WWW - Edutap.Co - in Hello@Edutap - Co.In: Query? / 8 1 4 6 2 0 7 2 4 1

1|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.
IN/ 8146207241
READ ME PLEASE
Let us try to understand how to read this magazine for preparing the current affairs of RBI Gr B,
NABARD Gr A, NABARD Gr B and SEBI Gr A
What are the areas where current affairs-based questions are asked in RBI Gr B, NABARD Gr A and
B examinations and SEBI Gr A?
• After thorough analysis of previous year papers of RBI Grade B and NABARD Gr A and B
examinations, we understand that current affairs form an important part of these examinations-
both phase 1 as well as phase 2, and with the changed pattern of SEBI Gr A – it would be majorly
relevant for Phase 1.
• For RBI Gr B examination, current affairs-based questions are asked in Phase 1 (General
Awareness – GA Section) and ESI and Finance paper of Phase 2
• For NABARD Gr A and B examinations, current affairs based questions are asked in Phase 1
(General Awareness – GA Section, Economics and Social Issues – ESI Section as well as
Agriculture and Rural Development – ARD Section) as well as Phase 2 (Economics and Social
Issues – ESI Section as well as Agriculture and Rural Development – ARD Section which is a
combined paper of 100 marks)
What is the weightage of current affairs-based questions in Phase 1 and 2 of RBI Gr B and NABARD
Gr A and B examinations?
Let us look at RBI Gr B first:
Phase 1 – GA Phase 2 – ESI Phase 2 – FM

Total Marks = 80 Total Marks = 100 Total Marks = 100
Current Affairs weightage = 60- Current Affairs weightage = 80-85 Current Affairs weightage = 20-
65 Marks Marks 25 Marks
Now let us take a look at NABARD Gr A and B examination:
Phase 1 – GA Phase 1 - ESI Phase 1- ARD Phase 2 – ESI Phase 2 –

Phase 2 –
ARD
Paper III (for Gr
B)
Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks =
20 40 40 50 50 100
Current Current Affairs Current Current Affairs Current Current Affairs
Affairs weightage = 25- Affairs weightage = 35- Affairs weightage = 5-
weightage = 30 Marks weightage = 40 Marks weightage = 10 Marks
15-20 Marks 10-15 Marks 15-20 Marks
What is the nature of questions asked based on current affairs in these examinations?
To understand and better appreciate the nature of questions asked, this current affairs document
provided by EduTap has been divided into 3 sections namely:
2|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241
1. GA in news
2. GA + ESI (Economics and Social Issues) in news
3. GA + Finance in news
Why this division?
• For the simple reason that current affairs need to be prepared in a combined manner for Phase
1 as well as Phase 2 of these examinations.
• General Awareness has been taken as the super set and all other sections – ESI, Finance and ARD
are nothing but subsets of the super set of GA when we talk about current affairs.
• Simply put, this means that all the current affairs which are important for ESI, ARD and Finance
can also be asked in GA. (ARD for NABARD Gr A/B specifically)
Example of the Previous Year Questions:
Q.Which of the following organizations has released State of Global Climate Report 2018 recently
(April 2019)?
A) UNFCCC
B) BRICS
C) WMO
D) IPCC
E) None of the above
First look at this question suggests that this can be asked in the ESI section of the examinations as
the topic “Environmental issues and Sustainable Development” has been mentioned in the official
syllabus of ESI for both RBI Gr B and NABARD Gr A examinations.
But, can this question also be asked under General Awareness Section of Phase 1 of RBI Gr B and
NABARD Gr A/B or SEBI Gr A? Yes!
Let us take another example.
Q.Who among the following was the chairperson of the Committee on Currency Management
constituted by RBI in the year 2016?
A) Viral Acharya
B) Duvvuri Subbarao
C) Bimal Jalan
D) D.K. Mohanty

First look at this question suggests that this can be asked in the Finance section of the examination
as the topic “Recent Developments in the Financial Sector” has been mentioned in the official
syllabus of Finance for RBI Gr B examination.
NABARD Gr A/B or SEBI Gr A? Again, Yes!
Let us take one last example:
Q. In which of the following years was e-NAM launched?
A) 2012
B) 2013
C) 2015
D) 2016
What about this question?
First look at this question suggests that this can be asked in the Agriculture and Rural Development
(ARD) section of the examination as the topic “Agricultural Finance and Marketing” has been
mentioned in the official syllabus of ARD for NABARD Gr A/B examination.
So, we have firmly established that the questions asked based on current affairs in ESI, ARD as well as
Finance can be asked in the GA section as well, didn’t we say that GA is the super set?
This also implies that there are certain areas in GA which cannot be asked in ESI, ARD or Finance.
What are those areas? Let us consider some examples:
Q. Who among the following personalities has recently (April 2019) become the first Indian to join
the FIFA council?
A) Praful Patel
B) Sharad Pawar
C) Utpal Kumar Ganguly
D) Krishnendu Banerjee
Q. Who has been elected as the first woman President of Slovakia recently (April 2019)?
A) VioricaDancila

B) Zuzana Caputova
C) KerstiKaljulaid
D) Ana Brnabic
Both these questions are such that can be asked in GA section but not in ESI, Finance or ARD. Why?
For the simple reason that these questions cannot be linked to any of the topics of ESI, ARD or
Finance as given in the official syllabus for RBI Gr B and NABARD Gr A/B examinations.
Based on this analysis, we have divided our current affairs magazine into 3 sections:
1. GA in news
The first section – GA in news covers those news which can be asked in GA only and not in ESI or
Finance.
The second section – GA + ESI in news covers those news which can be asked in GA as well as ESI.
The third section – GA + Finance in news covers those news which can be asked in GA as well as
Finance/ESI of NABARD Gr A/B
How to read this document for Phase 1?
For RBI Grade B - you need to refer to first three sections of the magazine because the syllabus of
Phase 1 includes General Awareness (GA). This GA includes GA in news, GA + ESI in news and GA +
Finance in news.
For NABARD Grade A - you need to refer to first and second part of the magazine. The syllabus of the
exam includes current affairs from GA, ESI & ARD(A separate magazine is provided for ARD)
For RBI Grade B - you need to refer to the second and third sections of this magazine. Section first i.e
GA in news is not important for Phase 2 as in this phase such type of questions are not asked. The
section of GA + ESI in news and GA + Finance in news are important for Phase 2 with two separate
exams of ESI and FM, 100 marks each.
For NABARD Grade A – you need to refer to second and third sections of this magazinefor Phase 2
of this paper.
A combined paper of ESI + ARD with 100 marks is conducted in this phase. Section first i.e GA in news
is not important herebut it is important to understand that all the financial developments covered
in Finance sections are also relevant for the NABARD Gr A/B with the changing pattern of the
examination.

Syllabus Topic mentioned in ESI part of NABARD Gr A which is related to all the Finance section news
–“Rural banking and financial institutions in India - Reforms in Banking/Financial sector”
Questions asked in NABARD Gr A 2020 – Phase 2
Q.According to RBI data, what is the central government’s External Debt by March 2020?
A) USD 558.5 billion
B) USD 455.5 billion
C) USD 659.6 billion
D) USD 252.9 billion
Answer : USD 558.5 billion
Q. Paragraph – Framework for Bank Frauds
Government has launched "Fraud Prevention and Management Function" toenable, among others,
effective investigation of fraud cases. It talked about RedFlagged Account and EWS. In EWS, S stands
for?
A) Simple
B) System
C) Signals
D) Systematic
Answer : Signals (Early Warning Signals)
Note - ARD month wise magazine is separately provided by us to cover “ARD in news”
Now that we have understood how to read this magazine, let’s dive in!

Contents
National news ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
1.1 Arun Jaitley’s statue unveiled at Kotla .................................................................................................. 12
1.2 Northeast gets its first human milk bank .............................................................................................. 12
1.3 DMRC introduced NCMC Service on Airport Express Line...................................................................... 12
1.4 India-Bangladesh finalize first rice deal in 3 years ................................................................................. 12
1.5 PM Modi inaugurates New Khurja—New Bhaupur section of Eastern DFC ........................................... 12
1.6 Indian Railways Completes speed trials of Vistadome Tourist Coach ..................................................... 12
1.7 Gujarat announces new Solar Power Policy-2021 ................................................................................. 13
1.8 AFSPA extended for six more months in Nagaland ................................................................................ 13
1.9 Minister of State for Labour & Employment releases special stamp on Labour Bureau ......................... 13
1.10 IR launches upgraded e-Ticketing Website & Mobile App for booking of online Railway Tickets ........... 13
1.11 Music Festival Tansen Samaroh commences in Gwalior ........................................................................ 13
1.12 National Folk Dance Festival begins in Jammu & Kashmir ..................................................................... 13
1.13 PM dedicates Kochi - Mangaluru Natural Gas Pipeline to the Nation .................................................... 14
1.14 Central Government forms committee to protect language, culture & land of Ladakh .......................... 14
1.15 India to be a co-chair Asia Protected Areas Partnership ........................................................................ 14
1.16 Delhi government sets up academy to promote Tamil culture .............................................................. 14
1.17 Reliance Jio to revoke IUC charges from January 1, 2021 ...................................................................... 14
1.18 PM Modi flags off world's 1st double-stack container train................................................................... 14
1.19 Webinar on Water Purification Technologies for MSMEs ...................................................................... 14
1.20 World's largest floating solar project to start in Madhya Pradesh ......................................................... 15
1.21 Free bus service for women and elderly in Assam ................................................................................. 15
1.22 Union Home Minister releases National Police K-9 Journal ................................................................... 15
1.23 51st IFFI at Goa...................................................................................................................................... 15
1.24 4th Global Ayurveda Festival to be held virtually in Kerala ..................................................................... 15
1.25 Assam Rifles Public School became the first Khelo India Sports School from North-East........................ 15
1.26 Ministry of Ports to start Sagarmala Seaplane Services ......................................................................... 15
1.27 CEPI centralized lab at DBT-THSTI, Faridabad inaugurated .................................................................... 15
1.28 Kerala to share cost of Sabarimala rail project ...................................................................................... 16
1.29 Avian Flu (H5N1 virus) causes death of migratory birds at HP’s Pong Dam ............................................ 16
1.30 SC asked Centre to repeal old law regarding confiscation of cattle ........................................................ 16
1.31 India to chair three key UNSC committees, to focus on terrorism, sanctions ......................................... 16
International News ............................................................................................................................................. 16
1.32 EXIM Bank extends a LOC of $448 million to Uzbekistan ....................................................................... 16
1.33 Turkey passes a bill to monitor the civil society groups ......................................................................... 16
1.34 Ajit Doval participates in trilateral maritime meeting in Sri Lanka ......................................................... 17

1.35 Maitre Setu to open up new scope of development in Tripura .............................................................. 17
1.36 Japan to join ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing alliance ............................................................................ 17
1.37 Australia changes word in anthem to honour indigenous people .......................................................... 17
1.38 Britain abolishes sales tax on sanitary products .................................................................................... 17
1.39 Google employees form "Alphabet Workers Union" ............................................................................. 17
1.40 US Congress passes 'Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act' ......................................................................... 18
1.41 Kazakhstan abolishes death penalty ..................................................................................................... 18
1.42 UK raises $1 bn to support Covid-19 vaccination in developing countries ............................................. 18
1.43 Pakistan test fires indigenously developed weapons rocket system ...................................................... 18
1.44 China sets up Sichuan-Tibet Railway close to Indian Border .................................................................. 18
1.45 China deployed Underwater Drones in Indian Ocean ............................................................................ 18
1.46 Japan plans a 2023 launch of world’s first satellite made of wood ........................................................ 19
1.47 Vietnam imports rice from India ........................................................................................................... 19
Appointments ..................................................................................................................................................... 19
1.48 Prince of Arcot elected as the president of MEASI ................................................................................ 19
1.49 Arya Rajendran became the next mayor of Thiruvananthapuram ......................................................... 19
1.50 ISRO chairman K Sivan gets one-year extension as Department of Space secretary............................... 19
1.51 Soma Mondal takes over as Chairperson of SAIL ................................................................................... 19
1.52 Alexander Ellis appointed as British High Commissioner to India ........................................................... 19
1.53 Suneet Sharma appointed as the Chairman and CEO of Railway Board ................................................. 20
1.54 Tarun Kumar Aich appointed as Director General of National Cadet Corps............................................ 20
Sports.................................................................................................................................................................. 20
1.55 India’s largest hockey stadium to come up in Rourkela ......................................................................... 20
1.56 Globe Soccer Awards 2020 at Dubai ..................................................................................................... 20
1.57 ICC announces ICC Team of the Decade ................................................................................................ 20
1.58 Leon Mendonca becomes India’s 67th Grandmaster ............................................................................ 20
1.59 Teimour Radjabov wins Airthings Masters ............................................................................................ 21
1.60 Book titled ‘India’s 71-Year Test: The Journey to Triumph in Australia’ ................................................. 21
1.61 Claire Polosak becomes first woman to officiate in men’s Test match ................................................... 21
1.62 TOPS sanction specialized equipment for Para Table Tennis Player Bhavina Patel from Gujarat ............ 21
Persons in News .................................................................................................................................................. 21
1.63 I Am No Messiah by Sonu Sood ............................................................................................................ 21
1.64 Jeff Bezos tops the Bloomberg Billionaire Index .................................................................................... 21
1.65 French fashion designer Pierre Cardin passes away .............................................................................. 21
1.66 New Zealand Test cricketer John Fulton Reid passes away .................................................................... 21
1.67 Michael Kindo, world-class defender & gentle giant of hockey, passes away ........................................ 22
1.68 Col Narendra 'Bull' Kumar, who helped India secure Siachen glacier, passes away ................................ 22

1.69 Australian tennis coach Bob Brett passes away ..................................................................................... 22
1.70 Oldest living Olympic champion Agnes Keleti celebrates 100th birthday ............................................... 22
1.71 Former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki passes away .......................................................... 22
1.72 Indian-American Raj Iyer becomes US Army's first Chief Information Officer ........................................ 22
1.73 Fashion designer Satya Paul passes away ............................................................................................. 22
1.74 Congress Veteran Butta Singh passed away .......................................................................................... 22
Science and Technology ...................................................................................................................................... 22
1.75 Student of Sastra University won space global design competition ....................................................... 22
1.76 US-European Solar Orbiter spacecraft completed its first flyby of Venus ............................................... 23
1.77 Godrej Aerospace partners ISRO for satellite launch ............................................................................. 23
1.78 ISRO to launch 1st satellite developed entirely by Brazil's space agency ............................................... 23
1.79 Skyroot Aerospace test-fires solid propulsion rocket engine ................................................................. 23
1.80 DRDO Signs MOU with MAHA-METRO .................................................................................................. 23
1.81 CSIR-NAL develops Swasth Vayu Non-invasive Ventilator...................................................................... 24
1.82 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica launched ........................................................................ 24
1.83 Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of National Environment Standards Laboratory .................... 24
1.84 National Metrology Conclave 2021 organized ....................................................................................... 24
Environment ....................................................................................................................................................... 24
1.85 African Elephants surveyed using AI ..................................................................................................... 24
Defence in News ................................................................................................................................................. 24
1.86 Indian & Vietnamese Navy to hold PASSEX in South China Sea.............................................................. 24
1.87 India & France to carry out SKYROS wargames in Jodhpur .................................................................... 24
1.88 Ministry of Defence signs contract with Bharat Electronics Limited ...................................................... 25
1.89 Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) signs contract with Indian Navy .......................................................... 25
1.90 ICG signs pact with Asian countries for cooperation in maritime search & rescue ................................. 25
1.91 Indian Army signs contract with Goa Shipyard Limited for 12 Fast Patrol Boats..................................... 25
1.92 GRSE delivers last landing craft utility ship to Indian Navy .................................................................... 25
1.93 CVRDE hands over landing gear systems for UAVs to Indian Navy ......................................................... 26
1.94 DRDO develops India's first indigenous machine pistol ASMI ................................................................ 26
1.95 Indian Army creates Major General-led human rights cell for 'transparency and probity'...................... 26
Awards ................................................................................................................................................................ 26
1.96 ESAF wins Global Sustainability Award 2020 ......................................................................................... 26
1.97 Koothambalam of Guruvayur temple wins UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award ................................................ 26
1.98 Amar Singh College wins prestigious ‘Award of Merit’ .......................................................................... 26
Banking ............................................................................................................................................................... 27
1.99 South Indian Bank announces 6Cs strategy for Vision 2024................................................................... 27
1.100 IDBI Bank sells 23% stake in IDBI Federal Life Insurance to Ageas Insurance ...................................... 27

1.101 RuPay partners with RBL Bank to launch ‘RuPay PoS’ ........................................................................ 27
Days in news ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
1.102 DRDO celebrated its 63rd Foundation Day ......................................................................................... 27
1.103 World Braille Day.............................................................................................................................. 28
1.104 World Hindi Day: 10th January........................................................................................................... 28
2 GA + ESI in news........................................................................................................................................... 28
2.1 Global and India output set to expand in 2021-2022, says World Bank ................................................. 28
2.2 Tata Power, SIDBI join hands for rooftop solar financing for MSMEs ..................................................... 28
2.3 India records highest number of babies born on New Year's Day: UNICEF............................................. 28
2.4 India gets its first women's team in disaster combat ............................................................................. 28
2.5 IRDAI to introduce standard home insurance policy Bharat Griha Raksha ............................................. 29
2.6 Cabinet approves signing of Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan on Partnership in
"Specified Skilled Worker" ............................................................................................................................... 29
2.7 Union Health minister releases Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) Wave-1,India Report ............ 29
2.8 World food price index rises for seventh straight month in Dec. ........................................................... 30
2.9 Govt. approves advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict across India ............................... 30
2.10 Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh rewarded for completing three out of four reforms................... 31
2.11 Brazil defaults on BRICS bank agreement after Congress blocks payment ............................................. 31
2.12 Government of India & NDB sign two loan agreements for USD 646 million for upgrading State Highway
Network and District Road Network in Andhra Pradesh ................................................................................... 32
2.13 Ministry of Power notifies price of one metric tonne of oil equivalent applicable for Designated
Consumer of Second Cycle of Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme ......................................................... 32
2.14 Union Education Minister inaugurates two-day Virtual International Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON-2020’
32
2.15 Advance Estimates of GDP of 2020-21 released by National Statistics Office ........................................ 33
2.16 CBIC introduces flagship Liberalised Authorised Economic Operator Package for MSMEs ..................... 33
2.17 3.04 Crore New Connections provided under National Jal Jeevan Mission 27 Districts, 458 blocks, 33,516
Gram Panchayats, 66,210 Villages have achieved “HarGhar Jal” ....................................................................... 34
2.18 Japan’s Official Development Assistance for the COVID-19 crisis response support loan for social
protection ........................................................................................................................................................ 34
2.19 IREDA to Support NHPC in Green Energy projects for 5 years................................................................ 35
2.20 Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of the Ecosystem Services (NCAVES) India Forum-2021 taken
place 35
2.21 Union Health Minister chairs plenary session of the PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS Annual Conference .. 35
2.22 Delhi govt directed schools in the capital to implement the new 'school bag policy' ............................. 36
2.23 Interest rates on major small savings schemes remains unchanged ...................................................... 36
2.24 EPFO begins crediting 8.5% interest for 2019-20................................................................................... 37
2.25 Forex reserves dip by $290 million to $580.84 billion............................................................................ 37
2.26 Uttar Pradesh launches Kisan Kalyan Mission ....................................................................................... 38
10 | P a g e W W W . E D U T A P . C O . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241
2.27 Punjab Government approves Punjab State Data Policy........................................................................ 38
2.28 Assam assembly passes bill to clear industrial applications without delay ............................................. 38
2.29 Central government drafts law to raise legal age of smoking to 21 years .............................................. 38
2.30 FSSAI reduces limit for trans fat levels in foods ..................................................................................... 39
2.31 NHRC recommends special Act against manual scavenging ................................................................... 39
2.32 Centre to implement Enterprise Business System for 5 ports in India.................................................... 39
2.33 ISRO to adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs .................................................................................................. 40
2.34 Ministry of Education issues guidelines for identification, admission and continued education of migrant
children ........................................................................................................................................................... 40
2.35 Union Minister inaugurated 'Single Window Clearance System Web Portal' in Coal Mining sector ........ 41
2.36 India's 'Institutions of Eminence' can now set up campuses in foreign countries................................... 41
2.37 Punjab govt announces free sanitary pads for high school, college girls ................................................ 42
2.38 Indian Railway launches portal to promote railways’ freight business ................................................... 42
3 GA + Finance in news ................................................................................................................................... 42
3.1 RPL insider trading case: Sebi fines Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani .............................................. 42
3.2 Reserve Bank forms academic advisory council for supervisory college ................................................ 43
3.3 RBI operationalizes payment infra development fund........................................................................... 43
3.4 Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2020-21 (Series X) – Issue Price .............................................................. 44
3.5 IFSCA becomes member of IOSCO ........................................................................................................ 44
3.6 GST Revenue collection for December 2020 recorded all time high since its implementation ............... 44
3.7 10th Instalment of Rs.6,000 crore released to the States as back to back loan to meet the GST shortfall 
45
3.8 Reserve Bank unveils digital payment index.......................................................................................... 46

1 GA in News
National news
1.1 Arun Jaitley’s statue unveiled at Kotla
 Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a life-size statue of former union minister
and president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), the late Arun Jaitley, at
the premises of Ferozeshah Kotla ground.
1.2 Northeast gets its first human milk bank

 Recently, the first human milk bank in the Northeast has been set up in Guwahati's Satribari
Christian Hospital.
 Aim- To provide breast milk for premature, low birth-weight, and sick newborns, besides
other needy babies.
 It is the 15th human milk bank in India.
1.3 DMRC introduced NCMC Service on Airport Express Line

 Recently, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) introduced the National Common
Mobility Card (NCMC) service on its Airport Express Line.
 Under this facility, a person carrying a RuPay- Debit Card that has been issued by 23 banks in
the last 18 months, will be able to travel on the Airport Express Line of the Delhi Metro rail
network without buying tickets.
 This is part of the One Nation, One Card model.
1.4 India-Bangladesh finalize first rice deal in 3 years

 Recently, Bangladesh is finalising a purchase of 150,000 tonnes of rice from India’s National
Agricultural Cooperative MarketingFederation of India Ltd (NAFED).
About Bangladesh:
 Capital: Dhaka
 Currency: Taka
1.5 PM Modi inaugurates New Khurja—New Bhaupur section of Eastern DFC

 Recently, the 351-km long New Khurja—New Bhaupur section of the Eastern dedicated rail
freight corridor (DFC), and the operation control centre (OCC) has been inaugurated.
 Located at- Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
 The OCC will act as the command centre for the entire route length of the EDFC.
 The Eastern DFC is a 1,856-km stretch starting from Sahnewal near Ludhiana, Punjab to
Dankuni in West Bengal.
1.6 Indian Railways Completes speed trials of Vistadome Tourist Coach

 Recently, Indian Railways has successfully completed 180 kmph oscillation trial of the new
design Vistadome Tourist Coaches made by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.
 Objective of Vistadome Tourist Coaches is to provide world class modern travelling experience
to the passengers.

1.7 Gujarat announces new Solar Power Policy-2021
 Recently, Gujarat Government has announced its new Solar Power Policy 2021.
As per the new policy-
 Any person, developer or industry can set up a solar project in its premises or land without
any limit. They can also offer their space to third party for power generation and utilization.
 A limit of only 50% of sanctioned load/contract demand for industry to set up the solar project
has been removed.
 Security deposit given to power companies has been cut from Rs. 25 lakh per MW to Rs. 5 lakh
per MW.
 It will remain effective till December 2025.
1.8 AFSPA extended for six more months in Nagaland

 The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared the entire State of Nagaland as a “disturbed
area” for six more months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).
 AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without
prior notice.
1.9 Minister of State for Labour & Employment releases special stamp on Labour Bureau
 Recently, the Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar has
released a special stamp on Labour Bureau.
 The stamp has been released on the occasion of centenary year celebrations of the Labour
Bureau.
1.10 IR launches upgraded e-Ticketing Website & Mobile App for booking of online Railway
Tickets
 Recently, Indian Railways has launched the upgraded e-ticketing website and IRCTC Rail
Connect Mobile App, which are used for booking of Railway tickets ‘online’.
 Aim- To provide best in class user experience amongst various other online travel and ticketing
websites.
1.11 Music Festival Tansen Samaroh commences in Gwalior

 Recently, the 96th edition of music festival Tansen Samaroh has commenced in Gwalior,
Madhya Pradesh.
 Organised by- Ustaad Allahuddin Khan Sangeet and Kala Academy and Madhya Pradesh
Cultural Parishad.
 The festival is held every year to pay tributes to one of the greatest musicians in Indian history
of classical music, Tansen.
1.12 National Folk Dance Festival begins in Jammu & Kashmir

 Recently, National Folk Dance Festival has commenced at Abhinav Theatre in Jammu &
Kashmir.
 Organised by- North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala (Ministry of Culture, Government of India)
and Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture & Languages.

1.13 PM dedicates Kochi - Mangaluru Natural Gas Pipeline to the Nation
 The 450-km Kochi-Koottanad-Mangaluru LNG (liquified natural gas) pipeline is part of
government’s “one nation-one gas grid” policy.
 Government plan was to increase the share of natural gas in the energy sector from the
present 6% to 15% by 2030.
1.14 Central Government forms committee to protect language, culture & land of Ladakh
 The Committee will be headed by the Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy.
 Committee will also include elected representatives from Ladakh, Ladakh Autonomous Hill
Development Council, central government, and the Ladakh administration.
1.15 India to be a co-chair Asia Protected Areas Partnership

 India to co-chair Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP) for a period of 3-years, replacing
South Korea.
 As a co-chair, India will assist other Asian countries in managing their protected areas.
About APAP-
 It is a regional platform to help governments and other stakeholders to collaborate for more
effective management of protected areas (PA) in the region.
 It is chaired by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asia and co-chaired by
an APAP country member.
1.16 Delhi government sets up academy to promote Tamil culture

 The Department of Art, Culture and Language of the Delhi government has set up a Tamil
academy.
 Aim- To promote the South Indian language and culture in the Capital.
 N. Raja has been appointed as the vice-chairman of the academy.
1.17 Reliance Jio to revoke IUC charges from January 1, 2021

 Reliance Jio has made the domestic calls to all networks free from 01st January 2021 as it has
revoked the interconnect usage charges (IUC) it had levied a few months earlier on all
domestic voice calls.
 This step has been taken after an announcement by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) stating that IUC on all domestic voice calls in the country should be discontinued.
1.18 PM Modi flags off world's 1st double-stack container train

 Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the world’s first double-stack long-
haul container train from New Ateli in Haryana to New Kishanganj in Rajasthan.
 He also launched the 306-km Rewari-Madar section of the Western dedicated freight
corridor (DFC).
1.19 Webinar on Water Purification Technologies for MSMEs

 Recently, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur and
MSME-Development Institute (DI), Ahmedabad have jointly organized a webinar on ‘Water
Purification Technologies for MSMEs’.

1.20 World's largest floating solar project to start in Madhya Pradesh
 The world's largest floating 600 MW solar energy project to be constructed at Omkareshwar
dam on Narmada river in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.
 It is expected to begin power generation by year 2022-23.
 Additional information- The International Finance Corporation, World Bank and Power Grid
have granted in-principle consent for providing aid for the project.
1.21 Free bus service for women and elderly in Assam

 Recently, the Assam government has flagged off 25 pink buses for free service to women and
senior citizens under the 'Bhraman Sarathi' scheme in Guwahati, Assam.
1.22 Union Home Minister releases National Police K-9 Journal

 “National Police K-9 Journal” is the first such publication in the country on the subject of Police
Service (K-9) (PSKs) i.e. Police Dogs.
1.23 51st IFFI at Goa

 51st International Film Festival of India will be organized by Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, through Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), Government of India, in
collaboration with the Government of Goa, through the Entertainment Society of Goa
(ESG), and the Indian Film Industry.
 IFFI is one of Asia’s oldest and India’s biggest film festival which Indian and the foreign film
enthusiasts with an opportunity to share ideas, skill and technology.
1.24 4th Global Ayurveda Festival to be held virtually in Kerala

 The conference will focus on the relevance of Ayurveda in the post-COVID world and the
potential of Ayurveda in enhancing immunity.
 The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) is the festival and
industry partner.
1.25 Assam Rifles Public School became the first Khelo India Sports School from North-East
 Recently, Union minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju launched the Assam Rifles
Public School (ARPS) in Shillong as a Khelo India Sports School, first in North East.
 Objective: To integrate sports with education and develop sports in the country.
1.26 Ministry of Ports to start Sagarmala Seaplane Services

 Recently, under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sagarmala Seaplane
Services were commenced on the select routes, under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
 The project execution and implementation would be through Sagarmala Development
Company Ltd (SDCL).
 Aim: To provide connectivity and easier accessibility to remote locations.
1.27 CEPI centralized lab at DBT-THSTI, Faridabad inaugurated

 Recently, Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated centralized network laboratory of Coalition for
Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) established at Department of Biotechnology-
Translational Health Science & Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, Haryana.

 The laboratory is accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration
Laboratories (NABL).
1.28 Kerala to share cost of Sabarimala rail project

 Recently, the Angamaly-Sabarimala rail project got a new lease of life with Kerala agreeing to
bear 50% of the estimate of ₹2,815.62 crore.
 The funds will be made available from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
1.29 Avian Flu (H5N1 virus) causes death of migratory birds at HP’s Pong Dam
 Recently, a number of migratory birds died at the Pong Dam wetland site in Himachal
Pradesh’s Kangra district.
 The ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)-National Institute of High Security Animal
Disease has confirmed H5N1 virus as the cause of the fatalities.
1.30 SC asked Centre to repeal old law regarding confiscation of cattle

 Recently, Supreme Court asked the Centre to “delete” its three-year-old law i.e. Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules, 2017 which
allowed seizure and confiscation in ‘gaushalas’ of livestock from people, even before they
were found guilty of cruelty towards the animal.
 The 2017 Rules allow a Magistrate to forfeit the cattle of an owner facing trial under the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
1.31 India to chair three key UNSC committees, to focus on terrorism, sanctions
 India will chair the three crucial committees of the UN Security Council during its tenure as
non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation UN body.
Three committees are:
1. Taliban Sanctions Committee, also known as the 1988 Sanctions Committee
2. Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) to be chaired in 2022
3. Libya Sanctions Committee, also called the 1970 Sanctions Committee
International News
1.32 EXIM Bank extends a LOC of $448 million to Uzbekistan
 Recently, Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank), on behalf of the Government of India has
extended a Line of Credit (LOC) of $448 million to the Government of Republic of Uzbekistan.
 The LOC has been extended has been extended for financing various projects in the roads and
transport, water and technology and communication sectors in Uzbekistan.
About Uzbekistan:
 Capital: Tashkent
 Currency: Uzbek Som
1.33 Turkey passes a bill to monitor the civil society groups

 Recently, the Turkish parliament has passed a bill that would increase the monitoring of civil
society groups.

 The act is called “Preventing Financing of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction”.
 Aim: To keep terror financing and money laundering in check.
About Turkey
 Capital: Ankara
 Currency: Lira
1.34 Ajit Doval participates in trilateral maritime meeting in Sri Lanka

 Recently, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Colombo for a trilateral maritime
dialogue held between India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
 The meeting will provide an opportunity for discussion on issues pertaining to cooperation in
maritime security in the Indian Ocean region
About Sri Lanka
 Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, legislative; Colombo (executive and judicial)
 Currency: Sri Lankan Ruppee
1.35 Maitre Setu to open up new scope of development in Tripura

 The 1.9 km long bridge over the River Feni, called the Maitre Setu, connects South Tripura
with Ramgarh of Bangladesh.
 Project execution authority- National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation
Limited (NHDCL). Sanctioned cost- Rs 128.69 crores
 The bridge also provide access to the Chittagong seaport in Bangladesh.
1.36 Japan to join ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing alliance

 Japanese government is going to join the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing alliance. The island
nation is on its way to become the ‘sixth eye’.
About Five Eyes-
 It is a network of five nations namely Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and the US who
collaborated to better respond to increasing threats by North Korea and China.
1.37 Australia changes word in anthem to honour indigenous people

 Recently, Australia has changed one word in its national anthem to honour the country’s
indigenous population.
 The 2nd line of the anthem, Advance Australia Fair, has been changed from “For we are young
and free” to “For we are one and free.” The change will be effective from 01st January 2021.
About Australia-
 Capital- Canberra
 Currency- Australian dollar
1.38 Britain abolishes sales tax on sanitary products

 Recently, Britain’s finance ministry has announced that it had abolished the “tampon tax”,
eliminating sales taxes on women's sanitary products.
1.39 Google employees form "Alphabet Workers Union"

 Recently, more than 200 Google employees in the United States have formed a workers' union
named as "Alphabet Workers Union".
 Aim- To ensure that employees work at a fair wage, without fear of abuse, retaliation, or
discrimination.
1.40 US Congress passes 'Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act'

 Recently, the US Congress has passed the 'Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act' for Pakistani
women.
 The act will expand the number of scholarships available to Pakistani women to receive
higher education under a merit and needs-based programme.
 The bill requires the US Agency for International Development to award at least 50% of
scholarships under a Pakistan-based higher education scholarship programme to Pakistani
women, from 2020 to 2022.
1.41 Kazakhstan abolishes death penalty

 Recently, Kazakhstan has abolished the death penalty.
 The new law makes permanent the existing moratorium on state executions in place since
2003.
1.42 UK raises $1 bn to support Covid-19 vaccination in developing countries

 Recently, the United Kingdom has raised $1 billion from global donors to fund vaccination
campaigns against Covid-19 in developing countries.
 The funding will help in distributing 1-billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to 92 developing
countries.
1.43 Pakistan test fires indigenously developed weapons rocket system

 Recently, Pakistan has successfully conducted the test-flight of an indigenously developed
Guided Multi Launch Rocket System.
 The rocket system is capable of delivering conventional warheads, with a maximum range of
140 km.
About Pakistan-
 Capital- Islamabad
 Currency- Pakistani Rupee
1.44 China sets up Sichuan-Tibet Railway close to Indian Border

 Recently, China completed the track-laying work for a railway line linking the cities of Lhasa
and Nyingchi in Tibet, close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh.
 The Sichuan-Tibet Railway will be the second railway into Tibet after the Qinghai-Tibet
Railway.
About China-
 Capital- Beijing
 Currency- Renminbi
1.45 China deployed Underwater Drones in Indian Ocean

 Recently, China has deployed a fleet of Uncrewed Underwater Drones called Sea Wing (Haiyi)
glider in the Indian Ocean which makes observations for naval intelligence purposes.

1.46 Japan plans a 2023 launch of world’s first satellite made of wood
 Recently, Sumitoro Forestry, a Japanese company and Kyoto University have joined forces to
develop world's first satellites made out of wood by 2023 to cut down the space junk.
 Wooden satellites would burn up without releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere.
About Japan-
 Capital- Tokyo
 Currency- Japanese Yen
1.47 Vietnam imports rice from India

 Recently, Vietnam, the world’s third biggest exporter of rice, has started buying the grain
from India for the first time in decades after local prices jumped to their highest in nine years
amid limited domestic supplies.
About Vietnam
 Capital: Hanoi
 Currency: Dong
Appointments
1.48 Prince of Arcot elected as the president of MEASI
 Recently, the Prince of Arcot (Tamil Nadu), Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, has been elected
the president of the Muslim Educational Association of Southern India (MEASI) at the 118th
annual general meeting of the MEASI.
 He will be the president for a three-year period.
1.49 Arya Rajendran became the next mayor of Thiruvananthapuram

 Recently, 21-year-old Arya Rajendran became the new Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram in
Kerala.
 She has become the youngest-ever Mayor in the country.
1.50 ISRO chairman K Sivan gets one-year extension as Department of Space secretary
 Recently, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of tenure
of K Sivan as the secretary, Department of Space and chairman, Space Commission for a
period of one year.
1.51 Soma Mondal takes over as Chairperson of SAIL

 Soma Mondal has taken over as first-ever woman head of Steel Authority of India Limited
(SAIL).
 She was the company’s Director (Commercial) before taking over as Chairman.
1.52 Alexander Ellis appointed as British High Commissioner to India

 Recently, Alexander Ellis has been appointed as British High Commissioner to India.
 He will succeed Philip Barton.

1.53 Suneet Sharma appointed as the Chairman and CEO of Railway Board
 Recently, Shri Suneet Sharma has been appointed as the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
(CEO), Railway Board (Ministry of Railways) and ex-officio Principal Secretary to Government
of India.
1.54 Tarun Kumar Aich appointed as Director General of National Cadet Corps
 Recently, Lt. Gen. Tarun Kumar Aich has taken over as 33rd Director General, National Cadet
Corps.
Sports
1.55 India’s largest hockey stadium to come up in Rourkela
 Recently, Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that India’s biggest hockey
stadium will be established in Rourkela, Odisha.
 The stadium will co-host the matches of International Federation of Hockey (FIH) men’s
World Cup in 2023, alongside the Kalinga Stadium in the state capital of Bhubaneswar.
1.56 Globe Soccer Awards 2020 at Dubai

 List of the winners of Global Soccer Awards 2020:
o Player of the Century award: Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo .
o Player of the Year award: Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski
o Coach of the Year award: Bayern Munich's coach Hansi Flick
o Club of the Year award: Bayern Munich
o Coach of the Century award: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
o Club of the Century award : Real Madrid
o Agent of the century: Jorge Mendes
o Player career award: Gerard Pique & Iker Casillas
1.57 ICC announces ICC Team of the Decade

 Recently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the Men’s T20I, ODI and Test
teams of the decade.
 Former India captain MS Dhoni has been chosen as the captain of T20I Team and the ODI Team,
while Virat Kohli has been chosen as the captain of Test Team.
 Indian Players in ICC-
o T20I Team of the Decade: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah.
o ODI Team of the Decade: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni.
o Test Team of the Decade: Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin.
 In the women’s T20I team of the decade, India’s Harmanpreet Kaur and Poonam Yadav have
been picked.
1.58 Leon Mendonca becomes India’s 67th Grandmaster

 Recently, Leon Mendonca, from Goa, has become India’s 67th chess Grandmaster by winning
the third and final norm at a tournament in Italy.

1.59 Teimour Radjabov wins Airthings Masters
 Recently, Azerbaijani chess player Teimour Radjabov has won the Airthings Masters online
rapid chess final.
1.60 Book titled ‘India’s 71-Year Test: The Journey to Triumph in Australia’
 R. Kaushik has authored the book with title “India’s 71-Year Test: The Journey to Triumph in
Australia”.
 The book reflects on Indian cricket team’s previous 12 tours to Australia from 1947/48, to face
Don Bradman’s side, tracing the evening out of a rivalry dominated by the host nation.
1.61 Claire Polosak becomes first woman to officiate in men’s Test match
 Recently, Australia’s Claire Polosak became the first woman to officiate at a men’s Test
match.
 She served as the fourth umpire during a match between India and Australia held in Sydney.
1.62 TOPS sanction specialized equipment for Para Table Tennis Player Bhavina Patel from
Gujarat
 Recently, the Mission Olympic Cell cleared financial proposals for athletes who are a part of
the Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
 Bhavina Patel is ranked 8th in the world and is well positioned to qualify for the Tokyo
Paralympics and thus will become the first Indian to do so in the sport of Para Table Tennis.
Persons in News
1.63 I Am No Messiah by Sonu Sood
 Recently, in Sonu Sood’s just-released book about his Ghar Bhejo relief mission, I Am No
Messiah co-written with journalist Meena K Iyer the actor reflected on the impact of his relief
work on those whose lives he touched, as well as his own.
1.64 Jeff Bezos tops the Bloomberg Billionaire Index

 According to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Reliance Industries Ltd’s (RIL) chairman Mukesh
Ambani is no longer among top 10 richest billionaires in the world. He stood at 11th position
in the list of richest people in the world.
 The top people in the list are-
Rank Person Net Worth

1 Jeff Bezos $186 billion
2 Elon Musk $160 billion
3 Bill Gates $131 billion
1.65 French fashion designer Pierre Cardin passes away

 Iconic French designer Pierre Cardin has passed away recently.
1.66 New Zealand Test cricketer John Fulton Reid passes away
 Former New Zealand Test cricketer John Fulton Reid has passed away recently.

1.67 Michael Kindo, world-class defender & gentle giant of hockey, passes away
 Michael Kindo was one of the first Adivasi players to play for the Indian hockey team in 1970s
1.68 Col Narendra 'Bull' Kumar, who helped India secure Siachen glacier, passes away
 Ace mountaineer Colonel Narendra 'Bull' Kumar, 87, who helped India secure the Siachen
Glacier, passed away.
 He was the first Indian to climb Mount Nanda Devi. He climbed Mount Everest in 1965, Mount
Blanc (highest peak in the Alps), and later Mount Kangchenchanga.
1.69 Australian tennis coach Bob Brett passes away

 Australian tennis coach Bob Brett has passed away recently.
1.70 Oldest living Olympic champion Agnes Keleti celebrates 100th birthday
 Agnes Keleti from Hungary, the oldest living Olympic champion who won 10 Olympic medals
in gymnastics has celebrated her 100th birthday recently.
1.71 Former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki passes away

 Veteran Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki, who served as the chief minister of Gujarat
four times and also as a Union Minister, has passed away recently.
1.72 Indian-American Raj Iyer becomes US Army's first Chief Information Officer
 Recently, the Indian-American Dr Raj Iyer has taken over as the first Chief Information Officer
of the US Army.
 Additional Information- The position of Chief Information Officer was created by Pentagon in
July 2020.
1.73 Fashion designer Satya Paul passes away

 Recently, the fashion designer Satya Paul has passed away.
1.74 Congress Veteran Butta Singh passed away

 Recently, senior Congress leader and former Home Minister Buta Singh has passed away.
 He belonged to Punjab.
Science and Technology

1.75 Student of Sastra University won space global design competition
 Recently, an Engineering student S Riyasdeen of SASTRA Deemed University has won the
cubes in space global design competition for space launch in NASA rocket and scientific
balloon.
 His 37mm sized FEMTO satellite VISIO SAT v1 &v2 with a payload of 30mm weighing 33 gms
make it the world's lightest FEMTO satellite.
 His satellites will be part of NASA missions.
 Femto satellites are low cost satellites with a mass less than 100 grams.

1.76 US-European Solar Orbiter spacecraft completed its first flyby of Venus
 Recently, the joint US-European Solar Orbiter spacecraft has completed its first flybys of
Venus, to start bringing it closer to the Sun. By 2025 it will make its first solar pass.
About Solar Orbiter Spacecraft:
 In partnership between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), the probe was launched
to study the Sun.
 Its mission is to provide the first images of the polar regions of the Sun, and investigating the
Sun-Earth connection.
1.77 Godrej Aerospace partners ISRO for satellite launch

 Godrej Aerospace has announced a partnership with the Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO).
 Aim- To successfully launch the CMS-01 communications satellite using the PSLV-C50.
 CMS-01 is a communication satellite designed for providing services in the Extended-C Band
of the frequency spectrum. It was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR,
Sriharikota.
1.78 ISRO to launch 1st satellite developed entirely by Brazil's space agency
 The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is set to launch Amazonia-1, the first satellite to
have been developed completely in Brazil by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
 Amazonia-1 is a Sun synchronous (polar) orbiting satellite that can generate images of any part
of the world every five days and will help in monitoring the ecosystem of the Amazon
rainforest, the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
About Brazil-
 Capital- Brasilia
 Currency- Brazilian real
1.79 Skyroot Aerospace test-fires solid propulsion rocket engine

 Recently, the Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad based start-up in the space sector, has
successfully test-fired a solid propulsion rocket engine named Kalam-5.
 It has become India’s first private sector company to successfully test-fire a solid propulsion
rocket stage engine designed and developed by it.
1.80 DRDO Signs MOU with MAHA-METRO

 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Maharashtra Metro Rail
Corporation (MAHA –METRO), a joint venture company of the GoI and Government of
Maharashtra signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation of its
advanced biodigester Mk-II technology for the treatment of human waste (night soil) in the
metro rail network.
Additional Information
 Indian Railways has already installed about 2.40 lakh biodigesters in its fleet of passenger
coaches.
 J-K Administration has initiated the process to procure 100 units of MK-II Biodigesters for civil
habitats around the Dal Lake so as to minimize water pollution.

1.81 CSIR-NAL develops Swasth Vayu Non-invasive Ventilator
 Recently, CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) scientists has designed and developed
the non-invasive bilevel positive airway pressure ventilator “Swasth Vayu” to treat Covid-19
patients.
 Swasth Vayu may be used on Covid-19 patients who require oxygen supplementation up to
35%.
1.82 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica launched

 The 40th scientific expedition to Antarctica will be flagged off from Goa with 43 members
onboard.
 The ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin will make this journey.
 The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, manages the entire Indian
Antarctic program.
1.83 Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of National Environment Standards Laboratory
 Recently, Prime Minister dedicated the National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak
Dravya to the nation and laid the foundation stone of the National Environmental Standards
Laboratory (NESL).
 National Atomic Timescale generates Indian Standard Time.
 Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya aims at testing and comparison of laboratories for quality
assurance, at par with international standards.
1.84 National Metrology Conclave 2021 organized

 National Metrology Conclave 2021 was organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi which is entering into 75th year of
inception.
 Theme: Metrology for the Inclusive Growth of the Nation.
Environment
1.85 African Elephants surveyed using AI
 Recently, a new approach for surveying African elephants using satellite imagery and artificial
intelligence (AI) was deployed.
 The method was developed by team of researchers led by University of Oxford.
Defence in News
1.86 Indian & Vietnamese Navy to hold PASSEX in South China Sea
 Indian Navy and the Vietnam People’s Navy will hold PASSEX in South China Sea.
 Participating ships- Indian Navy ship INS Kiltan.
1.87 India & France to carry out SKYROS wargames in Jodhpur

 Rafale fighter jets of Indian Air Force and the French Air Force Rafale fighters will carry out
wargames which has been codenamed as Exercise SKYROS.

 Location- Jodhpur, Rajasthan
About France-
 Capital- Paris
 Currency- Euro
1.88 Ministry of Defence signs contract with Bharat Electronics Limited

 Aim- To procure 10 Lynx U2 Fire Control systems for frontline warships of Indian Navy at a
cost of Rs 1,355 crore under Buy (Indian) category.
 LYNX U2 GFCS is a Naval Gun Fire Control System designed to acquire, track and engage targets
amidst sea clutter.
1.89 Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) signs contract with Indian Navy
 The contract has been signed for initial supply of 20 Light Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation Dazlers (Laser Dazzlers).
 These would be manufactured by BEL, Pune plant.
1.90 ICG signs pact with Asian countries for cooperation in maritime search & rescue
 Recently, the Indian Coast Guard has entered into memoranda of understanding (MoU) with
seven Asian countries namely Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Indonesia and Vietnam for cooperation in maritime search and rescue operations.
 Maritime exercises and training activities are being jointly conducted with these countries
regularly.
1.91 Indian Army signs contract with Goa Shipyard Limited for 12 Fast Patrol Boats
 Recently, The Indian army has signed a contract with Goa Shipyard Limited for 12 Fast Patrol
Boats for surveillance and patrolling of large water bodies.
 Delivery would commence from May 2021
1.92 GRSE delivers last landing craft utility ship to Indian Navy
 Recently, Defence PSU GRSE has delivered to the Indian Navy the last of the eight landing craft
utility (LCU) ships manufactured by it, providing a major boost to the country's defence.

 Ships are specifically designed to undertake landing operations in most difficult beaching areas
 Specification: speed of 15 knots, a displacement of 900- odd tonnes and a low draught for
beaching in the shallowest of waters.
1.93 CVRDE hands over landing gear systems for UAVs to Indian Navy
 Recently, the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), a unit of
DRDO, has hand over the Retractable landing gear systems for unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) to Indian Navy.
 3- tonne Retractable Landing Gear Systems have been handed over for TAPAS Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle while 1- tonne landing gear system for the the SWiFT UAV.
1.94 DRDO develops India's first indigenous machine pistol ASMI

 Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed India's
first indigenous machine pistol ASMI.
 It can fire at a range of 100 metres and is in the class of the Uzi series guns of Israel.
1.95 Indian Army creates Major General-led human rights cell for 'transparency and probity'
 Recently, the Indian Army has appointed Major General Gautam Chauhan as the first
additional director general of the Human Rights Cell.
 It would be the nodal point for examining any allegations of human rights violations related
to the force.
Awards
1.96 ESAF wins Global Sustainability Award 2020
 Recently, Kerala-based ESAF Small Finance Bank has won the Global Sustainability Award
2020. Bank founder and CEO K Paul Thomas received the award.
About Global Environment Awards:
 They are organised by the Energy And Environment Foundation and recognize and honor
excellent contributions, commitment and actions that have made a positive impact on the
environment.
1.97 Koothambalam of Guruvayur temple wins UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award

 Recently, the Koothambalam of the Sreekrishna temple, Guruvayur, Kerala has been selected
for the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for cultural heritage conservation.
1.98 Amar Singh College wins prestigious ‘Award of Merit’

 Recently, the restoration of the Amar Singh College building has won the prestigious ‘Award
of Merit’ in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation for the year
2020.
 College is located in- Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.

