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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
92% of Target achieved in 1st Phase of PMAY-G: Ministry of Rural Development
- A Target of 1 Crore houses was set for completion in the 1st phase of the Scheme (from 2016-17 to 2018-19).
- All houses in the Permanent Wait List (PWL) will be completed by the end of ‘AzadiKaAmritMahotsav (India@75), the Government’s initiative to mark 75 years of India’s Independence.
“Awaas+ Survey”
- Awaas+ Survey was conducted by all States/UTs for identifying households who though eligible were not included in the PWL of PMAY-G.
PMAY-G
- It was launched in April 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- It aims to provide ‘Housing for All’ by the year 2022
- The minimum size of a house under the scheme is 25 Square metre (increased from 20 Sq. Mt)
- The cost of unit assistance is shared between Central and State Government in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and the Himalayan States.
About Ministry of Rural Development:
Union Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State – Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh)
>>Read Full News
Cabinet approvals on April 7, 2021
- Approval for Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme ‘National Programme on High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules’.
- Approval for PLI Scheme for White Goods (Air Conditioners & LED Lights).
- MoU between India & Japan for Academic Research Cooperation & Exchange.
PLI Scheme for Solar Manufacturing
The Union Cabinet approved the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy’s proposal for the implementation of INR 4, 500 Crore PLI Scheme ‘National Programme on High-Efficiency Solar PV (Photovoltaic) Modules’
- It aims to achieve the manufacturing capacity of the GigaWatt (GW) scale in high-efficiency solar PV modules.
PLI Scheme for White Goods
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the PLI Scheme for White Goods (Air Conditioners & LED Lights) with a budgetary outlay of INR 6, 238 Crore.
- An incentive of 4% – 6% on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India for a period of 5 years.
MoU between India, Japan
The Union Cabinet approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Department of Space, Government of India & Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan for Academic & Research Cooperation and exchange.
- The MoU was signed in November 2020.
Harsh Vardhan launches Tribal Health Collaborative – ‘Anamaya’
- Objective – To converge efforts of various Government agencies &organisations to enhance the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities of India.
- Supporting Partners – Piramal Foundation & Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
Activities to be undertaken
As part of the initiative, Tribal Ministry will
- Set up a National Council on Tribal Health to drive policy initiatives in Tribal Health.
- Establish a Health Cell to monitor healthcare delivery in tribal areas.
- Devising mechanisms to implement the Tribal Health Action Plan.
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA):
Union Minister – Arjun Munda (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Khunti, Jharkhand)
Minister of State – Renuka Singh Saruta (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Surguja, Chhattisgarh)
>>Read Full News
Ministry of AYUSH signs MoU with Dept. of Animal Husbandry to Introduce Ayurveda into Veterinary Science
i.Scientific research will be conducted in collaboration with Veterinary Colleges and ICAR research institutes on the utility of Medicinal Plants.
ii.Exploring potential medicinal plants species for enhancing its cultivation, preservation and conservation.
About Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying:
Formed – May 2019
Union Minister –Giriraj Singh (Constituency – Begusarai, Bihar)
About Ministry of AYUSH:
AYUSH – Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
Established – 9 November 2014
Minister of State (I/C) –Shripad Yesso Naik (Constituency – North Goa)
>>Read Full News
India participates in French Maritime Exercise ‘La Perouse’ held in Indian Ocean
- It is the 1st time ever that Indian Navy assets are participating in the French defence exercise.
- The Indian Navy Assets which participated in the exercise are INS Satpura, INS Kiltan along with P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
- The Indian Navy assets participated in drills at sea with ships & aircraft of French Navy (FN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) & United States Navy (USN).
La Perouse
The 1st edition of La Perouse joint exercise was initiated by France in 2019.
- The participants of the 1st Edition exercise were Australia, Japan & US.
- It has been named after an 18th Century French Naval explorer, Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse.
