Current Affairs 4 March 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 4 March 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

World Customs Organisation recognizes CRCL, New Delhi as Regional Customs Laboratory for Asia-Pacific RegionWorld Customs Organisation (WCO) has recognized the Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL), New Delhi, which functions under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) as a Regional Customs Laboratory (RCL) of the WCO for the Asia-Pacific Region.

• On this behalf, a virtual signing ceremony was held in which M Ajit Kumar, Chairman of CBIC & Mr Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of WCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• With this recognition, CRCL will join a select group of Customs Laboratories in the region like those in Japan & South Korea.

Purpose of RCL

• To conduct Capacity Building programs in the field of Chemical Analysis & conduct information exchange in Customs chemical analysis field & other scientific matters.
• It will also help in chemical analysis for tariff classification &   identifying illicit drug trafficking routes through signature analysis.
• Improvement in Chemical analysis will mean increase in revenue collection, smoother trade facilitation & better protection of public health & society.

Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL)

• It was established in 1939.
• It is the headquarters of 14 Revenue Laboratories

About World Customs Organisation (WCO):
Members – 183
Secretary General – Kunio Mikuriya
Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium
<<Read Full News>>

First-ever ‘The India Toy Fair 2021’ held virtually, Inaugurated by PM Narendra Modii.The first ever ‘The India Toy Fair 2021’ was held virtually on February 27, 2021 – March 2, 2021 on the underlying themes of ‘Atmanirbhar (Self Reliant) Bharat’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ to boost the India toy manufacturing industry. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi where he urged the manufacturers to use less plastic and more recyclable material.
ii.The fair was in the form of a digitally accessible exhibition and platform for the public to browse and buy toys and also to participate in events, activities and network with the various stakeholders of the toy Industry.
iii.It was divided into five stages viz. pre-school to Class II, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior secondary.
About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister– Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ (Constituency– Haridwar, Uttarakhand)
Minister of State (MoS)– Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre
<<Read Full News>>

GoI, FICCI, and Better Than Cash Alliance hosted Merchant Digitization Summit 2021i.On March 2, 2021, the Government of India (GoI), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and United Nations (UN) based Better Than Cash Alliance hosted ‘Merchant Digitization Summit 2021: Towards AatmaNirbhar (Self Reliance) Bharat with special focus on Himalayan Regions, North East Regions and Aspirational Districts of India’.
ii.It was a part of the series of Learning Exchange amongst all States and Union Territories.
iii.It was organized with technical assistance from Intellecap.
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI):
It is a non-government, not-for-profit ISO 9001 : 2015 Certified organisation. ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization.
Establishment– 1927
Headquarter– New Delhi
Secretary General– Dilip Chenoy
President– Uday Shankar
<<Read Full News>>

DV Sadananda Gowda Inaugurates 6th edition of International Conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Sector 2021i.The four-day long 6th edition of International Conference on Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector i.e. India Pharma 2021 & India Medical Device 2021 was held on Feb 25-26, 2021 and March 1-2, 2021 respectively.
ii.It was inaugurated by Union Minister Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The special focus of this edition was Global Investors Meet by Invest India.
iii.The theme for India Medical Device 2021 was ‘India MedTech Future: Innovate & Make in India through Global’.
iv.The theme for India Pharma 2021 was ‘Indian Pharma Industry: Future is Now’.
About Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers (MoC&F):
Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda Constituency– Bangalore North, Karnataka)
Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya Constituency– Gujarat (Rajya Sabha)
<<Read Full News>>

India, Norway to conduct Marine Spatial Planning in Lakshadweep & PuducherryIndia & Norway agreed to collaborate in the area of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the Oceanic space for the next 5 years.  Lakshadweep & Puducherry have been identified as Pilot sites for the Project.

• National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai will be preparing the MSP framework for Puducherry & Lakshadweep in the initial phase of the project.
• The framework of these 2 environmentally critical areas (Pondicherry & Lakshadweep) will be replicated to other coastal regions of India.
• The 2 places have been chosen due to their potential to Flourish in multiple sectors such as Industries, Fisheries & Tourism.
• MSP is part of India’s (draft) Blue Economic Policy being developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

Background

• The MSP project is part of the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the 2 countries in 2019.

