Current Affairs 20 January 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 20 January 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

DoFPD notifies Modified Scheme to Enhance 1G Ethanol Production in IndiaDepartment of Food & Public Distribution (DoFPD) has notified a modified scheme to extend financial assistance for producers of “1st Generation” (1G) Ethanol from feed stocks such as Cereals (rice, wheat, barley, corn & sorghum), Sugarcane & Sugar Beet. The Financial Assistance will also be extended to

• Project proponents for increasing their ethanol distillation capacity
• For Converting molasses based distilleries to Dual Feedstock for production of Ethanol.

i.The Main Objective behind the scheme is to achieve 20% Blending of ethanol with Fossil Fuels by 2025 from 2030 (previous target was to achieve 20% blending by 2030).
ii.As part of the modified scheme

• Government will bear Interest Subvention for 5 years
• Fixed remunerative prices for ethanol derived from various feedstocks.

iii.The benefits of the scheme are

•  Will facilitate diversion of excess sugar to ethanol

Encourage farmers to diversify their crops, particular to take up maize/corn which need less water compared to sugarcane & rice
About Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution:
DoFPD is a department under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Union Minister – Piyush Goyal
Minister of State – Raosaheb Patil Danve
<<Read Full News>>

‘SAKSHAM 2021’ Campaign inaugurated by MoPNG Secretary Tarun Kapoor; SAKSHAM 2021 Awards Presentedi.The New Delhi-based Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) launched a month long pan-India campaign ‘SAKSHAM 2021 (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav)’ from January 16, 2021 to February 15 2021 to create awareness about the adverse impact of fossil fuels on health and environment, and to convince the consumers of fossil fuels to switch towards cleaner fuels.
ii.It was inaugurated by Secretary Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) and Chairman, PCRA Tarun Kapoor at New Delhi.
iii.The tagline of the campaign is ‘Green and Clean Energy’ (Hindi- हरित एवं स्वच्छ ऊर्जा).
iv.During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between PCRA and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) for promotion of Energy Efficient PNG (Piped Natural Gas) Stove.
About Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG):
Union Minister– Dharmendra Pradhan
Headquarter- New Delhi
About Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL):
It is a Joint Venture (JV) of PSU under the Ministry of Power.
Chairman– Rajeev Sharma
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Ministry of Railways issued Iron- ore Policy 2021 for Allocation of Rakes & Transportation of Iron Orei.On January 16, 2021, Ministry of Railways issued Iron-ore policy 2021 that will govern the allocation of rakes (train) and transportation of iron-ore w.e.f February 10, 2021.
ii.The aim of the policy is to provide complete logistics support to iron ore customers, thereby helping the iron and steel industry.
iii.The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) will update the features of this new policy in the Rake Allotment System module.
iv.To facilitate ease of doing business, the scrutiny of documentation by Railways has been removed. The scrutiny process was used to be done by Executive Director Rail Movement (EDRM), Kolkata (West Bengal).
About Ministry of Railways:
Union Minister – Piyush Vedprakash Goyal
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

India’s First Labour Movement Museum to come up at Alappuzha, KeralaIndia’s First Labour Movement Museum which showcases the history of the World Labour Movement is set to be launched in Kerala’s houseboat tourism hub, Alappuzha, Kerala.  The New Model Cooperative Society Limited building has been converted into the Labour Movement Museum.
i.The museum has been constructed with a budget of INR 9.95 crores & 97% of renovations works in the museum have been completed.

• It will portray pictures, documents & other exhibits which shaped the growth of the labour movement across the world & Alappuzha, which is the cradle of the Labour movement in India.
•  It is being launched as part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government’s second 100-day programme.
•  The museum will be an integral part of Alappuzha Heritage Tourism Project

About Kerala:
Dams – Idukki Dam (Periyar River), Idamalayar Dam (Idamalayar River)
RAMSAR sites – Vembanad Kol Wetland, Sasthamkotta Lake, Ashtamudi Lake
<<Read Full News>>

INMAS Handed Over MotorBike Ambulance ‘Rakshita’ to CRPFi.On January 18, 2021, a bike-based casualty transport emergency vehicle (bike ambulance) namely ‘Rakshita’ was handed over by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) during a ceremony held at CRPF Headquarter in New Delhi. Rakshita is built on a Royal Enfield Classic 350CC.
ii.It was handed over by Distinguished Scientist (DS) & Director General (DG) – Life Sciences (LS), DRDO, Dr Ajay Kumar Singh to DG CRPF, Dr Anand Prakash Maheshwari.
iii.INMAS is a Delhi based Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) laboratory.
About Defence Research & Development Organisation:
Chairman – Dr G Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

