DOWNLOAD MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH – JAN 2021
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Important Days
World Pulses Day: 10 February
The United Nations designated World Pulses Day is observed every year on 10 February.
The day has been established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognize the importance of pulses (dry beans, lentils, dry peas, chickpeas, lupins) as a global food.
The theme, “Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future,” was decided back in 2016 when the year was nominated to be celebrated as International Year of Pulses. Since then, the theme has remained the same from 2019 to 2021.
In 2018, the UN General Assembly decided to mark 10 February as World Pulses Day. The first WPD was held on February 10, 2019.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Food and Agriculture Organization Head: Qu Dongyu.
- Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
- Food and Agriculture Organization Established: 16 October 1945.
National Headlines
PM Modi Inaugurates Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Chauri Chaura incident on February 4 via videoconferencing. February 4, 2021 marks 100 years of the ‘Chauri Chaura’ incident, a landmark event in the country’s fight for independence.
PM Modi also released a postal stamp dedicated to the Chauri Chaura incident, to mark the beginning of the event. The state government of Uttar Pradesh has planned a year of celebrations in all 75 districts of the state in the memory of the martyrs.
On February 4, 1922, a group of freedom fighters had set ablaze a police station at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur district of the then United Province (now Uttar Pradesh) in British India, to protest against the high-handedness of the British regime. The incident claimed the lives of 22 policemen and three freedom fighters. As many as 19 freedom fighters were given capital punishment for this one incident.
National Horticulture Fair 2021 begins
The Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Kailash Choudhry has inaugurated the National Horticulture Fair (NHF) 2021 on February 08, 2021, in Bengaluru via virtual mode.
The five-day-long event has been organised by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), from February 8 to February 12 at its IIHR campus situated in Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru. The theme of NHF 2021 is “Horticulture for Start-Up and Stand-Up India”.
For the first time, the event is being held in hybrid mode, i.e., the participants are allowed to attend the event online as well as offline.
The NHF will showcase cutting edge technologies, crop varieties, pest and disease management practices and processing methods among others. The IIHR is a subsidiary of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- ICAR Director: Trilochan Mohapatra.
- Headquarters of ICAR: New Delhi.
- ICAR founded: 16 July 1929.
Tamil Nadu set to create state’s 5th tiger reserve
The Central government has given its approval for the creation of a fifth tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu that will encompass the Meghamalai and Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuaries. It will be the 51st Tiger Sanctuary of India.
The Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve will span the forests of Megamalai wildlife sanctuary and Srivilliputhur grizzled squirrel wildlife sanctuary spread across the districts of Theni, Virudhunagar and Madurai.
The 100,000-hectare area is home to a range of mammals and bird species and more than a dozen tigers. Forest officials have noticed 14 tigers regularly in both the wildlife sanctuaries.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
- Tamil Nadu Governor: Banwarilal Purohit.
- Tamil Nadu State Dance: Bharathanatyam.
Kerala to Open its First Human Milk Bank
Kerala will open its first Human Milk Bank (HMB) on February 5, 2021. This is a state-of-the-art facility, and Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja will open at Ernakulam General Hospital. A milk bank was established with the support of the Rotary Club of Cochin Global.
After the State Health Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rotary Club of Cochin Global in 2020, its cost was 3.5 million rupees. The Association of Pediatricians (IAP) will provide trained nursing staff to operate the milk bank.
The breast milk bank will ensure that newborn babies who are not ill or deceased or who are not breastfed due to insufficient breast milk production can obtain breast milk.
Approximately 3,600 babies are born in general hospitals every year. Among them, 600 to 1,000 sick babies enter the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan.
- Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands becomes first Union Territory to be corona free
Andaman and Nicobar Islands has become the first state or Union territory in the country to become Covid-19 free with active cases falling to zero in the islands. Health ministry’s website reported that the last four infected persons in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been declared cured. The UT had reported a total of 4,932 cases and 62 deaths from the virus.
The share of Kerala in India’s daily cases crossed 50 per cent for the first time. There were 11,024 fresh cases in the country out of which Kerala alone reported 5,716, 51.8 per cent of the total. The state also has the highest count of active cases at 69,157, out of around 1 lakh 61 thousand in the country.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Andaman and Nicobar Capital: Port Blair.
- Andaman and Nicobar Lieutenant Governor: Admiral D K Joshi.
Ayesha Aziz becomes India’s Youngest Female Pilot at 25
A 25-year-old Kashmiri woman, Ayesha Aziz, has become the youngest female pilot in the country. She became the youngest student pilot to get a license at the age of 15 in 2011.
