Current Affairs 10 April 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 10 April 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Contributes USD 500, 000 to UN Counter-Terrorism FundT.S. Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Secretary to the United Nations (UN) stated that India has contributed an additional USD 500, 000 (~ INR 3.7 Crores) to the United Nations Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism. With this, India’s total contribution to the UN Counter-Terrorism fund stands at around USD 1.05 Million.

• The UN Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism was established by the Secretary-General in 2009 under DPA (Department of Political Affairs).
• India’s USD 1.05 Million Contribution to UN Counter-Terrorism Fund also includes the funding to Africa.
• UN Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism is utilized by UNOCT (United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism) for its programme of work, technical assistance & capacity-building support to the Member States through the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) and the Special Projects and Innovation Branch (SPIB).

About United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT):
Under-Secretary-General – Vladimir Voronkov
Headquarters – New York, USA
>>Read Full News

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank Launches SARTHAQ initiative for Implementation of NEP 2020On April 8, 2021, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched an National Education Policy (NEP) Implementation Plan for School Education called ‘Students’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement through Quality Education (SARTHAQ)’. It will help in achieving goals & objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

• SARTHAQ has been developed by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.
• It has been released as part of celebrations leading to ‘AmritMahotsav’ on 75 years of Indian Independence.
• It is the Plan of Action of NEP 2020 and outlines an implementation plan for the next 10 years.
• Ramesh Pokhriyal also chaired a high level meeting on the implementation of NEP 2020 in New Delhi.

Expected outcomes
The implementation of SARTHAQ is expected to bring many changes in the entire education system, they are

• Increase in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), Net Enrolment Ratio (NER), transition rate and retention rate at all levels. Reduction in drop outs & out of school children.
• Uniform standards in learning outcomes and governance across public and private schools.

About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister – Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Haridwar, Uttarakhand)
Minister of State –   Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Akola, Maharashtra)
>>Read Full News

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana: About INR 14.96 Lakh Crore sanctioned by Banks since 2015The Ministry of Finance has stated that Banks & other Financial Institutions have sanctioned 28.68 Crore beneficiaries worth INR 14.96 Lakh Crore (as of March 2021) under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) since its launch in 2015.

• MUDRA stands for Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd.
• As many as 4.2 Crore Mudra Loans worth INR 2.66 Lakh crore were sanctioned in FY 2020-21.

MUDRA Yojana
i.It was launched on April 8, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The Authorized Capital of MUDRA is INR 1000 Crore & the paid-up capital is INR 750 Crore, fully subscribed by SIDBI.

• It was registered as a company under the Companies Act 2013 and as a Non-Banking Finance Institution with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

ii.Objective – To promote entrepreneurship among youths.

• Loans – Collateral free loans of upto INR 10 Lakh to MSMEs.
• MUDRA Bank set up under PMMY Scheme provides loans at low rates to MFI & NBFC which then provides credit to MSMEs.

ii.Categories – Mudra Loans are offered in 3 categories namely – ‘Shishu’, ‘Kishore’ & ‘Tarun’.

About Mudra Bank:
MD & CEO – Aalok Gupta
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
>>Read Full News

Environment Ministry Amends Emission Norms for Thermal Power PlantThe Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change extends the compliance timeline of Thermal Power plants with reduced penalties for non-compliance. Previously, the Coal based power plants were advised to be in compliance with the emission norms by December 2022 or closure of the plant.
New Guidelines:
i.Thermal Power Plants are categorized under 3 groups:
Category A – Within the 10 km radius of the National Capital region & cities with a million plus population
Category B – 10 km radius of critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities
Category C – All other plants
Note – Pollutants like Sulphates and Nitrates can travel long distances in air.
ii.All Category A power plants should install emission control equipment by December 31, 2022.
iii.Plants earmarked for retirement, shall comply with the emission norms by December 31, 2025.
iv.Cities with more than 10 lakh population to comply with new emission norms by the end of 2022.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change:
Formed – 1985
Union Minister – Prakash Javadekar (Constituency – Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Babul Supriyo (Constituency – Asansol, West Bengal)