Banking
1.99 South Indian Bank announces 6Cs strategy for Vision 2024
 Recently, the South Indian Bank has announced its Vision 2024.
 With this, the bank is planning to raise around Rs 750 crore to strengthen balance sheet and
exploit growth opportunities.
According to this, the bank will focus on 6Cs-
 Capital
 CASA- Current Account and Savings Account
 Cost-to-income
 Competency building
 Customer focus
 Compliance
1.100 IDBI Bank sells 23% stake in IDBI Federal Life Insurance to Ageas Insurance
 Recently, IDBI Bank has completed sale transaction of its 23% stake in IDBI Federal Life
Insurance Company Limited (IFLI) to Ageas Insurance International JV for a consideration of ₹
507.10 crore.
 Following the transaction, IDBI Bank's shareholding in IFLI stood at 25% from the earlier 48%.
1.101 RuPay partners with RBL Bank to launch ‘RuPay PoS’

 Recently, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced that RuPay has partnered
with RBL Bank to launch an innovative payment solution for Indian merchants – RuPay PoS in
association with PayNearby.
 The RuPay PoS will transform smartphones into merchant Point of Sale (PoS) terminals for the
retailers.
 Merchants will now be able to accept contactless payments of up to ₹5,000
Days in news
1.102 DRDO celebrated its 63rd Foundation Day
 Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has observed its 63rd
Foundation Day on 1st January.
 DRDO was established in 1958.
 Export has been declared as the theme of DRDO for 2021.
 Online Industry Partner Registration Module has been launched on the occasion to simplify
the process of vendor registration.
 DRDO Monograph on “Issues on Development of Communication Technology using Orbiting

Satellites” and as well as Environmental Safety Manual and Guidelines for Disposal of Life
Expired Chemicals and Gases at DRDO Laboratories were also launched.

1.103 World Braille Day
 The day is celebrated on 4th January to create awareness of the importance of Braille as a
means of communication in the realization of human rights for the blind.
 Braille was invented by Louis Braille in the 19th century in France.
 The first World Braille Day was celebrated in 2019.
1.104 World Hindi Day: 10th January

 World Hindi Day or Vishwa Hindi Divas is being celebrated on 10th of January every year.
 Aim- To promote the Hindi language worldwide.
 The day commemorates the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference held in Nagpur
on January 10, 1975.
2 GA + ESI in news
2.1 Global and India output set to expand in 2021-2022, says World Bank
[Measurement of Growth]
 According to World Bank, India has been expected to grow at 5.4% in fiscal year 2021/22 and
5.2% in fiscal 2022/23 after an expected contraction of 9.6% in fiscal 2020/21.
 India’s government debt is expected to increase by 17 percentage points of GDP while service
output contracts over 9%.
 Global economic output is projected to grow by 4% in 2021.
2.2 Tata Power, SIDBI join hands for rooftop solar financing for MSMEs
[Employment Generation in India]
 Recently, Tata Power and SIDBI have joined hands to design a solar financing solution to help
MSME players with financial aid without any collateral at an interest of less than 10 per cent.
 It will be complimented with a sanction time of seven days and disbursal of money in four
days.
 Benefit can be availed by both off-grid and on-grid solar connections.
2.3 India records highest number of babies born on New Year's Day: UNICEF
[Social Sectors - Health]
 According to the UN's children's agency, India is estimated to have recorded the highest
number of births at around 60,000.
 Globally, more than 371,500 babies were born worldwide on 1st January 2021.
 Fiji in the Pacific was projected to have welcomed 2021's first baby while the United States
would welcome its last.
2.4 India gets its first women's team in disaster combat

[Gender Issue]
 Recently, first batch of over 100 women disaster combatants and rescuers has been inducted
in the National Disaster Response Fund.
 Deployed on the banks of the Ganga river in Uttar Pradesh's Garh Mukteshwar town.

2.5 IRDAI to introduce standard home insurance policy Bharat Griha Raksha
 Recently, The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has decided
to introduce a standard home insurance policy that will cover the risk of fire and allied perils
for certain risks.
 It has been titled as 'Bharat Griha Raksha' policy.
Key Highlights
 It will cover 'General Home Contents' automatically (without any need for a declaration of
details) for 20% of the sum insured for the building subject to a maximum of ₹10 lakh.
 It offers two optional covers -- Insurance for 'Valuable Contents' like jewellery and curios,
and Personal Accident of the insured and spouse due to an insured peril.
2.6 Cabinet approves signing of Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan on
Partnership in "Specified Skilled Worker"
 Recently, Cabinet has approved signing of Memorandum of Cooperation between India and
Japan on Partnership in "Specified Skilled Worker"
 Under the agreement, Skilled Indian workers from fourteen sectors would have enhanced job
opportunities to work in Japan –
o Nursing care
o Building cleaning
o Material Processing industry
o Industrial machinery manufacturing industry
o Electric and electronic information related industry
o Construction
o Shipbuilding and ship-related industry
o Automobile maintenance
o Aviation
o Lodging
o Agriculture
o Fisheries
o Food and beverages manufacturing industry
o Food service industry.
2.7 Union Health minister releases Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) Wave-1,India Report
 Recently, Union Health Minister has released INDIA REPORT on Longitudinal Ageing Study of
India (LASI) Wave-1.
Key Findings
 In the 2011 census, the 60+ population accounted for 8.6% of India’s population, accounting
for 103 million elderly people.
 Growing at around 3% annually, the number of elderly people will rise to 319 million in 2050.
 75% of the elderly people suffer from one or the other chronic disease.
 40% of the elderly people have one or the other disability and 20% have issues related to
mental health.
 The self-reported prevalence of diagnosed cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is 28% among
older adults aged 45 and above.
 The prevalence of multi-morbidity conditions is higher in the states/UTs of Kerala,
Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, Goa and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
 A unique feature of LASI is the coverage of comprehensive biomarkers. No other survey in
India collects detailed data on health and biomarkers together with information on family and
social network, income, assets, and consumption
About LASI
 It is a full scale national survey of scientific investigation of the health, economic, and social
determinants and consequences of population ageing in India. It was commissioned in 2016.
 It is India’s first and the world’s largest ever survey that provides a longitudinal database for
designing policies and programmes for the older population in the broad domains of social,
health, and economic well-being.
 Agencies involved – National Programme for Health Care of Elderly has undertaken the survey
through International Institute for Population Sciences, (IIPS) in collaboration with Harvard
School of Public Health, University of Southern California, United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) and National Institute on Ageing.
2.8 World food price index rises for seventh straight month in Dec.
[Inflation]
 Recently, Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food price index has averaged 107.5
points in December 2020 versus 105.2 in November 2020.
 For the whole 2020, the benchmark index averaged 97.9 points, a three-year high and a 3.1%
increase from 2019.
 The dairy index climbed 3.2% in December 2020 and for the whole of 2020, it averaged some
1% less than in 2019.
 The cereal price index for whole 2020 averaged 6.6% above 2019 levels.
 Sugar prices has dipped by 0.6% in December 2020.
2.9 Govt. approves advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict across India
[Sustainable Development and Environmental Issues]
 Recently, The Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has approved
the advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict(HWC) in India.
Key Highlights
 Includes Caracal (a medium size wild cat found in some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat) into
the list of critically endangered species for taking up conservation efforts with financial support
under Development of Wildlife Habitat.
 Construction of a bridge and canal under National Saryu Pariyojana.
 Recommends construction of causeway across Jampannavagu to Muthapur of Govindaraopet
and between Jampannavagu to Motlagudem in Mulugu District of Telengana with certain

mitigation measures and doubling of railway track between Tinaighat-Castlerock-Caranzol of
South Western Railways, Karnataka.
About Development of Wildlife Habitat Scheme
Type Centrally sponsored Scheme
Key Features  There are 22 wildlife species under recovery programme for critically
endangered species.
Components  Support to Protected Areas
 Protection of Wildlife outside Protected Areas.
 Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats.
2.10 Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh rewarded for completing three out of four reforms
 Recently, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have become the first group of States to
complete three out of the four citizen centric reforms stipulated by the Department of
Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
 They have completed the One Nation, One Ration Card Reforms; Ease of Doing Business
Reforms and Urban Local Bodies Reforms.
 Ministry has decided to provide additional financial assistance amounting to Rs.1004 crore,
Andhra Pradesh - Rs.344 crore and Madhya Pradesh - Rs.660 crore under the Scheme of
“Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure”.
Other Important Information
 Telangana has become the 3rd State to complete Urban Local Bodies reforms and has become
eligible for additional borrowing permission of Rs.2,508 crore.
 Under the scheme, capital expenditure proposals of Rs.9880 crore of 27 States have been
approved by the Ministry of Finance and an amount of Rs.4940 crore has been released as
part of the first instalment in which Tamil Nadu has not availed the benefit of the Scheme.
 Implementation of the Reforms
 One Nation One Ration Card System - 10 States
 Ease of doing business reforms - 7 States
 Local body reforms - 3 States
 Total additional borrowing permission issued so far to the States who have done the refoms
stands at Rs.- 54,190 crore.
 Note: Scheme of “Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure” has been discussed in
the December 2020 Magazine.
2.11 Brazil defaults on BRICS bank agreement after Congress blocks payment
[Regional Economic Co-operations]
 Recently, Brazil's Economy Ministry has informed that it had defaulted on its penultimate
capital installment to the New Development Bank (NDB) because the payment had not been
authorised by Congress.
 Amount Outstanding – USD 350 million
About New Development Bank (NDB)
 Established by - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2014.

 Headquarter - Shanghai
2.12 Government of India & NDB sign two loan agreements for USD 646 million for upgrading State
Highway Network and District Road Network in Andhra Pradesh
 Recently, The Government of India, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, and the New
Development Bank (NDB) have signed loan agreements of up to USD 323 million each for
Andhra Pradesh Roads and Bridges Reconstruction Project and Andhra Pradesh Mandal
Connectivity and Rural Connectivity Improvement Project.
 Tenure of each loan – 32 years including a moratorium period of 5 years
About Andhra Pradesh Roads and Bridges Reconstruction Project
 It will help in widening 1,600 km of State Highways to double lane and reconstructing
dilapidated bridges on the State Highway network.
About Andhra Pradesh Mandal Connectivity and Rural Connectivity Improvement Project
 It comprises widening 1,400 km of district roads to double lane and reconstructing dilapidated
bridges on the district road network.
2.13 Ministry of Power notifies price of one metric tonne of oil equivalent applicable for
Designated Consumer of Second Cycle of Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme
 Recently, Ministry of Power has notified price of one metric tonne of oil equivalent
applicable for Designated Consumer of Second Cycle of Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT)
scheme.
About Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme
Implemented by Bureau of Energy Efficiency
Key Features  It is a regulatory instrument to reduce specific energy consumption in energy
intensive industries, with an associated market-based mechanism to enhance
the cost effectiveness through certification of excess energy saving which can
be traded.
 Under the scheme, reductions in specific energy saving targets are assigned
to Designated Consumers (DCs) for a three year cycle
2.14 Union Education Minister inaugurates two-day Virtual International Akhand Conference
‘EDUCON-2020’
[Social Sectors – Education]
 Recently, Union Education Minister has inaugurated the two-day Virtual International
Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON 2020’.
 Organized by – Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) in collaboration with the Global
Educational Research Association (GERA).
 Theme - Envisioning Education for Transforming Youth to Restore Global Peace.
Key Highlights
 Minister has briefed about New Education Policy and highlighted that the policy considers for
introduction of Academic Bank of Credits and establishment of National Research

Foundation (NRF) and National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), which would benefit
the Indian scholars to compete at the global level.
 Gives mantra of ‘Perform, Reform and Transform’ for successfully implementing all new
imperatives of NEP-2020 essential for changing the society and transforming the life of youth
for evolving global peace.
2.15 Advance Estimates of GDP of 2020-21 released by National Statistics Office

 Recently, National Statistics Office (NSO) has released the first Advance Estimates (AE) of
GDP for the year 2020-21.
 Key Highlights
 Real GDP (at 2011-12) prices in 2020-21 has been estimated to attain a level of ₹134.40 lakh
crore and contract by 7.7 per cent and nominal GDP at current prices by 4.2 per cent as
compared to 7.2 percent in 2019.
 Real GDP contracted by 15.7 percent in first half of 2020-21 and grew at 21 percent on a
quarter-on-quarter basis from Q1: FY 2020-21 to Q2: FY 2020-21.
 Trade, hotels, transport & communication are estimated to contract by 21.4 percent in
FY:2020-21.
Item Estimation 2020-21 Estimation 2019-20 ( 31st
May 2020)
Real GDP ₹134.40 lakh crore ₹145.66 lakh crore
Real GDP Growth -7.7% 4.2%
Nominal GDP ₹194.82 lakh crore ₹ 203.40
lakh crore
Nominal GDP Growth -4.2% 7.2%
2.16 CBIC introduces flagship Liberalised Authorised Economic Operator Package for MSMEs
 Recently, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has taken a new initiative to
introduce its flagship “Liberalised MSME Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Package” for
Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Key Highlights
 CBIC has relaxed the compliance criteria provided the MSMEs have a valid certificate from
their line-Ministry.
 Allow MSMEs who have filed minimum 10 Customs clearance documents in one year and who
have a clean compliance record over 2 years to apply for the scheme.
 It commits to take a decision on an application for grant of AEO status within only 15 days from
electronic submission of complete documents for AEO Tier T1.
About Liberalised MSME AEO Package
 It is a voluntary compliance programme which enables swifter Customs clearance for
accredited stakeholders in the global supply chain viz. importers, exporters, logistic service
providers, custodians etc.
 The approved AEOs derive various benefits such as, inter alia, the facility of Direct Port Delivery
(DPD) of imported containers, Direct Port Entry (DPE) of their Export Containers, high level of
facilitation in customs clearance of their consignments thereby ensuring shorter cargo release
time, exemption from Bank guarantees, priority for refund/ rebate/ duty Drawback, as well as
a Client Relationship Manager at the customs port as a single point of interaction.
 Payment of Customs duty is deferred and need not to be paid before the clearance of the
imported goods by Customs.
2.17 3.04 Crore New Connections provided under National Jal Jeevan Mission
27 Districts, 458 blocks, 33,516 Gram Panchayats, 66,210 Villages have achieved “HarGhar Jal”
 Recently, Ministry of Jal Shakti has informed that 3.04 Crore new connections have been
provided under National Jal Jeevan Mission.
 27 Districts (27th – Kurukshetra), 458 blocks, 33,516 Gram Panchayats, 66,210 Villages have
achieved “HarGhar Jal”.
 Under the mission, 5 women per village have been trained to test the quality of water using
Field Testing Kits (FTKs), so as to ensure supply of quality drinking water through these
connections.
 Status of achieving the Target –
o Close to achieving 100% coverage - Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, UT of Puducherry are.
o Made good progress in terms of increasing the coverage – Himachal Pradesh, Bihar,
Uttarakhand,Manipur, Mizoram, UT of Andaman and Nicobar.
o Expected to achieve 100% coverage in the year 2021 – states of Bihar, Telangana and UTs
of Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar.
2.18 Japan’s Official Development Assistance for the COVID-19 crisis response support loan for
social protection
 Recently, Government of Japan has committed Official Development Assistance loan of an
amount of JPY 30 billion (approx. Rs. 2,113 crore) for a programme loan to support India's
efforts at providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2.19 IREDA to Support NHPC in Green Energy projects for 5 years
 Recently, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA), has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NHPC Ltd. for providing its technical expertise
in developing renewable energy projects.
Key highlights of the agreement
 IREDA will undertake Techno-Financial due diligence of Renewable energy and Energy
Efficiency & conservation projects for NHPC and will assist it in developing an action plan to
create and acquire Renewable Energy projects for the next 5 years.
2.20 Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of the Ecosystem Services (NCAVES) India Forum-
2021 taken place
 Organized by – Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
 Funded by – European Union
 Jointly implemented by - United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity
(CBD).
 Implementation in India - MoSPI in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)
Key Highlights
 India is one of the five countries taking part in the project along with Brazil, China, South
Africa and Mexico.
 Helped MOSPI commence the compilation of the Environment Accounts as per the UN-SEEA
framework and release environmental accounts in its publication “EnviStats India” on an
annual basis since 2018.
 Development of the India-EVL Tool which is essentially a look-up tool giving a snapshot of the
values of various ecosystem services in the different States of India.
About UN SEEA
 The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) is a framework that integrates
economic and environmental data to provide a more comprehensive and multipurpose view
of the interrelationships between the economy and the environment and the stocks and
changes in stocks of environmental assets, as they bring benefits to humanity
2.21 Union Health Minister chairs plenary session of the PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS Annual
Conference
 Recently, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare has chaired the plenary session
on“Challenges of Post COVID - Scenario in Health, Economy, Social and International
Relations” of the annual conference of the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas.
 Theme - ‘Facing Post-COVID challenges”.

 He has informed that the government constituted 11 Empowered Groups on 29th March 2020
on different aspects of COVID-19 management in the country to take informed decisions on
issues ranging from medical emergency planning to technology and data management.
2.22 Delhi govt directed schools in the capital to implement the new 'school bag policy'
[Social Sectors - Education]
 Recently, Delhi government has directed schools in the capital to implement the new 'school
bag policy' to reduce the weight of school bags for students of primary, secondary and senior
secondary schools.
 Recommended maximum bag weight - 3.5-5kg
2.23 Interest rates on major small savings schemes remains unchanged

 Recently, the interest rates on major small savings schemes for the 4 th quarter (January –
March 2021) has been released the by Ministry of Finance and the rates remains unchanged.
Key Highlights:
Scheme Q4 Interest rate (in %)
Public Provident Fund (PPF) 7.1
National Savings Certificate (NSC) 6.8
five-year Senior Citizens Savings 7.4
Scheme (SCSS)
Post Office Savings deposits 4
Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) 6.9
Term deposits (1-5 years) 5.5 to 6.7
Five-year recurring deposit 5.8
Sukanya Samriti Yojana (SSY) 7.6
Key details about Important Small Savings Schemes:

Name Launch Features
Year
PPF 1968  Long term investment scheme
 Lock in period: 15 years
 Minimum investment amount: Rs 500 per annum
NSC -  Tenure: 5 years
 Issued in denominations of Rs. 100, Rs. 500, Rs. 1000, Rs.
5000 and Rs. 10,000
 Tax Benefits, under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act
1961 up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs annually.
SCSS -  Minimum Age: 60 years
 Minimum Deposit: Rs. 1000

 Maximum Deposit: Rs 15 lakhs
 Maturity: 5 years after the date of commencement of
account, with additional 3 years extension option.
KVP 1988  Minimum Deposit: Rs 1000
 No maximum limit
 Maturity: 124 months
SSY 2015  Implemented by Ministry of Women and Child
Development
 Minimum Deposit: Rs. 250 per annum
 Maximum Deposit: Rs. 150,000 per annum
 Maturity: 21 years or until the girl child marries after the
age of 18.
2.24 EPFO begins crediting 8.5% interest for 2019-20

 Recently, the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has started crediting 8.5%
interest on employees' provident fund (EPF) for 2019-20.
Key Highlights:
 Estimated cost to provide 8.5% interest for 2019-20: Rs 60,700 crores.
 8.5% interest comprises 8.15% (debt income) and 0.35 % (capital gain) from the sale of ETFs
(exchange traded funds) investments
 The central board of trustees has planned to sell ETF investments of Rs 6,000 crore made in
2016 to get capital gains of Rs. 2,700 crores.
Relevance
 The decision to provide 8.5% has been approved by Central Board of Trustees (CBT) in March
2020.
 In September 2020, the EPFO had decided to split the 8.5% interest into two instalments of
8.15% and 0.35%.
2.25 Forex reserves dip by $290 million to $580.84 billion

[Monetary Policy/ Globalization]
 According to the recently released Foreign Exchange (forex) Reserves data by Reserve Bank
of India for the week ended 25th December 2020, Forex reserves decreased by $290 million
to $580.84 billion.
Key Findings:
 Forex Reserve increased by $2.563 billion to $581.131 billion in the week ended 18th December
2020.
 Foreign Currency Accounts (FCA) decreased by USD 253 million to USD 537.474 billion.
 Gold reserves decreased by USD 308 million to USD 36.711 billion.
 Special drawing rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decreased by USD
4 million to USD 1.510 billion.
 Reserve position with the IMF increased by $276 million to $5.145 billion.
2.26 Uttar Pradesh launches Kisan Kalyan Mission
 Recently, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has launched the “Kisan Kalyan Mission” in
every development block of all the districts.
 Started from - Dadupur village, Lucknow.
 Aim: Doubling of Farmers Income in Uttar Pradesh by 2022.
2.27 Punjab Government approves Punjab State Data Policy

[Social Justice]
 Recently, the Punjab Government has approved the Punjab State Data Policy (PSDP), to
digitally empower the residents of Punjab.
 Aim: To provide user friendly and secure e-Governance systems to the public.
Other recent approvals by Punjab Government:
 Creation of New Block Patiala (Rural) comprising 26 and 32 Gram Panchayats of Patiala and
Nabha blocks respectively.
 Amendments in Punjab Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1966 to maintain integrity
by public servants and prohibition of sexual harassment of working women.
2.28 Assam assembly passes bill to clear industrial applications without delay
 Recently, the Government of Assam has passed The Assam Ease of Doing Business
(Amendment) Bill, 2020, to simply procedures and increase transparency in the system.
 It has amended The Assam Ease of Doing Business Act, 2016.
 It would enable Assam to avail 0.25% additional borrowing from the Central Government,
and create investor friendly environment.
 It has also passed The Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Non-Teaching Staff of
Venture Educational Institutions) (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
2.29 Central government drafts law to raise legal age of smoking to 21 years
[Social Justice]
 Recently, Government has drafted the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution)
Amendment Act, 2020 to increase the legal smoking age from 18 years to 21 years.
Key Highlights:
 The bill seeks amendments to Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution)
Act, 2003.
 Under the amendment cigarettes/tobacco products should not be sold to people less than
21 years and in an area within a radius of 100 meters of any educational institution.
 Violation of Section 7 - Imprisonment of 2 years or fine up to Rs 1 lakh and consecutive
conviction leading to prison for 5 years or fine up to Rs 5 lakhs.
 Penalty for smoking at restricted areas is being increased from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000.
 No person should advertise or promote usage of cigarettes/tobacco products.
Relevance:
 India is a signatory to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (WHO FCTC) adopted in Geneva, Switzerland on May 2003 and came into force on
from February, 2005.
2.30 FSSAI reduces limit for trans fat levels in foods

[Social Sectors – Health]
 Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has amended the Food
Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations and reduced amount
of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the current
permissible limit of 5% in December 2020 with immediate effect.
Relevance:
 According to World Health Organization (WHO), around 5.4 lakh people die every year
globally, because of intake of industrially produced trans fatty acids.
 WHO has called for Global Elimination of trans fat by 2023.
 Vegetable oil industry players have made a pledge in 2018 that they would comply with
WHO’s call for action to reduce TFA by 3% by 2021.
Background:
 In 2011, India first passed a regulation that set a TFA limit of 10% in oils and fats, which was
further reduced to 5% in 2015.
2.31 NHRC recommends special Act against manual scavenging

[Social Justice]
 Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has made a series of
recommendations to eradicate manual scavenging.
Key Recommendations:
 Enactment of new law on “hazardous cleaning” and expansion of definition of manual
scavenging.
 Rs 10 lakh loan to manual scavengers from Central Government, to start their own business.
 Compensation paid as one time cash assistance for rehabilitation of manual scavengers
should be increased from Rs 40,000 to Rs1 lakh.
 Linking of Manual Scavengers to various schemes like MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act) for employment generation.
 Strict Monitoring by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on deaths related to Manual
Scavenging.
 Establishment of penal section to prevent discrimination/harassment faced by the children
of manual scavengers and women manual scavengers.
2.32 Centre to implement Enterprise Business System for 5 ports in India

 Recently, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has announced the implementation
of Enterprise Business System (EBS) for 5 major ports in India to provide digital ecosystem.

Key Highlights:
 Project Cost: Rs 320 crores.
 5 ports: Kamarajar Port-Chennai, Mumbai Port, Paradip Port-Odisha, Deendayal Port- Gujarat
and Kolkata Port (including Haldia Port)
 Centralized web-based port community system (PCS) has been operationalized across all
major ports for seamless data flow between various stakeholders.
 E-DO (electronic delivery order) through PCS has been made mandatory along with e-
invoicing and e-payment.
Note: The 12 major ports in India had an installed capacity of 1,534.91 MTPA (million tonnes per
annum) as on March 2020 and handled a traffic of 704.92 MT during 2019-20.
2.33 ISRO to adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs

[Social Sector-Education]
 Recently, ISRO announced to adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) across the country to
promote scientific temperament among students and encourage them for space education
and space technology related innovations.
 The decision was taken by ISRO and Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog.
About Atal Tinkering Labs
 Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog have established over 7,000 ATLs across the country
 Aim to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’.
 Objective: Establishing ATLs is to promote curiosity, imagination, and creativity in the minds
of school-going children.
 ATL’s are workspaces where children can realize their ideas through hands-on do-it-yourself
mode and also acquire innovation skills.
 ATL’s would be set up by schools (having grades VI to X) that are managed by the government,
local bodies, private trusts or societies, etc.
2.34 Ministry of Education issues guidelines for identification, admission and continued education
of migrant children
 Recently, Ministry of Education has issued guidelines for identification, admission and
continued education of migrant children in order to mitigate the impact of challenges thrown
by the COVID-19.
Key features of the Guidelines:
 Continued Education for Out of School Children (OoSC) and Children with Special Needs
(CWSN)
 Identifying Out of School Children of 6 to 18 years age group through a comprehensive door
to door survey and prepare action plan for their enrolment
 Students to be provided support including counselling, large scale awareness & targeted home
visits etc while Schools are closed.
 Student Support on School Reopening

 Preparation and running of School readiness modules/Bridge course for initial period when
the schools re-open so that they can adjust to the school environment and do not feel stressed
or left-out.
 Large-scale remedial programmes/Learning Enhancement programmes to mitigate learning
loss and inequality.
 Teacher Capacity Building -Effective utilization of the online NISHTHA training modules and
online training module for Corona responsive behavior to be launched on DIKSHA portal soon.
 Use of alternative Academic Calendar prepared by NCERT for joyful engagement of children in
learning.
2.35 Union Minister inaugurated 'Single Window Clearance System Web Portal' in Coal Mining
sector
 Recently, Union Home Minister has inaugurated the 'Single Window Clearance System Web
Portal' for Coal Mining sector.
 Minister has also handed over the Charter of letters to successful bidders of the country's first
Commercial Coal Mining Auction.
Key Highlights from the inauguration Ceremony
 Coal production has reached 729 MT in 2020 compared to 560 MT in 2014.
 19 successful bidders have been allotted mines under the country's first Commercial Coal
Mining Auction.
 Auction will provide an estimated revenue of about Rs 6,500 crore to the States every year
and will also create more than 70,000 jobs and led to investment of Rs. 8,000 crore to Rs.
10,000 crore.
 Rs. 2.50 lakh crore will be invested in the next decade under the PSU plan of Coal and about
Rs.4 lakh crore is expected to be invested under the PSU-Private plan.
 Rs. 46,000 crore District Mineral Development Fund created for people living near mines; has
led to development of tribal, Dalit, backward and poor people living in these areas
2.36 India's 'Institutions of Eminence' can now set up campuses in foreign countries
 Recently, University Grant Commission has released new guidelines, in line with the new
National Education Policy (NEP), as per which foreign universities will be allowed to set up
campuses in India and top Indian institutes in foreign countries.
 Public or private ‘Institutes of Eminence’ would have to submit an application to the Ministry
of Education with details of their 10-year strategic vision plan and a five-year implementation
plan
 However, require approval from as many as three ministries -- education, home and external
affairs -- before they can venture out.
Key Highlight of Guidelines
 Institute must ensure that it evolves as a multi-disciplinary research and teaching campus with
at least three faculties and a minimum of 300 teachers and 3,000 students by the end of 10
years.

 Initially, a teacher-student ratio of 1:20 should be achieved, and a 1:10 ratio by the end of five
years.
About Institutes of Eminence Scheme
 The institutes of eminence scheme under the HRD ministry aims to project Indian institutes to
global recognition.
 The selected institutes will enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.
 Only higher education institutions currently placed in the top 500 of global rankings or top 50
of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) are eligible to apply for the eminence
tag.
 20 institutions were to be selected — 10 public and 10 private ones
 Government will provide funding upto Rs 1,000 crore to public institutions with IoE tag and no
financial support in case of the private institutions.
2.37 Punjab govt announces free sanitary pads for high school, college girls
[Social Sector- Health]
 Recently, Punjab Government announced free sanitary pads for girl students of high schools
and colleges during the launch of a slew of welfare projects, including the dedication of
January month to girl child through ‘Dheeiyan Di Lohri’ programme.
 Other initiatives launched by Punjab government includes BASERA for slum dwellers, Smart
Metering for power consumers, 2500 cricket kits for youth and E-Daakhil portal for ease of
consumers
2.38 Indian Railway launches portal to promote railways’ freight business

 Recently, Indian Railway has launched a dedicated portal to promote railways’ freight business
which will act as a “one-stop, single-window” solution for all the needs of its freight customers.
 The dedicated freight portal, which is first-of-its-kind, will ensure that all operations stay
customer centric, provide online tracking facility for suppliers, reduce the costs for logistics
providers as well as simplify the goods transportation process.
 The Indian Railways achieved its highest-ever loading continuously in September, October,
November and December 2020.
 In December 2020, the railways’ loading was 118.13 million tonnes, which is 8.54% higher
compared to the loading for the same period in 2019 (108.84 million tonnes)
 In this period, the national transporter earned ₹11,788.11 crore from freight loading, which is
also ₹757.74 crore (6.87%) more than the earnings for the same period in 2019 (₹11,030.37
crore).
3 GA + Finance in news
3.1 RPL insider trading case: Sebi fines Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani
[Primary and Secondary Market]
 Recently, SEBI imposed penalties totaling Rs 70 crore on Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), its
chairman & managing director Mukesh Ambani, and two other entities for alleged
manipulative trading in the shares of erstwhile Reliance Petroleum Ltd (RPL) in November
2007.
 The market regulator has levied fines of Rs 25 crore and Rs 15 crore on RIL and Ambani,
respectively.
 Besides, Navi Mumbai SEZ Pvt Ltd has been asked to pay Rs 20 crore and Mumbai SEZ Ltd has
been directed to pay Rs 10 crore.
About Insider Trading
 Insider trading denotes dealing in a company’s securities on the basis of confidential
information relating to the company which is not published or not known to the public used
to make profit or loss. It is fairly a breach of fiduciary duties of officers of a company or
connected persons towards the shareholders.
 The Sebi Act provides for penalties as high as Rs 25 crore or three times the amount of profits
made out of insider trading, whichever is higher.
3.2 Reserve Bank forms academic advisory council for supervisory college
[Regulatory Functions-RBI]
 Recently, RBI has set up an academic advisory council with former deputy governor N S
Vishwanathan as the chairperson to advise the full-time director of the central bank’s College
of Supervisors (CoS).
About College of Supervisors (CoS)
 As part of the measures to further strengthen Supervision over regulated entities, Reserve
Bank had set up a College of Supervisors (CoS) to augment and reinforce supervisory skills
among its regulatory and supervisory staff both at entry level and on a continuous basis.
 The CoS will have a full-time Director supported by an Academic Advisory Council (AAC).
 Rabi Narayan Mishra, former executive director of the RBI, has been named as the director of
the body.
 The AAC will identify areas where skill building/up-skilling are required, plan and develop
curricula of all programmes, benchmark the programmes with international standards/best
practices, develop appropriate teaching methods, etc.
 The AAC has now been constituted with the following composition:
3.3 RBI operationalizes payment infra development fund

[Recent Development in Financial Sector]
 Recently, RBI has announced the operationalisation of the payment infrastructure
development fund (PIDF) scheme
About PIDF Scheme
 PIDF Scheme is aimed at encouraging deployment of more digital payments infrastructure
across tier-3 to tier-6 centres with special focus on North Eastern States.
 PIDF will subsidize banks and non-banks for deploying payment infrastructure based upon
specific targets being achieved.
 PIDF will be managed by an advisory council under the chairmanship of RBI deputy governor
(B.P. Kanungo at Present).
 It will be operational for three years from 1 January 2021, and may be extended for two more
years based on progress.
 It envisages creating 30 lakh new touch points every year for digital payments.
 Fund has a corpus of Rs. 345 crore, of which Rs. 250 crore was contributed by RBI and Rs. 95
crore by authorized card networks operating in India.
 The authorised card networks shall contribute in all Rs 100 crore.
 The card issuing banks shall also contribute to the corpus based on the card issuance volume
(covering both debit cards and credit cards) at the rate of ₹ 1 and ₹ 3 per debit and credit card
issued by them, respectively.
3.4 Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2020-21 (Series X) – Issue Price

 Recently, Government announced that Sovereign Gold Bonds 2020-21 (Series X) will be
opened for the period January 11-15, 2020 with Settlement date January 19, 2021.
 The issue price of the Bond during the subscription period shall be Rs 5,104 per gram
 Rs 50 per gram discount will be provided price to those investors who apply online and the
payment is made through digital mode. (I.e. Issue price will be Rs 5054/- per gram)
3.5 IFSCA becomes member of IOSCO

 Recently, The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has become an
Associate Member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
 The membership of IOSCO would provide IFSCA the platform to exchange information at the
global level and regional level on areas of common interests.
About International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO):
 Founded: April 1983; Headquarters: Madrid, Spain
 It is the international organization that brings together the world's securities regulators,
covering more than 95% of the world’s securities markets, and is the global standard setter
for the securities sector.
 It works closely with the G20 (Group of Twenty) and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in
setting up the standards for strengthening the securities markets.
o The FSB is an international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the
global financial system.
3.6 GST Revenue collection for December 2020 recorded all time high since its implementation
[Direct and Indirect Taxes]

 According to Official Data, gross GST revenue collected in the month of December 2020 is ₹
1,15,174 crore.
 Gross GST revenue includes CGST is ₹ 21,365 crore, SGST is ₹ 27,804 crore, IGST is ₹ 57,426
crore and Cess is ₹ 8,579 crore.
 The total number of GSTR-3B Returns filed for the month of November up to 31st December
2020 is 87 lakhs.
 The revenues for the month of December 2020 are 12% higher than the GST revenues in the
same month last year.
 It is the first time that GST has crossed ₹ 1.15 lakh crore. The highest GST collection till now
was ₹ 1,13,866 crore in the month of April 2019.
 The average growth in GST revenues during the last quarter has been 7.3% as compared to -
8.2% during the second quarter and -41.0% during the first quarter of the current financial
year.
State-wise growth of GST Revenues during Dec 2020 compared to Nov 2019 is as following:
 Highest growth (68%) has been for Dadar and Nagar Haveli among all states and UT’s.
 Daman and Diu has seen the largest decline (-96%) among all states and UT’s.
3.7 10th Instalment of Rs.6,000 crore released to the States as back to back loan to meet the
GST shortfall 
[Direct and Indirect Taxes] 
 Recently, 10th Instalment of Rs.6,000 crore released to the States as back to back loan to meet
the GST compensation shortfall 
 Out of this, an amount of Rs.5,516.60 crore has been released to 23 States and an amount
of Rs.483.40 crore has been released to the 3 Union Territories (UT) with Legislative
Assembly (Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir & Puducherry) who are members of the GST Council.  
 The remaining 5 States, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim do not
have a gap in revenue on account of GST implementation. 

 Now, more than 50 percent of the estimated GST compensation shortfall has been released
to the States & UT with Legislative Assembly.
 A total amount of Rs.60,000 crore released so far to all States and UTs with legislation.
3.8 Reserve Bank unveils digital payment index

[Regulatory Functions- RBI]
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has unveiled a composite Digital Payments Index (DPI) to
capture the extent of digitisation of payments across the country.
Key Highlights of Digital Payment Index
 The RBI-DPI comprises five broad parameters that enable the measurement of deepening and
expansion of digital payments in the country over different time periods.
 These parameters are: 1) Payment Enablers (weight 25%), 2) Payment Infrastructure –
Demand-side factors and (10%), 3) Payment Infrastructure – Supply-side factors (15%), 4)
Payment Performance (45%) and 5) Consumer Centricity (5%)
 Each of these parameters have sub-parameters which, in turn, consist of various measurable
indicators.
 RBI-DPI shall be published on RBI’s website on a semi-annual basis from March 2021 onwards
with a lag of 4 months.
 The RBI-DPI has been constructed with March 2018 as the base period.

READ ME PLEASE
What is the weightage of current affairs-based questions in Phase 1 and 2 of RBI Gr B and NABARD
Gr A and B examinations?
Let us look at RBI Gr B first:
Phase 1 – GA Phase 2 – ESI Phase 2 – FM

Total Marks = 80 Total Marks = 100 Total Marks = 100
Current Affairs weightage = 60- Current Affairs weightage = 80-85 Current Affairs weightage = 20-
65 Marks Marks 25 Marks
Now let us take a look at NABARD Gr A and B examination:
Phase 1 – GA Phase 1 - ESI Phase 1- ARD Phase 2 – ESI Phase 2 –

Phase 2 –
ARD
Paper III (for Gr
B)
Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks =
20 40 40 50 50 100
Current Current Affairs Current Current Affairs Current Current Affairs
Affairs weightage = 25- Affairs weightage = 35- Affairs weightage = 5-
weightage = 30 Marks weightage = 40 Marks weightage = 10 Marks
15-20 Marks 10-15 Marks 15-20 Marks

1. GA in news
Why this division?
Q. Which of the following organizations has released State of Global Climate Report 2018 recently
(April 2019)?
A) UNFCCC
B) BRICS
C) WMO
D) IPCC
Q. Who among the following was the chairperson of the Committee on Currency Management
A) Viral Acharya
B) Duvvuri Subbarao
C) Bimal Jalan
D) D.K. Mohanty

Q. In which of the following years was e-NAM launched?
A) 2012
B) 2013
C) 2015
D) 2016
Q. Who among the following personalities has recently (April 2019) become the first Indian to join
the FIFA council?
A) Praful Patel
B) Sharad Pawar
Q. Who has been elected as the first woman President of Slovakia recently (April 2019)?

A) Viorica Dancila
B) Zuzana Caputova
C) KerstiKaljulaid
D) Ana Brnabic
1. GA in news
Finance.
Finance in news.
For NABARD Grade A – you need to refer to second and third sections of this magazine for Phase 2
of this paper.
is not important here but it is important to understand that all the financial developments covered

examination.
Q. According to RBI data, what is the central government’s External Debt by March 2020?
Government has launched "Fraud Prevention and Management Function" to enable, among others,
effective investigation of fraud cases. It talked about Red Flagged Account and EWS. In EWS, S stands
for?
A) Simple
B) System
C) Signals
D) Systematic

Contents
National news ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
1.1 Control room for status of Avian influenza in the country ..................................................................... 15
1.2 KVIC signed an MoU with ITBP .............................................................................................................. 15
1.3 NALCO to invest Rs. 30,000 crores by financial year 2027-28 ................................................................ 15
1.4 New Section of Rewari-Madar of WDFC launched................................................................................. 15
1.5 NIXI offers free domain in Local Indian Languages ................................................................................ 15
1.6 SBI contributed Rs. 5 crores to NSDF .................................................................................................... 15
1.7 New Chief Justices (CJ) for 4 High Courts (HC) ....................................................................................... 16
1.8 ‘Hunger Hunt’ to feed old age homes ................................................................................................... 16
1.9 Khadi Prakritik Paint launched .............................................................................................................. 16
1.10 FASTag made mandatory from 15th February, 2021 .............................................................................. 16
1.11 IFFK to be held in 4 phases at 4 venues ................................................................................................. 16
1.12 SBI and IOC launched a contactless debit card ...................................................................................... 16
1.13 Telangana High Court gets its first woman Chief Justice ........................................................................ 16
1.14 NCRTC to use Ballastless tracks for country’s first RRTS ........................................................................ 17
1.15 IFFI unveils its Festival Kaleidoscope ..................................................................................................... 17
1.16 India-Bangladesh Police Chiefs’ Dialogue .............................................................................................. 17
1.17 Cabinet approves MoU between India and UAE.................................................................................... 17
1.18 Telangana government releases “Telangana’s Year of AI – 2020 and Beyond” ...................................... 17
1.19 BDL signs pact with Thales to make STARStreak Missile Systems .......................................................... 17
1.20 "National Road Safety Month 2020" from 18th January, 2021 to 17th February, 2021 .......................... 18
1.21 Rajnath Singh unveils India’s first Indigenously Designed & Developed Driverless Metro Car ................ 18
1.22 India signs MoU with Japan to Enhance Cooperation in the Field of ICT ................................................ 18
1.23 All-women pilot team of Air India completes longest flight ................................................................... 18
1.24 No foreign leader as chief guest on Republic Day in 2021 ..................................................................... 18
1.25 DGTR proposes levy of anti-dumping duty on viscose spun yarn ........................................................... 18
1.26 India proposes 8 point agenda to UN Security Council to combat terrorism .......................................... 19
1.27 Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicates coastal research vessel ‘Sagar Avneshika’ ................................................. 19
1.28 Kerala passes resolution for repeal of farm laws ................................................................................... 19
1.29 National Youth Parliament 2021 ........................................................................................................... 19
1.30 External Affairs Ministry launches Global Pravasi Rishta portal ............................................................. 19
1.31 Oakridge Energy to solarise KVs and Delhi government schools ............................................................ 19
1.32 Flipkart & NITI Aayog collaborates to enhance Women Entrepreneurship Platform .............................. 19
1.33 CCI approves acquisition of Columbia Asia Hospitals Private Limited by Manipal Health Enterprises
Private Limited................................................................................................................................................. 20
1.34 PhonePe launches Term Life Insurance plans on its platform ................................................................ 20

1.35 Central government to sell 5% of total equity of SAIL ........................................................................... 20
1.36 Cherry Blossom Mao Festival held in Manipur ...................................................................................... 20
1.37 Kerala announces entertainment tax & power bill waiver for theatres.................................................. 20
1.38 NSIC signs MOU with Bharti Airtel Limited ............................................................................................ 20
1.39 Punjab clears one-time settlement scheme for traders ......................................................................... 20
1.40 APEDA organized a virtual buyer seller meet with Bhutan .................................................................... 21
1.41 Britain leaves Europe’s single market ................................................................................................... 21
1.42 Iran to produce uranium enriched up to 20% purity ............................................................................. 21
1.43 Alok Sharma appointed as President of COP26 climate conference....................................................... 21
1.44 Army Chief General MM Naravane on a three day visit to South Korea ................................................. 21
1.45 World’s oldest known cave painting found in Indonesia ....................................................................... 21
1.46 Donald Trump becomes first US President to be impeached twice........................................................ 22
1.47 United States re-designates Cuba as 'state sponsor of terrorism' .......................................................... 22
1.48 Pope Francis changes church law, allowing Women to read at Mass..................................................... 22
1.49 EU and China conclude in principle negotiations for CAI ....................................................................... 22
1.50 Arton Capital Passport Index 2021 ........................................................................................................ 22
1.51 Henley Passport Index 2021 ................................................................................................................. 22
Days in news ....................................................................................................................................................... 23
1.52 Bureau of Indian Standards celebrates the 74th Foundation Day on 6th January..................................... 23
1.53 World Day of War Orphans: 6th January ............................................................................................... 23
1.54 PM inaugurated Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention: 9th Jan .................................................................. 23
1.55 Indian Armed Forces Veterans Day: 14th January .................................................................................. 23
1.56 UN marks year 2021 as “International Year of Fruits and Vegetables”................................................... 23
1.57 India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrates its 146th Foundation Day on 15th January 2020 ..... 23
1.58 Army Day: 15th January........................................................................................................................ 23
Defence in News ................................................................................................................................................. 24
1.59 Online Portal for purchase of items Against Firm Demand (AFD) from CSD Canteens ............................ 24
1.60 BEML received orders for supply of high mobility vehicles to Indian Army ............................................ 24
1.61 Making of a General: A Himalayan Echo ............................................................................................... 24
1.62 Centre sanctioned Rs 37.87 crore for Parshuram Kund pilgrimage site.................................................. 24
1.63 Indian Navy to conduct 2nd edition of Coastal defence exercise “SEA VIGIL”.......................................... 24
1.64 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue ...................................................................................... 24
1.65 Cabinet approves procurement of 83 LCA ‘Tejas’ from HAL for IAF ....................................................... 24
1.66 DRDO & Indian Army jointly develops India’s first indigenous 9mm Machine Pistol .............................. 25
Persons in news .................................................................................................................................................. 25
1.67 Faustin-Archange Touadera re-elected as President of Central African Republic ................................... 25

1.68 Former politician Vilas Patil Undalkar from Maharashtra passes away .................................................. 25
1.69 Modibo Keita, former Mali’s Prime Minister passes away ..................................................................... 25
1.70 Dr Raghu Ram found place in Queen Elizabeth II’s honors list ............................................................... 25
1.71 Ex Colonel Narinder ‘Bull’ Kumar passes away ...................................................................................... 25
1.72 Veteran actor Maila Narsing Yadav passes away ................................................................................... 25
1.73 British Diplomat Brian Urqhuhart passes away ..................................................................................... 25
1.74 Poet-Lyricist Anil Panachooran passes away ......................................................................................... 26
1.75 Writer A. Madhavan passed away ........................................................................................................ 26
1.76 Neil Sheehan, a Pulitzer prize-winning author passes away................................................................... 26
1.77 Renowned writer Ved Mehta passes away ........................................................................................... 26
1.78 Garima Verma named digital director in Office of the First Lady ........................................................... 26
1.79 Dushyant Dave resigns as SCBA president............................................................................................. 26
1.80 Estonia’s Prime Minister Juri Ratas steps down..................................................................................... 26
1.81 PM condoles demise of Professor Shashikumar Chitre .......................................................................... 26
1.82 Nancy Pelosi re-elected as US House Speaker ....................................................................................... 26
1.83 Sanjay Kapoor elected as President of the All India Chess Federation ................................................... 26
1.84 Kerala Governor releases book with title "Sabarimala Vijnaanakosham"............................................... 26
1.85 Vidhu Vinod Chopra authors book "Unscripted: Conversations on Life and Cinema" ............................. 27
1.86 Padma Awardee Turlapati Kutumba Rao passes away .......................................................................... 27
1.87 Sheldon Adelson, casino mogul and GOP power broker, passes away ................................................... 27
1.88 Noted social activist D. Prakash Rao passes away ................................................................................. 27
1.89 Indian-American Sabrina Singh named Deputy Press Secretary in White House .................................... 27
1.90 RS Sharma to head empowered panel for Covid-19 vaccine .................................................................. 27
1.91 Sadyr Japarov sworn in as President of Kyrgyzstan ............................................................................... 27
1.92 RBI officer R. Giridharan pens novel 'Right Under our Nose' ................................................................. 27
1.93 S Y Quraishi pens book "The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India".................. 27
Environment ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
1.94 New Species of fruit fly discovered in Tamil Nadu ................................................................................. 27
1.95 Patna Meteorological Observatory awarded the status of ‘centennial observation status’ .................... 28
1.96 Centre notifies 0-1 km area around Mathikettan Shola Park as Eco-sensitive Zone ............................... 28
Appointments ..................................................................................................................................................... 28
1.97 Poola Anthony to be 5th Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad .......................................................... 28
1.98 Zeeshan Ali to head National Tennis Centre .......................................................................................... 28
1.99 S. Baskaran appointed as Chairperson of Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission ........................ 28
1.100 Abhishek Yadav appointed as the Deputy general secretary of AIFF .................................................. 28
1.101 Varsha Joshi appointed as Chairperson of NDDB ............................................................................... 28
1.102 Yes Bank appoints Niranjan Banodkar as Group Chief Financial Officer ............................................. 28

1.103 Nikolai Snesarev appointed as middle- and long-distance coach of Indian athletics team .................. 28
1.104 AK Goswami sworn in Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh ..................................................................... 29
1.105 Umesh Sinha appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner ............................................................... 29
1.106 Google Cloud appoints Karan Bajwa as APAC leader ......................................................................... 29
1.107 GJC appoints Ashish Pethe as new Chairman .................................................................................... 29
1.108 Samantha Power named as administrator of USAID .......................................................................... 29
Sports in news..................................................................................................................................................... 29
1.109 Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon 2021 ........................................................................... 29
1.110 New Zealand captain Kane Williamson tops rankings for Test batsmen ............................................. 29
1.111 T Natarajan becomes 1st Indian to make international debut in 3 formats on Same Tour ................. 29
Banking ............................................................................................................................................................... 30
1.112 Universal Sompo General Insurance Company ties up with J&K and Ladakh Finance Corporation ..... 30
1.113 RBI imposes Rs 2 Crore fine on Deutsche Bank.................................................................................. 30
Awards ................................................................................................................................................................ 30
1.114 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards conferred ................................................................................... 30
1.115 Amresh Kumar Chaudhary awarded "Chief of Army Staff Commendation" ....................................... 30
1.116 Mr. Vittorio Storaro to be honoured with Lifetime Achievement award ............................................ 31
1.117 Karuna Gopal conferred Skoch Challenger Award ............................................................................. 31
1.118 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U) 2019 ....................................................................... 31
1.119 Indian Railways bags 13 awards at the 'National Energy Conservation awards 2020’......................... 31
Science & Technology ...................................................................................................................................... 31
1.120 Scientists at INST, Punjab produces 2d-electron gas (2DEG) .............................................................. 31
2 GA + ESI in news - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A ............................................................................. 32
2.1 India approves two COVID-19 vaccines ................................................................................................. 32
2.2 FM reviews NIP as part of infra spending push ..................................................................................... 32
2.3 Third phase of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0) launched ......................................... 33
2.4 Management Effectiveness Evaluation of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India: Process &
Outcomes 2018-19 .......................................................................................................................................... 34
2.5 NCAVES India Forum 2021 .................................................................................................................... 34
2.6 Kerala becomes 8th State to complete ease of doing business reforms; Additional borrowing permission
of Rs. 2,261 crore granted ................................................................................................................................ 35
2.7 Union Minister for Commerce inaugurates ‘Prarambh: Startup India International Summit’ ................. 35
2.8 Department of Food & Public Distribution notifies modified scheme to enhance ethanol distillation
capacity for producing 1st Generation (1G) ethanol ......................................................................................... 36
2.9 Ministry of Science & Technology unveils Innovation Portal ................................................................. 36
2.10 UJALA Scheme & Street Lighting National Programme completes six successful years .......................... 37
2.11 Union Minister of Health and family Welfare inaugurates 5th National Kayakalp Awards ..................... 37

