Current Affairs 6 March 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 6 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

CSIR-NIO to Launch 90-day Cruise Missile to map Genomes in Indian OceanCSIR-NIO (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography) is set to launch a 90-day Scientific Cruise Mission to conduct genome & proteome mapping (nutrients) present inside single-cell organisms in the Indian ocean.
Objective 

•  To strengthen India’s research into commercial biotechnology applications including anticancer treatments.
•  To understand the response of ocean to Climate Change & nutrient stress.

Expedition

• Around 30 scientists will be part of the expedition which will take place from Second week of March to mid-may.
• The expedition will start from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and will go up to 30°S, touch the waters between Australia & Maldives, then circle back to Goa, covering upto 9, 000 nautical miles by mid-May.
• The Scientists will go up to 6 Kilometres into the Indian ocean to collect samples.

Indian Ocean’s importance to Climate Change

• Being the Third Largest Ocean (after Pacific & Atlantic Oceans) Indian Ocean plays a great role in functioning of climate & regulation of atmospheric oxygen.

About CSIR-NIO (National Institute of Oceanography) 
Director – Professor Sunil Kumar Singh
Headquarters  – Dona Paula, Goa
Regional Centres – Kochi (Kerala), Mumbai (Maharashtra) & Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)
<<Read Full News>>

Madhya Pradesh top in Land Records Digitisation: 2^nd N-LRSI index 2021i.In accordance with the 2^nd edition of NCAER Land Record and Services Index (N-LRSI) 2021, almost 32 States and Union Territories (UTs) have shown an improvement in their effort to digitise land records. Their mean has shown an increase of 16.6% in 2020-21 from 38.7 in 2019-20 to 45.1 in 2020-21 (out of 100 points).
ii.Notably, Madhya Pradesh topped the list for the second year in a row and followed by West Bengal (2^nd), Odisha (3^rd), Maharashtra (4^th) and Tamil Nadu (5^th).
About National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER):
Establishment– 1956
President– Nandan M Nilekani
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

MoHUA releases Rankings for Ease of Living Index 2020 & Municipal Performance Index 2020On February 4, 2021, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) released the Final Rankings of Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020 & Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2020 through an online event.

• For the purpose of ranking, both EoLI 2020 & MLI 2020 categorized the rankings of Cities  (including cities under Smart Cities Program) & Municipalities under 2 categories based on their population – Million+ Category & Less than Million Category.
• Around 111 cities participated in the assessment which was conducted in 2020.
• The framework these assessments were prepared by MoHUA with the Institute for Competitiveness as the Knowledge Partner.
• It is the 1st time that MPI is being undertaken in India it was launched as an accompaniment to the EoL Index.

Rankings ELI 2020

Rankings MPI 2020

<<Read Full News>>

Ramesh Pokhriyal unveiled QS World University Ranking 2021 by Subject; 12 Indian Institutes named in top 100i.On March 4, 2021, the unveiling of QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings by Subject 2021 was held virtually which was addressed by Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Ministry of Education (MoE).
ii.Notably, the number of Indian Institutions in the list of top 100 has increased to 12 from 8. These are IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IISC Bangalore, IIT Guwahati, IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, JNU, Anna University, University of Delhi, and O.P Jindal University.
About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ constituency– Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Minister of State (MoS)– Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre
<<Read Full News>>

EPFO Recommends 8.5% Interest Rate for PF Contributions for 2020-2021On 4th March 2021, Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) announced to retain 8.5% annual interest rates on provident fund(PF) deposits for the financial year 2020-21.
The decision was taken during the 228th meeting of Central Board of Trustees, EPF chaired by Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of Labour and Employment, held in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.

• Following the official notification on the interest rate, EPFO will credit the rate of interest into the accounts of the subscribers.
• The recommended interest rate was the result of the combined income from interest received from debt investment as well as income realized from equity investment.

