Daily Current Affairs: January 21 & 22, 2021

Daily Current Affairs (January 21 & 22, 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

NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of India Innovation Index

• NITI Aayog, along with the Institute for Competitiveness, released the second edition of the India Innovation Index in a virtual event. The first edition of the index was launched in October 2019.
• Karnataka topped the Index in the Major States Category, Delhi topped among the Union Territories (UT) and Under the ‘North-Eastern/Hill States’ category, Himachal Pradesh emerged as the top state. The Indian States have achieved an average score of 4 in the Index.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announces ‘Mukhyamantri Bagayat Vikas Mission’

• Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani has announced the formation of ‘Mukhyamantri Bagayat Vikas Mission’ (Horticulture Development Mission).
• The aim is to accelerate agriculture, horticulture and promote farming of herbal plants in infertile & fallow lands of government. It will also create employment opportunities through an increase in the export of such products & double farmer’s income.

Gujarat                     

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• National Park: Blackbuck NP, Vansda NP, Gir Forest NP, Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch.

Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa launches Avalokana software

• Chief Minister of Karnataka S. Yediyurappa launched Avolokana software that will enable the government to access data on sanctions and expenditures incurred by 39 departments on 1,800 programmes implemented by the government.
• Expenditures & Sanctions on Sustainable Development Goals, Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan, Tribal Sub-plan & Central Sponsored Schemes will be the main areas of focus.

Karnataka         

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

Nagpur’s Gorewada Zoo renamed Balasaheb Thackeray Zoological Park

• The Maharashtra government renamed Nagpur’s Gorewada International Zoo as Balasaheb Thackeray Zoological Park. The zoological park spread over 1,900 hectares inaugurated by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
• The Park will offer different kinds of safaris and will have a rescue centre. MoEFCC had announced the setting up of the ‘international-standard’ bio park in August 2019.

Maharashtra     

• Capital: Mumbai.
• Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray.
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

Cabinet approves Rs.5,282-cr investment for 850-MW Ratle Hydro Electric project in Jammu and Kashmir

• The Union Cabinet approved an 5281.94 crore investment for an 850-megawatt (MW) Ratle hydropower project on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir.
• It will be developed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKSPDC).

Jammu and Kashmir

• Capital: Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter)
• Lt Governor: Manoj Sinha
• National Parks: Hemis National Park, City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Kishtwar National Park.
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS.
• Lakes: Mansar Lake, Nagin Lake, Wular Lake, Surinsar Lake, Dal Lake.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal addresses 1st National Conference of States on Logistics

• Union Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution Piyush Goyal stated that National Logistics Policy, which is under consultation, along with the National Logistics Council and State Logistics Coordination Committee, will work as a template for better coordination and integrated development for logistics centre.

Indian Railways renames iconic Howrah-Kalka Mail as ‘Netaji Express’

• Indian Railways in a tribute to freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose who is also known as ‘Netaji’ has decided to rename the Howrah-Kalka Mail as ‘Netaji Express’. The train first operated in the year 1866 and it has been in service of the nation for more than 150 years.
• The Howrah-Kalka Mail runs between Howrah in West Bengal (Eastern Railway) and Kalka in Haryana (Northern Railway) via Delhi.

International News

India and Singapore sign pact on submarine rescue agreement at 5^th Defence Ministers’ Dialogue

• The 5^th edition of the Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD) between India and Singapore was virtually held to deepen military cooperation. The ‘Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation’ was signed between the two Navies.
• The agreement was signed between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen.

Singapore:

• Capital: Singapore City
• Currency: Singapore Dollar
• President: Halimah Yacob
• Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong
• Deputy Prime Minister: Heng Swee Keat.

Five-day Indo-French Air exercise, Ex Desert Knight-21, begins in Jodhpur, Rajasthan

• Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force are conducting a bilateral Air exercise, “Ex Desert Knight-21” in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The French side will participate with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft, and approximately 175 personnel.
• The Indian Air Force aircraft participating in the exercise will include Rafale, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI among other aircraft.

Banking and Economy

ICICI Bank launches ‘InstaFX’ mobile app to help customers obtain Forex Prepaid Card swiftly

• ICICI Bank launched a new mobile application, ‘InstaFX’ for authorised money changers to help customers of any bank get ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ The bank is the first in the country to offer such a facility to money changers.
• The ‘InstaFX’ app will enable the authorised money changers, who are partners of the Bank, to complete the KYC verification and validation of customers digitally and on a real-time basis.

ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India)

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD and CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
• Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khyal Apka.

