocated for the completion of this project.

• The main aim of the project is to create a conducive home environment for children to grow and develop.
• The ‘Fiyavathi’ home in Hulhumale houses over 110 kids.
• The 1.9 Million MVR is part of India’s total grant assistance of MVR 200 Million to the Maldives for supporting
socially impactful projects.
Elements of the Project
Upgradation of the security system, creating play areas for toddlers, planting trees, setting up common rooms
furnished with computers and play stations were carried out.
India’s Funding to Maldives
• The main aim behind India’s high-impact grant projects in Maldives is to involve a high-level of community
participation in project-implementation.
• Through its funding, India aims to positively impact the areas of livelihood and income generation, health,
education, gender and child empowerment, sports, sustainable development.
• The development partnership is driven by the needs of communities in the Maldives.
i.On August 27, 2020, Maldives launched India backed infrastructure projects viz. Hulhumale Central Park and
renovation of the Arrival Jetty in Maldives during a ceremony.
About Maldives
President– Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Capital– Male
Currency– Maldivian Rufiyaa
NIO launches project for mapping genetic diversity in Indian ocean

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO), Goa, has initiated a
project for mapping the genetic diversity of organisms & the effect of micronutrients and trace metals on them in the
Indian Ocean supported by the CSIR, under one of its flagship projects TraceBioMe.
• TraceBioMe envisages extensive sampling of water, sediments, planktons and various organisms in different
areas.
• On March 15, 2021, A 90-day long expedition onboard research vessel RV Sindhu Sadhana with 30 scientists
took off from Visakhapatnam Click here to Know more
Tourism Ministry launches ‘MICE Roadshow – Meet in India’ & Inaugurates Chhatrasal Convention Centre at
Khajuraho
On 26th March 2021, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge), Prahlad Singh Patel, and
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh jointly inaugurated the ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre’ at
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. They also launched the “MICE Roadshow Meet in India” at the Chhatrasal Convention
Centre.
About Chhatrasal Convention Centre:
i.Chhatrasal Convention Centre was inaugurated at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.
ii.It was developed under Ministry of Tourism’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
Gist about Swadesh Darshan Scheme:
i.The Scheme is an Initiative by the Ministry of Tourism & was launched in 2014-15.
ii.This Scheme will develop theme based tourism circuits in India.It Includes 15 theme-based Tourism circuits across
India.
About MICE Roadshow Meet in India:
i.MICE Roadshow Meet in India was organized by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in association with
Madhya Pradesh Tourism and India Convention Promotion Bureau.Note – MICE is an acronym of Meetings,
Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions.
ii.It was launched with an objective to promote India as MICE Destination.
Launch of ‘Meet in India’ Campaign:
i.‘Meet in India’ was planned to launch during the event. This will be the distinct sub-brand under ‘Incredible India’ to
promote the country as a MICE destination.

ii.It will help to transform Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh as an iconic tourist destination under ‘Development of Iconic
Tourist Destinations Scheme’.
Gist about Development of Iconic Tourist Destinations Scheme:
i.A Centrally funded scheme under the Ministry of Tourism to develop India’s Iconic Tourist destinations into World
Class tourist destinations. As of March 2021, a total of 19 Iconic destinations have been selected under this program.
ii.Some of the identified tourist sites to be developed as iconic destinations under the scheme are Taj Mahal &
Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Ajanta Caves & Ellora Caves(Maharashtra), Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort & QutubMinar
(Delhi), Colva Beach (Goa), Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Somnath , Dholavira & Statue of Unity(Gujarat), Khajuraho (MP),
Hampi(Karnataka), Mahabalipuram (TamilNadu), Kaziranga (Assam), Kumarakom (Kerala), Konark(Odisha) and
Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar).
On January 22, 2021, IIM-Indore & Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC) signed an MoU to
build a roadmap to achieve MP’s goal of ‘Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh’, the agreement will be valid for a period of 3-
years.
About the Ministry of Tourism:
Minister of State – Prahlad Singh Patel (Damoh, Madhya Pradesh)
About Madhya Pradesh:
Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport – Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Harsh Vardhan Launches Tribal TB Initiative to achieve ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ by 2025
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the ‘Tribal TB Initiative’ as a step towards
the goal of ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ by 2025.
i.During the event, he also released
• A Guidance Note on Joint Action Plan for Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination
• A Special Edition of Tribal Ministry’s Publication ‘ALEKH’ on TB. ALEKH is a quarterly e-newsletter of the
Ministry of Tribal Affairs which focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of the tribal communities.
• A Document on Tribal Tuberculosis (TB) Initiative.
ii.During the event, Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs & Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for
Health and Family Welfare were present.
Note-Government has already increased the Budget allocation for TB in India a four-fold in the last 5 years.
Tribal Population
The population of Tribals in India is 104 Million (across 705 tribes). They account for 8.6% of India’s Population.
• 177 Tribal districts across India have been identified as high priority districts where physical remoteness,
malnutrition, poor living conditions and lack of awareness contribute to the vulnerability of the tribal
population to TB.
• The Joint plan will initially focus on 162 Tribal districts across 18 identified states.
• It will take steps to improve vulnerability mapping techniques, organization of sensitization and capacity
building workshops for volunteers, periodic TB active case finding drives, provision of TB Preventive Therapy
(IPT) to identify vulnerable populations & developing long term mechanisms for vulnerability reduction.
Linking of Portals
Harsh Vardhan highlighted the linking of the NIKSHAY Portal of MoHFW & Swasthya Portal of the Ministry of Tribal
Affairs to boost data compilation on TB.
• NIKSHAY (Ni=End, Kshay=TB) is a patient management system for TB control under the National Tuberculosis
Elimination Programme (NTEP).
• It is a portal on tribal health and nutrition named ‘Swasthya’.
Key Points
• Recently on World Tuberculosis Day (24th March), UT of Lakshadweep & the district of Badgam in Jammu &
Kashmir were declared TB Free.
• Himachal Pradesh achieved 1st Rank in India amongst the states with a population of more than 50 Lakhs, to
end Tuberculosis under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).

• India has resolved to end Tuberculosis by 2025. Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets
of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
i.On 17th August 2020, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda inaugurated the first of its kind e-portal
“Swasthya”, a tribal health and nutrition portal and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) also launched an e-newsletter
on health and nutrition ALEKH and opening of National Overseas Portal and National Tribal Fellowship Portal.
About Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan (Constituency- Chandni Chowk, New Delhi)
Minister of State (MoS)– Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Buxar, Bihar)
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA):
Union Minister– Arjun Munda (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Khunti, Jharkhand)
Minister of State– Renuka Singh Saruta (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Surguja, Chhattisgarh)
FESTIVALS
Jammu & Kashmir Celebrates “Hearth” Festival
Three day long Maha Shivaratri festival, locally known as “Hearth” festival is celebrated across the Union
Territory of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). Pandit Community across J&K celebrated the festival with religious
offerings “Watak Nath Pooja”. The festival marks the wedding of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati.
i.Biggest gathering of the festival was observed at Shankaracharya Temple, which is located near the Dal lake in
Srinagar.
ii.This event is observed on the intervening night of 13th and 14th in the lunisolar month of the Hindu calendar.
iii.The event was celebrated with ‘Fish’, the traditional food of J&K.
About Jammu & Kashmir:
Lieutenant Governor – Sh. Manoj Sinha
1st Lt. Governor – Girish Chandra Murmu
Summer Capital – Srinagar
Winter Capital – Jammu
Amarnath Yatra is conducted annually at Srinagar.
UP Govt Celebrates 3 Day-long ‘Kalanamak Rice Festival’

On March 13, 2021, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a three-day-long ‘Kalanamak rice
festival’ in Siddharth Nagar.The festival was organized after the success of Strawberry and Jaggery festivals.
• The rice festival event is being organised so as to promote, market and brand the selected products as One
District One Product (ODOP) under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ and ‘Local for Vocal’ campaign.
• To promote the production, processing, packaging, and branding of Kalanamak Rice, the UP Government has
declared the rice as the One District One Product(ODOP) of Siddharth Nagar in 2018.
About the Rice variety Kalanamak:
• It is one of the finest varieties of aromatic rice that are grown in India, Kalanamak is also called Buddha Rice.
• Nutritional benefits: It is rich in antioxidants, omega-3, and omega-6, 12% iron, 21.5%zinc and helps in
regulating blood-related problems, and is suitable for diabetic patients.
• It is a rice variety that has been cultivated since 600 BC under 22,000 hectares of land in Siddharthnagar and
surrounding areas, currently, it is being grown on 5000 hectares.
About One District One Product(ODOP):
• Uttar Pradesh government was the first state of India to launch the concept of ODOP in 2018
• Ministry of Commerce and Industry is now working on an institutional mechanism to promote the ODOP
scheme across India.
• The ODOP product could be a perishable Agri produce, cereal-based product, or a food product widely
produced in a district and their allied sectors.

PM Narendra Modi addresses the 4th Global Ayurveda Festival 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 4th Global Ayurveda Festival 2021 (GAF 2021), the largest
Ayurvedic event held anywhere across the world. The event is held in a virtual format is organized by the Centre for
Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) from March 12-19, 2021. The Festival aims to popularize Ayurveda &
Traditional forms of Medicine.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is the industry partner. Invest India was the
Strategic Investment Facilitation Partner.
• Chairman of GAF 2021 – V Muraleedharan (Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary
Affairs).
• Around 25 Countries participated in the event.
Highlights
• The event was originally scheduled to be held in Angamaly, Kerala in May 2020 but was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
• International Ayurveda Seminar 2021 was organized with the Focal Theme : Strengthening Host Defence
System –Ayurveda A Potential Promise.
• International Delegate Assembly 2021 was held with the Theme: Globalizing Ayurveda – Scope, Challenges and
Solutions International Business Meet 2021 was held with the Theme: Global Ayurveda Pharmacy – Practices,
Possibilities and Policies.
Key Points from PM’s address
• Working to strengthen educational systems and facilitating the enforcement of quality control of Ayurveda,
Siddha Unani & Homoeopathy drugs.
• National AYUSH Mission has been started for promoting AYUSH medical systems.
• India’s policy regarding Ayurveda & other Indian systems of medicine is aligned with Traditional Medicine
Strategy 2014-23 of WHO.
• WHO has also proposed the setting up of the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India.
• He highlighted the UN’s decision to declare 2023 as ‘International Year of Millets’.
i.On September 15, 2020, the 4th edition of Global Ayurveda Summit was virtually inaugurated by Vice-President
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu on the theme “Emerging Opportunities for Ayurveda during Pandemic”.
About Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA):
President – G G Gangadharan
Location – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
UP government organises ‘banana festival’

The Uttar Pradesh(UP) government has organized a ‘Banana Festival’ at Buddha Park in Kushinagar from March 22
to 25, 2021. The main goal of organizing this festival is to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan for a self-reliant
India.
• Banana made products from Kushinagar are included in One District One Product (ODOP) scheme.
OTHER NEWS
MTRC System Commissioned in Trains ; First of its Kind in Indian Railways
On March 1, 2021, Alok Kansal, General Manager, Western Railway inaugurated the newly commissioned Mobile
Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system (also known as Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway
(GSM-R)) at Divisional Railway Manager’s office in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is the 1st time that MTRC has been
commissioned in Indian Railways (IR).
• MTRC System is a TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) based Digital technology.
• It can help in preventing train accidents by ensuring an instant & constant interaction of train crew with the
Control Centre and the Station Master.
• It will monitor, track (through GPS) & aid in communication between the trains & the control room and ensure
smooth movement of rakes & in mitigation of adverse events.

Where has it been commissioned?
• The MTRC system has been commissioned in the 60 km suburban section between Churchgate-Virar
section of Mumbai and installed in 90 out of 100 rakes running in the section.
• Technical and maintenance support of the new MTRC system will be provided by M/s. Consort Digital Pvt. Ltd.,
New Delhi for seven years with an estimated cost of Rs. 5.98 Crore.
Churchgate-Virar section
• The 60-Km suburban section between Churchgate-Virar is a high-density-traffic route, trains run with a
headway (interval) of approximately 3 minutes in peak hours.
• It transports around 3.4 Million passengers each day by operating over 1300 services.
Features
• MTRC has been integrated with the existing Train Management System to enable controllers to communicate
with Driver & Guard using Train number & cab number code.
• It also has a provision for broadcast calls which can be used in case of emergency.
• The Section controller can initiate Broadcast calls to all Motormen/Guards of train & passengers of the train.
• It takes the lowest time (i.e 300 milliseconds) to connect calls.
Benefits
• Single Touch Dialing for calling any of the 2 section train controllers – Deputy Train Controller, EMU
Controller.
• Motormen can directly communicate the defect of EMU-to-EMU Controller which will reduce detention of
other trains.
• Overriding feature, whereby if an MTRC phone is busy on making emergency calls the feature can be used to
establish communication.
i.On May 18, 2020 Indian Railways(IR) operationalised its 1st 12,000 hp electric made in India Locomotive, WAG12
from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Station (Mughalsarai Junction), Uttar Pradesh to Shivpur.
About Indian Railways:
Chairman & CEO – Suneet Sharma
Headquarters – New Delhi
World Customs Organisation recognizes CRCL, New Delhi as Regional Customs Laboratory for Asia-Pacific
Region
World Customs Organisation (WCO) has recognized the Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL), New Delhi,
which functions under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) as a Regional Customs Laboratory (RCL)
of the WCO for the Asia-Pacific Region.
• On this behalf, a virtual signing ceremony was held in which M Ajit Kumar, Chairman of CBIC & Mr Kunio
Mikuriya, Secretary General of WCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• With this recognition, CRCL will join a select group of Customs Laboratories in the region like those in Japan &
South Korea.
Purpose of RCL
• To conduct Capacity Building programs in the field of Chemical Analysis & conduct information exchange in
Customs chemical analysis field & other scientific matters.
• It will also help in chemical analysis for tariff classification & identifying illicit drug trafficking routes through
signature analysis.
• Improvement in Chemical analysis will mean increase in revenue collection, smoother trade facilitation &
better protection of public health & society.
Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL)
• It was established in 1939.
• It is the headquarters of 14 Revenue Laboratories, including 2 laboratories working at Government Opium &
Alkaloid Works, Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh) & Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh).
• Around INR 80 Crore has been spent on upgrading the CRCL Laboratory. It now has instrument based testing
to facilitate faster clearances without compromising on law enforcement.

i.June 16, 2020, CBIC Chairman M. Ajit Kumar launched the ‘e-Office’ application in over 500 Central Goods and
Services Tax (CGST) and customs offices across India, on 15th June at New Delhi. The e-Office is a Mission Mode
Project(MMP) under the e-Governance of India.
About Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC):
Previously known as Central Board of Excise & Customs, CBIC is a part of the Department of Revenue under the
Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
Chairman – M Ajit Kumar
Head Office – New Delhi
About World Customs Organisation (WCO):
Members – 183
Secretary General – Kunio Mikuriya
Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium
India, Norway to conduct Marine Spatial Planning in Lakshadweep & Puducherry

India & Norway agreed to collaborate in the area of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the Oceanic space for the next 5
years. Lakshadweep & Puducherry have been identified as Pilot sites for the Project.
• National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai will be preparing the MSP framework for Puducherry &
Lakshadweep in the initial phase of the project.
• The framework of these 2 environmentally critical areas (Pondicherry & Lakshadweep) will be replicated to
other coastal regions of India.
• The 2 places have been chosen due to their potential to Flourish in multiple sectors such as Industries,
Fisheries & Tourism.
• MSP is part of India’s (draft) Blue Economic Policy being developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Background
• The MSP project is part of the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative under the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) signed between the 2 countries in 2019.
Objective
• For optimum utilisation of Sustainable Ocean Resources for economic & social development in coastal areas
and as a Societal-beneficial initiative for India’s coastal regions.
Implementing Agencies
• India – Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) through National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR)
• Norway – Norwegian Environment Agency through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Funding
• At the Initial stage, Government of India is planning to invest around INR 8-10 crores per annum.
• The World Bank & United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have expressed Interest in supporting the
MSP Project.
1st MSP Project Steering Committee
The India-Norway Integrated Ocean Management & Research Initiative, 1st Project Steering Committee on MSP was
convened virtually on February 26, 2021.
• During the meeting, both sides prepared a plan to ensure that human activities at sea take place in an efficient,
safe, and sustainable manner in areas like energy, transportation, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism & other
sectors.
• It was attended by representatives from Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC);
Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Shipping; Ministry of Trade, Industry and
Fisheries; Ministry of Fishery, Animal Husbandry & Dairying; Ministry of Tourism & state governments of
Tamil Nadu & Lakshadweep.
NCCR’s Earlier Experiences
NCCR had earlier developed coastal management plans for Chennai, Goa, and Gulf of Kachchh which were successful.

New India by 2030
• The Government of India’s vision of New India by 2030 highlights the Blue Economy as one of the 10 core
dimensions of growth.
• MSP is a tool for sustainable and integrated ocean management.
i.On April 29, 2020 The World Bank approved USD 400 million multi-year financial support to help India enhance its
coastal & marine resources, protect marine resources & coastal populations from pollution, erosion, sea-level rise,
and improve livelihood opportunities for coastal communities over the next decade.
About Norway:
Prime Minister– Erna Solberg
Capital– Oslo
Currency– Krone
About National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR):
It is an attached office of MoES
Director – Dr M V Ramana Murthy
Location – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Symposium on Sustainable Development of Dams &
River Basins held in New Delhi
In February 2021, a 4 day long International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Symposium on Sustainable
Development of Dams & River Basins was held in hybrid format in New Delhi. Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat was the Chief Guest of the Event. The event acts as a forum to share expertise on latest technologies in
Dam construction, dam safety measure etc. Advanced technologies can be implemented in Dams to generate clean
and cost effective energy, thereby ensuring India’s commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement.
39th Agartala International Book Fair begins in Tripura

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated the 39th Agartala International Book Fair held with the theme “Ek
Tripura, Shrestha Tripura” at Agartala, Tripura in the presence of Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner Md.
Jobayed Hossain
India to fund NPR 246 Million for Restoration of 3 Cultural Heritage Projects in Nepal
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) & Contract Agreement for restoration of 3 more Cultural heritage sites in
Nepal were signed between India & Nepal. India will fund NPR 246 Million (~ INR 15.498 Crore) under
the Government of India reconstruction grant for the 3 Restoration Projects, the projects are
Project, Place Undertaking Agency
INTACH
Jestha Varna Mahavihara, Lalitspur (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage)
CLPIU (Building)
Sulighyang Gumba, Sindhupalchowk district (Central Level Project Implementation Unit, Nepal)
Shermathang Gumba, Sindhupalchowk district CLPIU (Building), Nepal
Signatories
The signing of MoU was witnessed by the Head of Development Partnership & Reconstruction Wing of the Embassy of
India to Nepal & Project Director of CLPIU (Building) of National Reconstruction Authority (NRA).
• The contract for reconstruction of 3 cultural heritage projects was signed by India on February 11, 2021.
Key Points
• All 3 Buildings were damaged during the 2015 earthquake.
• India is undertaking reconstruction of 28 cultural sector projects under the Indian reconstruction grant of
which 6 contracts have already been awarded & reconstructed.
• India has committed a total of USD 50 Million (NPR 5800 Million) for conservation, restoration &
reconstruction of 28 cultural heritage sites in 8 districts of Nepal

Other Contracts
Contracts were also signed for conservation & retrofitting of Seto Machindranath Temple, Construction of
Dharamshala at Budhanilkantha Temple and conservation & development of Kumari Chhen & Kumari Niwas in Nepal.
i.The Foreign Minister of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali paid a 3-day visit to India from January 14-16, 2021. Gyawali
is the senior-most political leader from Nepal to visit India after the Border row between the two nations in 2020.
About Nepal:
President – Bidya Devi Bhandari
Capital – Kathmandu
Currency – Nepalese Rupee (NPR)
India to replace TEQIP with MERITE project to improve Technical Education

The Government of India is planning to replace the World Bank Assisted ‘Technical Education Quality Improvement
Programme (TEQIP)’ with a new programme called ‘Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in
Technical Education (MERITE)’ project for improving the Technical Education system in India.
• The TEQIP programme is slated to come to an end by March, 2021.
TEQIP Programme
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Department (now Ministry of Education), Government of India
assisted by the World Bank. It was launched in December 2002.
• Funding for TEQIP is from the International Development Association (IDA) – World Bank’s concessionary
lending arm with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5-year grace period.
Objective
• To improve the quality of education in the technical institutions of India.
• To improve quality and equity in engineering institutions with focus on low income states.
Key points
• It is a project to take Graduates from elite institutions (such as IITs) to rural and remote engineering colleges
in poorer States for teaching.
• At present it is in the 3rd phase of Implementation (TEQIP-III), which was started in 2017.
Measures under TEQIP include
• Institution based – Accreditation of courses through the National Board of Accreditation, improving the
processes. Digital initiatives, securing autonomy for the colleges.
• Student based – Improving quality of teaching, revision of syllabus, industry interaction, compulsory
internships for students, training students in industry-relevant skills.
MERITE Project
• Similar to TEQIP, MERITE Project also aims to improve technical education in India.
• It is still in conceptual stage & has not yet received Cabinet approval.
• It will be implemented in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommendations.
i.On June 28, 2020, World Bank (WB) approved loan of $ 500 million (about Rs 3,700 crore) under ‘Strengthening
Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS)’project to improve the quality and governance of school
education across six states (Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan) in
India.
About World Bank:
World Bank Group consists of 5 Organizations (5 Institutions, One Group).
• They are International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development
Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
& International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
• IBRD & IDA together make up the World Bank.

India’s first dolphin research centre to start soon in Patna
India’s and Asia’s first National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) will come up on the bank of the Ganges in the
premises of Patna University in Bihar. 50% of the world’s river dolphin population are in Bihar, Dolphin a highly
endangered species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and declared the National Aquatic Animal in
2009.
CSIR-NIO to Launch 90-day Cruise Missile to map Genomes in Indian Ocean

CSIR-NIO (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography) is set to launch a 90-
day Scientific Cruise Mission to conduct genome & proteome mapping (nutrients) present inside single-cell
organisms in the Indian ocean. It will be the 1st project to map genomes in Indian Ocean.
Objective
• To strengthen India’s research into commercial biotechnology applications including anticancer treatments.
• To understand the response of ocean to Climate Change & nutrient stress.
Expedition
• Around 30 scientists will be part of the expedition which will take place from Second week of March to mid-
may.
• The expedition will start from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and will go up to 30°S, touch the waters
between Australia & Maldives, then circle back to Goa, covering upto 9, 000 nautical miles by mid-May.
• The Scientists will go up to 6 Kilometres into the Indian ocean to collect samples.
Mission under the Expedition
• Identification & characterization of genes & proteins to understand the cellular level operations of organisms
in the Indian Ocean.
• To take samples of water, sediments, planktons & various organisms in search of genomes & micro-nutrients
to strengthen India’s research into commercial biotechnology applications.
• To map genetic diversity of organisms, micronutrients & trace metals in them.
• To check presence of micronutrients such as Iron, Zing, Magnesium & trace-metals such as Cadmium, Cobalt,
Copper and others.
Indian Ocean’s importance to Climate Change
• Being the Third Largest Ocean (after Pacific & Atlantic Oceans) Indian Ocean plays a great role in functioning
of climate & regulation of atmospheric oxygen.
• Exploration of Indian Ocean at a genetic level will result in new insights into taxonomy for optimising
conservation efforts.
i.CSIR-NIO of Goa & CSIR-NGRI of Hyderabad virtually signed a MoU with V.I. Il’Ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute,
Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (POI FEB RAS) in the field of Marine Sciences and Technology.
About CSIR-NIO (National Institute of Oceanography)
Director – Professor Sunil Kumar Singh
Headquarters – Dona Paula, Goa
Regional Centres – Kochi (Kerala), Mumbai (Maharashtra) & Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)
EPFO Recommends 8.5% Interest Rate for PF Contributions for 2020-2021

On 4th March 2021, Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) announced to retain 8.5% annual interest rates
on provident fund(PF) deposits for the financial year 2020-21.
The decision was taken during the 228th meeting of Central Board of Trustees, EPF chaired by Santosh Kumar
Gangwar, Minister of Labour and Employment, held in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.
• Following the official notification on the interest rate, EPFO will credit the rate of interest into the accounts of
the subscribers.
• The recommended interest rate was the result of the combined income from interest received from debt
investment as well as income realized from equity investment.
Significance of EPFO:
i.The assured fixed return approach of EPFO annually announced by the Central Board of Trustees along with the tax

exemptions provides social security to the investors in the form of PF, pension and insurance schemes.
Background:
i.EPFO reduced the rate of interest to 8.5% for the financial year 2019-2020. It remains the lowest since 2012-2013.
ii.The rate of interest is comparatively higher than the other investments which are available for the investors.
iii.Through various economic cycles with minimal credit risk, EPF has distributed higher income to its members.
Raise in Subscribers:
i.During 2019-20, the number of net new subscribers has increased to 78.58 lakh compared to 61.12 lakh in the
preceding fiscal.
ii.The new enrolment with EPFO increased by 56% to 11.55 lakh in October 2020 compared to 7.39 lakh in October
2019.
Key Points:
i.From 2015-2016, the EPF started to invest in equity through exchange traded funds based on NSE 50 and BSE 30
indices.
ii.The investment in equity funds started at 5% for FY 2015 and increased to 15% of the incremental portfolio.
About EPFO:
CEO– Sunil Barthwal (CEO of EPFO is known as Central Provident Fund Commissioner)
Head Office– New Delhi
AIM,NITI Aayog tie-up with MathWorks to strengthen the Deep-tech startup ecosystem of India
On March 02,2021, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, partnered with MathWorks-the developer of
mathematical computing software for scientists and engineers to strengthen the Deep-tech startup ecosystem of
India.
The virtual program was attended by officials of AIM, NITI Aayog, MathWorks, AIM supported startups, AIM
supported incubators, and mentors amongst others.
Partnership’s benefit to the startups
This partnership will provide the following benefits to the startups supported by AIM
• Access to steps of the art MathWorks tools including MATLAB and Simulink
• Access to MATLAB community, Engineering support, Online training
• Opportunities to use MathWorks’ domestic and global reach to create awareness about the startup products.
• To encourage innovation and increase the product development of the early-stage companies.
AIM and MathWorks key strategies
• AIM and MathWorks planned to organize a series of knowledge-sharing sessions for incubators and startups to
train and support them.
• To use the technology and domain expertise of MathWorks to train the startups and incubators in areas of
technical computing, engineering design and AI based innovations.
• Supportive for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India
On October 13, 2020, AIM, NITI Aayog signed a Statement of Intent(SOI) with CGI India to promote innovation in
schools.
About MathWorks
It is an American privately held corporation that specializes in mathematical computing software. Its major products
include MATLAB and Simulink, which support data analysis and simulation.
CEO – John N. “Jack” Little
Headquarters -Natick, Massachusetts, USA
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative by NITI Aayog, Government of India to promote a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Mission Director – Ramanan Ramanathan

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting collaborates with IIT Bombay to establish Center of Excellence for
‘Games’
Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, virtually addressed the “Khel Khel Mein”, a pan
Maharashtra toy/game designing competition. On the occasion he made an announcement on the collaboration
between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and IIT Bombay to establish a Center of Excellence in toys
and gaming related areas. Indian Govt. under its Make in India initiative has also launched India’s first toy
manufacturing cluster in Karnataka.
China regains its position as India’s Largest Trading Partner

Despite the bloody border conflict in 2020, ban on hundreds of Chinese mobile apps and restrictions in investment,
China with $75.9 billion regained its spot as the Largest Trading Partner of India. China is closely followed by the USA
and UAE as the 2nd and 3rd largest Trading Partners of India. 51% of the total imports from China were accounted
for by the purchase of Heavy Machineries. It is to be noted that in 2019 China was India’s largest trading partner with
$85.5 billion trade and slipped to 2nd spot only in 2020 with $77.7 billion trade.
India assists Drought hit Madagascar with 1000mt rice & 1 lakh HCQ tablets
On March 3rd, India sent 1,000 metric tonnes (mt) of rice along with 1 lakh Hydroxychloroquine tablets in INS
Jalashwa to the drought hit Madagascar. The Indian ocean region country was in severe drought for the past 3
years and currently the situation has worsened. An Indian Navy Training team is sent along with the consignment to
train the Madagascar Special Forces. Earlier, In 2018, a consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes of rice was delivered on-
board an Indian naval vessel to Madagascar.In March 2020,India delivered 600 tonnes of rice as HADR assistance to
Madagascar.
NSDC Collaborate with SahiPay to Promote Digital Financial Literacy among Youth
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) collaborated with SahiPay, an Android-based integrated
platform developed by Manipal Business Solutions (MBS) to promote nano-entrepreneurship amongst youth in the
financial services sector.
• As a part of collaboration, candidates will be provided access to free digital skilling on ‘Online
Entrepreneurship Program’ through NSDC’s eSkill India portal.
Key features of Collaboration:
i.It will provide youth an opportunity to explore self-employment for sustainable livelihood.
ii.Candidates will be provided knowledge on the content which include Entrepreneurship, Know Your Customer
(KYC), Security and Compliances, Communication Skills, Banking Services, AePS Banking, Payment Services (UPI, QR
Code, Cards), Domestic Money Transfer, Value Added Services (Bill Payments/Recharges) and SahiPay Platform &
Services.
iii.eskill platform is a digital skilling initiative from NSDC that aggregates digital learning resources through various
Indian and global knowledge partnerships, to explore online skill-courses anytime, anywhere for the Indian youth
across 10 Indian languages.
iv.NSDC and SahiPay will also organize various digital and on-ground initiatives to create wider awareness about
digital financial literacy.
Co-operation between eSkill India & MBS’ SahiPay platform:
i.eSkill India’s knowledge partnership with MBS’ SahiPay platform will facilitate the digital skilling of youth towards
financial inclusion and help create a holistic ecosystem for the promotion of self-employment and nano –
entrepreneurship in the financial services sector.
ii.“Digital Financial Literacy and Creation of Nano Entrepreneurship” is an exclusive financial entrepreneurship
program, which offers a comprehensive understanding of the Indian banking and financial sector along with
operational know-how of integrated payment platform offered by SahiPay.
iii.“Skill-based Entrepreneurship Program” is aimed to provide the candidates instant employability and opportunity
to earn through diversified services of SahiPay.”

i.HP (Hewlett-Packard) India & National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) have entered into a pact for
providing ‘scientifically designed worksheets, content for supporting home learning & Early Childhood Skill
Development of Students’ to students across India. The content will be provided for Free of Cost.
ii.In 2020, NSDC and LinkedIn announced a partnership to provide access to free learning resources for imparting
digital skills to youth for enhancing employability.
About SahiPay:
Headquarter– Gurugram, Haryana
About National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC):
Incorporated- 2008 under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956
Government of India through Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) holds 49% of the share
capital of NSDC, while the private sector has the balance 51% of the share capital.
MD & CEO– Manish Kumar
Merger of Rajya Sabha TV & Lok SabhaTV; Replaced by Sansad TV

The merger of Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV has been finalised and it is replaced by the single banner, Sansad
TV. This is an attempt to cover beyond the proceedings of the two houses and feature the functions of parliament and
Parliamentarians when the houses are not in session. The merger is effective from 1st March 2021.
Ravi Capoor Retired IAS officer of 1986 batch has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sansad TV.
• The merger was the result of the decision of the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha
Speaker, Om Birla
• A committee headed by former Prasar Bharati Chairman Surya Prakash was formed to work out integration
of the two channels.
BRO builds 200ft ‘The Bridge of Compassion’ across Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand
The Border Road Organisation (BRO) has built a 200 feet bridge across Rishiganga river, connecting 13 villages
in Uttarakhand. The bridge was built by BRO in a record 26 days, as a replacement to the 90-metre Reinforced
Cement Concrete (RCC) bridge that was washed away in the February 7 flash floods in Rishiganga river. The flash
flood had also washed away the Rishganga Hydroelectric Project, leading to 200 workers getting trapped. As a
tribute to the sacrifice of the Power plant workers, the bridge was named as “The Bridge of Compassion”.
GST e-invoicing mandatory for Businesses with over INR 50 Crore Turnover from April 1, 2021
According to a notification by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC), Government is set to mandate
Electronic-invoicing (e-invoicing) under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime for business entities with a
turnover of INR 50 Crore & more from April 1, 2021 (start of next financial year) for business to business
transactions.
• It is the 3rd Phase of mandatory e-invoicing under the GST regime. The 1st phase of e-invoicing covered
business entities with INR 500 Crore turnover & the 2nd phase covered entities with INR 100 Crore.
• E-invoicing is mandatory under Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Rules, 2017.
Benefits
• To bring transparency in sales reporting, minimising errors and mismatches.
• Automation of data entry work & improving compliance.
• It will help in the prevention of Tax Evasion.
• E-invoicing facilitates the easy generation of the e-way bill.
e-invoicing
Taxpayers need to generate invoices on their internal system and report them online to the Invoice Registration
Portal (IRP) of the Government, which will validate the information and return the digitally signed e-invoices with a
unique ‘Invoice Reference Number (IRN)’ along with a QR Code to the taxpayer.

Exempted Sectors
Sectors like Transportation, Insurance and Banking companies, financial institutions, Non-Banking Financial
Companies (NBFCs), Goods Transportation agencies, and passenger transportation services & units in Special
Economic Zones (SEZs) are exempt from e-invoicing.
Fact
An invoice or a bill of supply need not be issued if the value of supply is less than INR 200 subject to specified
conditions.
i.On 25th February 2021, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
(CBIC) signed an MoU for data exchange between the two organisations.
It is part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India
India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant at Telangana to be commissioned by May 2021
India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant of 100 MegaWatt (MW) capacity being constructed at Ramagundam in
Peddapalli district of Telangana is set to be commissioned by May-June, 2021. It will be India’s largest floating solar
plant in a single location as of now.
• It is being developed by NTPC South (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) at a
cost of INR 423 Crore over the water surface of Sri Ram Sagar Project Reservoir.
• It will also be India’s biggest floating solar plant, by generation capacity, to date.
• Along with the 100 MW Ramagundam solar plant, two other projects namely the 92 MW floating unit at
Kayamkulam gas plant in Kerala & the 25 MW unit at Simhadri power plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh will also be commissioned by May-June, 2021.
NTPC in South Region
The total capacity of all projects being developed by NTPC in the region is 447 MW.
• Out of 447 MW, 217 MW (100 MW project, 92 MW project & 25 Mw project) capacity will be commissioned by
May 2021
• The remaining 230MW will be generated by a ground-mounted solar power plant at Ettayapuram,
Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, which will be commissioned by March 2023.
Fact
NTPC Southern region has a total installed capacity of about 9, 125 MW, out of NTPL’s total capacity of 64, 880 MW in
India.
Coal-fired thermal power project at Ramagundam
NTPL is also in the process of commissioning a 2 X 800 MW coal-fired thermal power project at Ramagundam,
Telangana.
• Phase I unit of 800 MW will be commissioned by January 2022
• Phase II of 800 MW by March 2022
i.The World’s Largest Floating 600 Megawatt (MW) Solar Energy Project which is under construction at
Omkareshwar dam on Narmada river in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh is set to begin power generation by
the year 2022-23.
About NTPC limited:
Established – 1975
CMD – Gurdeep Singh
PM Modi releases Manuscript with Comments by 21 scholars on “Shlokas” of Srimad Bhagavadgita

On 9th March 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a Manuscript with commentaries by 21 scholars on
‘Shlokas’ of Srimad Bhagavadgita. The event also saw the presence of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir,

Manoj Sinha & Dr. Karan Singh, the Chairman Trustee of Dharmarth Trust, J&K. PM prided on India’s culture to share
its knowledge, thus Bhagavad Gita is translated into many Indian & International Languages.
40 scholars from 6 countries recommended for Indian Science Research Fellowship (ISRF) 2021
Forty scholars from six countries have been recommended for award of Indian Science Research Fellowship (ISRF)
2021. As part of India’s initiatives to engage with neighbouring countries to develop Science and Technology (S&T)
partnerships, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched ISRF Programme. Countries covered
under this programme are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Google honours ‘India’s Satellite Man’ Udupi Ramachandra Rao with doodle on his birth anniversary
On March 10, 2021 Google has honoured ‘India’s Satellite Man’ Udupi Ramachandra Rao with doodle on his 89th
birth anniversary, who was an Indian space scientist and chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
between 1984-94, supervised the 1975 launch of India’s first satellite “Aryabhata.”
• He was born in Karnataka in 1932.
• He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and Padma Vibhushan in 2017 and became the first-ever Indian
to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame in the year 2013 by the Society of Satellite Professionals
International.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal Flagged off the 3000 HP Cape Gauge Locomotive for export to Mozambique;
Developed by BLW
On March 10, 2021, Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal Virtually flagged off the two 3000 Horse Power
(HP) Cape Gauge Locomotive for export to Mozambique. It was indigenously developed by Banaras Locomotive
Works (BLW), Varanasi, a production unit of Indian Railways.
• This is BLW’s first AC-AC traction system3000 HP, Cape Gauge locomotive.
• These Locomotives will be exported through Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Ltd.
• Funded – India.
• M/s Bureau Veritas/Noida an International inspecting agency was appointed by Mozambique Railway for
inspecting these Locomotives at BLW, Varanasi.
Target- India Planned to become a net-zero Railway & power our entire electricity requirements by renewable
energy by 2030. India is set to become the first large railway in the world to become 100% electric traction driven.
Background:
This export is part of BLW’s order received from Mozambique on January, 2020 for 3000 HP cape gauge locomotive
and 90 stainless steel passenger coaches to Mozambique. This contract will enhance the Indian Government’s Motto,
Make-in-India & Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Objective – This export will boost the Indo-African relationship.
Key Points:
i.2 locomotivs were completed within 14 months after getting confirmed order in January 2020.
ii.Most Tedious Process of manufacturing is, Engine.This critical item of Engine i.e. Crank-case assembly was also
developed in BLW.
iii.Indian Railways’ BLW will provide Training and Maintenance support, besides locomotives and spares, for multi
traction multi gauge systems. Similarly, India will work as Trusted Partner of Mozambique.
Features of 3000 HP Cape Gauge Locomotive:
i.Design -This Loco has a Cape Gauge Bogie with maximum axle load of 20 ton and capable for 100 km/h speed.
ii.Transporting Capacity – It has capacity of 2255 ton at 100 kmph at level track and maximum tractive effort of
400N.
iii.Comfortability– It has ergonomically designed seats, integrated Graphic Driver Display, and also provided with
Heating Venting AC (HVAC) for better crew comfort and reducing fatigue.
iv.Fuel Capacity – Larger fuel tank of 6000 liters for longer operation.

Earlier Projects:
• In 1975, BLW has exported 165 diesel locomotives of all types of gauges (Broad Gauge, (BG), Metre Gauge
(MG) and Cape Gauge) and Horse Power, starting with 15 Metre Gauge 6 cylinder, 1350 HP, Alco type locos to
Tanzania.
• In 2008-09, BLW has exported the ALCO 3000 HP loco, Last Cape Gauge Loco to Mozambique.
• In 2017-18, 18 MG diesel locos were exported to Myanmar. During 20018-2020, 10 BG diesel locos were
exported to Sri Lanka.
i.India became the 6th Country to manufacture High Power Electric Locomotives indigenously. In 2015, the Ministry
of Railways & Alstom (France) signed a contract worth €3.5 billion (INR 25,000 crore) to produce High Power
Electric.
About Banaras Locomotive Works(BLW):
General Manager – Anjali Goyal
Headquarter – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
About Mozambique:
Capital – Maputo
Currency – Mozambican metical (MZN)
President – Filipe Nyusi
India’s first ‘Transgender Community Desk’ opens in Telangana’s Gachibowli

India’s 1st ‘Transgender Community Desk’ launched in Gachibowli Police Station, Hyderabad, Telangana by
Cyberabad Police chief VC Sajjanar.
• This desk is the first-of-its-kind gender-inclusive community policing initiative in the country.
• It is the world’s first-ever help desk for the transgender community and it will be managed by a Police
Liaison Officer and a member of the transgender community who is designated as a community coordinator.
New passenger train service between Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri set to start from 26th March
A new passenger train service between Dhaka, Bangladesh and New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India is set to start
from the 26th of March 2021 marking the 50th Anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh.The direct train
between Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri will run through the Chilahati-Haldibari cross-border rail route.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina will flag off the new passenger
train on the occasion of the Birth Centenary Celebration of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and 50 years of
Liberation of Bangladesh.
• The Haldibari-Chilahati train route was opened for goods transport in December 2020 train after a gap of 55
years during the virtual summit between two prime ministries. The passenger train will also run on the same
route.
Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal- India’s 1st Centralized AC Terminal set to become operational in Bengaluru
‘Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal’ – India’s 1st Centralized Air-
Conditioned Railway Terminal at Baiyappanahalli in
Bengaluru, Karnataka is set to become operational soon.
• It is being developed by the Indian Railways at a
cost INR 314 Crore and has been named after one of
India’s 1st Civil Engineers, Bharat Ratna Sir M
Visvesvaraya.
• The terminal will decongest the KSR Bengaluru &
Yesvantpur stations.
• It was sanctioned in 2015-16 and is the 3rd Coach
Terminal in Byappanahalli.
• It has been built in an area of 4, 200 Sq Kms and is capable of serving more than 50, 000 passengers on a daily
basis with 50 trains running on an average per day.

• It also has features like a reserved VIP lounge, food court, escalators, subways, among others.
i.On January 5, 2021, Union Minister Piyush Vedprakash Goyal, Ministry of Railways, launched the first-of-its-kind
Indian Railways dedicated Freight portal “Freight Business Development Portal” on the lines of ease of doing
business.
CEO – Suneet Sharma
India’s 1st dedicated Express Cargo Terminal launched at Kempegowda International Airport
On 12th March, 2021 India’s 1st dedicated Express
Cargo Terminal, exclusively for export and import of
international couriers was inaugurated in Kempegowda
International Airport, Bangalore. It is developed by
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).
• The 2,00,000 sq.ft Export Cargo Terminal will also
accommodate international courier organisations
like DHL Express & FedEx Express, under the
Common-User Express Terminal that will
be operated by Express Industry Council of India
(EICI).
Note- At Present, Kempegowda International Airport is the largest cargo Airport in South India.
About Export Cargo Terminal:
i.This new facility will enhance the cargo processing capability by 1,50,000 Metric Tonnes (MT), thus overall
annual cargo capacity will increase from the current 570,000 MT to 720,000 MT.
Benefits of Export Cargo Terminal:
i.This new facility will enable global logistic providers to reduce transaction time and cost for the shipper thus
improving Ease of Doing business.
ii.It will strengthen the export cargo market in South India.
India’s Busiest Cargo Airport by Volume:
1. Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai
3. Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore
i.Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport becomes the 1st airport in India to get an Aviation Weather
Monitoring System (AWMS) at both ends of the runway.
ii.Adani Group to Acquire 74% Stake in Mumbai International Airport Limited.
About Express Industry Council of India (EICI):
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Vijay Kumar
Location – Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Area, Mumbai.
About Karnataka:
Festivals- Vijaya Utsav (Hampi Utsav), Karaga, Kambala (Buffalo Race).
Nicknames:
Rome of East – Mangalore
Scotland of India – Coorg
Silicon Valley of India – Bangalore
Indian Railways Integrated Rail Madad Helpline ‘139’

Indian Railways has integrated all railway helplines into a single number ‘139’, which is now the main ‘Rail Madad’
Helpline, for quick grievance redressal and enquiry mechanism during train journeys for passengers.

Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Maharashtra lead in usage of Drip Irrigation : Ministry of Agriculture
According to data presented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) to Lok Sabha, 4 states
namely Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Maharashtra have more than half of the net cultivated farmlands under
micro-irrigation in India.
• The data also shows that 27 States (including UTs) have less than 30% micro-irrigation system out of which
23 have fewer than 15% micro-irrigation.
• The Totalnet irrigated area in India is 68, 649 thousand Hectares, out of which lands covered under micro-
irrigation is 12, 908.44 thousand Hectares.
• The data have been taken during the period of 2005-06 to 2020-21 (as on February 3, 2021).
Fact
• India has set a target of covering 100 Lakh Hectares in 5 years under micro-irrigation.
Areas Covered under micro-irrigation
State Net Irrigated Area* Drip Irrigation Sprinkler Irrigation %
Sikkim 16 6.35 5.26 73
Andhra Pradesh 2, 719 1, 388.13 519.17 70
Karnataka 3, 104 752.82 1, 148.70 61
*Area are in thousand hectares
Statistics of Irrigation
i.In India, The total irrigated land under micro-irrigation is just 19%.
ii.Agricultural lands under micro-irrigation is 12, 908.44 Thousand Hectares out of which,
• Areas under Drip Irrigation is 6, 112.05 Thousand Hectares
• Areas under Sprinkler Irrigation is 6, 796.39 Thousand Hectares.
Impact Evaluation
Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare also carried out an impact evaluation study of Micro-
irrigation scheme in India.
The findings are
• Irrigation cost is reduced by 20-50% with an average of 32.3 % in micro-irrigation schemes.
• Electricity consumption is also reduced by about 31%.
• Savings of Fertilizers is in the range of 7-42%.
• Overall income enhancement of farmers is in the range of 20-68% with an average of 48.5 %.
Performance of States – Micro Irrigation
• Uttar Pradesh which is the largest sugarcane grower has only 1.5% of its land under Micro-irrigation.
• Punjab, the major wheat grower has only 1.2% land under micro-irrigation.
• Bihar & West Bengal have less than 5% of lands under micro-irrigation.
The data highlights that upto 60% of water used for sugarcane, banana, okra, papaya, bittergourd & other crops could
be saved if a drip irrigation system is employed for cultivation.
Water Scarcity
According to a Parliamentary committee report,
• Peninsular rivers are facing a serious crisis of post-monsoon flows.
• If the demand for water continues to rise, India will not be able to meet half of the demand for water by 2030.
• It highlighted the declining water tables in India, and mixing of fluoride, arsenic, mercury, uranium in our
groundwater.
• The report states that we have spent only huge money for construction of dams & main canal systems, not on
durable outcomes.
• The average cost increase is 1382% in major irrigation projects & 325% in medium irrigation projects.
Schemes to Improve Micro Irrigation in India
The Government of India has initiated several schemes for developing Micro Irrigation in India. They are
PMKSY-PDMC
• Per Drop More Crop component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC).

• It was launched in 2015 and is being implemented by the National Executive Committee (NEC) at National
level under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.
Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF)
In the Union Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has doubled the allocation under MIF to INR 10,
000 crore.
• It is operationalized in NABARD from 2019-20.
• Nodal Agency – Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW).
• Objective – To facilitate the state government to mobilize resources for expanding coverage under micro
irrigation.
i.On November 21, 2020, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) has approved subsidized loans worth
Rs 3,971.31 crore under Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) for implementing micro-irrigation projects.
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW):
Union Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State – Parshottam Rupala (Rajya Sabha MP representing Gujarat), Kailash Choudhary (Lok Sabha MP,
Constituency – Barmer, Rajasthan)
MG Motor partners with IIT Delhi for Research in Electric, Connected & Autonomous Vehicles
On 15th March, 2021 MG Motor India partnered with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi’s Centre for
Automotive Research and Tribology (CART) for enhanced research in deployment of Electric, Connected &
Autonomous Vehicles in India’s Urban landscape.
• This partnership for research in CASE mobility (Connected – Autonomous – Shared – Electric) was made
through IIT-Delhi’s Industrial Interface Organisation, Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer
(FITT).
i.Previously, MG Motor & IIT Delhi had partnered-
• In a year-long project to boost child safety seats in cars through geofencing.
• Hackathon on making transportation services safer & greener.
ii.MG Motors has donated an electric SUV, ZS EV to IIT Delhi for research purposes.
Note- MG Motors launched India’s 1st autonomous Level 1 premium SUV – Gloster
iii.The Centre for Automotive Research and Tribology (CART) at IIT Delhi will conduct high level research in
Electric Vehicles (EV).
Research include – Battery-operated EV, Hybrid EV, and Alternate energy sources, Autonomous & Connected
vehicles.
Connected Vehicles:
i.They are Self Driving vehicles that use information from cameras, lasers and radar to create a 3D digital map of
their surroundings to make safe driving feasible.
ii.They use the Internet of Things (IoT) effectively to communicate among devices, to make driverless vehicles a
reality.
FITT: Established in 1992 at IIT Delhi, as an Industrial Interfacing Organisation to Foster Industry focused research
among students.
i.NHAI signs an MoU with IIT Delhi to set up CoE for Advance Data Management System for Highways.
ii.Nitin Gadkari launched the “Go Electric campaign” to give a boost to electric mobility and use of electrical
appliances across the country.
About MG Motor India:
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
President & MD – Rajeev Chaba
Founded – 2017
About IIT-Delhi:
Director – V. Ramgopal Rao

CSIR-NIO to Launch 90-day Cruise Missile
A 30-member team of Scientists & Researchers from CSIR-NIO (National Institute of Oceanography) will spend 90
days on the research vessel Sindhu Sadhana travelling over 10, 000 nautical miles in the Indian Ocean. The aim of
the mission is to study about the internal working of the body of the ocean at a cellular level. Click here to read the
news.
Indian Railways connects 2 ends of arch of ‘Chenab Bridge’ – World’s Highest Railway Bridge
Indian Railway has successfully connected the 2 ends of the main arch of ‘Chenab Bridge’ – World’s Highest Railway
Bridge. It is being built by Konkan Railway
Corporation Ltd (KRCL) at a cost of INR 12, 000
Crores.
• The bridge is 1.315 Kms long and is to be
completed by the end of 2021.
• It is being constructed over the River Chenab
which is 35 Metres higher than the Eiffel Tower
in Paris, France.
• The bridge will connect Bakkal (katra) and Kauri
(Srinagar) in the Reasi district of Jammu &
Kashmir UT.
• The Chenab bridge is part of the 111-Km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.
• Three agencies; IRCON, KRCL and Northern Railway with extensive experience in the construction of rail lines
are involved in this project.
About Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)– Sanjay Gupta
Headquarters – Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
IOCL, Phinergy Ltd form JV to manufacture Metal-Air Batteries;2 Indian firms sign LoI
On March 17, 2021, An ‘Equal’ Joint Venture (JV) called ‘IOC Phinergy Private Limited’ of Indian Oil Corporation
Limited (IOCL) & Israeli firm ‘Phinergy ltd’ was formalised. Under the JV, both entities will also undertake research
and development, assembly, manufacturing & sale of aluminium-air batteries for the Indian market.
• Objective – To manufacture Ultra-Lightweight Metal-air Batteries for Electric Vehicles (EVs)
using Aluminium Air Batteries (Al-Air) technology & to boost the e-mobility.
• The partnership will help India in realizing ‘Atma Nirbhar’ for energy requirements.
• The JV also aims to develop fuel cells & Indigenous hydrogen storage solutions for promoting green mobility
(with a focus on electric vehicles).
• Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Dr Yuval Steinitz, Minister of Energy, Israel
were present during the launch.
First Customers
• Maruti Suzuki & Ashok Leyland signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the new JV ‘IOC Phinergy Private
Limited’ for support & commercialization of its Al-Air Technology.
• Indian automobile firms Maruti Suzuki, Ashok Leyland & Mahindra Electric will be part of the validation of
the technology.
Use of Recyclable Aluminium
• The JV aims to replace Lithium with Aluminium to make batteries that will charge faster and give a longer run.
• Domestically available Recycled Aluminium will be used for the Project.
Background
• The collaboration was initiated during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July 2017.
Benefits
• It will help in the decarbonization of mobility.
• It will help in the Faster adoption of e-vehicles in India.

• It will also help in addressing the challenges faced by customers of e-Vehicles such as Range anxiety, Higher
cost of purchase & safety issues.
i.On November 20, 2020, IOCL notified that it successfully conducted a ‘Proof of Concept’ feasibility study on ‘zero-
emission electric mobility at one of its fuel stations in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
About Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL):
Chairman – Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
About Phinergy:
CEO – David Mayer
Headquarters – Lod, Israel
India’s First Elevated Urban Expressway to be completed by 2022

According to a recent inspection by Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari to India’s First
Grade Separated Urban Expressway ‘Dwarka Expressway’ ,it will be expected to complete before 2022 Independence
Day i.e August 15.
• The total length of the expressway is 29 km, of which 18.9 km falls in Haryana and the remaining 10.1 km is in
Delhi. It connects Dwarka in Delhi to Gurugram,Haryana has been constructed under the Bharatmala
Project at a price of ₹8,662 crores.
Gist about this Expressway:-
i. This will be called an engineering marvel of India with the longest (3.6 kilometers) and widest (8 lanes) Urban Road
Tunnel in India.
ii. Also India’s first 9-kilometer long 8-lane flyover (34-meter wide) on a single pier with 6-lane service roads.
iii. There will be a fully automated tolling system with 22 lanes toll plaza and the whole project will be equipped with
Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).
iv. The project has a total estimated consumption of two lakh MT of steel, which is 30 times that of Eiffel Tower,
France. The total estimated consumption of 20 lakh Cum of Concrete is six times of the Burj Khalifa building, UAE.
Bharatmala Pariyojana (Project) is a centrally-sponsored and funded road and Highways project of the
Government of India. This program will subsume all existing Highway Projects including the flagship National
Highways Development Project (NHDP), launched by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998.
India-US launched U.S. India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) Initiative

On March 17, 2021, Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology stated that, India & United
States (US) has launched the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum’s U.S. India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI)
Initiative during the launch ceremony organized by Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF).
• Objective – This initiative will enhance the Science & Technology(S&T) relationship between India and the
United States to solve problems of both countries.
• Through this Initiative, both the countries will share values of openness, transparency, and reciprocity and
encourages innovation that will benefit India as well as US.
Benefits:
i.USIAI Initiative will focus on AI cooperation in critical areas of India & US.
ii.It will serve as a platform to discuss opportunities, challenges, and barriers for bilateral Artificial Intelligence(AI)
Research & Development(R&D) collaboration.
iii.It will enable AI innovation, help share ideas for developing an AI workforce, and recommend modes and
mechanisms for Catalyzing partnerships.
iv.It will create synergies that address challenges and opportunities at the interface of science, technology, and
society.
Gist about Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF):
i.IUSSTF established under an agreement between the Governments of India and the United States of America in
March 2000.

ii.It is an autonomous bilateral organization jointly funded by both the Governments that promotes Science,
Technology, Engineering and Innovation through substantive interaction among government, academia and industry.
iii.Nodal Departments:The Department of Science & Technology, Governments of India and the U.S. Department of
States.
Uttarakhand State Council for Science & Technology (UCOST) & National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) haved
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of INR 173 Crore Science City in Jhajhra area of
Dehradun. With an objective to Advance the Scientific Culture of India.
About Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF):
Executive Director – Dr. Nandini Kannan
Headquarter – New Delhi, Delhi
UNDP Launched ‘Sahi Disha’ Campaign to Celebrate Women’s Livelihoods in Rural India
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched ‘Sahi Disha’ campaign to celebrate the livelihoods
and entrepreneurship of women in rural India. The campaign aims to highlight the issues that affect the rural
women’s opportunity to access jobs, livelihood and to establish enterprises to become self-reliant.
About Disha initiative:
i.The Disha initiative is a 5-year partnership between UNDP and IKEA Foundation
ii.The initiative enables the women to gain access to job and livelihood opportunities across 5 states:
• Delhi NCR
• Haryana
• Karnataka
• Maharashtra
• Telangana.
iii.The initiative also provides psycho-social support to mentor and empower women in starting their own
enterprises, challenging the gender bias at home and in society.
Aim:
• To help 1 million underprivileged women in India to learn marketable skills and get income opportunities.
• To help women to become economically self-sufficient to provide better opportunities for their families and
future generations.
On August 26, 2020, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance in partnership with the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India launched the Sustainable Finance Collaborative (SFC). In this regard,
a three days consultation centered on the broad scope of Sustainable Finance architecture in India was held to
accelerate green finance by bringing together leading experts and organizations.
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Administrator– Achim Steiner
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
Govt Considers To Set Up Ayush Export Promotion Council To Boost Global Trade
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry informed that the AYUSH Ministry consulting with the stakeholders
to set up an AYUSH export promotion Council(EPC) and the procedure to set up the council are being taken.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry(FICCI) will coordinate with the Department of
Commerce and the Indian Industry members interested in forming a corpus for the EPC.
• In December 2020, Union Minister, Piyush Goyal and AYUSH minister Shripad Naik jointly decided that both
Ministries will work together to boost the export of AYUSH Products.
IBBI & British High Commission released an ethical handbook for IPs
On March 19, 2021, in New Delhi, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) in association with the British
High Commission has prepared and released a publication titled “Handbook on Ethics for Insolvency Professionals:

Ethical and Regulatory Framework”, a practical guide for insolvency professionals(IPs) for discharging their duties
ethically.
• Dr. Navrang Saini, Whole Time Member, IBBI released the handbook in the presence of Ms. Natalie Toms, Chief
Economist and Counsellor, British High Commission.
• The launch was followed by the webinar on “Pre-Pack Insolvency Resolution Process: Report of the Sub-
Committee of the ILC”.
About the Handbook:
• It is based on inputs on the best practices followed by insolvency practitioners in the UK.
• It aims to stimulate the highest standards of ethics and professionalism among IPs.
• The book is in line with the ground realities of the Indian insolvency ecosystem and is expected to serve as a
practical guide for IPs in discharging their duties ethically and effectively.
Key points:
• Insolvency: It is a situation where individuals or companies are unable to repay their outstanding debt.
• Insolvency Code: In order to resolve the insolvencies Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) the
bankruptcy law of India for insolvency and bankruptcy is formed.
• Insolvency Regulator: The Code establishes the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India(IBBI), as an
insolvency regulator to oversee the insolvency proceedings in the country and regulate the entities registered
under it.
• The Government had constituted a sub-committee of the Insolvency Law Committee (ILC) on 24th June 2020
under the chairmanship of Dr. M. S. Sahoo to make a recommendation on the pre-pack insolvency resolution
process (PPIRP).
In August 2020, IBBI amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for
Corporate Persons) Regulations, 2016 by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process
for Corporate Persons) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2020.
About Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI):
Establishment – 1st October 2016
Chairperson – M.S. Sahoo
NITI Aayog Submits 1st List of about 12 PSUs for Privatisation

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi headed Think Tank, NITI Aayog had submitted the 1st list of 12 Public Sector
Undertaking’s(PSUs) for Privatisation. The list contains both Banks as well as Insurance Companies. Now, the list will
be considered by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), and the Core Group of
Secretaries on Divestment (CGD), headed by the cabinet secretary (Current Cabinet Secretary is Rajiv Gauba).
• While Presenting the Union Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Plan to
Privatise the PSUs to clear the ways for centre to complete the target of Rs 1.75 lakh crores of disinvestment in
the financial year 2021-2022.
• It was planned to privatise two Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and one general Insurance company in the year
2021-22.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Received Interim Dividend Cheque Of Rs. 92.56 Crore From DPSU – MDL
On 3rd March 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the interim dividend cheque of Rs.95.56 crore from the
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (formerly called Mazagon Dock Limited – MDL), a Defence Public Sector
Undertaking(DPSU) in New Delhi.
i.Vice Admiral Narayan Prasad (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of MDL handed over the cheque to the
Defence Minister.
ii.With this, MDL has paid a total dividend of Rs.138.73 crore to the Government during FY2020-21 including a final
dividend of Rs. 46.17 crore for FY2019-20.
• DPSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has paid an interim dividend of 140% – Rs 174.43 crore interim dividend
to the government.

• The company has declared interim dividend of 109.11 crore rupees @ 54.10 per cent of equity capital for
Financial Year 2020-21, Government share being 84.83 per cent.
• M V Gowtama, CMD of BEL presented the cheque to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
AAI Agreed To Assist Bangladesh Aviation Regulator To Enhance Infrastructure

On 15th March 2021, The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has agreed to assist the Civil Aviation Authority of
Bangladesh (CAAB), the aviation regulator of Bangladesh, to enhance its capacity in terms of infrastructure and
skilled manpower.
• To explore the possible cooperation areas, the high-level delegations of CAAB visited AAI from 7th to 11th
March 2021.
• India is currently celebrating ”Swarnim Vijay Varsh”, the golden jubilee year marking the 1971 war victory
over Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
• AAI has suggested providing customised courses to assist in the training progress.
Labour & Employment Minister, Santosh Kumar Gangwar Released ‘Compendium on CPI for Industrial
Workers’
On 18th March 2021, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Labour and
Employment Released Compendium on Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers(CPI-IW) (Volume I-IV,
1945 to 2020) which will be helpful for Researchers, Policy makers and Students.
• This Compendium is a first of its kind publication.It is Compiled by Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour and
Employment. It was released while Labour Bureau is celebrating the centenary year.
What is Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers(CPI-IW)?
CPI-IW is an economic indicator that measures the change in price of goods and services consumed by the indexed
populations.
Key Points:
i.The Compendium contains detailed and comprehensive information and explanations on compiling consumer price
index (CPI).
ii.The Compendium was formed by compiling the data in the form of Index from 1945 to till date.
iii.It Provides a comprehensive details of Key Concepts, definitions, methodology & the Index numbers compiled for
CPI-IW.
Composition of Compendium:
i.The information ranges from interim series of 1944 and 1949 to 1960 to 1982 and to the latest gone by series of
base 2001 for the period January 1945 to August 2020.
ii.The first volume has chapters related to interim series and index data on base 1944 and 1949 for the period
January 1945 to March 1954 and for April 1954 to July 1968, respectively.
iii.The second volume provides index data on 1960 series for the period August 1968 to September 1988.
iv.The third and fourth volume give similar information on base 1982 for the period October 1988 to December 2005
and on base 2001=100 for January 2006 to August 2020.
Benefits of Compendium:
Digitization of historical data on CPI-IW (consumer price index for industrial workers) in the shape of compendium
will bridge the data gap on the subject and will be an inspiration to other agencies.
What is CPI?
i.CPI is an index measuring retail inflation in the economy by collecting the change in prices of most common goods
and services used by consumers.
ii.In India, there are four consumer price index numbers, which are calculated, and these are as follows: CPI for
Industrial Workers (IW) CPI for Agricultural Labourers (AL) CPI for Rural Labourers (RL) and CPI for Urban Non-
Manual Employees (UNME).
iii.Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation collects CPI (UNME) data and compiles it, the remaining three
are collected by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour.

Bihar Becomes 1st State in India to implement ‘Ethanol Production Promotion Policy 2021’
Bihar Cabinet has approved the state’s own Ethanol policy called ‘Ethanol Production Promotion Policy, 2021’. The
approval has made Bihar as the 1st State in India to implement Ethanol Promotion Policy under the National Policy
of Biofuels, 2018.
• Objective – To make Bihar an ethanol hub & as investors’ coveted destination.
• The policy allows Bihar to directly make ethanol from Maize, Molasses, broken rice & rotten grains.
Highlights of the Policy
• Investors will get a 15% Capital subsidy (maximum of INR 5 Crore).
• Investors will also get exemption from Stamp duty, Registration and land conversion fees, electricity duty
reimbursement and employment and skill development subsidy.
• SC/ST, EBC, women, differently-abled or acid attack survivors investors to be given 15.75% subsidy up to a
maximum of INR 5.25 Crore.
• The policy gives importance on issuing licenses & clearances in a time-bound manner for new standalone
ethanol units.
• Through this policy, Bihar government aims to produce around 50 Crore litres of Ethanol each year.
• Bihar Government will allot land to ethanol investors from the 4,200 acre available with BIADA (Bihar
Industrial Area Development Authority) and the industry department.
Financial Assistance to Manufacturing units
Under the policy, financial assistance will be provided to greenfield standalone manufacturing units producing fuel-
grade ethanol & supplying 100% of their ethanol to oil manufacturing companies under the Centre’s ethanol blending
programme.
Targets
• At present, Bihar has been producing 12, 000 crore litre ethanol per year. It is the 5th highest ethanol-
producing state in India (Top 4 are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu).
• At present, bioethanol blending in petrol in India stands at 6.2%, India has set a target of 20% Bioethanol
blending of petrol by 2025 (the deadline has been moved from 2030 to 2025).
NITI Aayog’s Expert Committee
• NITI Aayog’s Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) submitted
its report on Ethanol Blending
• The report suggests a road map for 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025.
• It also suggests year-wise targets for production & supply of ethanol;manufacture of compliant vehicles &
regulatory simplification.
i.January 19, 2021, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DoFPD) has notified a modified scheme to extend
financial assistance for producers of “1st Generation” (1G) Ethanol from feed stocks such as Cereals (rice, wheat,
barley, corn & sorghum), Sugarcane & Sugar Beet.
About Bihar
Chief Minister – Nitish Kumar
Capital – Patna
UNOPS & Denmark partners to provide Technical Support for Jal Jeevan Mission in UP
On 22nd March 2021, the World Water Day, Government of Denmark and the United Nations Office for Project
Services (UNOPS) entered into a partnership to provide strategic technical support for implementing Jal Jeevan
Mission (JJM) in Uttar Pradesh.
• 11 water-scarce districts of Bundelkhand & Vindhya regions of Uttar Pradesh will be assisted with scalable
delivery models by UNOPS.
Objective- The cooperation will render technical support to provide tap water connection to every house.
i.UNOPS will assist in community mobilization, capacity building, training etc.
ii.All support will be provided as per the Operational Guidelines of JJM
iii.This comes as an outcome of Indo-Danish bilateral cooperation on achieving JJM’s goals.

About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):
Aim- To provide Functional Household Tap Connection(FHTC) in every rural household by 2024.
The scheme was launched in August 2019, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, targeted to provide drinking water supply
through mission mode.
Sustainable Development Goal – 6 (SDG-6)
India & the World is targeting to achieve the SDG-6, “Clean Water & Sanitation for All” by 2030.
i.Goa Becomes India’s 1st ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State by Providing FHTCs to Every Rural Household.
ii.Denmark to set up Center of Excellence for the dairy sector in Rajasthan.
About Denmark:
It is one of the 5 Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland).
Prime Minister – Mette Frederiksen
Capital – Copenhagen
About United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS):
Formed – December, 1973
Headquarters – Copenhagen, Denmark
India plans to Conduct Airborne Radar Survey in Himalayan Glaciers

Indian govt. is planning to conduct an airborne radar survey on a pilot basis in the Himalayan region to estimate the
thickness of Glaciers at Lahaul-Spiti basin of Himachal Pradesh. The pilot project will then be extended to conduct on
Indus, Ganga & Brahmaputra sub-basins.
Technology used – Ground Penetration Radar (GPR), to assess the depth of Glacier.
Initiated by – National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Science.
Note- Currently, India is ranked as the 7th Most Vulnerable Country in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021.
• This move comes at the backdrop of the Glacier Outburst in February 2021, leading to flooding in the Rishi
Ganga river at Uttarakhand.
• National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) Ministry of Earth Sciences has proposed this initiation
to estimate the thickness of Himalayan glaciers using innovative airborne radar surveys in collaboration with
established Indian researchers in India and abroad.
• The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) data estimates 33% of India’s thermal electricity and 52% of
hydropower are dependent on Himalayan rivers.
Key Points on Himalayas:
i.It is the World’s Youngest Mountain Range.
ii.Himalayas are classified as 3 parts: Himadri (greater Himalaya), Himachal (lesser Himalaya) & Shiwaliks (outer
Himalaya).
iii.Major Himalayan Rivers- Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Saraswati, Ganga, Yamuna & Brahmaputra.
iv.Siachen Glacier, the 2nd longest Glacier in the World is located in the Karakoram range of India.
About National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR):
Headquarters: Vasco da Gama
Director: Muthalagu Ravichandran
Manipur emerged as Champion State for Van Dhan Vikas Yojana

With active cooperation from the state government of Manipur, Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has been successfully
implemented, turning Manipur into the Champion State for the scheme. Van Dhan Yojana was launched in October
2019 in Manipur, with the successful establishment of 100 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in the state. This constitutes 1500
self-help groups for marketing & providing value-addition to the tribal, minor forest produces.
• Van Dhan Vikas Yojana is a programme for value addition, branding & marketing of Minor Forest Produces
by establishing Van Dhan Kendras to facilitate the creation of sustainable livelihoods for the forest-based
tribes.

India, US agree to reestablish ‘India-US Home Security Dialogue’
India & US have agreed to re-establish the ‘India-US Home
Security Dialogue’. Issues like Cybersecurity, emerging
technology & addressing Violent Extremism will be discussed.
• The Security dialogue will take place between India’s
Home Ministry & U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
• The decision was taken after a discussion between
India’s Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh
Sandhu, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N.
Mayorkas.
• The practice of Homeland Security Dialogue between the two countries was discontinued by Donald Trump,
the Former President of the USA.
Background
• It was launched in 2010 as the mechanism to a sequel to signing of the India-US Counter-Terrorism
initiative. It is an initiative of Barack Obama, Former President of the USA.
• The 1st India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in May 2011 at New Delhi. It took place between Janet
Napolitano, DHS Secretary of US & P Chidambaram, Former Home Minister of India.
• The 2nd India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in 2013 at Washington DC. It took place between Ms
Napolitano & Sushil Kumar, Former Home Minister of India.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III arrives in India
US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III arrived in India on a Three-day visit from
March 19-21, 2021. It is the first visit by a Top Official of the newly elected Biden Administration to India.
• During the visit, he called on PM Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, EAM S Jaishankar & National
Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.
• The key focus of the discussions was expansion of Strategic, Security ties & also the rising influence of China.
• US conveyed its displeasure over India’s USD 5 Billion deal with Russia for purchase of Five units of S-400 Air
Defence Missile Systems.
Key Defence Pacts between India-US
LEMOA
• Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016.
• It allows militaries of both countries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies as well
as provides for deeper cooperation.
COMCASA
• Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) signed in 2018.
• It provides the interoperability between the two militaries and provides for sale of high-end technology from
the US to India.
BECA
• Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) signed in October, 2020.
• It provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two nations.
i.On October 27, 2020, India hosted the third India-United States (US) 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi.
About United States (US):
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– United States Dollar (USD)
President– Joe Biden
Govt. spends Rs. 11.82 cr for Implementing National Digital Health Mission in 6 UTs
Central Govt. has spent Rs. 11.82 crores for Implementing the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) since its roll
out in 15th August 2020 under pilot basis in 6 Union Territories– Chandigarh, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli

and Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep with a total of 9.97 lakhs
beneficiaries. National Health Authority (NHA) is the implementing agency of NDHM.
• NDHM digitizes Medical identity documents of people, thereby creating a National Digital Health Ecosystem
which can be used by various organisations including private players.
Supreme Court rules out Extension of 6-month Moratorium, waives Compound Interest
On March 23, 2021, Supreme Court (SC) Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy & MR Shah rejected the
further extension of six months’ period (March 1,2020 to August 31,2020) of the loan moratorium scheme issued by
the Reserve Bank of India due to the COVID 19 Pandemic against a petition filed by the traders and corporate bodies/
big borrowers.
• SC also added that no Interest on Interest (Compound Interest) will be charged on borrowers during the
Moratorium period irrespective of the Loan Amount and any amount collected will be refunded.
• The refund or the adjusted amount is likely to be in the range of Rs 7000 crore to Rs 8000 crore.
• The Supreme Court has also refused to waive the entire interest on the loans, which government requires a
major amount of Rs 6 lakh crore.
Background
• On 27 March, 2020, RBI announced a Loan Moratorium Scheme, allowing lending institutions to grant a
temporary relief to borrowers for payment of installments of term loans falling due between 1 March 2020 &
31 May 2020 due to the pandemic and consequent downturn in economic activities.
• The scheme aimed to provide borrowers more time to pay their EMIs without being classified as NPAs (Non-
Performing Assets).
GoI’s Loan Waiver
• In October, 2020, Government of India decided to waive Compound Interest on loans of up to INR 2 Crore for
the six-month moratorium period. It was announced for 8 categories – MSME (Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises), education, housing, consumer durable, credit card dues, auto, personal, and consumption.
• It is estimated that will cost the government Rs 14,000 crore to Rs.15000 crores for complete waive of
compound interest to all borrowers, according to credit rating agency ICRA.
• Banks have already refunded the compound interest paid by borrowers for loans below Rs 2 crore was
estimated to be Rs 6,500 crore, the extended waiver will cost an additional Rs 7,000-7,500 crore.
NPAs of India’s Banking Sector
• At the end of 2020, the gross NPA of Indian Banks stood at INR 7.4 Trillion, while net NPA stood at INR 1.7
Trillion due to SC’s standstill order on fresh bad loans.
• GNPA could have risen to INR 8.7 Trillion & net NPA ratio to INR 2.7 trillion in the absence of SC’s Standstill
order.
i.On 10th September 2020, The Ministry of Finance formed a three-member expert panel headed by Rajiv Mehrishi,
former comptroller and Auditor General of India to assess the impacts of the waiver of interest on the moratorium
loans offered to the COVID-19 affected borrowers which ended on 31st August 2020.
About Supreme Court of India:
Chief Justice – Sharad Arvind Bobde (47th CJI of India)
Location – Delhi
Andaman & Nicobar attains 100% Functional Household Tap Connection under Jal Jeevan Mission
On World Water Day, 22nd March 2021, Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobar, Admiral D K Joshi, announced the Union
territory (UT) as 100% Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). With this
Andaman & Nicobar becomes India’s 1st UT and the 3rd state/UT to achieve the target (only after Goa & Telangana).
• Further the UT is planning to convert Jal Shakti Mission into a People’s Mission, where every house shall have a
pond with fish, besides Water harvesting.
• Target of JJM-Tap Water connection to all rural households by 2024.

Supreme Court refuses to stay sale of New Set of ‘Electoral Bonds’
On March 26, 2021, A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde refused to stay the sale of
a new set of electoral bonds, the new set of electoral bonds are scheduled to come out for sale between April 1-10,
2021.
• NGO Association for Democratic Reforms had filed a petition seeking ‘Stay’ on the new set of Electoral Bonds
due to upcoming elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, Pondicherry & West Bengal.
• The voting for State elections begin on March 27 & counting of votes will be held on May 2.
• The Electoral Bonds Scheme began in 2018 and continued in 2019 & 2020.
Electoral Bonds Scheme
• It was introduced with the Finance Bill (2017) and notified in 2018 as the ‘Electoral Bond Scheme 2018’.
• It is a financial instrument for making donations to political parties.
• Range of Bonds – INR 1, 000 – INR 1 crore (no maximum limit). The bonds can be purchased either digitally or
through cheque.
• State Bank of India (SBI) is the only bank which is authorized to issue these bonds. There is no limit on the
number of bonds an individual or company can purchase.
• The Electoral bonds are sold four times a year – January, April, July & October.
• Validity – The bonds donated to political parties must be encashed within 15 days through the party’s verified
account, failing which SBI will deposit the amount into Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
• Eligibility for receiving bonds – Any party registered under section 29A of the Representation of the Peoples
Act, 1951 and has secured at least 1% of the votes polled in recent General/Assembly elections are eligible to
receive electoral bonds.
Areas of Controversy
• It allows political parties to accept money from donors whose identity is kept anonymous.
• The contributions received by Political Parties in the form of Electoral Bonds scheme will be exempt from
Income Tax.
Restrictions done away with the introduction of the Electoral Bond Scheme
• No Foreign company could donate to any political party under the Companies Act.
• A Firm could donate a maximum of 7.5% of its average 3-year net profit as political donations according to
Section 182 of the Companies Act.
• Before the introduction of electoral bonds, political parties had to disclose details of all its donors, who have
donated more than Rs 20,000.
Fact
A total of 12, 924 electoral bonds worth INR 6534.78 Crore have been sold in 15 phases of sale held between March
2018 to January 2021.
i.August 13, 2020, A three-judge Bench of Supreme Court (SC) passed a judgement stating that daughters have equal
inheritance rights as of sons in the properties of fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers right from the
codification of the law in 1956
About Election Commission of India (ECI):
Chief Election Commissioner – Sunil Arora
Election Commissioner – Sushil Chandra, Rajiv Kumar
India Initiates 3rd phase of Indian Beamline Project in Japan

On March 23, 2021 the 3rd phase of the Indian beamline project was initiated in Japan with special focus on
research based on Industrial Applications. In this phase Indian researchers will be trained with Advanced X-ray
techniques used in Material research. It is set up under India-Japan Scientific and Technological Cooperation.
• MoU signed – 3rd phase was initiate at the backdrop of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) being signed
between Indian Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma & Director of Japanese Institute of Material
Structure Science, Dr. Kosugi Nobuhiro.

• Objective – This Phase will increase the number of young researchers from India to be trained in advanced X-
ray techniques of material research. At present, only 50 % of Indian researchers who apply receive beamtime.
About Indian Beamline:
i.Indian Beamline is a multipurpose beamline that facilitates in various categories of experiments based on X-ray
sources.
ii.It is located at the Photon Factory of High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Japan.
iii.Indian Beamline was constructed & maintained by Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Kolkata and Jawaharlal
Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore.
iv.The project is supported by India’s Department of Science & Technology under its Nano Mission, initiated in July
2007.
v.It was constructed in Japanese synchrotron light source Photon Factory (PF) of High Energy Accelerator Research
Organization (KEK), with support from Nano Mission, Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Phase-I (2009-2015)
An X-ray beamline (BL18B) was constructed by SINP in Japan.
It is capable of performing advanced research in Nano materials.
It was used by 45 Indian Institutes.
Phase-II (2016-2021)
Various operational modes were included to the beamline, under joint cooperation between JNCASR and SINP.
On January 15, 2021, India & Japan signed an MoU to boost cooperation in the field of Information & Communication
Technology (ICT) which includes 5G technologies, Smart Cities, Telecom Security among others.
About Department of Science & Technology (DST):
DST is a department under the Ministry of Science & Technology.
Union Minister – Harsh Vardhan (Constituency – Chandni Chowk, Delhi)
Secretary – Ashutosh Sharma
About Japan:
Emperor of Japan – Naruhito
Prime Minister – Yoshihide Suga
Capital – Tokyo
Currency – Yen
CBSE announces Competency based Assessment Framework for Classes 6 to 10

Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, launched a new assessment framework for Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE) students of Class 6 to 10. This framework assesses students based on their
competencies to solve day-to-day problems.
• The Framework was designed by British Council along with AlphaPlus as the UK knowledge partner as per the
recommendations in the National Education Policy – 2020.
• It aims to replace the existing rote learning model with a competency-based framework as directed in the NEP
2020 over the next 2-3 years.
Focus Subjects – English, Science & Maths
Key Points:
i.This will benefit 20 million students, 1,32,000 teachers across 25,000 CBSE schools including 2,000 Jawahar
Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV’s) by 2024.
ii.The programme will be implemented in a phased manner by 2024.
First Phase beneficiaries – Selected Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, UT Chandigarh and private schools
across the country
• Previously, to transform Indian Education system, CBSE has collaborated with British Council & 3UK agencies
– Cambridge, NARIC and Alphaplus.

About Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE):
Chairperson – Manoj Ahuja
Formed – 1962
Bihar set to become India’s 1st State to have 2 Green Energy Efficient Towns
Bihar is set to become India’s 1st State to have 2 Green Energy Efficient towns, the 2 towns are Rajgir & BodhGaya.
They will start getting Solar Energy through 1st of its kind Renewable energy project from 2023.
• The green energy supply required for running the towns will be developed and supplied by the Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI).
• To implement the project, the state government of Bihar will construct 500 MW solar energy plants at
Lakhisarai & Bhagalpur.
• Bihar has opted for a bundle power plan, using solar energy during the day and hydel power through pump
storage facility in evening to meet its full requirement of clean power for Rajgir and Bodh Gaya.
• After Rajgir & BodhGaya, many important government offices in Patna like the Governor house, High Court,
Museum & Vidhyut Bhawan would also run on green energy supplied by SECI.
Excess Power
The excess solar energy generated by the proposed plants will be used to run the turbines for water supply and other
power-driven works.
Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)
• It is the only CPSU (Central Public Sector Undertaking) dedicated to the Solar Energy Sector. However, at
present the mandate of SECI has broadened to cover the entire renewable energy domain.
• It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• It was set up in 2011 to facilitate the implementation of the National Solar Mission (also known as Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission – JNNSM)
i.On February 12, 2021, Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) signed a MoU with UNEP to develop a
framework for achieving climate resilience & low-carbon development in the state by 2040. Bihar became the 1st
Indian State to sign such an agreement.
About Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI):
Chairman & Managing Director – Jatindra Nath Swain
About Bihar:
Chief Minister – Nitish Kumar
Governor – Phagu Chauhan
HMEL became the first Indian buyer of Guyanese oil

In March 2020, HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) a joint venture between state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp
and steel tycoon L.N. Mittal, became India’s first company to buy cargo from the oil producers of Guyana.
• HMEL bought the 1 million-barrel
cargo of Guyana’s Liza light sweet crude
which had started its sail on March 2 on
Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, Sea
Garnet and it is set to arrive around
April 8 to India’s Mundra port(Gujarat).
• HMEL operates 226,000 barrels per
day(bpd) in the Bathinda refinery which
is in the northern state of Punjab.

Background:
• India is the third-biggest oil importer after China and US in the world, speeding up its diversification of
imports to cut its dependency on Middle Eastern crudes.
• The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) share in India’s oil imports fell to historic lows
between April 2020 and January 2021.
• OPEC decided to extend production cuts through April and Saudi commented India to use its strategic crude
reserves to cool down prices.
Import from Guyana:
• The crude from Guyana, onboard the Sea Garnet had been originally allocated to New York-based Hess Corp,
one of the companies producing crude in Guyana along with Exxon Mobil Corp, and delivered to Trafigura.
• Since 2020 after it began exporting crude, its oil has mainly flowed to the United States, China, Panama and the
Caribbean.
Import from Venezuelan oil:
• India was a prominent importer of Venezuelan oil, but tight U.S. sanctions on the South American country have
since 2019 limited the volume India can buy.
• India did not receive any Venezuelan crude imports in February but in February 2020, 371,300 barrels per day
(bpd) of Venezuelan oil arrived to Indian ports.
Steps taken to overcome the Middle East dependency:
• India began to import Guyanese crude and renewed the supply contract between Indian Oil Corp Ltd and
Russia.
• Note – In February 2020 Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) set up a contract with Russia’s Rosneft Oil
Company for importing two million tonnes per annum of Russian crude oil.
• Besides Russia, North American producers Canada, the United States and Mexico also have gained market
share by selling heavy crude grades to India.
• India’s Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd has bought its first ever cargo of Brazilian Tupi crude oil,
The 1-million-barrel cargo was sold by Royal Dutch Shell will be delivered by May.
On February 17, 2021, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually Inaugurated & Laid Foundation Stone for several
key projects related to Oil & Gas Sector in Tamil Nadu (TN).
• Inauguration of 143 Km Long Ramanathapuram-Thoothukudi section of Natural Gas Pipeline
• Inauguration of Gasoline Desulphurisation unit at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited, Manali, Chennai.
• Laid Foundation stone of Cauvery Basin Refinery at Nagapattinam
About HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL):
Establishment – 2007
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director – Prabh Das
Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh
About Guyana:
It is a country on the northern mainland of South America
Capital – Georgetown
Currency – Guyanese dollar (GYD)
ICM, Think Tank of MEA and IOM to collaborate for joint Study on Migration
On 23rd March 2021, The India Centre for Migration (ICM), a research think tank of the Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA), entered into collaboration with International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for the joint study
on “Strengthening data-informed and migrant-centred migration management frameworks in India”.
• The project was launched by Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (CPV & OIA) and Chairman of ICM.
Aim:
i.To address the issues of international migration that gained momentum during the post COVID-19 recovery efforts.
ii.To provide a gender sensitive approach and policies.
Objective of the study:
i.Best practices with regards to international migration data management to strengthen evidence based policy

making
ii.Explore opportunities for new migration corridors based on sectoral data and trends.
iii.To augment practical information for aspiring Indian Migrants in emerging sectors in new destinations.
About the joint study:
i.Examine the impacts of changes in technology, economic environment and the Covid-19 situation.
ii.Explore the possibilities for skilling and for conducting bilateral and multilateral agreements
iii.Analyse the evidence based approach for safe, legal, smart and sustainable migration.
iv.This will facilitate the implementation of various migrant centric and evidence based policies of the Government to
address the interests of migrants and to enhance labour market opportunities in both traditional and new
destinations.
About The India Centre for Migration (ICM):
Chairman– Sanjay Bhattacharyya
Kempegowda Airport becomes 1st in South India to have operational Parallel runways
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport became the 1st Airport in South India to have a fully operational
parallel runways. This comes as a result of the Airports northern runway coming to operation which was closed for
renovation and upgrades in June 2020.
• While the Southern runway is equipped with a CAT III B System that provides precision landing facility by
improving runway visibility.
• Due to reduced passenger traffic caused by the pandemic, it was decided not to implement the CAT III B
system in the Northern runway.
STATE NEWS
Kushinagar Airport Becomes 3rd Licensed International Airport of UP
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given 4C license to Kushinagar Airport, Kushinagar district,
UttarPradesh(UP) to operate international flights. With this, the airport has become the 3rd licensed International
Airport of UP after Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, and Lal Bahadur Shastri International
Airport in Varanasi. It is the 87th airport in India. The airport will operate both domestic and international flights.
Uttarakhand CM launches ‘Gharoki Paachan, Chelik Naam’ scheme in Nainital

On February 27, 2021, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched ‘Gharoki Paachan, Chelik Naam’
scheme (Daughter’s name is a home’s identity) programme. Initially the scheme has been launched in Nainital and
later is set to be extended to the entire Uttarakhand.
• He also launched several development schemes worth INR 42 Crore in Nainital Uttarakhand.
Key Points
• As part of the development works, the catchment area of Sukha tal Lake will be revitalized & will undergo
beautification process.
• The works on the Sukha tal lake will serve as a recharge to Nainital Lake & also add towards tourist attraction
at Nainital
• The Uttarakhand government is also working towards women empowerment & 32, 000 women groups of the
state have been linked with self-employment to make them self-reliant.
• The state government is also set to implement many public welfare schemes for the benefit of the youth.
i.On October 8, 2020, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched the Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar
Yojana at the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Auditorium in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
About Uttarakhand:
Dams – Kalagarh Dam (on river Ramganga), Tehri Dam (India’s Tallest Dam).
Rivers – Alaknanda River, Sarayu River, Pindar River

Arun Kumar Singh IAS Appointed as New Chief Secretary of Bihar; Replaces Deepak Kumar
On 28th February, 2021, The government of Bihar has appointed Arun Kumar Singh, 1985-batch IAS officer, as
the new Chief Secretary of Bihar. He replaces the incumbent Deepak Kumar, a 1984-batch IAS officer. He will retire
on 31st August 2021.
Arun Kumar Singh was serving as the Development commissioner of Bihar.
• Deepak Kumar will be the principal secretary to the Chief Minister(CM) Nitish Kumar on contract from 1st
March 2021. This post was created under the cabinet secretary department (CSD) in 2002.
• Deepak Kumar was due to retire as the CS of Bihar on 29th February 2020 and on the recommendation of the
state government, the Central Government granted extension twice for 2 terms of 6 months
• The government of Bihar has appointed Arun Kumar Singh after the centre declined giving fresh extension to
Deepak Kumar.
Other appointments:
i.Subhani, 1987-batch IAS officer, a native of Siwan, Bihar, has been appointed as the development commissioner
succeeding Arun Kumar Singh.
ii.Chaitanya Prasad IAS has been appointed as the Principal Secretary of Home Department.
iii.Ravi Manubhai Parmar has been appointed as the Principal Secretary in Small Water Resources Department.
iv.Santosh Kumar Mall was appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Information Technology.
v.Prem Singh Meena has been appointed as Secretary of Finance Department, Divesh Sehra as the secretary of SC, ST
welfare department and Sanjeev Hans, 1997-batch IAS, secretary to the power department, has been posted as
Secretary in additional charge of the Department of Water Resources.
About Bihar:
Stadiums– Nalanda International Cricket Stadium, Moin-ul-Haq Stadium
Bird Sanctuary– Barela jheel salim ALi-Jubba Sahni bird sanctuary, Kusheshwar Asthan Bird Sanctuary, Kanwar
Lake Bird Sanctuary, Nakti Dam Bird Sanctuary, Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel presented HEIGHT State Budget worth Rs 97,106cr for FY22
On March 1, 2021, the Chief Minister (CM) of Chhattisgarh
Bhupesh Baghel, who also holds the Finance portfolio,
presented a budget of Rs 97,106 crore for 2021-22 based
on HEIGHT.
Expansion of term HEIGHT,
H stands for holistic development,
E for education (equal opportunity for all),
I for infrastructure, G for governance,
H for health and
T for transformation.
• The state budget has made 38% provision for the social sector, 39% for the economic sector and 23% for the
general service sector.
• No new taxes are proposed in this budget.
Growth estimation of the state
i.State’s Gross Domestic Product (SGDP), at current prices, is estimated to increase from Rs 3,44,955 crores in the
year 2019-20 to 3,50,270 crore in 2020-21, an increase of 1.54%.
ii.The per capita income is estimated at Rs 1,04,943 in FY21 as compared to 1,05,089 in 2019-20, which is only
0.14% lesser than previous year.
iii. The state achieved the growth of 5.10% despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Figures:
Category Amount (Crores)
Gross Expenditure Rs 1,05,213
Net Expenditure (after deducting the repayment of loans and recoveries
from gross expenditure) Rs 97,106

Revenue expenditure Rs 83,028

Rs 13,839 (14% of the total
Capital expenditure expenditure)
Total Revenue Receipts Rs 79,325
Revenue Deficit Rs 3,702
Fiscal Deficit Rs 17,461 (4.56% of SGDP)
Highlight of Budget
New Establishments:-
• Rural Industrial Parks will be set up to provide employment opportunities for creative arts along with the
facility of operation and marketing of traditional business activities.
• C-Mart stores will also be set up inside and outside the state to provide Chhattisgarhi products, including
cuisines, under one roof.
• Four new development boards will be constituted to revive traditional rural business skills viz. Telghani,
leather craftsman, iron craftsman and Razakar Development Board.
• A Bio Ethanol Exhibition Site Plant at Village Godhi, District Bemetara will be established.
• Bastar Tigers, a new special force to be raised in the 7 districts of Bastar division to boost anti-Naxal
operations. For this, a provision of Rs 92 crore for recruitment of 2,800 personnel is made.
New Schemes :-
• Swami Atmanand English Medium School scheme– Under this scheme a total of 119 schools under the will
be set up, and a national level boarding school will be set up in Nava Raipur on a self-financing model.
• Rajiv Gandhi Nyay Scheme with Rs.5703 crores will be started for rural agricultural landless labourers.
• Mahendra Karma Tendupatta Collector Social Security Scheme will be initiation of Shaheed’ for
Tendupatta collector families.
New Constructions to be implemented
• 12 new railways over bridges, 151 bridges and 585 new roads will be expected to construct. Apart from
these 104 roads and 116 bridges will be constructed in Naxal-hit areas. Also 11 new tehsils will be constituted.
• A Chhattisgarh Cultural Zone will be constructed on the lines of Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal in Nava Raipur.
Other Allocations:
• Rs 5000 as a assistance will be provided to women on birth of second girl child under Kaushalya Maternity
Scheme
• There is also a provision of Rs 100 crores for Mukhyamantri Sugam Sadak Yojana along with a provision of Rs
940 crores for 24 roads of length of 825 km in the ADB (Asian Development Bank) Phase-3 project.
i.Jharkhand has launched the state’s own crop relief scheme ‘Kisan Fasal Rahat Yojana’ which will replace
Government of India’s crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The new scheme is a
compensation scheme which will provide security cover to farmers of Jharkhand in cases of crop damage due to
natural hazards.
ii.On January 6, 2021, Uttar Pradesh government (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath launched a 3 week long
campaign namely “Kisan Kalyan Mission” for the state’s farmer welfare and to double their income.
About Chhattisgarh:
Capital– Raipur, Bilaspur (Law Capital)
Governor– Anusuiya Uikey
Mizoram CM presents State Budget for the year 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 11,148.89 crore
On March 1, 2021, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga who also holds the Finance Portfolio presented the annual
budget for the year 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 11, 148.90 crores.
• There are no proposals to levy new taxes or increase tax rates in the new budget.
• Also presented supplementary demands for grants for the financial year 2020-2021 amounting to Rs. 3,058.08
crore.

Fiscal Indicators
• Revenue Expenditure for 2021-22 – INR 9, 216.39
Crore which is 82.67 % of the total budget,
• Gross Fiscal Deficit for fiscal 2021-22 – 2.14% and the
primary deficit is 1.12% of the State Gross Domestic
Product (GSDP).
• The state government is expecting to increase the
state’s own tax and non-tax revenue during fiscal
2021-2022 at Rs. 1,571.82 crore at an estimated
growth of 26.27%.
• Funds kept aside for Capital Expenditure (creation of assets for public) – INR 1, 932.50 crore
• The State Government is expecting INR 5, 267.82 crore grant from the 15th Finance Commission & INR 2,
570.39 crore for implementation of Centrally-Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
Key Announcements
• Allocation of INR 400 Crore for various activities of Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP).
• A sum of INR 5 Crore has been set aside for the Rehabilitation of MNF (Mizo National Front) Returnees, who
have come overground with the signing of Mizo peace accord in June, 1986.
• INR 60 Crore has been allocated for MLA Local Area Development fund.
• INR 10 Crores set aside for availing subsidized loans which will be used for strengthening & promoting Co-
operative Societies.
• INR 4, 077.29 Crore has been allocated for the Social Services Sector (36.57% of total budget).
Click here to read the Full Budget
i.On May 23, 2020, Mizoram became the 1st Indian State to give ‘Industry’ status to sports to boost the sports sector,
generate employment, increase value of sports & to attract private companies to invest in sports.
ii.August 5, 2020, Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (I/C) Prahlad Singh Patel virtually inaugurated the
first golf course of Mizoram i.e. “Thenzawl Golf Resort” Project, implemented under the Swadesh Darshan (SD)
Scheme of Ministry of Tourism, from New Delhi.
About Mizoram:
National Parks (NP) – Murlen NP, Phawngpui NP (also known as Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park)
WildLife Sanctuary (WLS) – Khawnglung WLS, Lengteng WLS
Madhya Pradesh FM Jagdish Devda presents State Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 2.41 Lakh Crore
On March 2, 2021, Madhya Pradesh (MP) Finance Minister
Jagdish Devda presented the Annual Budget for the year
2021-22 with an outlay of INR 2,41,375 Crore. The main focus
of the budget was on making Madhya Pradesh self-reliant.
• There was no proposal to levy new taxes in the Budget.
• The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of MP is
estimated to reach INR 10 Lakh Crore in the Financial
Year (FY) 2021-22.
• The FM presented the budget in a paperless manner as
it was read from an ‘Made in India’ tablet.
• Special attention in the budget is given to infrastructure, education, employment, farmers and women.
Fiscal Indicators
• Provision of total Appropriation amounting to Rs.2, 41, 375 Crore.
• Total net Expenditure – Rs.2,17,123 Crore.
• Revenue Deficit – Rs.8294 Crore
• Estimated Gross State Domestic Product 4.50% of fiscal Deficit.
• Revenue Deficit 2021-22 to be -0.73% of the state GDP.
• Interest Payments in the year 2021-22 are 12.72% of the total revenue receipts.

• Estimated Revenue Receipts – INR 1, 64, 677 Crore (includes MP’s own tax income of INR 64, 914 Crore & INR
52, 247 Crore from its share in Central Taxes)
• Revenue receipts for 2020-21 are estimated to fall by 5.05% compared to 2019-20 due to the impact of
coronavirus pandemic.
Major Announcements
• INR 1.12 Lakh Crore has been set aside for Socio-Economic Development Schemes.
• A Provision of INR 24, 911 Crore has been made for the Schedule Tribe Sub-plan & INR 17, 890 for Scheduled
caste sub-plan.
• Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, INR 5, 762 Crore has been set aside for providing tap water to households.
• INR 9, 793 Crore set aside for establishment of primary schools.
Provision Sector to which allocated
Chief Minister(CM) Kisan Kalyan Yojana with Rs 4,000 being paid to each eligible farmer
Rs 3,200 crore annually.
Rs 1,000 crore To grant interest on short-term loans to farmers through Co-opeartive banks
Rs 5,762 crore Jal Jeevan Mission
Rs 900 crore Smart Cities
Rs1.12lakh
crore socio-economic development schemes
Rs 17,980 SC sub-plan
Rs 9,793 crore for the establishment of primary schools.
Rs.44,152
crore For infrastructure
Rs.40,958 for providing quality education at government schools and nine new government medical
crore colleges will also be set up
Rs.24,911
crore ST sub-plan
Rs.7,341 crore Public Works Department
Rs.3993 crore Samgra Shiksha Abhiyan
Rs.3035 crore National Health Mission
Rs.2925 crore Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
Rs.2581 crore Atal Griha Jyoti Yojana
Rs.2500 crore Pradhan Mantro Fasal Bima Yojana
Rs.2000 crore National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
Rs.2000 crore Mukhya Mantri Krishak Fasal Uparjan Sahayata Yojana.
Rs.270 crore Ayush Department
Infrastructure
• The Public Works Department (PWD) will get INR 7, 341 crores for developmental works.
• Funds have been allocated for construction of 2, 441 km of roads & 105 railway over-bridges.
• INR 262 Crore has been allocated for the Metro Rail Project in Bhopal & Indore.
• INR 1, 500 Crore has been allocated for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
scheme.
Smart Cities & Housing
• A Fund of INR 900 Crore has been set aside for development of smart cities.
• A Provision of INR 1, 500 Crore has been made under housing for all schemes.
Atal Krishi Jyoti Yojana
A provision of INR 4, 600 Crore has been allocated for the Atal Krishi Jyoti Yojana.

• The main objective of the Atal Krishi Jyoti Yojana scheme is to illuminate dark regions by establishing solar
street lights.
• It is a decentralized solar application scheme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India.
• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is responsible for implementation of this scheme.
Agriculture
An amount of INR 3, 200 Crore has been allocated under the Chief Minister’s Farmers’ Welfare Scheme.
• Under the scheme INR 4, 000 will be paid to each eligible farmer annually.
Future Development:
• MBBS seats will be increased to 3250 by 2022-23.
• Nursing seats will be increased to 320. 9
• new medical colleges will be opened in the state.
• Three cancer hospitals will be set up in Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal.
Click here to read the full budget
Capital: Bhopal
Governor: Anandiben Patel
Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Hills – Mahadeo, Arera, Idgah
Karnataka Government launched 1st of its kind Engineering Research & Development Policy 2021
On 2nd March 2021, State Govt. of Karnataka launched the 1st of its kind Engineering Research & Development
(ER&D) Policy 2021 that is aimed at making the state responsible for 45% of India’s growth in the engineering
sector by 2025. This policy has the potential to provide employment opportunities to 50,000 in 5 target ER&D
sectors making India an ‘Innovation driver’ of the World.
• According to industry apex body Nasscom, ER&D has the potential to become a USD 100-billion industry in
the country in the next five years.
Policy Drafted by –
• Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, Karnataka
• Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society
• Nasscom
5 Target Sectors –
• Aerospace and Defence;
• Auto, Auto components and Electric Vehicles (EV);
• Biotechnology, Pharma and Medical devices;
• Semiconductors, Telecom, ESDM (Electronic System Design & Manufacturing);
• Software products.
Overview of ER&D Policy:
i.Advantages to Investments outside Bangalore – Rental Reimbursement, Recruitment Assistance & Investment
Subsidy.
ii.Developing Engineering R&D Future Skill Courses for college students.
iii.Internship Program for 3 months with a stipend of Rs. 10,000/month.
Note- With 12.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), ER&D is the fastest growing sector of India, that is
expected to reach $2 trillion by 2025.
Reason for Launching the Policy:
• To develop a research oriented Skilled Talent Pool.
• To attract ER&D investment into Karnataka.
• To Bridge the Gap between Academia and Industry.
Subsidies
• In terms of subsidies, the government will offer up to 50 percent reimbursement of rentals up to Rs 2 crore to
MNC entity beyond Bengaluru Urban district.

• It will also offer recruitment assistance and up to 20 percent subsidy up to Rs.2 crore for investing in the State
beyond Bengaluru.
• These subsidies will be assessed on case to case basis based on the investment the companies are making and
also employment they generate.
Additional Benefits of the Policy 2021:
• The policy offers a CM Research Fellowship program to PhD students to provide a monthly stipend of Rs
70,000 for the first two years, Rs 75,000 for the third year and Rs 80,000 for the fourth year and an annual
research grant of Rs 2 lakh.
• 25 per cent women candidates will be considered under the programme.
i.NITI Aayog, along with the Institute for Competitiveness virtually released the 2nd Edition of Indian Innovation
Index 2020. Karnataka topped the Index in the Major States Category.
ii.The Government of Karnataka entered into an agreement with Tata Technologies to upgrade and modernize 150
Government ITIs (Industrial Training Institute) at a cost of INR 4, 636.50 Crores.
About Karnataka:
Folk Dances – Yakshagana, Dollu Kunitha.
Festivals – Hampi Festival/Vijaya Utsava, Karaga Festival, Kambala Festival.
IBM partners with Govt. of Goa to provide Free Skill Training to Youth
On 2nd March, 2021, International Business Machines (IBM) India partnered with the state government of Goa to
provide free online courses to students, Job seekers & Entrepreneurs of the state. This initiative is aimed
at upskilling 10,000 youths across 10 institutions in 1 year through IBM SkillBuild Program.
Objective – To enhance the technical and professional skills to students, Job Seekers & Entrepreneurs.
About the Skill Training Program:
i.The program is jointly Implemented by IBM India, Department of Technical Education, Goa and
REACHA (Research and Extension Association for Conservation Horticulture and Agroforestry).
ii.Personalised coaching and experimental learning module is provided on Information & Communication Technology
(ICT).
About IBM SkillsBuild Program:
i.It is an online platform that provides Free digital courses in ITC sectors like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud
Computing, Cyber Security etc.
ii.The program has over 1lakh beneficiaries in Indian in 2021 alone.
iii.This Skill Development platform was launched by IBM India in November 2019.
i.MEITY and IBM India collaborate to upskill members of the CSC ecosystem in AI & Cloud.
ii.Goa has become the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state in the country under Central Governments Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by
providing 100% tap water connections in Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs).
About IBM India:
Managing Director – Sandip Patel
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
Founded in 1992
About Goa:
Goa was liberated from the control of Portugese in 1961.
Waterfalls – Arvalem Falls, Dudhsagar Falls, Kesarval falls
Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel presents State Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 2.27 Lakh Crore
On March 3, 2021, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Nitin Patel who holds the Finance Portfolio presented the State
Budget 2021-22 with a Budget Outlay of INR 2, 27, 029 Crore which is an increase of INR 9, 742 Crore than the budget
presented in 2020-21.
• At INR 2.27 Lakh Crore it is Gujarat’s Largest budget so far.
• It was a INR 587.88 Crore Surplus budget.

• The state government has not imposed any increase or offered any relief in Gujarat’s existing tax structure.
• Gujarat’s Public Debt is set to increase to INR 3.78 Trillion by end of FY 2021-22 from INR 2.67 Trillion as on
March 31, 2020.
‘Gujarat Budget’ – Mobile app
• In February 2021, Nitin Patel launched ‘Gujarat
Budget’ mobile application through all information
regarding budget, access to Budget documents will be
provided to the lawmakers & general public.
Fiscal Indicators
• Revenue Receipts – INR 1, 67, 969 Crore
• Revenue Expenditure – INR 1, 66, 760 Crore for the year
2021-22
• Estimated Fiscal deficit in FY 2020-21 – 3.10% due to
High Government spending & lower revenue due to pandemic
Sector-wise Allocations
• Education – INR 32, 719 crore
• Health and Family Welfare – INR 11, 323 Crore
• Urban Development – INR 13,493 Crore
• Energy and Petrochemicals – INR 13, 034 Crore
Major Announcements
• Announcement of the start of 2nd Edition of ‘Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana’ for the Tribal population with an
allocation of INR 1 Lakh Crore over 5 years. It was started by the Former Chief Minister Narendra Modi in
2007.
• INR 1, 500 Crore rupees allocated for Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train Project
• INR 652 Crore has been allocated for the Statue of Unity area development.
• Announcement of a new scheme ‘MASIHA’ under which houses will be constructed for labourers at
concessional rate on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.
• Promotion of ‘Whale Shark Tourism’ for providing employment in rural areas.
• INR 7, 232 crores for Krishi Khedut Kalyan Yojana for improving agriculture.
• Gujarat Socio-Economic Analytics Centre to be set up for carrying out review of existing schemes.
Fishing
• Under Sagar Khedu Sarvangee Vikas Yojna-2, INR 50, 000 Crore has been allocated over the next 5 years for
the fishermen.
• Around 2 Lakh youths will be recruited in various government departments in 5 years.
• Provision of INR 97 crore for development of Navi Bandar, Madhvad, Veraval, Porbandar & Sutrapada fishing
ports.
Vaccination Cell
• INR 3 crore has been allocated for setting up vaccine stores in 9 districts.
• Special Vaccination Cell to be set up for ensuring smooth COVID-19 inoculation drive.
Urban Development
• INR 13, 493 Crore has been set aside for Urban Development and Urban Housing Department.
• INR 900 Crore has been allocated for building 55, 000 new houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)
(PMAY-U). PMAY is a flagship Mission of Government of India being implemented by the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
E-vehicles
• For promoting e-vehicles, the FM has announced a provision of INR 26 Crore for providing a subsidy of INR 48,
000 per e-rickshaw & INR 13 Crore for subsidy of INR 12, 000 per electric two-wheeler.
Textile & Drug Industrial Parks
• The FM also proposed setting up of Two Mega Textile Parks in Gujarat.
• A Bulk Drug Industrial park is also to be set up in Bharuch & a Medical device park in Rajkot district.

Health
• Provision of INR 1106 Crore has been made under the scheme Health and family welfare Mukhyamantri
Amrutum (MA) and Ma-Vatsalya Yojana initiated by the Government of India.
• The beneficiaries of this scheme are provided treatment of upto INR 5 lakh free of cost under this scheme.
Rural Development
• To Achieve target of providing a house to all by 2022, INR 1250 crores has been allocated for construction of 1
Lakh New houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) (PMAY-G).
• INR 564 Crore allocated under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme.
• INR 300 Crore allocated under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) for women empowerment and
economic development.
• INR 124 Crore for Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) for improving farm productivity and
ensuring better utilization of resources in India.
About Gujarat:
Folk Dances – Garba, Dandiya Raas, Tippani
Jharkhand FM presented Rs 91,277 crore State budget for 2021-22

On March 3, 2021, the Finance Minister of Jharkhand, Dr
Rameshwar Oraon, presented the state budget worth Rs 91,277
crore for FY2021-22 in the State Assembly at Ranchi. The budget
saw an increase over Rs 7,100 crore (almost 11%) as compared
to FY21.
• The focus of the budget is to provide employment
opportunities in rural areas.
Key Figures:
i.Revenue expenditure- Rs 75755.01cr
ii.Capital Expenditure- Rs 15521.99cr
iii.Fiscal deficit- Rs 10,210.87cr which is 2.83% of GSDP (gross state domestic product).
Budgetary Sector-Wise Allocation:
i.General Sector- Rs 26,734.05cr
ii.Social Sector- Rs 33,625.72cr
iii.Economic Sector- Rs 30,917.23cr
Key Allocations/Provisions:
i.An allocation of Rs 18653cr was made for rural Development, agriculture, animal husbandry and water resources.
ii.A provision of Rs 1200 cr was for waiving off farmers’ loans.
iii.A maximum allocation of 14.52% was made for the Education department followed by 14.16% to Rural
Development and 8.55% to Health and Family Welfare.
iv.A honorarium of MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act) workers has been increased and fixed
at Rs 225.
v.A provision has also been made for better education for the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Scheduled Caste (SC)
students of the state by opening of a new State Tribal University.
i.On December 31, 2020 Jharkhand has launched the state’s own crop relief scheme ‘Kisan Fasal Rahat Yojana’ to
replace Government of India’s crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
ii.In November 2020, Jharkhand Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on ‘Sarna Code’ during a special one-day
assembly session on November 11, 2020. The resolution seeks inclusion of Sarna as a separate religion in the 2021
census.
About Jharkhand:
Governor– Draupadi Murmu
Chief Minister– Hemant Soren
Capital– Ranchi

Odisha Govt Partners with ICRISAT to Support the PVTGs in 12 Districts
On 2nd March 2021, the Government of Odisha signed an agreement with International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to strengthen the management of natural resources that benefits the Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups(PVTGs) in 12 districts of the State.
• The agreement is valid for a period of 3 years.
• The area of intervention under this agreement is over 12 districts of the state.
• The collaboration is a part of the PVTGs Empowerment and Livelihoods Improvement Programme of Odisha,
which is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD) in India.
Objective:
To promote sustainable integrated natural resource management through capacity building and monitoring
Benefits:
i.ICRISAT will undertake the capacity building initiatives for the tribal groups (PVTGs) who are dependent on
agriculture.
ii.ICRISAT will help the PVTGs in water harvesting, recording hydrological parameters and crop productivity.
iii.ICRISAT will also support in monitoring land use and land cover using remote sensing and GIS in the 12 districts.
Key People:
Pradeep Kumar Jena, Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary of Odisha, Dr. Jacqueline d’ Arros
Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT and Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Director, Country Relations and Business Affairs –
New Delhi, ICRISAT were present during the signing of the agreement.
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), the commercial wing of Ministry of
Tribal Affairs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Farm Forestry Development Co-
operative ltd (IFFDC) to promote Livelihood Generation of Tribal People.
Pravir Krishna, Managing Director of TRIFED & S.P. Singh, Managing Director of IFFDC signed the MoU.
About ICRISAT:
Director General– Jacqueline d’ Arros Hughes
Headquarters– Hyderabad, Telangana
Arunachal Pradesh Dy CM presented Rs 578.50cr Deficit State Budget for FY22

On March 4, 2021, Arunachal Pradesh’s (AR) Deputy Chief
Minister (CM) and Finance Minister Chowna Mein presented Rs
578.50 crore deficit state budget for FY2021-22 at the state
assembly in Itanagar. However, the fiscal deficit of the state has
decreased to 2.19% from 2.28% in FY21.
• In accordance with the Union Budget FY22, the
Arunachal Pradesh share of Central Taxes is pegged at Rs
11693.94cr.
The budget is focused on the 6 key areas of growth viz.
i.Health & Wellbeing
ii.Reinvigorating Human Capital
iii.Inclusive Development for Aspirational Arunachal
iv.Physical & Financial Capital & Infrastructure
v.Minimum Govt & Maximum Governance
vi.Innovation Research & Development
Projections in AR Budget:
i.Revenue Receipts- Rs 21090.87cr
ii.Capital Receipts- Rs 1490.13cr
iii.Total Receipts- Rs 22581cr
iv.Revenue Expenditure- Rs 15344.32cr
v.Capital Expenditure (including loan)- Rs 6968.68cr

Key Highlights of Budget:
i.The state will observe year 2021 as ‘Year of Education’ to improve the quality of education.
• Rs 300 cr allocated towards the initiation of ‘Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)’.
• 1st All girl Sainik School will be set up at Tawang after the approval from Ministry of Defence.
• CM Samast Shiksha Yojana will be continued (Rs 32 crore).
ii.As a part of Health & Wellbeing, there will be further development of Tomo Riba Institute Health & Medical
Sciences (TRIHMS).
iii.The Sangey Lhaden Sports Academy, Chimpu, Itanagar declared as Khelo India State Centre of Excellence under
the Khelo India scheme.
iv.There will be implementation of pilot project on Caravan Tourism.
v.The Central Government has approved the preparation of DPR (Detailed Project Report) for Frontier Highway.
vi.The top 31 winners of Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development program will get seed money and
incubation support.
vii.The state government has allocated the 120 MW (Megawatt) Nafra Hydro-Electric Power to North Eastern Electric
Power Corporation Limited.
Key Allocations:
i.A grant of Rs 303 cr will be provided to local bodies under the 15th Finance Commission for development through
Panchayat Raj Institutions.
ii.Rs 1,895 crore was allocated for clearing old liabilities of State Infrastructure Development Fund (SIDF).
iii.Rs 1,000 crore was allocated for Central Sector Schemes (CSS)
iv.Rs 7.5cr each allocated towards the CM’s White revolution Scheme and Arun Pig Development Scheme
v.A provision of Rs. 30 crore was made to initiate a major project to develop three Model Villages on a pilot basis in
the Indo-Tibet China border areas – one each in the Eastern, Central and Western part of the State.
vi.Rs 10 cr allocated for Mukhya mantri neel kranti abhiyan for fisheries sector.
i.Government of India (GoI) has sanctioned INR 37.8 Crores for the Developing Parashuram Kund Pilgrimage Site at
Lohit district, AR. It is one of the most sacred places in India and is visited by a large number of pilgrims during Makar
Sankranti.
ii.Researchers have discovered 2 new species: Hedychium mechukanum and Amomum arunachalense from AR. The
Hedychium mechukanum belongs to the Hedychium genus and Amomum arunachalense belongs to the Amomum
genus.
About Arunachal Pradesh:
Tiger Project Areas– Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Pakke Tiger Reserve
National Parks– Namdapha National Park, Mouling National Park
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat presents State Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 57, 400 Crores
On March 4, 2021, Uttarakhand Chief Minister (CM) Trivendra
Singh Rawat presented the State Budget 2021-22 with an outlay
of INR 57, 400 Crores. The budget put more emphasis on
infrastructure development, health, rural infrastructure,
employment generation and education.
• The budget estimate for 2021-22 was 7.23% higher than
the estimate for the current fiscal (2020-21).
Fiscal Indicators
• Revenue Expenditure in 2021-22 – INR 44, 036.31 Crore
• Capital Expenditure – INR 13, 364.01
• Fiscal Deficit – INR 8, 984 Crore (3.23% of the estimated Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP))
Sector Wise Allocation
Sector Allocation
Infrastructure Development INR 6, 000 Crores

Medical, Health & family welfare INR 3, 800 Crores

Education INR 1, 400 crores
Farming sector INR 484 crore
Environment INR 455 crore
Major Announcements
• CM declared Garasain as the 3rd commissary of the state including Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Almora &
Bageshwar districts. At present, there are 13 districts between Kumaon & Garhwal divisions.
• INR 87.56 Crore under Traditional Agriculture Development Scheme to double farmers’ income by 2022.
• INR 25 Crore under new Chief Minister Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana under which green fodder will be provided
to women at cheap price from ration & fair price shops.
Allocations for Central Scheme
• INR 954.75 crore for creation of assets under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
• INR 272 Crore under Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act 2005, (MGNREGS), INR 94 Crore for
National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
• INR 1, 154.62 Crore for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
• INR 153.7 crore for Right to Education Act.
About Uttarakhand:
Major Mountains – Nanda Devi (India’s 2nd Highest mountain after Kangchenjunga), Kamet, Sunanda Devi
UP CM Launches ‘Path Pradarshak’ Free Coaching Facility for Competitive exams

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched ‘Path Pradarshak’ free coaching facility for Competitive
exams under the ‘Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana’. Under the initiative, students will be provided free assistance by
IAS & Provincial Civil Service officers for the preparations.
Odisha Govt. to set up ‘Mission Shakti’ Department to strengthen SHGs

On March 06,2021, Ahead of International Women’s Day, the Odisha government in its cabinet meeting which is
chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved to set up a new department called “Department of Mission
Shakti” to strengthen both the rural and urban Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the state.
Objectives of the Department:
1. Now both the Directorate of Mission Shakti and Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) will come under the
Department of Mission Shakti.
2. The department will provide an effective interactive platform to establish linkages with all level SHGs, which
will be helpful for the government to monitor and provide better services to them with the improved linear
administrative mechanism.
Other Major Decisions:
1. To construct satellite center of AIIMS, at Remuna Tahasil of Balasore district the government sanctioned the
lease of 25 acres for free of cost.
2. Approved the amendment of Odisha Lokayukta Act,2014.
3. Approved Odisha Mining Corporation Limited (OMC) to sell the entire quantity of bauxite ore.
4. Cabinet had given the nod for the construction of 2X500 MVA, 400/220/33 KV GIS sub- station at Paradip
along with associated lines over a period of three years from 2020-21.
Denmark to set up Center of Excellence for dairy sector in Rajasthan

On March 06,2021, Denmark Ambassador Freddy Svane had a meeting with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and
Governor Kalraj Mishra to set up a Center of Excellence for the dairy sector in Rajasthan.
Objectives of the Center of Excellence:
i.To provide technical support in water conservation and purification works in the urban areas of Udaipur
ii.To give better facilities to cattle rearers and
iii.To be fully cooperative in the field of dairy science and technology through Denmark’s expertise.

About Rajasthan’s Dairy sector:
• The Rajasthan dairy market has exhibited a strong growth during 2015-2020
• Rajasthan is the second highest milk producing state in India contributing around 11% to the total milk
production.
Note: As of 2020, approximately 4.2% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) was due to dairy production. Uttar
Pradesh is the highest milk producing state in India
IMARC Group’s report:
They have reported Rajasthan as the sixth largest dairy market in India and
It expects Rajasthan dairy market to grow at a Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.7% during 2021-2026.
Further Discussions over the Meeting:
Cooperation and investment in areas such as agriculture, animal husbandry, food and textiles along with the
framework of cooperation between them in the field of public health engineering is also discussed in the meeting.
Roles and responsibilities of the Center of Excellence:
It is a team, a shared facility or an entity that will provide
• Guidelines for efficient use of resources, provision of quality products and services to customers.
• Helps to eliminate inefficient practices and to implement new skills and technologies.
On February 18, 2021, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Greenstat Hydrogen India
Pvt. Ltd., for setting up of Centre of Excellence on Hydrogen (CoE-H) including CCUS and Fuel Cells.
About Denmark:
Currency – Danish krone
About Rajasthan:
Important Rivers –
Luni (The largest river in the Thar Desert)
Chambal (The only perennial river of the state)
J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha Launched Super-75 Scholarship Scheme for Girls Education
On 8th March 2021, International Women’s Day, the Lieutenant(Lt) Governor of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) launched
the Super-75 scholarship scheme to support the education of the meritorious girls from poor families. The
scheme will support the girls to take up streams like engineering, medicine, Industrial Training Institute(ITI) and
humanity and contribute to the development of the nation.
Keeping in view of this year’s campaign theme of International Women’s Day Choose to Challenge and to
celebrate Azaadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav- India@75, the Lt Governor announced the launch of Super-75 scholarship
scheme.
Other Schemes:
i.Lt Governor also launched a new scheme “Tejaswini” under the Mission Youth to provide financial support of Rs.5
Lakhs to girls of age group 18 to 35 to start a business.
ii.10% of the project cost will be provided by the Mission youth and it will also pay the interest every year.
Additional info:
i.The Lt Governor stated that no fees will be charged upto 12th standard from around 589000 girls from various
government schools.
ii.He also stated that to reduce the gender gap and girl child dropout rates, around 88 Kasturba Gandhi Balika
Vidyalaya and 88 Girls Hostel has been made functional in various distant locations.
iii.The government is also providing 13 scholarship schemes to support the higher education of girls.
The Government of India announced an increase in Scholarship amount for the students of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)
under the ‘Pragati’ and ‘Saksham’ Scholarship Schemes. The amount has been raised from Rs. 5, 000 Per Annum to Rs.
50, 000 Per Annum from the Current Academic Year (2020-21).

About Jammu and Kashmir:
Tribes– Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard, Shin, Changpa, Purigpa, Gujjar, Bakarwal, Gaddi, Sippi
National Park– Dachigam National Park, Kishtwar National Park
AP Became the First State to Incorporate Gender Budget in its FY 2021-22 Annual Budget
On 8th March 2021, International women’s day, Andhra
Pradesh(AP) Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
announced that the state would become the first state of
India to incorporate the Gender Budget in its annual
budget of the fiscal year 2021 to 2022 with an aim to
provide better service to women.
The gender budget list outs the expenditure for women
welfare under various schemes of the state.
• He participated at the women’s day celebration at
the camp office in Tadepalli, Krishna District, Andhra
Pradesh and virtually inaugurated the Women’s help desks in all the police stations across the state along with
Cyber Kiosks.
Key points:
i.He stated that the government has introduced various schemes like Amma Vodi, YSR Cheyuta, YSR Asara, Kapu
Nestam for the welfare of women by spending around Rs.80000 crores in 21 months of governance.
ii.The state government has provided 50% reservation for women in all nominated posts and works inorder to
empower women socially, politically and economically.
Swechha’ Programme:
i.He launched the SWECHHA(freedom)Programme to create awareness about menstrual hygiene among the
adolescent girls.
ii.Under this program, the government of AP will provide 10 sanitary napkins per month for every girl students of
class 7 to 12 in all government schools, junior colleges and residential institutions in the state from 1st July 2021.
iii.Female teachers and lectures will be identified in each institution to implement the SWECHHA Programme.
iv.The biodegradable, Good quality, branded sanitary napkins will be made available at low cost in Cheyutha grocery
stores run by women in urban and rural areas across the state from 1st July 2021.
Jagananna Amma Vodi scheme:
Chief Minister said only 60% of women are literate in the State according to the 2011 Census. In order to resolve this
and lower the burden of quality education, the government introduced Jagananna Amma Vodi scheme and spent
about ₹13,022 crore in two years and would be providing ₹32,500 crore in five years benefiting over 44.50 lakh
mothers and 85 lakh students.
YSR Aasara:
Through YSR Aasara, 87.75 lakh self-help group women were given ₹6,792 crore in 21 months while 24.56 lakh
women aged between 45 and 60 years were given ₹4,604 crore under YSR Cheyutha scheme.
Other launches and provisions:
i.He also flagged off the 900 Disha patrolling vehicles and 18 Disha crime scene management vehicles.
ii.Special Disha Police stations have been established in each district of the state to eliminate those who commit
crimes against women.
iii.He announced that the casual leaves for women has been increased from 15 to 20.
On September 11, 2020 As a step to empower women economically and socially, YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Chief
Minister of Andhra Pradesh(AP), launched ‘YSR Aasara’ scheme. Under the scheme, AP government will reimburse
outstanding bank loans of women Self-Help Groups (SHG) as on April 11, 2019 into their accounts directly in four
phases. YSR Aasara is a part of the Navaratna welfare schemes.
About Andhra Pradesh:
Ramsar Sites– Kolleru Lake
Zoological parks– Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park

Maharashtra FM Ajit Pawar presents State Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 4, 84, 118.19 Crore
On March 8, 2021, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister
(CM) & Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented the state
budget for the year 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 4, 84,
118.19 Crore. Infrastructure development, health,
agriculture, Nari Shakti were the main areas of focus.
Fiscal Indicators
• Revenue Deficit Budget – INR 10, 226 Crore
Deficit
• Estimated Revenue Expenditure – INR 3,79, 213
Crore
• Estimated Fiscal Deficit – INR 66, 641 Crore
• Expected Growth (based on an economic survey of Maharashtra) is -8% in 2020-21 & Gross State Domestic
Product (GSDP) to fall by INR 1, 56, 925 Crore.
• Women & Childcare Development – INR 2, 247 crore
• Infrastructure development – INR 58, 748 crore
• Health Sector – INR 7, 000 Crore
Major Announcements
• Zero-Interest loans to farmers who take crop loans up to a limit of INR 3 Lakhs & do timely repayment.
• Allocation of INR 5, 000 Crore for quality health services in urban areas of the state.
• 540 Km Marine Highway to be constructed to reduce traffic congestion on Mumbai-Goa highway.
• Approval for construction of new International Airport at Purandar, Pune.
• Waterways around Mumbai to be used for the purpose of water transport.
• 170 Km New ring-road costing INR 26, 000 Crore to be built in the limits of Pune Municipal Corporation
(Largest Civic Body in terms of area) to ease congestion.
• The proposed project – Pune-Nashik railway project – a medium high-speed railway line with a proposed
length of 235 km which is estimated to cost INR 16, 039 crores. The speed of the trains will be 200 Km/hr.
New Schemes
Krantijyoti Savitrbai Phule
• To provide free travel in Maharashtra State Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses to girl students in rural
areas for travelling from villages to schools.
Tejasvini Yojana
For providing special buses for women in urban/metro centres for a safe and easy commute.
Rajmata Jijau Griha-Swamini Yojna
Concession of 1% in Stamp Duty if it is done in the name of a woman of the house.
State’s 1st Woman Battalion
He announced the formation of the 1st Women Battalion of the State Reserve Police Force.
About Maharashtra:
Forts – Pratapgad fort, Purandar fort, Rajgad fort
UP Gets 8th Airport at Bareilly; Became 1st State to have highest Number of Airports
Bareilly Airport became the 8th Airport of Uttar Pradesh(UP). The Trishul Military Airbase has been upgraded as
the Bareilly Airport for commercial flight operations under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam
Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) of the Government of India.
• UP became the first state of India to have the highest number of Airports.
Note:
Currently UP has 8 functional airports namely Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Hindon and
Bareilly.