India announced Muktijoddha Scholarship to 2000 Bangladeshi Students

The Government of India announced scholarships to 2000 Bangladeshi students, the direct descendants of Muktijoddha or Liberation War-fighters of Bangladesh under the new Muktijoddha Scholarship scheme. 
New Muktijoddha Scholarship scheme:
i.This new version scheme was launched in 2017 during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India and it aims to benefit 10000 Bangladeshi students over a period of 5 years.
ii. Under this scheme, 1000 Higher Secondary students will receive a one-time amount of Tk 20000 and 1000 UG students will receive an amount of Tk  50000 directly into their bank account.
iii.Muktijoddha scholarship scheme was launched in 2006 under which higher secondary students received 10000 Taka(Tk) per year for 2 years and Undergraduate(UG) students received Tk 24000 per year for 4 years.
Fund:
The Government of India has sanctioned Tk 35 crore for both the scheme combined.
At present, the scheme has benefitted around 17082 students and an amount of Tk 37.99 crore has been utilised for this.
PM Modi Announced Swarna Jayanti Scholarship for Bangladeshi Youths:
On 26th March 2021, during the first day of his 2-day visit to Bangladesh, Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi announced the Swarna Jayanti scholarship, a research fellowship for youths of Bangladesh which is awarded by the Department of Science and Technology(DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, India.

• The fellowship is annually awarded to outstanding research by young scientists in Biology, Chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and physics.

NCML Signed MoU With ASCI To Provide Skill Training In Agri Sector

On 31st March 2021, the National Collateral Management Limited (NCML) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) to provide skill training in the agriculture sector.
Aim:

• To bridge the gap between the current vocational education programs and the corresponding industry requirements and expectations.
• To provide practical professional skill training and recognition of prior learning as per  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

Skill Training In The Agriculture Sector:
i.This will enable a continuous learning framework that will lead to the training and development of resources in the agriculture industry and the agriculture warehousing industry.
Process:
i.This process is divided into 3 parts with training courses, prior learning and special projects.
ii. According to the National Skill Qualification Framework, ASCI will create occupational standards for various job roles.

IISc Bangalore and Calcutta University Ranked Best in India : ARWU Ranking 2020

According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2020 (ARWU 2020 also known as Shanghai Ranking) released by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc Bangalore) was ranked as the best Higher Education Institute in India, while Calcutta University was ranked as the best University in India.

• At the Global Level, Harvard University (USA) was ranked as the Best University followed by Stanford University (USA) & the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom).
• IISc Bangalore was the best ranked Indian Institute at the global level with a ranking in the category 501-600.
• ARWU is an annual Publication.

Best Institutes Ranking in India

About Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Director – Govindan Rangarajan
Location – Bangalore, Karnataka
Established Year – 1909
>>Read Full News

West Bengal accounts Highest Contribution through Small Savings Schemes

National Savings Institute under the Ministry of Finance, announced West Bengal as the largest contributor to the Small Savings Schemes with Rs. 90,000 crore contribution during 2017-18.
i.Over the years, West Bengal is the highest contributor to the schemes, with 12-15% of India’s total contribution.
ii.It is followed by Uttar Pradesh, with a gross collection of Rs 69,660.70 in 2017-18.
Small Savings Schemes are Central govt. Schemes, where funds are collected through the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) providing a Higher rate of Interest & Tax benefits.
Example – Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (MIS), Senior Citizen’s Savings Scheme, Post Office Time Deposit Scheme & Post Office Savings Account.
About West Bengal:
i.Kolkata city is nicknamed as “Cultural Capital of India”.
ii.One of the World’s largest mangrove forests & UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Sundarbans’ is located in West Bengal.

Overview of Bahrain Foreign Minister Al Zayani’s visit to India  
Abdullatif bin Rashid AlZayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain paid an official visit to India from April 6-8, 2021. The visit of Al Zayani is expected to strengthen the ties & cooperation between the two countries.

• During the visit, Al Zayani paid a Courtesy Visit to Vice-President of India Venkaiah Naidu.

3rd India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (HJC) Meeting

•  The Third meeting of the India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (HJC) was held in New Delhi on 7th April, 2021.
• Co-chairs – Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India & Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
• India welcomed the signing of the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) by Bahrain.
• India & Bahrain are set to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of their diplomatic relations.
• Discussions for collaboration are taking place between NSIL (NewSpace India Limited), the commercial wing of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) & National Space Science Agency (NSSA) for building and launching nano-satellite, and establishing a ground station.
• India & Bahrain agreed to cooperate in key areas such as Oil and Gas sector, Health & Defence.

