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Current Affairs Pocket PDF – February 2021

Table of Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
CABINET APPROVALS ................................................................................................................................................. 5
STATEWISE NATIONAL NEWS................................................................................................................................... 5
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION ................................................................................................................................. 11
FESTIVALS ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
OTHER NATIONAL NEWS ......................................................................................................................................... 16
GOVT SCHEMES ............................................................................................................................................................. 23
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................................................... 24
VISITS ............................................................................................................................................................................. 25
INDIAN VISIT ............................................................................................................................................................. 25
FOREIGN VISIT .......................................................................................................................................................... 26
BANKING & FINANCE.................................................................................................................................................... 27
RBI IN NEWS .............................................................................................................................................................. 27
BANKING TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................... 29
AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED................................................................................................................................ 29
OTHER BANKING NEWS ........................................................................................................................................... 31
FINANCE NEWS ......................................................................................................................................................... 34
ECONOMY & BUSINESS ................................................................................................................................................. 36
GDP & GROWTH RATE .............................................................................................................................................. 36
BUSINESS NEWS ........................................................................................................................................................ 37
MoU’s & AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................................................................. 37
MoU’s BETWEEN COUNTRY ..................................................................................................................................... 37
MoU’s WITH STATES ................................................................................................................................................. 38
MoU’s BETWEEN ORGANIZATION........................................................................................................................... 40
OTHER MoU’S IN CONTENT FORMAT ..................................................................................................................... 44
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS ............................................................................................................................. 44
APPOINTMENTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 44
NATIONAL .................................................................................................................................................................. 44
INTERNATIONAL....................................................................................................................................................... 47
BRAND & CAMPAIGN AMBASSADORS .................................................................................................................... 49
RESIGNATIONS .......................................................................................................................................................... 50
OTHER APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS ........................................................................................................... 51
AWARDS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 52
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICE, SCIENCE & BRAVERY ................................................................... 52

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AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SPORTS ........................................................................................................................ 52
OTHER IMPORTANT AWARDS ................................................................................................................................. 53
RECOGNITIONS ......................................................................................................................................................... 54
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS IN CONTENT FORMAT .............................................................................................. 55
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE............................................................................................................................ 55
SUMMITS .................................................................................................................................................................... 55
EVENTS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 56
CONFERENCE ............................................................................................................................................................ 58
COMMITTEES & MEETINGS ......................................................................................................................................... 59
COMMITTEES............................................................................................................................................................. 59
MEETINGS .................................................................................................................................................................. 59
INDEX ............................................................................................................................................................................. 61
RANKING .................................................................................................................................................................... 61
REPORTS .................................................................................................................................................................... 62
ACQUISITION & MERGERS ........................................................................................................................................... 65
DEFENCE ........................................................................................................................................................................ 67
EXERCISE ................................................................................................................................................................... 67
TESTING ..................................................................................................................................................................... 68
ARMY, NAVY & AIR FORCE NEWS............................................................................................................................ 69
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY............................................................................................................................................. 71
SATELLITES LAUNCHES ........................................................................................................................................... 71
NATIONAL .................................................................................................................................................................. 72
INTERNATIONAL....................................................................................................................................................... 72
SPORTS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 73
CRICKET ..................................................................................................................................................................... 73
BADMINTON & TENNIS ............................................................................................................................................ 74
BOXING, WRESTLING & WEIGHTLIFTING .............................................................................................................. 75
ARCHERY & SHOOTING ............................................................................................................................................ 75
OTHER SPORTS NEWS .............................................................................................................................................. 76
BOOKS & AUTHORS....................................................................................................................................................... 76
OBITUARY ...................................................................................................................................................................... 82
NATIONAL .................................................................................................................................................................. 82
INTERNATIONAL....................................................................................................................................................... 84
IMPORTANT DAYS ........................................................................................................................................................ 85
APPS & WEB PORTAL ................................................................................................................................................... 89
ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................................................................. 92