Significance of EPFO:
i.The assured fixed return approach of EPFO annually announced by the Central Board of Trustees along with the tax exemptions provides social security to the investors in the form of PF, pension and insurance schemes.
Background:
i.EPFO reduced the rate of interest to 8.5% for the financial year 2019-2020. It remains the lowest since 2012-2013.
ii.The rate of interest is comparatively higher than the other investments which are available for the investors.
iii.Through various economic cycles with minimal credit risk, EPF has distributed higher income to its members.
Raise in Subscribers:
i.During 2019-20, the number of net new subscribers has increased to 78.58 lakh compared to 61.12 lakh in the preceding fiscal.
ii.The new enrolment with EPFO increased by 56% to 11.55 lakh in October 2020 compared to 7.39 lakh in October 2019.
Key Points:
i.From 2015-2016, the EPF started to invest in equity through exchange traded funds based on NSE 50 and BSE 30 indices.
ii.The investment in equity funds started at 5% for FY 2015 and increased to 15% of the incremental portfolio.
About EPFO:
CEO– Sunil Barthwal (CEO of EPFO is known as Central Provident Fund Commissioner)
Head Office– New Delhi

Harsh Vardhan launches “CSIR Floriculture Mission”i.On March 4, 2021, Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Science & Technology virtually launched the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Floriculture Mission from New Delhi. It has been approved by the Government of India for implementation in 21 States and Union Territories (UTs) of India.
ii.Under this, CSIR will combine latest technologies in the field of floriculture.
iii.Dr. Harsh Vardhan also launched CSIR’s Societal Portal along with the Android App.
This portal has been developed by CSIR Team with the help of MyGov Team.
About Ministry of Science and Technology:
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Constituency– Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
Departments under the ministry– Department of Science & Technology(DST), Department of Biotechnology(DBT), Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR)
<<Read Full News>>

Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre Inaugurated TEPC’s “India Telecom 2021” Exclusive International Business ExpoOn 3rd March 2021, Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State, Ministry of Communication inaugurated the virtual “India Telecom 2021”, an Exclusive international business expo organised by Telecom Equipment Export Promotion Council(TEPC).

• India Telecom 2021 was organised under the Market Access Initiative Scheme (MAI) of Department of Commerce, Government of India.
• The expo was supported by the Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of External Affairs(MEA).
  

India Telecom 2021:
India Telecom 2021 is a platform for convergence of technologies and business exchange
The event encloses strategies and learning that goes beyond Telecom and IT industries.
Inaugural session:
Rahul Chhabra, Secretary (ER), Ministry of External Affairs, Anita Praveen, Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, and other senior officials and industry leaders addressed the inaugural session of India Telecom 2021.
Promoting fastest growing sector:
i.IT & Electronics industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in India, both in terms of production and export.Information Technology and Business process management (IT-BPM) industry revenue grew 7% y-o-y to reach US$ 191 billion in FY20 and is estimated to grow to US$ 350 billion by 2025.
ii.Moreover, revenue from the digital segment is expected to account for 38% of the total industry revenue by 2025. Digital economy is estimated to reach US$ 1 trillion by 2025.
Telecom Equipment Export Promotion Council(TEPC). 
TEPC was established by the Ministry of commerce and Industry and Ministry of Communication, Government of India.
Aim:
To promote and develop the Export of telecom equipment and services.
Role of the Committee:
Disseminates the trade related data to its members.
Recommends changes in various policies and procedures for promotion of Exports and Services.
Undertake activities to promote exports (Commissioning of Studies to find potential markets, National/International Seminars, Participation of exporters in various overseas exhibitions).
About TEPC:
Chairman– Sandeep Aggarwal
Headquarters– New Delhi

AIM,NITI Aayog tie-up with MathWorks to strengthen the Deep-tech startup ecosystem of India
On March 02,2021, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, partnered with MathWorks-the developer of mathematical computing software for scientists and engineers to strengthen the Deep-tech startup ecosystem of India.
Partnership’s benefit to the startups
This partnership will provide the following benefits to the startups supported by AIM

• Access to steps of the art MathWorks tools including MATLAB and Simulink
• Access to MATLAB community, Engineering support, Online training
• Opportunities to use MathWorks’ domestic and global reach to create awareness about the startup products.
• To encourage innovation and increase the product development of the early-stage companies.

