We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 22 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
Cabinet Approvals on April 20, 2021
Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase 2A & Phase 2B
- The Union Cabinet approved the Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase 2A and Phase 2B of total length 58.19 Km.
- The total cost of the project is INR 14, 788.101 Crore.
Amendments to Finance Bill, 2021
- Approval for Government amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021
- The Finance Bill became Finance Act, 2021 on March 28, 2021, after receiving the nod of President Ram Nath Kovind.
Approval for Exclusive Subsidy Policy for Urea
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the formulation of an exclusive subsidy policy for Urea produced through Coal Gasification. The proposal was put forth by the Department of Fertilizers.
- The new subsidy policy costing INR 13, 277 Crore will be provided to Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL).
- It is expected to boost fertilizer production in India
Cabinet Approvals of MoUs with Foreign Countries on April 20, 2021
MoU between CCI & CADE, Brazil
Cabinet has approved the MoU between the Competition Commission of India (CCI) & the Administrative Council for Economic Defense of Brazil (CADE).
Agreements in the field of Accounting
- Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) & Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), Australia.
- MoU signed between ICAI & Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).
MoU between India & Bangladesh
Approval to an MoU signed between the Director-General of Trade Remedies, India and the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission in March 2021.
- It aims to establish a framework of cooperation in the area of trade remedial measures.
About Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI):
It is a statutory body established under Chartered Accountants Act, 1949. It functions under the Administrative control of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
President – Nihar N. Jambusaria
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Competition Commission of India (CCI):
It is a statutory body that enforces The Competition Act, 2002.
It comes under the control of MCA
Chairperson – Ashok Kumar Gupta
Headquarters – New Delhi
>>Read Full News
Insurance Scheme for Healthcare Workers Fighting COVID-19 Under PMGKP Extended for 1 more year
- The insurance scheme provides an insurance cover of INR 50 Lakh to health workers fighting COVID-19 & for those who lost their lives on account of COVID-19 duty, it lapsed on March 24, 2021.
- The scheme is implemented by New India Assurance (NIA) Company Limited.
- It is funded through the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), which is operated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for this purpose.
- There is no age limit for the scheme, the entire amount of premium will be borne by MoHFW.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)
Union Minister – Harsh Vardhan (Lok Sabha MP from Chandni Chowk, NCT of Delhi)
Minister of State – Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Lok Sabha MP from Buxar, Bihar)
>>Read Full News
CDSCO extends License Validity of 8 regulated Medical Devices by 6 Months
- This has been done to ensure continued access to 8 Medical devices during the transition to new regulatory order under the Medical Device Rules (MDR), 2017.
i.The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) had notified 8 Medical devices to be regulated under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act (which came into effect from 1st April 2021). The devices are
- All Implantable Medical Device, CT scan equipment, MRI equipment, Defibrillators, PET Equipment, Dialysis Machine, X-Ray Machine & Bone marrow cell separator
- The importers/manufacturers of these devices need to take a license from Central Licencing Authority or State Licencing Authority for manufacture/import of these with effect from 1st April 2021.
About Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)
It is India’s National Regulatory Authority (NRA) India for Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices. It comes under the Directorate General of Health Services, MoHFW.
Drugs Controller General of India – Dr V. G. Somani
Headquarters – New Delhi
>>Read Full News
IIT Kharagpur & NCDC Sign MoU To Promote Sustainable Developments
Key points:
- They will collaborate and supplement the utilization of resources and facilities to ‘Formation and Promotion of Farmer Producer Organisation(FPO).
- The partnership will provide internship opportunities to students or alumni under the SAHAKAR MITRA -NCDC Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP).
- The Agricultural and Food Engineering (AgFE) Department will join with NCDC to empower rural India through cooperatives and FPOs.
About National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC):
Establishment – 1963 as a development finance statutory institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Managing Director– Sundeep Kumar Nayak
Head Office– New Delhi
>>Read Full News
Gender Samvaad launched to create awareness on gender related interventions under DAY-NRLM
The event Gender Samvaad was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihood Mission(DAY-NRLM) to create awareness about gender related interventions.The Event was launched as a part of the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav.