About France
President – Emmanuel Macron
Capital – Paris
Currency – Euro, CFP franc
>>Read Full News
India hosts First 2021 Meeting of BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
i.This was the first meeting of the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors under the India Chairship in 2021.
ii.India held the Chairmanship of BRICS for 2021 under the theme “BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus “and also hosted the 13th BRICS Summit 2021. BRICS is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2021.
iii.BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors discussed the financial cooperation agenda set by India for 2021 –
- Global Economic Outlook and Response to COVID-19 pandemic,
- New Development Bank (NDB) Activities,
- Social Infrastructure Financing and Use of Digital Technologies,
- Cooperation on Customs related issues,
- IMF reforms, Fintech for SMEs and Financial Inclusion,
- BRICS Rapid Information Security channel and BRICS Bond Fund.
iv.Indian Finance Minister also conveyed the need for the $100 billion commitment per year from developed countries to developing countries for strengthening climate action.
West Central Railway Becomes First Fully Electrified Indian Railways Zone
On 30th March 2021, the electrification of the West Central Railways(WCR) was completed and WCR became the first fully electrified Indian railway zone. The WCR boasts a 3012 Route km electrified Network.
- After Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety(CCRS) Inspection and Commissioning of electrification of Kota – Chittaurgarh railway section (Srinagar – Jalindri) in Rajasthan WCR became the 1st of the 18 railway zones to achieve 100% electrification.
- The government ensures that the entire rail network will be fully electrified by December 2023 and the entire rail network will run on renewable energy by 2030.
- In February 2021, the New Farakka railway section, West Bengal, Eastern Railway Zone became the fully electrified rail network.
India’s Military Farms closed after 132 years of Service
India’s Military farms that supplied hygienic cow milk to the armed forces continuously for the last 132 years with 25,000 MT of hay yearly was formally closed on 31st March 2021. This has been recommended for years, as they can enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure of the armed forces. This is also caused by the open market milk procurement & corruption in the farms.
- The 1st military farm was set-up under British-India, on February 1, 1889 at Allahabad.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Nirmala Sitharaman attends 2nd Virtual G20 Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors Meeting (FMCBG) 2021
- The participants discussed policy responses to global challenges to restore strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.
- The G20 Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors discussed updates of the G20 Action plan in response to COVID-19.
Extension of Debt Service Suspension Initiative
Nirmala Sitharaman supported the extension of Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) by 6 months till December 2021.
- In April, 2020, The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) asked G20 Countries to establish the DSSI.
- Objective – To help countries concentrate their resources on fighting the pandemic and safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of millions of the most vulnerable people.
G20
- The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the European Union.
- The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the US.
About G20
Established Year – 1999
2021 Presidency – Italy
Chairman – Mario Draghi (Prime Minister of Italy)
>>Read Full News
BANKING & FINANCE
Jana SFB tied up with Axis Securities to Offer Services through a 3-in-1 Account
Features of the 3-in-1 account:
- The 3-in-1 account integrates the Savings Bank Account maintained by Jana Small Finance Bank &Demat and Trading Accounts maintained by Axis Securities
- It will be useful for the customers to transfer funds quickly by reducing paperwork.
- It will provide a single platform to invest in various investment instruments including Mutual Funds, Systematic Investment Plan (SIP), equities and other investment avenues offered by Axis Securities.
About Jana Small Finance Bank:
Establishment – 2008
Headquarters -Bengaluru, Karnataka
MD & CEO -Ajay Kanwal
>>Read Full News
ReNew Power Pvt. Ltd To Invest $9 Billion in Wind and Solar Projects
ii.Objective – To reduce the emission & create climate friendly environment.
iii.Target – To more than triple its renewable power capacity to 18.5 gigawatts by 2025.
iv.ReNew has about 5.4 gigawatts of operational wind and solar plants, while 4.5 gigawatts of projects are under development.
About ReNew Power Pvt. Ltd:
Chairman – Sumant Sinha
Head quarter – Gurugram, Haryana
>>Read Full News
RBI extended RTGS and NEFT money transfer facilities to Non-Bank Payment System Operators
- Until now, only banks were allowed to use RTGS and NEFT payments facilities.