Key points
Aiming to extend the industry tools and expertise to startups at AIM which is located across the county.
To use the technology and domain expertise of MathWorks to train the startups and incubators in areas of technical computing, engineering design and AI based innovations.
About MathWorks
It is an American privately held corporation that specializes in mathematical computing software.
CEO – John N. “Jack” Little
Headquarters -Natick, Massachusetts, USA
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative by NITI Aayog, Government of India to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Mission Director – Ramanan Ramanathan
Headquarters – New Delhi

<<Read Full News>>

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting collaborates with IIT Bombay to establish Center of Excellence for ‘Games’

Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, virtually addressed the “Khel Khel Mein”, a pan Maharashtra toy/game designing competition. On the occasion he made an announcement on the collaboration between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and IIT Bombay to establish a Center of Excellence in toys and gaming related areas. Indian Govt. under its Make in India initiative has also launched India’s first toy manufacturing cluster in Karnataka.

China regains its position as India’s Largest Trading Partner

Despite the bloody border conflict in 2020, ban on hundreds of Chinese mobile apps and restrictions in investment, China with $75.9 billion regained its spot as the Largest Trading Partner of India. China is closely followed by the USA and UAE as the 2nd and 3rd largest Trading Partners of India. 51% of the total imports from China were accounted for by the purchase of Heavy Machineries. It is to be noted that in 2019 China was India’s largest trading partner with $85.5 billion trade and slipped to 2nd spot only in 2020 with $77.7 billion trade.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

More than 931 Million Tonnes of Food waste generated in 2019 : UN Food Waste Index 2021According to ‘Food Waste Index Report 2021’ compiled by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) & WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) found that around 931 Million Tonnes  (1.03 Billion Tons) of Food waste was generated in 2019. It equals to  17% of food produced globally.

• 61% of this waste was generated by households, 26% from food service & 13% from retails.
• At the Global level,  74Kg per capita of food is wasted each year.
• In India the per capita food wastage is 50 Kg (at the household level) & it is estimated that India generates 68, 760, 163 tonnes of food waste each year.
• The 2015 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 aims to halve food waste & reduce food loss by 2030.

Click here to read the full report
About  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director – Inger Andersen
Headquarters – Nairobi, Kenya
<<Read Full News>>

Reliance Power forms JV with Jera for 745 MW project in Bangladeshi.On March 4, 2021, a joint venture (JV) was formed between Reliance Power and Japan-headquartered Jera Co. Inc to build, own, and operate a 745-MW (net output: 718 MW) gas-fired power generation project in Meghnaghat near Dhaka, Bangladesh.
ii.As a part of this project, Reliance Power’s wholly-owned subsidiary Samalkot Power has received the approval from the Export Import Bank of the United States (US) to sell one module of equipment to Samsung C&T Corporation of South Korea for Rs 1,540 crore.
About Reliance Power:
Chairman– Anil Ambani
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

India’s position downgraded to ‘Partly Free’ in Freedom in the World 2021 reportAccording to the ‘Freedom in the World 2021: Democracy under Siege’ released by US based Think Tank Freedom House, India has scored 67 and its position has been downgraded to ‘Partly Free’ from ‘Free’ in 2020.  India’s ranking has also fallen to 88 (from 83) out of 211 countries.

• The ‘most free countries’ with a score of 100 are Finland, Norway & Sweden.
• Least Free Countries with a score of 1 are Tibet & Syria.
• This is the 1st time since 1997 that India has been downgraded to ‘partly free’. India’s score has decreased from 71  (in 2020 ).
• Freedom House is largely funded through USA government grants and is actively tracking the course of democracy since 1941.

Click here to read the full report

<<Read Full News>>

Closure of Schools due to COVID has impacted 247 Million Children in India:UNICEF StudyAccording  to report titled “Education: From disruption to recovery” released by UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), the closure of 1.5 Million schools due to pandemic & its lockdown in 2020 has impacted 247 Million Children enrolled in elementary & secondary schools in India.