- Gender Samvaad is jointly initiated by DAY-NRLM and IWWAGE(Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy) at LEAD.
- This event helps in getting experts’ opinion regarding the handling of implementation barriers and it also helps to know the best practices of women agencies of other states.
Goa – India’s only State to have a Uniform Civil Code
Recently, Chief Justice of India S A Bobde appreciated the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) of Goa, Goa is the only Indian State to have a UCC. The UCC calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption.
- Goa Civil Code (also known as Goa Family Law) is based on the Portuguese Civil Code which was introduced in 1870.
- In Indian Constitution, UCC is placed among the non-justiciable Directive Principles of State Policy – Article 44.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
UNFPA’s State of World Population 2021: My Body is My Own – Claiming the right to autonomy and self determination
- This is the first report of the United Nations(UN) which focuses on bodily autonomy, the right of a person to govern what happens to their body without the influence or coercion from others.
- This report was developed under the UNFPA Division for Communications and strategic partnerships.
Click here for the complete report: My Body is My Own
Key findings of the report:
i.Only around 55 percent of the women of these countries are fully empowered to make their choices over their body and sexual consent.
ii.Globally only 75 percent of countries legally ensure full and equal access to contraception.
iii.Around 71 percent of countries ensure access to overall maternity care.
iv.80 percent of countries have laws supporting sexual health and wellbeing and 56% of countries have laws and policies to support comprehensive sexuality education.
Violation of bodily autonomy:
i.According to the report more than 50 percent of the women from 57 developing countries
Do not have the right to make decisions regarding their body, which includes contraception, healthcare, sexuality,
ii.The violation of bodily autonomy includes,
- Child marriage;
- Female genital mutilation;
- Lack of contraceptive choices which leads to unplanned pregnancy;
- Unwanted sex in exchange of a home and food;
- Fear of assault or humiliation for people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identity.
Bodily autonomy in India:
According to the National Family Health Survey(NFHS)-4 (2015-2016), only 12 percent of married women decide on their healthcare, 63 percent of married women consult with their spouse and for 23 percent the spouse takes the decision of the women’s healthcare.
About United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Executive Director – Dr. Natalia Kanem
Headquarter – New York, United States
Singapore becomes 1st Country to ratify Free Trade Agreement RCEP
RCEP is an initiative led by China, India had pulled out of the pact in 2019.
RCEP
- In November 2020, 15 Asia -Pacific countries including 10 members of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and their 5 Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia signed the RCEP.
- The agreement will enter into force after 6 ASEAN member states and 3 ASEAN FTA partners have ratified it.
- The participating countries are targeting entry into force on January 1, 2022.
About Singapore
Prime Minister (PM) – Lee Hsien Loong
Currency – Singapore Dollar (SGD)
India elected to 3 Bodies of UN Economic and Social Council
- Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)
- Executive Board of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
- Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP)
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)
- Along with India, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Ghana, Libya, Pakistan, Qatar, Thailand, Togo and the US were selected by Acclamation.
Executive Board of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
- Along with India, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Gambia, Guyana, Kenya, Monaco, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Ukraine were elected through acclamation to the UN body.
Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP)
- Along with India, France, Ghana, The Republic of Korea (South Korea), Russia and Sweden were elected to the Executive Board of WFP.
About UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
President – Munir Akram
Headquarters – New York, USA
>>Read Full News
UN-ESCAP Report on Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Asia, Pacific Countries
On April 20, 2021, The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in its report ‘Beyond the pandemic: Building back better from crises in Asia and the Pacific’ analysed the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific countries.
Key points about the report:
- It has fixed the gross financing needs of India and several economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at 10-16 per cent of the GDP.
- The average debt-to-GDP ratio in Asia and the Pacific countries is estimated to rise from around 41-47 per cent between 2019 and 2020 and to 49 per cent by 2021.