2.12 Union Minister of Health and family Welfare inaugurates the Grand Finale of the Red Ribbon Quiz
Competition..................................................................................................................................................... 38
2.13 Power Ministry in association with BEE organizes 30th National Energy Conservation Awards.............. 38
2.14 Panel to study NFHS-5 findings ............................................................................................................. 39
2.15 Ministry of MSME launches Khadi Prakritik paint - India’s first cow dung paint - developed by KVIC ..... 39
2.16 India sets up high-level group for South Asia energy security ................................................................ 39
2.17 Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launches new edition of Atal Tinkering Lab handbook on the occasion of
National Youth Day .......................................................................................................................................... 40
2.18 Minister of Health and Family Welfare addresses webinar on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Swatantra Bharat 40
2.19 Minister of Science and Technology inaugurates the new entity CSIR-National Institute of Science
Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR).......................................................................................... 40
2.20 Polio National Immunisation Day rescheduled ...................................................................................... 41
2.21 IRDAI forms advisory panel on health cover .......................................................................................... 41
2.22 Supreme Court Puts On Hold 3 Farm Laws, Forms Committee .............................................................. 41
2.23 EESL, NHAI sign deal for setting up solar power projects ....................................................................... 41
2.24 NIC and CBSE to launch CollabCAD Software on 14th January to provide total engineering solutions for
students & Faculty of Engineering Graphics Curriculum ................................................................................... 42
2.25 One Planet Summit for Biodiversity ...................................................................................................... 42
2.26 FSSAI slashes limit for transfat levels in foods ....................................................................................... 42
2.27 NITI Aayog hails millet revival in Odisha ................................................................................................ 43
2.28 Andhra Pradesh Government and Cambridge University tie up to develop English Proficiency in
Municipal School ............................................................................................................................................. 43
2.29 J&K LG launches Mobile Application 'Satark Nagrik' and Departmental Vigilance Officers Portal ........... 43
2.30 ‘Main Bhi Digital’ campaign for street vendors ..................................................................................... 43
2.31 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY-SEHAT in Jammu & Kashmir .......... 44
2.32 Union Petroleum Minister inaugurates migrant worker cell in Surat ..................................................... 44
2.33 Kerala’s launched ‘Vishappu Vetta’ initiative ........................................................................................ 44
2.34 Nasscom launches Innovation Factory to promote AI in agriculture ...................................................... 44
2.35 MCA allows India Inc to spend CSR funds for Covid-19 vaccination awareness campaigns .................... 45
2.36 Madhya Pradesh rolls out ‘Launch Pad Scheme’ to make youth self-reliant .......................................... 45
2.37 Manipur CM launches Pension app, inaugurates guest house and a district library ............................... 45
2.38 Dell, Ministry of Health launches mobile app for non-communicable diseases ...................................... 45
2.39 Ordinance to merge J&K IAS, IPS, IFoS cadre with AGMUT .................................................................... 46
2.40 Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting on "New Foreign Trade Policy 2021-26" ..................... 46
2.41 Central Bank of India signs MOU with NABARD to manufacture sanitary pads ...................................... 46
2.42 Hisar Airport Inaugurated Under RCS-UDAN ......................................................................................... 47
2.43 Ministry of Tribal Affairs receives SKOCH Challenger Award ................................................................. 47
2.44 Index Numbers of Wholesale Price in India for the month of December, 2020 ...................................... 48

2.45 Consumer Price Index Numbers on Base 2012=100 for Rural, Urban and Combined for the Month of
December 2020 ............................................................................................................................................... 48
2.46 Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production and Use-Based Index for The Month of November,
2020 48
2.47 GDP to expand by 10.1% in FY22: ICRA ................................................................................................. 49
2.48 More than 3 Crore tap water connections provided under Jal Jeevan Mission ...................................... 49
2.49 Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launches E-commerce Portal: ekhadiindia.com .............. 49
2.50 TRIFED under M/O Tribal Affairs initiates Marketing & Logistics intervention for promoting products of
North – East in collaboration with DoNER and India Post ................................................................................. 50
2.51 All serving employees to get "Disability Compensation" , if they get disabled in the line of duty ........... 50
2.52 TRIFED to Collaborate with Various Ministries and Departments for GI Tagging of tribal Products ........ 50
2.53 GST e-invoice system Enabled more than 37000 tax payers to generate more than 1680 Lakh Invoice
Reference Numbers (IRNs) ............................................................................................................................... 51
2.54 INDIA’S MERCHANDISE TRADE Preliminary Data for December 2020 .................................................... 51
2.55 ADB, India sign $100 million loan to upgrade power distribution system in Bengaluru .......................... 52
2.56 Trifed Signs MoU with Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram for Setting up of TRIFOOD Parks in Madhya
Pradesh ........................................................................................................................................................... 52
2.57 J&K UT Administration signs historic MoU with NAFED ......................................................................... 52
2.58 Union Education Minister and Union Minister WCD and Textiles jointly launch Toycathon-2021 and
Toycathon Portal ............................................................................................................................................. 53
2.59 DPIIT organizes “Udyog Manthan” ........................................................................................................ 54
2.60 J&K opens up water resources to attract ₹35,000 cr. power projects, engages NHPC ........................... 54
2.61 Centre sets up panel to work out common entrance test for varsities .................................................. 54
2.62 PM CARES Fund allocates Rs.201.58 crores for installation of 162 Oxygen Plants in public health facilities
54
2.63 India's April-Nov fiscal deficit tops 135% of full-year target................................................................... 54
2.64 Flipkart signs MoU to set up Centre of Excellence in Logistics ............................................................... 55
2.65 CCEA approves industrial development scheme for J&K ....................................................................... 55
2.66 ADB and GoI sign $10 million loan to promote horticulture in Himachal Pradesh .................................. 56
2.67 ADB and GoI signs $231 million loan to enhance power generation capacity in Assam ......................... 56
2.68 Government launches Missed Call Facility for LPG Consumers .............................................................. 56
2.69 Government rolls out Phase II of XP100 by Indian Oil ........................................................................... 56
2.70 Government releases the Draft of the 5th National Science Technology and Innovation Policy ............. 57
2.71 Ministries allowed to spend 33% of Budget Estimates during January-March 2021 ............................... 58
2.72 Prime Minister lays foundation stone for Light House projects ............................................................. 58
2.73 Rastriya Kamdhenu Aayog announces Kamdhenu Gau-Vigyan Prachar-Prasar Exam ............................. 60
2.74 IBRD and GoI Signs $105 Million Project to Improve Waterways in West Bengal .................................. 60
2.75 Punjab Government launches DigiNest mobile application ................................................................... 60
2.76 Indian Railways launches Freight Business Development Portal ............................................................ 60
2.77 FAO names 4 Asian tea cultivation sites as Globally Important Agri Heritage Systems ........................... 61
2.78 Jharkhand Government launches Kisan Fasal Rahat Yojana................................................................... 61
2.79 2020 – the 8th warmest year in India: IMD ........................................................................................... 61
2.80 7th Trade Policy Review of India at the WTO begins ............................................................................. 62
2.81 Manipur becomes the 4th State to complete urban local bodies .......................................................... 63
3 GA+Finance in News-for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A ........................................................................ 63
3.1 BoB inks pact wtih SIDBI to help MSME revamp loans .......................................................................... 63
3.2 SBI raises $600 million via “Regulation S” bonds, bids total $1.9 billion................................................. 64
3.3 P&SB recapitalisation: Centre issues Rs 5,500 cr worth of zero-coupon bonds ...................................... 64
3.4 Bandhan Bank to provide salary accounts for Indian Army personnel ................................................... 64
3.5 PNB in alliance with IIT-Kanpur, FIRST to set up fintech innovation centre ............................................ 65
3.6 SEBI to allow new players to set up stock exchanges ............................................................................ 65
3.7 RBI to introduce LEI for large-value transactions in RTGS/NEFT from April 2021 ................................... 65
3.8 RBI’s Financial Stability Report January 2021 ........................................................................................ 66
3.9 Current account surplus shrinks to $15.5 b in Q2: RBI ........................................................................... 67
3.10 RBI to banks: Ensure authority, stature, independence, resources to internal audit function ................ 67
3.11 SEBI's one-time settlement scheme fetches a dismal Rs 10-12 crore ..................................................... 68
3.12 RBI sets up working group to identify risks posed by unregulated digital lending .................................. 68
3.13 11th Instalment of Rs.6,000 crore released to the States as back-to-back loan to meet the GST shortfall 
69
3.14 I-T Dept unveils faceless penalty scheme .............................................................................................. 69
3.15 No charge on UPI transactions: NPCI .................................................................................................... 70
3.16 Public Issue of Debentures amounting to Rs. 5,000 crores by PFC Ltd. .................................................. 70
3.17 CBDT launches e-portal for filing complaints regarding tax evasion/Benami Properties/Foreign
Undisclosed Assets .......................................................................................................................................... 70
3.18 IFSCA permits Banking Units to transfer assets through participation agreements ................................ 70
3.19 SFB becomes India's first urban co-operative bank to transition to SFB ................................................. 71

1 GA in News - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A
National news
1.1 Control room for status of Avian influenza in the country
• Recently, a control room has been set up in Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying ,
New Delhi.
• Aim- To strategize, coordinate and facilitate State Government with regard to outbreak
management, disease control and containment as envisaged in the Action Plan on
Preparedness, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza, 2015.
1.2 KVIC signed an MoU with ITBP

• Recently, Khadi and Village Industries Commission signed an MoU with ITBP (Indo-Tibetan
Border Police) for supply of 1.72 lakh cotton durries costing Rs 8.74 crore.
• The cotton durries will be produced by Khadi artisans in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.
1.3 NALCO to invest Rs. 30,000 crores by financial year 2027-28

• Recently, while addressing the 41st Foundation Day of NALCO at the company’s headquarters
in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Shri Prahlad Joshi announced that NALCO is going to invest around
Rs. 30000 crores by financial year 2027-28 on the company’s expansion and diversification
plans.
• National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) is a Schedule-A Navratna CPSE under Ministry
of Mines, Government of India.
1.4 New Section of Rewari-Madar of WDFC launched

• Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated the 306-km New Rewari-New Madar
section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) to the nation.
• The new section is situated approximately 79 Km in Haryana and approximately 227 km in
Rajasthan.
1.5 NIXI offers free domain in Local Indian Languages

• Recently, the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) announced that it will offer a free IDN
(Internationalized Domain Name) in any of the 22 official Indian languages.
• Aim: This offer has been created to stimulate the adoption of भारत (IDN) domain name and to
increase local language content.
1.6 SBI contributed Rs. 5 crores to NSDF

• Recently, State Bank of India has contributed Rs. 5 crores to National Sports Development
Fund (NSDF).
• Aim- To fulfil the needs and requirements of elite athletes for training and coaching supported
under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

1.7 New Chief Justices (CJ) for 4 High Courts (HC)
• Recently, 4 Chief Justices have been transferred to other states. They are:
o Chief Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari to Sikkim High Court
o Chief Justice Arup Kumar Singh to Andhra Pradesh HC
o Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan to Uttarakhand HC
o Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq to Madhya Pradesh HC
1.8 ‘Hunger Hunt’ to feed old age homes

• Recently, Kozhikode Mayor Beena Philip has launched “Hunger Hunt”, a project of the
Department of Social Justice and the Department of prisons in association with Fr. David
Chirammel and YMCA.
• Aim- To distribute food to residents of old age homes recognised by the Department of Social
Justice.
1.9 Khadi Prakritik Paint launched

• Recently, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched the first of its kind cow based product
i.e. the Khadi Prakritik Paint developed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) .
• It has antifungal and antibacterial properties and is certified by Bureau of Indian Standards.
1.10 FASTag made mandatory from 15th February, 2021

• Recently, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to defer collection of user
fee at toll plazas only through FASTags till February 15, 2021.
• To ensure full compliance, Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has made FASTags
mandatory for vehicle insurance.
1.11 IFFK to be held in 4 phases at 4 venues

• Recently, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy decided to organise the 25th edition of the
International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in four phases in four regions of the state.
• IFFK is a festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations
(FIAPF).
• The first phase will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, the second phase in Ernakulam, the third
phase in Thalassery and the fourth phase in Palakkad.
1.12 SBI and IOC launched a contactless debit card

• Recently, State Bank of India (SBI) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) have launched a co-
branded contactless RuPay debit card.
• The card is empowered with ‘Tap and Pay’ technology and a transaction up to Rs. 5000 can
be paid for with a tap through the contactless card.
1.13 Telangana High Court gets its first woman Chief Justice
• Recently, Justice Hima Kohli has taken oath as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court
and has become the first woman Chief Justice of Telangana High Court.

1.14 NCRTC to use Ballastless tracks for country’s first RRTS
• Recently, National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has planned to use
indigenously designed ballastless tracks for the country's first Regional Rapid Transit System
(RRTS), a technology that supports high-speed trains running up to 180 kmph.
• Track slabs will first be used on the 17-km-long Sahibabad-Duhai priority section of the Delhi-
Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor.
o The section will be operational by 2023, while the entire 82-km-long corridor will be
completed by 2025.
• NCRTC, the executing agency of RRTS, has signed an MoU with Bharat Electrical Limited for
indigenous development of platform screen doors (PSDs).
1.15 IFFI unveils its Festival Kaleidoscope

• Recently, International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has announced the line-up of films for its
Festival Kaleidoscope. The section will feature 12 films from across the world.
1.16 India-Bangladesh Police Chiefs’ Dialogue

• The first Delegation-Level virtual Police Chiefs’ Dialogue between the Police chiefs of India
and Bangladesh has been held recently.
• During the dialogue, it was decided to further strengthen the relationship of the Police forces
of the two countries.
About Bangladesh-
• Capital- Dhaka
• Currency- Bangladeshi Taka
1.17 Cabinet approves MoU between India and UAE

• Recently, Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between
National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Ministry of Earth
Sciences (MoES), India on Scientific and Technical Cooperation.
• MoU provides for sharing of knowledge, data and operational products for meteorological,
seismological and oceanic services.
About UAE-
• Capital- Abu Dhabi
• Currency- UAE Dirham
1.18 Telangana government releases “Telangana’s Year of AI – 2020 and Beyond”

• Recently, “Telangana’s Year of AI – 2020 and Beyond” has been released, highlighting the
various achievements made in the sector by the Telangana government in year 2020.
• The report highlights Telangana’s AI Framework, which outlines the six-pronged strategy to
achieve the vision of positioning Telangana as a global hub for Artificial Intelligence and
foster social innovation.
1.19 BDL signs pact with Thales to make STARStreak Missile Systems
• Recently, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) under the Ministry of Defence and Thales have
signed a 'Teaming Agreement' to work in partnership on the 'STARStreak Air Defence system.

• Agreement has been signed with the support of both the Governments of India and the United
Kingdom.
• It will be developed under the ‘Make in India’ programme and it is touted to be the fastest
missile in its category.
1.20 "National Road Safety Month 2020" from 18th January, 2021 to 17th February, 2021
• Recently, Ministry of Transport and Highways, has decided to observe Road Safety Month
from 18 January to 17 February 2021.
• Aim- To create awareness among general public and specially amongst the youth to improve
safety on roads and to give an opportunity to all stakeholders to contribute to the cause of
road safety.
1.21 Rajnath Singh unveils India’s first Indigenously Designed & Developed Driverless Metro Car
• Recently, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has unveiled state-of-the-art ‘Driverless Metro
Car’ for Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
• The Driverless Metro trains are being manufactured at BEML Bangaluru Complex.
• On the occasion, Aerospace Assembly Hangar, situated within BEML’s Bangalore Complex,
and first indigenously manufactured Tatra Cabin by BEML was also unveiled.
1.22 India signs MoU with Japan to Enhance Cooperation in the Field of ICT
• Recently, India and Japan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance
cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technologies.
• As per MoU, the two countries will enhance mutual cooperation in the field of 5G
technologies, telecom security, submarine optical fiber cable system to islands of India,
spectrum management, smart cities, etc.
About Japan-
• Capital- Tokyo
• Currency- Japanese Yen
1.23 All-women pilot team of Air India completes longest flight

• Recently, an all-women cockpit crew of Air India has completed the national carrier’s longest
flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru after flying over the North Pole.
• This was the longest commercial flight in the world to be operated by any Indian airline.
• The four women pilots are- Captains Zoya Aggarwal, Papagari Thanmai, Akansha Sonaware
and Shivani Manhas, were operating a Boeing 777 200 VT-ALG named ‘Kerala’.
1.24 No foreign leader as chief guest on Republic Day in 2021

• Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs has announced that India will not invite any foreign
dignitary to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations in year 2021.
1.25 DGTR proposes levy of anti-dumping duty on viscose spun yarn

• Recently, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), under the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry has recommended the levy of anti-dumping duty on viscose spun yarn imported
from China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

1.26 India proposes 8 point agenda to UN Security Council to combat terrorism
• Recently, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar has proposed an eight point action
plan in order to combat the menace of terrorism.
• The action plan was proposed at the United Nations Security Council open debate on the topic
of Threats to International Peace and security caused by terrorist acts.
• The 15-nation body meeting was chaired by Othman Jerandi, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Tunisia, as the country is the current UNSC President.
1.27 Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicates coastal research vessel ‘Sagar Avneshika’

• Recently, coastal research vessel ‘Sagar Avneshika’ has been dedicated by the Union Science
and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at Chennai Port Trust in Chennai.
• The vessel can accommodate about 15-20 scientists for research purposes and will transform
India’s ocean research activities.
• On the occasion, he announced that India is developing the capability in which scientists can
go deep in the ocean beyond 3-kilometers for taking up ocean exploration.
1.28 Kerala passes resolution for repeal of farm laws

• Recently, Kerala has passed resolution for repeal of three farm laws passed by the Union
government.
1.29 National Youth Parliament 2021

• Organized by – Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, and the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
• It has been celebrated as a part of National Youth Festival celebrated every year from 12th to
16th January.
About National Youth Day
• Celebrated every year on 12th January to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
• Theme - YUVAAH – Utsah Naye Bharat Ka
1.30 External Affairs Ministry launches Global Pravasi Rishta portal

• Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan has recently launched the Global
Pravasi Rishta portal and mobile App.
• Aim- To connect with Indian Diaspora across the world.
1.31 Oakridge Energy to solarise KVs and Delhi government schools

• Recently, Oakridge has signed agreements with the Delhi government and Kendriya Vidyalaya
Sangathan to solarise schools in Delhi.
• Oakridge is aiming to solarise 1,000 institutions by 2022.
1.32 Flipkart & NITI Aayog collaborates to enhance Women Entrepreneurship Platform
• Flipkart has partnered with Niti Aayog to launch the revamped Women Entrepreneurship
Platform (WEP).
• About Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)- It is a first of its kind, unified access portal
which brings together women from different parts of India to realize their entrepreneurial
aspirations.

1.33 CCI approves acquisition of Columbia Asia Hospitals Private Limited by Manipal Health
Enterprises Private Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has recently approved the acquisition of 100%
shareholding of the Columbia Asia Hospitals Private Limited by Manipal Health Enterprises
Private Limited.
1.34 PhonePe launches Term Life Insurance plans on its platform

• India’s digital payments platform, PhonePe has launched the Term Life Insurance plans on its
platform, in association with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co Ltd.
• All of PhonePe’s users aged between 18 and 50 years and earning ₹1 lakh per annum or above
can avail of this policy instantly on the digital payments platform.
1.35 Central government to sell 5% of total equity of SAIL

• The central government has recently decided to sell up to 20.65 crore shares or 5% of total
equity of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) through an Offer for Sale.
1.36 Cherry Blossom Mao Festival held in Manipur

• Recently, the Cherry Blossom Mao Festival has taken place at Senapati district in Manipur.
• The Mao area of Senapati district in Manipur is known for Cherry Blossom, a plant which is
popularly known as Sakura in Japan.
1.37 Kerala announces entertainment tax & power bill waiver for theatres
• The Kerala government has recently decided to waive entertainment tax and reduce the fixed
charges on electricity by 50% during the post-COVID-19 oubreak period.
1.38 NSIC signs MOU with Bharti Airtel Limited

• Recently, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Bharti Airtel Limited under its ICT Enabled Digital Services.
• Aim- To serve Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India for their
business automation and connectivity needs such as data/voice connectivity, marketing
solutions, cloud security and collaboration.
1.39 Punjab clears one-time settlement scheme for traders

• Punjab government has recently approved “Punjab One Time Settlement Scheme for
Recovery of Outstanding Dues-2021” for traders to clear their pending arrears.
• It will be implemented from February 1 and the state exchequer would bear a financial burden
of Rs 121.06 crore.
• All dealers whose assessments have been framed up to December 31, 2020 could apply for
the benefit under the scheme.

International News
1.40 APEDA organized a virtual buyer seller meet with Bhutan
• APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) has
recently organized a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) in association with Indian Embassy in
Bhutan.
• Aim: To boost exports potential of India’s agricultural and processed food products exports.
About Bhutan-
• Capital- Thimphu
• Currency- Bhutanese ngultrum
1.41 Britain leaves Europe’s single market

• Recently, Britain has left Europe’s customs union and single market, hence ending ties with
its closest neighbours and making Brexit (Britain exiting European Union) a reality.
1.42 Iran to produce uranium enriched up to 20% purity

• Recently, Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it plans to
produce uranium enriched to up to 20% purity, well beyond the threshold of 4.5% set by the
2015 Vienna accord.
About Iran-
• Capital- Tehran
• Currency- Rial
1.43 Alok Sharma appointed as President of COP26 climate conference

• Recently, Alok Sharma (one of the Indian-origin ministers in U.K. Prime Minister Boris
Johnson’s Cabinet) has been appointed as the President of COP26 (Conference of parties) –
the United Nations climate summit.
• COP26 will be hosted by UK in Glasgow, Scotland.
1.44 Army Chief General MM Naravane on a three day visit to South Korea
• Recently, Army Chief General MM Naravane, was on a three-day visit to South Korea to hold
extensive talks with the top military brass with an aim to further deepen strategic ties.
About South Korea-
• Capital- Seoul
• Currency- South Korean Won
1.45 World’s oldest known cave painting found in Indonesia

• Recently, the archaeologists have discovered the world’s oldest known cave art that was
painted at least 45,500 years ago in Indonesia.
• The cave painting uncovered in South Sulawesi consists of a figurative depiction of a warty
pig, a wild boar that is endemic to this Indonesian island.
About Indonesia-
• Capital- Jakarta
• Currency- Indonesian rupiah

1.46 Donald Trump becomes first US President to be impeached twice
• Recently, US President Donald Trump became the first American president impeached by the
House twice.
• He was impeached by the U.S. House for a historic second time on 13th January 2021, charged
with “incitement of insurrection” over the deadly mob siege of the Capitol.
• He was first impeached by the House in 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine.
1.47 United States re-designates Cuba as 'state sponsor of terrorism'

• The US government has recently re-designated Cuba as a "state sponsor of terrorism" for
repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to
terrorists.
1.48 Pope Francis changes church law, allowing Women to read at Mass
• Recently, Pope Francis has changed church law to explicitly allow women to do more things
during Mass.
• The new law permits women to read the Gospel and serve on the altar as eucharistic
ministers. Previously, such roles were officially reserved to men.
1.49 EU and China conclude in principle negotiations for CAI

• The European Union (EU) and China have concluded in principle the negotiations for a
Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI).
• The agreement will open big opportunities to European companies.
• As per the agreement, China has committed to a greater level of market access for EU investors
and also make commitments to ensure fair treatment for EU companies.
1.50 Arton Capital Passport Index 2021

• The index tracked the World Openness Score (WOS) or the measure to assess the openness of
the world based on visa-free travel agreements, between December 31, 2019 and May 31,
2020.
• Key rankings in the index-
o Germany has topped the index with a mobility score of 134.
o Sweden, Finland and Spain all ranked second, with a mobility score of 133.
o India was placed at the 61st position, along with Philippines, Bhutan, Benin, Gabon,
and Algeria, with a mobility score of 52.
1.51 Henley Passport Index 2021

• According to the latest report by the Henley Passport Index, Japan has topped the list of being
the most powerful passport in the world for the year 2021, as Japanese citizens can travel to
as many as 191 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
• Key rankings in the index-
o Japan has topped the index with score of 191
o Singapore is in second place with a score of 190
o India ranks 85th with a visa-free score of 58
o Afghanistan ranked last (110th) with score of 26

Days in news
1.52 Bureau of Indian Standards celebrates the 74th Foundation Day on 6th January
• On the occasion, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Commerce
& Industry and Railways Shri Piyush Goyal has launched the Toy Testing facilities and
Certificate Courses on Assaying & Hallmarking as well as Quality Control.
1.53 World Day of War Orphans: 6th January

• The day aims to raise awareness about children who have been orphaned due to wars.
1.54 PM inaugurated Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention: 9th Jan

• Recently, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas
Convention on 9th January.
• Theme: Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat
1.55 Indian Armed Forces Veterans Day: 14th January

• Indian Armed Forces Veterans Day is being observed on 14th of January every year to honour
services rendered by veterans of the Army.
• On the occasion, Army Chief General Manoj Naravane stated that the entire year will be
celebrated as Swarnim Vijay Varsh to mark 1971 war victory.
1.56 UN marks year 2021 as “International Year of Fruits and Vegetables”

• The United Nations is recognizing 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables
(IYFV).
• Aim- To raise awareness on the important role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition,
food security and health.
1.57 India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrates its 146th Foundation Day on 15th January
2020
• On the occasion, Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the following-
o Doppler Weather Radars at Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand and Kufri, Himachal Pradesh
o Multi-Mission Meteorological Data Receiving and Processing System (MMDRPS) in
IMD, established in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
o Report on Cyclone disturbances during 2020
o Hindi Patrika – ‘Mausam Manjusha’
o Online Web Portal of IMD Journal MAUSAM
o Special issue of Mausam on Tropical Cyclone
1.58 Army Day: 15th January

• On the occasion, the Indian Army carried out a live demonstration of Drone Swarming
capability using 75 indigenously designed and developed drones, during the Army Day Parade
held at Delhi Cantonment.

Defence in News
1.59 Online Portal for purchase of items Against Firm Demand (AFD) from CSD Canteens
• Recently, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has launched the Online Portal for purchase of
items Against Firm Demand (AFD) from CSD Canteens.
• Objective: To enable about 45 Lakh CSD beneficiaries to purchase AFD-I items (like Cars,
Motorcycles, Washing machines, TVs, Fridges etc) from their home.
1.60 BEML received orders for supply of high mobility vehicles to Indian Army
• Recently, Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) has received orders from Ministry of Defence
for supply of High Mobility vehicles to Indian Army, at an approximate value of ₹758 crore.
• These vehicles would enable movement of armoured fighting vehicles, troops, ammunitions
to far-flung and difficult terrains.
1.61 Making of a General: A Himalayan Echo

• Recently, ‘Making of a General: A Himalayan Echo’, a book authored by Lt General Konsam
Himalay Singh was released.
1.62 Centre sanctioned Rs 37.87 crore for Parshuram Kund pilgrimage site
• Recently, the Central government has sanctioned Rs 37.87 crore for the renovation of
Parshuram Kund pilgrimage site in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
1.63 Indian Navy to conduct 2nd edition of Coastal defence exercise “SEA VIGIL”
• Recently, Indian Navy has conducted the 2nd edition of the biennial pan-India coastal defence
exercise ‘Sea Vigil-21’.
• The exercise will be undertaken along the entire 7516 km coastline and Exclusive Economic
Zone of India.
1.64 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue

• Recently, the 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue has been held recently, during
which both the countries exchanged views on the plan of action that has emanated from the
recently concluded Virtual Summit between Prime Ministers of the two countries.
• New areas of defence cooperation were also discussed during the security dialogue.
About Vietnam-
• Capital- Hanoi
• Currency- Vietnamese Dong
1.65 Cabinet approves procurement of 83 LCA ‘Tejas’ from HAL for IAF
• Recently, the Cabinet has approved procurement of Light Combat Aircrafts (LCA) ‘Tejas’ from
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for Indian Air Force (IAF).
• 73 LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircrafts and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-1 Trainer aircrafts will be procured
at the cost of Rs. 45,696 Crore along with Design and Development of Infrastructure sanctions
worth Rs.1,202 Crore.
• The aircraft would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of (IAF).

1.66 DRDO & Indian Army jointly develops India’s first indigenous 9mm Machine Pistol
• Recently, India’s first indigenous 9mm Machine Pistol has been jointly developed by Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Army.
• The weapon is aptly named “Asmi”.
Persons in news
1.67 Faustin-Archange Touadera re-elected as President of Central African Republic
• Recently, President Faustin-Archange Touadera has won the Central African Republic's
presidential election again by securing more than 53% of votes.
About Central African Republic
• Capital: Bangui
• Currency: Franc
1.68 Former politician Vilas Patil Undalkar from Maharashtra passes away
• Recently, veteran Congressman and former Maharashtra Minister Vilas Patil Undalkar has
passed away.
1.69 Modibo Keita, former Mali’s Prime Minister passes away

• Recently, former Malian Prime Minister Modibo Keita has passed away.
About Mali
• Capital: Bamako
• Currency: Franc
1.70 Dr Raghu Ram found place in Queen Elizabeth II’s honors list
• Recently, Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti has been named in the Queen Elizabeth II’s 2021 New
Year’s Honours list for his immense contribution in raising awareness about breast cancer.
• He is the Director of KIMS-USHALAKSHMI Centre for Breast Disease and has been honoured
with OBE (Order of British Empire)- Officer of the Most Excellent Order of British Empire. OBE
is the second highest ranking order of the British Empire.
1.71 Ex Colonel Narinder ‘Bull’ Kumar passes away

• Recently, retired Colonel Narinder ‘Bull’ Kumar has passed away.
• He was awarded the Kirti Chakra, Padma Shri, Arjun award and the McGregor medal, and
carried out multiple expeditions in the Siachen glacier area in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
1.72 Veteran actor Maila Narsing Yadav passes away

• Recently, veteran Tollywood actor Maila Narsing Yadav, popularly known as Narasing Anna
has passed away. He was from Hyderabad, Telangana.
1.73 British Diplomat Brian Urqhuhart passes away

• Recently, British diplomat Brian Urqhuhart, an early leader of the United Nations who played
a central role in developing the U.N. practice of peacekeeping, has passed away.

1.74 Poet-Lyricist Anil Panachooran passes away
• Recently, a poet and a lyricist Anil Panachooran has passed away.
• He was from Kerala.
1.75 Writer A. Madhavan passed away

• Recently, tamil writer A. Madhavan from Kerala, who won the Sahitya Akademi Award has
passed away.
1.76 Neil Sheehan, a Pulitzer prize-winning author passes away

• Recently, Neil Sheehan, American reporter and Pulitzer Prize winning author has passed away.
1.77 Renowned writer Ved Mehta passes away
• Recently, Indian-American novelist Ved Mehta, who overcame blindness and became widely
known as the 20th-century writer most responsible for introducing American readers to India,
has passed away.
1.78 Garima Verma named digital director in Office of the First Lady
• Recently, the incoming First Lady of USA, Jill Biden has named Indian-American Garima Verma
as her digital director and Michael LaRosa as the press secretary to the Office of the First
Lady.
1.79 Dushyant Dave resigns as SCBA president

• Recently, Dushyant Dave has resigned from the post of the President of the the Supreme
Court Bar Association (SCBA) with immediate effect.
1.80 Estonia’s Prime Minister Juri Ratas steps down

• Recently, Juri Ratas has resigned as the Prime Minister of Estonia, over corruption scandal in
his party.
About Estonia-
• Capital- Tallinn
• Currency- Euro
1.81 PM condoles demise of Professor Shashikumar Chitre

• Recently, Prime Minister has condoled the demise of renowned astrophysicist Professor
Shashikumar Chitre.
1.82 Nancy Pelosi re-elected as US House Speaker

• Recently, the US (United States) House of Representatives have officially re-elected House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi to another term.
1.83 Sanjay Kapoor elected as President of the All India Chess Federation
• Recently, Sanjay Kapoor has been elected as President of the All India Chess Federation (AICF).
1.84 Kerala Governor releases book with title "Sabarimala Vijnaanakosham"

• The book “Sabarimala Vijnaanakosham” has been written by K S Vijayanath and was released
recently by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.

1.85 Vidhu Vinod Chopra authors book "Unscripted: Conversations on Life and Cinema"
• Recently, Vidhu Vinod Chopra has authored the book with title "Unscripted: Conversations
on Life and Cinema".
1.86 Padma Awardee Turlapati Kutumba Rao passes away

• Recently, Veteran journalist, writer and Padma Shri awardee Turlapati Kutumba Rao has
passed away.
• He was from the state of Andhra Pradesh.
1.87 Sheldon Adelson, casino mogul and GOP power broker, passes away
• The billionaire mogul and power broker from US, Sheldon Adelson, has passed away recently.
1.88 Noted social activist D. Prakash Rao passes away

• Odisha’s Noted social activist and a Padma Shri awardee, D. Prakash Rao has passed away
recently.
1.89 Indian-American Sabrina Singh named Deputy Press Secretary in White House
• Recently, Indian-American Sabrina Singh has been named as Deputy Press Secretary to the
United States’s Vice President in the White House.
1.90 RS Sharma to head empowered panel for Covid-19 vaccine

• Recently, the Union government has appointed RS Sharma, former Trai chief, as the
chairperson of 10-member empowered committee for administration of Covid-19 vaccine.
1.91 Sadyr Japarov sworn in as President of Kyrgyzstan

• Recently, Sadyr Japarov has sworn in as President of Kyrgyzstan.
About Kyrgyzstan-
• Capital- Bishkek
• Currency- Kyrgyzstani som
1.92 RBI officer R. Giridharan pens novel 'Right Under our Nose'
• Recently, a novel titled as 'Right Under our Nose' has been released.
• The book has been written by the general manager at Reserve Bank of India (RBI), R.
Giridharan.
1.93 S Y Quraishi pens book "The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India"
• Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi has authored the book titled as "The
Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India".
Environment
1.94 New Species of fruit fly discovered in Tamil Nadu
• Recently, a new species of fruit fly ‘Euphranta siruvani’ was discovered from Coimbatore
district in Tamil Nadu. It was named after Siruvani, an ecological hotspot in the Western
Ghats.

1.95 Patna Meteorological Observatory awarded the status of ‘centennial observation status’
• Recently, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), headquartered in Geneva, has
awarded the status of ‘centennial observing station’ to the Patna meteorological observatory
in recognition to its long-term meteorological observation exceeding over 100 years.
1.96 Centre notifies 0-1 km area around Mathikettan Shola Park as Eco-sensitive Zone
• Recently, the Central Government has notified an area to an extent varying from 0 (zero) to
1.00 kilometres around the boundary of Mathikettan Shola National Park, in Idukki District in
the State of Kerala as the Eco-sensitive Zone considering the unique nature of the Shola forest
and its importance as an elephant strip.
Appointments
1.97 Poola Anthony to be 5th Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad
• Recently, Poola Anthony has taken charge as the 5th Metropolitan Archbishop of
Hyderabad.
• He will replace Thumma Bala.
1.98 Zeeshan Ali to head National Tennis Centre

• Recently, Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali has taken over as head of the National Tennis Centre.
1.99 S. Baskaran appointed as Chairperson of Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission
• Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has named retired High Court judge Justice S. Baskaran
as the Chairperson of Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (SHRC).
1.100 Abhishek Yadav appointed as the Deputy general secretary of AIFF

• Recently, Abhishek Yadav has been appointed as the first deputy general secretary of All
India Football Federation (AIFF).
1.101 Varsha Joshi appointed as Chairperson of NDDB

• Recently, the Government of India has appointed Varsha Joshi as the new Chairperson of
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
• She will replace Dilip Rath.
1.102 Yes Bank appoints Niranjan Banodkar as Group Chief Financial Officer
• Recently, Yes Bank has appointed Niranjan Banodkar as the Group Chief Financial Officer of
the bank.
• He will replace Anurag Adlakha, who has been appointed Chief Human Resources Officer of
the bank.
About Yes Bank-
• Headquarter- Mumbai
1.103 Nikolai Snesarev appointed as middle- and long-distance coach of Indian athletics team
• Recently, Government of India has appointed the Belarussian coach Nikolai Snesarev as the
middle- and long-distance coach of the Indian athletics team.

1.104 AK Goswami sworn in Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh
• Recently, Arup Kumar Goswami has been sworn in as Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High
Court.
1.105 Umesh Sinha appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner

• Recently, Umesh Sinha has been appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner in the
Election Commission of India.
1.106 Google Cloud appoints Karan Bajwa as APAC leader

• Recently, Google Cloud has appointed Karan Bajwa as its new leader for Asia Pacific.
• He will succeed Rick Harshman.
1.107 GJC appoints Ashish Pethe as new Chairman

• The All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), the national apex body of the gems and
jewellery industry has recently appointed Ashish Pethe as its new chairman.
1.108 Samantha Power named as administrator of USAID

• Recently, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power has been named as
the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Sports in news
1.109 Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon 2021
• Recently, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon 2021 took place at the Dhaka Army
Stadium. The winners at the marathon were:
• Full Marathon (SAAF Elite)-
o Bahadur Singh of India: Champion in the men's category
o Pushpa Bhandari of Nepal: Champion in the women's category
• Full Marathon (International Elite)-
o Hicham Laqouahi of Morocco: Champion in the men's category
o Angela Jim Asunde from Kenya: Champion in the men's category
1.110 New Zealand captain Kane Williamson tops rankings for Test batsmen
• As per the recent ICC Test Batsmen Rankings, the top three batsmen are- i) Kane Williamson,
ii) Steven Smith, iii) Virat Kohli
• The ICC tets Bowlers Rankings is topped by Australian bowler Pat Cummins, followed by
British pacer Stuart Broad and New Zealand's Neil Wagner.
1.111 T Natarajan becomes 1st Indian to make international debut in 3 formats on Same Tour
• Recently, Indian pace bowler Thangarasu Natarajan from Tamil Nadu, has became the first
Indian cricketer to make his International debut across all three formats during the same
tour.
• He achieved the feat during India’s tour to Australia.

Banking
1.112 Universal Sompo General Insurance Company ties up with J&K and Ladakh Finance
Corporation
• Recently, Universal Sompo General Insurance Company has tied up with Jammu & Kashmir
and Ladakh Finance Corporation, a corporation that provides financial assistance to small and
medium enterprises (MSME).
• Aim: To provide customized general insurance solutions and innovative products for the
MSME sector at competitive rates.
1.113 RBI imposes Rs 2 Crore fine on Deutsche Bank

• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2 crore on
Deutsche Bank AG (the bank) for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions issued
by RBI contained in the “Reserve Bank of India (Interest Rate on Deposits) Directions, 2016”.
Awards
1.114 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards conferred
• Recently, President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award at the
16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations held virtually.
• List of awardees is as follows:
o Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi
o Curacao Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath
o New Zealand minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan
o Mukhesh Aghi, president and CEO of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum
• List of organizations conferred with the award:
o NGO Cultural Diversity for Peaceful Future in Armenia
o Sai Prema Foundation in Fiji
o Indian Cultural Association in Nigeria
o Federation of Indian Associations of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest honour conferred by the President of India on a
Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO), and organisation or institution established
and run by NRIs or PIOs.
• A Jury-cum-Awards Committee that selected the awardees include:
o Chairman: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu
o Vice chair: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
o Other distinguished members
1.115 Amresh Kumar Chaudhary awarded "Chief of Army Staff Commendation"

• Recently, Incumbent Chief Controller in Mil Rail, Shri Amresh Kumar Chaudhary has been
awarded prestigious " Chief of Army Staff Commendation".
• He has been awarded for his outstanding contribution to Armed Forces during critical period
of Covid19 pandemic and it’s various operations.

1.116 Mr. Vittorio Storaro to be honoured with Lifetime Achievement award
• The 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has honoured the Italian
cinematographer Mr. Vittorio Storaro with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award.
1.117 Karuna Gopal conferred Skoch Challenger Award

• Recently, Karuna Gopal, President, Foundation for Futuristic Cities, has been conferred the
Skoch Challenger Award.
• She has been awarded for her pioneering work spanning more than two decades in the area
of Urban Reforms and Urban Innovations.
1.118 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U) 2019

• Here is the list of winners-
o Best Performing State- Uttar Pradesh
o Best Performing UT- Puducherry
o Best Performing Municipal Corporation- Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
o Best Performing Municipal Council- Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh
o Best Performing Nagar Panchayat- Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh
o Beneficiary Awards for Best House Construction- Roshni and Birbal, Thanesar, Haryana
1.119 Indian Railways bags 13 awards at the 'National Energy Conservation awards 2020’
• Recently, Indian Railways has won 13 awards in three prestigious categories of National
Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) for the year 2020, organized by the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power.
• Important Awardee
Category Winners
Certificate of Merit in Transport Western Railway followed by Eastern Railway and
North Eastern Railway & South-Central Railway
Building Category Divisional Railway Manager’s (DRM) offices at
Bhavnagar, DRM Rajkot and Electrical Department,
DRM Office, North Eastern Railway
Railway workshops subcategory Diesel Loco Shed, South Central Railway, Vijayawada
followed by Kanchrapara Workshop, Eastern Railway
Science & Technology

1.120 Scientists at INST, Punjab produces 2d-electron gas (2DEG)
• Recently, the scientists at Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali (Punjab),
have produced an ultra-high mobility 2d-electron gas (2DEG).
• The gas can speed up transfer of quantum information and signal from one part of a device to
another and increase data storage and memory.

2 GA + ESI in news - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A
2.1 India approves two COVID-19 vaccines
• Recently, The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has announced that the Central Drugs
Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has decided to accept the recommendations of its
Subject Expert Committee (SEC), and approved the Covid-19 vaccines of both Serum Institute
of India and Bharat Biotech for restricted use in India.
Details of approved vaccine
• Covishield – Manufactured by Serum Institute, is an Indian variant of the AZD1222 vaccine
developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
• Covaxin – Manufactured by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR).
Key Highlights
• According to the Health Ministry, two doses of vaccine, 28 days apart, need to be taken by an
individual to complete the vaccination schedule.
• Entire schedule of vaccination is to be completed by only one type of vaccine as different
COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) system will be used to track the enlisted
beneficiaries for vaccination and COVID-19 vaccines on a real-time basis.
• No provision for on-the-spot registrations.
2.2 FM reviews NIP as part of infra spending push

• Recently, Union finance minister has reviewed the progress of the National Infrastructure
Pipeline (NIP) as the government seeks to accelerate infrastructure spending in the
economy.
• NIP expanded from 6,385 projects at the time of its introduction to more than 7,300 projects.
About National Infrastructure Pipeline
• Announced by Finance Minister in Budget 2020.
• First-of-its-kind initiative to provide world-class infrastructure across India and improve the
quality of life for all citizens.
• Aim - To improve project preparation, attract investments (both domestic and foreign) into
infrastructure, and will be crucial for a target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by FY 2025.
• Estimated Investment – Rs 111 lakh crore.
• Covers both economic and social infrastructure projects.
• NIP project database would be made available on the India Investment Grid (IIG).
• Sectors such as energy (24%), roads (18%), urban (17%) and railways (12%) amount to around
71% of the projected investments.
2.3 Third phase of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0) launched
• Recently, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has launched Third phase of
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0).
• Focus on - New-age and COVID-related skills
Key Highlights
• Objective
o Create an ecosystem for the youth to make informed choices on the available skilling
avenues.
o Provide support to youth for skill training and certification.
o Promote sustainable Skill Centres for greater participation of private sector.
o Benefit 8 lakh youth over the scheme period (2020-21)
• It envisages training of eight lakh candidates over a scheme period of 2020-2021 with an
outlay of Rs. 948.90 crore.
• Coverage - Launched in 717 districts, 28 States/eight UTs
• 729 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs), empanelled non-PMKK training centres and
more than 200 industrial training institutes under Skill India will be rolling out PMKVY 3.0
training to build a robust pool of skilled professionals
• Implementation - Decentralized structure with greater responsibilities and support from
States/UTs and Districts.
2.4 Management Effectiveness Evaluation of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India:
Process & Outcomes 2018-19
[Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development]
• Recently, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the
report “Management Effectiveness Evaluation of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in
India: Process & Outcomes 2018-19” and MEE Marine Protect Areas Framework.
• Prepared by – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Wildlife insttute of
India.
• With this round of evaluation, one full cycle of evaluating all terrestrial National Parks and
Wildlife Sanctuaries during 2006-2019 has been completed.
• He has also released the Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Indian Zoos (MEE-ZOO)
framework with indicators for evaluations of zoos.
Key Findings
• Overall MEE score of 146 National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries: 62.01%, higher than global
mean of 56%.
• Highest Overall MEE Score: Eastern Region
• Lowest Overall MEE Score: Northern Region
• Top 3 Best Wild Life Sanctuary (WLS and National Parks (NP):
• Top 3 Worst WLS & NP
Important Information Shared

• There are 903 protected areas in India, covering about 5% of the total geographical area.
• “70% of the global tiger population, 70% of Asiatic lions and more than 60% of leopard’s
population are in India.
• From 2021, 10 best National Parks, 5 coastal and marine parks and top 5 Zoos will be ranked
and awarded every year.
2.5 NCAVES India Forum 2021

[Social Justice]
• Recently, “Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services” (NCAVES) India
Forum 2021 has been organized by Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation

(MoSPI) in collaboration with United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), European Union and
UN Environment.
• Objective – To publicize efforts made in India for “Natural Capital Accounting”, with a specific
focus on the implementation of the UN-prescribed System of Environmental Economic
Accounting (SEEA) framework in the context of ecosystems.
About Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (NCAVES)
• Funded by – European Union
• Implemented in five countries – India, Brazil, China, Mexico and South Africa - by the United
Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the
Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD).
2.6 Kerala becomes 8th State to complete ease of doing business reforms; Additional borrowing
permission of Rs. 2,261 crore granted
• Recently, Kerala has become the 8th State in India to successfully undertake “Ease of Doing
Business” reform stipulated by the Department of Expenditure and has become eligible to
mobilise additional financial resources of Rs.2,261 crore through Open Market Borrowings
• 10 States have implemented the One Nation One Ration Card System, 8 States have done ease
of doing business reforms, and 4 States have done local body reforms.
• Provided additional borrowing permission issued to the States who have done the refoms
stands at Rs.--56,526 crore.
Key Highlights
• Reforms stipulated under Ease of Doing Business are:
o Completion of first assessment of ‘District Level Business Reform Action Plan’
o Elimination of the requirements of renewal of registration certificates/approvals/licences
obtained by businesses under various Acts.
o Implementation of computerized central random inspection system under the Acts
wherein allocation of inspectors is done centrally, the same inspector is not assigned to the
same unit in subsequent years, prior inspection notice is provided to the business owner,
and inspection report is uploaded within 48 hours of inspection.
2.7 Union Minister for Commerce inaugurates ‘Prarambh: Startup India International Summit’
• Recently, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, along with has inaugurated the two
day ‘Prarambh’, Startup India International Summit begin in New Delhi.
• The summit is a demonstration of neighbourhood first policy
Key Highlights:
• It is the largest Startup India International Summit, since the launch of the Startup India
Initiative in 2016.
• Summit Organizer: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
countries participated in the inaugural event.