• Globally around 888 Million children continue to face disruptions to their education due to full & partial school closures.
• Schools in 14 Countries across the world have remained closed since March 2020 to February 2021. Two-thirds of those countries are in Latin America & Caribbean, it has affected around 98 million schoolchildren in these regions.

Rural-Urban divide

• The report also states that Online education is not feasible as only 1 in 4 children have access to digital devices & Internet connectivity.

• The report highlighted that before the pandemic, only 24% of households in India had access to the Internet.

About UNICEF:
Executive Director – Henrietta H. Fore
Headquarters – New York, USA
<<Read Full News>>

2021 set to be ‘make or break year’ to combat global climate emergency: UNFCCC reportUN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has stated 2021 is a ‘make or break year’ to confront the global climate emergency. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has released the Initial NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) Synthesis Report which measures the progress of Climate Action Plans of Countries under the Paris Agreement.

• The report states that the efforts put in by countries are not enough to limit Global Temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius or to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• In order to achieve the targets, countries must cut global emission by 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels.

Updated NDCs by Countries

• The UNFCCC report covered submissions from countries up to December 31, 2020.
• The report showed that 75 parties to the Framework Convention to fight climate change have communicated a new or updated NDC which represents 30% of Global Greenhouse gas emissions.

2nd Report to be released prior to COP26
The second UNFCCC report will be released before the COP26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference), which is scheduled to be held in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland under the presidency of the United Kingdom.
About UNFCCC:
Executive Secretary – Patricia Espinosa
Signatory Parties – 197
Headquarters – Bonn, Germany

India’s Fourth Partner Energy sets up Joint Venture in Indonesia

Indian company, Fourth Partner Energy (4PEL) entered into a partnership with Indonesian Energy major, Indika Energy to set up a joint venture company, “Empat Mitra Indika Tenaga Surya (EMITS)”. EMITS will establish integrated solar, storage, & Electric Vehicles (EV) charging projects in Indonesia.
Joint Venture in EMITS – 51% stake held by Indika Energy & 49% by 4PEL.
Note – Currently, 4PEL is building solar parks in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with an operational portfolio of 400MW.
About EMITS:
i.EMITS is expected to bring investments of $500 Mn to Indonesia in the next 5 years.
ii.EMITS will increase revenue in the non-coal segment by 50% by 2025.
iii.Fourth Partner Energy is looking to expand its business to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and Singapore.
About Indonesia:
President – Joko Widodo
Capital – Jakarta
Currency – Indonesian Rupiah
About Fourth Partner Energy:
Executive Director & Co-founder – Vivek Subramanian
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
Founded – 2010

BANKING & FINANCE

Kotak Mahindra Bank Signed an MoU with the Indian Army for Salary AccountOn March 4, 2021, the private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) with the Indian Army at New Delhi for providing salary accounts to all the active and retired army personnel.

Purpose of the MoU
To offer a salary account and additional exclusive benefits for the Indian army personnel.
To make all the active and retired personnel to get access to the entire Kotak’s products and services.
Kotak’s products and services
The army personnel will get the services mentioned below

• A zero-balance salary account which earns up to 4% interest per annum
• Free unlimited ATM transactions on all VISA ATMs
• Banking anywhere across the bank’s network of 1,603 branches and 2,573 ATMs across India.