The 25 -year-old from Kashmir who is the youngest female pilot in the country acts is a source of inspiration and a beacon of empowerment for numerous Kashmiri women.
In the year 2011, Aziz became the youngest student pilot to get a license at the age of 15 and underwent training to fly a MIG-29 jet at Russia’s Sokol airbase the following year. She later graduated in aviation from the Bombay Flying Club (BFC) and obtained a commercial license in 2017.
Reliance sources world’s first “carbon-neutral” oil from United States
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd has received the world’s first consignment of ‘carbon-neutral oil’ from Oxy Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV), a division of United State oil major Occidental.
This feat will further help the oil major to accomplish its target of becoming a net zero-carbon company by 2035.
The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Sea Pearl containing the carbon-neutral oil from Permian basin, unloaded the cargo at Jamnagar on January 28, 2021. It must be noted that Reliance operates the world’s largest single-location oil refining complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat with a capacity of 68.2 million tonnes a year.
This transaction is the first major petroleum shipment of Reliance, for which greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the entire crude lifecycle, including oil extraction, transport, storage, shipping, refining, subsequent use, and combustion, have been offset.
Defence
Indian Army lays foundation of 100-foot-high national flag in Gulmarg
The Indian Army has laid the foundation stone of the tallest ‘Iconic National Flag’ at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. The flag will be on a 100 feet-high pole, the highest Tricolour in the Valley. The Indian Army in collaboration with the Solar Industry India will install the ‘Iconic National Flag’ at Gulmarg.
The foundation stone for the iconic national flag was laid by Dagger Division General Officer Commanding (GoC) Major General Virendra Vats along with Bollywood actor-producer Arbaaz Khan and actress Vidya Balan.
This iconic Indian national flag will be a first in many ways. The site is expected to become another tourist attraction, among the snow-clad mountains of Kashmir.
Appointments News
Centre Appoints Praveen Sinha as interim Director of CBI
Department of Personnel and Training, under Personnel Ministry, has appointed Praveen Sinha, as the interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), with immediate effect on 03 February 2021.
He has been appointed in place of the incumbent chief RK Shukla, whose tenure came to an end on February 03, 2021.
Sinha, a 1988-batch Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, is currently an additional director at CBI, the premier investigating agency of India.
Sinha shall look after the duties of Director CBI till the appointment of new director CBI, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Central Bureau of Investigation Headquarters: New Delhi.
- Central Bureau of Investigation Founded: 1 April 1963.
S.N. Subrahmanyan appointed as Chairman of the National Safety Council
The Ministry of Labour & Employment has appointed S.N. Subrahmanyan as the new Chairman of the National Safety Council (NSC) of India for a period of three years. Subrahmanyan is the CEO and Managing Director of L&T Ltd., India’s largest construction company.
National Safety Council plays a major role to ensure safety in workplaces under new Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions code, 2020 (OSH Code, 2020).
Agreements News
India and Afghanistan Inks MoU for the construction of the Lalandar “Shatoot” Dam
India and Afghanistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU over video-teleconferencing (VTC), for the construction of the Shahtoot Dam (Lalander Dam) on a tributary of the Kabul river in Afghanistan.
The project, which costs nearly $ 300 million, is a part of the New Development Partnership between India and Afghanistan.
The MoU was signed between External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar and Afghanistan Foreign Minister Mr Hanif Atmar, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Dr Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
The Lalander [Shatoot] Dam would meet the safe drinking water needs of Kabul City, provide irrigation water to nearby areas, rehabilitate the existing irrigation and drainage network, aid in flood protection and management efforts in the area, and also provide electricity to the region.
This is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the India- Afghanistan Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was inaugurated in June 2016.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Afghanistan Capital: Kabul.
- Afghanistan President: Ashraf Ghani.
- Afghanistan Currency: Afghan afghani.
- Afghanistan Official languages: Pashto, Dari.
Skyroot, Bellatrix signs MoU to use latter’s orbital transfer vehicle
Skyroot Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bellatrix Aerospace to make use the Orbital Transfer Vehicle, being developed by Bellatrix Aerospace, in the upper stage of Vikram series of launch vehicles, being developed by Skyroot.
The vehicle is expected to launch to low earth orbit in 2023 on the Vikram rocket. The vehicle is expected to help global operators reduce time and costs for launching communication and earth observation satellites.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace: Pawan Kumar Chandana.