- It stated India as an example for buying bonds as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced buying bonds worth Rs 1 lakh crore under the G-SAP 1.0 in the first quarter (Q1) of FY22, to keep interest rates in check. Click here to know more
About The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP)
Establishment – 1947 as the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE)
Executive Secretary – Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Headquarters – Bangkok, Thailand
>>Read Full News
BANKING & FINANCE
Bitex Became the First Cryptocurrency Exchange in India to Provide Investment Declaration Reports
Background:
In March 2021, The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) amended Schedule III of the Companies Act, 2013, and made it mandatory for Indian companies, unlisted and private to disclose their dealings in cryptocurrency or virtual currency they have traded or invested.
Purpose of the Report:
The report will contain information about what the investors have sold or bought, hence, it will act as proof of the exact money the investors made or lost while trading in cryptocurrencies to tax authorities. (Earlier these details were not provided to the investors)
About Bitex
Establishment – 2018
Headquarters – Dubai, UAE
Founder and CEO – Monark Modi
>>Read Full News
Google pay creators partners with Federal bank to launch Neobank Fi for millennials
- Fi’s android app will start operation from 21st April 2021 and its iOS app is still in processing and will be launched soon.
About Fi NeoBank:
Fi Neo Bank was founded in 2019 and has raised USD 13.5 million in its seed round led by Sequoia India and Ribbit Capital.
Co Founders: Sujith Narayanan,Sumit Gwalani
Headquarters: Bengaluru,Karnataka
About Federal Bank:
Incorporated : April 23,1931 as the Travancore federal bank limited,Kerala under the Travancore companies regulation ,1916
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Shyam Srinivasan
Headquarters: Aluva,Kerala
Tagline: Your Perfect Banking Partner
>>Read Full News
SBI MF becomes 1st mutual fund company to cross Rs.5 lakh crore AAUM
SBI Mutual Funds(MF) announced that its Average Assets Under Management(AAUM) has crossed Rs.5 lakh crore making it the first mutual fund company to cross this mark.
- Its AAUM has increased to Rs.5.04 lakh crore in 2020-21 from Rs.3.37 lakh crore in 2019-20 fiscal year.
- SBI MF has seen a growth of 35 percent during the financial year 2020-21.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
ICRA Predicts India’s GDP forecast for FY22 to 10-10.5% down by 0.5%
- It also mitigated the GDP growth for Q1 FY22 (April-June 2021), from 27.5 per cent to 20-25 per cent
Nomura’s Projection:
- Nomura, a Japanese brokerage has specified a rise in India’s ‘Oxford Stringency Index’ to 69.9 as of April 13, 2021, from 57.9 at the start of previous week.
About Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited (ICRA):
It is owned by Moody’s Corporation
Establishment – 1991
Headquarters – Gurgaon, Haryana
MD & Group CEO – Mr. N. Sivaraman
>>Read Full News
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Argentina, Brazil, Uganda, Vanuatu – The Global Winners of ICC Development Awards for 2020
ICC Development Award 2020:
| Award Category | Awardee | Awardee’s Contribution to the game |
|---|---|---|
|
ICC Development Initiative of the Year |
Cricket Argentina |
Attracted local audiences in South America to cricket |
|
100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year |
Cricket Brazil |
Developed women’s game in South America |
|
ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year |
Vanuatu Cricket Association |
Provided cricket to fans during the pandemic |
| Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year |
Uganda Cricket Association |
Supported their players, volunteers and their families through a COVID-19 relief programme |
About The International Cricket Council (ICC):
Establishment – 15 June 1909
Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Chairman – Greg Barclay
CEO – Manu Sawhney
>>Read Full News
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno Named as the President of Chad
According to the Transition Charter, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, (37 years old) a four star general, has taken over as the President of Chad. The Military council has named Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno,as the transitional leader of Chad following the death of his fatherIdriss Deby Itno, President of Chad. He will assume the functions of the President of the Republic of Chad.
- He was also named as the Supreme head of the armed forces.
- A democratic election will be conducted after an 18 month transitional period.
