Current Affairs 7 & 8 February 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 7 & 8 February 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

Ministry of Corporate Affairs to launch MCA21 Version 3.0 Portal in Fiscal 2021-22;1st Mission Mode e-Governance Project of GoIThe Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is set to launch the portal ‘MCA21 Version 3.0’ during the Fiscal Year 2021-22. The portal will be the 1st Mission Mode e-Governance project of Government of India (GoI).

• MCA21 portal is used by companies for submitting various documents as part of compliance requirements under the company law.
• Driven by Data Analytics the portal will be equipped with Micro-services architecture for advanced analytics & emerging digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Language (ML).

i.Objective:

• To Strengthen enforcement & transform Corporate regulatory environment in India
• Promote Ease of Doing Business
• Enhance user experience
• Facilitate seamless integration and data exchange among regulators

Key Components of MCA21 Portal:

• e-Scrutiny
• e-Adjudication
• e-Consultation
• Compliance Management System (CMS)
• MCA Lab

About Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA):
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Rajya Sabha Member – Constituency – Karnataka)
Minister of State – Anurag Singh Thakur (Lok Sabha Member Constituency – Hamirpur(Himachal Pradesh))
<<Read Full News>>

Himachal Pradesh Became the First State to Implement e-Cabineti.On 5th February 2021, Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh inaugurated the first e-cabinet at Shimla. The state became the first to implement e-cabinet and make the end-to-end processing of cabinets paperless.
ii.The e-cabinet application for the e-cabinet was developed by the Department of Information Technology, Himachal Pradesh. This is the first of its kind electronic platform in India.
iii.Around 32 cabinet memos were discussed and processed through this application.
iv.The entire process of cabinet that is from initiation of the cabinet memo, approval of the memo through the concern secretary, Chief secretary, minister and Chief Minister to place in cabinet were made through online.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Conservation reserves– Shilli Conservation Reserve, Shri Naina Devi Conservation Reserve, Darlaghat Conservation Reserve
Ramsar Convention sites– Renuka Wetland, Chandertal Wetland, Pong Dam Lake
<<Read Full News>>

IMD to Establish India’s First Thunderstorm Research Testbed at Balasore, Odishai.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to establish India’s first thunderstorm research testbeds at Balasore, Odisha. The testbed will be established in collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Science, IMD, Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO).
ii.The advanced observational system will be installed in north Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand.
ii.IMD Director-General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has also announced that the first of its kind monsoon testbed is also being planned near Bhopal.
About Ministry of Earth Sciences:
Union Minister– Dr. Harsh Vardhan
About IMD:
Director-General– Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
Headquarters- New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

A target of Rs. 16.50 Lakh Crore for Ground Level Credit (GLC) to Agriculture has been fixed for 2021-22i.Government has fixed the target of Rs. 16.50 lakh crore for Ground Level Credit (GLC) to agriculture for 2021-2022.
ii.It is an increase of 10% over the previous year’s Rs 15 lakh crore.
iii.The target has been fixed considering the performance under GLC flow during 2013-14 to 2020-21.
iv.The target among others was mentioned in the Union Budget 2021-22 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while making announcements for the agri-sector.
<<Read Full News>>

45th International Kolkata Book Fair will be held in July: Theme country to be Bangladesh

The 45th International Kolkata Book Fair, will be held in July 2021 at the Central Park, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal. The fair will be organised by Publishers & Booksellers Guild. The fair which was scheduled to be held in January 2021 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The focal theme country of the Book fair 2021 will be Bangladesh, since the year 2021 marks the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangladesh’s 50 year of Independence.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Prahlad Singh Patel Co-Chairs the Virtual 8th ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers Meeting2021On February 5, 2021, the 8th ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations)-India Tourism Minister Meeting 2021 took place virtually, it was co-chaired by Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, India & Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia.
The 8th ASEAN-India Tourism Minister meeting was part of the 24th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers (24th M-ATM) which took place from February 2-5, 2021 hosted by Cambodia.

• Participants expressed their sympathy for loss of lives & livelihood in ASEAN-India region due to COVID-19.
• Highlighted the need for cooperation between Tourism Ministries of Member Countries to reduce the impact of pandemic on the Tourism sector.

i.Key points from Prahlad Singh Patel’s address
Prahlad Singh Patel highlighted India’s efforts of supplying medicines and medical equipment to other countries to contain Pandemic in the region.

