Daily Current Affairs: April 16, 2021

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Important Days

World Voice Day – 16 April

• World Voice Day is observed annually on 16 April. The day is to create awareness, recognise, and celebrate the most important and at the same time often ignored gift of god – the ‘Human Voice’.
• The day was first initiated by a group of Brazilian voice care professionals in the year 1999.
• 2021 Theme: “One World, Many Voices”

National News

Amazon launched a $250 million venture fund for Indian startups

• Amazon has announced a $250 million fund for India with the aim to focus on enabling SME digitisation, agriculture technolog, and medical technology. The announcement came at the tech giant’s second Smbhav event.
• Amazon has also pledged to onboard 1 million offline retailers and neighbourhood stores by 2025 through its Local Shops program on Amazon.

Piyush Goyal chaired the first meeting of the National Startup Advisory Council

• Union Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, and Food & Public Distribution Piyush Goyal chaired the first meeting of the National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC).
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had constituted the National Startup Advisory Council to advise the Government on measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities.

National Internet Exchange of India launched its three new initiatives

• Secretary of the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Ajay Prakash Sawhney inaugurated three path-breaking initiatives of the National Internet Exchange of India, NIXI. The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) announced three new initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the IPv6 protocol in India. These initiatives are IP Guru, NIXI Academy, and NIXI-IP-INDEX.
• IPv6 is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol communications system, which provides identification and location information for devices and networks connecting to the Internet.
• The IP Guru is a group to extend support to all the Indian entities who are finding it technically challenging to migrate and adopt the Internet Protocol version, IPv6. In addition to this, the group will help in identifying and hiring an agency that will help end customers by providing necessary technical support to adopt IPv6.
• The NIXI Academy had been created to educate technical and non-technical people in India about technologies like IPv6 which will lead to better management of Internet resources in the country.
• The NIXI-IP-INDEX portal had been launched to showcase the IPv6 adoption rate in India and across the world.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister launched EatSmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge

• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the EatSmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge.
• EatSmart Cities Challenge is an opportunity for India to play a pioneering role in developing the concept of integrating food systems into city planning and development.
• The Transport 4 All Challenge aims to bring together cities, citizen groups, and startups to develop solutions that improve public transport to better serve the needs of all citizens.

Atal Innovation Mission collaborated with Bayer to work towards healthcare and agriculture innovations

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog collaborated with Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of healthcare and nutrition, to work towards the mission’s innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives across the country.
• The Statement of Intent (SoI) will span the promotion of science education, advancing digital solutions, and agri-tech to strengthen supply chains as well as healthcare projects.

International News

India and the US launched hydrogen task force under Strategic Energy Partnership

• India and the United States launched a Hydrogen Task Force under the Strategic Energy Partnership between the two countries.
• US Deputy Secretary of Energy, David M Turk, announced the inaugural edition of the Hydrogen Round table titled “Hydrogen Economy: New Delhi Dialogue – 2021”.

United States of America (USA)

• Capital: Washington DC
• Currency: US Dollar
• President: Joe Biden

Banking and Economy

IRDAI extended the validity of Regulatory Sandbox Regulations for 2 years

• The IRDAI has amended the Regulatory Sandbox Regulations. The objective of these regulations is to amend the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Regulatory Sandbox) Regulations, 2019, to extend its validity for 2 years.

Regulatory Sandbox

• A regulatory sandbox is a framework set up by a regulator that allows FinTech startups and other innovators to conduct live experiments in a controlled environment under a regulator’s supervision.

IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority)

• Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana
• Chairman: Subhash Chandra Khuntia

National Housing Bank launched ₹10,000-crore Special Refinance Facility (SRF 2021)

• National Housing Bank (NHB) has rolled out a ₹10,000 crore ‘Special Refinance Facility-2021’ (SRF-2021) to provide short-term refinance support to housing finance companies (HFCs) and other eligible primary lending institutions (PLIs).
• This facility is expected to meet the short-term liquidity requirements of the PLIs and will also support them for onward lending to individuals to maintain steady growth in the housing finance sector.

National Housing Bank (NHB)

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairman: RV Verma
• Managing Director: Sarada Kumar Hota

RBL Bank partnered with MasterCard to launch the Pay by Bank App

• RBL Bank and MasterCard partnered to launch a mobile-based consumer-friendly payment solution – the Pay by Bank App, a first-of-its-kind payment functionality in India.
• RBL Bank account holders can now enjoy contactless transactions across the world through their mobile banking application both in-store and online. This functionality will be available at all MasterCard accepting merchants worldwide that accept contactless and online payments.
• ‘Pay by Bank App’ ensures that bank consumer’s payment credentials are never exposed to the merchant, making the transaction completely secure.

RBL bank

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO: Vishwavir Ahuja

Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) proposed to relax NPS entry and exit age

• The Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) had suggested raising the maximum age of eligibility for the National Pension System (NPS) from 65 to 70 years old and the exit age limit will be raised from 70 to 75 years. Currently, Indians between the age bracket of 18–65 years can open an NPS account.
• Currently, the regulatory norms require a person on retirement to invest at least 40 per cent of the retirement funds in annuities.