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
CABINET APPROVALS
Cabinet Committee Gave In-Principle Approval for 100% Disinvestment of GoI Shareholding in
RINL
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave in-principle approval for 100% strategic
divestment of Indian Government’s shareholding in Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). In addition
to this it also gave approval for management control of RINL by way of privatization. The Government
in the budget 2021-2022 stated that it has set a target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore from stake sale in public
sector companies and financial institutions, including 2 Public Sector Banks and one General Insurance
company…Click here for more detail

Cabinet approval on Feb 17, 2021

[Link] Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Women and Child Development
(MoWCD) to make amendments in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
or JJ Act by introducing measures for the strengthening of Child Protection. These mainly include
empowerment of District Magistrate.
[Link] Union Cabinet also approved enhanced delegation of Financial Powers under Capital
Procurement to levels below Vice-Chief of Armed Forces for items of Capital nature such as
overhauls, refits, upgrades etc.
[Link] cabinet approved signing of India’s first Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and
Partnership Agreement (CECPA) with a country in Africa i.e. Mauritius..Click here for more detail

Cabinet approvals on Feb 24, 2021

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved the following proposals:
The Union Cabinet approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme with an outlay of Rs 15,000
crore for the pharmaceuticals and with Rs 7,350 crore for IT (Information Technology) [Link]
Union Cabinet also approved the proposal of the Home Ministry to dissolve the Puducherry Assembly
and impose President’s rule in the Union Territory. This decision has been taken as no party claimed to
form a government following the resignation of the Chief Minister, Velu Narayanasamy.

STATEWISE NATIONAL NEWS

Andhra Pradesh
AP Cabinet approves ‘EBC Nestam’ Welfare Scheme for providing Financial Assistance to
Women
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy approved a new welfare
scheme called ‘Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) Nestam’ for providing Financial Assistance to
women belonging to the [Link] assistance of INR 15, 000 per year will be extended to women in the
age group of 45-60 for a period of 3 years.

Assam
CM Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurated Assam’s First Heliport at Majuli
Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam, inaugurated the first Heliport of Assam in Majuli district.
The heliport was constructed at a cost of Rs.50 [Link] heliport is aimed to boost the tourism of
Majuli, the World’s largest river [Link] Heliport has the facility to simultaneously land 3 helicopters.

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Union Finance Minister Attended the 3rd Phase of Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela in
Guwahati
On 6th February 2021, Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister attended the 3rd phase of the Chah
Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela held in Guwahati, Assam. The event was organised at the Assam
Veterinary College Playground at Khanapara, Guwahati. The Finance Minister also distributed the 3rd
tranche of financial assistance to the tea garden beneficiaries under the Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar
[Link] government of Assam distributed a financial assistance of Rs.3000 to around 7.5 lakh
people of the tea garden areas.

Assam CM inaugurated Centre for Perishable Cargo at LGBI Airport & launched Uberization
scheme
Chief Minister (CM) of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Rs 19 crore 84 lakhs Centre for
Perishable Cargo (CPC) at Lokpriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport , Assam in the
presence of Chandra Mohan Patowary, Assam State Minister for [Link] also flagged off an
export cargo consignment of 600 kilograms of vegetables on the occasion of the [Link]
virtually inaugurated 24 Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) at Assam Administrative Staff College
(ASSC).

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Laid Foundation of the 1st Skill University of Eastern India in
Darrang district
On February 15, 2021 Assam Chief Minister(CM) Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation of the first
skill university of eastern India in Darrang district, Assam. This is the 3rd skill university in India. The
university aims to impart training to over 10,000 students in 12 disciplines. It will be built with a cost of
Rs 1,000 crore and is expected to be completed by 2026. It will have understanding with countries like
Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, Japan and England.

Government of Assam Appointed World Championship Sprinter Hima Das as DSP

Government of Assam has appointed World Champion sprinter Hima Das, nicknamed ‘Dhing Express’ as
the Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP) in Assam. The decision of the appointment was taken during
the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on 10th February [Link] Das
was the first ever Indian athlete to win a gold medal in any form of global track event at the
International Association of Athletics Federations(IAAF) World U20 Championships.