Objective

• For optimum utilisation of Sustainable Ocean Resources for economic & social development in coastal areas and as a Societal-beneficial initiative for India’s coastal regions.

Implementing Agencies

• India – Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) through National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR).
• Norway – Norwegian Environment Agency through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway.

Funding

• At the Initial stage, Government of India is planning to invest around INR 8-10 crores per annum. World Bank & United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have expressed Interest in supporting the MSP Project

About Norway:
Prime Minister– Erna Solberg
Capital– Oslo
Currency– Krone
<<Read Full News>>

The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Symposium on Sustainable Development of Dams & River Basins held in New Delhi

In February 2021, a 4 day long International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Symposium on Sustainable Development of Dams & River Basins was held in hybrid format in New Delhi. Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was the Chief Guest of the Event. The event acts as a forum to share expertise on latest technologies in Dam construction, dam safety measure etc. Advanced technologies can be implemented in Dams to generate clean and cost effective energy, thereby ensuring India’s commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement.

39th Agartala International Book Fair begins in Tripura

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated the 39th Agartala International Book Fair held with the theme “Ek Tripura, Shrestha Tripura” at Agartala, Tripura in the presence of Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner Md. Jobayed Hossain

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

65% low, Lower-Middle Income Countries slashed Education Budgets after COVID-19 outbreak: WB reporti.In accordance with the report by World Bank (WB), the low and lower-middle income countries have cut the education budgets by 65% after COVID-19 pandemic despite the urgent need for adequate funding to allow school systems to reopen safely and to fund programs to make up for the losses in learning students experienced while schools were closed.
ii.33% of high and upper-middle income countries also followed the same scenario.
iii.The current level of government spending is also fall short for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About World Bank:
Establishment– 1944
President– David Robert Malpass
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States
Members– 189 (including India)
Subsidiaries– International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
<<Read Full News>>

Sri Lanka approves Proposal to develop WCT of Colombo Port with Assistance from India & JapanOn March 1, 2021, Sri Lankan Cabinet approved a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) proposal for developing the West Container Terminal (WCT) of Colombo South Port with parties nominated by Indian & Japanese Government. The port will be developed in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

• Indian High Commission has nominated Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ Consortium) while the Japanese government is yet to nominate a party.
• As per the agreement, the WCT will be operated over a period of 35 years as a Public Private Partnership model with APSEZ & its local representative John Keels Holding PLC & the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
• India & Japan will have 85% stake in the WCT.

Background
In February 1, 2021, Sri Lankan Government decided to eject India & Japan from a 2019 Tripartite agreement to jointly develop the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port.
About Sri Lanka:
President – Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Capital – Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency – Sri Lankan Rupee
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

SBI joins ‘Liink’ Blockchain-based payment network of JPMorgan State Bank of India (SBI) joined ‘Liink’, a peer-to-peer Blockchain-based data network of US based Investment Banking Company JPMorgan chase. The partnership will help SBI to reduce transaction costs, speed up Consumer transactions (including International transactions). SBI became the 1st bank in India to go live on the blockchain-based payment network of JPMorgan.

• By using JPMorgan’s ‘Liink’ SBI is expecting to reduce the time taken for International Payments to a few hours from upto 2 weeks.

‘Liink’

• It is a peer-to-peer network and ecosystem operating under JPMorgan’s blockchain and digital currency focused business, called Onyx.
• It was piloted in 2017 and was originally called as Interbank Information Network (IIN), it was rebranded as ‘Liink’ in October 2020.
• At present, 400 financial institutions and corporations in 78 countries, and 27 of the World’s Top 50 banks use JPMorgan’s Liink solution.
• The network also has around 100 live banks on the network which includes both state-owned & private institutions.