About Bahrain:
Prime Minister (Crown Prince) – Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Capital – Manama
Currency – Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
>>Read Full News

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

PM Modi & Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan participate in India-Seychelles High-Level Virtual Event
India-Seychelles High-Level Virtual Event was held on April 8, 2021. Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi & Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan participated in the event.
i.During the event, they virtually inaugurated several developmental assistance projects funded by India in Seychelles.
ii.List of inaugurated projects are

• New Magistrates’ Court building in Victoria, the Capital city of Seychelles, constructed at a cost of USD 3.5 Million (~ INR 26.23 Crores). It is the 1st Indian assisted infrastructure project in Seychelles
• 1 MW ground-mounted Solar Power Plant built with Indian grant assistance in Romainville Island of Seychelles
• Inauguration of 10 Indian High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Seychelles.

iii.Gifting of ‘PS Zoroaster’ to Seychelles
PM Modi gifted a 48.9m Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) called ‘PS Zoroaster’ to Seychelles.

• It has been built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata at a cost of INR 100 Crore.
• It will help in Seychelles Coast Guard to strengthen its surveillance & Safeguarding capacities in its maritime space.
• Zoroaster is the 4th ship to be gifted by India to Seychelles after PS Topaz (2005), PS Constant (2014) & Patrol Boat Hermes (2016).

About Seychelles:
President – Wavel Ramkalawan
Capital – Victoria
Currency – Seychellois rupee
>>Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

ADB Approved a USD 484-Million Loan to Improve Connectivity in CKIC
On 8th April 2021, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 484-Million (~INR 3616 Crore) Loan to improve transport connectivity and road maintenance in Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor(CKIC) in Tamil Nadu.
i.Aim: To increase the participation of the manufacturing industry in production networks and global value chain and create jobs along the corridors.
ii.In this highway up-gradation project, climate change adaptation measures will be incorporated, including the improved drainage raised road embankments in critical sections and resizing of bridges and culverts.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
President– Masatsugu Asakawa
Managing Director General– Woochong Um
Established in– 1966
Headquarters– Manila, Philippines
Members– 68 members(49 – Asia & Pacific & 19 – outside)
>>Read Full News

Highlights of the first bi-monthly monetary policy for FY 2021 -22
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 6-members Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had met on 5th, 6th and 7th April 2021 and released its first bi-monthly monetary policy statement for FY22 (April 2021 – March 2022).
Key points of the MPC’ Statement:
-Growth 
The committee has projected India’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth for FY22 at 10.5% with 26.2% in Q1; 8.3% in Q2; 5.4% in Q3; and 6.2 % in Q4.

The interest rates were kept unchanged, which are as follows:

-Inflation
CPI inflation/Retail inflation for Q4FY21 was revised to 5.0% and for the H1 FY22 it was projected to be 5.2% along with 4.4 % in Q3 and 5.1% in Q4.

-RBI planned to extend SLP of ₹50,000 cr. to AIFIs
To mitigate the impact of the pandemic and to support the economic rival RBI planned to extend fresh lending (Special Liquid Facility) of Rs 50,000 crore for FY22 to All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs) such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) (Rs 25,000 crore); the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) (Rs 15,000 crore); the National Housing Bank (NHB) (Rs 10,000 crore); and the EXIM Bank.
-RBI accepted the WMA recommendation to advance the WMA limit for states by 46%
RBI has accepted the committee’s recommendations to increase the limit of WMA for all states to ₹47,010 crores, against the current limit of ₹32,225 crores (fixed in February 2016), which represents an increase of about 46%.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Establishment – 1st April 1935
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor – Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo retired on April 2, 2021)
>>Read Full News

U GRO Capital Partnered with SBM Bank India to Launch Credit Card for MSMEs
i.On 8^th April, 2021, U GRO Capital in partnership with SBM Bank India launched “GRO Smart Business” credit card for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).The Credit Card is powered by RuPay, along with EnKash. These are specially designed for underbanked micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
ii.Objective – It will empower MSME entrepreneurs by providing financial assistance to solve multiple financial challenges.
iii. These can be availed by the U GRO Capital borrowers against a fixed deposit with SBM Bank India.
About U GRO Capital:
CEO – Abhijit Ghosh
Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra
>>Read Full News

SEBI Imposed Rs 25 Crore Fine On Ambanis For Violation Of Takeover Code Regulations In 2000

On 7th April 2021, the Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) imposed a Rs.25 crores fine on the promoters of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) (Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Nita Ambani, Tina Ambani) for the violation of the takeover code regulations in 2000.

• The imposed penalty will be jointly paid by the 34 individuals named in the SEBI order which includes the mother and children of Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani within 45 days.
• SEBI issued the Show cause notice(SCN) to Ambani Family in 2011.     