Bihar
Tarkishore Prasad presented Bihar Govt Rs 2,18,302.70cr budget for FY22
Deputy Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar Tarkishore Prasad, who holds the finance portfolio, presented his
maiden Rs 2,18,302.70 crore revenue-surplus state budget of Bihar for FY22, which is Rs 6,541.21 crore
more than the FY21 estimates of Rs 2,11,761.49 [Link] state’s fiscal deficit in the budget has been
estimated at Rs 22,510.78 crore which is 2.97% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), estimated
at Rs 7,57,026 crore. The budget proposed to keep the fiscal deficit target within the 3% limit.

Delhi
Arvind Kejriwal Delhi CM Launched “Switch Delhi” Campaign to Promote Electric Vehicles
Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, launched “Switch Delhi” a campaign to promote the use of
Electric Vehicles and to encourage people to buy electric vehicles to reduce the pollution in [Link]
government of Delhi has set a target of 25% of electric vehicles in the total registration in Delhi by
2024.

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Haryana
Haryana, Switzerland to share expertise in Skill Development, Tourism & Dairy Sector
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 [Link] also agreed to explore possibilities of signing MoUs for teacher-student &
Cultural Exchange programmes. MoU & Exchange programme will help in enhancing the bilateral ties
between Switzerland and India, particularly with Haryana.

Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh Government launched ‘e-Parivahan Vyavstha’
Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh launched the state Transport Department’s “e-
Parivahan Vyavstha” enabling faceless services on Driving Licence, Registration Certificates, Insurance,
Permits etc. People of Himachal Pradesh can avail the online transport service. Previously the state also
initiated similar online services like e-Vidhan Sabha, e-Budget, e-Cabinet making services easily
accessible.

Jammu and Kashmir

J&K partners with UK Space Agency to get India’s 1st Impact-based Flood Forecasting System
The UT of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has partnered with the United Kingdom Space Agency’s (UKSA)
programme for a joint project on ‘Impact Based Flood Forecasting using Earth Observation (EO) based
Information’ for getting India’s 1st Impact-based Flood [Link] project comes under the
National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), a new programme established by the UK Space Agency
for supporting joint projects between UK organisations & international partners.

J&K’s AC approved Integrated Solid Waste Management Project by NAFED at Kot Bhalwal
On February 13, 2021, the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Administrative Council (AC) was met under the
chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha. During the meeting the AC has approved the
following proposals:
i. AC has approved the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) project by National Agriculture
Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) with an estimated outlay of the project is
74.41 crore and project timeline is 2 years.
ii. AC also approved the proposal to register the Mission Youth as a Society under the Societies
Registration Act, 1860.
iii. The proposal of the Animal, Sheep Husbandry & Fisheries Department to wind up the J&K Sheep
& Sheep Products Development Board was also got approved.

E-Kuber Payments System of RBI Launched in Jammu and Kashmir

Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, IAS, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, Govt of Jammu and
Kashmir(J&K) formally launched e-Kuber payments system of Reserve Bank of India(RBI) in J&K. J&K is
the 1st Union Territory to implement version 2.9 of e-Kuber payments system. It will replace the
existing system for all types of Government payments including employee’s salaries and pensioner’s
pensions.

Karnataka
Vijayanagara district Becomes 31st District of Karnataka
On February 8, 2021 Karnataka government in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (4) of
section 4 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 has given approval to bifurcate Vijayanagara from
Ballari(Bellary) district. With this, Vijayanagara becomes the 31st district of the state.

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Karnataka Government roped in Actor Darshan as ‘Agriculture Ambassador’
On 15th February 2021, BS Yediyurappa, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, roped in Kannada Actor
Darshan as the ‘Agriculture ambassador’ of the Agriculture department of Karnataka.
Darshan agreed to the role of Agriculture ambassador without any [Link] will be
promoting the programmes and schemes of the State’s Agriculture department and foster hope
among the farmers.

