Daily Current Affairs: February 18, 2021

Daily Current Affairs (February 18, 2021) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK, and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness, and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

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National News

Prime Minister Modi launches ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ initiative and several development projects in Assam

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Mahabahu-Brahmaputra initiative and laid foundation stones of one bridge and perform a ground-breaking ceremony (bhumi puja) of another in Assam.
• The launch of ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ will be marked by the inauguration of Ro-Pax (roll-on/roll-off passenger service) vessel operations between Neamati-Majuli island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati, and Dhubri-Hatsingimari Shilanyas of the inland water transport terminal at Jogighopa.

Assam      

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief Minister: SarbanandaSonowal
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
• National Parks: Orang National Park, Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Nameri National Park, Dehing Patkai Wls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address Convocation of Visva-Bharati

• PM Modi will address the Convocation of Visva-Bharati through video conferencing. West Bengal Governor and Rector of Visva-Bharati, Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will also be present on the occasion.A total of 2535 students will receive their degrees during the ceremony. Visva-Bharati was founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in 1921. It is the oldest Central University in India.

Ministry of Earth Sciences invites suggestions on Draft Blue Economy Policy for India

• Ministry of Earth Sciences has invited suggestions on the Draft Blue Economy Policy for India. The Draft Blue Economy Policy document outlines the vision and strategy that can be adopted by the government to utilize the oceanic resources available in the country.The policy document aims to enhance the contribution of the blue economy to India’s GDP, improve the lives of coastal communities, preserve marine biodiversity, and maintain the national security of marine areas and resources.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually releases 3rd edition of the ISL (Indian Sign Language) Dictionary

• Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually released the third edition of the Indian Sign Language Dictionary having 10 thousand terms. the efforts of the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre

Jal Jeevan Mission reaches milestone of 3.53 Crore rural households tap water connections

• The Jal Jeevan Mission has reached a new milestone by providing 3 crore 53 lakh rural household tap water connections. The mission was announced by PM Modi in 2019 to provide a tap water connection to every rural household by 2024.
• Goa has become the first state in the country to provide 100 percent tap water connection followed by Telangana.

Union Cabinet approves production-linked incentive scheme for the telecom sector

• The Union Cabinet approved a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the telecom sector. As per Electronic and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad the production-linked incentive worth Rs 12,195 Crore has been cleared for the telecom sector.
• Linked Incentive Scheme intends to promote the manufacture of Telecom and Networking Products in India and proposes a financial incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract investments in the target segments of telecom and networking products to encourage Make in India.

Karnataka to get its first wolf sanctuary at Bankapur

• Karnataka to get its first Indian Grey Wolf sanctuary in the Koppal district of the Kalyana-Karnataka region. A proposal to declare 822.03 acres of forest area as ‘Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary’ is expected to come up for approval of the Karnataka Wildlife Board, led by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

Karnataka         

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Chief Minister: S. Yeddyurappa
• Governor: VajubhaiVala
• National Park: Anshi NP, Kudremukh NP, Bandipur NP, Bannerghatta NP, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) NP.

National Informatics Centre (NIC) has launched an instant messaging platform called ‘Sandes’ on the lines of WhatsApp

• The National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has launched an instant messaging platform called “Sandes”.
• Although there is no option to transfer the chat history between two platforms, the chats on government instant messaging systems (GIMS) can be backed up to a users’ email.

International News

Foreign Ministers of India, Australia, Japan, and the US to meet to discuss free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region

• The 3^rd India-Australia-Japan-USA Ministerial Meeting will be held with the participation of the respective Foreign Ministers.
  The meeting will provide an opportunity to continue the useful exchange of views from their last meeting in
• They will also discuss ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing global climate change and other issues of mutual interest.
• Foreign Minister of India– S. Jaishankar
• Foreign Minister of Australia – Marise Payne
• Foreign Minister of Japan – Toshimitsu Motegi
• Foreign Minister of US– Antony J. Blinken

9^th Round of India-Japan Consultations on Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Export Control held virtually

• The 9^th Round of India-Japan Consultations on Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Export Control was held virtually. The two sides exchanged views on a range of contemporary issues of mutual interest in the areas of nuclear, chemical, biological disarmament and non-proliferation, conventional weapons, outer space security, and export control.