Highlights:
i.Bareilly became the 56th Airport to be operationalized
under the UDAN scheme.
ii.Trishul Military Airbase, Bareilly owned by the Indian Air
Force and the land were handed over to the Airport Authority
of India(AAI).
iii.The Government of India has sanctioned Rs.88 crores under
the UDAN Scheme for the development of the interim civil
aviation operation.
iv.The upgradation of the Airport was undertaken by the AAI
with a cost of Rs.65 crores.
First Flight of Bareilly Airport:
i.On 8th March 2021, On the occasion of the International women’s Day Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State
(Independent Charge), Ministry of Civil Aviation flagged off the first flight with all women crew to Bareilly Airport
from Delhi Airport.
ii.The first flight of Bareilly airport was operated by Alliance Air, which was awarded the Delhi bareilly route under
UDAN-4 bidding process 2020.
iii.The airline deployed its ATR 72 600 aircraft with a capacity of 70 seats.
About UDAN Scheme:
In October 2016, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha launched Regional Connectivity Scheme Ude Desh
Ka Aam Naagrik(UDAN), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
About Uttar Pradesh:
UNESCO Sites– Fatehpur Sikri, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort
Ramsar sites– Sur Sarovar, Upper Ganga River, Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary, The Samaspur
Bird Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Sarsai Nawar Jheel , Saman Bird Sanctuary
Delhi Government presents INR 69, 000 Crore State Budget terms it ‘Deshbhakti Budget’
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Manish Sisodia who also holds
the Finance Portfolio presented the State Budget 2021-22 with
an outlay of INR 69, 000 Crores. He termed the budget as
‘Deshbhakti budget’ as the government has decided to celebrate
the 75th year of Independence (in 2021) as tribute to martyrs
of the freedom movement.
• It was Delhi’s 1st Paperless Budget
• Delhi’s budget allocation increased to INR 69, 000 Crore
from INR 65,000 Crore in 2020-21 Budget.
• Revised Estimated for the current year 2020-21 is
proposed at INR 59, 000 Crore
• Education Sector – INR 16, 377 Crore (24%)
• Health Sector – INR 9, 934 Crore (14%)
• Transport Sector & Infrastructure – INR 9,394 Crore (13%)
‘Deshbhakti’ Budget
List of announcements made under ‘Deshbhakti’ programme
• Delhi’s 1st Sainik School & and a Delhi Armed Forces Preparatory Academy to be set up.
• INR 45 Crore for installing high masts to hoist the national flag at 500 places in the national capital.
• INR 10 Crore allocated to conduct programmes to honour Shaheed Bhagat Singh & Babasaheb Bhim Rao
Ambedkar.
Aims & Targets
• The Delhi government has stated that it aims to bid for hosting the 2048 Olympic Games.

• The Government also aims to increase Delhi’s per capita income to the level of Singapore by 2047, which
means it has to increase the per capita income 16-fold to achieve the target.
• The Per Capita Expenditure of Government of Delhi through budgetary transaction is set to increase from INR
19, 218 in 2015-16 to INR 33, 173 in 2021-22.
‘Saheli Samanvay Kendra’
To empower women by setting up 500 anganwadi hubs for incubating individual start-ups & promoting self-help
groups.
Health Care
• 100 Special ‘Mahila Mohalla Clinic’ to be set up for women in different parts of Delhi from 2022.
• INR 50 crore allocated for ‘Aam Aadmi Nishulk COVID Vaccine Yojana’.
Education
• ‘Entrepreneurship Mindset’ syllabus introduced for school children of class 9-12 to develop 21st Century skills
such as critical thinking, problem solving, risk tracking & self-management.
• INR 2,000 per child seed-money to be provided for school children of 11th & 12th class for displaying their
entrepreneurial skills under the Entrepreneurship program.
Click here to read the full Budget
About Delhi
Forts – Red Fort, Tughlaqabad Fort, Feroz Shah Kotla Fort
We Hub collaborates with Australia to launch Women Entrepreneurship program “UPSurge”

In March 2021, WE Hub, a government of Telangana initiative partnered with Australian government to
launch “UPSurge” a 12-week pre-incubation program conducted across India. The program is targeted
towards Women Entrepreneurs to minimise financial risk while selling novel products & achieve financial
independence. Australia is the first International Partner of WE Hub, when they jointly launched
the “Community Slate” program that was concluded in 2020.
i.WE Hub is an Incubator to foster & promote Women Entrepreneurs towards scaling their products in the Global
arena.
ii.The program was launched in the presence of Barry O’Farrell AO, Australian High Commissioner to India; Sarah
Kirlew, Australian Consul General to South India, and Deepthi Ravula, CEO of WE Hub.
iii.This collaboration is in line with Australia’s Decadal Plan for Women.
iv.Australia has developed a Decadal Plan for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), to
support improved gender equity in STEM.
i.WE Hub and JKEDI Sign MoU to Promote Entrepreneurship and Startup Culture in J&K and Telangana.
ii.NITI Aayog’s AIM & Australia’s CSIRO Launched India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE).
About WE Hub:
WE Hub is India’s 1st and only state-led incubator to foster and promote women entrepreneurship.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Deepthi Ravula
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
About Australia:
Prime Minister – Scott Morrison
Capital – Canberra
Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain in Australia.
Punjab FM Manpreet Singh Badal presents State Budget for FY 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 1, 68, 015 Crore
Punjab Finance Minister (FM) Manpreet Singh Badal presented the State Budget for Financial Year (FY) 2021-22 with
an outlay of INR 1, 68, 015 Crore.
Fiscal Indicators (Budget Estimates 2021-22)
• Revenue Receipts – INR 95,257.60 Crores
• Capital Receipts – INR 67,341.09 Crores
• Revenue Expenditure – INR 103879.91 Crores

• Fiscal Deficit – INR 24239.68 Crores
Sector Wise Allocations
• Social Services – INR 19,640.82 Crores (62%)
• Agriculture & Allied Activities – INR 4,777.79 Crores (15%)
• Rural Development – INR 2,205.22 Crores (6.98%)
Major Announcements
Crop Loan Waiver
• Debts worth INR 1,186 Crore will be waived for around 1.13
Lakh Small & Marginal Farmers.
• Debts worth INR 526 Crore are set to be waived for
Landless farmers in 2021-22.
Other Announcements
• Old Age Pension has been raised from INR 750 per month to INR 1, 500 per month.
• Free Power for Agriculture pump sets in 2021-22 at a cost of INR 7, 180 Crore.
• INR 100 Crore to be spent on Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum which will be set up in Kapurthala.
Urban Infrastructure
• INR 1600 Crore has been allocated for Smart Cities Mission. The Government of India has already selected
Ludhiana, Amritsar & Jalandhar under the Smart Cities Mission.
• Sultanpur Lodhi has been included in the smart cities mission as a special case.
• INR 1, 400 Crore has been proposed under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) &
INR 114 Crore for Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
Shagun Scheme
The Allotment for Shagun scheme (also known as Aashirwad Scheme) has been increased from INR 21, 000 to INR 51,
000.
• It is a scheme for providing financial assistance to a girl’s marriage.
Rural Infrastructure
• INR 3, 744 Crore allocated for the creation of rural infrastructure & rural livelihood.
• INR 400 Crore for MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme)
‘Kamyaab Kisan, Khushaal Punjab (K3P)’
• A New Scheme which aims to improve the income of farmers. INR 3, 780 Crores have been allocated under this
scheme for the next 3 years, and an outlay of INR 1, 104 crores has been set aside for 2021-22.
Defence
• INR 135 Crore allocated for Defence welfare & INR 64 Crore for guardians of governance scheme.
About Punjab:
Governor – V P Singh Badnore
Capital – Chandigarh
Karnataka CM B.S. Yediyurappa presents State Budget for FY 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 2, 46, 207 Crore
Karnataka Chief Minister (CM) B.S. Yediyurappa who also holds
the Finance Portfolio presented the State Budget for FY 2021-22
(‘Karnataka Vikasa Patra 2021’) with an outlay of INR 2, 46,
207 Crore.
• No Additional Taxes were levied in the Budget.
• It was a revenue deficit budget, the estimated revenue
deficit for 2021-22 is INR 15, 134 Crore.
• The size of the budget is INR 8, 314 Crore more than the
budget allocated in 2020-21.
• Karnataka’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)
contracted by 2.6% in 2020-21.

Fiscal Indicators
• Revenue Expenditure – INR 1, 87, 405 Crore
• Capital Expenditure – INR 44, 237 Crore
• Fiscal Deficit – INR 59. 240 Crore (3.48% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP))
Major Announcements
• INR 7, 795 Crore has been allocated for overall development of Bengaluru under ‘Bengaluru Mission 2022’.
• INR 850 Crore for suburban rail project in Bengaluru.
• Establishment of 500 MW capacity Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) solar power park at a cost of INR
350 Crore in Firozabad, Kalaburagi district.
• INR 500 Crore for promotion of organic farming.
• One Goshala for each district for protection of cattle wealth in Karnataka.
• Establishment of food park under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan scheme in Ittangihal village of Vijayapura
district.
• INR 2 Crore granted to strengthen Tele-ICU.
Industrial Park
Proposal for setting up 12 Industrial parks – Plastic park, Food park, Ecotourism park, Tree parks, Signature Business
Park, Solar Park.
About Karnataka:
Governor – Vajubhai Vala
Capital – Bengaluru
Haryana CM presents State Budget for FY 2021-22 with an overlay of INR 1.55 Lakh Crore
Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar who also holds
the Finance Portfolio presented the state budget for FY 2021-22
with an overlay of INR 1, 55, 645 Lakh Crore. The areas of focus
were health, agriculture & infrastructure.
• The INR 1, 55, 645 crore allocated for FY 2021-22 is an
increase of 13% over FY 2020-21 of INR 1, 37, 738 Crore.
• The budget has proposed setting up Special Education
Zones (SEZs) to promote technology based learning in
government schools.
Fiscal Indicators
• Capital Expenditure – INR 38, 718 crore
• Revenue Expenditure – INR 1, 16, 927 crore
• Projected Fiscal Deficit – 3.93% (which is well under the 4% limit of Fiscal Responsibility and Budget
Management (FRBM) Act)
Sector-wise allocation
• Health Sector – INR 7, 731 Crore
• Cooperation sector – INR 1, 274 Crore
• Agriculture & Farmers welfare – INR 2, 998 Crore
• Animal Husbandry & Dairying – INR 1, 225 Crore
• Welfare & development schemes – INR 45, 066.16 Crore (for achieving 17 Sustainable Development Goals)
Major Announcements
Agriculture
• A special campaign – ‘Har Khet Swasth Khet’ announced to focus on soil health and facilitating cropping
choices based on soil quality.
• INR 2400 allocated for setting up India International Horticulture Market (IHM) at Ganaur, Sonepat.
• In order to double the income of fish farmers, the government will develop 1090 hectares’ saline affected area
and 5000 hectares’ fresh water area under ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana Scheme’ (PMMSY) during
2021-22 to 2024-25.

Social Welfare
• Old Age Samman allowance increases to INR 2, 500 per month from April 1, 2021.
• Setting up of a Gender Inclusion Fund (GIF) of INR 114.52 crore for providing higher financial assistance to girl
students in Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
• Announcement of new scheme called ‘Mukhyamantri Antyodya Parivar Utthan Abhiya’ for uplifting one lakh
families with low family income.
• Increased financial assistance under Dr BR Ambedkar Awas Navinikarn Yojna to INR 80, 000 from INR 50,
000 for repair of houses belonging to Schedule Caste families living Below the Poverty Line (BPL).
Education
As part of National Education Policy, the state government is set to upgrade classroom infrastructure.
• INR 700 Crore has been allocated for promoting technology based education and for installation of digital
classrooms, among other facilities.
• Free Education to be provided for government schools for class 9-12 from all categories.
About Haryana
Tribes – Bazigars, Babaria, Gandhila
Punjab partners with UN & other global agencies to launch 8 schemes for Women
Punjab Government has partnered with United Nations (UN) & other agencies for empowering women. He also
launched 8 schemes for women to mark the International Women’s Day (March 8). They are aimed at safeguarding
women from crimes, protecting their rights & introducing gender sensitisation curriculum.
Partnering Agencies
• The International agencies are UN Women, UNDP (United Nations Development Fund), UN Population Fund, J-
PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab) & FUEL (Friends Union for Energizing Lives).
Gist of Schemes
• MoU with UN Population Fund for Capacity building of state departments.
• Partnership with UNDP to eliminate anaemia & malnutrition among women and children.
• MoU with J-PAL for boosting gender sensitisation curriculum
• MoU with FUEL to impart skills to youth in line with ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ scheme.
• Handing over of appointment letters for 2, 407 master cadre women teachers, launch of Sanja Shakti
helpdesks & 181 Sanjh Shakti helpline for women at all police stations.
About Punjab:
Chief Minister – Captain Amarinder Singh
J&K approves Rs. 2 lakhs worth Interest-free Housing loans under PMAY-U
On 14th March, 2021 Jammu & Kashmir’s (J&K) Administrative Council under the chairmanship of Lieutenant
Governor Manoj Sinha, approved to provide additional interest-free loan up to Rs. 2 lakhs for construction of
houses. The loan will be provided to the economically weaker section to the beneficiaries under Beneficiary Led
Construction (BLC) component of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).
Note- India is targeting to provide “Housing for all” through PMAY-U by 2022.
i.All beneficiaries of BLC can avail the additional interest free loan.
ii.At present, a financial assistance of Rs. 1.66 lakh is provided as a housing loan under PMAY-U.
iii.With this extension, the interest-free loan can be availed up to Rs. 3.66 lakhs.
iv.Loans under BLC have a tenure of 10 years with 6-months moratorium period.
About Jammu & Kashmir (J&K):
World’s highest Railway Bridge, an arch bridge is constructed in J&K across Chenab river.
Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla cities are located on the banks of Jhelum river.
Kishtwar city is located on the banks of Chenab river.
Gandhi Sagar Dam is constructed on Chambal River.

J&K Govt approved to establish Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation to develop 850 MW HEP on Chenab
River
On 17th March 2021, the Administration Council of Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) under the chairship of Lieutenant
Governor Manoj Sinha approved the incorporation of Ratle Hydro-electric Power Corporation, a joint venture
company(JVC), to implement 850 MW Ratle Hydro-Electric Project (HEP) on river Chenab in Kishtwar district.
• The authorised capital of the JVC is Rs 1,600 crore with initial paid-up capital of Rs 100 crore.
• Out of the paid-up capital, J&K State Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKSPDCL) will contribute Rs 49
crore as initial equity.
The MoU to execute the project was signed between the Government of J&K, JKSPDCL and NHPC on 3rd January 2021.
The JVC will develop the 850 MW Ratle HEP at an estimated cost of Rs 5,281.94 crore.
Telangana FM Harish Rao presents State Budget for FY 2021-22 with an overlay of INR 2.3 Lakh Crore
On March 18, 2021, Telangana Finance Minister T Harish Rao
presented the State Budget for the FY 2021-22 with an overlay of
INR 2, 30, 825 Crore. Major Allocations were made towards
Agriculture, Roads, Transport, Power, Irrigation & other
infrastructure development projects.
• It is a tax-free Budget
• Due to the adverse impact of COVID-19, the Gross State
Domestic Product (GSDP) of Telangana has declined from
13.5% in 2019-20 to 1.3% in 2020-21.
• The budget for 2020-21 was over INR 1.82 Lakh Crore.
Fiscal Indicators
• Revenue Expenditure – INR 1, 69, 383 Crore
• Capital Expenditure – INR 29, 046 Crore
• Fiscal Deficit – INR 45, 509 Crore
Sector-wise Allocation
• Agriculture – INR 25, 000 Crore
• Panchayati Raj & Rural Development – INR 29, 271 Crore
• Irrigation Sector – INR 16, 391 Crore
Major Announcements
• Allocation of Development fund of INR 5 crore to each MLA & INR 800 Crore for MLCs (Member of Legislative
Council)
• INR 610 Crore allocated to construction of new secretariat complex at Hyderabad, Telangana.
CM Dalit Empowerment Programme
Allocation of INR 1, 000 Crore for overall development of Scheduled Castes.
Social Welfare
• INR 11, 728 Crore for Aasara Pension Scheme
• INR 2, 750 Crore for Kalyana Lakshmi & Shadi Mubarak
• INR 11, 000 Crore for construction of double bedroom houses
• Allocation of INR 3, 000 Crore for providing interest-free loans to Women Self Help Groups.
Allocation for Development of Hyderabad
• INR 200 Crore allocated for Musi river rejuvenation
• INR 1000 Crore allocated for Hyderabad metro rail Project
Agriculture
• INR 14, 800 Crore for Rythu Bandhu, a financial assistance scheme for farmers.
• INR 5, 225 Crore for Agriculture loan waiver
• INR 1, 730 Crore for Animal Husbandry & INR 1, 500 crores for Mechanisation of Agriculture.
Education
• INR 4000 Crore has been allocated for upgrading and modernizing schools run by the Telangana Government.

About Telangana
Chief Minister – K Chandrasekhar Rao
Governor – Tamilisai Soundararajan (currently given additional charge as LG of Puducherry)
Chinar Day Observed in Jammu and Kashmir

The Chinar Day was celebrated across Jammu and Kashmir on 15th March 2021. As a part of the Chinar Day
celebration, The Urban Forest Division(UFD) of Srinagar organised programmes at the Shuhama Campus of Sher-e-
Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) and planted the Chinar saplings within the
SKUAST premises.
• The government of J&K has launched a drive to protect the Chinars, the endangered heritage of the oriental
plane trees of Kashmir and plant chinar trees, popularly known as Bune all across the J&K.
• The department is set to plant 200 chinar saplings beside the 12500 more saplings which shall be planted
during 2021.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launched The Mission Gramodaya

On 18th March 2021, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister(CM) of Madhya Pradesh(MP) and Narendra Singh
Tomar, Union Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare jointly launched the Mission Gramodaya for
the development of villages in MP.
Objective:
• To provide basic and fundamental infrastructure to rural areas in the state
• To provide housing to the needy.
Features:
i.Around 10600 community construction works under various schemes of the department of rural development will
be inaugurated under this programme.
ii.The construction works include,
• 6000 community sanitation complexes,
• 2000 sports grounds
• 2 thousand Shanti dhams
• 634 panchayat buildings
iii.Under this program the process of releasing Rs. 2000 crore to 5 lakh beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
will also be started.
iv.Rs.1562 crore, the cost of 1.25 lakh houses were handed over to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
during the mission gramodaya programme.
v.The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana was effectively implemented in Madhya Pradesh.
About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U)
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), a flagship Mission of Government of India being implemented by
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), was launched on 25th June 2015. The Mission addresses urban
housing shortage among the EWS/LIG and MIG categories including the slum dwellers by ensuring a pucca house to
all eligible urban households by the year 2022.
Jharkhand Launched SAAMAR (Strategic Action for Alleviation of Malnutrition and Anemia Reduction)
Campaign to Fight Malnutrition
On 17th March 2021, the Government of Jharkhand launched the SAAMAR (Strategic Action for Alleviation of
Malnutrition and Anemia Reduction) campaign to tackle acute malnutrition in children and women in the state.
• The SAAMAR campaign is launched with a target of 1000 days, under which an annual survey will be
conducted to track the progress.
• For the implementation of the SAAMAR campaign, a provision of Rs.1 lakh will be given to every panchayat.
Aim:
• To identify anaemic women and malnourished children in Jharkhand
• To bring together various departments to effectively tackle the issues of the state related to malnutrition.

Malnutrition in Jharkhand:
i.According to the National Family Health Survey-4 data, every 2nd child in Jharkhand is stunted and underweight,
every 3rd child is affected by stunting and every 10th child is affected from severe wasting and around 70% of
children are anaemic.
ii.The Economic Survey quoted The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey conducted from March to July 2017
indicates the status of undernutrition.
iii.The survey stated that based on the sample data around 36% of children under the age of 5 are stunted, 29% are
affected from wasting-weight for height, and 45% are underweight.
SAAMAR Campaign:
Features of SAAMAR:
i.Various departments like the Rural Development Department and Food and Civil Supplies will work together.
ii.This will also target the primarily vulnerable tribal Groups since there is no research-based information on their
food and nutritional habits.
iv.This encourages research on the nutritional behaviours of these tribal groups for effective implementation.
Proposed strategies of SAAMAR:
i.To tackle acute malnutrition in children, the children with malnutrition will be identified through the Anganwadi
centres and these children will be treated at the malnutrition treatment Centres.
ii.Similarly the anaemic women will also be listed and they will be referred to the health centers in serious cases.
iii.These will be done by measuring Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) of women and children through MUAC
tapes and Edema levels.
iv.Angawadi’s Sahayia and Sevika will take the identified children and women to the health centre and they will be
registered on the State Nutrition Mission portal.
Implementation:
i.The SAAMAR campaign will start with every panchayat which will be treated as a unit.
ii.Nurtition Sabhas will be conducted and the mukhiyas will work with every Anganwadi Sevika, Sahayika, Poshan
Sakhi, School Management Committee President, Jal Sahiya among others.
iii.The Panchayat Secretariat will hold the colour coded boards of the nutritional condition of every village.
iv.A social audit will be conducted following which the panchayat will get the tag of ‘malnutrition free panchayat’.
On January 27, 2021 Cargill in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme(UNWFP) and Centre for
Responsible Business (CRB) launched a programme to improve nutrition status in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
i.The program is supported by the Department of Women & Child Development, Government of Rajasthan.
ii.It is aligned with the Government of India’s National Nutrition Strategy and the Poshan Abhiyan.
About Jharkhand:
National Park– Hazaribagh National Park, Betla National Park
India’s 1st Govt. run Veterinary Ambulance Network set-up in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh govt. is planning to set-up India’s 1st Government run Mobile Ambulance Veterinary Clinic
network in the state. Each Assembly Constituency in the state will be provided with 1 Ambulance along with 1
veterinary doctor, 1 Para-veterinary worker.
• The Ambulance is equipped with a ‘Hydraulic Lift’ facility to shift the injured animal to the hospital.
Consulate General Of India In South Africa Partnered With UP to Boost Post COVID-19 Tourism in India
The Consulate General of India in South Africa partnered with Uttar Pradesh(UP) to boost Tourism to India Post
Covid-19 and highlight the various religious sites and other attractions in UP.
• On 24th March 2021, During the meeting titled “Post COVID Tourism in India” the detailed plans to attract
tourists to UP was shared by Mukesh Kumar Meshram, Principal Secretary for Tourism and Culture in UP.
• The meet was organised by Anju Ranjan, Indian Consul General in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Note:India is the Second largest tourism hub.

Reason for partnership:
i.South Africa partnered with UP since the large number of descendents of the first Indian who arrived in South Africa
were from UP and Bihar.
ii.UP has a special desk called “Tracing the Roots” which will help the descendents to find their ancestry so that they
can get the OCI cards.
Post COVID Tourism to India(UP):
i.UP is committed to make Ayodhya a leading place for tourism among the religious places in the World.
ii.The New Tourism policy of UP which features incentives for the tourism sector including the subsidies in a wide
range of areas for boosting tourism.
Additional info:
The Satguru Travel, an international company has received a special citation from Anju Ranjan for its supporting the
repatriation flights to India during the COVID-19 lockdown in India.
On September 8, 2020, Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), through which Take-Home ration will now be
manufactured and supplied by Women self-help groups (SHGs).
About South Africa:
President- Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa
Currency- South African Rand
Capital- Pretoria(executive), Bloemfontein(judicial) and Cape Town(legislative)
Consulate General of India– Anju Ranjan
Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS Civil Aviation, Inaugurated the Kurnool Airport, AP
On 25th March 2021, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State(Independent Charge), Ministry of Civil Aviation
inaugurated the Kurnool Airport, Oravackal in Andhra Pradesh(AP) over a virtual ceremony.The Airport was named
as “Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy airport”.
• Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh attended the inauguration at Kurnool airport.
• The Kurnool Airport became the 6th Airport in AP to become functional after Kadapa, Visakhapatnam,
Tirupati, Rajahmundry & Vijayawada.
About Kurnool Airport:
i.The airport is classified as ‘3C’ and it is capable of handling turboprop aircraft like ATR-72 and Bombardier Q-400.
ii.The airport is developed on an area of 1,010 acre at the cost of Rs.110 crore.
iii.The airport has a 2000 meter runway and 4 aprons to park the aircrafts.
iv.Under Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) the flight operations will commence
from 28th March 2021.
Highlights:
i.YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has named the Kurnool Airport after Uyyalavada Narasimha Reddy, the first ever freedom
fighter of the region.
ii.He also inaugurated the statue of the former CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy in front of the Passenger terminal of the
airport.
iii.He also released a special postage stamp on the occasion of the inauguration of Kurnool Airport.
Bareilly Airport became the 8th Airport of Uttar Pradesh(UP). The Trishul Military Airbase has been upgraded as the
Bareilly Airport for commercial flight operations under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik
(RCS-UDAN) of the Government of India.
CM- Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Governor- Biswa Bhusan Harichandan

UP Cabinet Approves Scheme Offering Affordable Rental Housing For Urban Migrants & Poor
On 26th March 2021, the Cabinet of Uttar Pradesh(UP) presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved
the Affordable Rental Housing and Complexes (ARHC) scheme, to offer affordable rental housing for the poor
people living in cities.
About ARHC Scheme:
i.The scheme was launched by the Government of India through the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs(MoHUA).The scheme is launched under the ‘Self Reliant India Campaign’.
ii.ARHC will be implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) to promote participation of
private/public institutions for construction, operation and maintenance of rental housing complexes for urban
migrants/poor.
iii.The project under this scheme will be used for rental accommodations for urban migrants, poor or low income
group categories for a minimum of 25 years.
Implementation model:
Model 1: Convert vacant houses funded by central or state government into ARHC through agreement.
Model 2: ARHC will be built, operated and maintained by public/private entities on their available vacant land
Beneficiaries:
i.The scheme will benefit the migrants and poor labourers belonging to the economically weaker sections and low
income groups like, factory workers, educational institutions, people associated with hospitality and students.
ii.Under this scheme, preference will be given to people of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward
Classes, widows, working women, divyang and minorities.This will be subjected to the provisions made by the state
government.
Recent related News:
On February 15, 2020, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath launched ‘UP Mukhyamantri
Abhyudaya Yojana 2021’. Under the scheme, Free-of-cost coaching centres will be established across the state,
through which students can prepare for competitive exams like IAS, PCS, NDS, CDS, NEET & JEE.
Bird Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Sarsai Nawar Jheel, Saman Bird Sanctuary.
Forts- Jhansi Fort, Agra Fort, Chunar Fort, Ramnagar Fort, The Fort Rampura, Aligarh Fort, Fatehpur Sikri Fort.
Maithri Aquatech set up the ‘World’s first mobile water-from-air kiosk’ in Visakhapatnam, AP
Maithri Aquatech, a startup, formed under the initiative ‘Make in India’ has set up the ‘World’s First Mobile Water
from Air Kiosk and Water Knowledge Centre’ with the use of its ‘MEGHDOOT solution’ in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh.MEGHDOOT means ‘Messenger of the Sky’s.
• This initiative is supported by GVMC (Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation) and project SEWAH
(Sustainable Enterprises for Water and Health)
• SEWAH is an alliance between The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and SWN
(Safe Water Network). USAID has partnered with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the Jal
Jeevan program.
About MEGHDOOT solution:
• It is the only atmospheric water generator(AWG) approved by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• By using this technology, kiosk will provide clean, mineral-enriched potable water by harvesting the moisture
in the air which is independent of the existing groundwater and surface water resources.
• It is an environmentally friendly ‘Plug-and-Play’ solution and capable of producing 100% microbe-free potable
water on a sustainable basis.
• It is capable of generating over 1 million litres of water every single day. The water generated meets the WHO
(World Health Organization) as well as Indian Standards of potable water.
Kiosk as Knowlege centre:
The kiosk will also act as a Water Knowledge Resource Centre (WKRC) by creating awareness to local communities
and nearby schools on the benefits of good water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices.

About Maithri Aquatech:
• Maithri Aquatech has partnered with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) which operates under
the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• The company has won the prestigious ‘FICCI Smart Urban Innovation Award’ in the ‘Smart Water Category’ in
recognition of an innovation that can be scaled up in all Smart Cities.
About Maithri Aquatech Pvt Ltd
Founder & MD -Ramkrishna Mukkavilli
Company location – Telangana
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu launched ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’

On March 22, 2021, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu launched ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’campaign, in
line with Ministery of Tourism’s initiative ‘Dekho Apna Desh’(DAD) to promote tourism within the state and to heal
the damage caused to the sector by the COVID 19.
About Dekho Apna Desh(DAD)
• On 24th January 2020, DAD, was launched by Union Minister for Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel at Konark,
Odisha, and insisted every citizen to visit at least 15 neary tourist destinations by the year 2022 to promote
domestic tourism.
• The Ministry is organising a series of Webinars under the overall theme of ‘DekhoApna Desh’, a total of 81
Webinars have been organised up to date.
About ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’ campaign of Arunachal Pradesh:
• This campaign is to create awareness on the diversity of the state bringing and encourage our people to visit
other places of their state.
• Under the first phase of the campaign, 60 participants divided into 3 groups (A, B & C) would embark on a 10-
day journey of various tourism circuits of western, eastern and central Arunachal.
• The campaign launched in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and Tourism Minister Nakap
Nalo.
Details on other schemes of the state:
• Chief Minister’s Paryatan Shiksha Yojana (CMPSY) – under this youth from the hospitality sector are given
training from reputed institutes.
• Chief Minister’s Paryatan Vikas Yojana (CMPVY) – it is a value-added subsidy scheme in which, funds are
granted for opening homestays, restaurants, bakery, food courts and adventure sports.
• Chief Minister’s Advanced Certificate Course (CMACC) under this, youths are trained in adventure and allied
sports for which the state government has tied up with the Dirang based National Institute of Mountaineering
and Allied Sports (NIMAS).
About Arunachal Pradesh
Major Tribes of the state – Bugun, Hrusso, Singpho, Monpa, Sherdukpen, Nyishi, Wancho, Nocte, Adi, Apatani, and
Khamti.
Odisha celebrates 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Visit to Cuttack

Odisha state celebrates the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to the state with a Commemorative postage
stamp. Mahatma Gandhi made his 1st visit to Odisha, at Swaraj ashram in Cuttack on 23rd March 1921.
i.The Odisha Cabinet also passed a resolution to include the word “Ahimsa” into the preamble of the Constitution of
India.
ii.A 5-day long photo exhibition was organised in Cuttack by the Regional Outreach Bureau of Bhubaneshwar, as a
part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ launched by Govt. of India to mark the 75th Independence day.
Ladakh LG launches 1st Solar Lift Irrigation Scheme of KREDA at Latoo Village
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur inaugurated the 1st Solar Lift Irrigation Scheme of Kargil Renewable Energy
Development Agency (KREDA) at Latoo Village, Kargil. It is the last Village on Line of Control (LoC).KREDA has
successfully installed and commissioned a 41 Horsepower Submersible Pump backed with 50 Kw Solar Photovoltaic

Plant, making it the 1st Prototype of the Solar Lift Irrigation System in Ladakh built in collaboration with the Ladakh
Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).
• The project comes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of solarizing Ladakh fully and making it a
Carbon Neutral Region.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath Inaugurated Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan Zoo, 1st Zoo in Purvanchal, UP
On March 27, 2021, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan
Zoological Park in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh which is named after freedom fighter Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan to
create possibilities for tourism in the region.
• It became the third zoo of the state after Kanpur Zoological Park and Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan and
the first zoo in the Purvanchal region.
• The construction of the zoo has been completed in four years with the estimated cost of Rs 260 crore.
• CM has inaugurated 6 One District One Product (ODOP) shops in the zoo.
About the Animals and Birds in the Zoo:
• So far, 153 wild birds and animals of 31 species have been brought to the zoo.
The Lions of Gujarat from Etawah Lion Safari. Cheetah, leopard, hippopotamus, deer, swamp deer (barasingha),
chital, jackal, python, russell viper, bonnet macaque (a species of monkey), sambar, fox (fox), kakar (barking deer),
Pada (hog deer), crocodile, Wild cat, tortoise, porcupine, parrot, peacock etc have been brought here.
About other Zoological Parks of the state:
1.Kanpur Zoological Park or Allen Forest Zoo
• It is located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh and it is the largest zoological park in North India.
2.Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan or popularly known as Lucknow Zoological Garden
• It is located in Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh and was named after Wajid Ali Shah- the last Nawab of Awadh.
Chief Minister– Yogi Adityanath
Governor– Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel
Capital– Lucknow
GOVT SCHEMES
Haryana CM announces 4 Welfare Schemes on the 644th Birth Anniversary of Guru Ravidas
During the 644th Birth anniversary celebration of Guru Ravidas, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
announced 4 welfare schemes for the state. The Schemes are aimed at satisfying the needs of the people
under Below Poverty line (BPL). He also highlighted the state’s initiatives to increase income of BPL families by at
least Rs. 8000 to Rs. 9000/month.
Guru Ravidas was a Mystic Poet of the Bhakti Movement and also the founder of Ravidassia religion.
About the Welfare Schemes:
i.Mukhyamantri Antyodaya Parivar Utthan Yojana – 1st phase of the scheme to begin on April 1, 2021. The
Scheme is aimed at uplifting 1 lakh BPL families of Haryana; these families will be selected through the Parivar
Pehchan Patra (PPP) portal.
ii.Dr BR Ambedkar Awas Navinikarn Yojana –
• Financial assistance increased from Rs. 50,000 to 80,000 to repair houses of Scheduled Caste BPL families.
• The Scheme is extended to all BPL families, and the annual income slab of BPL family is increased from Rs.
1.20 lakhs to 1.80 lakhs/annum.
iii.Legal aid for victims of atrocities under Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has
been increased from Rs. 11,000 to Rs. 21,000.
iv.Sant Mahapurush Vichar Samman and Prasaar Yojana – Financial Assistance between Rs. 50,000 to Rs.1 lakh
will be provided to religious organisations for the birth anniversary celebration of great leaders.

About Haryana:
City & Nicknames
• Millennium City of India – Gurugram
• Industrial City of India – Faridabad
Haryana produces India’s 64% of Tin.
Famous Sikh religious site, “Gurudwara Nada Sahib” is located in Haryana.
All Major Programmes of WCD Ministry brought under 3 Umbrella Schemes

The Ministry of Women & Child Development (WCD) stated that it has classified all its major programmes under 3
umbrella schemes namely – Mission Poshan 2.0 (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic
Nutrition), Mission Vatsalya & Mission Shakti for the sake of better Implementation of the schemes & programmes.
Importance of WCD Ministry
• According to the 2011 census, Women & Children constitute 67.7% of India’s Population.
• It was set up as a Separate Ministry in 2006 for ensuring nourishment of children to grow in a safe & secure
environment & empower women by freeing them from all forms of discrimination and violence.
Objective of WCD
• To address gaps in State action for Women & Children
• To promote inter-ministerial & inter-sectoral convergence for creating gender equitable & child centred
legislation, policies & programmes.
Allocations in Union Budget
Umbrella Scheme Schemes Included 2021-22
· Umbrella ICDS (Integrated Child Development
Services)
· Anganwadi Services
· Poshan Abhiyan
Saksham Anganwadi & · Scheme for Adolescent girls
POSHAN 2.0 · National Creme Scheme INR 20, 105 Crores
Child Protection Services and Child Welfare
Mission Vatsalya Services INR 900 Crores
SAMBAL
· One Stop Centre
· Mahila Police Volunteer
· Women’s Helpline / Swadhar /
Ujjawala/Widow Homes
SAMARTHYA
· Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
· Creche
· Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
Mission Shakti · Gender Budgeting/Research INR 3, 109 Crores
POSHAN 2.0
• The supplementary nutrition programme & the POSHAN Abhiyaan were merged to launch Mission POSHAN
2.0.
• Objective – To Strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach & outcome.
• In the Union Budget of 2021-22, INR 24, 435 Crore was allocated to the WCD Ministry, out of that INR 20, 105
Crore was allocated to Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0.
Mission Vatsalya
• It was set up to look into child protection services & welfare services
Mission SHAKTI
• It was set up for Protection & Empowerment of Women
• It will run in convergence with other Umbrella schemes of WCD such as Mission POSHAN 2.0, Mission
VATSALYA & Mission SAKSHAM-Anganwadi

i.On September 20, 2020, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) inked MoU with the AYUSH Ministry to
control Malnutrition as a part of POSHAN Abhiyaan.
About Ministry of Women & Child Development:
Union Minister – Smriti Irani (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Amethi, UP)
Minister of State – Debasree Chaudhuri (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Raiganj, West Bengal)
Labor Minister Launches Convergence of ESI Scheme with Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY in 4 States
On March 10, 2021, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labor & Employment Santosh Gangwar launched the
convergence of the ESI (Employees State Insurance) Scheme with Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (Pradhan Mantri-Jan
Arogya Yojana) in 113 districts of 4 States – Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra.
Objective – To ensure easy access to medical care
• The convergence will enable 1.35 Crore ESI Beneficiaries in 4 states to make use of cashless medical services
through empanelled hospitals of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY without any need of a referral.
• Along the same lines, the beneficiaries of PM-JAY can also avail themselves cashless treatment at 15
underutilized ESIC hospital/Medical Colleges in Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & Uttar
Pradesh.
• The convergence was launched on the final day of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Special
Services Fortnight at New Delhi.
Employees State Insurance (ESI) Scheme:
• ESI is a self-financing social security & health insurance scheme for Indian workers.
• It is managed by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) which is a statutory and autonomous
body under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India.
• The ESI fund is managed according to rules & regulations set in the ESI Act, 1948 (1st major legislation on
social security for workers in Independent India).
• It is financed by contributions from Employers (4.75% of wages) and Employees (1.75% of wages).
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
• Launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare as part of the Indian Government’s National
Health Policy.
• Implementing Agency – National Health Authority
• Funding – Centrally sponsored and jointly funded by both the Central government & state government.
• Target – To provide free access to healthcare for 50 crore people in India.
• Budget Allocation in Union Budget 2021-22 – INR 6, 400 Crores.
i.On 13th August 2020, The Governing board of the National Health Authority (NHA) approved the proposal to
integrate the existing health schemes of the central ministries with the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojana (AB-PMJAY) for employees.
About Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC):
Chairman – Santosh Kumar Gangwar (Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labor & Employment)
Maharashtra Launched Mahasamruddhi Mahila Sashaktikaran Scheme To Empower Rural Women

The Government of Maharashtra launched the “Maha Samruddhi Mahila Sashaktikaran scheme” to empower the
women in rural areas. The scheme commenced on 8th March 2021, the International women’s Day 2021.
Aim:
To promote the listing of wife’s name along with husbands’ names on the 7/12 extract.
To promote the inclusion of wife’s name on house property documents.
What is 7/12 extract?
Saat baara utara(7/12) extract is the official agricultural land record of an individual or family registered with the
revenue department of the state government.

Nodal agency:
i.Maharashtra State Rural Development department will be the nodal body for the implementation of the Maha
Samruddhi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana.
ii.The other government department will also be involved in the implementation of the scheme.
Features of the scheme:
i.Under this scheme, the Self Help Groups will organise exhibitions to showcase the works of the rural women.
ii.The village level members of the women cells and the rural livelihood mission of Maharashtra will also be involved
under this scheme.
iii.To promote the products of Women SHGs, the state government will provide a sustainable market and branding
tools to them.
iv.The food products of SHGs will be linked with market chains including the government offices and canteens, malls
and private outlets, to enable women to earn higher remuneration.
v.Various skill development workshops will be conducted under this scheme.
Legal advice at free of cost will be extended to women entrepreneurs in rural areas.
Note:
The state government has announced to distribute subsidized sanitary napkins under the Asmita Yojana.
On 09 December, 2020 State Government of Maharashtra led by Chief Minister(CM) Uddhav Thackeray launched the
ambitious rural development scheme “Sharad Pawar Rural Prosperity Scheme” named after Sharad Pawar, Former
Agriculture Minister, President of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the chief architect of the ruling Maha Vikas
Aghadi (MVA).
About Maharashtra:
Zoological park- Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park, Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park,
Jijamata Udyan Zoo, Maharajbagh Zoo, Peshwa Udyan Zoo
UNESCO Sites– Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Victorian Gothic and Art
Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
Rajasthan Government to launch ‘Universal Health Scheme’ from May 1, 2021

Rajasthan Chief Minister (CM), Ashok Gehlot announced to implement Universal Health named ‘Mukhyamantri
Chiranjeevi Yojana’ from May 1, 2021. The scheme will provide free annual medical insurance of upto INR 5
Lakh for every family in the State.
Key Points:
• The Universal Health Scheme is worth INR 3, 500 Crore and was announced during the Rajasthan State
Budget for the FY 2021-22.
• Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana will provide free insurance to all families under BPL (Below Poverty Line),
NFSA (National Food Security Act) & SECC categories (Socio-Economic Caste Census).
• Individuals/families covered under Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojana can
also avail the scheme.
• In addition to this, Contractual workers and Small & Marginal farmers can also avail themselves of this scheme
for free.
• Families which don’t belong to NFSA, SECC BPL categories are also eligible for the scheme but have to pay 50%
of the premium (~ INR 850 annually) for the insurance scheme.
Additional Info:
Gehlot increased the MLA Local Area Development (MLA LAD) fund from Rs 2.25 crore to Rs 5 crore annually.
About Rajasthan:
Forts – Anupgarh, Badnore, Bhatner
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports extends Khelo India Scheme till 2025-26
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has decided to extend the Khelo India scheme from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The
Ministry has furnished an Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) memorandum to the Ministry of Finance for the
extension of the scheme.

• INR 8750 Crore has been estimated as financial implication of the new Khelo India Scheme in the EFC
Memorandum.
• During the Union Budget of 2021-22, an amount of INR 657.71 Crore was allocated in the Budget Estimate
(B.E.) for the year 2021-22 under the Khelo India Scheme.
Khelo India:
‘Khelo India-National Programme for Development of Sports’ was launched in October, 2017.
Objective – To strengthen the entire sports ecosystem for promoting the twin objectives of mass participation &
promotion of excellence in sports across India.
Events
Under the Khelo India Scheme various competitions are held across India. They are
Khelo India Youth Games
• Editions – 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (set to take place in Panchkula, Haryana).
Khelo India University Games
• Editions – 2020,2021 to be held in Karnataka.
Khelo India Winter Games
• Editions – 2020, 2021 (Held in Gulmarg, J&K).
Centre of Excellence
Under the scheme, around 24 Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE) have been set up in 23 States/UTs of
India.
• The main aim of KISCE is to provide basic facilities for sportspersons with potential.
i.On January 21, 2021, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports inaugurated
the 1st ever Khelo India Zanskar Winter Sports & Youth Festival 2021 at Padum in Zanskar of Kargil, Ladakh UT.
About Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports:
Minister of State (IC) – Kiren Rijiju (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Arunachal West, Arunachal Pradesh)
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Madagascar President inaugurated Advanced Digital Cobalt Therapy Machine Bhabhatron-II donated by
India
The President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, inaugurated advanced digital cobalt therapy machine “Bhabhatron-
II” for cancer treatment at the Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona Hospital (HJRA) in Antananarivo in the presence of
India’s Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar.
• It should be noted that Bhabhatron-II is donated by India to Madagascar under the cooperation of the health
sector. It is developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
• This donation also caters to the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR i.e. Security and Growth
for All in the Indian Ocean Region.
Key Points:
–The machine was donated on the lines of the commitment made during the visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to
Madagascar in March 2018.
–The machine has the capacity to treat 50 patients per day.
i.The Union Cabinet approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Uzbekistan
for cooperation in the Solar Energy sector.
ii.The Union Cabinet approved MoU on scientific and technical cooperation between the Ministry of Earth Sciences
(MoES) and the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
About Madagascar:
Capital– Antananarivo
Currency– Malagasy ariary

IAF gifts 1971 war helicopter to Bangladesh: Golden Jubilee of 1971 war
In order to mark the Golden Jubilee of 1971 War of Liberation, IAF (Indian Air Force) Chief RKS Bhadauria gifted a
Legacy Alouette III Helicopter to Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), in return BAF gifted a legacy F-86 Sabre aircraft to
the IAF.
• The exchange of aircraft took place in Dhaka during RKS Bhadauria’ 4-day visit to Bangladesh in February,
2021.
• Both Legacy gifts will be placed in museums of both countries.
• India & Bangladesh are celebrating 50 years of the Liberation War in which 90, 000 Pakistani Soldiers
surrendered to the Indian Army.
• A Number of events have been organised by both countries to celebrate the 50th Anniversary.
IAF chief inducted into ‘Mirpur Hall of Fame’
• IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria was inducted into the ‘Mirpur Hall of Fame’ at Defence Services Command and Staff
College (DSCSC), Dhaka.
• RKS Bhadauria is an alumnus of DSCSC, he attended the 18th Air Staff Course at Mirpur in 1997-98.
• During the meeting he also met Bangladesh Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed.
IAF Chief’s visit to Bangladesh
IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria is in Bangladesh on the invitation of Bangladesh Air Chief (BAF) Air Chief Marshal
Masihuzzaman Serniabat.
During the visit,
• IAF Chief, RKS Bhadauria paid tributes to the martyrs of 1971 Liberation War by placing a wreath at the altar
of Shikha Anirban, Dhaka.
• He also visited BAF Base in Chattogram & St Martin’s Islands.
• He held discussions with BAF officers at BAF Base Zahurul Haq.
i.On September 29, 2020 India and Bangladesh held the 6th Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meet through a
virtual platform.
About Bangladesh:
Capital – Dhaka
Global energy-related CO2 emissions fell by 5.8% in 2020 due to Pandemic : IEA
According to data released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Global energy-related CO2 emissions declined
by 5.8% or 2 Billion Tonnes in 2020 due to the Pandemic. It is the largest annual percentage decline since World
War II.
• More than 50% of the total global drop in CO2 emissions in 2020 was due to the decline in CO2 emissions
from oil use in the Transport & aviation sectors.
• The Primary energy demand also fell by nearly 4% in 2020.
Emissions from World’s Largest CO2 emitters
• China recorded an increase in emissions for the year 2020, emissions increased by 0.8% or 75 million tonnes.
• In India (World’s 3rd Largest CO2 emitter after China, USA), annual emissions declined by 7% (or 160 Metric
tons of Carbon Dioxide (Mt CO2)) in 2020.
• In the USA the emissions decreased by 10% in 2020.
Other notable declines
• In the power sector, CO2 emissions declined by 3.3% (or 450 Mt CO2) in 2020 which is the largest fall on
record.
• The emissions from transport fell by 14% in 2020 compared to 2019 levels.
Increase in Growth of Renewables generation
• The growth of renewables generation was also one of the key reasons for the fall of CO2 emissions.
• The share of Global electricity generation increased from 27% in 2019 to 29 in 2020, the biggest annual
increase on record.

Declining demand for Fossil Fuels
• The demand for Oil declined by 8.6% & coal dropped by 4%.
• The Oil’s annual decline was its largest ever. Global emissions from oil use fell by 11,400 Mt CO2 in 2019 to
11,100 Mt Co2 in 2020.
• Low-carbon fuels & technologies like Solar PV and wind reached their highest ever annual share of the global
energy mix increasing it by more than one percentage point to over 20%.
i.According to the 1st Ever ‘Electricity Market Report’ 2020 produced by International Energy Agency (IEA), the
Global electricity demand is expected to fall by 2% due to Pandemic.
About International Energy Agency (IEA):
Executive Director – Dr Fatih Birol
Established in – 1974
Headquarters – Paris, France
Sri Lanka approves Proposal to develop WCT of Colombo Port with Assistance from India & Japan
On March 1, 2021, Sri Lankan Cabinet approved a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) proposal for developing
the West Container Terminal (WCT) of Colombo South Port with parties nominated by Indian & Japanese
Government. The port will be developed in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
• Indian High Commission has nominated Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ Consortium)
while the Japanese government is yet to nominate a party.
• As per the agreement, the WCT will be operated over a period of 35 years as a Public Private Partnership
model with APSEZ & its local representative John Keels Holding PLC & the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
• India & Japan will have 85% stake in the WCT.
Background
In February 1, 2021, Sri Lankan Government decided to eject India & Japan from a 2019 Tripartite agreement to
jointly develop the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port.
Increase in China’s Influence
• WCT is located near the USD 500 Million Chinese container Jetty at the Colombo International Container
Terminal (CICT).
• As part of its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), China is developing many infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka.
• It has invested around USD 8 Billion in Infrastructure projects. In 2017, Sri Lanka handed over its Hambantota
port to China as a debt swap.
i.On September 26, 2020 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa
held a Virtual Bilateral Summit.
About Sri Lanka:
President – Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Capital – Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency – Sri Lankan Rupee
India signs Pact with Philippines for Sale of Defence Equipment

On March 2, 2021, Philippines signed an implementing arrangement for ‘procurement of defence material and
equipment’ with India during a pact’s signing ceremony at the Camp Aguinaldo in Manila, headquarters of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines. The agreement involves the procurement of defence equipment by the Philippines from
India.
• It was signed by India’s Ambassador to the Philippines Shambu S. Kumaran and Philippines Defence
Undersecretary Raymundo Elefante in the presence of Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
About Indo- Philippines Implementing Arrangement:
It is a foundational agreement for government-to-government contracts and will serve as a guide for the Philippines
and India on policies and procedures in the defence procurement. Under this pact, there is a possible sale of the Indo-
Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines.

• India and Russia have been planning to export the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to several other
countries.
About BrahMos Missile:
It is produced by an Indo-Russian joint venture (JV) firm BrahMos Aerospace and it can be launched from
submarines, ships, and aircraft or from land platforms. It is a JV between Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
• It is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world that flies at three times the speed of sound (2.8 Mach).
India is working to extend the range of the BrahMos missile, the version that will be exported will come with a
“normal range” of 290 km.
BrahMoS Testing:
i.In October 2020, a naval version of the BrahMos missile was successfully test-fired from an indigenously-built
stealth destroyer of the Indian Navy in the Arabian sea.
ii.After this, Indian Air Force (IAF) test-fired an air-launched version of the BrahMos missile from a Sukhoi fighter
aircraft in the Bay of Bengal.
BrahMoS Deployment:
India has already deployed original BrahMos missiles and other key assets in several strategic locations along the LAC
(Line of Actual Control) with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The IAF is also integrating the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile on over 40 Sukhoi fighter jets to bolster the
overall combat capability of the force.
i.On December 1, 2020, India successfully Test Fired the Anti-Ship version of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile
from the Indian Navy’s INS Ranvijay in Andaman & Nicobar Islands Territory. The Missile had a strike range of 300
Kms. It was the first time that the missile was flight tested by 3 Services of the Indian Armed Forces (Army, Air Force
& Navy).
ii.On December 23, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the signing of a
Revised Air Services agreement between India & 2 Countries – Philippines & Afghanistan.
About Phillipines:
Capital– Manila
Currency– Philippine peso
UNGA adopts India’s Resolution to mark 2023 as ‘International Year of Millets’

On March 3, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution sponsored by India to
mark 2023 as ‘International Year of Millets’. The resolution was initiated by India along with Bangladesh, Kenya,
Nepal, Nigeria, Russia & Senegal.
• The resolution titled ‘International Year of Millets 2023’ was supported by over 70 nations.
• Objective – To raise awareness about health benefits of the grain & suitability for cultivation under changing
climatic conditions.
• Implementing Agency – The resolution called for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United
Nations to implement the International Year of Millets in 2023.
Benefits of International Year of Millets
• The adoption of resolution will invite enhanced investments in Research and development & extension
services related to millets.
• It is also expected to create awareness about millet production which will contribute to Food security,
nutrition, ensure livelihoods & incomes of farmers, poverty eradication.
• It will help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in regions which are drought prone or
threatened by climate change.
• It will promote millets as one of main components of the food basket.
Fact
India celebrated 2018 as the National Year of Millets.
In April 2016, the UN General Assembly had proclaimed the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025,
recognising the need to eradicate hunger and prevent all forms of malnutrition worldwide.

Millets
• Millets are majorly grown in Asia & Africa (India, Mali, Nigeria & Niger). With 97% of millet production in
developing countries.
• They are indigenous to many parts of the world. Most widely grown millet is pearl millet, which is an
important crop in India & Africa.
Advantages of Millets
• Millets are resilient to climate change
• They can grow on poor soils with little or no external inputs
• Consume less water & can grow in non-irrigated conditions even in very low rainfall regimes
• Have a low Carbon & Water footprint (rice plants need at least 3 times more water to grow compared to
millets).
• It is capable of withstanding high temperature.
i.On November 4, 2020, The First Committee of the UNGA under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Agustin Santos
Maraver(Spain) adopted two India-sponsored resolutions on Nuclear Disarmament they are, ‘Convention on
Prohibition of Use of Nuclear Weapons’ & ‘Reducing Nuclear Danger’ under the ‘Nuclear Weapons’ cluster.
About United Nations General Assembly (UNGA):
President – Volkan Bozkir
Headquarters – New York, USA
World’s 1st Platypus Sanctuary to come up at Australia

Australia is building the World’s 1st Sanctuary for ‘Platypus’, an egg laying mammal is a semi-aquatic creature
that generally lives in small streams & slow-moving rivers at cool temperature. Platypus is considered to be a
protected species in Australia, whose population was severely affected in 2019-20 Australia bushfires. The
sanctuary is built to promote its breeding & rehabilitation, consisting of mostly ponds & burrows housing up to 65
platypuses is planned to be built by 2022.
Pakistan to remain in FATF’s ‘greylist’ till June, 2021

Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering & terrorist financing watchdog (headquarters in
Paris, France) has retained Pakistan on its ‘grey list’ (also called as ‘Increased monitoring group’) till June, 2021 as
Pakistan had failed to implement the 27-point action plan mandated by FATF. It means that Pakistan will have
difficulties getting financial aid from International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank
(ADB) & European Union.
Reliance Power forms JV with Jera for 745 MW project in Bangladesh

med between Reliance Power and Japan-headquartered Jera Co. Inc to build, own, and operate a 745-MW (net output:
718 MW) gas-fired power generation project in Meghnaghat near Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Key Points:
i.As a part of this project, Reliance Power’s wholly-owned subsidiary Samalkot Power has received the approval
from the Export Import Bank of the United States (US) to sell one module of equipment to Samsung C&T Corporation
of South Korea for Rs 1,540 crore.
• This is because Samsung C&T Corporation is the EPC (Engineering, procurement, and construction) contractor
of the project.
• Also with this, Reliance Power is expected to reduce debt by Rs 3,000 crore.
ii.RPower also relocate the equipment from Samalkot to Bangladesh owing to non availability of natural gas for the
project.
i.On November 20, 2020 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of retail and wholesale
undertaking and logistics and warehousing undertaking of the Future Group by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited
(RRVL) and Reliance Retail and Fashion Lifestyle Limited (RRVL WOS).

ii.The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given approval to the deal between Future Group and
Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd(RRVL), where Future group will sell its retail, wholesale, logistics and warehouse
businesses to Reliance Retail for Rs 24,713 crore.
About Reliance Power:
Chairman– Anil Ambani
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
India’s Fourth Partner Energy sets up Joint Venture in Indonesia

Indian company, Fourth Partner Energy (4PEL) entered into a partnership with Indonesian Energy major, Indika
Energy to set up a joint venture company, “Empat Mitra Indika Tenaga Surya (EMITS)”. EMITS will establish
integrated solar, storage, & Electric Vehicles (EV) charging projects in Indonesia.
Joint Venture in EMITS – 51% stake held by Indika Energy & 49% by 4PEL.
Note – Currently, 4PEL is building solar parks in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with an operational
portfolio of 400MW.
About EMITS:
i.EMITS is expected to bring investments of $500 Mn to Indonesia in the next 5 years.
ii.EMITS will increase revenue in the non-coal segment by 50% by 2025.
iii.Fourth Partner Energy is looking to expand its business to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and
Singapore.
About Indonesia:
President – Joko Widodo
Capital – Jakarta
Currency – Indonesian Rupiah
About Fourth Partner Energy:
Executive Director & Co-founder – Vivek Subramanian
Founded – 2010
IAF Chief participated in Sri Lankan Air Force’s 70th anniversary celebrations along with IAF jets
The Indian Air Force Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria was on a two day visit to Sri Lanka from March
3-5, 2021 on an invitation from the Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF), Air Marshal Sudarshana
Pathirana. He was invited to attend the inaugural ceremony of 70th-anniversary celebrations of the SLAF consisting
of an air show at Galle Face, Colombo.
• Apart from the IAF Chief Presence, the event also saw participation of 23 aircrafts of the IAF and Indian Navy
along with Suryakirans and Sarang aerobatic display teams and India’s indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas LCA
(Light Combat Aircraft).
• This was RKS Bhadauria’s second visit to a key neighbour of India. Last week he visited Bangladesh.
• The visit was to strengthen Indo-Sri Lankan bilateral ties.
Suryakiran, Sarang teams and Tejas performed at Colombo air show
The Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) aka Hawks, Sarang helicopter display teams along with the Tejas LCA, Tejas
Trainer and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft performed at an air show.
• This was the first performance for the SKAT team outside India since it was resurrected in 2015 with Hawk
Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT). Earlier, the SKAT team toured Sri Lanka during the 50th anniversary of SLAF in
2001.
IAF chief met with Sri Lanka dignitaries
RKS Bhadauria interacted with Sri Lankan President Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan Prime Minister
Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne.
Additional Info:
India has listed out 156 defence equipment for exports which include the indigenous LCA Tejas, artillery guns, battle
tanks and missiles, anti-tank mines, and explosives.

i.On February 4, 2021 The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) repaid USD 400 million currency swap to the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI). RBI and Sri Lanka entered into this facility in July 2020 under the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) currency swap framework.
ii.On February 2, 2021, 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.
About Sri Lanka:
Capital– Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, Colombo
Currency– Sri Lankan rupee
EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar inaugurates New Cultural Centre of High Commission of India in Dhaka, Bangladesh
On 4th March 2021, Dr. S Jaishankar, Union Minister, Ministry of External Affairs inaugurated the new cultural centre
of the High Commission of India in old India House Building, Dhaka, Bangladesh. This is the 2nd culture centre for the
high commission of India after the Dhanmondi centre at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka.
• He inaugurated the Cultural Centre in Dhaka during his visit to Bangladesh on 4th March 2021 at the invitation
of his counterpart Dr. AK Abdul Momen.
Key points:
i.The new centre has the facilities for conducting short term courses on Indian Art forms and to hold cultural
programmes and art exhibitions.
ii.This centre will act as a centre of the unique relationship between India and Bangladesh.
iii.With this 2nd cultural centre, Dhaka became one of the few cities in the world that has more than 1 Indian Cultural
Centre.
EAM’s Visit:
i.He visited Bangladesh to finalise the upcoming visit of Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh (26-
27 March) to take part in the centenary celebration of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and 50 years of the liberation of
Bangladesh.
ii.During his visit he met Bangladesh PM M Sheikh Hasina, and presented two books on Bangladesh titled “Liberation
War of Bangladesh” and “Bangla Desh and India’s Security” and written by his late father K.Subrahmanyam.
iii.The Bangladesh PM also gifted seven volumes of a 14-volume book titled “Secret Documents of Intelligence Branch
on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman” to Jaishankar.
Key People:
Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India along with cultural personalities and dignitaries from Bangladesh
including Asaduzzaman Noor MP, Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Sarwar Ali were present during the
inauguration.
Ghana becomes 1st Country to receive COVAX vaccines through UN Initiative

6,00,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, were offered to Ghana under the
vaccine deployment initiative of the United Nations (UN), making it the 1st country in the world to receive COVAX
vaccines. Already 92 countries in the lower & middle income group have signed to the UN backed COVAX programme.
COVAX is planning to distribute 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by 2021.
Eastern sub-regions Bangladesh, Bhutan, India & Nepal became economic growth pole in South Asia: World
Bank
As per the recent report titled “Connecting to Thrive: Challenges and Opportunities of Transport Integration in
Eastern South Asia” released by World Bank, India and Bangladesh have the potential to increase their national
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 8% in India in particular road connectivity and 17% in Bangladesh with seamless
transport connectivity between two countries.
• Also report suggested Bangladesh, Bhutan, India & Nepal (BBIN) eastern sub-region countries became an
economic growth pole for South Asia.

Connectivity Development:-
i.The report analysed the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) and finds the
strength of MVA and proposes policy actions the countries can take to strengthen the MVA.
ii.Development in connectivity tends to be used for growth in BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) countries
and the World Bank is an active partner to invest in this area in this sub-region.
iii.An important component of this development is for countries to invest in connectivity such as rail, inland
waterways, and roads. Actions to improve regional connectivity.
iv. Regulate the infrastructure design and expand the effective capacity of core transport and logistics infrastructure
along regional corridors will improve regional connectivity.
v.Trade between neighbouring countries is said to account for 10% of Bangladesh’s trade and just 1% of India’s trade.
Whereas, in East Asian intraregional trade accounts for 50% and Sub-Saharan African economies, are 22% of total
trade.
vi.Trade between India and Bangladesh has increased significantly over the past decade, but it estimated to be $ 10
billion lower at its current potential.
Export Between India & Bangladesh
• Bangladesh’s exports to India could increase by 182% and India’s exports to Bangladesh by 126% if the
countries signed a free-trade agreement as per World Bank’s earlier reports suggestion.
• Improving transport connectivity between the two countries could increase exports even further such as
297% increase in Bangladesh’s exports to India and a 172% increase in India’s exports to Bangladesh.
Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA)
• Motor Vehicles Agreement between the (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal) BBIN countries was signed in 2015
to make the smooth cross-border movement of cargo, passenger, and personal vehicles between these four
countries.
• Under the agreement, trucks carrying export-import or transit cargo can move inside the territories of other
countries without trans-shipping to local trucks at border land ports.
• However, the implementation of the MVA has been delayed as the countries work to clarify some of the
provisions that are supposed.
Key policy actions to strengthen the MVA :-
• Harmonizing driver’s licensing and visa regimes
• Establishing an efficient regional transit regime
• Rationalizing and digitizing trade and transport documents
• Liberalizing the selection of trade routes
About World Bank
World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and
middle-income countries. It comprises of two institutions such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), and the International Development Association (IDA). The World Bank is a component of the
World Bank Group.
Headquarters – Washington ,D.C,United States
President – David Malpass
MD and CFO – Anshula Kant (Roorkee, India.)
In a World-first Trial, Japan-Australia Venture starts producing Hydrogen from Brown Coal
In a World-first trial, a Japan-Australia venture has started to produce Hydrogen from Brown Coal. The production is
taking place at the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) coal-to-hydrogen plant in Brown Coal Reserves in the state
of Victoria, Australia.
• The project is worth 500 Million Australian Dollars (USD 390 Million)
• HESC is run by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan). The other partners in the project are Iwatani Corp,
Marubeni Corp, Sumitomo Corp & AGL Energy Ltd (Australia).
Aim of the Project
• To show that Liquefied hydrogen can be produced commercially & exported safely overseas.

• To create the First International supply chain for liquified hydrogen, and ship a cargo on the World’s 1st
liquified hydrogen carrier.
Key Points
Importance to Japan
• The project will be vital in helping Japan to meet its target of net zero carbon emission by 2050.
• Japan, which is the world’s Fifth Largest Energy Consumer (after China, USA, India & Russia) is aiming to
increase its annual hydrogen demand by 10-times to 20 Million Tonnes by 2050 (equivalent to about 40% of
its current power generation).
• The first cargo to Japan has been delayed due to Pandemic.
Brown Coal
• It is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its low energy content.
• The Victoria state in Australia is home to a Quarter of World’s known brown coal reserves.
• According to studies, hydrogen produced from coal is half to one-third the cost of producing green hydrogen.
i.On October 29, 2020 Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Research and Development(R&D) Centre of IndianOil
Corporation Limited(IOCL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to develop and demonstrate biomass
gasification-based hydrogen generation technology.
About Japan:
Capital– Tokyo
Currency– Japanese yen
Prime Minister– Yoshihide Suga
About Australia:
India’s Regime type has turned into ‘Electoral Autocracy’ – Swedish Democracy Report 2021
According to the ‘Autocratization Turns Viral: Democracy Report 2021’ released by Swedish-based V-Dem
(Varieties of Democracy) Institute states that India’s regime type has turned into ‘Electoral Autocracy’ in 2020 from
‘Electoral Democracy’ in 2010. Hungary & Turkey have also been demoted as ‘Electoral Autocracy’.
• India has registered a 23%-point drop on the Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) scale marking one of the most
dramatic shifts among all countries in the world over the past 10 years.
• Based on the LDI Index, the top 3 democratic countries in the world are Denmark, Sweden & Norway.
• Liberal Democracies have declined over the past decade (2010-20) from 41 countries to 32 countries.
• This is the 5th Annual report from the V-Dem Institute and is based on a data set of 202 countries.
Regarding India
The Indian part of the report was compiled by Shreeya Pillai & Staffan I Lindberg.
• India is now as autocratic as Pakistan & is worse than Bangladesh & Nepal.
• India along with Brazil, Turkey & USA have been listed among the 25 most ‘autocratizing nations’ in the world
Reasons for Decline
• Deterioration of freedom of Media, Academia, Civil Society and use of Sedition Law to curtail voices.
• The report has also highlighted the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) used by the Government to
restrict the entry, exit & functioning of civil society organisations.
• It also highlighted the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.
Most Common Regime Type
• The most common regime type is ‘Electoral Autocracy’, together with close autocracies they number 87 states
and are home to 68% of the world population.
• It stated that the level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen in 2020 is equivalent to the
democracy found around the 1990s.
Regions of Decline
• The report also indicates the decline of liberal democracies in the past decade (2010-20) from the Asia-Pacific
region, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.

• Number of Democratising countries has dropped to 16, which hosts just 4% of the Global population.
Click here to read the full report
i.February 4, 2021, 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.
About V-Dem Institute:
Director – Staffan I. Lindberg
Location – Gothenburg, Sweden
Italy joins ISA under the amended ISA Framework Agreement

On March 17, 2021, Italy joined the International Solar Alliance
(ISA) (also known as International Agency for Solar Policy and
Application (IASPA)) after signing the amended ISA Framework
Agreement. Vincenzo de Luca, Ambassador of Italy to India
signed the Italian membership to the ISA.
• The new ISA Framework Agreement came into force on
January 8, 2021.
• Under the new amended framework, the membership of
ISA is open to all member states of the United Nations.
Previously, it was open to countries that were partially or entirely located within the Tropics.
• The signed copies of the agreement were received by an additional secretary (ER) as representative of MEA.
MEA is the depositary of the ISA Framework Agreement.
Note – Italy holds the current Presidency of G20 & co-presidency of COP26.
Facts about Italy:
• For Italy, solar energy is already the second source for the production of electricity from renewable sources,
preceded only by hydroelectricity.
• It is destined to triple according to the proposed integrated National Plan for energy and climate, becoming the
first renewable source of electricity production in 2030.
• Furthermore, Italy is currently the sixth country in the world for installed solar capacity and second in the
EU.While India ranks 5th and China tops the world in the total solar capacity installed.
International Solar Alliance
It was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi & the then-French President Francois Hollande ahead of the
2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP21 in Paris.
• It is an alliance of over 121 countries.
• At present 73 countries have signed and ratified the ISA Framework Agreement.90 countries have signed the
ISA Framework Agreement.
Objective
• To work for efficient consumption of solar energy for reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
• It aims to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through the massive deployment of
solar energy.
Recent Related News
i.On October 14-16, the third Assembly of the International Solar Alliance was held in a virtual mode where India and
France were re-elected as the President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a term of two
years at the virtual third Assembly of ISA.
About International Solar Alliance (ISA):
Director General – Ajay Mathur
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana, India

About Italy:
President – Sergio Mattarella
Capital – Rome
Currency – Euro (EUR)
India to record Largest Increase in Child and Maternal deaths in South Asia in 2020 due to COVID-19: UNICEF
UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) in partnership with WHO, UNFPA (United Nations
Population Fund) has released a report called ‘Direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 pandemic and response in
South Asia’. The report has released estimates which anticipate that India will record the largest increase of deaths
among children aged 5 years (15%) & Maternal deaths (18%) among 6 South Asian Countries in 2020 due to
pandemic.
• The 6 South Asian Countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka.
• Disruption in Sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal & child health services due to COVID-19 is expected to
have a substantial impact on maternal & child mortality.
• The report commissioned by UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA).
Estimates
Child Deaths
• The report anticipates an increase of 1, 54, 020 deaths (Increase of 15%) among children aged 5 years in India.
• The next biggest increase to be recorded by Pakistan – 59, 251 Cases (Increase of 14%).
• The number of deaths among children aged 5 years in 6 South Asia Countries is estimated to increase by a total
of 2, 28, 641 cases (compared to 2019).
Maternal Deaths
• The Number of maternal deaths in India is anticipated to increase in 2020 by 7,750 deaths (Increase of 18%).
Stillbirths
• The largest increase in the number of stillbirths is also expected in India (60, 179 – increase of 10%), followed
by Pakistan & Bangladesh.
• Across South Asia as a whole, an estimated 89, 434 additional stillbirths are anticipated.
Deaths due to maternal causes
• The number of deaths due to maternal causes among 15-19 year-old females is expected to increase by a total
of 1, 191 across South Asia.
• Greatest Anticipated increases – India (643) & Pakistan (476).
Rise in Communicable Disease-related Adolescent mortality
• Across South Asia around 5, 943 additional deaths are anticipated from Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS &
Typhoid.
• India is expected to be hit hardest with an additional 3, 412 adolescent deaths.
Money Allocation:
• The report also noted that India could spend nearly $10 billion on Covid-19 testing and healthcare utilization
by September 2021, the biggest share of the overall costs in the region.
• Across South Asia, lower educational attainment by this cohort will result in a 15 – 23 per cent decrease in
their future lifetime earnings, costing the region $63.5 billion over 45 years.
• The highest cost will be borne by India ($52.8 billion) and Bangladesh ($7.4 billion), followed by Sri Lanka
($1.9 billion).
Impact of Pandemic on South Asian Region
• COVID-19 is estimated to have cost the South Asian region more than USD 2.4 Billion. It includes the cost of
testing (USD 1.9 Billion) and healthcare utilisation for COVID-19 deaths (USD 581 Million).
• India will bear the largest share of these costs – It is set to spend around USD 7.8 Billion on testing & USD 1.7
Billion on healthcare utilisation by September 2021.
• It also stated that India will face the largest number of deaths (4, 90, 000) between October 2020 – September
2021.

Mitigation Strategies
If India institutes all mitigation strategies such as smart lockdowns, hand hygiene and masks, the number of deaths in
India due to COVID-19 may fall by 83%.
Effects due to Prolong school closure
• Due to prolonged closure of schools due to COVID-19 around 9 Million primary and secondary school-aged
children are expected to permanently drop out of schools.
• The highest number is expected in India – 7 Million.
i.On 28th January 2021, UNICEF & WFP released a new report titled “COVID-19: Missing More Than a Classroom. The
impact of school closures on children’s nutrition” states that more than 39 billion in-school meals were missed due to
the closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About UNICEF:
Executive Director– Henrietta Holsman Fore
Headquarters – New York, United States of America
About UNFPA:
Executive Director – Dr. Natalia Kanem
About WHO
Director General – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Singapore is Building World’s Largest Floating Solar Farms

Singapore, Asia’s biggest per capita carbon dioxide emitter, is building one of the world’s largest floating solar
farms, as part of its plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The solar power plant expands from the coast into the
Johor Strait that separates Singapore from Malaysia.This project is being built by Sembcorp Industries.
MoS Communications, Shri Sanjay Dhotre Represented India at the WSIS Forum 2021
On March 22, 2021, Minister of State(MOS) for Communications, Shri Sanjay Dhotre represented India at the virtual
‘World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2021’which is one of the world’s largest annual gatherings
of the ‘ICT for development’ communities.
• The WSIS Forum is co-organized by International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) in close collaboration with
all WSIS Action Line Facilitators.
Initiatives Highlighted at the forum by Shri Sanjay Dhotre:
The Minister highlighted the policies and programs undertaken by his Ministry such as,
• Arogya Setu platform used to monitor and alert the health status of citizens.
• CovidSavdhan system used for targeted messaging in a specified area
• Public Wi-Fi is effectively used under the PM-WANI scheme enabling effective service delivery for the citizens
across the country.
• Telecom infrastructure development in remote areas through the flagship program BharatNet, nearly
6,00,000 villages are being connected through the laying of more than 4,00,000 Km length of optical fibre cable
and use of satellite communication services
• Using submarine cable networks small and remote islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep and other
inaccessible areas are being connected with funding from the Government.
Participants of WSIS Forum:
• Participants: Secretary-General of ITU (Houlin Zhao), Ministers of Russia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan,
Zimbabwe and Iran have participated in the forum.
• The final week of the WSIS Forum 2021 will be held on May (17-21), 2021

On 26th February 2021, Union Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the inaugural session of
the 16th Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) Higher Education Summit 2021. On the
occasion, he also released the FICCI EY Report titled “Higher Education in India: 2040”.
About Ministry of Communication:
Union Minister – Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad (Constituency – Patna Sahib, Bihar)
Minister of State – Shri Sanjay Dhotre (Constituency – Akola, Maharashtra)
About World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2021:
It was a two-phase United Nations-sponsored summit on the information society
Chairman – H.E. Maxim Parshin
The first summit of WSIS – held in 2003, Geneva
Stad Ship Tunnel-World’s 1st Ship Tunnel to be constructed at Norway

The World’s 1st Ship Tunnel, ‘Stad Ship Tunnel’ is to be
constructed in Norway. The tunnel will run underneath
the mountains in Norway’s Stadhavet peninsula and will
help ships to cross the Stadhavet sea.
• It will be constructed by Norwegian Coastal
Administration.
• The works on the bridge will commence
in 2022 and are expected to get completed by
2025-26.
• The tunnel project is part of the Norwegian
government’s National Transport Plan for the
period 2014-2023, which aims to identify projects to transfer 25% of all goods transported by road to sea and
rail modes.
Specification of Tunnel:
i.It measures 1, 700 metres long, 37 metres high & 26.5 metres wide.
ii.Capacity of Tunnel:It is capable of holding ships of up to 16,000 tonnes (16,000 long tons; 18,000 short tons).
iii.Fund Allocation: The Estimated cost for building the ship tunnel is 2.8 billion Norwegian kroner (~ USD 330
million).
iv.The Tunnel will connect the Kjødepollen bay and Vanylvsfjorden.
Reason for the Tunnel:
i.At present, ships have to wait for days for harsh weather conditions & rough tides to improve in the Stadhavet Sea
before transiting the area.
ii.The tunnel will be large enough to accommodate large ships also. It is expected to strengthen the area’s industrial
and commercial activities.
About Stad or Stadlandet peninsula:
i.It lies in Stad Municipality in north western part of Nordfjord district in Norway as dividing point between
Norwegian Sea and the North Sea.
ii.It is a 500-metre-high mountain plateau comprising of a 645-metre-tall Tarvaldsegga peak. It plunges into sea in a
497-metre-tall cliff at Kjerringa.
i.August 17, 2020, Indian Railways’ North East Frontier Railway zone is constructing the world’s tallest pier bridge,
having height of 141 metres, across river Ijai in Manipur with an outlay of Rs 280 crore. After completion, it will
surpass the existing height record of 139 meters of the Mala – Rijeka Viaduct, Montenegro in Europe.
About Norway:
Prime Minister – Erna Solberg
Capital – Oslo
Currency – Norwegian Krone (NOK)

VISITS
INDIAN VISIT
Overview of Kuwait Foreign Minister’s 2-day visit to India
Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah paid a 2-day visit to India from March 17-18,
2021 at the invitation of Dr S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister (EAM) of India.
• During the visit, Mohammad Al-Sabah had a meeting with India’s EAM S. Jaishankar during which they
discussed Bilateral Cooperation and regional developments.
• Kuwait’s Foreign Minister thanked India for dispatching a consignment of Indian-made COVID-19 vaccines
(under Vaccine Maitri Initiative) for fighting against Coronavirus.
• The two sides released a Joint Statement on the establishment of a Joint Ministerial Commission at the level
of Foreign Ministers.
• Both sides agreed to strengthen ties in sectors like energy, trade, healthcare, defence and security, science &
technology, IT, Cybersecurity, culture, education and tourism.
Joint Ministerial Commission
The Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) will be co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait & the Indian
Foreign Minister (S. Jaishankar).
• JCM will act as an umbrella for all bilateral institutional engagements like Foreign Office Consultations and
Joint Working Groups.
• The JCM will also review concluded Agreements between the two countries & find solutions for addressing the
problems in their implementation.
Joint Working Groups (JWGs)
In addition to existing Joint Working Groups (JWGs) on Hydrocarbons, manpower and mobility, and healthcare, New
JWGs will be set up in areas like Trade and Investments, Defence and Security & Maritime Cooperation, Science,
Technology, Information Technology, Education, Skills Development, Culture, Tourism and Hospitality.
India & Kuwait Trade Relationship
• India is amongst the Largest Trading partners of Kuwait. During 2019-20, Kuwait was the 10th Largest Oil
Supplier to India (Top 3 Oil Suppliers to India – Iraq, USA & Nigeria), it met 3.8% of India’s energy needs.
• During the FY 2018-19 Bilateral trade registered a 2.7% growth & stood at USD 8.76 Billion.
• The total annual bilateral trade with Kuwait during 2017-18 was USD 8.53 Billion.
Attracting Kuwait Investments
• During the meeting, India invited more investments from Kuwait into India in the sectors like energy,
infrastructure, food security, healthcare & education.
• To date, Kuwait’s estimated investments in India are over USD 5 Billion, the majority of which is by the Kuwait
Investment Authority (KIA).
i.On 16th October 2020 India, Chile held their First Joint Commission Meeting virtually. This is the first
institutionalized dialogue between two countries at the level of Foreign Ministers.
About Kuwait:
Emir – Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Capital – Kuwait City
Currency – Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar Visited India on March 22 to 23, 2021
H.E. Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is on a 2 day visit to India
from March 22 & 23, 2021.During the visit, External Affairs Minister(EAM), S. Jaishankar & Mohammad Haneef Atmar
chaired the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC), under the aegis of the India – Afghanistan Strategic Partnership
Agreement.
• This was Mohammad Haneef Atmar’s 1st visit to India after becoming Foreign Affairs Minister of Afghanistan.

• Both Countries discussed focusing on strengthening the India – Afghanistan Strategic Partnership, particularly
cooperation in the areas of political, security, trade, economic, capacity development, education, social and
cultural relations.
Overview of Minister of National Defence, South Korea, Suh Wook’s 3-day visit to India
South Korea’s (officially known as Republic of Korea) Minister of National Defence, Suh Wook visited India from
March 25-27, 2021. The main objective of the visit is to boost Bilateral Defence and Military Cooperation.
• During the visit, Suh Wook held meetings with Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh; National Security Advisor, Ajit
Doval.
• Suh Wook & Rajnath Singh jointly inaugurated India’s First Indo-Korean Friendship Park at Delhi
Cantonment.
Inauguration of Indo-Korean Friendship Park
India’s 1st Indo-Korean Friendship Park was jointly Inaugurated by South Korea’s Suh Wook & Indian Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh at Delhi Cantonment.
• It was built to commemorate India’s contributions as part of the 21 countries which participated in Korean
War of 1950-53, under the aegis of the United Nations.
• The park has been developed in Joint Consultation with the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Indian
Army, Delhi Cantonment Board, Embassy of Korea & Korean War Veterans Association of India.
• It has a statue of General KS Thimayya, a celebrated soldier who led the Indian Contingent as Chairman of
Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC) in Korea headed by India.
• 5 Pillars have been raised in the backdrop of General Thimayya’s statue, one pillar contains Nobel Laureate
Rabindranath Tagore’s narration of Korea as ‘The Lamp of the East’.
India, South Korea agree for Joint Production, Export of Military Hardware
India & South Korea agreed to go for Joint Production and export of military hardware, enhance intelligence
sharing & boost cooperation in Cyber and space domains as part of overall expansion of defence and security ties.
• The decision was taken during the meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh & Suh Wook, National
Defence Minister.
• South Korea has been one of the major suppliers of weapons and military equipment to India.
• In 2019, both sides finalised a blueprint for cooperation in Joint production of various land and naval systems.
Suh Wook witnesses exercise by Indian Army’s Paratroopers in Agra
Suh Wook witnessed exercise performed by the Indian Army’s Paratroopers in Agra.
• Around 25 paratroopers showed combat free fall in which they were dropped from an aircraft at the height of
around 12, 000 feet, followed by static line jump by 80 paratroopers.
• Around 650 soldiers took part in the exercise.
• After witnessing the exercise, Wook visited Indian Army’s 60 Para Field Hospital which provided medical aid
to UN and South Korean personnel during the Korean War of the 1950s.
i.January 5, 2021, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff(COAS) of Indian army undertook a 3-day
visit to South Koreafrom December 28 to 30, 2020. It is the first-ever visit of an Indian Army COAS to the ROK.
About South Korea:
President – Moon Jae-in
Capital – Seoul
Currency – Korean Republic Won (KRW)
FOREIGN VISIT
First-Ever Visit of INS to Historic Port City of Mongla, Bangladesh
Indian Naval Ships(INS) Sumedha, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol vessel and INS Kulish, an indigenously built
guided missile corvette made a port call at the historic port city of Mongla, Bangladesh from 8th to 10th March
2021.
This is the first-ever visit of INS to Mongla to pay homage to the Bangladeshi and Indian soldiers and citizens who lost

their lives during the 1971 liberation war.
Background:
This is a part of the commemoration of Swarnim Vijay Varsh – 50th-anniversary celebrations of the 1971 War of
Liberation against Pakistan aimed to reiterate the relationship between India and Bangladesh in line with SAGAR –
Security and Growth for all in the region.
Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2-day visit to Bangladesh

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh from March 26-27, 2021 at the invitation of Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. During the meeting, PM Narendra Modi participated in major events such as
• Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Independence of Bangladesh. PM Modi was the Guest of Honour in the
Golden Jubilee Celebration event.
• ‘Mujib Barsho’ – Celebrations of Birth Centenary of the Father of Bangladesh – Bangabandhu ‘Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman’.
• Celebration of 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India & Bangladesh.
Joint Statement issued by Both Countries
The two countries issued a Joint Statement on the occasion of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh.
Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 to Mujibur Rahman
India conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020 on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his contribution towards the
social, economic and political transformation of Bangladesh through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.
• The award was presented to Sheikh Mujibur’s daughters Sheikh Hasina (PM of Bangladesh) & her younger
sister Sheikh Rehana.
• It is an annual award instituted by the Government of India since 1995, the 125th Birth Anniversary
commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi.
The signing of 5 MoUs
During the meeting, both countries signed 5 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on key sectors like Disaster
Management, Sports and Youth Affairs, Trade, Technology, Commerce, Information Technology.
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Disaster Management, Resilience and Mitigation
• MoU between Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) and the National Cadet Corps of India (INCC).
• MoU on Establishment of a Framework of Cooperation in the Area of Trade Remedial Measures between
Bangladesh and India.
• Tripartite MoU on supply of ICT Equipment, Courseware & Reference Books and Training for Bangladesh-
Bharat Digital Service and Employment Training (BDSET) Centre.
• Tripartite MoU for Establishment of Sports Facilities at Rajshahi College Field, Bangladesh and its Surrounding
Areas.
Launch of ‘Mitali Express’
Both leaders launched a new passenger train ‘Mitali Express’ connecting Dhaka- New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal). The
train will run between Dhaka Cantonment & New Jalpaiguri via Chilahati-Haldibari (Indian side) Rail link.
• The distance between Dhaka & Chilahati is 453 km and from Chilahati to New Jalpaiguri is 71 km.
• It is the 3rd Passenger train between the 2 countries after Maitree Express (Dhaka-Kolkata) & Bandhan
Express (Khulna-Kolkata).
• The Four other rail links that connect the two countries are Petrapole (Indian side) – Benapole; Gede (West
Bengal) – Darshana; Singhabad (West Bengal) – Rohanpur; Radhikapur (West Bengal) – Birol
India, Bangladesh – Non-Tariff Barriers
Both countries highlighted the need for the removal of non-tariff barriers to enhance trade relations.
• The two sides also stressed the need for predictability of trade policies, regulations & procedures.
• They also agreed to greater cooperation in energy and connectivity & speedy conclusion of a study on
a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Water Resources
i.PM Narendra Modi reiterated India’s commitment and efforts to conclude the Teesta Water-Sharing pact.
• Teesta is a 414 Km river (originating at Tso Lamo, Himalayas, India) that flows through the Indian states of
West Bengal, Sikkim before going to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh.

• Efforts to share the Teesta water equally between the two countries have been going on since 1983.
• In 2011, India & Bangladesh made an agreement by which India would get 42.5% of water & Bangladesh
37.5% of water during the lean season. The agreement was opposed by the West Bengal Government and
hence it has been shelved.
• India requested Bangladesh for early finalization of the draft of the interim agreement for sharing of water of
Feni River, which was agreed by both sides in 2011.
• The two leaders directed their respective Ministries of Water Resources to work for the early conclusion of the
Framework of Interim Agreement on sharing of waters of 6 common rivers – Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti,
Dharla & Dudhkumar.
India’s Credit Line to Bangladesh to cover Nuclear Projects
India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla stated that India’s 3rd Line of Credit to Bangladesh will go to Civil
Nuclear Cooperation. India will be involved in the development of the transmission lines for the Rooppur Nuclear
Power Plant in Bangladesh.
• The value of these transmission lines will be worth over USD 1 Billion.
• Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is Bangladesh’s 1st Nuclear Power Plant.
• It is the 1st initiative under the Indo-Russian deal to undertake atomic energy projects in Third World
Countries
• In 2018, a Tripartite MoU was signed at Moscow, Russia between Russia, Bangladesh & India for the Rooppur
Nuclear Power Project.
• In June 2018, Indian Infrastructure major, Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. (HCC) was given the contract
for construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. It was the 1st time that any Indian Company was involved in
any nuclear project out of India.
Presentation of Gold & Silver Coin:
• Hasina presented a gold & silver coin released on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman to PM Modi
Other Key Events
• Both leaders jointly inaugurated the Bangabandhu-Bapu Digital Exhibition in Dhaka.
• It was decided to commemorate 6th December every year as Maitri Diwas. It is the day on which India
recognized Bangladesh as a country in 1971.
• India announced the establishment of the Bangabandhu Chair at the University of Delhi.
• The government of India announced 1000 Shuborno Jayanti Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students for
pursuing education/courses in India.
• Bangladesh thanked India for giving 3.2 million doses of Oxford AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine made in India.
• Announcement of linking the historic road between Mujibnagar and Nadia (West Bengal) and naming it as
‘Shadhinota Shorok’.
• Release of India–Bangladesh Friendship Stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of establishment of
bilateral diplomatic ties
• Foundation stone laying ceremony for a memorial in the honour of the Martyrs of the Indian Armed Forces
who sacrificed their lives during Liberation War of 1971 at Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria.
• Announcement of linking the historic road between Mujibnagar and Nadia and naming it as Shadhinota
Shorok.
• PM Modi and Sheikh Hasina virtually laid the foundation stone for the development of infrastructure at
the Rooppur nuclear power plant.
PM’s Invitation to 50 Entrepreneurs from Bangladesh
PM Modi invited 50 Young entrepreneurs from Bangladesh to visit India and present their ideas to Venture
Capitalists.
PM Participates in National Day Programme
• PM Modi participated in the National Day Programme which was held in National Parade Square, Tejgaon.
• After the programme, PM Modi visited the mausoleum of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, becoming the first-ever
foreign Head of State or Head of Government to pay homage at the grave of ‘Bangabandhu’ at Tungipara in
Bangladesh.

i.On December 17, 2020, a virtual India-Bangladesh Summit 2020 was held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina which concluded with a Joint Statement.
ii.On September 29, 2020, India and Bangladesh held the 6th Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meet through a
virtual platform.
About Bangladesh:
Capital– Dhaka
Currency– Bangladeshi Taka
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS

BANKING NEWS
RBI IN NEWS
Fino Payments Bank Ltd Gets the Status of Scheduled Commercial Bank: RBI
On February 22, 2021 Reserve Bank of India(RBI) announced that Fino Payments Bank Limited has been included
in the Second Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934. With this inclusion, Fino Payments bank gets the status of scheduled
commercial bank.
Benefits for Fino Payment bank in becoming a scheduled bank:
i.According to RBI, Fino payment bank can improve its banking position in the treasury and participation in Liquidity
Adjustment Facility (LAF) window.
What is LAF?
It is a monetary policy tool which allows banks to borrow money through repurchase agreements(repo) or to make
loans to the RBI through reverse repo agreements.
ii.It helps to the bank to reinforce its business proposition on liabilities generation.
iii.It offers strategic impetus for the bank to improve its scope on balance sheet management and also to explore
additional avenues for business.
iv.It will be in a better position to explore and manage government businesses.
v.Mandates in relation to pensions, Provident Funds(PFs) and various welfare schemes under Direct Benefit Transfer
(DBT) helps the bank to improve its impact in the financial inclusion space.
Note – The RBI introduced the LAF as a result of the Narasimham Committee on Banking Sector Reforms (1998).
When will a Payment Bank be given scheduled bank status?
If the payment bank is found suitable as per Section 42 (6) (a) of the RBI Act, 1934, it will be given the status of
scheduled bank.
Gist about scheduled bank
i.As per RBI, all the banks included in the 2nd schedule of the RBI Act, 1934 are termed as Scheduled Banks.
ii.These banks comprise Scheduled Commercial Banks and Scheduled Co-operative Banks.
Scheduled Commercial Banks:
They are categorised into 5 different groups as per their ownership and / or nature of operation, namely,
• State Bank of India and its Associates
• Nationalised Banks
• Private Sector Banks
• Foreign Banks
• Regional Rural Banks.
Scheduled Co-operative Banks:
It consist of the following
• Scheduled State Co-operative Banks
• Scheduled Urban Co operative Banks

Paid up Capital:
To become a scheduled bank, the paid up capital and collected funds of the bank must not be less than Rs 5 lakhs. Yet,
in a short while to start a commercial bank, The Reserve Bank of India recommended the least capital of 100 crores.
Benefits:
• The bank becomes eligible for debts/loans at the bank rate from the RBI
• It gets the membership of clearing house automatically
• It gets rediscount from RBI for first class exchange bills
Gist about Payments Bank:
Registered & Licensed
i.The payments bank will be registered as a public limited company under the Companies Act, 2013, and licensed
under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
ii.It will have specific licensing conditions that restricts its activities mainly to acceptance of demand deposits and
provision of payments and remittance services
Paid-up equity capital
The minimum paid-up equity capital of the payments bank shall be Rs. 100 crore.
On 19th October 2020, Fino Payments Bank announced its plan to add an additional 300 points at the Bharat
Petroleum Corporation Limited(BPCL) outlet to its existing 1075 in Tamil Nadu(TN). This is aimed to support the
truck drivers to get a fleet card recharged by paying equivalent cash. The SmartFleet initiative is a first of its kind in
India which provides assistance to the transporters to efficiently manage their funds.
About Fino Payments Bank Limited:
It is the 1st payments bank to go live with 410 branches and more than 25,000 banking points on day one.
Incorporated– 4th April, 2017 with the name Fino Payments Bank Limited.
MD and CEO– Rishi Gupta
Head Office– Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
Rupee Co-operative Bank Ltd. Gets 3 Month Banking License Extension from RBI Till May 31, 2021
Reserve Bank of India(RBI) extended banking license to Rupee Co-operative Bank Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra for 3
months (i.e.) till May 31, 2021. The co-operative bank was placed under the directions of RBI from the close of
business on February 22, 2013.
• Lastly, the validity of the direction was extended till February 28, 2021
Current position of Rupee Co-operative Bank
i.Until January 2021, the co-op bank has made a total recovery of Rs 258.11 crore and aggregate operating profit of Rs
53.19 crore in the last 4 years.
ii.Till January 31, 2021 it had made an operating profit of Rs 19.93 crore and paid Rs 366.54 crore to 92,602
depositors under the Hardship Scheme.
iii.For the past 5 years, the bank has been earning operating profit.
Note:The bank for recovery, has taken many steps like attachment of properties of defaulter borrowers and public
auctions of the same, filing criminal suits against defaulter borrowers/guarantors, etc.
What are the Directions?
i.According to the directions issued by RBI in 2013, the depositors can withdraw a sum upto Rs 1000 of the total
balance held in every savings bank or current account or any other deposit account by whatever name called. This is
subject to conditions stipulated in the RBI Directions.
ii.Without prior approval from RBI, the co-operative cannot grant or renew loans, make any investment among
others.
About Rupee Co-operative Bank Ltd.,
Chairman of Administrator Board– Sudhir Pandit
Established– 1912
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra

Current inflation target band appropriate for next 5 years: RBI report
In accordance with the internal report from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) namely ‘Report on Currency and Finance
(RCF) for the year 2020-21″ on the theme “Reviewing the Monetary Policy Framework”, India’s medium-term
inflation target of 4% with a +/-2 % tolerance band is appropriate for the country. This is in lieu of the RBI’s flexible
inflation targeting (FIT) mandate.
• India adopted the flexible inflation targeting framework in 2016 and the government is due to review the same
before March 31, 2021.
• The period of study in this report is from October 2016 to March 2020.
Key Points:
–Headline CPI inflation averaged 3.9% in India with a decline in inflation volatility.
–Trend inflation has fallen from above 9% before FIT to a range of 3.8-4.3 % during FIT
–Threshold inflation ranges between 5 and 6%.
— An inflation rate of 6 % is the appropriate upper tolerance limit for the inflation target.
–The current numerical framework for defining price stability, i.e., an inflation target of 4% with a +/-2% tolerance
band, is appropriate for the next five years
–During the FIT period, monetary transmission has been full and reasonably swift across the money market but less
than complete in the bond markets.
–There has been an improvement in transmission to lending and deposit rates of banks, external benchmarks across
all categories of loans and deposits could improve transmission further,
–On global front, inflation targeting emerging market economies (EMEs) have generally lowered their inflation
targets and narrowed tolerance bands.
–There is a need to enhance the RBI’s sterilisation capacity to deal with surges in capital flows
Click here for full Report
i.On December 29, 2020, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released “Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India
2019-20” under the broad theme of impact of COVID-19 on banking and non-banking sectors, and the way forward.
ii.In accordance with RBI’s “Quarterly Basic Statistical Returns (BSR)-1: Outstanding Credit of Scheduled Commercial
Banks (SCBs), September 2020”, Bank credit growth on y-o-y basis stood at 5.4% in Q2FY21 compared to 5.7%
growth in the Q1FY21.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao)
In a first, RBI announces Operation Twist cum OMO: March 2021

In a first, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is all set to conduct the simultaneous purchase and sale of Government
securities (GS) under Open Market Operations (OMO) for an aggregate amount of Rs 20,000 crore under purchase
and Rs 15,000 crore under sale on March 10, 2021.
• This makes it a combination of Operation Twist of Rs 15,000 crore and OMO of Rs 5000 crore.
• The bids for the same will be accepted by RBI in electronic format through its Core Banking Solution (E-
Kuber).
Why is this combination is opted?
The move to experiment with two tools viz. OMO & Twist to bring down the yield on the 10-year benchmark bond
to below 6% to support the government’s borrowing programme.
Following table shows the sale and purchase of OMOs:
Security Date of Maturity
Purchase
5.15% GS 2025 November 9, 2025

7.17% GS 2028 January 8, 2028

5.85% GS 2030 December 1, 2030
7.57% GS 2033 June 17, 2033
Sale
8.79% GS 2021 November 8, 2021
8.20% GS 2022 February 15, 2022
8.35% GS 2022 May 14, 2022
What is OMO?
OMO is a part of “Operation Twist” to ease pressure evolving liquidity and market conditions. The main purpose of
the OMO is to bring down the yields at the longer end.
• So far in FY21, RBI has undertaken OMO purchases of GS of Rs 4.07 trillion and OMO purchases of state
development loans of Rs 30,000 crore.
What is E-Kuber?
i.E-Kuber is the Core Banking Solution (CBS) platform of RBI.
ii.It enables each bank to connect their single current account across the country.
iii.G-Secs are issued through auctions conducted by RBI on E-Kuber
i.In order to boost liquidity in the economy, On February 10, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) purchase Rs
20,000 crore ($2.74 billion) of government securities under Open Market Operations (OMO).
ii.On February 16, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) permitted resident individuals to make remittances under
Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) to International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) set up in India under the
Special Economic Zone Act, 2005.
Established – 1st April, 1935
RBI removed LIC – Owned IDBI Bank from its PCA Framework after 4 Years
On March 10, 2021, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) removed LIC – owned Industrial Development Bank of India
(IDBI) from its enhanced regulatory supervision, the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework, after almost
4 years, on improved financial performance and credit profile.
The process behind the removal from the PCA framework:
• RBI has decided to conduct a review on IDBI Bank by the Board for Financial Supervision(BFS) on February
18, 2021
• The board reviewed the results published for the December quarter and stated that the Bank is not breaching
the PCA parameters on Regulatory capital, Net NPA, and Leverage Ratio.
• The bank has provided a written commitment that it would comply with the norms of the PCA Framework
• By taking all the above into consideration RBI decided to take them out of the PCA framework with certain
conditions and continuous monitoring.
Points to be noted:
• IDBI eases the bank rules, expands their business, and allows divestment by the government which holds a
45.48 % stake in the firm.
• IDBI’s progress: The Net NPAs of them was around 5.25% and 1.94% in the December quarter of the
previous and current fiscal.
Background:
• After breaching the thresholds for capital adequacy, asset quality, return on assets, and leverage ratio IDBI
Bank was placed under the PCA framework by RBI in May 2017.

• Their NPA was over 13% (breaching Threshold 3) in March 2017
• LIC had completed acquiring a 51% stake in IDBI Bank in January 2019, after it was approved by the Union
cabinet in August 2018.
PCA Framework and its regulations:
• It was introduced in December 2002 as a structured early intervention mechanism along the lines of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s (FDIC) PCA framework. These regulations were later revised in April 2017.
• Under which banks with weak financial metrics are put under watch by the RBI.
• The PCA framework is applicable only to commercial banks and not extended to co-operative banks, Non-
banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Financial Market Infrastructures (FMI).
Four important parameters under PCA:
• The PCA framework deems banks as risky if they slip some trigger points from the following 4 parameters –
capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR), net NPA, Return on Assets (RoA), and Tier 1 Leverage ratio.
• It has three risk threshold levels (1 being the lowest and 3 the highest) based on where a bank stands on these
ratios initiation of certain structured and discretionary actions invokes a corrective action plan.
Parameter of PCA Threshold 1 Threshold 2 Threshold 3
CRAR <10.25% but >=7.75% <7.75% but >=6.25% Below 3.625%
NPA >=6% but < 9% >=9% but <12% 12% and above
ROA(Negative return on assets for) 2 years 3 years 4 years
Tier1 Leverage ratio <=4% but > = 3.5% < 3.5%
• CRAR- Capital to risk-weighted assets ratio
• NPA – Net Non-Performing Assets
• ROA – Return On Assets
• Leverage Ratio – added in 2017 after PCA framework’s revision.
Note – RBI in 2019 minimized the Leverage Ratio to 4% for Domestic Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs) and 3.5%
for other banks.
RBI’s Corrective Action:
• Depending on the threshold levels, the RBI can place restrictions on dividend distribution, branch expansion,
and management compensation.
• Only in breach of the third threshold, would go for resolution through amalgamation, reconstruction, or
winding up.
On February 17, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued “Master Direction – Non-Banking Financial
Company – Housing Finance Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2021” in the exercise of the powers conferred
under sections 45L and 45MA of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and Sections 30, 30A, 32 and 33 of the National
Housing Bank Act, 1987.
Established – 1st April 1935
About Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI):
Chairman– MR Kumar
MD & CEO– Rakesh Sharma
Tagline – Bank Aisa Dost Jaisa

RBI insisted all banks implement the image-based CTS by September 30
On March 15, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) the apex monetary institution asked all the banks in India to
implement the image-based Cheque Truncation System (CTS) under respective grids in all its branches
by September 30, 2021, to faster the settlement of cheques resulting in better customer service.
• About 18,000 bank branches are still outside any formal clearing arrangement hence, it is proposed to bring
all such branches under the CTS image-based clearing mechanism by September 2021.
Pan-India Coverage of CTS:
• On February 5, 2021, RBI had announced Pan-India coverage of CTS by bringing all branches of banks in the
country under an image-based CTS clearing mechanism.
• Now the banks have been asked to inform the RBI, the roadmap to achieve Pan-India coverage of CTS, and
submit a status report before April 30, 2021.
Background:
Cheque Truncation System (CTS) is an online image-based cheque clearing system undertaken by the RBI for faster
clearing of cheques by transferring the electronic image of the cheque with vital essential data.
• First implemented in National Capital Region, New Delhi with ten pilot banks on 1st February 2008 and
launched in Chennai on 24 September 2011
• After migration from MICR to CTS the traditional MICR-based cheque processing was discontinued and from 1
August 2013, only ‘CTS-2010’ standard cheques compliant cheques were accepted for clearing.
CTS mechanism:
i.Presenting Bank (Represents Payee as it is the bank where the payee holds an account)
• They will capture the data (on the MICR band) and the images of a cheque using their Capture System sends
the data and captured images duly signed digitally and encrypted to the clearinghouse. To ensure security,
safety end-to-end Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) has been implemented in CTS.
ii.The Clearing House (It acts as a link between both presenting and paying bank)
• It processes the data, arrives at the settlement figure, and routes the images and requisite data to the paying
banks.
iii.Paying Bank (Represents Drawee as it is the bank where the payer holds an account )
• They will receive the images and data from the Clearing House for payment processing.
• If the cheque is being rejected for some reason, the paying bank returns the data to the clearinghouse and they
will send it to Presenting Bank for verifying the data.
Highlights of CTS Cheques:
• All CTS cheques hold a watermark, with ‘CTS-INDIA’, which is visible when held against any light source
• Pantograph (wavelike design) with hidden/embedded word ‘VOID’ become visible in photocopies of a cheque
• Reserve Bank of India set processing charges of Rs.1.50 per cheque (`0.50 from the presenting bank and `1.00
from the drawee bank).
On September 25, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a directive under Section 10 (2) read with Section
18 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007) stating an introduction of a Positive Pay System for
Cheque Truncation System (CTS) for banks to check fraud.
Key Appointments in RBI – Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister appoints
the governor and deputy governors.
Section 7 in The RBI Act, 1934, empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI governor in the public
interest
Shaktikanta Das – 25th governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 11 December 2018
RBI imposes Rs 2 crore penalty on SBI for regulatory violations

On March 16, 2021, RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs.2 crore on the State Bank of India over “deficiencies
in regulatory compliance”.

• SBI was penalized for “contravention of provisions of section 10 (1) (b) (ii) of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949 and specific directions of RBI issued to the bank on payment of remuneration to employees in the form of
commission”.
• This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of section 47A (1) (c)
read with sections 46 (4) (i) and 51 (1) of the Act.
• SBI was fined Rs 7 crore by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2019 for violating norms related to non-
performing assets (NPAs) and fraud risk management, among other items.
RBI Reported 9.1% Growth in India’s Software Services Export in FY20

On March 16, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) released the data related to the 2019-20 round of annual survey
on exports of computer software and information technology-enabled services in which India’s export of software
services stood at USD 128.6 billion during 2019-20, registering 9.1 % growth over the previous year.
Key points:
• The USA (the United States of America) was the major destination for software exports with a 56.6% share.
• Europe had a 27.6% share, in which half of which was in the UK
About the Survey in Brief:
• For the 2019-20 round of the survey, RBI has contacted 6078 software export companies, of which 1475
companies have responded and accounted for around 82.7% of the total software services exports during the
year.
• Exports of computer services and ITES/BPO services contributed 66.6% and 33.4% of the total software
services exports.
• Private limited companies accounted for more than half of the total export of software services.
• The US dollar, which was the principal invoicing currency for software exports accounted for a 71.6% share
whereas, Euro and pound sterling together accounted for 16.7%.
About Reserve Bank of India(RBI):
Key Roles of RBI:
• Monetary policy – It frames the Monetary policy of the country to meet the challenges and maintain the price
stability of the economy.
• Inflation control -RBI has targeted to keep the mid-term inflation at 4%(+/- 2%)
• Decides benchmark interest rate – A six-member monetary policy committee headed by the RBI governor,
decides the benchmark repo rate.
• Regulator of Foreign Exchange(Forex)– Foreign Exchange Management Act(‘FEMA’) envisages the RBI a key
role in managing Forex reserves.
RBI Reported a ‘$36 Billion’ FPI Inflows into Equities, the Highest Record Since FY13
The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) in its recent report stated that Foreign portfolio investors(FPIs) pumped inflows into
equities in India have made the highest record of $36 billion in FY21 up to March 10, which is the highest one since
FY13.
• Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows also jumped to $44 billion in FY21 (till January 2021), from $36.3
billion a year ago.
• RBI reported that the Household debt to GDP ratio has jumped sharply to 37.1% in Q2 of FY21 while the
savings rate plunged to a low 10.4%.
Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) is investments that consist of securities and other financial assets held by
investors in another country. It does not provide the investor with direct ownership of a company’s assets.
Equity investment – It is an investment in a company by purchasing shares of that company in the stock market.
These shares are typically traded on a stock exchange.
Key points of RBI’s report :
i.Quality improvement:
• As per the report, the quality of FPI inflows also improved during the period as Category-I foreign investors
increased their stake to a high 95% of total equity assets at the end-February compared with 87% at the end-
December 2019.

• Category-I foreign investors – central banks, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, regulated entities, and
multilateral organizations
i.Foreign direct investment (FDI):
• FDI inflows jumped to $44 billion (till January 2021), from $36.3 billion a year ago, which was driven by the
massive inflows in November and December ($6.3 billion) 2020.
• It is moderated in January due to lower inflows into equities.
iii.Foreign Exchange (Forex) reserve:
• The foreign exchange reserves as of March 5 are at $580.3 billion down from the all-time high of $590.2 billion
(equivalent to 18.2 months of imports) on January 29, 2021.
ii.Financial technology (Fintech) Sector:
• Investments: There is a 60% increase in fintech investments in the country and surpassed China by clocking
33 fintech fundraising deals worth $647.5 million.
• Fund Raising: In February 2021 alone, fundraising by the fintech sector increased 46% to $200 million, as
against $137 million a year ago.
Global Scenario:
• There is a sudden flow of liquidity in the global financial markets after the US (United States) announced a $1.9
trillion pandemic relief package, which ensured the regular flow of assets into emerging markets like India.
• Except for India, most Asian and emerging markets also have seen FPI outflows. This calendar year to date,
South Korea and Taiwan have seen FPI outflows of $11 billion and $7 billion, respectively.
Household debts rises to 37.1% of GDP, savings fall 10.4% in Q2
RBI reported that when the economy contracts or shrinks, household savings will increase, and when the economy
recovers it fall as people become more confident of spending.
Key points of the report:
• Household Savings: It jumped to an extraordinary 21% in Q1 of FY21 when GDP contracted by a record 23.9
%, and when GDP contraction moderated to 7.5% in Q2 FY21, Household savings decreased or plunged to
10.4%.
• But this was said to be higher than 9.8 percent registered in Q2 of FY20.
• RBI stated that there was a notable fall in Household savings in the form of currency to 0.4% of GDP in Q2 from
5.3% in Q1.
• Household debt: The household debt to GDP ratio has been steadily increasing since Q1 of FY19, has jumped
sharply to 37.1% in Q2 of FY21 from 35.4% in Q1.
• Household loans: There was also a significant pick-up in the share of household loans in the overall credit
market, which increased by 130 basic points(bps) or 1.3% to 51.5% in Q2 of FY21.
• Household investment in mutual funds: It is declined to 0.3% from 1.7%, while savings in insurance
moderated to 3% from 3.2% in Q1
• Aggregate bank deposits steadily rose and touched Rs 142.6 lakh crore in Q2, an increase of Rs 4 lakh crore
since Q1.
Following the 7th edition of Grant Thornton Bharat’s Britain Meets India report, the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
inflow from the United Kingdom (UK) to India has increased from $898 million in 2015- 16 to $1,422 million in 2019-
20.
Established – 1st April 1935
RBI set up a 5-member External Advisory Committee headed by Shyamala Gopinath to Evaluate Banking
Applications
On March 22, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) set up a five-member Standing External Advisory Committee
(SEAC) which is headed by former RBI Deputy Governor Shyamala Gopinath, for evaluating applications for
universal banks and small finance banks(SFBs).

• Tenure: The tenure for SEAC will be for 3 years
• Key Function: Applications for universal banks and SFBs will first be evaluated by the RBI to ensure prima
facie eligibility of the applicants, after which SEAC will evaluate the applications.
• Shyamala Gopinath, former Deputy Governor, RBI, has been appointed as the chairperson of the SEAC.
Note – Prima facie eligibility is preliminary scrutiny for all the applications which includes the ability to raise the
minimum initial capital and the status of ownership and control by residents.
Key points about the committee:
• SEAC comprising eminent persons with experience in banking, financial sector and other relevant areas, to
evaluate the applications
• Secretarial support to the committee would be provided by RBI’s Department of Regulation.
• The SEAC will set up its own procedures to screen the applications and will then submit its recommendations
to the RBI for consideration.
• RBI has already indicated the constitution of SEAC in the guidelines for “on-tap” licensing of universal banks in
the private sector, 2016, and “on-tap” licensing of SFBs, 2019.
“on-tap” facility
i.it means the RBI will accept applications and grant licences for banks throughout the year. The policy allows
applying for an SFB/Universal bank license at any time, subject to the fulfilment of the conditions laid down by the
RBI.
ii.Under the new on-tap licensing guidelines, the RBI has increased the minimum paid-up voting equity capital at Rs
200 crore, from Rs 100 crore for SFB
Other members of the panel:
• RBI Central Board Director – Revathy Iyer,
• National Payments Corporation of India’s Chairman – B Mahapatra,
• Canara Bank’s, former Chairman – T N Manoharan and
• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, former Chairman – Hemant Contractor.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed a 14-member committee to
review its information and cybersecurity guidelines. The committee is headed by Prof Janakiram, chairman of the
Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT). A R Nithiyanantham, CGM-IT, IRDAI will be
a member convenor of the working group.
Other than the Government of India(GoI), the RBI is the sole body authorised to issue banknotes in India.
Facilities used by RBI for printing notes:
• The Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), a wholly-owned company of the GoI,
has printing facilities at Nashik, Maharashtra and Dewas, Madhya Pradesh.
• The Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL), owned by the RBI, has printing
facilities in Mysore, Karnataka and Salboni, West Bengal.
• For the minting of coins, SPMCIL has four mints at Mumbai, Noida, Kolkata and Hyderabad for coin production.
• GoI mint coins and also issue Rs 1 notes
Restrictions on PMC Bank was Extended till 30 June 2021 by RBI

On March 26, 2021, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the restrictions on withdrawals and deposits in the
Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC)Bank till 30 June 2021 due to the delay in finalizing a prospective
investor for the bank.
• PMC is a multi-state cooperative bank in which they are regulated and supervised by the Central Registrar of
Co-operative Societies (CRCS) and RBI.
Background:
• RBI had imposed restrictions and curbed all activities such as limiting withdrawals from customers’ accounts
of PMC Bank in September 2019 after finding financial irregularities, failure of internal control and system
and underreporting of exposures.

• As of September 2019, around 73% of the bank’s total loan book size which is around ₹8,880 crores was
exposed to real estate firm Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL).
• RBI appointed an administrator for six months after September 2019 and the restrictions were set to expire on
31 March 2021.
• Initially, the RBI had allowed depositors to withdraw ₹1,000 which was later raised to ₹1 lakh per account to
mitigate their difficulties.
Restrictions’ extension:
• RBI and PMC Bank are currently engaging with prospective investors to secure the depositors and other
stakeholders but with the financial condition of PMC Bank, the process is taking some more time.
• Hence, due to the delay in finalizing a prospective investor for the bank, the restrictions were now extended till
30 June 2021.
About Reserve Bank of India(RBI):
Establishment – 1 April 1935
Deputy Governors – 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao)
RBI issued Guidelines on Merger/Amalgamation for Urban Cooperative Banks

On March 23, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) issued RBI (Amalgamation of Urban Cooperative Banks)
Directions, 2020, guidelines for merger/amalgamation to all Primary/Urban Co-operative Banks(UCBs) to place them
in the public domain.
Objective: To provide an avenue for the non-disruptive weak UCB sector by consolidating them with the strong one
in that sector.
Three circumstances under the Directions:
As per the ‘Amalgamation of Urban Cooperative Banks, Directions, 2020’, the proposals for merger and amalgamation
among UCBs will be considered under three circumstances
1.when the net worth of the amalgamated bank is positive, and the amalgamating bank assures to protect the entire
deposits of all depositors of the amalgamated bank.
2.when the net worth of an amalgamated bank is negative and the amalgamating bank on its own assures to protect
deposits of the depositors of the amalgamated bank.
3.when the net worth of the amalgamated bank is negative, and the amalgamating bank assures to protect the
deposits of all depositors of the amalgamated bank, with the financial support from the State government, extended
upfront as part of the process of merger.
Who will Approve the Amalgamation?
• RBI has the discretionary powers to approve the voluntary amalgamation of UCBs under the provisions of
Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 which is amended by, Banking
Regulation (Amendment) Act 2020.
• The amalgamation shall be approved by a two-thirds majority of the total number of board members of both
amalgamating and amalgamated UCBs, and not just of those present and voting.
Who can merge?
• A cooperative bank can merge only with another cooperative bank situated in the same state or with a
cooperative bank registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act.
Key point:
• In April 2015 RBI has placed 52 UCBs under All Inclusive Directions(AID)for 5 years (from April 1, 2015, till
December 11, 2020)
• The amalgamating bank will be permitted to retain the facilities such as Authorized Dealer(AD) category I
license issued under FEMA
• Higher level of Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) at 12 % is required on an on-going basis,
provided the amalgamating bank maintains the RBI’s benchmark CRAR of 9%.
• According to the RBI’s latest ‘Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India’, As of March-end 2020, there
were 1,539 UCBs in India.

