Daily Current Affairs: February 25, 2021

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National News

Ministry of Corporate Affairs signed MoU with CBIC for exchange of data to enhance Ease of Doing Business in India

• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) have signed an MoU for the exchange of data for enhancing the ease of doing business in India and improve overall regulatory enforcement.
• The MoU was signed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs Manoj Pandey, and B. Gupta, Additional Director General of CBIC.

Union Cabinet approved President’s rule in Puducherry

• The Union Cabinet approved a proposal by the Home Ministry to dissolve the Puducherry Assembly and impose President’s rule in the Union Territory.
• The decision comes days after the Congress-led government had lost power during a vote of confidence.
• Union Minister Prakash Javadekar stated that the decision was taken as no party claimed to form a government following the resignation of Chief Minister Narayanasamy.
• According to Article 356, President’s Rule can be imposed on any state of India on the grounds of the failure of the constitutional machinery.

Indian Army to Procure Augmented Reality Head-Mounted Display (ARHMD) Systems

• The Indian Army is in the process of acquiring niche technology by procuring 556 Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display (ARHMD) systems under the Make-II category as per a statement by the Indian army.
• The projects under the industry-funded ‘Make-II’ category involve prototype development of equipment, system, platform, or their upgrades or their subsystems/ sub-assembly/assemblies/ components, with a focus on import substitution and innovative solutions, for which no government funding is provided for prototype development purposes.
• After successful evaluation of vendor responses, Project Sanction Order (PSO) has been issued to six vendors to start developing the prototype.

Uttar Pradesh assembly approved a bill prohibiting religious conversion

• The Uttar Pradesh Assembly passed the controversial law against religious conversion through marriage. The bill outlaws conversions through marriage, deceit, coercion, or enticement.
• The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2021, was passed after a voice vote in the state Assembly.
• The draft law will replace an existing ordinance and will now be sent to the Upper House of the Assembly, according to the Hindustan Times. After this, the bill goes to Governor Anandiben Patel for her
• The ordinance, “Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance” was promulgated on November 24, 2020.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be inaugurated the second edition of the Maritime India Summit

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Maritime India summit 2021. The summit was organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways through a virtual platform (ww.maritimeindiasummit.in.) to promote both international and domestic investment in the Ports and Maritime Sector.
• The objective of the Summit is to propel India to the forefront of the Global Maritime Sector. On Opening Day ‘Investment Opportunities in Maharashtra’ Session to be held.
• The signing of MoUs with various entities has already started. Mumbai Port Trust has signed MoUs worth 7400 Crore so far. It is expected that Rs. 20,000 Crore worth MoUs will be signed as part of this Summit.

ICAR-CCARI and Goa sign MoU for manufacturing of Nutmeg Pericarp Taffy

• A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between ICAR–Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CCARI), Goa and Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB), Goa, for commercialization of ICAR-CCARI’s technology “Process for manufacturing of Nutmeg Pericarp Taffy” at ICAR-CCARI, Old This licensing agreement is valid for five years.

Goa 

• Capital: Panaji.
• Chief Minister: Pramod Sawant.
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari (Additional Charge).

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the ICOLD Symposium on Sustainable Development of Dams & River Basins

• The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Symposium on Sustainable Development of Dams & River Basins was inaugurated by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Jal Shakti as Chief Guest and K. Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India presided over the Opening Ceremony.
• International Commission on Large Dams (INCOLD) in collaboration with Central Water Commission (CWC), Dam Rehabilitation Improvement Project (DRIP), and National Hydrology Project (NHP) is organising a Symposium on “Sustainable Development of Dams and River Basins” under the aegis of ICOLD at New Delhi.
• The achievement of flagship programmes of the Ministry of Jal Shakti namely the Dam Rehabilitation Improvement Project (DRIP) to improve the safety and operational performance of large dams.

Indian Navy Signed a Contract With M/S Secon For Acquisition of Eight Missile Cum Ammunition Barge

• A contract for the construction of 8 Missile Cum Ammunition Barges (MCA) has been concluded with M/s SECON, Visakhapatnam an MSME.
• The Missile Cum Ammunition Barges will be inducted into the Indian Navy to undertake the mission needs for embarking/ disembarking Missile, Gunnery, and ASW Ammunition. The project adds another milestone to the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government of India.

Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar distributed awards to top-performing states and districts under the PM-KISAN scheme

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development, Panchayat Raj and Food Processing Industries, Narendra Singh Tomar awarded the top-performing States and Districts for their exemplary work concerning the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN).
• Karnataka awarded for adding the highest percentage of Aadhar authenticated beneficiaries.
• Maharashtra gets the award for Good Performance in Physical verification and Grievance Redressal.
• Uttar Pradesh was awarded for the fastest take-off of the PM Kisan Scheme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs 36^th PRAGATI meeting

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 36^th PRAGATI meeting and reviewed 8 projects worth Rs 44,545 crore. In the meeting, ten agenda items were taken up for review including eight projects, grievance relating to one scheme, and one programme.
• These eight projects, with a cumulative cost of about ₹44,545 crore, pertained to 12 states, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Meghalaya.
• Among the eight projects, three were from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, two from the Ministry of Railways, one each from Ministry of Power, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Ministry of Home Affairs.

Five toilets to be opened in Kochi under the ‘Take a Break’ programme

• Focus on converting existing ones into beautified and hygienic facilities. Five of the 237 toilets proposed at public spaces under the ‘Take a Break’ programme initiated jointly by the district administration, Suchitwa Mission, and local bodies will be opened in the district shortly.
• The proposed toilets will be either newly constructed or renovated, and the project is likely to be completed during the 2021-22 financial year.

