Daily Current Affairs: January 9,10 & 11, 2021

Daily Current Affairs (January 8, 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

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas- January 09

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated annually on January 9 to mark the contribution of the non-residential Indian community towards the development of our country. The day commemorates Mahatama Gandhi’s return from South Africa to India on January 9, 1915.
• The theme of 16^th PBD Convention 2021 is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

World Hindi Day: January 10

• World Hindi Day is celebrated annually on January 10 to promote the language at the global stage since 2006.
• The day marks the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference which was inaugurated on January 10, 1975, by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

National Road Safety Week- (January 11- 17)

• National Road Safety Week is observed from 11 January to 17 January every year and aims at making the roads and streets in India safer.
• During the one-week observance, the government spreads awareness about how to avoid accidents and injuries while on the road.

National News

Assam Government provides free bus service to women and senior citizens

• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off 25 pink buses earmarked under the ‘Bhraman Sarathi’ scheme for women and senior citizens to travel within Guwahati city.
• This free and dedicated bus service operates in five routes namely Khanapara to Jalukbari, Forest Gate to Jalukbari, Basistha Mandir to Jalukbari, Khanapara to Jalukbari and Games Village/ Bhetapara to Jalukbari.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads a panel to administer the commemoration of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 125^th birth anniversary

• A high-level committee (HLC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been constituted to commemorate the 125^th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in a befitting manner.
• Union Ministry of Culture in which 85 members, including the Prime Minister, have been named to the committee. It (The committee) will decide on the activities for a one-year-long commemoration, beginning January 23.

Bangladesh to be the “Country in Focus” at the 51^st International Film Festival of India

• Bangladesh will be the “Country in Focus” at the 51^st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which begins in of Goa from January 16.
• The “Country in Focus” is a special segment that recognises the cinematic excellence and contributions of a country and will showcase four films (Jibondhuli, Meghmallar, Under Construction and Sincerely Yours, Dhaka) from Bangladesh, according to India’s Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah to launch a ‘Single Window Clearance System’ for coal mines

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch an online platform to obtain clearances for smooth operationalisation of coal mines called the ‘Single Window Clearance System’.
• It will be an online platform to obtain clearances for smooth operationalisation of coal mines.

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh announces free sanitary pads for school & college girls

• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced a number of welfare schemes for the people of the state, which included free sanitary pads for high school and female college students.
• He also announced that the month of January would be dedicated to promoting the welfare of female children through the “Dheeiyan Di Lohri” programme (Rs. 5,100 and baby kits for each).

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee inaugurates the 26^th Kolkata International Film Festival

• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee virtually inaugurated the 26^th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) and allowed full occupancy of cinema halls in the state with adherence to COVID safety protocols.
• The inaugural ceremony was also virtually attended by Bollywood superstar and West Bengal’s brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan from Mumbai.
• Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s classic ‘Apur Sansar’ will be the inaugural film of the festival in which 131 movies from 45 countries will be screened.

International News

India to chair 3 key committees of the UN Security Council

• India would be chairing three important committees of the United Nations Security Council from 2021 to 2022.
• India’s envoy to the UN, TS Tirumurti, stated that the country had been asked to chair three important subsidiary bodies of the Security Council namely the Taliban sanctions committee or the 1988 sanctions committee, the counter-terrorism committee, and the Libya sanctions committee.

United Nations Security Council (UNSC):

• Established – 1945
• Headquarters – New York, United States of America
• Security Council President (for January 2021) – Tunisia

Banking and Economy

Indian economy to rebound with 8.9% growth in fiscal 2022: IHS Markit

• Indian economy is likely to rebound with an 8.9 percent growth in the fiscal year beginning April 2021 after economic activity showed significant improvement in the last quarter report by IHS Markit.
• During the fourth quarter of 2020, India’s industrial production and consumption expenditure have shown a rebound.

SBI and IOCL launch a Co-branded Contactless RuPay Debit card

• India’s fuel retailer, Indian Oil, has teamed up with State Bank of India (SBI) to launch the SBI-Indian Oil co-branded RuPay Debit Card. It is a contactless card, and transactions up to Rs. 5,000 can be paid for with just a tap.
• The co-branded RuPay Debit Card was launched virtually by Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman of SBI and Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman of Indian Oil.

RBI conducted Variable Rate Reverse Repo auction for a notified amount of Rs. 2 lakh crores

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has conducted a Variable Rate Reverse Repo auction for a notified amount of two lakh crore rupees.
• Repo rate is the rate of the interest rate at which the central bank lends short term money to banks.
• RBI had temporarily suspended the revised liquidity management framework.

Max Life partners with AICAPD and enters into the second year of its unique initiative ‘Protect A Smile’

• Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. has strengthened its commitment towards society by entering into the second year of its unique initiative ‘Protect a Smile’.
• Under this initiative, Max Life has committed to funding one year of education of an underprivileged child for every death claim it settles for its ‘Term Insurance Plans’ during the current financial year.
• The initiative is being driven in partnership with ‘All India Citizens’ Alliance for Progress & Development (AICAPD), a national level NGO working towards the upliftment of children of economically and socially underprivileged people.