- Skyroot Aerospace Founded: 12 June 2018.
- Skyroot Aerospace Headquarters location: Hyderabad.
HAL inks deal with MIDHANI to develop, manufacture composite raw materials
The state-owned aerospace and defence company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyderabad-based Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) for development and production of composite raw materials for use in aerospace.
This is the first time that such an MoU has been signed for composite raw materials. The MoU was signed during the Aero India 2021 on February 04, 2021, in Bengaluru.
Composites raw materials are currently imported since there is no equivalent proven Indian approved/qualified supplier for these raw materials for the aircraft applications.
These composite raw material, mainly in the form of prepregs, are used in platforms like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH).
Ranks and Reports
India ranks 53rd in EIU’s Democracy Index
India’s position has slipped by two places to be placed at 53rd spot in the 2020 Democracy Index, from among 167 countries.
The overall score of India is 6.61 in the Index, on a scale of 0-10. India has been classified as a ‘flawed democracy’. Democracy Index is the global ranking released by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) that provides a snapshot of the current state of democracy worldwide.
Norway has topped the Index.
Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada are the top five countries on the list.
From the 167 countries, the Democracy Index has classified 23 countries as full democracies, 52 as flawed democracies, 35 as hybrid regimes and 57 as authoritarian regimes.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- The Economist Intelligence Unit Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.
- The Economist Intelligence Unit Parent organization: Economist Group.
- The Economist Intelligence Unit Founded: 1946.
Summits and Conferences
Delhi Cabinet Passes “Mukhyamantri Vigyan Pratibha Pariksha” Scheme
The Delhi cabinet has approved “Mukhyamantri Vigyan Pratibha Pariksha” in which Rs 5,000 will be provided to 1,000 meritorious students of Class 9 in schools of Delhi as a science scholarship. The scholarship will provide a boost to science education in secondary classes at the school level.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed this as a crucial step for our government to promote excellent and talented students. Delhi government seeks to promote the pursuit of excellence and scientific temper among the children.
According to the release, the students studying in Delhi schools who have secured more than 60 per cent in Class 8 are eligible for the examination. Students belonging to SC, ST, PH, or OBC category will be given a relaxation of up to 5 per cent of marks.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal; Governor of Delhi: Anil Baijal.
India hosts Indian Ocean Region Defence Ministers Conclave
India hosted Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave on the sidelines of Aero India 2021. The conclave is an initiative to promote dialogue in an institutional, economic and cooperative environment that can foster the development of peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region.
The broad theme of the conclave is ‘Enhanced Peace, Security and Cooperation in the Indian Ocean’. The conclave is also taking place at a time Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a bitter standoff in eastern Ladakh for the last eight months.
Science and Technology
India’s 1st Thunderstorm Research Testbed to be established in Odisha
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced to set up the first ‘Thunderstorm Research Testbed’ of the country at Odisha’s Balasore district. The main objective of the “Thunderstorm Research Testbed” is to minimalise human fatalities and loss of property due to lightning strikes.
The facility will be established in a collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Sciences, IMD, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Besides this, the IMD has also planned to set up a first-of-its-kind monsoon testbed near Bhopal. Currently, both the projects are in the planning stage and detailed project reports are being made.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director-General: Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.
- India Meteorological Department Founded: 1875.
- India Meteorological Department Headquarters: Mausam Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.
Sports News
Ishant Sharma becomes sixth Indian pacer to take 300 Test wickets
Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma became the sixth Indian and third pacer from the country to take 300 wickets in Test cricket.
The 32-year-old Ishant reached the milestone in 98 matches, more than the other Indian bowlers in the club. Ishant reached the landmark when he trapped Dan Lawrence with a delivery that swung back sharply before hitting his pads in England”s second innings on the fourth day of the opening Test.
Besides Anil Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434), Ravichandran Ashwin (377 before this game), Harbhajan Singh (417), and Zaheer Khan (311) are the other bowlers from the country who have reached the landmark.
- Daily Current Affairs in English 11 Sep 2022 – Useful for all Competitive Exams
- Hindu Editorial with Vocabulary: Sep Month – Day 10
- 11 Sep 2022 Daily Current Affairs in Hindi – सभी प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं के लिए महत्वपूर्ण
- 10 Sep 2022 Daily Current Affairs in Hindi – सभी प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं के लिए महत्वपूर्ण
- Hindu Editorial with Vocabulary: Sep Month – Day 9
- Daily Current Affairs in English 10 Sep 2022 – Useful for all Competitive Exams