About Chad:
Currency- Central African CFA franc
Capital- N’Djamena
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India’s 40th Scientific Expedition to Antarctica returns to Capetown
The 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (40-ISEA) hosted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences successfully returned to Cape Town, South Africa on April 10, 2021, after completing a journey of 12,000 nautical miles in 94 days, including stopovers.
- The 40-ISEA was on board the MV Vasiliy Golovnin, a chartered ice-class vessel and began their journey from the Mormugao Port of Goa to Antarctica on 7 January, 2021.
- On the way to Antarctica, This team deployed four autonomous Ocean Observing DWS (Directional Wave Spectra) wave drifters between 35 degree and 50 degree south latitudes in collaboration with Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad.
- The expedition had a team of 20 personnel at Bharati led by Atul Suresh Kulkarni and 21 personnel at Maitri led by Ravindra Santosh click here to Know more
OBITUARY
Former Indian Footballer & Olympian Ahmed Hussain Lala passed away at 89
About Ahmed Hussain:
i.Ahmed Hussain represented the Indian Football team which secured fourth place in 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
ii.He was also a part of the Indian team that participated in the 1958 Asian Games.
iii.He had also represented Hyderabad city police,Mohun Bagan Sporting Club.
iv.He had also coached the Indian football team for the President cup that was held in Seoul.
Father of Indian Banking reforms :Ex RBI Governor M Narasimham passed away at 94.
About Maidavolu Narasimham:
i.M Narasimham was popularly known as The Father of Banking sector reforms in India for his contribution to the Indian banking and financial sector.
ii.He was first from reserve bank cadre to be appointed as RBI Governor.
iii.He also served as the Executive director in World Bank and in International Monetary Fund
iv.He also served as the Vice President of Asian Development Bank(ADB).
Awards:
He was honoured with Padma Vibhushan award in the year 2000 for his contribution to Indian banking sector.
Committees Involved:
i.He was the Chairperson of the committee on the Financial systems,1991 and the committee of Banking sector reforms,1998 which are popularly known as Narasimham committee-I and Narasimham committee-II.
ii.Narasimham committee-I recommended the merger of large Indian banks which was the reason behind the recent merger of 10 nationalised banks.
iii.It also proposed the concept of Narrow Banking and was also responsible for the creation of private sector banks like ICICI Bank,HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.
iv.His committee recommended the implementation of Securitisation and Reconstruction of financial assets and Enforcement of Security Interest(SARFAESI) act ,2002.
v.It was also responsible for the raise in capital adequacy norms,entry of foreign banks and creation of Asset Reconstruction Companies(ARC).
vi.Narasimham is also credited with recommending the setting up of regional rural banks (RRBs) as subsidiaries of public sector banks.
Books:
He had written his story in his book “From Reserve Bank to Finance Ministry and beyond:Some Reminiscences”.
Idriss Deby President of Chad Passed Away at 68 in the Military Frontline
About Idriss Deby Itno:
i.Idriss Deby led the army in the 1980s during the regime of President Hissène Habré.
ii.He seized power and has been serving as the president of Chad since 1990.
iii.He has been re-elected as the president for 5 terms since 1990.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Creativity and Innovation Day 2021 – April 21
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/71/284 on 27th April 2017 and proclaimed the 21st April of every year as the Word Creativity and Innovation Day to encourage people to use creativity to solve problems.
iii.The first UN World Creativity and Innovation Day was observed on 21st April 2018.
iv.The day was founded by Canadian creativity expert Marci Segal, on 25th May 2001, in Toronto, Canada.
>>Read Full News
National Civil Services Day 2021 – April 21
ii.The April 21 was chosen to commemorate the day on which Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of Independent India addressed the Administrative service officers at the Metcalfe House, Delhi in 1947. In his address he referred to the civil servants as the “Steel frame of India”.
iii.The First National Civil Service day was observed on 21st April 2006.
iv.The government of India instituted the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration in 2006 and in 2020 the award was comprehensively restructured to recognize the contribution of civil servants.
