Current Affairs 3 & 4 January 2021

 

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 3 & 4 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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Top 15 Current Affairs of 3 & 4 January 2021

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Tripura – Bangladesh ‘Maitre Setu’ will be Open Soon

i.The Rs 128.69 crores Maitre Setu, which connects South Tripura with Ramgarh of Bangladesh and provides access to the Chittagong seaport, is all set to be opened in a few months. Its construction was started in 2017 but it got delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic.1.9 Km long Feni Bridge is also known as Maitree Setu was built over River Feni.
ii.The bridge has been taken over by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the project execution authority which will recheck the safety standard of the work.
iii.The bridge will be dedicated to the nation after the confirmation of schedule from the Prime Ministers (PM) of India and Bangladesh, Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hassina respectively.
About Tripura:
Chief Minister– Biplab Kumar Deb
Capital– Agartala
Governor– Ramesh Bais
About National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL):
Managing Director (MD)– Keshav Kumar Pathak
Headquarter– New Delhi
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
<<Read Full News>>

Prime Minister lays foundation stone of 6 lighthouse projects; PMAY (Urban) Awards-2019 Conferred

i.On January 1, 2021, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation of six Light House Projects (LHPs) in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
ii.These will be developed as a part of the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) initiative under which 1,000 houses at each location are to be constructed in a year (12 months), using six distinct technologies.
iii.GHTC-India aims to adopt innovative technologies in the housing construction sector.
iv.The PM gave away annual “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Awards-2019” for excellence in six categories for the implementation of PMAY-U.
About Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA):
Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) – Hardeep Singh Puri
List of Schemes under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – Smart Cities Mission, Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Urban Transport, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
<<Read Full News>>

BEL signs contract with Indian Navy for supply of Indigenously developed Laser Dazzlers

On December 31, 2020, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) signed a contract with Indian Navy in New Delhi to supply 20 Indigenously developed Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation Dazzlers (Laser Dazzlers). The Laser Dazzlers have been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will be manufactured by BEL, Pune Plant.
i.Laser Dazzler is a non lethal weapon for warning & stopping suspicious vehicles, boats, aircrafts, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
ii.The product has been designed & developed indigenously for the First Time for Armed Force.
iii.The Dazzler is capable of suppressing a person’s or optical sensor’s action through disability glare in case of non-compliance of orders. It will disorient or blind a person temporarily.
iv.The Laser Dazzler is portable, shoulder operated & is capable of withstanding rugged military use.
About Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL):
It is a Defence Public Sector Undertaking(PSU)
Chairman & Managing Director – M V Gowtama
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
<<Read Full News>>

TRIFED signs MoU with DAY-NRLM to boost livelihoods of SHG Women & Tribal Populations

On December 31, 2020,  TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) the commercial wing of Ministry of Tribal Affairs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Deen Dayal Antyodaya-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM)  for undertaking economic support programmes to boost the livelihoods of Tribal populations of the country & Women Self Help Groups (SHGs).
The MoU was signed by Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFED & Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary of Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).
During the event, the scope of the work was outlined.
Minor Forest Produce:
To establish cooperation at the level of market operatives between State Implementing Agencies which implement MSP (Minimum Support Price) for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) & State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) to protect tribal gatherers from middlemen.
Handloom/Handicrafts:
TRIFED will enroll the SHGs or FPOs  (Farmer Producer Organisations) with majority tribal members to enable  sale of their products in online  and offline networks.
About TRIFED:
Managing Director – Pravir Krishna
Head Office – New Delhi
About DAY-NRLM:
President –  Union Minister of Rural Development (Narendra Singh Tomar)
Head Office  – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Indian Army & Goa Shipyard signed to produce 12 patrol boats for Pangong Lake in Eastern Ladakh