Structure of Co-operative Banks in India:
On February 18, 2021, The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) on
considering the present liquidity position of Deccan
Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., has imposed a withdrawal
cap of Rs 1,000 on the customers of the bank. But,
customers are allowed to set off loans against deposits
subject to conditions. This is for the period of 6 months
from the close of business on February 19, 2021.
About Co-operative Banks:
Co-operative banks in India are registered under the
States Cooperative Societies Act and they are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and governed by
• Banking Regulations Act 1949 and,
• Banking Laws (Co-operative Societies) Act, 1955.
RBI imposes ₹15-lakh penalty on Fedfina

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹15 lakh on Fedbank Financial Services Ltd
(Fedfina), Mumbai, for non-compliance with certain provisions of the central bank’s directions on monitoring of
frauds. This penalty has been imposed by RBI under the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
Fedfina, the Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) is a subsidiary of the Kerala-based private sector lender Federal
Bank, The Federal bank has 74 per cent stake in Fedfina.
LOANS ISSUED BY BANKS

Exim Bank Signed a USD 10.40 Million Soft Loan Deal with Eswatini
On 3rd March 2021, on behalf of the government of India, the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) signed a soft
loan deal of 10.40 million USD (around Rs.75.99 crore) with Eswatini (former Swaziland).
Purpose & Projects:
Exim Bank has extended the Line of Credit(LoC) of 10.40 million USD to the government of Eswatini for the
construction of a disaster recovery site.
The loan covers the Eswatini projects in various sectors like information technology, disaster management and
agriculture.
Note:
With this LoC to Eswatini, Exim bank has extended 3 LoC’s of total value 68.30 million USD to Eswatini.
Additional info:
i.Exim Bank has around 270 LoC’s covering 62 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Commonwealth of
Independent States(CIS) with credit commitments of around 26.75 billion USD, available for financing exports from
India.
ii.These LoC’s showcase the expertise and capabilities of project execution in emerging markets of India.
What is a soft loan?
i.A loan with no interest or below market rate of interest is known as a soft loan.
ii.Soft loans have lenient terms like extended grace periods.
iii.They also offer longer amortization schedules than bank loans.
Purpose:
Soft loans are given out by multinational or federal banks to support developing countries or to form political or
economic ties with them.
On 18th February 2021, the Export-Import (Exim) Bank, government of India, extended a Line of Credit(LOC) of 15
million USD (around Rs. 109.11 crore) to the government of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

About Exim Bank:
MD– David Rasquinha
Regulated By– Reserve Bank of India
About Eswatini:
Formerly known as Swaziland
Capitals– Mbabane & Lobamba
Currency– Swazi lilangeni
TECHNOLOGY IN BANKING
Axis Bank Launched WhatsApp Banking Service
On 3rd March 2021, Axis Bank launched the banking services on WhatsApp, this will enable the customers to get
information on their balance, transactions, credit card payments, and deposit details. This is in line to the Dil se
open philosophy of Axis Bank.This service will be available for both customers and non-customers of the bank.
• This will also allow the users to chat with Axis Bank for their queries related to any banking services.
• The customers can also block their credit and debit cards using the secure end-to-end encrypted messaging
channel.
• The Axis bank’s Whatsapp banking can be started by sending ‘hi’ to 7036165000 on Whatsapp.
Axis Bank Launched wearable contactless payment devices under ‘Wear ‘N’ Pay’
On March 10, 2021, Axis Bank became India’s first bank after launching its own wearable payment device
named ‘Wear ‘N’ Pay’, to make contactless transactions. It includes a variety of accessories like the band, key chain,
and watch loop.
• Axis Bank partnered with Thales and Tappy Technologies to design and create these products and they are
available on the Mastercard platform.
Process of Payment:
• The wearables are embedded with a Flexi-chip which is directly linked with the customer’s bank account and
can be used like a regular debit card.
• To make cashless payments up to Rs. 5000 the customer has to wave/tap the payment devices against a POS
(Point of Sale) machine and for above Rs.5000, a PIN number requires to complete the transaction.
• The PIN can be generated using the Axis app or Internet Banking
Benefits of ‘Wear ‘N’ Pay’:
• It provides a daily purchase limit of about Rs. 1,00,000 and there is no limit on the number of daily
transactions.
• It offers 10% cashback, and a fraud liability covers up to 100% of the purchase limit.
• The devices are at an affordable price with a Joining fee of Rs. 750 and an Annual Fee of Rs. 500
On January 19, 2021, Axis Bank Ltd launched ‘AURA’, a credit card with health and wellness benefits at an affordable
price for its users. The features of the card are powered by Poshvine, Decathlon, Practo, Fitternity, IndushealthPlus,
1MG, etc.,
About Axis Bank:
India’s 3rd largest private sector Bank
Commenced operations – 1994(founded – 1993)
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Amitabh Chaudhry
Tagline– Badhti ka Naam Zindagi

Karnataka Bank joined with IIFL Securities to launch ‘KBL Smart Trade’
On March 26, 2021, Karnataka Bank made a tie-up with IIFL Securities, a broking and advisory firm and introduced
‘KBL Smart Trade’, a solution for its customer’s capital market needs by providing a facility to access IIFL
Securities’ Demat and trading account.
Features of ‘KBLSmart Trade’:
• It will provide a two-in-one account facility that the Karnataka Bank’s Savings Bank Account holders can open
a Demat & Trading a/c with IIFL Securities instantly.
• Customers will be able to directly open an account under the KBL Smart Trade arrangement.
• The account holders can access live prices and alerts, research and recommendations of stocks, trading tips,
customisable watch lists.
Demat Account and Trading Account:
i.A Demat account (short for “dematerialized account”) is an account to hold shares and financial securities (equity
or debt) in electronic form.
• In India, Demat accounts are maintained by National Securities Depository Limited and Central Depository
Services Limited.
ii.Trading Account is an account that will provide the interface to buy and sell shares in the stock market.
Usage of Demat and Trading Account:
• Trading Account will help to buy and sell shares in the stock market in which Demat Account will act as a
repository to store the shares you buy in digital format
• Demat Account is only a repository it will help to take the delivery of shares when trading in equity delivery or
when you apply for an IPO and get the allotment of shares. It does not help to transact in the stock exchange
for that Trading account will be used.
About IIFL Securities:
IIFL Securities is one of the entities of IIFL Finance Limited
Incorporation – 1996
MD – R. Venkataraman
About Karnataka Bank:
Headquarters – Mangalore, Karnataka
Tagline – Your Family Bank Across India
MD&CEO– Mahabaleshwara M.S,
AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED

IOB Signed Corporate Agency Agreement with SBI General Insurance to Retail its Insurance Products
On 26th February 2021, the Indian Overseas Bank(IOB), a public sector bank signed a corporate agency agreement
with the SBI General Insurance to retail its insurance products to the customers of the bank.
• IOB has signed a Bancassurance for the distribution of the non-life offerings with SBI General Insurance to
offer a wide range of general insurance solutions and innovative products to the customers of the bank.
Benefits of the partnership:
i.This partnership will improve the reach of insurance products in urban, tier II and III markets.
ii.This will also create awareness to the customers about the personal lines of insurance.
iii.This association will support in expanding the range of insurance products to the customers.
Bancassurance:
Bancassurance is an agreement between a bank and an insurance company where the insurance company can use the
distribution channels of the bank to sell its products.
In return to this the bank receives a certain fee from the insurance company.
Note:
In India the banks are governed by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) and the insurance companies are regulated by the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

On September 14, 2020 SBI General Insurance Company Ltd(inshort- SBI General Insurance) and YES Bank signed a
corporate agency agreement to distribute the products of SBI General Insurance to the customers of YES bank across
India(28 states and 8 Union Territories)
The signed agreement was exchanged between Rajan Pental, Global Head- Retail Banking of YES Bank and Amar
Joshi, Chief Business Officer of SBI General Insurance.
About Indian Overseas Bank:
MD & CEO– Partha Pratim Sengupta
Headquarters– Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Tagline– Good People to grow with
Founded in– 10th February 1937
About SBI General Insurance:
MD & CEO– Prakash Chandra Kandpal
SBI General Insurance was started as a joint venture between State Bank of India (SBI) and Insurance Australia
Group (IAG).
NSE Signed a MoU with SIDBI for Debt Capital Platform for MSMEs
On 2nd March 2021, the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE India) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for the cooperation in the various
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) initiatives of NSE and SIDBI and to explore the feasibility of debt
Capital Platform for the MSMEs.
Features of the MoU:
i.The MoU enables the cooperation between NSE and SIDBI for the benefits of the MSME sector.
ii.The cooperation between NSE and SIDBI will enhance the development of the MSMEs and increase the reach of
MSME programs of NSE and SIDBI.
iii.Under this MoU, SIDBI will work with NSE to explore the feasibility of the debt platform for the unfulfilled needs of
the MSME sector.
• This is in regards to the recommendation of the Expert committee on MSMEs headed by U K Sinha to develop
additional instruments for debt and equity that helps to crystallize the sources of fundings for MSMEs.
MSME initiatives:
i.Both NSE and SIDBI run several programs for the betterment of MSME.
ii.The major MSME initiatives to solve the working capital problems faced by small businesses were SME Exchange,
NSE Emerge and TreDs platform of Receivable Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL).
Reason for the Collaboration:
All lenders (i.e. public or private) required to follow the Reserve Bank of India’s priority sector lending guidelines,
they look for efficient mechanisms to reach farmers, especially small holders. Many banks fall short in meeting these
targets in the absence of these mechanisms. So, Canara Bank, through this strategic association with Arya, will be able
to help MSMEs.
SME Exchange:
SME exchange is a stock exchange dedicated for trading the shares of Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs)
who have difficulties to get listed on the Main exchange.
NSE EMERGE:
i.EMERGE is a credible and efficient market place to bring about convergence of sophisticated investors and emerging
corporates in India.
ii.This provides opportunities to informed investors to invest in emerging businesses with growth plans, innovative
business models and commitment towards governance and investor interest.
Receivable Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL):
i.Receivable Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL) a joint venture between NSE and SIDBI.
RXIL was the first entity to get RBI approval to launch Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) Exchange in
2016.

ii.RXIL launched the TReDS Platform, India’s first TReDS Exchange as per the TReDS guideline issued by Reserve
Bank of India (RBI).
iii.TReDS Platform was incorporated on 25th February 2016.
On November 30, 2020 Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in partnership with India SME Asset
Reconstruction Company (ISARC) has launched Asset Restructuring Module for MSMEs-Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises(ARM-MSMEs) in other words Do-It-Yourself (DIY) web module.
• This web portal helps MSMSEs to get benefit of the Reserve Bank of India(RBI)’s one-time debt restructuring.
• The portal is offered as part of SIDBI’s developmental initiatives.
About SIDBI:
• SIDBI acts as the Principal Financial Institution for Promotion, Financing and Development of the MSME
sector.
• SIDBI operates under the Department of Financial Services, Government of India. SIDBI is one of the four All
India Financial Institutions regulated and supervised by the Reserve Bank of India; other three are India Exim
Bank, NABARD and NHB
Deputy Managing Director– V Satya Venkata Rao
Headquarters– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Established on– 2nd April 1990 under an Act of Indian Parliament
About NSE:
NSE regulated by SEBI.
Managing Director & CEO– Vikram Limaye
Incorporated in 1992
KVGB Signed A MoU With Our Food Pvt Ltd For Arranging Processing Units to Farmers Through Bank Loan
On 3rd March 2021, Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
with Our Food Private Limited, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh for arranging cost effective food processing units
to farmers through bank loan.
Objective:
Our Food will assist the farmers to set up processing units and will also procure the processed products and sell them
to bulk buyers.
i.Under this MoU, the vendor will ensure the supply, delivery and installation of high quality, standardised and
branded equipment as the needs of the farmers.
ii.This will also ensure the purchase of the processed products.
Key Points:
i.Our Food purchases the processed products from the farmers and sells them on its tech platform, this enables the
farmers to get 20% to 25% more than the market price.
ii.The goal of our food is that the farmers should sell their produce for a better price by selling the processed produce
instead of raw produce.
On January 12, 2021 Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
with Jai Kisan, a rural-focused fintech platform of Greenizon Agritech Consultancy Pvt Ltd to expand access to
financial services for individuals and businesses in Karnataka, including farmers and non-farmer entrepreneurs.
About Our Food Pvt Ltd:
Our Food is a tech based agribusiness platform based in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
and Karnataka.
MD– Bala Reddy
Head Office– Hyderabad, Telangana

About Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB):
Chairman– P Gopi Krishna
Headquartered– Dharwad, Karnataka
Kotak Mahindra Bank Signed an MoU with the Indian Army for Salary Account
On March 4, 2021, the private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU)
with the Indian Army at New Delhi for providing salary accounts to all the active and retired army personnel.
The MoU was chaired by Lt General Harsha Gupta and it was signed by Lt Gen R P Kalita and Mr. Virat Diwanji,
Group President – Retail Liabilities & Branch Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Purpose of the MoU
To offer a salary account and additional exclusive benefits for the Indian army personnel.
To make all the active and retired personnel to get access to the entire Kotak’s products and services.
Kotak’s products and services
The army personnel will get the services mentioned below
• A zero-balance salary account which earns up to 4% interest per annum
• Free unlimited ATM transactions on all VISA ATMs
• Banking anywhere across the bank’s network of 1,603 branches and 2,573 ATMs across India.
Exclusive benefits of Kotak salary account for the Indian army
Personal Accident Insurance Cover
The bank is providing an enhanced complimentary Personal Accident Insurance Cover for both the on-duty and off-
duty incidents. The insurance will cover both the accidental death and permanent disability (total/partial).
Educational Benefits cove
They are providing special educational benefits cover for the salary account holder’s children of up to 22 years for the
event of an accident claim.
Benefits on Loans and Credit Cards
• Loans will be provided with zero processing fees on personal loans, home loans and car loans.
• Waiver on joining fees for credit cards is also available.
Other benefits
• Offers Bespoke account through Privy programme for all commissioned officers
• Zero-balance Family Banking Accounts
• Free online payment transactions
• Unlimited cheque books
• Best-in-class rates for Demat accounts
• Best-in-class brokerage rates on trading accounts, which will be provided by Kotak securities Ltd.
What is a Privy League programme?
This programme offers a wide range of financial products and services like contactless debit card, new age banking
channels, and solves the inconveniences of everyday banking through Bespoke accounts.
Recent Related news:
On December 22,2020 Indian Army has signed an MoU with Bank of Baroda for Baroda Military salary package
In 2020, Kotak has pledged to donate ₹50 crores to the PM CARES fund to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in
India.
About Kotak:
India’s first non-banking finance company which is converted into a bank.
Headquarters -Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Let’s Make Money Simple
MD & CEO – Uday Kotak

PNB Housing Finance Signed a co-lending Agreement with Yes Bank for Home Loans
On 5th March 2021, PNB Housing Finance and Yes Bank signed a strategic co-lending service to provide convenient
and customized retail loans to homebuyers at competitive interest rates.
Objective:
To boost local expertise and assist the bank to increase their footprint in new locations.
Features of the partnership:
Both PNB housing Finance and Yes Bank will jointly do the due diligence and co-originate the loan at agreed ratio.
Benefits:
i.This partnership between PNB housing finance and Yes Bank will provide a range of real estate financing options to
the borrowers.
ii.PNB will service the customers through the loan lifecycle including sourcing, documentation and collection with
appropriate information sharing arrangement with Yes Bank.
Key Points:
i.In 2020, the RBI allowed the co-origination of housing finance companies (HFCs) with banks to enable non-banking
finance companies and other banking institutions to provide mutually beneficial risk assessment services.
ii.In November 2020, the revised co-lending model was introduced, this provides flexibility to the lenders and offers
higher credit for the unserved and underserved people.
On June 18, 2020 ICICI Home Finance Company Limited(HFC) launched SARAL, a special affordable housing loan
scheme to finance homes in urban and rural areas. The beneficiaries are women, lower, middle income customers and
economically weaker sections, with a maximum household income up to Rs 6 lakh per annum.
About PNB Housing Finance:
Managing Director & CEO- Mr. Hardayal Prasad
Tagline– Ghar Ki Baat
About Yes Bank:
MD & CEO– Mr. Prashant Kumar
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in 2004
Tagline– Experience our expertise
SBI & IOCL inked India’s First SOFR linked ECB deal by Replacing LIBOR
On March 16, 2021, the State Bank of India (SBI) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) inked the
first SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) linked External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) deal by replacing the
London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) which is used by world banks when charging each other for short-term
loans.
• The SOFR linked ECB deal is for about $100 million with a maturity of 5 years.
SBI & IOCL Being the Changeover:
• This deal made by SBI & IOCL is the first SOFR linked ECB deal in India. It will facilitate other firms in India to
take this as a reference to make a transition from Libor to Alternate Reference Rates (ARR) linked ECB.
Reason behind the shift from LIBOR to ARRs:
• In July 2017, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK decided to stop LIBOR, the international benchmark
reference rate lending by December 2021 and suggested using ARRs
• Among the 5 currencies under LIBOR, the US dollar will exit by the end-June 2023 and the remaining 4
currencies (Swiss franc, euro, sterling, yen) by the end – December 2021.
LIBOR’s current status: It is still being heavily used one especially for loans that mature within a year.
Alternate Reference Rates (ARRs):
• Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and Sterling Overnight Interbank Average Rate (SONIA) are the two
popular alternatives, but only a few swap deals are linked to them internationally.

External Commercial Borrowings (ECB):
• It is a loan availed by an Indian entity from a non-resident lender with a minimum average maturity.
• Borrowing limit is about $750 million per financial year
• Minimum average maturity period is 3 years
• The DEA (Department of Economic Affairs), Ministry of Finance, Government of India along with Reserve Bank
of India, monitors and regulates ECB guidelines and policies.
On February 23, 2021, In accordance with the new EY (Ernst & Young) India report titled “Impact of IBOR transition
on NBFCs in India”, Indian Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) require an effective plan for Inter-Bank Offered
Rate (IBOR) transition, as the majority of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) rates are likely to be phased out by
the end of 2021.
About Indian Oil Corporation Limited(IOCL)
Establishment -30 June 1959
Chairperson – Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
JICA signs 10 Billion Yen Loan agreement with TCCL for funding Clean Energy Projects
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Loan agreement for a maximum amount of 10 Billion
Japanese Yen (~ INR 660 Crore) with Tata Cleantech Capital Ltd (TCCL), a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
for offering loans to Indian firms focussing on Clean Energy Projects.
• The loans will be provided through the Private Sector Investment Finance Scheme of JICA and is co-financing
with the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC).
• The loan will support TCCL to reduce the impact of climate change by offering green finance, which will
contribute to decrease the emission of Green House Gas (GHG) in India.
• The agreement will help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) & 13
(Climate Action).
Note – India is the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG) at present behind China and United states.
India’s Target in Paris Agreement
• India ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016. It has set a target to cut GHG emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-
35% by 2030.
• In order to achieve this target, India is promoting mitigation measures such as installation of renewable
energy (Solar Power, Wind Power), energy efficient equipment, and Electric Vehicles (EVs).
About Tata Cleantech Capital Ltd (TCCL):
TCCL, a joint venture between Tata Capital Limited (Tata Group) and IFC (World Bank Group), is a first-of-its-kind
private sector green investment bank focusing on climate finance and advisory services. TCCL, which has been
inducted into the Green Bank Network, is the premier Indian entity and the first private sector climate finance
institution to be part of this network.
Green Bank Network:
The Green Bank Network connects leaders in clean energy finance, shares best practices and supports investment in
clean energy solutions.
i.On January 8, 2021, a loan agreement was signed between India and Japan for JPY 30 billion (Rs 2,113 crore) to
support India’s efforts at providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households severely impacted by the
Covid-19 pandemic. It is named as Covid-19 Crisis Response Support Loan for Social Protection.
About Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA):
President – Shinichi Kitaoka
Headquarters – Tokyo, Japan
About Tata Cleantech Capital Ltd (TCCL):
Managing Director – Manish Chourasia
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Tata Motors inked an MoU with SBI for Financial Assistance
On March 26, 2021, Tata Motors, a commercial vehicle manufacturer has signed a three-year MoU (Memorandum of
Understanding) with the State Bank of India(SBI) to offer financial assistance for its commercial vehicle (CV)
customers for the purchase of the Tata Motors’ range of small and light commercial vehicles.
Key points:
• SBI provides easy loan structured schemes with a down payment and equated monthly installment (EMI) to
mitigate the cost difference between the BS4(Bharat Stage 4) and the BS6(Bharat Stage 6) vehicles.
• Tata Motors and SBI will exercise SBI’s Contactless Lending Platform technology to ensure uniformity,
transparency and a reduced turnaround time in the loan approval process.
• TataMotors mentioned the decline in the Sales of commercial vehicles since 2018 due to the union
government’s the revised axle norms which enhanced the load-carrying capacity of trucks.
Some of the Axle norms revised in 2018:
• Road Transport and Highways Ministry has changed the maximum safe axle weight in the vehicle of the single
axle with two tyres from 7.5 tonnes to 7 tonnes and
• Increased the official maximum load-carrying capacity of heavy vehicles, including trucks, by 20-25 %
Bharat stage emission standards (BSES)
• These are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants.
• The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
On October 17, 2020, TATA (formerly Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company) Motors has collaborated with
HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation) Bank for the financing of its passenger vehicles. In this regard,
Tata Motors introduced two new schemes viz. “Gradual Step Up Scheme” and “TML Flexi Drive Scheme” which will be
available till November 2020.
About Tata Motors:
MD&CEO – Guenter Butschek
About State Bank of India(SBI):
Chairman– Dinesh Kumar Khara
Tagline– The Banker to Every Indian
Establishment – 1st July 1955
FICCI and IFSCA Signed an MoU to develop GIFT City as a world-class FinTech Hub
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI) and International Financial Services Centres
Authority (IFSCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for collaboration and co-
operation for the development of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (‘GIFT’) IFSC.
The MoU will lead to future collaborations and cooperation between IFSCA and FICCI for the development of a world-
class FinTech Hub in GIFT IFSC.
• FICCI will also assist IFSCA in the development of FinTech Accelerator programmes in GIFT IFSC among the
other cooperation areas.
Other members present at the MoU:
• ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd, MD & CEO – Mr Bhargav Dasgupta
• Co-founder and Director, Billdesk – Mr Srinivasu MN
• Co-founder and CEO, BankBazaar.com – Mr Adhil Shetty
• Former Chief Executive, Indian Banks’ Association – Mr M V Tanksale
• Co-Founder and Director, Perfios- Mr V Govindarajan
India’s Fintech ecosystem:
• According to the Fintech Report 2020 by MEDICI India has around 2174 FinTech startups as of December
2020 in which Bengaluru and Mumbai lead and represent 42% of the startup headquarters.

• The top five FinTech destinations include Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Gurugram, and Hyderabad
Factors that lead to India’s Fintech growth:
• RBI’s nod to video-based KYC as an alternative to physical verification and
• SEBI’s Innovative Sandboxes -The initiative where startups can develop and experiment with innovative
products in a controlled environment
On 1st March 2021, The National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE India) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) to set up a market infrastructure institution which consists of International Bullion
Exchange(IBX), clearing corporation and depository, at the Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City in Gujarat.
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI):
President – Uday Shankar
About International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)
Establishment – April 27, 2020, under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
Headquarters – GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Chairman – Injeti Srinivas
OTHER BANK NEWS

SEBI eases Listing Rules for IPOs of Large Companies
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) during its board meeting eased the listing norms for large
companies by enabling them to divest minimum 5% in the IPO (Initial public offering), instead of 10%. Also, for
raising the public float to 25%, the term has increased to 5 years instead of 3 years.
• This move will encourage large firms to opt for listing.
• The meeting was also attended by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance and Minister of
State (MoS) Anurag Thakur.
Key Points:
i.The minimum public float for large firms with post-issue market capital exceeding Rs 1 trillion is reduced from 10%
of post-issue market capital (existing provision) to Rs 10,000 crore. In addition to this, there will be 5% of the
incremental amount beyond Rs 1 trillion.
ii.A company with a post-issue market cap of Rs 2 trillion will have to divest a minimum of 7.5%, instead of 10%.
iii.Under the new norms, the large companies are required to achieve at least 10% public shareholding in two years
and at least 25% public shareholding within five years from the date of listing
iv.The Union Budget 2021-22 proposed a setting up of a gold spot exchange, the introduction of a unified securities
markets code, and an investor charter.
It should be noted that this move will provide flexibility to the government for the mega float of Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC) because as per earlier norms LIC would have been required to divest at least 10% at one go. Now,
the minimum divest is 5%.
Decision Taken on SEBI Board Meeting
During the SEBI board meeting along with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,the following implements had been
taken
i.The Board approved amendments to SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations, 2020 (PMS Regulations), SEBI
(Investment Advisers) Regulations, 2013 and SEBI (Research Analysts) Regulations, 2014.
ii. Repeal of the SEBI (Underwriters) Regulations, 1993 and amendments to the SEBI (Merchant Bankers)
Regulations, 1992 and the SEBI (Stock Brokers) Regulations, 1992.
iii. Merger of SEBI (Regulatory Fee on Stock Exchanges) Regulations, 2006 with Securities Contracts (Regulation)
(Stock Exchanges and Clearing Corporations) Regulations, 2018.
What is an Initial public offering (IPO)?
The process by which a private company can go public by sale of its stocks to the general public with Minimum Public
Offering(MPO).

i.The Union Cabinet has also approved the proposal of Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to sign a bilateral
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SEBI and Financial and Commission de Surveillance du Secteur
Financier (CSSF), Luxembourg to strengthen cross border cooperation in the area of securities regulations and
facilitate mutual assistance.
ii.SEBI has set up a specialised department Corporation Finance Investigation Department (CFID) to tackle initial
public offering (IPO) proceed fraud, diversion of funds, bank loans and resources by company promoters.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairman– Ajay Tyagi
SBI Mutual Fund launched its 1st overseas fund “SBI International Access – US Equity”
On March 1, 2021, The State Bank of India (SBI) Mutual Funds has launched its first overseas offering namely “SBI
International Access-US Equity FoF” which is an open-ended Fund of Fund (FoF) scheme that would invest in
mutual fund schemes /ETFs (exchange-traded fund) that invest in the United States (US) markets. The offering will
close on March 15, 2021.
• The underlying scheme of investment would be Amundi Funds – US Pioneer Fund, which fully integrates
ESG (Environment, Social Governance).
• The scheme will invest 95-100% of its net assets in Amundi Funds – US Pioneer Fund which invests
predominantly in the US markets.
Top 5 sectors- IT (Information Technology), consumer discretionary, health care, financials, and industrials are the
top five sectors in which scheme is invested.
Top 10 Holders – Top 10 holdings of the underlying scheme (as of January 31, 2021) are Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet,
Amazon.com, Visa, Analog Devices, International Flavours and Fragrances, Elanco Animal Health, Mastercard and
Schlumberger.
Key Points:
i.The minimum subscription amount is Rs 5,000 and in multiples of Re 1 thereafter.
ii. Amundi Fund (domiciled in Luxembourg) benchmarks with the S&P 500 Index and has assets under management
of $2.5 billion as of January 31, 2021.
iii. This SBI fund will provide an opportunity to investors to get exposure in the US market.
iv. It also enables the investors to invest in themes not available in the Indian market.
i.On January 7, 2021, Indian Oil Corporation Limited(IOCL) in partnership with SBI launched ‘IndianOil – SBI co-
branded RuPay Debit Card’. This contactless card can be used anywhere in India.
ii.On December 1, 2020, State Bank of India (SBI) in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI) and Japan’s JCB (formerly Japan Credit Bureau) International Co. Ltd. unveiled “SBI RuPay JCB Platinum
Contactless Debit Card” with a unique dual interface feature.
About SBI Mutual Fund(SBIFMPL):
SBIFMPL is a joint venture between the State Bank of India, an Indian public sector bank, and Amundi, a
European asset management company.
CEO & Managing Director -Mr. Vinay M. Tonse
Founded – 1987
World Bank plans $100-mn Guarantee Scheme for Solar Rooftop Projects
In order to boost India’s rooftop solar programme, the World Bank (WB) is planning to launch a $100-million
(~727Crore Indian Rupees) credit guarantee scheme along with the State Bank of India (SBI) and the MSME
ministry.

• This scheme will enable micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and those firms which do not meet the
lending criteria of banks and other financial institutions to avail concessional debt financing for setting up
rooftop solar units.
Efforts were taken by World Bank :
i.WB credit guarantee scheme will be provided as a Green finance i.e. financing for sustainable climate. Green finance
will be a priority theme at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow later in 2021.
ii. World Bank has supported India’s green economy finance and in 2016 had launched a $625 million lending
programme with SBI for rooftop solar units for the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors.
iii.Already WB made an investment of Rs 4.7 trillion in India’s renewable energy space in the last 6 years, with an
expected Rs 1 trillion investment opportunity annually till 2030.
iv.It should be noted that India added around 4 gigawatts (GW) of rooftop solar capacity out of its 40GW target by
2022. These installations are a part of India’s renewable energy target of 175GW to help reduce its carbon footprint
by 33-35% from the 2005 levels, as part of global climate change transition commitments adopted by 195 countries
in Paris in 2015.
i.As a part of implementing the new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, the Cabinet approved the implementation
of Rs 5718 crore Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project with a financial aid from
WB amounting to US $500 million (approximately Rs. 3700 crore).
ii.On January 5, 2021, Government of India (GoI), Government of West Bengal & WB signed USD 105 Million Project
(approximately INR 767 Crores) for the West Bengal Inland Water Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development
Project. The Loan for the project is provided by International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
About World Bank:
President– David Robert Malpass
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States
TGB & APGVB become 1st RRBs in India to Launch Video-KYC Facility
Two Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) – Telangana Grameena Bank (TGB) & Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank
(APGVB) became India’s 1st RRBs to launch Digital Savings Account opening facility through Video-Know Your
Customer (KYC) facility.
Both RRBs are sponsored by the State Bank of India (SBI).
• Launched virtually by Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman of SBI.
• ‘zero contact’ feature will be enabled the onboarding of customers which are equivalent to commercial banks.
• CASA (Current Account Savings Account) Portfolio will be increased of both RRBs.
• TGB operates in 18 districts in Telangana, while APGVB operates in 19 districts of Telangana & 5 districts of
Andhra Pradesh.
Digital Insta Savings Account Mobile app
• The Digital Insta Savings Account mobile app of APGVB & TGB was launched in February, 2021.
• It is the major part of the Digital Insta Savings Account (DISA) launched by the 2 RRBs.
Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)
• RRBs were established on the recommendations of the Narasimham committee in 1975 under provisions of
an ordinance and later replaced by the RRB Act, 1976.
• Regional Rural Banks were owned by the Central Government, the State Government and the Sponsor Bank
(Any commercial bank can sponsor the regional rural banks) held shares in the ratios as central Government –
50%, State Government – 15%, and Sponsor Banks – 35%.
• RRBs were set up to provide sufficient banking and credit facilities for agriculture & other rural sectors.
• As per the Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014, the authorized capital of each RRBs was raised from
INR 5 crores to INR 2000 Crores (divided into INR 200 crore of the fully paid share of INR 10 each).
• At present, there are 43 RRBs functioning across India.

i.On November 1, 2020, the Central Government provided INR 670 crore to RRBs to raise the Capital to Risk
(Weighted) Assets Ratio (CRAR) of about one-third of the 43 RRBs who are suffering losses especially from north-
eastern and eastern regions and need funds to meet regulatory capital requirement of 9%.
About Telangana Grameena Bank (TGB):
Telangana Grameena Bank (TGB) formerly known as Deccan Grameena Bank – DGB.
Chairman – V.Arvind
Head Office – Hyderabad, Telangana
About Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB):
Chairman – K. Praveen Kumar
Head Office – Warangal, Telangana
SBI joins ‘Liink’ Blockchain-based payment network of JPMorgan

State Bank of India (SBI) joined ‘Liink’, a peer-to-peer Blockchain-based data network of US based Investment
Banking Company JPMorgan chase. The partnership will help SBI to reduce transaction costs, speed up Consumer
transactions (including International transactions). SBI became the 1st bank in India to go live on the blockchain-
based payment network of JPMorgan.
• By using JPMorgan’s ‘Liink’ SBI is expecting to reduce the time taken for International Payments to a few hours
from upto 2 weeks.
‘Liink’
• It is a peer-to-peer network and ecosystem operating under JPMorgan’s blockchain and digital currency
focused business, called Onyx.
• It was piloted in 2017 and was originally called as Interbank Information Network (IIN), it was rebranded as
‘Liink’ in October 2020.
• At present, 400 financial institutions and corporations in 78 countries, and 27 of the World’s Top 50 banks use
JPMorgan’s Liink solution.
• The network also has around 100 live banks on the network which includes both state-owned & private
institutions.
Indian Participants
In 2019, 7 Indian banks joined ‘Liink’ they are ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, Union Bank of India, Federal Bank of
India & Canara Bank.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co
Chairman & CEO – Jamie Dimon
Arya Partners With Canara Bank for Farm loan Management

On 2nd March 2021, Arya Collateral Warehousing Services Pvt. Ltd.(Arya), a post harvest agriculture technology
provider, entered into a strategic partnership with Canara Bank to offer collateral management and warehousing
services to support the farmers with effective market linkage.
Aim:
To support and extend finance to farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations(FPO), processors, and various depositors
stocking their agri-produce in Arya’s warehouses across India.
Features of the Partnership:
i.Arya will support the farmers and FPOs to get financial assistance against their agricultural produce stored in
warehouses managed by Arya.
ii.Through the 450 FPO’s that work with Arya, Canara Bank will leverage the reach of Arya to more than 350000
farmers.

iii.Under this partnership, as a collateral manager, Arya will ease the post harvest credit for the bank through the
digital platform across the network of 4000 warehouses that covers around 3 million tonnes of agricultural
commodities.
iv.Arya will help the farmers, aggregators , FPOs, food processors and end-user corporates to avoid the post harvest
losses.
On December 22, 2020 The 1st of its kind Farmer Registration and Unified Beneficiary Information
System(FRUITS)Portal, a project of e-Governance, inaugurated by Government of Karnataka, and the same is
integrated with BHOOMI Package of the Karnataka State to fetch and validate land details. Canara Bank becomes the
1st Financial Institution(FI) to take the project on a pilot basis. It is the first of its kind technology adoption from the
Karnataka govt to combine all 70 lakh farmers in the state with land and other details under a single platform.
About Arya Collateral Warehousing Services Pvt. Ltd.:
MD– Prasanna Rao & Chattanathan D
Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh
About Canara Bank:
MD & CEO– L.V.Prabhakar
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Tagline– Together We Can
Founded in– July 1906
Founder– Ammembal Subba Rao Pai.
Syndicate Bank was amalgamated into Canara Bank on April 2020
NPCI tie up with SBI Payments to launch a solution ‘Rupay SoftPoS’

On March 05, 2021, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnered with SBI Payments to launch ‘RuPay
SoftPoS’ to transform NFC enabled smartphones into Point of Sale (POS) terminals for the merchants and retailers.
Theme of the launch:
In order to support Digital India’s initiative of cashless digital transaction, NPCI has partnered with SBI Payments to
launch a solution called ‘Rupay SoftPoS.
About ‘Rupay SoftPoS’ solution:
• It will convert the merchants and retailers NFC enabled smartphones into Point of Sale terminals
• Using this facility merchant were able to do digital payment and acceptance of up to INR 5000 through a
simple ‘tap and pay’ mechanism via their smartphones.
Note: NFC- Near Field Communication is a set of communication protocols for communication between two
electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (11⁄2 in) or less and allows to quickly share various files with other mobile
devices and make payments via services like Google Pay.
Merchants who are having android smartphones can download the supportive app and to choose contactless menu
in the app and enter an appropriate amount less than INR 5000 after that the RuPay card can be tapped on the
mobile to make transactions immediately.
How will the ‘Rupay SoftPoS’ solution work?
• As soon as the transaction is approved, the receipt will be generated for a successful transaction.
• This facility can be used on NCMC cards and RuPay Tokenized Cards.
Note: NCMC– National Common Mobility Card is an inter-operable transport card, used to pay for travel, toll duties
(toll tax) , retail shopping, and withdraw money.
It is a secure, time efficient and user-friendly method for making payments.
Benefits of the ‘Rupay SoftPoS’:
It enables the millions of merchants in Semi Urban and Rural to experience the cost effective digital transaction and it
also improves the digital infrastructure across the length and breadth of the country.

On February 20, 2021 SBI Payment Services Pvt. Ltd launched YONO Merchant App to expand the digitization of
merchant payments in India. Through the app, merchants can turn their Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled
Android smartphones into payment acceptance devices.
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
It is an organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India, it is an initiative of Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act,
2007 for creating a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India.
MD & CEO -Dilip Asbe
About SBI Payments:
Chairman –Shri Swaminathan Janakiraman
MD & CEO -Giri Kumar Nair
Titan’s Fastrack ties up with Yono-SBI bank to launch a smart fitness band with digital payment components
On March 05,2021, India’s largest watch maker, Titan’s youth brand Fastrack joined with Yono-State Bank of
India to introduce a new smart wearable fitness band with digital payment components under its sub-
brand Reflex.
Objective of the partnership:
In order to strengthen its wearables and fitness category position among the youth with the prevailing trend of digital
payment which is accelerated by COVID-19.
Hence, Fastrack planned to introduce a smart wearable fitness band with a chip embedded in its band to make
cashless payments under its sub- brand Reflex.
How to do the payment through the fitness band?
i.The chip in the smart band will be linked with their SBI account.
ii.By flashing the chip in front of the POS (Point of Sale) machine it will lead to cashless payments within a short span
of time.
iii.The band will be launched in May.
About Titan and Fastrack:
i.Titan’s watches and wearables account for nearly 5% of the company’s overall business. Titan ranked second in the
smart wearables category from 2017-2019.
ii.In Fastrack’s business Reflex’s contribution is about only 10%
iii.Fastrack also entered a new category of smart audio accessories with hearables such as bluetooth-enabled over-
the-head earphones, wireless earbuds and behind-the-neck earphones.
On September 16, 2020, Titan introduced ‘Titan Pay’ a range of watches in collaboration with YONO SBI for
contactless payment functionality for the first time in India. The watch allows for payments of up to ₹2,000 without
entering a PIN.
About YONO:
Launch – 2017
YONO (You Only Need One)- It is an integrated digital banking platform offered by State Bank of India (SBI)
• It enables users to access a variety of financial and other services such as flight, train, bus and taxi bookings,
online shopping, or medical bill payments.
• YONO is offered as a smartphone app for both Android and iOS.
About Titan company Limited(Titan):
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Chairman- Mr N Muruganandam
Managing director – CK Venkataraman

Federal Bank to Launch Independent Credit Card
Federal Bank has partnered with Mastercard for launching Credit Cards in the coming months. It will start issuing
Credit Cards to its own customers. Federal Bank has also tied up with Fiserv, an American Fortune 500 Company for
the digitisation of the end-to-end issuance & processing cycle.
HDFC Bank launched “SmartUp Unnati for Women Entrepreneurs

On 8th March 2021 the HDFC Bank has launched “SmartUp Unnati”, a mentoring program by women for women
entrepreneurs. Under this programme, senior women leaders from HDFC bank with expertise spanning domains
will mentor women entrepreneurs to achieve their goals in the next one year.
Features of SmartUp Unnati:
i.The programme is available only for the existing customers.
ii.The initial target of the programme is more than 3000 women entrepreneurs associated with the SmartUp
programme of HDFC Bank.
Benefits:
i.The SmartUp Unnati programme of HDFC bank will support the women entrepreneurs to face the challenges unique
to them in the startup ecosystem.
ii.This will also provide access to mentorship, expand their vision and scale up their business by gaining new
experiences.
SmartUp programme:
The SmartUp programme was an online mentoring platform for banking start-ups launched by HDFC in 2018.
Under this programme the bank works with various state governments, incubators and others to promote
entrepreneurship.
On November 17, 2020 HDFC Bank launched a campaign, ‘Mooh Band Rakho’ to increase awareness on cyber frauds
and ways to prevent them. The campaign supports the International Fraud Awareness Week 2020(November 15 –
21), a global movement to reduce the impact of fraud.
Purpose of the campaign– To protect individuals from cyber frauds.
About HDFC Bank:
MD & CEO– Sashidhar Jagdishan
Tagline– We understand your world
HDFC bank received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India to set up a private sector bank in 1994.
AckoDrive Partnered with IDFC FIRST Bank to Issue Free FASTags

On 6th March 2021, AckoDrive, an online car sales platform, a product of ACKO Technologies and Services Private
Limited partnered with IDFC FIRST Bank to issue free FASTags. IDFC FIRST Bank, premier Indian banking company
authorized by the National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) to distribute FASTags.
Benefits of AckoDrive FASTags:
i.The AckoDrive issues FASTags over the digital platform without issuance fee, paperwork or security deposit.
ii.The AckoDrive FASTags can be purchased by any private car owner by providing the personal information and
vehicle details and initial wallet money of Rs.100 to recharge the FASTag.
iii.On purchase of AckoDrive a FASTag wallet for the user will be automatically created at the IDFC FIRST Bank.
iv.These fASTags can be used for the purchase of Fuels at the HPCL pumps.
What is FASTags?
i.FASTags is a tech enabled sticker, like a QR code which will be used by all the tollways in India to collect the toll
payments. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is at the core of FASTag.
ii.The FASTag id will be linked with the user’s wallet or prepaid account which can be recharged, the toll amount will
be deducted from this account.
iii.The NHAI has directed all the tollways to collect the e-payment through the FASTag program.
iv.The Government of India has made FASTags a mandatory for 4 wheelers from 15th February 2021.

About IDFC FIRST Bank:
MD & CEO– V. Vaidyanathan
Incorporated as IDFC Bank Limited on 21st October 2014 under companies Act 2013.
The Bank received a universal banking license from Reserve Bank of India(RBI) in July 2015.
IDFC FIRST Bank was founded by the merger of Erstwhile IDFC Bank and Erstwhile Capital First on December 18,
2018.
About ACKO Technologies and Services Private Limited:
MD & CEO– Ruchi Deepak
Head Office– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Yes Bank launched a women centric service – ‘Yes Essence’

On March 08,2021, In the event of International Women’s Day Yes Bank launched a banking proposition called ‘YES
Essence’ service to offer preferentially – priced loans and healthcare benefits for the women customers.
Key points:
Objective: To encourage the women customers to fulfill their aspirations through YES Essence service.
Key Points:
i.The bank will be celebrating the launch of the proposition with women customers throughout the Bank’s network of
branches across India from March 8 to March 10, 2021.
ii.The proposition is covering different categories like lifestyle, wellness, education, protection and investment.
iii.Yes Bank had promoted “#BeYourself” by encouraging them to be who they essentially are.
Women customer segments and their benefits under the service:
Homemakers:
• Discount on Locker rentals
• Holistic learning program for kids (YOGO) at Rs 499 only with a free trial period for one month
• Assured lifestyle benefits worth Rs 3,000 on multiple brands
Salaried professional women:
• Earn more with Auto sweep facility to Fixed Deposits
• Lifestyle & shopping offers on Debit Cards up to Rs 1.65 Lakh
• Bouquet of assured lifestyle benefits worth Rs 3000 on multiple brands
Women entrepreneurs:
• Preferential Rates on Business Loan & access to Standup India
• Benefits on MSME solutions like Zoho Books, Cleartax, Zaggle
• YES Essence Plus – Accelerator Program with access to Venture Capitals (VCs) and mentors
• Upskilling with Amazon Saheli and Tech Sakhi programs
Senior citizen:
• 0.5% extra interest rate on Fixed Deposits
• Enhanced service with skip IVR option on phone banking
• Discount on locker rentals
• Wealth & Succession Planning Advisor
Benefits for all:
• Accelerated YES REWARDZ points
• Complementary healthcare package
• Preferential pricing on loans
• Fee waiver on Demat and trading account
On December 7, 2020 Sanjiv Chadha, MD&CEO of Bank of Baroda (BoB) launched ‘Atmanirbhar Women
Scheme’ virtually at BOB’s Ramamurthy Nagar branch, Bengaluru, to help women to be self-reliant.

About Yes bank
MD & CEO– Prashant Kumar
Incepted– 2004
Chatbot– YES ROBOT
Ujjivan SFB Launched “Garima Savings Account”, Women Savings Account

On 8th March 2021, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (USFB) launched “Garima Saving Accounts”, a women Saving Account
to provide the financial needs of women. The account offers various customised benefits for women which includes a
maximum of 7% rate of interest on savings account.
Aim:
• To support the financially aware and economically active women.
• To support the day to day banking needs of women.
Features of “Garima Savings Account”:
i.Free Cash Deposit of up to Rs.5 lakhs per month or 8 transactions, whichever is earlier at any Ujjivan SFB branch.
ii.Higher cash deposit and free unlimited withdrawal at any of its branches (No additional charges for non-home
branch transactions).
iii.No penalty charges on non-maintenance of minimum balance with our Regular Savings Account.
Features:
i.The account comes with a complimentary membership to Kavach Plan with protection worth up to Rs. 60,000
(Purchase protection upto Rs.50000 and price drop protection upto Rs.10000).
ii.Free RuPay Classic Debit Card which is specially designed for women.
iii.Free NEFT and RTGS transactions through online mode.
On December 7, 2020 Ujjivan Small Finance Bank(SFB) Ltd introduced ‘Money Mitra’, a new channel, to make banking
services accessible to its customers in their neighbourhood.
Money Mitra facilitates entrepreneurs of local businesses like kirana / medical stores or Insurance agencies to offer
retail banking solutions to Ujjivan SFB customers exclusively.
About Ujjivan Small Finance Bank:
MD & CEO– Nitin Chugh
Tagline– Build a Better Life
Headquarters– Bengaluru Karnataka
Ujjivan SFB commenced its operation as Small finance bank on 1st February 2017.
KVGB launches ‘Vikas Asha’ Loan Scheme for Women Entrepreneurs

Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has launched the ‘Vikas Asha’ Loan Scheme, under which the bank will
distribute loans of up to INR 10 Lakhs to Women Entrepreneurs.
• The scheme is exclusively for women to meet their business-related needs, for purchasing
machinery/equipment/vehicle.
• It shall also be utilized for meeting the working capital requirements under Micro and Small Enterprises
including retail trade.
Repayment Period
The repayment period of the loan will be 84 months.
Benefits
The loans will help in boosting the women entrepreneur’s contribution to the National economy.
Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB)
• It was established in 2005 and is sponsored by Syndicate Bank (Syndicate Bank was amalgamated into Canara
Bank w.e.f 1st April 2020)
• It operates in 9 districts of Karnataka

Fact
• The First Regional Rural Bank (RRB) of India was ‘Prathama Bank’ sponsored by Syndicate Bank.
• Regional Rural Banks are regulated by RBI and supervised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD).
i.On December 5, 2020 Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) launched ‘Kirishi OD(Overdraft) scheme’ for farmers.
Chairman – Gopi Krishna
Headquarters – Dharwad, Karnataka
Aquaconnect Partnered with BOB to provide Credit Access to Farmers under KCC scheme
On March 09,2021 Aquaculture tech company Aquaconnect partnered with Bank of Baroda(BOB) to provide credit
access to 1.6 million aquaculture farmers under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC)scheme.
• In this regard, M V Murali Krishna, General Manager and Head of Rural and Agri Banking Department of Bank
of Baroda signed the MoU along with Arpan Bhalerao, Chief Growth Officer, Aquaconnect.
Credit facilities under the partnership to Farmers:
• Providing credit access under the KCC at an annualized rate of as low as 10%
• BOB has extended loan for up to Rs 10 lakh under KCC scheme and fisheries loan.
• Providing higher credit limits Under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana(PMMSY) and The Fisheries and
Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund(FIDF) scheme.
Key Features:
• Target areas: The company aims to target the states Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Odisha and
later extending it to other states across the country.
• Beneficiaries: It is expected to benefit over 15,00,000 fish farmers and over 1,50,000 shrimp farmers across
India
• Aquaconnect’s contribution: They will provide advisory services and quality farm inputs for the fish and
shrimp farmers.
About Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme:
• It was introduced in August 1998 and created by NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development).
• Objective: To meet the credit requirements of the agriculture sector by giving financial support to farmers
with the help of Commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks(RRB) and state Co-operative banks.
• By 2019 fisheries and animal husbandry are also included under this scheme.
Significant features of KCC scheme:
• KCC credit holders are covered under personal accident insurance up to ₹50,000 for death and permanent
disability, and up to ₹25,000 for other risks.
• The validity period for this card is about five years, with an option to extend for up to three more years.
• KCC offers credit to the farmers in two types viz, Cash Credit and Term Credit for allied activities such as pump
sets, land development, plantation, drip irrigations.
On December 5, 2020 Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) launched ‘Kirishi OD(Overdraft)scheme’ for farmers
to get a maximum amount of Rs 1.5 lakh per acre for irrigated lands and Rs 1 lakh per acre for dry land. It was
launched by Neeraja Kumara Verma, Chief General Manager of NABARD, in Dharwad.
About Bank of Baroda(BoB):
HeadOffice– Vadodara (earlier known as Baroda), Gujarat
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Sanjiv Chadha
Establishment– 20 July 1908 (Nationalised on 19 July 1969)
Tagline– India’s International Bank
About Aquaconnect:
It is an aquaculture technology venture that promotes sustainability through data-driven farm advisory and market
place solutions for Aqua Farmers.

Establishment – April 24, 2017
Founder and CEO – Rajamanohar S
Location – Chennai, Tamilnadu
DBS Bank India joined with TRRAIN to upskill differently-abled youth

On March 9,2021, DBS Bank India Ltd. (DBIL) partnered with TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers & Retail Associate of
India) to support the youth from low income households, pandemic affected, and persons with disabilities through
skill training and employment opportunities.
Key points:
• It is a part of the initiative ‘DBS Stronger Together Fund’
• The partnership will lead to one-year-long, Pan-India program which is a combination of classroom and online
training sessions
• The training will be conducted by TRRAIN centres across cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru,
Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and among others.
Benefits of the Training:
• After the completion of training candidates will be recruited by leading partners in the retail and e-commerce
sector across Tier -1 and Tier-2 cities.
• It aims to train and secure jobs for over 800 individuals by the end of 2021.
Recent Initiatives of DBIL:
• To help the regions hard hit by COVID-19 fund of Rs 10.5 Million is provided.
• Introduced ‘Towards Zero Food Waste’ initiative in 2020 to reduce food waste
• They have partnered with UNICEF to scale up public health infrastructure.
On December 11, 2020 DBS Bank India Ltd. (DBIL) partnered with Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions Private
Limited to help Indian MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) to recover from COVID-19 pandemic.
About DBS Bank India Ltd. (DBIL):
• It is a wholly owned subsidiary of DBS Bank Ltd, Singapore.
• It received a banking license to operate as a banking company under Section 22 (1) of the Banking Regulation
(B R) Act, 1949.
Incorporated under– Companies Act, 2013
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Surojit Shome
About TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers & Retail Associate of India):
Location – Malad,Mumbai
Founder – B.S. Nagesh
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Ameesha Prabhu
Magicbricks Partnered with Razorpay & HDFC Bank for Property Service “Pay Rent” through Credit Card
Magicbricks Realty Services limited(Magicbricks), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd of The
Times Group, partnered with Razorpay and HDFC Bank to create a secure online solution “Pay Rent” feature for
rent payments through credit cards.
The online solution is created with a focus on the 10 million rental residential household market.
Note:
The estimated market size of the payment of rent through credit card is around Rs.3000 crore.
“Pay Rent” feature:
Magicbricks has activated the security features and has implemented the risk and fraud detection module of
Razorpay on the backend to ensure an additional layer of security in order to protect against any misuse.
Benefits:
i.The postponement of a large expense with a 45 days credit period translates to about 1% interest per month.

ii.Using credit cards for the payment of monthly rent will increase the reward points and get offers on credit card
payments.
iii.There are 10 million rental residential units in India.Of these, almost 75% are in the Rs 35,000 per month and less
rent bracket.
iv.Within this segment, almost 50% of the properties are in the range of Rs 10,000-Rs 20,000 per month with
premium properties in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi and Gurgaon pushing up average rentals.
v.The rent for premium properties are in the range of Rs 35,000-Rs 50,000 per month and luxury over Rs 50,000 per
month. So this offers us a huge untapped market.
About Magicbricks:
CEO– Sudhir Pai
About Razorpay:
CEO– Harshil Mathur
KVB Bank and Cholamandalam Investment announced a Co-lending Partnership

On March 10, 2021, Karur Vysya Bank(KVB)and Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited
(Chola), the financial services arm of the Murugappa Group launched their co-lending business partnership to make
new customers all over India with technology from Nucleus Software.
Objective of the co-lending:
• To lower the cost of capital and open new markets by enabling new loans at finer rates.
• Using technology to enable seamless integration with multiple partner banks.
• Chola will offer KVB to reach new customers by targeting high-value loan segments such as construction
equipment and commercial vehicles.
Co-Lending Model (CLM):
Aim:
To improve the flow of credit to the unserved and underserved sector of the economy and make available funds at an
affordable cost.
Introduced:
On November 5, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)announced this scheme, under which banks will be
permitted to co-lend with all registered NBFCs (including HFCs) based on a prior agreement.
Benefits:
• NBFCs shall be required to retain a minimum of 20% share of the individual loans
• It will not apply to foreign banks with less than 20 branches.
• It enables banks to meet their priority sector lending target.
On February 8, 2021, Bank of Maharashtra(BoM) entered into a co-lending agreement with Non-Banking Financial
Company (NBFC), LoanTap Credit Products to extend credit to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise(MSME) loans.
About Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd (Chola):
Company Location – Chennai, Tamilnadu
Chairman – Vellayan Subbiah
About Karur Vysya Bank (KVB):
Headquarters– Karur, Tamil Nadu.
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- B Ramesh Babu
Tagline – Smart Way to Bank

SBI Topped the MeitY Digital Payment Scorecard for 3 Consecutive Months
State Bank of India(SBI) topped the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology(MeitY) Digital Payment
Scorecard for 3 consecutive months. The scorecard tracks the performance of the commercial banks on various
digital parameters.
SBI topped the list by recording the highest UPI transaction volume of around 64crore with a user base of 13.5 crores.
Highlights:
i.Over its digital platform, SBI has processed around 636 crore transactions which accounts for around 67% of the
total transactions volume of the bank.
ii.SBI is also the largest debit card issued by issued more than 29 crore debit cards to its customers, this accounts for
30% market share in card spends and 29% share in transaction volume.
iii.Around 31 lakh merchant touchpoints were enabled across various payment modes that include BHIM UPI QR,
Bharat QR, BHIM – Aadhaar and POS.
Key Points:
i.YONO, the flagship digital and lifestyle platform of SBI has accelerated digital lending and disbursed more than 10
lakh personal loans amounting to Rs.15996 crore from April to December 2020.
ii.Around 2.42 lakh Kisan Credit Cards amounting to Rs.4230 crore has been reviewed during August – December
2020.
SBIePay:
i.SBI is the only bank to have its own payment aggregation solution – SBIePay.
ii.With SBIePay, SBI provides the digital payment needs of the large merchants in both the public sectors
(Departments of the central government, autonomous bodies, State governments undertakings) and private sector
enterprises.
Established on– 1st July 1955 after the nationalisation of the Imperial Bank of India.
SEBI Forms Expert Group Under PMAC to Examine Feasibility of SPACs

On March 11, 2021, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had formed the Group of Experts under its
Primary Market Advisory Committee (PMAC) to check the feasibility to implement Special Purpose Acquisition
Companies (SPACs) like structures in India.
Objective – It raises money from investors with the aim of acquiring private businesses by merging them. Essentially,
a SPACs takes companies or start-ups public through the back door route.
What is SPACs?
SPACs are blank-cheque companies, which have no operations or business plans when they seek investor money.
Eligibility to become SPACs:
• Private equity funds or Financial Institutions(FIs), who is expertise in a particular industry or business sector,
with investment for initial working capital and issue related expenses can form SPACs.
Why there is Need of SPACs?
• The Tradition way of raising money via Initial Public Offering (IPO) is Tedious, Because there are so many
process involved in it like, preparing for more disclosures, hiring investment bankers, getting the pricing right.
• The Second thing is time. The Time taken to complete the process ranges from 18 to 24 months.
Advantage of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs):
i.SPACs consumes less time than IPO for an organization to acquire the target company.
ii.Similar to private equity type transactions, If the buyer is a public Share holder, then the SPACs give the advantage
of investing along with the sponsors in the SPAC.
iii.The Advantage of Target company is that, while it is being acquired by the SPAC, it will be available to public
during periods of market instability or volatility in traditional IPO markets.

Limitations of SPACs:
i.IPO follows same trading cycles, where as SPACs follow distinct Trading Cycles which increases the uncertainty risk
like divergent interests of sponsors, investors and the target company.
ii.One of the advantage of SPACs is its minimal time consumption but due to the challenges like scheme of
arrangement makes SPACs time consuming.
iii.As per the Companies Act, 2013, a company is required to commence business within one year of incorporation.
This may not suit a SPAC which may not have business for nearly two years.
i.In order to strengthen the risk management framework, SEBI will introduce pre-expiry margins on cash settled
contracts with effect from April 1, 2021. Under this underlying commodities are deemed to be susceptible to possible
near zero or negative prices.These margins will be levied during the last five trading days prior to expiry date,
wherein they will increase by 5% every day.These will be applicable on certain commodities under the Alternate Risk
Management Framework (ARMF).
Chairman – Shri Ajay Tyagi
Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra
SEBI limited MF’s investment in Debt Instruments to 10% and Banned close-ended schemes investment in
perpetual bonds
On March 10, 2021, The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in its circular set a limit for Mutual Funds
(MF’s) investment to 10% in debt instruments with special features such as additional tier-I (AT1) bonds.5% for
single issuers and stated the maturity for perpetual bonds as 100 years.
• The limits will be applicable only to new investments beginning 1 April all the existing debt instruments in
excess of the limit will be grandfathered i.e (allowed to continue with the existing limitations)
• The restrictions will apply to all debt instruments that have special features such as subordination-to-equity
and convertible-to-equity upon the trigger of a pre-specified event for loss absorption.
Frameworks for Limiting MF’s investment:
i. No MF shall, under all its schemes, own more than 10 per cent of AT1 bonds issued by a single issuer.
• Further, at the scheme level, the exposure to such instruments shall be less than 10 per cent of the total assets
and less than 5 per cent towards a single issuer.
ii.If investments of mutual fund schemes in such instruments in excess of the limits as on the date,
• Then such mutual fund schemes will not make any fresh investment in such instruments until the investment
comes below the specified limits.
iii.It has set a ban on close-ended schemes from investing in perpetual bonds such as AT1 bonds and modified their
maturity to 100 years.
• According to PRIME Database, nearly Rs 37,000 crore was invested by MFs in perpetual bonds, as of January.
iv.If such instrument is to be written off or converted to equity pursuant to any proposal, Sebi said the date of the
proposal may be treated as the trigger date.
• However, if such instruments are written off or converted to equity without any proposal, the date of write off
or conversion of debt instrument to equity may be treated as the trigger date.
Note:
• Perpetual bonds are fixed income securities with no maturity date. These bonds are not redeemable by the
issuer, AT1 bonds come under this.
• The segregated portfolio is a scheme to quarantine bad assets in a separate side portfolio allowing fair
treatment to all unitholders and deal with liquidity risk.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Powers of SEBI:
• Quasi-Judicial: SEBI has the authority to deliver judgments related to fraud and other unethical practices in
terms of the securities market.
• Quasi-Executive: Empowered to implement the regulations and judgments made and to take legal
action against the violators.

• Quasi-Legislative: SEBI reserves the right to frame rules and regulations to protect the interests of the
investors.
Functions of SEBI:
• By Securities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2014, it is able to regulate any money pooling scheme worth Rs. 100 cr
or more.
• Performs registration and regulation of the working of venture capital funds and collective investment
schemes including mutual funds.
MFs and SEBI:
• MFs are managed by Asset Management Companies (AMC), which are approved by SEBI to monitor the
performance of the MFs and ensure that it works in compliance with SEBI Regulations.
• For a separate AMC to offer mutual funds, the net worth of Rs 100 crore and shall maintain this net worth till it
has profits for 5 consecutive years. (As per Amendment Regulations, 2021)
• MFs dealing exclusively with money markets must register with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and all other
mutual funds must register with SEBI.
• Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI) – non-profit government organisation and regulator under SEBI
as a self-regulation agency for MFs.
Recent related news:
On February 4, 2021, the 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.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Regional offices – Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi
Chairman – Ajay Tyagi
About Mutual Funds(MFs)
It is a company that brings money together from many people and invests it in stocks, bonds, or other assets. The
combined holdings of stocks, bonds, or other assets the fund owns are known as its portfolio.
Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) – Nilesh Shah
SEBI approved Paytm UPI handle to enable payment mandated for IPO applications
On March 16, 2021, The Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) has approved Paytm UPI handle to enable fast
and seamless payment mandates for Initial Public Offering (IPO) applications to benefit millions of users to invest in
capital markets through various brokerage platforms using them @Paytm UPI Handle.
• As per the latest National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) report, Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL)
registers the lowest technical decline rate of 0.02% as compared to all UPI remitter banks and 0.04% as
compared to all UPI beneficiary banks
• Similar to Paytm Money, @Paytm UPI will soon be activated across all brokerage platforms
Key Points:
• PPBL has entered into a partnership with Paytm Money to enable payment mandates for IPO applications.
• It aims to open over 3.5 lakh demat accounts by year-end and expects 60% of users to be from small cities.
• Paytm had registered the lowest technical decline rate of 0.05 per cent in January 2021 among other UPI
remitter banks.
Paytm Money is aiming to bring 10 million Indians to equity markets by the financial year 2022.
Note – PPBL is the largest UPI beneficiary bank and has one of the best technology infrastructures for processing UPI
transactions.
About Unified Payments Interface (UPI):
• It is an instant real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
on 11 April 2016 to facilitate inter-bank transactions.
• On 16 August 2018, UPI 2.0 was launched which enabled users to link their Overdraft accounts to a UPI
handle.

• The interface is regulated by the RBI and works by instantly transferring funds between two bank accounts on
a mobile device.
• UPI uses IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) for transferring funds from one account to another.
• Virtual Payment Address (VPA) is a unique ID that enables registered UPI users to send and receive money
without entering additional bank account details.
Money Transfer limits on UPI:
Daily Maximum Transfer Limit is Rs.1 Lakh. The upper limit varies from bank to bank.
The ‘UPI Ecosystem Statistics’- November 2020 of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has released
Unified Payments Interface(UPI) Top 30 Banks Performance (for Remitter Banks and Beneficiary Bank). The State
Bank of India(SBI) secured the top spot in UPI Transaction among the UPI Remitter Banks with 607.92 million
transactions.
The list is followed by Axis Bank (241.92 million transactions), HDFC Bank (179.40 million transactions), and Paytm
Payments Bank ltd- PPBL(169.25 million transactions).
About Paytm(pay through mobile) and its launches over years:
Founded in August 2010 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma in Noida, New Delhi as a prepaid mobile and DTH recharge
platform.
MD & CEO of Paytm Payments Bank – Satish Gupta.
• November 2017 – Paytm Payments Bank
• March 2018 – Paytm Money
• May 2019 -Paytm partnered with Citibank to launch Paytm First credit card
• July 2020 – Partnered with Tata Starbucks allowing its customers to order food online during COVID-19.
Deutsche Bank Executed World’s First Green Hedge with Continuum

On March 16, 2021, Deutsche Bank and Continuum Energy Levanter Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Continuum Green
Energy (Continuum) executed the world’s 1st green hedging transaction based on a specially designed green hedge
framework with a second party opinion.
• Both the firms are working together to develop a green hedge framework to support the implementation of
Continuum’s green bond framework.
• External reviewer, Cicero Green, has issued the second party opinion on the green bond and the green hedge
frameworks
Hedge: It is an investment that protects finances from a risky situation, formed to minimize or offset the chances of
assets losing value.
Green Hedge Framework:
• The Green bond proceeds will be used for renewable energy projects in India, in which green project revenues
will be generated in the Indian rupee while the principal and interest are to be repaid in dollars, giving rise to
the Forex risks.
• Thus this green hedge with a framework manages the currency exposure while ensuring investors receive
their returns on the green bond.
• The forex (Foreign Exchange) hedge solution is for a tenor of 6 years in US dollars/Indian rupees on a notional
of $185 million.
• The solution is based on Continuum’s green bond framework and linked with their green bond US dollar
primary issuance.
Green bond: It is a type of fixed-income instrument that is specifically earmarked to raise money for climate and
environmental projects. The majority of the bonds are asset-linked bonds.
On November 9, 2020, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) signed an agreement with Deutsche Bank AG, under which
TCS will acquire 100% of the shares of Postbank Systems AG(PBS) from Deutsche Bank AG.

About Deutsche Bank:
Headquarters – Frankfurt, Germany
CEO -Christian Sewing
About Continuum Green Energy (Continuum)
CEO – Arvind Bansal
PNB Set up ‘PNB Cards & Services Ltd’ – A Subsidiary to Manage Credit Card Business
On March 16, 2021, Punjab National Bank (PNB) set up a wholly-owned subsidiary named PNB Cards & Services
Ltd to provide the non -financial support services related to the credit card business of the bank.
• The authorized capital of PNB Cards & Services Ltd is Rs 25 crore and the paid-up capital is Rs 15 crore.
• The company has been incorporated by the Registrar of Companies(ROC), Delhi
Specific Features about PNB:
• According to the RBI data, the number of outstanding credit cards at the end of December 2020 of PNB stood
at over Rs 4.3 crores (43,402,879)
Transactions over a month in PNB:
• In December 2020, the number of transactions through credit card at PoS were 5,79,244 and its value was
about Rs 137.55 crore and
• The number of transactions through credit cards at ATMs was 3,871 and its value was about Rs 1.17 crore in
the same month.
Existing Card services:
• HDFC Bank is the largest credit card issuer in India and SBI Cards is the second-largest pure-play credit-card
issuer in the country.
Note – Registrar of Companies in India (ROC) is the governmental authority for Company Registration and LLP
Registration and regulation of Limited Companies and Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) in India.
On December 1, 2020, Punjab National Bank (PNB) developed and launched ‘PNB LenS-The Lending Solution’, an IT
(Information Technology) based lending solution for loan management.
About Punjab National Bank(PNB):
Founded– May 19, 1894
Commenced Operations– April 12, 1895
MD & CEO – CH. S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Tagline– The name you can bank upon
IATA partners with Standard Chartered Bank for providing EasyPay Services
International Air Transport Association (IATA) has partnered with Standard Chartered Bank for providing ‘EasyPay’
services to Travel Agents in India. It will provide greater payment flexibility to travel agents.
• ‘EasyPay’ is a ‘pay as you go’ service which aims to replace the traditional billing and settlement plan payment
methods (Cash or Credit Card).
• It aims to increase the digitisation of payments and is expected to boost cash flows for the aviation industry
& travel agents.
• Standard Chartered Bank will be one of the IATA’s EasyPay service providers in India.
• It will be available to all IATA accredited agents in India.
• IATA EasyPay is a new payment method which aids streamline payment flows within the aviation ecosystem.
It was launched in 2018 in India along with YES Bank.

Benefits
• The Application Programme Interface (API) based EasyPay will identify the travel agents who make the
payments in a dedicated IATA EasyPay account with Standard Chartered Bank, India and release the tickets to
the agents in real time.
• This option is a voluntary programme, which for some agents may eliminate or reduce the need for issuing
bank guarantee to secure the tickets and facilitate seamless settlement of funds, said the lender.
• Under the service, the tickets will be released to the agents in real-time.
• It would benefit smaller Travel Agents as they don’t need to issue bank guarantees for securing the tickets &
facilitate seamless settlement of funds.
• The agents can continue with existing banking relationships while making payments through Standard
Chartered Bank to airlines.
i.On January 16, 2021, IIFL Home Finance Ltd and Standard Chartered Bank entered into a co-lending arrangement to
extend credit to MSME loans (loan against property).
About the International Air Transport Association (IATA):
Director General and CEO – Alexandre de Juniac
Headquarters – Montreal, Canada
Members – 295 Airline members
Founded – 19 April 1945 in Havana, Cuba
ADB Raises $307 Million from 1st Panda Bond Issue in over a Decade
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised over USD 307 Million(~ INR 2232 Crore or Chinese Yuan
Renminbi (CNY) 2 billion) from the 1st Panda bond issue in more than a decade.This is ADB’s largest-ever
borrowing in an Asian local currency.
• It is the first borrowing of ADB from a CNY10 billion program approved by regulator National Association of
Financial Market Institutional Investors in June 2020.
Objective – It will support ADB for their development project in china during its 5 year country partnership strategy.
What is the Panda Bond?
A Panda bond is a Chinese Currency (renminbi) denominated bond from a non-Chinese issuer, sold in China.
Before selling such bonds, the Chinese government agreed that funds raised from sales of Panda bonds would have to
remain in China; issuers would not be permitted to repatriate such funds.
About the Panda Bond:
Bond Pays Annual Coupon – 3.20%
Maturity – 5-year Bullet Maturity.It will redeem in March 2026.
Issuance of Bond:
The issuance of bond was arranged by lead underwriter and bookrunner Bank of China, with joint leads BNP Paribas,
CITIC Securities, and HSBC Bank and a syndicate of relationship banks.
Key Points:
i.The Proceeding of this bond will be built on the capital resources of the ADB & it will be deployed to support ADB’s
local currency operations in Chinese renminbi.
ii.The offering was 1.86 times oversubscribed and widely distributed to domestic and international investors through
centralized book building and auction in the China Inter-Bank Bond Market.
iii.It was priced 21 basis points below the corresponding China Development Bank bond reference yield and 9 basis
points above Chinese government bonds.
Background:
Earlier, ADB has 1st issued CNY1 billion, in 2005 & again had issued CNY 1 billion again in 2009.After that ADB has
issues almost CNY 10 billion of offshore Dim Sum bonds.
i.On December 8, 2020, ADB approved USD 300 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) loan for Strengthening Comprehensive
Primary Health Care in Urban Areas Program in India.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Headquarter – Metro Manila, Philippines
Members – 68 members—49 from the region.
SEBI fines Rs.53 lakhs on 6 Entities for Violating SAST Regulations

On 16th March 2021, Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) fined Rs.50 lakhs on 4 individuals & 1 entity, Rajika
Malhotra, Muskaan Malhotra, Shairee Malhotra, Makkanlal Sharma and Sirhind Steel Ltd. and Rs.3 lakhs fine on Ravi
Malhotra for lapses on making disclosure while dealing with Aroma Enterprises (India) shares. The fine is imposed as
they violated the provisions of SAST (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeover) Regulations.
Union Bank of India & SMC Global Securities Join Hands to Offer Online Trading
Union Bank of India(UBI), one of the Indian government-owned banks headquartered in Mumbai and SMC Global
Securities, offering brokerage services became partners to provide online trading services to the bank’s customers.
Customers can trade using the portal www.smctradeonline.com apart from desktop and mobile applications.
Gist about Union Bank of India
i.In 2012, the bank launched India’s First Talking bilingual accessible ATM specially made for the benefit of
visually challenged at the Vastrapur, Ahmedabad.
ii. In 2008, the bank became the 1st Large nationalized Bank to achieve 100 % Core Banking Solution (CBS)
networking and also became 1st Public sector Bank to launch Mobile Banking Facility named ‘U Mobile’.
iii.MD and CEO – Rajkiran Rai.
Govt Appointed NTPL as a Trustee for Rs 750 Cr Credit Guarantee Fund Under AHIDF
On March 19, 2021, NABSanrakshan Trustee Pvt Ltd (NTPL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD) has been appointed by the Government as a trustee for Rs 750 crore
Credit Guarantee Fund under Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF).
Key points:
• The Credit Guarantee Fund will provide credit guarantees to eligible entities assisted under AHIDF.
• The fund shall be operationalized under a trust – Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Animal Husbandry and
Dairying (CGFTAHD).
About Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF):
• In June 2020, the government has set up AHIDF with a corpus of Rs 15,000 crore as part of
the Aatmanirbhar package.
• It would facilitate much-needed incentivization of investments in establishment infrastructure for dairy and
meat processing.
• Beneficiaries: The eligible beneficiaries under the Scheme would be Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs),
MSMEs, Section 8 Companies, Private Companies, and individual entrepreneurs with a minimum 10% margin
money contribution by them, the balance of 90% would be the loan component to be made available by
scheduled banks.
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
NABARD was established on the recommendations of the B.Sivaramman Committee (by Act 61, 1981 of Parliament)
to implement the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act 1981.
Established – 12 July 1982
Chairman– Govinda Rajulu Chintala
SEBI Amended the Valuation Norms on Perpetual Bonds

On March 22, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) amended the valuation rule of Perpetual Bonds
(Additional Tier-1(AT-1) and Tier-2 Bonds), under the intervention of the Finance Ministry, to modify its recent
framework on Perpetual Bonds.

• As per the amendments, the deemed residual maturity of Basel III additional tier-1(AT-1) bonds are to be 10
years until March 31, 2022, and would be increased to 20 and 30 years over the subsequent six-month period.
Note – AT-1 Bonds are the perpetual bonds issued by banks without any maturity date but they have a call option.
Background:
• On March 10, 2021, SEBI came out with a framework to modify Mutual Fund’s investment and perpetual bonds
maturity.
About the Framework
• It capped debt mutual fund exposure to perpetual bonds, which include AT-1 bonds and tier-2 bonds.
• It had also said that the maturity of all perpetual bonds should be treated as 100 years from the date of
issuance for valuation.
• There is no change in the imposition of the 10 per cent capping of ownership of bonds in a particular mutual
fund. Click here for more detail
SEBI’s Amendments:
• Deemed residual maturity for valuation of existing & new bonds issued under the Basel III framework is as
given below,
Deemed Residual Maturity of
Basel III Deemed Residual Maturity of Basel III
Period AT-1 Bonds(Years) Tier 2 Bonds(years)
10 years/ Contractual Maturity, whichever
Till March 31, 2022 10 is earlier
April 01,2022-September
30,2022 20 Contractual Maturity
October 01,2022 – March
31,2023 30 Contractual Maturity
100
(From the date of issuance of the
April 01, 2023, onwards bond) Contractual Maturity
• If the issuer does not exercise the call option for any ISIN then the valuation and calculation of Macaulay
Duration shall be done considering the maturity of 100 years from the date of issuance for AT-1 bonds and
contractual maturity for tier-2 bonds, for all bonds of the issuer.
• For banks, this latest circular does not provide much relief as they are likely to find it difficult to get investors
for their AT-1 bonds.
Note – A call option is a contract between a buyer and a seller to purchase a certain stock at a certain price up until a
defined expiration date. The buyer of a call has the right, not the obligation, to exercise the call and purchase the
stocks.
What is Macaulay Duration?
Macaulay duration, named after Frederick Macaulay who developed the concept, is a measure of how long it takes for
the price of a bond to be repaid by the cash flows from it. In layman terms, it is the time an investor would take to get
back all his invested money in the bond by way of periodic interest as well as principal repayments.
Key points on Mutual Funds:
• Mutual funds are one of the largest investors in perpetual debt investments and currently hold Rs 35,000 crore
of the outstanding Additional Tier (AT1) issuances of about Rs 90,000 crore.
• Mutual fund industry body Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) has been advised to issue detailed
guidelines concerning the valuation of bonds issued under the Basel III framework, which shall be
implemented by April 1, 2021.
On March 10, 2021, The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in its circular set a limit for Mutual Funds
(MF’s) investment to 10% in debt instruments with special features such as Additional Tier-I (AT1) bonds and 5% for
single issuers and stated the maturity for perpetual bonds as 100 years.

SEBI Issued New Framework for Delivery Default in Derivatives Segment

On 23,2021, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) along with the Clearing Corporation of India Ltd.
(CCIL) framed a new penal structure for the commodity derivatives segment in the event of delivery default.
• In agricultural and non-agricultural commodities, the penalty for delivery default by the seller will
be 4% and 3% of the settlement price with replacement cost respectively.
Note – A derivative is a contract between two or more parties whose value is based on an agreed-upon underlying
financial asset or set of assets. Common underlying instruments include bonds, commodities, currencies, interest
rates, market indexes, and stocks.
• In consultation with CCIL, SEBI came out with delivery default norms, which will be effective from the first
trading day of May 2021.
Delivery Default Norms:
Penalty for delivery default by Sellers:
i.For Agricultural commodities
• For futures contracts on agricultural commodities, the penalty on the seller in case of delivery default would
be 4% of the settlement price along with replacement cost.
ii.For Nonagricultural commodities
• In the case of futures contracts on non-agricultural commodities, the penalty would be 3% of the settlement
price along with replacement cost.
Penalty for delivery default by Buyers:
For both agricultural and non-agricultural commodities
• In the case of default by a buyer, CCIL will review the loss incurred by the non-defaulting party, i.e. seller, at its
sole discretion, and accordingly, levy a penalty on the defaulting buyer.
• However, such penalty should be within the overall cap of delivery margins collected by the CCIL, from such
defaulting buyer
Norms for apportionment of penalty:
• At least 1.75% of the settlement price will be deposited in the Settlement Guarantee Fund (SGF) of the CCIL,
while up to 0.25 per cent of the settlement price may be retained by CCIL towards administration expenses.
• 1% of Settlement Price in case of non-agri goods or 2% of settlement price in case of agri goods) plus
replacement cost shall go to buyer who was entitled to receive delivery.
Powers levied to CCIL:
• It will fix the provisions for levy of penalty on delivery default by the buyer
• It has an appropriate deterrent mechanism including penal/disciplinary action in place against intentional
delivery default.
• It has the flexibility to increase or decrease the penalty for specific commodities depending on the situation in
consultation with SEBI.
Note: replacement cost = difference between settlement price and average of three highest of the last spot prices of
5 succeeding days after the commodity pay-out date,
• if the average price so determined is higher than settlement price, else this component will be zero
In accordance with the Futures Industry Association (FIA), the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) remained
the world’s largest derivatives exchange for the second consecutive year in 2020 in terms of the number of contracts
traded.
About The Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL):
• CCIL is authorised and supervised by the Reserve Bank of India under the Payment and Settlement Systems
Act, 2007.

• It will provide guaranteed clearing and settlement functions for transactions in Money, G-Secs, Foreign
Exchange and Derivative markets.
Establishment – April 2001
Managing Director – Hare Krishna Jena
ICICI Bank in Partnership with BillDesk and Razorpay Launched Instant EMI Facility – ‘EMI @ Internet
Banking’
On March 24, 2021, ICICI Bank launched an instant EMI (Equated Monthly Instalments) facility in its internet banking
platform ‘EMI @ Internet Banking’ in partnership with BillDesk and Razorpay, leading online payment gateway
companies. ICICI Bank becomes the first Indian bank to introduce an instant EMI facility on an internet banking
platform.
• It enables its pre-approved customers to convert their high-value transactions up to Rs 5 lakh into easy
monthly instalments.
Objective: To provide the customer with the flexibility of EMIs for high-value transactions
Benefits of ‘EMI @ Internet Banking’ facility:
• Higher transaction limit: Customers can do purchases of products or services ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹5
lakh.
• Flexible tenures: Customers can select tenures of their choice from three months, six months, nine months and
12 months.
On November 19, 2020 ICICI Bank Ltd in partnership with Pine Labs launched ‘ICICI Bank Cardless EMI’ (Equated
Monthly Instalments). ICICI Bank becomes India’s first bank and first in industry to launch a fully digital payment
mode, a cardless EMI facility at retail stores.
About ICICI Bank:
Establishment – 1995(Incorporated 1994)
MD& CEO – Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline – Hum hai na, Khayal Apka
About BillDesk:
About Razorpay Software Private Limited:
CEO – Harshil Mathur
IOB launched Savings Account for millennials – ‘IOB Trendy’

On March 24, 2021, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) launched a savings account named ‘IOB Trendy’ which is customised
for the millennial population of the country to meet their banking preferences.
The millennial population comprises the people born during the period 1981-1996. In India, their population is
estimated at 426 million, which is approximately 34 per cent of the total Indian population.
Features of ‘IOB Trendy’ account:
i.Age Limit: 21-38 years.
ii.Mode of operation: It can be both a Self or Joint account. For a Joint account the Primary holder has to be a
millennial at the time of account opening)
iii.Minimum Balance:
• There is no ‘Opening Balance’ requirement hence, no charges will be levied for the first month for non-
maintenance of balance but,
• Customers have to maintain a daily minimum balance of ₹10,000 or

• A daily minimum balance of ₹5,000 and a Digital turnover of a minimum of ₹20,000 per month (Transactions
using IOB ATM / CDM / IOB Mobile Banking or Internet Banking fund transfer / IOB UPI transactions or IOB
Debit card POS transactions)
iv.Insurance cover: The account provides free personalised accident (death) insurance cover of ₹5 lakhs if the
quarterly average balance is ₹1 lakh and above.
v.Auto-sweep facility: It is falilitated when the Balance exceeds Rs 50000 in the Savings Account, the remaining (in
units of Rs 2000) amount is kept as Short term deposits.
Auto-sweep facility – It is a combination of a savings account and a fixed deposit(FD)account. Whenever the amount
in the savings account crosses that defined limit, the excess money is transferred automatically into the fixed deposit.
On February 3, 2021, Federal Bank Ltd launched FedFirst, a special savings account for children up to the 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.
About IOB Bank:
Establishment – 10th February 1937
Headquarters – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Tagline – Good people to grow with
MD&CEO -Shri Partha Pratim Sengupta
Niyo partners with Equitas SFB & Visa to launch NiyoX for millennials
Niyo, a digital banking fintech, has partnered Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) and Visa launched NiyoX, a mobile
banking solution for millennials. the NiyoX is offers ‘007 banking’, it comes with 0% maintenance charges, 0%
commission on mutual fund investments and 7% interest on account balance.
Objective of NiyoX – to on-board 2 million customers by the end of 2021
NiyoX features & Benefits:
• It is a 2 in 1 account i.e Savings Account + wealth account.
• It has Zero account maintenance charges. It is a Rs 10,000 balance account. But if the customer doesn’t meet
the average balance requirement no charges will be levied.
• Interest rate: 3.5% upto Rs 1 lakh and 7% on incremental amounts above 1 lakh.
• Niyo is soon going to launch domestic and international stocks on the platform
SBI interest rates:
• The interest rate on the SBI Savings Bank Deposit Account with a balance of up to Rs 1 lakh or above is 2.70%.
• For Fixed Deposit(FD):
• SBI offers the FD for the Period of 5 to 10 Years with Interest Rate of 5.40% for Regular Customers & 6.20% for
Senior Citizens.
Millennials’ Banking Need
Niyo conducted a nationwide survey among 8000 millennials residing in metro and non-metro cities to understand
millennial’s banking needs post Covid-19 pandemic, especially for convenient customer support.
It shows that 70% of Indian millennials are now inclined towards digital banking.
On November 16, 2020 Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited(ESFBL) launched ‘Eva’, a unique savings account for
Indian women. The product addresses the wellbeing of women in every aspect such as Health, Wealth and Prosperity.
The Product that is aimed at women is based on the concept of Relationship Value.
About Niyo:
Co-Founder and CEO – Vinay Bagri
About Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited(ESFBL):
MD and CEO– Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan (P N)
Tagline– It’s Fun Banking

SEBI’s review over IGP framework & other issues
On March 25, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) decided to introduce many relaxations to the
framework of Innovators Growth Platform (IGP) to help start-up and made some amendments to SEBI regulations
such as Delisting of Equity Shares and Alternative Investment Funds.
Innovators Growth Platform(IGP):
• It is a revised version of ‘Institutional Trading Platform’ for a listing of new-age venture start-ups operating in
e-commerce, data analytics, biotechnology and nano-technology sectors to raise funds and get their shares
traded on stock exchanges.
• This platform shall be accessible by institutional investors, non-institutional investors and retail individual
investors.
Proposals approved in Framework of IGP under SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements)
Regulations, 2018:
Framework Existing Approved to Modify
The issuer should have 25%
of pre-issue capital held by
eligible investors for 2
Eligibility requirement for Issuers YEARS It is reduced to 1YEAR
Pre-issue shareholding of IGP
investors (Accredited Investor
renamed as IGP investors) 10% 25%
Can allocate 60% of the issue size on a
discretionary basis (with a lock-in of 30
Not permitted discretionary days on such shares), prior to the issue
Allotment by the Issuer company allotment opening to eligible investors.
Open offer threshold limit to
companies under IGP-list 25% 49%
1.If the post-offer shareholding, with the
shares tendered and accepted, reaches
75% of the total issued shares of that class
and
2.At least 50% shares of the public
Criteria for acceptance of Delisting shareholders are tendered and accepted.
Migration from IGP to main
BSE/NSE platforms (% of capital
to be held by qualified
institutional buyers) 75% 50%
For delisting under the IGP framework, the Reverse Book Building mechanism shall not be applicable, and for
computation of offer price, the floor price will be determined in terms of Takeover Regulations, 2011, along with
delisting premium as justified by the acquirer/promoter.
Note – Open offer is a secondary market offering, the open offer allows stakeholders of a company to buy
shares/stocks at a lower price when compared to the stock’s prevailing market price.
Amendments to SEBI (Delisting of Equity Shares) Regulations, 2009
• Promoter/acquirer is required to disclose their intention to delist the company by making an initial public
announcement and
• They are permitted to specify an indicative price for delisting which shall not be less than the floor price.
Amendment to SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012
• Provided flexibility to Venture Capital Funds registered under Category I Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)
in making investments
• SEBI has allowed angel investors to invest in start-ups.
Eligible investors
Eligible investors here include qualified institutional buyers, family trusts with a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore,
and foreign portfolio investors and so on.

Accredited investors or IGP Investors
Accredited investors are individuals with a net worth above Rs 5 crore and income above Rs 50 lakh and corporate
entities with a minimum net worth of Rs 25 crore.
On February 2, 2021, the 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). As per the
guidelines, AMCs needs to contribute Rs 150 crore towards the share capital of LPCC.
YES Bank & SHEROES Launched ‘YES Essence Plus’ an Accelerator to Support Women Entrepreneurs
On 24th March 2021, Yes Bank in partnership with SHEROES, a women led social network launched “YES Essence
Plus” a unique accelerator program to support the women entrepreneurs and women led startups.
Aim:
• To encourage women entrepreneurs into the league of successful, scalable and sustainable businesses.
• Built an incredible community that enables women entrepreneurs to build extraordinary business.
YES Essence Plus:
i.Over a period of 10 weeks the startups will be provided a customised training through virtual workshops conducted
by experts.
ii.This will focus on developing skills like financial management, legal, fundraising, marketing and effective
leadership.
iii.The accelerator will be completed with the final demo day, where the startups will present their ideas to the
venture capital partners, Bharat Innovation fund, CIIE A and 3one4 Capital.
iv.GAIN, Strategy Garage and WSquare, the leading accelerators will support the outreach as ecosystem partners.
Importance of investing in women entrepreneurs:
Investing in women entrepreneurs will accelerate the GDP growth of India to 9 to 10% and improve the Gender
indices of India.
On January 13, 2021 YES Bank partnered with Aditya Birla Wellness Private Limited to launch ‘YES Bank Wellness’
and ‘YES Bank Wellness Plus’ Credit Cards. This co-branded wellness themed credit cards encourages self-care and
fitness of consumers.
About YES Bank:
MD & CEO– Prashant Kumar
Incepted in– 2004
Tagline– Experience our Expertise
Union Bank of India along with HPCL launched ‘UNI-CARBON CARD’

On March 26,2021 Union Bank of India launched first of its kind ‘UNI-CARBON CARD’, a credit card that is co-branded
by HPCL in Rupay platform of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to create an opportunity to create value
for the Bank’s customers.
Features of the card ’UNI-CARBON CARD’:
• This card is a contactless “Tap & Go” card and National Common Mobility Card(NCMC).
• While using this card at HPCL retail outlets, the cardholder will get Cashback/Rewards along with the waiver
of fuel surcharge provided by the Bank.
• It offers a card limit of about 20% of gross annual income with a minimum limit of Rs 50,000 and no upper
limit.

About NCMC:
• NCMC card is India’s First Indigenously Developed Payment system for transport consisting of NCMC Card,
SWEEKAR (SwachalitKiraya: Automatic Fare Collection System) and SWAGAT (Swachalit Gate) based on
NCMC Standards.
• It is formed by the recommendations of the Nandan Nilekani committee
• It is conceived by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs(MoHUA)and launched with the tagline of ‘One
Nation One Card’ on 4 March 2019 and enabled through the RuPay card mechanism
• It was first introduced at Ahmedabad Metro in 2019
On November 9, 2020, Under the vision of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Karnataka Bank
Limited launched a new indigenous RuPay debit card- National Common Mobility Card(NCMC). This card is the bank’s
1st ever contactless debit Card.
About Union Bank of India:
Establishment – November 11, 1919
MD & CEO – Shri Rajkiran Rai G.
About Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL):
Establishment – 1952 as (Standard Vacuum Refining Company of India Limited)
MD and Chairman – Mukesh Kumar Surana
FINANCE NEWS
ABHICL introduced India’s first Health Insurance plan, ‘Activ Health Policy’ with upto 100% Premium returns
On 26th February 2021, the Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited (ABHICL), Health Insurance subsidiary
of Aditya Birla Capital Limited, has announced India’s first initiatives of upto 100% health insurance premium returns
and other products with upgrades under the new version of its Flagship product ‘Activ Health Policy’.
• With this ABHICL became the only insurance company to offer up to 100% premium
returns(HealthReturnTM), offers upto 100% reload of sum insured through its upgraded Activ Health Policy.
• ‘Activ Health’ is Asia’s first plan to offer mental illness counselling coverage and Industries first to cover
unlimited homeopathy telemedicine.
Features of Enhanced Activ Health:
i.This also offers coverage for mental illness counselling, unlimited homeopathy telemedicine, modern and advanced
treatment methods, Day 1 coverage for chronic illness(Asthma, High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Diabetes) for all
the customers.
ii.For the customers who have or develop chronic condition gets automatic upgrade at no extra cost.
iii.This also provides access to expert health coaches for medical, Nutritional, Mental and fitness, Mental counselling
sessions and Homeopathy teleconsultation.
iv.The Double sum insured in 2 claim free years will earn 50% no claim bonus for every claim free year(up to 100%
sum insured).
v.The inbuilt international cashless treatment of the policy covers upto Rs.3 to 6 crore.
Rewards and Benefits:
i.Under this the consumers are rewarded with cash equivalents that can be used for health related expenses like
purchase of medicines, cost of diagnostic tests, day care treatment, outpatient expenses(OPD) and alternative
treatments, which is traditionally excluded).
ii.This can also be used towards the payment of future premium.
iii.This also provides the wellness ecosystem access to people without exclusivity.
iv.The customers can access the details of their health insurance and access healthcare services through Activ Health
App.

On December 7, 2020 ICICI Lombard General Insurance Limited partnered with Plum Benefits Private Limited to co-
create India’s first technologically backed group health insurance products.
Aim– To offer employers and employees flexibility, transparent pricing, and exceptional healthcare experience.
About Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited (ABHICL):
ABHICL is a joint venture of Aditya Birla Groups and MMI Holdings of South Africa.
CEO– Mayank Bathwal
Alliance Insurance launched SMEInsure to insure 5 crore Small and Medium Enterprises
In order to provide financial security to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), small shop and business
owners on February 28, 2021, Alliance Insurance launched SMEInsure. It is a portal to insure 5 crore Small and
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) under the insurance category.
• Notably, the portal will provide insurance services in a phygital formate. physical, through individual
personal assistance and digital insurance through the portal.
• The target of Alliance Insurance is to reach more than 5 crore SMEs in the first year and expect a revenue of Rs
10 crore. Approximately 97% of the SMEs in India are not insured.
Key Points:
–Its objective is to help SMEs in managing multiple risks through a single platform ranging from buying insurance,
renewing cover to filing claims.
–This portal will provide options to choose and compare products from various well-known insurance services
including HDFC Ergo, Bajaj Allianz, Iffco Tokio, Tata Aig, Liberty General Insurance, Raheja QBE, Reliance General
Insurance, and SBI General.
–SMEs can get their businesses insured for professional indemnity, director and officers, marine, fire and burglary etc
–In the first phase, the company will focus on the hospitality industry, shop owners, salon, offices and educational
institutes.
i.On December 28, 2020 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance in association with Jammu & Kashmir Government launches
health insurance coverage under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) Social,
Endeavour for Health, and Telemedicine(SEHAT).
ii.On January 6, 2021 PhonePe in partnership with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co Ltd launched Term Life
Insurance plans on its platform. This policy can be availed by PhonePe users instantly on PhonePe app through an all
digital process without the need of any health check-ups and paperwork.
About Alliance Insurance:
Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer– S. V. Thakkar
Cashfree partners with PayPal to enable International Payments for Merchants

Cashfree, a Bengaluru-based payments & banking technology company has partnered with PayPal to enable
International payments for its merchants. It will enable businesses using Cashfree’s payment gateway to show prices
of all products in 28 + currencies.
• It will enable Businesses to add a PayPal Express Checkout option to their order pages and accept payments
from users across 200 markets.
• Accordingly, Cashfree will perform the foreign currency exchange automatically and the amount will get
credited to businesses accounts in rupees.
• Businesses which have partnered with Cashfree can activate One Touch payments which would let their
customers stay logged in & finish the transactions with ease.
Benefits
• It will help businesses to tap into the Global Markets.
• The transactions will also be secure as they will benefit from PaPal fraud prevention & seller protection tools.

• It is expected to benefit the MSMEs in their recovery process after they were affected severely due to
pandemic.
i.On December 2, 2020 Razorpay and PayPal partnered to enable Indian MSMEs and Freelancers to seamlessly accept
international payments.
About CashFree:
CEO & Co-Founder – Akash Sinha
Location – Bengaluru, Karnataka
About PayPal:
President and CEO– Dan Schulman
Headquarters- San Jose, California
Government amends Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017 ‘Insurance Ombudsman (Amendment) Rules, 2021
On March 2, 2021, the Central Government amended Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017 by exercising the powers
conferred under section 24 of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999. The amended rules
are called as ‘Insurance Ombudsman (Amendment) Rules, 2021‘.
Why these rules are amended?
These were amended to have a better a sight of policyholders’ complaints regarding insurance service deficiencies
and to improve the working of the Insurance Ombudsman mechanism.
• It should be noted that the Ombudsman mechanism was administered by the Executive Council of Insurers,
which is now renamed as the Council for Insurance Ombudsmen.
Electronic form of complaint:
To strengthen the timeliness and cost-effectiveness of the Insurance Ombudsman mechanism, a complaints
management system is created through which policyholders file complaints electronically to the Ombudsman and can
can also track the status of their complaints online.
• The Ombudsman may use video-conferencing for hearings.
Insurance Brokers brought under Ombudsman mechanism
Insurance brokers have been brought within the ambit of the Ombudsman mechanism, by empowering the
Ombudsmen to pass awards (verdict) against insurance brokers as well.
• Insurance broker: An individual who has been granted a certificate of registration as an insurance broker by
the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). He/She advises people on their
insurance needs and negotiates insurance contracts on their behalf with insurers.
Appointment of Insurance Ombudsman
Insurance Ombudsman shall be appointed by the Council for Insurance Ombudsmen on the recommendations of the
Selection Committee. Their key eligibilities are:
• To be a Insurance Ombudsman, a person is not less than fifty-five years but not exceeding sixty-five years of
age
• An Insurance Ombudsman shall hold office for a term of three years or till he attains the age of sixty-eight
years, whichever is earlier.
• To secure the independence and integrity of the Ombudsman selection process, the selection committee will
now include an individual with a track record of promoting consumer rights or advancing the cause of
consumer protection in the insurance sector.
• When there is a vacancy in the office of a particular ombudsman, provision has been made for giving additional
charge to another ombudsman.
Background:
As per Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s (Irdai’s) annual report for FY20, banks and
brokers received close to 10,000 mis-selling complaints each. In 2018-19, banks received more than 12,000 mis-
selling complaints. The report further observed that complaints being disposed of in favour of the complainant has
marginally come down to 25% in 2019-20 from 27% in 2017-18.
Click here to read Full Amendments

i.IRDAI has mandated General Insurance Companies to offer 3 standard Insurance Products namely – Bharat Griha
Raksha, Bharat Sookshma Udyam Suraksha & Bharat Laghu Udyam Suraksha to cover risk of fire & allied perils from
April 1, 2021.
ii.IRDAI formulated a 10-member advisory committee to improve the product quality and coverage of the health
insurance in the country. The committee will be chaired by IRDAI chairman and will have tenure of 1 year.
About Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI):
Establishment– 2000 (As Statutory Body)
Chairman– Subhash Chandra Khuntia
Axis Securities launched 1st of its kind direct access platform ‘YIELD’ to debt instruments for retail investors
On March 3, 2021, Axis Securities launched ‘YIELD’, an online platform to buy and sell bonds as well as debentures in
the secondary market. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative that allows retail investors direct access to the debt
instruments. Earlier, this online access was available only to the large corporations, family offices, or HNIs (high net
worth individual).
How this tool will be beneficial?
i.Free of Hassle: It will remove the hassle of filling up physical forms or the need for separate KYC with the bond
institutions.
ii.Security: It facilitate transactions only in secure options as it aggregates only ‘AAA’ to ‘A’ rated quality debt
instruments available for investment.
• Debt instruments are assets that require a fixed payment to the holder, usually with interest.
The settlement of transactions will be reported on the BSE NDS (new debt segment) platform. Notably, investment in
bonds offers safety during market volatility due to fixed coupon rates.
About Axis Securities:
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer– B Gopkumar
SEBI cancels Sahara India Financial Corp’s registration as sub-broker

On March 3, 2021,According to a designated authority’s report, Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI)
cancelled the certificate of registration of Sahara India Financial Corporation Ltd as a sub-broker citing its failure to
fulfill the “fit and proper” criteria in terms of Intermediaries Regulations. Subrata Roy is a substantial shareholder in
the company. In 2018, a designated authority was appointed by SEBI to enquire whether Sahara India Financial
violated provisions of Intermediaries Regulations.
HDFC ERGO launched Business Kisht Suraksha, to Protect MFIs & Financial Institutions Against Calamities
HDFC ERGO General Insurance, a non-life insurance company in the private sector, launched a Business Kisht
Suraksha, a unique cover to protect the balance sheet of the Microfinance Institutions(MIFs), Financial institutions
and banks against the natural calamities and disasters.
This will address the impacts of calamities on the lending business by compensating against climate change and
protect the Financial institutes from rising Non-Performing Asset (NPA).
Aim:
To limit the impact on the balance sheet of financial institutions due to non-payment of EMIs by borrowers, resulting
out of listed disasters such as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes.
About Business Kisht Suraksha:
i.The Business Kisht Suraksha can be customized based on the requirements of an individual MFI or financial
institution.
ii.The product can also be customized based on the geographical presence of the borrower, MFI or Financial
institution basis the climatic conditions that the location is prone to.
iii.The MFI or Financial institution has the option to choose the number of EMIs that needs the insurance coverage
based on the exposure of the lender.

Additional info:
i.The HDFC ERGO offers a range of general insurance products including Motor, Health, Home, Agriculture, Travel,
Credit, Cyber and Personal Accident in the retail space and Property, Marine, Engineering, Marine Cargo, Group
Health and Liability Insurance in the corporate space.
ii.For rural India, HDFC ERGO offers a wide range of products like Gramin Suraksha, Parivaar Suraksha, Crop,
Weather and Cattle insurance.
iii.Mosquito Disease Protection Policy, E@secure, Title and Solar Energy Shortfall Insurance were some of the
innovative insurance products of HDFC ERGO.
On November 23,2020 NSDL Payments Bank Limited, digital-first payments bank entered into partnership with HDFC
ERGO General Insurance Company Limited to offer a customised, affordable and whole range of general insurance
products to its customers through NSDL Jiffy, mobile banking application.
About HDFC ERGO General Insurance:
HDFC ERGO General Insurance is a joint venture(51:49) of Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd.
(HDFC)and ERGO International AG.
MD & CEO– Ritesh Kumar
Head Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
India Grants NRs 44.17million to Nepal to Build School Under Nepal Bharat Maitri Development Partnership
Government of India has extended a grant of 44.17 Million
Nepali Rupees(NRs) (around Rs. 2.7 crore) to the
Government of Nepal for the construction of new school
buildings in Rupandehi district of Lumbini province, Nepal
under the Nepal Bharat Maitri Development
partnership.
Background:
i.On 4th March India signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Nepal to build a new school
building in Nepal.
ii.The MoU highlights India’s commitment to complement the efforts of Nepal toward creating infrastructure in the
priority sector.
Other Projects of India in Nepal:
i.India has completed around 446 projects in various fields like health, education, drinking water, connectivity,
sanitation and creation of other public utilities across all seven provinces of Nepal.
ii.Under the reconstruction grant of NRs 5800 million, India is reconstruction around 71 educational institutions in 8
districts which were damaged during the 2015 earthquake
PNB Housing Finance Announced the Donation of Electric Cars to Women in Jaipur & Indore, MP
On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 08,2021 Punjab National Bank(PNB) Housing Finance
company has partnered with Delhi-based NGO, Azad Foundation to donate electric cars under the initiative named
‘Women With Wheels’ for the women of Jaipur and Indore, Madhya Pradesh(MP).
Note – Azad Foundation launched Women With Wheels in 2008.
Key points of the initiative:
• It is a part of PNB’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project called ‘SHE’.
• The initiative is to facilitate underprivileged women to gain driving skills and donate electric cars to them.
• 6-8 months of technical training along with self-development and rights based awareness training also will be
given.
• Training will be given to women in the age group of 18-35 years who are living in urban slums and re-
settlement colonies.
• It will generate an annual income of around Rs 4.5 lakh for the women drivers and will also generate about
10,000 safe rides for women passengers, which will make the public transport safer for women.

MD & CEO: Hardayal Prasad
Headquarters: New Delhi
Tagline: Ghar Ki Baat
Azad Foundation
Executive Director:Meenu Vadera
Establishment: 2008
Headquarter: New Delhi
Samsung Electronics, Mastercard, and Samsung Card join hands to launch a Fingerprint Biometric Payment
Card
On March 04, 2021, in Korea, Mastercard, Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Business, and Samsung Card signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a biometric card with a built-in fingerprint scanner sensor to
provide faster and secure payments transactions which will reduce physical contact by avoiding the entering of PIN
on Keypad.
• The card will be developed by Samsung’s System LSI Business’ security chipset
• Working with Mastercard and Samsung Card to create an environment for using the payment card.
• Mastercard will also provide its cybersecurity through its global payment network
Objective:
The biometric card with a fingerprint sensor is launched to eliminate the physical contact of users at the payment
terminal.
Key Points:
i.Payment: Users can pay through this biometric card at any Mastercard chip-enabled terminal or Point of sale(POS)
terminal.
ii.Availability: Initially this card will be available in South Korea especially for corporate clients as corporate credit
cards as they will be having more international transactions.
iii.Identification: The card will use fingerprint recognition to verify the identities of cardholders.
Mastercard and Razorpay have joined hands to empower Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and
startups especially in tier 2 and 3 cities in digitizing their operations, maintaining business continuity for a cashless
future.
About Samsung Electronics:
Establishment -13 January 1969
Headquarters – Suwon, South Korea
About Mastercard:
Establishment-1979
Headquarters – New York, U.S.
President and CEO – Michael Miebach
Edelweiss General Insurance Partnered with InterMiles to introduce ‘Free Cancellation Travel Insurance’
On March 10, 2021, India’s 1st cloud-native insurers, Edelweiss General Insurance in partnership with InterMiles
(leading travel and lifestyle rewards programme) launched Edelweiss Group Domestic Travel Insurance.
• The insurance product is a free cancellation air travel policy that takes care of all the cancellations concerns
that customers may have at the time of canceling the booked tickets.
Significance of the Edelweiss Free cancellation policy:
Aim: To reduce the stress of the customers and making their travel plans smooth and easier.
• Customers booking tickets on InterMiles to travel anywhere in India can use this policy by paying a nominal
amount at the time of booking.
• Cancellation of the booking could be done easily, using the policy’s Zero cancellation
• It allows the customers to cancel their flights up to 24 hours before departure and a full refund of the
cancellation fee will be settled digitally as per the policy.

On December 15, 2020, SBI General Insurance Company Limited has partnered with IntrCity RailYatri to provide
domestic travel Insurance to bus customers who travel through IntrCity RailYatri. The Complementary travel cover is
Rs. 5 Lakhs.
About Edelweiss General Insurance:
It is a member of the Edelweiss Group
Corporate office – Kalina, Mumbai
Executive Director & CEO – Shanai Ghosh
About InterMiles:
JetPrivilege, the flyer programme of Jet Airways, stepped away and renamed itself as InterMiles.
Establishment -2014
MD & CEO -Manish Dureja
LIC of India launched an individual life assurance savings plan ‘Bachat Plus’
The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has launched Bachat Plus, a Non-Linked, Participating,Individual,
Savings Plan which offers a combination of protection and savings & financial support for the family of the deceased
policyholder any time before maturity.
• The Minimum Basic Sum Assured is Rs 1,00,000/- with no upper limit.
• The maturity period of the plan is about five years.
• The minimum policy term suitable is 10 years and maximum of 25 years under all the options.
Main Benefit:
The main advantage is life protection up to 10 times the premium paid, which remains the same for the entire policy
term without any chance of getting elapsed.
Tax Benefits:
By availing the single premium option, people up to 44 years of age may avail either the 80C benefit or the LTC
Scheme benefit.
Below are the different modes of premium payment and their options:
1.Single Premium Payment:
Under this the applicants may pay the premium in a single lump sum
• Option A provides a Sum Assured on Death of 10 times the tabular premium for the chosen Basic Sum Assured
• Option B provides a Sum Assured on Death of 1.25 times the tabular premium.
Age Limits for the plan at Entry:
• Minimum age – 90 days (completed) for both Option A and Option B
• Maximum age – 44 years for Option A and 70 years for Option B
Age at Maturity:
• Minimum age limit – 18 years
• Maximum age limit – 65 years for Option A and 80 years for Option B
2.Limited Premium Payment:
This mode enables the applicants to avail the 5-year limited premium for paying.
• Option A provides a Sum Assured on Death of 10 times the tabular premium for the chosen Basic Sum Assured
(same as single premiums)
• Option B provides a Sum Assured on Death of 7 times the tabular premium.
Age Limits for the plan at Entry:
• Minimum age – 90 days for Option A and 40 years for Option B
• Maximum age – 60 years for Option A and Option B.
Age at Maturity:
• Maximum age limit – 75 years for Option A and 80 years for Option B.
Exception: For the age range of 41 years to 44 years under the single premium Option A, where the policy term may
be availed is between 10 years and 16 years.

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India launched a new Individual Savings Plan, ‘Bima Jyoti’ Plan (Plan No. 860)
which will be effective from February 22, 2021. Bima Jyoti is a Non-linked, Non-Participating, Individual, Limited
Premium Payment, Life Insurance Savings Plan.
• The Plan offers a Guaranteed addition at a rate of INR 50 per thousand (i.e 5%) Basic Sum Assured at the end
of each policy year throughout the policy term.
About Life Insurance Corporation(LIC)
Establishment -1956
Chairman -M R Kumar
Managing Director – Siddhartha Mohanty, Vipin Anand, Mukesh Kumar Gupta, Raj Kumar
Vayana Network Partnered with CRIF India to Launch GBS, a Tech-enabled Tools for MSMEs
Vayana Network, a leading Supply chain financing platform has partnered with CRIF Solutions India, a global
FinTech company and launched Good Business Score(GBS), a tech-enabled tool to support the Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises(MSME) in India to effectively measure and manage their businesses.
Aim:
To provide the current accurate measure of the business health for MSMEs.
Features:
i.The GBS is based on the ongoing GST Data, from parameters like frequency, recency, the value of actual transactions
and business dependency across customers are derived.
ii.The score reflects the MSMEs strength, growth drive, and areas of improvement.
iii.A good score acts as a certificate to get new business leads.
ivBy periodically measuring the score, The GBS can be used as a diagnostic tool to make corrections and
improvements.
v.The GBS can be accessed by businesses on the Vayana Network platform where the merchant data is secured and
confidential.
Benefits:
i.This will act as a point of reference for larger corporates, financial institutions or lenders.
ii.For corporates, this will provide a real-time pulse of the condition of their MSME supply chain partners.
iii.For financial institutions, this will work as an evaluation tool for getting an ongoing pulse of borrowers and
support them to predict and reduce the lending risks.
On December 7, 2020 Mastercard, National Institute for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (ni-msme) and
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) entered into partnership to launch Digital Saksham, a capacity building
initiative to drive awareness about digitization for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) in India. Under this
3 year project, more than 3 lakh MSMEs will be trained to adopt digitisation.
About Vayana Network:
Founder & CEO– R. N. Iyer
USAID, DFC announces USD 41 Million for financing Renewable Energy solutions in India
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) & US International Development Finance Corporation
(DFC) has announced a USD 41 Million (~ INR 297 Crore) Joint Loan Portfolio guarantee program for financing
investments in renewable energy solutions including rooftop solar installations by Indian Small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs).
• Objective – To address the Financial hurdles facing rooftop solar project installations in India. It will benefit
SMEs & residential consumers for securing finances needed for installing and using rooftop panels.
• At present, SMEs account for 48% of total energy consumed in India’s industrial sector. Installing Rooftop
solar power will enable SMEs to get access to reliable power & will also reduce their electricity costs.
• The transition will also further progress towards India’s clean energy transition & climate change mitigation.

• USAID will also provide technical assistance for addressing the quality and safety concerns in the rooftop solar
market.
Partner Agencies
USAID & DFC have partnered with US-based Encourage Capital & 2 Indian NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies)
namely – ‘cKers Financial’ & women-owned ‘Electronica Finance Limited (EFL)’ for addressing the challenge of
financing Rooftop Solar projects.
• Encourage Capital has invested USD 15 Million (INR 108.72 Crore) in EFL using the USAID-DFC loan portfolio
guarantee for boosting the rooftop solar market in India.
• The rooftop solar market represents a USD 9 Billion market opportunity for SMEs.
Key Points
• India’s commercial and industrial sectors pay high fees as electricity bills which makes rooftop solar a cost-
saving investment.
• Rooftop Solar Power Generation will help in boosting job creation & economic growth & also reduce carbon
emissions & improving air quality.
India’s Targets:
• India has set a target to install 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, which includes 100 GW
from Solar, 60 GW from Wind, 10 GW from Bio-power & 5 GW from small hydro-power.
• The government aims to achieve 40 GW renewable energy capacity by 2022 through the installation of rooftop
solar projects.
• Of the 40 GW, 4 GW to come from the domestic solar rooftop, whereas 16GW potential can be harnessed from
MSMEs.
i.On November 19, 2020, Mastercard and USAID entered into a partnership under the Women’s Global Development
and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) Initiative to launch Project Kirana.
About the United States Agency for International Development (USAID):
Acting Administrator – Gloria D. Steele
Headquarters – Washington D.C., USA
About US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC):
Acting CEO – Dev Jagadesan
India at 8th position in ‘Market-cap’ Among World’s Top 10 Nations: Bloomberg

As per Bloomberg’s recent data on Market
capitalization, India remained at the 8th position
among the top 10 nations with a market
capitalization of $2.8 trillion and its aggregate
market capitalization increased 88% in dollar terms
this fiscal and leads among the world’s top 10
nations by market value growth this fiscal.
• This is the sharpest increase in aggregate
market capitalization since FY11.
• In FY21 India’s market capitalization has
increased 31% due to the nationwide
lockdown and reduced investments but
in FY22 m-cap (Market Capitalization) growth increased 88% and became first among the top 10 nations.
Market Capitalization (Market Cap/m-cap):
• Market capitalization refers to the total dollar market value of a company’s outstanding shares of stock.
Commonly referred to as “market cap,” it is calculated using a formula i.e.
[Market Capitalization = Price per share x Number of shares outstanding]

Market Capitalization Growth Table for FY21:
Ranking Country Market Cap Expansion/Growth % in Market cap
8 India $2.8 trillion 88%
1 US $45.83 trillion 67%
2 China $10.57 trillion 52%
3 Canada $2.89 trillion 78%
• The growth of the Indian market is not reduced by COVID-19 induced turmoil and economic uncertainties and
remains raising.
• India’s benchmark Sensex surged 78% so far this fiscal year and became the best performer among the top 10
nations.
Entities Accelerated India’s total market cap:
• The heavy flow of foreign liquidity either through foreign institutional investors (FIIs) or as a foreign direct
investment (FDI),
• Smaller stocks’ strong returns,
• Robust earnings recovery, reforms, and fiscal push by the government to boost the economy, most of which
are infrastructure-led.
The mcap-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio:
• FY19- 79%
• FY20-56%
• FY21-104% -(which is above than the long term average of 78%)
• The lowest ratio in the past two decades was 42% in FY04. The ratio hit a peak of 149% in December 2007
during the 2003-08 bull run.
India has improved its ranking to 7th in the 16th edition of “Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2021- Who suffers Most
from Extreme Weather Events? Weather-related Loss Events in 2019 and 2000 to 2019” from 5th in CRI 2020, which
has been released by Germany-based think tank Germanwatch. The list has been topped by Mozambique followed by
Zimbabwe, and the Bahamas.
About Bloomberg:
CEO – Mike Bloomberg
Headquarter – New York, United States (US)
IRDAI Hiked the Maximum Cover Under Arogya Sanjeevani Policy from Rs 5 Lakh to 10 Lakh
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the insurance sector regulator has hiked the
maximum cover under the standard health insurance plan – Arogya Sanjeevani Policy – from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10
lakh and also has expanded the sum insured bands under the policy to between ₹50,000 and ₹10 lakh in multiples
of ₹50,000 as against the previous range of Rs 1 lakh – Rs 5 lakh.
• Insurers can offer the revised sum insured with effect from 1 May, 2021 or earlier.
Objective: To bring more people under the ambit of health insurance by enhancing the coverage available under
Arogya Sanjeevani Policy.
Latest Modifications in the policy by IRDAI:
• IRDAI made it compulsory for insurers to offer a sum insured of up to ₹10 lakhs, starting from ₹50,000 and in
multiples of ₹50,000.
• It led the companies to file premium rates for the revised sum insured as per the guidelines on the filing minor
modifications.
• Regulated that the unique identification number (UIN) allotted to a product will be retained after the
modifications
• Allowing higher sum insured options will render the product a viable option for metros and tier-1 cities
commented by Sanjay Datta, chief-underwriting, claims and reinsurance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance.

Key points:
• In January 2020, the Arogya Sanjeevani policy with a maximum sum insured of up to ₹ 5 lakh and a minimum
of ₹1 lakh.
• In July 2020, amid COVID-19, the insurance watchdog had allowed insurance companies to offer a sum insured
less than ₹1 lakh with no upper limit.
• The age to get this policy must lie between 18 years to 65 years of age.
Rate of Arogya Sanjeevani Policy:
• Arogya Sanjeevani comes with a 5% co-pay and 2% sub-limit on room rent. A 5% co-payment clause means
that you will pay 5% of the claim amount and the insurer will pay the rest.
• The policy covers room, boarding and nursing expenses but only up to 2% of the sum insured, subject to a
maximum of ₹5,000 a day.
On February 12, 2021, Star Health & Allied Insurance Co. Ltd launched its Arogya Sanjeevani policy on PhonePe. This
launch enables all the users of PhonePe to protect their families from financial burdens in case of any medical
emergency.
A statutory body formed under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (IRDAI Act 1999) on
the recommendations of the Malhotra Committee
Establishment – 1999(incorporated- 1st April 2000)
Chairman – Subhash Chandra Khuntia
Danish Red Cross Launched the World’s First Volcano Cat Bond
On March 22, 2021, The Danish Red Cross, Denmark’s branch of the Red Cross has sponsored and launched the
world’s first Catastrophe Bond (cat bond) for Volcano-related disasters with the support of several financial firms.
• The cat bond covers 10 volcanoes, which aims to raise up to $3 million and will transfer money from
investors to the Danish Red Cross for aid in the aftermath of an eruption.
Catastrophe bond: It is a high-yield debt instrument that is designed to raise money in the insurance industry in
the event of natural disasters such as an earthquake, tornado, hurricanes and typhoons, now Volcano also comes
under the list.
Features of ‘cat bond for volcanoes’:
Criteria: The 10 volcanoes covered by the cat bond were selected for the significant humanitarian threat they
represent, with at least 700,000 individuals living within 60 miles (100km) radius of a potential eruption.
10 Volcanoes Covered by the cat bond:
Country Volcano’s name
Mexico Popocatepetl(North America’s second-highest volcano)
Colombia Nevado del Ruiz
Ecuador(3) Cotopaxi, Tungurahua and Pichincha
Indonesia(2) Merapi and Raung
Chile VillaRica
Guatemala Fuego
Cameroon Mt. Cameroon
Existing kind of bond:
• On June 28, 2017, The World Bank has launched specialized Pandemic bonds for providing financial support
to the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF)
• But the pandemic bonds came under criticism when they failed to pay out during an Ebola outbreak in 2019
and in the early months of COVID-19 in 2020.

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation(PCMC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the United
Nations Development Programme(UNDP) India to co-create India’s 1st Social Impact Bond(SIB).
About the Danish Red Cross:
President – Sven BAK-JENSEN
Japan finalises Loans & Grant worth 232.86 Billion Yen for Infrastructure Projects in India
On March 26, 2021, Japan finalised loans and a grant totalling
around 232.86 (~233) Billion Japanese Yen (~ INR 15433
Crores) for development of several key infrastructure projects in
India. The funds will be provided through the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA).
• The notes on Loan & grant were exchanged
between Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India
& Dr. C.S. Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of
Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
Overview of Projects & Grants
Project Amount
52.036 Billion Yen
Bengaluru Metro Rail Project (Phase 2) (~INR 3445 crores)
119.978 Billion Yen
Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System Project (Phase 4) (I) (~INR 8000 crores)
11.302 Billion Yen
Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project (Phase 2) (~INR 748 Crores)
45.816 Billion Yen
Rajasthan Rural Water Supply and Fluorosis Mitigation Project (Phase 2) (~INR 3036 Crores)
4.016 Billion Yen
Project for Improvement of Power Supply in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (~INR 266 Crores)
Highlights
JICA extends INR 3, 717 Crore Loan for Bangalore Metro Phase-II
JICA has extended 52.036 Billion Yen (~INR 3, 446 Crore) for development of Phase 2 of Bangalore Metro Rail
Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in Bengaluru.
• The Phase 2 will be 80 Kms long and will involve construction of 3 metro lines (Line 2A, Line 2B & Line R6).
• It is expected to strengthen the industrial competitiveness of the city by easing traffic congestion & reducing
traffic hazard.
Andaman & Nicobar Infrastructure Project
The grant of 4.01 Billion Yen (~INR 265 Crores) is Japan’s 1st ever Official Development Assistance (ODA) to a
project in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• The aid will be used to procure 15 MWh batteries as well as power system stabilizers for effective utilization of
electricity generated by solar PV in South Andaman, including Port Blair.
• It will contribute to enhancement of industrial competitiveness in South Andaman, achieve sustainable
economic growth and mitigate climate change impacts in South Andaman.
• The projects will contribute to India’s target of achieving 100% renewable energy in the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands & also Japan’s ‘Green Growth Strategy’.
Funds for Delhi Metro
• JICA has extended 119.978 Billion Yen (~INR 8000 crores) for the Phase-4 of Delhi Metro Project.
• Under the project, three metro lines (Ext. of Line 7 & Line 8 & construction of Line 6) of Delhi Metro, totaling
to 65 Km will be undertaken.

• Since 1997, JICA has cumulatively extended 705.2016 Million Japanese Yen (~ INR 47, 000 Crore) for the Delhi
Metro Project.
Phase-2 of Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification
• A loan of ₹807 crore was extended for crop diversification in Himachal Pradesh.
• It aims to promote agricultural productivity and sustainable crop diversification to higher value crops and
improve farmers’ income.
Phase-2 of Rajasthan rural water supply
• ₹3,272 crore in loans to rural water supply with a focus on mitigating fluorosis in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu and
Barmer districts.
• It aims to provide sustainable and safe water supply by construction water treatment plants in Jhunjhunu and
Barmers districts in Rajasthan.
India – Top recipient of Japan’s Financial Aid
According to the International Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), India has been
the top recipient of Japan’s financial aid under ODA since 2003, surpassing China.
• Between 2010 and 2020, Japan has committed a total of JPY 3.1 Trillion for infrastructure in India including
connectivity projects in India’s Northeastern region.
• JICA has provided loan amounts of around 1.3 Trillion Japanese Yen (~ INR 87, 000 Crore) for India’s Metro
Projects in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai & Ahmedabad.
• ICRIER’s Chairman Pramod Bhasin stated that works are on to set up a Japan centre at ICRIER for developing
ties between the two countries & improving the investment infrastructure.
i.On August 31, 2020 Japan extended an Emergency Support Loan of up to 50 Billion Japanese Yen (Approximately Rs
3, 500 Crore) to support India’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
ii.On October 28, 2020, NTPC Ltd signed foreign currency loan agreement with Japan Bank for International
Cooperation (JBIC) for JPY (Japanese Yen) 50 billion under its Global Action for Reconciling Economic growth and
Environment preservation (GREEN) initiative.
About Japan:
Capital– Tokyo
BharatPe launched D2R Finance to provide instant liquidity for SMEs

On March 26,2021, BharatPe, a financial technology company for merchants launched its lending product-
‘Distributor to Retailer’ (D2R) Finance, to provide instant liquidity to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
• It will offer collateral-free loans of upto Rs. 50 lakhs for a period of 7 days to 30 days and the loan will be
available at a low interest rate, with zero processing to distributors, wholesalers, traders and dealers.
Objective:
It aims to provide financial products to address the credit gap faced by over 60 million SMEs and help them to grow
their businesses.
About Distributor to Retailer (D2R) Finance:
• D2R is a short-term loan that is innovatively designed to address the constant liquidity challenge faced by
SMEs and its loan disbursals will be within 1 business day.
• The company has launched this product in 10 cities as a pilot programme for one month and has facilitated
D2R loans of Rs. 50 crores.
• Now it is yet to launch it in all 100 cities where they Bharat Pe are available and targeting to facilitate
disbursals of Rs. 2500 crores in the next fiscal year (FY22).
• The company is aiming to provide this facility to small kirana stores and merchants.
On February 16, 2021 PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry(PHDCCI) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to offer various credit & other

schemes of SIDBI to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which is member of PHDCCI in India. They can
get the schemes with comparative ease and better terms.
About Bharat Pe
Chief Executive Officer – Ashneer Grover
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS

GDP grows 0.4% in Q3FY21, India exits technical recession:NSO
In accordance with the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI) second advanced estimate, the growth of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated at 0.4% in
Q3FY21 (October-December, 2020) stating India’s exit from technical recession.
• GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q3 of 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 36.22 lakh crore, as against Rs 36.08
lakh crore in Q3 of 2019-20, showing a growth of 0.4%.
• On the other hand, for FY 2020-21, the gross domestic product (GDP) would contract by 8%, the sharpest drop
in recorded history, as per the second advance estimate; the contraction was previously seen at 7.7%.
• For FY20 also, NSO lowered the economic growth to 4% from 4.2%.
Sector-Wise Growth in Q3FY21:
–The industry sector recorded a growth rate of 2.6% due to an improved performance of manufacturing, electricity
and construction.
–Trade and hotel industry registered a contraction of 7.7%.
–Farm sector recorded a growth of 3.9% and the manufacturing sector output grew by 1.6%.
–The construction sector advanced by 6.2%, while electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services clocked a
7.3% growth.
–The services sector remained in a contraction with 0.9% fall year-on-year.
–The per capita income at current prices decreased 4.8% to around Rs 1.27 lakh in FY21 as compared to Rs 1.34 lakh
in 2019-20.
–The contraction in Q1FY21 (April-June, 2020) was revised to 24.4% from 23.9% and for Q2FY21 it was revised to
7.3% from 7.5%.
–The output of eight core infrastructure sectors increased 0.1% in January 2021, compared to last year.
–The infrastructure output, which includes eight core sectors including coal, crude oil, and electricity, declined by
8.8% during April-January 2020-2021 against a growth rate of 0.8% in the same period of the previous year.
Recovery:
V-shaped Recovery is projected as per the NSO Data in the Q3 for FY 21.
Additional Info:
–RBI in its Monetary Policy Review presented on February 5, 2021 projected a GDP growth of 10.5% in FY22.
–India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) projected India’s GDP growth to 10.4% year on year (y-o-y) in FY22.
–The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects India to grow at 11.5% in FY22.
–Moody revised its forecast to a -7% for FY21 from -10%.
i.Indian economy is projected to contract by 7.7% in FY21, as per the first advance estimates of GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) by NSO, MoSPI.
ii.In accordance with the report by rating agency ICRA (formerly Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of
India Limited), India’s real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) will expand by 10.1% in FY2022 with multi-speed
recovery.
About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):
Minister of State (MoS), Independent Charge – Rao Inderjit Singh

Tabreed, IFC to invest USD 400 Million in India & Southeast Asia
United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) National Central Cooling Company or Tabreed & International Finance Corporation
(IFC) are set to invest USD 400 Million(~2900 Crore) in Capital deployment in India & South-East Asian countries for
building cooling service infrastructure.
• The focus areas of Investment will be district cooling, trigeneration & cooling as a service offering.
• The 400 Million investment will help in installation of energy-efficient end- to-end cooling as a service
offering for real estate developments, new urban master plans & ongoing redevelopments across target
cities.
• Tabreed & IFC (member of the World Bank Group) have formed a Joint Venture (JV) for establishing a district
energy investment platform in Singapore.
Government of India’s Action Plan
• The Government of India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) estimates an eight-fold increase in Cooling service
demand through to 2038.
• The commercial real estate sector alone is estimated to add 100 Million refrigeration tons in capacity during
the same period.
• At present, cooling as a service market is at a starting stage in India. It has significant potential to grow as a big
sector in India.
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)
It was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change.
It provides a 20-year perspective and outlines actions needed for providing access to Sustainable Cooling.
It seeks to
• Reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38
• Reduce Refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38
• Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38
• Recognise ‘Cooling and related areas’ as an area of research under the national Science & Technology
programme.
• Training & Certification of 1 Lakh servicing sector technicians by 2022-23 in association with Skill India
Mission.
About Tabreed:
Chairman of the Board – Khaled Abdulla Al Qubaisi
Headquarters – Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE
About International Finance Corporation (IFC):
IFC is a member of the World Bank Group.
MD, Executive Vice President – Makhtar Diop
India attracted total FDI inflow of US$ 67.54 billion during April to December 2020
Due to the reforms made by Government of India (GoI) in the last six and a half years to facilitate Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) and in ease of doing business, India saw an increase in FDI inflows in 2020 despite of COVID-19
impact. India is becoming a preferred investment destination amongst global investors.
Following the key numbers related to FDI in India as per Ministry of Commerce & Industry:
i.There was a total FDI inflow of US$ 67.54 billion during April to December 2020. It is the highest ever for the first
ninth months of a financial year and 22% higher as compared to the first ninth months of FY20 (US$ 55.14 billion).
ii.FDI equity inflow grew by 40% in the first 9 months of FY21 (US$ 51.47 billion) compared to US$ 36.77 billion in
FY20.
iii.FDI inflow increased by 37% in Q3FY21 to US$ 26.16 billion as compared to US$ 19.09 billion of Q3FY21.
iv.FDI inflow showed positive growth of 24% to US$ 9.22 billion in December, 2020 as compared to US$ 7.46 billion
of December, 2019.

Google.org to support 1 Million Women Entrepreneurs in rural India
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google stated that Google.org the Philanthropic arm of Google will support 1 Million women
entrepreneurs in rural India by providing them with business tutorials, mentorship & accelerator programmes. It will
be implemented through Google’s ‘Women Will’ web platform which was launched on occasion of the International
Women’s Day.
i.A grant of USD 500, 000 will be provided to NASSCOM (National Association of Software & Service Companies)
Foundation for supporting 1 Lakh women agri workers with digital and financial literacy.
• NASSCOM Foundation will provide training to women farm workers of 6 states – Bihar, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh on Digital & Financial Literacy.
• It will also set up a helpline for women agri workers to call & receive counselling on entrepreneurship related
queries.
ii.Google also launched a global Google.org Impact Challenge for Women & Girls.
• Under this challenge, Google will provide USD 25 Million in grants to nonprofits & social enterprises in India &
around the world which are working towards empowerment of women & girls to achieve their full potential.
Vulnerability of Women
Sundar Pichai stated that due to Pandemic, women are most likely to lose their jobs & an estimated 20 Million girls
are at risk of not returning to school.
Internet Saathi
Sundar Pichai also announced the completion of the ‘Internet Saathi’ program.
• It is a Joint initiative of Google India, Intel & Tata Trusts for promoting digital literacy among women within
rural communities.
• It was launched in 2015, it has benefitted over 30 Million Women across India through training provided by
over 80, 000 Internet Saathis.
i.On September 30, 2020 In order to support small businesses and drive demand through customer support, Google
India has launched a nation-wide campaign, ‘Make Small Strong’.
About Google:
CEO – Sundar Pichai
Headquarters – California, USA
Parent Company – Alphabet Inc
Wipro Joined World Economic Forum’s Initiative To Advance Social Justice In Business Initiative
Wipro Limited, has joined the “Partnering for Racial Justice in Business initiative” launched by the World
Economic Forum on 25th January 2021, to promote a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity and justice for people of all
racial backgrounds in the workplace.
The initiative is a global coalition of organisations and their leaders, committed to build an equitable and just
workspace for professionals with ethnic and racial identity.
Aim:
To confront racism at systemic level and address everything from structural and social mechanics of their
organisation to their role in their communities.
OECD raises GDP forecast of India to 12.6% for FY22

On March 10, 2021, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raises the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) of India to 12.6% for FY 22, the highest among G20 countries. With his projection by OECD, India
becomes the fastest-growing economy in the world.
• e., OECD has raised the GDP Projection by 4.7% from its December, 2020 projection of 7.9% for FY22.
Key Points:
India’s Projection:
OECD has projected the India’s GDP to contract 7.4 per cent (-7.4%) in FY21 against the December 2020 forecast of
9.9% contraction (-9.9%).
• e.OECD had raised the GDP Projection by 2.5% from its earlier projection.

OECD had pegged that, Indian economy as a whole in 2020 contracted by about 7 per cent.
Global Projection –
OECD has raised the 2021 global economy to grow 5.6 percent, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from its
December 2020 forecast during which it has projected the 2021 global economy at 4.2% .
Projections by Other Rating Agency:
Crisil:
• Crisil projected India’s GDP growth to 11 per cent(11%) in FY22 & 8 per cent contraction (-8%) in FY21.
• The GDP growth of India will growth to average 6.3 per cent(6.3%) between fiscals 2023 and 2025.
IMF:
• IMF had projected the growth for FY22 for India to 11.5%, making it one of the fastest growing major
economies.
On January 7, 2021, the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI) released the First Advance Estimates of National Income at both Constant (2011-12) and Current Prices, for
FY 2020-21.The growth in real GDP during 2020-21 is estimated at -7.7% as compared to the growth rate of 4.2% in
2019-20.
About Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):
Secretary General – Angel Gurría
HeadQuarter-Paris, France
Members Countries – 37
CRISIL has projected India’s GDP to grow at 11% in FY22

On March 09,2021, The report of the rating agency CRISIL (Credit Rating Information Services of India
Limited) projected India’s GDP to rebound to 11% in FY22(2021-2022) with base-effect lift in first half and broad-
based growth in the second, after an estimated contraction of 8%(- 8%) inFY21(2020-2021).
CRICIL’s GDP prediction in FY22:
• It expects GDP’s average growth to 6.3% between fiscals 2023 and 2025 which is lower than the average
growth of 6.7% which is seen in the decade preceding the pandemic, but higher than the 5.8% average in the
three prior fiscals.
• Despite the growth and recovery after the pandemic, the Indian economy will have a permanent loss of
11% of GDP in real terms over fiscals 2022-2025.
• In real times the size of the economy in FY22 will be 2% bigger than FY21.
V-Shaped recovery:
• Corporate revenue growth has V-shaped recovery in the first nine months of FY21 by resilience in exports of
information technology services and pharmaceuticals.
• In FY22 revenue will grow 15-16 per cent, through higher investment by the government in core
infrastructure segments like roads, railways, and urban infrastructure.
About CRISIL
CRISIL is an Indian analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and policy advisory services
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Ashu Suyash
Parent Company– Standard & Poor’s (S&P)
India became the World’s 4th largest Forex Reserve by surpassing Russia
As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) data, India’s Foreign exchange (Forex) reserves to become the
world’s fourth-largest by surpassing Russia. India’s foreign currency holdings fell by $4.3 billion to $580.3 billion
and Russia’s forex holdings were $580.1 billion. As of March 2021, International Monetary
Fund(IMF)table, China has the largest reserves, followed by Japan, Switzerland, India, and Russia.
• Foreign exchange reserves are assets held on reserve by a central bank(RBI) in foreign currencies, which can
include foreign currencies, bonds, treasury bills, and other government securities.
• Most of the foreign exchange reserves are held in U.S. dollars, as it is the most traded currency in the world.

