Daily Current Affairs: January 26 & 27 , 2021

Daily Current Affairs (January 26 & 27, 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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Important Days

International Customs Day – January 26

• The International Customs Day (ICD) is observed on January 26 every year. The day is to recognise the role of customs officials and agencies and focus on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in their jobs.
• Theme: “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience”

India is celebrating its 72^nd Republic Day on January 26, 2021

• India is observing the 72^nd Republic Day on January 26, 2021. The day honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on January 26, 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India and thus, turning the nation into a newly formed republic.
• The President of India announces the Padma Awards (Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri) to the civilians of India on every Republic Day. There will be no chief guest this year for the Republic Day.

International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust – January 27

• International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an international Memorial Day on January 27 commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War. Since 1996, survivors of the Nazi regime and world leaders are invited to address the German Bundestag each year on January 27.

National News

HSBC inaugurates an international banking unit at GIFT City, Gujarat

• Global financial services major HSBC inaugurated its International Banking Unit (IBU) branch at GIFT City near Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It is one of the earliest global financial institutions setting up a branch at GIFT City.
• HSBC becomes the first bank to get a licence from the newly set up International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA). The UK-based HSBC has been present in India for 160 years.

Gujarat                     

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

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches PANKH Abhiyan to empower girl children

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched ‘PANKH Abhiyan’ for the empowerment and growth of girl children on the occasion of the National Girl Child Day (January 24).
• The scheme (PANKH Abhiyan) has been launched under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.’

Madhya Pradesh       

• Capital: Bhopal
• Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chauhan
• Governor: Anandiben Patel (Additional Charge).

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla virtually inaugurates Bharat Parv – 2021

• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla virtually inaugurated the “Bharat Parv – 2021” in the presence of Union Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel via video conference.
• This event will provide an opportunity to know and understand the art, culture, food, clothing, and traditions of the 28 states and eight Union Territories of the country.

Maharashtra Government launches ‘jail tourism’ initiative from Pune’s Yerawada jail

• Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray virtually launched a ‘jail tourism’ initiative of the State Government from Pune’s Yerawada prison, in a move to help students learn about historical experiences. Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar and other top officials were physically present at the Yerawada jail.

Maharashtra     

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

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Chennai bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal

• Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman virtually inaugurated the Chennai bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
• Fresh appeals against the orders of the benches of the tribunal having jurisdiction in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and the Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry will have to be filed before the Chennai bench.

Uttar Pradesh becomes the first state to have two airstrips on expressways for landing and take-off of fighter planes

• With the completion of the construction of the 3,300-metre-long airstrip near Kurebhar on the Purvanchal Expressway, Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country with two airstrips on expressways to facilitate emergency landing and take-off of fighter planes.
• Uttar Pradesh also has an airstrip on Lucknow-Agra Aircraft like the Mirage 2000, Jaguar, Sukhoi 30 and Super Hercules had already landed on Lucknow-Agra Expressway.

Uttar Pradesh           

• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• National Park: Dudhwa National Park (Tiger Reserve)
• Zoological park: Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Prani Udyan (Gorakhpur), Kanpur Zoological Park, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden.

International News

China surpasses the US as the largest recipient of FDI in 2020: UN report

• China climbed to the No.1 ranking globally, attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of $163 billion in 2020 amid a raging global pandemic, according to the UN’s latest report on global investment. China had knocked the US, which attracted $134 billion, off the first spot.
• In 2019, the US received $251 billion in inflows and China received $140 billion. Overall, the global FDI had fallen by 42% in 2020, attracting an inflow of an estimated $859 billion, compared to $1.5 trillion in 2019.

Banking and Economy

RBI extends Rs. 7,000-crore special liquidity assistance to DBS Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended nearly 7,000 crores in special liquidity assistance to DBS Bank India to meet its short-term funding needs after the acquisition of the Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB).
• This funding may be charged with interest rates close to or linked to the repo rate, at which the RBI usually lends to banks.