Kerala
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Launches ‘Kerala Knowledge Mission’; Inaugurates Digital
Workforce Management System
On February 9, 2021, Kerala Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan launched the ‘Kerala Knowledge
Mission’ at Thiruvananthapuram. The aim of the mission is to transform Kerala into a knowledge
economy by promoting innovative ideas, coordinating knowledge initiatives & equipping young people
with New Skills. Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) is heading the mission.
It is supported by Kerala Startup Mission and ICT Academy.

Madhya Pradesh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Inaugurated Around 57000 Water Structures In MP
On 11th February 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated more than 57000 water
structures in Madhya Pradesh under the “Jal Abhishekam” campaign from New Delhi. The virtual
program was organised in the presence of Shivraj Singh Chauhan Chief Minister(CM) of Madhya
Pradesh(MP) at Minto Hall, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad to be renamed as ‘Narmadapuram’

On February 19, 2021, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the
Hoshangabad city in the state will be renamed as ‘Narmadapuram’ as a tribute to River Narmada. The
river is one of the major rivers of the states and flows through important cities like Jabalpur,
Omkareshwar, Jhabua. The name change proposal has been sent to the Central Government.

Maharashtra
Maharashtra Cabinet approves ‘Chief Minister Water Conservation Programme’
Maharashtra Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray approved the implementation of INR
1, 340 Crore worth ‘Chief Minister Water Conservation Programme’. It will be implemented for a period
of 3 years (April 2020-March 2023) by the Soil and Water Conservation Department of
[Link] of the Scheme – To undertake repair & restoration of existing water bodies in
Maharashtra & improve the irrigation capacity.

Manipur
Manipur CM N. Biren Singh Launched a New Range of Packaged Organic Products and
LoumiConnect App
Manipur Chief Minister(CM) Nongthombam(N.) Biren Singh launched a new range of packaged organic
products and Loumi Connect App under Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) & Mission Organic
Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER).These were launched in a function
organized jointly by Directorate of Horticulture and Soil Conservation and Eastern Border Areas
Development Authority (EBADA) at Chief Minister’s Secretariat Imphal, Manipur.

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Odisha
Odisha Cabinet approves Implementation of ‘REWARD’ project with Assistance from World
Bank
On February 9, 2021, Odisha Cabinet headed by its Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the
proposal for implementation of the ‘Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through
Innovative Development (REWARD)’ project. The estimated expenditure for the project is INR 500
Crores, of which the World Bank will provide assistance of INR 350 Crores.

Odisha FM presents State Budget for FY 2021-22 with an outlay of INR 1.7 Lakh Crores
Odisha’s Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented the State Budget for the Financial Year 2021-22
with an budget outlay of INR 1, 70, 000 [Link] Budget was presented through the National e-
Vidhan Application (NeVA) & Odisha Budget Mobile [Link] was presented in 2 parts – ‘Agriculture
Budget’ & ‘General Budget’.The Major emphasis of the budget was ‘New Odisha-Empowered Odisha’.
The major areas of focus were health, agriculture, education, livelihoods, infrastructure & industries.

Odisha CM Launches services under 5T Initiative of WCD & Mission Shakti

On February 25, 2021, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched several online services of the
Department of Women & Child Development (WCD) & Mission Shakti (MS) under the 5T [Link]
Apps & Services launched are ‘Mo-Chhatua App’ ,e-Kalika’ ,
‘Mo Sishu Portal’ ,and ‘MAMATA App & MIS’.

Punjab
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh launched ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’ Mission
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh virtually launched ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’
mission, aimed at providing 100% potable water supply to all rural households of the state by March,
2022. CM inaugurated Mega Surface Water Supply Scheme, covering 85 villages in Moga district, 144
new water supply schemes for 172 villages, 121 Arsenic & Iron removal plants. Funded by World Bank,
Jal Jeewan Mission of GoI, NABARD and State Budget.