• He stated that ASEAN is a key market for Buddhist Tourism in India.
• He invited ASEAN member countries to participate in the International Buddhist Conclave (IBC) organized by the Ministry of Tourism, India.
• Highlighted the importance of wellness and Medical Tourism

About Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN):
Members (10) – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Observers (2) – Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste
Chair (2021) – Brunei Darussalam, Theme – “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”
Headquarters – Jakarta, Indonesia
<<Read Full News>>

India, Bahrain hold 1st Joint Working Group Meeting 2021 in the field of Renewable EnergyOn February 4, 2021, India & Kingdom of Bahrain held the 1st Joint Working Group Meeting 2021 in the field of Renewable Energy (RE) in a virtual format. The Indian side was led by Mr Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy & Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza, President of Sustainable Energy Authority led the Bahraini side.
i.Background:
In July 2018, Both sides had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for boosting cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy.
ii.Key Points in the meeting:

• Both sides emphasized on the importance of renewable energy to meet the climate change goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
• The two sides presented the initiatives taken, future targets, progress made by them in the Renewable Energy Sector.
• Both countries agreed to share the best practices, experience & expertise in the RE sector.

iii.They agreed to increase engagement in capacity building & focused cooperation between concerned agencies & private sector of two countries in the RE sector with special focus on wind, solar & clean hydrogen.
About Bahrain:
Prime Minister (Crown Prince) – Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Capital – Manama
Currency – Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
<<Read Full News>>

Piyush Goyal Co-Chaired 1st High-Level Dialogue on India-EU Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) 2021 Virtuallyi.On February 5, 2021 1st High-Level Dialogue(HLD) on India-European Union(EU) Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) 2021 Held virtually.
ii.It was co-chaired by  Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Executive Vice-President & Trade Commissioner.
iii.This dialogue has been established as an outcome of the 15th India-EU Leader’s Summit held in July 2020, which aims to provide ministerial-level guidance on bilateral trade and investment relations.
Ministry of  Commerce and Industry:
Union Minister– Piyush Goyal(Constituency- Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra)
Minister of State-Hardeep Singh Puri(Constituency- Uttar Pradesh), Som Parkash(Constituency- Hoshiarpur, Punjab)
About European Union (EU):
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
European Parliament president – David-Maria Sassoli, Italy(Term: July 2019 – December 2021)
Member Countries– 27(The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020)
<<Read Full News>>

South Korea signs $43 billion deal to create World’s Biggest Offshore Wind FarmOn February 5, 2021 South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced a $43 billion deal to create World’s Biggest offshore wind farm, a major component of South Korea’s Green New Deal. With this deal the South Korean government plans to attain Carbon neutrality by 2050.
Signed by– The agreement involves 33 different entities, among them regional governments, the electricity generator KEPCO, and major private firms including Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction and SK E&S.
About the Wind Farm:
i.The plant is planned at the south western coastal town of Sinan.
ii.Maximum production capacity- 8.2 Gigawatts (GW) which is equivalent to the generation capacity of 7 Nuclear power generators.
iii.This will boost the wind power capacity upto 16.5 GW by 2030.
iv.This will reduce South Korea’s excessive reliance on Imported Coal and Nuclear Power Plants for Power Generation.
About South Korea:
President- Moon Jae-in
Capital- Seoul
Currency- Won
The 38th parallel line demarcates South Korea from North Korea.

BANKING & FINANCE

ICICI Bank Signs MoU with MUFG Bank, Japan to Jointly Cater Banking Needs of Japanese Corporates in Indiai.On February 05, 2021 ICICI Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MUFG Bank Ltd, Japan to jointly cater the banking requirements of Japanese corporates present in India.
ii.The MoU was signed by Vishakha Mulye, Executive Director, ICICI Bank and Mr. Junsuke Koike, Executive Officer and Regional Executive for India and Sri Lanka, MUFG Bank at a virtual event.
About ICICI Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline– Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka
Incorporated-1994
About MUFG Bank Ltd:
President & CEO– Kanetsugu Mike
Head Office– Tokyo, Japan
<<Read Full News>>