Repco Bank bags three awards at the Frontiers in Cooperative Banking Awards (FCBA) 2020

• Repco Bank has bagged three awards at the Frontiers in Cooperative Banking Awards (FCBA) 2020, a National Cooperative Banking Summit held virtually.
• The awards include the Women Leader of the Year Award for Repco Bank MD Isabella, Best Digital Bank Award and Best Fraud Control Initiative among co-operative banks.

Indian economy estimated to contract by 9.6% in 2020: UN report

• India’s economy is estimated to contract by 9.6 percent in 2020, as lockdowns and other containment efforts to control COVID-19 slashed domestic consumption without halting the spread of the disease, and the growth is expected to recover and grow at 7.3 percent in 2021, according to a UN report.
• The world economy shrank by 3 percent in 2020 over two and half times more than during the global financial crisis of 2009. The modest recovery of 4.7 percent expected in 2021 would barely offset the losses of 2020.

IMF projects an 11.5% growth rate for India in 2021, the only country with double-digit growth

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected an impressive 11.5 percent growth rate for India in 2021, making India, the only major economy of the world to register double-digit growth this year amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
• IMF projected Indian GDP to grow by8 percent in 2022.

Science and Technology

SpaceX breaks India’s record by launching 143 satellites on a single rocket

• Elon Musk’s SpaceX created a unique world record by launching 143 satellites on a single space vehicle. The firm broke the record previously held by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which launched 104 satellites in 2017. The 143 satellites included 133 commercial and government satellites and 10 Starlink satellites of SpaceX.

Indian Navy conducts Tri-service joint amphibious exercise AMPHEX – 21 with the Army and the Air Force

• A large-scale tri-service joint amphibious exercise “AMPHEX – 21” was conducted in the Andaman & Nicobar group of islands. The exercise involved the participation of the Naval ships, the amphibious troops of the Army, and different types of aircraft from the Air Force.
• The exercise was aimed at validating India’s capabilities to safeguard the territorial integrity of its island territories. It also sought to enhance operational synergy and joint warfighting capabilities amongst the three

Appointment

Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa wins second term

• Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has won a second term as Portugal’s President with almost 61% of the vote marked by record abstention. The elections were held even as Portugal has gone into a lockdown, and the voter turnout was reportedly lowest in the country’s history.
• He is serving as the President of the country since March 9, 2016 and would start his second term on March 9, 2021.

Kaja Kallas to become the first woman Prime Minister of Estonia

• Kaja Kallas, the new female Prime Minister will be leading a new government in Estonia for the first time in the Baltic country’s history, replacing the previous Cabinet that collapsed into a corruption scandal earlier this month.
• Presently, Estonia becomes the only country in the world where both the President (Kersti Kaljulaid) and the Prime Minister (Kaja Kallas) are women.

Dhanlaxmi Bank Board approves the appointment of Shivan JK as MD and CEO

• The Board of Directors of Kerala-based Dhanlaxmi Bank have given the approval to appoint JK Shivan as the managing director and CEO of the bank. He replaces Sunil Gurbaxani as the MD and CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank.

Janakiram appointed as the Director of Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT)

• D Janakiram has taken over as the new director of the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), an arm of the Reserve Bank of India.
• Previously, he was a senior professor of computer science and engineering department, IIT Madras. He was also a visiting professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the USA.

Jayati Ghosh Named by UN to High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs

• Indian development economist Jayati Ghosh is among 20 prominent personalities appointed by the United Nations to a high-level advisory board that will provide recommendations for the UN Secretary-General to respond to the current and future socio-economic challenges in the post-COVID-19 world.

International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) elevates Keshav Kranthi as the Chief Scientist

• Global cotton research and advisory body, International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), has elevated Keshav Kranthi as the Chief Scientist.
• The former director of Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, Kranthi had moved to Washington, US after ICAC appointed him as the top of companys’ technical division in March 2017.