About Kotak:
India’s first non-banking finance company which is converted into a bank.
Establishment – 1985
Headquarters -Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Let’s Make Money Simple
MD & CEO – Uday Kotak
<<Read Full News>>

PNB Housing Finance Signed a co-lending Agreement with Yes Bank for Home Loansi.On 5th March 2021, PNB Housing Finance and Yes Bank signed a strategic co-lending service to provide convenient and customized retail loans to homebuyers at competitive interest rates.
ii.Objective: To boost local expertise and assist the bank to increase their footprint in new locations.
iii.Both PNB housing Finance and Yes Bank will jointly do the due diligence and co-originate the loan at agreed ratio.
iv.This partnership between PNB housing finance and Yes Bank will provide a range of real estate financing options to the borrowers.
About PNB Housing Finance:
Managing Director & CEO- Mr. Hardayal Prasad
Headquarters– New Delhi
Incorporated in 1988
Tagline– Ghar Ki Baat
About Yes Bank:
MD & CEO– Mr. Prashant Kumar
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in 2004
Tagline– Experience our expertise
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIT Madras Start-up Pi Beam Launches Electric Two-wheeler called ‘PiMo’

IIT Madras-incubated startup Pi Beam has launched an Electric Two-wheeler called ‘PiMo’ which can charge faster than a smartphone & has a range of 50 Kms. Nearly 90% of PiMo’s product components are manufactured in India to embody the ‘Make in India’ spirit.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

New Book “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds” authored by Rajiv MalhotraAcclaimed Author Rajiv Malhotra, a Physicist and Computer Scientist specializing in Artificial intelligence(AI) has authored a new book titled “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds”. The book features both the positive and negative impacts of AI.
The book is published by Rupa Publications. 
About the Book:
i.The book discusses the effects of AI on India and its impacts on our futures and it also looks into how the AI would modify the aspects of lives at international, national to personal level.
ii.The book states that, by leveraging AI and big data, various private organisations are gaining an ability to influence, manipulate and control the minds of people.
iii.These organisations have the potential to become more powerful than various companies and it is noted that there are no Indian companies in this league.
iv.The AI is a central node that integrates quantum computing, nanotechnology, medical technology, brain-machine interface, robotics, aerospace, 5G, Internet of Things, and others.
v.The book aims to educate the social segments and encourage them to take part in the discussion where the AI policies are formulated.
About Rajiv Malhotra:
i.Rajiv Malhotra, the founder of Infinity Foundation(Princeton), contributes to changing the global discourse with new and innovative paradigms.
ii.His works cover a wide range of topics like mind sciences, civilizations, geopolitics and the Future of India.
iii.He has been doing research on civilization and their engagement with technology from the historical, social sciences and mind sciences perspective.
iv.The Infinity Foundation has published a 14 volume series on the History of Indian Science and Technology.
Books:

• Being Different: An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism
• Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Fault lines
• Indra’s Net: Defending Hinduism’s Philosophical Unity
• The Battle for Sanskrit: Is Sanskrit Political or Sacred, Oppressive or Liberating, Dead or Alive?
• Academic Hinduphobia: A Critique of Wendy Doniger’s Erotic School of Indology
• Sanskrit Non-Translatables: The Importance of Sanskritizing English

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Safety Day 2021 –  March 4i.National Safety Day is annually observed across India on 4th March to create awareness about the safety and hygienic measures which should be inculcated in the lifestyle of the general people.
ii.The day marks the establishment of the National Safety council of India.
iii.The 4th March 2021 marks the 50th National Safety Day. 
iv.National Safety Day 2021 is observed under the theme “Learn from Disaster and Prepare for a Safer Future”.
v.National Safety Day was first observed on 4th March 1972, the foundation day of the National Safety Council.
About National Safety Council (NSC):
NSC was registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and it is registered as a Public Trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950.
Chairman– S.N. Subrahmanyan
Director General– Lalit Gabhane
Headquarters– Belapur, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

National Security Day 2021 – March 4The National Security Day which is also known as the Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas is annually observed across India on 4th March to acknowledge and appreciate the works of the security forces of the country.

• The day is celebrated to showcase the gratitude to all the security forces like, Police force, para military force, commandos, guards, army and other security personnels who put their life on line for the safety and security of others.
• The day is marked to remember the sacrifices of the security personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.

National Security Council(NSC):
i.The National Security Council was established by the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 19th November 1998.
ii.The NSC looks into the political, economic, energy and strategic security concerns of India.
iii.The Prime Minister of India heads the NSC.
iv.The NSC coordinates and integrates with the policies and plans that affect the security of the nation.