TRIFED signs MoU with IFFDC to Promote Livelihood Generation of Tribal PeopleTribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), the commercial wing of Ministry of Tribal Affairs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Farm Forestry Development Co-operative ltd (IFFDC) to promote Livelihood Generation of Tribal People.
i.As part of the Agreement,

• The 2 organisations will organise training programmes for Tribal Artisans to develop their entrepreneurship skill & business development.
• They will collaborate to identify & implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives & Tribal Development efforts.
•  IFFDC will assist TRIFED in the promotion of Tribal Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)

About Indian Farm Forestry Development Co-operative ltd (IFFDC):
Chairman – Umesh Tripathi
Headquarters – Gurgaon, Haryana
<<Read Full News>>

India, Japan Signed MoC on Movement of ‘skilled workers’In order to enhance cooperation in skills development, India and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on January 18, 2021 for operation of the ‘specified skilled worker’ (SSW) system. This MoC paves the way for Indian workers with required skills and pass Japanese language tests to get employment in Japan on a contractual basis. A total of 14 fields are covered under this agreement.

• The signing of this MoC was approved by Union Cabinet on January 6, 2021.
• It was signed by Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Japan’s ambassador Satoshi Suzuki.

Key Points:
–Both sides will set up a joint working group (JWG) of officials for the implementation of the programme.
–The 14 fields covered by the agreement are nursing care, material processing, industrial machinery manufacturing, electric and electronic information, construction, shipbuilding and ship-related industries, aviation, agriculture, fisheries, food and beverage manufacturing, food services industry, lodging, automobile maintenance and building cleaning.
Earlier Indo-Japan Agreement:
–In 2016, the two sides signed the “Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Programme” agreement for training 30,000 people over 10 years with Japanese-style manufacturing skills through the Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIM) and Japanese Endowed Courses (JECs) in Indian colleges.
–In 2017, the two countries signed the “Technical Intern Training Programme” agreement to allow Indian youth to avail of internships in Japan
–A total of 13 JIMs and five JECs are already operational.
About Japan:
Capital– Tokyo
Currency– Japanese yen

India Supplies 2 Mobile Harbour Cranes to Iran’s Chabahar Port

India has supplied a consignment of 2 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. 2 MHC arrived from Marghera port, Italy has been unloaded successfully on 18th January, 2021. A bilateral contract was signed between  Islamic Republic of Iran and Republic of India on May 23, 2016 with a  total value of USD 85 million ‎for Equipping, Mechanizing and starting Operations at Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar development Phase- I. In order to achieve this, a Special Purpose Vehicle(SPV) namely  India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) was incorporated under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

BANKING & FINANCE

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Virtually Launched YES Bank’s ‘YES MSME’, a Proposition for MSMEs i.On January 18, 2021 Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) virtually launched YES Bank’s YES MSME.
ii.It is a comprehensive proposition to strengthen MSMEs with speed and easy access to funds, knowledge partnerships and digital solutions.
Objective of YES MSME– To support MSMEs to expand their business, sustain momentum and accelerate growth.
About YES Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– Prashant Kumar
Incepted– 2004
Tagline– Experience our expertise
Chatbot– YES ROBOT
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ Honoured with Sahitya Gaurav Samman 2021 by Hindi Writers Guild of Canada

On January 16, 2021 Hindi Writers Guild of Canada honoured Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ with the Sahitya Gaurav Samman 2021 for his writings and literature through a virtual programme.

• The award ceremony was organised by Hindi Writers Guild, Canada.

Key People
The award was given in presence of Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya. India’s High Commissioner in Canada Ajay Bisaria was also present in the ceremony.
About Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’:
Books
i.He has authored over 75 books that have been translated into many national and foreign languages.
ii.His books include Dreams that Don’t Let You Sleep: Based on the Life Skills Management of Dr. Kalam, sakaratmak soch Swami Vivekananda, Life Trials among others.
iii.The German version ‘nureinWunsch” of his story collection ‘Just a Desire’, is published in Afro Asian Institute.
Awards
i.He is the recipient of many awards including, Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award 2020,  Sahitya Gaurav Samman from Former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Bharat Gaurav Samman, Good Governance Award by Dubai Government among others.
ii.He is also a recipient of  ‘Himal Gaurav Samman’ from Nepal.