SEBI Releases New Norms of SEBI (Mutual Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021i.On February 4, 2021 Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released new norms of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual Funds) ( Amendment) Regulations, 2021.
ii.This regulation came into force by amending, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996.
iii.The amendment will come into force on the 30th day from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
iv.SEBI has amended the regulation in exercise of its  powers conferred by section 30 read with clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 11 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992).
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Establishment– April 12, 1992 in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992.
Chairman– Ajay Tyagi
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Padma Shri Sridhar Vembu, Founder & CEO of Zoho Appointed to the National Security Advisory Boardi.Padma Shri Sridhar Vembu, founder & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Zoho has been appointed to the National Security Advisory Board(NSAB).
ii.Generally, members of NSAB have a 2 year term.
iii.National Security Advisor (NSA) heads the NSAB. Currently, Ajit Doval is the NSA.
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO set to launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 on February 28Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 through India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)- C51 on February 28, 2021. This also marks ISRO’s 1st space mission in 2021. The mission includes Amazonia-1 as the primary payload along with 20 other satellites (Including 3 developed by Indian grown organisations).
Launch Site- Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)-SHAR, Sriharikota.It is PSLV-C51 is the 53rd mission of PSLV.
About PSLV-C51 Mission:
Primary Payload – ‘Amazonia-1’
Secondary Payload – ‘Anand’, ‘Satish Dhawan’ satellite and ‘UNITYsat’ (3 developed by Indian Organisations).
About Amazonia-1:

• Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under Department of Space. NSIL is undertaking this mission under a commercial arrangement with Spaceflight Inc. USA.
• Amazonia-1 is an Earth observatory satellite, entirely developed by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

i.‘Anand’ is built by Pixel, an Indian space startup company in Bengaluru.
ii.‘Satish Dhawan Satellite’ is developed entirely by Chennai based Space Kidz India.
iii.‘UNITYsat’, a combination of 3 satellites jointly developed by Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur (JITsat), G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur (GHRCEsat) and Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore (Sri Shakthi Sat).
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO): 
Chairman– Dr. K Sivan
Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka

OBITUARY

Oscar Winner Christopher Plummer, Canadian Actor Passed Away at 91On 5th February 2021, the legendary Canadian Actor Christopher Plummer, the star of “The Sound of Music” and the oldest person to win the Oscar Award passed away at the age of 91 at his residence in Connecticut, United States of America. He was born on 13th December 1929 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
About Christopher Plumer:
i.Christopher Plumer has starred in more than 100 films and television roles.
ii.He made his Broadway debut in “The Starcross Story” and his first feature-film was “Stage Struck” a 1958 drama about the New York theater world.
iii.He was well known for his works like “The Last Station”, “The Sound of Music”, “The Insider”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “Up” and others.
iv.He starred in the adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “Dolores Claiborne” in 1995.
v.He has also acted in William Shakespeare’s Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard III, Mark Antony and others.
Awards:
i.At the 84th Academy Awards, Plummer won the Oscar for his performance in the film “Beginners”(2011).
ii.He won the Emmy Awards in 1977 for “The Moneychangers” and in 1994 for narrating “Madeline,” an animated series based on the children’s books.