Benefits of having a strong forex reserves position:
• This will lead to more investments through foreign investors and credit rating companies
• India now has enough reserves to cover roughly 18 months of imports; this is due to the rare current-account
surplus, rising foreign direct investment, and inflows into the local stock market.
• Through this RBI can make a profit from a depreciation of the foreign currency or incur a loss on its
appreciation.
• Interest is not paid on foreign cash reserves, nor on gold holdings, but earns interest on government securities.
Last year Performance:
In 2020, the RBI bought a net $88 billion in the spot forex market, this made the Indian rupee the worst performer
among Asia’s major currencies and earned India a place on a US Treasury watchlist for currency manipulation.
Way forward:
• RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das stressed the idea of emerging market central banks to build reserves to prevent
any external shocks.
• The RBI started further focus on strengthening foreign exchange reserves.
About Foreign exchange (forex) reserves:
The RBI Act, 1934 provides the legal framework for the deployment of forex reserves.
Objective: To limit external vulnerability by maintaining foreign currency liquidity to absorb shocks during times of
crisis or when access to borrowing is curtailed.
India’s Forex Reserve include:
• Foreign currency assets (capital inflows to the capital markets, Foreign Direct Investment, and external
commercial borrowings)
• Gold reserves
• Special Drawing Rights
• Reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
As per the 12th edition of World Economic League Table 2021 (WELT), an Annual report released by the Centre for
Economics & Business Research Ltd (CEBR), India slumped 1 spot to 6th Largest Economy (out of 195 countries) in
the world in 2020 from 5th in 2019 due to the impact of COVID19. The United States (US) topped the 2020 rankings
followed by China & Japan.
About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
It was conceived in July 1944 at the United Nations Bretton Woods Conference in the United States.
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
Managing Director : Kristalina Georgieva
Membership: 190 countries
The largest borrowers: Argentina, Egypt, Ukraine, Pakistan
Gautam Adani Becomes World’s Biggest Wealth Gainer in 2021; Beats Jeff Bezos & Elon Musk
On March 16,2021 , Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani become the World’s Biggest Wealth Gainer in 2021,
ahead of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk as per the recent Bloomberg Billionaires
Index.Gautam Adani gained USD 16.2 billion & was followed by Google Co-founder Larry Page, who gained 14.3
billion USD.
• As per Bloomberg Billionaires Index, now he became the 26th richest person in the world.
• Adani, a first-generation entrepreneur added a total of USD 16.2 billion to his net worth which has now
jumped to USD 50 billion.
• Adani has been rapidly expanding his conglomerate, adding ports, airports, data centers and coal mines in
India, and also proceeding with his Carmichael coal project in Australia.
• The shares of some of Adani’s group including Adani Total Gas have almost doubled while Adani Enterprises
increased 90%, Adani Transmission Ltd gained 79%. Adani Power and Adani Ports and Special Economic
Zones Ltd gained more than 50%.

UNCTAD expects India’s GDP to be Contracted 6.9% in 2020 and Grow 5% in 2021
On March 18, 2021, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD) released its Trade and
Development Report 2020 in which it expected India’s GDP to have contracted 6.9%(-6.9%) in 2020 and grow 5% in
2021.
• Title of the trade report 2020 – ‘Out of the frying pan… Into the fire?’
• The report described the year 2020 as “Annus horribilis” saying although warnings about the spread of
viruses have become more frequent in recent years, “nobody anticipated the arrival of COVID-19 or its
dramatic global impact.”
• Stronger recovery will still leave global economy short of $10 trillion.
Global Scenario:
• As per the report the global GDP is contracted by 3.9%(-3.9%) in 2020 and growing at 4.7% in 2021.
Report of UNCTAD on India’s Growth Performance:
• India’s fall in Economic activity and growth is larger in 2020 than what UNCTAD have envisaged in mid-2020.
Impact of COVID-19:
• India failed to meet the fiscal stimulus due to large public spending for pandemic relief.
• The relief measures adopted by India were much smaller in scale and centered on easing supply-side
constraints and providing liquidity support rather than aggregate demand support.
• The restrictions to people’s movement are unsuccessful in containing the spread of the virus in turn it affected
incomes and consumption.
Report for 2021:
• Stronger recovery is anticipated for 2021as India’s FY22 budget is pointed towards public investment
especially in transport and infrastructure.
• It expected growth in the export sector in 2021 as there will be a recovery in global demand.
On 8th December 2020, “Invest India” won the 2020 UNCTAD Investment Promotion Award by the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The award was presented at the award ceremony organized at the
headquarters of UNCTAD, Geneva, Switzerland.
About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
Establishment – 1964, by the United Nations General Assembly
Part of – UN Secretariat and the United Nations Development Group.
Headquarters -Geneva, Switzerland,
Member countries – 195
Acting Secretary-General – Isabelle Durant of Belgium (from 16 February 2021)
Moody’s Analytics sees India’s GDP growth at 12% in 2021

Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation, predicts India’s GDP to grow by 12 % in 2021 following a
contraction of 7.1%(-7.1%) in 2020, and in an earlier estimate last November, it had said India’s GDP will grow at 9%
in the calendar year 2021.
India’s Growth forecast by Moody’s Analytics:
• Domestic and external demand has increased and leads to improved manufacturing output in recent months
as the restrictions are eased.
• Private consumption and non-residential investments also will pick up over the next few quarters and
strengthen the demand in growth thus they saw real GDP growth of 12% in the 2021 calendar year.
GDP growth & Comparison:
• GDP is growing by 4% above pre-COVID-19 levels (March 2020-March 2021) or equivalently by 5.7% above
the GDP level (December 2020-December 2021).
• GDP growth for the December quarter of 0.4 % with a 7.5% contraction in the previous quarter favored India’s
near-term prospects.
Analysis on Other Economic Indicators:
• Benchmark repurchase rate: No additional rate cuts are expected this year other than the existing
benchmark repurchase rate of 4%.

• Fiscal deficit: It expects that the budget for fiscal 2021-2022 may lead to an annual fiscal deficit of nearly 7%
of GDP.
• Expenditure: It included additional expenditure on infrastructure development, and the associated benefits in
the form of employment creation.
• Inflation: Food-price or fuel-driven core inflation is expected.
Note – Herd immunity is a resistance to the spread of an infectious disease within a population usually 50% to 90%
of a population needs immunity to achieve herd immunity.
• Moody’s reported that most of the economies will not to return to pre-pandemic activity levels until 2022.
Fitch in its report titled, ‘India Set for Slow Medium-Term Recovery’ has projected that India’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) will expand by 11% in 2021-22 in contrary to the down gradation by 9.4%(-9.4%) in the FY21 fiscal
(April 2020 – March 2021).
About Moody’s Analytics:
Headquarters – United States
President – Stephen Tulenko
Indian e-commerce market to be worth USD 99 Billion by 2024: EY-IVCA 2021 report
According to a report ‘India Trend Book 2021’ released by EY-IVCA (Ernst Young-Indian Private Equity & Venture
Capital Association), India’s e-commerce market is expected to be worth USD 99 Billion by 2024. It is also anticipated
to grow at a 27% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) over the period 2019-24.
• Grocery & Fashion/apparel will be the key drivers of this growth.
• India will have 220 million online shoppers in India by 2025.
• The Penetration of the online retail market is expected to be 10.7% by 2024, compared to 4.7% in 2019.
• The report also states that by 2023, 1.2 % or USD 10.5 Billion of India’s grocery sales will be online.
• Indian Government aims to build a USD 1 Trillion Digital economy by 2025 through Digital India Programme.
Reasons for Boom
• Increase in online users across various segments coming from Tier 2 and 3 cities.
• Rise of technology adoption among small and medium businesses
• Initiatives by Government to digitize the traditional offline market & boost the e-commerce sector through
Start-up India, Digital India, Skill India, Innovation Fund and BharatNet.
Fact
• India was ranked No.2 in the Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) in 2019.
• Indian e-commerce sector is ranked 9th in cross-border growth in the world, according to Payoneer report.
• Retail is India’s largest industry, it accounts for 10% of India’s GDP and 8% of total employment.
• FDI – 100% under the automatic route for single-brand retail trading.Development in B2C e-commerce is
needed as Digital P2C companies have also invested in creating brands that attract thousands of young people,
including more online shoppers, who are more brand-conscious.
Other Projections in the Report
Online Retail
• The online retail market in India is estimated to be 25% of the total organized retail market and is expected to
reach 37% by 2027-30.
EdTech sector
• India’s EdTech sector is estimated to grow from USD 2.8 Billion in 2020 to USD 10.4 Billion and 37 Million +
Paid EdTech users by 2025.
FinTech
• The growth of FinTech during 2020-25 is projected at 22.7% CAGR
Online Gaming
• India is among the top five mobile gaming markets in the World.
• The number of online gamers is likely to reach 628 Million by 2021.

About Indian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (IVCA)
Chairperson – Renuka Ramnath
About Ernst & Young (EY)
Global Chairman & CEO – Carmine Di Sibio
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom (UK)
Fitch Ratings raised India’s FY22 GDP growth estimate to 12.8% from 11%
Fitch Ratings, an American credit rating agency in its latest Global Economic Outlook(GEO)-March 2021 has revised
India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) growth estimate to 12.8% for FY22 from 11% due to the stronger carryover
effect, and better virus containment.
India’s growth forecast by Fitch:
• GDP of the fourth quarter in FY21 has surpassed its pre-pandemic level and the country is recovering faster
from the COVID-19 induced recession in the second quarter of 2020.
• In manufacturing sector, the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) remained elevated and led to more gains in
February 2021.
• It predicts that RBI will not cut its policy rate and forecasts a Short-term growth outlook with a more limited
decline in inflation.
Global GDP Prediction:
• It expects global GDP to expand by 6.1%in 2021, which is revised up from 5.3% in their GEO, December 2020.
• They also revise the world GDP declined by 3.4% in 2020 from their previous forecast of a 3.7% decline.
Other countries’ growth:
• US GDP growth- 6.2% in 2021 (revised up from 4.5%),
• China GDP growth – 8.4% (revised up from 8.0%)
Key Points:
i.The biggest revisions are for Turkey and India.
ii.In the manufacturing sector, the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) remained elevated and led to more gains in
February 2021.It predicts that RBI will not cut its policy rate and forecasts a Short-term growth outlook with a more
limited decline in inflation.
On February 10, 2021, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) Ltd estimated that India’s real Gross Domestic
Product(GDP) will bounce back to 10.4% in FY22, primarily based on the base effect. The GDP growth of Q1 to Q3 of
FY 21 was negative, the agency expects that the growth will be positive in Q4 at 0.3%. Earlier, Ind-Ra had projected
the GDP for FY 21 as -7.8%.
About Fitch Ratings:
President– Ian Linnell
Headquarter– New York, United States
S&P Raised India’s GDP forecast for FY 22 to 11% from 10%

On March 25, 2021, S&P Global Ratings, the US credit rating agency, raised India’s GDP growth forecast for the
financial year 2021-22(FY22) to 11% from 10% with 0.4% growth in the third quarter (Q3) of FY21 after a
contraction in the consecutive quarters Q1 and Q2.
Growth Forecast about Asia-Pacific group:
• It has mentioned the emergence of a three-speed recovery pattern in Asia-Pacific and raised its growth
forecast to 7.3% for 2021, from its earlier estimate of 6.8%.
Groups classified by S&P based on economic growth and recovery:
• The first group – China, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Vietnam, lead the group where activities are already above
pre-pandemic levels
• Middle group – India, Australia, Japan, and Korea are in the middle group where activities should reach pre-
pandemic levels in early to mid-2021.
• Laggards group – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand seeing a delayed recovery

About S&P Global Ratings:
Headquarters– New York, U.S.
President– John Berisford
Parent– S&P Global
MoU’s & AGREEMENTS

India Signs 4 MoUs with Nepal to Fund NRs 530 Million for Reconstructing 25 Health Posts in Nepal
On February 26, 2021 India signed 4 Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) with Nepal to reconstruct 25 health post
in Dhading district and Sindhupalchowk district of Nepal at a
cost of Nepali Rupees(NRs) 530 million(About Rs 33 Crore).
These health posts were damaged during the 2015 earthquake.
25 Health Posts that is to be reconstructed are 12 health posts in
Dhading district and 13 are located in Sindhupalchowk district.
Key People
The MoU was signed by the Head of Development Partnership
and Reconstruction wing of the Embassy of India, Nepal and Project Director of Central Level Project Implementation
Unit-CLPIU (Building) of NRA.
Note: 4 Contract Agreements were signed between CLPIU (Building) and Contractors to award the work
to successful bidders.
Points to be Noted
i.The Central Building Research Institute (CBRI)-Roorkee, a premier institute of India in the field of earthquake-
resilient reconstruction will provide technical assistance for the reconstruction.
ii.These 25 health posts are 1st batch of 147 health sector projects reconstructed by National Reconstruction
Authority(NRA), government of Nepal under the Indian Government reconstruction grant of USD 50 million for the
health sector in 10 districts of Nepal.
India’s Commitment to Strengthen Infrastructure Facilities in Health Sector
Indian Govt has been involved with Nepal Govt to strengthen the infrastructure facilities in the health sector.
It is to be recalled that, more than 40 health posts/health camps have been completed in Nepal since 2003, under the
Indian govt funded Small Development Projects scheme.
Apart from this, Govt of India has also gifted more than 823 ambulances to governmental, non-governmental/non-
profit making organisations in Nepal since 1994.
on 22nd September, 2020, Ms. Namgya Khampa, Deputy Chief of Mission of Embassy of India, handed over cheques
worth NPR (Nepalese Rupees) 1.54 billion (about INR 96 crore) to Mr. Sishir Kumar Dhungana, Secretary, Ministry of
Finance of Nepal towards housing & school sector assistance.
About Nepal:
Capital– Kathmandu
President– Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Liberty Steels Group signs MoUs with 2 European Companies to build France’s 1st Hydrogen-based steel
making plant
United Kingdom based Liberty Steel Group which is owned by Indian-origin metals tycoon Sanjeev Gupta has signed
MoUs with 2 European companies namely Luxembourg based ‘Paul Wurth’ & Germany based ‘SHS’ (Stahl-Holding-
Saar) to set up France’s 1st Hydrogen-based steel making plant. Liberty Steel Group is part of the diversified GFG
Alliance, which has a presence in India.

India, Pakistan agree to observe ‘2003 Ceasefire Agreement’
India & Pakistan agreed to strictly observe the ‘2003 Ceasefire Agreement’ along the Line of Control (LoC) with
effect from the midnight of February 24/25, 2021. It was announced by the two countries after discussions between
the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGsMO) of both Countries.
• With this both countries will abide by all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) & sectors of
the International Border to achieve mutually beneficial & sustainable peace along the borders.
About the 2003 ceasefire agreement:
The ceasefire agreement was reached in November 2003, four years after the Kargil War along the entire stretch of
the India-Pakistan frontier.
• It facilitated the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalkot routes, paving the way for bus
and truck services linking the two Kashmirs for the first time in six decades and encouraging cross-LoC
contacts, exchanges, travel, and trade.
• The ceasefire also enabled India to complete the construction of a fence near the LoC to prevent Pakistan’s
infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir, a project that it had begun a couple of decades earlier but had to
suspend due to Pakistan’s artillery fire.
What is the need of agreeing to 2003 ceasefire agreement?
• The agreement comes in the wake of over 5000 instances of Cross Fire Violations (CFVs) along the Line of
Control (LoC) and other areas in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in 46 fatal casualties in 2020 like Pulwama
attack & Balakot Operation by India & Pathankot airbase attack in 2016 followed by attack at the garrison in
Uri and the Indian response with a surgical strike along the border.
• Inorder to reduce these kind of attacks in the border & to enhance peace between the countries, 2003 ceasefire
agreement were agreed to follow by both the nations.
• During the Parliament session in February, Union Minister of State for Home, G Kishan Reddy stated that a
total of 10, 752 cases of ceasefire violations have taken place along India’s Border with Pakistan in the last 3
years.
• Due to this, 72 security personnel & 70 civilians have been killed.
• The agreement is expected to improve the security situation on the ground in Kashmir.Because After signing
the 2003 ceasefire agreement, there were no single bullet sound in the border of India-Pakistan till 2006.
Note – In February, 2021, Lieutenant General B. S. Raju was appointed as the new Director General of Military
Operations (DGMO), he is expected to take charge in March or April, 2021.He will succeed Lt General Paramjit Singh.
NSE Signed a MoU to Set Up Market Infrastructure Institutions with IBX at GIFT City, Gujarat
On 1st March 2021, The National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE India) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) to set up a market infrastructure institution which consists of International Bullion
Exchange(IBX), clearing corporation and depository, at the Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City in Gujarat.
The other signatories were
i.Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd,
ii.India INX International Exchange Ltd,
iii.National Securities Depository Ltd
iv.Central Depository Services (India) Ltd
Objective:
The MoU is in Line with the objective of the government “To make India a price setter in the bullion through GIFT
International Finance Service Centre (IFSC) and in accordance with the International Financial Services Centres
Authority (Bullion Exchange) Regulations, 2020 and other applicable laws”.
International Bullion Exchange:
IBX is a precious metals dealer, which has a reputation as a trusted and dedicated resource for people who want to
diversify their holdings with precious metals and diamond investments.
On September 22, 2020 Singapore Exchange Ltd (in short- SGX) and National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (inshort-
NSE) signed a formal agreement in order to confirm the key terms to operationalise the NSE International Financial

Service Centre (IFSC)-SGX Connect. NSE IFSC-SGX Connect unites international and Gujarat International Finance Tec-
City (GIFT) participants to create a large liquidity pool for Nifty products in GIFT City.
About National Stock Exchange (NSE):
NSE is India’s largest Financial market, and world’s largest derivatives exchange in terms of contracts traded.
AMNS Signed a MoU with Odisha to Set Up Integrated Steel Plant; AMNS to Invest Rs.50000 crore
On 4th March 2021, the ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel(AMNS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Government of Odisha to set up an integrated steel plant with the capacity of 12 Million tonne per annum (mtpa) in
Kendrapara district of Odisha with an investment of Rs.50000 crore.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha and Lakshmi N. Mittal,
Executive Chairman of AMNS at Lokaseva Bhavan (Odisha Secretariat).
• CM Naveen Patnaik stated that the investment will be made in the Kendrapara district which will boost
the InvestInOdisha campaign of the Government of Odisha.
About the project:
i.The exact location of the project is yet to be finalised.
ii.Around 4000 acres of land which includes government, private and other categories of land will be acquired for the
project.
AMNS investments in Odisha:
i.The completion of this project will increase the pellet making capacity to 12 mtpa (million tonne per annum) from
6mtpa at Paradip with an investment of Rs.2000 crore in the next 2 months.
ii.This will also increase the beneficiation facility at Dabuna in Keonjhar to 16mtpa from 5 mtpa.
Key Points:
AMNS has 2 iron ore mines
• Thakurani block with a reserve of 179.26 MT
• Ghoraburhani-Sagasahi iron ore block with a reserve of 78.24 MT
These mines were originally bagged by Essar Steel which was acquired by AMNS following a bankruptcy proceeding.
About ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel(AMNS):
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel(AMNS), is a joint venture of ArcelorMittal with Nippon Steel(Japan).
CEO- Aditya Mittal
Headquarters- Luxembourg
IIT Jammu signed an MoU with Army’s Northern Command

On March 05, 2021, The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) with the Indian Army’s Northern Command to provide innovative technical solutions to them
about Jammu and Kashmir.
Objective of the MoU:
IIT jammu will involve in research and product development collaborations with the Northern Command field units
to empower them with technical excellence through some research initiatives in Jammu.
The Command units could solve their unique problems on ground with the strong innovative solutions which will be
provided by IIT Jammu through their exhaustive research.
IIT Jammu is aiming to provide research and development expertise in the domains of
• Surveillance
• Communication
• Cloud computing
• Big data analytics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Manufacturing and construction and
• Field engineering projects

The MoU will give a new opportunity for the IIT Jammu’s research and development team
On February 3, 2021 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)
Aims 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.
About IIT Jammu:
Established – 6th August 2016
Institute Location -Nagrota,Jammu
Director -Manoj Singh Gaur
BSEIL inks Joint Venture with Frontier Agriculture Platforms Private Limited
On March 5, 2021, a Joint Venture (JV) agreement was inked between BSE Investments Limited (BSEIL) and Frontier
Agriculture Platforms Private Limited (FAPL) under which the latter bought 40% stake in BSE E-Agricultural
Markets Limited (BEAM).
• The reason behind this JV is to boost innovation in agriculture markets.
• It is also on the lines of BSE Group’s commitment to broaden access to agricultural markets for investors and
companies to create a ‘single market’ for agriculture commodities.
Objective:
To explore scope and opportunities available in the agricultural commodities trading market.
Key Points:
i.FAPL will support BEAM by connecting it with stakeholders and by providing domain knowledge.
ii.On the other hand, BEAM’s technology platform connects farmers with the businesses and individuals involved in
agri-business.
iii.BSE is committed to broaden access to agricultural markets for investors and companies on the lines of the Central
Government’s vision of a “single market” for agriculture commodities.
Info about BSE:
i.It is Asia’s first & now the world’s fastest Stock Exchange with a speed of 6 microseconds.
ii.It’s Investor Protection Fund (IPF) raises Capital markets related awareness among Indian investors.
iii.In 2018, BSE launched commodity derivatives trading in Gold, Silver, Copper, Oman Crude Oil Guar Gum, Guar
Seeds, Turmeric & Almond.
iv.It also launched India INX, India’s 1st international exchange, located at GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec-
City) CITY IFSC (International Financial Services Centre) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
i.BSE 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.
ii.In October 2020, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation)
(Stock Exchanges and Clearing Corporations) Regulations, 2018 (SECC Regulations).
About BSE:
Subsidiaries– Indian Clearing Corporation Limited, BSE Institute Ltd, and BSEIL
Equity index– S&P BSE SENSEX
MD & CEO– Ashishkumar Chauhan
MoA&FW signs MoU with Central Silk Board for Promotion of Agroforestry in Silk Sector
On March 7, 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) and Central Silk Board under the Ministry of Textiles during ‘National level programme
on convergence of Agro-Sericulture and eradication of Thigh reeling’ . As a part of MoU, there will be implementation
of Agroforestry in the silk sector under the ongoing Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) Scheme.
• This will be on the lines of Make in India and Make for the World vision of Indian Government.

• The MoU was signed by Alka Bhargava, Additional Secretary, DAC&FW (Department of Agriculture,
Cooperation & Farmers Welfare) and Rajit Ranjan Okhandiar, Member Secretary (Central Silk Board),
Ministry of Textiles in the presence of Union Minister of State (MoS) MoA&FW Parshottam Rupala and Union
Minister for Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani and other dignitaries.
• Objective – To incentivize farmers to take up sericulture based Agroforestry models. (Sericulture, or silk
farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk.)
• Central Silk Board (CSB), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India will act as a catalyst to promote Agroforestry in the
silk sector.
• Key People:The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Textiles and Women and Child Development
Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Parshottam
Rupala.
Key features of MoU:
i.To support the production of famous Indian silks & will increase the quality as well as the production capacity of silk
in India.
ii.To promote Agroforestry in the silk sector by Central Silk Board (CSB).
iii.The MoU will increase the agricultural income from 20 to 30% & already their income were almost increased to
60% by adopting Agro Technical Textile.
India’s Commitments:
While addressing the event, Union Textiles and Women and Child Development Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani said,
i.India will be fully Atmanirbhar in Silk production in the next two years.
ii.5000 women have already been supported under Silk Samagra Phase I.
Additional Info:
i.The Buniyaad Reeling Machine for Tussar Silk Yarn were also distributed to some of the beneficiaries on the
occasion to eradicate Unhygienic and Obsolete Thigh Reeling Practice.
Facts :
i.Raw silk production in India has increased 35% in the last six years.
ii.India has become the second largest producer of PPE kits in the world.
About Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) Scheme:
Since 2016-17, the DAC& FW has been implementing SMAF as part of the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
(NMSA). Agroforestry is the interaction of agriculture and trees, including the agricultural use of trees. SMAF was
recommended in the National Agroforestry Policy 2014.
• India was the first country to have such a comprehensive policy.
• At present, the scheme is being implemented in 20 States and 2 UTs.
• Efforts are being made to include medicinal, fruits, fodder, tree-borne oilseeds, lac host etc. in addition to the
longer rotation timber species.
• The initiative of formalizing the collaboration in the sericulture sector is especially targeted for augmentation
of sericulture host plants e.g. Mulberry, Asan, Arjuna, Som, Soalu, Kesseru, BadaKesseru, Phanat, etc. to be
cultivated both as block plantations and border or peripheral plantations on farmlands.
i.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) gave approval to 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.
ii.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.
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW):
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar(Constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State– Parshottam Rupala(Constituency-Gujarat), Kailash Choudhary(Constituency- Barmer(Rajasthan)

WCD Ministry, Invest India sign MoU to enhance cooperation
On March 8, 2021, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Invest India for enhancing cooperation in areas of Nutrition, Child Protection and Development, Women
Empowerment & Capacity building in mission mode.
• Invest India will help support the efforts of MWCD in Strategic and Policy support, International cooperation,
Convergence, Impact assessment, Sustained Behaviour Change communication & Building a participatory
ecosystem for creating large-scale impacts.
DRISHTI – Analysis Research
DRISHTI Dashboard – which monitors the actions plans of CPSE (Central Public Sector Enterprises) will be utilized
to design, formulate & conduct strategic research for MWCD.
• DRISHTI under Invest India will conduct input & output analysis research and will coordinate with various
research agencies for all primary, secondary & tertiary research.
Fact:
DRISHTI Dashboard was created as a part of Vision New India 2022, it functions under the Department of Public
Enterprises.
Invest India
• It is India’s National Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency
• It was set up in 2009 as a Non-Profit Venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Major Focus – Sector-specific investor targeting and development of new partnerships to enable sustainable
investments in India.\
• Invest India is the executive agency for the Government of India’s Start-up initiative.
i.On 20th November 2020, the SDG Finance Facility platform at UNDP in partnership with Invest India launched the
SDG Investor Map Report for India.
About Invest India:
Managing Director & CEO – Deepak Bagla
Uttarakhand SSA Signed MoU with IBM to Introduce IBM’s STEM for Girls Program
On 8th March 2021, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA), unit of Uttarakhand, education mission of the government of
Uttarakhand signed an MoU with IBM India to introduce IBM ‘STEM for Girls’ program in around 130 secondary and
Higher Secondary schools across 5 districts (Dehradun, Pauri, Haridwar, Almora and Udham Singh Nagar) of the
state.
STEM is an acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Features of MoU:
i.The collaboration is a part of the 3 year program between IBM and government of Uttarakhand with American India
Foundation as implementation partner to increase the participation of women in STEM fields.
ii.Under this MoU, The IBM STEM for Girls Program will focus on enhancing the skills and careers of around 25600
students in STEM fields.
ii.The program features the comprehensive approach to build the technical capabilities and life and self actualization
skills.
STEM for Girls:
i.STEM for Girls program is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of IBM launched in India in 2019.
ii.Jasbir Kaur leads the STEM for Girls initiative for IBM.
iii.The STEM for Girls is also active in Canada, Taiwan and South Korea.
Aim:
To improve the education-to-work and career pathways for girl students of Government school.
About IBM:
Chairman & CEO– Arvind Krishna
Headquarters– New York, United States

IOCL Signs MoU with IDCO to develop Odisha’s Paradeep Plastic Park
On 9th March, 2021 Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Odisha’s Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) to jointly set-up a State of art Plastic
park in Paradeep, Odisha. The project planned at a cost of Rs. 107 Crore over 120 acres of land, comes under the
ambit of the larger Petroleum Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) at Paradeep.
Note- An incentive of Rs 2000 for each metric tonne of polypropylene granules is offered to the manufacturing
units located in the Paradeep Plastic Park till March 31, 2030.
i.The MoU was signed at the Virtual presence of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
ii.Plan for setting up 6 plastic parks were formulated by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals under
the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers.
iii.Plastic Park at Paradeep will be the 1st Fully operational Plastic Park in India.
Note- IOCL has also partnered with the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai to set up a world-class Centre of
Excellence in Chemical Engineering and Technology at Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
i.IOCL Successfully Tests “zero-emission e-mobility”; OIL Launched Seismic Survey in Mahanadi onland basin in
Odisha
About Odisha:
Ramsar Sites – Chilika Lake, Bhitarkanika Mangroves
Nicknames:
Silver City of India – Cuttack
Temple City of India – Bhubaneswar
NHA & UTI InfraTech Signs to Issue Free PVC Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Cards to Beneficiaries
National Health Authority(NHA) and UTI Infrastructure Technology & Services Limited (UTIITSL) , company under
the Ministry of Finance signed an agreement to issue free new PVC Ayushman cards to Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) beneficiaries in 11 States/Union Territory to avail the health service.
• Based on the above agreement NHA will issue this free card using UTIITSL technologies to Bihar, Manipur,
Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tripura, Nagaland, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and
Uttarakhand where the PM-JAY scheme where currently force in these states. So far, beneficiaries used to pay
Rs. 30 as fees at UTIITSL.
• UTIITSL is the second agency after Common Service Centre (CSC SPV) which has been empanelled by the NHA
to provide free PVC Ayushman cards to the beneficiaries.
• Also Ayushman Cards is not an essential requirement to receive the PMJAY scheme services. It is used to avail
the cashless service faster and easier using technology for beneficiaries.
What is PVC Ayushman Card?
• PMJAY scheme offers cashless hospitalization services through Ayushman Bharat Yojana e-card or PVC
Ayushman card to get healthcare services at any of the listed hospitals across the country.
• Using this card, beneficiaries can avail the hospitalisation for required treatment.
About Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is one of the two components of the Ayushman Bharat flagship scheme
of the Government of India. It is the largest health assurance scheme in the world.
Launched by – Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Launched on – 23rd September 2018
Objective of the Scheme:-
• It provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across
public and private listed hospitals in India.
• PM-JAY provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the
hospital.
• It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days of post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics
and medicines.

• There is no restriction on the family size, age, or gender.
Background:-
PM-JAY was earlier known as the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS). NHPS was replaced the earlier
existing Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) launched in 2008.
Recent Related News:-
On February 19, 2021 The National Health Authority (NHA) has signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with
Common Service Centres (CSCs) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY) to
generate new Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC)beneficiary cards called ‘Ayushman cards’ under the Ayushman Bharat
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
About National Health Authority(NHA):-
NHA is the implementing agency of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) at the national level. NHA is the
successor of the National Health Agency.Also created for the implementation of “National Digital Health Mission”. It
functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Headed by a CEO who functions as the Member Secretary
of the Governing Board.
Chief Executive Officers (CEO)– Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma
Additional CEO – Dr. Praveen Gedam
Deputy CEO – Vipul Aggarwal
About UTI Infrastructure Technology & Services Limited (UTIITSL)
UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Limited (UTIITSL) formerly known as UTI Technology Services Limited
(UTITSL), is a Government of India Company under section 2(45) of the Companies Act 2013 with the guidance of the
Ministry of Finance, which provides technology and outsourcing services to the financial and government sectors of
India.
MD & CEO – Shri Vijay Kumar Jain
REC, PFC signs with KHEL of Bhutan to Finance 600MW Hydropower Project
On March 10,2021 REC Ltd(formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited ) and Power Finance Corporation
(PFC) from New Delhi made an agreement with Bhutan-based Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Ltd for the financing of
600- megawatt(MW) hydroelectric project at Trashiyangtse, Bhutan.
Fund Distribution :-
The project is funded to be in a debt-equity ratio of 70:30.Based on the ratio,
• REC would extend term loan of Rs 2,029 crore
• PFC extend loan of Rs 2,029 crore,
• NPPF, Bhutan extend loan of Rs 200 crore and
• Bank of Bhutan extend loan of Rs 200 crore
Background of Project Execution:-
i.The project has been executed as per Inter Governmental (IG) Agreement between Government of India and the
Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) for the development of four joint venture hydroelectric projects including 600
MW Kholongchhu Hydro Electric Project in eastern Bhutan through the Public sector undertakings of both the
governments was signed on 22nd April 2014 .
• KHEL is the first Joint Venture being undertaken between the two governments for implementation of the
4×150 MW(600MW) Kholongchhu hydroelectric project.
ii.The agreement was signed by Mr. Pradeep Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Power and Mr. Sonam Tshering,
Secretary, Ministry of economic affairs on behalf of the GoI and RGoB respectively at Thimphu,capital of Bhutan.
Info About Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Ltd(KHEL)
KHEL is a 50:50 joint venture between SJVN India and Druk Green Power Corporation (Bhutan) under the companies
Act of Kingdom of Bhutan, 2000 on 12th June 2015 for the development of 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydro Electric
Project in eastern Bhutan.
Chairman, KHEL – Dasho Yeshi Wangdi Former Secretary, MoEA, RGoB

Recent Related News:-
On January 3, 2021 ,The Power Development Department (PDD), Jammu and Kashmir(J&K); National Hydroelectric
Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd and J&K Power Development Corporation signed many Memorandum of
Understandings(MoUs) to implement & execute mega hydro power projects in J&K.
About REC Limited
REC Limited, formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is a public Infrastructure Finance Company under
Ministry of Power. The company is a Public Sector Undertaking and finances and promotes rural electrification
projects across India.
Chairman and Managing Director – Shri Sanjay Malhotra, IAS
About Power Finance Corporation Ltd
It is a Schedule-A Navratna CPSE, and is a leading Non-Banking Financial Corporation in India under the
administrative control of the Ministry of Power.
Chairman & Managing Director – Shri Ravinder Singh Dhillon
NHSRCL signs MoU with Japan’s JRTC for Track Work of MAHSR, India’s 1st Bullet Train Project
National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) & Japan
Railway Track Consultant Co. Limited (JRTC) virtually signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Track works in
the 237-km stretch between Vadodara & Vapi in Gujarat for the
Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) also known as
Bullet Train Project.
• Under the agreement, JRTC will provide design & drawing
of major High-Speed Rail (HSR) track components like RC
Track bed, track slab arrangement & Continuous Welded
Rail (CWR) forces.
• It will strengthen the ‘Make in India’ initiative & ensure the transfer of technology from the Japanese high-
speed rail system to India.
• The virtual event was attended by Achal Khare, Managing Director of NHSRCL & Horiyama, President of JRTC
among others.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR)
• It is India’s First Bullet Train Project and is being constructed at an estimated cost of INR 1.08 Lakh Crore.
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi & former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had laid the foundation stone
for the project in September 2017.
• NHSRCL is the implementing agency for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project
• They are expected to run at 320 Kms per hour covering the 508 Km Stretch in about 2 hours.
i.November 22, 2020, L&T Construction, the construction arm of L&T secured the contract to build 87.569 Kms of
India’s first high-speed rail corridor or Bullet Train Project – ‘Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR)’ from
the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL).
About National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL):
It was incorporated in 2016 under the Companies Act, 2013
It functions under the Ministry of Railways
MD – Achal Khare

Atal Innovation Mission signs SoI with Aster DM Healthcare to transform Health Care Innovations in India
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Aster DM Healthcare to change
and improve health care innovations & outcomes in India
• Aster Digital Health Incubator (ADHI), a unit of Aster DM Healthcare Group will also support AIM’s initiatives
such as Atal Incubation Centers (AICs), Established Incubation Centres (EICs), Atal Community Innovation
Centres (ACICs) & Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).
Mission
• To promote innovation and entrepreneurship among aspiring entrepreneurs in the area of digital health care.
• To engage with AICs, EIC, ATLs across India with focus on digital primary care & establishing a rich ecosystem
of digital health entrepreneurship.
Key Points
• Aster will provide access to Aster Clinical Simulation Lab, Aster Federated Learning Data bank for Artificial
Intelligence (AI) healthcare research, ADHI, Aster Digital Health Centre of Excellence, and other facilities to
startups under various AIM initiatives.
• The partnership aims to make use of AI & Deep Learning to transform India’s medical devices & healthcare
ecosystem & to make health care accessible and affordable in India.
Clinical Simulation Bank
• Using Aster’s Clinical Simulation Lab (developed by Aster’s Innovation and Research Centre), startups can
validate their model with real world data available at Aster Data Bank.
• Using the hospital immersion program startups can gain insights from nurses, doctors, health workers which
will be critical for market adoption.
i.February 22, 2021, The Central Government has reconstituted the governing council of the NITI (National
Institution for Transforming India) Aayog with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its chairperson.
About NITI Aayog:
CEO – Amitabh Kant
About Aster DM Healthcare :
Chairman and Managing Director – Dr. Azad Moopen
Headquarter – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
NMCG, UPJN & GA Infra Private Limited sign Tripartite Agreement for Development of STPs in Moradabad, UP
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (UPJN) & GA Infra Private Limited-Lahoti Buildcon
Limited have signed an Tripartite Agreement for development of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at Moradabad,
Uttar Pradesh.
• Aim – To eliminate flow of untreated sewage from Moradabad city into River Ganga.
• Total Cost of the project – INR 99.68 Crore rupees.
• Lending for these projects will be provided by SBI Capital.
Other Approvals
NMCG also approved other projects for addressing Sewage Problems in Moradabad.
• NMCG approved the construction of 25 Million Litre per Day (MLD) Sewage Treatment Plant in Moradabad.
• It also approved other works such as development of Interception & Diversion (I&D) structures, I&D network
laying, Sewage Pumping Stations including Operation and Maintenance for 15 years.
• These projects are also being lended by SBI Capital.
River Ramganga
• NMCG also approved the project for ‘Pollution Abatement Works for River Ram ganga at Bareilly’ for
construction of STP of 65 MLD which are now under tender evaluation stage.
• River Ramganga is a critical polluting tributary of river Ganga.
• Moradabad & Bareilly being the two major towns located along the river Ramganga.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is a society registered on 12th
August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA).
• Aim – To clean Ganges and its tributaries.
i.June 29, 2020, The World bank enhanced the support to India’s programme to rejuvenate the Ganga with $400
million through Second National Ganga River Basin Project (SNGRBP), for the development of infrastructure projects
Under the National Ganga River Basin Project.
About National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG):
Director General – Rajiv Ranjan Mishra
PTC India Signed a Pact with NPC to Explore Business Opportunities in Consultancy Services
On 16th March 2021, PTC India Limited (Formerly known as Power Trading Corporation of India Limited), a leading
provider of power trading solutions in India has signed an initial pact with the National Productivity Council(NPC),
under Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry to explore the
business opportunities in consultancy services.
Features of the initial pact:
Under this pact, both NPC and PTC have agreed to jointly explore and develop business opportunities for
consultancy/project management services in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, productivity
enhancements, quality assurances, optimization of technology, and others within India and overseas.
Power trade of PTC:
i.The government of India has assigned PTC to trade electricity with Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
ii.The trading activities of PTC includes
• Long-term trading of power generated from large power projects including renewables.
• Short term trading that arises due to the mismatches in supply and demand.
About NPC:
Chairman– Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra
Director-General– Arun Kumar Jha
Established in 1958
About PTC India Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director– Deepak Amitabh
Established in April 1999
TRIFED Signed MoU with Craft Village for the Development of Tribal Communities
On 16th March 2021, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) under the
Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Craft Village by ZEPHYR, a
social organisation working for the training and promotion of Craft Sector for the overall development of the tribal
communities.
• The MoU was exchanged between Iti Tyagi, Founder, Craft Village and Anupam Trivedi, Executive Director,
TRIFED in the presence of Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFED and senior officials of both
organisations.
Aim:
to develop a customized community-based creative manufacturing system that helps take these products to a global
audience.
i.Both TRIFED and Craft Village will work towards developing functional and globally appealing ideas.
ii.The design will be developed at the Craft Village campus or at the tribal clusters or artisans or artisan groups who
will enrol in the same.

iii.The developed products will be marketed by the TRIFED through its Tribes India Network of outlets and online
platforms.
iv.Both TRIFED and Craft Village will be organising workshops and symposiums on tribal art and crafts to create
awareness about the tribal art and craft forms among the general public.
v.Training and skill development programmes for tribal artisans and craftsperson will be organised to support them
to develop better products.
Other aspects of the collaboration:
• To create better economic opportunities for tribal artists various selected shows will be presented at the
International Folk Art Markets.
• TRIFED and Craft Village will work to make films on tribal craft culture and cuisine to disseminate the
information about the tribal communities.
About TRIFED:
Executive Director– Anupam Trivedi
About Craft Village:
Founder– Iti Tyagi
Co-Founder– Somesh Singh
Location– New Delhi
APEDA & NSIC Signed MoU to Empower Agri Entrepreneurs

On 17th March 2021, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under
the Ministry of Commerce & Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the National Small
Industries Corporation Ltd (NSIC) under the Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprise(MoMSMEs) to support
and empower agri entrepreneurs.
The MoU was signed by Dr Sudhanshu, APEDA secretary and P Udayakumar NSIC Director in charge of planning and
marketing.
Purpose:
• Under this MoU both APEDA and NSIC will ensure cooperation in the areas that focus on gaining export
potential of agricultural and processed food products manufactured by Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs).
• To promote green and sustainable manufacturing technology for the MSME clusters and to enable the units to
adopt sustainable green production processes and products.
• Under this MoU, APEDA registered MSMEs will get access to the NSIC scheme, facilities, technologies, and
training from NSIC.
• Both the organizations will ease the participation of MSMEs in international level fairs including the B2B &
B2C fairs which will be organized in India and abroad and will also ease the cooperation in international
business development.
Additional info:
i.APEDA has collaborated with various organisations and institutions to inherit professional and specialized expertise
in various areas for capacity building of the stakeholders and to support the development in agriculture and its
export.
ii.This is in line with the objective of Agri Export Policy(AEP) launched by the government in 2018.
iii.Till now, Maharashtra, U.P., Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and M.P. have finalized the State-specific Action Plan for exports
while the action plans of other States are at different stages of finalization.
Stats about India’s Agriculture Sector:
India’s Food Processing Market will have output reach of $535 billion by 2025-26 while the sector is expected to
generate 9 million jobs by 2024.
Agriculture Sector is the Primary Source of almost 58% of people in India & the Gross Value Added (GVA) by
agriculture, forestry, and fishing at around $276.37 billion in FY20.

Governments Effort – The government of India is likely to bring ‘Agro MSME Policy’ which will focus on
entrepreneurship development in rural, tribal, agricultural, and forest areas for manufacturing products using local
raw material.
On 3rd December, 2020 Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
address the key interests of Agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to the stakeholders and
Implementing Agriculture Export Policy (AEP).
About Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA):
APEDA established under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by
the Parliament in December 1985.
Chairman– Dr. M. Angamuthu
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
About National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC):
Chairman-Cum-Managing Director (CMD) -Vijayendra
AIM signs SoI with AWS to Strengthen The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem With Cloud
Computing
On March 18, 2021, A Statement of Intent (SoI) was signed between The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog,
and Amazon Internet Services Private Limited(AISPL), a local legal Indian entity of Amazon Web Services(AWS) to
strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.
Objective: To empower school students with cloud computing skills, and enabling entrepreneurs to build
innovative education technology (EdTech) solutions on the cloud.
Statement of Intent (SoI):
• As per the SoI AIM will leverage AWS Educate and AWS EdStart from AWS (Amazon Web Services)
AWS Educate:
• It is Amazon’s global program that will provide resources for students and educators.
• It will introduce the cloud-related fundamentals to students at more than 7000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in
India
• They will also conduct Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) for the personnel in-charge at the ATLs, and
provide resources and tools at each ATLs.
AWS EdStart:
• It is a virtual startup accelerator program that enables EdTech startups to develop innovative teaching and
learning solutions.
• More than 80 Atal Incubation Centers (AICs) and Atal Community Innovation Centers (ACICs), will be able to
apply for the AWS EdStart program to get benefits such as AWS Promotional Credits, mentorship, and
technical training, to help speed their growth.
On 3rd February 2021, the 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.
About Amazon Web Services(AWS):
CEO– Andy Jassy
Headquarters– Seattle, Washington, USA
About Atal Innovation Mission(AIM):
Director– Ramanan Ramanathan

Labour Bureau signs agreement with BECIL for conducting all-India surveys
Labour Bureau an attached office of Ministry of Labour & Employment has signed a service level agreement with
Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL) for providing technical and manpower support for conducting
All India Surveys on Migrant Workers & All India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey (AQEES).
• BECIL will provide technical support to all the surveys to be conducted by the Labour Bureau.
• It is for the first time that such IT-enabled surveys will be undertaken by an organization on such a large scale.
• The IT-enabled surveys are expected to reduce the time taken for completion of surveys by at least 30-40%.
• The data from the surveys will be used for framing the right policies for employment & labour welfare.
• People who are involved in the survey (employees from BECIL) will be offered ‘Fixed Term Employment’
(FTE) under the Labour Ministry. FTE was introduced under the Labour Code on Industrial Relations, 2019.
Signatories
• The agreement was signed between DPS Negi, Director General, Labour Bureau & George Kuruvilla, Chairman
& Managing Director (CMD) of BECIL.
Benefits
i.The Surveys will provide government data regarding migrant workers & employment situation in formal and
informal establishments.
ii.The Labour Bureau is set to conduct 5 All India surveys in 2021. The surveys will be on
• Migrant Workers
• Domestic Workers
• AQEES
• Employment generated by professionals
• Employment generated in the transport sector.
i.On 18th February 2021, Santosh Kumar Gangwar Minister of State (Independent Charge(IC)) of Labour and
Employment launched the software application for 5 pan-India surveys which are being conducted by the Labour
Bureau.
About Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL):
BECIL is a Government of India Enterprise-Under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (A Mini Ratna Company).
CMD – George Kuruvilla
About Labour Bureau:
Director General – DPS Negi
Head Office – Chandigarh/Shimla
ISRO to Set-up Space Technology Incubation Center at NIT-Rourkela

On 19th March, 2021 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with National Institute of Technology (NIT)- Rourkela to set-up a Space Technology Incubation Center (S-TIC) at NIT-
Rourkela campus, Odisha. This will be the 4th S-TIC of the 6 targeted by ISRO.
i.Under this MoU, Rs. 2 crores will be provided by ISRO to the NIT for infrastructure development of S-TIC & to carry
out ISRO projects & prototypes.
ii.The campus is selected for Eastern Region covering Odisha and adjoining states – West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand
& Andaman & Nicobar.
iii.S-TIC will enable start-ups to build applications & products that could be used in future space missions.
iv.Thus covering ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ in the Space Technology sector.
About Space Technology Incubation Center (S-TIC):
Aim- To inculcate innovative ideas among students in the field of Space Technology.
ISRO is in the process of setting-up one Space Technology Incubation Centre in 6 regions ie; Central, East, North,
North-East, South & West.
Already 3 such centers have been inaugurated at NIT-Agartala, NIT-Jalandar and NIT-Trichy.

i.ISRO sets up ‘NETRA’ (NEtwork for space object TRacking and Analysis) – Dedicated Control Centre for Space
Situational Awareness.
ii.ISRO & IIT-BHU Signs MoU to Set-up Regional Academic Center for Space (RAC-S) at IIT-BHU.
About ISRO:
Founded by Vikram Sarabhai, also known as the Father of Indian Space Program.
Established- 1969
Headquarters- Bangalore, Karnataka
Chairman- Kailasavadivoo Sivan
MoD signs contract with MDSL for supply of 1, 300 Armored Light Specialist Vehicles to Indian Army
Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract worth INR 1, 056 Crore with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL)
for supply of 1, 300 Armored Light Specialist Vehicles (ALSV) to Indian Army. The Light Specialist Vehicle will be
indigenously designed and developed by MDSL.
• The induction of 1, 300 ALSV is expected to be completed in 4 years.
• It is the 1st major contract for an ALSV that was designed and developed completely by the private sector in
India with Intellectual Property Rights within India.
• The contract is a flagship project to showcase the indigenous manufacturing capabilities of the Indian Defence
Industry. It will be along the lines of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ & ‘Make in India’ initiative of India.
Armored Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV)
• It is capable of performing both Counter-Terrorist operations & Conventional operations.
• It will be authorised to various fighting units for carriage of Medium Machine Guns, Automatic Grenade
Launchers & Anti-tank Guided Missiles.
• They are equipped with protection against small arms fire.
i.February 24, 2021, Bharat Forge announced that it has received a ₹117.95-crore order from the Defence Ministry to
supply its Kalyani M4 Kalyani M4 armored vehicles to the Army under the emergency procurement route.
About Mahindra Group:
Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) is the defence business venture of Mahindra Group
Chairman – Anand Mahindra
Govt of Karnataka & ITC Signed an MoU to Execute a Watershed Programme

Government of Karnataka signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ITC to execute a Watershed
Programme covering over one million acres in the southern state. The Programme will be in effect for 3 years.
• The MoU was signed under the ITC’s Social Investments programme ‘‘Mission Sunehra Kal” & the Karnataka
Watershed Development Department.With regard to this MoU, 100 Watershed had set up.
Key Points:
i.The agreement was a part of the Karnataka government’s ‘Watershed development for drought proofing’
programme & it is a part of ITCs Sustainability 2.0 agenda.
ii.It aims at covering 1.16 million acres of watershed area in 29 districts.
Operations to be Executed:
i.ITC will employ group of experts to train teams on its drought-proofing framework for planning, implementation
and monitoring of watershed programme.
Formation of Committee:
i.New Project Management Committee to oversee the functioning of the project will be formed with the
Commissioner of the Watershed Development Department as Chairperson (Currently – Dr. M.V. Venkatesh, IAS )and
ITC as Convenor.
Benefit of the Partnership:
i.It will promote water use efficiency in agriculture has led to water savings of 20-45 per cent in crops such as wheat,
rice, sugarcane and banana.

ii.This partnership was aligned with central government’s initiative like Jal Shakti Abhiyan and More-Crop-Per-Drop.
About Karnataka:
National Parks – Bannerghatta National Park, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Kudremukh
National Park.
Lake – Hirekolale Lake, Ayyanakere Lake, Honnamana Kere Lake.
Applied Materials India inked R&D pact with IISc

Applied Materials India, the local subsidiary of US materials engineering company Applied Materials Inc., has signed a
research and development (R&D) pact with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• This pact is a part of the Industry Affiliate Program of the Centre for Nanoscience and Engineering (CeNSE)
• IISc Bengaluru and Applied Materials India will work closely with CeNSE to explore new applications and
solutions in the field of advanced materials.
Objective of the pact:
• To offer a ‘world-class infrastructure’ to take solutions from ‘lab to fab’ and provide a much-needed impetus to
semiconductor technology and manufacturing in the country.
Kind of collaborations with other Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs):
• In 2018, Applied Materials India partnered with IIT Madras to boost research in artificial intelligence,
machine learning and data science with applications in semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
• In 2019 it celebrated its 15-years of collaboration with IIT Bombay in the field of nanoelectronics and energy.
Applied Materials India, Country President – Srinivas Satya
About Indian Institute of Science(IISc):
Director – Prof. Govindan Rangarajan
Institute Location – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Arunachal Pradesh signs MoU with TRIFED to Implement MSP for MFP Scheme and Van Dhan Yojana
On 19th March 2021, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state of Arunachal Pradesh for implementing its flagship program,
“Mechanism for marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & development of
value chain for MFP” scheme and Van Dhan Yojana.
State Implementing Agency- Arunachal Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (ArSRLM)
Nodal Agency- Rural Development Department, Arunachal Pradesh
Objective- To improve the livelihood of Tribal artisans & Forest dwellers.Under the MoU, 100 Van Dhan Vikas
Kendras will be set up in Arunachal in 2021.
About MSP for MFP scheme:
Aim- To provide remunerative price to the forest dwellers as MSP thereby cutting exploitation done by middlemen.
i.In the 2020 pandemic, the scheme was responsible for injecting Rs. 3000 crore in the tribal economy.
ii.At present, 23 Minor Forest Produces (MFP’s) are covered under the Scheme.
About Van Dhan Vikas Yojana:
Objective- To establish Van Dhan Vikas Kendras for Value addition, Branding & Marketing of MFPs.
• Currently, 1770 Van Dhan Kendras (VDKs) in 21 States and 1 UT have been sanctioned by TRIFED. Including
586 VDKs in North-eastern India.
i.TRIFED signs MoU with DAY-NRLM to boost livelihoods of SHG Women & Tribal Populations.
ii.TRIFED, IIT Kanpur and Chhattisgarh MFP Federation E-Launch “Tech for Tribals” Initiative.
• The state shares Geographical boundaries with China, Myanmar, Bhutan along with Indian states of Assam &
Nagaland.
• State bird of Arunachal Pradesh, ‘Great Hornbill’ is under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
About Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED):
TRIFED comes under the Administrative control of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Established– 1987
TBWES signed an agreement with Steinmüller Babcock Environment, Germany for Waste to Energy
Technology
Thermax Babcock & Wilcox Energy Solutions Private Limited (TBWES), a wholly owned subsidiary of Thermax
signed a know-how transfer and license agreement with Steinmüller Babcock Environment GmbH (SBE) Industrial
Equipment supplier based in Germany, for waste to energy technology.
Pravin Karve, CEO of TBWES and Thomas Feilenreiter, Managing Director of SBE signed the agreement for the
respective organisation.
Features of the agreement:
i.Under this agreement TBWES will design, engineer, manufacture and sell Municipal Solid Waste(MSW) fired waste
to energy solutions using the grate and boiler technology of SBE.
ii.This collaboration with SBE will support Thermax with advanced and reliable technology.
Benefit:
This will boost the involvement of Thermax in waste to energy application and support in solving the challenges of
urbanisation and deteriorating environment.
About Steinmüller Babcock Environment GmbH(SBE):
Steinmüller Babcock is a part of the Japanese company Nippon Steel Engineering Co. Ltd.
Managing Director– Thomas Feilenreiter
Headquarters– Gummersbach, Germany
MoU signed for implementation of City-Specific Action Plans in 132 cities under NCAP
On March 26, 2021, Representatives of State Pollution Control Boards, Urban Local Bodies & Institutes of Repute
(IoR) for 132 identified cities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementation of city specific
action plans under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The MoU was signed in the presence of Prakash
Javadekar, Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
• 82 Knowledge Partners & Institutes of Repute (IITs, CSIR labs & State Engineering Colleges) have been roped
in to help the 132 Non-Attainment cities implement their action plans for reducing air pollution.
• A National Knowledge Network consisting of leading air quality specialists has been constituted as a
technical advisory group for supporting activities under NCAP. It will also guide local Institutes of Repute
(IoRs) in conducting air quality research.
• NCAP, a national level strategy aims to tackle air pollution by achieving 20%-30% reduction in Particulate
Matter concentrations(i.e. PM2.5 and PM10) in at least 102 cities by 2024 (with 2017 as base year).
• During the event, an agreement was signed between Noida & Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh with IIT Delhi. IIT Delhi
will act as a knowledge partner to help the cities achieve their target.
132 Non-Attainment Cities
• Non- Attainment Cities are the cities which do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
• Such cities include Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Noida,
Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Patna and others in the list of 132.
• NCAP aims to reduce air pollution in these cities through expansion of air quality network, source
apportionment studies, public awareness, grievance redressal mechanism & sector specific action points.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):
• It was launched in 2019 by MoEFCC.
• It is the 1st ever effort in India to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound
reduction target.
• So far, INR 336 crore has been disbursed to State Pollution Control Boards under NCAP.
e-Buses under FAME Scheme
During the event, Prakash Javadekar urged the state governments to procure e-buses for public transport purposes
under the FAME India scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India).

• Government has allocated 6000 e-buses to different cities across India, of which 600 have been procured and
are operational.
• The FAME scheme launched in 2015 as a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. It is monitored by
the Department of Heavy Industries, the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
i.August 10, 2020, Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has signed a MoA with IIT Delhi to set up a
Geographical Information System (GIS) based platform for air quality management in Bihar.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC):
Union Minister – Prakash Javadekar (Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Babul Supriyo (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Asansol, West Bengal)
CESL Signed A Pact With CSC SPV To Demand Aggregation For E-mobility & Other Initiatives of CESL
On 26th March 2021, Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL) signed a pact with CSC e-Governance Services India
Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) to create a demand aggregation for the electric mobility(e-mobility),
solar, energy efficiency solutions and other initiatives of CESL.
Mahua Acharya Managing Director & CEO of CESL and Dinesh Kumar TyagiManaging Director of CSC SPV signed the
agreement in the presence of Saurabh Kumar EESL Group Executive Vice Chairperson and other dignitaries of EESL,
CESL and CSC.
Note:
CESL is a new company which leads in delivering clean, affordable, and reliable energy supply.
Features of the agreement:
i.Under this agreement CESL and CSC will aggregate the demand and carry out the feasibility studies for the project in
renewables (decentralised solar), energy efficiency (solar micro-grids, solar-based agricultural pump-sets), e-
mobility (EV charging stations, battery charging stations and battery swapping stations), and battery energy storage
systems.
ii.Through this agreement CESL will expand its outreach in India.
iii.Coordinating with its new and innovative business models, CESL aims to maximise the endeavours of India
towards climate action and increase the impacts of the initiatives towards a green India.
Common Services Centre (CSC):
CSCs are the vital part of the Digital India programme, which are convinced as assisted front end ICT(information and
communication technology)-enabled centres that deliver various G2C (government-to-citizen) and other B2C
(business-to-citizen) services to citizens.
On February 19, 2021 The National Health Authority (NHA) has signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with
Common Service Centres (CSCs) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY) to generate
new Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC)beneficiary cards called ‘Ayushman cards’ under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri
Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
CESL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL)
Managing Director & CEO– Mahua Acharya
About CSC Special Purpose Vehicle(CSC SPV):
CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle.
It was set up by the Ministry of Electronics & IT under the Companies Act, 1956.
Purpose – to oversee the implementation of the CSC scheme.
Managing Director- Dinesh Kumar Tyagi
JNPT Signed Rs 100 Crore Pact with CNB Logitech

On 26th March, 2021, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with CNB Logitech of Rs 100 crore per annum to monitor, track and optimise the movement of 50 lakh containers
in EXIM trade.
i.This MoU will help to achieve India’s maritime vision of 2030 by enhancing efficiencies.

ii.With this MoU, CNB Logitech will be able to monitor over 50% of India’s container movement in EXIM trade.
Note – JNPT also known as Nhava Sheva Port, is the largest container port in India
JNPT: Chairman – Sanjay Sethi; Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra.
JKTPO Signed MoU with TPCI for Agro & food Processing Sector and Film Tourism Sector
On 20th March 2021, the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Trade Promotion Corporation of India (TPCI) for the Agro & Food Processing Sector and
Film Tourism Sector.
• The MoU was signed by Ankita Kar, Managing Director(MD) of JKTPO and Mohit Singla, Chairman of TPCI.
• The MoU was signed during the inauguration of J&K Pavilion at South Asia’s largest Integrated FB Trade Show
– “Indus-food 2021” held at Indian Exposition Mart, New Delhi.
Features of MoU:
Under this MoU both JKTPO and TPCI will work together to enhance the reach of the International Community in
India.
Key Points:
i.JKTPO is in talks with the delegates of 6 countries(Russia, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Turkey and Belarus) for
exploring various avenues to attract global investments.
ii.The Jammu and Kashmir delegation was led by Ankita Kar MD of JKTPODepartment of Industries & Commerce,
Government of J&K.
On 13th January, 2021, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) to promote Bamboo Cultivation and related
entrepreneurship in the region.
About Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO):
JKTPO is registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.
It is a joint venture of the Government of J&K, Indian Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), Export Promotion
Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC).
Managing Director– Ankita Kar
Headquarters– Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security & Yamuna International Airport sign LoA for civil aviation security at Jewar
Airport
On 24th March, 2021, A Letter of Agreement (LoA) was signed between the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)
& Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) in New Delhi. Under this LoA Bureau of Civil Aviation
Security will take up security responsibilities of Jewar Airport, Uttar Pradesh.
• LoA will help to implement the tasks relating to civil aviation security, defined, and allocated for
implementation of various aspects of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) at Noida
International Airport.
Signatories: Ankit Garg, Deputy Director General, BCAS, and Christoph Schnellmann, CEO, YIAPL.
About Jewar Airport:
i.The contract for construction of the Jewar Airport, officially Noida International Greenfield Airport, has been
awarded to YIAPL, which is a joint venture of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the Government of Uttar Pradesh,
and Zurich international airport.
About Bureau of Civil Aviation Security:
Established as an independent department under the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1st April, 1987.
Director General – M. A. Ganapathy

COMMITTEES & MEETINGS

Govt of India Constitutes a National Committee Headed by PM to Commemorate 75 year of Independence Day
The Government of India constituted a National Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
commemorate the 75 years of Independence day which falls on 15th August 2022. The day will be commemorated at
national and international level in the form of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
India Celebrated the first Independence Day on 15th August 1947.
Members:
i.The committee consists of 259 members.
ii.The members includes,
• former president Pratibha Patil, Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, 28 chief
ministers, senior BJP leader L K Advani, several Union Ministers and Governors.
• Opposition leaders: Sonia Gandhi(Congress), Sitaram Yechury(Communist), Sharad Pawar(Nationalist
Congress), Mamata Banerjee(All India Trinamool Congress), Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati(Ex-CM of
Uttar Pradesh)
• Artists: Lata Mangeshkar, A R Rahman
• Nobel laureate: Amartaya Sen
• Sports personalities: Sunil Gavaskar, Mary Kom, Abhinav Bindra, Pullela Gopichand, Mahendra Singh Dhoni,
PT Usha and Prakash Padukone.
• Spiritual leaders: Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Click here to for the list of all the members of the committee
Celebration of 75 years of Independence Day:
i.The celebration of the 75 years of independence will be launched on 12th March 2021, 75 weeks prior to the 75th
Independence Day 15th August 2022.
ii.The day also marks the 91st anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt satyagraha from Sabarmati Ashram in
Ahmedabad to Dandi.
iii.The inaugural program will be chaired by PM Modi and the States and Union Territories(UT) will be organising
programs in 74 venues across India on the same day.
iv.The Ministry of Culture will be organising a special program on the occasion.
v.PM Modi will also flag off a Padyatra from Sabarmati to Dandi memorial which will culminate on 5th April 2022.
Other Committees:
i.The National Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of Home Minister Amit Shah has been constituted.
ii.The committee will guide the policy and programmes to be undertaken by the ministries of the Government of
India.
iii.A committee of secretaries has also been constituted for the same.
India Chaired the First Meeting Of BRICS CGETI From 9th – 11th March 2021
Under the chairship of India, the First Meeting of BRICS (Brazil,
Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Contact Group on
Economic and Trade Issues (CGETI) was held from 9th March
2021 to 11th March 2021. This is 26th Meeting of BRICS
CGETI.
The 2021 theme of the BRICS is “BRICS@15: Intra BRICS
Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation, and Consensus”.
The first meeting of BRICS-CGETI:
i.India presented the calendar of events for BRICS CGETI 2021,
this includes the priority areas for deliverables, schedule and scope of the MSME roundtable conference workshop on
Services Statistics, and the BRICS Trade Fair.
ii.A series of presentations on the proposed deliverables during India’s chairship under the BRICS CGETI track was
made in a separate session by the concerned departments of the government of India.

The proposed deliverables were:
• Action plan based on the document “Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025” adopted during the
Russian Presidency in 2020
• BRICS Cooperation on Multilateral Trading system including cooperation for the TRIPS Waiver proposal at
WTO;
• Framework for Consumer Protection in E-Commerce;
• Non-Tariff Measures (NTM) Resolution Mechanism;
• Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) Working Mechanism;
• Co-operation framework for the protection of Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge
• BRICS Framework on Co-operation in Professional Services.
Key Points:
i.To reach the consensus among the BRICS countries, the Inter-sessional deliberations will be carried out till
September 2021.
ii.The BRICS officers tasked with CGETI will work for the 27th official level CGETI meeting, which will be held in June
2021.
India virtually held the inaugural 3-day long Sherpas meeting from February 24-26, 2021. This is the 1st Sherpas
meeting hosted by India after it assumed the 2021 BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) Chairship. India
succeeds Russia as the Chair of BRICS.
The meeting was chaired by Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary, CPV and OIA (Consular, Passport & Visa and Overseas
Indian Affairs) & P Harish, Additional Secretary, Economic Relations as India’s BRICS Sherpa & Sous Sherpa.
About BRICS:
Members– Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
Current Chair – India
The First BRICS Ministerial Meeting was held on 20th September 2006.
Government reconstitutes Advisory Committee for Studying Sarasvati River under the Chair of Prahlad Singh
Patel
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) released a notification stating that it has reconstituted an Advisory
Committee for Multidisciplinary Study of the River Sarasvati (also known as Ghaggar-Hakra River).It will be headed
by Union Minister for Culture (Currently- Prahlad Singh Patel).
• It has been reconstituted for the next two years (2021-23), after the earlier term’s panel ended in 2019 (it was
constituted in 2017).
• The committee will review the work done by the previous panel and then formulate a plan.
Members of the Committee
Official Members
• Officials from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Water Resources, Environment & Forest, Housing and Urban
Affairs.
• It would also consist of representatives from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), officials from
governments of Gujarat, Haryana & Rajasthan.
Non-Official Members
• Archaeologists – B R Mani, Vasant Shinde, K.N.Dixit & K.K. Muhammed & Historian Balmukund Pandey.
• Other members are Madan Gopa Vyas, Ratnesh Tripathi, Prabhu Sundarji Bhai Thakkar, S. Kalyan Raman,
Prashant Bhardwaj, Amit Rai Jain, V M K Puri & Mukesh Garg.
Sarasvati River Committee
Objective
• To define the Sarasvati river & its basin.
• Identify geotechnical nature for study of Sarasvati basin & suggest names of competent agencies/individuals.
• To identify archaeological sites & assess their potential for development as centres of Education & Tourism.

The committee will use remote sensing imagery for studying environmental changes, history of archaeological
culture with special emphasis on the protohistoric era of River Sarasvati.
River Sarasvati
• Considered a Mythical river, it is among the trio of India’s holy rivers along with Ganga & Yamuna. It is
believed to have run through the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan.
• It is said to have disappeared due to tectonic disturbances, impacting its tributaries.
i.On October 26, 2020, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) signed
MoU with Italy’s Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti E Paesaggio, Venice for
creating a network of sharing skills for restoration and protection of historical monuments.
About Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):
It functions under the Ministry of Culture
Director General – V Vidyavathi
6th India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Women’s Forum Meeting Held; Chaired by Smriti Zubin Irani
The 6th India-Brazil-South Africa(IBSA) Women’s Forum meeting was virtually held on 16th March 2021. The
meeting was chaired by Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government
of India.
Key People:
Damares Alves, Minister for Women, Family and Human Rights of the Federative, Republic of Brazil and Maite
Nkoana- Mashabane Minister for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities of the Republic of South Africa
participated in the 6th IBSA Women Forum meeting over a virtual platform.
Highlights of the meeting:
i.India, Brazil and South Africa shared their best practices & reiterated commitment towards enhancing mutual
cooperation in bridging gender gaps.
ii.The forum discussed the vital issues that contribute to the transformation of women’s lives by highlighting
initiatives, policies and best practices for a gender-inclusive economy for transformation and elimination of
discrimination based on gender.
iii.The IBSA’s vision to ensure improving the status and condition of women by addressing the structural and
institutional barriers and to strengthen gender mainstreaming was resolved during the meeting.
iv.A joint declaration highlighting the shared IBSA goals and commitments towards achieving gender equality in all
the spheres of life.
Additional info:
All three countries are developing pluralistic, multicultural, multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-religious nations.
About IBSA Women’s Forum:
The IBSA Women’s Forum was established in 2007.
Aim:
• to enable the voices of women in IBSA to be heard
• to ensure more focussed attention on women’s issues and empowerment.
From January 27 to 28, 2021, the 4th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Forum 2021 was held virtually
from Riyadh, Capital of Saudi Arabia under the theme of “The Neo-Renaissance”. It was hosted by FII Institute. Union
Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan addressed the FII Forum 2021.
About IBSA Forum:
IBSA was established in 2003.
The IBSA fund was established in 2004 and became operational in 2006.

4th JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting held Virtually under Indo-Japan MoC on Industrial Property
On 12th March 2021, 4th Review Meeting held virtually between Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India and the Japan Patent Office (JPO), Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry(METI) of Japan under Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Industrial Property signed in 2015.
• The 1st Phase of the meeting was Co-chaired by Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary, DPIIT & Mr. Toshihide
Kasutani, Commissioner, JPO. Similarly, the 2nd Phase of the meeting was Co-chaired by Shri Ravinder, Joint
Secretary, DPIIT and Mr. Toshihide Kasutani.
Background:
i.In June 2015, JPO & Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) (predecessor to the DPIIT) signed an
MoC in the field of Industrial Property.
ii.As part of this MoC, from 2017 both these entities hold the review meeting every year.With this success, In 2019,
the JPO became the first Intellectual Property (IP) office in the world to start the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
Pilot Program with India.
Initiatives Agreed in 4th Review Meeting:
i.Agreed to act mutually & competent International Searching and International Preliminary Examining Authority
(ISA/IPEA) for any international patent application filed with them under the PCT, from 1 July 2021.
ii.Agreed to acknowledge the importance of strengthening IP enforcement, enhancing capacity building, raising IP
awareness, and encouraging innovation to promote their goals.
iii.Both sides reviewed the progress on the industrial property between India and Japan, as well as the Action Plan
between the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) of India.
iv.The Ministries agreed to hold the IT Experts Meeting once a year between the Offices to share information and
experiences on initiatives regarding development of IT infrastructure.
About Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT):
• Established – 1995 & Reconstituted in 2000.
• The department was earlier called Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and was renamed as DPIIT in
January, 2019.
Govt Forms Experts Advisory Committee For Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), Chaired by H K Mittal
The Government of India has constituted an expert advisory committee to execute and monitor the Startup India Seed
Fund Scheme(SISFS). The committee will be chaired by H K Mittal from the Department of Science and Technology.
• The total investment of the scheme, Rs.945 core will be divided over 4 years for providing seed fundings to
eligible startups through eligible incubators across India.
Members of the committee:
The representatives of the expert committee include members from the Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade (DPIIT), the department of biotechnology, science and technology, electronics and IT, Niti Aayog, and
expert members from the startup ecosystem.
Responsibilities of the committee:
i.The committee is responsible for the overall execution of the SISFS.
ii.The committee will evaluate and select incubators for the allotment of the fund under the scheme.
iii.It will also monitor the progress of the scheme and take the required measures to effectively utilise the funds to
achieve the objectives of SISFS.
iv.The EAC may frame the improved guidelines for the selection of incubators under the scheme from time to time
About Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS):
i.On 5th February 2021, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of
Commerce & Industry approved the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) for a period of 4 years starting from
2021-22.
ii.This will be implemented with effect from 1st April 2021.
iii.The SISFS is aimed to support around 3600 startups across India.
Aim:
To provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry
and commercialization.

The government has appointed an expert panel to review the objections of industry to the proposed ban on 27
pesticides, that are mentioned as harmful to animals and humans by the government. The committee is headed by TP
Rajendran, former assistant director general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Note: These 27 pesticides that are widely used are part of 66 contentious pesticides that are being reviewed for their
toxicity. Already, in 2018, the government had banned 18 of them.
About Ministry of Commerce & Industry:
Union Minister– Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha – Maharashtra)
Minister of State (MoS)- Hardeep Singh Puri(Rajya Sabha – Uttar Pradesh), Som Parkash(Lok Sabha – Hoshiarpur,
Punjab)
Government forms 11 Committees to drive India to a Circular Economy

NITI Aayog has stated that in order to expedite the Transition of India from a Linear Economy to a Circular Economy,
Government has formed 11 Committees for 11 focus areas.
• The committees will be led by the concerned Line ministry and will comprise officials from MoEFCC (Ministry
of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) & NITI Aayog, domain experts, academics and industry
representatives.
• The committees will prepare action plans for Transition to Circular Economy in respective focus areas.
Reason for Transition to Circular Economy:
• It will bring in substantial annual benefits, along with significant reduction in congestion and pollution, which
would consequently have a snowball effect on the economy.
• It will maximize our resource efficiency, minimize the consumption of finite resources as well as the impetus
to the emergence of new business models and entrepreneurial ventures will spur our transition towards self-
reliance.
Circular Economy
• It is a model of production & consumption which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing &
recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.
• It intends to change the Linear Economy Model of ‘Take-Make-Dispose’.
Focus Area Concerned Line Ministry
Municipal Solid Waste and Liquid Waste Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
Scrap Metal (Ferrous and Non-Ferrous) Ministry of Steel
Electronic Waste Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Batteries NITI Aayog
Solar Panels Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
Gypsum Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
Toxic and Hazardous Industrial Waste Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals
Used Oil Waste Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG)
Agriculture Waste Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW)
Tyre and Rubber Recycling Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
End-of-life Vehicles (ELVs) Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
Government of India’s Initiative:
The Government has been actively formulating policies and promoting projects to drive the country towards a
circular economy by notifying various policies like Plastic Waste Management Rules, e-Waste Management Rules,
Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, Metals Recycling Policy, etc..

i.On February 19, 2021, the valedictory session of India-Australia Circular Economy (I-ACE) Hackathon, 2021 was
held where Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison have felicitated the
participants of I-ACE at a virtual award ceremony.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC):
Union Minister – Prakash Javadekar (Rajya Sabha MP representing Maharashtra)
Center to Set Empowerment Committee for Manufacturing in High-tech Sectors

Central Govt. of India has notified to set-up an Empowerment Committee to discuss and enhance manufacturing of
products in High technology areas in India. The 10-member committee will be headed by the Minister of
Commerce and Industry(Currently – Piyush Goyal).The committee will be serviced by Department for Promotion
of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Motive- To facilitate investments and promote manufacturing in technology-intensive sectors including
semiconductors.
10 Members Committee:
4-members from Government side
Cabinet Secretary – Rajiv Gauba, National Security Advisor – Rajinder Khanna, Secretary of the Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), additional secretary – Ministry of External Affairs.
6-members from various fields of Technological Expertise
• N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons
• Baba Kalyani, Chairman of Bharat Forge
• Pawan Goenka, MD & CEO of Mahindra Groups
• Sridhar Vembu, CEO of ZOHO Corp
• Anshuman Tripathi, Semiconductor expert
Indus Waters Treaty: India, Pakistan hold 116th Meeting of Permanent Indus Commission
India & Pakistan held the 116th Meeting of Permanent Indus
Commission (PIC) under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at New
Delhi from March 23-24, 2021.
• The Indian side was led by Pradeep Kumar Saxena, India’s
commissioner for IWT & advisors from Central Water
Commission, the Central Electricity Authority and the
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation.
• The Pakistan side was led by Syed Muhammad Meher Ali
Shah, Pakistan’s commissioner for IWT.
• The last meeting between the two sides under IWT took place in Lahore in August, 2018.
• The meeting coincided with the Pakistan Day (Pakistan Resolution Day or Republic Day) being celebrated on
March 23, 2021.
Pakistan’s Objections
During the meeting, Pakistan raised objections over the designs of 2 Hydroelectric projects in J&K – Pakal Dul Hydro
Electric Project & Lower Kalnai Project.
• Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project (1, 000 MW) is proposed on the Marusudar river, a tributary of the Chenab
river, in Kishtwar district in J&K.
• Lower Kalnai project (48 MW) is proposed in Kishtwar & Doda districts over Chenab River.
• It also raised objections on the hydroelectric projects in Ladakh.
• Pakistan has also been raising objections to the construction of Hydroelectric plants such as Kishanganga (330
MW) on Kishanganga river & Ratle (850 MW) on Chenab River.
Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)
• A water-distribution treaty brokered by the World Bank between India & Pakistan. It was signed in Karachi,
Pakistan in 1960 by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru & Pakistani President Ayub Khan.

• Purpose – To use the water available in Indus River and its tributaries.
• IWT warrants two commissioners (each from two countries) to meet at least once a year, alternately in India
& Pakistan.
Rights over Waters & Hydroelectricity
According to the treaty,
• All the waters of the Eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi amounting to around 33 Million Acre Feet (MAF)
annually will be allocated to India for unrestricted use.
• All the waters of the Western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab amounting to around 135 MAF is allocated to
Pakistan.
• The treaty also gives India the right to generate hydroelectricity through run of the river projects on the
western rivers subject to specific criteria for design and operation.
• It also gives the right to Pakistan to raise objections on design of Indian Hydroelectric Projects on Western
Rivers.
India’s Hydroelectric projects in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir
India has cleared several hydropower projects in the region of Ladakh and J&K post 2019.
• Durbuk-Shyok (19MW), Shankoo (18.5 MW), Nimu Chilling (24MW), Rongdo (12 MW), Ratan Nag (10.5 MW)
Hydropower Projects in Leh.
• Mangdum Sangra (19 MW), Kargil Hunderman (25MW) & Tamasha (12 MW) Hydropower projects in Kargil.
i.On 7th July 2020, Pakistan and Gezhouba Group Company Limited of China signed an Engineer Procurement and
Contract (EPC) agreement for the 700 MW Azad Pattan Hydel Power Project on Jhelum River in the Sudhnoti District
of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
About Pakistan:
Prime Minister – Imran Khan
Capital – Islamabad
Currency – Pakistani Rupee (PKR)
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the 16th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2021
On 26th February 2021, Union Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the inaugural session of
the 16th Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) Higher Education Summit 2021. On the
occasion he also released the FICCI EY Report titled “Higher Education in India: 2040”.
Organizer – The Summit is being organised virtually by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry(FICCI) in collaboration with Ministry of Education and Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The theme of the summit is ‘‘Higher Education @ 2030: R.I.S.E. – Resilience. Innovation. Sustainability.
Enterprise.’
Highlights of Minister’s Address:
i.He highlighted the current trend in the higher education sector, paving the way for India to become a global
superpower.
ii.Implementation of Global best practices in India’s Higher Education.
iii.Importance of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, that is built on foundational pillars of access, equity, quality,
affordability & accountability.
iv.Sustainable Development Goal 4 – “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all”, will be achieved by India through NEP 2020.
v.NEP 2020 will give a technological push to the 10 crore youths, who will enter the job market in the coming decade.
i.On December 2, 2020 Union Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ constituted a Task Force headed by
Amit Khare, for preparing a blueprint on imparting Technical Education in Mother Tongue.

ii.The FICCI’s (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) Annual Convention & 93rd Annual General
Meeting (AGM) was held virtually amid COVID-19 on the theme “Inspired India”.
About FICCI:
President– Uday Shankar
Established– 1927
About Ministry of Education:
Union Minister- Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ (Constituency- Haridwar, Uttarakhand)
Minister of State- Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre (Constituency- Akola, Maharashtra)
In August 2020, the Ministry of Human Resource & Development was renamed back to the Ministry of Education.
S.Jaishankar addressed virtual 5th Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) 2021

On February 26-28, 2021, the 5th Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) 2021 was virtually convened by the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA), India and Pune International Centre (PIC) on the theme “Post Covid-19 Global Trade and
Finance Dynamics”.
• Its inaugural session was addressed by Union Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, MEA on “Resilient
Global Growth in a Post-Pandemic World”.
• The dialogue saw the discussions between COVID-19’s impact on trade and finance, on the world and on Asia
as well as strategies to deal with this impact.
• The former Indian Ambassador to China, Pakistan and Bhutan, Mr. Gautam Bambawale is the Convenor of
AED 2021.
Key Points:
–The Asia Economic Dialogue is a geoeconomics conference for industry representatives, financial and trade experts,
policy analysts, students, and all international trade, global finance, and policy enthusiasts.
–Apart from India, the AED 2021 saw the participation of foreign ministers from 5 countries viz. Alan Ganoo
(Mauritius), Marise Payne (Australia), Motegi Toshimitsu (Japan), Dr. Tandi Dorji (Bhutan), and Abdulla Shahid
(Maldives).
i.On January 23, 2021, Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) inaugurated and chaired the 2 day
69th meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong, Meghalaya.
ii.On January 11, 2021,4th edition of One Planet Summit (OPS) 2021 was virtually organized by France, the United
Nations (UN) and the World Bank from Paris (France) to prepare negotiations for setting global biodiversity targets
in order to protect nature in the next decade.The theme of the summit is “Let’s act together for nature!”.
About Ministry of External Affairs:
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Constituency– Gujarat
Minister of State– Vellamvelly Muraleedharan
First-ever ‘The India Toy Fair 2021’ held virtually, Inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi
The first ever ‘The India Toy Fair 2021’ was held virtually on February 27, 2021 – March 2, 2021 on the underlying
themes of ‘Atmanirbhar (Self Reliant) Bharat’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ to boost the India toy manufacturing industry. It
was inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi where he urged the manufacturers to use less plastic and
more recyclable material.
• The fair was in the form of a digitally through the platform https://theindiatoyfair.in.It is an accessible
exhibition and platform for the public to browse and buy toys and also to participate in events, activities and
network with the various stakeholders of the toy Industry.
• It was divided into five stages viz. pre-school to Class II, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior
secondary.
• India’s toy market stands at around $1.5 billion, but it is dominated by imported toys.
• Hamleys, owned by Reliance Retail, is the title sponsor of the toy fair.
Participating Ministries: 9 (Ministries & Govt Departments)
• Ministry of Textiles

• Ministry of Skill Development And Entrepreneurship
• Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)
• Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B)
• Ministry of Education (MoE)
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
• Department of Science & Technology
Focus of Fair:
i.To collaborate with industry and the government for making India as a global hub for the production and sourcing
of toys.
ii.To attract investments and promote exports.
What was in the toy fair?
A Virtual Exhibition with over 1000 virtual stalls, webinars by State Governments, knowledge sessions with engaging
panel discussions/webinars on diverse topics by experts on areas including toy-based learning, craft demonstrations,
competitions, quizzes, virtual tours, product launches, etc.
India’s first toy cluster to be set up in Karnataka
i.The Aequs Private Limited, contract manufacturer, is developing a 400-acre toy manufacturing cluster
at Koppal in Karnataka at an investment of USD 500 million.
• This decision has been taken to increase domestic manufacturing of toys as India imports USD 1.2 billion
worth of toys annually, mostly from China.
• Currently, the global toy market size is USD 90 billion where India stands at USD 1.7 billion.
ii.Out of the 400 acres of the cluster, 300 acres will be a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) dedicated for exports and the
rest would cater to the domestic market.
iii.It will house over 100 units with a potential to generate over 25,000 direct jobs apart from 1,00,000 indirect jobs.
Participation of Centre for Creative Learning (CCL):
• IIT Gandhinagar based Centre for Creative Learning (CCL) will showcase its unique 75 toy creations in the fair.
• IIT Gandhinagar is the only IIT in the country which is running such a centre for creative learning.
• The centre is inculcating scientific temperament among students and teachers by developing a range of
scientific and educational toys.
Additional Info:
In January 2021, the Central Government launched Toycathon 2021 an online toy hackathon for innovative
toys/games concepts. Toycathon-2021 is conceived to challenge India’s innovative minds to conceptualize novel Toy
and Games based on Bharatiya civilization, history, culture, mythology and ethos.
Background:
In his Mann ki Baat in August, 2020, PM Modi first talked about being self-reliant in toy sectors. He had said India’s
startups need to think of innovative toys instead of depending on imported plastic toys.
Click here to Read about Toycathon 2021
i.The 24th National Youth Festival (NYF) 2021 was held from 12th to 16th January, 2021. Its closing ceremony was
addressed by Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani in New Delhi in the
presence of Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju.
ii.On January 9, 2021, an annual Cherry Blossom Mao Festival was held at Mao in Senapati district, Manipur. It was
virtually inaugurated by Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur Nongthombam Biren Singh from the CM Secretariat in
Imphal, amid COVID-19. The festival marked the beginning of pink season in the district.
About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister– c‘Nishank’ (Constituency– Haridwar, Uttarakhand)
Minister of State (MoS)– Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre

GoI, FICCI, and Better Than Cash Alliance hosted Merchant Digitization Summit 2021
On March 2, 2021, the Government of India (GoI), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI),
and United Nations (UN) based Better Than Cash Alliance hosted ‘Merchant Digitization Summit 2021: Towards
AatmaNirbhar (Self Reliance) Bharat with special focus on Himalayan Regions, North East Regions and Aspirational
Districts of India’.
• It was a part of the series of Learning Exchange amongst all States and Union Territories.
• It was organized with technical assistance from Intellecap.
Why was it organized?
It was organized to bring together leaders from the public and private sectors to accelerate responsible digitization of
merchants in India’s North-Eastern and Himalayan regions, and Aspirational districts, and to empower women
merchants serving their communities.
India set a target of 1bn digital transactions per day
India has set an ambitious target for 1 billion digital transactions per day from an average of 2-3 billion digital
transactions monthly as a part of Digital India initiative. Also, Person to merchant (P2M) digital payment transactions
will be increased to 10-12 billion transactions every month.
Key Decisions taken during the Summit:
i.During the summit it was decided to address the challenges faced by merchants inclusive of gender, location,
connectivity and access to smart through various merchant focused initiatives.
ii.To make merchants digitally literate, it was also decided to use the National Language Translation Mission to
disseminate digital payments information, privacy clauses and consent in local languages.
• In this regard, GoI, FICCI, and the Better Than Cash Alliance will continue their partnership for this year.
About Better Than Cash Alliance:
Imitated in 2012, it is a partnership of governments, companies, and international organizations to boost the
transition from cash to digital payments to help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• It was launched by the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United States Agency for International
Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Citigroup, the Ford Foundation, the Omidyar Network, and
Visa Inc.
• Members– 75
• Headquarter– New York, United States (US)
i.Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the 7th Edition of ‘MASCRADE 2021’ –
Movement against Smuggled & Counterfeit Trade organized by FICCI Cascade (Committee Against Smuggling and
Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy).
ii.The 15th Edition of India Digital Summit 2021 (IDS 2021) organized by Internet & Mobile Association of India
(IAMAI) took place virtually from January 19-20, 2021. It was inaugurated by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of
Electronics & Information Technology.Theme – ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Start of New Decade’
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI):
It is a non-government, not-for-profit ISO 9001 : 2015 Certified organisation. ISO stands for International
Organization for Standardization.
Secretary General– Dilip Chenoy
DV Sadananda Gowda Inaugurates 6th edition of International Conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical
Device Sector 2021
The four-day long 6th edition of International Conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector i.e. India
Pharma 2021 & India Medical Device 2021 was held on Feb 25-26, 2021 and March 1-2, 2021 respectively. It was
inaugurated by Union Minister Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
(MoC&F). The special focus of this edition was Global Investors Meet by Invest India.

• Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution Piyush
Vedprakash Goyal also participated in the conference.
Organizers:
Both conferences were organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in
partnership with Department of Pharmaceuticals, MoC&F, Invest India and Government of India (GoI).
Themes:
i.The theme for India Medical Device 2021 was ‘India MedTech Future: Innovate & Make in India through Global’.
ii.The theme for India Pharma 2021 was ‘Indian Pharma Industry: Future is Now’.
Expected Target:
i.The total market size of the Indian Pharma Industry is expected to reach the US $ 130 Billion by 2030.
ii.The medical devices industry in India has the potential to grow at 28% p.a. to reach $50 billion by 2025.
Indian Govt efforts in Pharma Sector during COVID-19 highlighted during the Conference:
On the lines of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, or ‘India for the world’, GoI made the following interventions & incentives in
pharma sector:
i.India supplied drugs and medical devices during the COVID-19 pandemic such as ventilators, RT-PCR (Reverse
transcription polymerase chain reaction) kits, PPE (Personal protective equipment) Kits, and masks at a global level.
ii.Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) launched the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for bulk drugs, with
a financial outlay of Rs 6,940 crores across 53 APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) over 6 years.
iii.For Medical Devices, another PLI scheme was announced with an outlay of Rs 3,420.
iv.Government of India, strive to increase the ease of doing business in India for which several measures have already
been announced and continue to support domestic manufacturing through measures such as the Rs 400 cr impetus
given for the creation of 4 world-class medical device parks, or the Rs 3000 Cr allocated for the creation of 3 major
bulk drug parks.
Key Figures of Indian Pharma:
i.Indian pharmaceutical sector accounts for about 2.4% of the global pharmaceutical industry in value terms and 10%
in volume terms
ii.As per UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) report, India’s showed a positive FDI
(Foreign Direct Investment) growth even with a decline in FDI of 42% globally.
EY-FICCI report titled ‘Indian Pharmaceutical Industry 2021: future is now’
The EY (Ernst & Young) – FICCI report titled ‘Indian Pharmaceutical Industry 2021: future is now’ was also launched
during the event. In accordance with the report, the growth of Indian pharmaceutical and healthcare industry will be
achieved through innovation led research and development, healthcare delivery (R&D), manufacturing and supply
chain, and market access.
The objective of India Medical Device 2021 is:
• Endeavored to address industry issues and to create a platform to recommend solutions
• Facilitate sharing of knowledge and best practices
• To promote India as a Manufacturing hub in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Sector.
• To promote India as a premier global healthcare destination and attract investments.
• Provide a platform to network and collaborate.
• To identify new priority areas and deliberate upon them
6th India Pharma and Medical Device Award 2021
Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda along with Minister of State (MoS) for Chemicals and FertilizersMansukh
Laxmanbhai Mandaviya also presented 6th India Pharma and medical device award in following categories during
the conference:
Category Name of Awardee
India Pharma Leader Award Laurus Labs Limited
Metrochem API Private
India Pharma Bulk Drug Company of the Year Award Limited
Glenmark
India Pharma Innovation of the year Award Pharmaceuticals Limited

India Pharma Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme of the Year Award Lupin Limited
WrigNanosystems Private
India Medical Devices Company of the Year Award Limited
Special Award in recognition of exceptional leadership & contribution in handling
the supply of essential medicine & medical products during the period of COVID- Dr. P.D. Vaghela, Former
19 pandemic in 2020 Secretary, DoP
It should be noted that the International Conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector is held annually.
Note -India has launched the world’s largest Covid19 vaccination program and is at the center of the global effort to
provide vaccines to other countries.
i.On January 22, 2021, the Central Government gave its consent for the first set of five pharma projects with the total
committed Investment of Rs 3,761.17 crore. It was approved under the PLI scheme for promoting domestic
manufacture of bulk drugs and APIs.
ii.Ahmedabad, Gujarat-based Intas Pharmaceuticals invested USD 75.22 million in a wholly-owned subsidiary in the
United Kingdom (UK).
About Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers (MoC&F):
Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda Constituency– Bangalore North, Karnataka)
Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya Constituency– Gujarat (Rajya Sabha)
2nd edition of Global Bio-India 2021 held Virtually; Inaugurated by Dr Harsh Vardhan
A 3-day long 2nd edition of Global Bio-India 2021 was held virtually from New Delhi on March 1-3, 2021 which was
inaugurated by Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Science & Technology. The theme of the event
was ‘Transforming lives’ with the tagline ‘Biosciences to Bio-economy’.
• Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance addressed the inaugural session as a special
guest.
Country Partners: Switzerland and The Netherlands
State Partners: Karnataka and Odisha.
Organizers:
Global Bio-India 2021is being co-organized by the Department of Biotechnology(DBT), Ministry of Science &
Technology, Government of India along with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in
partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) and
Invest India.
Contribution to Indian Target:
• The Biotechnology sector is recognized as one of the key drivers for India to achieve its USD 5 trillion targets
by 2024.
• Indian Biotechnology industry’s economy is valued at $70 billion in 2020 is expected to grow to USD 150 Bn by
2025.
Highlights of the event:
i.” National Biotech Strategy” unveiled by Dr. Harsh Vardhan unveiled and also inaugurated the Virtual Exhibition
of Global Bio-India during the event. The virtual Exhibition will continue till March 30, 2021.
ii. Global Bio-India Startup Conclave, 2021 was organized and addressed by Union Minister Piyush Vedprakash
Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry. He called for extending support to the start-ups to implement their ideas at
the ground level without any fear of failure
• Startup India initiative was already launched by the Government January 2016 for nurturing innovation and
entrepreneurship.
• Project development cell of DBT was launched during the conclave, which will help significant targeted
support. 5 new technologies were also launched.
iii.Indian Bio-economy Report (IBER) by ABLE, and Biotech Investment Potential for Indian States Report were
released by IFC Dr. Harsh Vardhan released.

iv.Valedictory and Award Session of Global Bio India-2021 was virtually addressed by Vice President
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu.
India’s Ranks:
• India ranks amongst the top 12 biotech destinations in the world, with approximately 3% share in the global
biotechnology industry.
• US is the global leader in biotechnology with market size of over USD 200 bn with an expected growth at a
CAGR of 7.4% between 2020-2026.
• India is the 3rd largest start up ecosystem in the world, India is home to more than 60,000 startups.
Partners of the event:
i.Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)- Established in 1895 and named as CII in 1992.
ii.Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE)- It is a not-for-profit pan-India forum & a founding
member of the International Council of Biotechnology Association (ICBA).
iii.Invest India– Set up in 2009, it is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India under the
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Why is Global Bio-India 2021 being organized?
It is an international platform which combines biotechnology stakeholders, including international bodies, regulatory
bodies, Central and State Ministries, SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises), large industries, bioclusters, research
institutes, investors, and the startup ecosystem. Therefore it is organized to showcase opportunities of the India’s
biotechnology sector at national level and to the global community.
• The event saw the participation of over 6,000 delegates from over 50 countries and hosted around 24
knowledge sessions across different segments.
i.DBT is implementing the Ind-CEPI Mission titled ‘India Centric Epidemic Preparedness through Rapid Vaccine
Development: Supporting Indian Vaccine Development Aligned with the Global Initiative of the Coalition for Epidemic
Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)’.
ii.Government of India has allocated Rs.900 crore to the Department of Biotechnology(DBT) for research and
development of COVID-19 vaccines under Mission COVID Suraksha.
About Department of Biotechnology (DBT):
Department of Biotechnology (DBT)- Set up in 1986 under the Ministry of Science & Technology
Secretary– Dr. Renu Swarup
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC): It is a Section 8 “Not-for-profit Company” set up by
DBT
PM Modi inaugurates 2nd Edition of Maritime India Summit-2021; Chabahar Day observed during the
Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the 2nd Edition of Maritime India Summit-2021 (MIS-2021)-
“Exploring the potential business opportunities in Indian Maritime sector and making Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. The
Maritime summit is being held from March 2-4, 2021 in a virtual format. On the sidelines of the MIS-2021, Chabahar
day was commemorated on March 4, 2021.
• The event is organized by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW).
• Partner Country – Denmark
• Objective – To promote both International and Domestic investment in India’s Ports & Maritime Sector.
• Other Organizers – Industry Partner – FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry);
Knowledge Partner – ET.
• The summit was one of the biggest virtual maritime summits in the world.
• The summit will visualise a roadmap for India’s Maritime sector for next decade and will work to propel India
to the forefront of the Global Maritime Sector.
Participants
• Ministers from 7 countries – Russia, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Denmark, Iran, Afghanistan & Armenia participated in
the event.

• Around 1.7 Lakh participants from more than 100 countries participated in the event.
PM Launches e-plaque of ‘Sagar-Manthan’: MM-DAC System
PM Modi launched the e-plaque of ‘Sagar-Manthan’: Mercantile Maritime Domain Awareness Centre (MM-DAC). It is
an information system to enhance maritime time safety, search and rescue capabilities, security and marine
environment protection.
• It is capable of real-time vessel tracking and can organise help in case of emergency for seafarers & fishermen.
• It is set to be operated by the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping).
• Apart from Indian vessels, it can also track foreign vessels which are within 1,000 Km of India’s coastline.
• India is set to share the system with Sri Lanka & Maldives.
• MMDAC facility has elements of security for which DG Shipping has collaborated with the Indian Navy.
Major Announcements from PM’s Address
Around 574 Projects costing USD 82 Billion (~ INR 6 Lakh Crore) have been identified for implementation
between 2015-2035 under the Sagarmala Project.
Development of Ports
The government is also planning several initiatives for the Development of Ports. They are
Raising the share of Clean Renewable Energy
• Increasing the share of Renewable Energy sources in the Maritime Sector by installing solar & wind-based
power systems in all major ports of India.
• With this, the government seeks to increase the usage of renewable energy to more than 60% of all energy by
2030 in 3 phases across Indian Ports.
Operationalising 23 waterways by 2030
• India is set to operationalise 23 waterways by 2030 which will help in the development of ports.
Boosting Tourism around Lighthouses
• For this purpose, lands are being drawn adjacent to 78 out of 189 lighthouses on Indian Coastline.
Focus on Domestic Shipbuilding
• India is focusing on the domestic shipbuilding & ship repair market.
• The Government has approved a Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy for Indian Shipyards for
encouraging domestic shipbuilding.
Other initiatives
• MoPSW has created a list of 400 Investable Projects with a potential of USD 31 Billion of INR 2.25 Lakh Crore.
The projects will help in the overall development of the maritime sector.
• PM stated that since 2014, the capacity of major ports has been increased from around 870 Million Tonnes in
2014 to 1550 Million Tonnes per annum.
• Indian ports are now equipped with measures like Direct Port Delivery, Direct Port Entry & an upgraded Port
Community System (PCS) for easy data flow.
• World-Class Infrastructure is also being developed in the ports at Vadhavan (Maharashtra), Paradip (Odisha)
& Deendayal Port in Kandla, Gujarat.
Release of the e-book ‘Maritime India Vision-2030’
During the event, PM Modi released a new e-book titled ‘Maritime India Vision-2030’.
• The e-book outlines the priorities of the Government for the development of the Maritime Sector.
• It aims to develop the Indian maritime industry at par with Global Industry in the next 10 years.
Chabahar Day Commemorated on March 4
On the sidelines of the MIS-2021, Chabahar day was commemorated on March 4, 2021. A meeting was held to
commemorate the day.
• Ministries of 6 countries – Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan took part in the
meeting.
Chabahar Port
• In May 2016, India, Iran & Afghanistan signed a Trilateral agreement for developing the Chabahar port in Iran
as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation.
• It is a strategically important port as it is located on the Gulf of Oman and is only 72 km away from the
Gwadar Port in Pakistan, which is being developed by China.

• It is the only oceanic port of Iran & consists of 2 separate ports (Shahid Beheshti & Shahid Kalantari).
Proposal to include in INSTC Corridor
During the discussions held in the meeting, India proposed the inclusion of Chabahar port in the International North-
South Transport Corridor (INSTC) which connects Mumbai with Moscow.
• INSTC is a 7200 Km long multi-mode network of ship, rail & road for freight transport.
• It aims to reduce carriage costs by about 30% & Transit time from 40 days to about 20 days.
Chabahar Port set to be operational by May 2021
During the meeting, India stated that it expects to start full-scale operations at the Chabahar general cargo port
(which has been built by India) by May 2021.
MoUs signed during MIS-2021
During the event, around 424 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed.
• The MoUs amounted to an Investment of more than INR 3 Lakh Crore by top maritime companies of the world.
• Major agencies such as Paradip Port Trust, DG Shipping, Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Ltd,
Sagarmala Development Company Ltd, Shipping Corporation of India, Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port Trust &
VO Chidambaranar Port Trust.
Cochin Port Trust signs 3 MoUs
During MIS-2021, Cochin Port Trust signed 3 MoUs with various agencies for the development of several projects in
Kerala.
The projects are Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) at Vallarpadam; Cryogenic Warehouse at Puthuvypeen &
Aviation Fuel Terminal at Willingdon Island.
Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ)
• An FTWZ has been proposed at Vallarpadam for INR 85 Crore for facilitating storage, handling & adding value-
added services to dry & cold storage of cargos.
• It will help in the generation of employment for at least 50 persons.
• To be developed by India Gateway Terminal Pvt Ltd (IGTPL).
Cryogenic Warehouse
• A Cryogenic warehouse has been proposed at Puthuvypeen for serving as a cold storage facility for items like
marine products, meat, vegetables, fruits & pharmaceutical products.
• It will generate employment for at least 65 persons.
• An MoU has been signed with DP World (Dubai Ports World, UAE) for this purpose.
Aviation Fuel Terminal
• An Aviation Fuel Terminal has been proposed by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) at Willingdon Island for
INR 200 Crore.
• The terminal will supply indigenously produced aviation fields to airports in Kerala.
DG Shipping signs 61 MoUs worth INR 20, 000 Crore
As a prelude to the MIS-2021, DG Shipping organised a Roadshow & MOU signing ceremony on February 27, 2021.
• Around 61 MoUs worth INR 20, 674.13 Crore were signed during the event.
• The agreements are expected to generate employment opportunities for around 50, 000 seafarers in 5 years.
• MoUs were signed in various sub-sectors of Indian Maritime Industry such as Shipbuilding, Ship repair,
Employment for Indian seafarers, Ship Acquisition for registration under the Indian flag and others.
NUSI signs 6 MoUs worth INR 225 Crore
National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) signed 6 MoUs worth INR 225 Crore with the Directorate General of
Shipping (DGS) ahead of MIS-2021. The MoUs were signed under the initiative of NUSI & NUSI Trust.
The agreements provide
• Financial assistance for COVID-19 vaccination to all ranks of seafarers
• Sponsorship to seafarers/family to study at the Indian Chapter of the World Maritime University (Sweden)
• Investments in Training, skill enhance courses at zero cost
• Financial medical assistance to seafarers & their families
• Education assistance to retired, deceased seafarers and their families.

VPT signs MoU worth INR 30, 000 Crore for Port Expansion
Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) signed MoUs worth INR 30, 000 Crore with port-led industries before the launch of
MIS-2021.
• The agreements were signed for capacity expansion, beach nourishment, development of fishing harbour, LPG
plant & other projects.
• VPT has signed MoUs with agencies like HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited), Dredging
Corporation of India, JD Fisheries & the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the purpose.
About Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW):
Minister of State (I/C) – Mansukh L. Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha MP representing Gujarat)
India-Sweden Virtual Summit 2021 held between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi & Stefan Löfven
On March 5, 2021, a Virtual Summit was held between the Prime
Minister (PMs) of India Narendra Modi & Prime Minister of the
Kingdom of Sweden, Stefan Lofven.
• This is the Fifth Interaction between the two PMs since
2015.
• The key areas of discussion were Healthcare, Biotech,
Smart Cities, Smart Grid, Circular Economy & Artificial
Intelligence (AI).
Major events during the Summit
• Both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as elderly care, infection control, digitalization,
Non-Communicable diseases & start-ups.
• They also welcomed the creation of a Sweden-India Health Hub at AIIMS-Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
• Both PMs welcomed the progress made in Scientific collaborations such as Polar Research & Polar Expeditions.
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, India &
Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.
• They agreed to intensify their collaboration within the framework of the Arctic Council to address global
environmental protection & combat climate change.
• Joint Projects on innovation, climate & health cooperation were launched to fight the pandemic and building
stronger, greener & more equal societies.
Joint Statements between PM Narendra Modi & PM Stefan Lofven:
• The launch of a second joint industrial R&D call on Smart and Sustainable Cities, Transport Systems, Clean
Technologies and Digitalization and Internet of Things under India-Sweden Collaborative Industrial Research
& Development Programme.
• India-Sweden Collaborative Industrial Research & Development Programme on Smart Grids.
• MoU on Aviation Knowledge Exchange and Technical Transfer Programme.
• MoU on cooperation between financial services to enhance cross-border participation and promote knowledge
sharing.
Note – Sweden assumed the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in
2021.
India-EU+27 Leaders’ Meeting
Both sides stated that the India-European Union (EU)+27 Leaders’ Meeting which is to be held in Portugal in May
2021 will be a major milestone in the relationship between India & the EU.
Sweden Joins ISA
Sweden announced its decision to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) which was initiated by India in 2015 for
efficient consumption of Solar Energy.
Reaffirmation of Commitment to LeadIT
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Joint Global Initiative called ‘the Leadership Group for Industry
Transition (LeadIT)’.
• The organization gather countries & companies which are committed to achieving the Paris Agreement.

• LeadIT currently has 29 member states and industries that work towards accelerating transition of all
industry sectors to low carbon pathways in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, while pursuing efforts
to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• It was launched in 2019.
Defence Collaboration: Gripen Fighter Aircraft
The Two PMs also discussed defence collaborations.
• PM Modi invited Swedish Defence firms to participate in the ‘Make in India’ programme in the 2 Defence
Production Corridors in Tamil Nadu & Uttar Pradesh.
Gripen Fighter Aircrafts
Swedish Company Saab expressed its interest to manufacture its Gripen Fighter Aircraft in India.
• About this, the PMs of both countries stated that Defence is an important area of collaboration.
• Saab’s Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) has already been selected by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) as the electronic warfare self-protection system for Advanced Light Helicopter (Dhruv).
i.On September 4, 2020, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) signed an MoU with India Sweden
Healthcare Innovation Centre (ISIC) to identify and find innovations to make quality healthcare affordable and
accessible for all.
About Sweden:
Capital – Stockholm
Currency – Swedish Krona
First Strategic & Counter-Terrorism Dialogue Between India & Nigeria: 4 – 5 March 2021
The first Strategic and Counter Terrorism Dialogue between India and Nigeria was held from 4th March
2021 to 5th March 2021. The National Security Adviser of Nigeria Major General (Retd.) Babagana Monguno visited
New Delhi, India at the invitation of National Security Adviser of India Ajit K Doval KC for the discussion.
Highlights:
i.The discussions were held within the framework of close and strategic partnership between India and Nigeria.
ii.The threats and challenges faced by the nations from the terrorism, extremism, radicalization through the
cyberspace as well as International crime, arms and drug smuggling and piracy were discussed.
iii.India and Nigeria has identified specific areas of cooperation to enhance their fights against all forms of terrorism.
iv.Both the countries have agreed to cooperate in the international arena and to maintain regular contact in this area.
About Nigeria:
President– Muhammadu Buhari
Currency– Nigerian naira
Capital– Abuja
Sanjay Dhotre MoS, MeitY Virtually inaugurates International Conference on MEMP 2021 at Pune
On 8th March, 2021 Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State (MoS) for Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) virtually inaugurated the 3 day International Conference on Multifunctional Electronic
Materials & Processing (MEMP 2021) at Pune, Maharashtra. MEMP-2021 was organised by the Centre for
Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), Pune.
i.He highlighted on the rise of India’s share in global electronics manufacturing for 1.3% in 2012 to 3.6% in
2019.
ii.As a result of Indian Govt. initiatives like Make in India & AtmaNirbar Bharat, over 200 electronics manufacturing
units were developed.
iii.India’s Domestic production of Electronics items saw a compounded annual growth rate of 23% between 2014
& 2020.
iv.The production of mobile phones has gone up from about 6 crore mobile phones in 2014-15 to approximately 33
crore mobile phones in 2019-20.
Note- Currently, C-MET is producing Hafnium and Silicon Carbide for ISRO & DRDO.

About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY):
Union Minister – Ravi Shankar Prasad (Constituency – Patna Sahib, Bihar)
Minister of State – Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao (Constituency – Akola, Maharashtra)
1st Ever Leader-Level Summit of QUAD Countries held virtually

On March 12 2021, The First-ever Leader-Level Summit of 4
QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) countries – India, Japan,
USA & Australia took place virtually.
Participants
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• US President Joseph Biden
• Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
• Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
Highlights
‘Free & Open’ Indo-Pacfic region
• The 4 Countries agreed to work towards an ‘open’ & ‘free’ Indo-Pacific region.
Expert Working Group
Proposals for setting up 3 Expert Working Groups were cleared during the meet. They are
• Vaccine Expert working Group
• Emerging Technology working group
• Climate working group for technology, capacity building & climate finance
QUAD to fund India’s Vaccine Maitri Initiative
The 4 QUAD leaders agreed to launch a Mega Vaccine initiative to fight against COVID-19.
• The leaders plan to send 1 Billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines across Asia by 2022.
• The vaccines needed for the initiative will be produced in additional production capacities in India under the
Vaccine Maitri Initiative.
• Financial assistance for setting up additional capacities will be provided by US & Japan, while Australia will
contribute in logistical aspects.
Funding
• The US will collaborate with India’s Biological E Ltd for the initiative, it will provide funding through the DFC
(Development Finance Corporation).
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) will
provide financial assistance to enhance India’s vaccine production capacities.
• Australia will contribute USD 77 Million for provision of vaccines and ‘last-mile’ delivery support.
QUAD Grouping
• It was initially proposed & established in 2007 by then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.
• In November 2017, during the 2017 ASEAN Summit, the 4 countries agreed to revive the QUAD alliance.
• The alliance aims to counter China’s rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
• In September, 2019, The QUAD Foreign ministers held their first meeting under QUAD.
i.On December 21, 2020, US President, Donald Trump conferred the ‘Legion of Merit’ to Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi ; Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia; Former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe.
All belonging to the QUAD forum.
ii.November 7, 2020, Phase 1 of the 24th Edition of the Four-nation Naval Exercise Malabar 2020 took place in the
Bay of Bengal from November 3-6, 2020. Since 2007, this is the 1st time that all the QUAD members participated in
the Malabar Naval Exercise.
Overview of India-Finland Virtual Summit 2021

On March 16, 2021, India-Finland Virtual Summit 2021 was held between India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi &
Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

• India & Finland had announced a new partnership in the fields of ICT, Mobile Technology, Digital Education
clean energy investment and evolution of 6G.
• Both sides noted that Digital Domain was one of the
promising sectors for an intensive India-Finland
partnership.
Indian IT firms to collaborate with Finland
• Indian IT firms Wipro & Tech Mahindra will collaborate
with Finnish companies for developing 5G & 6G
technologies for use in India & other markets
• The IT firms will also collaborate with Finnish Universities
for collaboration and expansion of 5G and evolution of 6G technologies.
Digital & Sustainability Partnerships
The two sides agreed to focus on 3 key domains namely Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity & Blockchain
Technologies.
• Digital Partnership
• For facilitating research and development of 6G mobile technologies, quantum computing and digital
transformation of teaching.
• The emphasis of India-Finland digital partnership will be on future Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) with focus on Quantum technologies & computing.
• Sustainability Partnership
• For development of renewable & clean energy, circular economy, and sustainable mobility. ‘green growth’ will
be the major element of bilateral cooperation.
Quantum Computing
• The Two Prime Ministers reviewed the progress of ongoing collaboration in Joint Development of Quantum
Computer with the use of Artificial Intelligence.
• The collaboration for Quantum Computing is taking place between Indian Institute of Science, Education and
Research, Pune & Aalto University, Finland.
Renewal of MoU in Higher Education Sector
The Two sides are also set to sign an renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between a consortium of 10
Finnish Universities & 23 IITs in India for cooperation in Higher Education Sector.
Highlights
• Both sides noted the potential of India & Finland to undertake developmental activities in Africa.
• India suggested enhanced cooperation in areas like renewable and bio-energy, sustainability, edu-tech,
pharma and digitization.
• India invited Finland to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) & the Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure (CDRI).
• Both sides have potential for enhanced cooperation on Polar issues.
• India has an observer status in the Arctic Council, and both countries are consultative members of the
Antarctic Treaty and have active stations in Antarctica.
• India will meet Finland again at the India-European Union Leaders’ summit in Portugal in May, 2021 and
India-Nordic summit in 2021.
i.On December 17, 2020, a virtual India-Bangladesh Summit 2020 was held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina which concluded with a Joint Statement.
About Finland:
President – Sauli Niinistö
Capital – Helsinki

PM Addresses 3rd Edition of Annual Conference of ICDRI 2021
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi addressed the 3rd Edition of the Annual Conference of International Conference
on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 2021 (ICDRI 2021). The Conference took place virtually from March 17-19, 2021
and was hosted by Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
• ICDRI is an International Workshop hosted annually by CDRI.
• Objective – To strengthen the global discourses on disaster and climate resilient infrastructure.
• The conference was addressed by PM Modi;UK PM Boris Johnson;PM of Italy Mario Draghi OMRI;Josaia
Voreqq Bainimarama, PM of Fiji.
Highlights
i.During the event discussions were held on Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris agreement & the Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
• PM Modi stated that CDRI must maximize the demonstration effect of the application of technology.
• He also stated that the role played by key infrastructure sectors such as Health & Digital during the pandemic
should be taken note. The sectors must be made more resilient for the future.
ii.Sessions were held on topics of
• Global Infrastructure Risk Assessment
• Reimagining Global Health Infrastructure and Supply Chain Systems Towards A Resilient Future
• Situating Resilient Infrastructure in the Context of International Commitments
EU Joins CDRI
• During the event, the 27-member European Union joined the CDRI.
• The EU highlighted the increase of climate-related extreme events across the world. It also stated that COVID-
19 has reinforced the need for robust disaster preparedness and investment in renewable energy, green
infrastructure, energy and resource efficiency and circular economy.
US pledges funds up to USD 9.2 million
• The US announced funds of up to USD 9.2 Million for supporting CDRI.
• The funds are subject to approval from the US Congress.
• The funds are aimed at encouraging disaster and climate resilient infrastructure.
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
i.It was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.
• It aims to promote research and knowledge sharing in areas of infrastructure risk management, standards,
financing & recovery mechanisms.
• India is the Chair of the organization while the UK being the Co-chair.
ii.Membership – 22 Countries & 6 Development Partners (as of 2nd March, 2021)
• Countries – Afghanistan, Africa, Argentina, Bhutan, Chile, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Peru, Sri Lanka, Turkey, UK & USA
• 6 Organizations – Asian Development Bank (ADB); World Bank Group;United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP);United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR);ARISE, the Private Sector
Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies;Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment (CCRI)
i.On December 12, 2020, the virtual Climate Ambition Summit 2020 was held to provide a platform for government
and non-governmental leaders to demonstrate their commitment to the Paris Agreement and the multilateral
process. It was co-hosted by the United Kingdom (UK), the United Nations (UN) and France, in partnership with Chile
and Italy.
About Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI):
Director General – Sandeep Poundrik
Head Office – New Delhi (Interim Headquarters)
Harsh Vardhan addressed India TB Summit 2021

On 20th March,2021, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan virtually addressed the India TB Summit
2021.The theme for the summit is “Reimagining TB Care in India“.The Summit was organized by Survivors Against

TB & Pi Consulting & hosted in partnership with The Indian Express. Note – World TB Day is observed on 24th
March, 2021.
• Target- India targets to eradicate Tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of United Nations (UN) Sustainable
Development Goals target – 2030.
• Last year, government disbursed more than ₹ 249.43 cr to over 11.10 lakh patients under Nikshay Poshan
Yojana, which will provide Rs.500/ month for tuberculosis patients to buy food.
Harsh Vardhan addresses 7th Annual Summit of ‘NATHEALTH’ 2021

Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually addressed the 7th Annual Summit of
‘NATHEALTH’ organized by NATHEALTH – Healthcare Federation of India which was held between March 25-26,
2021 in a virtual format.
• Theme of 2021 Annual Summit – ‘Indian Health System Expansion in Post-COVID Era’.
• Objective -To discussions for realizing the potential of Indian healthcare sector to attract investments for
building a modern 21st Century Universal Healthcare delivery mode.
Key points from the Address
• Health sector was identified in Budget 2021-22 as one of the 6 main pillars to drive growth.
• It was allocated INR 2, 23, 846 Crore in the 2021-22 Budget, an increase of 137% over the previous year.
• Government is taking steps to increase health expenditure as a percentage of GDP to 2.5% by 2025.
• The Central Government is also urging State Governments to increase State Sector health spending to more
than 8% of State’s GDP.
• He Highlighted Central Government’s ‘Pradhan Mantri Aatma Nirbhar Swaasthya Yojana’. It aims to strengthen
the healthcare system to meet challenges of current and future pandemics.
i.December 10, 2020, MoHFW has developed ‘Co-WIN’ – A Digital Platform & Mobile Application for real-time
monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine delivery and recording data.
About Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan (Constituency- Chandni Chowk,New Delhi)
Minister of State (MoS)– Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Buxar, Bihar)
INDEX
RANKING
Mukesh Ambani becomes 8th Richest in the World, Elon Musk tops the list: Hurun Global Rich List 2021
According to Hurun Global Rich List 2021, Chairman of Reliance Industries (RIL), Mukesh Ambani with a wealth of
USD 83 Billion (~ INR 6 Lakh Crore) became the 8th Richest Person in the World. The List was topped by Elon
Musk (CEO of Tesla), Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) & Bernard Arnault (CEO of LVMH-Louis Vuitton).
• Hurun Global Rich List 2021 is the 10th Year of ranking. It ranked 3, 228 Billionaires from 2, 402 companies &
68 countries.
• Elon Musk took the number 1 spot for the 1st time and at the age of 49 years is the youngest to take the No.1
spot.
• In the Hurun Global Rich List 2020, Mukesh Ambani was ranked 9th.
• In 2020, world added 3 billionaires every 2 days; India added one every week
Youngest Indians
• Apoorva Mehta of Instacard & Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha (both 34 years) became the youngest Indian
Billionaires with a net worth of USD 1.7 Billion.
India climbs to 3rd spot
India Climbed to 3rd Spot in the Hurun Global Rich List 2021 with 209 Billionaires (out of which 177 live in India, 32
Indian Origin). China came 1st followed by the USA.

Rank Name Wealth Main Company Country of Residence

8 Mukesh Ambani USD 83 Billion Reliance India
1 Elon Musk USD 197 Billion Tesla USA
2 Jeff Bezos USD 189 Billion Amazon USA
3 Bernard Arnault USD 114 Billion LVMH-Louis Vitton France
India List
With 60 Billionaires from the Hurun India Global List 2021, Mumbai became the capital for India’s rich followed by
New Delhi (40) & Bengaluru (22).
Mukesh Ambani is India’s richest Billionaire followed by
• Gautam Adani of Adani Group (Global Rank – 48)
• Shiv Nadar of HCL (Global Rank – 58)
• Lakshmi N Mittal of ArcelorMittal (Global Rank – 104)
• Cyrus Poonawalla of Serum (Global Rank – 113)
ASIA
Zhong Shanshan (Founder of Chinese Bottle Water Maker – Nongfu Spring) with USD 85 Billion became Asia’s Richest
person, followed by Mukesh Ambani. He also broke into the Hurun Global Rich List 2021 for the 1st time with a rank
of 7.
Global Outlook
• Globally there 3, 228 Billionaires. The total wealth of Billionaires increased by USD 3.5 Trillion or 32% to USD
14.7 Trillion.
• Asia accounted for 51% of World’s Billionaires & 45% of their wealth.
• China has 1, 058 Billionaires & USA has 696 billionaires.
• Beijing is the world’s Billionaire Capital for the 6th Straight year with 145 billionaires living there followed by
Shanghai & New York.
i.14 January, 2021, 2020 Hurun Global 500 list – a list of 500 most valuable companies across the globe, of Hurun
Research features a total of 11 Indian companies.
About Hurun Report:
Chairman and Chief Researcher – Rupert Hoogewerf (Hu Run)
Headquarters – Shanghai, China
About Hurun India:
MD and Chief Researcher – Anas Rahman
Headquarters – Mumbai
Madhya Pradesh top in Land Records Digitisation: 2nd N-LRSI index 2021
In accordance with the 2nd edition of NCAER Land Record and Services Index (N-LRSI) 2021, almost 32 States and
Union Territories (UTs) have shown an improvement in their effort to digitise land records. Their mean has shown an
increase of 16.6% in 2020-21 from 38.7 in 2019-20 to 45.1 in 2020-21 (out of 100 points).
• Notably, Madhya Pradesh topped the list for the second year in a row and followed by West
Bengal (2nd), Odisha (3rd), Maharashtra (4th) and Tamil Nadu (5th).
• Only 13 states allow online mode of payment for property registration while nine states are still using paper
stamps for it.
Who has prepared the index?
The index has been prepared by NCAER (National Council of Applied Economic Research) with support
from Omidyar Network India through its Property Rights Research Consortium.
The N-LRSI 2021 is based on data collected over 2020-21 on two aspects of the supply of land records—the extent of
digitisation of land records and the quality of these land records.
Parameters used for Measuring Index: 4
1. Digitisation of textual and spatial records

2. Computerisation of the registration process
3. Quality of land records
4. Accessibility.
Top 5 & Bottom 5 States Ranking:
Top 5 States Scores Bottom 5 States Scores
Madhya Pradesh 80.2 Sikkim 8.8
West Bengal 78.5 Assam 18.5
Odisha 77.2 Kerala 21.4
Maharashtra 70.9 Manipur 22.3
Tamil Nadu 70.3 Gujarat 35.3
Key Points:
i.West Bengal position has improved by four ranks, from rank 6 to 2.
ii.The states of Bihar, Karnataka, Tripura, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh (AP), Himachal Pradesh (HP)and Kerala have
reported the most improvement.
iii.On the parameter of ‘extent of digitisation’, Bihar shows maximum improvement, followed by West Bengal,
Tripura, and Karnataka.
iv.In terms of the ‘quality of land resources’, Karnataka led the states followed by Bihar, Tripura and Goa.
v.On the basis of Accessibility, Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the top performing states.
• Accessibility evaluates states and UTs on the ease of access, comprehensiveness of the information available,
the design and user interface, among others.
• Access to land is a critical factor for economic growth and poverty reduction therefore it is required to have
access to reliable land and property records.
About N-LRSI Index:
Launched in February 2020 it measures the performance of all states and UTs on the extent of its digitisation process
for land records and services, and the overall improvement in the quality of the record as a result of the digitisation
process.
• It is a part of the NCAER Land Policy Initiative (NLPI) launched in 2019.
Why Land Digitization record is needed?
• Land-related disputes in India account for 60-70% of all civil litigation. About 25% of all cases decided by the
Supreme Court involve land disputes, of which 30% concern disputes relating to land acquisition, according to
the NCAER.
• With an objective of Creating accurate land records for rural planning and to reduce property related disputes
and legal cases.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improved Technology in
Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme in April 2020. The survey shall be done across the country in a phase wise
manner over the period of four years (2020 -2024) using drone technology.
• India’s spectacular jump in the overall ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index from the
142nd position in 2014 to 63rd in 2020 was in marked contrast to the dismal show in the ease of registering
property, where India’s ranking improved only marginally from 166 in 2019 to 154 in 2020.
i.On December 7, 2020 Mastercard, National Institute for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (ni-msme) and
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) entered into partnership to launch Digital Saksham, a capacity building
initiative to drive awareness about digitization for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) in India.
ii.Madhya Pradesh (MP) & Andhra Pradesh (AP) became the 1st Group of States to complete three out of the Four
citizen schemes stipulated by Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
About National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER):
President– Nandan M Nilekani

MoHUA releases Rankings for Ease of Living Index 2020 & Municipal Performance Index 2020
On February 4, 2021, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Housing & Urban
Affairs (MoHUA) released the Final Rankings of Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020 & Municipal Performance Index
(MPI) 2020 through an online event.
• For the purpose of ranking, both EoLI 2020 & MLI 2020 categorized the rankings of Cities (including cities
under Smart Cities Program) & Municipalities under 2 categories based on their population – Million+
Category & Less than Million Category.
• Around 111 cities participated in the assessment which was conducted in 2020.
• The framework these assessments were prepared by MoHUA with the Institute for Competitiveness as the
Knowledge Partner.
Top Performers of Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020
Million+ Category
• #1 – Bengaluru, #2 -Pune , #3 – Ahmedabad
Less than Million Category
• #1 Shimla, #2 – Bhubaneswar, #3 – Silvassa
Top Performers of Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2020
Million+ Category
• #1 – Indore, #2 – Surat, #3 – Bhopal
Less than Million Category
• #1 – New Delhi, #2 – Tirupati, #3 – Gandhinagar
Ease of Living Index (EoLI)2020
The First Edition of this index started in 2018.
Methodology
• EoLI measures the well-being of Indian citizens across the pillars of Quality of Life, Economic-ability,
Sustainability with 49 indicators under 13 categories.
Objective
• To Accelerate India’s Urban development outcomes & achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Key Points
• This year EoLI framework has been consolidated with the addition of Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) holding
a weightage of 30%.
• 35% weightage for Quality of Life, 15% weightage for Economic ability, 20% Weightage for Sustainability.
• CPS was conducted from January 16, 2020 – March 20, 2020.
• Bhubaneshwar recorded the highest CPS score followed by Silvassa, Davangere.
Rankings EoLI 2020
Ease of Living Index 2020
Population Million+ Population Less than Million
Rank City Score City Score
1 Bengaluru (Karnataka) 66.7 Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) 60.9
2 Pune (Maharashtra) 66.27 Bhubaneswar (Odisha) 59.85
3 Ahmedabad (Gujarat) 64.87 Silvassa (Dadra & Nagar Haveli) 58.43
4 Chennai (Tamil Nadu) 62.61 Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) 56.84
5 Surat (Gujarat) 61.73 Salem (Tamil Nadu) 56.4
Click here to access the Full Report
Municipal Performance Index 2020 (MPI)
• It is the 1st time that MPI is being undertaken in India. The Municipal Performance Index (MPI) was launched
as an accompaniment to the Ease of Living Index.
• They have been ranked based on 5 Verticals which are Services, Finance, Planning, Technology & Governance.