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS    

RBI Deputy Governor B P Kanungo Retires

On 2nd April, 2021 Reserve Bank of India’s Deputy Governor, B P Kanungo retired after serving as Deputy governor for 4 years. He was appointed as Deputy governor in April 2017.

• As a Deputy Governor, he was in charge of various portfolios including currency management, external investments, operations, payment, and settlement system.
• All his portfolios were reshuffled among the other 3 deputy governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Patra and Rajeshwar Rao.

      ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS   

HDFC acquires 10% stake in Kerala Infrastructure Fund Management Ltd

On 6th April 2021, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Limited acquired 9.9% stake in the Kerala based Asset Management company, Kerala Infrastructure Fund Management Ltd (KIFML).

• 3,88,303 equity shares, each valued at Rs 10 were bought by HDFC Ltd on a private placement basis.

About Kerala Infrastructure Fund Management Limited (KIFML):
KIFML is an asset management company promoted by Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board.
Established – November 2018
Headquarters – Trivandrum, Kerala
About HDFC Ltd:
Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Limited is an Indian financial services company founded in 1977.
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman – Deepak Parekh
Vice Chairman & CEO – Keki Mistry

   SPORTS

Nethra Kumanan Becomes 1st Indian woman Sailor to Qualify for Olympics

Nethra Kumanan (23 years old) became the 1st Indian woman sailor to qualify for the Olympics under the laser radial category. She will be the 10th Indian to qualify for a sailing event in the Olympics. She secured the place through her performance at the Mussanah Open Championship, a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

• 4 Indian Sailors including Nethra were qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Vishnu Saravanan (Laser Standard) and the pair of Ganapathy Chengappa and Varun Thakkar (49er Class) qualified during the Asian Qualifiers held in Oman.
• For the first time India will be competing in more than 1 sailing event at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

“Akhtari: The Life and Music of Begum Akhtar”, a New Book Tributed to Singer Padma Shri Begum Akhtar

“Akhtari: The Life and Music of Begum Akhtar” a new book to remember about the life and singing experience of great Indian Singer Begum Akhtar or Akhtari Bai Faizabadi.It was edited by Yatindra Mishra and published by HarperCollins India.

About the Book:-This book is a tribute to Begum Akhtar, featuring essays on her life and music, remembrances by those who knew her well, and interviews with the legend herself.

• It was originally written in Hindi and is now available in English which set to be released on April 30, 2021.
• The translators Shuchita Mital, Madhu B Joshi, Shubhangi Mishra, and Maneesha Taneja had done translation works to read it in Hindi and English respectively.
• This book including the likes of Bismillah Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, and Shubha Mudgal, recalls her eventful life and her music through essays in a new book.

About Begum Akhtar:-

i.Akhtaribai Faizabad or Begum Akhtar was born on October 7, 1914, in Faizabad UttarPradesh and died in 1974. On October 7, 2017, Google dedicated a Doodle profile to her commemorating the 103rd birthday of Begum Akthar.

ii.She was an Indian singer and actress. She is one of the greatest singers of Ghazal, Dadra, and Thumri genres of Hindustani classical music.

Awards:-

• 1968: Padma Shri
• 1972: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• 1975: Padma Bhushan (posthumously)

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Table Tennis Day 2021 – April 6

World Table Tennis Day(WTTD) is annually observed across the globe on 6th April to promote table tennis globally to be played in every part of the world. The day also marks the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
i.To promote Gender Equality and FEMpowerment, the World Table Tennis Day 2021 will focus to make table tennis popular, universal and inclusive.
ii.The celebration of the WTTD 2021 aims to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.
iii.The World Table Tennis day is an initiative of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
iv.The first World Table Tennis Day was observed on 6th April 2015 under the theme “Table Tennis for ALL”.
About International Table Tennis Federation(ITTF):
CEO– Stephen Dainton(Australia)
Secretary General– Raul Calin(Spain)
Founded in-1926
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
>>Read Full News

CRPF Valour Day 2021 – April 9
The Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) Valour Day is annually observed across India on 9th April to honour the valour of the Martyrs and the bravehearts of the 2 CRPF companies who fought against Pakistan at Sardar Post, Gujarat in 1965. 
i.The day is also known as the Shaurya Diwas and 9th April 2021 marks the observance of the 56th CRPF Valour Day. 
ii.The day marks the victory of the small contingent of CRPF against the Pakistan army at the Sardar Post, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat on 9th April 1965.
About Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF):
Director-General– Kuldiep Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi
>>Read Full News

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