Indian Participants
In 2019, 7 Indian banks joined ‘Liink’ they are ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, Union Bank of India, Federal Bank of India & Canara Bank.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co
Chairman & CEO – Jamie Dimon
Headquarters – New York, USA

NSE Signed a MoU with SIDBI for Debt Capital Platform for MSMEsi.On 2nd March 2021, the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE India) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for the cooperation in the various Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) initiatives of NSE and SIDBI and to explore the feasibility of debt Capital Platform for the MSMEs.
ii.The various initiatives of the NSE and SIDBI for the betterment of MSME and the cooperation between them will impact the development of the MSMEs and increase the reach of these programs.
iii.The major MSME initiatives to solve the working capital problems faced by small businesses were SME Exchange, NSE Emerge and TreDs platform of Receivable Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL).
About SIDBI:
SIDBI acts as the Principal Financial Institution for Promotion, Financing and Development of the MSME sector.
Deputy Managing Director– V Satya Venkata Rao
Headquarters– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Established on– 2nd April 1990 under an Act of Indian Parliament
<<Read Full News>>

Arya Partners With Canara Bank for Farm loan Managementi.On 2nd March 2021, Arya Collateral Warehousing Services Pvt. Ltd.(Arya), a post harvest agriculture technology provider, entered into a strategic partnership with Canara Bank to offer collateral management and warehousing services to support the farmers with effective market linkage.
ii.The partnership aims to support and extend finance to farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations(FPO), processors, and various depositors stocking their agri-produce in Arya’s warehouses across India.
iii.Arya will support the farmers and FPOs to get financial assistance against their agricultural produce stored in warehouses managed by Arya.
About Arya Collateral Warehousing Services Pvt. Ltd.:
MD– Prasanna Rao &  Chattanathan D
Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Incorporated in 1982
About Canara Bank:
MD & CEO– L.V.Prabhakar
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Tagline– Together We Can
Founded in– July 1906
Founder– Ammembal Subba Rao Pai.
Syndicate Bank was amalgamated into Canara Bank on April 2020
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Overview of 78th Golden Globes Awards 2021 held from Los Angeles and New York City i.The 78th Golden Globes Awards 2021 took place in a Hybrid Format on 28th February 2021. It was the first bi-coastal ceremony, filmed from Los Angeles and New York City, United States of America(USA) hosted by Amy Poehler from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and Tina Fey from New York’s Rainbow Room.
ii.The 78th Golden Globes was produced by Dick Clark productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association(HFPA).
iii.2021 Golden Globe Ambassadors: Satchel Lee and Jackson Lee, children of filmmakers and three-time Golden Globe Nominee Spike Lee and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee, philanthropist.
iv.Nomadland by chinese Female director Chloé Zhao won the Best Pictures Drama and Chloé Zhao won the Best Director Motion Picture. Chloe Zhao became the first Asian woman and only the 2nd woman to win the best director award after Barbra Streisand who won the award for “Yentl.” in 1984. 
v.The Crown, a television series, has the highest nominations for any tele series and it has won in 4 categories (Best Drama Series, Best Television Actress, Best Television Actor, Best Supporting Actress).
<<Read Full News>>

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2021

On February 20, 2021, the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Awards 2021 were announced. DPIFF was introduced to commemorate the Father of Indian Cinema Dadasaheb Phalke.DPIFF In-House Partners are We Work, Silly Monks, Spanrig, OY Event, North India Fashion Week, Krishna Kunj Productions.Late Actor Sushant Singh Rajput was awarded the ‘Critics Best Actor’ award for his performance in the movie ‘Dil Bechara’. The full list of awards can be accessed here.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

Siemens Acquired 99.22% Stake In C&S Electric For Rs.2100 Crore

On 1st March 2021, Siemens Limited acquired the 99.22% equity stake in C&S Electric Limited, leading manufacturer of electrical and electronic equipment, from its promoters for Rs.2100 crore on a cash free or debt free basis.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the deal on 20th August 2020.
Siemens Ltd, is a flagship listed company of Siemens AG in India,

• This acquisition will address the increasing demands for low voltage power distribution in India.
• With this acquisition Siemens gained access to the Indian market and aims to create an export hub.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

MapmyIndia integrated with Co-WIN portal to Locate COVID-19 Vaccination CentresMapmyIndia has been integrated with India’s official vaccination registration portal – ‘Co-WIN’ (COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network) to enable users to locate nearby COVID-19 vaccine centres.