MoTA Bags SKOCH Challenger Award 2021 for E-Governance; MoPR got for Transparency in Governancei.On January 16, 2021, the 70th SKOCH Summit (SKOCH Public Policy Forum) was held in New Delhi during which SKOCH Awards 2021 were presented to different ministries by SKOCH Group.
ii.The SKOCH Challenger Award-Best Performance in e-Governance was presented to Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA). The ministry got the SKOCH Challenger Award for the 2^nd consecutive year. It was received by Union Minister Arjun Munda, (MoTA).
iii. The “SKOCH Challenger Award- Transparency in Governance” was conferred to Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) for recognizing its IT-led initiatives
About SKOCH Challenger Award:
Instituted in 2003 by a SKOCH Group, a think tank dealing with socio economic issues, SKOCH Awards honours people, institutions, projects that go the extra mile to make India a better nation.
SKOCH Group Chairman– Sameer Kochar
<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Vishwavir Ahuja Re-Appointed as MD & CEO of RBL BankOn January 18, 2021, The Board of Directors of RBL Bank approved the re-appointment of Vishwavir Ahuja as the Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Bank for three years, with effect from June 30, 2021 to June 29, 2024.

• The bank has recommended this re-appointment to the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) for approval.

Note– Reappointment is based on the recommendation of the nomination and remuneration committee of the bank.
About Vishwavir Ahuja:
i.He has been the MD& CEO of RBL bank since June 30, 2010.
ii.Earlier to joining RBL Bank in July 2010, he was the MD & CEO of Bank of America, India from 2001 to 2009.
iii.He has more than 38 years of experience and is expertise in banking, economics, finance, risk management, HR and business management.
About RBL Bank:
It is formerly known as Ratnakar Bank.
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Apno Ka Bank
Founded– 1943
Chatbot– RBL Cares

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

Adani Group & Total SE Signs USD 2.5 billion Deal; Total SE will acquire 20% stake in Adani Green Energy 

Adani Group and Total SE(Total) signed USD 2.5 billion (about Rs 18,000 crore) Deal. Under this agreement, Total will acquire 20% stake in Adani Green Energy Ltd(AGEL) . In addition to this, Total will get seats on AGEL Board of Directors and Total will acquire 50% in a 2.35-gigawatt portfolio of operating solar assets owned by AGEL. This is the third partnership between Total and the Adani group.

OBITUARY

Padma Awardee Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Legendary Indian Classical Vocalist & Musician, Passed Away at 89On January 17, 2021 Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Legendary Indian classical vocalist and musician passed away at the age of 89 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was a renowned vocalist and musician of Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana of Hindustani classical music. He was born on March 3, 1931 in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.

• He is a recipient of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibushan.

About Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan:
Career
i.He made his debut in the music industry with his song, ‘Chand Pretticha’ in Marathi.
ii.From 1957, he became a playback singer for Marathi and Gujarati films.
iii.He sang for films ‘Umr-ao Jaan’, ‘Bhuvan Shome’ and ‘Badnaam Basti’ among others.
Mentored
He has mentored leading singers of the Hindi film industry namely Lata Mangeshkar, Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle, Hariharan, A.R. Rahman and Sonu Nigam among others.
Biography
He along with Namrata Gupta Khan authored his autobiography titled  ‘A Dream I Lived Alone’
Awards
He is a recipient of many awards including, Padma Shri in 1991, Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibushan in 2018 for arts among others.
He also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003.

Padma Awardee Dr V Shanta, Renowned Indian Oncologist & Chairman of Cancer Institute (WIA) Passed Away at 93On January 19, 2021 Dr V Shanta, a renowned Indian oncologist and chairman of Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, Chennai, TamilNadu passed away at the age of 93 in Chennai. She is the recipient of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibushan.
She was born on 11th March 1927, at Mylapore, Chennai.

• She is well known for her endeavors to provide accessibility to good quality and affordable cancer treatment to all patients in India.

About Dr V Shanta:
Association with Adyar Cancer Institute
Since 1955, she has been associated with Adyar Cancer Institute and played a pivotal role in the development of the institute.
Member of Committees
She was a member of many national and international committees on health and medicine, including the Advisory committee on health of the World Health Organization(WHO).
Awards & Honours
i.She received many national and international awards including Padma Shri in 1986, Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2016 for Medicine.
ii.She also received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2005.
iii.She was elected as the fellow of National Academy of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
About Cancer Institute (WIA):
It was founded by DR Muthulakshmi Reddy, the 1st woman in India to graduate in medicine.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

M Venkaiah Naidu Releases Tamil Book titled ‘Abdul Kalam-Ninaivugalukku Maranamillai’On January 16, 2021 M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India released a tamil book titled ‘Abdul Kalam-Ninaivugalukku Maranamillai’(immortal memories) at Raj Bhavan in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is a biography of late former President, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
The book is authored by  Dr APJM NazemaMaraikayar, managing trustee, Abdul Kalam International Foundation (AIKF) and well-known space scientist, Dr Y.S. Rajan.
Key People
Dr. Manickam, Chairman, MCET (Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology), Dr. Sirpi Balasubramaniam, author and poet and Shri A P J M J Sheik Saleem, Co-founder, AKIF were present on the occasion.
Key Facts abouts A. P. J. Abdul Kalam:
i.Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen(A. P. J. ) Abdul Kalam(15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015)was an Indian aerospace scientist who worked in Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO)
ii.He was the 1st scientist and the 1st bachelor to become president of India.
iii.He was the 3rd president of India after Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Dr Zakir Hussain to receive Bharat Ratna before becoming the President.
iv.The 1st medical Tech Institute of India was named as Kalam Institute of Health Technology located at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
v.The Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) built the  Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial in memory of him in Pei Karumbu, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.