>>Read Full News
World Homeopathy Awareness Week 2021 – April 10 to 16
The World Homeopathy Awareness Week is annually observed across the globe from 10th April to 16th April to create awareness about the importance of Homeopathy, the system of alternate medicine.
- The week begins on 10th April to mark the birth anniversary of Dr Samuel Hahnemann, the German physician who created homeopathy.
- World Homeopathy Day is annually observed on 10th April.
STATE NEWS
HSIIDC signed a MoU with WTC for Trade and Investment in Faridabad
ii.This is a part of the efforts of the Government of Haryana to generate long term economic momentus to sustain the economic growth in Faridabad.
About Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC):
Managing Director– Anurag Agarwal
Head Office– Panchkula, Haryana
>>Read Full News
AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy Launched YSR Zero Interest Crop Loan Scheme
ii.The government of Andhra Pradesh has provided a financial assistance of Rs. 65000 crore to the farmers under various schemes.
iii.Under this scheme, Rs.128.47 crore was directly credited into the bank account of around 6.27 lakh farmers who had availed a crop loan of uptoRs. 1 lakh during the 2019-2020 rabi season and repaid the amount within the stipulated time.
About Andhra Pradesh:
National Park– Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Papikonda national park, Sri Venkateswara National Park
Wildlife Sanctuary– Kolleru wildlife sanctuary, Sri LankamalleswaraWildLife Sanctuary,
Krishna Wildlife sanctuary, KaundinyaWildLife Sanctuary, PenusilaNarasimhaswamy wildlife sanctuary, KambalakondaWildLife Sanctuary
>>Read Full News
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Click Here View – AC Excluded News 2021
Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)
| S.no | Current Affairs 22 April 2021 |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cabinet Approvals on April 20, 2021 |
| 2 | Cabinet Approvals of MoUs with Foreign Countries on April 20, 2021 |
| 3 | Insurance Scheme for Healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 extended for 1 more year |
| 4 | CDSCO extends License Validity of 8 regulated Medical Devices by 6 Months |
| 5 | IIT Kharagpur & NCDC Sign MoU to promote sustainable developments |
| 6 | Gender Samvaad launched to create awareness on gender related interventions under DAY-NRLM |
| 7 | Goa – India’s only State to have a Uniform Civil Code |
| 8 | UNFPA’s State of World Population 2021: My Body is My Own – Claiming the right to autonomy and self determination |
| 9 | Singapore becomes 1st Country to ratify Free Trade Agreement RCEP |
| 10 | India elected to 3 Bodies of UN Economic and Social Council |
| 11 | RBI bond buys eased Covid woes: UN report “Beyond the pandemic: Building back better from crises in Asia and the Pacific” |
| 12 | Bitex Became the First Cryptocurrency Exchange in India to Provide Investment Declaration Reports |
| 13 | Google pay creators partners with Federal bank to launch Neobank Fi for millennials |
| 14 | SBI MF becomes 1st mutual fund company to cross Rs.5 lakh crore AAUM |
| 15 | ICRA Mitigated India’s GDP growth forecast for FY22 by 0.5% |
| 16 | Argentina, Brazil, Uganda, Vanuatu – The Global Winners of ICC Development Awards for 2020 |
| 17 | Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno Named as the President of Chad |
| 18 | India’s 40th Scientific Expedition to Antarctica returns to Capetown |
| 19 | Former Indian Footballer & Olympian Ahmed Hussain Lala passed away at 89 |
| 20 | Father of Indian Banking reforms :Ex RBI Governor M Narasimham passed away at 94. |
| 21 | Idriss Deby President of Chad Passed Away at 68 in the Military Frontline |
| 22 | World Creativity and Innovation Day 2021 – April 21 |
| 23 | National Civil Services Day 2021 – April 21 |
| 24 | World Homeopathy Awareness Week 2021 – April 10 to 16 |
| 25 | HSIIDC signed a MoU with WTC for Trade and Investment in Faridabad |
| 26 | AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy Launched YSR Zero Interest Crop Loan Scheme |