- Now, Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuers, card networks, White label ATM operators and Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platforms which are regulated by RBI can use NEFT and RTGS modes.
About RTGS and NEFT:
- RTGS is a funds transfer system where it allows a continuous and real-time settlement of fund transfers, individually on a transaction by transaction basis (without netting).
- NEFT is a nationwide centralized payment system that allows the transfer of funds from one bank’s account to another.
RBI has doubled the Payments bank’s deposit limit to ₹2 lakhs to improve the Interoperability of PPIs to full-KYC
On April 7, 2021, RBI increased the existing maximum end of day balance (limit of funds that the account holders can keep until the end of the day) per customer of payment banks from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh to support MSMEs, unorganised entities, other small businesses and to improve the interoperability of Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) to full-KYC (Know Your Customer).
Background:
- On November 27, 2014 RBI has fixed the maximum end of day balance per customer for payment banks as Rs 1 lakh.
- Earlier most payments banks sweep-in, sweep-out the deposits with their partner banks if an individual’s end-of-day balance crossed the ₹1 lakh limit.
- RBI stated that the migration of PPIs to full-KYC was not significant (guidelines were given in October 2018) and hence it has hiked the limit of the outstanding balance in PPIs to Rs 2 lakh.
About Payment Banks:
- In January 2014 RBI gave guidelines to form Payment Banksto push financial inclusions based on NachiketMor committee recommendations.
- Payment Banks will be licensed under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, and will be registered as a public limited company under the Companies Act, 2013.
- On April 11, 2016, Airtel Payments Bank became the first entity in India to receive a payments bank license RBI.
RBI has extended PSL by Banks to NBFCs up to September 30, 2021
Background:
- To boost credit among small and needy borrowers, on August 13, 2019 RBI allowed banks to classify their lending to registered NBFCs (other than MFIs) as PSL which was about 5% of a bank’s total PSL (for on-lending to Agriculture/MSME/Housing) till March 31, 2020, and later the facility was extended up to March 31, 2021.
- Around ₹37,000 crore has been lent by banks to NBFCs for on-lending to the specified Priority Sector (PS) by December 2020.
RBI has increased the PSL loan limits for lending against NWRs /eNWRs to Rs 75 lakh
On April 7, 2021, RBI has enhanced the loan limits under Priority Sector Lending(PSL) for banks’ lending against Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWRs) / electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (eNWRs) from ₹50 lakhs to ₹75 lakhs per borrower.
Credit limit:
- RBI has increased the credit limit under PSL to ₹75 lakhs for pledge/hypothecation of agricultural produce (within 12 months) with NWRs/eNWRs.
- For other warehouse receipts (other than NWRs/eNWRs) the loan limit will continue to be ₹50 lakhs.
About Priority Sector(PS):
- The Government of India and RBI has considered specific sectors in India as important for the development of the basic needs of the country and given priority to them over other sectors i.e. PS
- RBI has mandated all scheduled commercial banks and foreign banks to set aside 40% of their Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANDC) for lending to these sectors.
- Regional rural banks, co-operative banks and small finance banks have to allocate 75% of ANDC to PSL.
About Negotiable warehouse receipt(NWR):
- It was launched in 2011, which allows the farmers to transfer ownership of commodity stored in a warehouse without having to deliver the physical commodity.
- In 2017 the negotiable warehousing receipts were introduced in electronic format (eNWR)
- NWRs/e-NWRs will be issued by warehouses registered with the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA).
- Warehouse receipts are made negotiable under the Warehouse (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007, and regulated by WDRA
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Vivo ropes in Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli as Brand Ambassador
Aim:
- To reach the millennials and technologically driven consumers.
- The association with sports personalities will support the brand to reach a wider audience.
About the association:
i.As the Brand Ambassador of Vivo, Virat Kohli will spread awareness and promote the upcoming product series of Vivo.
ii.The association of Virat and Vivo includes all the above the line (ATL)and below the line(BTL) activities like the upcoming events of the brand, TV, print, outdoor and social media campaign.