• Using the portal, Users can insert their current location or enter their address, pin code, or elocation of interest to check nearby vaccination centres.
• The feature will be available on MapmyIndia’s app & also Co-WIN portal.
• The 2nd Phase of COVID-19 Vaccinations started on March 1, 2021, in order to make the vaccination effort easier MapmyIndia has put all COVID-19 vaccine centres across India on MapmyIndia’s maps.

Integration of ‘Aarogya Setu’ & Co-WIN Portal
In February, 2021 India had integrated COVID-19 Tracing App ‘Aarogya Setu’ & Co-WIN portal to enable users to download Vaccination certificates after they have received at least one dose of COVID-19 Vaccination.
About MapmyIndia:
MD, Chairman – Rakesh Verma
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually Launched ‘Sugamya Bharat App’ and Handbook ‘Access – the Photo Digest’i.On March 2, 2021, Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) virtually launched ‘Sugamya Bharat App’ and a handbook entitled ‘Access – The Photo Digest’ through video conference in New Delhi. Both of the new launches are developed by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), MoSJE
ii.The Mobile App can be downloaded from Play Store by Android users while its iOS version will be available by March 15, 2021.
iii.Sugamya Bharat App is a Crowd sourcing Mobile Application launched under the Accessible India Campaign-AIC (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan) which will cater to the issues related to accessibility being faced by Divyangjan (Differently abled) and others.  It is on the lines of achieving accessibility as mandated in Sections 40-46 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016.
About Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment:
Thaawarchand Gehlot Constituency– Madhya Pradesh
Minister of State (MoS)– Krishan Pal Gurjar, Ramdas Athawale, Rattan Lal Kataria
<<Read Full News>>

Indian School students discover 18 New Asteroids under International Asteroid Discovery ProjectThe International Astronomical Union (IAU) confirmed the discovery of 18 new Asteroids by Indian students as part of the International Asteroid Discovery Project conducted by STEM & Space, an organization which works towards learning of astronomy and space science in India.

• The programme was conducted by STEM & Space along with International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) as part of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Citizen Science project.
• The discovery project took place over a period of 2 years and around 150 students from all over India participated in the programme making it the largest asteroid discovery project in India.
• Students discovered Asteroids from High quality astronomical data provided by IASC to discover Asteroids & Near Earth Objects (NEO).
• NEOs are rocky objects found in the orbit between Mars & Jupiter.

About STEM & Space:
Chief Scientific Officer – Dr Mila Mitra
Headquarters – New Delhi

SPORTS

J&K tops medal tally at Khelo India Winter Games held at Gulmarg, J&KOn 2nd March, 2021, Jammu & Kashmir retained the top spot in the 2nd Edition of Khelo India Winter Games, which was held at Gulmarg, J&K. With 11 Gold, 18 Silver and 5 Bronze Medals J&K led the medal tally during the closing ceremony of the Khelo India Winter Games in Ski Resort of Gulmarg.
i.Jammu & Kashmir retained the top spot for the second consecutive time.
ii.Following the success of the event, Principal Secretary Youth Services and Sports, Alok Kumar retained the venue for 3rd edition of Khelo India Winter Games at Gulmarg, J&K.
Other Sporting Events:

• The Olympic Winter Games 2022 will be held in Beijing, China.
• Asian Youth Games 2021 will be held in Guangdong, China.