• It is a follow up of the announcement made by the Prime Minister at the 4th BIMSTEC Summit
held in Kathmandu in August, 2018.
• Over 41,000 startups are registered with Government of India.
About BIMSTEC:
Establishment June 1997
Secretariat Dhaka, Bangladesh
Members Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka,Thailand
Current Chairman Sri Lanka
Note: Startup India scheme has been covered in December 2020 magazine.
2.8 Department of Food & Public Distribution notifies modified scheme to enhance ethanol
distillation capacity for producing 1st Generation (1G) ethanol
• Recently, the Department of Food & Public Distribution has notified the modified scheme
for extending financial assistance to project proponents for enhancement of ethanol
distillation capacity or to set up distilleries for producing 1st Generation (1G) ethanol from
feed stocks or converting molasses-based distilleries to dual feedstock.
• Aim: To achieve 20% blending by 2025 and to meet the requirements of ethanol production
capacity.
Key Highlights:
• Interest Subvention Period: 5 years, including 1 year moratorium period for loans availed by
project proponents from banks @ 6% per annum or 50% of the rate of interest charged by
banks whichever is lower.
• Projected Investment: Rs. 40,000 crores
• Key Projections
o In 2020-21, about 325 crore liters ethanol is likely to be supplied to Oil Marketing
Companies (OMCs) to achieve 8.5 % blending levels.
o 10% blending target would achieved by 2022 with supply of 400 crore liters of ethanol.
o Government has proposed to prepone 20% blending of ethanol with petrol by 2025 from
2030.
2.9 Ministry of Science & Technology unveils Innovation Portal

• Recently, the Union Minister for Science and Technology has dedicated the National
Innovation Portal (NIP) developed by the National Innovation Foundation- India.
• NIP is currently home to about 1.15 lakh innovations contributed by common public across
various sectors.
• He has also informed about Science and Technology Innovation Policy (STIP).
• About Science and Technology Innovation Policy (2020)
• It has been organised into 4 highly interlinked tracks:
o Track I: It involves an extensive public and expert consultation process through Science
Policy Forum.

o Track II: It comprises experts-driven consultations to formulate recommendations for the
policy.
o Track III: It involves extensive intra-state and intra-department consultation with Ministries
and States.
o Track IV: It constitutes an apex level multi-stakeholder consultation.
2.10 UJALA Scheme & Street Lighting National Programme completes six successful years
[Sustainable Development & Environmental Issues]
• Recently, the Government of India’s zero subsidy Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All
(UJALA) and LED Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP), has completed six successful
years of illuminating India.
• Apart from this, as a part of Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan poor households were able to buy LED
bulbs for a special price under UJALA Programme.
Key Milestones of UJALA Scheme as on 22th January 2021:
• Distribution at affordable price:
o LED bulbs - 36.69 crore
o LED tube lights – over 72 lakh
o Energy efficient fans - 23 lakh
• Cost saving per year: Rs. 19,064 Crores
Key Milestones of SLNP as on 20th January 2021:
• Total Streetlights completed: 1.14 crore
• GHG Emission Reduction: 5.31 million tCO2.
• Estimated annual monetary savings in electricity bills of municipalities – Rs 5,210 crore
Key awards:
• UJALA & SLNP: South Asia Procurement Innovation Award (SAPIA) 2017, the Global Solid State
Lighting (SSL) award of excellence for the transformational contribution to the LED sector,
Award for High Impact Program for Energy Efficiency – CII National Award for Excellence in
Energy Management 2020 and award of excellence at the 10thElets knowledge exchange
summit and awards 2020.
• SLNP: 2019 CIO 100 award.
Note: UJALA Scheme has been covered in Schemes Tap Document of November 2020.
About SLNP:
Launch year January 2015
Implemented by EESL, Ministry of Power
Aim • To replace 3.5 crore conventional street lights with energy efficient LED
lights.
Target • to bring investment to the tune of Rs 8,000 crores by 2024 by covering
entire rural India.
2.11 Union Minister of Health and family Welfare inaugurates 5th National Kayakalp Awards

• Recently the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has inaugurated the 5 th National
Kayakalp Awards to felicitate Public and Private Health Facilities for high standards of
Sanitation and Hygiene.
Key Information Shared:
• ‘MeraAspataal’ portal used to track patient feedbacks for services in hospitals
• Number of Kayakalp facilities in 2019-20: 7,615.
• Swachh SwasthSarvatra (SSS) program: implemented by MoHFW and Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation, where one community health centre (CHCs) situated within Open
Defecation Free (ODF) block receives one-time grant of Rs. 10.00 lakhs under the National
Health Mission.
• Target year to healthcare facilities to achieve benchmark score: 2022.
About Kayakalp Awards:
• Launched in 2015 by the MoHFW.
• Success of Kayakalp is duly recognized in Global Baseline Report 2019 published by WHO,
UNICEF and JMP.
2.12 Union Minister of Health and family Welfare inaugurates the Grand Finale of the Red Ribbon
Quiz Competition
• Recently, the Union Minister of Health and Family has launched the first ‘The Grand Finale
of the Red Ribbon Quiz Competition’ organized by the National AIDS Control Organization
(NACO) and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on the National Youth Day 2021.
Key Information shared
• NACO is implementing the Adolescence Education Programme since 2005 in more than
50,000 schools
• Number of Red Ribbon Clubs established by NACO: 12,500
About Adolescence Education Programme
• It is coordinated by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in
partnership with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA).
• Aim: to provide young people with accurate, age appropriate and culturally relevant
information; promote healthy attitudes and develop skills to enable them to respond to real-
life situations effectively.
2.13 Power Ministry in association with BEE organizes 30th National Energy Conservation Awards
• Recently, the Ministry of Power in association with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), has
launched the 30th National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) function.
Important Launch
• The Standards and Labelling Programme for Air Compressors and Ultra High Definition (UHD)
TV on voluntary basis.
• SAATHEE (State-wise Actions on Annual Targets and Headways on Energy Efficiency) – A
Management Information System (MIS) portal for real-time monitoring of the progress of

implementation of various Energy Conservation endeavours at State level, has also been
launched.
Key Highlights
• Total savings from the participants of NECA 2020: 3,007 Million units
• Thermal energy savings from the participants of NECA 2020: Rs. 1,503 crores
• Star Labelling Programme for Air Compressor and UHD TV will be effective from January 2021
• Total Expected Savings: 8.41 Billion Units of electricity for Air Compressors and 9.75 Billion
Units for UHD TV till 2030.
• PAT (Perform, Achieve and Trade) Cycle II achieved emission reduction of 61 million ton of
CO2.
About Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme:
Launch Year 2012
Implemented by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power under the National
Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE)
Feature • Each sector will be assigned efficiency targets.
• Industries achieving the assigned targets are given incentives in the
form of energy-saving certificates (ESCert).
Duration PAT Cycle I (2012-13 to 2014-15)
PAT Cycle II (2016 to 2018-19)
PAT Cycle III (2017-20)
2.14 Panel to study NFHS-5 findings

• Recently, The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has set up a technical expert group to
examine the adverse findings from the National Family Health Survey-5 and “recommend
programmatic and policy interventions to improve” indicators pertaining to malnutrition,
stunting, anaemia, and C-section.
• Chaired by - Preeti Pant and includes experts from medicine and nutrition. It also includes state programme
officers from Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
2.15 Ministry of MSME launches Khadi Prakritik paint - India’s first cow dung paint - developed by
KVIC
• Recently, Union minister of MSME has launched an India’s first cow dung paint titled as
“Khadi Prakritik Paint”.
• Developed by - Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute, Jaipur institute of Khadi and
Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
2.16 India sets up high-level group for South Asia energy security
• Recently, The government has set up a high-level group for South Asia Group for Energy
(SAGE) under Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) to build a
South Asia-focused energy security architecture.
• Chaired by – Ram Vinay Shahi.

• India has been trying to create a common pool for neighbouring countries and has an installed power
generation capacity of 373.43 gigawatts.
2.17 Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launches new edition of Atal Tinkering Lab handbook on the
occasion of National Youth Day
• [Employment Generation in India]
• Recently, NITI Aayog has released a handbook named ‘The Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL)
Handbook 2.0’ that outlines a practical guidance on structural, selection, establishment and
celebration aspects of the AIM’s flagship ATL programme.
• It encompasses 3 years of on-the-ground work done by the AIM team in a framework using 4
key pillars of the ATL initiative – Selection, Establishment, Enablement, and Celebration.
Note – Atal Innovation Mission and Atal Tinkering Lab has been discussed in the month of
November 2020.
2.18 Minister of Health and Family Welfare addresses webinar on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Swatantra
Bharat
• Recently, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has virtually addressed a webinar
organised by Swarjya Magazine on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Swatantra Bharat and India’s
Healthcare Ecosystem in a Post-Covid-World.
Key Information Shared
• He has informed that during COVID-19 pandemic India has focused on five fundamental pillars:
the economy, technology, Infrastructure, Vibrant Demography, and Demand to create a Self-
Reliant India.
• An IT tool “ITIHAS” has been developed to aid the surveillance and containment activities.
• A National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID19, NEGVAC has been
constituted under the guidance of Prime Minister to monitor and decide on prioritization of
population groups for vaccination, the delivery mechanism of the vaccine including tracking of
the vaccination process and selection of delivery platforms.
2.19 Minister of Science and Technology inaugurates the new entity CSIR-National Institute of
Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR)
• Recently, Union Minister of Science &Technology has inaugurated a new institute of Council
of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – National Institute of Science Communication
and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), in New Delhi.
• Established consequent to the merger of CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication
and Information Resources (CSIR-NISCAIR) and CSIR-National Institute of Science, Technology
and Development Studies (CSIR-NISTADS).
About CSIR-NISCAIR
• Publish science magazines – Vigyan Pragati and Science Reporter and Scientific Journals.
• It managed the largest and oldest National Science Library and distributes International
Standard Serial Number (ISSN).

About CSIR-NISTADS
• It has executed projects from UNESCO and the Commonwealth Science Council, State S&T
Councils and international agencies to review their respective S&T promotional schemes.
• Created a Techno-Socio-Economic platform to enable developmentand application of socially
acceptable, relevant, scalable and cost-competitive products.
2.20 Polio National Immunisation Day rescheduled

• Recently, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) has rescheduled the Polio
vaccination day, or National Immunisation Day (NID) or “Polio Ravivar” to 31th January
2021.
• President of India will launch the Polio National Immunisation Day on 30th January 2021
Background:
• COVID-19 vaccination drive has been rolled out in 16th January 2021, hence NID rescheduled.
2.21 IRDAI forms advisory panel on health cover

• Recently, Insurance regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has constituted a health
insurance advisory committee to examine
o Availability of products
o Suggest approach on the coverage of specific diseases
o Develop a strategy on treatment protocol or rate structure towards improving affordability
of the insurance.
• Head – Chairperson, IRDAI (Subhash Chandra Khuntia)
• Tenure of Committee – One year
2.22 Supreme Court Puts On Hold 3 Farm Laws, Forms Committee

• Recently, The Supreme Court has suspended the implementation of three farm laws in a bid
to persuade farmers agitating against them to come to the “negotiating table” and formed
a four-member committee to “negotiate” between the farmers and the government.
• Member include: Ashok Gulati, Anil Ghanwat, Bhupinder Singh Mann and Pramod Joshi.
Note: Bhupinder Singh Mann has quit the committee.
2.23 EESL, NHAI sign deal for setting up solar power projects
• Recently, the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and the National Highways Authority
of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishing solar
power projects, energy efficient light emitting diode (LED) lighting and Electric Vehicle (EV)
charging stations at NHAI establishments, as a part of Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM).
About Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
• It is defined in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol.

• Objectives: to help developed countries fulfill their commitments to reduce emissions, and to
assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development.
2.24 NIC and CBSE to launch CollabCAD Software on 14th January to provide total engineering
solutions for students & Faculty of Engineering Graphics Curriculum
• Recently, National Informatics Centre (NIC) along with Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE) has jointly launched CollabCAD Software.
• It is a collaborative network, computer-enabled software system, providing a total
engineering solution from 2D drafting & detailing to 3D product design for students and
faculty of Engineering Graphics Curriculum.
• National Informatics Centre (NIC), CBSE, and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has also released
a comprehensive e-book on CollabCAD 3D modeling.
• Aim - To provide a great platform to students across the country to create and modify 3D
digital designs with a free flow of creativity and imagination.
• NIC and CBSE will be signing an MOU for ‘CollabCAD Software Support and Training for
Students and Faculty of Engineering Graphics in CBSE affiliated Schools’ for a period of 10 (ten)
years that aims to develop human resources and skills around CollabCAD software and
popularize CollabCAD among the students and faculty.
2.25 One Planet Summit for Biodiversity

• Recently, France in collaboration with UN and World Bank has inaugurated One Planet
Summit 2021 for Biodiversity.
• Theme: “Let’s act together for nature”.
• Under the summit, At least 50 countries committed to protecting 30% of the planet, including
land and sea, over the next decade to halt species extinction and address climate change
issues.
2.26 FSSAI slashes limit for transfat levels in foods

• Recently, The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has capped the amount
of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the present
permissible limit of 5% through an amendment to the Food Safety and Standards
(Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations.
• It has applied to edible refined oils, vanaspati (partially hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery
shortenings and other mediums of cooking such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat
spreads.
Relevance
• According to the World Health Organization, approximately 5.4 lakh deaths take place each
year globally because of the intake of industrially produced trans fatty acids.
Background
• India first passed a regulation that set a TFA limit of 10% in oils and fats in 2011 which was
further reduced to 5% in 2015.
2.27 NITI Aayog hails millet revival in Odisha
• According to NITI Aayog study titled ‘Health and Nutrition, Practice Insight’ there has been
215% increase in gross value of millet produce per farmer household from ₹3,957 to ₹12,486
in Odisha.
• Odisha has recorded a sharp rise in value of millet crop.
• NITI Aayog attributed success of the millet mission to Ragi procurement from local farmers at
minimum support price, farmer registration, establishment of district wise storage godowns
and streamline of procurement system.
2.28 Andhra Pradesh Government and Cambridge University tie up to develop English Proficiency
in Municipal School
[Social Sectors – Education]
• Recently the University of Cambridge, UK and Andhra Pradesh Government has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to impart English Language Skills to the teachers and
students from municipal schools.
Key Highlights:
• 14 language labs would be set up in 13 districts across Andhra Pradesh, where training will
also be given in Science and Mathematics.
• Three language studios would be set up at Vishakapatnam, Kurnool and Vijayawada
2.29 J&K LG launches Mobile Application 'Satark Nagrik' and Departmental Vigilance Officers
Portal
[Social Justice]
• Recently, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir has launched ‘Satark Nagrik’
mobile application and Department Vigilance Officers (DVO) Portal of J&K Anti-Corruption
Bureau (ACB).
• Objective of Mobile app: to facilitate seamless flow of information about corruption and
enable citizens to submit their grievances with ease and mobility.
• Objective of the portal: to enable an online communication channel with the DVOs of various
departments for quick disposal of complaints and grievances in a systematic manner by
monitoring the status of the complaints/grievances at ACB central office.
2.30 ‘Main Bhi Digital’ campaign for street vendors

• Recently, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has launched a special drive
titled ‘Main Bhi Digital’ for the street vendors in line with the guidelines issued under PM
Street Vendor Atmnirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme.
Relevance
• According to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the
urban local bodies identified for the PM SVANidhi scheme will have to prepare a calendar for
digital training of street vendors.
• The ULBs should deploy a nodal officer to coordinate with the lead district manager (LDM).

• District-level monitoring committees headed by either district collector or municipal
commissioner will be in charge of the digital training and information sharing..
Note: PMSVANidhi scheme has been discussed in Schemes Tap.
2.31 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY-SEHAT in Jammu &
Kashmir
• Recently, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has launched Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY-SEHAT in
Jammu & Kashmir.
• Note: PMJAY-SEHAT scheme has been covered in month of December.
2.32 Union Petroleum Minister inaugurates migrant worker cell in Surat

• Recently, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas has inaugurated first migrant
worker cell cell of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).
• Aim – To prepare a database of migrant workers in Surat city with mapping.
• Created under the ‘National Urban Livelihood Mission Scheme’.
About National Urban Livelihood Mission
• Aim – To reduce poverty through promotion of diversified and gainful self-employment, while
creating skilled wage employment opportunities.
• It supports building social capital and ensuring financial linkages to alleviate poverty and
enhance the quality of the life of rural poor women.
• It has ambitious plans on innovations for alternate channels of financial inclusion like digital
finance, creating value chains around rural products and improving market access, rural
enterprise and strengthening community institutions.
• Implemented by - Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD)
• Launched in – 2011.
• The program was renamed as Deendayal Antayodaya Yojana (DAY-NRLM) in 2015
Note: Surat will emerge as the first city to offer affordable housing units to migrant labourers on rent.
2.33 Kerala’s launched ‘Vishappu Vetta’ initiative

• Recently, Kerala’s Alappuzha municipal corporation has launched ‘Vishappu Vetta’ initiative.
• Aim – To provide lunch to old-age homes in Alappuzha town and nearby areas on the first day
of every month.
2.34 Nasscom launches Innovation Factory to promote AI in agriculture

• Recently, National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) has tied up
with Telangana Artificial Intelligence Mission (T-AIM) to launch an Innovation Factory to
identify and promote innovative artificial intelligence solutions to address challenges in
agricultural sector.

• Focus on - Precision farming to improve yields; real-time price discovery and volume
management; e-marketplaces for agri produce; and agricultural lending instruments based on
farm output-backed credit risk assessment.
2.35 MCA allows India Inc to spend CSR funds for Covid-19 vaccination awareness campaigns
• Recently, Ministry of Corporate Affairs has allowed India Inc to spend CSR funds for Covid-
19 vaccination awareness campaigns.
Relevance
• Ministry in August 2020 has amended the Schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013 to include
R&D for development of drugs to cure Covid-19 as one of the approved CSR activities.
• Applicability – 2020-21 to 2022-23.
About Corporate Social Responsibility
• According to the Companies Act 2013, a firm has to mandatorily spend 2% of average net profit
of the preceding three years on CSR.
• The Firms eligible for CSR
o Net worth of Rs 500 crore or more, or
o Turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or more, or
o Net profit of Rs 5 crore or more.
2.36 Madhya Pradesh rolls out ‘Launch Pad Scheme’ to make youth self-reliant
[Social Sectors- Education, Employment Generation in India]
• Recently, the Government of Madhya Pradesh has launched the ‘Launch Pad Scheme’ for
boys and girls coming out of child care institutions and having completed 18 years of age.
• Objective: to provide a platform to youth, through which they will be able to become self-
reliant by continuing their education and training.
• Estimated Cost: Rs 6 lakhs per launch pad.
• 52 districts divided into 5 clusters, with 5 divisional headquarters: Indore, Sagar, Gwalior,
Jabalpur and Bhopal.
2.37 Manipur CM launches Pension app, inaugurates guest house and a district library
[Human Development]
• Recently, the Chief Minister of Manipur has launched mPension Manipur App, through which
pensioners can do self-updation of their photographs without visiting Treasury Offices.
• The app uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to verify the ‘liveliness’ of the pensioner being
photographed
• He also inaugurated a police guest house and a modernized district library at Churachandpur
district headquarters.
2.38 Dell, Ministry of Health launches mobile app for non-communicable diseases
• Recently, Dell Technologies, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
and Tata Trusts has developed a mobile application for the management of Non-

Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at the government Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across
India.
• It will strengthen the existing NCD IT system's suite of six applications for accredited social
health activists (ASHAs), auxiliary nurse midwifes (ANMs), doctors, programme managers
and health officials in the government.
Key Information shared:
• NCDs account for 63% mortality in India.
• According to World Health Organization, 1 in 4 person in India is at the risk of dying from
NCD before reaching 70 years.
About NCD IT system:
• It supports the Government of India's population-based screening (PBS) and management of
NCDs under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes,
Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).
2.39 Ordinance to merge J&K IAS, IPS, IFoS cadre with AGMUT
[Indian Political System]
• Recently, the Centre has passed Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment)
Ordinance 2021 to merge the Jammu & Kashmir cadre of All India Services such as Indian
Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) with
the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.
Key Highlights:
• Section 88 of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act has been amended to pass the
ordinance which implies that the officers of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre can be
posted to Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and any union territory.
2.40 Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting on "New Foreign Trade Policy 2021-26"
[Globalization]
• Recently, the meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry has held on "New Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2021-26", chaired by
the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.
Key Highlights:
• FTP 2015-20, came into effect on 1st April 2015, to be extended till 31st March 2021, due to
Covid-19
• New FTP 2021-26 will be effective from 1st April 2021 for 5 years with the aim of making India
a Market Leader in Foreign Trade and a $5 trillion economy.
• Important Component of New FTP: District Export Hub.
Background:
• India’s FTP are formulated every 5 years
2.41 Central Bank of India signs MOU with NABARD to manufacture sanitary pads
• Recently, Central Bank of India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with, NAB
Foundation, subsidiary of National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD),

to provide working capital finance to women SHGs for making sanitary pads under the MY
PAD MY RIGHT project.
Key Highlights:
• NABARD provides one machine for making sanitary pads in each district to one SHG.
• Working Capital Support – Rs 50,000 to Rs 80,000 per month
• Total grant support - nearly ₹5 lakh per unit.
• Total support – nearly ₹50 crore over the next three years.
About My PAD MY Right project:
• Launched on International Rural Women Day 2020 (15 th October) by NAB Foundation.
• Aim: to create impact in the area of rural menstrual hygiene by empowering rural women to
take up manufacturing of sanitary pads at their own level.
2.42 Hisar Airport Inaugurated Under RCS-UDAN

• Recently, the Hisar Airport in Haryana has been inaugurated under the Regional Connectivity
Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN).
Key Highlights:
• India’s First Air Taxi Services from Chandigarh to Hisar has also been commenced.
• Aviation Connectivity & Infrastructure Developers Pvt. Ltd has been awarded the Hisar –
Chandigarh – Hisar Airtaxi route under the UDAN 4 bidding process. It is first startup airline in
India to assist in Air Taxi services.
• At present, 307 routes and 54 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes are
operationalized under RCS-UDAN.
Note: UDAN Scheme has been covered in November 2020 Magazine.
2.43 Ministry of Tribal Affairs receives SKOCH Challenger Award

[Human Development]
• Recently, the Ministry has Tribal Affairs has received the SKOCH Challenger Award for e-
governance, for transformational initiatives leading to outcome-based performance
improvement.
Key Highlights:
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs digitalized the entire scholarship release process, enabling 64 lakh
beneficiaries to receive scholarships through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• The tribal data are released to public using Performances Dashboard, Prayas-PMO Dashboard,
NITI Aayog and DBT Mission.
Other innovative initiatives by Tribal Ministry:
• Swasthya portal – inaugurated in August 2020, a first of its kind e-portal, providing all health
and nutrition related information of the tribal population of India in a single platform.
• Ice Stupa Project: Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Students' Educational and Cultural
Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), initiated a two-year action research project with an aim to
build Ice Stupas in 50 villages to resolve the drinking water and water irrigation crisis in
Ladakh.
About DBT Mission:

• Started in 2013.
• Aim: To reform Government delivery system by re-engineering the existing process in welfare
schemes for simpler and faster flow of information/funds and to ensure accurate targeting of
the beneficiaries, de-duplication and reduction of fraud Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
2.44 Index Numbers of Wholesale Price in India for the month of December, 2020
[Inflation]
• Recently, The Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade has released index numbers of Wholesale Price in India for the month of
December, 2020 (Provisional).
2.45 Consumer Price Index Numbers on Base 2012=100 for Rural, Urban and Combined for the
Month of December 2020
[Inflation]
• Recently, The National Statistical Office (NSO) has released All India Consumer Price Index
(CPI) and Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) for Rural (R), Urban (U) and Combined (C) for
December 2020 (Provisional).
Indices Decemeber 2020 (Provisional) November 2020 Final
Rural Urban Combined Rural Urban Combined
CPI 4.07 5.19 4.59 7.20 6.73 6.93
(General)
CFPI 3.11 4.08 3.41 9.64 9.23 9.50
2.46 Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production and Use-Based Index for The Month of
November, 2020
[Inflation]
• According to Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Quick Estimates of Index
of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 has remained at 126.3.
Month Mining Manufacturing Electricity General
2019-20 2020- 2019-20 2020- 2019- 2020-21 2019- 2020-21
21 21 20 20
November 112.7 104.5 130.6 128.4 139.9 144.8 128.8 126.3
October 99.5 98.2 126.3 131.5 145.8 162.2 124 129.2
2.47 GDP to expand by 10.1% in FY22: ICRA
• Recently, ICRA has expected India’s GDP to expand by 10.1% in FY22.
• CPI inflation has been expected to decline to 4.6% in FY2022 from 6.4% in FY2021.
2.48 More than 3 Crore tap water connections provided under Jal Jeevan Mission
• Recently, Ministry of Jal Shakti has informed that 3 Crore tap water connections have been
provided since August 2019.
Important Data Shared
• 26 districts, 457 Blocks, 34,919 Panchayats and 65,627 villages have become 'Har Ghar Jal'.
• Goa has become the first State to provide 100% FHTCs and became 'Har Ghar Jal' State.
• A '100-Day Campaign' was
launched on 2nd October, 2020
to provide piped water supply to
every school, anganwadicentre
(AWC) and ashramshala, i.e.
residential schools for children
from tribal communities.
• Key Highlights
o More than 4.4 lakh rural schools
and about 3.73 lakh AWCs have
started getting potable tap water
not only for drinking and cooking
mid-day meals, but also for hand
washing and running
tap water in toilets.
o Punjab and Tamil Nadu have become the first States to provide every school with tap
water supply and every AWC in Tamil Nadu is provided with tap water.
• About 2,300 water quality testing laboratories with States/ UTs have been opened to general
public to get their water samples tested at a nominal cost.
• Village Action Plans (VAPs) for five years, co-terminus with 15th Finance Commission
prepared so that fund available to Panchayati Raj Institutes can be gainfully utilized by Gram
Panchayats for assured water supply delivery to homes.
Note: Jal Jeevan Mission has been covered in Schemes Tap.
2.49 Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launches E-commerce Portal: ekhadiindia.com
• Recently, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) unveils Khadi India’s official e-
Commerce site eKhadiIndia.com.
• It will commence training with two courses in Factory Automation and will offer an early bird
scholarship scheme of 75% has for the first 100 students/trainees.
Key Highlights

• First of its kind government online shopping platform to boost rural economy and become self-
sustainable.
2.50 TRIFED under M/O Tribal Affairs initiates Marketing & Logistics intervention for promoting
products of North – East in collaboration with DoNER and India Post
• Recently, TRIFED under M/O Tribal Affairs has initiated Marketing & Logistics intervention
for promoting products of North – East in collaboration with DoNER and India Post.
• Aim – To create a brand for products from that region, increase awareness of the brand across
the globe and provide national and international market access.
2.51 All serving employees to get "Disability Compensation" , if they get disabled in the line of duty
[Social Justice]
• Recently, Union Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has informed about
government’s decision to extend "Disability Compensation" for all serving employees, if they
get disabled in the line of duty while performing their service and are retained in service in
spite of such disablement.
Key Highlights
• Employees covered under NPS will also get benefits under Extra Ordinary Pension (EOP).
• Amended Central Civil Services (CCS) (EOP) Rules to provide Invalid Pension at 50% of the
last pay, even if the employee had not completed minimum qualifying service of 10 years.
• Amended the rule and provide pension at enhanced rate to the family of an employee who
died during service before completing the requisite service of minimum 7 years and provide
family pension of 50% of the last pay.
2.52 TRIFED to Collaborate with Various Ministries and Departments for GI Tagging of tribal
Products
• Recently, TRIFED with active collaboration and support from Lal Bahadur Shastri National
Institute of Academy, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT); India
Posts and Office of the Prime Minister has taken up the cause of promotion of Geographical
Indication (GI) Tag products along with tribal products and transform them into a brand,
symbolizing empowerment of tribal artisans.
Key Highlights
• Identified 8 heritage locations across India where GI specific Tribes India stores will be set up.
• Planned to develop a designer’s lab at Lal Qila (Red Fort), Delhi and Pochampally in Andhra
Pradesh, (known for its fine Ikat fabric) wherein select tribal artisans will give live
demonstrations of their rich craft traditions.
• Proposed to hold a GI specific Aadi Mahotsav at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of
Administration (LBSNAA), Mussourie in collaboration with Ministry of Culture in February
2021.
• DPIIT has identified 370 GI tagged products that will be marketed and promoted by Tribes
India, out of total 50 have a tribal origin.

• These items will be promoted in an exhibition in January 2021 organized by Department of
Post which has also developed stamps on 6 GI items which will be showcased in this Philatelic
exhibition.
About Geographical Indication Tag
• It is used to denote the geographical territory from where a product, be it an agricultural
produce, natural product or manufactured, and also conveys assurance of qualities or
attributes that are unique to that specific geographic region.
• Recognized by – World Trade Organization
• India enacted Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection Act), 1999 that came
into force in September 2003.
2.53 GST e-invoice system Enabled more than 37000 tax payers to generate more than 1680 Lakh
Invoice Reference Numbers (IRNs)
[Fiscal Policy]
• Recently, GST e-invoice system has enabled more than 37000 tax payers to generate more
than 1680 Lakh Invoice Reference Numbers (IRNs).
•
• Note: Government has reduced the aggregate turnover cut off to Rs. 100 Crores per annum
for generation of IRN by the tax payers from 1st January 2021.
• NIC has developed the offline Excel based IRN preparation and printing tool “NIC-GePP tool”
for the small tax payers that will allow the tax payers to enter the invoice details, prepare the
file to upload on NIC IRN portal, download the IRN with QR code and print the e-invoice with
QR code.
2.54 INDIA’S MERCHANDISE TRADE Preliminary Data for December 2020

[Balance of Payment]
• According to Ministry of Commerce & Industry, India’s merchandise exports in December
2020 were USD 26.89 billion as compared to USD 27.11 billion in December 2019 and has
witnessed a marginal fall of 0.80%.
• Exports during April – December 2020 – USD 200.55 billion as compared to USD 238.27 billion
in April – December 2019 exhibiting a negative growth of 15.8%.
Important Data
• Imports in December 2020 were USD 42.60 billion, as compared to USD 39.59 billion in
December 2019, an increase of 7.6%.
• Imports During April – December 2020 - USD 258.29 billion, as compared to USD 364.18 billion
exhibiting a negative growth of 29.08%.

• India has been a net importer in December 2020, with a trade deficit of USD 15.71 billion as
compared to trade deficit of USD 12.49 billion in December 2019.
• Value of non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports in December 2020
o Exports – USD 22.15 billion as compared to USD 21.06 billion in December 2019
witnessing a growth of 5.17%.
o Imports – USD 26.10 billion in December 2020 as compared to USD 24.07 billion in
December 2019, a growth of 8.42%
• Top 5 commodity groups of export recorded positive growth in December 2020 as compared
to December 2019: Other Cereals, Oil meals, Iron Ore, Cereal preparations and miscellaneous
processed item, Jute manufacturing including floor covering.
• Top 5 commodity groups of import recorded positive growth in December 2020 as compared
to December 2019: Silver, Newsprint, Leather & leather products, Transport equipment,
Cotton Raw and Waste
2.55 ADB, India sign $100 million loan to upgrade power distribution system in Bengaluru
• Recently, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of India has signed a USD 100
million loan to modernise and upgrade the Bengaluru Smart Energy Efficient Power
Distribution Project to enhance the quality and reliability of electricity supply in Bengaluru
city in the state of Karnataka.
• ADB will provide a $90 million without sovereign guarantee loan for the project to Bangalore
Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM)
2.56 Trifed Signs MoU with Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram for Setting up of TRIFOOD Parks
in Madhya Pradesh
• Recently, TRIFED has signed MoU with Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram for Setting up
of TRIFOOD Parks in 5 districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• Under the agreement, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram would form new Van Dhan Kendras in tribal
areas by identifying SHGs, organize training, building infrastructure, provide machinery and
equipment and other support.
2.57 J&K UT Administration signs historic MoU with NAFED

• Recently, Jammu and Kashmir has signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED).
• Under the agreement, NAFED will cover 5,500 Hectares at a cost of Rs 1,700 crore in the next
five years with major focus on Apple, Walnut, Cherry, Pear and other significant horticulture
products.
• It will set up three cold storage clusters, one each in North Kashmir, South Kashmir and Kathua
at a cost of Rs 500 crore, besides ensuring Geographical Indications tags (GI Tags) for all
premium/niche horticulture produce, branding and marketing of fruit crops like Apple,
Walnut, Cherry, Olive, Litchi etc.

2.58 Union Education Minister and Union Minister WCD and Textiles jointly launch Toycathon-
2021 and Toycathon Portal
• Recently, Union Education Minister and Union Minister of Women and Child Development
and Textiles have jointly launched Toycathon-2021 and Toycathon Portal.
• Aim - To conceptualize innovative toys based on the Indian value system which will inculcate
the positive behaviour and good value among the children.
About Toycathon 2021
• Launched by - Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD),
Ministry of Textile, Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Ministry of MSME, Ministry of I&B
and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
• Nine themes –
o Indian Culture, History, Knowledge of India and Ethos
o Learning Education and Schooling
o Social and human values
o Occupations & specific fields
o Environment
o Divyang
o Fitness and sport
o Out of the box, creative and logical thinking
o Rediscovering/redesigning traditional Indian toys
• 3 variants of tracks –
o Junior Level - For School Kids and Teachers
o Senior Level - For Students and Facultyof HEIs
o Start up Level - Toys Startup & Professional Toy Experts
• Participants will have two options for ideasubmission; they can either submit ideas for the
published problem statements or undernovel toy concepts category.
Categories of Toycathon
• Online Toys – Electronics/IoT,
Mobile/Webapp, Board
Games/Card Games.
• Physical Toys – Puzzles, crafts,
Dynamic Moving Toys

2.59 DPIIT organizes “Udyog Manthan”
[Social Sector - Health]
• Recently, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has organized Udyog
Manthan - a marathon of focused sector-specific webinars for promoting Quality and
Productivity in Indian Industry.
• Organized in association with - Quality Council of India, National Productivity Council, and
Industry bodies.
2.60 J&K opens up water resources to attract ₹35,000 cr. power projects, engages NHPC
• Recently, Jammu and Kashmir has signed memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) as it plans to attract investments worth
₹35,000 crore.
• It will result in the implementation of the 850-MW Ratle HEP and the 930-MW Kirthai-II HEP
projects, besides execution of the Sawalkot HEP (1856 MW), Uri-I (Stage-II) (240 MW) and
Dulhasti (Stage-II) (258 MW).
2.61 Centre sets up panel to work out common entrance test for varsities
[Social Sectors – Education
• Recently, UGC has set up a seven-member committee to consider the issue (of) holding
common entrance test at undergraduate level only, from the academic year (2021-22) in
central universities to provide a single platform for admission.
• Headed by – R P Tiwari
Relevance
• New Education Policy has advocates reducing the number of entrance tests to “eliminate the
need for taking coaching for these exams”
2.62 PM CARES Fund allocates Rs.201.58 crores for installation of 162 Oxygen Plants in public
health facilities
• Recently, PM CARES Fund has allocated Rs.201.58 crores for installation of 162 Oxygen Plants
in public health facilities.
• Out of the total, Rs.137.33 crores has been provides for supply and commissioning of the
plants and Management fee of Central Medical Supply Store (CMSS) and around Rs.64.25
crores towards Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract.
• Procurement will be done by – Central Medical Supply Store (CMSS)
2.63 India's April-Nov fiscal deficit tops 135% of full-year target

[Fiscal Policy]
• According to the latest data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Union
government's fiscal deficit (FD) has soared to ₹10.75 lakh crore, or 135.1% of the 2020-21
Budget Estimates (BE), at the end of November 2020.
• The fiscal deficit at the end of November 2019 had stood at 114.8% of 2019-20 BE.

Data till November 2020
• Total receipts - ₹8,30,851 crore (37% of BE 2020-21) which includes ₹6,88,430 crore tax
revenue, ₹1,24,280 crore of non-tax revenue and ₹18,141 crore of non-debt capital receipts.
• ₹3.34 lakh crore were transferred to state governments as devolution of share of taxes by the
union government.
• Total expenditure – ₹19,06,358 crore or 63% of BE which includes ₹16,65,200 crore of revenue
account and ₹2,41,158 crore of capital account.
• In Revenue Expenditure - ₹3.83 lakh crore was on account of interest payments and ₹2,02,119
crore towards major subsidies.
2.64 Flipkart signs MoU to set up Centre of Excellence in Logistics

• Recently, Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Logistics Skill
Sector Council (LSC) and Karnataka Skill Development Centre (KSDC), to set up First of its
kind Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the logistics sector that would be set up at Bengaluru.
• Objective: To build skilled workforce for the e-commerce industry in India.
• Karnataka Kaushalya Mission and LSC would mobilize the aspirants for the CoE.
• Candidates would be awarded with certification under National Skill Qualification
Framework (NSQF) post completion of the training.
About LSC:
• It is a society registered under the Societies Registration act, 1860, established by National
Skill Development Corporation of India (NSDC), Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
About Karnataka Kaushalya Mission:
Launch Year May 2017

Implemented by Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Livelihood,
Karnataka Government
Aim To provide free training to the youth of Karnataka
2.65 CCEA approves industrial development scheme for J&K

• Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the Industrial
Development Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K IDS, 2021).
• Objective: To generate employment for the socio economic development of J&K.
Key Highlights:
• Total Outlay: Rs. 28,400 crores upto 2037.
• Amount dispersed so far under various package schemes: Rs. 1,123.84 crores.
• On investment in Plant & Machinery (in manufacturing) or construction of building and other
durable physical assets (in service sector)

o Units with maximum investment of Rs 50 crores can avail Capital Investment Incentive
at the rate of 30% in Zone A and 50% in Zone B with Maximum Incentive Limit: Rs 5
crore (Zone A) and Rs 7.5 crore (Zone B).
o Capital Interest subvention at the rate of 6% per annum for maximum 7 years on loans
will be provided up to Rs. 500 crore.
o Goods and Services Tax (GST) linked Incentive of 300% of the eligible value of actual
investment for 10 years, where the incentive amount in a financial year would not
exceed 1/10th of the total eligible amount of incentive.
• All existing units would be provided with Working Capital Interest Incentive at 5% per annum
for maximum 5 years and Maximum limit of incentive is Rs 1 crore.
2.66 ADB and GoI sign $10 million loan to promote horticulture in Himachal Pradesh
• Recently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) have signed
a USD 10 million Project Readiness Financing (PRF) to promote horticulture in 7 districts of
Himachal Pradesh.
• Aim: To increase horticulture production and farm household income in Himachal Pradesh
2.67 ADB and GoI signs $231 million loan to enhance power generation capacity in Assam
• Recently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) has signed
a USD 231 million loan to increase electricity generation capacity in Assam.
• It is the 3rd tranche loan for the ongoing Assam Power Sector Investment Programme
approved by the ADB Board in July 2014.
• Aim: To supply clean and affordable energy to the households to improve standard of living,
business and employment opportunities and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Key Highlights:
• 120 megawatts (MW) hydroelectric power plant would be constructed over Kopili River, to
increase electricity supplied from clean energy by 469 gigawatthour (GWh) by 2025 and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 360,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
• Part of the loan would be used for capacity building of Assam Power Generation Corporation
Limited (APGCL).
• $2 million grant from Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) has also been approved to
finance equipment and consulting services.
2.68 Government launches Missed Call Facility for LPG Consumers

• Recently, , Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched Missed call facilities
for Indian Oil Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumers in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
2.69 Government rolls out Phase II of XP100 by Indian Oil


• Recently, the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas has rolled out the Phase II of
India’s first premium grade petrol (Octane 100), branded as XP100 by Indian Oil in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• Rolled out in 7 cities and the first load of Phase II XP100 has been dispatched from Digboi,
Assam.
Relevance
• Indian Oil Corporation has launched the Phase I of XP 100 in December 2020 in 10 cities, to
increase the efficiency of high speed cars.
• It is manufactured from IOC refineries in Mathura-Uttar Pradesh, Barauni-Bihar and Digboi,
Assam.
2.70 Government releases the Draft of the 5th National Science Technology and Innovation Policy
• Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has released the Draft of the 5 th
National Science Technology and Innovation Policy – STIP 2020.
• Objective: To analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Indian Science, Technology and
Innovation (STI) Ecosystem to promote socio-economic development.
Key Highlights:
• Aim
o To achieve self-reliance and position India among the top 3 scientific superpowers in
the next 10 years, and to build individual and institutional excellence in STI.
o To double the number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) researchers, Gross Domestic
Expenditure on R&D (GERD) and private sector contribution to the GERD every 5
years.
• A dedicated portal to provide access to the outputs of publicly-funded research be
created through the Indian Science and Technology Archive of Research (INDSTA)
• Establishment of a National STI Observatory - a central repository for all kinds of data
related to and generated from the STI ecosystem.
• Key Proposals
• Formation of a STI Development Bank and STI Financing Authority for direct investments
in medium/ long term projects in strategic areas.
• Open Science Framework – One Nation, One Subscription to provide access to scientific
data to everyone in India.
• 30% representation of women in selection/evaluation committees and decision-making
groups.
• Inclusion and spousal benefits to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer
(LGBTQ+) community.
Background
• The formulation of STIP 2020 has been started by DST and Principal Scientific Adviser in June
2020
• First STI policy in India - Scientific Policy Resolution, 1958 (SPR1958).

2.71 Ministries allowed to spend 33% of Budget Estimates during January-March 2021
[Fiscal Policy]
• Recently, the Finance Ministry has instructed various Central Government departments and
ministries that expenditure should remain within the ceiling of 33% of Budget Estimates and
within the prescribed limit in the August 2017 office memorandum during the 4 th Quarter -
January-March 2021 and in March 2021.
Key Finding:
• The total expenditure during April-November 2021 stood at 62.7 % of Budget Estimates, as
against 66.3 % during the corresponding period of Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20.
Key Highlights of 2017 Office Memorandum:
• Ceiling for expenditure during Q4 – 33% of the BE that has been revised in 2019 to 25% for
Q4.
• Ceiling for expenditure in the last month of Fiscal Year (March) – 15% of the BE revised to
10% in 2019.
• Department Classification and Ceiling:
Category Key Ministries / Departments Maximum Limit (in
%)
A Agriculture, health and family welfare, No Limit
Pharmaceuticals, Consumer affairs, Food and public
distribution, Civil aviation, Transfer to States and
interest payments, Fertilizers, Defence
B Posts, Defence Pension, transfer to Union Territories, Quarterly Limit: 20%
oil and road transport and highways Monthly Limit:
8 %( October)
6% (November)
6%(December
C Commerce, telecom, coal, environment, mines and Quarterly Limit: 15%
Micro Small and Medium Industries (MSME) Monthly Limit:
5% each for October,
November and
December.
2.72 Prime Minister lays foundation stone for Light House projects
[Urbanization]
• Recently, Foundation stone of Light House Projects has been laid across six states under
Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC).
• He announced the winners under Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators - India (ASHA-
India), annual awards for excellence in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana -
Urban (PMAY-U) Mission and released a certification course on innovative construction
technologies named NAVARITIH (New, Affordable, Validated, Research Innovation
Technologies for Indian Housing).
Key Highlights:
• Special fund of Rs 25 thousand crores, has been created for incomplete housing projects to
help middle class.
• Sixty thousand projects registered under Real Estate Regulation and Development (RERA)
Act, 2016.
• Goods and Services Tax (GST) reduced to 1% from 8% for affordable houses.
• GST reduced to 5% from 12% for premium houses.
• Ranking for construction permit revised from 185 to 27 to avail cheap loans.
• Over 2 crore housing units constructed in 2020 in rural areas.
About Global Housing Technology Challenge India (GHTC-India):
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Global Housing Technology Challenge
India (GHTC-India) in January 2019.
• Aim: to identify and mainstream best available and proven construction technologies that are
sustainable, green and disaster-resilient to enable a paradigm shift in housing construction.
About Light House Projects:
• Implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• As a part of the Construction Technology Year 2019-2020, 6 innovative technologies have
been selected from 54 proven technologies that participated in GHTC-India.
• Six cities selected for the project - Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil
Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
• About 1000 houses would be built with allied infrastructure facilities at the selected six places.
Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators – India (ASHA-India):
• Implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
• Incubation and acceleration support will be provided to potential future technologies, it
would also help in developing design guidelines, construction manuals and other necessary
guidelines, relevant for effective use of technologies.
• The incubation centres have been set up in:
o Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
o Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
o Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
o Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
o Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–North East Institute of Science &
Technology (CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat).
About AHRC Scheme:
Launch Year July 2020
Ministry Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs ( Sub-scheme of Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana – Urban)
Aim Providing rental housing to migrant workers at affordable rates.
Implementation The scheme will be implemented under models namely’
• Converting the existing Government Funded vacant houses into AHRC’s
through Public Private Partnership or by Government agencies.
• Construction, Operation and Maintenance of AHRC’s by public and
private organizations on their own vacant land

Beneficiaries Urban Migrant Workers, People from Low Income Group (LIG) and
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
Target Year March 2022
2.73 Rastriya Kamdhenu Aayog announces Kamdhenu Gau-Vigyan Prachar-Prasar Exam

• Recently, the Rastriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA) has announced Kamdhenu Gau-Vigyan
Prachar-Prasar Exam, to increase awareness about the cow science and business
opportunities from cows.
Key Initiatives by RKA:
• Establishment of Kamdhenu Chair/ Kamdhenu Study Centre / Kamdhenu Research Centre in

all colleges and universities in India.
• Important Campaigns in 2020:
o Gaumaya Ganesha Campaign,
o Kamdhenu Deepawali Campaign
o Kamdhenu DevDeepawali
2.74 IBRD and GoI Signs $105 Million Project to Improve Waterways in West Bengal
• Recently, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the
Government of India (GoI) has signed a $105 million “The West Bengal Inland Water
Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development Project” to improve waterways in West
Bengal.
• Objective: To improve river transport infrastructure and economic development by
connecting the Hinterland across Hooghly river and job centres in Kolkata’s Metropolitan Area.
• Maturity period of 17 years, including the grace period of 7 years.
2.75 Punjab Government launches DigiNest mobile application

[Social Justice]
• Recently, the Chief Minister of Punjab has launched the DigiNest mobile application to
provide access to digital access to the state government's directory to the public.
• He has also launched Punjab Advertisement Release Order System to bring transparency and
efficiency in the process of releasing State Government's advertisements and payments to
media houses.
2.76 Indian Railways launches Freight Business Development Portal

• Recently, the Union Minister for Railways has launched the first-of-its-kind Freight Business
Development Portal, a "One Stop - Single Window" solution for all the needs of Freight
customers.
• Aim: To provide ease of doing business, more transparency and professional support to the
freight business.

Relevance:
• In December 2020, Indian Railways loading has been 118.13 million tonnes which is 8.54%
higher compare to 2019s loading 108.84 million tonnes in December 2019.
• In December 2020, Indian Railways earned Rs. 11788.11 crores from freight loading which is
Rs. 757.74 crores (6.87%) higher, compared to 2019’s earnings Rs. 11030.37 crores in
December 2019.
2.77 FAO names 4 Asian tea cultivation sites as Globally Important Agri Heritage Systems
• Recently, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has recognized four tea cultivation
sites as the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
• Two sites are from China, the largest tea producer in the world.
• India, in spite of being the second largest producer of tea in the world, it couldn’t get a place
in the list.
Key Highlights:
• The four recognized teas sites are:
o Pu’er Traditional Tea Agrosystem, China
o Traditional Tree Grass system in Shizuoka, Japan
o Fuzhou Jasmine tea site, China
o Traditional Hadong Tea Agrosystem, Korea.
About GIAHS:
• Started by FAO to protect the agricultural heritage systems.
List of recognized GIAHS sites in India:
• Kuttanad below Sea Level Farming System, Kerala.
• Koraput Traditional Agriculture, Odisha
• Pampore Saffron Heritage, Kashmir.
2.78 Jharkhand Government launches Kisan Fasal Rahat Yojana

• Recently, the Jharkhand Government has launched the Kisan Fasal Rahat Yojana to replace
the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) or PM Crop Insurance Scheme.
• Aim: To provide security cover to Jharkhand farmers during crop damage due to natural
calamities.
Key Highlights:
• Payout matrix has been developed from 0.1- 5 acre of land ranging from Rs 3000 to Rs 3500
per acre compensation depending upon the loss.
• It will cover both land owning and landless farmers.
2.79 2020 – the 8th warmest year in India: IMD


• According to the recently released Statement on Climate of India in 2020 by the India
Meteorological Department, 2020, India has been recorded as the 8 th warmest year on
record since 1901, despite the cooling effect of La Nina.
• It is an annual statement released by IMD since 1901.
Key Findings:
• India’s warming has been significantly lower than the global mean surface temperature
anomaly during January to October 2020,as per the World Meteorological Organization’s
state of the global climate at +1.2 degree Celsius.
• Annual Rainfall over India as whole: 109 % of its Long Period Average (LPA) calculated for the
period of 1961-2010, of 117.7 cms.
• 2011-2020: Warmest decade on record.
• Most warmest months in 2020, where the mean temperature exceeded the normal: October
(by 0.94 degrees Celsius)
• Tropical Storms in the Indian Seas:
o super cyclonic storm Amphan
o very severe cyclonic storms Nivar and Gati (both over the Arabian Sea)
o severe cyclonic storm Nisarga
o cyclonic storm Burevi
• According to The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Amphan is estimated to be the
costliest tropical cyclone on record in the North Indian Ocean with economic losses of
approximately US $14 billion.
• Most affected states during the year: Bihar and Jharkhand.
• Maximum deaths due to
• Heavy rainfall and flood related incidents – Assam
• Cold wave condition - Uttar Pradesh
• Thunderstorms and lightning: Bihar
2.80 7th Trade Policy Review of India at the WTO begins

[Regional Economic Co-operation, Employment Generation in India]
• India’s seventh Trade Policy Review (TPR) recently began at the World Trade Organization in
Geneva.
• The TPR involves a comprehensive peer-review of the Member’s national trade policies.
• India’s official delegation was headed by the Commerce Secretary, Dr. Anup Wadhawan.
• According to the report issued by the WTO Secretariat-
o India’s strong economic growth at 7.4% during the period.
o Strong economic growth led to an improvement in socio-economic indicators, such as
per-capita income and life expectancy in India.
o It commended India for liberalizing its FDI policy, ratifying the Trade Facilitation
Agreement and implementing several trade-facilitation measures during the period.
• Additional information- Chair of the WTO’s TPR Body, Ambassador Mr Harald Aspelund of
Iceland.