Acquisitions and Mergers

NHPC inks pact with IREDA for renewable energy projects

• State-run NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation) has signed an agreement with the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) for assistance in setting up renewable energy (RE) projects for the next 5 years.
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of NHPC CMD, Abhay Kumar Singh and Pradip Kumar Das, CMD of IREDA.

Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Ltd. partners with Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Finance Corporation

• Universal Sompo General Insurance Company has tied up with Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Finance Corporation to provide comprehensive insurance covers at competitive prices.
• It plays a pioneering role in boosting industrial climate in the State by providing financial assistance to various Small and Medium Enterprises besides others.

EESL inks MoU with NHAI for solar power & energy efficiency projects

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a venture under the Union Power Ministry signed a pact with NHAI for establishing solar projects, LED lighting and EV charging stations.
• The MoU will facilitate the implementation of energy efficiency projects, renewable energy projects and e-mobility services as a part of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, reduce emissions and achieve sustainable development across toll plazas, highway lighting and other NHAI establishments.

Science and Technology

Pakistan successfully test fires indigenously developed rocket system “Fatah-1”

• Pakistan has successfully conducted the test-flight of an indigenously developed Guided Multi Launch Rocket System, capable of precisely delivering conventional warheads deep into the “Enemy Territory.”
• Fatah-1 weapon system can hit targets up to a range of 140 km.

Appointments

Indian-American Dr. Raj Iyer will take over as the new Chief Information Officer of the US army

• Indian-American Dr. Raj Iyer has taken over as the first Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the US Army, after the Pentagon created the position in July 2020.
• Dr. Iyer will be the highest-ranking Indian-American civilian at the Pentagon equivalent in rank to a three-star general.
• He will supervise an annual budget of $16 billion for US Army IT operations and over 15,000 civilians and military personnel in over 100 countries.
• Iyer currently serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Army.

Joe Biden appoints Indian-American Sumona Guha as senior Director for South Asia

• The Biden-Harris transition team announced the appointment of Indian-American Sumona Guha, a former Foreign Service officer to the role of Senior Director for South Asia at the National Security Council.
• She will succeed Lisa Curtis in the role.
• Tarun Chhabra was named as the Senior Director for Technology and National Security.

Obituary News

Eminent academician and Netaji’s niece Chitra Ghosh passed away at 90

• Author, professor, social worker Chitra Ghosh passed away.
• She was the niece of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
• She made pioneering contributions to academics and community services and dedicated her life in serving the people, teaching & inspiring the youth. She was the former head of the political science department at Lady Brabourne College in Kolkata.

Renowned Indian fashion designer Satya Paul passed away at 79

• Satya Paul, the founder of the iconic eponymous clothing brand, died in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
• In 1980, he launched the first ”saree boutique” in India, L’Affaire, and founded the eponymous fashion clothing brand with his son in 1986.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Neil Sheehan passed away at 84

• Neil Sheehan, a reporter, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author who obtained the Pentagon Papers for The New York Times died in Washington, D.C.
• The 1988 book won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction.
• He broke the story of the Pentagon Papers for The New York Times (NYT).

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki passed away at 94

Former Gujarat chief minister and ex-Union minister Madhavsinh Solanki passed away. He had served as the External Affairs Minister of India from 1991 to 1992. He had been the Chief Minister of Gujarat for three times between 1976 to 1990. He was the longest-serving Chief Minister of Gujarat before Narendra Modi.

Former Kerala minister and political leader KK Ramachandran passes away at 84

• Former Kerala minister and political leader KK Ramachandran passed away due to heart attack.
• He was the State’s Minister for Food & Civil Supplies in the A K Antony Government from 1995 and the health Minister in the Oommen Chandy Government from 2004.

Padma awardee Turlapati Kutumba Rao passes away at 89

• Veteran journalist, writer and Padma Shri awardee Turlapati Kutumba Rao passed away.
• He worked as the editor & editorial writer of Telugu newspaper Andhra Jyothi for close to three-and-a-half decades, addressed a record number of public meetings, which earned him a slot in the Guinness Book.

Sports News

Australian Umpire Claire Polosak becomes the first woman to officiate a men’s Test in the 144-year cricket history

• The 32-year-old Australian umpire Claire Polosak became the first woman to officiate at a men’s test as the fourth umpire for the match between Australia and India in Sydney.
• Polosak was the first woman to officiate on the field in a men’s one-day international when Namibia hosted Oman at Windhoek in April 2019.

Jigmet Dolma wins 4^th position in the Dhaka Marathon

• Special Police Officer in Ladakh Police, Jigmet Dolma represented India in Dhaka Marathon-2021 and secured the 4^th position which was organised by Dhaka in Bangladesh. Besides, two more women runners from India and a total of eight athletes participated in the Dhaka Marathon-2021.
• Bahadur Singh of India bagged the trophy of champion in the men’s category, whereas Pushpa Bhandari of Nepal became the champion in the women category in the marathon.
• Hicham Lakohi from Morocco came first in the elite competition men’s category while Angela Jim Asunde from Kenya won the race in women’s category.

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Daily Current Affairs Quiz – January 9, 10 & 11, 2021