Additional info:
As a part of Vivo’s commitment to the “Make in India” campaign, all the Vivo smartphone series are manufactured at the Facility at Greater Noida.
Vivo is one of the title sponsors of the Indian Premier League Cricket Tournament.
Other Indian Ambassadors of Vivo:
- Amir Khan
- Sara Ali Khan
Adil Zainulbhai, Chairperson of QCI appointed as Chairman of Capacity Building Commission
- The order regarding the appointment was issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
Note:
A council of selected Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, Human resource(HR) practitioners and others, headed by the Prime Minister will serve as the apex body to provide strategic direction.
Other Appointments:
i.Ramaswami Balasubramaniam, founder of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) was appointed as the member (HR).
ii.Praveen Pardeshi, the global programme coordinator for Defeat-NCD(Non-Communicable Diseases) partnership under the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, was appointed as the member (administration). He is a 1985 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.
iii.Hemang Jani, former senior private sector specialist of World Bank was appointed as the Commission Secretary.
Role of CBC:
- The commission will coordinate with all the government offices, training institutes for evolving an approach to improve the capacity and build shared resources.
- This will also support the preparation of annual capacity building plans for departments, ministries and other organisations and submit the plans for the approval of the Prime minister’s Public Human Resources Council.
- The CBC will provide all the relevant information to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for the purpose of parliamentary oversight and comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) compliance.
- This will also prepare the annual HR Report on the health of civil service and audit the human resources available in government and assess the efforts of capacity building.
About Quality Council of India (QCI):
Chairperson– Mr Adil Zainulbhai
Secretary General– Dr Ravi P. Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi
Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou appointed as New Prime Minister of Niger
Key Points:
i.He Succeeds Brigi Rafini.Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou belong to the Political Party, Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya).
ii.PM Mahamadou served as Niger’s finance minister between 2011 and 2012.
iii.Previously, in March, President Mohamed Bazoum made Niger’s 1st Democaratic Transition of Power since its Independence from French in 1960.
Note – Former President Mahamadou Issoufou, stepped down after 2 consecutive 5-year terms as President, which led to the country’s 1st Democaratic Transition of Power.
About Niger:
Niger is a land-locked country in West Africa, named after one of Africa’s longest rivers, ‘Niger River’.
Capital – Niamey
Currency – West African CFA franc
President – Mohamed Bazoum
Prime Minister –Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Narendra Singh Tomar Launched Madhukranti Portal & Honey Corners of NAFED in New Delhi
ii.TheMadhukranti portal is an initiative of the National Bee Board(NBB) under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM).
iii.Indian Bank is the technical and banking partner of the digital platform.
iv.NBB has signed a memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Indian Bank for this project.
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW):
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar(Constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State – ParshottambhaiRupala(Rajya Sabha – Gujarat) & Kailash Choudhary(Constituency- Barmer, Rajasthan)
>>Read Full News
Education Minister launches “MyNEP2020” Portal launched for Digital Consultation
Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched the “MyNEP2020” platform for receiving digital consultation from various stakeholders for preparing a draft of 2 policy related to Teachers Skill development – National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) & National Mission for Mentoring Program membership(NMM).
- “MyNEP2020″ Web Portal of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) will be operational from April 1 to May 15, 2021.
OBITUARY
Veteran Journalist & Educationist Padma Shri Fatima Zakaria Passed Away at 85
About Fatima R Zakaria:
i.She was the chairman of Maulana Azad Educational Trust and Khairul Islam Trust Mumbai.
ii.She was also the executive vice-chairman of the board of Governors of the trusts institute of hotel management which runs in collaboration with Taj Group of Hotels.
Awards:
i.She was honoured with Padma Shri in 2006 for her contribution to Literature and Education.
ii.She was also the recipient of the Sarojini Naidu Integration Award for Journalism 1983.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Roma Day 2021 – April 8 
ii.The day also focuses on the discrimination against the Roma communities across the globe and call for the human rights of all to be respected and observed.
iii.The International Roma Day 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Romani Congress April 7 to 12 1971 in Chelsfield near London, England.
iv.The International Romani Day was established during the 4th World Romani Congress of the International Romani Union(IRU) held in Serock, Poland in 1990.