• MPI provides overall understanding of a municipality’s functionalities & the extent of their development &
capabilities.
• It covers sectors like Education, Health, Water & Wastewater, SWM & Sanitation, Infrastructure, Digital
Governance, Plan preparation among others.
Rankings MPI 2020
Municipal Performance Index 2020
Population Million+ Population Less than Million
Rank Municipality Score Municipality Score
Indore
1 (Madhya Pradesh) 66.08 New Delhi MC 52.92
Surat
2 (Gujarat) 60.82 Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) 51.69
Bhopal
3 (Madhya Pradesh) 59.04 Gandhinagar (Gujarat) 51.59
4 Pimpri Chinchwad (Maharashtra) 59 Karnal (Haryana) 51.39
Pune
5 (Maharashtra) 58.79 Salem (Tamil Nadu) 49.04
i.On February 3, 2021, IIT Kharagpur signed a MoU with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for ‘Building
Accessible Safe and Inclusive Indian Cities (BASIIC).
About Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
Minister of State (Independent Charge) Housing And Urban Affairs – Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha MP,
Constituency – Uttar Pradesh)
Ramesh Pokhriyal unveiled QS World University Ranking 2021 by Subject; 12 Indian Institutes named in top
100
On March 4, 2021, the unveiling of QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings by Subject 2021 was held
virtually which was addressed by Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Ministry of Education (MoE).
• Notably, the number of Indian Institutions in the list of top 100 has increased to 12 from 8. These are IIT
Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IISC Bangalore, IIT Guwahati, IIM Bangalore, IIM
Ahmedabad, JNU, Anna University, University of Delhi, and O.P Jindal University.
Why is it prepared?
This annual ranking covered a total of 51 disciplines, grouped into five broad subject areas to help prospective
students identify the leading universities in a particular subject.
Following tables shows the list of Topper Institute and Indian Institutions in top 100 among five broad subject areas
and other disciples:
Institutions in top 100 among 5 Broad Subjects
Engineering and Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States

1 (US) 97.3
49 Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), Mumbai 79.9
54 IIT-Delhi 79.4
94 IIT-Madras (Chennai, Tamil Nadu) 75.9

Natural Sciences
1 MIT, US 97.5
92 Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru (Karnataka) 77.9
Social Sciences & Management
1 Harvard University, US 97.8
Life Sciences & Medicine
1 Harvard University, US 98.6
Arts & Humanities
1 University of Oxford (United Kingdom) 98.6
Indian Institutes among top 100 in other Disciples
Petroleum Engineering course
30 IIT Madras
51 IIT Guwahati, Assam
51-100 Anna University (Chennai)
Mineral and Mining Engineering
41 IIT Bombay
44 IIT Kharagpur (West Bengal)
Business and Management
76 IIM (Indian Institute of Management), Bengaluru
80 IIM Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
Law
76 OP Jindal Global University
Anthropology
51-100 Jawaharlal Nehru University-JNU (Delhi)
Development Studies
50 University of Delhi (DU)

Key Points:
i.The O P Jindal Global University is the only private university to have entered the top-100 club.
ii.There are 25 programmes offered by higher education institutions in India rank among the top 100 in the world in
their respective subject categories. Out of them 17 are in engineering.
iii.For Pharmacy and Pharmacology Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) has secured a place in the 151-
200 band. It also ranked for Mathematics in the 451-500 band, and Business and Management Studies in the 451-500
band.
iv.For Life Science and Medical subject, AIIMS (All India Institute Of Medical Sciences) has bagged 248th rank while
Delhi University and PGIMR Chandigarh have secured their places in 401-450 and 451-500 spots.
v.For the Social Science and Management subject, Delhi University has bagged 208th rank followed by IIT- Bombay at
232nd rank and IIT- Delhi at 241st rank.
vi.The Vellore Institute of Technology also ranked the top 300 for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (251-300
band).
Parameters of Ranking:
The QS World Universities Ranking report is premised upon six parameters. These are Academic Reputation
(40%), Employer Reputation (10%), Faculty/Student Ratio (20%), Citations per faculty (20%), and International
Faculty Ratio & International Student Ratio (5%).
Additional Info:
The Central Government is putting efforts to address the gender gap in higher education, as a result, now women
constitute 48.6% of the total enrolment.
Key Participants:
Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Chairman, UGC (University Grant Commission), Prof Dhirendra P Singh; Chairman of
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Dr Virendar S Chauhan; and Chairman of AICTE, Dr Anil
Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe.
About Quacquarelli Symonds (QS):
It is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insight to the global higher education sector. It is
providing university rankings since 2004.
Headquarters– London, UK
i.On January 2021, Henley & Partners released “Henley Passport Index:Q1 2021 Global Ranking” where India was
ranked 85th with visa-free score 58. The visa-free score states that Indian passport holders get to visit 58 countries
without a prior visa. India shared its rank with Tajikistan.
ii.In accordance with the 10th edition of the report titled “Global Corruption Barometer (GCB)-Asia 2020” by
corruption watchdog Transparency International, India has the highest bribery rate of 39% in Asia and the highest
rate of people (46%) who use personal connections to access public services.
About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ constituency– Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Minister of State (MoS)– Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre
India Topped in Frontier Tech among Developing Countries – UNCTAD’s ‘Technology and Innovation Report
2021’
In accordance with the new country-readiness index released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) in its ‘Technology and Innovation Report 2021’, India is the biggest over performer in
frontier technologies than it’s per capita gross domestic products (GDP) among 158 countries.
• The index ranked India at 43 while the estimated one based on per capita income was 108. This meant that
India over performed other countries by 65 ranking positions.
• India was followed by the Philippines, which over performed by 57 ranking positions.
What are frontier technologies?
These are the ones who take advantage of digitalisation and connectivity. The report covered 11 frontier technologies
viz. artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Big data, blockchain, fifth-generation (5G) mobile

telephony, three-dimensional (3D) printing, robotics, drones (remotely controlled flights), gene-editing,
nanotechnology and solar power.
• As a group, these 11 technologies already represent a $350-billion market, which by 2025 could grow to
over $3.2 trillion.
Table showing Top 5 over performing countries relative to per capita GDP:
Sr No. Country Over Performance Positions
1 India 65
2 Philippines 57
3 Ukraine 47
4 Vietnam 45
5 China 40
Parameters of Index: 5
The index was assessed on the basis of five parameters viz. ICT (Information and Communication Technology)
deployment, skills, R&D (Research & Development) activity, industry activity and access to finance.
• It considered the national capacities of the countries related to physical investment, human capital and
technological effort.
• Their over performance is measured as the difference between the actual index rankings and the estimated
index rankings based on per capita income.
Key Points:
i.Several developing countries showed stronger capabilities to use and adapt frontier technologies above their GDPs.
ii.China was at position 25. Both India and China performed well in research and development.
iii.The Philippines has a high ranking for industry because of high levels of foreign direct investment in high-
technology manufacturing, especially electronics.
iv.The United States (US), Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK) were best prepared for frontier technologies.
v.Most of the best-prepared countries are from Europe, except the Republic of Korea, Singapore and the United States
(US).
vi.The least ready are in sub-Saharan Africa.
vii.To benefit from frontier technologies, countries need to promote their use, adoption and adaptation.
Challenges faced by Developing countries in frontier technology:
Though several countries showed stronger capabilities in frontier technology but there still many who are lagging
behind due to the following challenges:
• Demographic changes
• Existing technological gaps
• Low economic diversification
• Weak financing mechanism
• Stringent intellectual property rights
i.In accordance with the UNCTAD’s 38th Global Investment Trends Monitor, after the 1990s, the year 2020 saw a fall
down in Global foreign direct investment (FDI) which decreased 42% to $859 billion from $1.5 trillion in 2019.
ii.On 8th December 2020, “Invest India” won the 2020 UNCTAD Investment Promotion Award by the UNCTAD. Invest
India is a non-profit venture under the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry.
Established– 1964, by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
Acting Secretary-General– Isabelle Durant of Belgium
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland

India ranks 71 in UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index 2020, Switzerland tops
In accordance with the ‘UNCTAD B2C E-COMMERCE INDEX 2020- Spotlight on Latin America and the Caribbean’,
India ranked 71 out of 152 countries as compared to 75th position in 2019. The index measures an economy’s
preparedness to support online shopping where B2C stands for Business to Consumer. UNCTAD is an acronym for
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
• The index has been topped by Switzerland for the first time which has surpassed The Netherlands. Notably
97% of the Swiss population used the internet in 2019.
• The online shopping was estimated at $4.4 trillion globally in 2018, up 7% from 2017.
• In 2019, an estimated 1.5 billion people, or 27% of the world’s population aged 15 years and older, shopped
online. This again represented a 7% increase over 2018.
Table Showing Top 5 Countries:
Rank Country
71 India
1 Switzerland
2 Netherlands
3 Denmark
4 Singapore
5 United Kingdom (UK)
Basis of Assessment:
Secure internet servers, reliability of postal services and infrastructure, and the portion of their population that uses
the internet and has an account with a financial institution or a provider of mobile money services.
Ranking of India on various parameters:
• Share of individuals using the Internet (2019 or latest)- 34
• Share of individuals with an account (15+, 2017)- 80
• Secure Internet servers (normalized, 2019)- 49
• UPU postal reliability score (2019 or latest)- 65
On the regional front of East, South & Southeast Asia, India ranked at 10th position which has been topped by
Singapore.
Key Points:
i.The 10 developing countries with the highest scores are all from Asia in the category of high-income or upper-
middle-income economies.
ii.Least developed countries (LDCs) occupy 18 of the bottom 20 positions. Congo and SyrianA rab Republic are the
only non-LDCs in this group.
iii.The two largest B2C e-commerce markets in the world, China and the United States, rank 55th and 12th
respectively.
iv.In the composition of the top 10 positions, Hong Kong (China) replaced Australia. Among the top 10 developing
economies, Oman replaced Turkey.
v.The four largest increases in index scores were recorded in developing countries of Algeria, Brazil, Ghana and Lao
People’s Democratic Republic.
vi.Costa Rica became the best performer in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, replacing Chile.
vii.Mauritius retained the highest score in sub-Saharan Africa.
vii.Belarus got the highest score among transition economies.
Why Special focus on Latin America and the Caribbean?
LAC region accounts for 9% of the world’s population aged 15 and older and 11% of the world’s internet users. Five
countries account for 92% of online shoppers in LAC which is much higher than their share (72%) of the region’s
population.
• However, the region’s share of global online shoppers was only 6% of the global total in 2019.
Click Here for full report

i.According to Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2020 Edition released by Sydney (Australia) based Lowy Institute,
India with a score of 39.7 (out of 100) is the 4th most powerful country in Asia.
ii.According to the ‘COVID Performance Index : Deconstructing Pandemic Responses’ released by Australia based
Lowy Institute, India with a score of 24.3 was ranked at 86 out of 98 Countries on basis of its response towards
tackling the Pandemic. New Zealand topped the list followed by Vietnam & Taiwan.
India ranked 121st & Singapore retains 1st Rank in the 2021 Economic Freedom Index
India with a score of 56.5 was ranked 121 (category – ‘Mostly Unfree’) in the ‘2021 Index of Economic Freedom’ (27th
Annual Edition) released by The Heritage Foundation. Singapore topped the list for the 2nd time in a row followed
by New Zealand & Australia.
• India ranked 26th among 40 countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and its overall score is below the regional
and world averages.
• This is the 1st time that the index has been published after the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Around 184 Countries have been covered in the Index; the Period of study is from July 2019 – June 2020.
• For the 1st time, The Heritage Foundation has excluded Hong Kong from its rankings. Hong Kong had topped
the Index for 25 out of 27 years (1995-2019).
• Overall, the Global Economy remains ‘Moderately Free’ in the 2021 Index. The Global Average of economic
freedom remained unchanged at 61.6 for the second year in a row (highest average score in Index history).
Rank Country Overall Score Category
121 India 56.5 Mostly Unfree
1 Singapore 89.7 Free
2 New Zealand 83.9 Free
3 Australia 82.4 Free
Ranking in Asia–Pacific region:
Singapore is ranked 1st among 40 countries in the Asia–Pacific region.India ranked 26th.
Top 3 Country in Asia Pacific Region:
1.Singapore
2.New Zealand
3.Australia
Methodology
It is based on 12 freedoms which are categorized into 4 Broad Categories or pillars of economic freedom
• Rule of Law (Property rights, Government Integrity, Judicial effectiveness)
• Government Size (Government Spending, Tax Burden, Fiscal Health)
• Regulatory Efficiency (Business Freedom, Labor Freedom, Monetary Freedom)
• Open Markets (Trade Freedom, Investment Freedom, Financial Freedom)
Regional wise & Country-wise Rankings
• Asia-Pacific countries scored lower than the world average in 7 of 12 indicators.
• Major Economies – UK – 7th, USA – 20th, Japan – 23rd, Germany – 29th & China – 107.
• Lowest Ranked Countries – North Korea – 178, Venezuela – 177, Cuba – 176.
About the Index:
The Index of Economic Freedom is an annual index and ranking created in 1995 by conservative think-tank The
Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal to measure the degree of economic freedom in the world’s nations.

i.September 11, 2020, India took the 105th position in the 24th Edition of Economic Freedom of the World: 2020
Annual Report by Canada’s Fraser Institute.
ii.September 17, 2020, World Bank released the report titled “The Human Capital Index 2020 Update: Human Capital
in the Time of COVID-19”. India has been placed at the 116th position among 174 countries in the Human Capital
Index 2020.
About The Heritage Foundation:
President – Kay C. James
Headquarters – Washington DC., USA
India emerges as 5th attractive Growth Destination, US Tops List: PwC’s Global CEO Survey
According to PwC’s (PricewaterhouseCoopers) 24th Annual Global CEO Survey, India emerged as the 5th most
attractive growth destination in the world. India has slipped one position to 5th, after being surpassed by the United
Kingdom which took the 4th Position.
The USA emerged as the Number one market favoured by CEOs over the next 1 year followed by China, Germany.
• The survey covered 5, 050 CEOs in 100 Countries & Territories including India.
• Japan took the 6th position overtaking Australia.
• 76% of CEOs expect the global economic recovery to improve in 2021.
Position Country
5 India
1 USA
2 China
3 Germany
4 UK
Key points:
i.The Top 5 threats of 2021 according to CEOs are
• Pandemic & other Health Crises
• Cyber Threats
• Over-regulation
• Policy Uncertainty
• Uncertain Economic Growth
ii.The survey also highlights that China CEOs prioritise large economies for growth as US CEOs continue to pull away
from China.
Percentage of Top Threats Globally & Asia Pacific Region:
• Pandemics and other health crises is the top threat for Global CEO’s with 52%.It was followed by Cyber
threats-47%, Over-regulation – 42%, Policy uncertainty – 38%, Uncertain economic growth – 35%.
• Similarly Pandemics and other health crises with 58% is the top threat for the Asia-Pacific CEO’s.It was
followed by Cyber threats – 40%, Uncertain economic growth -39%, Policy uncertainty-36%, Over-regulation -
36%, Availability of key skills -36%.
i.February 1, 2021, According to the report ‘Upskilling for Shared Prosperity’ – January 2021 released by WEF in
collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Investments in Upskilling can boost the Global 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.
About PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC):
Chairman – Robert E. Moritz
Headquarters – London, UK

India ranked highest in workplace satisfaction: JLL HPI Index
According to JLL’s (Jones Lang LaSalle)’s Human Performance Indicator (HPI) Index, India ranked highest in
workplace satisfaction at 98 percent followed by China at 97 percent.
• As per the report, India leads other Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries with 81 per cent of high performers
practising flexible working, including flexible hours and work-from-home.
Factors:
The Key Factors impacting workplace satisfaction in high performers are wider range of sophisticated workplaces
and technologies.
High Performers & Low Performers:
The one, who has good environment to work like wide range of sophisticated spaces, technology tools and work
practices are termed as High Performers.
The one, who felt that they did not have access to a work environment with collaborative spaces, sophisticated
technology or an inclusive culture are termed as Low performers.
High Performers Based on Sector & Region:
i.Majority of high performers are Technology workers (53 percent) and young professionals aged 25 to 34 (37
percent).
ii.Only one-third of workplaces in Asia Pacific Region have an environment that elevates employee performance.
Key Points:
i.Seven in 10 High Performers practice flexible work, including flexible hours and work-from-home, in comparison to
only 34% of Low Performers.
ii.95% of High Performers said they were tech ready to work remotely.
iii.98% of High Performers agreed that their leadership enabled them to achieve their full potential professionally.
iv.7 in 10 (70%) of High Performers have found a confidential space to have a difficult conversation and 61% have a
mentor at work.
v.96% of High Performers highlighted that they have access to spaces that promote informal interactions among
colleagues such as outdoor terraces, game rooms, and on-site coffee shops and baristas.
About the Index:
• The Human Performance Indicator (HPI) is a new formula that gives a comprehensive view of how different
aspects of the workplace such as spaces, technology and culture combine to elevate human performance.
• 1500 employees in five countries(Australia, China, India, Japan, and Singapore) across the region were
analysed for this study.
i.2020 Hurun Global 500 list – a list of 500 most valuable companies across the globe, of Hurun Research features a
total of 11 Indian companies. According to the report India secured the 10th rank with 11 companies whose total
values grew 14% and reached 805 billion USD (around one third of Indian GDP).Topped by United States with 242
companies.
About Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL):
Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Chief Executive Officer & President – Christian Ulbrich
US becomes India’s 2nd Biggest Oil Supplier overtaking Saudi Arabia;Iraq Tops
According to trade data released by Reuters, the United States surpassed Saudi Arabia as India’s 2nd Biggest Oil
Supply in February, 2021. Iraq continues to be India’s Largest supplier despite a 23% decline in purchases to a five-
month low of 867, 500 BPD (Barrels Per Day).
• India’s imports from America increased to 48% to a record 545, 300 BPD in February, 2021 accounting for
14% of India’s overall imports last month
• Saudi Arabia slipped to No.4 Position for the 1st time since January 2006. Nigeria rose to 3rd Position and
UAE slipped to 5th Position.
• Totally, India shipped 3.92 million BPD of Oil in February, 2021 (decline of 18% from January).
Fact
India is World’s Third Largest Oil Importer & Consumer (after USA, China)

Position Country
1 Iraq
2 USA
3 Nigeria
4 Saudi Arabia
5 UAE
Reasons for rise of US
• The Crude oil supplied by US is relatively cheaper compared to oil supplied by OPEC (Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries +) and its allies
• OPEC has cut its oil productions in order to speed up oil market’s recovery from COVID-19 Pandemic. Saudi
Arabia has opted for a voluntary extra 1 Million BPD output cut due to OPEC’s decision.
Key Points
• At present, India ships 84% of its crude needs and relies heavily on the Middle East.
• Middle East’s share of India’s overall imports declined to a 22-month low of about 52.7% while Africa’s rose to
15%.
• India is actively taking steps to diversify its crude oil sources.
i.On May 11, 2020, The ministry of petroleum and natural gas has set up a 6-member panel to review the existing
Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) due to the fall in crude oil prices and the COVID-19 lockdown.
About Reuters:
Reuters is an International News Organization owned by Thomson Reuters
President – Michael Friedenberg
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom
About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC):
13 Member Countries – Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi
Arabia, UAE & Venezuela.
Secretary General – HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo
Headquarters – Vienna, Austria
India 3rd Most Polluted Country, Delhi Most Polluted Capital City : IQAir Report
According to the ‘2020 World Air Quality Report’ released by IQAir (Swiss Air Technology Company), India was the
3rd Most Polluted Country in the World in 2020 after Bangladesh & Pakistan. Delhi was the most polluted Capital City
for the 3rd consecutive time it was followed by Dhaka (Bangladesh) & Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia).
• In the case of World’s most polluted cities, Hotan of China came first followed by India’s Ghaziabad (Uttar
Pradesh) & Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh).
• The rankings are based on annual average PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter) of the year 2020. It covered 106
Countries.
Most Polluted Countries in 2020
Rank Country PM
3 India 51.9
1 Bangladesh 77.1
2 Pakistan 59
South & East Asia – Major Point of Air Pollution
• According to the report, South and East Asian countries continue to be the most polluted locations in the
world.
• 37 out of 40 most polluted cities in 2020 are in South Asia.
• Only 1.6% of cities in South Asia met WHO’s (World Health Organization) PM 2.5 target in 2020.
• Air pollution causes a loss of 7.4% of South Asia’s GDP.

Global Air Pollution
• In 2020, 84% of all monitored countries observed air quality improvements.
• Bangladesh, China (11th in most polluted), India, and Pakistan contributed 49 out of 50 most polluted cities
worldwide.
• Least Polluted Countries – Puerto Rico, New Caledonia & U.S. Virgin Islands
Regarding India
• India was home to 35 of World’s 50 most polluted cities
• Compared to 2019 levels, India recorded an 11% reduction in annual average of PM 2.5 levels due to
Coronavirus lockdown.
• Major sources of India’s air pollution – Transportation, stubble burning, construction.
Socio-Economic Impact of Air Pollution
• Air Pollution is estimated to cost the global economy around 2.9 Trillion per year (equal to 3.3% of Global
GDP).
• Air Pollution remains the cause of 7 million premature deaths annually.
i.December 1, 2020, According to Air Pollution Data released by United States (US) Air Quality Index 2020 on
November 30, 2020 Lahore, Pakistan topped the list of World’s most Polluted Cities.
About IQAir:
President – Frank Hammes
Headquarters – Goldach, Switzerland
World’s Most Dangerous Roads: South Africa Topped, India Ranked 4th; Norway Topped as World’s Most
Safest Roads
According to the Study conducted by International driver education company, Zutobi, South Africa was ranked
1st in the World’s Most Dangerous Roads study, it was followed by Thailand. United States ranked 3rd.India was
ranked 4th in the study. The Study was conducted among 56 Countries.
• Similarly, The Study states that, Norway has the World’s Safest Road & topped in the study in World’s Safest
Roads, it is followed by Japan in the 2nd place & Sweden in 3rd Place.
Methodology:
i.The Study has analyzed each country on the following five factors, giving each one a normalized score out of ten for
each factor, before taking an average final score across all five factors.
ii.The 5 factors of the study are,
• Estimated road traffic death rate (per 100,000 population),
• Maximum motorway speed limit (mph),
• Seat-belt wearing rate (front seat),
• Road traffic deaths attributed to alcohol,
• Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit for drivers (g/dl).
iii.These estimates taken in the study were based on the World Health Organization’s Global Health Observatory data
repository.
iv.While estimating the score, maximum speed limit on motorway and blood alcohol content restrictions in the
various countries.
Top 5 Countries – World’s Dangerous Roads:
Estimated road Maximum Road traffic Blood Alcohol
traffic death rate motorway Seat-belt deaths Concentration (BAC)
(per 100,000 speed limit wearing rate attributed to limit for drivers
Country population) (mph) (front seat) alcohol (g/dl) Overall
South
Africa 25.9 74 31% 57.50% 0.05 3.23
Thailand 32.7 74 40% 14.10% 0.05 4.35

United
States 12.4 80 90.10% 29% 0.08 5.09
India 22.6 74 7.25% 4.10% 0.03 5.1
Argentina 14 80 40.80% 17% 0.05 5.1
Top 5 Countries – World’s Safest Roads:
Estimated road Maximum Road traffic
traffic death rate motorway Seat-belt deaths Blood Alcohol
(per 100,000 speed limit wearing rate attributed to Concentration (BAC)
Country population) (mph) (front seat) alcohol limit for drivers (g/dl) Overall
Norway 2.7 68 95% 13.00% 0.02 8.21
Japan 4.1 74 98% 5.60% 0.03 7.89
Swedan 2.8 68 96.00% 24% 0.02 7.87
Estonia 6.1 74 97.30% 10.00% 0.02 7.84
Iceland 6.6 55 93.00% 14% 0.05 7.81
Click here to read more Information
About Zutobi
Zutobi is an international driver’s education company with courses in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden,
Australia, France, and Germany.
India Ranked 139 out of 149 in UN World Happiness Report 2021, Finland Tops
India with a score of 3.819 has been ranked 139 out of 149 countries in the ‘World Happiness Report 2021’ an
publication of United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN). The ranking was topped by
Finland (tops for the 4th Time).
• This is the 9th World Happiness Report and is based on surveys conducted during the time period of 2018-
20.
• It ranks the world’s 149 countries on “how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be”.
• The results of the report based on the Gallup World Poll.
• The least happy countries were Afghanistan (149), Zimbabwe (148) & Rwanda (147).
• Apart from Afghanistan (149), all neighbouring countries ranked higher than India.
This Year (2021) the report ranked the country using 2 methods,
• Using the data from the previous three years of surveys(2018-2020).
• Using the data from only 2020.
Ranking Based on Past 3 Years(2018-2020):
Country Ranking Points
India 139 3.819
Finland 1 7.842
Denmark 2 7.62
Switzerland 3 7.571
Ranking Based on Last Year(2020):
Country Ranking Points
Finland 1 7.889
Iceland 2 7.575
Denmark 3 7.515
Note: Luxembourg was not surveyed in 2020 and is represented by its 2018-19 survey in the official rankings.
Focus of 2021 Report
The survey was based on issues like

• Effects of COVID-19 on structure and quality of people’s lives
• Performance of governments in dealing with the pandemic
• The report also took into account data related per capita Gross Domestic Product, healthy life expectancy,
social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity and corruption perception.
Method
The method used in the World Happiness Report on Cantril Ladder Survey.
Key Points
• India was ranked 140 in the World Happiness Report 2019 and India ranked 144 in World Happiness Report
2020.
• Ranking of Neighbouring Countries of India – Pakistan is on 105th, Bangladesh on 101st, China on 84th, Sri
Lanka on 129th .
• Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, the US was ranked at 19th place.
About the Report:
The World Happiness Report 2021 is a publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, powered by
data from the Gallup World Poll. Including the World Risk Poll by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and the life satisfaction
data collected during 2020 as part of the Covid Data Hub.
The Report is supported by the Ernesto Illy Foundation; illycaffè; Davines Group; The Blue Chip Foundation; The
William, Jeff, and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation; the Happier Way Foundation, Indeed, and Unilever’s largest ice
cream brand Wall’s.
i.December 19, 2020, According to the ‘Human Freedom Index 2020: A Global Measurement of Personal, Civil, and
Economic Freedom’ – 6th Annual Report released by Cato Institute of United States & Fraser Institute in Canada, India
(overall score of 6.43) ranked 111 in the list of 162 countries.
About United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN):
President – Jeffrey Sachs
Secretariat – New York, USA; Paris, France; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Lakshadweep, Budgam District declared TB Free;Himachal Pradesh tops State TBI Index 2021
On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the
celebrations at Dr Ambedkar International Centre at Delhi. During the event,
• Lakshadweep (UT) & District of Budgam (Jammu & Kashmir) were declared Tuberculosis (TB) free.
• Himachal Pradesh achieved 1st Rank in India amongst the states with a population of more than 50 Lakhs, to
end Tuberculosis under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
• India also resolved to end Tuberculosis by 2025. Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets
of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• India has 30% of World’s TB cases.
i.Union Minister Harsh Vardhan also released several reports
• State TBI Index 2021 ; Guidelines for programmatic management of Drug-Resistant TB in India, 2021; Gender-
responsive approach; TB Aarogya Sathi Application for citizens/TB patients.
• Guidance document on Strategy to End Stigma and Discrimination Associated with Tuberculosis, Collaborative
framework for management of TB in pregnant women.
• He also launched iDEFEAT TB Project & Corporate TB pledge.
Key Points
• In 2020, India’s TB programme saw over 18.04 Lakh TB notifications, which is a fall of 24% from 2019.
• National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) has led to an increase in TB notifications & significant
improvements in diagnosis, adherence, and treatment outcomes.
• Approved Budget for the National TB programme in 2020-21 was INR 3, 110 Crore
• During the pandemic, India used Indigenously developed cost-effective, point-of-care molecular diagnostic
machines (called TrueNAT) to test for both TB and COVID-19.
• TB has been made part of Comprehensive Primary Health Care & has been integrated with Ayushman Bharat
Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs).

Himachal Pradesh adjudged best State in Country on World TB Day
HP has achieved first rank in the country amongst the States with a population of more than 50 lakhs, to end
Tuberculosis based on State TBI Index 2021.
Subnational Certificate:
Lahaul and Spiti of HP earned Silver medal. Kinnaur, Hamirpur, Una and Kangra of HP got bronze medal.
Measures Taken by Himachal Pradesh:
Mukhya Mantri Kshay Rog Nivaran Yojana was launched in HP in 2018 with an aim to eradicate TB.
Dr. Nipun Jindal, Mission Director, NHM, Himachal Pradesh and Dr. Gopal Beri received the award on behalf of HP
Government.
October 15, 2020, According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2020 released by WHO, there has been a 25 to 30
% drop in Tuberculosis (TB) case notification across three high-burden countries – India, Indonesia and
Philippines between January-June 2020.
ii.On July 24, 2020, on the request of WHO, the Government of India (GoI) has extended medical assistance in the
form of anti-tuberculosis medicines worth about US$ 1 million to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Static
World Tuberculosis Day – 24th March
2021 Theme – ‘The Clock is Ticking’
India ranked 40th on International Intellectual Property Index 2021; USA Tops the Index
India with a score of 38.40% has been ranked 40th out of 53 Global Economies in the 9th Edition of the
‘International Intellectual Property (IP) Index : Recovery through Ingenuity 2021’ released by US Chamber of
Commerce Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC). USA, UK & Germany topped the Index.
• In the 8th Edition India Scored 38.46%.So there is a decline of 0.06% from Previous Year.
• The IIP Index released annually by GIPC evaluates the IP rights, patents, copyright policies, commercialization
of IP assets and ratification of International Treaties of 53 Global economies.
• The report states that the overall global IP environment has improved in 2020, with 32 out of 53 Countries
recording positive improvements in their score.
Rank Country Score
40 India 38.40%
1 USA 95.31%
2 UK 93.90%
3 Germany 92.27%
Among BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa) grouping, India has raised his score from 24.96% in 2012 to
38.40% in 2021 (i.e. there is a rise of 13.44%) & registered the 2nd highest growth over the 9 editions of IIP Index.
China had the largest overall increase in score between 2020-2021 at 3.90%.(i.e. In 2020 it scored 50.96% & in 2021
it scored 54.86%).
India’s needs
• The report states that India needs a unified IP framework which supports India’s competitiveness.
• IP framework is needed for sectors like advanced manufacturing, biopharmaceutical products, and creative
content.
• India’s IP ecosystem can be further strengthened through reforms pertaining to Trade secrets protection,
removal of bureaucratic barriers, passage of clean Cinematographic Law amendments to protect Indian
creative content.
Benefits of having effective IP frameworks
• Economies with most effective IP Frameworks
• Will achieve socio-economic benefits needed to combat COVID-19
• Greater access to venture capital
• Increased private sector investment in research and development

• 10 times more clinical trial activity
i.September 3, 2020, For the First time, India joined the group of Top 50 Countries in the 13th Edition of GII 2020, as
it took the 48th rank with a score of 35.59 in the Annual report jointly released by WIPO, Cornell University and
INSEAD Business School.
About Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC):
President & CEO – David Hirschmann
REPORTS
Pandemic to leave 375 Million Children in India with Health, Economic Impacts: SoE 2021 report
According to the State of India’s Environment 2021 (SoE 2021) Annual report released by Down to Earth Magazine
in association with Centre for Science & Environment (CSE), India is set to begin a ‘pandemic generation’ as 375
million children (0-14 year-olds) may suffer long-lasting impacts such as underweight, stunting & increased child
mortality, to losses in education & work productivity due to pandemic.
• Over 500 Million children have been forced out of school globally with India accounting for 50% of such
Children.
• 115 Million people may get pushed into extreme poverty by pandemic (majority of them live in South Asia).
• India was ranked 117 out of 192 nations in terms of sustainable development behind all South Asian
countries except Pakistan.
• The report also highlights Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) evaluation of 88 Major Industrial clusters
in India based on which Tarapur, Maharashtra emerged the most polluted cluster in India.
Report on Environment issues
Industrial Pollution
i.The report states that there has been a significant increase in India’s air, water & land pollution between the years
2009 & 2018.
ii.Out of 88 Major Industrial clusters in India, Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) own evaluation indicates that
• 35 clusters show overall environmental degradation
• 33 indicate worsening air quality
• 45 have water that is more polluted
• 17 have land pollution which has worsened in the specified time period.
iii.Tarapur, Maharashtra emerged as the most polluted cluster in India.
Performance of Indian states with regard to SDGs
• The 5 best states with regard to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals are – Kerala, Himachal Pradesh,
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Telangana
• Worst performing states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya & Uttar Pradesh.
Air Pollution
• In 2019, 1.67 Million Indians lost their lives due to air pollution.
• The economic cost of this was USD 36, 000 million which is equivalent to 36% of India’s GDP.
• It highlighted the need for a Vehicle Scrappage policy, by 2025 around 20 million vehicles will reach the end of
their lives adding to pollution & environmental damage.
Water Pollution
• It stated that Jal Jeevan Mission’s target to provide drinking water to all rural households by 2024 needs to
focus on making water source sustainable, recharge of groundwater & rainwater harvesting.
• Since 2014-15, India has spent 34% of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act) funds on
water-related works which has led to creation of around 11 million assets in half a million villages.
• During the pandemic, there was no significant improve in the water quality of Indian rivers. River Ganga ran
even more dirtier during the COVID-19 period.

India’s Flora & Fauna under threat
• In India, 438 plant species (of which 95% are flowering plants & food crops) & 889 vertebrates and
Invertebrates are under threat.
• 34, 671 Environmental cases were registered in 2019, and 49, 877 environmental crime cases are pending
trial, which means Courts need to dispose of 137 cases a day.
• Forestland diversion continues constantly, around 11, 000 hectares were diverted in 22 states in 2019. 8 coal
projects granted clearance in ‘No-Go’ areas have diverted 19, 614 hectares of forestland, fell over 1 million
trees & evicted around 10, 000 families.
• Over the last 4 years, the area occupied by tigers has shrunk by around 17, 000 Sq Kms.
i.December 3, 2020, According to a survey conducted by CPCB-IITD (Central Pollution Control Board-Indian Institute
of Technology, Delhi), Southern India & Eastern India recorded a higher rate of increase in pollution levels than the
Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP).
ii.April 8, 2020, In accordance with the report by the CAG for the year ended March 31, 2018, 40.59% of the crimes
related to the environment in the country were committed in Rajasthan (RJ) during 2014-16.
About Centre for Science & Environment (CSE):
Director General – Sunita Narain
One in four people will have hearing problems by 2050: WHO’s 1st Report on Hearing
On March 2, 2021, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) released its first World Report on Hearing stating that
nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide or 1 in 4 people will suffer from hearing problems by 2050. At present one in
five people worldwide have hearing problems. If the issue is not properly addressed, there will be a loss of trillion US
dollars every year.
• In order to overcome this scenario, the report proposed measures, which would cost $1.33 per person per
year.
• It should be noted that World hearing day is observed annually on March 3.
What is the key contributor to hearing problems?
It is poor access to treatment as low-income countries have fewer professionals to treat the hearing problems of
patients. Notably, 80% of the people with hearing loss live in such countries. Even in richer countries the access to
care is often uneven. There is also a lack of accurate information and the stigma surrounding ear disease and hearing
loss.
• Could prevent the causes of many problems such as infections, diseases, birth defects, noise exposure, and
lifestyle choices as per the first-ever global report on the hearing.
Key Recommendations provided in Report:
i.Reduction of noise in public spaces
ii.Increasing vaccinations for diseases such as meningitis that can cause hearing loss
iii.Systematic screening to identify the problem
i.The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the Global Risks Report 2021, 16th Edition. The findings of the
report are based on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) undertaken by over 650 members of WEF’s diverse
leadership communities.
ii.According to the report ‘Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020: Maternal and
child diets at the heart of improving nutrition’, based on Global estimates the number of people facing severe food
insecurity was estimated to double to 265 Million by the end of 2020 due to pandemic.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)

65% low, Lower-Middle Income Countries slashed Education Budgets after COVID-19 outbreak: WB report
In accordance with the report by World Bank (WB), the low and lower-middle income countries have cut the
education budgets by 65% after COVID-19 pandemic despite the urgent need for adequate funding to allow school
systems to reopen safely and to fund programs to make up for the losses in learning students experienced while
schools were closed.
• 33% of high and upper-middle income countries also followed the same scenario.
• The current level of government spending is also falling short for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
Key Features of Report:
i.It was prepared to analyze and understand the short term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on education budgets.
ii.It was compiled in collaboration with UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report.
How information for the report was collected?
The report has covered 29 countries across all regions which represent about 54% of the world’s school and
university aged population. The information collected was then verified with World Bank country teams.
• The sample includes three low-income countries (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Uganda); 14 lower-middle income
countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Philippines, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); 10 upper-middle income nations (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia,
Jordan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Turkey); and two high-income countries (Chile, Panama).
Key Points:
i.The countries of Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, India, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Russia have education shares below
10%
ii.Households in low and lower-middle income countries tend to contribute a greater share of the total education
spending than those in upper-middle and high-income countries
i.A financial support agreement was signed between Ministry of Education (MoE), Department of Economic Affairs
(DEA), and World Bank (WB) for the implementation of Rs 5718 crore STARS project on January 29, 2021.
ii.On January 11, 2021,4th edition of One Planet Summit (OPS) 2021 was virtually organized by France, the United
Nations (UN) and the World Bank from Paris (France) to prepare negotiations for setting global biodiversity targets
in order to protect nature in the next decade.The theme of the summit is “Let’s act together for nature!”.
About World Bank:
Members– 189 (including India)
Subsidiaries– International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development
Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Released Report of ICMR-AIIMS & DGHS-PGIMER’s Pictorial Guidebook on
‘Prevent Hearing Loss’
On 3rd March 2021, as a part of the World Hearing Day, Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare,
released the the report related to hearing loss prepared by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – All India
Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) ICMR-AIIMS.
He also released the Pictorial guidebook on ‘Prevent Hearing Loss’ prepared by Directorate General of Health
Services(DGHS)- Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research(PGIMER).
Key People:
Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFA); Mangal Pandey, Health
Minister, Bihar, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, MoHFW, Dr. Kanwar Sen, Additional DGHS, Dr. Alok Thakkar, HOD (ENT)
AIIMS and Dr Arun Kumar Agarwal, former Dean Maulana Azad Medical College were present at the event.
Inauguration of 6 Outreach Service Centres for Communication Disorders:
As a part of the 2021 world hearing Day, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan virtually inaugurated the six new

Outreach Service Centres for Communication Disorders by the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH),
Mysuru, Karnataka.
The centres have been set up in Bihar (1), Odisha (1), and Karnataka (4).
• Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science, Patna, Bihar
• Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bidar, Karnataka
• Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, Belagavi, Karnataka
• Karnataka Institute of Medical Science, Hubli, Karnataka
• AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
• Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research, Kolar, Karnataka
Aim of the centers:
To reach out to the underserved and unserved areas in India and provide the needs of the people with
communication disorders.
About All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH):
Director– M. Pushpavathi
Headquarters– Mysuru, Karnataka
More than 931 Million Tonnes of Food waste generated in 2019 : UN Food Waste Index 2021
According to ‘Food Waste Index Report 2021’ compiled by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
& WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) found that around 931 Million Tonnes (1.03 Billion Tons) of Food
waste was generated in 2019. It equals to 17% of food produced globally.
• 61% of this waste was generated by households, 26% from food service & 13% from retails.
• At the Global level, 74Kg per capita of food is wasted each year.
• In India the per capita food wastage is 50 Kg (at the household level) & it is estimated that India generates 68,
760, 163 tonnes of food waste each year.
• The 2015 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 aims to halve food waste & reduce food loss by 2030.
In addition to the Food Loss Index developed by the Food & Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), Food
Waste Index covers food’s journey – food waste occurring at household, food service & retail level.
Key points
• Per capita food wastage is higher in west Asian & sub-Saharan African Countries compared to South Asian,
European & North American countries.
• 8-10% of the Global Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) are associated with foods which are not consumed.
• Reducing food waste will slow down the destruction of nature through land conversion & pollution, enhance
availability of food & reduce hunger.
FAO Report
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in 2019 around 690 million people
were impacted by hunger & 3 billion were unable to afford a health diet.
• The numbers are expected to increase sharply in the Post covid-era.
Per Capita Food Wastage estimates in South Asia
• 82 kg in Afghanistan
• 79 kg in Nepal
• 76 kg in Sri Lanka
• 74 kg in Pakistan
• 65 kg in Bangladesh
i.On September 29, 2020 The First Ever “International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW)” was
observed FA & UNEP.The Theme for International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2020 is “Stop food loss
and waste. For the People. For the Planet”.
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director – Inger Andersen
Headquarters – Nairobi, Kenya

About WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme):
Chair – Julie Hill
Headquarters – Banbury, United Kingdom
India’s position downgraded to ‘Partly Free’ in Freedom in the World 2021 report
According to the ‘Freedom in the World 2021: Democracy under Siege’ released by US based Think Tank Freedom
House, India has scored 67 and its position has been downgraded to ‘Partly Free’ from ‘Free’ in 2020. India’s ranking
has also fallen to 88 (from 83) out of 211 countries.
• The ‘most free countries’ with a score of 100 are Finland, Norway & Sweden.
• Least Free Countries with a score of 1 are Tibet & Syria.
• This is the 1st time since 1997 that India has been downgraded to ‘partly free’. India’s score has decreased
from 71 (in 2020 ).
• Freedom House is largely funded through USA government grants and is actively tracking the course of
democracy since 1941.
Country Score Status
India 67 ‘Partly Free’
Finland, Sweden, Norway 100 ‘Most Free’
Tibet, Syria 1 ‘Least Free’
Reasons for India’s Downfall
• Legislation & Policies that undermine the political rights of Muslims.
• Increased Government Pressure on Human rights organization.
• Rising Intimidation of academics & Journalists.
Basis of Rankings
• The scores are based on Political rights indicators like electoral process, political pluralism & government
functioning.
• Civil Liberties indicators such as Freedom of expression and belief, associational & organisational rights, rule
of law & personal autonomy and individual rights.
• Based on the scores, countries are declared as ‘free’, ‘partly free’ or ‘not free’.
India’s scores
• Political rights – 34/40
• Civil Liberties – 33/60
• Internet Freedom score – 51/100.
India’s Status:
Freedom House noted that the change in India’s status from “Free” to “Partly Free” was the most significant for 2020,
“meaning less than 20 per cent of the world’s people now live in a Free country — the smallest proportion since
1995″.
The Freedom House report again listed “Indian Kashmir” separately, and retained its status as last year of “not free”
(the first time it had done so), with the score for it falling from 28 to 27. Between 2013 and 2019, “Indian Kashmir”
was labelled as “partly free”. Its score fell from 28 to 27.
Other Countries on par with India
India’s score of 67 puts in on par with other countries like Ecuador & Dominican Republic.
i.February 4, 2021, 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.
About Freedom House:
President – Michael J. Abramowitz

Closure of Schools due to COVID has impacted 247 Million Children in India:UNICEF Study
According to report titled “Education: From disruption to recovery” released by UNICEF (United Nations
International Children’s Emergency Fund), the closure of 1.5 Million schools due to pandemic & its lockdown in 2020
has impacted 247 Million Children enrolled in elementary & secondary schools in India.
• Globally around 888 Million children continue to face disruptions to their education due to full & partial
school closures.
• Schools in 14 Countries across the world have remained closed since March 2020 to February 2021. Two-
thirds of those countries are in Latin America & Caribbean, it has affected around 98 million schoolchildren in
these regions.
• The report also states that Online education is not feasible as only 1 in 4 children have access to digital devices
& Internet connectivity.
Rural-Urban divide
• The report highlighted that before the pandemic, only 24% of households in India had access to the Internet.
• There was also a large rural-urban and gender divide.
Framework for reopening Schools
• Only 8 states/UTs in India have opened classes for students from Class 1 to Class 12.
• The Ministry of Education is in the process of finalising guidelines for safe reopening of schools. The guidelines
are being drafted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
• UNICEF, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNHCR (United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees), World Bank & World Food Programme have developed a Global framework
for reopening schools.
Mental Health of Children
• An analysis by UNICEF also states that at least 332 Million Children (1 in 7) have their mental health and well
being at risk due to lockdowns.
• According to UNICEF, India had one of the strictest lockdowns in the world.
• The lockdown has led to an increase in children experiencing violence, abuse at home, and many have been left
stranded due to lack of support from teachers, families & communities.
i.On 28th January 2021, UNICEF’s Office of Research – Innocenti and the World Food Programme (WFP) released a
new report which states that more than 39 billion in-school meals were missed due to the closure of schools during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
About UNICEF:
Executive Director – Henrietta H. Fore
2021 set to be ‘make or break year’ to combat global climate emergency: UNFCCC report
UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has stated 2021 is a ‘make or break year’ to confront the global climate
emergency. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has released the Initial NDC (Nationally
Determined Contributions) Synthesis Report which measures the progress of Climate Action Plans of Countries
under the Paris Agreement.
• The report states that the efforts put in by countries are not enough to limit Global Temperature rise to 1.5
degrees Celsius or to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• In order to achieve the targets, countries must cut global emission by 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels.
Updated NDCs by Countries
• The UNFCCC report covered submissions from countries up to December 31, 2020.
• The report showed that 75 parties to the Framework Convention to fight climate change have communicated a
new or updated NDC which represents 30% of Global Greenhouse gas emissions.
2nd Report to be released prior to COP26
The second UNFCCC report will be released before the COP26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference),
which is scheduled to be held in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland under the presidency of the United Kingdom.

About UNFCCC:
Executive Secretary – Patricia Espinosa
Signatory Parties – 197
Headquarters – Bonn, Germany
Gender Inequality has cost the World USD 70 Trillion since 1990: BofA Report
According to a report compiled by the economists of Bank of America (BofA), Gender inequality has cost the world
USD 70 Trillion since 1990. It also states that it would take a minimum of 257 years to bridge the gender gap.
• The Loss of Human Capital Wealth due to Gender Inequality is estimated at USD 160.2 Trillion.
• If all countries become gender-equal, the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will increase by up to USD 28
Trillion by 2025.
• The report also states that the LGBTQ+ Community is equal to the 4th Largest Economy in the world at USD
3.9 Trillion.
• Note – The LGBTQ+ community is equivalent to the fourth largest economy in the world at USD 3.9 trillion.
Pandemic deepens Gender Inequality
The report states that the Pandemic has further deepened the Gender Inequality Crisis.
• Due to the Pandemic, around 96 Million People are estimated to slip into extreme poverty in 2021, of which 47
million would be women.
• Women’s jobs were 19% more at risk.
Gender inequality in Education, Health
Gender and racial biases lead to persistent labour market disparities and limit the economy, it says closing the gender
and race gaps in education and employment would have generated USD 2.6 trillion more in economic output in 2019
and the cumulative gains from 1990 would have been USD 70 trillion at the 2019 dollar rate.
Closing racial earnings gap resulting from disparities in health, education, incarceration and employment
opportunities would boost trend growth by 0.5 per cent per year through 2050, says the report.
Gender inequality in Profession
For the first time in six years in 2020 there were no black chairs, chief executives or finance chiefs in the FTSE 100
companies and just one company in the S&P 500 is run by a Black female CEO now, and only eight companies have at
least 50 per cent female management teams.
Children with Disabilities
The report states that in emerging market countries 90% of children with disabilities do not attend schools.
i.On December 10, 2020, India’s 1st LGBT + Workplace Equality Index, “India Workplace Equality Index Top
Employers 2020 Report” based on the India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI) Index was launched by KSF, Pride
Circle, Stonewall & FICCI.
About Bank of America (BofA):
CEO – Brian Moynihan
Headquarters – Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
LinkedIn’s ‘The Opportunity Index 2021’ report highlights 85% Indian Women miss promotion on Gender
basis
In January 2021, LinkedIn surveyed 10,000 working women in the Asia Pacific region and released “The
Opportunity Index 2021”, which revealed that 85% of Indian women felt missed out of Salary hike or
promotion because of their gender, while the number stands at 60% in Asia Pacific region. However, 66% felt
that gender equality has improved from the time of their parents. Shockingly 9 of 10 women revealed that they
were negatively impacted by the pandemic.
COVID-19 may result in an additional 10 Million Child Marriages by 2030

According to the ‘COVID-19: A threat to progress against Child Marriage’ report compiled by UNICEF (United Nations
International Children’s Emergency Fund) COVID-19 impact could result in additional 10 Million Child Marriages in
the next decade (2020-30).

• The study stated that in the past decade (2010-20), the proportion of young women married as children had
declined by 15% globally (from one in four to one in five).
• The report was released ahead of the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021.
Factors causing Child Marriage
The study states that school closures, economic stress, pregnancy & parental deaths due to pandemic are putting
vulnerable girls at increased risk of child marriage.
Averting Child Marriage
The study has listed some measures to avert Child Marriages. They are
• Reopening Schools
• Implementing legal reforms
• Ensure access to health and social services to protect families.
Child Marriages – India
UN body said persistence of child marriage remains a potential challenge to India achieving Sustainable Development
Goal 5 by 2030 even as its progress has been one of the strongest among countries in South Asia during the last
decade.
The analysis said findings from NFHS surveys between 1992-93 and 2015-16 show the percentage of young women
who married in childhood has halved (from 54 to 27 %), and the pace of decline has increased in the last decade.
The decline has been led by urban areas, which only had 18 % of women in the age group of 20-24 reporting (in
2015-16) – as compared to 32 % in rural areas – having got married before the age of 18.
Child Marriages – Region-wise
The report states that around 650 Million Girls & Women who are alive today were married in childhood.
• Half of such Girls & Women are in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India and Nigeria.
Note – In its previous report, UNICEF said one in three of the world’s child brides live in India.
Ending Child Marriage – UN SDG
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals has set a target to end Child Marriage by 2030.
• The goals include 10 Million girls who are at present affected by it and also the 100 million girls at risk of
becoming child brides before the start of the pandemic.
i.On 27th August 2020, UNICEF released a Report which states that at least a third of the world’s school children i.e
463 million children couldn’t not access remote learning amid the closure of schools due to COVID-19 pandemic.
About UNICEF:
Established – 11 December 1946
Tagline – For Every Child
Director, Secretary of the Executive Board – Mr. Gilles Fagninou
NITI Aayog Along With RMI India Releases ‘Mobilising Electric Vehicle Financing in India’ Report
NITI Aayog along with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) India released the ‘Mobilising Finance for EVs in India: A
Toolkit of Solutions to Mitigate Risks and Address Market Barriers’ report. The report analyses the risk &
market barriers involved in transforming India’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Sector and provides Target Instruments to
overcome the hurdles.
Key Takeaways:
i.Indian EV market size to be of USD 50 billion (Rs 3.7 lakh crore) by 2030, which is equivalent to 80% of the
current market size of India’s retail vehicle Finance Industry at USD 60 billion (Rs 4.5 lakh crore).
ii.To achieve the targeted transformation, there needs to be a capital investment of USD 266 billion (Rs 19.7 lakh
crore) in EVs, charging infrastructure, and batteries by 2030.
• Re-engineering vehicle finance and mobilising public and private capital will be critical to accelerating the
deployment of the 50 million EVs that could be plying on India’s roads by 2030
iii.Identified Hurdles for Transformation – Technology cost, Infrastructure availability, and Consumer behaviour.
Key Target Instruments:
1. Priority sector lending (PSL)
2. Interest rate subvention

3. Product guarantees and warranties
4. Risk-sharing mechanism (government and multilateral-led)
5. Risk-sharing mechanism (fleet operator-led)
6. Secondary market development
Note- At Present, 10 states have notified EV policies, while 6 others are drafting one.
Recommendations –
• The Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) and NITI Aayog have recommended India’s State Transport
Undertakings (STUs) to deploy 5,595 e-buses under FAME II via a Gross Cost Contract (GCC).
• 10 solutions recommended in the report include financial instruments such as priority-sector lending and
interest-rate subvention. Others are related to creating better partnerships between OEMs and financial
institutions by providing product guarantees and warranties. Furthermore, a developed and formal secondary
market can improve the resale value of EVs and improve their bankability.
The public and private sectors are diligently working together on solutions to each of these barriers. These
solutions include:
• Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, with an outlay of INR18,100 crore (USD2.4 billion) for the Advanced
Chemistry Cell battery sector.
• Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) India Scheme, Phase II with an outlay of INR1,000
crore (USD135 million) for the deployment of charging infrastructure.
Some Government Interventions:
i.In 2015, DHI, launched its flagship incentive programme, the FAME India Scheme, to accelerate EV adoption.
ii.FAME II began in April 2019, with an outlay of INR10,000 crore towards EV adaptation & Infrastructure
development.
iii.GST on EVs sold with batteries was reduced from 12 to 5%.
Some Bank initiatives:
i.SBI started the Green Car Loan, for buying electric cars.
ii.IndusInd Bank offers retail vehicle finance for 3-wheeler electric Vehicles.
Power Minister RK Singh launched India’s 1st public EV Charging Plaza in New Delhi & RAISE initiative
About Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI):
RMI is an US based Not for Profit Organisation founded in 1982.
Function – It works on Transforming the global energy sector to create a clean, prosperous & Zero-Carbon
Future.
Headquarters – Colorado, USA
Managing Director – Jon Creyts
About NITI Aayog:
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of
India was established on 1st January 2015.
It replaced the Planning Commission of India (established in 1950).
Chairperson – Prime Minister of India
Chief Executive Officer – Amitabh Kanta
Vice Chairman – Rajiv Kumar
India’s Fintech Sector valuation to touch USD 150-160 Billion by 2025: BCG & FICCI Report
According to the report ‘India FinTech: A USD 100 Bn Opportunity’ released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) &
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), India’s Fintech Sector is expected to reach a
valuation of USD 150-160 Billion by 2025.
• The USD 150-160 Billion valuation will help in translating to an incremental value-creation potential of about
USD 100 Billion.
• In order to meet the USD 150-160 Billion valuation by 2025, India’s fintech sector will need investments of up
to USD 20-25 Billion over the next five years (2021-25).

• The report also states that by 2025 the number of Indian fintech firms with Unicorn status (billion-dollar-
valuation firms) will double.
Performance of India’s Fintechs
• In the last five years (2016-2020), Indian fintech companies have also raised about USD 10 Billion from
investors all over the world raising the Fintech sector’s total valuation to ~ USD 50-60 Billion.
• At present, there are 2, 100 fintech firms in India out of which 67% have been set up in the past five years
(2016-20).
• To date, 8 Fintech companies have reached the Unicorn status (billion-dollar-valuation) in India and around 44
firms are valued at over USD 100 Million as of date.
• Three new unicorns (Pine Labs, Razorpay and Digit Insurance) & 5 new ‘Soonicorns’ (about to become
unicorns) have been created since January 2020.
Acceleration of digitisation
• The report states that COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of digitisation across categories.
• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) values have increased more than 3 times compared to pre-pandemic values.
• Similar acceleration has also been seen in online broking, where the share of active clients with fintech
discount brokers (Zerodha, Upstox, 5paisa) grew from 43 per cent to 57 per cent in the same timeframe.
i.July 24, 2020, The 1st edition of the world’s largest Global Fintech Fest (GFF) was held virtually, it was organized by
the Payments Council of India (PCI) and Fintech Convergence Council (FCC) at National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI) under the theme “Fintech: With and Beyond COVID”.
About Boston Consulting Group (BCG):
CEO – Rich Lesser
Chairman & MD of Asia-Pacific region – Neeraj Aggarwal
Headquarters – Boston, USA
About FICCI:
President – Uday Shankar
Digital Skilled Workforce of India Needs to Grow 9 Folds by 2025: AWS Survey
On 25th February 2021, the Amazon Web Service(AWS) released a survey report titled “ Unlocking APAC’s Digital
Potential: Changing Digital Skill Needs and Policy Approaches”. The report states that the present workforce of India
comprises only 12% of digitally skilled employees and the Digitally skilled workforce of India has to increase to 9 fold
by 2025.
• The report was prepared by AlphaBeta, a strategy, and economic consulting firm and commissioned by AWS.
• The report identified 4 types of workers who need to gain new digital skills by 2025 Globally: currently
digitally skilled workers, currently non-digitally workers, future workforce (today’s students), and individuals
who are unemployed or involuntarily excluded from the workforce.
About the Report:
i.The research surveyed around 3196 workers across 6 APAC(Asia Pacific) countries which includes Singapore,
Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea. Over 500 digital workers from India were surveyed in India.
ii.The report has 3 parts,
• Analyse the digital skill applied by the workers in their job.
• Projects the digital skills required by workforces over the next five years
• Provides workforce skills development recommendations for policymakers.
iii.In order to meet the projected demand of digitally skilled employees, the six APAC countries will need an
estimated 5.7 billion digital skill sessions, and India will need a total of 3.9 billion digital skill sessions, over the next
five years, as per the report.
Gist of the survey:
i.Around 150 million workers across the 6 countries apply digital skills in their job and people who require those
skills will increase to more than 800 million by 2025.

ii.The survey showed that around 64% of Australian workers apply digital skills in their job placing the country first
in this area followed by Singapore with 63%.
iii.Asia Pacific workforce applying digital skills will need to increase five-fold by 2025.
For India:-
i.Around 70% of the workers in India have applied advanced digital skills for their job.
ii.The top 5 in-demand digital skills in India are
• Cloud architecture design
• Software operation support
• website, game, or software development
• Large Scale Data modelling
• cybersecurity skills
iii.Around 76% of digital workers in India expect cloud computing to be an essential skill.
iv.More than 50% of the digital workers in the manufacturing sector expects cloud architecture design and the ability
to create original digital content to be essential for them to do their work
On 21st January 2021, the National Skill Development Corporation(NSDC) partnered with California State University,
Long Beach (CSULB) to fulfill the increasing demand for a digitally skilled workforce in India. The initiative is led by
eSkillIndia, the digital skilling unit of NSDC.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon providing on-demand cloud
computing platforms and APIs to individuals, companies, and governments, on a metered pay-as-you-go basis. These
cloud computing web services provide a variety of basic abstract technical infrastructure and distributed
computing building blocks and tools
CEO- Andy Jassy
Headquarters- Seattle, Washington DC, USA
New focus on SDGs needed to rebuild after COVID-19: ADB report

Asian Development Bank(ADB)’s report titled “ADB’s Support for the Sustainable Development Goals: Enabling the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through Strategy 2030” states that, a renewed focus on achieving
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be essential as countries seek to rebuild from the Covid-19 pandemic.
About the Report:
i.The report also highlights ADB projects and programs that help countries achieve the SDGs.
ii.The ensuing crisis is estimated to have pushed 162 million people in the region back into poverty and economic
growth in developing Asia contracted for first time in 60 years.
iii.The report explains ADB’s institutional approach to integrating 17 SDGs and their associated targets into its
strategies, programs and financing under its long-term strategy in 2030 through its seven operational priorities.
Measures taken by ADB:
i.The ADB ventures platform established in 2020 deploys venture capital investments and technical assistance to
support early-stage technology businesses that address SDGs.
ii.ADB invests to meet the highest standards of sustainable development and deliver real results that help countries
realise the vision set out in strategy 2030 and rebuild for the SDGs.
iii. ADB’s Corporate Results Framework is fully aligned with the SDGs. ADB is helping countries mobilize the finance
necessary to achieve the SDGs, particularly from the private sector, and through stronger domestic resource
mobilization.

India’s Import of arms decreased by 33% due to Indigenisation: SIPRI Report
According to a report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s import of arms decreased
by 33% between 2011-15 and 2016-20 due to its increased push for ‘Make-in-India’ initiative and other measures to
boost the domestic defence industry.
• The most affected country due to decline in India’s imports was Russia.It was followed by USA.
• Globally, the five largest arms exporters in 2016-20 were US, Russia, France, Germany & China while top
importers were Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia & China.
• The US remains the largest arms exporter, increasing its global share of arms exports from 32 to 37 per cent
between 2011-15 and 2016-20.
• India’s Top 3 Arms suppliers during 2016-20 were Russia (49% imports), France (18%) & Israel (13%).
Fact
India has set a target of INR 1.75 Lakh Crore (USD 25 Billion) turnover in Defence manufacturing by 2025.
India’s Export level
• According to SIPRI, India accounted for 0.2% of share of global arms exports during 2016-20.
• India was the 24th Largest Exporter of major arms.
• The major recipients of India were Myanmar, Sri Lanka & Mauritius.
• India’s arms imports from France increased by 709 per cent while those from Israel rose by 82 per cent.
• According to SIPRI, India’s drop in arms imports were due to 2 main reasons – Complex procurement process
& India’s initiative to reduce dependence on Russian arms.
Government’s support for Domestic Manufacturing
• Minister of State for Defence, Shripad Naik in Lok Sabha stated that around 112 proposals worth around INR
1.99 Lakh Crore were approved in 2018-19 & 2020-21 (till December) for promoting domestic defence
manufacturing.
• Government also released a year-wise negative list of weapons which won’t be imported to boost domestic
manufacturing.
Region-wise Arms Growth
• The Middle East Region was the fastest growing market for arms.
• They imported 25% more major arms in 2016-20 compared to 2011-15.
• Asia & Oceania was the largest importing region for major arms, it received 42% of Global arms transfers.
Fall of Russia & China
Russia & China experienced decline in their arms exports.
• In order to compensate for loss of Indian orders, Russia increased its arms transfers to China, Algeria & Egypt.
• China’s arms exports accounted for 5.2% of total arms exports in 2016-2020. Pakistan, Bangladesh & Algeria
were the major recipients of Chinese arms.
i.On August 9, 2020, the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Ministry of Defence (MoD) decided to restrict import
of 101 weapons and military platforms, between 2020 and 2024, in order to boost indigenous defence manufacturing
on the lines of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
About Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI):
Director – Dan Smith
Headquarters – Stockholm, Sweden
Maharashtra with its 56,000 Millionaire Households Leads the Country in HNI Households – Reported by
Hurun India
On March 16,2021, Hurun India released the ‘Wealth Report 2020’ in which Maharashtra ranked first in the state
wise distribution of High Net-worth Individual(HNI) households with 56,000 dollar millionaire households followed
by Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat.
• Based on the report there are 4.12 lakh dollar-millionaire households / affluent households in India with a
networth of at least Rs 7 crore.

State wise Distribution of HNI Households:
Ranking State Name Millionaire Households No of Richest Indians
1 Maharashtra 56,000 247
2 Uttar Pradesh 36,000 –
3 Tamil Nadu 35,000 65
4 Karnataka 33,000 72
5 Gujarat 29,000 60
• Maharashtra is the highest Gross/Net State Domestic Product (GSDP) Generating state in India with growth
rate of about 13.16% and it is contributing around 16 % of national GDP
• Other states in the top ten list of dollar-millionaire households are West Bengal (24,000), Rajasthan (21,000)
and Andhra Pradesh (20,000). Madhya Pradesh and Telegana each have 18,000 millionaire households.
Introduced New Household Category – ‘New Middle Class’:
Hurun India identified a novel household category in India – the ‘New Middle Class’ – with an average savings of Rs
20-lakh per annum. These households have major allocation towards physical assets such as primary residential
property and automobiles. Hurun India pegs the total number of such cumulative households in India at 633,000.
City-wise distribution:
• Mumbai is home to most millionaires followed by Delhi, Kolkata , Bengaluru and Chennai.
• Mumbai, which generates 6.2 per cent of the national GDP leads with 16,933 millionaire households, followed
by Delhi with 15,861 millionaire households, which contributes to 4.94 per cent of the country’s GDP.
Note: Millionaire Household is a household having an annual income of more than USD 1 million.
Key points about ‘Wealth Report 2020’:
• Around 70.3% of the millionaire households of the country are in the top 10 states of the report
• Based on the report the happiness index is about 72% whereas it is 85% in 2019
On 3rd December 2020, the 2nd edition of “Kotak Wealth Hurun – Leading Wealthy Women” 2020 was jointly
launched by Kotak Wealth Management, a division of Kotak Mahindra Bank(Kotak) and Hurun India. Roshni Nadar
Malhotra (32 years), the chairperson of HCL Technologies has topped the Kotak Wealth Hurun India 2020 and was
named as India’s richest woman with a wealth of Rs. 54,850 crores.
About Hurun India
MD & Chief Researcher – Anas Rahman Junaid
Chairman -Rupert Hoogerwerf
Headquarters – Mumbai Maharashtra
Asia-Pacific Region to Achieve Just 10% Targets of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: UN-ESCAP Report
On 16th March, 2021, United Nations- Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)’s report titled
“Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report, 2021” states, Asia-Pacific region may achieve just 10% targets of
sustainable development goals(SDGs) by 2030.(i.e.)Only nine out of 140 measurable targets of the SDG will be
achieved by 2030.
Progress in Asia Pacific Region:
Globally, Asia-Pacific region is too slow in achieving the half of the SDG goals and many SDG’s were achieved at levels
well below the 2020 Target.
Based on SDGs:
i.The Progress of Environmental Goals is too slow in Asia-Pacific Region.
ii.Gender equality (Goal 5), clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), affordable and clean energy (Goal 7), decent work
and economic growth (Goal 8), and life on land (Goal 15) are too slow in progress and achieving Target.
iii.Climate action (Goal 13) and life below water (Goal 14) are the worst achieved goal.There is no or less progress in
these 2 above SDG Goals.

Key Findings of the Report:
i.The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) could increase in 14 Asia-Pacific countries that already have a high burden of
maternal deaths, from the projected 2020 baseline of 184 per 100,000 live births to 214 or 263 per 100,000 live
births for the best- and the worst-case scenarios.
ii.Deaths of under-5 children in the region could increase by more than half a million over a six-month period in the
worst-case scenario.
iii.The report pointed out that at least 70% of mental health services for older persons were disrupted between June
and August 2020.
iv.There are 640 million multidimensionally poor people in Asia and the Pacific. The pandemic could potentially
double this number by pushing an additional 636 million vulnerable people to multidimensional poverty. Also,
monetary poverty could impact 71 million more children in the region by the end of 2020.
v.Unemployment increased by 15 million in the region in 2020. Compared to 2019, workers in the region lost 7.1% of
their labour income in 2020, more than $1.0 trillion, it said adding that in April 2020, lockdown measures impacted
some 829 million informal workers in the Asia-Pacific region.
Lack of Information:
Nearly 40 per cent of the SDG targets cannot be measured for the Asia-Pacific region due to the lack of data. The goals
for climate action and life under water were among the most “data-poor”.
About Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs):
• In 2015, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has set 17 sustainable development goals(SDGs) with a
target to achieve by 2030.
• The 17 SDGs are: (1) No Poverty, (2) Zero Hunger, (3) Good Health and Well-being, (4) Quality Education, (5)
Gender Equality, (6) Clean Water and Sanitation, (7) Affordable and Clean Energy, (8) Decent Work and
Economic Growth, (9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (10) Reducing Inequality, (11) Sustainable
Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (13) Climate Action, (14) Life Below
Water, (15) Life On Land, (16) Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, (17) Partnerships for the Goals.
i.United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released the results of ‘People’s Climate Report’ – World’s Largest
Survey of Public Opinion on Climate Change. Around 1.2 Million People participated in the survey, out of which two-
thirds of people (64%) believe that Climate Change is a Global Emergency.
About United Nation-Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP):
Executive Secretary – Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Headquarter – Bangkok, Thailand
5th Volume Of UN’s Report “State Of The World’s Indigenous Peoples”: Suggest Measures To Protect Rights of
Indigenous People
On 15th and 16th March 2021, the United Nations(UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs(DESA) released
the State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (SOWIP) volume V entitled “Rights to Lands, Territories and
Resources”. The report examines challenges faced by the indigenous people in asserting their rights to lands, in the
context of agribusiness, extractive industries, development, conservation and tourism.
• The preparation of the report was overseen by the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues.
SOWPI V: Rights to Lands, Territories and Resources:
i.The report offers a wide range of perspective on the rights of indigenous peoples on lands, territories and resources
through analysis of legislation and agreements at the national and international level and through customary law.
ii.The report analyses the successful practice and obstacles to realise the indigenous people rights to land and
territories and suggest ways for their development.
Importance of protecting the land and territory rights of Indigenous people:
i.The Indigenous people face challenges to get recognition of their rights to land and endure the land grabbing,
dispossession and displacement.
ii.The territories of the indigenous people hold the world’s most non commercially exploited land, minerals and
forest resources, rivers, fossil fuels and other renewable energies.

iii.The protection of their rights to land and territory is significant for the whole planet.
SDG on indigenous people’s rights to land:
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the UN provides an opportunity to promote the rights of
indigenous people to land, territory and resources due to its integrated approach to economic, environment and
social development within a human rights framework.
The SDG 15: Life on Land focuses to Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
According to the ‘International Migration 2020-Highlights’ report released by the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), In 2020, 18 Million persons from India were living outside of their country of
birth thus making it the World’s Largest Transnational Community. India is followed by Mexico & Russia (11 Million
each), China (10 Million) & the Syrian Arab Republic (8 Million).
About UN-DESA:
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs– Liu Zhenmin
Around 736 Million Almost 1 In 3 Women Across the Globe Face Physical and Sexual Violence: WHO Report
On 9th March 2021, the World Health Organization(WHO) has launched a report titled “Violence Against Women
Prevalence Estimates, 2018”. The report was based on the WHO’s largest study on the prevalence of violence
against women. The study conducted by WHO on behalf of The United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on
Violence Against Women Estimation and Data (VAW-IAWGED) states that around 736 million to 852 million women
across the globe i.e., 1 in 3 women have faced physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime.
• At least 1 in 4 women that were a victim of domestic or sexual violence were in their mid-twenties, and were
subjected to torture mostly by an intimate partner.
About the report:
i.This is the first of its kind study by WHO since 2013 that focus on both violence by intimate partners and sexual
violence by non-partners. The report compiles the data from 158 countries.
ii.The figures for the report track a period from 2010 to 2018 which does not include the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic.
iii.Various studies have shown that there is an increase in domestic violence against women since the government.
Violence Based on Regions:
i.37% of all women that were victims of violence were living in the poorest countries.
ii.Region of Oceania, Southern Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest prevalence of domestic violence, and
women aged 15-49 constituted 33percent to 51 percent of total cases.
iii.The lowest rates are found in Europe (16–23 percent), Central Asia (18 percent), Eastern Asia (20 percent), and
South-Eastern Asia (21 percent).
Gist of the report:
i.Around 31% of women aged between 15 to 49 and 30% of women aged 15 and older has been subjected to physical
or/and sexual violence from their male intimate partners or sensual violence from a not intimate partner at least
once since the age of 15.
ii.Around 641 million people are affected by the violence against women by intimate partners.
iii.The report states that around 6% of women across the globe have reported that they were sexually assaulted by
non-partners and the actual number is expected to be much higher, since this form of violence has been stigmatized
across the globe.
iv.The violence affects the women living in low and lower middle income countries.
v.Around 37% of the women in the poorest countries have experienced physical and sexual violence and in some
countries has a prevalence of around 50%.
vi.Globally, over 641 million women were sexually assaulted within their households. Nearly 6 percent of women
globally reported abuse and torture inflicted by someone other than the husband. This figure, based on data from
2000 to 2018 remains underreported due to the high levels of stigma surrounding sexual abuse.

On 2nd September 2020, The United Nations(UN) Women and United Nations Development Programme(UNDP)
released new data which states that the COVID-19 pandemic will have negative impacts on the women and will
increase the poverty rate of women and widen the gap between men and women in poverty.
The summarised data is published as a report titled “From Insights to Actions: Gender Equality in the wake of COVID-
19” by the UN Women.
About WHO:
Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland
COVID-19 Crisis best opportunity for Transition from Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy: IRENA report
According to the report ‘World Energy Transitions Outlook: 1.5° C Pathway’ released by International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA), the COVID-19 Crisis is an opportunity for countries across the world to disengage their
economies from Fossil Fuels & accelerate their shift to renewable energy sources.
• Energy transitions are one of the few solutions for containing the rise of global temperature to 1.5° C & halting
global warming & bring Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions closer to net zero by mid-century
• It calls for countries around the world to increase their efforts toward the energy transition without delay.
• The report was previewed at the virtual Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD 2021) which took place
from March 16, 2021-March 17, 2021.
• The report is just a preview. The full version of the report will be released soon and it will act as a blueprint for
the energy transition.
90% energy from Renewables by 2050
The report states that by 2050, 90% of total electricity needs will be supplied by renewables, followed by 6% from
natural gas & remaining from nuclear.
Increased Energy Investments
• The report estimates that Energy transition investment will have to increase by 30% over planned investment
to a total of USD 131 Trillion between 2021 & 2050, corresponding to USD 4.4 Trillion on average every year.
Key Points
i.According to the report, in order to meet CO2 reduction targets by 2050, countries will need a combination of
technology & innovation for advancing energy transition & improving carbon management.
ii.National social & economic policies will play a major role in increasing the speed of energy transition.
iii. IRENA has identified 30 innovations for the integration of wind & Solar PV in power systems. It also focuses on the
expansion of emerging technologies like green hydrogen.
IPCC Special Report on Global Warming
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5° C released in 2018
states that a 45% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 levels is required by 2030.
i.On May 13, 2020 According to the WEF’s global Energy Transition Index(ETI) 2020, India has moved up two places
from rank 76th (2019) to 74th with a score of 51.5%, Sweden (74.2%) topped for the 3rd consecutive time followed
by Switzerland (73.4%) and Finland (72.4%).
About the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Director General – Francesco La Camera
Headquarters – Abu Dhabi, UAE
Members – 163
More than 450 Million Children reside in areas of Extremely High Water Vulnerability: UNICEF report
According to the report ‘Reimagining WASH:Water Security For All’ released by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s
Fund), globally more than 1.42 Billion people, including 450 million children live in areas of high, or extremely high,
water vulnerability.
• It essentially means that globally, 1 in 5 children worldwide do not have enough water to meet their everyday
needs.

• Eastern and Southern Africa regions have the highest proportion of children (58%) living in areas with
extremely high water vulnerability. It is followed by West & Central Africa (31%), South Asia (25%), and the
Middle East (23%)
• South Asia is home to the largest number of children living in areas of high or extremely high water
vulnerability – more than 155 Million children.
• The report is part of UNICEF’s ‘Water Security for All’ initiative.Global water demand is projected to increase
by 20 to 30 per cent per year by 2050.
• More than 2 crores (20 Million) children in India are experiencing extremely high water vulnerability.
Goal
• UNICEF has set a goal to reach 450 Million Children & their families (1.42 Billion people) with resilient
solutions for improving the water vulnerability by 2025.
• All children to have access to a safe and affordable water supply and to live in water secure communities by
2030.
‘37 Hotspots’
• The report has highlighted 37 hot-spot countries where children are faced with High Water Vulnerability.
• Some of the countries are Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua
New Guinea, Sudan, Tanzania & Yemen.
• Hotspot countries are those which meet any one of the following criteria: ≥ 60% High Water Vulnerability; ≥
40% Extremely High Water Vulnerability; ≥ 40% children in High and Extremely High Water Vulnerability; ≥
2M people in High and Extremely High Water Vulnerability
Key Points
• Children in more than 80 countries live in areas with high or extremely high water vulnerability.
• Less than 3% of the World’s water resources is freshwater, and it is growing increasingly becoming scarce.
• Global water demand is projected to increase by 20 to 30 % per year by 2050.
Causes of Water Scarcity
The report has listed various factors responsible for increasing water scarcity.
• Rapid Population Growth
• Urbanization
• Water misuse & mismanagement
• Climate change & extreme weather events
• Increasing Water Stress
Fact
• According to a UNICEF report from 2017, nearly 600 Million or almost 1 in 4 children globally live in areas of
extremely high water stress by 2040.
‘Water Security for All’
• It is an initiative launched by UNICEF to ensure that every child has access to sustainable and climate-resilient
water services.
i.December 14, 2020, In accordance with the WHO and UNICEF report, “Fundamentals first: Universal water,
sanitation, and hygiene services in health care facilities for safe, quality care” around 1.8 billion people are at
heightened risk of COVID-19 and other diseases because of lack of WASH provision.
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Headquarter– New York, USA
Net-Zero emissions in India’s energy systems achievable by 2050: TERI & Shell report
According to the report by ‘India:Transforming to a net-zero emissions energy system’ released by TERI (The Energy
& Resources Institute) & Shell (otherwise known as Royal Dutch Shell plc), the Net Zero emissions in energy system
in India is achievable by 2050.Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog released the report.
• The report is one of the first assessments of the challenges that India would face if India were to move towards
Net-zero emissions energy system.

Factors needed to achieve the target
• Suitable Policy and innovation driven context for deploying clean energy technologies on a massive scale.
• Development of new fuels, such as liquid biofuels and biogas, as well as hydrogen produced from Electrolysis.
• Carbon Removals (Technology & nature-based solutions) will have a major role in moving towards zero
emissions.
Areas of Action – specified by report
The report highlights the transformations needed by India over the next 30 years for India to achieve the goal.
Accelerate Clean Technologies
• Growing the power sector by a factor of more than four in 30 years, dominated by renewables (around 90%).
• Fixing a target of 13% hydrogen in final energy, including as a fuel for industry and transport
• Transform Bioenergy, with liquid biofuels surpassing petroleum products by 2040 to field Industry, Transport
& Aviation.
Support energy-efficient and lower-carbon choices
• Invest in processes, technologies and end uses to improve energy intensity per unit of GDP by almost 60%
by 2050.
• Adopting economic mechanisms such as carbon trading to facilitate reallocation of capital and resources to
support commercialization of new fuels & technologies.
Remove Carbon emissions
• Resort to Carbon sequestration to an extent of around 1.3 Gt CO2 or carbon capture and storage (CCS) to
achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
i.December 4, 2020, In accordance with the report titled “The Production Gap, 2020” produced by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) the world is planning to produce more than double the amount of Coal, Oil and gas
by 2030.
About The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI):
Director General – Dr Vibha Dhawan
About Shell:
Global CEO – Ben Van Beurden
Headquarters – The Hague, Netherlands
UN WWDR Report 2021 underlines decrease of Per Capita Reservoir Capacity of Water
According to the 2021 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR 2021) titled
‘Valuing Water’, Each person on the planet may have to live on less Water as per capita reservoir capacity is
decreasing.
• The World population is set to increase to 9 Billion by 2040, but the projected reservoir volume is stabilising
around 7, 000 billion cubic metre.
• This report published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on
behalf of UN-Water.
• The production of the report is coordinated by UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme(WWAP).
Key Points
• As per the report, the world’s 400 river basins identified water shortage risks in parts of Africa, Australia,
Northern China, India, Spain & Western parts of the USA.
• Average annual storage volume losses equal about 1% of total Built reservoir capacity, the estimated costs for
restoring the losses were approximately USD 13 Billion per year.
• Independent assessments state that the world will face a Global Water Deficit of 40% by 2030.
• The report estimates that 140 Low and Middle-income countries need to spend $114 billion per year to access
safe drinking water and sanitation.
Causes of Low Reservoir Expansion
• Sedimentation was one of the main reasons for decrease in the storage capacity of existing reservoirs.
• Artificial lakes & reservoirs suffered significant losses from increased evaporation compared to original rivers.

Alternatives proposed by authors of the study
• Recognising the value of reducing demand
• Increasing supply through measures like improved land management or water reuse.
• Using Decentralised solutions
• ‘Conjunctive use’ of natural systems.
i.November 3, 2020, In accordance with the WWF Water Risk Filter, an online tool nearly a third of the 100 cities in
the world susceptible to “water risk” are in India means 30 Indian cities are expected to suffer increased water risks
by 2050.
About UN-Water:
Chair – Gilbert F. Houngbo
Only 11% Low-income countries make their data open: WDR 2021 Report
According to the ‘World Development Report 2021 : Data for better lives’ (WDR 2021) released by World Bank
Group, Most countries across the globe shy away from an Open-data policy. It states that only 11% low-income
countries made available a license classifiable as ‘open’.
The report has provided an assessment of openness of data, by income group
Indicator Low-Income Lower-middle-income Upper-middle-income High-income
Openness Score (0-100) 38 47 50 66
Open terms of Use/License (%) 11 19 22 44
Under-investments
The report highlighted underinvestment by Countries in Open data systems
• As of 2019, only half the countries had a national statistical plan that was fully funded.
• 93% of high-income countries had a fully funded national statistical plan, while not even a single low-income
country had one.
• The major reasons behind the inability of low income countries to harness the potential of data were Lack of
institutions, decision-making autonomy, and financial resources.
Gaps in Data on women & Girls
• The report states that gaps in data on women and girls were severe: Only 10 of the 54 gender-specific
indicators (19%) in the UN SDG goals were available.
• Only 24% of the available gender-specific indicators were from 2010 or later.
Regarding India
• There is an absence of data on Poverty in India.
• India monitors 54 out of 130 SDG indicators, the overall number of monitored indicators has gone up.
• However, the State of India’s Environment in figures, 2020 points out that India has dropped 4 indicators from
its tracking list.
Benefits of Open Data Policy
• Improved Service Delivery
• Prioritisation of Scarce Resources
• Holding governments accountable and empowering individuals
• Better emergency response during disasters – environmental, financial, health or conflict-related. The Odisha
State Disaster Management Authority invested in acquiring data on weather forecast & disaster response
measures after the cyclone in 1999.
Indian e-commerce rules biased: WDR report
According to the World Bank’s World Development Report titled ‘Stronger Data Systems Needed to Fight Poverty’,
India’s e-commerce regulations may be biased towards local companies, thus failing to provide a level playing field to
foreign platforms.
• In 2018, India prohibited foreign e-commerce companies from ownership or control over the inventory of
seller partners on their platforms.

• India has strict guidelines governing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in e-commerce firms.
i.October 14, 2020, According to International Debt Statistics 2021 released by the World Bank Group, COVID-19 has
deepened the Debt Crisis in Developing Countries.
About World Bank Group
Headquarters – Washington DC, USA
COVID-19 pushes back India’s USD 5 Trillion GDP goal by 3 years to FY 2031-32-BofA Securities Report
According to a Bank of America(BofA) Securities Report, COVID-19 pandemic is expected to delay India’s ambitious
target of becoming the 3rd Largest Economy by 3 years to FY 2031-32 from FY 29-30.(i.e.Indian Government has set
a target of becoming a USD 5 Trillion economy by 2030).
• The pandemic has already shaved off 15.7% of India’s GDP from 2020.
• According to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook released in February 2020, India is the 5th Largest economy
in the world.
India’s Domestic Economy
• India’s Domestic economy is expected to touch Japan’s nominal GDP in 2031 (in USD terms) if it grows at 9%
and in 2030 if it grows at 10%.
• The report did not ascribe a size to India’s domestic economy, which stood at USD 2.65 Trillion in 2019-20.
• The only main downside risk to sustained growth is the oil prices, especially if it trends at over USD 100 a
barrel.
India may miss its 2022 Renewable Energy Capacity Targets: GWEC Report 2021
According to ‘Global Wind Report 2021’ released by Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), India may miss its 2022
Renewable Energy Capacity Targets (175 GW RE by 2022 – 100 GW Solar, 60 GW Wind, 10 GW Bio-Energy, 5 GW
Small Hydro) due to several constraints.
• The constraints range from things like Land Allocation, grid availability, the recurring financial instability of
DISCOMs (Power Distribution Companies), tender design & PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) Sanctity and
others.
• At the Global level, 2020 was the best year in history for the Global wind industry. Around 93 GW of new
capacity were installed (53% year-on-year increase).
• The world needs at least 180 GW of new wind energy every year to limit global warming to well below 2°C
above pre-industrial levels.
• Out of 93 GW of new Wind Power capacity installed in 2020, India’s share was just20% (1119 MW).
• The total wind power capacity across the world stands at 743 GW (US & China account for more than 50% of
it).
• The Global Wind Report 2021 is GWEC’s 16th Annual flagship report.
2020 – Best Year for Global Wind Industry
• The report states that the 53% year-on-year increase achieved in 2020 is not enough to achieve Net Zero
Emissions by 2050.
• The majority of Wind-energy Growth in 2020 was driven by World’s 2 largest wind power markets – the USA
& China. Together they have installed 75% of the new installations in 2020.
Region-wise Growth of Wind Power Capacity during 2010-2020
During the last decade (2010-2020), the Asia-pacific region is increasingly driving the growth of global wind power
industry
• Top 3 regions are – Europe (87, 153 MW), Asia (61, 111 MW) & North America (44, 307 MW).

Regarding India
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), India is the World’s 4th Largest energy consumer (behind China,
the US, European Union).
• India is set to miss the 2022 targets, although it is on track to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs) under Paris Agreement.
• As of February 2021, 39 GW of wind capacity have been installed in India, comprising 10.25 % of the power
mix.
• India has not committed to Net Zero Target as it has a low per capita carbon use compared to developed
nations & it also has ambitious renewables targets in place.
NDC Target of India
• India has pledged an NDC of 33-35% reduction in the carbon emissions intensity of its economy by 2030
compared to 2005 levels, apart from 40% non-fossil fuel-based power generation by 2030.
i.November 13, 2020, According to the IEA report, India’s Renewable Energy sector will see the largest growth after
COVID-19. India will double its green energy capacity addition in 2021 compared to 2020 levels.
ii.February 10, 2021, As per IEA’s “India Energy Outlook 2021”, India will surpass European Union as the world’s
third-biggest energy consumer by 2030.
About Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC):
CEO – Ben Backwell
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

5 Indian-Origin personalities & 1 Indian Activist feature in TIME Magazine’s Annual List of 100
5 Indian-origin personalities & 1 Indian Activist have been featured in the 2021 TIME100 Next (TIME Magazine’s 100
emerging leaders list). The 5 Indian origin personalities are Vijaya Gadde (Chief Legal Officer of Twitter), Rishi Sunak
(Britain’s Finance Minister), Apoorva Mehta (Founder & CEO of Instacart), Shikha Gupta (Executive Director of
Nonprofit ‘Get Us PPE’) & Rohan Pavuluri (Founder of Nonprofit ‘Upsolve’). Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Azad
is the sole Indian activist who has been named in the list.
Overview of 78th Golden Globes Awards 2021 held from Los Angeles and New York City
The 78th Golden Globes Awards 2021 took place in a Hybrid Format on 28th February 2021. It was the first bi-
coastal ceremony, filmed from Los Angeles and New York City, United States of America(USA) hosted by Amy
Poehler from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and Tina Fey from New York’s Rainbow Room.
The 78th Golden Globes Awards 2021 was produced by Dick Clark productions in association with the Hollywood
Foreign Press Association(HFPA).
Nominations:
• The nominees of the 2021 Golden Globe Award were disclosed by Sarah Jessica Parker, six-time Golden
Globe winner, and Taraji P. Henson, Golden Globe winner.
• For the first time the nominations were announced over a virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic
restrictions.
2021 Golden Globe Ambassadors:
i.Satchel Lee and Jackson Lee, children of filmmakers and three-time Golden Globe Nominee Spike Lee and his wife
Tonya Lewis Lee, philanthropist.
ii.Jackson Lee is the first Black male ambassador of Golden Globes.
Key Points:
i.Nomadland by chinese Female director Chloé Zhao won the Best Pictures Drama and Chloé Zhao won the Best
Director Motion Picture. Chloe Zhao became the first Asian woman and only the 2nd woman to win the best
director award after Barbra Streisand who won the award for “Yentl.” in 1984.
ii.Nomadland became the first film directed by a female to win the award in this category.

iii.Barbra Streisand was the first woman to win the Award(Director) in 1984 for Yentl.
iv.Chadwick Boseman was posthumously honoured with the Best Actor Golden Globe award for his performance in
the film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
v.The Crown, a television series, has the highest nominations for any tele series and it has won in 4 categories (Best
Drama Series, Best Television Actress, Best Television Actor, Best Supporting Actress).
vi.The 78th Golden Globes 2021 also honoured Jane Fonda with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and Norman Lear with
the Carol Burnett Award.
Winners of 78th Golden Globes:
Category Winner
Best Motion Picture Drama Nomadland directed by Chloé Zhao
Best Picture – Musical/Comedy Borat Subsequent Moviefilm directed by Jason Woliner
Best Director Motion Picture Chloé Zhao for Nomadland
Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Andra Day for The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Actress – Motion Picture –
Musical/Comedy Rosamund Pike for I Care A Lot
Best Actor – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy Sacha Baron Cohen for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Jodie Foster for The Mauritanian
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Messiah
Best Screenplay Motion Picture Aaron Sorkin for The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Picture – Animated Soul directed by Pete Docter
Best Picture – Foreign Language Minari (American Drama)
Best Score Motion Picture Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross,Trent Reznor for Soul
Io Sì (Seen) from The Life Ahead directed by Lee Isaac
Best Song Motion Picture Chung
Best Drama Series The Crown by Netflix
Best Musical/Comedy Series Schitt’s Creek by Pop tv
Best Television Motion Picture The Queen’s Gambit by Netflix
Best Actress – Television Motion Picture Anya Taylor-Joy for The Queen’s Gambit
Best Actor – Television Motion Picture Mark Ruffalo for I Know This Much Is True
Best Television Actress – Drama Series Emma Corrin for The Crown
Best Television Actor – Drama Series Josh O’Connor for The Crown
Best Television Actress – Musical/Comedy
Series Catherine O’Hara for Schitt’s Creek
Best Television Actor – Musical/Comedy Series Jason Sudeikis for Ted Lasso
Best Supporting Actress – Television Gillian Anderson for The Crown
Best Supporting Actor – Television John Boyega for Small Axe
Golden Globe Awards:
i.The Golden Globe Awards are presented by the 93 members of the HFPA.
ii.The award recognises excellence in both domestic and foreign Films and television.
iii.The first Golden Globe Awards were presented in 1944.

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2021
On February 20, 2021, the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Awards 2021 were announced.
DPIFF was introduced to commemorate the Father of Indian Cinema Dadasaheb Phalke.DPIFF In-House Partners are
We Work, Silly Monks, Spanrig, OY Event, North India Fashion Week, Krishna Kunj Productions.Late Actor Sushant
Singh Rajput was awarded the ‘Critics Best Actor’ award for his performance in the movie ‘Dil Bechara’. The full list of
awards can be accessed here.
Narendra Modi Received CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award at CERAWeek
Conference 2021
The 39th edition of annual CERAWeek Conference 2021 was held virtually for the first time from March 1-5, 2021
where Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi was conferred with CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment
Leadership Award. CERA stands for Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA).
PM Modi Addressed the Conference
Narendra Modi addressed the CERAWeek Conference where he highlighted the following points:
i.Target: India has set a target to boost the share of gas in its fuel mix to 15% from the current 6% by 2030.
ii.Major challenges: Climate change and calamities are major challenges which can be overcome by two ways viz.
policies, laws, rules and orders; and behavioural change.
iii.India’s forest cover and population of lions, tigers, leopards and waterfowls has been increased over the last seven
years.
iv.United States(US) is a major supplier of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) to India.
About the Award:
Instituted in 2016, the award recognizes the commitment of leadership on the future of global energy & environment
and for offering solutions and policies for energy access, affordability & environmental stewardship.
About CERAWeek Conference 2021:
Organized by IHS Markit, the sessions and themes of the conference were inspired by the new book titled ‘The New
Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations’. The book is written by IHS Markit Vice Chairman and CERAWeek
Chairman Daniel Yergin.
• It was organized after two years as the 2020 conference was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
• It should be noted that the Saudi Arabian Oil Company Saudi Aramco aims to create a world-scale hydrogen
business by 2030.
Key Themes:
Energy Transition Climate & ESG; The New Map of Geopolitics; Economic Recovery, Markets & Investment;
Innovation & Technology; and Workforce of the Future
Prominent Speakers:
US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry; Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and founder
of Breakthrough Energy Bill Gates; and President and CEO, Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser.
About CERAWeek:
Initiated in 1983 by Dr. Daniel Yergin, it has been organized annually in Houston, United States (US) in the month of
March. It is considered as the world’s premier annual energy platform.
• It is a gathering of energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policy makers, leaders from the
technology, financial and industrial communities, and energy technology innovators.
i.On 12th February 2021, the Ministry of tribal Affairs won the Award of Appreciation under Project Category Award
in the 18th Computer Society of India (CSI) Special Interest Group on e-Governance(SIGe-Gov) Awards 2020 for its
Performance Dashboard Empowering Tribals Transforming India through various ICT initiatives.
ii.On 17th February 2021, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), under the Ministry of Environment, Forests
and Climate Change(MoEF&CC), Government of India was selected as one of the winners of the 5th Asia
Environmental Enforcement Award, 2020 by the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP).
About IHS Markit:
Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer– Lance Uggla
Headquarter– London, United Kingdom (UK)

President Ram Nath Kovind presented a baton of honour to Kiran Bedi
On March 08,2021 President Ram Nath Kovind presented a baton of honour and a letter of appreciation to former
Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi at Rashtrapati
Bhavan, New Delhi.
Key point:
The Baton which is decorated with the emblem of the Indian
Republic was given as a memento for recognizing Kiran Bedi’s
service in the Union Territory of Puducherry and to appreciate
her constitutional duties discharging method.
About Kiran Bedi:
The first female IPS officer who started her service in 1972.
In 2004 she received the United Nations Medal from the United Nations for her Outstanding service.
She was the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry (29 May 2016 – 16 February 2021).
Tamilisai Soundararajan Honoured with the Top 20 Global Women of Excellence Award – 2021
On March 7th 2021, A Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Dr.
Tamilisai Soundararajan was conferred with the Top 20 Global
Women of Excellence award – 2021 through video conference from
USA. The award was presented by the USA on the recommendation of
a Multi Ethnic Advisory Task Force, headed by US Congressman
Danny K. Davis.
Note- Vice President of the USA Kamala Harris, was also one
among the recipients in the 9th Edition of Top 20 Global Women of
Excellence award.
i.The award was conferred, based on her contribution towards women’s rights, gender parity, women empowerment
and women equality.
ii.Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan after receiving the award, made a call to the global arena for creating a Gender Equal
world & promote women in decision making at higher levels.
iii.Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan holds the portfolio of Governor of Telangana & Lieutenant Governor of
Puducherry (Currently under President Rule).
iv.Governors of States are appointed based on the provision of Article 153.
President of India, Ram Nath Govind directed Dr. Kiran Bedi shall cease to hold (Removed) the office of the
Lieutenant-Governor (LG) of Puducherry. Appoints, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana, was given
additional charge as LG of Puducherry.
About Puducherry:
Total Lok Sabha Seats – 1
Total Legislative Assembly Seats – 33
Chess Player Koneru Humpy Won 2nd Edition of BBC ISWOTY 2020
Padma Shri Koneru Humpy, a 33-year-old chess player from
Andhra Pradesh(AP) won the 2nd edition of the BBC Indian
Sportswoman of the year (BBC ISWOTY) 2020. The award was
given based on the public vote in which Koneru Humpy won
against sprinter Dutee Chand, airgun shooter Manu Bhaker,
wrestler Vinesh Phogat, and hockey captain Rani Rampal.
• Tim Davie, the director-general of BBC who hosted the
virtual award ceremony announced the winners of the
award.
Other Awards:
i.Lifetime Achievement Award – received by Anju Bobby George, the only Indian athlete to have won a world

championship medal in the long jump in 2003.
ii. Emerging Player of the Year award – received by Olympian Manu Bhaker, an airgun shooter. This award
category was newly added and it was announced by English Cricketer Ben Stokes.
About Koneru Humpy:
i.Konery Humpy became the youngest female grandmaster in 2002 at the age of 15, the record was broken by Hou
Yifan of China in 2008.
ii. She won the World Rapid Chess Championship title in December 2019.
iii. She won the 2020 Cairns Cup, the elite level tournament for female players.
Awards:
i.She was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2003.
ii.She received the 4th Highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2007 for sports.
About BBC Indian Sportswoman of the year:
BBC Indian Sportswoman of the year was launched in 2019 to celebrate the achievements of women and girls in
sports and highlight the issues and difficulties faced by them in India.
• PV Sindhu, Badminton Player, won the inaugural BBC Indian Sportswoman of the year award 2019.
ICAR Receives King Bhumibol World Soil Day 2020 Award by FAO
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) received the King Bhumibol World Soil Day 2020 award for its
contribution towards creating awareness on the importance of healthy soils in line with the theme of World Soil Day
2019 – Stop Soil Erosion, Save our Future.
• The award was presented at the ceremony held in Bangkok, Thailand on 7th March 2021.
• On Behalf of ICAR, Suchitra Durai, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Thailand received the award from
H.E., Dr Chalermchai Srion, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kingdom of Thailand.
Background:
i.The award was announced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) of the United Nations(UN) in Rome on
4th December 2020, the eve of World Soil Day 2020.
ii.The ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science(IISS), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh has organised a wide range of progress for
students, the farming community and the general public.
About King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award:
i.The award was instituted in 2018 by the Global soil partnership(GSP) supported by the Kingdom of Thailand.
ii.The award recognises the individuals or institutions that organise successful and impactful World Soil Day
Celebrations.
iii.The award comprises a medal, a USD 15,000 cheque, and a trip to Thailand.
About Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR):
Director General- Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra
Headquarters- New Delhi
Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou wins 2020 Ibrahim Prize

Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou has won the 2020 Ibrahim Prize( $5 million award) for Achievement in
African Leadership, who is the sixth recipient.
• The prize was introduced by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim’s foundation in 2006, which is awarded on
criteria of good governance, democratic election and respect of terms limits.
Bihari Puraskar 2020 to be awarded to Mohankrishna Bohara

Mohankrishna Bohara will be awarded the 30th Bihari Puraskar Award for his Book ‘Taslima: Sangharsh aur
Sahitya’.
About the award:-
i.The Bihari Puraskar is one of the three literary awards instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991.
iiThe award is given every year for an outstanding work published in the last 10 years by a Rajasthani author in Hindi
or Rajasthani.

SahityaAkademi Announces Annual Sahitya Akademi Award 2020
On 12th March 2021, The winners of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2020 were announced by the National Academy
of Letters during an event organised for the annual Festival of Letters, held from 12th March 2021 to 14th March
2021.
• Annually the Sahitya Akademi presents the award to the literary works in the 24 languages including English
which are recognised by the Akademi.
• The Shatiya Akademi has announced its Sahitya Akademi Awards 2020 in 20 languages, Yuva Puraskar 2020 in
18 languages and Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2020 in 21 languages.
Sahitya Akademi Awards 2020:
i.The Sahitya Akademi Awards 2020 were presented in 20 languages and the award for the remaining 4
languages (Rajasthani, Odia, Malayalam and Nepali) will be announced later.
ii.The winners of the 2020 Sahitya Akademi awards include 7 poetries, 4 novels, 5 short stories, 2 plays, one memoir
and one epic poetry.
Prizes:
The award includes a casket of engraved copper plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs 1,00,000.
Important Awardees:
• Poet Arundhathi Subramaniam received the Sahitya Akademi Award 2020 for her English poetry collection
titled “When God is a Traveller” published by HarperCollins.
• M Veerappa Moily, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Congress Leader has won the award for his
Kannada epic poem title “Sri Bahubali Ahimsa Digvijayam”
• Bengali author Mani Shankar Mukhopadhyay popularly known as Shankar has received the award for his
memoirs titled Eka Eka Ekashi
Winners:
Title and Genre Author Language
S.no
1 Bengsata (Short Stories) Apurba Kumar Saikia Assamese
2 Eka Eka Ekashi (Memoirs) Sankar (Manishankar Mukhopadhyay) Bengali
3 Gwthenay Lamayao Gwdan Agan(Short Stories) Late Bharanidhar Owari Bodo
4 Baba Jitmal (Play) Gian Singh Dogri
5 When God is a Traveller (Poetry) Arundhathi Subramaniam English
6 Banaras Diary (Poetry) Harish Menashru Gujarati
7 Tokri Mein Digant ‘Their Gatha”: 2014(Poetry) Anamika Hindi
8 Sri Bahubali Ahimsa Digvijayam (Epic Poetry) V Veerappa Moily Kannada
9 Tilasm-e-Khanabodosh (Short Stories) Late Hirday Koul Bharti Kashmiri
10 Yugaparivarthanancho Yatri (Poetry) R.S. Baskar Konkani
11 Gachh Roosal Achii (Short Stories) Kamalkant Jha Maithili
12 Malangbana Kari Hai (Poetry) Irungbam Deven Manipuri
13 Udya (Novel) Nanda Khare Marathi

14 Aam Khass (Short Stories) Gurudev Singh Rupana Punjabi
15 Vaishali (Novel) Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam Sanskrit
16 Gur Dak Kasa Dak (Poetry) Rupchand Hansdah Santali
17 Jehad(Plays) Jetho Lalwani Sindhi
18 Sellaatha Panam (Novel) Imaiyam Tamil
19 Agniswaasa (2015 – 2017) (Poetry) Nikhileswar Telugu
20 Amawas Main Khwab (Novel) Hussain-ul-Haque Urdu
Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2020:

i.The Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2020 was presented in 18 languages and the awards for the remaining 6
languages (Bengali, Gujarati, Malayalam, Marathi, Rajasthani and Sindhi) will be declared later.
ii.The winners of Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2020 includes 9 poetries, 3 short stories, 2 Essays, 1 memoir, 2
criticisms and 1 travelogue.
Eligibility:
The awards are presented to the books published by authors of age 35 and below as on January 1 of the year of
award.
Prizes:
The award includes a casket of engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs.50000.
Highlights:
• Yashica Dutt won Award for Memoir.
• Ankit Narwal won Award for Criticism.
• Sampada Shenvi Kunkoliekar won Award for Travelogue.
S.no
1 Megh-Ghora(Poetry) Dwijen Das Assamese
2 Abwi-Abou Arw Ang (Poetry) Newton K. Basumatary Bodo
3 Manne Da Buaal (Poetry) Ganga Sharma Dogri
4 Coming Out as Dalit (Memoir) Yashica Dutt English
5 U.R. Ananthamurti Pratirodh Ka Vikalp (Criticism) Ankit Narwal Hindi
6 Dhoopada Makkalu (Short Stories) K S Mahadevaswamy Kannada
7 Wavech Baavath (Poetry) Muzaffar Ahmad Parray Kashmiri
Sampada Shenvi
8 Char Panvala Ashiyent (Travelogue) Kunkoliekar Konkani
9 Gassa (Short Stories) Sonu Kumar Jha Maithili
10 Kairaba Chaphu Machet (Poetry) Rameshwar Sharongbam Manipuri

11 Dristi-Nibandha Sangrah (Essays) Anjan Baskota Nepali
12 Chetanara Anwesana (Essays) Chandrasekhar Hota odia
13 Malaha’n Ton Bina (Poetry) Deepak Kumar Dhalewan Punjabi
14 Aadhyonmeshah (Poetry) Rishiraj Pathak Sanskrit
15 Anjle (Poetry) Anjali Kisku Santali
16 Mara Naai (Poetry) Shakti Tamil
17 Milinda (Short Stories) Manasa Yendluri Telugu
Main Apni Baat Ka Mafhoom Dusra Chahun: Bani Ki Shairi ka

18 Motalea (Criticism) Saquib Faridi Urdu
Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2020:

i.The Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2020 was presented in 21 languages and the awards for the remaining 3 languages
Malayalam, Sanskrit and Tamil will be announced later.
ii.The award is presented to recognise the authors contribution to children literature.
Prizes:
The award includes a casket of engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs.50000.
S.no
1 Phosong (Short Stories) Madhurima Gharphalia Assamese
2 Gopon Bakso Khulte Nei (Short Stories) Pracheta Gupta Bengali
3 Gothosa Bisombi (Essays) Ajit Boro Bodo
4 Dadi Da Hirkh (Short Stories) Shiv Dev Sushil Dogri
5 Dead as a Dodo (Fiction) Venita Coelho English
6 Bhurini Ajayab Safar (Stories) Natwar Patel Gujarati
7 Sampurna Bal Kavitayen (Poetry) Balswaroop Rahi Hindi
8 Nanoo Ambedkar (Novel) H S Byakod Kannada
9 Paghich Aash (Poetry) Syed Akhtar Hussain Mansoor Kashmiri
10 Balu (Novelette) V Krishna Vadhyar Konkani
11 Sonahula Ijotwala Khidki (Poetry) Siya Ram Jha ‘Saras’ Maithili
12 Uchan Meira (Poetry) Naorem Bidyasagar Manipuri
13 Abachi Gosht (Short Stories) Aba Mahajan Marathi

14 Akshar Ujyalo (Drama) Dhruba Chouhan Nepali
15 Bana Deula Re Suna Neula (Stories) Ramachandra Nayak Odia
16 Phullan Da Shekar (Travelogue) Karnail Singh Somal Punjabi
17 Kudrat Ro Nyav (Poetry) Mangat Badal Rajasthani
18 Bhanj Kul Bhurkah Ipil Sunaram (Biography) Joyram Tudu Santali
19 Mundee Kera Paaye? (Drama) Sahib Bijani Sindhi
20 Snehitulu (Short Stories) Kanneganti Anasuya Telugu
21 Fakhr-E-Watan Hafiz Karnataki Urdu
About Sahitya Academy

President– Chandrashekhara Kambara
Odisha Forest Officer, Sasmita Lenka, Became First Indian to Receive UN’s 2020 Asia Environmental
Enforcement Award
Sasmita Lenka, Divisional Forest Officer, Athagarh Forest Division, Odisha received the United Nations’s 2020 Asia
Environmental Enforcement Awards under the category Impact and Gender Leadership. She became the first
Indian to receive the award.
The 2020 theme of the 5th edition Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards “Fighting Transboundary
Environmental Crimes”.
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau of India won the award under Innovation category for initiating the
operation WILDNET-II to deter traders and to bring offenders to justice.
• The awards recognises the excellence in enforcement by government officials and institutions or teams
combating transboundary environmental crime.
• The award was presented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in partnership
with UNDP, UNDOC, the secretariat of CITES, INTERPOL and World Customs Organization.2020 Winners of
5th Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards
63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards (2020): Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish Received Top Honours
On 14th March 2021, The 2021 GRAMMY Awards officially
known as the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Award (2020) was
presented over the hybrid ceremony. The award recognised the
recordings released between 1st September 2019 and 31st
August 2020. Trevor Noah, an award-winning comedian from
South Africa hosted the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards from
Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, United States.
• The awards were presented under 83 categories and the
63rd Grammy Awards for Best Immersive Audio Album
will be announced next year in addition to the 64th
Grammy nominations.
Important awards at 63rd Grammy Awards:
i.American Singer and Songwriter Taylor Swift won the award for the Best Album of the year for her
album “Folklore”.

She became the first female ever to win the album of the year for the 3rd time. She won the award for her albums
‘Fearless’ in 2010 and ‘1989’ in 2016.
ii.American pop star, Billie Eilish O’Connell won the record of the year award for her song “Everything I Wanted”.
She also won the award for Best Song Written for Visual Media along with Finneas Baird O’Connell, for No Time To
Die From No Time To Die.
iii.Beyonce won 4 awards and broke the record of most ever Grammy wins by female artists with 28 Grammys. She
broke Alison Krauss’ record of 27 wins at Grammys.
Beyonce along with her daughter Blue Ivy Carter (9 years) won the best music video award for “Brown Skin Girl”.
Blue Ivy Carter became one of the youngest Grammy winners.
With the best rap performance award for “Savage”, Rapper Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé became the first female
duo to win the award.
They also won the award for the Best Rap Song for “Savage”.
iv.Harry Styles won his first grammy under the category “Best Pop Solo Performance” for his single “Watermelon
Sugar”.
Recording Academy’s 2021 Special Merit Awards:
• The Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel
Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, and Talking Heads.
• The Trustees Awards were presented to Ed Cherney, Benny Golson and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds.
List of Winners:
Category Winner
Record of the Year ‘Everything I Wanted’ by Billie Eilish
Album of the Year ‘Folklore’ by Taylor Swift
‘I Can’t Breathe’ by Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson(professionally known
Song of the Year as “HER”)
Best New Artist Megan Thee Stallion
Best Pop Solo Performance ‘Watermelon Sugar’ by Harry Styles
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance ‘Rain On Me’ by Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
Best Music Video Beyonce for ‘Brown Skin Girl’
Best Rap Album ‘King’s Disease’ by Nas
Best Rap Song Savage by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyonce
Best Rap Performance Savage by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyonce
Best Rock Album ‘The New Abnormal’ by The Strokes
Best Rock Performance ‘Shameika’ by Fiona Apple
Best Pop Vocal Album ‘Future Nostalgia’ by Dua Lipa
Best R&B Album ‘Bigger Love’ by John Legend
Best R&B Performance ‘Black Parade’ by Beyoncé
Best Alternative Music Album ‘Fetch The Bolt Cutters’ by Fiona Apple
Best Global Music Album ‘Twice as Tall’ by Burna Boy
Best Country Album ‘Wildcard’ by Miranda Lambert
Best Contemporary Christian Music
Album ‘Jesus Is King’ by Kanye West
Best Comedy Album ‘Black Mitzvah’ by Tiffany Haddish
Best Song Written for Visual Media ‘No Time to Die’ (for ‘No Time to Die’) by Billie Eilish
Click here to know all the winners of the 63rd Grammy Awards

About Grammy Awards:
The Grammy Awards are presented by the Recording Academy since 1958.
The award recognises and celebrates excellence in the music community.
Renew Power,World’s 1st Clean Energy Company & 2nd Indian firm added to WEF Global Lighthouse Network
On March 16,2021 India’s leading Renewable energy company “ReNew Power,” one of the two Indian companies has
been named the Global Lighthouse Company by World Economic Forum(WEF).With this recognition, ReNew Power
becomes World’s first clean energy company to be recognised as a Lighthouse by World Economic Forum.
• WEF Global Lighthouse Network recognizes companies using new technologies to achieve environmentally
sustainable, community-supportive, profitable growth.
Reason of Recognition
i.ReNew’s Hubli facility was specifically nominated as a Global Lighthouse for its ground-breaking work in the
development and deployment of advanced analytics and machine learning solutions to increase the yield of ReNew’s
wind and solar assets.
ii. The technology deployment helped ReNew improve employee productivity by 31% and reduce downtime for its
assets by 31%, without incurring any additional capital expenditure.
First Indian company Recognised
• Tata Steel Kalinganagar (TSK) is the first Indian manufacturing plant was included in the WEF’s Global
Lighthouse Network in the year 2019.
WEF Global Lighthouse Network
It is a group of 69 factories that serve as a platform to develop, replicate, and scale innovations, creating opportunities
for cross-company learning and collaboration while setting new benchmarks for the global manufacturing
community.
World Economic Forum(WEF)
Headquarters – Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland
Executive Chairman – Klaus Schwab
ReNew Power
Chairman and Managing Director – Sumant Sinha
Headquarters – Gurgaon(Gurugram, Haryana)
Paris-based duo of Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal Wins the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2021
On 16th March 2021, French architects and educators Anne
Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal were selected as the
laureates of the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2021, the highest
honour in the field of architecture. The award was announced
by Tom Pritzker, Chairman of The Hyatt Foundation. The Paris
based duo won the award for their various social housing
projects undertaken by their Paris based studio Lacaton &
Vassal.
• The selected works of Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe
Vassal includes Latapie House, Cap Ferret House, House
in Bordeaux, 53 Units of Low-Rise Apartments, Social Housing, Transformation of 100 Units, Tour Bois le
Prêtre, Social Housing (with Frédéric Druot), Site for Contemporary Creation, Phase 2, Palais de Tokyo and 129
Units, Ourcq-Jaurès Student and Social Housing.
Key Points:
i.Anne Lacaton became the first French female architect to win the prize and the 6th woman to receive the prize
since it was established in 1979.
ii.Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal became the first French recipient of the award since 2008 when Jean Nouvel
won the award.
iii.The first French person to win the award was Christian de Portzamparc, who won the award in 1994.

About the Pritzker Architecture Prize:
i.The Pritzker Architecture Prize, an annual award presented to the living architect or architects to recognise their
talent, vision and commitment towards significant contributions to humanity and build the environment through the
art of architecture.
ii.The Prize was established by the Pritzker family of Chicago through their Hyatt Foundation in 1979.
Prizes:
The Pritzker Architecture Prize consists of 100,000 USD and a bronze medallion.
Ceremony:
i.The award is annually presented to the laureates at a ceremony held at an architecturally significant site throughout
the world.
ii.The award ceremony of 2020 and 2021 was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Note:
Architect Balkrishna Doshi from India won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2018 and became the first Indian to
win the Prize.
On September 18, 2020 Krushi Bhavan, a facility developed for the State’s Department of Agriculture & Farmers’
Empowerment located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha won 10th annual AZ Awards 2020 as People’s Choice Winner under
the category social good. The awards were revealed at its first-ever virtual AZ Awards Gala. The 12,077-square-metre
Krushi Bhavan is one among 20 winners and the only winner from India.
Amitabh Bachchan Honoured with FIAF Award 2021

On 19th March 2021, Indian Actor Amitabh Bachchan received
the FIAF Award 2021 by the International Federation of Film
Archives (French: Fédération Internationale des Archives du
Film, FIAF), an international organization of film archives and
museums across the globe over a virtual award ceremony hosted
from Mumbai, Maharashtra. The award was bestowed upon him
by former FIAF Award recipients and filmmakers Martin
Scorsese and Christopher Nolan.
• Amitabh became the first Indian to receive this award.
• He was nominated by the FIAF Affiliate Film Heritage
Foundation, founded by filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur in 2014 to preserve the
endangered Film heritage of India.
About Amitabh Bachchan:
i.The veteran Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan became the ambassador of the Film Heritage foundation in 2015.
ii.Working with the film heritage foundation, He has contributed to the preservation of the Indian film heritage.
Other Honours:
i.He has received India’s 3 highest civilian awards, Padma Shri (1984), Padma Bhushan(2001) and Padma
Vibhushan(2015) for arts.
ii.He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honours of Indian Cinema in 2019.
About FIAF Award:
i.The FIAF Award was introduced in 2001 and the inaugural award was presented to American Martin Scorsese.
ii.The annual FIAF Award is presented to a film personality whose experience and personal contribution to the field
of cinema are in line with the missions of the FIAF.
iii.The award recognises the contribution of the individual towards preserving the world film heritage for the
pleasure of today’s audience and the benefit of future generations.
iv.The trophy is a silver film made by Talleres de Los Ballesteros in Mexico, with the help of the Filmoteca de la
UNAM.

About FIAF:
President– Frédéric Maire
Secretary-General– Michael Loebenstein
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
Govt conferred Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 to Sheikh Mujibur Rehman and for 2019 to Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al
Said
The Union government conferred Gandhi Peace Prize to the Late
Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman for the year 2019 and to
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, for the year 2020.
• The Jury of Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi
About Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said:
• The visionary leader of Oman who died in January 2020
was conferred with Gandhi peace prize, 2019 for
recognizing his outstanding contributions for social,
economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods and,
• His twin policy of moderation and mediation in addressing international issues.
• He had studied in India and also received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in
2004.
About Sheikh Mujibur Rahman:
• He is the “Father of the Nation” of Bangladesh who is conferred with the Gandhi peace prize 2020 for
recognizing his close and fraternal relations between India and Bangladesh and, promoting peace and non-
violence in the Indian subcontinent.
• On 17th December 2020, Indian post has released a commemorative postage stamp on Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman.
• The Government of Bangladesh has declared the year 2020-21 as the Mujib Year
• He is popularly dubbed with the title of “Bangabandhu”.
The Jury of Gandhi Peace Prize:
• It is chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and comprises two ex-officio members, namely the Chief
Justice of India and Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha.
• Other Two members of the Jury were Shri Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Shri Bindeshwar Pathak,
Founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation.
On November 13, 2020, 17-year-old Sadat Rahman from Bangladesh won the International Children’s Peace Prize
2020 for his involvement in setting up his social organization and creating the mobile application ‘Cyber Teens’ to
end cyberbullying. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai presented the award to Sadat Rahman, during a
ceremony in the Netherlands.
About Gandhi Peace Prize:
• The Government of India (GoI) launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the
125th birth anniversary of Gandhi.
• The award is open to all people regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex.
• The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/
handloom item.
• 2018 awardee – Yohei Sasakawa, Goodwill Ambassador of the World Health Organization for Leprosy
Eradication
• Total awarded – 19
Overview of 67th National Film Awards for the year 2019

On March 22, 2021, the 67th edition of annual National Film Awards was announced, it bestows honours on films
and artists for the year 2019.

The National Film Awards are given out by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation which comes under
the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
i.The awards are categorised in three sections –
• Feature Films,
• Non-Feature Films &
• Best Writing on Cinema.
ii.The awards were announced by Jury heads – N. Chandra,
Chairman, Central Panel, Shri Arun Chaddha, Chairman, Non
Feature Films Jury, Shaji N Karun, Chairman, Most Film
Friendly State Jury & Saibal Chatterjee, Chairman Best Writing
on Cinema Jury.
iii.Feature and Non-Feature Films certified by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between 1 January 2019,
and 31 December 2019, were eligible for the film award categories.
Notable Awards
• Best Non-Feature Film – An Engineered Dream (Hindi Film)
• Best Feature Film – Marakkar-Arabi Kadalinte-Simham (Malayalam)
• Best Children’s Film award – Kastoori (Hindi)
• Best Arts and Culture Film – Shrikshetra-Ru-Sahijata (Odia)
• Most Film Friendly State – Sikkim (Medal – Rajat Kamal)
• Best Cinematography – Gireesh Gangadharan for Malayalam film Jallikattu
List of Winners
Feature Films Section
S.
No Category Title Awardee
Marakkar-Arabi Kadalinte-Simham · Producer: Aashirvad Cinemas
1 Best Feature Film (Malayalam) · Director: Priyadarshan
· Producer: Big Bang
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Entertainments
2 Film of a Director HELEN (Malayalam) · Director: Mathukutt Xavier
· Producer: Sri Venkateswara
Award for Best Popular Film Creations
Providing Wholesome · Director: Paidipally Vamshidhar
3 Entertainment MAHARSHI (Telugu) Rao
· Producer: Tuline Studios Pvt.
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Ltd.
4 Film on National Integration TAJMAL (Marathi) · Director: Niyaz Mujawar
· Producer: Essel Vision
Productions Ltd., Freshlime Films
LLP, Namah Pictures Pvt. Ltd.
5 Best Film on Social Issues ANANDI GOPAL (Marathi) · Director: Sameer Vidwans
Best Film on Environment · Producer: Faruque Iftikar Laskar
6 Conservation/Preservation WATER BURIAL (Monpa) · Director: Shantanu Sen
· Producer: Insight Films
· Director: Vinod Uttreshwar
7 Best Children’s Film KASTOORI (Hindi) Kamble
· Director: Sanjay Puran Singh
8 Best Direction BAHATTAR HOORAIN (Hindi) Chauhan
BHONSLE (Hindi) & ASURAN · Actor: Manoj Bajpayee
9 Best Actor (Tamil) · Actor: Dhanush
MANIKARNIKA-THE QUEEN OF
10 Best Actress JHANSI (Hindi) & PANGA (Hindi) Actress : Kangana Ranaut
Supporting Actor: Vijaya
11 Best Supporting Actor SUPER DELUXE (Tamil) Sethupathi

Supporting Actress: Pallavi
12 Best Supporting Actress THE TASHKENT FILES (Hindi) Joshi
13 Best Child Artist KD(A) KARUPPU DURAI (Tamil) Child Artist : Naga Vishal
Singer : B Praak for song “Teri
14 Best Male Playback Singer KESARI (Hindi) Mitti”
Singer : Savani Ravindra for
15 Best Female Playback Singer BARDO (Marathi) song “Raan Petala”
Cameraman: Gireesh
16 Best Cinematography Jallikattu (Malayalam) Gangadharan
· Screenplay writer (original):
Kaushik Ganguly
· Screenplay writer (adapted):
JYESHTHOPUTRO (Bengali) & Srijit Mukherji
GUMNAAMI (Bengali) & THE · Dialogue Writer: Vivek Ranjan
17 Best Screenplay TASHKENT FILES (Hindi) Agnihotri
· Location Sound Recordist (for
sync sound films only) : Debajit
Gayan
· Sound Designer : Mandar
IEWDUH (Khasi) & TRIJYA Kamalapurkar
(Marathi) & OTHTHA SERUPPU · Re- recordist of the final mixed
18 Best Audiography SIZE-7 (Tamil) track: Resul Pookutty
19 Best Editing JERSEY (Telugu) Editor: Navin Nooli
Production Designer: Sunil
20 Best Production Design ANANDI GOPAL (Marathi) Nigwekar & Nilesh Wagh
MARAKKAR-ARABIK KADALINTE- Costume Designer: Sujith
21 Best Costume Designer SIMHAM (Malayalam) Sudhakaran & V. Sai
22 Best Make-up Artist HELEN (Malayalam) Make-up Artist: Ranjith
· Music Director (Songs): D.
Imman
VISWASAM (Tamil) · Music Director (Background
23 Best Music Direction JYESHTHOPUTRO (Bengali) Music): Prabuddha Banerjee
Lyricist: Prabha Varma for the
Song “ Arodum Parayuka
24 Best Lyrics KOLAAMBI (Malayalam) Vayya”
Producer & Director :
25 Special Jury Award OTHTHA SERUPPU SIZE-7 (Tamil) Radhakrishnan Parthiban
MARAKKAR-ARABIK KADALINTE- Special Effects Creator :
26 Best Special Effects SIMHAM (Malayalam) Siddharth Priyadarshan
27 Best Choreography MAHARSHI (Telugu) Raju Sundaram
Best Action Direction Award (Stunt AVANE SRIMANNARAYANA
28 Choreography) (Kannada) Vikram Mor
Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
S Name of the
No Award Title Awardee
Best Assamese RONUWA – WHO NEVER · Producer: Bornali Creative Vision Entertainment
1 Film SURRENDER · Director: Chandra Mudoi
· Producer: SVF Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
2 Best Bengali Film GUMNAAMI · Director: Srijit Mukherji
· Producer: Nadiadwala Grandsons Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.,
Fox Star Studios
3 Best Hindi Film CHHICHHORE · Director: Nitesh Tiwari

Best Kannada · Producer: Kalaadegula Studio
4 Film AKSHI · Director: Manoj Kumar
Best Konkani · Producer: de Goan Studio
5 Film KAAJRO · Director: Nitin Bhaskar
6 Best Marathi Film BARDO Producer: Ritu Films Cut LLP
Best Malayalam · Producer: First Print Studios
7 Film KALLA NOTTAM · Director: Rahul Riji Nair
Best Manipuri · Producer: Luwang Apokpa Mamikol Production
8 Film EIGI KONA · Director: Bobby Wahengham, Maipaksana Haorongbam
· Producer: New Generation Films,
· Director: Dr. Sabyasachi Mohapatra
&
SALA BUDHAR BADLA
& · Producer: Eleeanora Images Pvt. Ltd.,
9 Best Odia Film Kalira Atita · Director: Nila Madhab Panda
· Producer: Vehli Janta Films,
10 Best Punjabi Film RAB DA RADIO 2 · Director: Sharandeep Singh
· Producer: V Creations,
11 Best Tamil Film ASURAN · Director: Vetri Maaran
· Producer: Sithara Entertainments
12 Best Telugu Film JERSEY · Director: Gowtam Tinnanuri
Best Feature Film in each of the languages other than those specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Name of the
Award Title Awardee
S.No
Best
Chhattisgarhi Producer: Swapnil Film Productions
1 Film BHULAN THE MAZE Director: Manoj Verma
Best Haryanvi CHHORIYAN CHHORON Producer: Essel Vision Productions Limited & Satish
2 Film SE KAM NAHI HOTI Kaushik Entertainment, Director: Rajesh Amar Lal Babbar
Producer: Shiven Arts

3 Best Khasi Film IEWDUH Director: Pradip Kurbah
Producer: Obonori Pictures,

4 Best Mishing Film ANU RUWAD Director: Dilip Kumar Doley
Producer: Neru Films,

5 Best Paniya Film KENJIRA Director: Manoj Kana
6 Best Tulu Film PINGARA Producer: DMR Productions, Director: R Preetham Shetty
Director : Sajin Babu

BIRIYAANI (Malayalam) &
& Actor: Benjamin Daimary
JONAKI PORUA &
(Assamese) Actress: Lata Kare
& &
7 Special Mention LATA BHAGWAN KARE Director: Abhijeet Mohan Warang
(Marathi)

&
PICASSO (Marathi)
Non-Feature Films section

Category Title Awardee
S.No
AN ENGINEERED DREAM
1 BEST NON-FEATURE FILM (HINDI) Producer & Director : Hemant Gaba
BEST DEBUT NON FEATURE Producer : P P Cine Production

2 FILM OF A DIRECTOR KHISA (MARATHI) Director : Raj Pritam More
CHARAN-ATVA THE ESSENCE

OF BEING A NOMAD Producer : Films Division Director : Dinaz
3 BEST ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM (GUJARATI) Kalwachwala
Producer : Films Division Director : Swati

ELEPHANTS DO REMEMBER Pandey, Viplove Rai Bhatia & Manohar
4 BEST BIOGRAPHICAL FILM (ENGLISH) Singh Bisht
CULTURE FILM
BEST ARTS and CULTURE SHRIKSHETRARU-SAHIJATA
5 FILM (ODIA) Producer & Director : Ashutosh Pattnaik
Producer : Little Lamb Films Pvt. Ltd.