Deutsche Bank lent Rs. 600 crore to the National Cooperative Development Corporation

• Leading German lender Deutsche Bank AG lent Rs. 600 crore to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), a development finance statutory institution under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare for financing farmer co-operative initiatives in the country.
• The funds will be used mainly to support NCDC’s activities around Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Along with NABARD and Small Farmer Agri-Business Consortium, NCDC is the lead agency for 10,000 new FPOs which will be set up over the next few years in the country.

Deutsche Bank

• Headquarters: Frankfurt, Germany
• CEO: Christian Sewing
• Founded: 10 March 1870

RBI penalised Bihar-based co-op Bank Ltd for KYC violation during the exchange of demonetized notes

• A Bihar-based cooperative bank was penalised for violation of directions on KYC and guidelines related to the exchange of demonetised notes.
• The RBI had imposed a penalty of 5 lakh on The Bihar Awami Co-operative Bank Ltd for violation of the extant directions on Know Your Customer (KYC) and guidelines in the matter of exchange of Specified Bank Notes issued by the Reserve Bank of India.

RBI constituted second regulations review authority headed by M Rajeshwar Rao

• The Reserve Bank of India set up the second Regulatory Review Authority (RRA 2.0) to streamline regulations and reduce the compliance burden of regulated entities. The Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao was appointed as the Regulations Review Authority.
• The RBI had set up a Regulations Review Authority (RRA) initially for one year from 1 April 1999 for reviewing regulations, circulars, reporting systems, based on the feedback from the public, banks and financial institutions.
• The RRA would be set up for one year from 1 May 2021, unless its tenure is extended by the Reserve Bank of India.

Acquisitions and Mergers

Oberoi Group signed an MoU with EESL to further sustainability initiatives

• The Oberoi Group has signed an MoU with Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) to implement energy-efficient initiatives, including clean energy systems across Oberoi properties.
• Under its Building Energy Efficiency Program, EESL will collaborate with all Oberoi Group hotels to evaluate opportunities for saving energy and lowering emissions and recommend select energy programs from its portfolio.

Appointments

NGT formed an 8-member National Task Force to combat air pollution

• National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed an eight-member National Task Force (NTF) to monitor remedial steps to improve the status of air quality.
• The NTF is to be headed and coordinated by the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests with nominees (not below the rank of Joint Secretaries) of Ministries from Housing and Urban Development, Road Transport, Petroleum, Power, Agriculture, Health, and Chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Awards and Recognitions

Marathi film ‘Puglya’ bagged the best foreign feature at Moscow International Film Festival 2021

• Marathi film Puglya won the Best Foreign Language Feature at the Moscow International Film Festival 2021. The film portrays various emotions of children. The film has so far won honors at the Los World Premiere Film Awards in California.
• The film Puglya has been directed and produced by Vinod Sam Peter under the banner Abraham Films. So far, this film has won over 45 awards and recognitions at various international film festivals.

Books and Author

Suresh Raina’s autobiography ‘Believe: What Life and Cricket Taught Me’ written with Bharat Sundaresan is set to be released

• Former Indian batsman Suresh Raina’s autobiography ‘Believe: What Life and Cricket Taught Me’ was co-authored by Bharat Sundaresan. The book was published by Penguin India.

Rankings

India ranked 49^th in the Inclusive Internet Index; Facebook-Economist Intelligence Unit study

• According to a Facebook-Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) study, India is at the 49^th spot globally when it comes to internet inclusion and gender equality in accessing the world wide web.
• India is tied with Thailand in 49^th place this year (2021) on the scores of internet availability (77^th position globally), affordability (20^th position), relevance (49^th position), and readiness (29^th) categories.

The top 5 countries were:

1. Sweden
2. United States
3. Spain
4. Australia
5. Hong Kong

Udhampur bagged the top position for implementation of PMGSY for 2020-21

• Udhampur district (Jammu and Kashmir) had bagged the top position at the national level for successfully implementing the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) during 2020-21.
• Udhampur district had received the top position for constructing roads of the maximum length of 49 km in 2020-21
• The PMGSY is a programme launched by the Union Government to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy.

Obituary

Former India hockey player Balbir Singh Junior passed away at 88

• Balbir Singh Junior, who was a member of the silver medal-winning 1958 Asian Games Indian hockey team, passed away at the age of 88. In 1962, he joined the Army as an emergency commissioned officer. He played for the Services hockey team in the national tournaments at Delhi.

Former CBI director Ranjit Sinha passed away at 68

• Former CBI director Ranjit Sinha passed away at 68. Though there has been no official word on the reason for his death yet, it is understood that he tested positive for COVID-19 infection.
• Sinha, a 1974-batch officer of the Bihar cadre and served at senior positions in the Central Bureau of Investigation in Patna and Delhi before he was appointed as the CBI chief in 2012.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India. It is operating under the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions (India).

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