2.81 Manipur becomes the 4th State to complete urban local bodies
[Fiscal Policy]
• Manipur has become the 4th State in the country to successfully undertake “Urban Local
Bodies (ULB)” reforms stipulated by the Department of Expenditure.
• Manipur has now joined the three other States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
and Telangana, who have completed this reform.
• On completion of Urban Local Bodies reform, these four States have been granted additional
borrowing permission of Rs.7,481 crore. State wise amount of the additional borrowing
permitted is as under:
State Amount (Rs in crore)
Andhra Pradesh 2,525
Madhya Pradesh 2,373
Manipur 75
Telangana 2,508
Background
• In view of the resource requirement to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,
the Government of India in May, 2020 enhanced the borrowing limit of the States by 2 percent
of their Gross States Domestic Product (GSDP).
• Half of this special dispensation was linked to undertaking citizen centric reforms by the
States. The States get permission to raise additional funds equivalent to 0.25 percent of GSDP
on completion of reforms in each sector.
• The four citizen centric areas identified for reforms were (a) Implementation of One Nation
One Ration Card System, (b) Ease of doing business reform, (c) Urban Local body/ utility
reforms and (d) Power Sector reforms.
• Besides additional borrowing permissions, the States completing three out of the four reforms
are entitled to get additional financial assistance under the “Scheme for Financial Assistance
to States for Capital Expenditure”. An amount of Rs. 2,000 crore is earmarked to reward the
States who undertake the prescribed citizen centric reforms.
3 GA+Finance in News-for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A

3.1 BoB inks pact wtih SIDBI to help MSME revamp loans
[Recent developments in financial sector]
• Recently, Bank of Baroda (BoB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to support MSME enterprises through a
web-based platform called ‘Asset Restructuring Module for MSMEs (ARM-MSME)’ for
submission of their loan restructuring proposal.
• Recently the RBI extended the One-Time Restructuring (OTR) window till March 2021 to
provide relief to MSMEs under financial stress, with credit exposure of up to ₹25 crore.
Relevance

• Through this ‘first-of-its-kind’ automated / Do-It-Yourself (DIY) web-portal (ARM-MSME),
MSMEs can self-create their restructuring proposal with financial viability projections and
relief options.
3.2 SBI raises $600 million via “Regulation S” bonds, bids total $1.9 billion
• Recently, State Bank of lndia (SBI) has concluded the issuance of $600 million (about Rs 4,500
crore) from bonds to fund expansion of overseas business.
• The fund is raised through bond having maturity of 5.50 years and coupon of 1.80 per cent
payable semi-annually under Regulation-S.
• The bonds will be issued through our London branch as of January 13, 2021, and shall be listed
on Singapore Stock Exchange and India International Exchange, GIFT City.
• The bank, acting through its London Branch, raised the sum for bonds benchmarked against
the 5 year US Treasury and priced at a spread of 140 bps over the benchmark.
About Regulation S
• 'Reg S' which refers to 'Regulation S' is simply a series of rules that clarify the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) position that securities offered and sold outside the U.S.
don't need to be registered with the SEC.
3.3 P&SB recapitalisation: Centre issues Rs 5,500 cr worth of zero-coupon bonds

[Risk Management in Banking Sector]
• The Centre, in a first move of its kind, has issued Rs 5,500 crore in zero-coupon bonds for
recapitalising Punjab and Sind Bank (P&SB) and allowed it to park the paper in its held-to-
maturity (HTM) category.
• Zero-coupon bonds do not bear any interest and are traded at a discount to the face value.
• According to the government’s gazette notification, five non-interest-bearing securities -- each
of 15 years, maturing on December 14 between 2030 and 2035 -- have been issued to P&SB
Bank, which is unlisted. These do not qualify as statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) eligible papers.
Background
• Parliament had in September 2020 approved Rs 20,000 crore to be made available for the
recapitalisation of Public Sector Banks. Of this, Rs 5,500 crore was issued to Punjab & Sind Bank
and the Finance Ministry to take a call on the remaining Rs 14,500 crore
3.4 Bandhan Bank to provide salary accounts for Indian Army personnel
• Recently, Bandhan Bank has signed an agreement with the Indian Army to provide banking
services to the personnel of the force.
• Bandhan Bank Shaurya Salary Account offers protection for self and assets and other facilities
like zero-balance account, unlimited free ATM transactions/NEFT/RTGS/IMPS/DD
transactions.
• It also includes free personal accident insurance of Rs 30 lakh, air accident cover of Rs one
crore and free educational benefit of up to Rs one lakh per year for four years to a dependent
child in case of accidental death of the account holder

3.5 PNB in alliance with IIT-Kanpur, FIRST to set up fintech innovation centre
[Changing Landscape of Banking Sector]
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) has announced an alliance with the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Kanpur and FIRST (Foundation for Innovation & Research in Science &
Technology), to jointly establish the Punjab National Bank - IIT Kanpur Innovation Centre at
the IIT campus.
• Under this partnership, PNB and IIT-Kanpur will set up a “Fintech Innovation Centre (FIC)” as
a vehicle to research and develop technological solutions to explore opportunities in the
Banking, financial services and insurance space.
3.6 SEBI to allow new players to set up stock exchanges

• Recently, SEBI proposed to create a liberalised ownership framework to allow new entrants to
set up stock exchanges and depositories.
• The proposed framework will allow higher shareholding at inception stage with dilution over
a period of time.
• As per the key proposals, a resident promoter setting up a market infrastructure institution
(MIIs) may hold up to 100% shareholding, which will be brought down to not more than (either
51% or 26%) in 10 years.
• A foreign promoter from Financial Action Task Force FATF member jurisdictions setting up an
MII may hold up to 49% shareholding, which shall be brought down to not more than (either
26% or 15%) in 10 years.
• Foreign individuals or entities from other than FATF member jurisdictions may acquire or hold
up to 10% in an MII.
• Any person other than the promoter may acquire or hold less than 25% shareholding.
• At least 50% of ownership of the MII may be represented by individuals or entities with
experience of five years or more in the areas related to financial services.
About Market Infrastructure Institutions (MII)
• MIIs (stock exchanges, depositories and clearing corporations) are systemically important
institutions whose failure could lead to "bigger cataclysmic collapses" bringing down the
economy.
3.7 RBI to introduce LEI for large-value transactions in RTGS/NEFT from April 2021
• Recently, RBI has decided to introduce the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) system for all payment
transactions of value ₹50 crore and above undertaken by entities (non-individuals) using the
Reserve Bank-run Centralised Payment Systems with effect from April 1, 2021.
• LEI is a 20-digit number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide.
• RBI has asked member banks participating in Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National
Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) to advise entities who undertake large value transactions to
obtain LEI in time.

• Entities can obtain LEI from any of the Local Operating Units (LOUs) accredited by the Global
Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), the body tasked to support the implementation
and use of LEI.
• In India, LEI can be obtained from Legal Entity Identifier India Ltd. (LEIL), which is also
recognised as an issuer of LEI by the Reserve Bank under the Payment and Settlement Systems
Act, 2007.
3.8 RBI’s Financial Stability Report January 2021

[Regulatory functions-RBI]
• Recently, RBI has released the 22nd issue of the Financial Stability Report (FSR).
• Report reflects the collective assessment of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and
Development Council (FSDC) on risks to financial stability, and the resilience of the financial
system in the context of contemporaneous issues relating to development and regulation of
the financial sector.
Key Highlights of Report
• In the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, policy actions were geared towards restoring
normal functioning and mitigating stress; the focus is now being oriented towards supporting
the recovery and preserving the solvency of businesses and households.
• Positive news on vaccine development has underpinned optimism on the outlook, though it is
marred by second wave of the virus including more virulent strains.
• Bank credit growth has remained subdued.
• Performance parameters of banks have improved significantly, aided by regulatory
dispensations extended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs)
improved to 15.8 per cent in September 2020 from 14.7 per cent in March 2020, while their
gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio declined to 7.5 per cent from 8.4 per cent, and the
provision coverage ratio (PCR) improved to 72.4 per cent from 66.2 per cent over this period.
• Macro stress tests incorporating the first advance estimates of gross domestic product (GDP)
for 2020-21 released on January 7, 2021 indicate that the GNPA ratio of all SCBs may increase
from 7.5 per cent in September 2020 to 13.5 per cent by September 2021 under the baseline
scenario; the ratio may escalate to 14.8 per cent under a severe stress scenario. This
highlights the need for proactive building up of adequate capital to withstand possible asset
quality deterioration.
• Network analysis reveals that total bilateral exposures among entities in the financial system
increased marginally during the quarter-ended September 2020. With the inter-bank market
continuing to shrink and with better capitalisation of banks, the contagion risk (Systematic
Risk) to the banking system under various scenarios declined as compared to March 2020.
About Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)
• Chairperson: The Union Finance Minister of India
• It is a super regulatory body constituted by the government of India which deals with macro
prudential and financial regularities in the entire financial sector of India.
• It is not a statutory body and only a recommendatory body

3.9 Current account surplus shrinks to $15.5 b in Q2: RBI
• According to the RBI’ Developments in India’s Balance of Payments during the Second
Quarter Report, India’s current account surplus moderated to $15.5 billion in the second
quarter of 2020-21 from $19.2 billion in the preceding quarter.
• The narrowing of the current account surplus in Q2 was on account of a rise in the
merchandise trade deficit to $14.8 billion from $10.8 billion in the preceding quarter.
• A current account surplus arises when the value of imports is less than the value of exports.
• As a percentage of GDP, the current account surplus was lower at 2.4 per cent in the July-
September 2020 quarter against 3.8 per cent of GDP in the April-June quarter.
• Net services receipts increased to $21.169 billion primarily on the back of higher net earnings
from computer services.
• Private transfer receipts, mainly representing remittances by Indians employed overseas, at
$20.4 billion in the reporting quarter declined on a y-o-y basis from $21.9 billion.
• Workers’ remittances improved to $12.664 billion in Q2 against $11.688 billion in the
preceding quarter. Net accretion to non-resident deposits moderated to $1.9 billion from $2.3
billion in Q2 of 2019-20.
• In the financial account, net foreign direct investment recorded robust inflow of $24.6 billion
as compared with $7.3 billion in Q2 of 2019-20. Net foreign portfolio investment was $7.0
billion as compared with $2.5 billion in Q2 of 2019-20
• External commercial borrowings to India recorded net outflow of $4.1 billion in Q2 of 2020-
21 as against an inflow of $3.1 billion a year ago.
• Net outgo from the primary income account, primarily reflecting net overseas investment
income payments, increased to $9.3 billion from $8.8 billion a year ago
3.10 RBI to banks: Ensure authority, stature, independence, resources to internal audit function
• Recently, RBI has asked banks to ensure that the internal audit function has sufficient
authority, stature, independence and resources within the bank to enable internal auditors to
carry out their assignments with objectivity.
• RBI has also emphasized that this function cannot be outsourced.
• Directives are aimed at strengthening governance arrangements in banks under the Risk-
Based Internal Audit (RBIA) Framework.
Key Highlights of Risk Based Internal Audit Framework
• Authority, Stature and Independence: Head of Internal Audit (HIA) should be a senior
executive of the bank with the ability to exercise independent judgement. The HIA as well as
the internal audit function shall have the authority to communicate with any staff member
and have access to all records or files that are necessary to carry out the entrusted
responsibilities.
• Competence: The desired areas of knowledge and experience may include banking operations,
accounting, information technology, data analytics and forensic investigation, among others.
• Staff Rotation: the Board should prescribe a minimum period of service for staff in the Internal
Audit function.
• The Board may also examine the feasibility of prescribing at least one stint of service in the
internal audit function for those staff possessing specialized knowledge useful for the audit
function
• Tenor for appointment of Head of Internal Audit: HIA shall be appointed for a reasonably long
period, preferably for a minimum of three years.
• Reporting Line: The HIA will directly report to either the Audit Committee of the Board (ACB)
/ MD & CEO or Whole Time Director (WTD).
• Remuneration: the remuneration policies should be structured in a way that it avoids creating
conflict of interest and compromising audit’s independence and objectivity.
3.11 SEBI's one-time settlement scheme fetches a dismal Rs 10-12 crore

• Securities and Exchange Board of India’s one-time settlement scheme, which ended on 31st
December 2020 for entities allegedly involved in manipulating illiquid stock options, has
received a muted response.
• According to sources, about 250 entities took the opportunity, which had mopped up a mere
Rs 10-12 crore.
• While an official target has not been announced, the regulator was expected to collect Rs
1,500-2,000 crore, assuming a majority of the 14,000 alleged wrongdoers would avail of this
window.
Possible Reason for muted Response:
• Under Sebi’s normal legal proceedings, the penalty works out to Rs 5-10 lakh. Under this
scheme, the settlement amount could be as high as Rs 60 lakh.
About One –Time Settlement Scheme
• Under the scheme, the entities who executed trade reversals on the stock options segment of
BSE during the period April 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015, against whom any proceedings are
pending, are eligible to avail the settlement opportunity.
• To arrive at an indicative settlement amount, Sebi considered three objective parameters --
artificial volume, number of non-genuine trades and number of contracts resulting in
creation of artificial volume or non-genuine trades.
3.12 RBI sets up working group to identify risks posed by unregulated digital lending
[Recent Development in Financial Sectors]
• Recently, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a Working Group (WG) to study all aspects
of digital lending activities in the regulated financial sector as well as by unregulated players.
• Chaired by - Jayant Kumar Dash
Terms of reference
• Evaluate digital lending activities and assess the penetration and standards of outsourced
digital lending activities in RBI regulated entities
• Identify risks posed by unregulated digital lending to financial stability, regulated entities
and consumers;
• Recommend measures, if any,

1. For expansion of specific regulatory or statutory perimeter and suggest the role of various
regulatory and government agencies
2. A robust Fair Practices Code for digital lending players, insourced or outsourced and suggest
measures for enhanced Consumer Protection
3. Robust data governance, data privacy and data security standards for deployment of digital
lending services.
3.13 11th Instalment of Rs.6,000 crore released to the States as back-to-back loan to meet the
GST shortfall 
[Direct and Indirect Taxes] 
• Recently, 11th Instalment of Rs.6,000 crore released to the States as back-to-back loan to
meet the GST compensation shortfall 
• Out of this, an amount of Rs.5,516.60 crore has been released to 23 States and an amount
of Rs.483.40 crore has been released to the 3 Union Territories (UT) with Legislative
Assembly (Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir & Puducherry) who are members of the GST Council.  
• The remaining 5 States, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim do not
have a gap in revenue on account of GST implementation. 
• Now, 60 percent of the estimated GST compensation shortfall has been released to the States
& UT with Legislative Assembly.
• A total amount of Rs.66,000 crore released so far to all States and UTs with legislation.
• Government of India has also granted additional borrowing permission equivalent to 0.5% of
States’ GSDP to the states choosing option-I to meet GST compensation shortfall to help them
in mobilizing additional financial resources.
o So far, permission for borrowing an additional amount of Rs. 1,06,830 crore has been
granted to 28 States under this provision.
3.14 I-T Dept unveils faceless penalty scheme

[Direct and Indirect Tax]
• Recently, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified Faceless Penalty Scheme 2021
which will digitise issuing of penalties on assessees under the faceless taxation regime.
Key Highlights
• Faceless penalty centres will set up at national and regional level.
• It will serve the show cause notice and will propose imposing or dropping the penalty.
• Appeals against the final order of the National Faceless Penalty Centre under this scheme can
be made before a commissioner handling appeals or before the National Faceless Appeal
Centre
Background
• Prime Minister had launched faceless assessment scheme for all assessees in August 2020, and
faceless appeal scheme came into operation in September 2020.
About Faceless Assessment Scheme
• It is a jurisdiction-free assessment where the taxpayer will not know who is assessing his tax
returns.

About Faceless Appeal Scheme
• It refers to a mechanism where an appeal against an action of the Tax Department can be filed
online and can be disposed of online.
3.15 No charge on UPI transactions: NPCI

• Recently, National Payments Corporation of India announced that there is no transaction
charge being levied on payments through UPI from January 1, 2021.
3.16 Public Issue of Debentures amounting to Rs. 5,000 crores by PFC Ltd.
• Recently, Power Finance Corporation has issued Non-Convertible Debentures amounting to
Rs. 5,000 crores.
• Tranche I has issued offers options for tenures of 3, 5, 10 and 15 years.
About Non-Convertible Debentures (NCD)
• Non‐Convertible Debenture is a financial instrument issued by Corporates for specified tenure
to raise resources / funds through public issue or private placement.
• It cannot be converted into equity.
• It is a fixed income instrument same as bank fixed deposit and can be traded on stock
exchanges. Interest can be earned monthly / quarterly / annually / cumulative and on maturity
principal amount is paid to the debenture holder.
Two types of NCDs
• Secured - Backed by certain assets, the assets of the company can be liquidated to give back
the investor’s investment.
• Unsecured – No backing of assets, there will be problems in getting interest payments in case
of unsecured NCDs.
About Fixed and Floating Coupon rate
• The coupon rate is the interest rate paid on a bond by its issuer for the term of the security.
• With fixed interest rates, the mortgage interest rate is static and cannot change for the
duration of the mortgage agreement. With floating or variable interest rates, the mortgage
interest rates can change periodically with the market.
3.17 CBDT launches e-portal for filing complaints regarding tax evasion/Benami
Properties/Foreign Undisclosed Assets
• Recently, Central Board of Direct Taxes has launched an automated dedicated e-portal on the
e-filing website of the Department to receive and process complaints of tax evasion, foreign
undisclosed assets as well as complaints regarding benami properties.
• The public can now file a Tax Evasion Petition through a link on the e-filing website of the
Department https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/.
3.18 IFSCA permits Banking Units to transfer assets through participation agreements
[Changing Landscape of Banking Sector]

• Recently, International Financial Services Centres Authority has allowed Banking Units (BUs)
to transfer assets to/from other financial institutions, persons resident in India and persons
resident outside India through any internationally recognised standard risk participation
agreement.
• Such risk participation is undertaken as a bilateral contract under a standard document called
a risk participation agreement between the two institutions (buying and selling entity).
• One of the common standard risk participation agreement is the Master Risk Participation
Agreement (MRPA) developed by the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT).
3.19 SFB becomes India's first urban co-operative bank to transition to SFB
• Recently, the Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank (SMCB) has received the commercial
banking license from banking regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• SMCB is the first urban co-operative bank (UCB) in India to transition to a Small Finance Bank
(SFB) under the voluntary transition scheme.
• SMCB will start its banking operations from April 2021.

1|P a g e Q UE R Y ? H E L L O@ E D UT A P .C O .I N / 8 1 46 2 07 24 1
READ ME PLEASE
1. GA in news
Why this division?
Q.Which of the following organizations has released State of Global Climate Report 2018 recently
(April 2019)?
A) UNFCCC
B) BRICS
C) WMO
D) IPCC
Q.Who among the following was the chairperson of the Committee on Currency Management
A) Viral Acharya
B) Duvvuri Subbarao
C) Bimal Jalan
D) D.K. Mohanty
Q.In which of the following years was e-NAM launched?
A) 2012
B) 2013
C) 2015
D) 2016
Q.Who among the following personalities has recently (April 2019) become the first Indian to join the
FIFA council?
A) Praful Patel
B) Sharad Pawar
Q.Who has been elected as the first woman President of Slovakia recently (April 2019)?
A) VioricaDancila
B) Zuzana Caputova
C) KerstiKaljulaid
D) Ana Brnabic
1. GA in news
Finance.
Finance in news.
ARD in news compiled capsize will be provided separately
For NABARD Grade A – you need to refer to second and third sections of this magazinefor Phase 2
of this paper.
is not important herebut it is important to understand that all the financial developments covered
examination.
Q.According to RBI data, what is the central government’s External Debt by March 2020?
Government has launched "Fraud Prevention and Management Function" toenable, among others,
effective investigation of fraud cases. It talked about RedFlagged Account and EWS. In EWS, S stands
for?
A) Simple
B) System
C) Signals
D) Systematic
Contents
1 GA in News - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A ....................................................................................... 12
National news ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
1.1 GI Tag application for J&K’s costliest mushrooms submitted ................................................................ 12
1.2 Two Tribes India outlets inaugurated in Jagdalpur, Chattisgarh............................................................. 12
1.3 Two excavation sites at Karanbel Tripuri and Tewar inaugrated ............................................................ 12
1.4 Shri Narendra Modi flagged off eight trains to Kevadiya Station ........................................................... 12
1.5 Ministry of Tourism organized a webinar titled “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train” ........................... 12
1.6 Bangladesh chosen as the country of focus at 51st edition of IFFI in Goa ............................................... 12
1.7 Panorama Section of 51st IFFI inaugurated ............................................................................................ 12
1.8 Union Cabinet approved a Rs. 5,281 crore investment in Ratle Hydro Electric Project ........................... 13
1.9 Burns and Plastic Surgery Block of AIIMS, New Delhi inaugrated ........................................................... 13
1.10 Foundation stone laid out by PM for Surat Metro and Ahmedabad Metro Phase-2............................... 13
1.11 MeitY along with AWS to establish a Quantum Computing Application Lab in India .............................. 13
1.12 LNG truck-loading unit of Shell India inaugurated at Hazira, Gujarat ..................................................... 13
1.13 MoRTH notified rules under provisions of Motor vehicles Act, 1988 ..................................................... 13
1.14 Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) signed two MoU with KVIC of Ministry of Small and Medium
Entreprises ...................................................................................................................................................... 13
1.15 An MoUs signed between IOCL and NDMC ........................................................................................... 14
1.16 Shri Amit Shah Launched farmer friendly projects in Karnataka ............................................................ 14
1.17 15th edition of India Digital Summit 2021 organised by IAMAI ............................................................... 14
1.18 Howrah-Kalka Mail renamed as Netaji Express ..................................................................................... 14
1.19 IMF granted permission for winter expedition to Mt Trishul ................................................................. 14
1.20 10 days National Mini Aadi Mahotsav organized in Delhi ...................................................................... 14
1.21 Dragon Fruit renamed as Kamalam in Gujarat....................................................................................... 15
1.22 India’s first push-pull Rajdhani Express started ..................................................................................... 15
1.23 UIDAI launched the new Aadhar PVC card ............................................................................................ 15
1.24 CIAL commissioned two floating solar power plants in kerala ............................................................... 15
1.25 A 4-lane Thaltej-Shilaj-Rancharda railway overbridge launched in Ahemdabad, Gujarat ....................... 15
1.26 Jalikattu: A Bull Taming Sport ............................................................................................................... 15
1.27 Orvakal Airport in Andhra Pradesh received approval from DGCA ........................................................ 15
1.28 Welspun One Logistics Parks announced its first AIF product for warehousing ..................................... 16
1.29 MoU signed for continuation of MoRTH Professorial Chair at IIT Roorkee ............................................. 16
1.30 NSE is world’s largest derivatives exchange in 2020 .............................................................................. 16
1.31 Lakshadweep Islands reports first-ever Covid-19 case .......................................................................... 16
1.32 VAIGA 2021 .......................................................................................................................................... 16
1.33 India supplied two MHCs to Iran’s Chabahar Port ................................................................................. 17
1.34 MoU signed between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of solar energy ....................... 17
1.35 1st India-EU IPR dialogue held virtually.................................................................................................. 17
1.36 Iran and six other countries lost their right to vote in UNGA ................................................................. 17
1.37 5th Defence Ministers’ Dialogue held between India and Singapore ...................................................... 17
1.38 Indian Government spent Rs. 550 crores on a railway project between India and Nepal ....................... 18
1.39 Malaysia announced a $3.7 billion as a covid-19 relief package ............................................................ 18
1.40 Taiwan invited to president Joe Biden’s inaugration ............................................................................. 18
1.41 “The United States intends to remain a part of WHO”: Joe Biden to UN Secretary Antonio Guterres .... 18
1.42 Italian Police recovered the stolen Leonardo’s painting “Salvator Mundi” ............................................ 18
1.43 Pakistan test fired Shaheen III ballistic missile....................................................................................... 18
1.44 Britain urged China to grant UN access to Xinjiang................................................................................ 19
1.45 Indonesian Semeru Volcano erupted .................................................................................................... 19
1.46 Israel approved West Bank Settlement homes before Trump’s exit from US presidency ....................... 19
1.47 Joe Biden sworn in as the 46th President of the United States (U.S.)...................................................... 19
Days in news ....................................................................................................................................................... 19
1.48 New sporting facilities to be named after renowned athletes ............................................................... 19
1.49 23rd January to be celebrated as Parakram Diwas every year ................................................................ 19
1.50 Thiruvalluvar Day celebrated on 16th January ....................................................................................... 20
1.51 43rd Kokborok Day celebrated in Tripura ............................................................................................... 20
Defence in News ................................................................................................................................................. 20
1.52 DRDO handed Motor Bike Ambulance ‘Rakshita’ to CRPF ..................................................................... 20
1.53 DRDO entered into an MoU with MoRTH in the field of geohazard management ................................. 20
1.54 First edition of exercise Desert Knight-21 held at Jodhpur Air Station ................................................... 20
1.55 Indian Air Force getting ready for Russaian S-400 defence system ........................................................ 20
1.56 13th edition of Aero India held in Bengaluru, Karnataka ........................................................................ 21
1.57 MoU signed between Indian Army and SIDM to increase indigenization of weapons ............................ 21
1.58 ‘Exercise Kavach’ held in Andaman Sea................................................................................................. 21
1.59 Indian Army signed a $20 million contract with IdeaForge .................................................................... 21
1.60 Successful Flight Test of Smart Anti Airfield Weapon ............................................................................ 21
Appointments ..................................................................................................................................................... 22
1.61 Siddhartha Mohanty appointed as new MD of LIC ................................................................................ 22
1.62 Justice Gita Mittal appointed as new chairperson of BCCC .................................................................... 22
1.63 PM Narendra Modi appointed as the chairman of the Somnath Temple Trust ...................................... 22
Awards ................................................................................................................................................................ 22
1.64 Press Club of Bangalore Awards............................................................................................................ 22
1.65 Biswajit Chatterjee won the Indian Personality of the Year Award at 51st IFFI, Goa ............................... 22
1.66 Shyam Srinivasan named as Business Standard Banker of the Year ....................................................... 22
1.67 Nikhil Srivastava named joint winner of Michael and Sheila Held Prize ................................................. 22
Science & Technology ......................................................................................................................................... 23
1.68 Technology transfer agreements for country’s first indigenous ASD and Flow diverter stent................. 23
1.69 £12 million UK-Japan robotics deal for fusion energy ............................................................................ 23
1.70 Virgin Orbit deployed 10 tiny satellites into the orbit ............................................................................ 23
1.71 India Science, an OTT channel completed its two years ........................................................................ 23
1.72 India launched a new draft ‘Arctic’ policy ............................................................................................. 23
1.73 India is home to both species of Red Panda .......................................................................................... 23
1.74 NASA shares picturesque image of Abell 370 ........................................................................................ 24
Environment ....................................................................................................................................................... 24
1.75 First bird festival to be organized at the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal ....................... 24
Sports in news..................................................................................................................................................... 24
1.76 New sporting facilities to be named after renowned athletes ............................................................... 24
1.77 Khelo India State Centre of Excellence launched in Pune ...................................................................... 24
1.78 Snowshoe run game started in Srinagar ................................................................................................ 24
1.79 Ministry of Youth Affairs attends Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh, assures sports infrastructure
development in the UT .................................................................................................................................... 24
Banking ............................................................................................................................................................... 25
1.80 Airtel Payment Bank launches Airtel Safe Pay ....................................................................................... 25
1.81 SBI Mutual Fund launched its retirement benefit fund .......................................................................... 25
1.82 RBI imposes ₹2 crore penalty on Standard Chartered Bank ................................................................... 25
1.83 ICICI Bank launches “iDelights New Year Bonanza” ............................................................................... 25
Persons in news .................................................................................................................................................. 25
1.84 Two Indian Air Force Women became first women to participate in Republic Day Parade .................... 25
1.85 Narendra Chanchal, a bhajan singer passed away ................................................................................. 25
1.86 Shri Kiren Rijiju given additional charge of the Minister of State of Ministry of AYUSH .......................... 26
1.87 Dr V Shanta, a veteran in cancer care passed away ............................................................................... 26
1.88 Phil Spector, the music producer passed away ..................................................................................... 26
1.89 Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, an Indian classical musician passed away ............................................... 26
1.90 Vidur Sharma named as testing advisor in Joe Biden’s Covid-19 response team.................................... 26
2 GA + ESI in news - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A ............................................................................... 26
2.1 SKOCH Challenger Award to Ministry of Panchayati Raj for Transparency in Governance...................... 27
2.2 PCRA launches month-long mass awareness campaign ‘SAKSHAM’ to spread awareness about ‘Green
and Clean Energy’ ............................................................................................................................................ 28
2.3 PM Launches pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive .............................................................. 28
2.4 National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Implementation Plan for School Education ................................ 29
2.5 PM addresses ‘School Education in 21st Century’ Conclave under New Education Policy- 2020 ............ 30
2.6 Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs 148th session of WHO Executive Board ......................................................... 30
2.7 TRIFED Exchanges MoU with IFFDC to Promote Livelihood Generation of Tribal People ........................ 30
2.8 Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas flags off two welfare projects of ONGC at Betul in MP ... 31
2.9 Madhya Pradesh village celebrates ‘Jal Utsav’ to welcome tap water connection ................................. 31
2.10 KVIC signs MOUs with Ministry of Tribal Affairs aimed at creating local employment, strengthen Khadi
artisans and the tribal population .................................................................................................................... 31
2.11 NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of India Innovation Index .............................................................. 31
2.12 National Dialogue on ‘Indian Agriculture Towards 2030’ ....................................................................... 33
2.13 National Start up Advisory Council........................................................................................................ 34
2.14 All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural and Rural Labourers – December, 2020 ........ 34
2.15 'Chintan Baithak' to be held at Dhordo, Kutch,Gujarat .......................................................................... 35
2.16 TRAI releases 'Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report' for quarter ending 30th
September, 2020 ............................................................................................................................................. 35
2.17 Union Coal Minister launches ‘Project Passion’- ERP of Coal India Ltd ................................................... 35
2.18 Bank credit grows 3.2% in 1st nine months of FY21 .............................................................................. 36
2.19 Punjab CM launches scheme for allotment of fair price shops across state ........................................... 36
2.20 Union Health Minister points lists out who should avoid taking the Covid vaccine? .............................. 36
2.21 VP inaugurates the Virtual Platform of Apparel Exports Promotion Council .......................................... 37
2.22 Secretary Ministry of Women and Child Development chairs a Webinar on Menstrual Hygiene............ 37
2.23 Govt launches campaign to fight Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation ................................ 38
2.24 Union Health Minister inaugurates the 7th Edition of MASCRADE 2021 organized by FICCI .................. 38
2.25 We Hub, i-Hub ink MoU ........................................................................................................................ 38
2.26 Task force on age of marriage for women “submitted report to PMO” ................................................. 38
2.27 Madhya Pradesh takes the lead in undertaking Power Sector reforms .................................................. 39
2.28 Karnataka CM Yediyurappa launches Avalokana software .................................................................... 40
2.29 Ministry of Railways rolls out a new iron ore policy governing allocation of rakes and transportation of
iron ore............................................................................................................................................................ 40
2.30 Question Hour to resume during Budget session .................................................................................. 40
2.31 MoFPI inaugurates India’s First ever Virtual Expo 2021 for R&D in Processed Food Sector .................... 41
2.32 Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs praises RERA ..................................................................... 41
2.33 POWERGRID signs agreement with HP government to improve telecom connectivity .......................... 42
2.34 Kalira Atita screened in 51st IFFI,Goa .................................................................................................... 42
2.35 PM releases financial assistance in UP under PMAY-G .......................................................................... 42
2.36 Ministry of Commerce and Industry launches Regulatory Compliance Portal ........................................ 43
2.37 Ministry of Commerce and Industry launches 1st National Conference of States on Logistics ............... 43
2.38 India announces supply of Covid-19 vaccines to six countries ............................................................... 44
2.39 Prime Minister announces Rs 1000 crore ‘Startup India Seed Fund’ ...................................................... 44
10 | P a g e Q U E R Y ? H E L L O @ E D U T A P . C O . I N / 8 1 4 6 2 0 7 2 4 1
2.40 Tribal families get house sites under Illa Pattalu scheme ...................................................................... 45
2.41 Government utilizes Rapid Assessment System for processing feedback on Covid Vaccination ............. 45
2.42 24th “Hunar Haat” organized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs .......................................................... 45
2.43 Ministry of Tribal Affairs Launches “Shramshakti” Digital Data Solution for Migrant Workers ............... 46
2.44 Amazon India launches accelerator programme to boost e-com exports .............................................. 46
2.45 YES Bank launches collateral free loans up to Rs 5 crores for MSMEs .................................................... 47
2.46 Lucknow Police to install smart cameras in public places to help women in distress ............................. 47
3 GA + Finance in news - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A ........................................................................ 47
3.1 RBI withdraws 3 circulars on excess pension recovery after discovering anomalies............................... 47
3.2 RBI moots scale-based tighter regulatory framework for NBFCs ........................................................... 47
3.3 BSE launches StAR MF Plus to connect with distributors, AMC, clients .................................................. 49
3.4 Finance ministry looks at BIC model after RBI raises concern over zero coupon bonds for PSBs recap .. 49
3.5 Forex reserves reach $585 billion ......................................................................................................... 50
3.6 India Exim Bank, SBI list foreign currency bonds on INX ........................................................................ 50
3.7 ‘SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank will continue to be D-SIBs’.................................................................... 50
3.8 India within striking distance of attaining positive growth: RBI ............................................................. 51
3.9 The arguments for and against a bad bank ........................................................................................... 51
3.10 SC upholds IBC’s Section 32A ................................................................................................................ 53
3.11 SBI executes money market deals linked to SOFR ................................................................................. 54
3.12 1st Consultative meeting held on Asset Monetization .......................................................................... 54
3.13 Finance Ministry releases 12th weekly instalment of Rs. 6,000 crore to the States ............................... 54
3.14 HDFC Bank submits blueprint on plugging e-banking outages ............................................................... 55
3.15 T-bill rates moves up at the treasury bills auction ................................................................................. 55
1 GA in News - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A
National news
1.1 GI Tag application for J&K’s costliest mushrooms submitted
• Recently, the Geographical Indication tag application for Gucchi mushroom of Jammu and
Kashmir (valued at over rupees 20,000 for every kilo), was submitted by the Jammu-based
Non-Government Organizaion, Border World Foundation at the Geographical Indication
Registry.
1.2 Two Tribes India outlets inaugurated in Jagdalpur, Chattisgarh

• Recently, two Tribes India outlets were inaugurated by Shri Pravir Krishna, Managing Director
of Tribal Cooperative Marketing development Federation of India (TRIFED) in the city of
Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh.
• Aim: To facilitate marketing of the tribal handicrafts and handlooms.
1.3 Two excavation sites at Karanbel Tripuri and Tewar inaugrated

• Recently, Minister of State (IC) for Culture & Tourism Shri Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated
excavations sites at Karanbel Tripuri and Tewar in district Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh.
1.4 Shri Narendra Modi flagged off eight trains to Kevadiya Station
• Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off eight trains connecting different regions
of the country to Kevadiya in Gujarat. These trains will facilitate seamless connectivity to the
Statue of Unity.
• Kevadiya Station is India’s first railway station to start with green building certification.
1.5 Ministry of Tourism organized a webinar titled “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train”
• The Ministry of Tourism has organised a webinar titled “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train” as
a part of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ Webinar series.
• The webinar focused on promoting and showcasing the rich Buddhist Heritage in India and
highlighted the major destinations visited by Buddha and showcased the Buddhist Heritage
left behind by his disciples including the modern monasteries.
1.6 Bangladesh chosen as the country of focus at 51st edition of IFFI in Goa
• Recently, Bangladesh has been chosen as the country of focus in the 51st International Film
Festival of India (IFFI).
• The Country of Focus is a special segment that recognizes the cinematic excellence and
contributions of the country.
1.7 Panorama Section of 51st IFFI inaugurated

• Recently, the flagship Indian Panorama section of the 51st International film festival of India
was inaugurated in Goa.
• Indian Panorama which represents the finest films from across the country is an excellent
platform for promoting regional and talented film makers.
1.8 Union Cabinet approved a Rs. 5,281 crore investment in Ratle Hydro Electric Project
• Recently, the Union Cabinet has given its approval for ₹5,281.94-crore investment in the 850-
MW Ratle Hydro Electric (HE) Project located on river Chenab, in Kishtwar district of Jammu
and Kashmir.
• The investment will be made by a new joint venture company (JVC) to be incorporated
between National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Jammu & Kashmir State
Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKSPDC).
1.9 Burns and Plastic Surgery Block of AIIMS, New Delhi inaugrated
• Recently, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the
newly constructed Burns and Plastic Surgery Block of AIIMS, New Delhi and dedicated it to
Sushruta, ‘The Father of Plastic Surgery’.
• Objectives: To reduce the number of deaths due to burns.
1.10 Foundation stone laid out by PM for Surat Metro and Ahmedabad Metro Phase-2
• Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has virtually laid the foundation stone of Surat
Metro and Ahmedabad Metro Phase-2.
• Both these projects will further strengthen the urban development infrastructure of Gujarat.
1.11 MeitY along with AWS to establish a Quantum Computing Application Lab in India
• Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in India will
established a Quantum Computing Applications Lab in the country, in collaboration with
Amazon Web Services (AWS), to accelerate quantum computing-led research and
development and enable new scientific discoveries.
• It will build powerful tools to process information to solve computational problems that are
beyond the reach of classical computers.
1.12 LNG truck-loading unit of Shell India inaugurated at Hazira, Gujarat

• Recently, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the LNG
(Liquified Natural Gas) truck-loading unit of Shell India at Hazira, Gujarat.
• The unit will boost supply of natural gas in off-grid areas where there are no gas pipelines.
1.13 MoRTH notified rules under provisions of Motor vehicles Act, 1988
• Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) notified rules under
provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
• These rules were issued to facilitate the operation of all MOUs, involving movement of goods
and passengers between India and neighbouring countries.
1.14 Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) signed two MoU with KVIC of Ministry of Small and
Medium Entreprises
• 1st MoU: The MoTA through the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS),
entered into a MoU with Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to procure around 6 lakh
metre of Khadi Fabric at an approximate cost of around Rs. 15 crores for the students in
Eklavya Residential Schools being run by the ministry.
• 2nd MoU was signed between National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development
Corporation (NSTFDC) and KVIC. It would result in identification of the prospective Scheduled
Tribal micro-enterprises to be financed under PM Employment Generation Programme
Scheme.
1.15 An MoUs signed between IOCL and NDMC

• Recently, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Indian Oil) and North Delhi Municipal Corporation
(NDMC) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for development of integrated
waste-to-energy facilities at NDMC’s landfill site at Ranikhera in Narela, New Delhi.
• The plant would process Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and organic waste of NDMC for
producing Compressed Biogas (CBG), recycling plastics, Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) for
producing plastic or syngas and its downstream products.
1.16 Shri Amit Shah Launched farmer friendly projects in Karnataka

• Recently, Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various
farmer-friendly projects- ethanol project of Kedarnath Sugar and Agro Products Limited in
Karakalmatti Village of Bagalkot, Karnataka.
• He also laid the foundation stone of Ayurvedic Medical College and several farming projects.
1.17 15th edition of India Digital Summit 2021 organised by IAMAI

• Recently, 15th edition of India Digital Summit 2021 was organised by the IAMAI (Internet and
Mobile Association of India). It is a virtual event being hosted on 6Connex Platform.
• ‘AATMANIRBHAR Bharat’ is the central theme of the Government to push ‘Make for the
World’ Initiatives.
1.18 Howrah-Kalka Mail renamed as Netaji Express

• Recently, Ministry of Railways renamed Train No. 12311/12312 Howrah-Kalka Mail as “Netaji
Express”.
• The Howrah-Kalka Mail is running between Howrah (Eastern Railway) and Kalka (Northern
Railway) via Delhi.
1.19 IMF granted permission for winter expedition to Mt Trishul

• Recently, the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) has granted a nod to a three-member
team of mountaineers led by Arjun Vajpayee (the youngest Indian to climb Mount Everest at
the age of 16 years) for a winter climbing expedition to Mount Trishul, a 7,120-metre peak
in western Kumaon of Uttarakhand.
• His two other teammates are mountaineer Mohammed Ali and Parth Upadhyaya.
1.20 10 days National Mini Aadi Mahotsav organized in Delhi

• Recently, Tribal Cooperative Marketing development Federation of India (TRIFED) under
Ministry of Tribal Affairs resumed the Aadi Mahotsav- A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal
Culture, Crafts, Cuisine and Commerce. It will take place at GPRA Complex, New Moti Bagh,
New Delhi.
• The festival is an attempt to familiarize the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of
the tribal communities across the country.
1.21 Dragon Fruit renamed as Kamalam in Gujarat

• Recently, the Gujarat State government renamed Dragon Fruit as Kamalam as the outer
shape of the fruit resembles a lotus known in hindi as Kamalam.
1.22 India’s first push-pull Rajdhani Express started

• Recently, Indian Railways' Rajdhani Express became the first train in India to operate on the
push-pull technology started between Mumbai and New Delhi empowering Government’s
Mission Raftar.
Additional Information:
• Push-Pull mode means running the train with one engine at the front and one at the
back.
1.23 UIDAI launched the new Aadhar PVC card

• Recently, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched the new Aadhaar
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) card allowing the verification of the identity of the Aadhaar holder
offline, by scanning the QR code on the new Aadhaar PVC card.
• Aadhaar PVC card has the latest security features which include a hologram, Guilloche Pattern,
ghost image & Microtext.
1.24 CIAL commissioned two floating solar power plants in kerala

• Recently, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), the world’s first solar-powered airport
commissioned two floating solar power plants in Kerala.
• With the installation of the plants with a capacity of 452 KWh over two artificial lakes, the
airport's total installed capacity has risen to 40 MWp.
1.25 A 4-lane Thaltej-Shilaj-Rancharda railway overbridge launched in Ahemdabad, Gujarat

• Recently, the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the new 4-lane Thaltej-Shilaj-
Rancharda railway overbridge, built at a cost of Rs 55 crore, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat virtually.
• Aim- To eliminate all unmanned gates at railway tracks by 2022.
1.26 Jalikattu: A Bull Taming Sport

• Recently, Jalikattu was in news in Tamil Nadu.
• The bull-taming competitive sport which is around 2000 years old is popular in the state of
Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal.
• It is considered a traditional way for the peasant community to preserve their pure-breed
native bulls.
1.27 Orvakal Airport in Andhra Pradesh received approval from DGCA

• Recently, the Orvakal Airport on the outskirts of Kurnool city, Andhra Pradesh got the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approval after completing all mandatory safety
inspections and completion of infrastructure.
1.28 Welspun One Logistics Parks announced its first AIF product for warehousing
• Recently, Welspun One Logistics Parks, a pan-India integrated fund, development and asset
management platform backed by the Welspun Group, announced its first Alternate
Investment Fund (AIF) product ‘Welspun One Logistics Parks Fund I’ with a target to raise
₹500 crore.
• The fund is a SEBI-registered Category II AIF and India’s first warehousing fund that provides
domestic institutions, family offices and NRIs, an opportunity to invest in the warehousing
and industrial real estate sector in India.
• Alternative Investment Fund or AIF means any fund which is a privately pooled investment
vehicle which collects funds from sophisticated investors, whether Indian or foreign, for
investing it in accordance with a defined investment policy for the benefit of its investors.
• Various types of funds such as real estate funds, private equity funds (PE funds), funds for
distressed assets, etc. are registered as Category II AIFs.
1.29 MoU signed for continuation of MoRTH Professorial Chair at IIT Roorkee
• Recently, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Roorkee have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for
continuation of MoRTH Professorial Chair focusing on research and development, teaching
and training in the area of Development of Highway Infrastructure.
• The collaboration will strengthen R&D activities in Road Sector.
1.30 NSE is world’s largest derivatives exchange in 2020

• According to the Futures Industry Association (FIA), the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.
(NSE) has emerged as the world’s largest derivatives exchange in 2020 in terms number of
contracts traded.
• NSE has also been ranked 4th in the world in cash equities by number of trades by the World
Federation of Exchanges (WFE) for calendar year 2020.
1.31 Lakshadweep Islands reports first-ever Covid-19 case

• Recently, the Lakshadweep Islands has reported its first-ever coronavirus case, a year after
the pandemic ravaged almost all States and Union Territories of India.
1.32 VAIGA 2021

• Recently, Kerala government has informed that VAIGA (Value Addition for Income
Generation in Agriculture) 2021 would be organized in Thrissur, Kerala
• Theme for 2020 - ‘Sustainable Development through Agripreneurship’.
International News
1.33 India supplied two MHCs to Iran’s Chabahar Port
• Recently, India supplied a consignment of two Mobile Harbour Cranes (MHC) to Iran’s
Chabahar port, with a total contract value of over USD 25 Million under a contract
agreement for supply of 6 MHC.
• It will enable India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) to provide seamless services for Container, Bulk
and General Cargo at Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar.
1.34 MoU signed between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of solar energy
• Recently, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the
signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Uzbekistan for
cooperation in the field of Solar Energy.
• National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, India and the
International Solar Energy Institute (ISEI), Uzbekistan will work in the following areas:
o Solar Photovoltaic
o Storage Technologies
o Transfer of Technology
1.35 1st India-EU IPR dialogue held virtually

• Recently, the 1st India-European Union IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) dialogue was held
between the European Union Commission and Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade (DPIIT) through a virtual platform.
• The aim of the dialogue was to further strengthen the India-EU relation & facilitate enhanced
cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property Rights.
1.36 Iran and six other countries lost their right to vote in UNGA
• Recently, Iran, Niger, Libya, the Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, South Sudan and
Zimbabwe lost their right to vote in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) because
they have not paid their dues.
• The UN charter calls for such a voting rights suspension for countries whose arrears equal or
surpass the amount of the contributions due from them to UN coffers in the previous two
years.
1.37 5th Defence Ministers’ Dialogue held between India and Singapore
• Recently, the 5th Defence Ministers' Dialogue (DMD) between India and Singapore was
successfully held through a video conference between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and
his Singapore counterpart Dr. Ng Eng Hen.
• This will lead to a substantial increase in bilateral cooperation and defence partnership.
• At this 5th DMD, both Ministers witnessed the signing of the Implementing Agreement on
Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation between the two Navies and the implementing
agreement on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) cooperation for the two
Armed Forces.
1.38 Indian Government spent Rs. 550 crores on a railway project between India and Nepal
• Recently, the Indian government spent nearly ₹550 crores to extend 17 km of the 68.72 km
Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas railway project from Jayanagar (Bihar) to Bijalpura (Nepal) to
improve rail connectivity between India and Nepal.
• The section of the railway project that runs from Jayanagar (Bihar) to Kurtha in Nepal will be
extended up to Bijalpura, which is further 17 km from Kurtha.
• The project is developed by Indian Railway Corporation Limited (IRCON).
1.39 Malaysia announced a $3.7 billion as a covid-19 relief package

• Recently, Malaysia announced a $3.7 billion package (i.e. 1.1% of GDP) to help
the economy contain the impact from a fresh rise in coronavirus cases.
About Malaysia:
• Capital: Kuala Lumpur
• Currency: Ringgit
1.40 Taiwan invited to president Joe Biden’s inaugration

• Recently, Taiwan’s de facto Ambassador to the United States was formally invited to
President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
1.41 “The United States intends to remain a part of WHO”: Joe Biden to UN Secretary Antonio
Guterres
• Recently, Joe Biden, USA President signed the executive order, reversing Trump's decision to
withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and joined WHO again.
• The US has been the largest funder to the WHO, contributing more than USD 450 million per
annum. The US has been a party to the WHO Constitution since June 21, 1948.
1.42 Italian Police recovered the stolen Leonardo’s painting “Salvator Mundi”
• Recently, Italian police recovered a 500-year-old copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century
“Salvator Mundi” (Saviour of the World) painting of Jesus Christ that was stolen from a
Naples church during the pandemic.
• The painting was sold for a record $450 million at a Christie’s auction in 2017.
About Italy
• Capital: Rome
• Currency: Euro
1.43 Pakistan test fired Shaheen III ballistic missile

• Recently, Pakistan successfully test-fired the surface-to-surface Shaheen III ballistic missile
with a range of 2,750km (1,710 miles) which is the longest-range missile system of Pakistan.
• It was developed with the intention to reach Indian island territories and to deny Indian
forces the ability to establish a “second strike capability ” (ability to respond to a nuclear
attack).
About Pakistan
• Capital: Islamabad
• Currency: Pakistani Ruppee
1.44 Britain urged China to grant UN access to Xinjiang

• Recently, Britain’s government pressed China to allow United Nations (UN) rights inspectors
to visit Xinjiang after raising anew allegations of shocking human rights abuses against the
Uighur minority people.
1.45 Indonesian Semeru Volcano erupted