<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Former TRAI chairman and Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar passes away

Former Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)  and Commerce Secretary , a 1975-batch IAS officer Rahul Khullar passed away due to prolonged illness, who served as Commerce Secretary(2009-2012) and appointed as TRAI chairman in May 2012 for three years

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Wildlife Day 2021 – March 3i.United Nations(UN)’s World Wildlife Day is annually observed across the globe on 3rd March to celebrate the wild fauna and flora across the globe and to create awareness about conservation of wildlife.
ii.The events of the world Wildlife day are organised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat in collaboration with the organizations in the United Nations system.
iii.World Wildlife day 2021 on 3rd march 2021 is celebrated under the theme “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”. 
The first World Wildlife Day was observed on 3rd March 2014. 
iv.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted a resolution on 20 December 2013 at its 68th session and proclaimed the 3rd March of every year as the UN World Wildlife Day.
<<Read Full News>>

World Hearing Day 2021 – March 3i.World Hearing Day is annually observed across the globe on 3rd March to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and to promote hearing care across the globe.
ii.The World Health Organisation(WHO) organises the annual events of the world hearing day at the WHO headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland.
iii.The theme of the world Hearing day is also decided by the WHO.
iv.The World Hearing Day 2021 on 3rd march 2021 is celebrated under the theme “Hearing care for ALL! Screen. Rehabilitate. Communicate”. 
v.The efforts of WHO are guided by the recommendations of WHO World report on hearing (2021) and the World Health Assembly(WHA) resolution on prevention of deafness and hearing loss.
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Madhya Pradesh FM Jagdish Devda presents State Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 2.41 Lakh CroreOn March 2, 2021, Madhya Pradesh (MP) Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the Annual Budget for the year 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 2,41,375 Crore. The main focus of the budget was on making Madhya Pradesh self-reliant.

• There was no proposal to levy new taxes in the Budget.
• The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of MP is estimated to reach INR 10 Lakh Crore in the Financial Year (FY) 2021-22.
• The FM presented the budget in a paperless manner as it was read from an ‘Made in India’ tablet.

Fiscal Indicators

• Expected Revenue Expenditure –  INR 1, 72, 971 Crore
• Proposed Capital Expenditure –  INR 44, 152 Crore
• Estimated Revenue Receipts – INR 1, 64, 677 Crore

Major Announcements

• INR 262 Crore has been allocated for the Metro Rail Project in Bhopal & Indore.
• INR 1, 500 Crore has been allocated for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.
• A provision of INR 4, 592 Crore has been allocated for the Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY), a decentralized solar application scheme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India.
• A Fund of INR 900 Crore has been set aside for development of smart cities

Click here to read the full budget

About Madhya Pradesh:
Capital: Bhopal
Governor: Anandiben Patel
Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Hills – Mahadeo, Arera, Idgah

<<Read Full News>>

Karnataka Government launched 1st of its kind Engineering Research & Development Policy 2021On 2nd March 2021, State Govt. of Karnataka launched the 1st of its kind Engineering Research & Development (ER&D) Policy 2021 that is aimed at making the state responsible for 45% of India’s growth in the engineering sector by 2025. This policy has the potential to provide employment opportunities to 50,000 in 5 target ER&D sectors making India an ‘Innovation driver’ of the World.
i.Advantages to Investments outside Bangalore – Rental Reimbursement, Recruitment Assistance & Investment Subsidy.
ii.Internship Program for 3 months with a stipend of Rs. 10,000/month.
About Karnataka: 
Folk Dances – Yakshagana, Dollu Kunitha.
Festivals – Hampi Festival/Vijaya Utsava, Karaga Festival, Kambala Festival.
<<Read Full News>>

IBM partners with Govt. of Goa to provide Free Skill Training to YouthOn 2nd March, 2021, International Business Machines (IBM) India partnered with the state government of Goa to provide free online courses to students, Job seekers & Entrepreneurs of the state. This initiative is aimed at upskilling 10,000 youths across 10 institutions in 1 year through IBM SkillBuild Program.
i.Personalised coaching and experimental learning module is provided on Information & Communication Technology (ITC).
ii.The program has over 1lakh beneficiaries in Indian in 2021 alone.
About IBM India:
Managing Director – Sandip Patel
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
Founded in 1992
About Goa:
Goa was liberated from the control of Portugese in 1961.
Waterfalls – Arvalem Falls, Dudhsagar Falls, Kesarval falls.
<<Read Full News>>

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