6 BEST PROMOTIONAL FILM THE SHOWER (HINDI) Director : Bauddhayan Mukherji
Producer: Rajiv Mehrotra, PSBT Director :

7 BEST ENVIRONMENT FILM THE STORK SAVIOURS (HINDI) Ajay Bedi & Vijay Bedi
Producer: Priyanka Pradeep More

BEST FILM ON SOCIAL HOLY RIGHTS (HINDI) & LADLI Director : Farha Khatun & Producer &
8 ISSUES (HINDI) Director : Sudipta Kundu
APPLES AND ORANGES Producer: LXL Ideas Private Limited

9 BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM (ENGLISH) Director : Rukshana Tabassum
Producer: Amoghavarsha J S Director :

Amoghavarsha JS, Kalyan Varma, Sarath
10 BEST EXPLORATION FILM WILD KARNATAKA (ENGLISH) Champati & Vijaya Mohan Raj
Producer: Neo n Reel Creation Director :

11 BEST INVESTIGATIVE FILM JAKKAL (MARATHI) Vivek Wagh
Producer : Fairy Cows Director : Bimal

12 BEST ANIMATION FILM RADHA (MUSICAL) Poddar Animator : Niti n Kharkar
SMALL SCALE SOCIETIES

13 SPECIAL JURY AWARD (ENGLISH) Director : Vipin Vijay
14 BEST SHORT FICTION FILM CUSTODY (HINDI/ENGLISH) Producer & Director : Ambiecka Pandit

BEST FILM ON FAMILY ORU PAATHIRAA SWAPNAM Producer: Satyajit Ray Film & Television
15 VALUES POLE (MALAYALAM) Institute Director : Sharan Venugopal
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

16 BEST DIRECTION (ENGLISH/ BENGALI) Director : Sudhanshu Saria
17 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY SONSI (HINDI) Cameraman: Savita Singh
BEST ON-LOCATION SOUND On location sound recordist : Saptarshi

18 RECORDIST RAHAS (HINDI) Sarkar
Re-recordist (final mixed track) : Allwin

19 BEST AUDIOGRAPHY RADHA (Musical) Rego & Sanjay Maurya
SHUT UP SONA
20 BEST EDITING (HINDI/ENGLISH) Editor : Arjun Gourisaria
KRANTI DARSHI GURUJI-

21 BEST MUSIC DIRECTION AHEAD OF TIMES (HINDI) Music Director: Bishakhjyoti
BEST NARRATION/ VOICE

22 OVER WILD KARNATAKA (ENGLISH) Voice Over : Sir David Attenborough
Best Book/Writing on Cinema

S. Name of the
No Title of the Book Language Author Name of the Publisher
A GANDHIAN AFFAIR: INDIA’S CURIOS PORTRAYAL HarperCollins
1 OF LOVE IN CINEMA English Sanjay Suri Publishers India
Special Mention
Title of the Book Language Name of the Author
S.No
1 CINEMA PAHANARA MANUS Marathi Ashok Rane
2 KANNADA CINEMA: JAGATHIKA CINEMA VIKASA-PRERANE-PRABHAVA Kannada P R Ramadasa Naidu
Best Film Critic

Name of the Critic Language
S.No
1 Sohini Chattopadhyay English
About Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC):

Chairperson – Prasoon Joshi
Head Office – Mumbai, Maharashtra
HDFC Bank has adjudged the ‘India’s Best Bank for SMEs’ at the Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2021
On March 25, 2021, HDFC Bank, was adjudged the ‘India’s Best Bank for Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs)’ at
the Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2021 of Asiamoney for the transformation of its Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) business.
HDFC Bank’s Contribution towards MSMEs:
• HDFC’s advances to MSMEs as of December 31, 2020, is about Rs2.02 trillion ($28 billion) which
is 38% higher than in 2019.

• It has a compound annual growth rate of 23% for the past six years, making it India’s second-largest bank for
MSME lending.
• The bank’s MSME-related non-performing asset (NPA) ratio was 0.7% in December 2020, which is down from
1.33% in March 2020 and 1.16% in March 2019.
About Emergency Credit Liquidity Guarantee Scheme(ECLGS):
• It was unveiled as part of the Atma Nirbhar Baharat package in May 2020, to aid MSMEs and provided fully
guaranteed and collateral-free loans for amounts up to 20% of outstanding loans with an outstanding credit
up to Rs 50 crore as of February 29, 2020, and with an annual turnover of Rs 250 crore.
• MSME units, business enterprises, individual loans for business purposes and MUDRA are eligible for loans
under the scheme
• The Government extended the Emergency Credit Liquidity Guarantee Scheme till March 31, 2021
• HDFC ranked among top banks in terms of extension of credit under the ECLGS scheme which stood at
around Rs. 23,000 crores as of December 31, 2020.
List of Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2021 for Indian Banks:
Category of Award Bank
Best domestic bank Kotak Mahindra Bank
Best corporate and investment bank 2021 Kotak Mahindra Bank
Best international bank DBS Bank
Best digital bank Axis Bank
Best bank for Corporate social responsibility(CSR) RBL Bank
Key points:
• DBS Bank: Lakshmi Vilas Bank merged with DBS bank in November 2020 through Reserve Bank of India under
Section 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, India
• Axis Bank: On March 18, 2020, Axis Mutual Fund has launched Axis Technology ETF, which offers investors an
opportunity to invest in a basket of the biggest IT companies in India
• RBL bank: In 2014 initiated ‘UMEED 1000’ a 1000 km Cyclothon, its 7th edition is held between 27th
November 2020 – 11th December 2020 to contribute and raise funds in support of girl child education
About Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2021:
• It is awarded by Asiamoney to identify banks that have excelled across a range of core banking activities over
the past 12 months in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan.
On January 19, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the 2020 list of Domestic Systemically Important
Banks (D-SIBs) on the basis of data collected from banks as of March 31, 2020. As per the list SBI (State Bank of
India), ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India), and HDFC (Housing Development Finance
Corporation Limited) Bank continue to be D-SIBs or institutions which are ‘too big to fail (TBTF)’.
About Asiamoney:
It is a financial publication established in 1989, has now merged with other key capital markets publications from the
Euromoney Institutional Investor
About HDFC Bank:
MD & CEO – Sashidhar Jagdishan
Hindi Writer Prof. Sharad Pagare Honoured with Vyas Samman 2020
Established Hindi writer Professor Sharad Pagare from Madhya Pradesh has been chosen as the recipient of the
prestigious Vyas Samman 2020 for his historic novel titled “Patliputru ki Samragi”.
The 2020 Vyas Samman is the 30th Vyas Samman presented by KK Birla Foundation.
The novel – “Patliputru ki Samragi” was printed in the year 2010.

About Vyas Samman:
i.Vyas Samman is an annual award initiated by the KK Birla
Foundation in 1991.
ii.The award honours the outstanding work in Hindi authored by
an Indian citizen published during the past 10 years.
iii.The award consists of Rs.4 lakh cash award along with citation
and a plaque.
Note:
Ram Vilas Sharma received the inagural Vyas Samman 1991 for
his work ‘Bharat ke Pracheen bhasha parivar aur Hindi’.
About Prof. Sharad Pagare:
i.Dr. Sharad Pagare is a distinguished scholar, researcher and professor of historical past.
ii.He has received various literary honours like Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Akademi, Bharat Bhushan Samman.
iii.He has 5 novels, 6 collections of stories, 2 performs and dissertations to his credit.
iv.His works were translated into various languages like English, Oriya, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu.
ESAF SFB Awarded with ‘Great Place to Work’ by Great Place to Work Institute
On 23rd March, 2021, ESAF Small Finance Bank (SFB), was awarded with ‘Great Place to Work’ by Great Place to
Work Institute. The Award was presented after conducting a survey with the employees by the third-party global
authority.The Survey recognises the high-trust and performance culture at workplaces. It shows the bank’s
commitment and credibility amongst its employees.
ESAF SFB:MD & CEO – K Paul Thomas ; Headquarter – Thrissur,Kerala
Legendary singer Asha Bhosle conferred with Maharashtra Bhushan Award

A committee chaired by Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray announced singer Asha Bhosle has been
selected for the Maharashtra Bhushan award for the year 2020, Maharashtra State highest civilian award for
outstanding individual achievements in their field, The award, instituted in 1996 carries a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.
Mahinder Giri, Range Officer of RTR Became the Only Asian to Win International Ranger Award
Ranger Mahinder Giri of Rajaji Tiger Reserve(RTR) became the
only ranger from Asia to win the prestigious New International
Ranger Award for his efforts towards reducing the human-
wildlife conflict in and around the RTR and his role in trigger
translocation exercise from Corbett Tiger Reserve to RTR.
• The award was announced for 10 professionals across
the globe by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) and World Commission on Protected Areas
(WCPA).
• Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forests and
Climate Change has congratulated Mahinder Giri, for being the only ranger from Asia.
About the International Ranger Award:
i.The International Ranger Award was created by IUCN and WCPA in collaboration with International Ranger
Federation, Global Wildlife Conservation and Conservation Allies in 2020.
ii.The award recognises the extraordinary work of rangers in protected and conserved areas across the globe.
Award:
The award comprises a unique uniform patch along with USD 10000 for their associated organisation to support
their work.
About Mahinder Giri:
i.Mahinder Giri a resident of Haridwar, Uttarakhand, who joined as a forest guard at Motichur range on the
compensatory grounds.
ii.He was the first person of the tiger monitoring unit of western RTR.

On 30th January 2021, S Theodore Baskaran, Conservation writer, historian, naturalist and veteran activist was
honoured with the Sanctuary Lifetime Service Award 2020 by the Sanctuary Nature Foundation. The Sanctuary
Wildlife Service Awards 2020 were presented over a virtual ceremony.
About International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):
Director General– Dr Bruno Oberle
Headquarter– Gland, Switzerland
NTPC got the ‘Role Model’ Award at the 11th CII National HR Excellence Award 2020-21
On March 18, 2021, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited(NTPC), a Public Sector Undertaking under the
Ministry of Power has been conferred with the ‘Role Model’ Award at the 11th Confederation of Indian Industry(CII)
National HR Excellence Award 2020-21.
i.NTPC is the only PSU to have received this prestigious award. The award was presented at the virtual conference
“Learn from the Achievers”. It is the highest level of recognition in the field of Human Resources by CII. This is the
second time when the award of Role Model has been conferred to any organization.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

ACC Approved 3 Months Extension in the Reappointment of CBDT Chairman Pramod Chandra Mody
On 28th February 2021, the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India announced that the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a 3 months extension in the reappointment of Pramod
Chandra Mody as Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
The 3-months extension is effective from 1st March 2021 to 31st
May 2021 or until further notice.
Key Points:
i.Pramod Chandra Mody, 1982-batch Indian Revenue Service
officer, was appointed as the Chairman of CBDT in February 2019
succeeding Sushil Chandra.
ii.In August 2019 he was reappointed as the Chairman of CBDT
till 31st August 2020.
iii.His Tenure was extended in August 2020 for 6 months with
effect from September 2020 to 28th February 2021.
About PC Mody:
i.Prior to his appointment as CBDT chief He served as the member of Administration in the CBDT.
ii.He has also served in various capacities in the Department of Income Tax.
Additional Info:
Tarun Bajaj, Secretary, Department of economic affairs has been given the additional charge of revenue secretary,
following the retirement of the incumbent Ajay Bhushan Pandey on 28th February 2021.
About CBDT:
CBDT, a statutory authority that functions under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.
Chairman– Pramod Chandra Mody
Indian Economist Ligia Noronha appointed Assistant SG & Head of UNEP NY Office
UN Chief Antonio Guterres has appointed Indian economist Ligia Noronha as Assistant Secretary-General (SG) and
Head of the New York(NY) Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). She will succeed fellow
Indian and development economist Satya Tripathi. Ligia Noronha has previously worked as UNEP’s Economy Division
based in Nairobi, Kenya and has worked on several agendas like inclusive green economies, sustainable consumption
& production as well as on trade & sustainable finance.

Jaideep Bhatnagar Appointed as the Principal DG of PIB; takes over from Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting appointed Jaideep Bhatnagar, 1986-batch Indian Information Service
(IIS) officer as the Principal Director General(DG) of Press
Information Bureau(PIB).
• On 1st March 2021, he took over as the Principal DG
from the incumbent Kuldeep Sing Dhatwalia, who
superannuated on 28th February 2021.
• He has been serving as the Director General, News
Services Division of All India Radio(AIR) since August
2020.
About Jaideep Bhatnagar:
i.Jaideep Bhatnagar has served in the Prasar Bharati as West Asia Correspondent.
ii.He has also served as the Head of the Commercial, Sales and Marketing Division in Doordarshan.
iii.He has served at various capacities in PIB for around 6 years.
Mary Kom Appointed as Chairperson of AIBA Champion & Veterans Committee

On 1st March 2021, the International Boxing Association(AIBA) has appointed 6-time Boxing World Champion Mary
Kom (37 years old) as the new chairperson of the AIBA
Champion and Veterans Committee. She was elected by the
mail vote of the Board Member of AIBA.
Olympic medalist Michael Philip Carruth of Ireland was
appointed as the Vice Chairperson of the committee by the
board of directors.
• The AIBA Champion and Veterans Committee was
formed in December 2020.
• It consists of boxing veterans across the globe and
champions who have achieved significant results.
Chair & Vice Chair of the other 6 Committees of AIBA are,
• Competitions Committee: Chair – Mr. Michael Müller (Germany); Vice-Chair, Mrs. Zsuzsanna Tóth (Hungary).
• R&J Committee: Chair – Mr. Christopher Mark Roberts (Scotland) ; Vice-Chair- Mr. Wayne John Rose
(Australia).
• Coaches Committee: Chair- Ervin Kade (Estonia); Vice-Chair, William Thomas Walsh (USA).
• Women’s Committee: Chair- Mrs. Amanda Jane Coulson (England), Vice-Chair- Mrs. Magda Mohamed Esmail
Sobhi (Egypt).
• Medical & Anti-Doping Committee: Chair- Dr. Ioannis Filippatos (Monaco), Vice-Chair- Dr. Barbarito Gutierrez
Cabrera (Cuba).
• Marketing Committee: Chair- Mr. Cezary Jedliński (Poland); Vice-Chair- Mr. Dian Gomes (Sri Lanka).
About Mary Kom:
i.Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte (Mary Kom) became the first Indian Female athlete to win the gold medal in
the 2018 Commonwealth games and 2014 Asian Games.
ii.She won the Bronze medal at the London Olympic Games held in 2012.
From 2001 to 2019, she has won 6 gold, silver and bronze medals at the 8 AIBA World Boxing championships.
iii.She was the only female pugilist (professional boxer) to become the world champion for 6 times and to win a
medal in each of the 7 world championships.
Honours:
i.In 2016, the President of India (Pranab Mukherjee) nominated Mary Kom as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the
upper house of the Indian parliament.
ii.The government of Manipur honoured her with the title “Meethoi Leima”.
About AIBA:
President– Umar Kremlev
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland

Tarun Bajaj given additional charge of revenue secretary
The appointments committee of Cabinet notified that Department of economic affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj has been
given the additional charge of the post of secretary, department of revenue under the Ministry of Finance, He
succeeds Ajay Bhushan Pandey who retires from February 28 2021.
NABARD’s Chairman G R Chintala Took Over as Chairman of APRACA; Succeeds DPK Gunasekera, CEO of Bank
of Ceylon
On 5th March 2021, GR Chintala, the Chairman of the National
Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) took
over as the Chairman of Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural
Credit Association(APRACA). He succeeds DPK Gunasekera,
General Manager of Bank of Ceylon(BOC).
Note:
For the first time since 1999, India got the chairmanship of
APRACA.
APRACA’s meeting:
i.The 73rd Executive Committee (EXCOM) meeting and the
22nd General Assembly meeting of APRACA was held on 5th March 2021, over a virtual platform.
ii.The Regional Policy Forum of APRACA was held on 4th March 2021.
iii.D.P.K. Gunasekera chaired the Forum from 4th to 5th March 2021.
iv..Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and farmers welfare delivered the keynote address at the
forum.
About GR Chintala:
i.GR Chintala has been serving as the chairman of NABARD since 27th may 2020.
Prior to his appointment as NABARD Chair, he served as the Managing Director of Bengaluru based NABFINS, a
subsidiary of NABARD.
ii.He has also served as the Vice President of Agri-Business Finance Limited, Hyderabad, Telangana and the Director
of Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
About APRACA:
It is an international organisation which performs information exchange, takes capacity building initiatives and
creates new institutions.
Chairman- G R Chintala
Members– 24 member countries (87 members)
Headquarters– Bangkok, Thailand
Rohit Sharma Signed as the Brand Ambassador of Glenmark’s Candid Powder

On 5th March 2021, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited has
signed Indian Cricketer Rohit Sharma as its brand
ambassador. He will be representing Glenmark’s “Candid
Powder”, the well-known brand of Glenmark’s consumer care
division.
As the brand ambassador of Glenmark, Rohit sharma will be
the official face of the brand as a part of its 360-degree
communication.
Genmark’s Candid Powder:
i.The Candid Dusting Powder is used to treat skin problems
like redness, irritation, sweat rash and fungal infection.
ii.With a market share of 64% in the medicated powder category, Candid Powder of Glenmark is a leading product in
the category.
About Rohit Sharma:
i.Rohit Sharma was named vice captain of the Indian Cricket team under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

ii.He was named as the Captain in December 2017 when Kohli was reseted for the series against Sri Lanka.
iii.He was named as the captain of the Mumbai Indians Team in 2013 In the Indian Premier League(IPL) and he has
won 4 IPL titles by winning in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Awards:
i.Rohit sharma received the Arjuna Award in 2015 and he was honoured with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the
highest sports honour of India in 2020.
ii.He received the Golden Bat Award for scoring most number of runs in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
On 28th May 2020, Vice-Captain of Indian Cricket Team in limited-overs, Rohit Sharma became the first
brand ambassador of the IIFL Finance.
IIFL finance is one of the leading Non-Banking Finance Companies of India which manages over Rs. 36,000 crore
assets.
About Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director– Glenn Saldanha
Head office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Ajai Malhotra Became the 1st Indian Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of UNHRC
Ajai Malhotra has become the first Indian to be elected as the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the United
Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC). His 3-year term on the committee will expire on 30th September 2023.
The Advisory Committee is a body of 18 independent experts serving as a think-tank to the United Nations Human
Rights Council.
• Ajai Malhotra was a member of Indian Foreign Service from 1977 till his retirement as an Ambassador of India
to Russian Federation on 30th November 2013.
• He has served as the Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York
from 2005 to 2009.
Naureen Hassan appointed as the 1st VP & COO of Federal Bank of New York
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of United States, gave approval for the appointment
of Naureen Hassan, an Indian Origin, as the 1st Vice President (VP) & Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the
Federal Bank of New York. She will be holding the 2nd highest post (Vice President) with effect from 15th March,
2021. Most recently she served as the Chief Digital Officer for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (MSWM). Her
work focuses primarily on digital and business process transformation.
Tirath Singh Rawat Sworn in as the New CM of Uttarakhand; Trivendra Singh Rawat resigned as CM
On 10th March 2021, Tirath Singh Rawat, Members of
Parliament (Lok Sabha), was sworn in as the 9th Chief
Minister(CM) of Uttarakhand following the resignation
of Trivendra Singh Rawat on 9th March 2021 following the
unease over his governance.The Oath Taking Ceremony is
administered by Governor, Baby Rani Maurya.
About Tirath Singh Rawat:
i.Tirath Singh Rawat was a former pracharak of the Rashtriya
Swayamseva Sangh (RSS).
ii.He was the first Education Minister of Uttarakhand when the state was formed in 2000.He was elected as the
secretary general of the BJP’s Uttarakhand Unit in 2007.
iii.He was elected to the state assembly in 2012 and served as the chief of the BJP unit of Uttarakhand from 2013 to
2015.He was also an MLA from the Chaubattakhal constituency from 2012 to 2017.
iv.In 2019, He was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Garhwal, Pauri
constituency.
Resignation of Trivendra singh Rawat:
i.Trivendra singh Rawat handed his resignation to Baby Rani Maurya, Governor of Uttarakhand.

ii.He resigned days before completing his 4th year as CM amid the growing rebellion in the ranks against his decision
to announce Gairsain as a new administrative division.
About Trivendra Singh Rawat:
i.Trivendra Singh Rawat was chosen as the first Time CM by Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the landslide
victory of BJP in the 2017 assembly election in which BJP won 57 seats of the 71 members assembly(70+ 1 Anglo
Indian).
ii.Narayan Datt Tiwari of Congress is the only CM of Uttarakhand to complete a full 5 year term since the formation
of the state.
About Uttarakhand:
Zoological Park– Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant high altitude Zoological Park
Forts– Banasur Ka Kila, Pithoragarh Fort
Former CBoI chief Pallav Mohapatra appointed MD and CEO of Arcil

On March 9, 2021, Pallav Mohapatra was appointed MD and
CEO by Asset Reconstruction Company (India) Ltd (Arcil).
Arcil’s former MD and CEO Vinayak Bahuguna was resigned
once his five years terms had finished in June 2020.
• Pallav Mohapatra was a former MD and CEO of Central
Bank of India (CBoI) from September 21, 2018, to
February 28, 2021.
• Before being elevated as MD and CEO of CBoI, he served
as the Deputy Managing Director of Stressed Assets
Management Group, State Bank of India.
About Arcil:-
Arcil founded in 2002 is India’s first Asset Reconstruction Company to commence the business of resolution of Non-
Performing Assets (NPAs) upon acquisition from Indian banks and financial institutions.
India’s CAG Girish Chandra Murmu Re-appointed as Chairman of UN’s Panel of External Auditors
On March 09, 2021, 14th Comptroller and Auditor General
of India (CAG), Shri Girish Chandra Murmu was re-
appointed as the Chairman of the Panel of External
Auditors of the United Nations(UN) for the year 2021. He
was initially elected as Chairman of the Panel for 2020.
Roles and responsibilities of the Chairman:
To lead the panel to report and audit the accounts and
management operations of the UN and its specialised
agencies.
About G.C.Murmu:
i.G.C.Murmu was born on 21st November 1959 in Mayurbhanj District of Odisha.
ii.He is the 1985-batch Gujarat cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.
iii.He was the first Lt Governor of Union Territory(UT) of Jammu and Kashmir in October 2019 after its formation
under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
International Organisation for which he has been the External Auditor:
i.He has been on the UN Board of Auditors from 1993 to 1999 and 2014 to 2020
ii.Presently, he is the External Auditor of the United Nations’s Specialized Agencies like
• World Health Organization(WHO) (2020- 2023)
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2020- 2025)
• Inter-Parliamentary Union (2020-2022)
iii.In the recent past, he has also been the External Auditor of
• World Food Programme(WFP)

• World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO)
• World Tourism Organization(UNWTO)
• International Atomic Energy Agency
• International Organization for Migration(IOM)
• International Maritime Organization(IMO) and
• The Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons(OPCW)
On February 15, 2021, The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) appointed Preeti Sinha, an Investment
and development Banker of Indian Origin as the New Executive Secretary of UNCDF. Sinha succeeds Judith Karl.
About the UN Panel of External Auditors:
Establishment – 1959 by UN General Assembly.
External Auditors: Panel has Auditors from 13 countries — India, Germany, Chile, China, United Kingdom, France,
Philippines, Switzerland, Italy, Ghana, Indonesia, Canada, and Russia.
About Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG):
The CAG of India is an authority, established by Article 148 of the Constitution of India, which audits all receipts and
expenditures of the Government of India and the state governments. CAG is appointed by the President of India.
The current/14th CAG – Girish Chandra Murmu, assumed office on 8 August 2020
Thomas Bach Re-elected as President of IOC until 2025

On 10th March 2021, the Executive Board of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) re-elected Thomas Bach for an
additional term of 4 years as the President of ICO until 2025.
His current term as the President of IOC will finish on the closing
day of the Tokyo Olympic Games on 8th August 2021 and his
second term as the President will start on 9th August 2021 and
will conclude in 2025.
• He was the only candidate of the IOC presidential election
which was held during the 137th IOC session held in
Athens.
• At the 2013 IOC session held in Buenos Aires, Tomas Bach former olympian and a fencing champion was first
elected as the president of IOC for a term of 8 years.
About Thomas Bach:
i.Thomas Bach of Germany won the team gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada.
ii.He was born on 29 December 1953 in Würzburg, Germany.
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games:
i.2020 Summer Olympics also known as Tokyo 2020 are set to take place from July 23-August 8, 2021 in Tokyo,
Japan.
ii.Originally it was scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the event was postponed in March 2020 as
a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About International Olympic Committee (IOC):
IOC is a not-for-profit independent international organisation that is committed to building a better world through
sport.
President– Thomas Bach
Created on 23 June 1894
Ivory Coast President Appointed Patrick Achi as Interim Prime Minister

On 8th March 2021, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara appointed Patrick Achi as the interim Prime
Minister of Ivory Coast due to the poor health condition of incumbent Hamed Bakayoko

• Patric Achi, a member of The Democratic Party of Ivory Coast – African Democratic Rally, served as the
government spokesman for President Alassane Ouattara.
• He has served as the Minister of Economic Infrastructure between 2010 and 2017.
Tene Birahima Ouattara, younger brother of President Alassane Ouattara, has been appointed as the Minister of
Defence.
About the Republic of Ivory Coast(Côte d’Ivoire):
President- Alassane Ouattara
Capital– Yamoussoukro
Currency- West African CFA franc
GP Samanta Appointed As The New CSI For A Term Of 2 Years

On 10th March 2021, GP Samanta, an advisor in the Department of Statistics and information management(DSIM),
Reserve Bank of India(RBI) was appointed as the 4th Chief Statistician of India(CSI) for a term of 2 years. Samanta
replaces Dr. Kshatrapati Shivaji, a 1986 batch IAS officer who has been the CSI since September 2020.
• The CSI will also hold the post of the Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation(MoSPI).
• In addition to the function of Secretary of MoSPI, the CSI will also be the head of the National Statistical
Organisation and Secretary of the National Statistical Commission.
• The new chief statistician will also be in charge of formulating the National Policy on Official Statistics which is
under preparation.
Responsibilities of CSI:
i.Preparation of vital economic data like national accounts that encompass gross domestic product along with
macroeconomic indicators like industrial production, retail inflation and the employment-unemployment numbers
through the Periodic Labour Force Survey.
ii.The Annual Survey of Industries, Economic Census, Consumer Expenditure Survey and other surveys on
agricultural households are also under the domain of CSI.
About GP Samanta:
i.In August 2010, RBI felicitated GP Samanta with Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis award for the year 2006 for her
contribution to quantitative economics. The award was instituted by the Indian Econometric Society.
ii.The research interests of GP Samanta include inflation and monetary policy issues, economic modelling,
forecasting, derivatives and risk management, financial risk modelling etc.
Aegon Life Insurance elevated Satishwar Balakrishnan as its MD and CEO

Aegon Life Insurance Limited, transforming to become India’s first digital-only life insurance company has elevated
Satishwar Balakrishnan to be the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer.
• He was involved in advancing their ‘do-it-yourself’ insurance solution.
• He joined the company in July 2019 as its Chief Financial Officer(CFO).
Gist About Aegon Life Insurance– It is headquartered in Mumbai and Founded in 2008.This company is a part of
Times Group.
World Economic Forum announced the 2021 Class of Young Global Leaders
On 10th March 2021, the World Economic Forum(WEF) released the list of 112 Young Global Leaders(YGL) 2021. 7
Indians (Shreevar Kheruka, Aditi Avasthi, Srikanth Bolla, Gazal Kalra, Ameya Prabhu, Hriday Ravindranath and Hitesh
Wadhwa) joined the Class 2021 of WEF’s Forum of Young Global Leaders.
Gist about Indians in YGF Class of 2021:
• Shreevar Kheruka, Managing Director, Borosil Ltd and member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO)
as well as the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO).
• Aditi Avasthi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Embibe, India’s EdTech AI platform
• Srikanth Bolla, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Bollant Industries Pvt Ltd, recycled paper manufacturing
and ecofriendly packaging consumer product manufacturing company in India.
• Gazal Kalra, Co-founder, Rivigo, tech-logistics startup disrupting the large and unorganized industry.

• Ameya Prabhu, Managing Director, NAFA Capital. He is also an author, financial services entrepreneur &
social worker. He is also founder and Managing Partner of UAP Advisors.
• Hriday Ravindranath, Global Chief Technology and Information Officer, BT Group Plc. He is recognised as one
of the youngest CTIOs in the industry and youngest CTIO of BT Group.
• Hitesh Wadhwa, Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives, Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital
transformation, consulting and business reengineering services.
About Forum of Young Global Leaders:
i.The Forum of Young Global leaders is a group of remarkable people under the age of 40 from diverse communities
and industries across the globe.
ii.The Forum of YGL is aligned with the mission of WEF, which encourages public private cooperation in global public
interest.
Aim:
To accelerate the impacts of a diverse community of responsible leaders across the globe from diverse sectors to
shape an inclusive and sustainable future.
Background:
The Forum of YGL was created in 2004 by Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic
Forum.
Members:
The Forum of YGL has more than 1400 members and alumni of 120 countries which includes civic and business
innovators, entrepreneurs, technology pioneers, educators, activists, artists, journalists, and others.
Udit Singhal (18 years), the founder of Glass2Sand, a zero waste ecosystem to control the increasing menace of glass
waste in Delhi, has been named to the 2020 Cohort of young leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) by
the United Nations(UN).
About World Economic Forum(WEF):
Founder & Chairman– Klaus Schwab
Founded– January 1971
World Bank Economist Deepak Mishra Appointed as Director & Chief Executive of ICRIER
On 13th March 2021, Deepak Mishra the lead Economist and
Practice Manager at the World Bank was appointed as the
new Director and Chief Executive of the Indian Council for
Research on International Economic Relations(ICRIER), the
economic think Tank of India.
Deepak Mishra will take over as the Director and Chief
Executive from Rajat Kathuria, who has been serving as the
Director and Chief Executive of ICRIER since 1st
September 2012.
About Deepak Mishra:
i.Deepak Mishra a native of Odisha has served as the World Bank’s Country economists of India based in Delhi from
2001 to 2004.
ii.He has worked closely with the government of India and also with other states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab.
iii.Prior to his appointment in the World Bank, he has worked at Tata Motors, Federal Reserve Bank and University of
Maryland.
iv.He has published various research , the journal of international economic national sessions.
About Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations(ICRIER):
Chairman– Pramod Bhasin

Centre Appoints High-Level Team led by Dr. SK Singh to Review Medical Care Arrangements for Haridwar
Kumbh Mela
A 3-member high-level team led by Dr S K Singh, Director of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been
appointed by the Government of India to review the Medical care and public health arrangements for the Kumbh Mela
at Haridwar, Uttarakhand which will start on 1st April 2021.
Members of the high-level team:
• Dr SK Jain, Additional Director, NCDC.
• Dr Meera Dhuria, Deputy Director, NCDC.
The Mandate of the High-Level team:
i.The 3-member team will focus on the status of implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the
Kumbh Mela which was issued by the team in the context of implementing preventive measures to contain the spread
of COVID-19.
ii.The team will also review the implementation of its field-level recommendations given to Uttarakhand during the
teams visit.
Highlights of Kumbh Mela:
i.Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years in rotation at the four holy places namely: Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain and Nasik.
ii.The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage under UNESCO has
inscribed ‘Kumbhmela’ on the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 12th
session held at Jeju, South Korea from 4-9 December 2017.
Kapil Dev Inducted into PGTI As A Board Member

On 15th March 2021, Former Indian Cricketer Kapil Dev was inducted into the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI)
as a board member. Kapil Dev, the captain of the Indian Cricket team that won the 1983 World Cup, will be working
towards the development of Golf in the country.
The official inclusion of Kapil Dev into the board was made while announcing the Prometheus School Delhi-NCR
Open Golf Championship 2021, which will be held from 16th to 19th March 2021 in Gurugram, Haryana.
Roles of Kapil Dev as PGTI Board member:
• As a member of the PGTI board, he will be convincing the corporates to associate and invest in Indian golf.
• He will work towards getting more attention from sponsors and investors and making golf more popular in
India.
Golf in India:
In India, around 500 corporate golf events are taking place in India.
Presently around 200 scratch golfers, a player who can play to a course handicap of zero on any and all rated golf
courses, in India are below the age of 22.
Delhi-NCR Open Golf Championship 2021:
The Delhi-NCR Open Golf Championship 2021 organised by TATA Steel PGTI and Prometheus School, Noida at the
Golden Greens Golf Club in Gurugram.
This is the 10th event of the 2020-2021 PGTI season with a prize purse of Rs.30 lakhs.
In this event, the golfers can earn official World Golf Ranking(OWGR) points which will improve their chances to
qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Note:
Rashid Khan (306), Udayan Mane (317), Karandeep Kochhar (348) and Chikkarangappa (349) are the four highest-
ranked Indians in the world.
About Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI):
PGTI is the controlling body for professional golf in India.
CEO– Uttam Singh Mundy
President– Gautam Thapar
Head office– Gurugram, Haryana
Formed in 2006

Dr Harsh Vardhan Appointed as the Chairman of ‘Stop TB Partnership Board’
On 17th March 2021, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) was
appointed as the Chairman of ‘Stop TB Partnership Board’ for a term of 3 years starting from July 2021. The
appointment is in recognition of his contribution to the movement to eradicate Tuberculosis(TB) from India by 2025.
He will succeed Dr. Luiz Henrique Mandetta, Minister of Health of Brazil.
He will work alongside Dr. Joanne Carter, Vice-Chair of the Stop TB Partnership Board.
About Stop TB Partnership:
i.The Stop TB Initiative was established following the 1st session of the Ad Hoc Committee on Tuberculosis Epidemic
held in March 1998 in London.
ii.In 2000, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization endorsed the establishment of a Global
Partnership to Stop TB and two targets for 2005:
• To diagnose 70% of all people with infectious TB
• To cure 85% of those diagnosed.
iii.The Stop TB Partnership was founded in 2001 and the first Stop TB partners forum was held in October 2001 in
Washington DC.
Efforts of India against TB:
i.On 25th September 2019, Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched the “TB Harega Desh Jeetega” campaign
along with the National TB Prevalence Survey.
ii.In April 2018, the government of India launched the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, a direct benefit transfer (DBT)
scheme to provide nutritional support to TB patients.
About Stop TB Partnership:
Executive Director– Dr Lucica Ditiu
NeoGrowth Appointed Ajinkya Rahane as its Brand Ambassador

On March 17, 2021, NeoGrowth Credit Pvt., Ltd announced the
appointment of Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane as its brand
ambassador for one year. Rahane will feature in a campaign of
the company named “Keeping it simple”.
• In the campaign, Ajinkya Rahane will talk about the ease of
procuring loans through NeoGrowth for small businesses
which will be released in the first week of April.
Objective: The campaign will show the day-to-day struggles of
small businesses and wishes to convey to them that obtaining
and repaying loans is not a tough task
Key Points about NeoGrowth:
• It is aiming to increase its direct sales growth from the current 35% to more than 50%, by motivating small
business owners to seek direct loans from the company.
• The average loan size provided by the company is in the range of Rs7 lakh to Rs 8 Lakh.
• Focus: It focuses on first-generation entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and first-time borrowers.
• Currently, they are having Rs 1,300 crore worth of assets and planning to take it to Rs2, 000 crores.
About Ajinkya Rahane
• He is the current vice-captain of the Indian cricket team in Test cricket.
About NeoGrowth Credit Pvt.
Chairman -D.K Khaitan
Managing Director (MD) – P.K. Khaitan

ACC Appoints MA Ganapathy IPS as DG of NSG & Kuldiep Singh as DG of CRPF
On 16th March 2021, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of M. A.
Ganapathy, as the Director-General(DG) of National Security
Guard(NSG).Kuldiep Singh has been appointed as the DG of
Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF).
• M. A. Ganapathy Succeeds Outgoing DG, S S Deswal.
Kuldiep Singh Succeeds AP Maheshwari.
Appointment of M.A.Ganapathy:
i.He was the 1986 batch Indian Police Service(IPS) officer of
the Uttarakhand Cadre.
ii.He was serving as the DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation
Security(BCAS).
iii.He will be serving as DG of NSG from the date of joining to 29th February 2024, the date of his superannuation or
till further orders.
iv.Indo Tibetan Border Police(ITBP) Director-General S S Deswal has held the additional charges as the DG of NSG
since the superannuation of A K Singh, DG of NSG on 30th September 2020.
v.Prior to S S Deswal, Anup Kumar Singh served as the Director General of NSG.Anup Kumar Singh succeeds Sudeep
Lakhtakia.
Appointment of Kuldiep Singh:
i.Kuldiep Singh, 1986 batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre has been appointed as the DG of Central Reserve Police
Force(CRPF).
ii.He was serving as the Special DG of CRPF, with additional charge as the DG of CRPF since the superannuation of Dr
AP Maheshwari IPS, DG of CRPF on 28th February 2021.
iii.He will be serving as the DG of CRPF from the date of joining to 30th September 2022, the date of his
superannuation or until further orders,
Samia Suluhu Hassan became Tanzania’s first woman president

On March 19, 2021, Samia Suluhu Hassan,61 sworn in as
Tanzania’s first woman President by succeeding John
Magufuli (2015-2021) at the State House in Dar es Salaam,
which is the country’s largest city.
• She is the sixth President of Tanzania and 2nd female
president within the East African Community.
• The inauguration was witnessed by the East African
country’s chief justice Ibrahim Jumavowing.
• Tanzania’s former presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi (1985-
1995), Jakaya Kikwete (2005-2015), and the cabinet
member Abied Karume (who is the first president of Zanzibar) were present at the event.
Note – Zanzibar is an autonomous region of Tanzania.
About Tanzania:
Capital – Dodoma
President – Samia Suluhu Hassan
Prime Minister -Kassim Majaliwa
Currency – Tanzanian shilling
Anurag Thakur becomes first serving MP to be appointed captain in Territorial Army

Minister of State (MoS) for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Anurag Thakur has become the first serving member of
parliament (MP) to be appointed as Captain in the Territorial Army.
• The four-time BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a
Lieutenant in July 2016.

• Territorial Army is the second line of defence in the hierarchy, which comprises volunteers who are imparted
military training for about a month in a year.
NITI Aayog sets up 2 Task Forces to achieve Policy Certainty in Contract Enforcement, Dispute Resolution
NITI Aayog has constituted 2 Task Forces for recommending policy framework for enforcement of
contracts & effective conciliation mechanism.
i.The Task Force for Enforcement of contracts will be headed by Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.
ii.The Task Force for Effective conciliation mechanism will be headed by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog.
Task Force on Enforcement of Contracts
Head
Rajiv Kumar, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman.
Mission
• To address risk perception in investment & achieve policy certainty.
Terms of Reference
• Constitutions & Operationalisation of adequate number of dedicated commercial courts with required
infrastructure in major towns/clusters at district level in all states to deal exclusively with commercial cases.
• Examination of relevant provisions of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 on its jurisdiction over different
categories of cases.
• To examine the ‘pecuniary’ jurisdiction of commercial courts
Members
Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA); Secretary, Revenue; Secretary, Department of Commerce; Chief
Secretary (Maharashtra); Chief Secretary (Gujarat), Chief Secretary (Andhra Pradesh); Chief Secretary (Tamil Nadu);
Chief Secretary (Uttar Pradesh)
Time Duration
The taskforce will submit its report within 6 months of its constitution.
Task Force for Effective conciliation mechanism
Head
Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog.
Mission
• To suggest facilitation of speedy resolution of contractual disputes between private entities & the government.
• Augment Ease of Doing Business.
Terms of Reference
• Developing & formulating guidelines for an effective conciliation mechanism, speedy settlement/resolution of
disputes arising out of contracts between Government Ministries & Private Contractor/concessionaire.
• To suggest policy, procedural and institutional measures on related matters of applicability, conciliation
process.
• It will also examine the relevant provisions of Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
Members
Secretary, DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade); Secretary of DEA; Secretary of
Department of Legal Affairs; Chairman and CEO, Railway Board; Secretary, MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways); Secretary, Civil Aviation; Secretary, Power; Secretary, MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy);
Chairman, NHAI (National Highways Authority of India).
Time Duration
The task force will submit its report within 3 months of its constitution.
Task Force on Head Purpose
Rajiv Kumar, · To address risk perception in investment & achieve policy certainty.
Enforcement of NITI Aayog Vice · Examination of relevant provisions of the Commercial Courts Act,
Contracts Chairman 2015 on its jurisdiction over different categories of cases.
Effective Conciliation Amitabh Kant, CEO of · To suggest facilitation of speedy resolution of contractual disputes
mechanism NITI Aayog between private entities & the government.

· It will also examine the relevant provisions of Arbitration and
Conciliation Act, 1996.
i.On 22nd October 2020, the NITI Aayog constituted a 14-member advisory committee headed by Rajiv Kumar, Vice
Chairman(VC) of NITI Aayog to evaluate the reforms in the urban planning education system.
About NITI Aayog
Chairman–Prime Minister (Narendra Damodardas Modi)
Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of Republic of Congo Re-elected with 88% vote
On 23rd March 2021, Denis Sassou Nguesso(77 year old), President of Republic of Congo was re-elected as the
President with more than 88.57% of the vote. He has been the
President of Congo for the accumulated 36 years.
About Denis Sassou Nguesso:
i.Denis Sassou Nguesso, of the Congolese Labour Party (Parti
Congolais du Travail; PCT), first became the president in 1979.
ii.He later became the president in 1997 after losing the Congo’s
first multiparty election in 1992.
iii.He changed the constitution of Congo in 2015 and extended
the term limits which barred him from standing for a re-election
in 2016.
About Republic of Congo:
Capital- Brazzaville
Currency- Central African CFA franc
AYUSH Ministry Set Up Interdisciplinary Team chaired by H R Nagendra To Explore Potential Of Yoga
The ministry of AYUSH has set up an interdisciplinary team of experts to explore the potential of Yoga as a
productivity enhancing tool for the population. The Committee is Chaired by HR Nagendra, Chancellor of Swami
Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana.
• On 24th March 2021, the inception meeting of the committee was held over a virtual platform.
• Members of the committee include the representatives from AIIMS, New Delhi ; IIM Bangalore ; IIT Bombay ;
and other leading Yoga institutions, the corporate sector and the Ministry of AYUSH.
About the Committee:
i.The expert committee will submit the preliminary recommendation by May 2021.
ii.The committee recognised the global surge in the popularity of yoga in the past 5 years.
iii.According to the committee, the productivity dimension of yoga, its role in the workplace and its benefits to
employees to perform better are unexplored at a larger extent.
iv.The committee will systematically identify the various directions of the productivity dimension and develop
protocols along with the directions.
v.The committee will adopt a science and evidence based approach in finalising recommendations.
vi.National Productivity Council, New Delhi is also supporting the study. Various institutions from the private and
public sector are also associated for the study.
Importance of Yoga in Productivity:
With the increasing physical and mental pressures on the employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the productivity
dimension of yoga became an important aspect of the growth aspirations of India.
The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) and Invest India will
collaborate to set up a strategic policy unit called “Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB)” to facilitate planned
and systematic growth of Ayush Sector means SPFB Bureau will support the AYUSH ministry in strategic and policy
making initiatives.

Ministry of AYUSH:
AYUSH – Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
Minister Of State (Independent Charge)– Shripad Yesso Naik(Constituency : North Goa (Goa))
Saurabh Garg Appointed as CEO of UIDAI; Sanjeev Kumar Appointed as Chairman of AAI
On 25th March 2021, as a part of the Bureaucratic reshuffle, the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved the
appointment of Saurabh Garg, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India
(UIDAI).Sanjeev Kumar appointed as Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Saurabh Garg Appointed as CEO of UIDAI
• He succeeds Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the CEO of
UIDAI.
• Saurabh Garg, 1991 batch IAS officer from Odisha cadre
was serving in his cadre state Odisha.
• He has been appointed in the rank and pay of Additional
Secretary.
Sanjeev Kumar Appointed as Chairman of AAI
Sanjeev Kumar, a 1991 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre
was appointed as the Chairman of Airports Authority of India
(AAI).
• He is appointed in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.
• He has taken up the position which was served by Anuj Aggarwal as the Interim Chairman.Before Anuj
Agarwal appointment, Arvind Singh served as the Chairman of AAI.
Other appointments:
Atish Chandra, a 1994 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre,the joint secretary of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation
and Farmers Welfare has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Food Corporation of
India(FCI) in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.
Soma Mondal Chairman of SAIL Elected as New Chairman of SCOPE

On 26th March 2021, Soma Mondal, Chairman of Steel
Authority of India Limited (SAIL) was elected as the new
Chairman of Standing Conference of Public Enterprises
(SCOPE). She has been elected for a 2 year term with effect
from 1st April 2021.
• Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director
(CMD) of Indian Renewable Energy Development
Agency Limited (IREDA) has been elected as the Vice
Chairman of SCOPE.
• The election results were announced by Atul Sobti, Director General of SCOPE and Returning Officer for the
elections.
About Soma Mondal:
i.Soma Mondal has been the Chairperson of SAIL since 1st January 2021, she was the first woman chairperson of
SAIL.
ii.She was also the first woman functional director of SAIL.
iii.She is a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) -National Committee on Steel and Chairperson of the
CII sub-committee on ‘Safeguard for Tariff and Non-Tariff Barrier”.
Other elected personnels of the executive board:
• R.K. Sinha, Director, Personnel, CWC,
• Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra, Director, HR, IOCL,
• Amitabh Banerjee, CMD, IRFC
• Alok Verma, Director HR, HAL

About Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE):
SCOPE is an apex professional organisation representing the Central Public Sector Enterprises(CPSEs).
Dr. Vivek Murthy, Indian American Physician sworn in as US Surgeon General

Indian American Physician, Dr. Vivek Murthy,(43 years old) sworn in as the 21st Surgeon General of the United
States of America. This is his 2nd time as Surgeon General of the US. Previously In 2013, nominated by Former
President Obama he held the position as the 19th Surgeon General. He was the youngest ever to hold the office at the
age of 37.
• He was sworn in by Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Service.
• As the surgeon general he will be advising President Biden on the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s
leading voice on public health.
Anish Shah Appointed as MD & CEO of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd

On 25th March 2021, Anish Shah was appointed as the Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of
Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd(M&M) with effect from 2nd April 2021.
• He takes over from Pawan Goenka who will retire as the MD and CEO, and member of the Board of Directors
of M&M on 2nd April 2021.
• Anish Shah is currently serving as the deputy managing director and Chief Financial Officer(CFO) of the
company.
• He will oversee the operations of all the companies under the Mahindra Group along with the automobile and
tractor manufacturing businesses.
Note:
When Anand Mahindra transitions to the position of Non-Executive Chairman, Anish Shah will become the First
Professional MD and CEO of Mahindra Group to complete oversight of and responsibility for Mahindra Group.
About Anish Shah:
i.Anish Shah joined M&M as the group President – Strategy in 2015 and led the strategy development.
ii.He has served as the President and CEO of GE Capital India before joining M&M.
iii.He started his career at Citibank in Mumbai and later worked as strategy consultant
Govt Extended the Term of K. VijayRaghavan as PSA for One Year Till April 2022
On March 25, 2021, The official order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training stated that the
government has extended the term of K. VijayRaghavan as Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) for one more year.
• K. VijayRaghavan, 67, was appointed as PSA in 2018, after retiring as Secretary, Department of Biotechnology.
His contract ends on April 2 but has now been extended until April 2022.
• He was conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2013.
About The office of Principal Scientific Advisor(PSA):
• Establishment: The office of the PSA to the Government of India was established in November 1999 by the
cabinet secretariat.
• Aim: The office aims to provide pragmatic and objective advice to the prime minister and cabinet on matters
related to science, technology and innovation with a focus on the application of science and technology in
critical infrastructure, economic and social sectors in partnership with the government departments,
institutions and industry.
• The Office of the PSA has been among the key coordinating agencies with industry, research bodies, health and
science ministries after the pandemic to accelerate the development of diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.
• The PSA office also will be formulating the National Science Innovation and Technology Policy as well as the
forthcoming National Research Foundation.

ACQUISITION & MERGERS

Ashok Leyland to Buy the Stake of Nissan in Hinduja Tech for Rs.70.20 crore
Ashok Leyland, a Chennai-based commercial vehicle manufacturer owned by Hinduja Group, signed a share
purchase agreement with Nissan International Holdings BV, an investment arm of Nissan Group(Japan) to acquire
its 38% stake in Hinduja Tech Limited(HTL), a part of Hinduja Group for Rs.70.20 crore.
About the acquisition:
i.Ashok Leyland has acquired 58500000 shares for the total consideration of Rs.70.20 crore in a paid up share capital
of Hinduja Tech Limited.
ii.As a result of this acquisition, HTL has become the wholly owned subsidiary of Ashok Leyland.
Background:
i.Ashok Leyland sold the 38% stake of HTL to Nissan International Holding BV for an undisclosed sum.
ii.The stake divestment was a part of Ashok Leylands plan to get the company out of debt.
iii.As the result of the sale, the holdings of Ashok Leyland in HTL was at 62% and the remaining was held by Nissan
International Holding.
Hinduja Tech Limited:
Hinduja Tech provides engineering manufacturing and enterprise(EME) services and solutions to automotive,
aerospace, defence, industrial and general manufacturing industries.
CEO– Kumar Prabhas
Headquarters– Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Founded in 2009
RSBVL Acquired Majority Equity Stake in skyTran Inc for USD 26.76 Million
Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited (RSBVL), wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries
Limited(RIL), has acquired additional equity shares in skyTran Inc., investee company of RIL for USD 26.76 Million
(around Rs.196 crore).
• With this acquisition, the shareholdings of RSBVL in skyTran has increased to 54.46% on a fully diluted basis.
• The law firms Covington & Burling LLP and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP acted as legal counsel and
IP counsel respectively to RIL.
Key Points:
i.The skyTran has developed a passive magnetic levitation and propulsion technology to implement personal
transportation systems to solve the issues of traffic congestion across the globe.
ii.This has been developed to create a smart mobility solution.
iii.The system consists of computer controlled passenger pods running on its state-of-the-art, patented Passive
Magnetic Levitation technology.
iii.This will also utilize cutting edge Information technology, Telecom and Internet of Things(IoT) and Advance
materials to transport passengers in a fast, safe, green and economical manner.
About Reliance Industries Limited(RIL):
CMD– Mukesh Ambani
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Founded– 8 May 1973.
Siemens Acquired 99.22% Stake In C&S Electric For Rs.2100 Crore

On 1st March 2021, Siemens Limited acquired the 99.22% equity stake in C&S Electric Limited, leading
manufacturer of electrical and electronic equipment, from its promoters for Rs.2100 crore on a cash free or debt free
basis.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the deal on 20th August 2020.
Siemens Ltd, is a flagship listed company of Siemens AG in India,
• This acquisition will address the increasing demands for low voltage power distribution in India.
• With this acquisition Siemens gained access to the Indian market and aims to create an export hub.

Government of India to Sell 16% Stake in IRCON Through OFS to Raise Rs.662 Crore
The Government of India planned to sell 16% stake or 7.52 crore shares in IRCON International Limited, a
government of India undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, through an Offer For Sale(OFS) on 3rd March
2021 and 4th March 2021 to raise around Rs.662 crore.
The floor price of the offer is fixed at Rs.88 per share, which is 10% less than the closing price of 2nd March
2021(Rs.97.85).
Sale of IRCON stakes:
• The retail investors can subscribe to the OFS on 4th March 2021 whereas the non-retail investors have to put
their bids on 3rd March 2021.
• The base offer is for 10% share sale and the green shoes offer is 6%.
• The government holds 89.18% stakes in IRCON.
• With 94% of IRCONS order book in the Railways, it’s order book to sales ratio is at 7 times.
Additional info:
i.IRCON expects to get new orders of Rs.1000 crore from Bangladesh and also expects orders from Sri Lanka
and Maldives for a network of roads.
ii.The government of India is exploring possibilities to raise Rs.2.10 lakh crore through disinvestment in the fiscal
year 2021 with Rs.1.20 lakh crore from Central Public Sector Enterprise(CPSE) stake sale.
iii.It also expects to raise Rs.90000 crore from the sales of Government stake in Financial institutions.
About IRCON International Limited:
CMD– S.K Chaudhary
BPCL to Sell its 61.65% Stake in Numaligarh Refinery Ltd for Rs 9875.96 Crore
On 1nd March 2021, the board of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) approved to sell its 61.65% stake in
Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) to a consortium of Oil India, Engineers India Ltd (EIL) and Government of Assam
for Rs. 9875.96 crore.
• The proceeds from the stake sale will be used to buy out 36.62% Oman Oil Stakes in Bina refinery for Rs.
2,399.26 crore, pay capital gains tax and pay a special dividend to shareholders.
• BPCL is set to get the approval of the Shareholders at the meeting on 25th March 2021 and plans to sign the
sale agreement and conclude the transaction before the end of March.
• The Government is set to sell its entire stake (52.98%) in BPCL.
Indian Bank to divest its Stake in ASREC (India) for Asset Monetization
Indian Bank is all set to divest full or partial in joint venture entity ASREC (India) Ltd as part of asset monetisation.
This decision has been taken by the board of directors (BoDs) of the bank during a meeting held on March 5, 2021.
Currently, the bank holds a 38.26% stake in ASREC (India) Ltd.
• ASREC acquires non-performing assets (NPAs) from the banks/financial institutions at mutually agreed
prices to maximize the returns through innovative resolution strategies.
What is asset monetization?
Asset Monetization is the unlocking of the value of unutilized or underutilized public assets that are no longer used in
a company’s business operations.
• It should be noted that in Union Budget FY22, the Central Government pushed on asset monetization of central
public sector enterprises (CPSUs) to bring its fiscal deficit to below 4.5% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) by
2025-26. India’s fiscal deficit for FY22 is pegged at 6.8% in 2021-22.
About ASREC (India):
ASREC is an asset reconstruction company in which Bank of India, Union Bank of India, LIC (Life Insurance
Corporation of India) and Deutsche Bank are the shareholders.
• In 2004, it received certificate of registration from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to carry out activities under the
Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act
2002.

Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer– Girish Sharan Sinha
i.In FY22 there will be a stake sale of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Air India(BPCL), Shipping Corporation of
India, Container Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan Hans and Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd among others.
ii.GAIL (India) Limited has acquired a 5% stake of Indian Energy Exchange Ltd (IEX) in Indian Gas Exchange Ltd
(IGX). GAIL becomes the 3rd strategic investor in IGX after Adani Total Gas & Torrent Gas. With this disinvestment,
IEX will hold 85% stake in IGX.
About Indian Bank:
In March 2020, Allahabad Bank was amalgamated with Indian Bank.
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer– Padmaja Chunduru
Tagline– Your Own Bank
BNP Paribas Cardif has sold a 4.99% stake in SBI Life Insurance
On March 12, 2021, The foreign partner of SBI Life Insurance, BNP Paribas Cardif (BNPPC), sold the major part of its
share in SBI Life through the open market process. Over 5 crore shares are sold which is around 4.99% stake.
• Post this selling, now BNPPC holds 0.20% stake representing 20,03,612 equity shares of SBI Life Insurance.
Share Distribution of SBI Life Insurance:
• SBI Life was incorporated as a joint venture between State Bank of India (SBI) and BNPPC as a 74:26 equity
ratio.
Past Transaction by BNPPC:
• In March 2019, BNPPC had sold 5 crore shares of the insurance company for Rs 2,889 crore & during the same
month, Carlyle Group had acquired a 9 per cent stake in the life insurer from BNP Paribas Cardif.
• In June 2019, BNP Paribas Cardif (BNPPC) had sold 2.5 crore shares in the insurer, equivalent to 2.5 per cent,
in an offer for sale process for Rs 1,702 crore.
• At the end of December 2020, SBI held a 55.50 per cent stake in the insurer and BNPPC 5.20 per cent.
About BNP Paribas Cardif(BNPPC):
Location – France
CEO -Renaud Dumora
About SBI Life Insurance:
Incorporated – October 2000 (Registered with IRDAI in March 2001)
MD & CEO– Mahesh Kumar Sharma
Chairman – Dinesh Kumar Khara
Tech Mahindra Planned To Purchase 70% Stake From Perigord Asset Holdings Ltd
On March 15, 2021, Tech Mahindra announced its plan to acquire a 70 % stake in Ireland-based Perigord Asset
Holdings Ltd for around Rs 182 crore and plans to buy the remaining 30% shareholding over a period of 4 years at a
valuation of its financial performance.
The objective of the Acquisition:
• It is intended to help in augmenting its expertise in the domains of global pharmaceutical, and HLS (Healthcare
and Lifesciences).
• It is a part of Tech Mahindra’s long-term growth plan which is to make a presence across key markets in
Ireland, Germany, the USA, and India with enhanced global delivery.
About Perigord Asset Holdings Ltd:
• For the financial year ended December 31, 2020, Perigord had reported revenues of around Rs 170 crore.
• It is a platform with expertise in the artwork space and life sciences industry that desires to digitally transform
the world of Pharmaceutical packaging services

About Tech Mahindra:
Chairman – Anand G. Mahindra
MD&CEO – CP Gurnani
Adani Ports Acquired 31.5% In Gangavaram Port from Warburg Pincus for Rs. 1,954 Crore
On March 17, 2021, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones (APSEZ) Ltd, a subsidiary of the diversified Adani Group
acquired a 31.5 % stake in Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL) which is held by Windy Lakeside Investment Limited (an
affiliate of Warburg Pincus) for around Rs 1,954 crore.
• The acquisition expands APSEZ’s market share to 30% across 12 locations in India
Key point:
• GPL has a paid-up equity share capital of 51.7 Cr shares of which 58.1 % is owned by DVS Raju and Family
(Promoter), 10.4 % by the Andhra Pradesh government, and 31.5% by Warburg Pincus.
• In which APSEZ is now acquiring the Warburg Pincus share and it is also under discussion with DVS Raju and
Family for their 58.1% stake.
About Gangavaram Port Limited(GPL):
• GPL is all-weather, deep water, the multi-purpose port which is located in the northern part of Andhra Pradesh
next to Vizag Port.
• It is the 2nd largest non-major port in Andhra Pradesh with a 64 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) capacity
established under a concession from the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) that extends till 2059.
• It handles a diverse mix of dry and bulk commodities including Coal, Iron Ore, Fertilizer, Limestone, Bauxite,
Sugar, Alumina, and Steel. It is the gateway port for a hinterland spread over 8 states across India.
• It is capable of handling fully laden super-cape size vessels of up to 200,000 Dead Weight Tonnage(DWT).
About Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones (APSEZ) Ltd:
APSEZ – India’s largest private Ports & Logistics company
Headquarter – Gujarat, India
CEO – Karan Adani
Chairman – Gautam Adani
Govt to Sell up to 16.12% stake in Tata Communications via OFS

On March 15, 2021, Government of India(GoI) is likely to sell 16.12% stake in Tata Communications (erstwhile
VSNL) via Offer For Sale(OFS) at the floor price of ₹1,161 per equity share.It would fetch Rs. 5,334 crore to the GoI.
Immediately after the OFS, the government shall sell the remaining(10%) equity shares held by it in the company to
Panatone, arm of Tata Sons.
• With regard to this, President, GoI signed an amendment agreement with Panatone Finvest Ltd, Tata Sons
Private Ltd and the company for sale of the entire shareholding.
• Currently, GoI holds 26.12 per cent stake while Panatone Finvest holds 34.80 per cent and Tata Sons holds
14.07 per cent.The remaining 25.01 per cent is with the public.
• Offer For Sale(OFS)- It is a simpler method of share sale through the exchange platform for listed companies.
The mechanism was first introduced by SEBI in 2012.
CCI approved Tata Power’s 51% stake acquisition in NESCO Utility from GRIDCO
On March 18, 2021, The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of 51% of the equity share
capital of North Eastern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha (NESCO Utility) by The Tata Power Company
Limited (TPCL) from Grid Corporation of Odisha Limited (GRIDCO) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act,
2002,
• The proposed acquisition is in accordance with the competitive bidding process initiated by the Odisha
Electricity Regulatory Commission (“OERC”) under Section 20 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

About TPCL and NESCO:
• TPCL which is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra was incorporated on 18th September 1919, a public
listed company that is primarily engaged in the business of power generation, transmission, and distribution.
It is a part of the Tata group.
• NESCO Utility was incorporated on 19 November 1997, which is engaged in the business of distribution and
retail supply of power in five districts of Odisha namely, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar and Baripada.
About Competition Commission of India (CCI):
Establishment – 14th October 2003
Chairman – Ashok Kumar Gupta
PowerGrid acquired the Outstanding 74% stake in JPVL from Jaypee Powergrid
On March 19,2021 Power Grid Corporation of India(Powergrid) has signed an agreement with Jaiprakash Power
Ventures (JPVL) for the acquisition of the outstanding 74% stake of JPVL in Jaypee PowerGrid(JPL) at an aggregate
consideration of Rs 351.64 crore.
• Powergrid has already owned a 26% stake in JPVL and now through this acquisition, it became a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Power Grid.
• JPL has developed a 214-kilometer-long EHV power transmission project to evacuate power from the
Karcham-Wangtoo project in Himachal Pradesh.
• The power transmitted is slated for distribution and consumption in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
About Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID):
Establishment – 23rd October 1989
Headquarters – Gurgaon, Haryana
Chairman & Managing Director – K. Sreekant
About Jaypee Powergrid Limited (JPL):
It is a joint venture company set up between Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited (JPVL) and Power Grid Corporation
of India Limited (PGCIL)
Company Location– New Delhi
Chairman– Shri I.S. Jha(Part-time)
Govt fully exited TCL by selling its outstanding 26.12% stake in it for Rs 8,846 crore
On March 22, 2021, The department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM) reported that the
government has fully exited from Tata Communications Ltd (TCL), a part of the Tata Group, through the sale of its
outstanding 26.12% stake in it for ₹8,846 crores.
• The exit from TCL helps the government to get closer to the revised disinvestment target for FY21.
Disinvestment Targets for FY22 is about ₹1.75 trillion.
Disinvestment target of the Government:
• The Union finance ministry had slashed its disinvestment target for FY21, from ₹2.1 trillion to ₹32,000
crores because of the disruptions caused by COVID-19.
• With the addition of Rs 8,846 crore from the sale of its stake in TCL, the government has gathered ₹31,006
crores so far.
• In order to achieve the ambitious disinvestment target for FY22, the government is under the process of
privatizing Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Air India, and the initial public offering (IPO) of Life
Insurance Corporation of India.
Proceeds of the sale in TCL:
• The government exits from TCL with total proceeds of about ₹8,846 cr through disinvestment of 16.12% in
TCL through OFS (offer for sale) at ₹5,457 crores and 10% to a strategic partner at OFS discovered price for
₹3,389 crores.

Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL):
• The sale marked the government’s exit from the erstwhile Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), a central public
sector enterprise that was privatized in 2002 by divesting a 25% shareholding along with transfer of
management control to Panatone Finvest Ltd, named the strategic partner. Subsequent to the disinvestment,
VSNL was renamed TCL.
About Tata Communications Ltd (TCL):
Former Name – Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL), established in 1986
MD & CEO – Amur Swaminathan Lakshminarayanan (Lakshmi)
CA Rover Holdings sells 4% stake in SBI Cards for Rs 3728 crore

In March 2021, CA Rover Holdings, an US based private equity funds sold 4% of its current stake holdings in SBI
Cards & Payment Services worth Rs 3728 crore. CA Rovers Holdings previously held 15.86% stake in SBI Cards, even
after the sale it holds 11% stake, currently valued at Rs 10,574 crore. The sale comes after 4 years of profiting nearly
970% returns.
Adani Ports Acquired 58.1% in Gangavaram Port for Rs. 3,604 Crore
On March 23, 2021, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones (APSEZ) Ltd, a subsidiary of the diversified Adani Group
acquired a 58.1% stake in Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL) belongs to DVS Raju & Family for around Rs 3,604 crore.
Background:
• On March 3, 2021, Adani port made an agreement to acquire 89.6% of GPL i.e. (31.5% from Warburg Pincus
and 58.1% from DVS Raju & Family)
• As per the agreement it acquired the 31.5% stake from Warburg Pincus on March 17, 2021.
• GPL has a paid-up equity share capital of 51.7 Cr shares of which 58.1 % is owned by DVS Raju and Family
(Promoter), 10.4 % by the Andhra Pradesh government, and 31.5% by Warburg Pincus.
Purpose of the Acquisition:
• The acquisition is in line with the Company’s strategy of East Coast to West Coast parity(Pan-India cargo
presence).
• It will provide access to growth from new hinterland markets as it has coverage in resource-rich and industrial
belt in Eastern, Central & Southern India.
About Gangavaram Port Limited(GPL):
• GPL is all-weather, deep water, the multi-purpose port which is located in the northern part of Andhra Pradesh
next to Vizag Port.
About Ports in India:
• India has a coastline spanning 6 kilometres, forming one of the biggest peninsulas in the world.
• According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, around 95 per cent of India’s trading by volume
and 70 per cent by value is done through maritime transport.
• It is serviced by 13 major ports (12 Government-owned and one private) and 187 notified minor and
intermediate ports.
NSE bought 26% stake in IGX from IEX and became its co-promoter
The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has divested 26% of its equity holding in the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) to
National Stock Exchange of India (NSE).
Key points:
• After this NSE became a co-promoter and the second largest shareholder on the IGX gas-trading platform
• IEX, which set up the IGX natural gas trading hub, had earlier sold 5% stake each to GAIL (India), Adani Total
Gas, and Torrent Gas, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).
• After the latest sale, IEX now has 54 % shareholding in IGX. This makes NSE and IEX the two promoters and
the rest equity shareholders in the platform.

• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has signed a Share Purchase and Shareholders Agreement
(SPSHA) with the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) and the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) on 10 March 2021 to
acquire 5 per cent equity in IGX.
About Indian Gas Exchange Ltd. (IGX):
• Indian Gas Exchange Ltd. (IGX) is India’s first automated national level Gas Exchange to promote and sustain
an efficient and robust Gas market and to foster gas trading in the country.
• It will facilitate in achieving the Government of India’s target of increasing the share of natural gas in India’s
energy basket from current5% to 15% by 2030.
• IGX started operations on 15 June 2020 as a gas trading platform and has been operating as the Gas Exchange
since December 2020.
• The Exchange operates under the regulatory framework of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board
(PNGRB).
Government Sells 15% stake in Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd

Indian Government has announced to sell 15% of its stake in Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) through an Offer
for Sale (OFS) for Rs. 750 crores. Of this 15% stake, Govt. will diverse 10% (208.5 million shares) of the total paid-up
equity capital through OFS and 5% (104.25 million shares) through the Green Shoe option.
• The shares were sold to Non-Retail & Retail investors on 24th & 25th of March.
• This sale comes as a part of Indian govt’s Rs 1.75 lakh crore disinvestment plan.
Note- In March 2021, Indian Govt. sold 26.12% stake in Tata Communication for Rs. 8,846 crores.
i.As of December 31, 2020, the govt. held 87.84% stake in RVNL, following this sale, govt’s holdings fell to 74.67%.
About Rail Vikas Nigam Limited:
RVNL was established in 2003, as a 100% Public Sector Company under the Ministry of Railways.
Chairman & MD- Pradeep Gaur
Adani Green Energy Buys 50 MW Telangana Solar Power Project from SkyPower Global
Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) acquired 100% stake in 50 MW Telangana Solar Power Project, from
SkyPower Global. In this regard, AGEL has signed a share purchase agreement with SkyPower Global.
i.50 MW Telangana Solar Power Project, was commissioned in Oct 2017 and has a long-term Power Purchase
Agreement (PPA) with the Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana.
ii.With this acquisition, AGEL will raise its operating renewable capacity to 3,395 MW with a total renewable portfolio
of 14,865 MW including under-construction and awarded projects.
Note – Target of AGEL – 25 GW by 2025 to become the largest renewable energy company in the world.
AGEL– MD & CEO – Vneet S.Jaain; Headquarter – Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
SkyPower Global – Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer – Kerry Adler; Headquarter – Toronto, Canada
EIYP acquired 74% stake in Engie Group’s solar assets in India

On 25th March 2021, under a strategic partnership the Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus (EIYP), a fund managed
by Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors Ltd (EAAA), acquired the controlling stake in French Utility major Engie
Group’s solar energy assets in India.
• EIYP along with Sekura Energy Limited (Sekura Energy),investee company, has completed the first stage of
acquisition of 74% stake in Engie Group, with 813 megawatts-peak (MWp) of operating capacity of solar
assets in India.
Objective:
To create a solar platform of substantial scale with an aim to add 2GW solar assets in India over a couple of years.
About the strategic partnership:
i.According to the agreed terms, these assets will be developed by Engie and acquired by EIYP post commissioning.
ii.The partnership also provides EIYP with access to a 2 GW pipeline of quality assets which will be developed and
constructed by Engie Group.

Benefits:
The acquisition of operating infrastructure assets will support the developers to gain access to capital and de-lever,
which enables them to get larger opportunities.
Key Points:
With assets under management (AUM) of over Rs.30500 crores, EAAA focuses on providing long term growth capital
to companies and projects.
This investment is in line with EIYP’s strategy to generate a regular yield and create value for its investors by taking
controlling stake in operating infrastructure with cash flow.
About Edelweiss Group:
Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus (EIYP) is a Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) registered Category I
AIF(Alternative Investment Funds). It has the country’s largest alternatives platform and the fastest growing mutual
fund business.
Chairman- Rashesh Shah
BPCL sells 61.5% stake in Numaligarh Refinery for Rs.9876 crore

On 26th March 2021, The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) sold its entire stake (61.5%) in Numaligarh
Refinery limited(NRL), Assam to consortium of Oil India Ltd(OIL) and Engineers India Limited(EIL) and Government
of Assam for Rs 9,876 crore.
• OIL acquired the 54.16% stake in Numaligarh refinery to raise its share holdings to 80.16%, EIL bought a
4.4% stake and the remaining 3.2% was acquired by the Government of Assam.
• This sale clears the way for the privatisation of BPCL, India’s second-largest fuel retailer.
Background:
In keeping with the Assam Peace Accord, The government of Assam has made the decision to keep NRL in the public
sector, as a part of this BPCL has to sell its entire stake to the state owned firms.
Sale of Equity shares:
i.The sale purchase agreement was signed on 25th March 2021 between BPCL and the consortium of OIL, EIL for sale
of 43.05 crore equity shares in NRL to the consortium for Rs. 9375.96 crore.
ii.The remaining 2.29 crore equity was transferred to the Government of Assam for Rs.499.99 crore.
iii.EIL has paid Rs.699.99 crore for 3.21 crore shares and OIL paid Rs.8675.96 crore for 39.84 crore shares.
Note:
The government of India is selling its entire stake (52.98%) in BPCL in the nation’s biggest privatisation till date.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to buyout 36.62% stake (88.86 crore equity shares) of Bharat Oman
Refineries Limited (BORL) from OQ S.A.0.C. (formerly known as Oman Oil Company S.A.0.C.) for approximately Rs
2,399.26 crore.
About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL):
Chairman and Managing Director(CMD)– K. Padmakar
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO Successfully Launches Amazonia-1 & 18 other Satellites from Sriharikota
On February 28, 2021, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched 1 primary satellite
‘Amazonia-1’ & 18 co-passenger satellites from India (5) & USA (13) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR
(SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The satellites were launched using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C51
(PSLV-DL Variant).
• PSLV C-51/Amazonia-1 mission is the 1st Dedicated PSLV Commercial Mission for NewSpace India Limited
(NSIL), which is the ISRO’s commercial arm (setup in 2019).
• This is ISRO’s 1st Launch of 2021. It has launched 14 Missions in 2021.

Stats
• With this India has totally launched 342 Foreign satellites
from 34 countries.
• It is the 53rd Flight of PSLV & the 3rd Flight of PSLV-DL
Variant
• It is also the 78th Launch Vehicle Mission from SDSC SHAR.
Amazonia-1
• It is an Optical Earth Observation Satellite of the National
Institute for Space Research (INPE), Brazil. It is the 1st
satellite to be completely designed, integrated, tested & operated by INPE.
• NSIL undertook the mission under a commercial arrangement with Spaceflight Inc., USA.
• It will provide remote sensing data to users for monitoring Deforestation in the Amazon region & analysis of
diversified agriculture across Brazil.
• The data will be utilized for monitoring coastal regions, water reservoirs, natural and cultivated forests &
prediction of possible environmental disasters.
• It has a Mission life of 4 years and weighs 637 kg.
Indian Satellites
Satish Dhawan SAT – (SDSAT)
• It is a nano-satellite built by Space Kidz India (SKI).
• The main objective of the Satellite is to study radiation levels; space weather & demonstrate long range
communication technologies.
• The satellite has an engraving of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name on top of the panel to show its
gratitude towards ‘Atma Nirbhar’ initiative & carried an e-copy of Bhagavad Gita.
UNITYsat
• It is a combination of three satellites (JITsat, GHRCESat & Sri Shakthi Sat) with an intention of providing radio
relay services.
• It has been designed and built as a joint development by the Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur,
Tamil Nadu (JITsat); G.H. Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur, Maharashtra (GHRCESat); Sri Shakthi
Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (Sri Shakthi Sat).
Sindhu Netra – Commercial Co-passenger
• It is a satellite developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The main purpose of the satellite will be to monitor the activities of military & merchant navy ships in the
Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• In 2019, India & France signed an agreement for building a constellation of 10 low-earth orbit satellites for
maritime surveillance for identifying & tracking ships in the Indian Ocean.
USA Satellites
• A Total of 13 Satellites from the USA were launched in the mission.
• The ‘SAI-1 NanoConnect-2’ satellite was launched with ab objective of Technology Demonstration
• 12 Satellites called ‘SpaceBEEs’was launched with an objective of 2-way Satellite communications & data relay.
‘Anand’ developed by Pixxel delayed
• The Satellite ‘Anand’ built by Indian Space Startup, Pixxel was not launched due to a software glitch.
• If ‘Anand’ had been launched, it would have been the 1st Indian Private Company to launch its satellite using
ISRO’s facility.
Next Mission
ISRO’s Next Mission would be the launch of Geo-Imaging Satellite ‘GISAT-1’ on GSLV-F10 Rocket.
Gist
Satellite Country Significance & Objective
Brazil · 1st Dedicated PSLV Commercial Mission for
(Developed by INPE, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
Amazonia-1 Brazil) · For monitoring Deforestation in the Amazon region

India · to study radiation levels, space weather
(Developed by Space · demonstrate long range communication
Satish Dhawan SAT – (SDSAT) Kidz India (SKI)) technologies
UNITYsat
(Combination of 3 satellites JITsat, Developed by 3 Indian
GHRCESat & Sri Shakthi Sat) Colleges. · To Provide radio relay services
Developed by DRDO, · To monitor the activities of military & merchant
Sindhu Netra India navy ships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)
‘SAI-1 NanoConnect-2’ USA Technology Demonstration
SpaceBEEs USA 2-way Satellite communications & data relay
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Chairman– Dr.K. Sivan (Secretary of Department of Space(DoS))
Russia Launches ‘Arktika-M’ 1st satellite to monitor Climate change in Arctic

On February 28, 2021, Russia launched the ‘Arktika-M’ 1st
satellite to monitor climate change in the Arctic Region. The
satellite was launched from a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
• Arktika-M is the First of two satellites launched by Russia
for creating a Hydrometeorological & climate monitoring
system to monitor the climate & environment in the Arctic.
• The second Arktika Satellite is set for launch in 2023.
Key Points
• The satellite will be able to monitor & take images every 15-
30 minutes of the Arctic due to its highly elliptical orbit which passes over the northern latitudes.
• The satellite will be able to retransmit distress signals from ships, aircraft, people in the remote part of
International Coaspas-Sarsar search and rescue programme.
Economic Development of Arctic
• The economic development of the Arctic is one of the key goals of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• The Arctic holds huge reserves of Oil & Gas which are being eyed by countries like the United States, Canada,
Norway & Russia.
‘Worst-case climate warming Scenarios’
In February 2021, a team of researchers from University of Edinburgh and Leeds and University College London
stated that some of the largest losses in the last 30 years were from the Arctic Sea ice.
About Russia:
Capital– Moscow
Currency– Russian Rouble
President– Vladimir Putin
MapmyIndia integrated with Co-WIN portal to Locate COVID-19 Vaccination Centres

MapmyIndia has been integrated with India’s official vaccination registration portal – ‘Co-WIN’ (COVID Vaccine
Intelligence Network) to enable users to locate nearby COVID-19 vaccine centres.
• Using the portal, Users can insert their current location or enter their address, pin code, or elocation of interest
to check nearby vaccination centres.
• The feature will be available on MapmyIndia’s app & also Co-WIN portal.
• The 2nd Phase of COVID-19 Vaccinations started on March 1, 2021, in order to make the vaccination effort
easier MapmyIndia has put all COVID-19 vaccine centres across India on MapmyIndia’s maps.

Integration of ‘Aarogya Setu’ & Co-WIN Portal
In February, 2021 India had integrated COVID-19 Tracing App ‘Aarogya Setu’ & Co-WIN portal to enable users to
download Vaccination certificates after they have received at least one dose of COVID-19 Vaccination.
MapmyIndia
• MapmyIndia’s App powered by MapmyIndia Maps & APIs (Application Programming Interface) was the
winner of Atma Nirbhar App Challenge organized by Government of India in 2020.
• It is seen as an Indian alternative of Google Maps and other global tech & navigation companies.
• It has built several location-based solutions using technologies like geo-spatial analytics, big data, Artificial
Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML), computer vision, cloud computing, edge computing and Internet of
Things (IoT).
i.On 11th February, 2021, Department of Space (DoS) & CE Info Systems Pvt Ltd (owned by MapmyIndia) entered
into a MoU. According to which ISRO & MapmyIndia will partner to build an Indigenous, mapping portal and
geospatial services which could become an alternative to GoogleMaps & GoogleEarth services.
About MapmyIndia:
MD, Chairman – Rakesh Verma
Indian School students discover 18 New Asteroids under International Asteroid Discovery Project
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) confirmed the discovery of 18 new Asteroids by Indian students as part
of the International Asteroid Discovery Project conducted
by STEM & Space, an organization which works towards
learning of astronomy and space science in India.
• The programme was conducted by STEM & Space along
with International Astronomical Search Collaboration
(IASC) as part of NASA (National Aeronautics and
Space Administration) Citizen Science project.
• The discovery project took place over a period of 2
years and around 150 students from all over India
participated in the programme making it the largest asteroid discovery project in India.
• Students discovered Asteroids from High quality astronomical data provided by IASC to discover Asteroids &
Near Earth Objects (NEO).
• NEOs are rocky objects found in the orbit between Mars & Jupiter.
About STEM & Space:
Chief Scientific Officer – Dr Mila Mitra
ISRO’s SEED program to help Indian space tech startups use agency’s resources, facilities
Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) is on formulating an exclusive space startup programme “Space
Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development (SEED)” to take startups in the space sector to a higher orbit with a
string of initiatives to help them realise their business potential.
o SEED is conceived as a competitive early stage encouragement programme to startups and MSMEs (Micro,
Small, Medium Enterprises) keen on developing products/services in focus areas of interest to ISRO with the
space agency helping them to use its facilities
IIT Madras Start-up Pi Beam Launches Electric Two-wheeler called ‘PiMo’

IIT Madras-incubated startup Pi Beam has launched an Electric Two-wheeler called ‘PiMo’ which can charge faster
than a smartphone & has a range of 50 Kms. Nearly 90% of PiMo’s product components are manufactured in India to
embody the ‘Make in India’ spirit.

SpaceX successfully Tests ‘Starship SN10’ Prototype Rocket
SpaceX successfully tested its ‘Starship SN10’ prototype rocket after two failed attempts. The rocket successfully up to
an altitude of 10, 000 Kms & safely landed back on the ground, but exploded six minutes after the landing. The test
launch was considered successful as the Starship prototype successfully landed after attempting the belly-flop
maneuver (a type of free fall in which the atmosphere gradually slows down its speed). Starship is being developed
by SpaceX to get people & payloads to moon, Mars & other distant destinations.
ISRO develops ‘NISAR’ for Joint Earth Observation Satellite mission with NASA
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed the
development of an Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) called ‘NISAR’
(NASA-ISRO SAR) which is capable of producing high-resolution
images. It will be used for the Joint Earth Observation Satellite
Mission of ISRO & NASA (National Aeronautics & Space
Administration), USA.
• The Radar penetrates clouds & darkness enabling NISAR to
produce high quality images round the clock in any
weather.
• NISAR is the 1st satellite mission to use 2 different radar frequencies (L-band & S-band) to measure changes in
our planet’s surface.
• The agreement for developing ‘NISAR’ was signed between NASA & ISRO in 2014.
NISAR – Earth Observation Mission
The Earth Observation Mission is targeted to be launched in early 2022 from ISRO’s Sriharikota spaceport, Andhra
Pradesh.
Purpose of the Mission
To measure Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces & ice masses, providing information about biomass,
natural hazards, sea level rise & groundwater.
Mission
i.It will help in better understanding of causes & consequences of land surface changes, and to increase our ability for
coping with global change.
ii.NISAR will observe Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces globally with 12-day regularity on ascending and
descending passes, sampling Earth on average every six days for a baseline three-year mission.
iii.NISAR uses a sophisticated information-processing technique known as SAR to produce extremely high-resolution
images. Radar penetrates clouds and darkness, enabling NISAR to collect data day and night in any weather.
iv.The instrument’s imaging swath the width of the strip of data collected along the length of the orbit track is greater
than 150 miles (240km), which allows it to image the entire Earth in 12 days.
v.As the mission continues for years, the data will allow for better understanding of the causes and consequences of
land surface changes, increasing our ability to manage resources and prepare for and cope with global change.
vi.NASA requires a minimum of three years of global science operations with the L-band radar, and ISRO requires five
years of operations with the S-band radar over specified target areas in India and the Southern Ocean.
Recent Developments
• NASA is providing the mission’s L-band SAR while ISRO provides the Spacecraft bus, the S-band radar
• On March 4, 2021, The S-band SAR payload of NISAR satellite mission was shipped from ISRO’s Space
Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at Pasadena, USA for
integration with L-band SAR payload developed by NASA.
i.NASA has chosen ‘India Sat’, an indigenous experimental satellite developed by 3 students from Tamil Nadu for
launch in suborbital space in June, next on NASA’s sounding rocket 7.
About National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA):
Acting Administrator – Steve Jurczyk

Russia & China partners to set up International Lunar Scientific Research Station
On 9th March, 2021 Russian space agency “Roscosmos” signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China
National Space Administration (CNSA) for jointly creating an International Lunar Scientific Research (ILSR)
Station,built on the lunar surface and/or on the lunar orbit.
• With regard to this project, Zhang Kejian, administrator of the CNSA signed an memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Russian space agency Roscosmos, chief Dmitry Rogozin.
Funtions of the ILSR Station:
It will carry out scientific research activities such as the lunar exploration and utilization, lunar-based observation,
basic scientific experiment and technical verification.It which will be open for all countries.
Co-operation between Russia and China:
i.Russia will be cooperating with China for technical possibilities of long term unmanned human operation at moon.
ii.Upcoming Lunar probes- Russia’s Luna 27, planned for 2025 and China’s Chang’e-7 planned for 2024, both will
be surveying the lunar south pole.
iii.ILSR station, can be used by any country & will serve as an alternative to the International Space Station (ISS),
where Russia was also a founding member.
Note- International Space Station (ISS) launched in 1998 was developed by 5 space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos,
JAXA (Japan), ESA (EU), and CSA(Canada).
Famous Space Mission by Russia & China:
Russia-
• In 1957, Soviet Union became the 1st country to launch “Sputnik 1” a satellite into space.
• In 1961, Russian Astronaut, Yuri Gagarin became the 1st human to journey into outer space.
China-
• In 2019, China became the 1st Country to send a rover to the farter side of the moon.
• In 2020, China’s 1st unmanned Interplanetary mission “Tianwen-1” (Means ‘Questions to Heaven’), is in a
parking orbit around Mars, if this project succeeds, then China would become only the second country after the
U.S. to put a spacecraft on Mars.
• In 2020, China’s unmanned “Chang’e 5 mission” returned to earth with samples from the Moon.
Other Similar missions:
• United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to send an unmanned spacecraft named ‘Rashid’ to the moon in 2024.
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) plans to send the next man and first woman to the
lunar surface by the year 2024 through ‘Artemis’ program
i.China successfully launched ‘Yaogan 33R’, a new remote sensing satellite from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in
northwest China into space. The satellite was sent into orbit by a Long March-4C(Y35) rocket.
About Roscosmos:
Chief – Dmitry Rogozin
Head Quarter – Moscow, Russia
About China National Space Administration (CNSA):
Administrator – Zhang Kejian
Head Quarter – Beijing, China
JPMorgan & GomSpace successfully test World’s First Bank-led Blockchain Transaction in Space
Denmark based GomSpace and US-based JPMorgan Chase & Co have successfully tested the World’s First Bank-led
tokenized value Transaction in Space (IOD – in-orbit demonstration) using Danish space firm GomSpace’s GOMX-4
Satellites. The Transactions were executive through smart contracts on a blockchain network, established between
satellites orbiting the earth.
Outcomes
• The successful test would enable a peer-to-peer DvP (‘data versus payment’) satellite marketplace in the long
term.
• It will also allow data transfers between satellites against payments.

Blockchain
• Blockchain is a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), which records data in individual blocks linked to each
other using Cryptography. It is linked to Cryptocurrency.
• It ensures Security, Transparency & Decentralization.
• The technology is expected to boost Global GDP by USD 1.76 Trillion in 2030.
i.On December 28, 2020 ‘Unicas’, world’s first crypto bank was launched in India as a Joint Venture(JV) by Cashaa of
UK and United Multistate Credit co-operative society Ltd of India.
About GomSpace:
CEO – Niels Buus
Headquarters – Aalborg, Denmark
Indian and Japan Space Agencies review cooperation on LUPEX Mission

On 11th March 2021, The Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO) & Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) virtually
reviewed the progress made under the Joint Lunar Polar
Exploration (LUPEX) mission. LUPEX is a robotic Lunar
mission that aims to send a lander and rover to the Moon’s
south pole in the year 2024.
• The discussions took place in a virtual meeting between
ISRO & JAXA. The Indian side was led by ISRO Chairman
K Sivan while the Japan delegation was represented by
Hiroshi Yamakawa, President of JAXA.
Other Collaboration activities:
• The two sides also reviewed the on-going cooperation in earth observation, lunar cooperation & satellite
navigation.
• The two sides signed an ‘Implementing Arrangement’ for collaborative activities on rice crop area & air quality
monitoring using Satellite Data.
LUPEX
Under the LUPEX mission, JAXA will provide an under-development H3 Launch Vehicle; ISRO will be responsible for
providing the lander system.
Mission objective: –
• Observation of areas where water is believed to exist on the moon
• Obtain Ground Data on the quantity of water, understanding distribution, conditions, form & other parameters
of lunar water resources in the polar region.
• Obtain data on the quantity & forms of water resources present on the Moon.
Agreement with other Countries
• In March 2021, India & Italy decided to jointly explore opportunities in earth observation, space science and
robotic and human exploration.
• In February 2021, India & Australia signed an agreement for hosting vital tracking infrastructure to
support India’s 1st Gaganyaan manned space flight mission which is set to be launched in 2022.
i.On February 17, 2021, Australian Space Agency & Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) signed an Amendment
of the ‘2012 India – Australia Inter-Governmental MoU for cooperation in Civil Space Science, Technology and
Education for enhancing cooperation between the two countries in Civil Space Activities.
About ISRO:
It operates under Department of Space (DoS)
Headquarters – K Sivan

ISRO launches Sounding Rocket RH-560 to Study Altitude Variations in Neutral Winds, Plasma Dynamics
On 12th March 2021, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
launched a new Sounding rocket from its Rohini Series, RH-560
from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota Range
(SHAR), Andhra Pradesh. This Sounding rocket will help in
carrying out studies in the upper Atmospheric regions, on
Altitude Variations in the Neutral Winds and Plasma
Dynamics.
• RH-560 is a 2-stage rocket that can reach a maximum
launch altitude of 548 Kms.
• They also serve as easily affordable platforms to test or
prove prototypes of new components or subsystems intended for use in launch vehicles and satellites.
Note- Here in RH-560, RH stands for ‘Rohini’ and the number 560 represents the diameter of the Rocket in mm.
About Rohini Series:
i.In 1975, All Sounding Rockets of ISRO were consolidated under the Rohini Sounding Rocket (RSR) Programme.
ii.At present, 3 Rohini series sounding rockets – RH-200, RH-300 MK-II and RH-560 MK-II are under operation.
• These rockets are capable of carrying 8-100kg payload and reach an altitude of 80 to 475km.
iii.1st Sounding Rocket was launched by ISRO in 1963 from Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
iv.ISRO started launching, indigenously made Sounding Rockets from 1965.
i.ISRO, MapmyIndia collaborate to build Indigenous Mapping Portal & Geospatial services
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
Chairman – K. Sivan
World’s Most Powerful Supercomputer “Fugaku” by Japan, Now Fully Operational

“Fugaku” the Japanese supercomputer that topped the Top500 list for 2 consecutive years is now fully
operational. The supercomputer that was developed for 6 years by Japanese scientific research institute RIKEN
and Fujitsu was used in projects to combat COVID-19 pandemic. Japan’s Research Organization for Information
Science and Technology (RIST) has selected 74 projects that will use the supercomputer in FY2021. This will work
towards the Japanese government’s vision of an ultra-smart Society 5.0.
HP Launched World First PCs with Plastic Waste in Ocean

HP(Hewlett-Packard) has made the World’s first PC using plastic waste from the ocean.
To build on HP’s sustainability commitment, The HP Pavilion line-up (HP Pavilion 13, HP Pavilion 14, and HP Pavilion
15 laptops) uses the post-consumer recycled and plastic waste in Ocean in the construction of speaker housing.
• The Pavilion series is set to keep around 92000 plastic bottles out of the ocean and landfills.
• The outer boxes and fibre cushions used for the packaging of the new PCs are 100% sustainably sourced and
recyclable.
Nokia partners with Microsoft, Amazon Web Services & Google to develop a cloud-based 5G radio solutions
On 15th March 2021, Finnish telecom manufacturer, ‘Nokia’ announced partnership with Microsoft, Amazon Web
Service and Google to develop a new cloud-based 5G radio solution with Nokia’s Radio Access Network (RAN)
Technology. Nokia’s 5G RAN will be developed with high level innovative inputs from Google’s Cloud Anthos
platform, Microsoft Azure & Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service
(Amazon EKS) and AWS Local Zones.
Data Patterns delivers ‘Indigenous Checkout system’ to ISRO for its ‘Gaganyaan’ Mission
On March 17, 2021, Data Patterns India Pvt Ltd handed over the Indigenously developed ‘Checkout System’ to the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its ‘Gaganyaan’ Mission (India’s 1st Human Space Flight Programme)
at Chennai.

• A checkout system is used for performing health checks on all cable harness assemblies used in the crew
module of ‘Gaganyaan’ Mission.
• The checkout system was received by K Xavier Raja, Deputy Director of HSFC (Human Space Flight Centre).
HSFC is responsible for the implementation of the Gaganyaan Project.
• ISRO’s ‘Gaganyaan’ mission is scheduled for launch in 2022-23.
Prelude to ‘Gaganyaan’
As a prelude to ‘Gaganyaan’, ISRO has planned to launch the first unmanned mission in December 2021 followed by
the Second unmanned mission in 2022-23.
Gaganyaan Mission
• The INR 10, 000 Crore Gaganyaan Mission aims to send a 3-member crew to space for a period of 5-7 days by
2022-23 when India completes 75 years of Independence.
• India’s Gaganyaan Mission will make it just the 4th Nation to send a crew into space after Russia (1st), the USA
& China.
• Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) is responsible for the implementation of the ‘Gaganyaan Mission’. It
functions under ISRO.
HSFC
• HSFC will carry out end-to-end mission planning, development of Engineering systems for crew survival in
space, crew selection, training and for carrying sustained human space flight missions.
• It was inaugurated in 2019 and is based at ISRO Headquarter campus, Bengaluru.
i.On November 17, 2020, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) delivered First Hardware – a Booster Segment – ‘S-200’ for
Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle to ISRO in a virtual flag-off ceremony.
About Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC):
Director – Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair
Location – ISRO Headquarters Campus, Bengaluru, Karnataka
ISRO demonstrates Quantum Communication over a distance of 300 Metres for the 1st Time
For the 1st time in India, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully demonstrated free-space Quantum
Communication over a distance of 300 Metres. The free-space QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) was demonstrated
at Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• It is a major milestone achievement for unconditionally secured satellite data communication using
quantum technologies.
• Technology – QKD is the technology behind Quantum Communication Technology.
• A number of indigenously developed technologies such as NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation)
receivers were used for the demonstration.
Benefits
• Quantum Cryptography is based on the laws of Quantum Physics will be easier than conventional
cryptosystems used for data-encryption rely on the complexity of mathematical algorithms.
• It is considered ‘Future-proof’ since no future advancements in computational power can break quantum-
cryptosystems.
Future Goal
• The demonstration is a major breakthrough towards ISRO’s goal of demonstrating Satellite-Based Quantum
Communication (SBQC).
• In the next step, ISRO plans to demonstrate the technology between 2 Indian ground stations.
i.January 20, 2021, MeitY has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to set up a Quantum Computing
Applications Lab in the Country. The lab will be the World’s 1st Quantum Computing Applications Lab to support a
National Government’s Mission.
About Space Applications Centre (SAC):
It is an institution of research under ISRO.Late Dr. Vikram Sarabhai established the India’s first Experimental Satellite

Communication Earth Station (ESCES) in Ahmedabad.Later in 1972, the different units of ISRO in Ahmedabad
pursuing research in applications of space technology were merged to form SAC.
Director – Nilesh M. Desai
Headquarters – Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Russia Launches 38 Satellites from 18 countries into orbit on Soyuz-2.1a Rocket

On March 22, 2021, Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos)
launched 38 Satellites from 18 Countries into orbit onboard
its Soyuz-2.1a Rocket. The rocket was launched from
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
• The satellites belong to 18 countries including South
Korea, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy
and Brazil.
• One of the satellites was ‘Challenge-1’ which is the
1st ever satellite to be made completely in Tunisia. It
was created by the Telnet telecommunications group.
• The Primary payload of the mission was the 500 Kg CAS500-1 remote-sensing satellite belonging to South
Korea.
• Apart from Astroscale, Recently ClearSpace SA, is aiming to launch the world’s first active debris removal
mission in collaboration with European Space Agency(ESA) by 2025.
Other Satellites
• ELSA-d (End-of-Life Services by Astroscale demonstration) service by Japan company Astroscale for
performing the first end-to-end test of key technologies for removing space junk from orbit.
• Nano satellite of Sateliot (Spanish Startup) – for deploying constellations of such satellites in Low Earth Orbit.
i.On February 28, 2021, Russia launched the ‘Arktika-M’ 1st satellite to monitor climate change in the Arctic Region.
The satellite was launched from a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
About Russia:
Capital – Moscow
Currency – Russian Rouble
India & France working on 3rd Joint Satellite Mission

K Sivan, the Chairman of Indian Space Research
Organisation(ISRO) stated that India and France are working
on the third joint satellite mission, as a bilateral space
collaboration is entering into multiple domains like space
exploration and human spaceflight programmes.
• Note– France is the biggest partner of India in space.
• ISRO and French space agency Centre National
d’Études Spatiales (CNES) have already undertaken
two joint missions “Megha Tropiques” launched in
2011 and “SARAL Altika” launched in 2013.
Key Points:
i.ISRO and CNES have completed the feasibility study to realise the earth observation satellite mission with thermal
infrared imager, ‘TRISHNA (Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment)
and are working towards finalising an implementing arrangement for the joint development.
ii.India is working with France on joint experiments and accommodation of scientific instruments in space missions.
Additional info:
i.Both ISRO and CNES have finalised all the interface control documents for accommodating the ARGOS instruments

of CNES in ISRO’s OCEANSAT-3 satellite.
ii.The ARGOS instruments were delivered to Bengaluru, Karnataka for the integration with the satellite.
ARGOS system:
• It was created in 1978 by the CNES, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
• It is a scientific tool for collecting and relaying meteorological and oceanographic data around the world.
iii.The discussions on establishing ‘NavIC’ reference station in France and Scintillation receivers in India have also
progressed.
iv.NavIC is an independent regional navigation satellite system developed and maintained by India.
Benefits:
With the government’s recent reforms in the space sector, the cooperation between India and France in the space
sector is expected to grow by involving the industries, academic and research institutes.
ISRO partners with IIST to undertake Joint Research Activities

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has partnered with
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) to
undertake Joint Research Activities. The partnership model will
be similar to the JPL-Caltech model followed by US Space
Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
• JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) is funded by NASA &
managed by Caltech (California Institute of Technology).
It is the leading centre for robotic exploration of the solar
system and conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy
missions.
• Under the initiative ‘New, advanced, futuristic projects’ which have not been undertaken so far by ISRO will be
taken up for development.
Initiatives taken under Partnership
In order to implement the partnership model in India several initiatives have been taken,
• A Framework has been framed with Capacity Building Programme Office (CBPO).It will act as a focal point for
coordinating Joint research activities between the 2 entities.CBPO is located in Bengaluru, at the headquarter
of ISRO.
• An Advanced Space Research Group has been created to identify application-oriented research projects of
importance to ISRO centres and matching with interests of IIST faculty.
• Constitution of an Empowered Overseeing Committee to review and approve the proposals.
Future Enhancements:
• Around 28-30 new, futuristic projects have been identified for development under the initiative.
• A mix of 2 years, 3-5 years, and 7-year projects would be pursued by IIST faculty.
• ISRO is planning to attract more talented individuals to space research through a Postdoctoral fellowship
programme offered by IIST.
Institute of National Importance status to IIST
• ISRO has requested the Union Government to accord ‘Institute of National Importance’ status to IIST, which
will allow various ISRO centres to become constituent learning centres and IIST to have a wider off-campus.
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST)
• It is the 1st University in Asia to be solely dedicated to study and research of Outer Space.
• It was set up by ISRO under the Department of Space, Government of India.
i.December 17, 2020, ISRO has set up ‘NETRA’ (NEtwork for space object TRacking and Analysis) – a dedicated Space
Situational Awareness (SSA) Control Centre at ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network) Campus at
Peenya, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

About Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST):
Director – Dr. V. K. Dadhwal
About Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO):
Chairman – K Sivan
Pakistan test-fires Nuclear-capable Ballistic Missile ‘Shaheen-1A’

On March 26, 2021, Pakistan conducted a successful flight test
of ‘Shaheen 1-A’ (Hatf IV) a Nuclear capable Surface-to-Surface
ballistic missile. It has a range of 900 Kilometres.
• The test was aimed at re-validating various design and
technical parameters of the weapon system including
the Advanced Navigation System.
• The missile is jointly designed and developed by the
Joint venture of NESCOM (National Engineering &
Scientific Commission) & the National Defence Complex
(NDC).
Previous Missile Tests
• On February 11, 2021, Pakistan successfully test-fired a short range surface-to-surface ballistic missile namely
“Babur” from a state-of-the-art Multi Tube Missile Launch Vehicle.
• On February 3, 2021, Pakistan’s Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) successfully Test Fired the Nuclear-
Capable Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile ‘Ghaznavi (Hatf-III)’.
Fact
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, Pakistan was ranked 10th in the
Global list of Major importers during the period 2016-20.
i.On January 20, 2021 Pakistan successfully Test Fired a Nuclear-Capable Surface-to-Surface ‘Shaheen-III’ Ballistic
Missile.
About Pakistan
Currency – Pakistani Rupee
ITI and Thalamus Irwine Developed Blockchain Technology in Healthcare Ecosystem

ITI Limited(ITI), the Indian telecom products manufacturing arm and Thalamus Irwine, Delhi based AI (Artificial
Intelligence) Firm, have developed a first of its kind technology called Garuda Blockchain Platform for storing
medical data on the blockchain. On March 25, 2021, they have demonstrated a working proof of concept (PoC) for the
technology with 300 patients.
• The healthcare platform Garuda will accelerate the roll-out of the “One Nation, One Health Card” vision of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Objective: To bring blockchain technology to the healthcare ecosystem
Key points:
• Under the Garuda Blockchain Platform, the very first PoC of the AI-based testing was conducted in Bengaluru
and the second in Delhi airport.
• To provide data security, ITI has established a three-tiered security data centre where information of all the
health cards of citizens can be safely stored.
• With this unique collaboration, ITI will be one of the first PSUs to store medical data on a Blockchain network
and,
• India also came on the list of very few countries that have successfully demonstrated its ability to use
blockchain in a healthcare ecosystem.

Process of Data storing under Garuda:
• It is an end-to-end digital health ecosystem where they have performed a sero-survey using an AI-enabled
medical device and also compiled the analytics in real-time followed by storing that data on the blockchain
network
About One Nation One Health Card:
When Introduced?
‘One Nation One Health Card’ is an initiative by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Digital
Health Mission(NDHM) in 2020 to digitize health records of all Indians, making patient data accessible and inclusive
in one card.
Specific Feature of the card:
Under the card, a person’s medical history, doctor consultations, diagnosis and prescribed treatment will be saved in
a digital database. Hospitals, clinics and doctors will be linked to a central server.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report ‘Asia-Pacific Personalized Health Index 2020’ developed by
the Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies in partnership with Roche, India with a score of 36 was ranked at 10 out
of 11 Asia Pacific Countries in terms of adopting personalized healthcare. Singapore topped the Index followed by
Taiwan & Japan at 2nd & 3rd positions respectively.
About ITI Limited (ITI):
Chairman & MD – Shri Rakesh Mohan Agarwal
Cochin Shipyard Ltd delivers ‘MV Sindhu’ Passenger-cum-Cargo Vessel to A&N Island Administration
Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) delivered the indigenously built ‘MV Sindhu’, a 150 MT Cargo Vessel to the Andaman &
Nicobar (A&N) Island Administration.
Specification of MV Sindhu:
• It is capable of carrying 500 passengers and can cruise at
16 Knots.
• CSL will also provide full life cycle support for the Ship’s
efficient operation.
• The ship is part of Government’s plans to add new ships to
the transportation fleet for improving the
connectivity between the mainland and the islands.
• The basic design of the vessel was developed by Knud E Hansen, An Denmark based Naval Architect company
in collaboration with Smart Engineering and Design Solution, Kochi.
• MV Sindhu is part of a series of Four Passenger vessels comprising 2 Numbers of 500 Pax (Pax – Total
occupants of a ship) & 2 Numbers of 1, 200 Pax at a total order value of ~ INR 1, 400 crores under the ‘Make in
India’.
• The 2nd 500 Pax Vessel is under advanced stage of construction and is expected to join the fleet in 2021.
Reason for the Launch:
The plan is part of a larger strategy to develop infrastructure in Andaman and Nicobar Islands with state-run National
Highways and Infrastructure Development Corp. Ltd (NHIDCL) been tasked with building bridges and roads at an
investment of around Rs 3,000 crore.
About Andaman & Nicobar Island Administration:
Lieutenant Governor – D K Joshi
Capital – Port Blair
About Cochin Shipyard Ltd:
Chairman & Managing Director – Madhu S Nair
Location – Cochin, Kerala

DEFENCE
EXERCISE
IAF to participate in Multinational Air Exercise ‘Desert Flag VI’ in UAE for the 1st time
For the First Time, Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in the Annual Multinational Large force employment
warfare exercise ‘Desert Flag VI’ held at the Al-Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. The exercise is hosted by the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force from March 3-27, 2021.
• It is the 1st time that IAF is participating in a multilateral exercise in the Gulf Region.
• Participating Countries – Bahrain, France, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and USA.
• Observers – Greece, Jordan, Kuwait & Egypt.
Objective of the Exercise
• To provide operational exposure to Participating forces
• Training the forces to undertake Simulated Air Combat operations in a controlled environment.
Assets representing IAF
The IAF is participating in the exercise with
• 6 – Su-30 MKI Multirole Combat Fighter Jets
• 2 – C-17 Globemaster III military airlift Aircrafts
• 1 – Ilyushin IL-78 Tanker Aircraft (aerial refueling tanker)
Fourth Multilateral exercise in the last 5 years
IAF is participating in such a multilateral exercise for the 4th time in the last 5 years.
Other Multilateral exercises
• American ‘Red Flag’ – 2016
• Israeli ‘Blue Flag’ – 2017
• Australian ‘Pitch Black’ wargames – 2018
Export of BrahMos & Akash Missiles
At present, India is holding discussions for exporting BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missiles (Strike range of 290 Kms) &
Akash Air Defence Missiles (range of 25 kms) to UAE & Saudi Arabia.
i.Indian Air Force (IAF) and French Air and Space Force (FASF) participated in the 1st Edition of Bilateral Air Exercise
‘Exercise Desert Knight-21 (Ex DK-21)’ held at Air Force Station, Jodhpur for 5 days from January 20-24, 2021.
About United Arab Emirates (UAE):
Capital– Abu Dhabi
Currency– United Arab Emirates dirham
About Indian Air Force (IAF):
Chief of the Air Staff – Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
France Conducts “AsterX” its 1st Military Exercise in Space

On 8th March, 2021 France started its 5-day long 1st Military Exercise in Space, “AsterX” to analyse its ability
against attacks on its Satellites & other defence equipment. The exercise was named on the memory of its Astérix, the
1st satellite launched in 1965. Alongside the French Space Forces Command, the new US Space Force and German
space agencies also participated in the space exercise.
Note- France is also planning to launch its Anti-Satellite Laser Weapon (ASLW). Already the US, Russia & China
possess ASLW.
About the Military Exercise:
i.”AsterX” is the 1st Space Military Exercise of France & also the 1st among European Countries.This military drill
is part of the French government’s strategy to make the country the world’s third-largest space power.
ii.The exercise consists of 18 simulated events that are conducted from an operations room.
iii.The Events are designed in a way to Stress test the Space defence system of France.

iv.The French Space Command (French: Commandement de l’Espace , CdE ) was created in 2019 and is set to have
500 personnel by 2025.
Background – In 2017, a “spy-satellite” tried to approach a Franco-Italian satellite, which is called “an act of
espionage.”
Note – India Conducted its 1st Simulated Space Warfare Exercise, ‘IndSpaceEx’ in June, 2019.
i.ISRO to Launch Venus mission “Shukrayaan-1″ in 2025 with France’s CNRS Participation.
ii.India, France to launch Constellation of Maritime Surveillance Satellites for IOR Region.
About France:
Capital – Paris
Indo-French Military Exercise – “Shakti”
Indo-French Air Exercise – “Desert Knight”
Indo-French Naval Exercise – “Varuna”
India, Uzbekistan armies conduct Military Exercise ‘DUSTLIK II’ in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand
The 2nd Edition of Annual Bilateral Joint Military Exercise
‘DUSTLIK-II’ between the Indian Army & Uzbekistan Army is
being held from March 10-19, 2021 at Chaubatia, near
Ranikhet, Uttarakhand. The exercise focused on Counter
Insurgency (CI) & Counter-Terrorism (CT) skills of both sides.
• From the Indian side, 13 Kumaon regiment (also called
Rezang La Battalion) was nominated for the exercise.
• 45 Soldiers each from the Indian & Uzbekistan Army
had participated in the exercise which will recreate a
Kashmir-like counter-terror operation.
• The 1st Edition of ‘Dustlik-I’ was hosted by Uzbekistan in Chirchiq Training Area near Tashkent from
November 4-13, 2019.
Objective
• To share Expertise & skills in counter-terrorist operations in mountainous/rural/urban scenario under United
Nations (UN) mandate.
• To boost the military & diplomatic ties between the two countries.
• Focus on people-centric intelligence-based surgical operations, utilizing technological advancements to
minimize collateral damage.
Drills to be carried out
• The army will showcase the use of force multipliers such as helicopters, Special Forces, specialist equipment &
the establishment of an automated surveillance grid for situation awareness.
• Indian Contingent had also representatives from Para Special Forces, Signal & Engineers in addition to an
Interpreter.
• The exercise will end with a 36 hours Joint Validation Exercise. It will be a testbed for soldiers of both armies
as they will undergo challenges of actual operations in a simulated environment.
Turkmenistan Special Forces
• The Indian Army commenced training to the Turkmenistan Special Forces at its Special Forces Training School
(SFTS) at Nahan, Himachal Pradesh.
• It is aimed at enhancing the capabilities of Turkmenistan Special Forces.
i.On December 11, 2020, the first bilateral virtual summit between India and Uzbekistan was co-chaired by Prime
Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev to
discuss the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship, including strengthening India-Uzbekistan cooperation in the
post- COVID-19 world between both nations.

About Uzbekistan:
President – Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Capital – Tashkent
Currency – Uzbekistan Som (UZS)
India-Bahrain Navies undertake ‘PASSEX’ in the Persian Gulf under Operation Sankalp
On March 17, 2021, the Indian Navy & Royal Bahrain Naval Force
(RBNF) undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in the Persian Gulf
under Operation Sankalp. From India’s side ‘INS Talwar’
Warship took place in the exercise, while the RBNF was
represented by the Corvette ‘Al Muharraq’.
• Aim – To enhance interoperability, strengthen Maritime
cooperation, Reassure safety of Diaspora.
• The ‘PASSEX’ highlights the partnership between the two
countries to meet emerging maritime challenges.
• The exercise was carried out by India in pursuance of its commitment towards ensuring the safety of Indian-
flagged merchant vessels in the Gulf region.
Operation Sankalp
• It was initiated by the Indian Government in June 2019 for ensuring the Safety of Indian Merchant ships
through the Strait of Hormuz (between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman).
• The operation is being carried out in close coordination with tall stakeholders including the Ministry of
Defence, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Note – PASSEXs are conducted regularly by the Indian Navy with units of friendly foreign navies, whilst visiting each
other’s ports or during a rendezvous at sea.
i.On February 4, 2021, India & the Kingdom of Bahrain held the 1st Joint Working Group Meeting 2021 in the field of
Renewable Energy (RE) in a virtual format.
About Bahrain:
Crown Prince & Prime Minister – Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Capital – Manama
Currency – Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
India, Pakistan, China to take part in Joint Anti-Terrorism Exercise ‘Pabbi Antiterror’ in 2021: 36th Council
meeting of RATS SCO
India, Pakistan, China & other members of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will take part in a Joint Anti-
Terrorism Exercise called ‘Pabbi-Antiterror-2021’ scheduled
to take place in 2021. The decision to hold a Joint Anti-
Terrorism exercise was taken during the 36th meeting of the
Council of RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) of SCO
held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on March 18, 2021.
• RATS, headquartered in Tashkent is a permanent organ
of SCO which aims to promote cooperation among 8-
members of SCO against Terrorism, Separatism &
Extremism.
Highlights of the Meeting
• The participants approved the draft program of cooperation for 2022-2024 to counter-terrorism, separatism &
extremism.
• They also agreed to improve cooperation for identifying and suppressing channels that finance terrorist
activities.
• The next meeting of RATS SCO will be held in September 2021 in Uzbekistan.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
It is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance that was established in 2001 in Shanghai, China. Founding
members are China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan & Uzbekistan.
i.Total members – 8; Observers – 4
• Members – China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan & Uzbekistan, India & Pakistan
• Observers – Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran & Mongolia
• India & Pakistan joined SCO in 2017.
1. SCO has 2 permanent bodies – SCO Secretariat based in Beijing, China & Executive Committee of RATS based
in Tashkent.
i.On November 30, 2020, India virtually hosted the 19th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – Council
of Heads of Government (SCO CHG). It was chaired by the Vice President of India Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu from
New Delhi.
About Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (RATS SCO):
Director – Jumakhon Giyosov
Head Office – Tashkent, Uzbekistan
India, Madagascar conduct 1st ever Joint Naval Patrolling & ‘PASSEX’
On March 24, 2021, the 1st ever Joint Naval Patrol took place between the navies of India & Madagascar at
Madagascar’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). They also conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX).
Objective – To ensure maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Participating assets
• From the Indian side INS Shardul, an amphibious warfare vessel participated in the Defence Exercise;From
Madagascar’s side, Malagasy Naval Ship ‘Trozona’ took part.
Key Points
• With this, India is seeking to expand its defence footprints in Western Indian Ocean.
• The exercise reflects the growing defence ties between the two countries.
• INS Shardul arrived at the port of Antsiranana, Madagascar on March 21, 2021 for Overseas Deployment of a
training squadron headed by Captain Aftab Ahmed Khan.
India & Bangladesh conduct PASSEX
On March 11, 2021, The PASSEX exercise between India & Bangladesh was conducted at the end of the 3-day visit by
Indian Navy vessels to the Mongla port in Bangladesh.
• It is the 1st time that any Indian Naval Ship visited the port of Mongla in Bangladesh.
• Objective – To enhance interoperability & maritime cooperation
• The visit by Indian vessels was part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Bangladesh’s Independence.
Participating vessels
• India – Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) INS Sumedha & INS Kulish
• Bangladesh – BNS Ali Haider & OPV BNS Karatoa
Swarnim Vijay Varsh
India is currently celebrating ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ – the Golden Jubilee (50th Year) of its victory over Pakistan in
the 1971 war which led to the creation of Bangladesh.
i.December 7, 2020, On the occasion of Indian Navy Day, a two-day long PASSEX 2020 between Russian Federation
Navy (RuFN) and Indian Navy (IN) was held from 4 to 5 December 2020 in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
About Madagascar:
President – Andry Rajoelina
Capital – Antananarivo
Currency – Malagasy Ariary (MGA)

About Bangladesh:
Capital – Dhaka
India & US Navies conduct ‘PASSEX’ in Bay of Bengal

The navies of India & United States conducted a 2-day Passage
Exercise ‘PASSEX’ in Bay of Bengal (Eastern Indian Ocean Region)
from March 28-29, 2021. For the 1st time, Indian Air Force (IAF)
fighters also took part in the exercise.
• Indian Navy deployed its warship ‘Shivalik’ & Long-range
maritime patrol aircraft P8I in the ‘PASSEX’ exercise. The US
navy was represented by USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier
Strike Group.
• The participation of Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters in the
exercise, gave IAF an opportunity to practice Air Interception & Air Defence with the US Navy.
Highlights
• The main objective of the exercise is to build on cooperation & interoperability achieved in the Malabar
Exercise which took place in November 2020.
• PASSEXs are conducted regularly by Indian Navy with units of Friendly Foreign Navies, while visiting each
other’s ports or during a rendezvous at sea.
Indian Navy to participate in French Naval Exercise for 1st time
• Indian Navy is set to be part of the French Naval Exercise ‘La Perouse’ scheduled to take place in April, 2021
at Bay of Bengal. It is the 1st time that Indian Navy will be participating in the French naval exercise.
• Other participating countries include Australia, Japan and the USA (which are QUAD member countries).
i.December 28, 2020, Indian Navy & Vietnam People’s Navy undertook a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) 2020 in the
South China Sea from December 26-27, 2020 to boost maritime cooperation between the two countries.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh
Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy)– New Delhi
DEALS
Indian Navy Signed a Contract with ‘Suryadipta Projects’ for Constructing 11 ACTCM Barges
On March 5th, 2021 the Indian Navy signed a contract for the construction of 11 Ammunition-Cum-Torpedo-
Cum-Missile (ACTCM) barges, with Thane based MSME Suryadipta Projects Private Limited. The MSME will start
delivering the barges from 22nd May, 2021. Assigning of this project to a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSME) marks another milestone to Indian Government’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiative.
i.Indian Navy will induct the ACTCM barges to undertake its mission needs for embarking & disembarking
Ammunition, Torpedo & Missile etc.
ii.These barges will be built under the Classification Rules of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
About Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises:
Union Minister – Nitin Gadkari (Constituency – Nagpur, Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Pratap Chandra Sarangi (Constituency – Balasore, Odisha)
About Indian Navy:
Commander-in-Chief – President Ram Nath Kovind
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral Karambir Singh
Motto – “Sham no Varunah”
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is known as the “Father of Indian Navy”.

MoD, BDL sign deal for supply of 4, 960 MILAN-2T ATGMs to Indian Army
The Acquisition wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed INR 1, 188 Crore deal with Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL)
for acquiring 4, 960 MILAN-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) for the Indian Army. The deal will boost the
‘Make in India’ initiative of the Indian Government.
• The induction of 4, 960 tanks is expected to be completed in three years.
• MILAN-2T missiles have a range of 1, 850 metres. They are capable of being fired from ground as well as
vehicle-based launchers.
• MILAN-2T is being produced by BDL under license from French defence major MBDA Missile Systems.
• The acquisition is expected to enhance the operational readiness of the Indian Army.
• The deal will be a big opportunity for the Defence Industry in India to achieve ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ in the
defence sector.
Signatories
The contract was signed by Dipti Mohil Chawla, Joint Secretary (AM & LS) on behalf of Ministry of Defence &
Commodore T N Kaul (Retd), Executive Director (marketing) on behalf of BDL.
Background
The latest order is basically a ‘Repeat Order’ of contract, which was signed with BDL on March 8, 2016.
Features
• MILAN-2T is a man portable (Infantry) Second-Generation ATGM.
• It is capable of destroying battle tanks fitted with explosive reactive armour, moving and stationary targets.
• It can be deployed in both Anti-Tank Roles for both offensive & Defensive tasks.
• MILAN-2T Missile is a product of Euromissile, a Franco-West German missile development program
Boost for Domestic Manufacturing Industries
Many defence items have been earmarked exclusively for production in India by the Ministry of Defence.
• Government has released a list of negative imports. An Negative list essentially means that the 3 Armed Forces
can procure the listed items only from the domestic manufacturers.
• Several of BDL’s products like Surface-to-Air Missile & Astra Air-to-Air weapon system are covered under the
list.
• According to a report by SIPRI, India’s import of arms decreased by 33% between 2011-15 and 2016-20 due
to its increased push for ‘Make-in-India’ initiative
i.On September 22, 2020 DRDO successfully test fired the Indigenously developed Laser Guided Anti-Tank Guided
Missile (ATGM) from MBT Arjun at the Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S), KK Ranges in Ahmednagar,
Maharashtra.
About Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL):
CMD – Siddharth Mishra
TESTING
DRDO successfully tests Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet technology; GRSE keel laid 3rd Stealth Frigate
On March 5, 2021, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the flight
demonstration of Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur in
Balasore, Odisha.
• This test not only proved the performance of SFDR and its subsystems including the booster motor and nozzle-
less motor but also showed the capabilities of many new technologies.
• With this test, DRDO achieved a technological advantage of developing long range air-to-air missiles (AAMs)
with SFDR.
About SFDR Demonstration:
i.During the test, the air-launch scenario was simulated using a booster motor. Subsequently, the nozzle-less booster
accelerated it to the required Mach number for Ramjet operation.

ii.The performance of the missile was monitored using the data captured by Electro Optical, Radar and Telemetry
instruments deployed by ITR along with senior scientists of various DRDO labs, including Defence Research &
Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and High Energy Materials Research
Laboratory(HEMRL).
About SFDR Technology:
i.Ramjet powered missiles provide greater range and a higher average speed compared to missiles powered by solid
propellants.
ii.Ramjet missiles use atmospheric oxygen rather than including an oxidizer. This enables them to carry a bigger
warhead.
iii.DRDO initiated SFDR technology in 2017 and had conducted successful tests in 2018 and 2019 as well.
Keel Laying of Third stealth frigate by GRSE
Meanwhile the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata, carried out keel laying of Yard
3024 (third stealth frigate) for the Navy under Advanced Stealth Frigate Project, P 17A.
• It will be constructed under the Rs 19,293 crore contract between GRSE and Ministry of Defence (MoD) for
three stealth frigates under P-17A.
• The keel laying for the first frigate, INS (Indian Naval Ship) Himgiri, was done on November 10, 2018 and the
frigate was launched on December 14, 2020.
Who has keel laid?
It was laid down by a senior operative Mithailal Pasi, Structural Fitter of Shipbuilding Shop at the Main Works Unit
of GRSE, in the presence of Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani (AVSM, VSM} Controller of Warship Production &
Acquisition (CWP&A), Indian Navy and Rear Admiral GK Harish, VSM, Director General of Naval Design.
i.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to establish India’s first thunderstorm research testbeds at
Balasore, Odisha. The testbed will be established in collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Science, IMD, DRDO
and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
ii.In January 2021, (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden launch of Akash-NG (New Generation) Surface to Air
Missile (SAM) from ITR of Balasore along with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) & Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
Chairman– Dr G Satheesh Reddy
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE):
Incorporated– 1934 under the Indian Companies Act, 1913
Headquarter– Kolkata, West Bengal
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)– Rear Admiral Vipin Kumar Saxena
India successfully conducts Maiden flight trial of Indigenous Torpedo ‘Shyena’

On March 8, 2021, the maiden flight trials of the indigenously developed ‘Advanced Light Torpedo (TAL) Shyena’
was conducted successfully, it was fired from Indian Navy’s Ilyushin Il-38 Patrol Aircraft. TAL Sheyna is an anti-
submarine torpedo developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a lab of the Defence
Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The trial was the first of its kind in India, as ‘TAL Shyena’ was fired from a fixed-wing aircraft.
• The Indigenous torpedo has enhanced the range of quick acquisition of the target & has been designed for
launch from fixed-wing aircraft of the Navy.
• The torpedo, along with Torpedo Release Mechanism & Fire Control System has been designed and developed
by NSTL.
TAL Sheyna
• Shyena was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2012 and is used as part of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW).
• It is capable of tracking multiple targets and can be launched from both ship & rotary aircraft.
• It has a range of 19 Kms.

i.On December 1, 2020, India successfully Test Fired the Anti-Ship version of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile
from the Indian Navy’s INS Ranvijay in Andaman & Nicobar Islands Territory.
About Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL):
Director – Dr OR Nandagopan
Location – Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
OTHER DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Army Leases 4 Heron UAVs from Israel
Indian Army has leased 4 Heron TP medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
from Israel for 3 years. The leases were done under the emergency procurement programme of the Indian army.
• The drones made by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will be delivered between August & September 2021.
• The estimated cost of Leasings is USD 200 Million; the leasing agreement can be further extended up to 2
years.
• The UAVs will be deployed along with the 3, 448 Km long India-China border.
HERON UAV
• It is designed to perform reconnaissance & surveillance operations.
• It can fly at a maximum speed of 207 Km/hr.
• The altitude & range of the Heron UAV are 30, 000 ft & 350 Km.
• The maximum endurance of the aircraft is 45 hours.
2nd Contract under DAP 2020
• It is the 2nd significant contract under the provision of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 (DAP 2020).
• In November 2020, India had inducted two American high-altitude long endurance drones into the Indian
Navy. The Sea Guardian UAVs are unarmed versions of the Predator series.
‘Emergency Powers’
Under ‘Emergency Powers’, the Indian Armed Forces (all 3 services) can buy any weapon system under INR 500
Crore per procurement project for ‘urgent’ requirements.These emergency powers, given by the government in the
wake of the situation in Ladakh.
i.On November 25, 2020, the Indian Navy inducted two ‘MQ-9B Sea Guardian’ unarmed drones (Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles – UAV) procured from the United States (U.S.) on lease.
About Israel:
Prime Minister- Benjamin Netanyahu
Capital– Jerusalem
Currency– Israeli Shekel
DRDO successfully developed the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System

On March 10 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was achieved in the development of Air
Independent Propulsion (AIP) by proving the land-based prototype.
Objective of AIP-AIP allows any submarine to stay in water for longer hours and also makes the subsurface platform
deadlier by decreasing the noise levels it makes while travelling making it hard to detect.
• According to the user requirement, this plant has functioned in endurance mode as well as max power mode.
• L&T and Thermax are the industry partners for development.
• Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), an Indian defence laboratory of DRDO has developed this
system.
Functions of AIP
• Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) has a force multiplier effect on the lethality of a diesel-electric submarine.
• This system will enhance the power to the submerged durability of the boat when compared to other
technologies.