Reserve Bank of India imposes Rs 2 crore penalty on Standard Chartered Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2 crore on Standard Chartered Bank for non-compliance with certain directions issued by the central bank.
• The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 47 A (1) (c) read with Section 46 (4) (i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, for delays in reporting of frauds to RBI.

Airtel Payments Banks launches ‘safe pay’ to curb online frauds

• Airtel Payments Bank has launched ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, a safe mode for making digital payments, to protect Airtel customers from the growing incidents of online payment frauds.
• The Airtel Safe Pay will prevent online frauds when customers transact through UPI (unified payment interface) or net-banking using the Airtel Payments Bank. It is free of cost and will offer protection against phishing, stolen credentials or passwords, and phone cloning.

Acquisitions and Mergers

Paytm Payments Bank ties up with Suryoday Small Finance Bank to offer fixed-deposit services

• Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) in partnership with Suryoday Small Finance Bank, is going to facilitate fixed-deposit services to its account holders. With a minimum investment of Rs 100.
• The payments bank has already been offering fixed-deposits services in alliance with IndusInd Bank. PPBL has become the first payment bank to launch a multi-partner FD service where an account holder can select any partnered bank.

Paytm Payments Bank

• Headquarters– New Delhi, India
• MD & CEO– Satish Kumar Gupta.

Indian Army signs MoU with SIDM on indigenization and innovation partnership

• An MoU between the Indian Army and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) was signed to provide further impetus to indigenization under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and to achieve strategic independence by reducing dependence on foreign origin equipment.
• This MoU was signed on the occasion of 25 Years of Army-Industry partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Appointments

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju gets additional charge of AYUSH Ministry

• Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has been temporarily assigned the charge of the Ministry of AYUSH. He has been assigned the portfolio on temporary basis till the treatment of the Union Minister Shripad Y Naik, who met an accident recently.

Joe Biden takes oath as 46th US President while Kamala Harris as 49th Vice President

• The 78-year– old Joseph Robinette Biden Jr (Joe Biden) has been sworn in as the 46^th president of the United States. Biden is becoming the oldest president in American history.
• Kamala Harris took oath as 49^th Vice President of the country, becoming the first women to hold the post in the history of United States.

Rajiv Lochan appointed as the new managing director of Sundaram Finance

• Chennai-based non-banking finance company Sundaram Finance appointed Rajiv Lochan as its new Managing Director. Lochan will be replacing the current MD TT Srinivasaraghavan, who will be completing his term of office on March 31.
• Lochan has worked as a partner in the consulting firm McKinsey & Company and, most recently, as Managing Director of Kasturi & Sons.

Awards and Recognitions

Bhawana Kanth to become the first Woman Fighter Pilot to take part in Republic Day Parade

• Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth will become the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2021. Kanth will be part of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) tableau in the parade.
• The 28-year-old bhawana from Bihar is currently posted at an airbase in Rajasthan, where she flies the MiG-21 Bison fighter plane.

Federal Bank MD & CEO Shyam Srinivasan is Business Standard Banker of the Year

• Shyam Srinivasan, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Federal Bank, is the Business Standard Banker of the Year for 2019-20. He was chosen for his bank’s consistent healthy performance at a time when most of its peers witnessed losses or other issues.
• The unanimous decision was taken by a high-profile jury of five, chaired by former RBI deputy governor S S Mundra.

Rankings

National Stock Exchange remains world’s largest derivatives exchange for 2nd consecutive year

• According to 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.
• NSE was also fourth in the world in cash equities by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) trades for the calendar year 2020.

Obituary News

Former Arunachal Pradesh Governor Mata Prasad passed away at 95

• Former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh and senior Congress leader Mata Prasad has passed away. Mata Prasad hailed from the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh. He had served as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in 1993 and as Minister in the Congress government in Uttar Pradesh in 1988- 89.

Rajasthan Congress MLA Gajendra Singh Shaktawat passed away at 48

• Rajasthan Congress MLA Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has passed away after a prolonged illness. Shekhawat is the fourth legislator of the current Rajasthan assembly to have died of illness in the past six months.

Veteran Malayalam actor Unnikrishnan Namboothiri passed away at 98

• Veteran Malayalam actor Unnikrishnan Namboothiri has passed away at the age of 98. Unnikrishnan made his acting debut in 1996 with Desadanam. He had also played a pivotal role in Kamal Haasan’s hit comedy-drama, ‘Pammal K Sambandam’ (2002).

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Daily Current Affairs Quiz – January 21 & 22, 2021