On January 1 2021,Indian Army has signed an agreement with Goa Shipyard Ltd(GSL), a state-run public sector, to procure the 12 high-performance patrol boats to boost its surveillance of major water bodies like Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh and its surroundings including those in high altitude areas. All these patrol boats expect to be delivered from May 2021.
i.The construction will be done at GSL, Goa under the program Atma Nirbhar Bharat and only a few crafts will be in the world for such specialized operations.
ii.India started its surveillance of the lake after the violent clash began in early May between India and China.
Background :-
The face-off began in early May 2020  between the Indian and China armies in the Pangong lake area. This incident was followed by a similar incident in North Sikkim on May 9. India and China have deployed an equal number of troops.
The eighth and final round of military talks took place on November 6 2020 during which both sides discussed the withdrawal of troops from specific friction points.
About Goa Shipyard Ltd(GSL)
In 1961, after Goa’s liberation, the potential of a small shipyard called “Estaleiros Navais de Goa” to contribute towards this national aspiration was recognized. The Yard later renamed Goa Shipyard Limited, became one of the country’s defence shipbuilding hubs on the west coast.
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Cmde. Bharat Bhushan Nagpal
Headquarters – Vasco da Gama, Goa

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India to co-chair Regional Forum to Conserve Wildlife Habitats: Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP)

i.India is all set to co-chair the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-supported Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP), a regional forum to conserve wildlife habitats for three years. In this tenure, India will assist other Asian countries in managing their protected areas.
ii.India will replace South Korea which held this position for three years till November, 2020. Notably APAP is chaired by IUCN Asia and co-chaired by an APAP country member.
iii.India got this opportunity after successfully increasing the population of wild animals such as tigers, lions and leopards through protecting their habitats.
About International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):
IUCN Council President– Xinsheng Zhang
Headquarter– Gland, near Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

RuPay Partnered with RBL Bank to Launch ‘RuPay PoS’; Transforms Merchant Smartphones into PoS

i.On December 31, 2020, the international card payment service RuPay partnered with RBL Bank to launch an innovative payment solution for Indian merchants “RuPay PoS” in association with PayNearby. The announcement for the same was made by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
ii.This collaboration will transform smartphones into merchant Point of Sale (PoS) terminals for the retailers enabling the latter to accept contactless payments of up to Rs 5,000 through a simple tap and pay mechanism on his Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled mobile phones.
iii.The biggest benefit of this solution is that the tech-shy Indian Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) or local stores even in the remotest areas will now be able to process contactless payments on their smartphone.
About RBL Bank:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Vishwavir Ahuja
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Apno Ka Bank
Chatbot– RBL Cares
About Nearby Technologies Pvt. Ltd.:
Establishment– 2016
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Anand Kumar Bajaj
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

RBI Unveils Digital Payment Index: January 2021

i.On January 1, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced the RBI-Digital Payments Index (DPI) to measure growth in digital or cashless transactions across the country.
ii.It was released on the lines of the Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies as part of the Sixth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement for 2019-20 dated February 06, 2020.
iii.For the index, the RBI has set the base year 2018, i.e. DPI score for March 2018 is set at 100.
iv.The DPI for March 2019 was 153.47 while for March 2020 it scored 207.84, representing growth.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao)
<<Read Full News>>

IFSCA Becomes an Associate Member of International Organisation of Securities Commissions

i.On 1st January 2021, the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) became an associate member of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions(IOSCO), an international organisation which sets the global standards for securities markets regulation.
ii.The membership will support IFSCA with a platform to exchange information at global level and regional level in the fields of common interest.
iii.The IOSCO, an international organisation which unites the securities regulators across the globe, covers more than 95% of the world’s securities markets.
About IOSCO:
Chair of the IOSCO Board- Ashley Lan Alder
Secretary General– Paul P. Andrews
Headquarters– Madrid, Spain
About IFSCA:
IFSCA is a unified authority for regulating all the financial activities at IFSC’s in India.
Chairperson– Injeti Srinivas
Established in – April 2020 (established under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019)
Headquarters– Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
<<Read Full News>>

ADB, GoI sign USD 231 Million Loan Agreement to enhance Power Generation Capacity in Assam 