STATE NEWS

Arunachal Pradesh Dy CM presented Rs 578.50cr Deficit State Budget for FY22i.On March 4, 2021, Arunachal Pradesh’s (AR) Deputy Chief Minister (CM) and Finance Minister Chowna Mein presented Rs 578.50 crore deficit state budget for FY2021-22 at the state assembly in Itanagar. However, the fiscal deficit of the state has decreased to 2.19% from 2.28% in FY21.
ii.In accordance with the Union Budget FY22, the Arunachal Pradesh share of Central Taxes is pegged at Rs 11693.94cr.
iii.The state will observe year 2021 as ‘Year  of Education’ to improve the quality of education.
About Arunachal Pradesh:
Tiger Project Areas– Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Pakke Tiger Reserve
National Parks– Namdapha National Park, Mouling National Park
<<Read Full News>>

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat presents State Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 57, 400 CroresOn March 4, 2021, Uttarakhand Chief Minister (CM) Trivendra Singh Rawat presented the State Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 57, 400 Crores. The budget put more emphasis on infrastructure development, health, rural infrastructure, employment generation and education.

• The budget estimate for 2021-22 was 7.23% higher than the estimate for the current fiscal (2020-21).

Fiscal Indicators

• Revenue Expenditure in 2021-22 – INR 44, 036.31 Crore
• Capital Expenditure – INR 13, 364.01
• Fiscal Deficit – INR 8, 984 Crore (3.23% of the estimated Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP))

Major Announcements

• CM declared Garasain as the 3rd commissary of the state including Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Almora & Bageshwar districts. At present, there are 13 districts between Kumaon & Garhwal divisions.
• INR 25 Crore under new Chief Minister Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana  under which green fodder will be provided to women at cheap price from ration & fair price shops.

• INR 954.75 crore for creation of assets under Pradhan Mantri  Gram Sadak Yojana.

About Uttarakhand:
Major Mountains – Nanda Devi (India’s 2nd Highest mountain after Kangchenjunga), Kamet, Sunanda Devi
<<Read Full News>>

AMNS Signed a MoU with Odisha to Set Up Integrated Steel Plant; AMNS to Invest Rs.50000 croreOn 4th March 2021, the ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel(AMNS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Odisha to set up an integrated steel plant with the capacity of 12 Million tonne per annum (mtpa) in Kendrapara district of Odisha with an investment of Rs.50000 crore. 

• The MoU was signed in the presence of Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha and Lakshmi N. Mittal, Executive Chairman of AMNS at Lokaseva Bhavan (Odisha Secretariat).
• CM Naveen Patnaik stated that the investment will be made in the Kendrapara district which will boost the InvestInOdisha campaign of the Government of Odisha.

About the project:
i.The exact location of the project is yet to be finalised.
ii.Around 4000 acres of land which includes government, private and other categories of land will be acquired for the project.
AMNS investments in Odisha:
i.The completion of this project will increase the pellet making capacity to 12 mtpa (million tonne per annum) from 6mtpa at Paradip with an investment of Rs.2000 crore in the next 2 months.
ii.This will also increase the beneficiation facility at Dabuna in Keonjhar to 16mtpa from 5 mtpa.
Key Points:
AMNS has 2 iron ore mines

• Thakurani block with a reserve of 179.26 MT
• Ghoraburhani-Sagasahi iron ore block with a reserve of 78.24 MT

These mines were originally bagged by Essar Steel which was acquired by AMNS following a bankruptcy proceeding.
About ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel(AMNS):
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel(AMNS), is a joint venture of ArcelorMittal with Nippon Steel(Japan).
CEO- Aditya Mittal
Headquarters- Luxembourg

UP CM Launches ‘Path Pradarshak’ Free Coaching Facility for Competitive exams

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched ‘Path Pradarshak’ free coaching facility for Competitive exams under the ‘Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana’. Under the initiative, students will be provided free assistance by IAS & Provincial Civil Service officers for the preparations.

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