• Recently, a volcano from Semeru Mountain in Indonesia's East Java province erupted
spewing ash and smoke as high as an estimated 5.6 kilometres into the sky.
About Indonesia
• Capital: Jakarta
• Currency: Indonesian Rupiah
1.46 Israel approved West Bank Settlement homes before Trump’s exit from US presidency
• Recently, Israeli authorities advanced plans to build an additional 780 homes in West Bank
settlements after a government committee gave final ratification for 365 homes and
preliminary approval for another 415.
About Israel
• Capital: Jerusalem
• Currency: New Shekel
• West Bank is a disputed territory and claimed by both Israel and Palestine.
1.47 Joe Biden sworn in as the 46th President of the United States (U.S.)
• Recently, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was administered the oath as the President of U.S. by
Chief Justice John Roberts and Kamala Devi Harris, the first woman Vice President of U.S., was
sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor – the first Latina in the U.S. top court.
Days in news
1.48 New sporting facilities to be named after renowned athletes
• Recently, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 16th Foundation Day
on 20th January.
• This day is an occasion to remember the high level of professionalism, strong determination
and achievements earned by Disaster Response Force.
1.49 23rd January to be celebrated as Parakram Diwas every year

• Recently, Government of India decided to celebrate the 125th Birth Anniversary year of
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose birthday on the 23rd day of January as “PARAKRAM
DIWAS” every year.
• Aim: To instill courage among people of country and to infuse spirit of patriotic in them.
1.50 Thiruvalluvar Day celebrated on 16th January
• Recently, Thiruvalluvar Day was celebrated on January 16 in Tamil Nadu. It is part of Pongal
celebrations there.
• Thiruvalluvar was a poet and philosopher who authored Thirukkuṛaḷ.
1.51 43rd Kokborok Day celebrated in Tripura

• Recently, Kokborok Day has been celebrated in Tripura on 19th January every year to
commemorate the recognition of Kokborok as an official language of the state.
Defence in News
1.52 DRDO handed Motor Bike Ambulance ‘Rakshita’ to CRPF
• Recently, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi based DRDO
(Defence Research and Development Organizaton) laboratory, handed over Rakshita, a motor
bike ambulance to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• It will provide life-saving aid for evacuation of injured patients from low intensity conflict
areas by Indian security forces and emergency healthcare providers.
1.53 DRDO entered into an MoU with MoRTH in the field of geohazard management
• Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) entered into a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
(MoRTH) to strengthen collaboration in the field of sustainable geohazard management.
• The initiative will ensure safety against the adverse effects of landslides and other natural
calamities on national highways in the country.
1.54 First edition of exercise Desert Knight-21 held at Jodhpur Air Station
• Recently, the first edition of the exercise Desert Knight-21 between Indian Air Force and
French Air and Space Force was held at Jodhpur Air Force Station from January 20 to January
24.
• The French side was presented by Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT),
A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft and approximately 175 personnel.
• The Indian side was presented by Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI, Rafale, IL-78 Flight Refuelling
Aircraft, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and Airborne Early Warning and
Control (AEW&C) aircraft.
• Other Defence Exercises between India and France:
o Varuna – Naval exercise
o Garuda – Air exercise
o Shakti – Army exercise
1.55 Indian Air Force getting ready for Russaian S-400 defence system
• Recently, a team of military specialists left for Moscow to be trained for the S-400 Triumf
‘SA-21 Growler’ air defence systems.
About S-400 Triumf ‘SA-21 Growler’ air defence systems’:
• A $ 5.43 billion contract for the S-400 Triumf ‘SA-21 Growler’ was signed between India and
Russia. The S-400 is long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and is for the Indian Air
Force.
• The SA-21 ‘Growler’ has four different types of missiles with different ranges between 40 km,
100 km, 200-km and 400 km.
1.56 13th edition of Aero India held in Bengaluru, Karnataka

• Recently, Aero India 2021 (world’s first hybrid exhibition wherein the exhibition for
aerospace and defence industries will be both physical as well as virtual), the 13th edition of
Aero India was organised at Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Theme: 'Runway to a Billion Opportunities'
About Aero India:
• Aero India is one of the major international aerospace and defence (A&D) exhibitions
organized every alternate year.
• The logo for Aero India is inspired by the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
1.57 MoU signed between Indian Army and SIDM to increase indigenization of weapons
• Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army &
Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) was signed on the occasion of 25 Years of
Army-Industry Partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• This was aimed at increasing indigenization of weapons with the Army.
1.58 ‘Exercise Kavach’ held in Andaman Sea

• Recently, a Joint Military exercise ‘Exercise Kavach’ in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of
Bengal involving assets of Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard
was conducted under the aegis of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), the only Joint
Forces Command of the country.
• The tri-services exercise aims to increase joint war-fighting capabilities and Standard
Operating Procedures towards enhancing cooperation between the forces.
1.59 Indian Army signed a $20 million contract with IdeaForge

• Recently, the Indian Army signed a $20-million contract with ideaForge, a player in unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, to procure a high-altitude variant of SWITCH UAV, an
indigenous drone system used in surveillance operations.
• This fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing UAV can be deployed at high altitudes and under
harsh environments for day and night surveillance.
1.60 Successful Flight Test of Smart Anti Airfield Weapon

• Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully
conducted flight test of indigenously developed Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW).
• The smart weapon was test fired from Indian Hawk-Mk132 of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) off the Odisha coast.
• SAAW is indigenously designed and developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI)
Hyderabad.
Appointments
1.61 Siddhartha Mohanty appointed as new MD of LIC
• Recently, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment
of KIC Housing Finance chief executive officer (CEO) Siddhartha Mohanty as the managing
director of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
• He will replace TC Susheel Kumar.
1.62 Justice Gita Mittal appointed as new chairperson of BCCC

• Recently, the board of directors of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has appointed
Justice Gita Mittal as the new chairperson of Broadcasting Content Complaints Council
(BCCC). She has also become the first woman chairperson of BCCC.
• She will succeed former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Vikramajit Sen.
1.63 PM Narendra Modi appointed as the chairman of the Somnath Temple Trust
• Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unanimously chosen as the eighth chairman of
the trust which manages the world famous Somnath Temple at Prabhas Patan town in
Gujarat's Gir-Somnath district, becoming the second PM to hold the post after Former PM
Morarji Desai.
Awards
1.64 Press Club of Bangalore Awards
• Recently, Azim Premji and the founder chairman of Narayana Health Dr Devi Prasad Shetty
have been selected for the annual awards given by the Press Club of Bangalore.
• Premji has been chosen for 'Press Club Person of the Year', while Dr Shetty and actor-Director
Sudeep Sanjeev have been selected for the 'Press Club Special Award.'
1.65 Biswajit Chatterjee won the Indian Personality of the Year Award at 51 st IFFI, Goa
• Recently, Shri Prakash Javadekar conferred ‘Indian Personality of the Year Award’ on Shri
Biswajit Chatterjee at the 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India, Goa.
• He is a veteran actor, producer, director and singer of Hindi and Bengali cinema.
1.66 Shyam Srinivasan named as Business Standard Banker of the Year

• Recently, Shyam Srinivasan, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Federal
Bank, has been named as the Business Standard Banker of the Year for 2019-20.
• He has been selected by a 5-member chaired by former Reserve Bank of India deputy
governor S S Mundra.
1.67 Nikhil Srivastava named joint winner of Michael and Sheila Held Prize
• Recently, Indian mathematician Nikhil Srivastava, from the University of California, has been
named joint winner of prestigious 2021 Michael and Sheila Held Prize for solving long-
standing questions on the Kadison-Singer problem and on Ramanujan graphs.
• He has won along with Adam Marcus, from the Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne
(EPFL) and Daniel Alan Spielman from Yale University.
Science & Technology
1.68 Technology transfer agreements for country’s first indigenous ASD and Flow diverter stent
• Recently, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an
autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India entered
into Technology Transfer Agreements with Pune based Biorad Medisys for two biomedical
implant devices--- an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Occluder and an Intracranial Flow Diverter
Stents.
• These two devices were developed by the institute in collaboration with National Aerospace
Laboratories, Bangalore (CSIR-NAL).
• The novel ASD occlude promotes better healing of the hole in the heart.
• The flexible flow diverter stent allows diversion of blood flow away from localized ballooning
of arteries in the brain.
1.69 £12 million UK-Japan robotics deal for fusion energy

• Recently, Britain and Japan have signed a research and technology deployment collaboration
to help automate nuclear decommissioning and other aspects of fusion energy production.
• The £12m project, designated as ‘LongOps’ will see new robotics and automation techniques
applied to both fusion research and to decommissioning nuclear facilities in Japan and the
Britain.
1.70 Virgin Orbit deployed 10 tiny satellites into the orbit

• Recently, Virgin Orbit, a California based company's LauncherOne rocket reached orbit on its
second powered test flight, a mission called Launch Demo 2. It successfully deployed 10 tiny
satellites into the orbit.
1.71 India Science, an OTT channel completed its two years

• Recently, India Science, Nation’s Science & Technology OTT (Over-the-top) channel
celebrated its second anniversary on January 15th, 2021.
• It is managed by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organization of the Department of Science &
Technology.
• Aim: To create scientific awareness & temper amongst the citizens of the country.
1.72 India launched a new draft ‘Arctic’ policy

• Recently, India launched a new draft ‘Arctic’ policy that commits to expand scientific research,
“sustainable tourism” and mineral oil and gas exploration in the Arctic region.
• India designated the Goa-based National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research to lead
scientific research and act as a nodal body to coordinate among various scientific bodies to
promote domestic scientific research capacities.
1.73 India is home to both species of Red Panda

• Recently, scientists from the Zoological Survey of India concluded that India is home to both
the (sub) species — Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and the Chinese red panda
(Ailurus styani) and the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh splits the red panda into these two
species.
• Himalayan red panda is located in the west of the Siang river.
• Chinese red panda is located in the east of the Siang.
1.74 NASA shares picturesque image of Abell 370

• Recently, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared the pictures of
huge cluster of galaxies called Abell 370. This cluster is located a 4.9 billion light-years from
Earth.
• Picture was shared by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
Environment
1.75 First bird festival to be organized at the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal
• The first bird festival will be organised by the Darjeeling Wildlife Division at the Mahananda
wildlife sanctuary in West Bengal to provide an opportunity to enthusiasts to explore the
forest and watch different birds.
Sports in news
1.76 New sporting facilities to be named after renowned athletes
• Recently, the Sports Ministry took a decision to name all upcoming and upgraded sporting
facilities of the Sports Authority of India, after renowned athletes, who have contributed to
sports in India to honour sporting heroes of the country.
1.77 Khelo India State Centre of Excellence launched in Pune

• Recently, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju launched the 9 th Khelo
India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Mhalunge-
Balewadi in Pune.
• It will focus on three Priority Olympic disciplines – Shooting, Athletics and Cycling.
• Vision: To make India one of the top 10 countries in 2028 Olympics.
1.78 Snowshoe run game started in Srinagar

• Recently, a new snowshoe run game, usually played abroad was held in Srinagar for the first
time to boost winter sports in the state.
• The event was organized by the Snowshoe Federation of India.
1.79 Ministry of Youth Affairs attends Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh, assures sports
infrastructure development in the UT
• Recently, Ministry of Youth Affairs has attended Zanskar Winter Sports & Youth Festival 2021
as part of Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh.
• Organized by – Ladakh Administration.
Banking
1.80 Airtel Payment Bank launches Airtel Safe Pay
• Recently, Airtel Payments Bank has launched ‘Airtel Safe Pay’ which is a safe way to pay
digitally.
• Aim: To offer the highest level of protection from potential frauds such as phishing, stolen
credentials or passwords, and phone cloning.
1.81 SBI Mutual Fund launched its retirement benefit fund

• Recently, India’s largest asset manager SBI Mutual Fund launched its
flagship retirement benefit fund, aimed at long-term investing, and offers four different
investment plans.
• Through the new fund offer (NFO) the company is targeting to collect ₹2,000 crore.
• The scheme comes with an ‘SIP Insure’ feature, where monthly systematic investment plans
(SIP) with tenure of three years and above will be covered under a term insurance plan by
SBI Life Insurance. The feature will offer a life cover of up to ₹50 lakh per investor.
• Investors in the fund cannot claim deductions under Section 80C of the Income-tax Act.
1.82 RBI imposes ₹2 crore penalty on Standard Chartered Bank

• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of ₹2 crore on Standard Chartered
Bank–India.
• The monetary penalty has been imposed on the bank for non-compliance with certain
directions contained in the 'Reserve Bank of India (Frauds - Classification and Reporting by
commercial banks and select FIs) Directions 2016'.
1.83 ICICI Bank launches “iDelights New Year Bonanza”

• Recently, Private sector lender ICICI Bank has launched a new year campaign “iDelights New
Year Bonanza”.
• It is a customized bouquet of offers for its customers to celebrate the beginning of year 2021.
Persons in news
1.84 Two Indian Air Force Women became first women to participate in Republic Day Parade
• Recently, Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, 28, became the first woman fighter pilot to take
part in the R-Day parade as she was part of an Indian Air Force tableau that showcased mock-
ups of a light combat aircraft, light combat helicopter and a Sukhoi-30 fighter plane.
• Flight Lieutenant Swati Rathore got the honour to be the first woman to be part of the flypast
over Rajpath as she flew a Mii-17 V5 helicopter.
1.85 Narendra Chanchal, a bhajan singer passed away

• Recently, Narendra Chanchal, a bhajan singer has passed away.
• He was from Punjab.
1.86 Shri Kiren Rijiju given additional charge of the Minister of State of Ministry of AYUSH
• Recently, the President of India gave the charge of Minister of State (Independent Charge) of
Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) to
Shri Kiren Rijiju in addition to his existing portfolios till Shri Shripad Yesso Naik resumes his
work related to Ministry of AYUSH.
1.87 Dr V Shanta, a veteran in cancer care passed away

• Recently, Dr Viswanathan Shanta from Chennai, a veteran in cancer care and one of the
senior-most oncologists who headed the Adyar Cancer Institute, died at an age of 93.
• Dr Shantha won several awards for her selfless work including the Padma Vibhushan (2016),
Padma Shri (1986), Padma Bhushan (2006) and the Magsaysay Award (2005).
1.88 Phil Spector, the music producer passed away

• Recently, Phil Spector, the revolutionary music producer who transformed rock music with
his "Wall of Sound" method died at an age of 81.
1.89 Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, an Indian classical musician passed away
• Recently, renowned Indian classical musician in Hindustani Classical Music Tradition Ustad
Ghulam Mustafa Khan passed away at the age of 89
• He was awarded with the Padma Shri in 1991, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2003), Padma
Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018.
1.90 Vidur Sharma named as testing advisor in Joe Biden’s Covid-19 response team
• Recently, Joe Biden named Indian-American health policy expert Vidur Sharma as testing
advisor in his COVID-19 Response Team, as the U.S. President-elect laid out his ambitious goal
to intensify vaccinations across the country to tackle the spread of the deadly pandemic.
2 GA + ESI in news - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI

Gr A
2.1 SKOCH Challenger Award to Ministry of Panchayati Raj for Transparency in Governance
• Recently, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has won the SKOCH Challenger Award
under “Transparency in Governance” category for IT-led initiatives and transformational
reforms leading to outcome-based performance improvement, better transparency and
strengthening of the e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across India.
• Important Initiatives taken by Ministry
o Actively participation in People’s Plan Campaign launched on 2nd October 2020.
o It has also launched a geospatial planning application called Gram Manchitra in Oct
2019 as a decision support system for Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
o Initiatives for strengthening e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions to enable
them to discharge their mandated functions effectively while facilitating transparency,
accountability and robust service delivery
1. SVAMITVA Scheme
2. e-GramSwaraj
✓ Aim – To bring in more transparency, strengthening the e-Governance in
Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across India through decentralized planning,
process reporting and work-based accounting.
✓ The application provides single window with the complete profile of the Gram
Panchayat, including Sarpanch and Panchayat Secretary details, demographic
details of Panchayat, details of Panchayat Finances, asset details, activities
taken up through Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP), Mission
Antyodaya survey reports etc.
3. On-line Monitoring Systems of Central Finance Commission (CFC) Funds Flow &
Proper Utilisation – Ministry has conceptualized and developed an application
called “AuditOnline” for online audit of Panchayat accounts in order to
strengthening the transparency and accountability at grassroots level.
✓ At least a minimum of 20% of the PRIs in every State would be audited by
Audit Online on pilot basis for auditing of the accounts for FY 2019–2020.
4. Gram Manchitra – Geo-Spatial Planning Application
✓ It is a Spatial Planning Application for facilitating and supporting Gram
Panchayat users to perform planning at Gram Panchayat level with the use of
geo spatial technology.
✓ ‘Real time’ monitoring of development work implementation status and
progress of execution of various schemes can be easily tracked.
• Recently, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has received the coveted “SKOCH Challenger
Award”-“Best Performance in e-Governance”.
• It has also received 3 Gold Awards for its initiatives namely “Eco-Rehabilitation of tribal
villages through Innovative design in water management using Ice-stupa”, Swasthya:
Tribal Health and Nutritional Portal and the Performance Dashboard “Empowering
Tribals Transforming India.”
• Union Minister for Tribal Affairs has referred to Mungerkar Committee report of 2009
and Census figures and informed that tribal areas being the richest in mineral and rich
natural resource base are inhabited by the poorest people of India.
About Mungerkar Committee
• It was constituted in 2004 to examine the issues of administration and governance.
• It has submitted three reports:
o "Inter Sectoral Issues Relating to Tribal Development" in 2005.
o "Displacement, Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Scheduled Tribes' in 2007.
o "Standards of Administration and Governance in Scheduled Areas" in 2009.
Note: SVAMITVA scheme has been covered in Schemes Tap of October 2020.
2.2 PCRA launches month-long mass awareness campaign ‘SAKSHAM’ to spread awareness
about ‘Green and Clean Energy’
• Recently, Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) has launched mass
awareness campaign Sanrakshan Shamata Mahotsav ‘SAKSHAM’ 2021 to spread
awareness about ‘Green and Clean Energy.’
• Theme/Tagline - Green and Clean Energy (हरित एवं स्वच्छ ऊर्जा)
• Idea – To convince consumers to switch to cleaner fuels and bring in behavioral change to
use fossil fuel intelligently.
• It spread awareness about 7 key drivers that includes - Moving towards a gas-based
economy, Cleaner use of fossil fuels, Greater reliance on domestic sources to drive bio-
fuels, Achieving renewable targets with the set deadlines, Increased use of electric
vehicles to decarbonize mobility, Increased use of cleaner fuels like Hydrogen, and Digital
innovation across all energy systems.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between PCRA and EESL for
promotion of Energy Efficient PNG Stove.
2.3 PM Launches pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive

• Recently, Prime Minister has launched the pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination
drive which is the world’s largest vaccination program covering the entire length and
breadth of India.
• He informed that India has been entering a decisive phase of vaccination in the fight
against COVID-19, with the approval of two made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines.
Key Highlights
• The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted the emergency-use approval for
two indigenous vaccines: COVISHIELD by Serum Institute of India and COVAXIN by Bharat
Biotech.
• Out of the two vaccines, Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine whereas Covishield is a live
vaccine.
• In the first phase of vaccination, the first 3 crore people to be vaccinated include the
healthcare workers and frontline workers.
• The cost of vaccination of these people will be borne by the government.
Note: Covaxin and Covid Shield has been discussed in 8-15 January Magazine.
2.4 National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Implementation Plan for School Education
• Recently, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) has prepared a draft
implementation plan with Task lists linking each recommendation with tasks,
responsible agencies to carry out the task, timelines and outputs.
Key Highlights
• MoU has been signed between Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre
(ISLRTC) and NCERT to develop Indian Sign Language dictionary for school education.
• CBSE exam reforms have been initiated –
o CBSE will introduce improvement examination from the year 2021 and will
introduce English and Sanskrit in 2 levels from the session 2021-22 (already offers
Mathematics and Hindi at two levels).
o Competency based questions have been introduced in the Board exams for class X
and XII in a phased manner, increasing by 10% every year.
• Learning Outcomes upto Secondary level have been notified and draft of learning
outcomes for senior secondary level have been released for inviting suggestions.
• To undertake 50 hours of mandatory Continuous Professional development of teachers,
18 modules of 4-5 hours each comprehensively covering all aspects of elementary
education have been launched under NISHTHA in October 2020 for in service teacher
training (CPD) in the online mode on DIKSHA platform.
• Approval has been given for setting up the National Mission on Foundational Literacy and
Numeracy Mission (FL&N) and a committee has been formed for preparing framework on
FL&N, codification of learning outcomes etc.
• E-learning has been expanded through DIKSHA by providing access to a large number of
curriculum linked e-content through several solutions such as QR coded Energized
Textbooks (ETBs), courses for teachers, quizzes etc.
• The department has launched an initiative called ‘Manodarpan’ for mental health and
wellbeing of students.
• Aligning its existing schemes i.e, Samagra Shiksha, Mid Day Meal and Padhna Likhna
Abhiyan with the recommendations of NEP 2020.
o Revised scheme of Samagra Shiksha which includes phased introduction of: 1 year of
Balvatika and TLMs to all children.
o Launch of National Mission of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
o Upgradation of schools upto senior secondary level including residential schools and
KGBVs
• States and UTs are also constituting their own Task Force to steer implementation of the
NEP provisions in their respective jurisdiction.
About Manodarpan Initiative
• It has been launched to provide support through a website, a toll-free helpline, national
directory of counselors, interactive chat platform, etc.
• The initiative will benefit all school going children in the country, along with their parents,
teachers and the community of stakeholders in school education.
About Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
• Launched year – 2018
• Ministry - Ministry of Education
• Samagra Shiksha is an overarching programme for the school education sector extending
from pre-school to class 12 .
• Aim – To improve school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities for
schooling and equitable learning outcomes.
• It subsumes the three erstwhile Schemes –
o Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
o Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)
o Teacher Education (TE).
2.5 PM addresses ‘School Education in 21st Century’ Conclave under New Education Policy-
2020
• Recently, Prime Minister has addressed the Conclave on ‘School Education in 21st Century’
under National Education Policy’.
• Organised by – Ministry of Education as part of Shikshak Parv 2020.
Key Highlights
• He has stressed the importance of replacing the old 10 Plus 2 with the system of 5 Plus 3
Plus 3 Plus 4.
• He also stressed on stressed on the need to increase easy and innovative methods that
should be the core of our new age learning - Engage, Explore, Experience, Express and
Excel.
• He listed out the 21st century skills for advancing student skills - Critical Thinking,
Creativity, Collaboration, Curiosity and Communication.
• A new National Assessment Center “Parakh” will also be established for the overall
improvement of the evaluation system.
2.6 Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs 148th session of WHO Executive Board
• Recently, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally chaired the 148th
session of WHO Executive Board.
2.7 TRIFED Exchanges MoU with IFFDC to Promote Livelihood Generation of Tribal People
• Recently TRIFED has exchanged MoU with Indian Farm Forestry Development Co-
operative Ltd (IFFDC) to Promote Livelihood Generation of Tribal People.
• They have agreed to partner with each other to organise training programmes for tribal
artisans in the area of entrepreneurship skill and business development.
• They will also collaborate further to identify and implement CSR initiatives and tribal
development efforts.
2.8 Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas flags off two welfare projects of ONGC at
Betul in MP
• Recently, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas has flagged off two welfare
projects of ONGC at Betul in MP.
• He has also laid the foundation stone of a hostel-cum-training facility for farmers at Bharat
Bharati Shiksha Samiti. He also launched the distribution of Solar Chulhas to poor
households in Betul.
2.9 Madhya Pradesh village celebrates ‘Jal Utsav’ to welcome tap water connection
• Recently, Madhya Pradesh’s Damhedi village has celebrated ‘Jal Utsav’ to welcome tap
water connection in the village under National Jal Jeevan Mission.
Note: National Jal Jeevan Mission is covered under Schemes Tap of October 2020.
2.10 KVIC signs MOUs with Ministry of Tribal Affairs aimed at creating local employment,
strengthen Khadi artisans and the tribal population
• Recently, The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and the Ministry of Tribal
Affairs have signed two MoUs for purchase of Khadi fabric for tribal students and on
partnering of Tribal Affairs Ministry with KVIC as an implementing agency for Prime
Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP).
Key Highlights of the agreement
• For Khadi Fabric – Ministry of Tribal Affairs will procure over 6 lakh meters of Khadi fabric
worth Rs 14.77 crore in 2020-21 for the students in Eklavya Residential Schools.
• Implementation of (PMEGP) – National Scheduled Tribe Finance Development
Corporation (NSTFDC) would be roped in as a partner to implement PMEGP Scheme.
Note: PMEGP has been covered in Schemes Tap of October 2020
2.11 NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of India Innovation Index

• Recently, NITI Aayog along with the Institute for Competitiveness has released Second
Edition of India Innovation Index.
• It has examined the innovation capabilities and performance of the states and union
territories.
• The first edition of the index was launched in October 2019.
Key Highlights
• It has found that the level of competitiveness among the states and union territories was
high.
• Parameters - The innovation inputs were measured through five enabler parameters,
and the output through two performance parameters.
o Enabler parameter – Human Capital, Investment, Knowledge Workers, Business
Environment, Safety and Legal Environment.
o Performance parameters - ‘Knowledge Output’ and ‘Knowledge Diffusion’
• It intends to perform the following three functions-
o Ranking of states and UTs based on their index scores
o Recognizing opportunities and challenges
o Assisting in tailoring governmental policies to foster innovation.
• Ranking - The states have been bifurcated into three categories
o Major States:
1. Top States: Karnataka topped with a score of 42.5 for the second year running.
2. The state’s success has been attributed to a high number of venture capital deals,
registered GIs and ICT exports, and high FDI inflow.
3. Four southern states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala —occupy the
top positions on the index, apart from Maharashtra which ranked second.
4. Bottom States: Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand scored the lowest on the index,
which put them at the bottom in the “major States” category.
o Hill and North-East States:
1. Himachal Pradesh topped the rankings of hill and North-East states, followed by
Uttarakhand, Manipur and Sikkim.
o Union territories/Small States:
1. Delhi has scored the highest on the index in the country with a score of 46.6, while
Lakshadweep has the lowest score at 11.7.
2. Delhi recorded the highest number of trademark and patent applications, along
with the establishment of new start-ups and companies in the last financial year.
Challenges
• Attracting Private Investment in Research: The Indian government is a major spender in
R&D, while the investment of the private sector is very low when compared to Israel
where private companies account for 70% of private investment in R&D.
• Bridging North-South Divide: In the findings of the report the southern states have fared
much better than the North Indian states.
• There is a need to establish interlink innovative capacities of the states (with differential
per capita GDP) to decrease regional disparity in innovation.
• Best practices observed within the States should often be documented and disseminated
to encourage peer-to-peer learning.
• Need for micro-analysis of State-level policies: For a country as large as India, the state of
innovation needs to be understood at the regional level for effective policy formulation.
• Based on the index each state needs to formulate its own policy, based on its unique
resources and strengths and which caters to its specific needs.
Suggestions:
• Investing More in Research: India needs to increase its spending on R&D which is around
0.6-0.7% of its GDP, way below the expenditure level of countries like Israel (4.3%), South
Korea (4.2%), the US (2.8%) and China (2.1%).
o Increased spending on research and development with greater collaboration between
the industry and educational institutions may help to enhance innovation capability.
o It could broaden and improve the capability of top rung educational institutions in the
country to produce greater innovation outputs.
• Establish a Collaborative Platform: To link all the stakeholders of innovation - innovators,
researchers, and investors from the industry, a common platform should be developed.
o It will help to strengthen the industry-academia linkages and will ease the process of
technology transfer by providing a platform for innovators to showcase their
inventions.
Benefit
• The Innovation Index will act as an evaluator of innovation in India and will help to
channelize the improvement of innovation environment.
• It will promote competitive federalism among the states.
2.12 National Dialogue on ‘Indian Agriculture Towards 2030’

[Employment Generation in India, Indian Agriculture]
• Recently, Vice President has virtually inaugurated the National Dialogue on “Indian
Agriculture Towards 2030: Pathways for Enhancing Farmers’ Income, Nutritional
Security and Sustainable Food Systems” organised by NITI Aayog, Ministry of Agriculture
and Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
• He has urged the policymakers and other stakeholders to work towards reducing the input
costs.
Four important sets of challenges faced by Indian Agriculture
• Food security and better nutrition for our growing population.
• Sustainability of the natural resources—land, water, forests.
• Grave impact of climate change.
• Lack of attention to farmers.
Steps to be taken
• Promote organic farming as it is expected to grow at 10% during 2015-25 and is estimated
to reach Rs. 75,000 crores by 2025 in India.
• 4 Ps – Parliament, political leaders, policymakers and press must pro-actively adopt a
positive bias towards agriculture.
2.13 National Start up Advisory Council

• Recently, government has set up a National Startup Advisory Council to advise the
Centre on measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and
start-ups in India.
Composition of the Council
• Chairman: Minister for Commerce & Industry.
• Convener of the Council: Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade.
• Ex-officio Members: Nominees of the concerned Ministries/Departments/Organisations
not below the rank of Joint Secretary.
• Non-official members, to be nominated by the Central Government, from various
categories like founders of successful startups, veterans who have grown and scaled
companies in India, persons capable of representing the interests of investors into
startups, etc. The term of the non-official members will be for a period of two years.
Functions
• The Council will suggest measures to foster a culture of innovation amongst citizens and
students, in particular, promote innovation in all sectors of the economy across the
country.
• It will also suggest measures to facilitate public organisations to assimilate innovation
with a view to improving public service delivery, promote creation, protection and
commercialization of intellectual property rights.
• It will suggest measures to make it easier to start, operate, grow and exit businesses by
reducing regulatory compliances and costs, promote ease of access to capital for startups.
Relevance
• India ranks 136 on the parameter ‘starting a business’ in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing
Business table against an overall rank of 63.
2.14 All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural and Rural Labourers – December,
2020
[Inflation]
• Recently, Ministry of Agriculture has released All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers
for Agricultural Labourers(AL) and Rural Labourers(RL) for December 2020 and the
inflation based on CPI-AL and RL has dipped to 3.25% and 3.34%.
• Al has decreased by 13 points at 1047 and RL has decreased by 12 points to 1053.
• For Agriculture Labourers – Tamil Nadu has topped the index and Himachal Pradesh is at
bottom.
• For Rural Labourers – Tamil Nadu has topped and Bihar is at the bottom.
• Maximum decrease – Gujarat State and West Bengal State and Maximum increase –
Meghalaya State
2.15 'Chintan Baithak' to be held at Dhordo, Kutch,Gujarat

• Recently, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has chaired the port review
Meeting named ‘Chintan Baithak’ at Dhordo, Kutch,Gujarat.
• It has been held to evolve out of the box ideas for improving the performance and
efficiency of Major Ports, setting up of world-class infrastructure facilities at ports by
adopting global benchmarks for reducing logistics costs, enhancing connectivity and Ease
Of Doing Business are our focus areas.
2.16 TRAI releases 'Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report' for quarter ending
30th September, 2020
• Recently, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the "Indian Telecom
Services Performance Indicator Report" for the Quarter ending 30th September, 2020.
• It has provided a broad perspective of the Telecom Services in India.
• It presents the key parameters and growth trends of the Telecom Services as well as Cable
TV, DTH & Radio Broadcasting services in India.
2.17 Union Coal Minister launches ‘Project Passion’- ERP of Coal India Ltd
• Recently, Union Coal Minister has launched ‘Project Passion’–the Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) of Coal India Ltd (CIL) which will help improve business performance and
growth of the company with enhanced data integrity.
• It will be implemented it in two phases - The first phase launched covers operations of CIL
headquarters and its two subsidiaries WCL and MCL. Phase-II will cover rest 6 Subsidiaries
and will be made operational by August 2021.
Benefit
• It will help CIL in real-time decision making, improving efficiency & reducing costs.
• It will empower CIL to achieve 1 billion tonne coal production by FY 23-24.
Other Important Release
• Minister has presented “Coal Minister’s Award” tothree coal companies of Coal India Ltd.
- Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL), Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) and Western Coalfields Ltd
(WCL).
• CIL arm NCL was conferred the award for outstanding performance in coal production &
productivity, while its other arms CCL and WCL made it for adopting best safety practices
and sustainable mining.
• The Minister has also inaugurated a new Coal Handling Plant (CHP) at Krishnashila Coal
Project of NCL.
2.18 Bank credit grows 3.2% in 1st nine months of FY21
[Monetary Policy]
• According to recent release by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Bank credit grew 3.2% to
₹107.05 lakh crore in the first nine months of 2020-21, against a growth of 2.7%
registered in the corresponding period of 2019-20.
Key Highlights
• In the fortnight ended January 1, 2021, the year-on-year growth in bank credit has been
6.7% and in deposits 11.5%.
• Bank advances stood at ₹103.72 lakh crore as on March 27, 2020.
• Bank deposits has increased by 8.5% to ₹147.27 lakh crore in the April-December 2020
period as against an increase of 5.1% in April-December 2019.
2.19 Punjab CM launches scheme for allotment of fair price shops across state
• Recently, Chief Minister of Punjab has launched a state-wide pro-poor scheme for
Allotment of 7,219 Fair Price Shops (FPS) under his government’s flagship ‘Ghar Ghar
Rozgar te Karobaar Mission’.
• He has handed over allotment letters to five beneficiaries all from Roopnagar.
2.20 Union Health Minister points lists out who should avoid taking the Covid vaccine?
• Recently, Union Health Minister has listed the people who should avoid taking the covid
vaccine.
o Had a reaction to previous COVID Vaccine dose
o Allergic to any vaccines, injectable therapies, pharmaceutical products and food items
o Pregnant/Suspected Pregnant
o Lactating Mothers
2.21 VP inaugurates the Virtual Platform of Apparel Exports Promotion Council
[Balance of Payment, Employment Generation in India]
• Recently, Vice President has launched Virtual Platform of the Apparel Products of the
Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC).
• He has also appreciated the Amended Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS).
Key Information shared
• Domestic textile and apparel industry contributes 2.3% to India’s GDP.
• Textile sector is the second-largest employer and provides direct employment to about 45
million people.
• The global market for technical textiles is expected to reach USD 220 billion by 2022.
• India’s share in global textile exports - 6 per cent and contributes about 12% in our export
earnings.
• India is the largest producer of cotton and jute and the second-largest producer of Man-
made fibres and silk globally.
2.22 Secretary Ministry of Women and Child Development chairs a Webinar on Menstrual
Hygiene
• Recently, Secretary Ministry of Women and Child Development chaired a webinar on
Menstrual Hygiene organised by Ministry of Women and Child Development as part of
National Girl Child Week.
About National Girl Child Week
• Celebrated from – 21st January to 26th January, 2021.
• Objective of National Girl Child Day – To raise awareness on the issue of declining Child
Sex Ratio (CSR).
• Madhya Pradesh has celebrated National Girl Child Day with the theme of "Aware girl
child, Able Madhya Pradesh."
• Punjab has announced January 2021 as the month of the girl child and launched Dheeiyan
Di Lohri scheme.
2.23 Govt launches campaign to fight Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation
• Recently, Government has launched an Information Education and communication (IEC)
campaign to fight Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
• It has informed that Co-WIN platform app and portal has been enhanced to drive the
coronavirus immunisation programme in India for ensuring smooth vaccination and safety
of beneficiaries.
2.24 Union Health Minister inaugurates the 7th Edition of MASCRADE 2021 organized by FICCI
• Recently, Union minister of Health and Family Welfare has inaugurated 7 th edition of
“MASCRADE (Movement Against Smuggled & Counterfeit Trade) 2021.”
• Organised by - FICCI Cascade.
• Aim – To foster a healthy discussion on newer and practical strategies to mitigate the
challenges of counterfeiting and smuggling especially in a post COVID era.
Important Steps taken by ministry to check menace of spurious drugs
• The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 was amended under Drugs & Cosmetics Amendment
Act 2008 under which if any drug is deemed to be adulterated or spurious, then the
offender or liable person may face imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than
ten years but which may extend to imprisonment for life.
2.25 We Hub, i-Hub ink MoU

[Gender Issue]
• Recently, WE Hub has partnered with Gujarat government’s i-Hub to enable and support
women startups.
• It has expected to initiate a pre-incubation programme for 240 women entrepreneurs in
Fintech, Edtech, and Medtech.
About We Hub
• It is Telangana’s incubator to promote women entrepreneurship.
2.26 Task force on age of marriage for women “submitted report to PMO”
[Gender Issue]
• Recently, Task force on age of marriage for women has submitted its report to Prime
Minister’s Office.
About the Task Force
• It was set up in June 2020.
• Headed by - Ms. Jaya Jaitley
• It will suggest suitable legislations and/or amendments in existing laws to support its
recommendations; and also work out a detailed roll-out plan with timelines to implement
these recommendations.
Terms of Reference of the Task Force
• To examine the correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with (a) health, medical
wellbeing and nutritional status of mother and neonate/infant/child, during pregnancy,
birth and thereafter, (b) key parameters like Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal
Mortality Rate (MMR), Total Fertility Rate (TFR), Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB), Child Sex Ratio
(CSR) etc. and (c) any other relevant points pertaining to health and nutrition in this
context.
• To suggest measures for promoting higher education among women.
• To suggest suitable legislative instruments and/or amendments in existing laws to support
the
• recommendations of the Task Force.
• To work out a detailed roll-out plan with timelines to implement the recommendations of
the Task Force
Relevance
• Union Finance Minister in her budget speech of 2020 has proposed a panel on the “age of
a girl entering motherhood” to lower maternal mortality rates and improve nutrition
levels.
2.27 Madhya Pradesh takes the lead in undertaking Power Sector reforms
• Recently, Ministry of Finance has informed that Madhya Pradesh has successfully
implemented one out of the three stipulated reforms in the power sector.
• It has framed a DBT Scheme for agricultural consumers in the State and implemented it in
Vidisha District.
• It has made the state eligible to mobilise additional financial resources equivalent to 0.15
percent of its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and to mobilise additional financial
resources of Rs. 1,423 crore through Open Market Borrowings.
Relevance
• The Power Sector reforms sitpulated by the Ministry of Finance aim at creating a
transparent and hassle free provision of power subsidy to farmers and prevent leakages.
• As per the guidelines issued by the Department of Expenditure, the States undertaking
reforms in power sector are granted permission to raise additional financial resources
of up to 0.25 percent of the GSDP.
• It is linked to a set of 3 reforms in the sector:
o 0.05 % of GSDP for reduction in Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses in the State
as per prescribed targets.
o Another, 0.05 % of GSDP is allowed for reduction in the gap between Average Cost of
Supply and Average Revenue Realisation (ACS-ARR gap) in the State as per prescribed
targets.
o Finally, 0.15 % of GSDP of the State on introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to
all farmers in the State in lieu of free/ subsidised electricity. For this, the State
government has to frame a Scheme for transfer of cash and implement the Scheme in
at least one district by 31st December, 2020.
• Note: At present 14 States have carried out at least one of the four stipulated reforms and
have been granted reform linked borrowing permissions. Out of these, 11 States have
implemented the One Nation One Ration Card System, 8 States have done ease of doing
business reforms, 4 States have done local body reforms and Madhya Pradesh has
implemented power sector reforms.
2.28 Karnataka CM Yediyurappa launches Avalokana software

[Human Development]
• Recently, Karnataka, Chief Minister has 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 them.
• It is a transparent e-governance tool that will provide Assembly constituency-wise release
of Government grants and allocations under different development programmes.
• It provides focused eye view on Sustainable Development goals, Scheduled Caste Sub-
Plan, Tribal Sub-plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
• He has also unveiled Karnataka statistics on Development programmes for the year 2019-
20.
2.29 Ministry of Railways rolls out a new iron ore policy governing allocation of rakes and
transportation of iron ore
• Recently, Ministry of Railways has rolled out a new iron ore policy governing allocation
of rakes and transportation of iron ore.
• It has been named as ‘Iron-ore Policy 2021’ and shall come into effect from 10th Feb 2021.
Key Highlights
• The provisions of the new policy will be updated in the rake allotment system module by
the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).
• Scrutiny of documentation by Railways has been removed.
• Executive Director Rake Movement of Railway Board (EDRM) office, Kolkata which has
been sanctioning programmes for movement of iron-ore traffic will have no regulatory
role in the new policy.
• Customers now desirous of moving their traffic under any priority will have to give (an)
undertaking that they have procured, transported and utilized materials as per rules and
regulations of Central and State Governments.
• Higher priority will be given to the movement of iron-ore traffic for domestic
manufacturing activity.
• Old and new plants will be treated similarly as far as allotment and loading of rakes is
concerned.
2.30 Question Hour to resume during Budget session

• Recently, Speaker of Lok Sabha has informed that Question Hour, which had been
suspended by the government during the monsoon session, will resume when
Parliament meets for the budget session.
About Question Hours
• The first hour of every parliamentary sitting is slotted for the Question Hour.
• During this one hour, Members of Parliament (MPs) ask questions to ministers and hold
them accountable for the functioning of their ministries.
• The questions can also be asked to the private members (MPs who are not ministers).
2.31 MoFPI inaugurates India’s First ever Virtual Expo 2021 for R&D in Processed Food Sector
• Recently, the MoS, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has inaugurated the First
Virtual Expo 2021 for Research and Development (R&D) in processed food sector.
• He also launched R&D Portal for Research Projects in Food Processing Sector, featuring
about 200 research projects.
• Event Partner: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
Key Highlights:
• Expo organized to showcase the R&D outcomes of premier Food Technology Institutions
of India such as National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and
Management (NIFTEM), Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), CSIR -
Central Food Technological Research Institute ( CSIR - CFTRI), Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Institute of Technology (IITs).
• Focus Areas: R&D projects from categories like Novel Food Products, Innovations in Food
Engineering, Food Safety & Quality Evaluations, Food Packaging Solutions & Food Industry
Waste Utilization.
2.32 Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs praises RERA
• Recently, the MoS, I/C, Housing and Urban Affairs, has stated that the history of real
estate sector and Urban India will be remembered in two phases namely (Pre- Real
Estate Regulation and Development Act) RERA and Post-RERA.
Key Highlights:
• 34 States/ UT’s notified rules under RERA so far.
• 30 States/ UT’s set up Real Estate Regulatory Authorities & 26 States/ UT’s set up
Appellate Tribunals.
• Operationalization of web-portal for project information, done by 26 Regulatory
Authorities.
• 60,000 real estate projects and 45,723 real estate agents registered with the Regulatory
Authorities.
• 22 independent judicial officers appointed to redress consumer disputes, as a fast-track
mechanism, where 59,649 complaints have been disposed-off till date.
About RERA 2016:
• Enacted in 2016 and came into full force from May 2017.
• The regulator of real estate sector in India.
2.33 POWERGRID signs agreement with HP government to improve telecom connectivity

• Recently, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) and Himachal Pradesh
State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEBL) have signed an agreement in Shimla, to utilize 500
Kms of optical ground wire (OPGW) Telecom network.
• This is in addition to the existing 350 Kms of OPGW already being used in Himachal
Pradesh.
• Aim: To improve telecom connectivity in hilly areas by providing uninterrupted
mobile/Internet services.
Key Highlights:
• The total 850 Kms long telecom network will enable POWERGRID Telecom to reach
remote areas of Himachal Pradesh.
Background:
• POWERGRID - a ‘Maharatna’ CPSE under Ministry of Power is the Central Transmission
Utility (CTU) of India
• Created over 67,500 km of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) network in India and provided the
domestic leg of International Connectivity to Bhutan and Nepal.
2.34 Kalira Atita screened in 51st IFFI,Goa

• Recently, Kalira Atita (Yesterday’s Past), an Odia Film, about the emotional impact of
climate change in Coastal Odisha has been screened at the 51th International Film
Festival of India, Goa under the Panorama Section.
Key Highlights:
• Film Director: Nila Madhab Panda.
• The film talks about a lone man named Gunu, travelling back to his devastated Satavaya
Village.
2.35 PM releases financial assistance in UP under PMAY-G

[Urbanization]
• Recently, the Prime Minister has released financial assistance to over 6 lakh beneficiaries
in Uttar Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin.
• More than Rs 2600 crores to be credited to the beneficiaries bank accounts.
• Out of 2 crore housing units constructed in rural areas during recent years, PMAY
accounted for 1.25 crore units with central government’s contribution- about Rs 1.5 lakh
crores.
• In Uttar Pradesh 22 lakh Garmin Awas to be constructed, 21.5 lakhs-approved for
construction and 14.5 lakh families delivered with the house.
• PM Swamitva Yojana - Over in 8.5 thousand villages in UP, people are getting digital
certificates after the survey conducted using drones, locally called ‘Gharoni’, where 51
thousand certificates already distributed.
• UP is ranked first in the country by generating 10 crore mandays of employment through
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan
• Other Schemes Highlighted by PM – Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY),
Ayushman Bharat, National Nutrition Mission, UJALA scheme, One District One Product
(ODOP)
About ODOP:
• Launched in January 2018 by UP Government
• Aim: to encourage visibility and sale of indigenous and specialized products/crafts of Uttar
Pradesh, generating employment at district level.
2.36 Ministry of Commerce and Industry launches Regulatory Compliance Portal

[Social Justice]
• Recently, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry
of Commerce and Industry, has launched Regulatory Compliance Portal.
• It will also act as a first-of-its-kind central online repository of all Central and State-level
compliances.
• Aim: to act as a bridge between citizens, industries and the Government in order to
minimize burdensome compliances.
Key Highlights:
• Central Ministries/Departments and States/UTs will implement an action plan by
simplifying and removing the complex compliances, decriminalize laws and repeal
redundant acts.
• Industry stakeholders from Trade bodies would also be able to submit compliances and
proposed recommendations.
• Cabinet Secretary would have real-time comprehensive view of all compliances and
status of all the requests.
Background:
• DPIIT, appointed as the nodal agency by Cabinet Secretary to coordinate the exercise of
minimizing regulatory compliance burden for citizens and businesses.
• Because of Indian Government’s reforms, India ranked 63 in the World Bank’s Ease of
Doing Business Report 2019, as compared to 142 in 2014.
2.37 Ministry of Commerce and Industry launches 1st National Conference of States on
Logistics
• Recently, the Department of Commerce has organized the 1st National Conference of
States on Logistics.
• Objective: to initiate a consultative and collaborative framework for the Central and
State Governments to work in a coordinated manner in the logistic sector.
Key Highlights:
• National Logistic Policy - template for coordination and integrated development in
logistics sector
• 18 Point Agenda presented to improve the logistics.
• Thrust areas for logistics improvements in the States - city logistics, simplification of
approvals for warehouses, facilitation for warehousing development, reducing burden
on truck movement and addressing shortage of truck drivers.
• Logistics Division, Ministry of Commerce & Industry to work with Smart Cities Mission,
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to focus on 50 cities for logistics planning initially.
• Logistics consists of 5R's: Getting the Right product - In the Right condition - At the Right
place - At the Right time - To the Right customer.
About National Logistics Policy:
• Proposed in 2019, by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• Target: To reduce the logistics cost from the present 14% of Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) to less than 10% by 2022.
2.38 India announces supply of Covid-19 vaccines to six countries

• Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs has announced India has supplied Covid-19
vaccines to 6 countries viz, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and
Seychelles under grant assistance.
• Vaccines are also going to supplied Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius after
confirmation of regulatory clearances.
Relevance:
• Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and the
Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech are the two vaccines rolled out under massive
Covid-19 vaccination drive to frontline health workers.
2.39 Prime Minister announces Rs 1000 crore ‘Startup India Seed Fund’
• Recently, the Prime Minister of India has addressed the 'Prarambh: Startup India
International Summit' and announced the launch of Rs. 1,000-crore 'Startup India Seed
Fund' to provide initial capital for startups.
• 'Prarambh: Startup India International Summit', organized by Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) marks the 5th anniversary of the launch
of Start Up India in 2016.
• India - world's third largest startup ecosystem, after USA and China
• 11 startups entered unicorn club in 2020, with over 30 startups valued at over $1 billion.
• Out of the 41,000 Startups in India, 44% are officially recognized.
• At present there are, over 5700 startups in information technology (IT), 3600 startups
in healthcare and over 1700 agriculture-related startups.
Note: Startup India discussed in December 2020 Magazine.
2.40 Tribal families get house sites under Illa Pattalu scheme
[Urbanization and Migration]
• Recently, 41 Yanadi families of Chindepalli tribal hamlet near Tirupati secured
residential plots under the Andhra Pradesh Governments flagship scheme ‘Jagananna
Illa Pattalu’, with the support from SOS Children’s Villages of India, a child care Non-
Government Organization.
About Jagananna Illa Pattalu Scheme:
Launch Year December 2020
Implemented by Government of Andhra Pradesh
Budget Rs 50,940 crores
Objective To provide house plots for the below poverty line families
2.41 Government utilizes Rapid Assessment System for processing feedback on Covid
Vaccination
• Recently, the Government of India has started using ‘Rapid Assessment System (RAS)’,
for taking feedback from the vaccinated public under the Covid Vaccination Drive.
• Aim – to improve vaccination experience for citizens, while ensuring that all norms are
being followed in all the vaccination centres
Key Highlights
• Registered mobile numbers and names of those vaccinated on a day are sent to RAS
system by Co-WIN platform to get feedback.
• Around 6.2 lakh SMSs already sent using RAS Platform under the ID “GOVRAS” to all
those who have been vaccinated in a short span of 4 days.
• In case of no feedback from user within 24 hours, an outbound call is made from “1921”
seeking feedback.
About RAS:
• Developed by National e-Governance Division, Ministry of Electronics & Information
technology, for online instant feedback of e-services provided by Centre/State
governments.
Note: Co-Win platform discussed in December 2020 Magazine.
2.42 24th “Hunar Haat” organized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs

• Recently, the 24th “Hunar Haat’ has been organized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs
at Avadh Shilpgram, Lucknow (UP) from 22nd January to 4th February, 2021.
• Theme of 24th Hunar Haat : Vocal for Local
• Various Cultural Programmes to be organized with the theme – “AatmaNirbhar Bharat’’.
2.43 Ministry of Tribal Affairs Launches “Shramshakti” Digital Data Solution for Migrant
Workers
[Human Development]
• Recently, the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs has virtually launched “ShramShakti”, a
National Migration Support Portal at Panjim, Goa, for smooth formulation of state and
national level programs for migrant workers.
• He also launched a tribal migration cell, a tribal museum at Goa and “ShramSaathi”-
training manual for migrant workers.
• In the same event, the Chief Minister of Goa has also launched dedicated Migration cell
in Goa to facilitate and support migrants who come from different States to Goa.
Key Highlights:
• ShramShakti - will address the data gap and empower migrant workers in search of
employment and income generation; also help the government for linking the migrant
population with existing Welfare Scheme- under Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• ShramSaathi- creates awareness among migrant workers about their rights,
entitlements and ways to access services and social security in source and destination
areas.
• Goa - first destination state of India to set up dedicated migration cell.
2.44 Amazon India launches accelerator programme to boost e-com exports

[Globalization]
• Recently, Amazon India has launched an accelerator programme called The Amazon
Global Selling Propel (AGSP) programme to provide financial assistance and
mentorship to early-stage startups in the consumer products segment to go global,
through Amazons Global Selling Programme
• Partners of the Programme – Startup India, Invest India.
Key Highlights:
• The six-week 1:1 module will shortlist 10 startups
• Amazon constituted a mentorship board consisting of Amazon leaders from India and
across the world, Venture Capitalists (VCs) and senior leaders from Startup India.
• The shortlisted startups to showcase about their business ideas to partner firms
Sequoia Capital India and Fireside Ventures
• Amazon India will provide an equity free grant of $50,000 to 3 winners.
About Amazons Global Selling Programme:
• Launched in 2015, at present there are more than 70,000 Indian exporters selling 'Made
in India' products through its 15 websites to various foreign nations
• In 2019, more than 800 Indian MSMEs on the programme surpassed $131,375 (Rs 1
crore) in e-commerce exports sales and in July 2020, the programme hit $2 billion mark.
• Target: enabling $10 billion in e-commerce exports from India by 2025.
Note: Invest India discussed in December 2020 Magazine.
2.45 YES Bank launches collateral free loans up to Rs 5 crores for MSMEs
• Recently, YES Bank has launched ‘YES MSME’ initiative to facilitate "speedy and easy
access to funds" to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sectors.
Key Features of YES MSME:
• YES Spark- collateral-free funding up to Rs 5 crore for start-ups.
• YES BizConnect - collaborative solutions to build strong market linkages involving over
700 industry associations.
About YES Bank:
• Head office- Mumbai
• MD & CEO- Prashant Kumar
2.46 Lucknow Police to install smart cameras in public places to help women in distress
[Gender Issues]
• Recently, the Lucknow Police has made an announcement to setup smart cameras with
facial recognition technology in public places to help women in distress.
Key Highlights:
• Five AI-operated (Artificial Intelligence) cameras will be installed at each of the 200
‘hotspots’ areas identified by the police in Lucknow city, UP.
• Cameras would be set to react to 40-45 different eventualities and possibilities.
• Cameras would read the facial expression of women in distress and will alert the nearest
UP 112 [emergency dial service] vehicle, automatically.
3 GA + Finance in news - for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr

A/SEBI Gr A
3.1 RBI withdraws 3 circulars on excess pension recovery after discovering anomalies
• Recently, Reserve Bank has withdrawn three circulars concerning rules regarding
recovery of excess or wrong pensions.
• It has also informed banks to seek guidance from respective pension sanctioning
authorities regarding the process to be followed for recovery of excess pension paid to
the pensioners.
3.2 RBI moots scale-based tighter regulatory framework for NBFCs

• Recently, RBI has released a discussion paper on Revised Regulatory Framework for
NBFCs to segregate larger entities and expose them to a stricter set of “bank-like” rules.
Key Highlights
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has suggested a tougher regulatory framework for the non-
banking finance companies’ (NBFC) sector to prevent recurrence of any systemic risk to
the India’s financial system.
• It has suggested four-tier pyramid structure for the sector
o Base layer (NBFC-BL) –
✓ NBFCs with an asset size of up to Rs 1,000 crore, accommodating more than 95
per cent of the non-deposit taking shadow lenders.
✓ It will comprise non-deposit taking NBFCs.
o Middle layer (NBFC-ML) –
✓ Regulations will be stricter.
✓ It will be populated by non-deposit taking but systemically important NBFCs,
deposit taking NBFCs, housing finance companies, and others.
o Upper layer (NBFC-UL) –
✓ 25-30 NBFCs can be accommodated which will have bank-like regulations as they
have swelled in their sizes and become the largest set of borrowers from the
financial system with deep interconnectedness, which can threaten financial
stability.
✓ The layer will be populated by NBFCs that have large potential for a systemic
spillover of risks and have the ability to impact financial stability.
o Top layer - NBFCs that will be subjected to the regulations proposed specifically for
them. The layer will essentially be of those NBFCs in the upper layer that can pose
extreme risks. Thus, they must be put to significantly higher and bespoke
regulatory/supervisory requirements.
3.3 BSE launches StAR MF Plus to connect with distributors, AMC, clients
• Recently, BSE has announced the launch of “StAR MF Plus” a premium platform with key
features for distributors and their clients.
• It will offer complete front office, order management, analytics, back office and business
support solutions.
• It would be a complete solution for distributors, enables client onboarding as well as e-KYC
and provides customer portfolio management.
• It has also been able to provide comfort to investors along with convenience, safety, speed
and certainty in execution.
3.4 Finance ministry looks at BIC model after RBI raises concern over zero coupon bonds for PSBs
recap
• Recently, Finance Ministry has examined setting up of a Bank Investment Company (BIC) as
other avenues for affordable capital infusion.
• P J Nayak Committee in its report on 'Governance of Boards of Banks in India' has suggested
setting up BIC as a holding company or a core investment company.
• Key Recommendations
o Transfer shares of the government in the banks to the BIC which would become the parent
holding company of all these banks, as a result all the PSBs would become 'limited' banks.
o BIC will be autonomous and it will have the power to appoint the board of directors and
make other policy decisions about subsidiaries.
o It would also look at alternative ways of raising capital such as the sale of non-voting
shares in a bid to garner affordable capital.
Benefit
• The dependence of PSBs on government support would also come down and ease fiscal
pressure.
Other Steps taken by bank for recapitalization of banks
• Parliament in September 2020 had approved Rs 20,000 crore to be made available for the
recapitalisation of PSBs. Out of the total, Rs 5,500 crore has been issued to Punjab & Sind
Bank.
• These special securities with tenure of 10-15 years are non-interest bearing and valued at par.
Concerns raised by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over zero-coupon bonds for the recapitalisation of
PSBs
• Calculation of an effective capital infusion as the instrument issued at par.
• Difficult to ascertain net present value – These bonds are usually non-interest bearing but
issued at a deep discount to the face value.
• Investment would not earn any return but rather depreciate with each passing year - As
these special bonds are non-interest bearing and issued at par to a bank, it would be an
investment which would not earn any return but rather depreciate with each passing year.
Why there is a need of Reform?
• Mounting capital requirement owing to rising NPAs
3.5 Forex reserves reach $585 billion

• According to recent data released by RBI, India’s foreign exchange reserves has increased by
1091 million and reached to USD 585.334 billion in the week ended 29th Jan 2021.
• Foreign currency assets have increased by 685 million and reached to USD 542.192 billion.
3.6 India Exim Bank, SBI list foreign currency bonds on INX
• Recently, Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) and State Bank of India have listed
their foreign currency bonds aggregating USD 1 billion and USD 600 million on the India
International Exchange (India INX).
• The bonds have been listed under Global Medium Term Note Programme.
3.7 ‘SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank will continue to be D-SIBs’
[Monetary Policy]
• Recently, RBI has announced that State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank will
continue to be identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs).
About D-SIBs
• According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), some banks become systemically important due
to their size, cross-jurisdictional activities, complexity and lack of substitute and
interconnection. Banks whose assets exceed 2% of GDP are considered part of this group.
• Presently, the State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank have been identified as
DSIBs in India.
o For SBI, the additional CET 1 requirement has been prescribed at 0.60 per cent of its
RWAs.
o In the case of ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, the additional Common Equity Tier 1
requirement as a percentage of Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) requirement has been
prescribed at 0.20 per cent of their respective RWAs.
3.8 India within striking distance of attaining positive growth: RBI

[RBI Circulars]
• According to RBI’s article on the 'state of economy' India's GDP is within the striking distance
of attaining positive growth.
Key Highlights
• 2021 has commenced with countries across the world in a massive vaccination drive.
• In India, recent shifts in the macroeconomic landscape have brightened the outlook, with GDP
in striking distance of attaining positive territory and inflation easing closer to the target.
• Consumer confidence is expected to improve from January 2021 and will reach its peak by July
2021.
• Government’s gross fiscal deficit to GDP ratio is likely to moderate to 10.4%.
3.9 The arguments for and against a bad bank

[Monetary Policy]
• Recently, RBI governor has agreed to look at the proposal for the creation of a bad bank.
Important Proposals for Setting up bad Bank
• Sunil Mehta panel of Indian Bank’s Association has proposed a company, Sashakt India Asset
Management, for resolving large bad loans.
What are Bad Banks?
• A bad bank is an asset reconstruction company (ARC) or an asset management company that
takes over the bad loans of commercial banks, manages them and finally recovers the money
over a period of time.
• Funding – initially by the government, with banks and other investors co-investing in due
course.
• It is not involved in lending and taking deposits, but helps commercial banks clean up their
balance sheets and resolve bad loans for faster resolution of stressed assets in public sector
banks.
• The takeover of bad loans is normally below the book value of the loan (provides certain
margin to ARC). The bad bank subsequently tries to recover as much as possible using its
expertise in stressed asset resolution.
Why we need a bad Bank?
• According to Financial Stability Report that the gross NPAs of the banking sector are
expected to shoot up to 13.5% of advances by September 2021, from 7.5% in September
2020 and may escalate to 14.8% if the macroeconomic environment worsens into a severe
stress scenario.
o NPA ratio of PSU banks may increase to 16.2% by September 2021 which was 9.7% in
September 2020.
• According to K V Kamath Committee, corporate sector debt worth Rs 15.52 lakh crore has
come under stress after Covid-19 hit India, while another Rs 22.20 lakh crore was already
under stress before the pandemic.
o This effectively means Rs 37.72 crore (72% of the banking sector debt to industry) remains
under stress which is almost 37% of the total non-food bank credit.
RBI’s stand on Bad Banks
• Viral Acharya as RBI Deputy Governor had suggested two models to solve the problem of
stressed assets.
o Private asset management company (PAMC), which is said to be suitable for stressed
sectors where the assets are likely to have an economic value in the short run, with
moderate levels of debt forgiveness.
o National Asset Management Company (NAMC) - which would be necessary for sectors
where the problem is not just one of excess capacity but possibly also of economically
unviable assets in the short to medium terms.
Benefits of Bad Banks
• Banks’ Burden is Reduced: The burden of recovering those loans is reduced for other banks.
• Specialisation leads to faster recovery: Speed of recovery will be better as Bad Bank’s main
work is recovery and they are specialised in that.
• Positive Impact on Financial Sector: Bad Bank will help improve the banking sector’s health
and fasten the recovery aspects of ailing by putting back frozen assets back into economic
circulation.
• Increased Profitability of Banks: Bad Bank increases profitability of other banks as they can
focus more on lending, acquiring more customers and upgrading technology without spending
too much time on recovery or resolution of bad loans
• Feasibility: Bad banks can make profits as they usually keep high margin before acquiring the
bad loans. The concept of Bad Bank has been implemented in other countries including
Sweden, Finland, France and Germany.
Demerits of Bad Bank
• Shifting of Problem: According to former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan bad bank idea as
merely shifting loans from one government pocket (the public sector banks) to another (the
bad bank).
• Reckless Lending: Banks may not concentrate on the quality of loans as they always have an
option of shifting bad loans to ARC/ Bad Bank which leads to doling out loans without proper
diligence leading to reckless lending.
• Efficacy Debate: Bad banks may not acquire critical loans which are difficult to recover and
only concentrate on easily recoverable loans. As a result, troubled Commercial banks continue
to face the issue of bad loans which leads to a fear that it end up as another case of throwing
good money after bad.
• Profitability of Banks: High margin of Bad banks may curtail the profits of other banks which
can in turn impact their lending capabilities.
• Moral Issues: Due to pressure bad banks may employ some unethical ways to recover loan or
may not show the actual position of loan accounts by doing window dressing.
Conclusion
• Banks and other financial institutions are the key drivers of economic growth. However, many
borrowers may find it difficult to service their loans, requiring lenders to set aside capital to
cover those losses. A bad bank can free them up to start lending. However, adequate measures
need to be put in place so as to overcome the pitfalls of bad bank
• Note: US-based Mellon Bank created the first bad bank in 1988.
3.10 SC upholds IBC’s Section 32A

• Recently, Supreme Court has upheld the validity of Section 32 A of Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
What is Section 32A of IBC?
• In cases involving property of a corporate debtor, Section 32A covers any action involving
attachment, seizure, retention, or confiscation of the property of the corporate debtor as a
result of such Proceedings.
• It provides immunity to the corporate debtor and its property when there is the approval of
the resolution plan resulting in the change of management of control of the corporate debtor.
• It is subjected to the successful resolution applicant being not involved in the commission of
the offense.
Reason for upholding the Section
• Implementation of resolution plan of several big ticket cases has been delayed because of
various challenges mounted by its own agencies and regulators.
• For example, a debt-laden company, admitted into insolvency in 2017, owes more than Rs
47,000 crore to banks and other financial institutions.
• After a prolonged bidding battle, another won the rights to take over it with a bid of Rs 19,700
crore.
• However, before it could move to take over, the ED/SEBI swooped in, and attached assets
worth Rs 4,000 crore citing alleged fraud in a bank loan under the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act (PMLA).
Supreme Court Judgement
• According to the Judgement, successful bidders for a corporate debtor under the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) would be immune from any investigations being conducted
either by any investigating agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or other
statutory bodies such as Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• It has also informed that immunity would be applicable only if there is an approved resolution
plan, and a change in the management control of the corporate debtor.
• It has said that it was important for the IBC to attract bidders who would offer reasonable and
fair value for the corporate debtor to ensure the timely completion of the corporate
insolvency resolution process (CIRP).
• Such bidders, must also be granted protection from any misdeeds of the past since they had
nothing to do with it.
• The protection must also be extended to the assets of a corporate debtor which will help banks
clean up their books of bad loans.
3.11 SBI executes money market deals linked to SOFR

• Recently, the State Bank of India (SBI) has executed two inter-bank short term money market
deals with pricing linked to SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate).
• The deal was executed by SBI through its Hong Kong branch.
• SOFR is an identified replacement for USD (US Dollar) LIBOR (London InterBank Offered Rate),
which is expected to be phased out at the end of 2021.
About London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR)-
• It is a benchmark interest rate at which major global banks lend to one another in the
international interbank market for short-term loans.
• The rate is calculated and will continue to be published each day by the Intercontinental
Exchange (ICE).
About Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR)-
• It is a benchmark interest rate for dollar-denominated derivatives and loans.
• It is based on transactions in the Treasury repurchase market, where investors offer banks
overnight loans backed by their bond assets.
• It was launched by the New York Federal Reserve in 2018.
3.12 1st Consultative meeting held on Asset Monetization

• The first consultative meeting on asset monetization has taken place recently.
• Organized by- Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) in
partnership with World Bank.
• Asset monetization is a stated objective of the Government of India and DIPAM is mandated
to facilitate monetization of non-core public assets.
Background-
• Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) had signed an agreement
with World Bank to provide advisory services to the government for asset monetisation.
• The agreement aims to analyze public asset monetization in India and benchmarking its
institutional and business models against international best practices.
About Asset monetization- It involves creation of new sources of revenue by unlocking of value of
hitherto unutilized or underutilized public assets.
3.13 Finance Ministry releases 12th weekly instalment of Rs. 6,000 crore to the States
[GST]
• Recently, the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure has released the 12th weekly
instalment of Rs. 6,000 crore to the States to meet the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
compensation shortfall.
• Out of this, an amount of Rs. 5,516.60 crore has been released to 23 States and an amount of
Rs. 483.40 crore has been released to the 3 Union Territories (UT) with Legislative Assembly
(Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir & Puducherry).
• Remaining 5 States, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim do not have
a gap in revenue on account of GST implementation.
• This amount has been borrowed at an interest rate of 4.4315%.
• So far, an amount of Rs.72,000 crore has been borrowed by the Central Government through
the special borrowing window at an average interest rate of 4.7024%.
Background-
• Government of India had set up a special borrowing window in October, 2020 to meet the
estimated shortfall of Rs.1.10 Lakh crore in revenue arising on account of implementation of
GST.
• The borrowings are being done through this window by the Government of India on behalf of
the States and UTs.
3.14 HDFC Bank submits blueprint on plugging e-banking outages

[Recent Development in financial Sectors]
• Recently, private sector lender HDFC Bank has submitted a detailed plan of action to the
Reserve Bank of India to address repeated service disruption issues due to outage.
Background-
• In year 2020, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) temporarily barred HDFC Bank from launching new
digital banking initiatives and issuing new credit cards after taking a serious view of service
outages at the lender over the last two years.
3.15 T-bill rates moves up at the treasury bills auction

[Monetary Policy]
• Interest rates on short-term government borrowings inched up at the treasury bills auction
held recently.
• Recent changes in yield on treasure bills-
o Cut-off yield on the 91-day T-bill increased from 3.28% to 3.32%
• Weighted average call money rate rose to 3.45%, closer to the 3.35-4.0% interest rate
corridor.
About Treasury Bills-
• They are short term debt instruments issued by the Government of India and are presently
issued in three tenors, namely, 91 day, 182 day and 364 day.
• They are zero coupon securities and pay no interest.
• They are issued at a discount and redeemed at the face value at maturity.
1|P a g e QU E R Y ? H E L L O @ E D U T AP . CO . I N / 81 46 2 07 24 1
Contents
National News....................................................................................................................................................... 6
1.1 Ministry of Culture celebrates 125th Birth Anniversary of Subhas Bose ................................................... 6
1.2 Land allotted to landless indigenous people in Sivasagar, Assam ............................................................ 6
1.3 IFFI organizes screening of film based on Subhas Bose on his 125th Birth Anniversary ............................. 6
1.4 A Webinar on Subhas Chandra Bose under Ministry of Tourism’s Dekho Apna Desh Series ..................... 6
1.5 Ministry of Tourism organized Bharat Parv 2021 .................................................................................... 6
1.6 NISCI celebrated its 25 years of establishment........................................................................................ 6
1.7 125th anniversary celebrations of Prabuddha Bharata, a monthly journal ............................................... 7
1.8 Jat Regimental Centre and Delhi Police adjudged best marching contingent ........................................... 7
1.9 A marching contingent band of Bangladesh participated in Republic Day Parade .................................... 7
1.10 Union Government to establish a Virtual University ............................................................................... 7
1.11 Himachal Pradesh celebrates Statehood Day .......................................................................................... 7
1.12 CCI approves acquisition of Indo Gulf Fertilisers by Indorama India Private Limited ................................ 7
1.13 Union finance ministry launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App'............................................................ 7
1.14 India signs Strategic Partnership Agreement with IEA ............................................................................. 7
1.15 Textiles Committee signs MoU to boost export of Textile and Apparel to Japanese market .................... 8
1.16 Commercial flight services between Delhi to Sikkim commences ............................................................ 8
1.17 CSIR Signs MoU for S&T-led Development of Union Territory of Ladakh ................................................. 8
1.18 FM Nirmala Sitharaman's team behind Union Budget 2021 .................................................................... 8
1.19 SAIL to set up India's first gas to ethanol plant ........................................................................................ 8
1.20 Bharti AXA General Insurance launches 'Krishi Sakha' App ...................................................................... 8
1.21 UP to have 2 airstrips on expressways for landing & take-off of fighter planes ........................................ 9
1.22 AMU to bury time capsule containing its history & achievements ........................................................... 9
1.23 Karnataka becomes 1st state to vaccinate over 2 lakh healthcare workers against COVID-19 ................. 9
1.24 India began commercial exports of COVID-19 vaccines ........................................................................... 9
International News ............................................................................................................................................... 9
1.25 Sri Lanka appoints 3-member panel to probe findings of former war commissions ................................. 9
1.26 UNGA adopted resolution to promote tolerance to safeguard religious sites .......................................... 9
1.27 Great Green Wall Initiative ................................................................................................................... 10
1.28 UAE amended its Nationality law and permitted dual citizenship .......................................................... 10
1.29 Nepal awarded a hydropower project to India’s SJVN ........................................................................... 10
1.30 New START got a five year extension .................................................................................................... 10
1.31 Bangladesh sent a third group of Rohingya refugees to a new island in Bay of Bengal........................... 10
1.32 Sandro Botticelli portrait sold for Rs. 6,722 million at an auction .......................................................... 10
1.33 Western Spain set to get Europe's largest solar power plant................................................................. 10
1.34 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli removed from Nepal's ruling party ......................................................... 11
1.35 19th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) ........................................................................................ 11
Appointments ..................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.36 Jayati Ghosh appointed by United Nations to a high-level advisory board............................................. 11
1.37 J K Shivan appointed as MD & CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank ......................................................................... 11
Persons in News .................................................................................................................................................. 11
1.38 Siddhartha Mohanty takes charge as MD of LIC .................................................................................... 11
1.39 Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to serve 2nd term as Portugal’s President ...................................................... 11
1.40 U P Singh Assumes Charge of Secretary in Textiles Ministry .................................................................. 12
1.41 Janet Yellen named as first woman treasury secretary of US................................................................. 12
1.42 Surgeon Vice Admiral Naveen Chawla takes over as DG Medical Services (Navy) .................................. 12
1.43 Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman passes away ............................................................................ 12
1.44 Nagaland chief secretary Temjen Toy passes away ............................................................................... 12
1.45 Popular television host Larry King passes away ..................................................................................... 12
1.46 Justice Sunil Kumar Awasthi resigns from office of Judge of MP High Court .......................................... 12
1.47 Surgeon Rear Admiral Arti Sarin assumed command of INHS Asvini ...................................................... 12
1.48 Kaja Kallas becomes Prime Minister of Estonia ..................................................................................... 12
1.49 Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen passes away ............................................................................................. 12
Science and Technology ...................................................................................................................................... 13
1.50 SpaceX launches 143 satellites on single rocket .................................................................................... 13
Environment ....................................................................................................................................................... 13
1.51 Two new species of rare ant genus found in Kerala and Tamil Nadu ..................................................... 13
1.52 CSIR-CMERI launched the Aqua Rejuvenation Plant .............................................................................. 13
1.53 Turkey Experiences Intense Drought..................................................................................................... 13
1.54 Indonesia's most active volcano Mt Merapi erupts ............................................................................... 13
Days in News ....................................................................................................................................................... 14
1.55 International Customs Day: 26th January ............................................................................................... 14
1.56 International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust ................................ 14
1.57 National Tourism Day: 25th January ...................................................................................................... 14
1.58 Nehru Yuva Kendra celebrates “Martyrs' Day” ...................................................................................... 14
1.59 Indian Coast Guard to celebrate 45th Raising Day ................................................................................. 14
1.60 World Leprosy Day: 31st January ........................................................................................................... 14
Defence in News ................................................................................................................................................. 14
1.61 India successfully test-fires new-generation Akash missile .................................................................... 14
1.62 Vice President inaugurates Integrated Weapons System Design Centre ................................................ 15
1.63 BSF launches operation ‘Sard Hawa’ ..................................................................................................... 15
1.64 Indian Naval Fast Attack Craft T-81 decommissioned ............................................................................ 15
Sports.................................................................................................................................................................. 15
1.65 Thailand Open Badminton Singles Title ................................................................................................. 15
1.66 Akshay launches mobile action game FAU-G......................................................................................... 15
Awards ................................................................................................................................................................ 15
1.67 Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021 .................................................................... 15
2 GA + ESI in News- for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A ................................................................................ 16
2.1 National Voters Day: 25th January ......................................................................................................... 16
2.2 Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah launched 'Ayushman CAPF' scheme for personnel and dependents
of Central Armed Police Forces ........................................................................................................................ 16
2.3 Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme Increases Awareness and Sensitize the Masses on Gender Equality .. 16
2.4 India calls for greater cooperation to eliminate terrorism in all its forms .............................................. 17
2.5 Madhya Pradesh gets additional Rs.660 crore for capital projects: Additional amount has been given as
incentive for completing three out of four citizen-centric reforms ................................................................... 18
2.6 Draft National Science Technology and Innovation Policy, 2020............................................................ 18
2.7 Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 ......................................................................................................... 20
2.8 UP will provide free coaching for many competitive exams from Basant Panchmi: CM ......................... 20
2.9 Home Minister attends first BTR Accord Day celebration at Kokrajhar in Assam ................................... 21
2.10 International Education Day 2021 ......................................................................................................... 21
2.11 Election Commission to launch e-EPIC .................................................................................................. 21
2.12 Rajasthan brings M-sand policy for construction works ........................................................................ 21
2.13 Cabinet clears policy on PSU privatisation ahead of Union Budget ........................................................ 21
2.14 School of Public Health launched in Rajasthan ...................................................................................... 22
2.15 Climate change emerges as 'global emergency' in biggest-ever poll ...................................................... 22
2.16 National Marine Turtle Action Plan launched ........................................................................................ 22
2.17 India's new agri laws have potential to raise farm income: IMF's Gopinath ........................................... 23
2.18 KVIC Distributes Charkha, Looms, Garment Machines to 2250 Artisans in West Bengal to Boost Local
Employment .................................................................................................................................................... 23
2.19 PFC in association with Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs organised technical
workshop on Kanthasth and Hindi e-tools ........................................................................................................ 23
2.20 Agreement for financial support to STARS project signed between DEA and World Bank ...................... 23
2.21 Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Busts Wildlife Trafficking Syndicates in Jammu & Kashmir; Huge quantity
of Wildlife contrabands seized ......................................................................................................................... 24
2.22 President of India launches countrywide Pulse Polio Programme for 2021 ........................................... 25
2.23 Inclusion of 14 New Minor Forest produce items under the Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest
Produce through Minimum Support Price scheme ........................................................................................... 25
2.24 Vice President inaugurates National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav” .................................................... 25
2.25 Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addresses the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Indian Institute of
Public Administration (IIPA) J&K Branch ........................................................................................................... 26
2.26 Ministry of Ayush launches “AYU SAMVAD” campaign ......................................................................... 26
2.27 Union Education Minister launches Agri-Food Techathon 2021 ............................................................ 26
2.28 Andaman Lt Governor flags off electric buses to curb pollution ............................................................ 26
2.29 Union Health Minister launches decadal year of ICMR-NCDIR & NNMS ................................................ 27
2.30 Centre to impose Green Tax on older vehicles ...................................................................................... 28
2.31 MoSPI releases Payroll Reporting in India ............................................................................................. 29
2.32 Union Health Minister addresses 4th edition of Future Investment Initiative Forum ............................. 29
2.33 Maharashtra begins Jail Tourism at Yerawada prison on Republic Day 2021 ......................................... 30
2.34 Kerala to open Gender Park in Kozhikode ............................................................................................. 30
2.35 Union Minister for Minority Affairs addresses “Nutrition and Covid Awareness Camp”......................... 30
2.36 Dept. of Food & Public Distribution holds meeting to implement Scheme to enhance ethanol distillation
capacity ........................................................................................................................................................... 31
2.37 Agriculture Ministry proposes Rs 19,000-cr mission for edible oil in Budget.......................................... 31
2.38 Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (2016=100) – December 2020 ........................................ 32
2.39 Index of Eight Core Industries – December 2020 ................................................................................... 32
2.40 NSO revises growth rate for 2018-19 .................................................................................................... 33
3 GA+Finance in news-for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A ........................................................................... 34
3.1 RBI steps in to push UPI, RuPay’s global reach ...................................................................................... 34
3.2 RBI sets out enhanced norms to improve grievance redress mechanism at bank .................................. 34
3.3 RBI gives banks three more months to appoint Chief Compliance Officer ............................................. 35
3.4 Union Finance Minister opens NCLAT Chennai Bench ........................................................................... 36
3.5 Auction for Sale (Re-issue) of ‘4.48% GS 2023’, ‘GoI Floating Rate Bond 2033’, ‘6.22% GS 2035’, and
‘6.67% GS 2050’ ............................................................................................................................................... 37
3.6 Total FDI inflow of US$ 58.37 billion received during April to November, 2020 ..................................... 37
3.7 Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs celebrates International Customs Day, 2021 ................... 38
3.8 Global public debt likely to touch 98% of GDP in 2020 amid Covid crisis: IMF ....................................... 38
3.9 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India organises a Workshop on “Committee of Creditors: An
Institution of Public Trust” ............................................................................................................................... 38
3.10 GST Revenue collection for January 2021 almost touches ₹1.20 lakh crore ........................................... 38
3.11 SEBI’s decision on mutual funds risk-o-meter ....................................................................................... 39
1 GA in News- for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr A
National News
1.1 Ministry of Culture celebrates 125th Birth Anniversary of Subhas Bose
• Recently, the South-Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur under the Ministry of Culture
organised a special cultural programme under Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat Scheme to
commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary Year of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
1.2 Land allotted to landless indigenous people in Sivasagar, Assam

• Recently, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has distributed land allotment
certificates to indigenous landless people in Sivasagar, Assam under a state run programme.
1.3 IFFI organizes screening of film based on Subhas Bose on his 125 th Birth Anniversary
• Recently, the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) celebrated the Birth Anniversary
of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by organizing a special screening of film Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose: The Forgotten Hero by director Shyam Benegal at the festival venue in Panaji, Goa.
1.4 A Webinar on Subhas Chandra Bose under Ministry of Tourism’s Dekho Apna Desh Series
• Recently, Ministry of Tourism’s Dekho Apna Desh Webinar series held its 73rd webinar titled
“Relevance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in 21st Century”.
• The Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series is presented in technical partnership with National e
Governance Department, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
1.5 Ministry of Tourism organized Bharat Parv 2021

• Recently, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla inaugurated the ‘Bharat Parv 2021’, a
virtual national festival showcasing the country’s diverse culture, cuisines and handicrafts.
• The Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with other central Ministries has organized the
festival showcasing the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
1.6 NISCI celebrated its 25 years of establishment

• Recently, National Informatics Centre services Incorporated (NICSI), a Public Sector
Enterprise under National Informatics Centre(NIC), Ministry of Electronics & Information
Technology (MeitY) has celebrated 25 years of its establishment on 28th January 2021.
• On the occasion Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad launched:
o Tejas- A virtual Intelligence tool that provide meaningful information for policy decisions.
o e-Auction India- to cater to electronic forward and reverse auction requirements of the
government organisations serving online 24x7.
o Work from Anywhere Portal- To enhance accessibility of key applications to the
Government employees.
o NIC Products Portfolio for International Offering to augment Digital India branding through
promotion of productized software applications at global level.
1.7 125th anniversary celebrations of Prabuddha Bharata, a monthly journal
• Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 125th anniversary celebrations of
‘Prabuddha Bharata’, a monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order, started by Swami
Vivekananda in 1896.
• Event organized by- Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati.
• It was an important medium for spreading the message of India’s ancient spiritual wisdom.
1.8 Jat Regimental Centre and Delhi Police adjudged best marching contingent
• Recently, the Jat Regimental Centre marching contingent has been adjudged as the best one
among the three Services and the Delhi Police marching unit chosen as the best among the
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and other auxiliary forces during the Republic Day parade.
1.9 A marching contingent band of Bangladesh participated in Republic Day Parade

• Recently, the 122 member marching contingent band of Bangladesh tri-services comprising
soldiers of the Bangladesh Army, sailors of the Bangladesh Navy, and air warriors of the
Bangladesh Air Force participated in the Republic Day Parade for the first time to
commemorate 50 years of Bangladesh’s historic liberation.
1.10 Union Government to establish a Virtual University

• Recently, the Union government announced that it will establish a virtual university to
boost technology adoption in education.
• It will help in achieving the desired GER (gross enrollment ratio) in higher education as
envisaged in NEP (national education policy).
1.11 Himachal Pradesh celebrates Statehood Day

• Recently, Himachal Pradesh celebrated its 50th Statehood Day on 25th January 2021 as the
state was carved out as the 18th State of the country on this day in 1971.
1.12 CCI approves acquisition of Indo Gulf Fertilisers by Indorama India Private Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has recently approved acquisition of Indo Gulf
Fertilisers by Indorama India Private Limited (IIPL) under Section 31(1) of the Competition
Act, 2002.
1.13 Union finance ministry launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App'
• Recently, the Union Finance Ministry has launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App' ahead of
the presentation of the financial statement to ensure easy access to all budget-related
documents for the members of Parliament (MP) and the general public.
• The app is designed and developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and is bilingual
with English and Hindi support.
1.14 India signs Strategic Partnership Agreement with IEA

• The Government of India has recently signed the Framework for Strategic Partnership with
the International Energy Agency (IEA).
• Aim- To strengthen mutual trust and cooperation & enhance global energy security, stability
and sustainability.
1.15 Textiles Committee signs MoU to boost export of Textile and Apparel to Japanese market
• Recently, Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India has signed a formal
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s. Nissenken Quality Evaluation Centre,
Japan, one of the leading Testing and Inspection organizations in Japan.
• Aim- To provide required support to textile’s trade and industry for ensuring quality as per
the requirement of Japanese buyers in order to enhance India’s export of Textile and Apparels
(T&A) to Japan.
About Japan-
• Capital- Tokyo
• Currency- Japanese Yen
1.16 Commercial flight services between Delhi to Sikkim commences

• The first commercial flight services between Delhi and Sikkim commenced with a Bombardier
Q400 Spicejet aircraft landing at Pakyong airport in the Himalayan state, Sikkim.
• The airport, which was inaugurated in September 2018, remained unoperational since June
2019 due to technical reasons and uncertain weather conditions.
1.17 CSIR Signs MoU for S&T-led Development of Union Territory of Ladakh
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the union territory (UT) Ladakh have
signed an agreement to accelerate the development of the union territory through S&T
interventions.
• Aim- To establish knowledge partnership between the Ladakh UT and CSIR to develop areas
such as bioresource utilization endemic to Ladakh, introduction of cash crops in the region and
exploration of natural resources.
1.18 FM Nirmala Sitharaman's team behind Union Budget 2021

• Here is the list of key members of Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman's team behind
Union Budget 2021-
o Krishnamurthy Subramanian: Chief Economic Advisor
o Tarun Bajaj: Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
o Tuhin Kanta Pandey: Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management (DIPAM)
o Ajay Bhushan Pandey: Finance Secretary
o TV Somanathan: Expenditure Secretary
o Debashis Panda: Secretary, Department of Financial Services
1.19 SAIL to set up India's first gas to ethanol plant

• Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is planning to set up India's first gas to ethanol plant at its
ferroalloy plant in Chandrapur in Maharashtra.
• The plan is in line with the government's aim to reduce the country's dependence on import
for crude oil besides addressing the issue of carbon emissions.
1.20 Bharti AXA General Insurance launches 'Krishi Sakha' App

• Recently, Bharti AXA General Insurance has launched its new app ‘Krishi Sakha’.
• Aim- To help Indian farmers make informed decisions through customized information
related to their farming requirements and cater to the specific needs of the farmers in the
country and guide them in adopting best farming practices.
1.21 UP to have 2 airstrips on expressways for landing & take-off of fighter planes
• 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 after the completion of the
construction of the 3,300-metre-long airstrip near Kurebhar on Purvanchal Expressway.
• One airstrip is on Lucknow-Agra Expressway while the other is on Purvanchal Expressway.
• Airstrips on expressways are designed to facilitate emergency landing and take-off of fighter
planes.
1.22 AMU to bury time capsule containing its history & achievements
• Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) which is completing 100 years of its establishment has
decided to bury a time capsule containing the history and achievements of AMU.
• The five-foot-long time capsule, weighing 1.5 tonnes will be buried in front of the Victoria
Gate on the campus on 26 January 2021.
1.23 Karnataka becomes 1st state to vaccinate over 2 lakh healthcare workers against COVID-19
• Karnataka has become the first state in the country to vaccinate more than 2 lakh healthcare
workers as part of a nationwide vaccination drive against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
1.24 India began commercial exports of COVID-19 vaccines

• Recently, India has commenced the commercial exports of COVID-19 vaccines as the nation
has undertaken contractual supplies of coronavirus vaccines to Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
• India has sent two million doses of Covishield, developed by AstraZeneca and the University
of Oxford, to Brazil, and also sent consignments of coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance
to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Seychelles.
International News
1.25 Sri Lanka appoints 3-member panel to probe findings of former war commissions
• Recently, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a 3-member panel to probe
the findings of the previous commissions about the human rights abuses committed during
the armed conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.
• The move came prior to UN rights body examination of Sri Lanka's rights progress in the
backdrop of United Nations Human Rights Council resolutions.
1.26 UNGA adopted resolution to promote tolerance to safeguard religious sites

• Recently, the UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution to promote a culture of peace
and tolerance to safeguard religious sites all across the world.
• The resolution calls for strengthened international efforts to foster a global dialogue on the
promotion of a culture of tolerance and peace at all levels, based on respect for human rights
and for the diversity of religions and beliefs.
1.27 Great Green Wall Initiative

• Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative was started by the African Union in 2007 to address
desertification, land degradation and climate change in the Sahel region in Africa.
• The project aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
1.28 UAE amended its Nationality law and permitted dual citizenship
• Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has amended the Emirati Nationality Law.
• Aim- To grant citizenship to expatriates to attract and retain individuals with specialised skills.
It will also permit dual citizenship for its residents.
1.29 Nepal awarded a hydropower project to India’s SJVN

• Recently, in the meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN), Nepal Prime Minister KP
Sharma Oli awarded a hydropower project to India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) under the
build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) delivery method to develop the 679 megawatt Lower
Arun Hydropower Project.
• The project cost is estimated at over 100 billion Nepalese rupees.
1.30 New START got a five year extension

• Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified a five-year extension of the New Strategic
Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the United States (US), one of the last major arms
reduction treaties signed since the end of the Cold War.
• The New START treaty limits each nation to deploying 700 intercontinental ballistic missiles,
submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers with nuclear weapons..
1.31 Bangladesh sent a third group of Rohingya refugees to a new island in Bay of Bengal
• Recently, authorities in Bangladesh has sent a third group of Rohingya refugees of Myanmar
to a newly developed island in the Bay of Bengal.
1.32 Sandro Botticelli portrait sold for Rs. 6,722 million at an auction
• Recently, Sandro Botticelli portrait “Young Man Holding a Roundel” sold for $92.2 million (Rs
6,722 million) at auction at Sotheby’s in New York, a world record for any work by the Italian
artist.
1.33 Western Spain set to get Europe's largest solar power plant
• Recently, the Spain’s largest utility Iberdrola SA and the French food giant Danone SA have
sealed an accord to build 590 MW-capacity photo-voltaic plant, the largest in Europe.
• The 300 million-euro ($364 million) project will be located in the western province of Caceres,
Spain.
About Spain-
• Capital- Madrid
• Currency- Euro
1.34 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli removed from Nepal's ruling party
• Recently, the Central Committee Meeting of the splinter group of the ruling Nepal Communist
Party has expelled the caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from the party's general
membership.
About Nepal-
• Capital- Kathmandu
• Currency- Nepalese rupee
1.35 19th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF)

• The 19th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) has concluded recently.
• The DIFF 2021 was dedicated to the centenary year of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
• Various award winners during the festival-
o Kyrgyz film ‘The Road to Eden’ won the best film award.
o In the Asian competition section, the Best Director award was given to Ksenia
Langutina for the film ‘Farida’.
o Masud Hasan Ujjal won the Best Film Award in the Bangladesh Panorama section for
film ‘Unponchash Batash’.
o Best Audience award was won by the film ‘Gondi’.
Appointments
1.36 Jayati Ghosh appointed by United Nations to a high-level advisory board
• Recently, Indian development economist Jayati Ghosh, among 20 prominent personalities, has
been appointed by the United Nations to the second United Nations High-level Advisory
Board (HLAB) on Economic and Social Affairs.
• The board will provide recommendations for the U.N. Secretary-General to respond to the
current and future socio-economic challenges in the post-COVID-19 world.
1.37 J K Shivan appointed as MD & CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank

• Recently, the Board of Directors of Kerala-based Dhanlaxmi Bank have given approval to
appoint J K Shivan as managing director and CEO of the Bank.
Persons in News
1.38 Siddhartha Mohanty takes charge as MD of LIC
• Recently, Siddhartha Mohanty has taken charge as the new Managing Director of Life
Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). He will replace TC Suseel Kumar.
• LIC has four MDs and one Chairman.
1.39 Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to serve 2nd term as Portugal’s President

• Recently, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has won the presidential elections held recently in
Portugal and will serve as for a second term as the President of Portugal.
About Portugal-
• Capital- Lisbon
• Currency- Euro
1.40 U P Singh Assumes Charge of Secretary in Textiles Ministry

• Recently, U. P. Singh has taken over as Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
1.41 Janet Yellen named as first woman treasury secretary of US

• The United States Senate has recently confirmed eminent economist Janet Yellen as first
woman Treasury Secretary of the United States.
1.42 Surgeon Vice Admiral Naveen Chawla takes over as DG Medical Services (Navy)
• Surgen Vice Admiral Naveen Chawla, Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) has assumed appointment of
Director General Medical Services (Navy).
1.43 Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman passes away

• The Oscar winner and multiple Emmy-winning American actress Cloris Leachman has passed
away recently.
1.44 Nagaland chief secretary Temjen Toy passes away

• Nagaland chief secretary Tali Temjen Toy has passed away recently.
1.45 Popular television host Larry King passes away

• Longtime TV and radio host from America, Larry King, who interviewed world leaders,
entertainers and other celebrities on CNN's "Larry King Live", which ran from 1985 to 2010,
has passed away recently.
1.46 Justice Sunil Kumar Awasthi resigns from office of Judge of MP High Court
• Recently, Justice Sunil Kumar Awasthi has presented his resignation from the office of Judge,
Madhya Pradesh High Court.
1.47 Surgeon Rear Admiral Arti Sarin assumed command of INHS Asvini
• Surgeon Rear Admiral Arti Sarin assumed command of INHS Asvini, the flagship Hospital of
the Indian Navy.
• She has assumed command from Surgeon Rear Admiral Sheila S Mathai who has taken over
as the Command Medical Officer, Headquarters Western Naval Command.
1.48 Kaja Kallas becomes Prime Minister of Estonia

• Kaja Kallas has recently sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Estonia.
About Estonia-
• Capital- Tallinn
• Currency- Euro
1.49 Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen passes away

• The Nobel Prize-winning chemist from Netherlands, Paul Crutzen has passed away recently.
• He received the 1995 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for demonstrating that chemical compounds
of nitrogen oxide accelerate the destruction of stratospheric ozone, which protects Earth from
the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
Science and Technology

1.50 SpaceX launches 143 satellites on single rocket
• Recently, the SpaceX aerospace company has launched 143 spacecraft into space and hence
created a new record for the most spaceships deployed on a single mission.
• SpaceX has beaten the Indian space agency ISRO's record of deploying 104 satellites in a single
launch in February 2017.
• The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, ferrying
133 commercial and government spacecraft and 10 Starlink satellites to space as part of the
company’s SmallSat Rideshare Program
Environment
1.51 Two new species of rare ant genus found in Kerala and Tamil Nadu
• Recently, two new species of a rare ant genus Ooceraea have been discovered in Kerala and
Tamil Nadu. They differ from others of the same genus on the basis of the number of antennal
segments.
• One of them found in the Periyar Tiger Reserve of Kerala, has been named Ooceraea joshii.
1.52 CSIR-CMERI launched the Aqua Rejuvenation Plant

• Recently, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Mechanical Engineering
Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI), Durgapur unveiled the Aqua Rejuvenation plant, the first-
ever Waste Water Treatment Technology Model which purifies Waste Water for
Irrigation/Farming purposes.
1.53 Turkey Experiences Intense Drought

• Recently, the Nasa Earth Observatory has reported that most of Turkey has been under
intense drought as the country's water levels are at a critically low level.
• According to the estimate, Turkey’s most populous city Istanbul can run out of water as the
water reservoirs are at their lowest levels in 15 years.
About Turkey-
• Capital- Ankara
• Currency- Turkish lira
1.54 Indonesia's most active volcano Mt Merapi erupts

• Indonesia's most active volcano Mt Merapi has recently erupted with a river of lava and
searing gas clouds flowing 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) down its slopes.
• The volcano is on the densely populated island of Java.
About Indonesia-
• Capital- Jakarta
• Currency- Indonesian rupiah
Days in News
1.55 International Customs Day: 26th January
• International Customs Day is being celebrated every year on 26th January.
• The day recognizes the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining border security. It
focuses on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in their jobs.
• Slogan for ICD 2021- “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable
supply chain”.
1.56 International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust

• The day is celebrated every year on 27th January every year.
• Theme: Facing the Aftermath: Recovery and Reconstitution after the Holocaust.
1.57 National Tourism Day: 25th January

• National Tourism Day is being celebrated on January 25th every year to promote tourism.
• Theme- Dekho Apna Desh.
1.58 Nehru Yuva Kendra celebrates “Martyrs' Day”

• Nehru Yuva Kendra’ Goa office has observed Martyrs' Day on 30th January, by paying tribute
to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary.
1.59 Indian Coast Guard to celebrate 45th Raising Day

• Indian Coast Guard will be celebrating its 45th Raising Day on 01st February 2021.
1.60 World Leprosy Day: 31st January

• World Leprosy Day is observed every year on the last Sunday in January. In 2021, it will be
celebrated on 31st January.
• World Leprosy Day is a celebration of the leprosy community and an opportunity to raise public
awareness of leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease.
• Theme- Beat Leprosy, End Stigma and Advocate for Mental Well-Being
• In India, World Leprosy Day is celebrated on 30 January, the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s
death.
Defence in News
1.61 India successfully test-fires new-generation Akash missile
• India has successfully test-fired the new-generation Akash missile from Chandipur integrated
test range off the Odisha coast.
• The Akash-NG (new-generation) missile will be used by the Indian Air Force to intercept high-
manoeuvring low radar cross-section aerial threat.
1.62 Vice President inaugurates Integrated Weapons System Design Centre
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has recently inaugurated the Integrated Weapons System
Design Centre at Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) APJ Abdul Kalam
Missile Complex located in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• The facility would enhance the capability in design and development of command and control
systems for surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and ballistic missile defence (BMD) systems.
1.63 BSF launches operation ‘Sard Hawa’

• Recently, the Border Security Force (BSF) has launched operation ‘Sard Hawa’ at the western
international border of Rajasthan.
• Under the operation, the security will be increased on the borders to check the instances of
infiltration due to the dense fog in the area.
1.64 Indian Naval Fast Attack Craft T-81 decommissioned

• Recently, the Indian Naval Fast Attack Craft (IN FAC) T-81 of the Super Dvora MK II class, was
decommissioned at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• It was commissioned into the Navy on 05 Jun 1999.
Sports
1.65 Thailand Open Badminton Singles Title
• Spain's Carolina Marin defeated Taiwanese player Tai Tzu-ying to win the Thailand Open
badminton women’s singles title.
• Viktor Axelsen from Denmark defeated Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus to win the Thailand
Open badminton men’s singles title.
1.66 Akshay launches mobile action game FAU-G