Awards and Recognitions

Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe awarded the Padma Vibhushan

• Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and late singer SP Balasubramaniam were awarded this year’s Padma Vibhushan while former Chief Ministers late Tarun Gogoi and Keshubhai Patel, former Union Minister late Ram Vilas Paswan and former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan have been awarded the Padma Bhushan.
• The President of India has approved conferment of 119 Padma awards — seven Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri awards.

Padma Vibhushan award winners:

1. Shinzo Abe – Public Affairs
2. S P Balasubramaniam (Posthumous) – Art
3. Belle Monappa Hegde – Medicine
4. Narinder Singh Kapany (Posthumous) – Science and Engineering
5. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan – Others – Spiritualism
6. B. B. Lal Others – Archaeology
7. Sudarshan Sahoo – Art

Padma Bhushan Award winners:

1. Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra – Art
2. Tarun Gogoi (Posthumous) – Public Affairs
3. Chandrashekhar Kambara – Literature and Education
4. Sumitra Mahajan – Public Affairs
5. Nripendra Misra – Civil Service
6. Ram Vilas Paswan (Posthumous)
7. Keshubhai Patel (Posthumous) Public Affairs
8. Kalbe Sadiq (Posthumous) Others-Spiritualism
9. Rajnikant Devidas Shroff – Trade and Industry
10. Tarlochan Singh – Public Affairs

Meghalaya selected for the Special Award for Information Technology applications in elections

• Meghalaya has been awarded the Best Electoral Practices Award 2021 for conducting the 2018 Assembly Elections by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• President Ram Nath Kovind virtually conferred the award to Meghalaya CEO R. Kharkongor at the National Voters’ Day award function held in New Delhi. The ECI has also launched digital radio “Hello Voters” to connect and engage with young voters.

Tamil translation of the French book ‘Le mariage de plaisir’ wins the Romain Rolland Book Prize

• The Tamil translation of the French novel ‘Le mariage de plaisir’ won the Romain Rolland Book Prize. The winners of the prize are translator Vengada Soupraya Nayagar and publisher Amutharasan Paulraj of Thadagam Publishers for the Tamil translation of the book, authored by Tahar Ben Jelloun.

Danish film ‘Into the Darkness’ wins the Golden Peacock award at IFFI 2021

• Danish film “Into the Darkness” won the prestigious Golden Peacock award for the “Best Film” at the 51^st International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2021) held in Panaji, Goa.

The winners of 51^st International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2021):

• Golden Peacock Award – Into the Darkness (Danish Film)
• Indian Personality of the Year Award – Biswajit Chatterjee
• Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Male) – Tzu-Chuan Liu (The Silent Forest)
• Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Female) – Zofia Stafiej (I Never Cry)
• Silver Peacock Award for Best Director – Chen-Nien Ko (The Silent Forest)
• Best Debut Director Award – Cássio Pereira dos Santos (Valentina)
• Special Mention Award – Kripal Kalita (Bridge)
• Special Jury Award – Kamin Kalev (February)
• ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Award – Ameen Nayfeh (200 Meters)

Rankings

India ranks 7th in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021; Mozambique Tops the Index

• India is among the top 10 most affected countries in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 published by the Bonn-based environmental think tank, Germanwatch.
• India ranked 7^th in the 16^th edition of the annual report and has taken into account the data available for 2019 and from 2000 to 2019.
• The list was topped by Mozambique, followed by Zimbabwe and Bahamas, respectively.

Obituary News

Former India and Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Prasanta Dora passed away at 44

• Former India and Mohun Bagan, East Bengal goalkeeper Prasanta Dora died at the age of 44. Prasanta made his national debut in 1999 against Thailand in the Olympic qualifiers. He donned the national colours again in tournaments like SAFF Cup and SAF Games and earned a total of five international caps.

Can you score 20/20 in Today’s Current Affairs Quiz? Attempt the Current Affairs Quiz of  January 26 & 27, 2021, now from the link given below. 

Daily Current Affairs Quiz – January 26 & 27, 2021