On December 30, 2020, Asian Development Bank (ADB) & Indian Government signed a USD 231 Million (~ INR 1688.5 Crores) Loan Agreement for the Assam Power Sector  Investment Program (APSIP) for the construction of Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Power (LKHEP) plant. This is the  3rd Tranche Loan for the program which was approved by ADB Board in July 2014.
i.The main purpose of the Loan agreement is for increasing the Electricity Generation Capacity in the State of Assam through  construction of a 120 Megawatts (MW) hydroelectric power plant over Kopili River.
ii.A USD  2 Million grant from Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) is also associated with the project to finance equipment  &  consulting  services.
iii.The signatories to the  Loan Agreement were Dr C. S. Mohapatra, Additional Secretary in Ministry  of Finance  who signed for India & Hoe Yun Jeong, Officer-in-charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, who signed on behalf of ADB.
ADB & GoI sign USD 10 Million for PRF in  Himachal Pradesh:
ADB & GoI signed USD 10 Million Project Readiness Financing (PRF) to help finance piloting  activities, project for expanding horticulture  production & farm household income in Himachal Pradesh.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
Headquarters– Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines
President– Masatsugu Asakawa
Membership– 68 countries(Including India)
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Mukesh Ambani Ranked 12th in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2021& Ranked 8th in Hurun Global Rich List 2020

India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries limited (RIL) dropped down to 12th spot in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2021 (as on 2nd January 2021). The net worth of Ambani dropped from 90 billion USD (around Rs. 6.62 lakh crore) (in early 2020) to 76.7 billion USD (around Rs. 5.6 lakh crore).
The drop in the net worth of Mukesh Ambani was due to the correction in the shares of RIL which has fallen to Rs.1995.50 on 30th December 2020, which is 16% from its all-time high of Rs.2369.35.
Top 3 in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index:

Asia’s Richest person:
i.Zhong Shanshan, referred to as “Lone Wolf”, has replaced Ambani as Asia’s richest person, he is one of the fastest in history to achieve the feat.
ii.Zhong Shanshan is chinese billionaire whose net worth is 78.2 billion USD, which is attributed to the listing of Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprises Co and Nongu Spring Co, a bottled water firm.
Hurun Global Rich List 2020:
As Per Hurun Global Rich List 2020,India’s Mukesh Ambani dropped to the eighth position in the Hurun global rich list 2020.However he retained as Asia’s Richest Person.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos topped the charts with a net worth of $201 billion. Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk ($145 billion) moved into the second position. French multinational luxury goods conglomerate Louis Vuitton SE group head Bernard Arnault ($120 billion) came in third, followed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ($111 billion) and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ($109 billion) in the fifth slot.
About Bloomberg Billionaires Index:
Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking.
CEO – Michael Bloomberg.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Suneet Sharma Appointed as the New Chairman & CEO of Railway Board; Succeeds VK Yadav

On 31st December 2020, The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Suneet Sharma as the New Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board under the Ministry of Railways. He takes over the charge from the incumbent VK Yadav upon the completion of his term as the Chairman and CEO of the board on 31st December 2020.

• Previously Suneet Sharma served as the General Manager of the Eastern Railway.
• He is also appointed as the ex-officio Principal Secretary to the Government of India.

About Suneet Sharma:
i.During his stint as the General Manager of Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli, he set a record by doubling the out turn of the modern passenger coach in 1 year. The factory also won the best production unit award during his stint.
ii.The Banaras Locomotive Works also won the best production unit award during his stint as its Chief Mechanical Engineer.
iii.Sunnet Sharma has more than 40 years of experience in serving the Indian Railways at various capacities.
iv.He joined the Indian Railways in 1979 as a Special Class Apprentice.
v.He has worked in Operation working, maintenance in sheds, Depots and Workshops,
vi.He has also served as the Chief Workshop Manager, Parel workshop in Mumbai during which he played a major role in manufacturing narrow gauge locomotives for hill railways.
About Railway Board:
Chairman & CEO– Suneet Sharma
Headquarters– New Delhi