American Tennis Legend Tony Trabert passed away at 90On 3rd February 2021, legendary American tennis champion Marion Anthony Trabert (Tony Trabert) who was a 5-time Grand Slam singles champion passed away at the age of 90 in his residence in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He was born on 16th August 1930 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
About Tony Trabert:
i.Tony Trabert served a 2-year stint (ended in June 1953) in the US Navy, during the Korean War, after which he won the 1953 US Open, 1954 French open.
ii.He won 3 grand slams singles in 1955 US Open and French Open and Wimbledon.
iii.He is one of the players to win the three Grand Slam titles in a single year.
iv.He has also won 5 Grand Slam titles in doubles.
v.He was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970.
vi.He was the captain of the US Davis Cup team from 1976 to 1980 which won the titles in 1978 and 1979.
vii.He served as the President of the Hall of Fame from 2001 to 2011.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu Released a book ‘Parliamentary Messenger in Rajasthan’ Authored by Dr K.N. Bhandari On February 5, 2021 M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India released a book titled  ‘Parliamentary Messenger in Rajasthan’. The book is authored by  Dr K.N. Bhandari.
Essence of the Book:
i.The book focuses on the health and education initiatives that were launched through the Members of Parliament Local Area Development(MPLAD) Scheme on the recommendation of Dr Abhishek Singhvi in Rajasthan over 12 years from 2006 to 2018.
ii.It will serve as a guide for all stakeholders involved in the developmental work under MPLADS.
About Dr Abhishek Singhvi:
i.He is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).
ii.He is a current Member of the Parliament(MP) of India representing West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha.
About Members of Parliament Local Area Development(MPLAD) Scheme:
Inception– 1993
Objective– To enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature to be done in their Constituencies with an emphasis on the creation of sustainable social assets based on locally perceived needs.
Ministry– It has been under the control of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation since October 1994. Initially,  the scheme was under the Ministry of Rural Development and Planning
Funded by–  fully funded by Government of India.
Annual MPLADS fund–  Entitled to get Rs. 5 crore per MP constituency
Significance– It helped to create assets across the country. The Fund can be used in various schemes across the country like, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), conservation of water through rain water harvesting and Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana.
Note– More than 19 crore and 47 thousand works have been completed, since the inception of the scheme.

IMPORTANT DAYS

First Ever International Day of Human Fraternity – 4th February 2021i.The United Nations(UN)’s observed the first ever International Day of Human Fraternity across the globe on 4th February 2021 to raise awareness about different cultures and religions or beliefs and to promote cultural and religious tolerance, understanding.
ii.The theme of the International Day of Human Fraternity 2021 is “A Pathway to the Future”.
iii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/75/200 on 21st December 2020, and proclaimed the 4th February of every year as the International Day of Human Fraternity, beginning from 2021.
iv.António Guterres, the Secretary general of UN and Latifa ibn Ziaten, Moroccan-French activist jointly received the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, during the virtual event held at Abu Dhabi, UAE.
<<Read Full News>>

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2021 – February 6i.The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is annually observed across the globe on 6th February to heighten the efforts towards eliminating the process of Female Genital Mutilation(FGM). 
ii.The theme of International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2021: “No Time for Global Inaction, Unite, Fund, and Act to End Female Genital Mutilation”.
iii.The theme was launched by the United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA)-United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation and the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC). 
iv.The UNFPA, estimates that around 2 million girls are at the risk of undergoing FGM by 2030.
About United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA):
Executive Director– Dr. Natalia Kanem
Headquarters– New York, USA
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Haryana, Switzerland to share expertise in Skill Development, Tourism & Dairy SectorOn February 5, 2021, Ralf Heckner, Ambassador of Switzerland to India meets Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana. During the meeting, both sides agreed to share their expertise in the areas of Skill Training, Tourism & Dairy Sector.

• They also agreed to explore possibilities of signing MoUs for teacher-student & Cultural Exchange programmes.
• The MoU & Exchange programme will help in enhancing the bilateral ties between Switzerland and India, particularly with Haryana.

i.Ralf Heckner stated the importance of Haryana in the India-Switzerland bilateral ties

• Around 34 Swiss Companies are functioning in Haryana providing employment to around 16, 600 people.
• Approximately 10% Business of Swiss Companies is in Haryana.
• Haryana is one of the Five States in India where Swiss Companies have fully established their businesses.

About Switzerland (officially Swiss Confederation):
President – Guy Parmelin
Capital – Bern
Currency – Swiss Franc (NHF)
<<Read Full News>>

Government of Goa signs an MoU with CII to establish Model Career Centre in GoaOn 5th February, 2021 State government of Goa signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to establish a Model Career Centre (MCC) at Goa. This MoU is signed with a motive to find suitable employment & livelihood for the youth.
– This is an online service, through which an employer can select the best available candidate from the wider pool of job seekers.
– MCC will conduct workshops, job fairs to guide the youth to attain the potential of employability.
About Confederation of Indian Industry(CII): 
President– Uday Kotak
Director General– Chandrajit Banerjee
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
About Goa:
– Khola Chilli is an Agricultural product of Goa, that got the Geographical Identification (GI) tag in 2020.
– CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography(CSIR-NIO) is located at Panaji, Goa.
– Bondla Zoological Park is located in Goa.
<<Read Full News>>

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