• It will allow Indian Navy submarines to operate for up to two weeks without having to surface to recharge its
batteries.
Gist about Project 75I:
Earlier, Indian government had decided to deploy these NMRL’s AIP in the Project 75I-class submarine.But due to the
delay in manufacturing of AIP, foreign vendor must offer the AIP to submarines of Project 75I.
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
DRDO is the R&D wing of Ministry of Defence, Govt of India. DRDO was formed in 1958 from the merging of Technical
Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production
(DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).
• Founded – 1958
• Motto – “Strength’s Origin is in Knowledge”
• Secretary, Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO – Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
INS Karanj, India’s 3rd Scorpene Class Submarine Commissioned at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai
On 10th March 2021, the Indian Naval Ship(INS) Karanj,
India’s 3rd Scorpene class submarine was commissioned
into the India Navy at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai,
Maharashtra. The Ship was commissioned in the presence of
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh and Navy Chief
Admiral (Retired) VS Shekhawat, the commanding officer of
earlier INS Karanj (1971 Indo Pak War).
• The INS Karanj, a class of diesel-electric attack
submarines designed by the Naval Group of France,
was constructed at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
Limited under the Make in Indian Program.
Additional Info:
i.A total of 6 Scorpene submarines are built under Project 75, The Indian Navy has previously inducted 2 scorpene
Class submarines namely, INS Kalvari (December 2017) and INS Khanderi (September 2019) from the Naval
Dockyard, Mumbai.
ii.The trials of Vela (May 2019) and Vagir (November 2020) are underway and the construction of the 6th
submarine Vagsheer is in progress.
iii.All the 6 submarines, with the same capabilities, will be deployed for different roles like
• Guarding strategic points in the sea.
• Laying mines.
• Gathering intelligence.
• Dropping marine commandos.
• Engaging with enemy ships when required.
Indian Navy Deploys Women Officers On Warship After 23 Years

On 8th March 2021, International Women’s Day, For the first time in 23 years since 1998, the Indian Navy has
deployed 4 women officers onboard its warships. 2 of the 4 officers were posted on the aircraft carrier INS
Vikramaditya and the other 2 were deployed on the tanker ship INS Shakti.
• The women officers were first posted on the maritime force vessels in 1998 and the decision was reversed due
to logistical and other reasons.
• Recently Indian Navy has posted Lieutenant Commander Karabi Gogoi as the first women defence attache
abroad in Moscow, Russia.
INS Jalashwa reaches Comoros to deliver 1,000 tonnes of rice:Mission Sagar-IV

On 14 March 2021, Indian Naval Ship(INS) Jalashwa, the largest amphibious ship of Indian Navy reached Port
Anjouan, Comoros to deliver 1,000 Metric Tonnes of rice as part of Mission Sagar-IV.

• Mission Sagar was India’s initiative to deliver Covid-19 related assistance to the countries in the Indian Ocean
region, which was launched on 10 May 2020.
• The capital and currency of Comoros is Moroni and Comorian franc respectively.
India commissions ‘INS Dhruv’ Nuclear Missile Tracking Vessel; Becomes 5th Country in the World
India commissioned its Ocean Surveillance & Nuclear Missile Tracking Vessel called ‘INS Dhruv’ (codenamed as VC
11184), with this it became the 5th Country after USA, France, Russia & China to possess such a Tracking vessel. It
was constructed at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam under the Make in India initiative at an ~ cost of INR
725 Crore.
• It is one of the Largest Warships to be built at an Indian Yard.
• It was originally commissioned into the Indian Navy in a secret manner in October 2020.
Developed by
• Joint Crew of National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy.
• It will also be operated by NTRO, DRDO and the Indian Navy.
Purpose
• To monitor missile launches at long distances
• To monitor the telemetry data of Strategic missile launched by India during Trials
• Detecting the launch of missiles by adversary countries
• It will monitor the Indian Ocean bed
Key Points
• It has a displacement of 15, 000 Tonnes.
• It will also help in increasing the effectiveness of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme
• Apart from tracking missiles & satellites, it can also gather electronic intelligence.
• The vessel will have a crew of 300 personnel & a single helicopter. It will also have a special team from NTRO
on board.
National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO)
• It is a technical intelligence agency under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office, India.
• It is responsible for Geospatial-Intelligence & Satellite Imagery
• It has the same ‘norms of conduct’ as the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing
(R&AW).
i.February 24, 2021, Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) emerged as the Lowest Bidder in a tender floated by the Ministry of
Defence for construction of 6 Next-Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) to be utilized by the Indian Navy.
About the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO):
Chief – Anil Dhasmana
Indian Army decommissions 2 Artillery: 130mm Self-propelled Guns & 160mm Mortars
On 16th March 2021, Indian Army decommissioned 2 of its longest serving Artillery – 130mm Self Propelled M-
46 Catapult Guns and the 160mm Tampella Mortars, after making a customary firing of their last salvos in Mahajan
Field Firing Range. The decommissioning event saw the presence of Director General Artillery, Lieutenant General K
Ravi Prasad.
130mm Catapult:
i.It is a hybrid Self-propelled gun developed by DRDO, by merging 2 existing weapons systems – India’s Vijayanta
tank & Russian 130mm M-46 field gun.
ii.Fire Range – 27 Km
iii.Year of Induction – 1981.
iv.It was deployed in the India-Pakistan border to cater the urgent need of a Mobile Artillery gun system, after 1965 &
1971 wars.

160mm Tampella Mortars:
• Developed by Israel.
• Fire Range – 9.6 Km
• Inducted into the Army after the 1962 Indo-China War.
• Served in Line of Control – Leepa valley and the Hajipir Bowl
i.DRDO & Indian Army Developed India’s 1st Indigenous Machine Pistol ASMI; RLG systems handed over to Indian
Navy.
ii.Indian Army to get Indigenous Carbines, Anti Air Systems; MoD cancels Import.
India’s Land Boundary:
India shares land boundaries with 7 countries – Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan & Afghanistan.
Line of Control – India & Pakistan (at Jammu & Kashmir)
Line of Actual Control – India & China
Radcliffe Line – India & Pakistan (at Punjab)
About Indian Army:
The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Force.
Chief of Defence Staff – Bipin Rawat
Chief of Indian Army – Manoj Mukund Naravane
Motto – “Service Before Self”
KRAS begins Delivery of MRSAM Missile kits to Indian Armed Forces

Kalyani Rafael Advanced System (KRAS), a joint venture of India’s Kalyani Strategic Systems (KSSL) and Israel’s
Rafael Advanced Defense System has started the delivery of BARAK-8 Medium Range Surface to Air Missile
(MRSAM) kits to the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. The kits will be delivered from the Hyderabad plant of
KRAS.’
• In 2019, KRAS bagged a USD 100 Million Contract for manufacturing 1, 000 BARAK-8 MRSAM missile kits.
• Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is the custodian of the missile programme &
Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) the integrator.
• The Missile kits will be supplied through Rafael to BDL.
• Designed by RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd (100% Rafael design output & Indigenous content less
than 30%).
Increasing Indigenous Content
• KRAS is working with Indian firms to increase the share of Indigenous content in MRSAM Missile Kits to 50%
by the time 250 kits are supplied and 60% when 500 kits are delivered.
• KRAS is looking to export the Missile kits.
KRAS Plant in Hyderabad
• The Plant was established in 2017 to manufacture Anti Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM).
• The BARAK-8 Missile Kit is the 2nd product from KRAS’ Hyderabad Plant.
• KRAS plant mainly focuses on assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of Modern Weapon Systems being
inducted by Defence Forces.
• It is also focussing on the Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) segment.
Production of Spice 2000 Bombs
• KRAS is also manufacturing 200 Numbers of Spice 2000 Guided Bombs. It is also exporting the Spice 2000
Guided Bombs.
• The value of the orders was USD 30 Million & several Indian firms were partners in the programme.
Second Unit of KRAS
KRAS is planning to open another manufacturing unit in Telangana.
Fact
• KRAS is India’s private sector MSME with advanced manufacturing capabilities and facilities dedicated to
especially address the assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of the state-of the-art weapon systems being
inducted by the defence forces.

• KRAS is a 49:51 ratio Joint Venture (JV) between Israel’s RAFAEL Advanced Systems & India’s Kalyani
Strategic Systems (KSSL).
• KSSL is a 51% subsidiary of Bharat Forge.
i.September 27, 2020, The strategic partnership of India-Israel is expanding in various sectors whether it’s innovation
or defence. Israeli companies like Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Elbit and Elta Systems have formed seven joint
ventures with Indian companies to boost the production projects of high-tech weapon systems.
About Kalyani Rafael Advanced System (KRAS):
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Rudra B Jadega
Location – Hyderabad, Telangana
Indigenously Built Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility ‘L58’ Commissioned at Port Blair
On March 18, 2021, Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility (LCU) ‘L58’, the 8th and last ship of the LCU Mark IV Class was
commissioned into the Indian Navy at Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The L58 (amphibious ship) has been
indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• LCU 58 will be based at Port Blair and will be under the command of Andaman & Nicobar Command (which is
the sole Joint Services Command of India).
• Purpose – For transporting & deploying Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), armoured vehicles, troops and equipment
from ship to shore.
• Commander Krishan K Yadav was appointed as the First Commanding Officer of the Ship.
• The Commissioning of ships is a significant achievement under the ‘Make in India’ & ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’
Programme in the areas of warship design & construction.
Fact
• LCU L-58 is the 106th Warship built & delivered by GRSE, which is the highest number of
warships delivered by any Indian Shipyard.
Features
• It will be manned by a team of 5 officers & 50 sailors. It is also capable of carrying 160 troops in addition to its
crew.
• It has a displacement of 900 tons and can travel at speeds of up to 15 Knots (28 Kmph).
• 90% of the ship’s components are manufactured indigenously.
• LCU L-58 is 63 metre long, 11 metre wide & has a displacement of 830 Ton with a low draught of 1.7 metre.
Roles
• It is capable of carrying various types of combat vehicles like Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), BMP (Boyevaya
Mashina Pekhoty) Army Battle Tanks, Armoured Vehicles, Trucks.
• Will be deployed for performing a variety of roles like Beaching, Search and Rescue, Disaster Relief, Coastal
Patrol & Surveillance operations along the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands, Bay of Bengal and in the
Indian Ocean.
IBS & IPMS Fittings
• It is fitted with an advanced Electronic Support Measure (ESM) suite for intercepting enemy radar
transmissions.
• Fitted with an Integrated Bridge System (IBS) and an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for
monitoring the Ship’s navigational & machinery equipment.
Main Armaments
• The main armament of the ship is 2 indigenously manufactured 30 mm CRN 91 guns which are controlled by a
Stabilized Optronic Pedestal (SOP), which is manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
• It is also equipped with 6 Machine Gun Posts for neutralizing air, surface & sub-conventional threats.
i.On December 31, 2020, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata, West Bengal delivered the
Landing Craft Utility (LCU) MK IV class vessel ‘IN LCU L-58’ (Yard 2099) to the Indian Navy (IN).

About Indian Navy:
About Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd(GRSE):
Chairman & Managing Director(MD) – Vipin Kumar Saxena
Headquarter – Kolkata, West Bengal
Military Direct’s Ultimate Military Strength Index – Indian Armed Forces 4th Strongest in the World, China
No.1
According to a study,‘Ultimate Military Strength Index’ by Defence Website ‘Military Direct’, India with 61 Points is
the 4th Strongest Military Force in the World. China (82 Points) was rated as the World’s Strongest Military Force
followed by the USA (74) & Russia (69).
• The index considers factors like – Budgets, number of inactive & active military personnel, total air, sea, land
and nuclear resources, average salaries & weight of equipment.
• World’s Biggest Military Spender – USA (USD 732 Billion per year) followed by China (USD 261 Billion) & India
(USD 71 Billion).
Rank Country/Military Score/100
4 India 61
1 China 82
2 USA 74
3 Russia 69
Hypothetical conflicts
The study has also come out with hypothetical conflicts based on the assets owned by each country/military.
• China would win a Sea Conflict. As it has 406 Ships compared to Russia’s 278 & USA or India’s 202 ships.
• The USA would win an aerial war. As it has 14, 141 Airships compared to Russia’s 4, 682 & China’s 3, 587.
• Russia would win in a Land war. As it has 54, 866 vehicles compared to USA’s 50, 326 & China’s 41, 641
vehicles.
i.June 16, 2020, India ranked 6th as nuclear weapons increased since 2019, US tops: SIPRI’s Yearbook 2020
About Indian Armed Forces:
The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.
ICGS OPV ‘Vajra’ commissioned into service at Kattupalli, Chennai

Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Vajra’ (meaning Thunderbolt),
the 6th Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) was formally commissioned
into service at Kattupalli in Chennai. It has been indigenously
designed and built by L&T Shipbuilding Ltd under the ‘Make in
India’ initiative.
• ICGS Vajra will be commanded by Deputy Inspector Alex
Thomas and will be based at Tuticorin under the
operational control of Coast Guard Eastern Region.
• ‘Vajra’ is the 6th OPV in the series of 7 OPV. The contract
was awarded by the Ministry of Defence to L&T Shipbuilding ltd.
• With the joining of this ship, ICG will have 156 Surface Assets & 62 Aircraft in its inventory.
Objective
• It will be deployed specifically for Surveillance of EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zones).
• It will also safeguard the Maritime Interests of India.

Commissioned by
• It was commissioned by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
• During the event, Bipin Rawat formally unveiled a ‘plaque’ & ship’s name board ‘Vajra’ at the Chennai Port
Trust.
Purpose
• It is also capable of carrying Search and Rescue operations, Law Enforcement, Maritime Patrol.
• It will also carry Pollution Response Equipment for oil spill response at Sea.
Features
• It is equipped with Modern Navigation and Communication Equipment, Sensors & Machinery.
• It will be equipped with 30 mm and 12.7 mm Guns with Fire Control System for enhancing its fighting
efficiency.
• It has been designed to carry one Twin-Engine helicopter & 4 high speed boat.
• It is capable of achieving 26 Knots of top speed & has an endurance of 5, 000 nautical miles.
i.On February 19, 2021, Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) C-453 Interceptor Boat was commissioned in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu.
About Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
Director General – Krishnaswamy Natarajan
North Korea fires 2 Ballistic Missiles in Sea

On 24th March, 2021 the United States and Japan announced the firing of 2 Ballistic Missiles by the North Korean
military into the Sea. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has banned North Korea from testing ballistic
missiles & holding Nuclear programs.
i.North Korea also fired 2 Non-ballistic missiles in the Yellow Sea in March.
ii.Previously in March, the USA and South Korea held a Joint Military Exercise in Korean peninsula.
Note- North Korea has not conducted a single missile test since the 2018 Singapore meeting with Donald Trump.
• In June 2019, then US President Donald Trump became the 1st US President to step into North Korea.
About North Korea:
The 38th parallel line demarcates North Korea from South Korea.
Supreme Leader – Kim Jong-un
Capital – Pyongyang
Currency – North Korean Won
10 tonnes Unexploded Ordnance Safely disposed under “Operation Thiruvallur”

Indian Army’s Southern Command Troops, Pune launched “Operation Thiruvallur” in Tamil Nadu(TN) to safely
dispose of around 10 tonnes of unexploded ordnance collected by factories. The Ministry of Defence has directed the
Indian Army for conducting the operation under the aegis of “Aid to Civil Authorities”.
i.The ordnance was collected from the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) Industrial
Estate in Gummidipoondi, Thiruvallur district, TN.
ii.Operation Thiruvallur was initiated by the Ministry of Defence on the request of Govt. of Tamil Nadu.
iii.Unexploded ordnance from a metal scrap dump were successfully neutralised by the Army Bomb Disposal Team.
About Indian Army:
Chief of the Army Staff– Manoj Mukund Naravane
About Tamil Nadu:
• Temple Town of South India – Kumbakonam
• Queen of Hill Stations – Ooty
• Princess of Hill Station – Kodaikanal

SPORTS
Indian Cricketer Vinay Kumar announces retirement from First Class & International Cricket
Former Indian Cricketer & Fast Bowler Ranganath Vinay Kumar
announced his retirement from First Class & International Cricket
at the age of 37. He hails from Davanagere, Karnataka and is
affectionately called as ‘The Davanagere Express’.
• Vinay Kumar has represented India in 31 ODIs & 9 T20Is &
1 Test International and has picked up 49 wickets across
all 3 formats.
• He has played in 115 Ranji Trophy Matches picking up 442
wickets making him the 4th Highest Wicket-taker in
Ranji Trophy after Rajinder Goel (637), Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan (531), Sunil Joshi (479).
• He has played for Karnataka, Puducherry in the Ranji Trophy.
• In the Indian Premier League (IPL) he has played for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata
Knight Riders & now defunct Kochi Tuskers.
Wrestling: Vinesh Phogat wins Gold Medal at XXIV Outstanding Ukraining Wrestlers & Coaches Memorial
Tournament
Indian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat won the Gold Medal in
the Women’s 53 Kg Category of XXIV Outstanding Ukrainian
Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial Tournament held at Kyiv
(also known as Kiev), Ukraine. She defeated Vanesa
Kaladzinskaya of Belarus in the Final.
• The Event was held from February 26-28, 2021 and
was organized by United World Wrestling.
• Vinesh Phogat has already qualified for the 2020
Tokyo Summer Olympics (to be held in July, 2021)
after winning Bronze at the 2019 World
Championships.
• She is the only Indian Woman Wrestler to have qualified for the Tokyo Games.
About United World Wrestling:
President – Nenad Lalovic
Headquarters – Corsier-sur-Vevey, outside of Lausanne, Switzerland
Odisha to host 2021 edition of Hero Indian Women’s League Football

On 28th February, 2021 the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced that the 2020-21 edition of Hero
Indian Women’s League Football tournament will be hosted by Odisha state. The event was postponed in 2020 due to
Covid-19 pandemic. Exact dates of the event are not yet finalised.
Note: India will host 2 International Women’s Football events in 2022.
• Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup – 2022
• FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup – 2022
i.To regain the On-field sporting, Indian Senior team has undergone a 2-month long training camp starting from
December 1, at Goa.
ii.3 International Matches were played against Serbia, Russia & Ukraine at Turkey.
About All India Football Federation (AIFF):
President– Praful Patel
Founded- 1937

About Indian Women’s Football Team:
Captain- Loitongbam Ashalata Devi
Head Coach- Maymol Rocky (She is the first female and present head coach of India women’s national football team)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Restored the Recognition of GFI after 10 years
On 26th February 2021, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports restored the recognition of the Gymnastics
Federation of India(GFI) as National Sports Federation after a decade. The recognition granted by the Ministry with
immediate effect is for the period till 31st December 2021.
Background:
GFI’s accreditation was revoked by the ministry in 2011 exactly 10 year before due to fighting within the federation.
Appointment Info:
• The 2019 November Election of Sudhir Mittal as President, Kaushik Bidiwala as treasurer for the period of
2019 to 2023 has been recorded by the Ministry.
• The decision on accepting S Shanti Kumar Singh as General Secretary will be taken following the judgment of
Manipur High Court on the writ petition filed by Shanti Kumar Singh.
Steps Need to be followed by GIF:
• GFI’s MoA must comply with the provisions of National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 (Sports Code)
• GIF Federation also needed to make affirmation of the provisions of the Sports Code in its constitution within 6
months so as to bring the same fully in line with the Sports Code.
• GFI has to take required measures for uploading the information in compliance with the instructions
contained in the 2015 letter of the Ministry on suo-moto disclosure within 3 months.
Violation Norms:
i.The office bearers of the GFI shall invariably be appointed by the election as per the Model Election guidelines
issued by the Ministry.
ii.The ministry stated that Recognition may be revoked again if the terms or conditions of the recognition or its own
constitution are violated.
J&K tops medal tally at Khelo India Winter Games held at Gulmarg, J&K
On 2nd March, 2021, Jammu & Kashmir retained the top spot
in the 2nd Edition of Khelo India Winter Games, which was
held at Gulmarg, J&K. With 11 Gold, 18 Silver and 5 Bronze
Medals J&K led the medal tally during the closing ceremony of the
Khelo India Winter Games in Ski Resort of Gulmarg.
Top 3 position:
1.Jammu & Kashmir won 11 Gold, 18 Silver and 5 Bronze Medals.
2.Karnataka won 5 Gold, 4 Bronze Medals.
3.Maharashtra won 3 Gold, 3 Silver & 2 Bronze Medals.
Highlights of the Event:
i.Jammu & Kashmir retained the top spot for the second consecutive time.
ii.The event saw the participation of over 1200 athletes from 27 states & Union Territories of India.
iii.Following the success of the event, Principal Secretary Youth Services and Sports, Alok Kumar retained the venue
for 3rd edition of Khelo India Winter Games at Gulmarg, J&K.
iv.Both the 1st & 2nd edition is held at Gulmarg, J&K.
v.The event was organized by J&K Sports Council & Winter Games Association of J&K.
i.On January 21, 2021, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports inaugurated
the 1st ever Khelo India Zanskar Winter Sports & Youth Festival 2021 at Padum in Zanskar of Kargil, Ladakh UT.
ii.Kiren Rijiju and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that Haryana will host the 4th edition of
Khelo India Youth Games(KIYG) in 2021. The Games will be held in Panchkula in Haryana.
Other Sporting Events:
• The Olympic Winter Games 2022 will be held in Beijing, China.

• Asian Youth Games 2021 will be held in Guangdong, China.
Indian shuttlers Varun Kapur & Malvika Bansod wins 2021 Uganda International titles
On 28th February 2021, Indian Shuttlers Varun Kapur & Malvika
Bansod won the 2021’s Uganda International Badminton’s Men’s
& Women’s Singles Titles that was held from 25th to 28th of
February, 2021, at Lugogo Indoor Stadium, Kampala, Uganda.
About 2021 Uganda Internationals:
i.The prize amount is USD 10,000.
ii.In Finals of the Men’s Singles Category, Varun Kapur defeated
Sankar Muthusamy.
iii.In finals of Women’s Singles category, Malvika Bansod defeated
Anupama Upadhyaya.
iv.The Tournament saw the participation from India, Germany & African Countries.
i.On 22nd April 2020, World Champion PV Sindhu, named as one of the ambassadors for Badminton World
Federation (BWF’s) “I am badminton” awareness campaign to provide a platform for the players to express their love
and respect for the sport.
ii.Badminton World Federation (BWF), the international governing body for the sport of badminton has organized
Brazil Para badminton International 2020 in Sao Paulo,Brazil.
About Badminton Association of India (BAI):
President – Himanta Biswa Sarma
Founded – 1940
Headquarter – New Delhi
About Badminton World Federation (BWF):
It’s the Governing body of Badminton recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Founded – 1934
Headquarters – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
President – Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen
Pollard becomes third batsman to hit six 6s in an over in international cricket

West Indies limited-overs format skipper Kieron Pollard became the third batsman in the history of international
cricket after Herschelle Gibbs(South Africa) and Yuvraj Singh(India) to hit six 6s in an over. He achieved the feat in
the first T20I of the three-match series against Sri Lanka here at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
VIVO regains IPL Title Sponsorship

Chinese smartphone maker, VIVO, regained its Title Sponsorship in 2021’s edition of Indian Premier League
(IPL). Previously, in 2018 VIVO acquired the title sponsorship of IPL for 5 years at a cost of Rs. 2,199 crores, ie;
440 crores per year. Due to the backslash of Chinese products in 2020, VIVO took a temporary break from the IPL’s
title sponsorship, which was acquired by Dream11 at 50% cost of Rs. 222 crores for 2020 edition.
Boxing: India bags 10 Medals at 35th Boxam International Tournament 2021

India’s 14-member Boxing Contingent bagged 10 Medals (1 Gold,
8 Silver, 1 Bronze) at the 35th Edition of the 2021 ‘Boxam’ Elite
International Tournament held at Castellon de la Plana, Spain.
The event took place from March 1-7, 2021.
• Around 127 boxers from 4 Confederations & 17 countries
participated in the event.
• It is hosted by the Spanish Boxing Federation.
• Manish Kaushik clinched the Gold Medal in the men’s 63
Kg category.

• Six-time World Champion MC Mary Kom (51Kg) clinched the Bronze Medal in the women’s 51 Kg category
boxing.
Winner Category Medal
Manish Kaushik Men’s 63 Kg Gold Medal
Jasmine Women’s 57 Kg Silver Medal
Simranjit Kaur Baatth Women’s 60 Kg Silver Medal
Pooja Rani Women’s 75 Kg Silver Medal
Mohammed Hussam Uddin Men’s 57 Kg Silver Medal
Vikas Krishan Men’s 69 Kg Silver Medal
Ashish Kumar Men’s 75 Kg Silver Medal
Sumit Sangwan Men’s 81 Kg Silver Medal
Satish Kumar Men’s 91 Kg Silver Medal
MC Mary Kom Women’s 51 Kg Bronze Medal
Participating Countries
Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, France, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Monaco, Morocco, Panama, Puerto Rico,
Romania, Russia, Spain & the United States of America.
‘Boxam’
• It is an International Tournament which has been held since 1976.
• The Spanish Boxing Federation has hosted the tournament in several cities of Spain such as Zaragoza, La
Coruna, Sevilla, Vigo and others.
February 23, 2021, Indian Boxing Contingent finished with 12 medals at the 30th Youth International Boxing
Tournament ‘Adriatic Pearl’ held at Budva, Montenegro from February 16-22, 2021.
About Boxing Federation of India (BFI):
President – Ajay Singh
Badminton: PV Sindhu clinches Silver Medal at YONEX Swiss Open 2021

Indian Shuttler PV Sindhu clinched the Silver Medal in the 2021
Swiss Open Super 300 (Officially known as Yonex Swiss Open
2021) after she was defeated in the final by Spain’s Carolina
Marin. The tournament took place at St. Jakobshalle in Basel,
Switzerland, from March 2-7, 2021.
Swiss Open
• The 2021 Swiss Open was the 1st tournament of the 2021
BWF (Badminton World Federation) World Tour.
• It is organized by Swiss Badminton & sanctioned by the
BWF.
• Total prize money is US$140,000
Men’s Events
• Men’s Singles – Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) defeated Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) to win the Singles Title at
the 2021 Swiss Open.
• Men’s Doubles – Danish Pair Kim Astrup & Anders Rasmussen defeated the German Pair Mark Lamsfuss &
Marvin Saidel & won the Doubles Title.
Women’s Doubles
• Malaysian Pair of Pearly Tan & Thinaah Muralitharan defeated Bulgaria’s Gabriela & Stefani Stoeva to win
the Women’s Doubles Title.

Mixed Doubles
• The French pair of Thom Gicquel & Delphine Delrue won the Mixed Doubles title after defeating Denmark’s
Mathias Christiansen & Alexandra Boje.
Category Winners Runners
Men’s Singles Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand)
Women’s Singles Carolina Marin (Spain) PV Sindhu (India)
Kim Astrup & Anders Rasmussen
Men’s Doubles (Denmark) Mark Lamsfuss & Marvin Saidel (German)
Women’s Pearly Tan & Thinaah Muralitharan
Doubles (Malaysia) Gabriela & Stefani Stoeva (Bulgaria)
Mathias Christiansen & Alexandra Boje
Mixed Doubles Thom Gicquel & Delphine Delrue (France) (Denmark)
i.DANISA Denmark Open 2020 (Badminton) took place from October 13-18, 2020 in Odense, Denmark.
Cricket: India retains Anthony de Mello Trophy by Defeating England in 2020-21 Test Series
The Indian Cricket Team defeated England in the 4th Test
Match held at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat to
win the Match & consequently the 2020-21 Test series by 3-1.
With the win, India has yet again retained the Anthony de
Mello Trophy.
• Player of the Series – Ravichandran Ashwin
• The Anthony de Mello Trophy is awarded to the
winner of the England-India Test Cricket series held in
India. The trophy was already with the Indian Team as
they had won the Test Series held in 2016-17.
• Having won the series, India has now qualified for the World Test Championship finals to be held at
Southampton’s Ageas Bowl Stadium, UK (shifted from Lord’s Cricket Ground due to Pandemic) from June 18-
22,2021. India will play New Zealand in the finals.
England’s Tour of India 2020-21
The Test Series is part of the England Cricket Team’s visit to India to play 4-match Test series, 3 One Day
Internationals (3 ODIs) & 5 Twenty20 Internationals (5 T20Is).
• The Test Series took place at 2 Grounds – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (2 Tests) & the
newly inaugurated Narendra Modi Stadium at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Narendra Modi Stadium – World’s Largest Cricket Stadium
The World’s Largest Cricket Stadium at Motera, Ahmedabad, Gujarat was renamed Narendra Modi Stadium (the
previous name was Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium) and was inaugurated by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. It
is owned by the Gujarat Cricket Association.
• Narendra Modi stadium is part of Sardar Patel Sports Enclave.
• The stadium was originally constructed in 1983. In 2015, it was demolished and was rebuilt at an estimated
cost of INR 800 Crore.
• It has a capacity of 1, 32, 000 spectators (previous capacity 49, 000).
• In 1983, the First International match held in this stadium. The 1st match Played is Test Match between India
and West Indies in 1983.
• The previous Largest Cricket Stadium in the world was Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia.
Fact
It is the 1st time that the field of an Indian Cricket Stadium has been fitted with LED lights.

Records & Highlights
Ishant Sharma, an Indian Fast bowler became the 6th Indian & the 3rd Indian Fast Bowler after Kapil Dev & Zaheer
Khan to take 300 wickets in Test Cricket. The other 6 Indians are Kumble, Kapil Dev, Ravichandran Ashwin,
Harbhajan Singh & Zaheer Khan.
• He also became the only 2nd Indian fast bowler after Kapil Dev to represent India in 100 Tests.
• He is the Fourth Indian Bowler after Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev & Harbhajan Singh to achieve the milestone.
Ravichandran Ashwin – His Total wicket tally in the series was 32 wickets.
• He became the 1st Indian Cricketer to pick 30 wickets or more in a Test series on Two separate occasions.
• Ashwin became the 1st Bowler in Test Cricket to take 200 wickets against left-handed batsmen.
• Ravichandran Ashwin became the 2nd Fastest Bowler to take 400 Test Wickets. He took 77 Tests to achieve
the feat. The First Fastest Bowler is former Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who took 72 Tests to
achieve the record.
Joe Root – England Test Cricket Team captain Joe Root became the 1st Batsmen in the history of Test Cricket to score
200 in his 100th Test.
Rankings
ICC Test Batsmen Rankings
In the latest ICC Test Rankings for Batsmen (as of February 27, 2021),
• Indian Captain Virat Kohli was pushed to the 5th spot, as England Captain Joe Root took the 4th spot.
• In the ICC Test Rankings for Bowlers (as of February 27, 2021), Indian Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took the
3rd Position.
ICC T20I Rankings
In the Latest Rankings released by ICC for T20Is (as of February 25, 2021),
• Indian Batsman K L Rahul climbed to the 6th spot
• While the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team, Virat Kohli gained one spot to be at 6th.
About the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
President – Sourav Ganguly
Headquarters – Wankhede stadium, Mumbai, Maharashtra
NADA Disciplinary Panel Imposed Sanctions on Weightlifter Madhavan R & Boxer Ruchika for Violating Code
On 9th March 2021, the Disciplinary Panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) imposed sanctions
on Madhavan R, Weightlifter, and Ruchika, Boxer for the
violation of NADA’s code on the usage of prohibited substances.
• The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel(ADDP) has banned
Madhavan R and Ruchika for 4 years and 2 years
respectively.
• Madhavan R was tested positive for the prohibited
substance Phentermine & Mephentermine and Ruchika
was found positive for Furosemide.
• The athletes have an option to appeal against the ADDP’s
sanction to the higher panel Anti-Doping Appeals
Panel(ADAP).
Wrestling: India bags 8 Medals at Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2021 held in Rome, Italy
The 14-member Indian Wrestling Contingent bagged 8 medals (2
Gold, 1 Silver, 5 Bronze) at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2021
held at Rome, Italy from March 4-7, 2021. The series was conducted
for the categories of Freestyle, Greco-Roman & Women Wrestling.
• Around 26 Countries participated in the Tournament which
was organized by the United World Wrestling (UWW).

Winner Category Medal

Bajrang Punia Men’s 65 Kg (Freestyle) Gold
Vinesh Phogat Women’s 53 Kg Gold
Sarita Mor Women’s 57 Kg Silver
Vishal Kaliramana Men’s 70 Kg (Freestyle) Bronze
Neeraj Men’s 63 Kg (Greco-Roman) Bronze
Kuldeep Malik Men’s 72 Kg (Greco-Roman) Bronze
Naveen Men’s 130 Kg (Greco-Roman) Bronze
Arjun Halakurki Men’s 55 Kg (Greco-Roman) Bronze
Highlights
• Bajrang Punia won his 2nd Consecutive Gold Medal in the Men’s 65 Kg (Freestyle) of the Matteo Pellicone
Ranking Series event. With this victory, he became the World Number 1 in the 65 Kg category.
• Vinesh Phogat clinched the Gold Medal in the 53 Kg of Women’s Wrestling, with this she also became the
World Number one.
i.On 16th December 2020 India’s Women wrestler Anshu Malik won the Silver medal in the 57 Kg category at the
Individual World Cup 2020 held at Belgrade, Serbia organized by United World Wrestling(UWW).
About United World Wrestling (UWW):
President– Nenad Lalovic
Headquarters– Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland
Shooting – Indian Men Team Wins Bronze, Women’s Team Wins Silver at ISSF World Cup 2021, Egypt
The ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Shotgun World Cup 2021 was held in Cairo, Egypt from February
22-March 5,2021. The Shotgun tournament took place for disciplines of Trap Shooting & Skeet Shooting.
Women’s Trap Team Wins Silver
• The Indian Women’s Trap Team trio of Kirti Gupta, Manisha Keer & Rajeshwari Kumari won the Silver medal
in the event. They were defeated by Russia in the Final.
Men’s Skeet Team Wins Bronze
• The Indian Trio of Mairaj Ahmed Khan, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa & Gurjoat Khangura won the Bronze Medal
in Men’s skeet team event at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Cairo.
• Russia won the Gold Medal while Czech Republic won the Silver medal.
Overall Standings
• Russia topped the overall medal standings with 9 medals, followed by Croatia & Spain
• India finished 7th with 2 medals
About International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF):
President – Vladimir Lisin
Headquarters – Munich, Germany
Ashwin, Beaumont Win ICC Player of Month Awards for February

International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced India’s Ravichandran Ashwin as the ICC men’s player of the month
(February) and England’s Tammy Beaumont as the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for February 2021.
Bhavani Devi becomes 1st Indian Fencer to qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Chadalavada Anandha Bhavani Devi who hails from Tamil Nadu became the 1st ever Indian Fencer to qualify for an
Olympics. She was assured of qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after Hungary lost to South Korea in the
Quarter-finals of Team event of 2021 Fencing Sabre World Cup being held at Budapest, Hungary.
• Bhavani Devi will be a part of the women’s individual sabre event at Tokyo 2020 & She qualified through
the Adjusted Official Ranking (AOR) Method.

• 2 Individual spots were available for grabs for the Asia-
Oceania region based on World Rankings as of April 5,
2021. She is ranked 45th & hence occupied one of the two
available slots based on the ranking.
• Bhavani Devi, a Sabre Fencer is also an 8-time National
Champion.
• The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is set to take place July 23, 2021
– August 8, 2021.
• She was the first Indian to bag a silver medal at the 2014
Asian Championship U23 category in Philippines and first Indian to win a gold medal at the senior
Commonwealth Fencing Championship in Canberra in the sabre event in 2019.
Fact
Competitive Fencing is one of the 5 activities which have been featured in every modern Olympic Games (since 1896),
the other four being athletics, cycling, swimming & Gymnastics.
About International Fencing Federation (FIE):
It is the International Governing body of Olympic Fencing
President – Alisher Usmanov
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
India to host 2021’s Asian Boxing Championship in May at New Delhi

On 15th March, 2021 International Boxing Association (AIBA) announced that 2021’s Edition of Asian Boxing
Championship will be held between May 21-31 at New Delhi, India. This will be the 1st boxing tournament in Asia
in 2021, acting towards evaluating boxers’ readiness for the Olympic games.
i.The 30th edition of Asian Amateur Boxing Championships that was held in 2019 saw participation from 34
countries.
ii.2020’s Event was canceled on the rise of pandemic, and it is expected to see participants from 32 countries in the
2021’s edition.
2019 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships:
For the 1st time in the tournament’s history both men & women fought in the same championship.
Host – Bangkok, Thailand
India’s Amit Panghal & Pooja Rani had won Gold in the Tournament.
i.Amit Panghal,Ashish Kumar & Sanjeet won gold medal in 1st Alexis Vastine International Tournament held in
Nantes, France.
ii.Indian boxer Amit Panghal secured top spot in AIBA World Men’s Ranking 2020 in the 52kg category; Manju
world’s second best boxer in Women’s ranking.
About International Boxing Association:
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is a non-profit international organization, originally known as
Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur.
Founded – 1946
President – Umar Kremlyov
Mithali Raj becomes 1st Indian & 2nd International Woman Cricketer to score 10, 000 International Runs
Mithali Raj became 1st Indian Woman Cricketer & 2nd International Women Cricketer (after England’s Charlotte
Edwards) to score 10, 000 runs in International Cricket across all 3 formats of Cricket.
• She achieved the record during the 3rd ODI Between India & South Africa Women’s team which took place on
March 12, 2021 at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow.
• Mithali Raj has scored 6, 974 runs from 212 One Day Internationals (ODI); 2, 364 runs from 89 T20
Internationals & 663 runs in 10 Test matches.
• Mithali Raj hails from Rajasthan; she made her debut for India in June 1999.

1st to reach 7, 000 runs
• She became the First Woman Cricketer to complete 7, 000
runs in Women’s ODI cricket.
• She reached the milestone in her 213th Match, which was the
4th ODI of the 5-match series against South Africa at Bharat
Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium,
Lucknow.
• Previously, England’s Charlotte Edwards was the 1st player
to score 6, 000 runs in Women’s ODIs. She retired from International Cricket in 2016, and is the 2nd leading
run scorer with 5, 992 runs.
About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
Head Office – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Rawalpindi’s KRL Stadium renamed after Shoaib Akhtar

The cricket authorities in Rawalpindi has renamed historic KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi, Pakistan as Shoaib Akhtar
Stadium to honour Akhtar for his services to Pakistan cricket for years.
Sharath Kamal Becomes First Indian Paddler To Qualify For The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games
On 18th March 2021, Achanta Sharath Kamal, an Indian table tennis player, win over Muhammad Rameez
(Pakistan) in the Asian Olympic Qualification tournament held
in Doha, Qatar and became the first Indian Paddler to qualify
for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. This marks
the 4th appearance of Kamal at the Olympic games.
• He won over Muhammad Rameez in the second men’s
singles round-robin match in the South Asia group
secured a spot form him in the delayed Games which
will begin in July 2021.
• Sutirtha Mukherjee, India’s second-highest-ranked
female player has also qualified for the 2020 Tokyo
Olympic games following her win over Manika Batra, India’s top female player.
• Manika Batra is set to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo games because of her ranking.
About Achanta Sharath Kamal:
i.Achanta Sharath Kamal was born on 12th July 1982 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
ii.He won the gold in the 16th Commonwealth table tennis championship 2004 held at Kuala Lumpur and became the
first Indian to achieve the feat.
iii.He also won the gold for men’s singles and men’s team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne.
Honours:
i.He received the Arjuna Award in 2004.
ii.India honoured him with the fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri in 2019 for Sports.
Former Ireland Captain, Gary Wilson, retires from International Cricket

On 19th March 2021, the 35 year Gary Wilson, Former captain of Ireland Cricket Team announced retirement
from International Cricket. He represented the Ireland squad in 2 Cricket World Cups (2011, 2015) and 5 T20
World Cups (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016). Currently, he is all set to take over the role of Head Coach and
Pathway Manager for North West Warriors.
i.Gary Wilson made his International Debut in 2005 for Ireland, and represented the side 292 times.
ii.He is the 2nd Highest wicket-taker for Ireland with 160 catches & 33 stumpings.
iii.In his 16 yearlong cricketing career, he scored 5,959 runs for Ireland, with 1 century and 30 fifties.
iv.His highest score 113 came against the Netherlands in 2010.
v.He captained Ireland’s T20 squad in 2018, leading the country to be qualified for 2020’s T20 World Cup.

About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chairman- Greg Barclay
Deputy-Chairman- Imran Khwaja
CEO- Manu Sawhney
Chairman of ICC Cricket Committee- Anil Kumble
Headquarter – Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
ICC Bans UAE Cricketers Mohammad Naveed & Shaiman Anwar for 8 Years
On 16th March 2021, International Cricket Council (ICC) handed an 8-year ban to UAE cricketers, Former United Arab
Emirates(UAE) captain Mohammad Naveed and batsman Shaiman Anwar from all forms of cricket. They were
banned for breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
• They were found guilty of corruption relating to attempted match-fixing during 2019 T20 World Cup
Qualifying tournaments.
• The bans are backdated to 16th October 2019, when they were provisionally suspended.
Mumbai Cricket Team Wins 2021’s Vijay Hazare Trophy; Prithvi Shaw-1st player to Score 800 runs in Single
Edition
Mumbai cricket team won the 2021’s Vijay Hazare Trophy in the finals against Uttar Pradesh, where the captain
of Mumbai, Prithvi Shaw became the 1st player to score 800 runs in a single edition. Previously, Mayank
Agarwal held the highest run scorer record with 723 runs from the 2018 edition. In the same match, Uttar Pradesh
batsman, Madhav Kaushik, scored 158 runs recording the highest runs scored by a batsman in the tournament’s
final.
Overview of Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships 2021

The 2021 All England Open (officially known as the Yonex All
England Open Badminton Championships 2021) took place
at Arena Birmingham in England from March 17-21, 2021.
• It is the 2nd Tournament of the 2021 BWF (Badminton
World Federation) World Tour.
• Organized by Badminton England; Sanctioned by BWF.
Winners
Men’s Single Title
• Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia won the Men’s Singles title after
defeating Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the Finals
Women’s Single Title
• Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara won the Women’s Singles Title after defeating Ponrpawee Chochuwong of Thailand
in the finals.
Men’s Doubles Title
• Japanese pair of Yuta Watanabe & Hiroyuki Endo won the Men’s Doubles Title.
Women’s Doubles Title
• The Japanese pair of Mayu Matsumoto & Wakana Nagahara won the Women’s Doubles Title.
Mixed Doubles
• The Mixed Doubles title was bagged by Japanese pair of Yuta Watanabe & Arisa Higashino.
Winners of the Tournament
Category Winner Runner-up
Men’s Singles Lee Zii Jia (Malaysia) Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Takeshi Kamura &
Yuta Watanabe & Hiroyuki Endo Keigo Sonoda
Men’s Doubles (Japan) (Japan)

Nozomi Okuhara
Women’s Singles (Japan) Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand)
Yuki Fukushima &
Mayu Matsumoto & Wakana Nagahara Sayaka Hirota
Women’s Doubles (Japan) (Japan)
Yuki Kaneko &
Yuta Watanabe & Arisa Higashino Misaki Matsutomo
Mixed Doubles (Japan) (Japan)
i.January 18, 2021, The Yonex Thailand Open 2021 (Level – Super 1000), a Badminton Tournament took place at
Impact Arena, Bangkok, Thailand from January 12-17, 2021.
About Badminton England
Chief Executive – Adrian Christy
Headquarters – Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England
Cricket: India wins the 2020-21 Paytm T20I series against England
The Indian Cricket Team defeated England in the 5th T20I Match held at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad,
Gujarat to win the Match and consequently the 2020-21 Paytm T20I series by 3-2.
• Player of the Series – Virat Kohli.
• All 5 matches took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• The T20I series is part of the England Cricket Team’s visit to India to play 4-match Test series, 3 One Day
Internationals (3 ODIs) & 5 Twenty20 Internationals (5 T20Is).
• India had already won the Test Series by 3-1.
Records & Highlights
Virat Kohli – 1st Cricketer to score 3,000 runs in T20I
Virat Kohli became the 1st Cricketer to score 3, 000 runs in T20 Internationals. He has taken 87 matches to achieve
the milestone.
• He achieved the feat during the 2nd T20I against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• New Zealand’s Martin Guptill is 2nd on the list of leading run-getters in T20I Cricket with 2, 839 runs while
India’s Rohit Sharma is third with 2, 773 runs.
Rohit Sharma – 2nd Indian to complete 9000 runs
• Rohit Sharma became the 2nd Indian after Virat Kohli to complete 9000 runs in T20 Cricket.
• He achieved the milestone during the 4th T20I against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad,
Gujarat.
T20I Rankings:
Team Rankings (as of March 20, 2021) – #1 England, #2 India, #3 Australia
Government Recognised Indian Style Wrestling Association as a National Sports Federation

On 8th March 2021, The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has officially recognised the Indian Style Wrestling
Association of India (ISWAI) as a National Sports Federation (NSF) for promotion and regulation of “Indian Style
Wrestling” in India.With this recognition ISWAI is eligible to receive fund and support from the government.
Background:
i.The Government did not renew the recognition of ISWAI after the introduction of the new scheme of annual
recognition from the year 2010.
ii.The recognition of ISWAI was not renewed since ISWAI failed to incorporate the provisions of the National Sports
Development Code, 2011.
Benefits:
With the recognition as NSF, ISWAI will also have the advantages and benefits like rail concessions, recruitment

against wrestlers of Indian style and also the participation of leading international wrestlers in our competitions.
Indian style wrestling:
Unlike professional wrestling which is played on a mat, Indian Style wrestling is played on mud.
The ISWAI was formed in 1958.
FIFA Collaboration with UNODC to Fight Against Match Manipulation

On March 16, 2021, The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) collaborated with United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) to launch the Global Integrity Programme a comprehensive international
programme to fight and prevent match manipulation.
Key Points:
• Objective: To protect the integrity of football and will play an important role in educating and building
capacity within all 211 member associations to help fight match-fixing at a local level.
• The programme is organized regionally per confederation and includes a series of three-module virtual
workshops to be delivered to all FIFA member associations.
• The first module was held on March 4 and will continue with the second module on March 16.
FIFA Integrity Officers Community Platform:
• Alongside the FIFA Global Integrity Programme, that FIFA will shortly be launching the FIFA Integrity Officers
Community Platform.
• It will be the first-ever community-driven online platform dedicated exclusively to integrity officers across all
member associations and confederations worldwide.
• This confidential platform will bring together a global network of integrity officers to share their experience
and exchange best practices related to preventing and fighting match manipulation and promoting integrity in
football.
Ongoing Initiatives of FIFA:
• FIFA signed a memorandum of understanding with the UNODC in September 2020 to step up their joint
cooperation to address the threats posed by crime to the sport.
On 17th December 2020, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) awarded Robert Lewandowski,
captain of Poland National Team as the Best FIFA Men’s player for 2020 in its annual award ceremony. The event also
saw the distribution of 9 awards related to football. Lucy Bronze of England won the Best FIFA Women’s player for
2020.
About Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA):
Headquarters– Zurich, Switzerland.
Motto– For the Game. For the World.
President– Gianni Infantino.
About United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC):
Director-General/ Executive Director– Ghada Fathi Waly
Headquarters– Vienna, Austria
‘Girl Gang’ announced official song of ICC Women’s World Cup 2022
A song ‘Girl Gang’ by New Zealand singer Gin Wigmore, has been announced as the official song of the 12th edition
of 2022 International Cricket Council(ICC) Women’s World Cup at Mt Maunganui Beach, New Zealand.
• The tournament is set to be hosted in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3, 2022.The song is from Wigmore’s
fourth album Ivory released in 2017.
Federation Cup: Avinash Sable sets new national record in men’s 3000m steeplechase
Avinash Sable posted a new national record of 8 minutes 20.20 seconds as he won the men’s 3000-metre
steeplechase at the National Federation Cup. Avinash has already qualified for Tokyo Olympics. He broke his own
record of 8:21.37 at the 2019 Doha World Championships

India Finished 3rd in 2021 Para Shooting World Cup with 7 Medals
India bagged 7 medals (2 Gold, 1 Silver & 4 Bronze) and finished at 3rd Position in the 2021 World Shooting Para
Sport World Cup held at Al Ain, UAE from March 15-25, 2021. Ukraine topped the table with 11 Medals (5 Gold, 5
Silver, 1 Bronze), while UAE finished Second with 5 medals (3 Gold, 2 Silver).
• They are organized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
• A total of 120 athletes from 24 nations competed in the Para Shooting World Cup 2021.
• It is the 1st World Shooting para sport competition after the COVID-19 pandemic.
India’s Medals Tally
Winner Event Position
Singhraj P1 – Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1* Gold
Manish Narwal P4 – Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 Gold
Avani Lekhara R2 – Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 Silver
Rahul Jakhar P3 – Mixed 25m Pistol SH1 Bronze
Singhraj P4 – Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 Bronze
Sriharsha DEVARADDI RAMAKRISHNA R4 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2* Bronze
Sidhartha BABU R6 – Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1 Bronze
* – SH1 events include pistols & rifles, while SH2 events are rifles only.
Highlights
• India’s Singhraj won the Gold Medal in the P1 Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1.
• India’s Manish Narwal clinched Gold Medal in the P4 mixed 50m Pistol SH1. He set a new World Record
(WR) by finishing with 229.1 points, breaking the previous WR of Serbia’s Rastko Jokic (228.6).
• Saudi Arabia and Yemen competed for the first time in a shooting Para sport World Cup.
i.February 4, 2021, 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.
About International Paralympic Committee (IPC):
President – Andrew Parsons
Football-2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Venue – Mumbai, Ahmedabad & Bhubaneswar
On 26th March, 2021 the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) & the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 Local
Organising Committee (LOC) announced the 3 final venues for the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup that will be held in
India from January 20 to February 6, 2022.
Tournament Venues:
• D.Y. Patil Stadium – Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
• TransStadia (EKA Arena) – Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• Kalinga Stadium – Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Note – Previously, D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai was used to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017.
i.The Qualifiers for the Tournament will be held between 15-25th of September, 2021.
ii.India will also host the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup in 2022.
Australia & New Zealand Jointly to host 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Football tournament. FIFA gave the hosting
rights for the 1st 32-team Women’s Championship to Australia and New Zealand. This is the first Women’s World Cup
to be hosted in the Asia-Pacific Region.
President – Praful Patel (He is also a FIFA Council Member)
Vice-President – Subrata Dutta

Founded – 1937
About Asian Football Confederation (AFC):
President – Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa
General Secretary – Dato’ Windsor John
Founded – 1954
India Legends won 1st edition of 2020-21 Road Safety World Series T20 against Sri Lanka Legends
India Legends cricket team won the 1st Edition of the 2020-21 Road Safety World Series T20 tournament against
Sri Lanka Legends in the Finals. Tillakaratne Dilshan, captain of Sri Lanka Legends won the Player of the series.Sachin
Tendulkar was the captain of India Legends.
• 7 Countries Participated in the series viz, India Legends, Sri Lanka Legends, South Africa Legends, West Indies
Legends, England Legends, Bangladesh Legends, Australia Legends.
• The 2020-21 Road Safety World Series T20 cricket tournament was organized by the Road Safety Cell of
Maharashtra to raise awareness about road safety.
India beats England in 3-match ODI series; Kohli 3rd captain to lead India in 200 International Matches
In the recently concluded 3-match One Day International (ODI) Series between India & England which was hosted by
India, Indian Cricket team under the captaincy of Virat Kohli won the series in a thrilling 2-1 lead.
• England opener Jonny Bairstow was awarded the Player of the Series.
• India-England series sets world record for most sixes hit 63 in a 3-match ODI series. The record was
previously held by New Zealand and Sri Lanka as both teams had hit a combined of 57 sixes.
Note- India also won the 5-match T20 International Series with England in the same tour with a 3-2 victory.
i.In this match, Virat Kohli became the 3rd Indian Captain to lead Indian side in 200 International matches. [MS
Dhoni in 332 matches & Mohammad Azharuddin in 221 matches]
ii.Virat Kohli became India’s captain in all-formats in January 2017.
International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 Batsman – Rankings:
• Virat Kohli – 4th position
• Lokesh Rahul – 5th Position
• Rohit Sharma – 14th position
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chairman – Greg Barclay
CEO – Manu Sawhney
Headquarters – Dubai, UAE
Dhanalakshmi dethrones Dutee Chand to win 100m title at Fed Cup

Dhanalakshmi from Tamil Nadu has beaten Dutee chand and Hima Das to won the 100 metre women’s final at
Federation Cup Athletics 2021 in Patiala, Punjab. She took 11:39seconds to clinch the gold metal while Dutee Chand
was second with 11.58 seconds. Hima Das was disqualified for a false start.
Lewis Hamilton wins 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix of Formula One

Mercedes Driver Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) won the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix (officially known as Formula 1
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021) held at Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain on March 28, 2021.
• Red Bull Racing’s driver Max Verstappen (Netherlands) finished 2nd in the race, while Mercedes
driver Valtteri Bottas (Finland) finished 3rd in the race.
• The victory was Hamilton’s 96th Formula One Victory.
• The Bahrain Grand Prix is the inaugural GP of the 2021 Formula One World Championship.
• The Formula One World Championships are organized by Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)

About Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA):
President – Jean Todt
OBITUARY
Former TRAI chairman and Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar passes away
Former Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Commerce Secretary , a 1975-batch IAS
officer Rahul Khullar passed away due to prolonged illness, who served as Commerce Secretary(2009-2012) and
appointed as TRAI chairman in May 2012 for three years
Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan, Lok Sabha Member from Khandwa MP, Passed Away at 69
On 2nd March 2021, Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan, of Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), 6 time Lok Sabha member from
Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh(MP), who was suffering from COVID-19 infection passed away at the age of 69 in
Gurugram, Haryana. He was born on 8th September 1952 in Shahpur, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.
About Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan:
i.Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan started his career as a politician from Shahpur Municipal Council in 1978
ii.He was later elected to the State Assembly of Madhya Pradesh and served as a member of legislative from 1985 to
1996.
iii.He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 and later re-elected in 1998, 99, 2004, 2014 and 2019.
Muthoot Group Chairman, M.G. George Muthoot Passed Away at 71

On 5th March 2021, Mathai George George Muthoot (MG George Muthoot), Chairman of the Muthoot Group passed
away at the age of 71 in New Delhi. He was born in November
1949 in Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.
About MG George Muthoot:
i.MG George Muthoot joined the family business: The Muthoot
group as an office assistant and became the managing director
in 1979.
ii.He took over the Muthoot group as the Chairman in 1993.
iii.Under his leadership the Muthoot Finance Limited became
the largest gold financing company in India and the first ever
Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) to join the Rs.1000
crore net profit club.
Highlights:
i.He was listed as the 26th richest man in India by Forbes in 2020. He was one of the 6 Malayalees who were featured
on the list.
ii.He served as a member of the National Executive Committee Member of FICCI.
iii.He is also a member of the Kerala State Council.
iv.He is the Lay trustee of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
Awards:
He has received various awards which includes, Lifestyle Icon of the Year, Skoch Financial Inclusion Award, Golden
Peacock Award for Excellence in Business Leadership, Corporate Governance, HR and CSR, NRI Bharat Samman
Award.
Veteran Indian athlete, Ishar Singh Deol passed away at 91

On March 06, 2021, The Dhyan Chand National Awardee, Ishar Singh Deol a veteran Indian athlete died at the age
of 91 in Chandigarh. He majorly participated in Shot-put and Discus throw from 1951-1960.
About Ishar Singh Deol:
• He was born on September 7,1929 in Ranguwal, Ludhiana, Punjab.

• For 30 consecutive years he worked as General Secretary of the Punjab Athletes Association and for many
years he has acted as the Vice President and Selection committee member of the Athletic Federation of India.
Award:
In 2009, he was awarded the Dhyan Chand National Award for his lifelong contribution towards sports from
Pratibha Patil, President of that time.
Achievements:
• Since 1951, he has won many medals for the country and the state.
• He had participated in the first three Asian Games and in 1954 he won a bronze medal in the second Asian
Games which was held in Manila, Philippines.
• He has set a new Asian record of 46 feet 11.2 inches in Shot-put at the International Athletic Meet-1957.
• In 1982, at the first Asian Veteran Athletic Meet he won gold which was held in Singapore.
Note: The 1st Asian Games held in New Delhi at 1951
Anshuman Singh, Former Governor of Rajasthan Passed Away At 86

On 8th March 2021, Anshuman Singh, former governor of Rajasthan passed away at the age of 86 in Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh. He passed away due to COVID-19 related
pneumonia. He was born in 1935 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
About Anshuman Singh:
i.Anshuman Singh served as the Governor of Rajasthan from
16th January 1999 to May 2003.
ii.He started his career as an advocate in Allahabad district
court in 1957.
iii.He has served as the judge of Allahabad high court from 1984
and later served as the acting chief justice of Rajasthan High
Court.
Ivory Coast Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko passed away at 56

On 10th March 2021, Hamed Bakayoko, Prime
Minister(PM) of Ivory Coast and Minister of Defence passed
away at the age of 56 in a hospital in Germany due to
cancer. He was born on 8th March 1965 in Abidjan, Ivory
Coast.
Patrick Achi has been appointed as the interim Prime Minister
of Ivory Coast.
About Hamed Bakayoko:
i.Hamed Bakayoko, a former media executive turned politician
was appointed as the Prime Minister of Ivory Coast in July
2020 following the death of his predecessor Amadou Gon Coulibaly.
ii.He served as the head of Ivory Coast Subsidiary of French Radio Nostalgie in 1993.
iii.He became the head of the radio’s African operations in 2000.
French Billionaire MP Olivier Dassault Died In Helicopter Crash At Age 69

On 7th March 2021, French Billionaire and Member of French National Assembly, Olivier Dassault of Les
Republicains party died in a helicopter crash in Normandy, France at age 69. Olivier Dassault the heir of Dassault
Groupe (Dassault Aviation, Le Figaro etc) was born on 1st June 1951 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. He was the son
of businessman and politician Serge Dassault.
Padma Awardee Painter Laxman Pai Passed away at 95

On March 14,2021, Padma Bhushan recipient and Goa’s veteran artist Laxman Pai passed away at the age of 95 in
Goa.

• The renowned painter was born in Goa in 1926, he is
well known for his contemporary paintings he is also
the former principal of the Goa College of Art. He
received the third highest civilian honour of Padma
Bhushan award in 2018.
Awards and recognitions:
He was honoured with several prestigious awards, such as
Padma Bhushan(2018), Padma Shri(1985) ,Nehru Award &
Gomant Vibhushan Award(2016), Goa State Award(1987),
Lalit Kala Akademi Award (3 times 1961, 1963, 1972), and
Mayo Medal for his contribution in the field of art.
Veteran Kathakali Guru Padma Shri Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair Passed Away at 105
On 15th March 2021, Veteran Kathakali performer and Guru, Padma Shri Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair passed
away at the age of 105 in his residence in Cheliya, Koyilandy in Kozhikode, Kerala. He was born on 16th June 1916 in
Malabar district, Madras Presidency, British India(present Kozhikode, Kerala).
About Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair:
i.He founded the Bharatiya Natyyakalayalam, the first school of dance in North Kerala in 1945 and in 1983 he
established Cheliya Kathakali Vidyalayam in Kozhikode.
ii.He has won several honours for his contribution to the art form of Kathakali, which includes, Kerala Sangeetha
Nataka Award in 1979, Kerala Kalamandalam award in 2001, Kala Ratna award in 2009, Mayilpeeli award and
Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore award.
iii.He was honoured with India’s 4th highest civilian award Padma Shri in 2017 for his contribution to Kathakali.
Tanzania President John Magufuli Passed Away at 61

On 17th March 2021, John Pombe Magufuli, the President of
Tanzania and leader of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi
party passed away at the age of 61 at a hospital in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania. He was born on 29th October 1959, in Chato,
Tanzania. He was the first president of Tanzania to die while
holding office.
i.Samia Hassan Suluhu, the first female Vice President of
Tanzania is set to become the First Female President of
Tanzania.
ii.According to the constitution of Tanzania, in the absence of
the President, by reason of death, then the Vice-President shall be sworn in and become the President for the
unexpired period of the term of five years.
About John Magufuli:
i.John Maguguli was first elected as the President of Tanzania in 2015.
ii.He was again elected as the President for a 2nd term in 2020.
iii.He was first elected as a member of Parliament in 1995.
iv.He has also served as the minister of Works, Transport and Communications from 2000 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015
About Tanzania:
Vice President– Samia Hassan Suluhu
Prime Minister– Kassim Majaliwa
Capital– Dodoma
Currency– Tanzanian shilling
Former Union Minister & BJP leader Dilip Gandhi passed away at 69
On 17th March 2021, Dilip Kumar Mansukhlal Gandhi, former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)
leader passed away at the age of 69 in Delhi. He was tested positive for COVID-19 on 16th March 2021. He was born

on 9th May 1951 in Pune, Maharashtra.
About Dilip Gandhi:
i.Dilip Gandhi served as a Member of Parliament(MP) for 3 terms, he was first elected as the member of Lok sabha
in 1999 from the Ahmednagar constituency, Maharashtra
ii.He served as the Union Minister of State(MoS), Ministry of Shipping from 2003 to 2004.
iii.He was re-elected as a member of Lok Sabha in 2009 and 2014.
Inventor of Cassette Tape, Lou Ottens, passes away at 94

The Dutch inventor, Lou Ottens, inventor of Cassette tape passed away at the age of 94. He was the one who
invented the 1st Cassette tape that was produced by Philips in 1962. These Cassette tapes were a huge success
worldwide with 100 million sales. The cassette tape was mostly used by Music lovers, until it was replaced by
Compact Disk (CD). Lou Ottens also acted as the supervisor of CD’s development team.
Former Chairperson of SEBI, G V Ramakrishna passed Away at 91

On 20th March 2021, G V Ramakrishna, former chairperson of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), a
market regulator of India passed away at the age of 91 in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was born in 1930, in Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
G V Ramakrishna was a 1952 batch IAS officer from Andhra
Pradesh cadre.
About G V Ramakrishna:
i.He became the first Chairman of Disinvestment Commission
in 1996 and managed the exit of the government from state-
owned businesses.
ii.He served as the Chairman of SEBI from 1990 to 1994
during which he supported the banning of the badla stock trading system.
iii.He was an Adviser in the Planning Commission in 1981 and Member in 1994.
iv.He has also served as India’s Ambassador to the European Economic Community (European Union) in 1989.
v.He served as the minister of financial affairs in the Embassy in Washington in 1972.
vi.He has also worked under various ministries including Finance, Industry, Steel, Coal and Petroleum.
Moudud Ahmed former Prime Minister of Bangladesh dies on 80

In March 2021, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and one
of the founding member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP), Barrister Moudud Ahmed, passed away at the age of 80
in Singapore.
i.Barrister Moudud Ahmed was born on 24 May 1940 in
Companiganj Upazila of Noakhali district in Bangladesh.
ii.He was elected to the Bangladeshi Parliament, 5-times from
Companiganj Upazila of Noakhali district.
iii.Former PM of Bangladesh Ershad, sentenced him with 10-
year jail term in 1982.
Portfolio held:
• Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1988–1989)
• Vice President of Bangladesh (1989–1990)
• Deputy Prime Minister (1976–1978 and 1987–1988)
• Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (2001–2006)
• He is also a Member of Standing Committee of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Anindya Dutta Authored a New Book Titled “Advantage India: The Story of Indian Tennis”
Anindya Dutta, a banker turned author, penned a new book titled “Advantage India: The Story of Indian
Tennis”, a chronicle of Indian Tennis. Advantage India is a well-
researched account of the journey of Indian tennis, with a special
section on the Doubles game and on women’s tennis in India.
The book is published by Westland publications.
About the book:
i.The book provides the extensive history of Indian tennis on both
men’s and women’s side.
ii.The book is the result of the detailed research of Anindya Dutta
on the data from the archives of the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting and British newspapers from the past 200 years.
iii.The book features the pre independence players like Mohammed Sleem, the Fyzee brothers, S.M. Jacob and Ghaus
Mohammed and tennis icons like Dilip Bose, Sumant Misra, Naresh Kumar and Ramanathan Krishnan.
iv.This also features Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza who transformed the Women’s Tennis in India.
About Anindya Dutta:
i.Anindya Dutta is a columnist for Sportstar, The Cricketer Magazine, First Post, Hindustan Times, ESPN Cricinfo,
Cricket Monthly, Cricket Soccer, Roar and Fountain Ink.
ii.His debut book was “A Gentleman’s Game: Reflections on Cricket History Foreword by Kersi Meher-Homji”
published in 2017 following which he published the “Spell-binding Spells: Cricket’s most magnificent bowling spells”,
an account of the greatest bowling spells in the history of cricket.
iii.His other books include, We are The Invincibles: The Incredible Story of Bradman’s 1948 team (2019), Wizards:
The Story of Indian Spin Bowling (2019), The Greatest Year: The 1971 Tours of West Indies and England (2020).
Hillary Clinton partners with Louise Penny to co-write ‘State of Terror’ Mystery novel
Former United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is co-writing a mystery novel called ‘State of Terror’ with
Louise Penny, a Canadian author. The novel is slated to be released on October 12, 2021. It will be jointly released by
Clinton’s Publisher, Simon & Schuster & Louise Penny’s St. Martin’s Press.
Author Shrabani Basu’s New Book “The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer” to be Released
“The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer: Arthur Conan Doyle, George Edalji and the Case of the Foreigner in the English
Village” the new book authored by Shrabani Basu is set to be
released on 3rd March 2021. The book is published
by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Notable fact:
i.The book uncovered the mystery case of George Edalji in the
village of Great Wyrley in the early 20th Century which was
investigated by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock
Holmes.
ii.This became the first investigation on real-life
crime during Arthur Conan Doyle’s lifetime.
About the Book:
i.George Edalji, the son of Shahpur Edalji, Indian Parsi convert to christianity and the first Indian to have a parish in
England.
ii.George Edalji was a successful barrister who was later prosecuted for the series of mystery murders and animal
mutilations in 1903 that took place in the village of Great Wyrley near Birmingham.
iii. When he was released early, he contacted Arthur Conan Doyle who responded to his request to clear his name.

About Shrabani Basu:
i.Shrabani Basu, a journalist and the bestselling author of Sunday times, hails from Calcutta.
ii.She set up the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust to ensure that Noor’s story and sacrifice were preserved for the
next generation which was unveiled by Princess Anne in 2012.
iii.In 2020 the English Heritage invited her to unveil the blue plaque of Noor Inyat Khan in London.
Books:
Her well-known works includes the For King and Another Country: Indian Soldiers on the Western Front 1914-18,
Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant, Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan and
Curry: The Story of the Nation’s Favourite Dish.
Evan Osnos’s New Book “Joe Biden: American Dreamer” a Biography of Joe Biden
National Book Award Winner Evan Osnos has authored a new Book “Joe Biden: American Dreamer” a biography of
American President, Joe Biden that features both the personal
and public life of Joe Biden. The book is published
by Bloomsbury Publishing.
About the Book:
i.The author portrays President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as a man who
has sustained a 50-year political career and became the
President and a man who is marked with deep personal losses.
ii.The book captures the characters and features of the
presidential election.
iii.The book features the revealing conversation between Joe Biden and others, including former President Barack
Obama, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, progressive activists, advisers, opponents, and his family
members.
About Evan Osnos:
i.Evan Osnos worked as a staff writer in The New Yorker covering politics and foregin affairs.
ii.He has worked for the Chicago Tribune as Beijing bureau chief, he has also worked in the Middle East, reporting
from Iraq.
Books:
i.His book “Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China,” based on his 8-year life in Beijing
won the 2014 National Book Award. The book was also a finalist for the Pulitzer prize.
ii.He has also authored the book “Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now.” published in 2020.
Awards:
He was a part of the team (staff of Chicago Tribune) that won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.
New Book “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds” authored by Rajiv Malhotra
Acclaimed Author Rajiv Malhotra, a Physicist and Computer Scientist specializing in Artificial intelligence(AI) has
authored a new book titled “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds”. The book features
both the positive and negative impacts of AI.
The book is published by Rupa Publications.
About the Book:
i.The book discusses the effects of AI on India and its impacts on our futures and it also looks into how the AI would
modify the aspects of lives at international, national to personal level.
ii.The book states that, by leveraging AI and big data, various private organisations are gaining an ability to influence,
manipulate and control the minds of people.
iii.These organisations have the potential to become more powerful than various companies and it is noted that there
are no Indian companies in this league.
iv.The AI is a central node that integrates quantum computing, nanotechnology, medical technology, brain-machine
interface, robotics, aerospace, 5G, Internet of Things, and others.
v.The book aims to educate the social segments and encourage them to take part in the discussion where the AI
policies are formulated.

About Rajiv Malhotra:
i.Rajiv Malhotra, the founder of Infinity Foundation(Princeton), contributes to changing the global discourse with
new and innovative paradigms.
ii.His works cover a wide range of topics like mind sciences, civilizations, geopolitics and the Future of India.
iii.He has been doing research on civilization and their engagement with technology from the historical, social
sciences and mind sciences perspective.
iv.The Infinity Foundation has published a 14 volume series on the History of Indian Science and Technology.
Books:
• Being Different: An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism
• Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Fault lines
• Indra’s Net: Defending Hinduism’s Philosophical Unity
• The Battle for Sanskrit: Is Sanskrit Political or Sacred, Oppressive or Liberating, Dead or Alive?
• Academic Hinduphobia: A Critique of Wendy Doniger’s Erotic School of Indology
• Sanskrit Non-Translatables: The Importance of Sanskritizing English
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s Autobiography “The Frontier Gandhi: My Life And Struggle” to be Published in
English
The autobiography of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as the “Frontier Gandhi” & fondly known
as Bacha Khan or Badshah Khan, titled “The Frontier Gandhi: My Life and Struggle” is set to be published
in English by the publishing house Roli Books. This will be his first autobiography in English. The book was
translated into English by Imitiaz Ahmad Sahibzada, former Pakistani civil servant and author.
• The foreword of the book is written by historian Rajmohan Gandhi, Grandson of Gandhi and
• The book was originally written in Pashto and published in 1983.
Note:
The earlier account of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s life in English was a collection of his interviews and was not his
autobiography.
About the book:
i.The book by Ghaffar Khan brings out the life events and personalities of the independence movement.
ii.The book accounts the sacrifices and efforts that resulted in the Independence of India.
About Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan:
i.Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan who was also known as Bacha Khan, Badshah Khan and Fakr-e-Afghan was born in
Utmanzai, Northwest Frontier Province, British India in 1890.
ii.He was one of the close associates of Mahatma Gandhi.
iii.He led the Khundai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) movement from 1930 to 1947.
“Dynasty to Democracy: The Untold Story of Smriti Irani’s Triumph”-Anant Vijay’s Book on Smriti Irani’s
victory in Amethi
On March 05,2021, Westland Publication ltd, announced the release of the English translation of Anant Vijay’s book
named ‘Dynasty to Democracy: The Untold Story of Smriti Irani’s Triumph’ by March 15.
• The Book is a translation of Hindi book titled ‘Amethi Sangram: Aitihasik Jeet Ankahi Dastan’ , which was
published in December, 2020.The English translation is also done by Anant Vijay.
About the Book:
i.The book is about an attempt to understand the reasons behind Irani’s success in Amethi, and her political methods.
ii.The book traces her journey from her defeat in 2014 to her victory in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh during the 2019 Lok
Sabha election.
iii.Smriti Irani is a Minister in the Union Cabinet of India as Minister of Textiles with an additional charge
of Minister of Women and Child Development.Constituency– Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar Released E-book Titled “The Green Queens of India – A Nation’s
Pride”
On 8th March 2021, Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change(MoEF&CC) released an e-book titled “The Green Queens of India – A Nation’s Pride”, a compilation of case
studies, best practices and life experience of women forest officers. The eBook was published by Indian Forest
Service Association-Central unit. New Delhi.
• He released the book at the first ever conference of Women Indian Forest Service(IFS) officers and women
frontline personnel.
• Around 250 women IFS officers and 5000 women frontline personnels participated in the conference.
About the e-Book:
i.The book aims to support and motivate the young officers and will inspire the young women who aspire to become a
forest officer.
ii.The book is a tribute to the small and strong cadre of Women IFS officers.
iii.This compilation of case studies highlights the diverse skill that they bring to the service
Indian Forest Service and Women:
i.Since the creation of the Imperial Forest Service in 1865, women officers were first inducted in 1980.
ii.Started with 3 women officers in 1980 the strength of women officers in the service has been increased and
currently there are around 250 women officers are in service.
About Indian Forest Service:
Inspector General of Forests– Bharati
Director– Jerome Minz
AS Panneerselvan authored a new book titled “Karunanidhi: A Life”

Readers’ editor at The Hindu, AS Panneerselvan authored a new book titled “Karunanidhi: A Life”, a book about the
8-decade political career of Muthuvel Karunanidhi. The foreword of the book was written by N. Ram, former editor
in chief of The Hindu.
The book was published by Penguin Viking.
About the book:
i.The book is about Karunanidhi, the writer turned politician who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for 5
terms and the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for over five decades.
ii.The book features his controversial political career as the regional leader and his contribution to the tamil history,
literature and culture.
About AS Panneerselvan:
i.A S Pannerselvan the readers editor of The Hindu has served as its internal ombudsman since 2012.
ii.He is an adjunct professor of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai.
iii.He is also a board member of Organization of News Ombudsmen and Standards Editors representing Asia.
iv.He has also served as the member of the steering committee and the vice chair of the Global Forum for Media
Development between 2005 and 2018.
v.He is a member of the governing board of KM Adimoolam Foundation for Arts in Chennai.
vi.He was the fellow of the Reuters journalism fellowship programme at the University of Oxford.
Susmita Mukherjee Authored a New Book Titled “Baanjh: Incomplete Lives of Complete Women”
Actor, Screenwriter, and Playwright Susmita Mukherjee have authored her 2nd book titled “Baanjh: Incomplete
Lives of Complete Women”. The book is a collection of 11 short stories that portray the lives of women from various
social backgrounds.
The book was published by Readomania Publishing.
About the book:
i.The book features the world of the women who are living in the excluded society to the women living in higher
levels of society.
ii.The title of the book is named after one of the 11 short stories in the book called Baanjh which is about the life of
Rukmini Devi in an abusive marriage.

About Susmita Mukherjee:
i.Susmita Mukherjee, a well-known actor, producer, and director, has more than a 3-decade career in theatre, films,
and television.
ii.She is the founder of Naatak Company, a theatre group that started in 1988.
iii.Her debut novel was “Mee and Juhibaby” and she has also authored several short stories.
Ranjit Hoskote released his New Poetry book titled ‘Hunchprose’

The Indian poet, art critic, cultural theorist, and independent curator Ranjit Hoskote released his recent 8th poetry
collection titled ‘Hunchprose’ in English.
About: The poems are about the turbulent times we live in and celebrate every aspect of humanity and being human.
One of the best books of the author: ‘Vanishing Acts’, ‘Central Time’ ‘Jonahwhale’ and ‘I, Lalla: The Poems of Lal
Ded’.
Awards and Recognitions:
• He was honoured with Sahitya Akademi Award for lifetime achievement in 2004.
• He has received the Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award, the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award, and the S
H Raza Literature Award under the title ‘Everyone Agrees: It’s About to Explode’.
• His works have been translated into German, Hindi, Bengali, Irish, Marathi, Swedish and Spanish.
• He is also known as a translator as well, for his translations of the legendary Urdu poets Mir and Ghalib.
Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan’s Children’s book – “Prince with a Paintbrush: The Story of Raja Ravi Varma”
Under Westland’s ‘Red Panda’ imprint, an illustrated book for children titled “Prince with a Paintbrush: The Story
of Raja Ravi Varma” written by Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan will be published in April
Objective: It aims to inspire young readers to learn about the famed artist and how he made his entry and mark in
the art world.
• Srinivasan has earlier authored children’s books like “Indi-Alphabet” and “How Many Lines in a Limerick?”
Points to be noted about Raja Ravi Varma (29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906):
• He was a celebrated Indian painter and artist, one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art.
• Considering his vast contribution to Indian art, the Government of Kerala has instituted an award called Raja
Ravi Varma Puraskaram, which is awarded every year to people who show excellence in the field of art and
culture.
• On his 65th death anniversary (29 April 1971), India post issued a commemorative postal stamp depicting
Ravi Varma and his famous painting ‘Damayanti and Swan’
• In 2013, a crater on Mercury was named in the honor of this greater Indian painter.
Indra Nooyi, Former CEO of PepsiCo, to Publish her Memoir Titled “My Life in Full: Work, Family and Our
Future”
Padma Bhushan awardee Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo is set to publish her memoir titled “My Life in Full:
Work, Family and Our Future”. The book is set to be
published by Portfolio books on September 28. The book
will feature both the personal and professional life of Indra
Nooyi.
About the book:
i.The book features the life of Indra Nooyi from her
childhood in India to her life at Yale University as an
immigrant to her life as a person of colour in the elite
corporate world.
ii.The book also features her work-life balance between
being a mother of 2 and working at PepsiCo.
About Indra Nooyi:
i.Indra Nooyi, an Indian American, worked at PepsiCo for around 24 years.
ii.She served as the CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo for 12 years from 2006 to 2018.

iii.She stepped down as CEO of PepsiCo in October 2018 and in February 2019 she gave up her seat on the board.
iv.She has been serving as the Board member of Amazon.com Inc since 2019.
v.She was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2007 for trade and Industry.
Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Governor of Maharashtra released the eBook “Dawn Under the Dome”
On 15th March 2021, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the governor of Maharashtra released the ebook “Dawn under the
Dome” on the history of the Mumbai General Post Office(GPO) Building, the grand old heritage building. The book
was authored by Swati Pandey, the PostMaster General of Mumbai in collaboration with Orchida Mukherjee.
Key People:
Chief Postmaster General, Maharashtra and Goa Circle H.C. Agrawal was present during the release.
Facts about Mumbai GPO Building:
i.The General Post office(GPO) building of Mumbai was modelled on Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur.
ii.It was designed by the architect’s John Begg and George Wittet.
iii.The construction of the building began on 1st September 1904 and completed on 13th March 1913. The building
was constructed at a cost of Rs.1809000.
iv.The Mumbai GPO building symbolizes the beauty and grandeur of the Indo Saracenic architecture style.
Jahnavi Barua Released her 3rd Novel Titled “Undertow”

Jahnavi Barua, Bengaluru based author has released her 3rd
Novel titled “Undertow”. The story of the novel is set in
Assam which touches on various themes like home, family,
self-love and others. The book was published by Penguin
Viking.
About the book:
i.The book portrays the story of Loya, a 25-year-old who is on
a journey to discover herself.
ii.Loya leaves her home in Bengaluru and sets off to Assam to
study Asian elephants(Elephas Maximus) and to connect with
her grandfather Torun Ram Goswami.
iii.The book features the bond between mother-daughter and the complexity of human nature.
About Jahnavi Barua:
i.Jahnavi Baru’s debut book “Next Door”, a collection of short fiction, published by Penguin India in 2008.
ii.Her 2nd novel titled “Rebirth” published in 2010 was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize and the
Commonwealth Book Prize.
Tisca Chopra unveiled the cover of her second book “What’s up with me”
Bollywood actress and author, Tisca Chopra, unveiled the cover of her second book “What’s up with me” a friendly,
practical and empathetic guide for pre-teen girls and their parents published by Red Panda. “Her maiden venture was
a book titled “Acting Smart: Your Ticket To Showbiz”.
A book titled “Gandhi in Bombay’’ by the authors Usha Thakkar and Sandhya Mehta
On 15th March 2021,The Indiatourism Mumbai, Regional Office of Ministry of Tourism in the Western Region
organized an online book reading session of “Gandhi in Bombay’’ by the authors Dr.Usha Thakkar and Sandhya Mehta
, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (India @ 75) is a series of events to be organised by the Government of India to
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence.
Sanjaya Baru’s “India’s Power Elite: Caste, Class, and Cultural Revolution”, to be released in April
Sanjaya Baru’s book named “India’s Power Elite: Caste, Class, and Cultural Revolution” to be released in April by
Penguin Random House India. The book says about the inside story of India’s power elite.

About the Book:
• Through this book, the author unveils the emerging dynamics of political, economic, and cultural power in
contemporary India.
• It mainly analyzes the fault lines and power struggles dominating our political, economic, and social
institutions.
About Sanjaya Baru:
• He is a former media advisor to Manmohan Singh (May 2004 to August 2008) and currently teaches at the
Indian School of Public Policy.
• Served as Secretary-General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
(September 2017 – April 2018)
Sanjaya Baru’s Books:
• The Political Economy of Indian Sugar: State Intervention and Structural Change (1990)
• Strategic consequences of India’s economic performance (2006)
• One of his famous books “The Accidental Prime Minister”, a detailed chronicle of his experience of serving
the Prime Minister which is released in April 2014 and published by Penguin India
• 1991: How P.V. Narasimha Rao Made History by Sanjaya Baru (2016)
• India and the World: Essays on Geoeconomics and Foreign Policy (2016)
Dr. Deepak Ravindran Authored A Book Titled “The Pain-Free Mindset”

Dr. Deepak Ravindran, the lead of Pain therapy at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, United Kingdom(UK) has
authored a book titled “The Pain-Free Mindset: 7 Steps to Taking Control and Overcoming Chronic Pain”. The
book was published by Vermillion, an imprint of Penguin.
• This is the first book by a medical physician in the UK in the past 15 years to provide an overview that new
scientific advances in understanding the nervous system will support us in overcoming pain.
About the book:
i.The book was commissioned by Vermillion in 2020
ii.The book describes MINDSET as an acronym for Medication, Intervention, Nervous system, Diet, Sleep, Exercise
and Therapies.
iii.The book states that the general public and healthcare professional has to create the mindset that pain is an
evolutionary mechanism of safety and not a sign of danger.
iii.The book features an effective set of techniques that can be used to gain control over pain and overcome pain.
iv.The book contains tips backed by science and case studies that can change the mindset about pain.
About Dr. Deepak Ravindran:
i.Dr. Deepak Ravindran is one of the consultants in the UK who has dual certification in musculoskeletal medicine and
pain medicine.
ii.He has been serving as a consultant in pain medicine for more than a decade at the Royal Berkshire NHS
Foundation Trust in the UK.
iii.He has supported to develop and lead the Longcovid (Post-COVID) service for Berkshire County.
Full Spectrum: India’s Wars 1972-2020 a book authored by Arjun Subramaniam

Full Spectrum: India’s Wars 1972-2020 is the book authored by retired Air Vice Marshal (Dr) Arjun Subramaniam
about the war and conflict in contemporary India over the past five decades which is published on 8 October 2020 by
HarperCollins India.
About the book:
• It is his second book and it explores the trials and tribulations, successes and failures of India’s armed forces in
the post-1971 period
• It is covering major operation that the armed forces have participated including insurgencies in the north-east,
terrorism and proxy wars in Jammu and Kashmir, separatist violence in Punjab, the IPKF intervention in Sri
Lanka
• It fuses the strategic, operational, tactical, and human dimensions of war and conflict into a racy narrative that
reflects their changing character in modern times.

His First Book: India’s Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971
• It provides detailed accounts of the conflicts from Independence to 1971.
• This includes the first India-Pakistan war of 1947-48, the liberation of Hyderabad and Junagadh, the campaign
to evict the Portuguese from Goa in 1961, and the full-blown wars against China and Pakistan.
About Arjun Subramaniam:
He is a retired fighter pilot from the IAF (Indian Air Force) and airpower analyst and strategic commentator who is
currently a Visiting Professor at Ashoka and Jindal Universities.
A new book, “Saving Us” by Katharine Hayhoe set to launch in September

Katharine Hayhoe, the present Chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy, authored a book on Climate change,
titled “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World ” that is set to be released
on 21st September 2021. The book will project the combined perspective of Ms. Hayhoe’s research & personal
stories to provide overwhelming evidence of climate change.
About Katharine Hayhoe:
i.At present, she serves as the Chief Scientist at ‘the Nature Conservancy’.
Note- The Nature Conservancy is a United States based Non-Profit Organisation, that works on Environmental
Conservation since 1951.
ii.In 2019, she was honoured with the “Champion of the Earth” award, the highest environmental honor of the
United Nations (UN).
iii.The Canadian born, is an atmospheric scientist & professor of political science at Texas Tech University.
iv.She also hosts the PBS digital series “Global Weirding”.
Other Books by Katharine Hayhoe:
• All We Can Save
• A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions
• Downscaling Techniques for High-Resolution Climate Projections: From Global Change to Local Impacts
General Bipin Rawat releases the new book, “Battle Ready for 21st Century”
On 17th March 2021, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat along with Former Chief of the Army Staff,
Gen Deepak released a book, “Battle Ready for 21st Century” at Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). The
book was co-edited by Lt Gen AK Singh, Distinguished Fellow CLAWS & Brigadier Narender Kumar, a visiting Fellow
CLAWS.
i.The book methods to strategically manage border conflict in future in all possible fonts- Land, Air, water, cyber
& cognitive domains to avoid war.
ii.Foreword of the book was written by Arun Prakash, former Naval Chief.
iii.Former Chief of the Army Staff Gen NC Vij and Prof Gautam Sento have commented on the book to identify the
need for building capabilities.
iv.The book critically examines India’s past history of wars and the urgent need for capacity building to prevent
accidental wars.
M Venkaiah Naidu virtually launches the book “Bringing Governments and People Closer”
On the World Happiness Day, 20th March 2021, Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu virtually launched the
book “Bringing Governments and People Closer”. This is the 10th book authored by retired IAS officer Dr M
Ramachandran.
• The book discusses the problems faced by common man while dealing with Government offices in getting
certificates, benefits of govt. Schemes, clearances etc.
i.During the book launch, the Vice President reiterated the Government’s will to improve India’s Happiness quotient
by bridging the gap between the intent of Policy & its implementation.
ii.Venkaiah Naidu, also invited youngsters to study the impact of COVID-19 in Indian villages, since the
availability of more open space & clean air reduced the effect of COVID-19 spreading.
About Dr. M Ramachandran:
i.As an IAS officer, he served as the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister & Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand.

ii.He also served as the Joint secretary at the Ministry of Shipping.
iii.At Present, he holds the portfolio of
• Chairperson – Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation
• Chancellor – the ICFAI University Dehradun
• Senior Adviser – US Green Building Council
“Escaped: True Stories of Indian Fugitives in London” Authored by Danish Khan & Ruhi Khan Released
The new book titled “Escaped: True Stories of Indian Fugitives in London” Authored by Danish Khan & Ruhi
Khan was released on 22nd March 2021. The book features 12 high profile cases where the guilty party has escaped
to England.
The book was published by Penguin eBury Press. The book was presented by S. Hussain Zaidi, an Indian author
and former investigative journalist who publishes under the aegis of Blue Salt.
About the book:
i.The book investigates and explains the details of these cases using the eyewitness accounts and archival records.
ii.The book features the cases of extradition over 70 years to solve legal quagmire which caused the debate in the
court of her majesty and consternation in the power corridors of New Delhi.
iii.The fugitives featured in the book are,
• Vijay Mallaya
• Nirav Modi
• Sanjeev Chawla aka Sanjay
• Iqbal Memon aka Mirchi
• Nadeem Saifi
• Hanif Patel aka Tiger Hanif
• Raymond Varley
• Arti Dhir and Kaval Raijada
• Ravi Shankaran
• Narang Brothers
• Dharma Jayanti Teja
• Mubarak Ali Ahmed
About the authors:
Danish Khan:
Danish Khan is a journalist and historian living in London. He has been working with Time Now, ET Now and Mumbai
Mirror covering the United Kingdom and Europe for around 10 years.
Ruhi Khan:
Ruhi Khan is an independent journalist, based in London.Her works were published for the Wire and she has also
worked with NDTV and Mumbai Mirror.She won Mary Morgan Hewitt Award for Women in Journalism.
“Names of the Women” a New Book by Jeet Thayil

Jeet Thayil’s new book titled ‘Names of the Women’ talks about women whose roles were suppressed, reduced or
removed in the Gospels. The book was published by Penguin Books.
About the book:
i.The book features the story of 15 women whose lives were overlapped with the life of Christ.
ii.The women featured in the book includes, Lydia and Assia, Martha and Mary of Bethany, Junia the Widow of
Jerusalem, Susanna the Barren, Ariamma the Canaanite and others.
About Jeet Thayil:
i.Jeet Thayil hails from Kerala who was educated at Jesuit Schools in Bombay, Hong Kong and New York.
ii.He has won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature.
Other books:
i.He was best known for his book titled “Narcopolis” which was shortlisted for Man Booker Prize 2012.
ii.His other books include, The Errors are correct, The Book of Chocolate Saints and others.

Bollywood Actor Samir Soni set to release his debut book titled “My Experiments With Silence”
Bollywood Actor Samir Soni(52 years old) is set to release his first book titled “My Experiments With Silence” on
anxiety and self discovery. The book will also chronicle the details of Samir Soni’s early days in Bollywood. The book
is set to be published by OM Books International and is set to be released by late 2021.
About the book:
i.The book is a personal account of Samir Soni’s dialogues during his life in Delhi, Wall street and bollywood.
ii.The book features the amusing stories of his intense and introspective thoughts in the form of prose and poetry.
About Samir Soni:
i.He debuted as a television actor in “Samander”, a tv series based on a naval officer.
ii.Some of his notable movies were I Hate Luv Storys, Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum, Baghban and Basti.
iii.He debuted as a writer and director with a psychological thriller called My Birthday Song in 2018.
Book Titled “Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization” Authored by Namit Arora

Namit Arora has authored a book titled “Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization”
The book is published by India Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Through this book Namit explores the ideas, beliefs and values of our ancestors through millennia.
About the book:
i.The book features 5 chapters on travellers like Megasthenes, Faxian, Xuanzan and Yijing, Alberuni a, Marco Polo,
and Francois Bernier and chapters on six places,
• Dholavira(2699-1900 BCE)
• Nagarjunakonda (220-320 CE)
• Nalanda(425-1350 CE)
• Khajuraho(950-1250 CE)
• Hampi(1136-1565 CE)
• Varanasi(from 800 BCE)
ii.These chapters convey the way Indian lived, ate, loved, built, fought and made sense of the material, rational and
spiritual world.
Other works of Namit Arora:
Namit Arora is the author of The Lottery of Birth, a collection of essays, Love and Loathing in Silicon Valley(Novel).
New Book Titled “1232 km: The Long Journey Home” by Vinod Kapri is set to release
On 25th March 2021, to mark the first Anniversary of lockdown due to COVID-19, HarperCollins India publication
announced the release of Vinod Kapri’s new book titled “1232 km: The Long Journey Home”.
The book published by HarpersCollin India is set to release in May 2021.
About the Book:
i.The book is the true account of the migrants journey from Ghaziabad, Uttarpradesh to Saharsa, Bihar which spans
around 1232 kilometers.
ii.1232 km is about one such journey that seven migrants from Bihar-Ritesh, Ashish, Ram Babu, Sonu, Krishna,
Sandeep, and Mukesh-undertook on their bicycles that lasted for seven days and seven nights. Accompanying them
was National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri.
iii.The book is the story of the courage and desperation of 7 men who faced the lathis and insults from police, and
battled against hunger and exhaustion to reach their homes.
iv.The documentary based on this, directed by Vinod Kapri was released on Disney+ Hotstar.
About Vinod Kapri:
i.Vinod Kapri is a journalist turned filmmaker who won the National Award for his film “Can’t Take This Shit
Anymore”(2014).
ii.His film “Pihu”(2017) has won 2 awads at International Film Festivals.

A Book Titled “From Incremental To Exponential” Authored By Vivek Wadhwa, Ismail Amla And Alex
Salkever
The book titled “From Incremental To Exponential: How Large Companies Can See the Future and Rethink
Innovation” authored by Vivek Wadhwa, Ismail Amla And Alex Salkever is a guide to how the companies should
proceed to remain relevant.
The book was published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
About the book:
The book rethinks modern innovation.
The book explores the opportunity legacy companies to create new markets, supercharge growth and remake their
business by combining the tools and mindsets of startups with benefits of incumbency.
About Authors:
i.Vivek Wadhwa has been researching and teaching technology development and innovations in leading universities
like Stanford, Duke, Harvard, and Carnegie Mellon.
ii.He also contributes to the column of Washington Post and also contributes to publications like Wall Street Journal,
Fortune, MarketWatch, and the Hindustan Times.
iii.Ismail Amla is chief growth officer of Capita, who oversees the innovation efforts both internal and client facing
transformation efforts globally.
iv.Alex Salkever has co-authored with Vivek for The Immigrant Exodus, The Driver in the Driverless Car, and Your
Happiness Was Hacked.
New Book Titled “Wild and Wilful: Tale of 15 Iconic Indian Species” authored by Neha Sinha
“Wild and Wilful: Tale of 15 Iconic Indian Species” the new book authored by wildlife conservationist Neha Sinha is
an evocative collection of insights from various disciplines that describes human -animal coexistence. The book is
published by HarperCollins.
The book is a collection of 15 essays each focused on an Indian species.
About the book:
i.Through this book Neha Sinha highlights the indicators of developed India can affect various ecologies and displaced
wildlife even result in their extinction.
ii.Some of the indian species focused on the book includes, the Great Indian Bustard, the White-bellied Heron, Amur
Falcon, leopards, among others.
About Neha Sinha:
i.Neha Sinha, an award winning wildlife conservationist, is currently working with Bombay Natural History Society.
ii.She has won the Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award in 2017.
Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’ won the NBCC award for fiction

Irish-British novelist, Maggie O’Farrell‘s novel ‘Hamnet’, an imagined take on the death of Shakespeare’s son from
the bubonic plague, has won the National Book Critics Circle(NBCC)’s award 2020 for the fiction category.
Every year at March National Book Critics Circle awards are given to honour literature published in the United
States in six categories—autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
• About ‘Hamnet’ – This novel explores the impact of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet’s illness and death on his
family
• The novel has also won the United Kingdom’s Women’s Prize for Fiction
NBCC Awards 2020 for Other categories’:
• Non-fiction – Tom Zoellner’s “Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire”
• Biography – Amy Stanley’s “Stranger in the Shogun’s City: A Japanese Woman and Her World”
• Autobiography – Cathy Park Hong’s “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning”
• Poetry – Francine j. Harris’s “Here Is the Sweet Hand”
• Criticism – Nicole R. Fleetwood’s “Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration”

About National Book Critics Circle(NBCC):
Organization Location -New York, United States
President – David Varno
Debut book of Daribha Lyndem titled “Name Place Animal Things”

The debut book of Daribha Lyndem titled “Name Place Animal Things” examines the boundaries between the adult
world and the world of a child. The book takes its name from a
beloved school game.
The book is published by Zubaan Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
About the book:
i.The book features a young khasi woman who lives in the city
of Shillong, Meghalaya in early 2000s.
ii.The book has interconnected stories that move through age,
lives and places and covers the breadth of childhood and
moves into the awareness of adulthood.
About Daribha Lyndem:
Daribha Lyndem is a writer and a civil servant from Shillong, Meghalaya who works with the Indian Revenue Service
and a Deputy Commissioner of Customs.
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban – An
autobiography of Malala Yousafzai
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban is an autobiographical
book by Malala Yousafzai about herself. It was co-written by Christina Lamb and published on 8 October 2013, by
Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK and Little, Brown and Company in the US.
About the book:
The book details the early life of Yousafzai, the rise and fall of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and the assassination
attempt made against Yousafzai, when she was aged 15, following her activism for female education.
Awards for the book:
• 2013 – Specsavers National Book Awards, Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year
• 2013- Goodreads Choice Awards, Best Memoir & Autobiography
About Malala Yousafzai:
• In December 2014 at the age of 17, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner for her struggle
against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.
• The Nobel Peace Prize of 2014 was shared between Malala and Indian children’s rights and education
advocate Kailash Satyarthi.
• The United Nations(UN) designated the 12th July of every year as Malala Day, to commemorate her birthday.
In 2013 first “Malala Day: An Education for All Children” was celebrated.
Key points:
• Malala spoke about this book at the Jaipur Literature Festival(JFL) which was addressed by her virtually.
• The 14th edition of JLF featured over 300 speakers and performers representing around 25 Indian and 18
International languages over 23 nationalities.
• Some of the important personalities of JFL include American linguist Noam Chomsky, 2020 Booker Prize
winner Douglas Stuart, Nobel Laureates Joseph Stiglitz, Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates, and actor-
author Priyanka Chopra.

IMPORTANT DAYS
National Protein Day 2021 – February 27
The National Protein Day is annually observed across India on 27th February to create and raise awareness about
the importance and health benefits of Protein.
The theme of the National Protein Day 2021 is ‘Powering with Plant Protein’,
The theme aims to focus on plant-based sources of protein – as accessible, affordable, acceptable, and versatile
protein sources that are often ignored in a country.
Aim:
To grow the knowledge of citizens about different types of sources and their importance in daily meals for better
nutrition and health.
Background:
‘Right To protein’ a national level public health initiative launched the National Protein Day in India.
The first National Protein Day in India was observed on 27th February 2020.
Events 2021:
i.As a part of the 2nd National Protein Day on 27th February 2021, Right to Protein and Teach for India in association
with Nutritionist, Pooja Makhija aims to educate the children and their parents on the overall benefits of adequate
intake of protein.
ii.The Right To Protein initiative collaborates with Business Wire India and Teach For India to commemorate the 2nd
Protein Day.
iii.Educational session. as Online webinars have been organised for children across India.
iv.The children associated with Teach For India network in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad,
Hyderabad and Bangalore will participate along with their parents in the online session
Key Points:
i.According to the Indian Market Research Bureau, more than 80% Indians are protein deficient, indicating that
protein deficiency is on the rise in India.
ii.The report of Right to protein reveals that Indians have limited their source of proteins to dal and other basic
staples.
National Science Day 2021 – February 28

National Science day is annually observed across India on 28th February to commemorate the discovery
of ‘Raman Effect’ by Indian Physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman(CV Raman) for which he was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
The celebrations and events of the National Science Day 2021 are organised by the National Council for Science
Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and
Technology.
Aim:
• To disseminate the importance of science and its application in human life.
• To encourage students to gain hands-on experience in the field of science.
The theme of the National Science Day 2021 is “Future of Science and Technology and Innovation(STI): Impact
on Education, Skills and Work”.
The theme aims to raise the appreciation of scientific issues involved and the impacts of science on education skills
and work.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science and Technology released the first ever National S&T Databases on S&T
Awards in India and Indian Origin Academicians Abroad at the National Science Day event.
Background:
i.In 1986, On NCSTC’s suggestion, the government of India proclaimed the 28th February of every year as the
National Science day.
ii.The First National Science Day was observed on 28th February 1987.

Why February 28?
Sir CV Raman announced the results of the Raman Effect to the press on 28th February 1928.
Events 2021:
i.Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science and Technology virtually addressed the National Science Day event
from Imphal, Manipur.
ii.He also presented various awards to the science communicators and women scientists.
iii.The database on the Indian Origin Academicians Abroad contains the information base of around 23472 Indian
academicians and research scholars working abroad.
National Awards for Science Popularization:
i.DST instituted the National Awards for Science Popularization in 1987 to encourage and recognise the contribution
in the field of S&T popularization and communication and instill scientific temper among the masses.
ii.The award consists of a memento, citation and cash award.
Categories & Cash award:
• Outstanding efforts in science & technology communication – Rs.5 Lakh
• Science & technology communication through print media including books and magazines – Rs.2 Lakh
• Science & technology popularization among children – Rs.2 Lakh
• Translation of popular science & technology literature – Rs.2 Lakh
• science & technology communication through innovative and traditional methods – Rs.2 Lakh
• science & technology communication in electronic medium – Rs.2 Lakh
Awardees:
Science and Technology Communication Awardees
i.Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication through Print Media including Books and Magazines:
• Dr. S. Anil Kumar, Kerala
ii.Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Popularization among Children:
• Indian Resource and Development Association, Haryana
• Dr. Mihir Kumar Panda, Odisha
iii.Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication in the Electronic Medium:
• Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa, Telangana
Rajendra Prabhu Memorial Appreciation Shield for Outstanding Work in Science Media and Journalism:
• Dr. S. Anil Kumar, Kerala
Appreciation Shield for National S&T Databases
• S&T Awards in India: Dr Lalit Mohan, Society for Environment & Development (SED), Delhi
• Indian origin Academicians Abroad: Dr. Rajesh Bhatia & Team, Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh
SERB Women Excellence Awards:
• Dr. Shobhna Kapoor(Indian Institute of Technology Bombay)
• Dr. Antara Banerjee(National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health)
• Dr. Sonu Gandhi(National Institute of Animal Biotechnology)
• Dr. Ritu Gupta(Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur)
AWSAR Awardees:
Outstanding Story– Dr. Sangeeta Dutta, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Ph.D. category:
• First Prize – Ms. Pooja Maurya, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Second prize – Ms. Indu Joshi, New Delhi, Delhi
• Third prize – Ms. Shruti Soni, Bangalore, Karnataka
Films on Indian Scientists:
The Films Division under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting collaborated with the Nehru Science Centre,
Mumbai, Science Media Centre, IISER Pune, Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI), Federation of Film Societies of
India, Vigyan Prasar and others to screen the Films Division’s package of 8 documentaries on the Indian Scientist –
Homi Bhabha, Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose, C.V. Raman, Dr. Visvesvaraya, Vikram Sarabhai, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam,
G.D.Naidu – and Indian Institute of Science(IISc), Bangalore

Key Points:
i.In the 2021 Union Budget, the Government of India has allocated Rs.50000 crore over 5 years for the National
Research Foundation to support research in the field of Science.
ii.The 30% increase in this 2021 budget of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences put together
for the year 2021-22 would provide stimulus to Science and Technology infrastructure resources in India.
iii.The Government has also implemented various schemes to encourage students and youths of India towards the
field of S&T.
iv.The “Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research” scheme aims to attract, nurture and train the students to
study science and take up careers in Research and development.
The government of India approved this scheme in November 2008 at a total cost of Rs 1979.25 crores and it was
launched on 13th December 2008.
About Sir CV Raman:
i.Sir CV Raman was born on 7th November 1888 in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.
ii.He won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect, Raman
Effect. He became the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize in Physics.
iii.The government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in 1954. He was one of
the first recipients (Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan) of Bharat Ratan which was
introduced in 1954.
Rare Disease Day 2021 – February 28

Rare Disease Day is annually observed across the globe on the last day of February every year to create awareness
to the general public regarding the rare disease and their effects on the lives of the affected people. The International
Rare Disease Day is organised by EURORDIS.
The Rare Disease Day 2021 falls on 28th February 2021 which also marks the 14th Rare Disease Day.
• The Rare Disease Day 2020 was observed on 29th February 2020.
• The Rare Disease Day 2022 will be observed on 28th February 2022.
• During the Rare Disease Day 2021, the rare disease community and its supporters come together & shared the
message: Rare is many. Rare is strong. Rare is proud!
Background:
i.The rare disease day was launched by EURORDIS and its Council of National Alliances in 2008.
ii.The first Rare Disease Day was celebrated on 29th February 2008.
What is a Rare Disease?
Rare disease is also known as orphan disease, which affects a small percentage of the global population.
Stats:
Statistics show that India has close to ~50-100 mn people affected by rare diseases in a population above 1.3 bn
people. Almost 80% of these are children.
Key Points:
i.1 in every 20 people will live with a rare disease at some point of their life.
ii.Most of the rare diseases do not have any cure and many of the diseases are undiagnosed.
iii.Around 300 million people are living with one or more of over 6000 identified rare diseases across the globe.
iv.At present the rare diseases affect around 3.5% to 5.9% of the global population.
v.Around 72% of the rare diseases are genetic and others are the result of bacterial or virus infections.
About National Policy for Treatment of Rare Diseases:
In 2017, MoHFW released a National Policy for Treatment of Rare Diseases, subsequently replaced by a draft release
in January 2020, for treatment of approximately 450 ‘rare diseases’.
The elusive policy for rare diseases in progress needs to address the immediate requirement of a centralised registry
under ICMR, and that defines the three categories of rare diseases—
(a) requiring one-time but curative treatment,
(b) diseases that require long-term treatment but where the cost is low, and
(c) those needing long-term treatments but require high cost.

The draft in existence has mentioned that financial assistance will be provided for rare diseases that run up to Rs 15
lakh that but only to those patients that have curative therapy and fall under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi scheme or
PMJAY.
Zero Discrimination Day 2021 – March 1

Zero Discrimination Day is annually observed across the globe on 1st March to highlight the needs to take actions
to end the inequalities based on income, sex, age, health status, occupation, disability, sexual orientation, drug use,
gender identity race, class, ethnicity and religion.
The UN celebrated the first Zero Discrimination Day on 1st March 2014.
Objective:
• To eliminate mental boundaries related to sex, gender, race, age, income class, ethnicity and religion.
• To ensure that all inequalities related to social norms are countered.
Background:
i.The Zero Discrimination Campaign was launched by the UNAIDS – United Nations Programme on Human
Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV)/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) on 1st December 2013, World AIDS
Day.
ii.Following the launch of this campaign, Michel Sidibé Executive Director of UNAIDS, launched the Zero
Discrimination Day on 27th February 2014 with a major event in Beijing China
iii.UNAIDS declared the 1st March of every year as ‘Zero Discrimination Day’ starting from 2014.
Symbol:
“A butterfly” which is recognised as the sign of transformation is the symbol of Zero Discrimination.
Significance:
i.Discrimination is closely related to inequalities, which can lead to stigma and discrimination.
ii.Social or structural discrimination lead to inequalities in income, educational outcomes, health and employment.
iii.UNAIDS states that inequality is increasing for more than 70% of the global population, aggravating the risk of
division and hampering economics and social development.
Efforts to eradicate discrimination:
i.As a part of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), All the member nations of the UN have pledged to reduce the
inequalities within and between the countries.
ii.To achieve these SDGs related to the discrimination and achieve dignity for all, political, economic and social
policies need to protect the rights of everyone and pay attention to the needs of disadvantaged and marginalized
communities.
Events:
i.The UN has organised various campaigns and activities across the globe to mark the Zero Discrimination Day.
ii.The events of the UN celebrates the individual’s right to live with dignity and honour irrespective of their difference
in sex, race, age, caste, religion, etc.,
About United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS):
Executive Director– Winnie Byanyima
World Civil Defence Day 2021 – March 1

World Civil Defence Day is annually observed across the globe on 1st March to honour and signify the importance
of civil protection. The aim is to bring the attention of the world public to the vital importance of Civil Protection.
The World Civil Defence Day 2021 observed on 1st March 2021 marks the 90th anniversary of the International
Civil Defence Organization (ICDO).
The theme of the World Civil Defence Day 2021 is “Strong Civil Protection To Preserve The National Economy”.
Objective:
i.To create awareness on the preparedness for self-protection and preventive measures to be taken in the event of
accidents or disasters
ii.To pay tribute to the efforts and sacrifices of the national services responsible for the fight against disasters.

Background:
i.The World Civil Defence day was created by the General Assembly of the International Civil Defence
Organisation (ICDO) in 1990.
ii.The day also marks the day on which the constitution of ICDO came into force as an intergovernmental organisation
in 1972.
History International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO):
i.George Saint-Paul, a French Surgeon General created the Association des Lieux de Geneve in 1931 from which was
the origin of ICDO.
ii.The ICDO was created to promote the creation of safety zones to protect vulnerable populations and historic
monuments in times of war.
iii.In June 1935, the French parliament recognised the organisation and it achieved the intergovernmental
organisation status in 1972.
About International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO):
Secretary-General– Njoupouo YAP Mariatou
Members– Member States(59 state), Observer States (16 States), Affiliated Members (22 States)
45th Civil Accounts Day – 1st March 2021

Civil Accounts Day is annually observed by the Indian Civil Accounts Service(ICAS)on 1st March since the inception
of ICAS on 1st March 1976. ICAS is one of the Civil Services of India, under the Department of Expenditure, Union
Ministry of Finance.
• 1st March 2021 marks the 45th Civil Accounts Day. For the first time the events of Civil Accounts Day have
been organised as a virtual event in New Delhi.
Chief Guest: Union Minister of finance Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the inaugural session of the 45th Civil
Accounts Day in New Delhi.
Other Key People:
G.C. Murmu, Comptroller and Auditor General; Dr T. V. Somanathan, Expenditure Secretary; Soma Roy Burman,
Controller General of Accounts participated in the virtual event.
Functions of ICAS:
ICAS leads the reforms in Public Financial Management using the digital technology including the development and
management of Public Financial Management System (PFMS), the unified and single IT platform which enables the
payments and accounting functions related to the Union Government.
ICAS and COVID-19 pandemic:
i.Indian Civil Accounts Organisation played a major role in ensuring electronic flow of claims and bills and keeping
the public expenditure going amid the pandemic.
ii.Implemented the Treasury Single Accounts System (TSA) in 15 Autonomous Bodies in the 1st phase and to
extend this to another 40 Autonomous Bodies by the coming Independence Day.
iii.TSA is a great systematic reform ensuring value for money which will reduce the borrowing of the government.
iv.PFMS has facilitated electronic transactions in Government of India and PM-Kisan scheme was successfully
implemented through PFMS.
v.During the first lockdown in March 2020, around 4.16 crore transactions were carried out on 30th and 31st March
2020.
vi.The cash transfer of Rs.30000 crores to around 21 crore women Jan Dhan Account beneficiaries under Prime
Minister Kissan Samman Nidhi.
Digital payments:
i.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman specified the 3 points road map for the organisation,
• Paperless and transparent governance
• Keeping pace with technological advancements
• Continuity of seamless digital payments with user friendly interfaces
ii.She also stated that the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) should adapt and keep pace with the developing
technology to keep the government accounts transparent.

iii.She also suggested CGA to adapt paperless and user friendly functioning and to aim for the integration with the
Department of Expenditure and States.
Background of ICAS:
i.The Audit and Accounts Functions were separated by relieving the Comptroller and Auditor General from his
responsibilities of preparing the Union Government accounts.
ii.The Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) was established by carving it out from the Indian Audit & Accounts Service
(IA & AS) through the promulgation of an Ordinance amending the C & AG’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of
Service) Amendment Act, 1976.
iii.Departmentalisation of Union Accounts (Transfer of Personnel) Act, 1976 was enacted by Parliament and assented
to by Hon’ble President of India on 8th April, 1976 which came into force on 1st March 1976.
About Ministry of Finance:
Union Minister- Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of State- Anurag Singh Thakur
Controller General of Accounts (CGA)- Soma Roy Burman
Office of CGA– New Delhi
World Wildlife Day 2021 – March 3

United Nations(UN)’s World Wildlife Day is annually observed across the globe on 3rd March to celebrate the wild
fauna and flora across the globe and to create awareness about conservation of wildlife.
The events of the world Wildlife day are organised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat in collaboration with the organizations in the United Nations system.
World Wildlife day 2021 on 3rd march 2021 is celebrated under the theme “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining
People and Planet”.
The first World Wildlife Day was observed on 3rd March 2014.
India’s Goal:
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar mentioned the government was working on re-introduction of
Cheetah which went extinct in 1952. He further mentioned that India has thriving wildlife and biodiversity with 70
percent of global tiger population and 70 percent of Asiatic Lions. The country also has 60 percent of the Leopard
population.
Objective of 2021 World Wildlife Day:
• To promote forest and forest wildlife management practices that accommodate both human well-being and
the long-term conservation of forests
• To promote the value of traditional practices that contribute to establishing a more sustainable relationship
with these crucial natural systems.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted a resolution on 20 December 2013 at its 68th session and
proclaimed the 3rd March of every year as the UN World Wildlife Day.
ii.The resolution has also designated the CITES Secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of World
Wildlife day.
Why 3rd March?
The 3rd March marks the day of the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973.
Events 2021:
The CITES Secretariat, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Jackson Wild has partnered and
organised the international Film Showcase that highlights the stores that showcase the importance of forests, forest-
dwelling species of wild fauna and flora and the ecosystem services to the people across the globe who rely on them
to meet their needs.
Key Points:
i.The World Wildlife Day highlights the role of forest, forest species and ecosystems services in sustaining the
livelihood of Indigenous and local communities who have historic connections to the forested areas and its adjacent
areas.

ii.The day aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) 1, 12, 13 and 15:
• SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
• SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
• SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests,
combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
iii.Around 200 to 350 million people live in or adjacent to forested areas across the globe.
iv.Around 28% of the land surface area including the most ecologically intact forests on the planet are managed by
the indigenous people.
World Hearing Day 2021 – March 3

World Hearing Day is annually observed across the globe on 3rd March to raise awareness on how to prevent
deafness and hearing loss and to promote hearing care across the globe.
The World Health Organisation(WHO) organises the annual events of the world hearing day at the WHO
headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland.
The theme of the world Hearing day is also decided by the WHO.
The World Hearing Day 2021 on 3rd march 2021 is celebrated under the theme “Hearing care for ALL! Screen.
Rehabilitate. Communicate”.
Aim:
• Promote public health actions for ear and hearing care.
• Stimulate intersectoral partnership for ear and hearing care.
• Raise awareness on hearing loss and care at a national and community levels across the world.
• Encourage behavior change towards healthy EHC practices.
Importance of World Hearing Day:
i.Unaddressed hearing loss is the leading cause of morbidity and poses an annual cost of USD 750 billion globally.
ii.Around 466 million people live with disabling hearing loss, the majority of them reside in low and middle income
countries and lack access to the required services and interventions.
Hearing loss and Deafness:
i.A person with normal hearing (hearing thresholds of 20 dB or better in both ears or a person who is not able to hear
is said to have hearing loss.
ii.Hearing loss ranges from mild, moderate, severe, or profound that can affect one ear or both the ears.
ii.‘Hard of hearing’ refers to a person with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe.
iii.‘Deaf’ refers to the person who has profound hearing loss, they use sign language to communicate.
Efforts of WHO:
i.WHO has been working on the ear and hearing care to promote Integrated People-Centred Ear and Hearing Care
(IPC-EHHC).
ii.The efforts of WHO are guided by the recommendations of WHO World report on hearing (2021) and the World
Health Assembly(WHA) resolution on prevention of deafness and hearing loss.
iii.WHO advocates ear and hearing care through the World Hearing Forum, a global network of stakeholders
promoting ear and hearing care that supports the WHA resolution.
iv.The Make Listening Safe initiative of WHO promotes the safe listening to reduce the risks of recreational noise
induced hearing loss.
v.WHO released the first World Report on Hearing stating that nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide or 1 in 4 people
will suffer from hearing problems by 2050.(https://www.who.int)
National Safety Day 2021 – March 4

National Safety Day is annually observed across India on 4th March to create awareness about the safety and
hygienic measures which should be inculcated in the lifestyle of the general people. The National Safety Week is
observed from 4th March 2021 to 10th March 2021.
The day marks the establishment of the National Safety council of India.
The 4th March 2021 marks the 50th National Safety Day.

National Safety Day 2021 is observed under the theme “Learn from Disaster and Prepare for a Safer Future”.
Objective:
To create awareness about the importance of all guidelines like safety, workplace safety, the safety of human health
and environment.
To take the Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) movement to different parts of the country.
To promote use of participative approach by employers by involving their employees in SHE activities.
To promote development of need-based activities, self-compliance with statutory requirements and professional SHE
management systems at work places.
To remind employers, employees and others concerned of their responsibility in making the workplace safer.
Background:
i.During its 22nd session, the Union Ministry of Labour and employment recommended setting up a National Safety
Council to promote accident prevention.
ii.The 24th Session of the Standing Labour Committee accepted the proposal concerning the constitution of the
National Safety Council (NSC) in February, 1966.
iii.The Ministry of Labour, Government of India established the National Safety Council on 4th March, 1966.
iv.National Safety Day was first observed on 4th March 1972, the foundation day of the National Safety Council.
Significance of National Safety Day:
The National Safety Day is a national campaign celebrated by various departments, industries, Non-Governmental
organisations(NGO) and regulatory agencies of India.
National Safety Week:
The National Safety Day which was started as a one-day campaign on 4th March is observed as the National Safety
Week from 4th March 2021 to 10th March 2021.
Key Points:
According to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) states that around 421104 accidental deaths
occurred in 2019 out of which around 467171 were traffic accidents.
About National Safety Council (NSC):
NSC was registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and it is registered as a Public Trust under
the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950.
Chairman– S.N. Subrahmanyan
Director General– Lalit Gabhane
Headquarters– Belapur, Maharashtra
National Security Day 2021 – March 4

The National Security Day which is also known as the Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas is annually observed across India
on 4th March to acknowledge and appreciate the works of the security forces of the country.
• The day is celebrated to showcase the gratitude to all the security forces like, Police force, para military force,
commandos, guards, army and other security personnels who put their life on line for the safety and security
of others.
• The day is marked to remember the sacrifices of the security personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.
National Security Council(NSC):
i.The National Security Council was established by the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 19th November
1998.
ii.The NSC looks into the political, economic, energy and strategic security concerns of India.
iii.The Prime Minister of India heads the NSC.
iv.The NSC coordinates and integrates with the policies and plans that affect the security of the nation.
3rd Janaushadhi Diwas – 7th March 2021

The Janaushadhi Diwas also known as Generic Medicine Day, is annually observed across India on 7th March, the
last day of the Janaushadhi Diwas Week (1st March to 7th March). The day aims to disseminate the endeavors
of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana(PMBJP), an initiative by Department of Pharmaceuticals,
Government of India, to provide quality medicine at affordable price.