IMPORTANT DAYS

16th National Disaster Response Force Raising Day – 19th January 2021i.The National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) annually celebrates the NDRF Raising Day on 19th January to mark its formation in 2006. The 2021 marks the celebration of 16th NDRF Raising Day.
iiThe National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) came into existence on 19th January 2006.
iii.The successive natural calamities between 1990 and 2004 led to the enactment of Disaster Management Act on December 26, 2005, which has statutory provisions for the constitution of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). 
About NDRF:
Director General– SN Pradhan
Motto– Aapada Seva Sadaiv
Functions under– Ministry of Home Affairs.
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Punjab CM starts Allotment of  7, 219 FPS under ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar te Karoobaar Mission’ Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh started the allotment of 7, 219 Fair Price Shops (FPS) across the state under the ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar te Karoobaar Mission’.

• The allotment of FPS will help in improving the economic condition of people & will strengthen the Public Distribution System (PDS).
• Around 30, 000 people are expected to benefit because of the scheme.
• Since the inception of the scheme in 2017, the State Government has facilitated more than 15 Lakh Placements/self-employment.
•  The Civil Supplies department has taken steps like E-PoS (Point of Sale) machines using Biometrics, Smart ration cards to plug the leakages in the PDS.
•   The initiative will also provide job opportunities to Youth of the state, as the Government has invited applications for granting License to the 7, 219 FPS in the state.

About Punjab:
Lakes – Harike Lake, Kanjli Lake, Ropar Lake
Governor – VP Singh Badnore

In a First, Telangana & Gujarat partner to Support Women Entrepreneurs‘WE Hub’ (Women Entrepreneurship Hub) of Telangana Government & ‘I-Hub’ (Independent Hub) of Gujarat Government have virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable & support startups by women to raise capital in various focus sectors, this is the 1st time that 2 state Governments have partnered to support women entrepreneurs.
i.The partnership will not only benefit women entrepreneurs from Telangana & Gujarat but also others from all over India.
ii.WE Hub is India’s 1st state-led Incubator exclusively for women entrepreneurs, it was established in 2017.

• Around 240 women entrepreneurs will be selected for the pre-incubation programme & 20 will be shortlisted for the co-incubation programme in focus sectors like Fintech, Edtech & Medtech.
• Together, the organizations will also create a blueprint for Support, Improvement & Sustainment of Women Entrepreneurship in India & across the world.
• The programme will commence from the 1st Week of February, 2021.

iii.The startups will also have Government supported exposure visits across Telangana and Gujarat.
About WE-Hub:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Deepthi Ravula
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
About I-Hub:
Chairperson – Anju Sharma
Location – Ahmedabad, Gujarat
<<Read Full News>>

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac presents State Budget for the FY 2021-22On January 15, 2021, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac presented the State Budget for the Financial Year (FY) 2021-22. During the budget, he stated that the State Government aims to make Kerala as a Knowledge economy and announced several schemes to promote the education sector of Kerala. The Budget has set a target to create 8 Lakh jobs in 2021-22.
i.Budget Estimates for 2021-22

ii.Funds have been allocated for Government’s flagship projects like

•   K-FON (Kerala-Fiber Optic Network) to ensure affordable Internet Connectivity for all.
•  Silver Rail – semi high-speed railway corridor between Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram

iii.Other notable achievements

• INR 200 Crores set aside for Kerala Development & Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) to utilise digital platforms to provide jobs for Youths.
• 500 ‘Nava Kerala’ post-doctoral fellowships ranging from INR 50, 000 – 1, 00, 000 will be granted to attract Young Scientists from Abroad to work in State Universities.
• Under the Six-Point Programme, 2500 start-ups which will provide employment to 20, 000 people will be started in 2021-22.

• INR 3000 pension for Non-Resident Keralites (NRK) who have returned to Kerala due to COVID-19.

About Kerala:
Stadium – Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium (Multipurpose International Stadium)
Rivers –  Periyar, Pamba, Chalakudy
<<Read Full News>>

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