• Recently, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has announce the launch of mobile action game
Fearless and United Guards (FAU-G).
• The first episode of the game will be based on the Galwan Valley in Ladakh.
Awards
1.67 Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021
• Government of India has instituted an annual award known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda
Prabandhan Puraskar. The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth
anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• Aim- To recognize and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by
individuals and organizations in India in the field of Disaster Management.
• Winners for year 2021-
o Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society has won the award in
the institutional category.
o Dr. Rajendra Kumar Bhandari has won the award in the Individual category.
2 GA + ESI in News- for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI Gr
A
2.1 National Voters Day: 25th January
• India celebrates National Voters Day on January 25 every year to mark the foundation day of
the Election Commission of India.
• Theme- Making Our Voters Empowered, Vigilant, Safe and Informed
• During the National Voters Day ceremony, President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Election
Commission's Web Radio: 'Hello Voters' - an online digital radio service.
• He also conferred the National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices for the year 2020-21
to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Meghalaya was selected for a Special Award for
Information Technology applications in Elections by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• The award was virtually conferred to Meghalaya CEO F.R. Kharkongor.
• On the occasion, Union Minister for Law and Justice, Communications and Electronics and
Information Technology Sri Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the e-EPIC programme and
distributed e-EPICs and Elector Photo Identity Cards to five new voters.
• e-EPIC is a digital version of the Elector Photo Identity Card.
• The minister also released three publications of the Election Commission namely-
o Conducting Election During Pandemic- A Photo Journey
o SVEEP Endeavours: Awareness initiatives during Lok Sabha Election, 2019
o Chalo Karen Matdaan
2.2 Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah launched 'Ayushman CAPF' scheme for personnel and
dependents of Central Armed Police Forces
• Recently, Union Home Minister has launched the 'Ayushman CAPF' scheme for personnel
and dependents of the Central Armed Police Forces on Parakram Diwas and presented
Ayushman CAPF beneficiary e-health cards to some officers and personnel.
• He has informed that the scheme would be fully implemented from 1st of May 2021.
Key Highlights
• Joint initiative by - Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Health Authority
• It will provide cashless healthcare services to the serving CAPF personnel from all seven forces,
viz. Assam Rifles, BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, NSG and SSB, and their dependents through Ayushman
Bharat PM-JAY IT platform.
• Under the scheme, a health card will be given to all CAPF personnel and their families in which
they can receive a medical checkup once every year and their families once in three years.
• Launched at – CRPF group centre in Guwahati.
2.3 Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme Increases Awareness and Sensitize the Masses on Gender
Equality
[Gender Issue]
• Recently, Ministry of Women and Child Development has informed that Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao Scheme has completed six years and has increased awareness and sensitize the
Masses on Gender Equality.
Key Achievements
Sex Ratio at Birth
o Improved by 16 points from 918 (2014-15) to 934 (2019-20),
o Out of 640 districts covered under BBBP 422 districts have shown improvement in SRB from
2014-15 to 2018-2019.
Health
o Percentage of 1st Trimester Antenatal Care (ANC) Registration has shown an improving
trend from 61% in 2014-15 to 71% in 2019-20.
o Percentage of Institutional Deliveries has shown an improving trend from 87% in 2014-15
to 94% in 2019-20
Education
• According to UDISE, Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls in the schools at secondary level has
improved from 77.45 in 2014-15 to 81.32 in 2018-19.
• Schools with functional separate toilets for girls has improved from 92.1% in 2014-15 to 95.1%
in 2018-19.
Attitudinal Change
• Brought focus on important issue like – Female infanticide, Lack of education amongst girls
and Deprivation of their rights on a life cycle continuum.
• The frontline government employees have been successfully collaborating at the level of
community for observing the son centric rituals while celebrating the birth of girl child i.e.
Kuwapoojan, Thalibajana etc.
2.4 India calls for greater cooperation to eliminate terrorism in all its forms
[Human Development]
• Recently, 17th Ministerial Meeting of Asia Cooperation Dialogue has virtually taken place
under the theme, 'The New Normal and Safe and Healthy Tourism'.
• Presided by – Turkey and extended until September 2021
Key Highlights
• India has emphasised that handling common challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, with ASEAN
at its centre, require renewed coordination and cooperation.
• Prime Minister has launched Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), in 2019 for a free, open,
inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, which promotes Security and Growth for All in
the Region (SAGAR).
• Vaccines from India have started reaching India's neighbourhood -- Bhutan, the Maldives,
Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Seychelles -- under grant assistance.
• India has focused on tourism promotion as a part of its 3Ts strategy -- Trade, Tourism and
Technology for reviving and rebuilding the Tourism sector.
• During the meeting "Ankara Declaration” has been adopted by all the ACD countries on future
cooperation perspectives will serve as an "important roadmap” for future Asia Cooperation.
About Asia Cooperative Dialogue
• It acts as an intergovernmental forum in 2002 to develop cooperation among Asian countries
and improve the competitiveness of Asia at the global level.
• With 35 member countries, the forum has the highest number of attendees in Asia.
2.5 Madhya Pradesh gets additional Rs.660 crore for capital projects: Additional amount has been
given as incentive for completing three out of four citizen-centric reforms
• Recently, Recently, Ministry of Finance has informed that Madhya Pradesh has become the
first State to get additional funds of Rs.660 crore for capital projects for successfully carrying
out reforms such as One Nation, One Ration Card Reforms, Ease of Doing Business Reforms,
Urban Local Bodies Reforms and a part of the Power Sector reform.
• It has been approved under “Special Assistance to States for capital expenditure.”
Key Achievements
• Telangana has received capital projects of an additional amount of Rs.179 crore in as an
incentive for undertaking reforms in three out of the four stipulated citizen-centric areas, i.e.
One Nation One Ration Card, Ease of Doing Business, and Urban Local Bodies Reforms.
• Rajasthan has become the 5th State in the country to successfully undertake Urban Local
Bodies (ULB) reforms and has been granted permission by the Department of Expenditure to
mobilise additional financial resources of Rs.2,731crore through Open Market Borrowings.
Reforms to achieve Urban Local Bodies Reforms
• The State will notify:
o Floor rates of property tax in ULBs which are in consonance with the prevailing circle rates
(i.e. guideline rates for property transactions) and;
o Floor rates of user charges in respect of the provision of water-supply, drainage and
sewerage which reflect current costs/past inflation.
• The State will put in place a system of periodic increase in floor rates of property tax/ user
charges in line with price increases.
Note: “Special Assistance to States for capital expenditure” has been discussed in the month of
November 2020.
2.6 Draft National Science Technology and Innovation Policy, 2020

• Recently, Department of Science and Technology has released the draft of the 5th National
Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020 that will replace the Science
Technology and Innovation Policy of 2013.
• Aim –
o To bring about profound changes through short, medium and long-term mission mode
projects by building a nurtured ecosystem that promotes research and innovation on the
part of both individuals and organizations.
o To identify and address strengths and weaknesses of the Indian Science Technology and
Innovation (STI) ecosystem to catalyse socio-economic development of the country and
also make the Indian STI ecosystem globally competitive.
• It has been organised into 4 highly interlinked tracks:
o Track I: It involves an extensive public and expert consultation process through Science
Policy Forum.
o Track II: It comprises experts-driven consultations to formulate recommendations for the
policy.
o Track III: It involves extensive intra-state and intra-department consultation with Ministries
and States.
o Track IV: It constitutes an apex level multi-stakeholder consultation.
• A Secretariat has been set up at DST to coordinate the complete process and interplays
between the four tracks
Important Provisions
• Related to Equity and Inclusion:
• Gender Equality:
o It proposes that at least 30% representation be ensured for women in all decision-making
bodies, as well as “spousal benefits” be provided to partners of scientists belonging to the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) community.
o The LGBTQ+ community should be included in all conversations related to gender equity,
and provisions be made to safeguard their rights and promote their representation and
retention in the science and technology sector.
• Child and Elderly Care:
o Child-care benefits are proposed to be made gender-neutral, and flexible work timings and
adequate parental leave are to be offered to cater to maternity, childbirth and child care.
o All publicly-funded research institutions and universities will be asked to provide day-care
centres for children of employees, and also have a provision for elderly care.
• For Disabled:
o For the benefit of people with disabilities, the policy asks all publicly-funded scientific
institutions to make “structural and cultural changes” to support their inclusion.
• Other Related Provisions:
• For age-related cut-offs in matters relating to selection, promotion, awards or grants, the
“academic age” and not the biological age would be considered.
• Removal of bars on married couples being employed in the same department or laboratory.
o As of now, married couples are not posted in the same department, leading to cases of loss
of employment or forced transfers when colleagues decide to get married.
• Open Science Policy (One Nation, One Subscription):
o To make scientific knowledge and data available to all, the government has proposed:
1. To buy bulk subscriptions of all important scientific journals across the world, and
provide everyone in India free access to them.
2. To set up a Science, Technology and Innovation Observatory that will serve as the central
repository of all kinds of data generated from scientific research in the country.
• Research and Education:
o It proposes to establish Education Research Centres (ERCs) and Collaborative Research
Centres (CRCs) to provide research inputs to policymakers and bring together stakeholders.
o Research and Innovation Excellence Frameworks (RIEF) will be developed to enhance the
quality of research along with the promotion of engagements with the relevant
stakeholders.
• For Strengthening India's Strategic Position:
o To achieve technological self-reliance and position India among the top three scientific
superpowers in the decade to come.
o To double the number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) researchers, Gross Domestic
Expenditure on R&D (GERD) and private sector contribution to the GERD every 5 years.
o Establishment of a Strategic Technology Board that will bridge all strategic government
departments, and monitor and recommend technologies to be bought or indigenously
made.
2.7 Climate Adaptation Summit 2021

• Recently, Prime Minister has addressed the Climate Adaptation Summit for 2021.
• Key Commitments made by India
• India has a target of 450 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
• It is promoting LED lights and saving 38 million tons of carbon-di-oxide emissions annually.
• India is going to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
• Clean cooking fuel is being provided to 80 million rural households.
• 64 million households are being connected to piped water supply.
• He has also informed about International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure.
About Climate Adaptation Summit 2021
• Hosted by – Netherlands government
• It is also known as “CAS Online” and was built on the advances of the UN Climate Action
Summit.
• It has showcased the pioneering solutions of the climate emergency and sustaining
momentum through UNFCCC’s COP26.
Key Suggestions
• The organizers of the summit also called for major new funding for agricultural research.
• They also expanded the access to farmer advisory services, risk management and financial
services.
Benefit
• It will help in delivering the action and inspire the change to help the societies build back
better.
2.8 UP will provide free coaching for many competitive exams from Basant Panchmi: CM
[Social Sectors - education]
• Recently, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has announced the launch of an ambitious, state-
wide, free coaching facility programme named 'Abhyudaya’.
• Objective – To assist the students in preparing for the competitive exams.
2.9 Home Minister attends first BTR Accord Day celebration at Kokrajhar in Assam
• Recently, Union Home Minister Amit has addressed the opening ceremony of the 1st BTR (
Bodoland Territorial Region) Accord Day celebration at Kokrajhar in Assam.
About Bodoland Territorial Region Accord
• The Bodo Accord, the third peace deal with Bodo rebel groups, was signed in New Delhi on
January 27 in 2020 by the Centre with all four factions of National Democratic Front of
Bodoland (NDFB), the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and United Bodo Peoples’ Organisation
(UBPO).
• The deal was later renamed Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD), which included four
districts, as Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
• Redrawing of BTR boundaries, grant of ₹5000 crore, rehabilitation of NDFB rebels and
naming Bodo as associate official language of the state were part of the deal.
Benefit of the Accord
• The accord has provided political, economic, executive and land rights to Bodo tribals and has
safeguarded their cultural and linguistic identities.
2.10 International Education Day 2021

• Recently, UNESCO in partnership with Centre for Research and Interdisciplinarity (CRI) has
organized International Education Day on 24th January 2021.
• Theme – ‘Recover and revitalise education for the COVID-19 generation’
• During the day, CRI has also be unveiling the winners of an essay contest of ‘Le Petit Prince.
2.11 Election Commission to launch e-EPIC

• Recently, Election Commission has launched e-EPIC during National Voters Day.
• Under the programme, Electors will be able to download electronic versions of the Electors
Photo Identity Cards (e-EPICs).
• It would be a non-editable PDF of the EPIC that can be downloaded on the phone and stored
on the DigiLocker app or self-printed from a computer.
Note: EPIC is commonly known as Voter ID card
2.12 Rajasthan brings M-sand policy for construction works

• Recently, Rajasthan Government has brought manufactured sand (M-sand) policy for
construction works.
• It would help create employment opportunities through new units and resolve the issue of
huge quantities of waste generated in the mining areas.
Key Highlights
• It has been decided use M-sand mandatory for the PWD and other government department
to use a minimum of 25% of their demand for sand from M-sand.
2.13 Cabinet clears policy on PSU privatisation ahead of Union Budget

[Employment Generation in India, Indian Agriculture]
• Recently, The Union Cabinet has paved the way for the much-awaited policy on the
privatisation of public sector undertakings (PSUs).
Key Highlights
• The policy provides a clear roadmap for disinvestment in all non-strategic and strategic sectors.
Government has kept four areas that are strategic where bare minimum CPSEs will be
maintained and rest privatized.
• In the non-strategic sectors, CPSEs will be privatised, otherwise shall be closed.
2.14 School of Public Health launched in Rajasthan

• Recently, Rajasthan government has launched a new School of Public Health (SPH) to make
policy intervention for building public health capacity and skills and bridge gaps between
education and practices.
• It has been named after the Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) and D.
Gupta has been appointed as the chairman of the school.
• It will provide technical support to health systems and render help to the State government in
harnessing new technologies.
2.15 Climate change emerges as 'global emergency' in biggest-ever poll

• According to UN Development Programme (UNDP)'s "People's Climate Vote" poll climate
change emerges as 'global emergency.'
• Key Highlights
• The survey has covered 50 countries with over half the world’s population.
• It was conducted as countries prepare for negotiations at November’s COP26, the 26th session
of Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
2.16 National Marine Turtle Action Plan launched

• Recently, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has released
‘Marine Mega Fauna Stranding Guidelines’ and ‘National Marine Turtle Action Plan’.
• Aim: To strengthen and sustain collective and collaborative sea turtle conservation through
the monitoring of key sites and a network of partners in the Indian sub-continent.
• Key Highlights
• These two documents highlight:
o Actions to be taken for handling stranded animals on the shore, stranded or entangled
animals in the sea or on a boat,
o Management actions for improved coordination,
o Reducing threats to marine species and their habitats,
o Rehabilitation of degraded habitats,
o Enhancing people’s participation,
o Advance scientific research and exchange of information on marine mammals and marine
turtles and their habitats.
About National Marine Turtle Action Plan
• The project contains ways and means to not only promote inter-sectoral action for
conservation but also guide improved coordination amongst the government, civil society and
all relevant stakeholders.
• It highlights actions to be taken for handling stranded animals on the shore, stranded or
entangled animals in the sea or on a boat, reducing threats to marine species and their
habitats, rehabilitation, etc.
2.17 India's new agri laws have potential to raise farm income: IMF's Gopinath
• Recently, IMF's Chief Economist Gita Gopinath has informed that three farmers laws enacted
by the Indian government has the potential to increase farmers' income, but there is a need
to provide a social safety net to the vulnerable cultivators.
• She has highlighted that the laws have widened the market for farmers by enabling them to
sell their products to multiple outlets besides the Mandis without having to pay a tax.
2.18 KVIC Distributes Charkha, Looms, Garment Machines to 2250 Artisans in West Bengal to
Boost Local Employment
• Recently, KVIC has distributed Charkha, Looms, Garment Machines to 2250 Artisans in West
Bengal to Boost Local Employment.
• It has disbursed Rs 14 crore to strengthen 22 Khadi Institutions of Malda.
Note: West Bengal has been widely acclaimed for its Muga, Mulberry and Tussar Silk and is also
popular for its world-famous Muslin cotton.
2.19 PFC in association with Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs organised
technical workshop on Kanthasth and Hindi e-tools
• Recently, Power Finance Corporation has organized a technical workshop on Kanthasth
(Translation software based on memory) and Hindi e-tools at Urjanidhi in association with
Department of Official Languagae, Ministry of Home Affairs.
2.20 Agreement for financial support to STARS project signed between DEA and World Bank
• Recently, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and World Bank along with Ministry of
Education has signed an agreement for the financial support of the implementation of
Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project of Ministry of
Education.
About STARS Project
Ministry • Launched as a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme under Department of School
Involved Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (MOE).
• To improve the quality and governance of school education in six States
Objective
through Samagra Shiksha.
• Total project cost of Rs 5718 crore with the financial support of World Bank
Funding
amounting to US $ 500 million (approximately Rs. 3700 crore).
At the national level, the project envisages:
• To strengthen MOE’s national data systems to capture robust and authentic
data on retention, transition and completion rates of students.
• To support MOE in improving states Performance Grading Index scores by
incentivizing states governance reform agenda through SIG (State Incentive
Grants).
• To support the strengthening of learning assessment systems.
• To support MOE’s efforts to establish a National Assessment Center, PARAKH
Components (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic
of Project Development).
At the State level, the project envisages:
• Strengthening Early Childhood Education and Foundational Learning
• Improving Learning Assessment Systems
• Strengthening classroom instruction and remediation through teacher
development and school leadership
• Governance and Decentralized Management for Improved Service Delivery.
• Strengthening Vocational education in schools through mainstreaming, career
guidance and counselling, internships and coverage of out of school children
• The project will cover six major states-- Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha.
• This program will benefit around 250 million students of the age group 6-17
Related Facts years in 1.5 million schools and more than 10 million teachers.
• Project includes a Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC)
under the National Component which would enable it to be more responsive
to any natural, man-made and health disasters.
• Besides this project, it is also envisaged to implement a similar Asia
Development Bank funded project in 5 states namely Gujarat, Tamil Nadu,
Relevance Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Assam.
• All states will partner with one other state for sharing their experiences and
best practices.
2.21 Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Busts Wildlife Trafficking Syndicates in Jammu & Kashmir; Huge
quantity of Wildlife contrabands seized
• Recently, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Busts Wildlife Trafficking Syndicates in Jammu &
Kashmir; Huge quantity of Wildlife contrabands seized.
Important Points to Remember
• The poached animals such as leopard, bear and musk deer are listed in Schedule I of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• As per the provisions of the Act, poaching of these animals and trading their parts is punishable
with minimum 03 years of imprisonment extendable up to 07 years.
2.22 President of India launches countrywide Pulse Polio Programme for 2021
• Recently, President of India has launched the Pulse Polio Programme for 2021.
Key Highlights
• Around 17 crore children of less than 5 years of age will be given polio drops as part of the
drive of the Government of India to sustain the polio-free status of the country.
• The strategy of the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme was conceived in December 1993
and it was rolled out from 2nd October 1994 when the first child was immunized against Polio
as part of this program.
• The last case of Polio in India was reported in Howrah on 13th January 2011.
About Pulse Polio Programme
• The strategy of Pulse Polio Immunization Programme was conceived in December 1993 and it
was rolled out from 2nd October, 1994.
Polio in India:
• The WHO in February 2012 has removed India from the list of countries with active endemic
wild polio virus transmission.
• Two years later, the South-East Asia Region of the WHO, of which India is a part, was certified
as polio-free.
Prevention:
• To prevent the virus from coming to India, the government has since March 2014 made the
Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) mandatory for those travelling between India and polio-affected
countries, such as Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Syria and
Cameroon.
• Note: Mr Nelson Mandella has launched ‘Kick Polio out of Africa’ campaign
2.23 Inclusion of 14 New Minor Forest produce items under the Mechanism for Marketing of Minor
Forest Produce through Minimum Support Price scheme
• Recently, Ministry of Tribal Affairs has informed that 14 New Minor Forest produce items
have been included under the Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through
Minimum Support Price scheme.
About Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through Minimum Support Price
scheme.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme under which Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest
Produce (MFP) has been fixed for select MFP.
• Loss is shared by Centre and State in the ratio of 75:25.
• Implemented by – Through State Level Agency (SLA) appointed by the State Government.
2.24 Vice President inaugurates National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav”

[Social Justice]
• Recently, Vice President of India has inaugurated “Aadi Mahotsav” organized by TRIFED at
Dilli Haat in New Delhi.
2.25 Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addresses the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Indian
Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) J&K Branch
[Gender Issue]
• Recently, Union Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has addressed 42 nd
annual general meeting of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) Jammu &
Kashmir Branch.
• He has shared information about
o “Mission Karamyogi”, which envisages continuous capacity building of every officer
through digital mode in order to prepare him for every new assignment taken up by him
and at the same time also enable the authorities to scientifically choose the right officer
for the right assignment.
o National Recruitment Agency (NRA) for conducting Common Eligibility Test (CET) in order
to provide level playing field to every job aspirant across India, regardless of his socio-
economic background.
2.26 Ministry of Ayush launches “AYU SAMVAD” campaign

• Recently, the All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi has launched the “AYU SAMVAD”
(My Health My Responsibility) one of the largest public awareness campaign program on
AYURVEDA and COVID 19 PANDEMIC.
• Theme: Ayurveda for COVID 19 Pandemic.
Key Highlights:
• Campaign Duration: 26th Jan 2021 to 30th March 2021
• Objectives: to create awareness about the theme of the event of the public;
• Focus Areas: Role of Preventive, Promotive, Curative and Rehabilitation in Management of
COVID 19 through Ayurveda.
• AIIA organized online Training of Trainers program on AYUSH Ministry Ayush Virtual
Convention Centre (AVCC) platform to Directors, principals of Ayurveda Colleges, etc
• Target: 1 crore audience across India through 5 Lakh lectures by Ayurveda Physicians; Each
trained person to provide minimum 5 lectures.
2.27 Union Education Minister launches Agri-Food Techathon 2021

• Recently the Union Education Minister has inaugurated the Agri-Food Techathon 2021, a
first-of-its-kind event organized by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and the
National Bank for Agricultural & Rural Development (NABARD).
• He also laid the foundation for Agri-Business Incubation Centre (ABIC) in IIT, Kharagpur
campus.
• Objective: to promote the participation of India’s youth in innovation and entrepreneurship
in different domains of the Agri-Food sector, to make them ‘Agri-preneures.’
2.28 Andaman Lt Governor flags off electric buses to curb pollution

• Recently, the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has flagged-off 40
electric buses to reduce tail pipe emissions in the island.
• It is executed by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN Limited), a subsidiary of NTPC
Limited.
Other Information:
• NVNN to provide turnkey solutions for 90 electric buses in Bengaluru city under the Smart
City project, to provide last mile connectivity to NAMMA Metro (Bengaluru Metro) network.
2.29 Union Health Minister launches decadal year of ICMR-NCDIR & NNMS
• Recently, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has presided over the foundation
day celebrations and launch of the decadal year of the Indian Council of Medical Research -
National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (ICMR-NCDIR), Bengaluru.
• He also launched the 'National Non-communicable Disease Monitoring Survey (NNMS) 2017-
18’ and 'Framework for Telemedicine use in Management of Cancer, Diabetes,
Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in India'.
Key Highlights:
• It is the first-of-its-kind largest comprehensive national survey on risk factors and health
systems preparedness of NCDs; also tracks cancer through National Cancer Registry Program.
o National Cancer Registry Program- It is a cancer surveillance tool that can help in targeted
screening of uncommon Cancers through Ayushman Bharat Health & Welfare Centres
(HWCs).
• Purpose of survey – to collect reliable data on key indicators viz, risk factors, select NCDs and
health systems response associated with National NCD monitoring framework & Action Plan.
• 600 sampling units in the age group 15-69 years, from 348 districts in 28 States surveyed in
collaboration with 11 reputed institutions.
Key Findings:
• 1 in every 3 adults and more than one-fourth proportion used any form of tobacco and
consumed alcohol in past 12 months.
• More than 2 in 5 adults and 1 in 4 adolescents were doing insufficient physical activity.
• More than 1 in every 4 adults and 6.2% adolescents were overweight or obese.
• Almost 3 out of 10 adults had raised blood pressure and 9.3% had raised blood glucose.
• 2 in 5 adults had three or more risk factors for NCDs.
Background:
• According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) survey, 45% of NCDs are a result of physical
inactivity.
About National NCD Monitoring Framework & Action Plan:
• Implemented in 2013, in response to the “WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and
Control of NCDs 2013-2020”.
• India - the first country to adopt National Action Plan with 10 specific targets and 21
indicators to reduce the number of global premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025.
• NCD Targets:
o 25% relative reduction in the overall mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer,
diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases.
o At least 50% of eligible people receive drug therapy and counselling (including
glycaemic control) to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
o 80% availability of the affordable basic technologies and essential medicines.
o 50% reduction in household air pollution.
• Note: WHO Global action plan has only 9 targets. It excludes household air pollution target.
2.30 Centre to impose Green Tax on older vehicles

• Recently, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has approved a proposal to
levy “Green Tax” on old vehicles causing environmental pollution.
• He also approved the policy of deregistration and scrapping of vehicles owned by
Government departments and PSUs, which are above 15 years in age. It is to be notified, and
will come into effect from 1st April, 2022.
Key Principles of Green Tax:
• Transport vehicles older than 8 years could be charged Green Tax at the time of renewal of
fitness certificate, at the rate of 10 to 25 % of road tax;
• Personal vehicles to be charged Green Tax at the time of renewal of Registration Certification
after 15 years;
• Higher Green tax (50% of Road Tax) for vehicles being registered in highly polluted cities
• Differential tax, based on fuel and vehicle type; Public transport vehicles to be levied less tax.
o Exemptions: Strong hybrids, Electric Vehicles, Alternate fuels & vehicles used in Farming.
• Revenue collected to be kept in a separate account and used for tackling pollution, and for
States to set up state-of-art facilities for emission monitoring.
Key Benefits:
• To reduce pollution by promoting the use of less polluting vehicles.
Background:
• Commercial vehicles, constituting about 5% of the total vehicle fleet, contribute about 65-
70% of total vehicular pollution.
• Vehicles manufactured before 2000, constitute less than 1% fleet, but around 15% of total
vehicular pollution & pollute 10-25 more than more than modern vehicles.
2.31 MoSPI releases Payroll Reporting in India

• Recently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released “Payroll
Reporting in India: An Employment Perspective–November, 2020” covering the period
September, 2017 to November, 2020.
Key Findings:
• New Subscribers added during September 2017 to November 2020

o Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme – 3,85,05,048
o Employees State Insurance (ESI) scheme - 4,50,93,501
o National Pension Scheme (NPS) - 23,08,168.
• New Subscribers added in November 2020:
o ESI - 9.33 lakh, as compared to 11.99 lakh in October 2020.
o EPF - 10.10 lakh, as compared to 10.56 lakh in October 2020.
o NPF - 54,482 as compared to 43,490 in October 2020.
2.32 Union Health Minister addresses 4th edition of Future Investment Initiative Forum
• Recently, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has addressed the 4th edition of
the Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Aim: to find solutions on how business and government can expand access to healthcare, train
healthcare workers, remove regulatory barriers and encourage investment in advanced health
technologies.
Key Highlights:
• 5 big trends emerging due to COVID-19 and influencing global business:
o The impact of Technology and Innovation
o Importance of Infrastructure for Global Growth
o Changes coming in human resource and future of work
o Compassion for environment
o Business friendly governance with focus on whole of society and government approach.
Key Information shared:
• AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan rolled out with a special economic package of Rs. 2 million
crores, equivalent to 10% of India’s GDP.
• India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive, largest in the world.
• Covishield to be supplied to Saudi Arabia.
• ‘AarogyaSetu App’ - used by over more than 160 million users in India.
• ITIHAS+AS patch of AarogyaSetu App -used to analyse and find COVID hotspots.
• Co-WIN digital platform – used for efficient vaccine tracking and management.
About Future Investment Initiative Forum:
• Annual Investment Forum held in Riyadh from 2017, also known as “Davos in the Desert”.
• Host - The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia
2.33 Maharashtra begins Jail Tourism at Yerawada prison on Republic Day 2021
• Recently, the Maharashtra Government has commenced the first-of-its-kind, Jail Tourism
(Phase I) in 150-year-old Yerawada jail in Pune on Republic Day 2021.
• The historically significant jails to be covered out of the 45 Jails in Maharashtra
• Phase II to be implemented from Nagpur, Thane, and Ratnagiri Jails.
• Note: The Poona Pact has been signed in Yerawada Jail.
2.34 Kerala to open Gender Park in Kozhikode

[Gender Issues]
• The Chief Minister of Kerala to inaugurate a Gender Park in Kozhikode, and the 2 nd edition
of the International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE-II) in February 2021.
• He will also lay the foundation of the International Women’s Trade and Research Centre
(IWTRC) to provide a secure and sustained ecosystem for women entrepreneurs and a space
to market products.
• The Gender Park under the Department of Women and Child Development, to host the ICGE-
II in association with United Nations (UN) Women.
• Theme of ICGE-II: “Gender in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Social Business: The Mediating
Role of Empowerment”.
Key Highlights:
• Gender Park Project Cost – Rs 300 crores.
• ICGE- II – the first carbon neutral event in Kerala.
• Gender Museum, Gender Library, Convention Centre and an Amphitheatre facilities will form
the Phase I of the Gender Park.
Background:
• ICGE-I organised by the Gender Park in Thiruvananthapuram in 2015, led to Kerala’s
transgender policy, the first such policy by any state in India.
About Gender Park Project:
Launch Year 2013
Implemented by Government of Kerala
Headquarters Thiruvananthapuram
Aim Creating relevant interventions to address gender-based issues.
2.35 Union Minister for Minority Affairs addresses “Nutrition and Covid Awareness Camp”
• Recently, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs has addressed the Nutrition and Covid
Awareness Camp” organized by National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation
(NMDFC) under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for the women from needy
sections in New Delhi.
Key information shared:
• Even during the challenging times of Pandemic, Government has provided-
o Free ration to more than 80 crore people
o Free gas cylinders to more than 8 crore families
o Rs 1500 transferred into bank accounts of 20 crore women
o Rs 19,000 crore under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to more than 10 crore farmers
o Rs 1 lakh crore to agriculture sector under AtmaNirbhar Bharat Package.
o 60 lakh migrant labourers reached back home through “Shramik Special Trains”
o Rs 17,000 crores to State Disaster Relief Fund to provide assistance to migrant
labourers.
Background:
• NMDFC earlier organized such an event at Kashipur, Uttarakhand for the women members
of the handloom cluster.
• It also organized campaigns to create awareness about Covid-19 prevention to various artisans
and 27 State Channelizing Agencies.
2.36 Dept. of Food & Public Distribution holds meeting to implement Scheme to enhance ethanol
distillation capacity
• Recently, the department of Food & Public Distribution has organized a meeting with state
governments, central government departments and industry associations, to implement a
scheme to enhance ethanol distillation capacity in the country for producing 1st Generation
(1G) ethanol from feed stock.
Key Highlights:
• Important industrial associations participated in the event - Indian Sugar Mills Association
(ISMA), All India Distillers' Association (AIDA), National Federation of Cooperative Sugar
Factories Limited (NFCSF), The Associated Chambers of Commerce of India(ASSOCHAM),
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), etc
• States to promote the scheme to entrepreneurs to achieve targets & to facilitate
arrangements of land acquisition and environmental clearance to set up distilleries.
• States requested to nominate nodal department in the States/UTs & nodal officer.
• Every State should constitute a Steering Committee under the chairmanship of Chief
Secretary, comprising officers of State Excise Authority, State Pollution Control Board, Industry
Department, Industry Associations, entrepreneurs and Central Government officers to review
the scheme implementation on monthly basis to resolve bottlenecks.
2.37 Agriculture Ministry proposes Rs 19,000-cr mission for edible oil in Budget
• Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture has proposed Rs 19,000 crore national mission on edible
oil for approval in the Union Budget 2021-22.
• Aim: achieving self-sufficiency in production of cooking oil; attaining zero imports in the next
five years.
Key Highlights:
• The mission will reduce current account deficit and make local industry more competitive.
• It may be funded by levying a cess of Rs 2,500-3,000 per ton on imports.
• Cess levied will generate a corpus of Rs 6,000 crore per year.
• To promote palm oil cultivation, Palm tree coverage to be increased to 3,25,000 in a year,
from 2,25,000 hectares.
• Area under Mustard cultivation increased to 8%.
Background:
• India imports around 15 million tonnes of cooking oil, catering 70% of annual requirement
of 23 million tonnes
• Edible oil imports cost Rs 75,000 crores annually to the exchequer.
• Palm Oil imports account for more than 60% of the total edible oil imports.
• Government earns around Rs 30,000 crore annually through import duty, ranging from 27.5-
35% on crude edible oil.
• In Union Budget 2020-21, Finance Minister requested Farmers to make India self-sufficient in
edible oil production.
2.38 Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (2016=100) – December 2020
[Inflation]
• Recently, the Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour & Employment has released the Consumer
Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI –IW) for December 2020.
Key Findings:
• CPI (IW) for December 2020 - 118.8 points and decreased by 1.1 points & 0.92% from
November 2020.
• The decrease is the impact of fall of 3.16% in the food group items (39.17% share in total
index weight) between Nov-Dec 2020.
• Year-on-year inflation based on all-items stood at 3.67 % for December 2020 as compared to
5.27 % for November 2020.
• Solapur recorded maximum increase & Ramgarh - maximum decrease in the index.
• Food inflation stood at 2.89 % in December 2020, as against 7.48 % in November 2020.
2.39 Index of Eight Core Industries – December 2020

[Inflation]
• Recently, the Office of The Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade has released the Index of Eight Core Industries for December, 2020.
Key Findings:
• Combined Index of Eight Core Industries - 133.8 points, declined by 1.3 % (provisional) as
compared to December 2019.
• Cumulative growth during April to December, 2020-21: (-) 10.1%.
• Final growth rate for September 2020: 0.6%
• Eight Core Industries comprises 40.27 % of the weight of items in the Index of Industrial
Production (IIP).
• Yearly Index of Eight Core Industries:
Sector Apr-Dec 2019- Apr-Dec 2020- Yearly growth Yearly growth
20 (Points) 21 (Points) Apr- Dec 2019-20 Apr- Dec 2020-
(%) 21 (%)
Coal 117.5 115.4 -3.9 -1.9

Crude Oil 85.3 80.4 -6 -5.7
Natural Gas 66.4 58.7 -3.8 -11.6
Refinery 128.3 110.9 -0.6 -13.5
Products
Fertilizers 110.6 113.9 4.7 3
Steel 154.4 128.7 6.9 -16.7
Cement 143.7 117.5 0.7 -18.3
Electricity 160.5 154.6 0.7 -3.7
Overall Index / 130.5 117.3 0.6 -10.1
Growth
2.40 NSO revises growth rate for 2018-19

[Measurements of Growth]
• Recently, the National Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation has released the Second Revised Estimates of National Income,
Consumption Expenditure, Saving and Capital Formation for FY 2018-19 and Third Revised
Estimates for FY 2017-18 (with Base Year 2011-12) .
Key Findings:
• Actual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2018-19: 6.1%, as against 6.8% from the
previous estimates.
• Real GDP or GDP at constant (2011-12) prices for 2018-19: Rs 139.81 trillion; 2017-18: Rs
131.75 trillion
• The first revision for 2017-18 growth numbers, January 2019: real GDP grew at 7.2%.
• Growth rate during 2018-19 and 2017-18: 6.1% & 7% respectively.
• Nominal Net National Income (NNI) at current prices for 2018-19: Rs 167.89 trillion.
• NNI at current prices for 2017-18: Rs 151.50 trillion.
• Net National Income Growth Rate: 10.8% during 2018-19; 11.2% during 2017-18.
• In terms of gross value-added (GVA), the economy grew at 6% in 2018-19, as against 6.6% in
previous estimates.
• Revised Primary Sector GVA Growth : 2018-19: 1.0%, as against 5.8% in 2017-18
• Revised Manufacturing Sector GVA Growth in 2018-19: 6%, as against 6.5% in 2017-18
• Revised Service Sector GVA Growth in 2018-19: 7.7%, as against 6.9% in 2018-19
• India’s per capita NNI at current prices: Rs 1,15,293 for 2017-18; Rs 1,26,521 for 2018-19.
• Per capita private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) at current prices: Rs 76,794 for 2017-
18; Rs 84,808 for 2018-19.
• GDP Growth rate for 2016- 17, revised to 8.3%.
3 GA+Finance in news-for RBI Gr B/NABARD Gr A/SEBI

Gr A
3.1 RBI steps in to push UPI, RuPay’s global reach
• Recently, Reserve Bank has released booklet on “payment and settlement systems in India”.
• It has highlighted that RBI, in close collaboration with the government and National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) has been working to expand the reach of Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) and RuPay globally.
Presence of RuPay cards in india
• RuPay had a 60% share in cards issued till November 2020 from 15% in 2017.
• RuPay has tied up with other payment networks like Union Pay (China), JCB (Japan), NETS
(Singapore), BC Card (South Korea), Elo (Brazil) and DinaCard (Serbia) for increasing its
acceptance around the world.
• During FY2011 - FY2020
o Debit cards issued has increased to 82.86 crore from 22.78 crore, out of total around 30
crores have been RuPay debit cards issued to basic savings bank deposit (BSBD)
accountholders.
o Credit cards issued has increased to 5.77 crore from 1.80 crore.
✓ Only 9.7 lakh RuPay credit cards have been issued till November, 2020
• The increase in cards has facilitated growth in both online and physical point of sale (PoS)
terminal-based card payments, resulting in an increase in digital transactions.
3.2 RBI sets out enhanced norms to improve grievance redress mechanism at bank
• Recently, RBI has decided to put in place a comprehensive framework comprising of, inter-
alia, enhanced disclosures by banks on customer complaints, recovery of cost of redress
from banks for the maintainable complaints received against them in Offices of Banking
Ombudsman (OBOs) in excess of the peer group average, and undertaking intensive review
of the grievance redress mechanism and supervisory action against banks that fail to
improve their redress mechanism in a time bound manner.
Major Components of the framework for strengthening grievance redress mechanism in banks –
Enhanced disclosures on complaints
• RBI has decided to follow set of granular disclosures to be made by banks in their annual
reports.
o These disclosures are intended to provide to the customers of banks and members of
public greater insight into the volume and nature of complaints received by the banks from
their customers and the complaints received by banks from the OBOs and the quality and
turnaround time of redress.
Recovery of cost of redress of complaints from banks
• RBI has decided to operationalise the cost-recovery framework for banks, whereby the cost of
redress of maintainable complaints will be recovered from the banks against whom the
number of complaints received in OBOs are in excess of their peer group average (Peer groups
are based on the asset size of banks as on March 31 of the previous year).
• Peer group averages of maintainable complaints received in OBOs would be computed on
three parameters —
o Average number of maintainable complaints per branch,
o Average number of maintainable complaints per 1,000 accounts (total of deposit and
credit accounts) held by the bank
o Average number of maintainable digital complaints per 1,000 digital transactions
executed through the bank by its customers.
Intensive review
• Reserve Bank under its supervisory mechanism will undertake annual assessments of
customer service and grievance redress in banks based on the data and information available
through the Complaint Management System, and other sources and interactions. Banks
identified as having persisting issues in grievance redress will be subjected to an intensive
review of their grievance redress mechanism to better identify the underlying systemic issues
and initiate corrective measures.
• The intensive review shall include (but will not be limited to) the following areas:
o Adequacy of the customer service and customer grievance redress related policies.
o Functioning of the Customer Service Committee of the Board.
o Level of involvement of the Top Management in customer service and customer grievance
related issues.
o Effectiveness of the grievance redress mechanism of banks.
How the Framework will work?
• RBI will undertake intensive review of the grievance redress mechanism of banks having
persisting issues in their redress mechanism.
• Based on the review, a remedial action plan will be formulated and formally communicated to
banks for implementation within a specific time frame.
• In case no improvement is observed in the grievance redress mechanism within the prescribed
timelines despite the measures undertaken, the bank(s) will be subjected to corrective actions
through appropriate regulatory and supervisory measures.
3.3 RBI gives banks three more months to appoint Chief Compliance Officer
• Recently, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given banks three more months to appoint Chief
Compliance Officer (CCO) as per the circular on ‘Compliance Functions in Banks and Role of
Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)’ released in September 2020.
• About Compliance Functions in Banks and Role of Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
• It has been issued to bring uniformity in approach followed by banks to appoint a designated
CCO selected through a suitable process with an appropriate ‘fit and proper’ evaluation/
selection criteria to manage compliance risk effectively.
• Eligibility – Age should not be more than 55 years.
o Exception: If a person identified for CCO role is more than 55 years but she/ he has been
continuously associated with the compliance function prior to completing the age of 55
years, the person would be eligible for such appointment.
• Experience - Overall experience of at least 15 years in the banking or financial services out of
which minimum 5 years shall be in the Audit / Finance / Compliance / Legal / Risk Management
functions.
o Exception: If a regional/ zonal/ business head had the requisite responsibility/ experience
on the control functions of the business lines for 5 years or more, she/ he shall be eligible
for the post
• Tenure - Minimum fixed tenure of not less than 3 years.
Duties and responsibilities of the compliance function
• To apprise the Board and senior management on regulations, rules and standards and any
further developments.
• To provide clarification on any compliance related issues.
• To conduct assessment of the compliance risk (at least once a year) and to develop a risk-
oriented activity plan for compliance assessment. The activity plan should be submitted to the
ACB for approval and be made available to the internal audit.
• To report promptly to the Board / ACB / MD & CEO about any major changes / observations
relating to the compliance risk.
• To periodically report on compliance failures/breaches to the Board/ACB and circulating to
the concerned functional heads.
• To monitor and periodically test compliance by performing sufficient and representative
compliance testing. The results of the compliance testing should be placed to Board/ACB/MD
& CEO.
• To examine sustenance of compliance as an integral part of compliance testing and annual
compliance assessment exercise.
• To ensure compliance of Supervisory observations made by RBI and/or any other directions in
both letter and spirit in a time bound and sustainable manner.
3.4 Union Finance Minister opens NCLAT Chennai Bench

• Recently, Union Finance Minister has opened National Company Law and Appealate Tribunal
Chennai Bench.
• It has become the second NCLAT Bench in India, after the Principal Bench in New Delhi.
• Five new Benches of NCLT have also been announced at Jaipur, Cuttack, Kochi, Indore and
Amaravati.
About NCLAT
• It was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 for hearing appeals against
the orders of National Company Law Tribunal.
• Functions:
o It hears appeals against the orders of National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT), with effect
from 1st June, 2016.
o Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against
✓ The orders passed by NCLT(s) under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code,
2016 (IBC).
✓ Orders passed by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India under Section 202 and
Section 211 of IBC.
✓ Any direction issued or decision made or order passed by the Competition Commission
of India (CCI).
3.5 Auction for Sale (Re-issue) of ‘4.48% GS 2023’, ‘GoI Floating Rate Bond 2033’, ‘6.22% GS 2035’,
and ‘6.67% GS 2050’
[Fiscal Policy]
• Recently, Ministry of Finance has announced the Sale (Re-issue) of
o ‘4.48% Government Security, 2023’ for a notified amount of Rs 6,000 crore through price
based auction
o ‘GoI Floating Rate Bonds, 2033’ for a notified amount of Rs 2,000 crore through price
based auction
o ‘6.22% Government Security, 2035’ for a notified amount of ` 8,000 crore through price
based auction
o ‘6.67% Government Security, 2050’ for a notified amount of Rs 5,000 crore (nominal)
through price based auction.
• GoI will have the option to retain additional subscription up to Rs 2,000 crore against each of
the above securities.
• It has also informed that Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the securities will be
allotted to eligible individuals and Institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding
Facility in the Auction of Government Securities.
About Floating Rate Bond
• It is a bond that has a variable interest rate as comparecd to a fixed-rate bond that has an
interest rate that doesn't fluctuate.
• The interest rate is tied to a short-term benchmark rate or rate that holds steady.
• Many floating-rate bonds have quarterly coupons, meaning that they pay interest four times
a year, but some pay monthly, semiannually, or annually.
• Interest rate risk is largely mitigated as these bonds will pay higher return when prevailing
rates are high.
• The best time to buy floating rate bonds is when rates are low and are expected to rise.
3.6 Total FDI inflow of US$ 58.37 billion received during April to November, 2020
• Recently, Ministry of Commerce & Industry has informed that During April to November,
2020, total FDI inflow of US$ 58.37 billion has been received which is the highest ever for
first 8 months of a financial year and 22% higher as compared to first 8 months of 2019-20
amounting US$ 47.67 billion.
• FDI equity inflow received during F.Y. 2020-21 (April to November, 2020) has been US$ 43.85
billion which is also the highest ever for first 8 months of a financial year and 37% more as
compared to first 8 months of 2019-20 amounting US$ 32.11 billion.
3.7 Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs celebrates International Customs Day, 2021
• Recently, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has celebrated International Customs
Day, 2021 on 27th January.
• Theme given by World Customs Organisation (WCO) – “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal
and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain”
• It has also discussed about Turant Customs programme which focusses on Faceless,
Contactless and Paperless Customs clearance processes.
• During the day, WCO Certificate of Merit has also been awarded.
3.8 Global public debt likely to touch 98% of GDP in 2020 amid Covid crisis: IMF
[RBI Functions]
• Recently, International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its fiscal monitor update has informed that
Global public debt has been estimated to touch 98% of GDP as compared to 84% before
COVID-19 at the end of 2020 due to decline in government revenue everywhere.
India Specific Finding
• India’s government debt has been expected to remain elevated at 83% of GDP.
3.9 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India organises a Workshop on “Committee of Creditors:
An Institution of Public Trust”
• Recently, The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) along with the State Bank of
India and the Indian Banks’ Association has organised virtual workshop on “Committee of
Creditors (CoC): An Institution of Public Trust”.
• Aim - To develop a better understanding of the role of and expectations from the CoC, under
the Code and to build the capacity of financial creditors to ensure that the CoC:
o Discharges its statutory duties and responsibilities with utmost care and diligence;
o Has the capability and motivation to take business decisions in terms of generating multiple
competing resolution plans and approving the best among them; and
o Considers and balances the interest of all stakeholders in a resolution process.
3.10 GST Revenue collection for January 2021 almost touches ₹1.20 lakh crore
[Direct and Indirect Tax]
• Recently, Ministry of Finance has informed that gross GST revenue collected in the month of
January 2021 amounts to ₹ 1,19,847 crore of which CGST is ₹ 21,923 crore, SGST is ₹ 29,014
crore, IGST is ₹ 60,288 crore (including ₹ 27,424 crore collected on import of goods) and Cess
is ₹ 8,622 crore (including ₹ 883crore collected on import of goods).
o GST revenues for the month of January 2021 are 8% higher as compared to January 2019.
o GST revenues from import of goods was 16% higher and the Revenues from domestic
transaction (including import of services) are 6% higher as compared to January 2019.
• Total number of GSTR-3B Returns filed for the month of December - 90 lakhs.
About GSTR 3B Return

• It is a monthly self-declaration to be filed by a registered GST dealer along with GSTR 1 and
GSTR 2 return forms.
• It is a simplified return to declare summary GST liabilities for a tax period.
3.11 SEBI’s decision on mutual funds risk-o-meter

• Recently, SEBI’s decision on the “risk-o-meter” has come into effect from 1st January 2021.
• It has made it mandatory for mutual fund houses to characterise the risk level of their
schemes on a six-stage scale from “Low” to “Very High”.
Key Highlights
• All mutual funds shall assign a risk level to their schemes at the time of launch, based on the
scheme’s characteristics.
• Fund houses are required to disclose the risk-o-meter risk level along with the portfolio
disclosure for all their schemes on their own websites as well as the website of the
Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) within 10 days of the close of each month.
• The level of risk depend upon the risk value (less than 1 for low risk to more than 5 for very
high risk)
How risk will be evaluated?
• For an equity portfolio, the risk value would be a simple average of market capitalisation value,
volatility value, and impact cost value.
• Market cap value of a portfolio will be based on the weighted average of the market
capitalisation values of each security like 5 for large cap, 7 for mid cap and 9 for small cap
• The volatility risk value of the portfolio will be the weighted average of the volatility value of
each security like 5 for daily volatility of up to 1, and 6 for greater than 1.

WWW - Edutap.Co - in Hello@Edutap - Co.In: Query? / 8 1 4 6 2 0 7 2 4 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

WWW - Edutap.Co - in Hello@Edutap - Co.In: Query? / 8 1 4 6 2 0 7 2 4 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

WWW - Edutap.Co - in Hello@Edutap - Co.In: Query? / 8 1 4 6 2 0 7 2 4 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.

Let us look at RBI Gr B first:

Phase 1 – GA Phase 2 – ESI Phase 2 – FM

Now let us take a look at NABARD Gr A and B examination:

Phase 1 – GA Phase 1 - ESI Phase 1- ARD Phase 2 – ESI Phase 2 –

Why this division?

Example of the Previous Year Questions:

E) None of the above

Let us take another example.

E) None of the above

3|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

Let us take one last example:

Q. In which of the following years was e-NAM launched?

E) None of the above

What about this question?

What are those areas? Let us consider some examples:

C) Utpal Kumar Ganguly

E) None of the above

4|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

E) None of the above

How to read this document for Phase 1?

How to read this document for Phase 2?

5|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

Questions asked in NABARD Gr A 2020 – Phase 2

A) USD 558.5 billion

B) USD 455.5 billion

C) USD 659.6 billion

D) USD 252.9 billion

E) None of the above

Answer : USD 558.5 billion

Q. Paragraph – Framework for Bank Frauds

E) None of the above

Answer : Signals (Early Warning Signals)

6|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

7|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

8|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

9|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

11 | P a g e W W W . E D U T A P . C O . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

1.2 Northeast gets its first human milk bank

1.3 DMRC introduced NCMC Service on Airport Express Line

1.4 India-Bangladesh finalize first rice deal in 3 years

1.5 PM Modi inaugurates New Khurja—New Bhaupur section of Eastern DFC

1.6 Indian Railways Completes speed trials of Vistadome Tourist Coach

12 | P a g e W W W . E D U T A P . C O . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

1.8 AFSPA extended for six more months in Nagaland

1.11 Music Festival Tansen Samaroh commences in Gwalior

1.12 National Folk Dance Festival begins in Jammu & Kashmir

13 | P a g e W W W . E D U T A P . C O . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

1.15 India to be a co-chair Asia Protected Areas Partnership

1.16 Delhi government sets up academy to promote Tamil culture

1.17 Reliance Jio to revoke IUC charges from January 1, 2021

1.18 PM Modi flags off world's 1st double-stack container train

1.19 Webinar on Water Purification Technologies for MSMEs

14 | P a g e W W W . E D U T A P . C O . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN/ 8146207241

1.21 Free bus service for women and elderly in Assam

1.22 Union Home Minister releases National Police K-9 Journal

1.23 51st IFFI at Goa

1.24 4th Global Ayurveda Festival to be held virtually in Kerala

1.26 Ministry of Ports to start Sagarmala Seaplane Services