About International Romani Union(IRU):
President- Normunds Rudevics
Headquarters– Riga, Latvia
>>Read Full News
STATE NEWS
J&K Lt G Manoj Sinha Launched 2 Mobile Applications: Hamari Sadak & Tameer Taraqqi
ii.The online initiatives were developed through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), J&K e-Governance agency and the IT department.
iii.The apps and portal were developed by the Public Works Department – Roads & Buildings (R&B).
About Jammu and Kashmir(J&K):
Rivers- Jhelum, Indus, Shyok, Chenab, Kishan Ganga, Tawi.
Stadium– Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium (Cricket)
>>Read Full News
Ladakh Administration, LAHDC & SECI sign MoU to set up 50 MW Solar Power Project at Taur, Leh
- It is a step towards making Ladakh Carbon Neutral.
Key Points
- The power consumption is expected to go upto 200 MW in Ladakh Region in the next 5 years.
- Ladakh UT Administration is working with SECI on a 10, 000 MW milestone project in Ladakh. It is expected to make LadakhAtmaNirbhar in the power sector.
Energy Potential
- The Total Peak Power demand of Ladakh is 50 MW.
- The Solar and Wind Energy Potential of Ladakh has been estimated to be about 60 GW & 100 GW.
About Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh (LAHDC, Leh)
Chairman/Chief Executive Councillor – TashiGyalson
About Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI Ltd)
Chairman & Managing Director – JatindraNath Swain
Head Office – New Delhi
>>Read Full News
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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)
| S.no | Current Affairs 9 April 2021 |
|---|---|
| 1 | 92% of Target achieved in 1st Phase of PMAY-G: Ministry of Rural Development |
| 2 | Cabinet approvals on April 7, 2021 |
| 3 | Harsh Vardhan launches Tribal Health Collaborative – ‘Anamaya’ |
| 4 | Ministry of AYUSH signs MoU with Dept. of Animal Husbandry to Introduce Ayurveda into Veterinary Science |
| 5 | India participates in French Maritime Exercise ‘La Perouse’ held in Indian Ocean |
| 6 | India hosts First Meeting of BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors April 6, 2021 |
| 7 | West Central Railway Becomes First Fully Electrified Indian Railways Zone |
| 8 | India’s Military Farms closed after 132 years of Service |
| 9 | Nirmala Sitharaman attends 2nd Virtual G20 Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors Meeting (FMCBG) |
| 10 | Jana SFB tied up with Axis Securities to Offer Services through a 3-in-1 Account |
| 11 | ReNew Power Pvt. Ltd To Invest $9 Billion in Wind and Solar Projects |
| 12 | RBI extended RTGS and NEFT money transfer facilities to Non-Bank Payment System Operators |
| 13 | RBI has extended PSL by Banks to NBFCs up to September 30, 2021 |
| 14 | Vivo ropes in Indian Cricketer ViratKohli as Brand Ambassador |
| 15 | Adil Zainulbhai, Chairperson of QCI appointed as Chairman of Capacity Building Commission |
| 16 | Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou appointed as New Prime Minister of Niger |
| 17 | Union Agri Minister Launched Madhukranti Portal & Honey Corners of NAFED in New Delhi |
| 18 | Education Minister launches “MyNEP2020” Portal launched for Digital Consultation |
| 19 | Veteran Journalist & Educationist Padma Shri Fatima Zakaria Passed Away at 85 |
| 20 | International Roma Day 2021 – April 8 |
| 21 | J&K Lt G Manoj Sinha Launched 2 Mobile Applications: Hamari Sadak & Tameer Taraqqi |
| 22 | Ladakh Administration, LAHDC & SECI sign MoU to set up 50 MW Solar Power Project at Taur, Leh |