Banking and Economy

ICICI Lombard partners with Flipkart to offer ‘Hospicash insurance’ to consumers

• Flipkart has partnered with ICICI Lombard to offer ‘Hospicash insurance’ to consumers. Hospicash is a benefit that will allow consumers to avail themselves a fixed amount for each day of hospitalization.
• The fixed daily amount will enable consumers to pay for incidental medical or emergency expenses. The insurance is made paperless, and flexible, covering both accidental hospitalizations or planned surgeries and treatment.

Acquisitions and Mergers

Mastercard partners with Razorpay to make digital payments more accessible for MSMEs and startups

• Mastercard and Razorpay have launched a strategic partnership that combines Razorpay’s payment processing capabilities with Mastercard’s trusted and secure digital banking solutions and card services.
• The partnership will empower Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in digitizing their operations, maintaining business continuity in the challenging environment, and preparing for the future beyond cash.

HCL Technology signs pact with IIT Kanpur to boost capabilities in cybersecurity

• HCL Technologies has inked an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) to collaborate in the area of cybersecurity. HCL will work with C3iHub, a specialised cybersecurity research centre at IIT-Kanpur.
• This collaboration will bring together the country’s brightest minds, advanced research capabilities, and global resources to develop advanced solutions in the area of cybersecurity.

Tata Group inks $1.2 billion deal to buy a majority stake in BigBasket

• The Tata Group and Big Basket have formally signed on the dotted line, finalising a $1.2 billion deal giving India’s largest conglomerate 60-63% stake in the e-grocer.
• The transaction will see a $200-250 million primary cash infusion in BigBasket by Tata, as part of its larger deal to acquire a majority stake in the country’s largest online grocery company.

Asian Development Bank and Medanta sign debt financing to support covid-19 response

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a Rs 100 crore debt financing agreement with Medanta (Global Health Private Ltd) to provide essential health care services and medical equipment to help combat the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
• The project will support the purchase of personal protective equipment, basic hygiene products, and patient care equipment like ventilators and beds. It will also support staff training programmes on infection prevention and control.

Science and Technology

IIT-Madras Incubated Start-Up Pi Beam Launches ‘PiMo E-Bike’

• IIT Madras-Incubated start-up Pi Beam has launched the PiMo electric bicycle that can be charged faster than a smartphone, the company claims. The new e-bike is priced at ₹ 30,000.
• PiMo is a utility e-bike that offers a range of 50 km on a single charge and does not require a licence or registration. About 90 percent of the components are made in India, and this includes the batteries and controllers. Pi Beam aims to sell about 10,000 examples of the PiMo in the next financial year 2021-2022.

Appointments and resignations

Kiran Bedi removed as Puducherry Lt governor

• Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi has been removed from the position. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan will discharge the duties of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry in addition to her duties until regular arrangements are made.

Actor Darshan appointed as ambassador of Karnataka agriculture department

• Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has roped in Sandalwood actor Darshan as the Ambassador of the State Agriculture Department. He known as ‘Challenging Star’ in the filmdom, has agreed to take up the role without any remuneration.

CEAT ropes in Rana Daggubati as brand ambassador for a new range of bike tyres

• Tyre maker CEAT has roped in actor Rana Daggubati as its brand ambassador for promoting the ‘Puncture Safe’ range of bike tyres. As part of an integrated marketing campaign across all five southern states, Daggubati will feature in the new commercial for these tyres to be aired across TV and digital platforms.
• The campaign based on the theme ‘CEAT Puncture Safe Sealant technology’ highlights the safety and convenience even while riding on difficult terrain.

Awards and Recognitions

Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy conferred ‘Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award’

• The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been conferred the ‘Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award’. The Award has been presented to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh by Sameer Kochhar Chairman of Skoch group at Tadepalli in Andhra Pradesh.
• Jagan was selected for the SKOCH Chief Minister of the Year Award based on a year-long study of results of projects being implemented by governments in various states of the country.

Sports News

Rahul climbs to the second spot while Kohli remains at 7^th in ICC T20I rankings for batsmen

• India’s KL Rahul moved up a place to second, while Indian skipper Virat Kohli retained the seventh spot in the latest ICC men’s T20I rankings for batsmen.

The top 10 batsmen list

• Dawid Malan (915 points)
• Lokesh Rahul (816 points)
• Aaron Finch (808 points)
• Babar Azam (801 points)
• Glenn Maxwell (701 points)
• Rassie van der Dussen (700 points)
• Virat Kohli (697 points)
• Colin Munro (695 points)
• Tim Seifert (685 points)
• Hazratullah (676 points)

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Daily Current Affairs Quiz – February 18, 2021