• The 3rd Janaushadhi Diwas was observed on 7th March 2021 under the theme “Seva bhi – Rozgar bhi”.
• The First Janaushadhi Diwas was observed on 7th March 2019.
Janaushadhi Diwas Week:
First week of March (1st March to 7th March) is annually observed as the Janaushadhi Week and the last day of the
week 7th March is Celebrated as ‘Janaushadhi Diwas’.
Week long events of Janaushadhi Diwas Week:
Day 1: Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras has organised more than 1000 Health Checkup
Camps across the country to create general awareness about the price benefits and quality of medicine.
Day 2: Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), Jan Aushadhi Mitra and Jan Aushadhi Kendra owners collaborated
with hospitals to host Jan Aushadhi Paricharcha to promote the objectives of PMBJP.
Day 3: Awareness programmes under the theme ‘Teach Them Young’ were organised at Schools, colleges and
institutions to create awareness about Jan Aushadhi and Entrepreneurial opportunities offered by PMBJP.
Jan Aushadhi medicines are cheaper by 50% to 90% of average market price.
Day 4: The 4th Day of the week is observed under the theme “Suvidha Se Samman”. Camp to educate the female
students about the usage of Sanitary pads.
Day 5: The 5th Day of the week is observed under the theme “Jan Aushadhi ka Sath”.
The programme was organised to reach out to the senior citizens and create awareness about the availability of the
generic medicines at the Jan Aushadhi kendras across India.
Day 6: Awareness events like bike rallies, padyatra and human chain activities were organized to create awareness
about the efficacy and potency of the generic medicines.
Day 7: On “3rd Janaushadhi Diwas 2021” the last day of the Janaushadhi Diwas Week 2021, Prime Minister
Naredra Modi addressed the nation and interacted with the beneficiaries of PMBJP over a virtual platform.
He also dedicated the 7500th Janaushadhi Kendra at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and
Medical Science(NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, Meghalaya.
Key People:
Union Ministers D. V. Sadananda Gowda, Mansukh Mandaviya, Anurag Thakur, Chief Ministers Jai Ram
Thakur(Himachal Pradesh), Conrad K Sangma(Meghalaya), Deputy Chief Ministers Prestone Tynsong(Meghalaya)
and Nitinbhai Patel(Gujarat) were present on the occasion.
About Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana(PMBJP):
The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana(PMBJP) was launched by the government of India in 2008. The
Scheme was first proposed to be implemented during the 11th Five Year plan (2008- 2012).
Objective of the Yojana:
To ensure the availability of quality medicine at affordable prices for all including poor and disadvantaged
through Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras and to reduce the pocket expenses in healthcare.
Nodal Agency:
• Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and
Fertilizers, Government of India.
• BPPI procures medicines only from the World Health Organization – Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO-
GMP) certified suppliers.
Highlights:
As of 5th March 2021, the PMBJB has made sales of products worth Rs. 593.84 crores (at MRP). This has saved
around Rs.3600 crores of the general public of India.
About BPPI:
CEO– Sachin Kumar Singh
International Women’s Day 2021 – March 8

United Nations(UN)’s International Women’s Day (IWD) is annually observed across the globe on 8th March to
recognise the achievements of the women regardless of their nation, ethnic, language, culture, economic or political.
The International Women’s Day on 8th March 2021 celebrates the efforts of the women and girls across the globe
towards shaping an equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The theme of International Women’s Day 2021 is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a
COVID-19 world”.
• The theme of IWD 2021 is in line with the theme of the 65th Session of the commission on the Status of
Women “Women in public life, equal participation in decision making”.
• The theme of the International Women’s Day Campaign is “#ChoosetoChallenge”.
Background:
i.As a part of the peace movement protesting against world war I in 1913, The first International Women’s Day was
observed by the Russian Women on the last Sunday of February.
ii.The Russian women again protested for “Bread and Peace” on the last Sunday of February 1917(8th March on
Gregorian calendar).
iii.Following which the Czar abdicated and the provisional government granted the right to vote for women.
iv.After World War II, the 8th March was widely observed as the International women’s in many countries.
v.During the International Women’s Year, 1975, The United Nations started to celebrate Women Day on 8th March.
vi.In December 1977, The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution and invited the members
to proclaim any day of the year, in accordance with their history, traditions and customs, as United Nations Day for
Women’s Rights and International Peace.
Why 8th March?
i.Russia did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until February 1918.
ii.The 23rd February 1917(Julian calendar) in Russia corresponds to the 8th March (Gregorian Calendar) in the other
European countries.
Grant Thornton’s Women in Business 2021 report:
The Grant Thornton, a global accounting firm has published the “Women in Business 2021 Report”.
According to the report,
• India is ahead of the world’s Average on women in senior management
• Globally, India ranks 3rd with the percentage of women in senior management in India at around 39% where
the global average of women in senior management is 31%.
• Around 98% of business in India has women in senior management whereas the global average is around
90%.
• Around 47% of the mid-market businesses of India have women in senior management and the global average
is 26%.
All women crew of MT Swarna Krishna:
i.On 6th March 2021, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Ports, Shipping and
Waterways virtually flagged off an all women crew onboard MT (Motor Tanker) Swarna Krishna, a vessel of Shipping
Corporation of India (SCI) from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) Liquid Berth Jetty.
ii.For the first time in the history of world maritime, a ship with only woman officers was sailed.
iii.This was a part of the diamond jubilee celebration of SCI and the commemoration of the International Women’s
Day on 8th March 2021.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus lit up pink:
i.Two days ahead of the International women’s day The Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai,
Maharashtra was lit up in pink to celebrate womanhood.
ii.Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus formerly known as Victoria Terminus is one of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites.
iii.Started in 1878, The terminus was built over 10 years.
iv.The terminus is an example of the meeting of 2 cultures (British and India), as British architects worked with
Indian craftsmen to include the traditions of Indian architecture.
52nd CISF Raising Day 2021 – March 10

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising Day is annually observed across India on 10th March to
commemorate the service and commitment of the personnels of CISF towards protecting the major installations and
integrity of the nation. The day also marks the establishment of the CISF on 10th March 1969. CISF was
established under Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968 (50 of 1968).

The 10th March 2021 marks the CISF’s 52nd Raising Day.
Facts about CISF:
i.The CISF, one of six paramilitary forces in India, came into existence in 1969 with 3 battalions to provide integrated
security to the Public Sector Undertakings(PSUs).
ii.CISF has 12 reserve battalions, 08 training institutes and 63 other formations.
iii.CISF is the only force with a customised and dedicated fire wing.
Role of CISF:
i.CISF provides security to major critical infrastructure installations of India like nuclear installations, space
establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, sensitive Government buildings and heritage monuments.
ii.Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, VIP Security, Disaster Management and establishment of a Formed Police Unit (FPU)
of the United Nations(UN) at Haiti also falls under the responsibilities of CISF.
iii.CISF provides security to protected persons classified as Z plus, Z, X, Y.
Events 2021:
i.The parade of the 52nd CISF raising day was inspected by Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Union Home Secretary.
ii.CISF Women Contingent, fire wing and CISF personnel participated in the parade.
iii.Ajay Kumar Bhalla also presented the medal to CISF personnels for their outstanding service in various fields.
iv.The expertise of CISF in the field of security and fire protection were showcased at the event on 52nd raising day.
About Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):
Director General– Subodh Kumar Jaiswal
CISF functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
National Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Awareness Day 2021 – March 10

The National Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Awareness Day is annually observed across India on 10th
March to create nationwide awareness about the connection between maternal health and diabetes.
10th March 2021 is observed as the National GDM Awareness Day.
India observed the World’s First National GDM Awareness Day from 10th March 2019.
Background:
i.In 2016 DIPSI (Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group in India) declared March 10th of every year as GDM day.
ii.Since 2016 the day was observed by the International and Indian associations like DIPSI, Research Society for the
Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Societies of India (FOGSI), Association of
Physicians of India (API) and South Asia Initiative on Diabetes in Pregnancy (SAIDIP).
iii.In 2019, The National Health Mission directed state-level officials to join hands with these organisations to mark
the National GDM Awareness Day as a national event.
Events 2021 in India:
i.Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions delivered the keynote
address at the “National Gestational Diabetes Awareness Day” summit virtually hosted from Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
ii.He also released the Guidelines for “Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy” prepared by Diabetes in Pregnancy
Study Group of India (DIPSI) headed by Professor V Seshiah, one of the founding fathers of Diabetology in India.
About Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM):
i.Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition
during pregnancy.
ii.GDM is commonly found among pregnant women, approximately 7% of all pregnancies are complicated by GDM,
resulting in more than 200,000 cases annually.
iii.Woman with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus is prone to increase the risk of future diabetes in the progeny.
World Kidney Day 2021 – March 11

World Kidney Day is annually observed across the globe on the 2nd Thursday of March to create awareness about
the functions of Kidney and to educate the importance of kidney health and reduce the impacts of kidney diseases.
The World Kidney Day Steering Committee has declared 2021 the year of “Living Well with Kidney Disease”.

The World Kidney Day 2021 falls on 11th March 2021.
• World Kidney Day 2020 was observed on 12th March 2020.
• World Kidney Day 2022 will be observed on 10th March 2022.
The theme of World kidney Day 2021 is “Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere – Living Well with Kidney
Disease”.
Background:
i.The World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International
Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
ii.World Kidney Day was launched on 9th March 2006 and it was fully inaugurated on 8th March 2007.
2021 Campaign:
As part of the World Kidney Day campaign this year, the #MyGr8Rule challenge – involving the 8 golden rules of
kidney care.
Chronic Kidney Diseases:
i.Chronic Kidney Disease(CKD) is the increasing loss in kidney functions over a month or year.
ii.The loss in kidney function over a certain point is known as kidney failure.
Causes:
diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders can lead to kidney diseases.
Key Points:
i.Globally around 195 million women are affected by kidney diseases.
ii.It is estimated that annually around 1.7 million people die due to Acute Kidney Injury(AKI).
iii.CKD and AKI often affect the patient’s social conditions like poverty, gender discrimination, lack of education
among others.
Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme:
i.The Government of India rolled out the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme in 2016 as a part of the
National Health Mission (NHM) to provide free dialysis service to poor people.
ii.The scheme was launched with the support of the public-private partnership(PPP) at the district hospitals.
International Day of Mathematics 2021 – March 14

International Day of Mathematics (IDM) is annually observed across the globe on 14th March to celebrate the
beauty and importance of mathematics and its essential role in everyone’s life. The day also marks the birth
anniversary of renowned mathematician and physicist Albert Einstein and death anniversary of theoretical
physicist Stephen Hawking.
• The theme of the International Day of Mathematics 2021 is “Mathematics for a Better World”.
• The International Day of Mathematics is led by the International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP) and
the International Mathematical Union.
Why March 14?
The Pi Day was observed on 14th March since the date written in MM/DD Format – 3/14 represents the value of Pi –
3.14.
Background:
i.At the 205th session of its Executive Council, UNESCO proclaimed the 14th March (Pi Day) as the International Day
of Mathematics.
ii.The proclamation was adopted at the 40th session of the General Assembly of UNESCO held on 25th November
2019.
iii.The first International Day of Mathematics was observed on 14th March 2020.
iv.Prior to the recognition of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2019,
The International Day of Mathematics was observed as Pi Day. The first pi day was observed on 14th March
1988 which was organised by Physicist Larry Shaw.
Facts about Pi:
i.Pi, represented by the lowercase Greek letter ‘π’, is an irrational number, a decimal with no end and no repeating
pattern, whose value is approximated to 3.14 or fraction 22/7.
ii.The value of Pi was first calculated by the mathematician ‘Archimedes’ of Syracuse.

iii.The scientific community officially accepted the value after Leonhard Euler came up with the symbol of Pi
in 1737.
UNESCO’s support to Mathematics:
The UNESCO is committed towards providing access to mathematics education and research in developing countries
through its educational programmes, regional centres for mathematics in Hanoi, Viet Nam and Accra, Ghana.
International Day of Action for Rivers 2021 – March 14

The International Day of Action for Rivers which was formerly known as “International Day against Dams, for
Rivers, Water, and Life” is annually observed across the globe on 14th March to create awareness about the
importance of rivers.
14th March 2021 marks the 24th edition of the International Day of Action for Rivers.
The theme of International Day of Action for Rivers 2021 is “Rights of Rivers”.
Objective:
• To unite people across borders to discuss the issues on river management, river pollution, river conservation
at the global level.
• To ensure that people are sensitised about the ecologically fragile watershed areas.
Background:
i.International Rivers, an ecological organisation located in Oakland, California, USA has initiated the celebration of
International Day of Action for Rivers.
ii.The idea of the International Day of Action for Rivers was inspired and mandated at the First International Meeting
of People Affected by Dams that took place in March 1997 in Curitiba, Brazil.
iii.The river experts from around 20 countries decided to observe the 14th March of every year as the Day of Action
for Rivers.
India’s action for Rivers:
The Jal Shakti ministry, Government of India has focused on the revival and conservation of the wetlands in the river
basins and has been tackling the increasing levels of river pollutants.
National Mission for Clean Ganga:
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is a society registered on 12th August
2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA).
Objectives of NMCG:
• To ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin
approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management.
• To maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and
environmentally sustainable development.
Ministry of Jal Shakti:
Union Minister– Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Minister of State– Rattan Lal Kataria
World Consumer Rights Day 2021 – March 15

World Consumer Rights Day is annually celebrated across the globe on 15th March to highlight the power of
consumers and their rights for a fair, safe and sustainable marketplace for everyone.
The world Consumer Rights day is coordinated by Consumers International, the membership organisation for
consumer groups across the globe.
The theme of World Consumer Rights Day 2021 is “Tackling Plastic Pollution”.
Scope of the theme:
i.The campaign under “tackling plastic pollution” will create awareness and encourage consumers across the globe to
adopt and promote sustainable practices.
ii.Based on the previous theme of 2020 – “The Sustainable Consumer”, the 2021 campaign will focus on the role of
consumer advocates, governments and business in tackling global plastic pollution.

Background:
i.The Idea of the World Consumer Rights day was inspired by former President of the United States of America, John F
Kennedy, who addressed the issues of consumer rights in his message to US Congress on 15th March 1962.
ii.In 1983, the Consumer International portal decided to proclaim the 15th March as World Consumer Rights Day.
Key Points:
i.A study in 2019 found that around 82% of respondents are aware of plastic waste and practical actions are taken to
tackle plastic pollution.
ii.A 7 Rs model of waste management (replace, rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair) has been created to
showcase various ways to combat plastic pollution.
iii.The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ report, “Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of
Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution”, released in August 2020, shows that the plastic inflow into
oceans is estimated to triple by 2040 and immediate actions will help in storing it by 80%.
Consumer Rights In India:
The parliament of India passed the consumer protection act on 9th December 1986, to empower the consumers.
The rights provided to the consumers are,
• Right to be heard at an appropriate forum.
• Right to seek redressal in case of unfair trade practices.
• Right to consumer education.
• Right to goods and services at competitive prices.
• Right to be informed about the quality, potency, purity, standard and price of goods and services.
• Right to be protected against wrong marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property.
National Vaccination Day 2021 – March 16

The National Vaccination Day, also known as National Immunisation Day, is annually observed across India on 16th
March to create awareness about the importance of vaccination. The government of India aims to raise awareness
about the vaccination against poliovirus and other deadly viruses.
• The National Vaccination day 2020 aims to eradicate both polio and the COVID-19.
• The day was first observed on 16th March 1995, the day on which the Pulse Polio Immunisation
Programme became operational.
Pulse Polio Immunization Programme:
i.Following the 1988 resolution of the World Health Assembly(WHA), the global initiative of eradication of polio was
launched.
ii.In 1995 the Pulse Polio Immunization programme was launched in India.
iii.On 16th March 1995, the first dose of oral polio vaccine was administered in India.
Additional Facts:
i.On 24th February 2012, The World Health Organisation removed India from the list of countries with active
endemic wild poliovirus transmission.
ii.The last polio case in India was reported on 13th January 2011.
What is Vaccination?
i.Vaccination is a process of protecting people against fatal diseases before they come into contact with them.
ii.The vaccines prepare the immune systems to create antibodies since the vaccines contain the dead or weakened
forms of viruses or bacterias.
iii.The vaccines are made of 4 ingredients namely,
• Antigen – the killed or weakened form of the virus or bacteria.
• Adjuvants – which helps to boost the immune system.
• Preservatives – which ensures that the vaccine stays effective.
• Stabilisers – which protects the vaccine during storage and transportation.
COVID-19 Vaccination Drive in India:
i.On 16th January 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the COVID vaccination in India.
ii.The healthcare and frontline workers were the first set of people to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
iii.The people over the age of 60 years as of 1st January 2022 will be the second group to receive the vaccination.

iv.The people between the age of 45 to 59 will be eligible for vaccination from 1st March 2021.
Global Recycling Day 2021 – March 18

Global Recycling Day is annually observed across the globe on 18th March to promote the importance of recycling
across the globe. The day calls for the world to work together to change the mindset of governments, business,
communities and individuals across the globe to consider recyclables as resources.
The theme of the Global Recycling Day 2021 is “Recycling Heroes”.
The theme of 2021 recognises the people, places and activities which showcased the importance of recycling towards
an environmentally stable planet.
Mission of Global Recycling Day:
• To inform the world leaders that recycling is simply too important not to be a global issue
• To ask people across the globe to think of recyclables as resources and not waste.
Background:
i.On 6th October 2018, the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) launched the Global Recycling Foundation at its
World Recycling Convention in London.
ii.The Global Recycling Foundation, run as an independent organisation with an aim to promote and support the
global recycling industry and to showcase the importance of recycling towards preserving the future of Earth.
iii.The Global recycling day was initiated by the BIR and supported by Global Recycling Foundation and the United
Nations Industrial Development Organization,
iv.The first-ever global recycling day was observed on 18th March 2018.
Importance of Recyclables:
i.Every year, the recyclables, the “7th Resource”, save over 700 million tonnes in carbon emissions and it is
estimated to increase to 1 billion tons by 2030.
ii.The process of recycling is a vital part of the circular economy which helps to protect natural resources.
Recycling in India:
i.There are more than 7500 plastic recyclers, 312 registered e-waste recyclers and 5 registered construction and
demolition waste recycling units in India.
ii.India recycles around 95% of e-waste through the network of informal waste pickers.
iii.It is estimated that around 60% of the plastic waste in India are recycled.
About BIR:
BIR was the first federation to support the interests of the recycling industry on an international scale.
President– Tom Bird
Director General– Arnaud Brunet
Founded in 1948
Ordnance Factory Day 2021 – March 18

Ordnance Factory Day is annually observed by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) on 18th March to mark the
foundation of the first Ordnance Factory at Cossipore near Kolkata in 1801. The day is celebrated by the Indian
Ordnance Factories, under the Ministry of Defence.
The 18th March 2021 marks the 220th Ordnance Factory Day.
History of Indian Ordnance Factories:
i.To increase the economic interest and political hold in India, the East Indian Company of England considered the
manufacturing of military hardware.
ii.In 1775, the British Authorities established the Board of Ordnance in Fort William, Kolkata.
iii.On 18th March 1802, the Gun Carriage Agency established by the British at Cossipore, Kolkata started the
production, which marked the first industrial establishment of Ordnance Factories in India.
iv.Before the independence of Indian in 1947, there were only 18 ordnance factories in India.
Key Points:
i.Presently, the network of Indian Ordnance Factories comprises 41 factories, 9 Training Institutes, 3 Regional
Marketing Centres and 4 Regional Controllers of Safety.
ii.The 41 factories are divided into five operational divisions of the OFB.

iii.The OFB constitutes a Defence production conglomerate with a range of products in the area of land, sea and air
systems.
iv.OFB is considered as the 4th arm of Defence, along with Army, Air Force and Navy.
Awards:
• Two employees of the factory Mr Anjaneyulu and Mr Pulla Reddy have been conferred “Ayudh Sri” Awards by
the Ordnance Factory Board for their excellent contribution towards production and productivity.
• V. Gunasekaran, Joint General Manager, was awarded ‘Ayudh Bhushan’ award and K. Karthikesh, Security
Officer, was awarded the ‘Best Security Officer’ award at a celebratory event.
About Ordnance Factory Board(OFB):
Chairman– C S Vishwakarma (Director General, Ordnance Factories)
Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
The OFB came into existence on 2nd April 1979
14th World Sleep Day – 19th March 2021

The World Sleep Day is annually observed on the Friday before the Spring Vernal Equinox. The day is aimed to
celebrate sleep and create awareness about the importance of sleep and issues related to sleep, including the
medicine, education and social aspects.
• The world Sleep day is annually organised by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society.
• The World Sleep Day 2021 is co-chaired by Lourdes DelRosso, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Associate
Sleep Medicine Fellowship Director at University of Washington and Professor Fang Han, MD of The Sleep
Center, Peking University People’s Hospital in Beijing, China.
The 19th March 2021 marks the observance of the 14th annual World Sleep Day.
• The World Sleep Day 2020 was observed on 13th March 2020 (Spring Vernal Equinox – 20th March
2020(Friday))
• The World Sleep Day 2022 will be observed on 18th March 2022 (Spring Vernal Equinox – 20th March
2022(Sunday)).
The Slogan or theme of the 14th World Sleep Day is “Regular Sleep, Healthy Future”.
Objective:
• To reduce the effects of sleep problems on society through prevention and management of sleep disorders.
Background:
i.World Sleep Day was initiated by a group of healthcare providers and members of the medical community who were
working and studying in the area of sleep medicine and research.
ii.The first World Sleep Day was observed on 14th March 2008.
Effects of Sleep Problems:
i.Sleep problems constitute a global epidemic that affects the health and quality of life for up to 45% of the world’s
population.
ii.Most sleep disorders are preventable or treatable but around one-third of the affected people get professional
support.
iii.Continuous interruption of the breathing function during sleep is called sleep apnea, which causes sleepiness and
fatigue and lead to various conditions like hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
International Day of Happiness 2021 – 20th March

The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Happiness, annually observed across the globe on 20th March, is
dedicated to the importance of happiness in people’s life.
The first International day of happiness was observed on 20th March 2013.
The theme of the International Day of Happiness 2021 is “Keep Calm. Stay Wise. Be Kind”.
The theme aims to unite humans to enhance and advance the happiness of individuals, organisations and
communities and nations in harmony with nature.
The 2021 International Day of Happiness campaign theme is “Happiness For All Forever”.
Background:
i.The International Day of Happiness was founded by Jayme Illien, the CEO of Illien Global in 2006.

ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/66/281 on 28th June 2012 and
proclaimed the 20th March of every year as the International Day of Happiness, starting from 2013.
World Happiness Week:
i.The world happiness fest annually organizes the 6-day Happiness Celebrations from 18th March to 23rd March as
World Happiness Week.
ii.The celebration of the world happiness week unites leading happiness and well-being experts from the fields of
education, business, science, art, technology, music, and policy and various virtual and in-person events are
organised.
World Happiness Report 2021:
i.As a part of the celebration of International day of happiness, The Sustainable Development Solutions Network
(SDSN) and the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) at Columbia University has launched the 2021 World
Happiness Report.
ii.India ranks 139 out of the 149 counties and Finland topped the ranking followed by Denmark and Switzerland.
World Oral Health Day 2021 – March 20

World Oral Health Day is annually observed across the globe on 20th March to promote the importance of oral
health and to reduce the problems of oral diseases that affect the individuals, health system and economy.
The theme of World Oral Health Day 2021 is “Be Proud of your Mouth” and this theme will be followed in 2022 and
2023.
Aim:
To empower people across the globe with knowledge and tools to achieve good oral health.
Background:
i.The World Oral Health Day is an initiative of the FDI World Dental Federation, an international organisation that
unites the world of dentistry with an aim to achieve optimal oral health for everyone.
ii.The World Oral Health Day was first declared in 2007 on 12th September, the birth anniversary of Dr Charles
Godon, the founder of FDI.
iii.The campaign became active in 2013 after the date was changed to 20th March to avoid conflicts with FDI World
Dental Congress which takes place in September.
Why 20th March?
The older people should have 20 natural teeth at the end of their lives, the children should have 20 baby teeth and the
healthy adults should have a total of 32, this can be mentioned as 3/20 which represents March 20.
Dental Health in India:
• According to the Statistics on Dental health in India, around 85 to 90% of adults and 60 to 80% of children in
India have dental cavities.
• India has the second-highest number of oral cancer cases.
National Oral Health Program:
i.The National Oral Health Program was created by the Indian Dental Association(IDA) to improve the overall health
of India by targeting oral health.
ii.The program was launched during 2014-15 to strengthen the public health facilities of the country for an affordable
price.
iii.Under the National Oral health program, the IDA has implemented the Tobacco Intervention Initiative(TII) to
eliminate the usage of Tobacco consumption by creating awareness about the adverse effects of Tobacco.
Other efforts for Oral Health:
i.The IDA also founded the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) with an aim to eliminate oral cancer.
ii.The OCF plans to provide better access to oral health and early detection of oral cancer.
iii.The Ministry of Health and Family welfare was launched by the IVRS helpline for oral health programmes on
World Oral Health Day 2017.
World Sparrow Day 2021 – March 20

World Sparrow Day is annually observed across the world on 20th March to create awareness and to bring
attention to the significance and importance of conservation and protection of the sparrows and other such birds.

The first world sparrow day was observed on 20th March 2010.
The theme of World Sparrow Day is “I Love Sparrows”.
Background:
World sparrow day is the initiative of the Nature Forever Society in India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action
Foundation, France and other national and international organisations across the globe.
Aim:
To create awareness about house sparrows and other such birds.
About Nature Forever Society:
The Nature Forever Society was founded by Mohammed Dilawar, an Indian conservationist who worked towards
creating awareness on the importance of conservation of house sparrow.
Reason for the decline in Sparrow population:
i.The increasing usage of pesticides and change in the pattern of building are the main factors for the decline in the
number of sparrows.
ii.The radiations from the mobile and television towers interferes with the navigation senses of the birds and affects
their ability to move around.
Facts about Sparrow:
i.The house sparrows which are commonly found in the urban cities are listed as least concerned on the IUCN Red
List.
ii.The Government of Delhi has declared the house sparrow as the state bird and launched the “Rise of the sparrows”
campaign, a conservation movement to save the sparrows.
International Day of Forests 2021 – March 21

The United Nations (UN)s International Day of Forests is annually observed across the globe on 21st March to create
awareness about the importance of all types of forests.
The day is annually organised by the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) of the United Nations in collaboration with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other
organizations in the field.
The theme of the International Day of Forests for 2021 is “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being”.
The 2021 theme calls for the protection of ecosystems across the world.
Every year the theme of International Day of Forest is chosen by the Collaborative partnership on Forests(CPF).
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), adopted the resolution A/RES/67/200 on 21st December 2012 and
proclaimed the 21st March of every year as the International Day of Forests.
ii.Every year the members undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities like tree planting
campaigns.
Forest cover of India:
i.One-fifth of the Land in India has been under the Forests area despite the increasing population.
ii.According to the biennial India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019, the forest cover of India has increased by 3.976
sq. Km. since 2017.
iii.For the 2nd consecutive time since 2007 the report has recorded a gain of 1275 sq. km in dense forest.
Additional info:
i.Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) stated that the
implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change and other measures has reduced the emission
intensity of GDP by 24% between 2005 and 2016.
ii.The forest cover of India has increased and currently it around 24.56% of the total geographical area of India.
International Day of Nowruz 2021 – 21st March

United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Nowruz, is annually observed across the globe on 21st March to create
awareness about Nowruz and to organise annual events to commemorate the festival of Nowruz.
The festival is also known by other names like Navruz, Novruz, Nooruz, Nevruz and Nauryz. The word Nawruz
means “New Day”.

The first International Day of Nowruz was celebrated on 21st March 2010.
Background:
i.In 2009, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed Nowrusa in its
‘Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ as a festival of rich diversity promoting peace and
solidarity across the regions.
ii.In 2010, The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) welcomed the inclusion of Nowruz in the list and recognised
the 21st March as the International Day of Nowruz.
Note:
Nowruz was originally inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009
by 6 countries and later in 2016 was extended to another 6.
Festival of Nowruz:
i.Nowruz – the Persian New Year celebrated by more than 300 million people across the globe from Iran,
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Turkey and other countries in Central Asia and West Asia.
ii.The festival marks the first day of the spring and it is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox,
which usually occurs on 21 March.
iii.The 2021 festival of Nowruz falls on 20th March 2021.
Significance:
i.The festival of Nowruz is the significant festival of the Parsi community which also marks the day on which King
Jamshid was crowned as the King of Persia.
ii.The Nowruz has been celebrated for more than 3000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus,
Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions from Southeast Europe to the Caucasus and Ural Mountain Range.
Nowruz celebrations at SCO, Beijing, China:
i.On 19th March 2021, India participated in the Nowruz celebrations held at Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation(SCO) Secretariat in Beijing China. The SCO has been celebrating the year 2021 as the “Year of Culture”.
ii.A friendship pavilion set up by the India Tourism office, Beijing was inaugurated at the SCO Secretariat.
iii.India showcased various performances including Kathak, Yoga, Indian cuisine, artefacts to the audience.
iv.The 18 countries which include, member countries, dialogue partners and observer’s countries participated and
showcased their cultural diversities including their cuisine.
v.On the occasion, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri planted a pine tree sapling, as a symbol of the nurturing
friendship between India and SCO
World Poetry Day 2021: March 21

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) celebrated, World Poetry Day every year
on March 21 across the globe. It is one of the humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression
and identity.
• The day was observed to recognize the poetry movements nationally as well as internationally.
• Note – Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia, regarded as the earliest surviving
notable literature and the second oldest religious text, after the Pyramid Texts.
Objective:
i.The Objective of celebrating the World Poetry Day is to help linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to
provide the endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.
ii.To enhance the oral tradition of poetry recitals, to promote the teaching of poetry, to restore a dialogue between
poetry and the other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting.
Background:
During the 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) 1st observed the World Poetry Day on March 21.
Types of Poetry:
Blank verse: Poems which do not rhyme with each other but written with certain meters.
Rhymed poetry: To contrary to the Verses, rhymed poetry is related in terms of themes and tones of the poem.
Free verse: Free verse poetry is poetry that lacks a consistent rhyming scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form.

Epics: Epic poems are lengthy with the description of the adventure, theme, and every element in the poem. Also,
written in a narrative manner.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General – Audrey Azoulay
Headquarter – Paris, France
World Puppetry Day 2021 – March 21

The World Puppetry Day is annually observed across the globe on 21st March to promote the puppetry arts and
allows the association of the puppet actors of the same territory.
The day is celebrated across the globe through Union Internationale de la Marionnette (UNIMA)’s national centres
and their members.
Objective:
• To promote puppet arts.
• To maintain and safeguard the traditions of puppetry along with the renewal of the art of puppetry.
• To utilize puppetry as a means of ethical and aesthetic education.
Background:
i.The World Puppetry Day was launched by UNIMA, a non-governmental organisation affiliated to UNESCO, in 2003.
ii.The first World Puppetry Day was observed on 21st March 2003.
Puppetry:
i.Puppetry is a type of narrative theatre that includes the manipulation of puppets, the inanimate objects that
resemble humans or animals.
ii.The person who manipulates the puppet is known as a puppeteer.
iii.The puppets are majorly classed into 6 families,
• Marionettes – manipulated by strings
• Rod marionettes – supported by a rod
• Hand puppets – slipped over the hand
• Rod puppets – activated from below with the support of a wand.
• Shadow figures – glide behind a backlit screen
• Bunraku-style puppets – manipulated in full view of the audience.
Facts about puppetry:
The puppetry is listed under UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity which
contains around 12 different forms of puppetry such as Rūkada Nātya(Sri Lanka), Puppetry in Slovakia and Czechia,
Karagöz(Turkey), Sbek Thom(Cambodia), Opera dei Pupi(Italy) among others.
UN’s World Down Syndrome Day Observed on 21st March 2021

In a move to create awareness towards Down Syndrome, the United Nations annually observes 21st of March as the
World Down Syndrome Day. All over the world, annually 3000 to 5000 childrens are born with this chromosome
syndrome.
#LotsOfSocks campaign – An online campaign was conducted where, people are asked to wear mismatched
socks, to spread awareness on Down Syndrome.
What is Down Syndrome?
• Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder, where a child is born with an additional chromosome 21.
• This 3rd chromosome in addition to the two chromosome 21 that are generally present in humans leads to the
disorder, so it is also called “Trisomy 21”.
Why 21st March ?
As an observance to the 3rd chromosome 21, the date 21/3 (21st March) is chosen as “World Down Syndrome
day”.
Effects of Down Syndrome:
i.The extra chromosome 21 affects the person’s physical characteristics, mental growth and overall health.
ii.The patient will have slow mental growth, characteristic facial features, problems in vision and hearing and other
such issues that vary from person to person.

Note- Globally 1 in every 1000-1100 child born is affected by Down Syndrome.
About World Down Syndrome Day:
i.First observed in 2006 by Down Syndrome Association Singapore, through its website till 2010.
ii.Later in 2011, countries like Brazil pressured the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to adopt a resolution to
mark 21st of March as World Down Syndrome day.
iii.Since 21st March 2012, the United Nations observes World Down Syndrome day annually.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2021 – March 21

The United Nations(UN)’s International Day for the elimination of Racial Discrimination is annually observed
across the globe on 21st March to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination and to create awareness about the
impacts of racial discrimination.
The day aims to support a global culture of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination.
The theme of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2021 is “Youth standing up against
racism”.
The theme engages the general public through #FightRacism and calls out everyone to fight against racial prejudice
and intolerant attitudes.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/2142 (XXI) on 26th October 1966 and
proclaimed the 21st March of every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
ii.International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination marks the day 21st March 1960 on which the police
of Sharpeville, South Africa, gunned down 69 people at the peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass law”.
Efforts to eliminate racial discrimination:
i.During the 2nd half of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, the United Nations
General assembly has decided to organise a week of solidarity starting from on 21 March.
ii.Since the declaration the apartheid system in South Africa has been dismantled. Racist laws and practices have
been abolished in many countries.
iii.The World Conference against Racism held in 2001, produced the programme for combating racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance: the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA).
iv.In 2013, the UNGA proclaimed the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 to 2024), starting
from 1st January 2015 to 31st December 2024, with the theme “People of African descent: recognition, justice and
development.”
Events 2021:
i.UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) special meeting to commemorate the 20th anniversary of DDPA –
“Reimagining Equality: Eliminating racism, xenophobia and discrimination for all in the decade of action for the SDGs”
was held on 18th February 2021.
ii.Annual panel debate with the theme “The role of youth in combatting racism and racial discrimination”, was
held in March 2021, as a part of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial discrimination celebration.
World Water Day 2021 – 22nd March

The United Nations(UN)’s World Water Day is annually observed across the globe on 22nd March to enhance the
focus on the importance of freshwater and to create awareness about the global water crisis. The day also raises
awareness about the 2.2 billion people across the globe who are living without access to safe water.
The main aim of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Water
and Sanitation for all by 2030.
The theme of World Water Day 2021 is “Valuing water”. The theme of 2021 is about “What water means to people
and its true value and how to protect the water, the vital resource”.
Background:
i.The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/47/193 on 22nd February 1993 and proclaimed the 22nd march of every
year as the World Water Day starting from 1993.
ii.The first World Water Day was observed on 22nd March 1993.

Events 2021:
Report launched:
As a part of World Water Day 2021, the UN launched the World Water Development Report which includes the
recommendations of policy direction to decision-makers.
UNESCO Partners with Toonz Media, USO India for Water Conservation Programme:
i.UNESCO Partners with United Schools Organisation(USO) of India and Toonz Media group for a water conservation
awareness programme for students.
ii.As a part of the H2Ooooh! Waterwise program for school students conducted in partnership with National Mission
for Clean Ganga, USO India, Water Digest magazine and Toonz Media Group, the animation videos created by the
students were released on World Water Day 2021.
H2Ooooh!:
i.UNESCO New Delhi launched the initiative, H2Ooooh! – Waterwise program for school children in India in
September 2020.
ii.The initiative was launched in partnership with USO India, and Toonz Media Group.
Around 17,000 students from 43 schools across India have been engaged in this initiative.
Aim:
To develop creativity and awareness about water conservation and its sustainable use.
Events In India:
i.As a part of the World Water Day 2021, the Films Division of India, under the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting in collaboration with Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) to screen a package of films on its official
website under ‘Documentary of the Week’ section and youtube channel.
ii.The films being streamed are, Rain Man, Johad – A Source of Water, Water, Land and The People, Pani Re Pani and
Veracity.
iii.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” campaign over a virtual
platform in which the Ministry of Jal Shakti signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of
Uttar Pradesh for starting the Ken-Betwa Link project.
iv.Ken-Betwa Link project is the first river-linking project in India that will carry water from a surplus area to a
water-scarce area by interlinking rivers.
Additional info:
i.Around 5.7 billion people across the globe could be living in regions where the water is scarce for around 1 month.
ii.Climate-resilient water supply and sanitation could save the lives of more than 360,000 infants every year
iii.By 2040, the global energy demand is projected to increase by over 25% and water demand is expected to increase
by more than 50%.
World Meteorological Day 2021 – 23rd March

The United Nations(UN)’s World Meteorological Day is annually observed across the world on 23rd March to create
awareness about the importance of the role of people and their behaviour in protecting the Earth’s atmosphere.
• The day showcases the contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services towards the safety
and wellbeing of society.
• World Meteorology Day 2021 is a registered activity of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for
Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
The theme of World Meteorological Day 2021 is “The ocean, our climate and weather”.
The theme celebrates the focus of WMO in connecting the ocean, climate and weather within the Earth System.
Background:
i.The day marks the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an intergovernmental body on
23rd March 1950.
ii.WMO was established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23 March 1950
iii.The WMO originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), whose idea was rooted in
the Vienna International Meteorological Congress 1873.
iv.The World Meteorological day has been observed by World Meteorological Organization since 1961.

Importance of Ocean in Worlds Weather and Climate:
i.Around 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by the ocean, which has a major effect on the weather and climate of
the world and climate change.
ii.The ocean also plays a major role in the global economy, carrying more than 90% of world trade and sustaining the
40% of humanity that lives within 100 km of the coast.
iii.Owing to its importance, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and researchers regularly monitor
the ocean and how it changes, modelling how it affects the atmosphere and delivering a wide range of marine services
like coastal management and Safety of Life at Sea.
About World Meteorological Organisation:
Secretary-General– Petteri Taalas
Members – 193 member countries and territories (including India)
Shaheed Diwas or Martyr’s Day observed annually on 23rd March

Government of India, annually observes the 23th of March as Shaheed Diwas or Martyr’s day to honour the 3
young freedom fighters- Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru. The 90th death anniversary of
the 3 youngsters was observed on 21st March 2021.
Note- 30th January, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is also observed as Martyr’s day.
History of Shaheed Diwas:
i.Lala Lajpat Rai was assassinated during the lathi charge.
ii.As a revenge to his death, 3 youngsters, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, Shivaram Rajguru along with support from
Chandrasekar Azad threw bombs over the Central Legislative Assembly on April 8, 1929.
iii.Charged with Murder crime, British government hanged the 3 freedom fighters on 23rd March 2021.
iv.During their hanging Bhagat Singh made the historic slogans “Inquilab Zindabad”, which later became the slogan of
India’s armed struggle.
Some Famous Quotes by Bhagat Singh:
• “Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birthright of all.”
• “They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my
spirit”
• “Philosophy is the outcome of human weakness or limitation of knowledge.”
• “If the deaf have to hear, the sound has to be very loud”
• “A rebellion is not a revolution. It may ultimately lead to that end.”
UN French Language Day 2021 – March 20

The United Nations(UN)’s French Language Day is annually observed across the globe on 20th March to create
awareness among the international community about the history, culture and use of the French language. The UN
annually celebrates the 6 language day for the 6 official languages of the UN, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian
and Spanish.
• The day is recognised by the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) as the International Day of
La Francophonie.
The theme of French Language Day 2021 is “Francophone Women, Resilient Women”.
The theme is a tribute to all the women of the 88 states and governments of La Francophonie who are struggling on a
daily basis particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background:
On 21st February 2010, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, The United Nations Department of
Public Information (DPI) announced the launch of “UN Language Days”, an initiative that aims to celebrate
multilingualism and cultural diversity.
The dates of the 6 UN language days were chosen by the Department of Public Information based on their symbolic
character.
Why March 20?
i.The 20th March marks the creation of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT).

ii.ACCT was renamed as Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie in 1998 and later renamed as
International Organization of La Francophonie (French: Organisation internationale de la francophonie – OIF)
in 2005.
2020 Five Continents Prize:
i.On 19th March 2021, Louise Mushikiwabo, the Secretary General of La Francophonie awarded the 2020 Five
Continents Prize to Béata Umubyeyi Mairesse, for her novel “Tous tes enfants dispersés”.
ii.The special mention was awarded to Paul Kawczak for his novel “Ténèbre”.
About five continents Prize:
The award was created by OIF in 2001 to highlight literary talents reflecting the expression of cultural and editorial
diversity in the French language on the five continents.
Facts about French:
i.French is the 5th most spoken language in the world following Chinese, English, Spanish and Arabic.
ii.It is also the 4th language of the internet.
iii.Around 55% of the world daily speakers of French are found in the African continent.
iv.French is recognised as the official language in 32 states and governments and in most of the international
organisations.
Other UN Language Days:
• Arabic Language Day – December 8
• English Language Day – April 23
• Russian Language Day – June 6
• Spanish Language Day – October 12
• Chinese Language Day – April 20
About the United Nations(UN):
Secretary-General– Antonio Guterres
World Tuberculosis Day observed on 24th March

World Tuberculosis Day is observed annually on 24th March. It is observed to raise awareness about the global
epidemic of Tuberculosis (TB).
• 2021 Theme – ‘The Clock is Ticking’
• It is one of the 11 official Global Public Health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• In 1982, on the 100th Anniversary of Robert Koch’s presentation about TB, the International Union Against
Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) proposed to observe 24th March as World TB Day.
Why was 24th March observed
• It is on 24th March, 1882 that Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the cause of Tuberculosis –
the TB Bacillus.
TB – World’s Deadliest Infectious Disease
According to WHO,
• TB remains one of the World’s deadliest infectious killers.
• Each day, around 4000 people die due to TB & close to 28,000 people get affected due to TB.
According to the report ‘Global Tuberculosis Report 2020’
• The TB incidence rate in India is 193 per 1 Lakh population, with total number of cases estimated at 26, 40,
000.
• The three countries with the largest share of global burden were India (27%), China (14%) & Russia (8%).
Targets to End TB
• India has set an ambitious goal to achieve “End Tuberculosis” by reducing the incidence of new TB cases by
80% by 2025.
• Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).

Healthcare for TB reduced by 21% in 2020: WHO
According to preliminary data compiled by the WHO from over 80 countries, healthcare for TB reduced by 21% in
2020 due to coronavirus pandemic.
• An estimated 1.4 Million fewer people received care for TB in 2020 than in 2019.
• Countries with biggest relative gaps were Indonesia (42%), South Africa (41%), Philippines (37%), & India
(25%).
• More than half a million more people may have died from TB in 2020, due to the inability to obtain a diagnosis.
Kerala’s TB eradication programme bags award
Kerala won Bronze Medal in the Union Health Ministry’s Sub National Certification of Efforts towards Elimination of
TB.
• Estimated incidence of TB decreased by 37.5% in Kerala between 2015-20 (an annual decline rate of 7.5%).
Even the global figures for annual incidence of TB reduction has never been more than 2-3%.
• Kerala is the lone state chosen for the recognition in the State category.
• Kerala claim of TB incidence decline was evaluated by a team from the National Institute of Epidemiology,
Chennai, WHO and Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine.
About International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD):
President – Professor Guy Marks
International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of
Victims 2021 – March 24
The United Nations(UN)’s International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and
for the Dignity of Victims is annually observed across the globe on 24th March to pay tribute to the memory of
Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was murdered on 24th March 1980.
Purpose of the Day:
• To honour the memory of the victims of human rights violations and to promote the importance of the rights
to truth and justice.
• To pay tribute to the people who devoted their lives and lost their lives to promote and protect human rights
for all.
• To recognise the important work and value of archbishop Oscar Arnulflo Romero of El Salvador.
About Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero:
He was actively involved in denouncing the violations of Human rights of the most vulnerable individuals in El
Salvador.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/65/196 on 21st December 2010 and
proclaimed the 24th March of every year as the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross
Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.
ii.The first International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity
of Victims was observed on 24th March 2011.
Efforts of UN towards Human Rights:
i.The study conducted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human rights(OHCHR) in 2006 concluded that
the right to truth about gross human rights violation and violation against human right laws is an autonomous right
linked to the duty of the state to protect human rights.
ii.In accordance with the Mexico agreements of 27th April 1991, the Commission on the Truth for El Salvador was
established to investigate the acts of violence that had occurred since 1980 and its impact on society.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 2021 – March
25
The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave
Trade is annually observed across the globe on 25th March to honour and remember the victims of the brutal slavery
system.

The day aims to create awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice.The theme of International Day of
Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 2021 is “Ending Slavery’s Legacy of
Racism: A Global Imperative for Justice”.
Background:
The United Nations General assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/62/122 on 17th December 2007 and
proclaimed the 25th March of every year as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the
Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Transatlantic Slave Trade:
i.The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced and most inhumane migration in history.
ii.As the direct result of the transatlantic slave trade, the greatest movement of the Africans to America with around
96% of the captives from Africa were migrated to South America and the Caribbean Islands on slave ships.
Memorials:
i.To honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a memorial was erected at the UN Headquarters
in New York.
ii.The memorial – “The Ark of Return” designed by Rodney Leon, an American architect of Haitian descent was
unveiled on 25th March 2015.
International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members 2021 – March 25
The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is annually
observed across the globe on 25th March. The day recognises the dangers encountered by the UN staff members as
they carry out their work for the United Nations.
• The day also marks the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett, a former journalist, who worked for the
UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East(UNRWA).
• He was abducted by an armed gunman in 1985 and his body was found in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon in 2009
Purpose of the day:
To mobilise action, demand justice and strengthen the resolve to protect UN staff, peacekeepers and the members of
the non-governmental community and the press associated with the UN.
Protection of UN staff:
i.The UN Security Council adopted the resolution S/RES/868(1993), the first resolution on staff security, on 29th
September 1993.
ii.The negotiations took place in the 6th (Legal) committee of the UNGA on an international legal convention to
protect UN personnel.
iii.Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which was adopted by the UN General
Assembly on 9 December 1994 was the result of those negotiations.
World Theatre Day 2021 – March 27

World Theatre Day is annually observed across the globe on 27th March to create awareness about the importance of
theatre arts. The day is observed at around 90 International Theatre Institute (ITI) Centres across the globe and the
International Theatre Community.
Objectives:
• To promote the art form across the world.
• To make people aware of the value of the art form.
• To enable the dance and theatre communities to promote their work on a broad scale so that opinion leaders
are aware of the value of these forms and support them.
• To enjoy the art form for its own sake.
Background:
i.The World Theatre Day was first initiated by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in 1961.
ii.The first World Theatre Day was celebrated on 27th March 1962.
iii.The 27th March marks the date of the opening of the 1962 “Theatre of Nations” season in Paris.

Celebration of World Theatre Day:
i.The important part of the celebration of world theatre Day is the circulation of the World Theatre Day Message
through which an outstanding figure in theatre or an outstanding person from any other field, who was invited by ITI,
shares their message on the theme of “Theatre and a Culture of Peace”.
ii.This message is translated into more than 50 languages.
iii.The first theatre day message was written by Jean Cocteau in 1962.
iv.The message of 2021 is authored by Helen Mirren of the United Kingdom, one of the best actresses with an
international career in stage, screen and television.
v.Helen Mirren won the Academy Awards in 2007 for her performance in “The Queen”.
About International Theatre Institute (ITI):
ITI was created on the initiative of Sir Julian Huxley, the first Director of UNESCO and JB Priestly, the playwright and
novelist.
President– Mohamed Saif Al-Afkham
Director General– Tobias Biancone
Created in– 1948
Headquarters– Shanghai, China
Earth Hour 2021 – 27th March

Earth Hour is annually observed across the globe on the last Saturday of March as an symbolic gesture towards the
commitment to preserve the Earth and to support actions against Climate Change. Earth Hour is one of the world
largest grassroot movements for the environment. The first Earth Hour was held in Sydney, Australia, in 2007.
Every year, On Earth Hour, millions of people across the globe switch off their non essential electric lights for an hour
between 8.30 PM and 9.30 PM.
Earth Hour 2021 is observed on 27th March 2021.
• The Earth hour 2020 was observed on 28th March 2020.
• The Earth Hour 2022 will be observed on 26th March 2022.
The theme of Earth Hour 2021 is “Climate Change to Save Earth”.
Aim:
The Earth Hour 2021 aims to increase awareness and initiate global conversations on protecting nature to combat
the climate crisis and to ensure health, happiness, prosperity and survival of the humans.
Background:
i.The Earth Hour was started by the World Wide Fund of Nature(WWF), formerly World Wildlife Fund and partners
as a symbolic lights out event in Sydney in 2007.
ii.The Earth hour is a global movement that engages millions of people from more than 180 countries and territories
in switching off their lights to support the protection of the Earth.
Events 2021:
Guided meditation:
The WWF has hosted a guided meditation for individuals led by Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts, an internationally
celebrated Yoga teacher and scholar.
About World Wide Fund of Nature(WWF):
Director General- Marco Lambertini
Established in- 1961
Headquarters- Gland, Switzerland.
World Piano Day 2021 – 29th March

World Piano Day is annually observed across the globe on the 88th Day of the Year to celebrate the piano, piano
performers, composers, piano builders, tuners and listeners.
The World Piano Day 2021 falls on the 29th March 2021.
• The World Piano Day 2020 was celebrated on 28th March 2020.
• The World Piano Day 2022 will be celebrated on 29th March 2022.

Aim:
The day aims to create a platform for piano related projects to promote the development of musical dimensions and
to share the joy of playing piano.
Background:
i.The celebration of piano day was the idea of the German pianist, composer and producer Nils Frahm.
ii.He launched the Piano day in 2015 and the First World Piano Day was celebrated on 29th March 2015.
Why 88th Day of the Year?
The World Piano Day is celebrated on the 88th Day of the year to celebrate the total number of keys (88) on a full-
keyboard Piano.
APPS & WEB PORTAL

Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually Launched ‘Sugamya Bharat App’ and Handbook ‘Access – the Photo Digest’
On March 2, 2021, Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
virtually launched ‘Sugamya Bharat App’ and a handbook entitled ‘Access – The Photo Digest’ through video
conference in New Delhi. Both of the new launches are developed by Department of Empowerment of Persons
with Disabilities (DEPwD), MoSJE
• The Mobile App can be downloaded from Play Store by Android users while its iOS version will be available by
March 15, 2021.
About Sugamya Bharat APP:
i.It is a Crowd sourcing Mobile Application launched under the Accessible India Campaign-AIC (Sugamya Bharat
Abhiyaan) which will cater to the issues related to accessibility being faced by Divyangjan (Differently abled) and
others. It is initiated on the lines of achieving accessibility as mandated in Sections 40-46 of the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016. It should be noted that RPWD Act, 2016 replaced the PwD Act, 1995.
ii.There are following 5 key features of app:
• Registration of complaints of inaccessibility across the 3 pillars of AIC
• Positive feedback of examples and best practices shared by people as jan-bhagidhari
• Departmental updates
• Guidelines and circulars related to accessibility
• Special feature meant only for Divyangjan for COVID related issues.
iii.It is available in 10 regional languages, namely, Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil, Odiya, Kannada, Telugu, Gujarati,
Punjabi, and Malayalam.
iv.The app will serve the two purposes viz. raising awareness about the need for accessibility and bringing change in
accessible features.
v.The App will be monitored through a Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) under DEPwD. The PMU will forward the
complaints received through the App to Appropriate Authorities across India.
vi.This Mobile App is an endeavour and a step towards achieving accessibility as mandated in Sections 40-46 of the
RPwD Act, 2016.
About Handbook:
It is a collection of photographs from across different States and UTs (Union Territories) representing 10 basic
features of accessibility and related good-bad practices in easy to understand pictorial form.
About Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan):
Launched on December 3, 2015 by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on International Day of Persons with
Disabilities, AIC is a nation-wide Campaign for achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
It has the following three important components:
• Built Environment Accessibility
• Transportation System Accessibility
• Information and Communication Eco-System Accessibility.
The scheme also comes under Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 under section 44, 45, 46 for equal Opportunities
and protection of rights which provides non-discrimination in Transport to Persons with Disabilities.

Other Participants:
Shakuntala D. Gamlin, Secretary, DEPwD and Tarika Roy, Joint Secretary, DEPwD.
i.Last year, Thaawarchand Gehlot launched the 24×7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline ‘KIRAN’.
ii.In December 2020, Thaawarchand Gehlot launched a Mobile Application ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ for identifying & Geo-
tagging the data of Insanitary Latrines & Manual Scavengers across the country. Using the app NGOs, Social
Organisations & General public can upload details of any insanitary latrine or manual scavengers that they notice.
About Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment:
Thaawarchand Gehlot Constituency– Madhya Pradesh
Minister of State (MoS)– Krishan Pal Gurjar, Ramdas Athawale, Rattan Lal Kataria
Tripura Govt. launches ‘Jagrut Tripura’ Digital platform to boost e-Governance

On 2nd March, 2021 Biplab Kumar Deb, Chief Minister of Tripura, launched the Digital Platform “Jagrut Tripura” to
provide access to various Central & State government schemes. Currently, the platform is integrated with 35
state departments of the State providing over 135 services.
Platform Developed by – ‘EasyGov’, a subsidiary of Jio Group of Companies.
i.“Jagrut Tripura” empowers the people with Information Technology (IT) related services, and integrates all services
availed to act as a porgessive model having ‘One data one source’.
ii.Tripura is the 3rd state in India (only after Bihar & Karnataka) to implement such a platform and the 1st in North
Eastern India.
iii.This initiative of the state govt is aimed at establishing a technology led innovation ecosystem, to make Tripura
Self-reliant (Atma Nirbhar).
About EasyGov:
Founded – 2015
Founder & CEO – Amit Shukla
About Tripura:
Tripura is a landlocked state that shares geographical boundary with Bangladesh, Assam & Mizoram.
Zoological Park – Sepahijala Zoological Park
Airport – Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport (Agartala Airport)
J-K administration launches ANMOL app under National Health Mission

Jammu & Kashmir Financial Commissioner of Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo distributed tablets among
Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANMs) & launched the application ‘ANMOL’ under the National Health Mission(NHM).
Aim
The app will help the beneficiaries(People), to know about all the Schemes & the benefits of NHM.
Significance of the app ANMOL:
• The app will empower ANMs and frontline health workers to carry out their day-to-day work efficiently and
effectively. It will help the health workers by identifying and tracking the beneficiaries.
• The app allows ANMs to enter and update records of beneficiaries on a real-time basis hence it will ensure
correct data entry and update of it with improved quality and accountability.
Tablets Distribution:
• Around 4,445 tablets will be distributed among the ANMs in Jammu and Kashmir with preloaded ANMOL
application under this mission.
• Since the app will work in offline mode it will be suitable for the remote areas of the state where there is low
internet connectivity.
About National Health Mission(NHM):
It was launched by the Government of India in 2013 with an aim of attaining universal access to equitable, affordable
and quality health care services under the two sub missions of
1. NUHM – National Urban Health Mission and
2. NRHM – National Rural Health Mission – under this mission special focus has been given to the Empowered
Action Group (EAG) States, North Eastern States, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Note: Empowered Action Group (EAG) States – the eight socio economically backward states of Bihar,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are referred to as the
EAG states.
About Auxiliary nurse midwife(ANM):
Auxiliary nurse midwife, commonly known as ANM, is a village-level female health worker in India who is known as
the first contact person between the community and the health services.
Background:
• Mukherjee Committee in 1966 identified ANMs and other village-level workers as agents for the
popularization of the health programmes.
• In 1973, the Kartar Singh Committee recommended that there should be 1 ANM available per 10,000-12,000
people.
• In 1986, the National Education Policy gave the ANM programme a status of Vocational Education. According
to the latest guidelines by Indian Nursing Council (INC), the minimum age for admission to an ANM course
should be 17 years while the maximum age limit is 35 years.
Recent related news:
On March 02,2021 Jammu and Kashmir topped the medal tally with 11 gold, 18 silver and 5 bronze medals in
the second edition of Khelo India Winter Games held between February 26 to March 02 in Gulmarg which was
e-inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Capital – Srinagar(summer) Jammu (winter)
Governor-Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha
Paytm launches Smart PoS App & Soundbox 2.0

On 9th March, 2021 e-Commerce & financial Service provider, Paytm, launched “Smart PoS”a new application for
accepting contactless payments through smartphones. Paytm also launched the second version of its Internet of
Things (IoT) based instant voice conformation device, “Soundbox 2.0”.
Note- Globally 60% of Visa transactions outside the US are made through Contactless payments.
About Smart PoS:
i.The Smart PoS app is supported by “Paytm for Business” (P4B) app for managing seamless transactions.
ii.Paytm has also partnered with Visa & MasterCard for enabling special features to the Contact less payment
system.
iii.The app supports all cards (Contactless & Contact based), UPI payments, QR codes & supports all credit & debit
cards.
iv.This New Contact less payment service is enabled using Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology.
About Soundbox 2.0:
i.It is an IoT enabled system that provides instant voice update on payment confirmation to the merchant.
ii.Soundbox 2.0, is equipped with a digital screen along with voice confirmation for payments.
About Paytm:
Founder & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Founded– August 2010
Department of Food & Public Distribution launches ‘Mera Ration’ Mobile app under ONORC Plan
On March 12, 2021, the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public
Distribution launched the ‘Mera Ration’ Mobile app under the ‘One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)’ plan. It aims to
benefit ration card holders who move to new areas for livelihoods.
• The mobile app has been developed by the Department of Food & Public Distribution along with the National
Informatics Centre (NIC).
• Objective – To ensure better implementation of the ONORC Scheme.
• Targeted Beneficiaries – Beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), with a focus on Migrant
workers, Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers & other relevant stakeholders.

Features of ‘Mera Ration’ app
• To identify and locate the nearest FPS.
• Beneficiaries can check details of Foodgrain entitlement, Recent Transaction & status of Aadhaar linking.
• Migrant beneficiaries can register their migrant details through the app.
• It is currently available in Hindi & English and at a later stage will be made available in 14 languages.
Fact
Under NFSA, Government provides highly subsidized food grains at INR 1-3 per kg to over 81 Crore people through
Public Distribution System (PDS).
One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)
It is being implemented by the Department of Food & Public Distribution for nation-wide portability of ration cards
under NFSA.
• It will allow all NFSA beneficiaries, particularly migrants to claim either full or part food grains from any FPS in
the country using ration cards.
• Started in 2019 it now covers 32 States/UTs in India. The remaining 4 States/UT (Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi &
West Bengal) will be covered in the next few months.
• At present ONORC covers 69 Crore NFSA beneficiaries (86% of NFSA population) in India.
• During the period April 2020 to February 2021, a total of about 15.4 Crore portability transactions were
recorded under ONORC.
Incentive for States
• States completing the implementation of the ONORC system are eligible for additional borrowing of 0.25 % of
GSDP.
• To date, 17 states have operationalised the ONORC system resulting in a grant of additional borrowing
permission of INR 37, 600 Crore by the Department of Expenditure.
Linking with Migrant’s Portal
To ensure that all beneficiaries are covered, the Migrants’ portal has also been integrated with the ONROC system.
Recent Related News
i.January 6, 2021, Madhya Pradesh (MP) & Andhra Pradesh (AP) became the 1st Group of States to complete three out
of the Four citizen schemes stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. The 4 schemes are One
Nation One Ration Card Reforms, Ease of Doing Business Reforms, & Urban Local Bodies Reforms.
About the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution:
Union Minister – Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha MP representing Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Raosaheb Patil Danve (Lok Sabha MP, constituency – Jalna, Maharashtra)
SERB set up Portal ‘SERB – PRISM’ to Get Inclusive Information on Projects

On March 11, 2021, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) a statutory body of the Department of
Science and Technology (DST) has set up a portal called ‘SERB – PRoject Information System & Management (SERB –
PRISM)’ to retrieve real-time information about research support provided by them.
• It was launched by Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Chairman, SERB, & Secretary, DST
About SERB – PRISM Portal:
Purpose: It will provide a whole range of information regarding all projects sanctioned by SERB from 2011 onwards.
Information categorized under the portal – status of research, project output details (publication & patents),
funding details, research trends & summary, learn about cutting-edge science, locate critical equipment in their
vicinity.
Search operation of the Portal:
It works as a comprehensive tool to search year-wise listing and project equipment that have been sanctioned by the
board using names of Principal Investigators (PIs), state, institutions, topics, and other keywords.
Suggestion given:
Prof. Sandeep Verma, Secretary, SERB, suggested linking the portal with important sectors such as water, energy, and
climate as well as with Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR).

On February 5, 2021 The Delhi Cabinet approved the Mukhyamantri Vigyan Pratibha Pariksha scheme, under which
Rs. 5000 will be provided as a science scholarship to 1000 meritorious students of Class 9 in the schools of Delhi.
About Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB):
The Government of India established SERB through the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008.
Objectives of SERB:
• Promoting basic research in Science and Engineering and
• provide financial assistance to persons engaged in such research, academic institutions, research and
development laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies
Chairman -Prof Ashutosh Sharma
Secretary – Prof Sandeep Verma
DPIIT to launch ‘Atmanirbhar Niveshak Mitra’ portal for domestic investors

In order to strengthen the efforts to promote domestic investments, the Department for Promotion of Industry
and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is in the process of finalising a dedicated digital portal – Atmanirbhar Niveshak
Mitra – for hand holding, information broadcasting, and provide assistance of domestic investors. It is under the
supervision of the commerce and industry ministry.
Features of the Atmanirbhar Niveshak Mitra:
One-stop-shop to access all MSME portals; Information about the Approvals, Licenses, Clearances, Incentives &
Schemes applicable to specific businesses across different sectors and Information on Manufacturing Clusters and
Land Availability.
Key Points:
• The Portal is in the testing phase and expected to be launched in May 2021. The portal will be developed to
available in regional languages and mobile app.
• The portal will have a dedicated digital investment promotion and facilitation team at Invest India. This
Project is under the “Invest India” agency which was set up in 2009 as a non-profit venture under the
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of
India.
• This is one of the most significant digital initiative being undertaken to target the specific investor interests
and ensure swift clearances & approvals throughout their doing business journey.
Note:- Total indicated investments from global companies is USD 153.7 Billion out of which USD 28.75 Billion are
actual investments.
NPCI Launched ‘UPI-Help’ Feature on BHIM UPI app

National Payments Corporation Limited (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and
settlement systems in India launched ‘UPI-Help’ on Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) UPI, a part of its Digi-Help
stack.This Feature will enhance the hassle-free experience on issue resolution for BHIM UPI app users.
• Initially, this feature will be available for the customers of State Bank of India (SBI), AXIS Bank, HDFC Bank and
ICICI Bank.
Features of the UPI Help:
i.It will enable users to use their app for the following features,
• Check status for pending transactions,
• Raise complaints for transactions that have not been processed or money not credited to the beneficiary,
• Raise complaints for merchant transactions.
• It can resolve complaints online for person-to-person (P2P) transactions.
Key Points:
• Customers of Paytm Payments Bank and TJSB Sahakari Bank will also be able to use UPI-Help soon.
About Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) App:
• BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is an Indian mobile payment App developed by the NPCI, based on
the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

• Named after B. R. Ambedkar and launched on 30 December 2016.
• The application supports all Indian banks which use UPI, which is built over the Immediate Payment Service
(IMPS) infrastructure and allows the user to instantly transfer money between bank accounts of any two
parties.
About National Payments Corporation Limited (NPCI):
MD & CEO – Dilip Asbe
CAIT Launches Vendor Onboarding App for its upcoming ‘Bharat e Market’
Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) launched a vendor onboarding mobile app for its upcoming e-
commerce portal ”Bharat e-Market”. This application allows businesses and service providers to register on the
portal and create their own “e-dukaan(an online shopping store)”.
• There will be no charge for creating an e-dukaan nor any commission on business done on the portal. The
other e-commerce portals are charging commission from 5% to 35% on transactions done on their portal.
• Bharat e-Market has been developing with the motive of supporting e-commerce traders and consumers of
India against foreign e-commerce companies which said to be violating the country’s FDI policy norms.
• No foreign investment in the portal will be accepted and users’ data will remain in India.
Govt focused to Develop & Strengthen India’s First own Mobile Appstore – “Mobile Seva Appstore”: Ravi
Shankar Prasad
On 18th March 2021, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister, Ministry for Electronics and Information
Technology(MeitY), stated that the government is keen to develop and strengthen India’s first indigenously
developed mobile app store – “Mobile Seva Appstore”.
This digital app store for government and private apps is a part of India’s efforts towards self-reliance.
Need for Mobile Seva app store:
i.India is the largest user of mobile apps.
ii.According to the India App Market Statistics report 2021, around 5% of the apps on android were developed by
Indian app developers.
iii.In the absence of India’s own app store, the dependence on Google and Apple for the digital service has affected the
digital ecosystem of India.
Mobile Seva App Store:
Mobile Seva is an innovative initiative launched by MeitY and implemented by CDAC to enable all Government
departments and agencies at the Centre, State and Local levels in the country to deliver their services through various
channels of mobile such as SMS, IVRS, USSD, Mobile Application and AppStore.
i.Mobile Seva AppStore is a mobile application hosting platform owned by the Government of India.
ii.The app store is based on service-oriented architecture and cloud-based technologies using open standards.
Features:
i.The government Departments and Developers can host their mobile application related to Government and other
public services on the Mobile Seva Appstore.
ii.The developers can host the mobile applications related to the public services related to health, education,
agriculture, financial, online payments and others.
iii.The verified and signed APK files can be uploaded on the AppStore free of cost and these apps can be downloaded
free of cost.
About Ministry for Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY):
Union Minister– Ravi Shankar Prasad (Lok Sabha- Patna Sahib, Bihar)
MoS– Sanjay Dhotre(Lok Sabha – Akola, Maharashtra)
‘UPFPO Shakti Portal’- UP CM Yogi Adityanath Launches India’s 1st of its kind FPO Portal
On March 21, 2021, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath launched UPFPO (Uttar Pradesh
Farmer Producer Organization) Shakti Portal as part of the Kisan Kalyan Mission in Gorakhpur, UP. It is the 1st of
its kind in India.

• Developers – Department of Agriculture, UP with technical support & Funding Support from Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation (BMGF).
• At present, UP has 576 FPOs comprising around 2.15 Lakh Farmers. Out of which, 471 FPOs have registered
themselves on the portal.
• The initiative is aligned with Prime Minister’s vision of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 & making India a
USD 5 Trillion economy by 2024.
Objective
• To benefit the farmers at the grassroots level.
• To bring farmers, producer groups, traders and the department of agriculture & other departments of the State
government on one platform.
Key Points:
i.The portal will help farmers to
• Expand their market base
• Reduce dependency on mandis
• Facilitate national and trans-boundary trade
ii.Using the portal farmers can download documents required to form the organizations directly from the portal.
iii.The portal will contain all information related to FPOs, key activities, organization structure & produces.
iv.Through the portal relevant information on specific subjects will be delivered to the farmers through Texts, emails
or audio/video.
v.The initiative will play a significant role in meeting national objectives, generating employment, reducing
malnutrition & empowering women.
Benefits
• Better marketing for Farm produces
• Providing Financial Linkages
• Focused Scheme support
i.On November 9, 2020, PM Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated & Laid the Foundation Stone of Multiple
development projects for Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh related to Agriculture, Tourism and Infrastructure.
About Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
Capital – Lucknow
POWERGRID Launches E-Tendering Portal “PRANIT”

E-Tendering Portal ‘PRANIT’ was launched by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a central PSU
under the Ministry of Power. This e-portal was established to minimize the paperwork and ease of operation and
expects the tendering process to become more transparent.
i.It has been certified by Standardisation, Testing and Quality Certification Directorate (STQC), Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology, Government of India.
ii. With this, POWERGRID becomes the only organization in India to have an eProcurement solution on SAP Supplier
Relationship Management (SRM), complying with all applicable requirements relating to security and transparency
as specified by STQC.
iii. POWERGRID is making a number of innovative developments within the SAP SRM framework to continue
digitization.
About PowerGrid:-
It is an Indian central public sector unit and a Maharatna company owned by the Ministry of Power , Government of
India.POWERGRID also operates a telecom business under the name POWERTEL.
Chairman & Managing Director – Shri Kandikuppa Sreekant
Headquarters – Gurgaon , Haryana
Established in -1989

IMD launched a Climate Data Service Portal
On 23rd March 2021, The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched a Climate Data Service Portal with
meteorological data of over 100 years(since 1900) which can be accessed by the public. The portal has been
developed by IMD, Pune.
The platform was developed with climate data management and supply to the users.
Features of the platform:
i.The platform complements the fully automated climate data management processes from real time data
management processes from real time data acquisition to expeditious data dissemination.
ii.The major components of the portal are, Real-time monitoring of weather observations recorded by IMD
observatories, Encapsulated IMD Metadata Portal, other reports and dashboards, Online access to meteorological
data through data supply portal.
iii.IMD also released standard operating procedures(SOP) for monitoring, forecasting and warning services of severe
weather events.
iv.SOPs were released on a host of services like satellite application in weather forecasting, radar application in
weather forecasting, numerical weather prediction, and others.
v.These SOPs will help the operational forecasters and will serve as a valuable document to carry out research
activities.
About India Meteorological Department (IMD):
Director General of Meteorology– Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
Nagaland Health Minister, S Pangnyu Phom launched an app ‘i-Learn’ for CHOs
On March 23, 2021, Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister S Pangnyu Phom, launched a capacity building and
performance tracking application, i-Learn for Community Health Officers (CHOs) in Nagaland.
• The app is launched with the support of project NISHTHA which is funded by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) and implemented by Jhpiego.
• NISHTHA is supporting Nagaland to obtain comprehensive primary healthcare through the operationalization
of Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres.
About ‘Naga Telehealth’:
On September 9, 2020, S Pangnyu Phom in partnership with USAID’s NISHTHA-Jhpiego launched a telemedicine
platform ‘Naga Telehealth’ to help people in remote areas to avail easier access to doctors for consultation. Under this
platform, more than 1000 teleconsultations have been conducted so far.
The objective of the app ‘i-learn’:
• It is a self-facilitated learning app for CHOs to learn about new skills in clinical and non-clinical areas.
• It is committed to supporting the state towards COVID19 and strengthening comprehensive primary
healthcare.
Jhpiego’s NISHTHA:
• It is a five-year project of Jhpiego, funded by USAID, which aims to transform, redesign and re-engineer
primary health care in India
The government of India, the Government of Nagaland & the World Bank signed a USD 68 Million (~ INR 490 Crore)
Project for improving the governance of schools across Nagaland. The program is called ‘Nagaland: Enhancing
Classroom Teaching and Resources Project’.
About Nagaland:
Capital – Kohima
Chief minister – Neiphiu Rio
Governor – RN Ravi
Nirmala Sitharaman launches 2 Tech initiatives of MCA – ‘Central Scrutiny Centre’ & IEPFA Mobile App
On March 25, 2021, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman virtually launched 2 Tech-
enabled initiatives of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) – Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC) & Mobile app of IEPFA

(Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority). They aim to strengthen the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Digitally
Empowered India’.
• Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC) – For Scrutinizing Straight Through Process (STP) Forms filed by the
corporates on the MCA 21 registry.
• IEPFA’s (Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority) Mobile App – For spreading Investors’
awareness, education, and protection among investors.
• The main aim behind bringing the initiatives is to create a new corporate and investor friendly ecosystem &
improve the Ease of Doing Business in India & Ease of Living for the people.
Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC)
CSC will scrutinize STP forms filed by Corporates on MCA21 registry and flag the companies for more in-depth
scrutiny. MCA is one of the key primary sources of Corporate data.
• CSC has been established to ensure that data quality (of MCA) is uncompromised and free from flaws.
• CSC will communicate the data quality issues & irregularities to the concerned Registrar of Companies.
IEPFA Mobile App
It has been launched to achieve the goal of financial literacy, spreading investors’ awareness, education and
protection among investors in both rural & urban areas. Primary goal being to push the Ease of Living.
Features
• It has been developed for Citizen engagement and information dissemination for promoting awareness among
investors.
• The app also has the facility of tracking the status and progress of the IEPF claim and refund process.
• It also provides a mechanism for investors & common citizens to report on suspected fraudulent schemes.
Increase in Incorporation of Companies in India
• Nirmala Sitharaman stated that in the Current Year (2021) till February, around 1.38 Lakh companies have
been incorporated by Central Registration Centre, which is an increase of over 17% compared to
corresponding period of 2020.
• The increase is due to the result of initiatives like introduction of integrated forms like SPICe+ & Agile Pro for
incorporation of Companies by the MCA.
i.On February 4, 2021, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has amended the ‘Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014’
to make changes in the definition of One Person Companies (OPCs) Rules.
About Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA):
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Rajya Sabha MP representing Karnataka)
Minister of State – Anurag Singh Thakur (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh)
ENVIRONMENT
Researchers Discover 5 new Species of Shrub Frogs in Western Ghats
Researchers from India’s University of Delhi and Kerala Forest Research Institute along with University of Minnesota,
USA have discovered 5 new species of Shrub Frogs (genus
Raorchestes) in Western Ghats. Their findings were
published in ‘PeerJ’ journal, the findings came as an outcome of
a long comprehensive study on the Shrub frogs that was
conducted in Western Ghats over a period of 10 years.
5 New Species:
• Raorchestes kakkayamensis (Kakkayam Shrub Frog)
• Raorchestes drutaahu (Fast-calling Shrub Frog)
• Raorchestes keirasabinae (Keira’s Shrub Frog)
• Raorchestes sanjappai (Sanjappa’s Shrub Frog)
• Raorchestes vellikkannan (Silver-eyed Shrub Frog)

Note- The scientific name of Frog is “Anura”
Key Findings:
i.Mating calls of 48 species of Male Shrub frogs were studied for the 1st time.
ii.80% of the world’s Shrub frog species is found in Western Ghats.
iii.These Shrub frogs with Unique eye colors & patterns are vulnerable to sudden population decline. And a study
is proposed to identify the cause of their population decline and possible solutions to overcome.
Hemiandrus Jacinda: Insect named after New Zealand prime minister

Hemiandrus jacinda is a species of wētā,a giant flightless cricket
and native to New Zealand was first described by Steven A.
Trewick. It was named after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern and was published in Zootaxa journal.
• Steven A.Trewick is a professor and scientist at Massey
University in New Zealand.
• This species is bigger and more brightly coloured than the
previous one and found in native forests in Northland,
Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Coromandel in the upper
North Island.
‘Reflecting Traits’ of Jacinda Ardern
Hemiandrus Jacinda has been named after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The cricket is red in colour
and “long-limbed,” something which is similar to Ardern’s Labour party colour and symbol.
Another Meaning of Cricket:-
Cricket is defined as a dark-coloured insect with long antenna that jumps, eats plants and makes a chirping sound by
rubbing together its forewings.
Jacinda Ardern
Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern is serving as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since
2017. She was born in Hamilton, New Zealand.
About New Zealand:-
Capital – Wellington
Currency – New Zealand dollar ($ NZD)
Language – English
Crotalaria lamelliformis: New Species Discovered from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh

A team of Botanists has discovered a new species of Calycinae genus named “Crotalaria lamelliformis” in the
Sadasivakona grove area a part of Southern Eastern Ghats, in
Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh.
• The new species was discovered as a part of the critical
investigation from July 2018 to November 2020.
• The discovery of “Crotalaria lamelliformis” has been
published in “Phytotaxa”, an international journal.
Team:
i.P. Sivaramakrishna from Sri Venkateswara University.
ii.P. Yugandhar from Sri Venkateswara University.
iii.Lalji Singh, Scientist-E from the Botanical Survey of India(BSI), Andaman and Nicobar regional centre.
About Crotalaria lamelliformis:
i.The species is also found in the surrounding region of Kailasakona and Pudi areas.
ii.Following the IUCN (International Code for Botanical Nomenclature) rules, this species has been assigned under the
category data deficient.
iii.The diversity of Crotalaria species are mostly confined to the peninsular region of India.
iv.The discovery of Crotalaria lamelliformis is an addition to the 116 species from India.

New species of Diatoms named ‘Epithemia agharkarii’ discovered in the Mula River
The study led by researchers from the Agharkar Research
Institute (ARI) discovered a new species of Diatoms in the
Mula River, Pune, Maharashtra. They named the
species Epithemia agharkarii after S P Agharkar who was
the founder-director of the institute ARI.
Features of Epithemia agharkarii:
• Diatoms are found all along the Mula river, in which
the Epithemia agharkarii was found thriving on
submerged stones located downstream Mulshi dam,
indicating its preferred ecosystem to be
freshwater reserves.
• The microbes measured 16 to 38 micrometre in length and 12.5 to 17.5 micrometre in width.
• Researchers from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Museum of Natural History and Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, Colorado, USA and Harbin Normal University, China, were collaborated in this study
• They have concluded that Epithemia agharkarii is endemic to the northern Western Ghats region of peninsular
India.
About Diatoms:
• Diatoms are single-celled algae that grow in nearly all kinds of water bodies including rivers, lakes, and
streams. These microorganisms contribute to generating oxygen in the atmosphere.
About Mula River:
Location – Pune, Maharashtra
Dam on the River -Mulshi Dam
About Agharkar Research Institute (ARI):
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
Chairman -Dr. D. R. Bapat Krishibhushan
African Elephants listed under IUCN Red List as Endangered & Critically Endangered
On 25th March 2021, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the African
Elephants: African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) as
Critically Endangered and the African Savanna
Elephant (Loxodonta africana) as Endangered in the IUCN Red
List.
i.As a result of new genetic findings, the Afican Elephants are
classified into 2 groups Forest & Savanna Elephant.
ii.Due to extreme Poaching, the population of African Forest
Elephants fell by 86% in the last 31 years & African Savanna
Elephants fell by 60% in the last 50 years.
Note- At present only 4,15,000 African Elephants are present.
iii.There has been a sharp decline in their population since 2008 as a result of Poaching & Illegal Tusk sales.
Note- From India, 10 mammals, 15 birds, 6 reptiles, 19 species of amphibians, 14 fishes are listed as ‘Critically
Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List.
Criteria for listing under Critically Endangered Species:
• Populations have declined or will decrease, by greater than 80% over the last 10 years or three generations.
• Have a restricted geographical range.
Methylobacterium ajmalii: new bacteria found on ISS named after Indian Scientist Ajmal Khan
New bacterial strains were found in different locations on the International Space Station (ISS). The new species is
named “Methylobacterium ajmalii” to honour the renowned Indian biodiversity scientist, Dr. Ajmal Khan, a former
professor at Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu.

• The genome analysis of Methylobacterium ajmalii
revealed the presence of genes that are involved in
promoting plant growth.
• The findings of the study were published in the journal
“Frontiers in Microbiology”.
Research Team:
The study by the research team was led by Dr. Kasthuri
Venkateswaran of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, C.C.
Wang of WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction,
Professor Appa Rao Podile from the University of Hyderabad
(UoH) with expertise on plant growth-promoting bacteria and plant microbiome, and Dr Ramprasad, a CSIR-pool
Scientist.
Findings of the study:
i.The bacterial strains belong to the family – Methylobacteriaceae.
ii.They were isolated from different locations on the ISS across 2 consecutive flights.
iii.One of the strains was identified as ‘Methylorubrum rhodesianum’ and the other 3 were undiscovered and belong
to a new species.
iv.Based on the Genetic analyses, these strains are related to Methylobacterium indicum.
Two New Red Seaweed species discovered along India’s Coastline

A Group of marine botanists led by Researcher Felix Bast from
the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) have
discovered 2 New red algal seaweed species – ‘Hypnea Indica’
(after India) & ‘Hypnea Bullata’ (Presence of blister like marks
on its body) along the coasts of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu &
in Gujarat and Daman & Diu. It is the 1st time that red algal
species of seaweeds have been discovered along Indian coasts.
• Hypnea Indica was discovered along coasts of
Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, and Somnath Pathan and
Sivrajpur in Gujarat; Hypnea Bullata was discovered from Kanyakumari and Diu island of Daman and Diu.
• They grow in intertidal regions of the coast (areas submerged during high tide and exposed during low tides).
• The discovery was recorded in the Journal Botanica Marina.
• The new discoveries are economically important because the Hypnea species is known to contain
Carrageenan, an important biomolecule (a dietary fiber) used extensively in food industry.
STATIC GK FROM CURRENT AFFAIRS

BANKS
About Fino Payments Bank Limited:
It is the 1st payments bank to go live with 410 branches and more than 25,000 banking points on day one.
Incorporated– 4th April, 2017 with the name Fino Payments Bank Limited.
MD and CEO– Rishi Gupta
Head Office– Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Indian Overseas Bank:
MD & CEO– Partha Pratim Sengupta
Tagline– Good People to grow with
Founded in– 10th February 1937

About SBI General Insurance:
MD & CEO– Prakash Chandra Kandpal
SBI General Insurance was started as a joint venture between State Bank of India (SBI) and Insurance Australia
Group (IAG).
About Rupee Co-operative Bank Ltd.,
Chairman of Administrator Board– Sudhir Pandit
Established– 1912
Formation– 1 April 1935
Key Appointments in RBI – Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister appoints
the governor and deputy governors.
Section 7 in The RBI Act, 1934, empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI governor in the public
interest
Shaktikanta Das – 25th governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 11 December 2018
About SBI Mutual Fund(SBIFMPL):
SBIFMPL is a joint venture between the State Bank of India, an Indian public sector bank, and Amundi, a
European asset management company.
CEO & Managing Director -Mr. Vinay M. Tonse
Founded – 1987
About World Bank:
MD and CFO – Anshula Kant (Roorkee, India.)
About Telangana Grameena Bank (TGB):
Telangana Grameena Bank (TGB) formerly known as Deccan Grameena Bank – DGB.
Chairman – V.Arvind
About Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB):
Chairman – K. Praveen Kumar
Head Office – Warangal, Telangana
About SIDBI:
• SIDBI acts as the Principal Financial Institution for Promotion, Financing and Development of the MSME
sector.
• SIDBI operates under the Department of Financial Services, Government of India. SIDBI is one of the four All
India Financial Institutions regulated and supervised by the Reserve Bank of India; other three are India Exim
Bank, NABARD and NHB
Deputy Managing Director– V Satya Venkata Rao
Headquarters– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Established on– 2nd April 1990 under an Act of Indian Parliament
About Canara Bank:
MD & CEO– L.V.Prabhakar
Tagline– Together We Can

Founded in– July 1906
Founder– Ammembal Subba Rao Pai.
Syndicate Bank was amalgamated into Canara Bank on April 2020
About Exim Bank:
MD– David Rasquinha
Regulated By– Reserve Bank of India
Chairman– P Gopi Krishna
Headquartered– Dharwad, Karnataka
About Kotak:
India’s first non-banking finance company which is converted into a bank.
Tagline – Let’s Make Money Simple
MD & CEO – Uday Kotak
About Yes Bank:
MD & CEO– Mr. Prashant Kumar
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in 2004
About Indian Bank:
In March 2020, Allahabad Bank was amalgamated with Indian Bank.
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer– Padmaja Chunduru
Tagline– Your Own Bank
Headquarters – Metro Manila, Philippines
Establishment – 19th December 1966
Country Director for India – Takeo Konishi
About Ujjivan Small Finance Bank:
MD & CEO– Nitin Chugh
Tagline– Build a Better Life
Headquarters– Bengaluru Karnataka
Ujjivan SFB commenced its operation as Small finance bank on 1st February 2017.
About Bank of Baroda(BoB):
HeadOffice– Vadodara (earlier known as Baroda), Gujarat
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Sanjiv Chadha
Establishment– 20 July 1908 (Nationalised on 19 July 1969)
Tagline– India’s International Bank
About Karur Vysya Bank (KVB):
Headquarters– Karur, Tamil Nadu.
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- B Ramesh Babu
Tagline – Smart Way to Bank

About Axis Bank:
India’s 3rd largest private sector Bank
Commenced operations – 1994(founded – 1993)
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Amitabh Chaudhry
Tagline– Badhti ka Naam Zindagi
Established on– 1st July 1955 after the nationalisation of the Imperial Bank of India.
About Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI):
Chairman– MR Kumar
MD & CEO– Rakesh Sharma
Tagline – Bank Aisa Dost Jaisa
Chairman – Shri Ajay Tyagi
About Deutsche Bank:
Headquarters – Frankfurt, Germany
CEO -Christian Sewing
About Punjab National Bank(PNB):
Founded– May 19, 1894
Commenced Operations– April 12, 1895
MD & CEO – CH. S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Tagline– The name you can bank upon
About Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Members – 68 members—49 from the region.
About Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI):
Establishment – 1st October 2016
Chairperson – M.S. Sahoo
About ICICI Bank:
Establishment – 1995(Incorporated 1994)
MD& CEO – Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline – Hum hai na, Khayal Apka
About IOB Bank:
Establishment – 10th February 1937
Headquarters – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Tagline – Good people to grow with
MD&CEO -Shri Partha Pratim Sengupta
About Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited(ESFBL):
MD and CEO– Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan (P N)
Tagline– It’s Fun Banking

About HDFC Bank:
MD & CEO – Sashidhar Jagdishan
About World Bank Group
Headquarters – Washington DC, USA
About Karnataka Bank:
Headquarters – Mangalore, Karnataka
Tagline – Your Family Bank Across India
MD&CEO– Mahabaleshwara M.S,
About Co-operative Banks:
Co-operative banks in India are registered under the States Cooperative Societies Act and they are regulated by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and governed by
• Banking Regulations Act 1949 and,
• Banking Laws (Co-operative Societies) Act, 1955.
About Union Bank of India:
Establishment – November 11, 1919
MD & CEO – Shri Rajkiran Rai G.
BANKING TERMINOLOGIES
Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF)
Corporation Finance Investigation Department (CFID)
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
Digital Insta Savings Account (DISA)
Capital to Risk (Weighted) Assets Ratio (CRAR)
Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)
India SME Asset Reconstruction Company (ISARC)
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
NFC- Near Field Communication
International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs)
National Highways Authority of India(NHAI)
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (USFB)
Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
Paytm for Business(P4B)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s (FDIC)
Asset Management Companies (AMC)
Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI)
Centre for Economics & Business Research Ltd (CEBR)
World Economic League Table 2021 (WELT)
Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL)
IMPS (Immediate Payment Service)

London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR)
Sterling Overnight Interbank Average Rate (SONIA)
Inter-Bank Offered Rate (IBOR)
Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Animal Husbandry and Dairying (CGFTAHD)
Foreign portfolio investment (FPI)
Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL)
Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL)
Settlement Guarantee Fund (SGF)
Official Development Assistance (ODA)
Central Registrar of Co-operative Societies (CRCS)
National Common Mobility Card(NCMC)
Prompt Corrective Action (PCA)
INDIAN STATES
About Uttarakhand:
National Parks– Govind National Park, Corbett National Park, and Rajaji National Park
Rishikesh– Yoga Capital of the World
Dehradun– School Capital of India
Mussoorie– Queen Of Hills
Dams – Kalagarh Dam (on river Ramganga), Tehri Dam (India’s Tallest Dam).
Rivers – Alaknanda River, Sarayu River, Pindar River
Major Mountains – Nanda Devi (India’s 2nd Highest mountain after Kangchenjunga), Kamet, Sunanda Devi
About Bihar:
Stadiums– Nalanda International Cricket Stadium, Moin-ul-Haq Stadium
Bird Sanctuary– Barela jheel salim ALi-Jubba Sahni bird sanctuary, Kusheshwar Asthan Bird Sanctuary, Kanwar
Lake Bird Sanctuary, Nakti Dam Bird Sanctuary, Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary
About Haryana:
City & Nicknames
• Millennium City of India – Gurugram
• Industrial City of India – Faridabad
Haryana produces India’s 64% of Tin.
Famous Sikh religious site, “Gurudwara Nada Sahib” is located in Haryana.
About Chhattisgarh:
Capital– Raipur, Bilaspur (Law Capital)
Governor– Anusuiya Uikey
About Mizoram:
National Parks (NP) – Murlen NP, Phawngpui NP (also known as Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park)
WildLife Sanctuary (WLS) – Khawnglung WLS, Lengteng WLS
Capital: Bhopal
Governor: Anandiben Patel
Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Hills – Mahadeo, Arera, Idgah
About Karnataka:
Folk Dances – Yakshagana, Dollu Kunitha.
Festivals – Hampi Festival/Vijaya Utsava, Karaga Festival, Kambala Festival.

About Goa:
Goa was liberated from the control of Portugese in 1961.
Waterfalls – Arvalem Falls, Dudhsagar Falls, Kesarval falls
About Gujarat:
Folk Dances – Garba, Dandiya Raas, Tippani
About Jharkhand:
Governor– Draupadi Murmu
Capital– Ranchi
National Park– Hazaribagh National Park, Betla National Park
About Tripura:
Tripura is a landlocked state that shares geographical boundary with Bangladesh, Assam & Mizoram.
Zoological Park – Sepahijala Zoological Park
Airport – Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport (Agartala Airport)
Tiger Project Areas– Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Pakke Tiger Reserve
National Parks– Namdapha National Park, Mouling National Park
Major Tribes of the state – Bugun, Hrusso, Singpho, Monpa, Sherdukpen, Nyishi, Wancho, Nocte, Adi, Apatani, and
Khamti.
Capital – Srinagar(summer) Jammu (winter)
Governor-Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha
Tribes– Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard, Shin, Changpa, Purigpa, Gujjar, Bakarwal, Gaddi, Sippi
National Park– Dachigam National Park, Kishtwar National Park
Ramsar Sites– Kolleru Lake
Zoological parks– Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park
About Rajasthan:
Important Rivers –
Luni (The largest river in the Thar Desert)
Chambal (The only perennial river of the state)
About Puducherry:
Total Lok Sabha Seats – 1
Total Legislative Assembly Seats – 33
About Maharashtra:
Forts – Pratapgad fort, Purandar fort, Rajgad fort
About Tripura:
Kokborok is the main native language of the Tripuri people of the Indian state of Tripura and neighbouring areas of
Bangladesh. Its name comes from kok meaning “verbal” and borok meaning “people” or “human”.
Chief Minister – Biplab Kumar Deb
Capital – Agartala
About Uttarakhand:
Zoological Park– Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant high altitude Zoological Park
Forts– Banasur Ka Kila, Pithoragarh Fort
About Odisha:
Ramsar Sites – Chilika Lake, Bhitarkanika Mangroves
Nicknames:
Silver City of India – Cuttack
Temple City of India – Bhubaneswar
UNESCO Sites– Fatehpur Sikri, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort

Bird Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Sarsai Nawar Jheel , Saman Bird Sanctuary
About Delhi
Forts – Red Fort, Tughlaqabad Fort, Feroz Shah Kotla Fort
About Jammu & Kashmir:
Lieutenant Governor – Sh. Manoj Sinha
1st Lt. Governor – Girish Chandra Murmu
Summer Capital – Srinagar
Winter Capital – Jammu
Amarnath Yatra is conducted annually at Srinagar.
About Punjab:
Governor – V P Singh Badnore
About Karnataka:
Governor – Vajubhai Vala
Capital – Bengaluru
Festivals- Vijaya Utsav (Hampi Utsav), Karaga, Kambala (Buffalo Race).
Nicknames:
Rome of East – Mangalore
Scotland of India – Coorg
Silicon Valley of India – Bangalore
National Parks – Bannerghatta National Park, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Kudremukh
National Park.
Lake – Hirekolale Lake, Ayyanakere Lake, Honnamana Kere Lake.
About Maharashtra:
Zoological park- Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park, Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park,
Jijamata Udyan Zoo, Maharajbagh Zoo, Peshwa Udyan Zoo
UNESCO Sites– Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Victorian Gothic and Art
Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
About Haryana
Tribes – Bazigars, Babaria, Gandhila
About Punjab:
Chief Minister – Captain Amarinder Singh
About Jammu & Kashmir (J&K):
World’s highest Railway Bridge, an arch bridge is constructed in J&K across Chenab river.
Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla cities are located on the banks of Jhelum river.
Kishtwar city is located on the banks of Chenab river.
Gandhi Sagar Dam is constructed on Chambal River.
About Telangana
Chief Minister – K Chandrasekhar Rao
Governor – Tamilisai Soundararajan (currently given additional charge as LG of Puducherry)
About Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
Capital – Lucknow
About Rajasthan:
Forts – Anupgarh, Badnore, Bhatner
About Nagaland:
Capital – Kohima
Chief minister – Neiphiu Rio
Governor – RN Ravi

Bird Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Sarsai Nawar Jheel, Saman Bird Sanctuary.
Forts- Jhansi Fort, Agra Fort, Chunar Fort, Ramnagar Fort, The Fort Rampura, Aligarh Fort, Fatehpur Sikri Fort.
About Tamil Nadu:
• Temple Town of South India – Kumbakonam
• Queen of Hill Stations – Ooty
• Princess of Hill Station – Kodaikanal
About Andaman & Nicobar Island Administration:
Lieutenant Governor – D K Joshi
Capital – Port Blair
Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport – Indore, Madhya Pradesh
OTHER COUNTRIES
About Nepal:
Capital– Kathmandu
President– Bidhya Devi Bhandari
About Madagascar:
Capital– Antananarivo
Currency– Malagasy ariary
About Bangladesh:
Capital – Dhaka
About Russia:
Capital– Moscow
Currency– Russian Rouble
President– Vladimir Putin
About Norway:
Prime Minister– Erna Solberg
Capital– Oslo
Currency– Krone
About Sri Lanka:
President – Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Capital – Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency – Sri Lankan Rupee
About Fiji
Prime Minister – Frank Bainimarama
Capital – Suva
Currency – Fijian Dollar (FJD)
About Phillipines:
Capital– Manila
Currency– Philippine peso
About United Arab Emirates (UAE):
Capital– Abu Dhabi
Currency– United Arab Emirates dirham

About Eswatini:
Formerly known as Swaziland
Capitals– Mbabane & Lobamba
Currency– Swazi lilangeni
About Indonesia:
President – Joko Widodo
Capital – Jakarta
Currency – Indonesian Rupiah
About Sweden:
Capital – Stockholm
Currency – Swedish Krona
About Sri Lanka:
Capital– Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, Colombo
Currency– Sri Lankan rupee
About Denmark:
Currency – Danish krone
About Israel:
Prime Minister- Benjamin Netanyahu
Capital– Jerusalem
Currency– Israeli Shekel
About Nigeria:
President– Muhammadu Buhari
Currency– Nigerian naira
Capital– Abuja
About Bangladesh:
Capital – Dhaka
About France:
Capital – Paris
Indo-French Military Exercise – “Shakti”
Indo-French Air Exercise – “Desert Knight”
Indo-French Naval Exercise – “Varuna”
About Uzbekistan:
President – Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Capital – Tashkent
Currency – Uzbekistan Som (UZS)
About the Republic of Ivory Coast(Côte d’Ivoire):
President- Alassane Ouattara
Capital– Yamoussoukro
Currency- West African CFA franc
About Australia:
Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain in Australia.
About Russia:
Capital – Moscow

Currency – Ruble
Lena River is the longest river in Russia.
Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest Railway line in the world.
About Japan:
Capital– Tokyo
About Mozambique:
Capital – Maputo
Currency – Mozambican metical (MZN)
President – Filipe Nyusi
About New Zealand:-
Capital – Wellington
Currency – New Zealand dollar ($ NZD)
Language – English
About Maldives:
Capital – Male
President – Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR)
About Finland:
President – Sauli Niinistö
Capital – Helsinki
About Italy:
President – Sergio Mattarella
Capital – Rome
About Tanzania:
Vice President– Samia Hassan Suluhu
Prime Minister– Kassim Majaliwa
Capital– Dodoma
Currency– Tanzanian shilling
About Bahrain:
Crown Prince & Prime Minister – Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Capital – Manama
Currency – Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
About Kuwait:
Emir – Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Capital – Kuwait City
Currency – Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
About United States (US):
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– United States Dollar (USD)
President– Joe Biden
About Madagascar:
President – Andry Rajoelina
Capital – Antananarivo
Currency – Malagasy Ariary (MGA)
About Republic of Congo:
Capital- Brazzaville
Currency- Central African CFA franc

About North Korea:
The 38th parallel line demarcates North Korea from South Korea.
Supreme Leader – Kim Jong-un
Capital – Pyongyang
Currency – North Korean Won
About Pakistan:
Currency – Pakistani Rupee (PKR)
About Maldives
President– Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Capital– Male
Currency– Maldivian Rufiyaa
About South Africa:
President- Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa
Currency- South African Rand
Capital- Pretoria(executive), Bloemfontein(judicial) and Cape Town(legislative)
Consulate General of India– Anju Ranjan
About Norway:
Prime Minister – Erna Solberg
Capital – Oslo
Currency – Norwegian Krone (NOK)
About Pakistan
Currency – Pakistani Rupee
About Japan:
Emperor of Japan – Naruhito
Prime Minister – Yoshihide Suga
Capital – Tokyo
Currency – Yen
About Guyana:
It is a country on the northern mainland of South America
Capital – Georgetown
Currency – Guyanese dollar (GYD)
MINISTRY IN NEWS
About Ministry of Education:
Union Minister- Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ (Constituency- Haridwar, Uttarakhand)
Minister of State- Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre (Constituency- Akola, Maharashtra)
In August 2020, the Ministry of Human Resource & Development was renamed back to the Ministry of Education.
About Ministry of External Affairs:
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Constituency– Gujarat
Minister of State– Vellamvelly Muraleedharan
About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):
Minister of State (MoS), Independent Charge – Rao Inderjit Singh
About Ministry of Finance:
Union Minister- Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of State- Anurag Singh Thakur

Controller General of Accounts (CGA)- Soma Roy Burman
Office of CGA– New Delhi
About Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers (MoC&F):
Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda Constituency– Bangalore North, Karnataka)
Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya Constituency– Gujarat (Rajya Sabha)
About Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment:
Thaawarchand Gehlot Constituency– Madhya Pradesh
Minister of State (MoS)– Krishan Pal Gurjar, Ramdas Athawale, Rattan Lal Kataria
About Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
Minister of State (Independent Charge) Housing And Urban Affairs – Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha MP,
Constituency – Uttar Pradesh)
About Ministry of Science and Technology:
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Constituency– Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
Departments under the ministry– Department of Science & Technology(DST), Department of Biotechnology(DBT),
Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR)
About Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW):
Minister of State (I/C) – Mansukh L. Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha MP representing Gujarat)
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW):
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar(Constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State– Parshottam Rupala(Constituency-Gujarat), Kailash Choudhary(Constituency- Barmer(Rajasthan)
About Ministry of Women & Child Development:
Union Minister – Smriti Irani (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Amethi, UP)
Minister of State – Debasree Chaudhuri (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Raiganj, West Bengal)
About Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises:
Union Minister – Nitin Gadkari (Constituency – Nagpur, Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Pratap Chandra Sarangi (Constituency – Balasore, Odisha)
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY):
Union Minister – Ravi Shankar Prasad (Constituency – Patna Sahib, Bihar)
Minister of State – Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao (Constituency – Akola, Maharashtra)
About Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas:
Union Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan (Constituency – Madhya Pradesh)
Secretary – Tarun Kapoor
About the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution:
Union Minister – Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha MP representing Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Raosaheb Patil Danve (Lok Sabha MP, constituency – Jalna, Maharashtra)
Ministry of Jal Shakti:
Union Minister– Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Minister of State– Rattan Lal Kataria
About Ministry for Chemicals & Fertilizers:
Union Minister – D V Sadananda Gowda (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Bangalore North, Karnataka)
Minister of State – Mansukh Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha MP – Gujarat)
About Ministry of Commerce & Industry:
Union Minister– Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha – Maharashtra)
Minister of State (MoS)- Hardeep Singh Puri(Rajya Sabha – Uttar Pradesh), Som Parkash(Lok Sabha – Hoshiarpur,
Punjab)
About Ministry for Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY):
Union Minister– Ravi Shankar Prasad (Lok Sabha- Patna Sahib, Bihar)
MoS– Sanjay Dhotre(Lok Sabha – Akola, Maharashtra)
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC):
Union Minister – Prakash Javadekar (Rajya Sabha MP representing Maharashtra)

About Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports:
Minister of State (IC) – Kiren Rijiju (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Arunachal West, Arunachal Pradesh)
About Ministry of Communication:
Union Minister – Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad (Constituency – Patna Sahib, Bihar)
Minister of State – Shri Sanjay Dhotre (Constituency – Akola, Maharashtra)
Ministry of AYUSH:
AYUSH – Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
Minister Of State (Independent Charge)– Shripad Yesso Naik(Constituency : North Goa (Goa))
About Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA):
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Rajya Sabha MP representing Karnataka)
Minister of State – Anurag Singh Thakur (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh)
About Ministry of Mines:
Union Minister – Pralhad Joshi (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Dharwad, Karnataka)
About the Ministry of Tourism:
Minister of State – Prahlad Singh Patel (Damoh, Madhya Pradesh)
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA):
Union Minister– Arjun Munda (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Khunti, Jharkhand)
Minister of State– Renuka Singh Saruta (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Surguja, Chhattisgarh)
ORGANIZATIONS IN NEWS
About FICCI:
Established– 1927
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Chairman– Dr.K. Sivan (Secretary of Department of Space(DoS))
President– Praful Patel
Founded- 1937
About United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS):
Executive Director– Winnie Byanyima
About International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO):
Secretary-General– Njoupouo YAP Mariatou
Members– Member States(59 state), Observer States (16 States), Affiliated Members (22 States)
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
Chairman– Ajay Tyagi
About World Customs Organisation (WCO):
Members – 183
Secretary General – Kunio Mikuriya

Establishment– 2000 (As Statutory Body)
Chairman– Subhash Chandra Khuntia
About International Finance Corporation (IFC):
IFC is a member of the World Bank Group.
MD, Executive Vice President – Makhtar Diop
About AIBA:
President– Umar Kremlev
About Badminton Association of India (BAI):
President – Himanta Biswa Sarma
Founded – 1940
Headquarter – New Delhi
It’s the Governing body of Badminton recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Founded – 1934
About CSIR-NIO (National Institute of Oceanography)
Director – Professor Sunil Kumar Singh
Headquarters – Dona Paula, Goa
Regional Centres – Kochi (Kerala), Mumbai (Maharashtra) & Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director – Inger Andersen
Headquarters – Nairobi, Kenya
About WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme):
Chair – Julie Hill
Headquarters – Banbury, United Kingdom
About UNICEF:
Executive Director – Henrietta H. Fore
About UNFCCC:
Executive Secretary – Patricia Espinosa
Signatory Parties – 197
About National Safety Council (NSC):
NSC was registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and it is registered as a Public Trust under
the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950.
Chairman– S.N. Subrahmanyan
Director General– Lalit Gabhane
Headquarters– Belapur, Maharashtra
About BSE:
Subsidiaries– Indian Clearing Corporation Limited, BSE Institute Ltd, and BSEIL
Equity index– S&P BSE SENSEX
MD & CEO– Ashishkumar Chauhan

About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
Chairman– Dr G Satheesh Reddy
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE):
Incorporated– 1934 under the Indian Companies Act, 1913
Headquarter– Kolkata, West Bengal
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)– Rear Admiral Vipin Kumar Saxena
About Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL):
Director – Dr OR Nandagopan
Location – Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
About National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA):
Acting Administrator – Steve Jurczyk
About NITI Aayog:
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of
India was established on 1st January 2015.
It replaced the Planning Commission of India (established in 1950).
Chairperson – Prime Minister of India
Chief Executive Officer – Amitabh Kanta
Vice Chairman – Rajiv Kumar
About Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):
Secretary General – Angel Gurría
HeadQuarter-Paris, France
Members Countries – 37
About Roscosmos:
Chief – Dmitry Rogozin
Head Quarter – Moscow, Russia
About China National Space Administration (CNSA):
Administrator – Zhang Kejian
Head Quarter – Beijing, China
About United World Wrestling (UWW):
President– Nenad Lalovic
Headquarters– Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland

About BRICS:
Members– Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
Current Chair – India
The First BRICS Ministerial Meeting was held on 20th September 2006.
About World Economic Forum(WEF):
Founder & Chairman– Klaus Schwab
Founded– January 1971
About ISRO:
It operates under Department of Space (DoS)
Headquarters – K Sivan
About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC):
13 Member Countries – Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi
Arabia, UAE & Venezuela.
Secretary General – HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo
Headquarters – Vienna, Austria
About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
It was conceived in July 1944 at the United Nations Bretton Woods Conference in the United States.
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
Managing Director : Kristalina Georgieva
Membership: 190 countries
The largest borrowers: Argentina, Egypt, Ukraine, Pakistan
About International Fencing Federation (FIE):
It is the International Governing body of Olympic Fencing
President – Alisher Usmanov
About NITI Aayog:
CEO – Amitabh Kant
World Economic Forum(WEF)
Headquarters – Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland
Executive Chairman – Klaus Schwab
About the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO):
Chief – Anil Dhasmana
About United Nation-Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP):
Executive Secretary – Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Headquarter – Bangkok, Thailand
About UN-DESA:
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs– Liu Zhenmin
About Indian Oil Corporation Limited(IOCL)
Establishment -30 June 1959
Chairperson – Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
About International Solar Alliance (ISA):
Director General – Ajay Mathur
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana, India

About UNICEF:
Headquarters – New York, United States of America
About UNFPA:
Executive Director – Dr. Natalia Kanem
About WHO
Director General – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
About the International Air Transport Association (IATA):
Director General and CEO – Alexandre de Juniac
Headquarters – Montreal, Canada
Members – 295 Airline members
Founded – 19 April 1945 in Havana, Cuba
About the United States Agency for International Development (USAID):
Acting Administrator – Gloria D. Steele
About US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC):
Acting CEO – Dev Jagadesan
About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
Head Office – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Administrator– Achim Steiner
Establishment – 1964, by the United Nations General Assembly
Part of – UN Secretariat and the United Nations Development Group.
Headquarters -Geneva, Switzerland,
Member countries – 195
Acting Secretary-General – Isabelle Durant of Belgium (from 16 February 2021)
About ISRO:
Founded by Vikram Sarabhai, also known as the Father of Indian Space Program.
Established- 1969
Headquarters- Bangalore, Karnataka
Chairman- Kailasavadivoo Sivan
About United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN):
President – Jeffrey Sachs
Secretariat – New York, USA; Paris, France; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
About Moody’s Analytics:
Headquarters – United States
President – Stephen Tulenko
About Competition Commission of India (CCI):
Establishment – 14th October 2003
Chairman – Ashok Kumar Gupta

About Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA):
Headquarters– Zurich, Switzerland.
Motto– For the Game. For the World.
President– Gianni Infantino.
About United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC):
Director-General/ Executive Director– Ghada Fathi Waly
Headquarters– Vienna, Austria
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General – Audrey Azoulay
Headquarter – Paris, France
About United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS):
Formed – December, 1973
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Headquarter– New York, USA
About World Meteorological Organisation:
Secretary-General– Petteri Taalas
Members – 193 member countries and territories (including India)
About the United Nations(UN):
Secretary-General– Antonio Guterres
About UN-Water:
Chair – Gilbert F. Houngbo
President – Praful Patel (He is also a FIFA Council Member)
Vice-President – Subrata Dutta
Founded – 1937
About Asian Football Confederation (AFC):
President – Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa
General Secretary – Dato’ Windsor John
Founded – 1954
About World Wide Fund of Nature(WWF):
Director General- Marco Lambertini
Established in- 1961
Headquarters- Gland, Switzerland.
OTHER STATICS IN NEWS

About Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited (ABHICL):
ABHICL is a joint venture of Aditya Birla Groups and MMI Holdings of South Africa.
CEO– Mayank Bathwal
Hinduja Tech Limited:
CEO– Kumar Prabhas
Headquarters– Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Founded in 2009

About Centre for Science & Environment (CSE):
Director General – Sunita Narain
About Alliance Insurance:
Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer– S. V. Thakkar
About CBDT:
CBDT, a statutory authority that functions under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.
Chairman– Pramod Chandra Mody
About Reliance Industries Limited(RIL):
CMD– Mukesh Ambani
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Founded– 8 May 1973.
About United World Wrestling:
President – Nenad Lalovic
Headquarters – Corsier-sur-Vevey, outside of Lausanne, Switzerland
About Indian Women’s Football Team:
Captain- Loitongbam Ashalata Devi
Head Coach- Maymol Rocky (She is the first female and present head coach of India women’s national football team)
Chairman & CEO – Suneet Sharma
About National Stock Exchange (NSE):
NSE is India’s largest Financial market, and world’s largest derivatives exchange in terms of contracts traded.
About Quality Council of India (QCI):
Chairperson – Mr Adil Zainulbhai
About Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the GoI:
Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI– Professor Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan
About International Energy Agency (IEA):
Executive Director – Dr Fatih Birol
About CashFree:
CEO & Co-Founder – Akash Sinha
Location – Bengaluru, Karnataka
About PayPal:
President and CEO– Dan Schulman
Headquarters- San Jose, California
About Hurun Report:
Chairman and Chief Researcher – Rupert Hoogewerf (Hu Run)
Headquarters – Shanghai, China
About Hurun India:
MD and Chief Researcher – Anas Rahman
Headquarters – Mumbai

Previously known as Central Board of Excise & Customs, CBIC is a part of the Department of Revenue under the
Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
About National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR):
It is an attached office of MoES
Director – Dr M V Ramana Murthy
Location – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
About JPMorgan Chase & Co
Chairman & CEO – Jamie Dimon
About NSE:
NSE regulated by SEBI.
About Arya Collateral Warehousing Services Pvt. Ltd.:
MD– Prasanna Rao & Chattanathan D
About MapmyIndia:
MD, Chairman – Rakesh Verma
About STEM & Space:
Chief Scientific Officer – Dr Mila Mitra
About IBM India:
Managing Director – Sandip Patel
Founded in 1992
About All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH):
Director– M. Pushpavathi
Headquarters– Mysuru, Karnataka
About Department of Biotechnology (DBT):
Department of Biotechnology (DBT)- Set up in 1986 under the Ministry of Science & Technology
Secretary– Dr. Renu Swarup
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC): It is a Section 8 “Not-for-profit Company” set up by
DBT
About United Nations General Assembly (UNGA):
President – Volkan Bozkir
About Indian Air Force (IAF):
Chief of the Air Staff – Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
About Axis Securities:
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer– B Gopkumar

About Tabreed:
Chairman of the Board – Khaled Abdulla Al Qubaisi
Headquarters – Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE
About IRCON International Limited:
CMD– S.K Chaudhary
About ICRISAT:
Director General– Jacqueline d’ Arros Hughes
About EasyGov:
Founded – 2015
Founder & CEO – Amit Shukla
About National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER):
President– Nandan M Nilekani
About EPFO:
CEO– Sunil Barthwal (CEO of EPFO is known as Central Provident Fund Commissioner)
About TEPC:
Chairman– Sandeep Aggarwal
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative by NITI Aayog, Government of India to promote a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Mission Director – Ramanan Ramanathan
About Reliance Power:
Chairman– Anil Ambani
About Freedom House:
President – Michael J. Abramowitz
About Fourth Partner Energy:
Executive Director & Co-founder – Vivek Subramanian
Founded – 2010
Managing Director & CEO- Mr. Hardayal Prasad
Tagline– Ghar Ki Baat
About ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel(AMNS):
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel(AMNS), is a joint venture of ArcelorMittal with Nippon Steel(Japan).
CEO- Aditya Mittal
Headquarters- Luxembourg
About IIT Jammu:
Established – 6th August 2016
Institute Location -Nagrota,Jammu
Director -Manoj Singh Gaur

About SBI Payments:
Chairman –Shri Swaminathan Janakiraman
MD & CEO -Giri Kumar Nair
About HDFC ERGO General Insurance:
HDFC ERGO General Insurance is a joint venture(51:49) of Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd.
(HDFC)and ERGO International AG.
MD & CEO– Ritesh Kumar
Head Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Titan company Limited(Titan):
Chairman- Mr N Muruganandam
Managing director – CK Venkataraman
About IHS Markit:
Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer– Lance Uggla
Headquarter– London, United Kingdom (UK)
About APRACA:
It is an international organisation which performs information exchange, takes capacity building initiatives and
creates new institutions.
Chairman- G R Chintala
Members– 24 member countries (87 members)
Headquarters– Bangkok, Thailand
About Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director– Glenn Saldanha
Head office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About SahiPay:
Headquarter– Gurugram, Haryana
About Google:
CEO – Sundar Pichai
Headquarters – California, USA
Parent Company – Alphabet Inc
About Boxing Federation of India (BFI):
President – Ajay Singh
About BPPI:
CEO– Sachin Kumar Singh
About Invest India:
Managing Director & CEO – Deepak Bagla
About The Heritage Foundation:
President – Kay C. James
About ACKO Technologies and Services Private Limited:
MD & CEO– Ruchi Deepak
Head Office– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Azad Foundation
Executive Director:Meenu Vadera
Establishment: 2008
Headquarter: New Delhi

About Indian Forest Service:
Inspector General of Forests– Bharati
Director– Jerome Minz
About Indian Navy:
Commander-in-Chief – President Ram Nath Kovind
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral Karambir Singh
Motto – “Sham no Varunah”
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is known as the “Father of Indian Navy”.
About TRIFED:
About TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers & Retail Associate of India):
Location – Malad,Mumbai
Founder – B.S. Nagesh
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Ameesha Prabhu
About Magicbricks:
CEO– Sudhir Pai
About Razorpay:
CEO– Harshil Mathur
About CRISIL
CRISIL is an Indian analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and policy advisory services
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Ashu Suyash
Parent Company– Standard & Poor’s (S&P)
About Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):
Director General– Subodh Kumar Jaiswal
CISF functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
About IBM:
Chairman & CEO– Arvind Krishna
It is part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India
About NTPC limited:
CMD – Gurdeep Singh
About Power Finance Corporation Ltd
It is a Schedule-A Navratna CPSE, and is a leading Non-Banking Financial Corporation in India under the
administrative control of the Ministry of Power.
Chairman & Managing Director – Shri Ravinder Singh Dhillon
About Samsung Electronics:
Establishment -13 January 1969
Headquarters – Suwon, South Korea

About Mastercard:
Establishment-1979
Headquarters – New York, U.S.
President and CEO – Michael Miebach
About Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd (Chola):
Company Location – Chennai, Tamilnadu
Chairman – Vellayan Subbiah
About Paytm:
Founder & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Founded– August 2010
About Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG):
The current/14th CAG – Girish Chandra Murmu, assumed office on 8 August 2020
About International Olympic Committee (IOC):
President– Thomas Bach
Created on 23 June 1894
About International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF):
President – Vladimir Lisin
Headquarters – Munich, Germany
About WE Hub:
WE Hub is India’s 1st and only state-led incubator to foster and promote women entrepreneurship.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Deepthi Ravula
About Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC):
Chairman – Santosh Kumar Gangwar (Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labor & Employment)
About Boston Consulting Group (BCG):
CEO – Rich Lesser
Chairman & MD of Asia-Pacific region – Neeraj Aggarwal
Headquarters – Boston, USA
About Edelweiss General Insurance:
It is a member of the Edelweiss Group
Corporate office – Kalina, Mumbai
Executive Director & CEO – Shanai Ghosh
About InterMiles:
JetPrivilege, the flyer programme of Jet Airways, stepped away and renamed itself as InterMiles.
Establishment -2014
MD & CEO -Manish Dureja
About Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR):
Director General- Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra
About GomSpace:
CEO – Niels Buus
Headquarters – Aalborg, Denmark
About National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL):
It was incorporated in 2016 under the Companies Act, 2013
It functions under the Ministry of Railways

MD – Achal Khare
About Banaras Locomotive Works(BLW):
General Manager – Anjali Goyal
Headquarter – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
About Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS):
RIS is an autonomous policy research institute.
Aim- To promote cooperation between developing countries, to strengthen policy coherence on international
economic issues & development.
Chairperson – Dr. Mohan Kumar
Director General – Sachin Chaturvedi
About PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC):
Chairman – Robert E. Moritz
Headquarters – London, UK
About BNP Paribas Cardif(BNPPC):
Location – France
CEO -Renaud Dumora
About SBI Life Insurance:
Incorporated – October 2000 (Registered with IRDAI in March 2001)
MD & CEO– Mahesh Kumar Sharma
Chairman – Dinesh Kumar Khara
CEO – Suneet Sharma
About Express Industry Council of India (EICI):
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Vijay Kumar
Location – Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Area, Mumbai.
About V-Dem Institute:
Director – Staffan I. Lindberg
Location – Gothenburg, Sweden
About Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL):
Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Chief Executive Officer & President – Christian Ulbrich
About Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations(ICRIER):
Chairman– Pramod Bhasin
About Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):
It functions under the Ministry of Culture
Director General – V Vidyavathi
About Aster DM Healthcare :
Chairman and Managing Director – Dr. Azad Moopen
Headquarter – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
About MG Motor India:
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
President & MD – Rajeev Chaba
Founded – 2017

About IIT-Delhi:
Director – V. Ramgopal Rao
About Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI):
Director – Dan Smith
Headquarters – Stockholm, Sweden
About Paytm(pay through mobile) and its launches over years:
Founded in August 2010 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma in Noida, New Delhi as a prepaid mobile and DTH recharge
platform.
MD & CEO of Paytm Payments Bank – Satish Gupta.
• November 2017 – Paytm Payments Bank
• March 2018 – Paytm Money
• May 2019 -Paytm partnered with Citibank to launch Paytm First credit card
• July 2020 – Partnered with Tata Starbucks allowing its customers to order food online during COVID-19.
About National Payments Corporation Limited (NPCI):
MD & CEO – Dilip Asbe
About Life Insurance Corporation(LIC)
Establishment -1956
Chairman -M R Kumar
Managing Director – Siddhartha Mohanty, Vipin Anand, Mukesh Kumar Gupta, Raj Kumar
About Vayana Network:
Founder & CEO– R. N. Iyer
ReNew Power
Chairman and Managing Director – Sumant Sinha
Headquarters – Gurgaon(Gurugram, Haryana)
About International Boxing Association:
Founded – 1946
President – Umar Kremlyov
About National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG):
Director General – Rajiv Ranjan Mishra
About Hurun India
MD & Chief Researcher – Anas Rahman Junaid
Chairman -Rupert Hoogerwerf
Headquarters – Mumbai Maharashtra
About NPC:
Chairman– Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra
Director-General– Arun Kumar Jha
Established in 1958
About PTC India Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director– Deepak Amitabh
Established in April 1999
About Craft Village:
Founder– Iti Tyagi
Co-Founder– Somesh Singh
Location– New Delhi

About Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)– Sanjay Gupta
Headquarters – Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
About IQAir:
President – Frank Hammes
Headquarters – Goldach, Switzerland
About Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI):
PGTI is the controlling body for professional golf in India.
CEO– Uttam Singh Mundy
President– Gautam Thapar
Head office– Gurugram, Haryana
Formed in 2006
About Tech Mahindra:
Chairman – Anand G. Mahindra
MD&CEO – CP Gurnani
About Indian Army:
The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Force.
Chief of Indian Army – Manoj Mukund Naravane
Motto – “Service Before Self”
About Phinergy:
CEO – David Mayer
Headquarters – Lod, Israel
About Continuum Green Energy (Continuum)
CEO – Arvind Bansal
About NeoGrowth Credit Pvt.
Chairman -D.K Khaitan
Managing Director (MD) – P.K. Khaitan
About Kalyani Rafael Advanced System (KRAS):
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Rudra B Jadega
Location – Hyderabad, Telangana
About BIR:
President– Tom Bird
Director General– Arnaud Brunet
Founded in 1948
About Ordnance Factory Board(OFB):
Chairman– C S Vishwakarma (Director General, Ordnance Factories)
Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
The OFB came into existence on 2nd April 1979
About Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA):
APEDA established under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by
the Parliament in December 1985.
Chairman– Dr. M. Angamuthu

About National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC):
Chairman-Cum-Managing Director (CMD) -Vijayendra
About Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF):
Executive Director – Dr. Nandini Kannan
CEO– Andy Jassy
Headquarters– Seattle, Washington, USA
About Atal Innovation Mission(AIM):
Director– Ramanan Ramanathan
About the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Director General – Francesco La Camera
Headquarters – Abu Dhabi, UAE
Members – 163
About Bloomberg:
CEO – Mike Bloomberg
Headquarter – New York, United States (US)
About Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC):
Director – Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair
Location – ISRO Headquarters Campus, Bengaluru, Karnataka
It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL)
CEO – Mahua Acharya.
About Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA):
President – G G Gangadharan
About Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI):
Director General – Sandeep Poundrik
Head Office – New Delhi (Interim Headquarters)
About FIAF:
President– Frédéric Maire
Secretary-General– Michael Loebenstein
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
About Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID):
Establishment – 23rd October 1989
Headquarters – Gurgaon, Haryana
Chairman & Managing Director – K. Sreekant
About Jaypee Powergrid Limited (JPL):
It is a joint venture company set up between Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited (JPVL) and Power Grid Corporation
of India Limited (PGCIL)
Company Location– New Delhi
Chairman– Shri I.S. Jha(Part-time)
About Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL):
CMD – Siddharth Mishra

About Indian Armed Forces:
The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.
About Indian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (IVCA)
Chairperson – Renuka Ramnath
About Ernst & Young (EY)
Global Chairman & CEO – Carmine Di Sibio
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom (UK)
About Badminton England
Chief Executive – Adrian Christy
Headquarters – Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England
About Mahindra Group:
Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) is the defence business venture of Mahindra Group
Chairman – Anand Mahindra
About the Danish Red Cross:
President – Sven BAK-JENSEN
About The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI):
Director General – Dr Vibha Dhawan
About Shell:
Global CEO – Ben Van Beurden
Headquarters – The Hague, Netherlands
About National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR):
Headquarters: Vasco da Gama
Director: Muthalagu Ravichandran
About Indian Institute of Science(IISc):
Director – Prof. Govindan Rangarajan
Institute Location – Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Fitch Ratings:
President– Ian Linnell
Headquarter– New York, United States
About Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC):
Chairperson – Prasoon Joshi
Head Office – Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Mula River:
Location – Pune, Maharashtra
Dam on the River -Mulshi Dam
About Agharkar Research Institute (ARI):
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
Chairman -Dr. D. R. Bapat Krishibhushan
About Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED):
TRIFED comes under the Administrative control of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Established– 1987

About BillDesk:
About Razorpay Software Private Limited:
CEO – Harshil Mathur
About Rail Vikas Nigam Limited:
RVNL was established in 2003, as a 100% Public Sector Company under the Ministry of Railways.
Chairman & MD- Pradeep Gaur
About Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
Director General – Krishnaswamy Natarajan
About India Meteorological Department (IMD):
Director General of Meteorology– Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
About Supreme Court of India:
Chief Justice – Sharad Arvind Bobde (47th CJI of India)
Location – Delhi
About Niyo:
Co-Founder and CEO – Vinay Bagri
About S&P Global Ratings:
Headquarters– New York, U.S.
President– John Berisford
Parent– S&P Global
CESL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL)
Managing Director & CEO– Mahua Acharya
About CSC Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV):
CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle.
It was set up by the Ministry of Electronics & IT under the Companies Act, 1956.
Purpose – to oversee the implementation of the CSC scheme.
Managing Director- Dinesh Kumar Tyagi
About Tata Motors:
MD&CEO – Guenter Butschek
About Bharat Pe
Chief Executive Officer – Ashneer Grover
About Maithri Aquatech Pvt Ltd
Founder & MD -Ramkrishna Mukkavilli
Company location – Telangana
About Indian Navy:

About Election Commission of India (ECI):
Chief Election Commissioner – Sunil Arora
Election Commissioner – Sushil Chandra, Rajiv Kumar
About Department of Science & Technology (DST):
DST is a department under the Ministry of Science & Technology.
Union Minister – Harsh Vardhan (Constituency – Chandni Chowk, Delhi)
Secretary – Ashutosh Sharma
About Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE):
Chairperson – Manoj Ahuja
Formed – 1962
About Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL):
Establishment – 1952 as (Standard Vacuum Refining Company of India Limited)
MD and Chairman – Mukesh Kumar Surana
About National Book Critics Circle(NBCC):
Organization Location -New York, United States
President – David Varno
About Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI):
Chairman & Managing Director – Jatindra Nath Swain
About HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL):
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director – Prabh Das
Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh
About The India Centre for Migration (ICM):
Chairman– Sanjay Bhattacharyya
About Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC):
CEO – Ben Backwell
About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL):
Chairman and Managing Director(CMD)– K. Padmakar
About ITI Limited (ITI):
Chairman & MD – Shri Rakesh Mohan Agarwal
About Cochin Shipyard Ltd:
Chairman & Managing Director – Madhu S Nair
Location – Cochin, Kerala

GA Questions Asked in Exams
• GA Questions asked in RRB PO Mains Exam 2021 – Jan 30

• 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
All The Best for Your Exams!!!

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Cabinet Approvals on March 10, 2021

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Cabinet Approvals on March 16, 2021

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Cabinet Approvals on March 23, 2021

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LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

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Harsh Vardhan launches “CSIR Floriculture Mission”

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India’s first forest healing centre inaugurated in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand

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President Laid Foundation Stone for Conservation Works at Singorgarh Fort in MP

PM Inaugurated the Curtain Raiser Activities of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (India@75)

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PM Modi launches the Kindle version of Swami Chidbhavanandaji’s Bhagavad Gita

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Maldives inaugurates ‘Fiyavathi Home for Vulnerable Children’ funded by India

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NIO launches project for mapping genetic diversity in Indian ocean

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UP Govt Celebrates 3 Day-long ‘Kalanamak Rice Festival’

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UP government organises ‘banana festival’

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India, Norway to conduct Marine Spatial Planning in Lakshadweep & Puducherry

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39th Agartala International Book Fair begins in Tripura

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India to replace TEQIP with MERITE project to improve Technical Education

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CSIR-NIO to Launch 90-day Cruise Missile to map Genomes in Indian Ocean

EPFO Recommends 8.5% Interest Rate for PF Contributions for 2020-2021

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China regains its position as India’s Largest Trading Partner