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

GRSE Delivers 8th & Final Ship of MK IV class ‘IN LCU L-58’ to Indian Navy

On December 31, 2020, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata, West Bengal delivered the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) MK IV class vessel ‘IN LCU L-58’ (Yard 2099) to the Indian Navy (IN). The ship will serve in the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC), which is India’s 1st & only tri-service command. LCU L-58 is the final ship in the series of 8 LCUs being manufactured by GRSE for the Indian Navy.
i.The protocol of delivery and acceptance was signed between Rear Admiral VK Saxena, IN (Retired), Chairman & Managing Director, GRSE & Lieutenant Commander Krishan Kumar Yadav.
ii.LCU L-58 is the 106th Warship built & delivered by GRSE, which is the highest number of warships delivered by any Indian Shipyard.
iii.LCU is a boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment & troops to the shore.
GRSE commences production of 1st of 8 anti-submarine ships:
On December 31, 2020 GRSE commenced production of the 1st of 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts for the Indian Navy (ASWSWC).
About Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE):
Chairman & Managing Director – Rear Admiral V K Saxena, IN (retired)
Headquarters  – Kolkata, West Bengal
<<Read Full News>>

KVIC Unveiled 1st of its Kind Government E-commerce Portal “eKhadiIndia.com” to Promote Khadi and Village Industry Products

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME), Government of India unveiled the e-commerce portal – https://www.ekhadiindia.com/. This is a first of its kind government online shopping platform to enhance rural economy and promote self reliance.
KVIO Ventures Private Limited, a special purpose company has been incorporated under public private partnership with KVIC to sell the products of Khadi and village Industries Institutions under the trademark “Khadi India”.
note: this is the first ever effort of the Ministry of MSME and  KVIC in online and business-to-consumer (B2C) outreach
Key People:
A.K. Sharma,  Secretary, MSME, Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman of KVIC were present during the trial launch of the portal.
eKhadiIndia:
i.The portal provides a platform for the stakeholders affiliated with KVIC, Khadi & Village Industry Boards (KVIB), Rural Employment Generation Programme(REGP), Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) Units, SFURTI clusters or any other unit recognized by KVIC/KVIB to sell their products to the customers.
ii.The website features the catalogue of 50000 products under more than 500 variations.
iii.It also has the catalogue of various categories of locally made Khadi and Village industry products.
iv.This will support to build an ecosystem which will support the MSME’s towards achieving “Aatmanirbhar bharat”
Features:
i.The portal features products with the authentic Khadi Trademark.
ii.This also supports bulk orders and direct sellers registrations.
iii.The Institutions and Units can directly sell their products to the customers through the portal.
iv.This is available in both website and mobile app version.
About  KVIC:
Chairman– Vinai Kumar Saxena
Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Formed under Act of Parliament; “Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956”.

SPORTS

Goa’s 14-year old Leon Mendonca becomes India’s 67th Chess Grandmaster

14-year old Leon Mendonca from Goa became India’s 67th Chess Grandmaster (GM) after winning his third & Final norm at the Vergani Cup, Italy. Mendonca is only the 2nd GM from Goa.
i.He became the 29th Youngest GM in the world. Sergey Karjakin of Russia holds the record for the World’s Youngest ever GM having qualified for the title at the age of 12 years and 7 months (achieved the title in 2003).
ii.The 1st GM from Goa is Ivana Maria Furtado, she achieved it in 2011.
iii.GM is a title awarded by FIDE (International Chess Federation), It is the highest title a chess player can obtain apart from World Champion.
About International Chess Federation (FIDE):
President – Arkady Dvorkovich
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

J&K, NAFED sign MoU to improve the  Horticulture Marketing

On January 1, 2021, The Union Territory Administration of  Jammu & Kashmir  (J&K) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED). The agreement will give a major thrust for marketing the Horticulture Produce.
i.NAFED and the J&K Government will work on branding & marketing of fruit crops & establishment of market linkages for exotic, non-seasonal vegetables & flowers in the metro cities of India.
ii.NAFED will invest INR 1700 Crores for Implementing High Density Plantations across 5500 Hectares in the next 5 years (2021-25).
iii.3 cold storage clusters – one each in North Kashmir, South Kashmir & Kathua will be constructed at a cost of INR 500 Crores.
iv.The agreement also involves setting up virus indexing labs for testing the quality of planting material.
About National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED):
Chairman – Bijender Singh
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Jammu & Kashmir (J&K):
Lakes – Lakes– Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Wular Lake, Surinsar Lake, Mansar Lake.
National Parks (NP)– City Forest (Salim Ali) NP , Dachigam NP , Kishtwar NP.
<<Read Full News>>

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