Kerala

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan.

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami Laid Foundation stone of Infrastructure projects

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami unveiled several infrastructure projects via videoconference at the Secretariat. He also laid the foundation for hospital buildings and a food park.
• He unveiled new buildings constructed in multiple locations for the Health and Family Welfare Department at a total cost of ₹98.84 crores.
• He also laid the foundation for the construction of buildings in Tiruvallur, Tiruppur, Salem, and Tirunelveli districts at a total cost of ₹109.5 crores.

Prime Minister Modi addressed the 33^rd Convocation of the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 33^rd Convocation of The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University via video conferencing. A total of 17,591 candidates will be conferred with Degrees and Diplomas in the Convocation. Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Tamil Nadu will also be present on the occasion.
• The University is named after the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr. M.G. Ramachandran. It has a total of 686 affiliated institutions under its umbrella, encompassing the disciplines of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, AYUSH, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Allied Health Sciences.

Tamil Nadu                      

• Capital: Chennai
• Chief Minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit.
• National Park: Mukurthi NP, Guindy NP, Gulf of Mannar Marine NP, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP, Mudumalai NP.

India Army to start using SAI for internal communications from April 1

• Indian Army is likely to start using SAI (Secure Application for Internet), a messaging platform, for internal communications. The application, developed by Colonel Sai Shankar, is undergoing the process of getting cyber and security clearance and data testing.
• It is a software application, which is the equivalent of WhatsApp. The application supports end-to-end secure voice, text, and video-calling services for Android platforms over the internet.

International News

Ghana becomes the first country to receive free COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX scheme

• Ghana became the first country to receive a batch of free anti-coronavirus vaccine doses through the COVAX initiative, a shot-sharing scheme behind the inoculation drive in poorer countries.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) leads COVAX together with Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations stated that the shipment of 600,000 AstraZeneca doses was the first step in immunizing the West African nation of 30 million.

Ghana:

• Capital: Accra
• Currency: Ghanaian cedi
• President: Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

12^th Technical group meeting of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of BRICS held in India

• The 12^th Technical Group Meeting of National Statistical Offices of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Countries has been held at New Delhi in the virtual mode under the aegis of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

India hosted the First Meeting of BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies

• India hosted a Meeting of BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies virtually and was co-Chaired by Tarun Bajaj, Secretary Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Michael Patra, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India. Other participants included BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies of Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa.
• This was the first meeting on the BRICS Financial Cooperation under India Chairship in 2021. 

India and Uzbekistan agreed to strengthen multilateral cooperation

• India and Uzbekistan agreed to strengthen multilateral cooperation. Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and Jaishankar discussed the bilateral relations concerning both the nation.
• Kamilov, who is in Delhi, also discussed development, defence, connectivity, trade, and culture. Both the leaders also exchanged views on the Afghanistan situation.

Banking and Economy

Fino Payments bank got the status of a scheduled commercial bank by RBI

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced through a notification Fino Payments Bank has been included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• The scheduled commercial bank status allows Fino Payments Bank to enhance its banking position in the treasury and participation in LAF (Liquidity Facility)
• It also helps the bank strengthen its business proposition on liabilities

Appointments

Linda Thomas-Greenfield to be appointed as US Ambassador to the United Nations

• Linda Thomas-Greenfield was appointed as US Ambassador to the United Nations. The vote was 78-20 and her confirmation comes less than a week before the United States’ presidency at the UN Security Council.
• Thomas-Greenfield has a lengthy career serving as a diplomat, with most of the time dedicated to S. efforts in Africa.

Fino Payments Bank

• Headquarters: Mumbai.
• CEO: Rishi Gupta.
• Tagline: “Qadar Aapki Mehnat Ki”

Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) appoints Yanira Ramirez as country sales manager for India

• Swedish apparel retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) announced the appointment of Yanira Ramirez as the new country sales manager for India.
• Previously global Sales Manager for & Other Stories, Ramirez joins the India team at a time when H&M India has 50 stores across 25 cities, a newly launched digital loyalty programme and a strong online presence on com and Myntra.

Former union minister Vijay Sampla appointed as the new chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes

• Former union minister Vijay Sampla took the charge of Chairman National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). He has been a former Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment from 2014-2019.
• The Union Minister Som Prakash, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishna Pal Gurjar, former Chairman of NCSC, BJP MP Hans Raj Hans as well as other members of the Commission were also present during the occasion.

Sports News

International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Brisbane as the ‘preferred partner’ to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games

• The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) future host summer commission has designated Brisbane as the “preferred candidate city” to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games, a decision endorsed unanimously by the IOC’s executive board.
• Brisbane will be named the host city and it would become the third Australian city to host the Summer Games after Melbourne (1956) and Sydney (2000).

International Olympic Committee (IOC):

• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• President: Thomas Bach

Prithvi Shaw becomes 8^th Indian to score a double ton in 50-over cricket

• Prithvi Shaw became the highest individual scorer in Vijay Hazare Trophy national 50-over championships as he smashed an unbeaten 227 off just 152 balls to help Mumbai post a mammoth 457/4 against Puducherry in their Elite Group D game.
• The 21-year-old Shaw, who has played in five Tests and five ODIs, broke the earlier record of the highest individual score held by Sanju Samson (212 not out against Goa in 2019).

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