Punjab’s First ‘Central Water Treatment Plant’ at Moga starts Drinking Water Supply
Punjab’s First ‘Central Water Treatment Plant’ set up at Village Daudhar of Moga, Punjab began to
supply Clean Drinking Water to 85 Villages of Moga district. This plant was built with a financial
assistance worth INR 232 Crores from World Bank. The Project was developed by Larsen & Toubro
(L&T), which will be responsible for operation & maintenance of the project for the next 10 years.

Punjab’s 1st solar-based water supply project set up at Jalandhar District

Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department has set up First of its kind Solar-based Water
Supply Projects at Jagrawan-Muradpur & Talwara villages of Jalandhar district. The pilot project
has been set up under ‘Har Ghar Paani, Har Ghar Safai’ [Link] aims to ensure Uninterrupted
potable water (drinking water) supply in rural areas of Punjab. The Solar-based projects have been
commissioned at a cost of INR 67.71 Lakhs.

Punjab Cabinet Approves Mission ‘Lal Lakir’ in all villages

Cabinet of Punjab chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh approved the implementation of mission
‘Lal Lakir’ to enable villagers living within the ‘Lal Lakir’ to monetise their property rights and for
availing benefits provided by the government departments, institutions and banks. Lal Lakir refers to
land that is a part of the village habitation and is used for non-agriculture purposes only.

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Rajasthan
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot presents State Budget for the year 2021-22
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who holds the Finance Portfolio presented the state’s 1st
Paperless Budget. Rajasthan is the 2nd State after Uttar Pradesh to table a paperless [Link]
Indicators:
Revenue Expenditure – INR 1, 89, 701.80 Crore
Revenue Deficit – INR 41, 721.61 Crore
Estimated Revenue Deficit – INR 23, 750.04 Crore in FY 2021-22
Estimated Fiscal Deficit – INR 47, 652.77 Crore which is 3.98% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)
in FY 2021-22

Tamil Nadu
4 French Companies Signs LoIs with TN Govt to Invest Rs 200 crores
During the IFCCI Indo-French Investment Conclave 2021, French companies namely, [Link]
Fasterners, Cryolor, Precia Molen and Timac Agro signed 4 Letter of Intents (LoIs) with the Tamil Nadu
government to invest Rs 200 crore in the state. Special Focus sectors for which LoIs given– Aerospace &
Defence, Mobility, Electronics & Hardware and Ease of Doing Business.

Tamil Nadu CM unveils Industrial Policy 2021-2025 & MSME policy 2021; 28 MoUs Signed
On February 16, 2021, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami, unveiled
“Tamil Nadu Industrial Policy 2021-2025” and MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) Policy
2021 in Chennai. He also launched and laid foundation stones for projects. The event saw the
launch of totally 46 projects for an investment of Rs 33,465 crore. The state government signed a
total of 28 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with a cumulative investment of Rs 28,053 crores
across various sectors, including Electric Vehicles, Wind Energy, Auto Components, City Gas,
Textiles etc.

Tamil Nadu FM O Panneerselvam presents Interim State Budget for the year 2021-22
Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister O Panneerselvam presented the Interim State Budget for the year 2021-
22 at Chennai’s Kalaivanar Arangam. It was Paneerselvam’s 11th Budget presentation. Tamil Nadu’s
(TN) Debt is set to increase to INR 5.7 Trillion from INR 4.85 [Link] revenue for the year 2021-22
has been projected at INR 1, 80, 700.62 crore. The State’s Fiscal Deficit is expected to be at 4.99%.

Uttar Pradesh
UP Introduced 16 Digit Unicode to Identify the Landholdings
The government of Uttar Pradesh(UP) has introduced a new system to issue a unique 16-digit unicode
to identify the landholding in UP. The unicode will be used to check on cases of land dispute and protect
people from fraudsters. The revenue department of UP will be issuing these 16 digit unicode. The
revenue court is working on marking the disputed plots in the computerised management system.

UP FinMin Suresh Kumar Khanna presented Rs 5,50,270.78cr state budget for FY21-22
Finance Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Suresh Kumar Khanna, presented Rs 5,50,270.78 crore in the
presence of UP Chief Minister (CM) Yogi [Link], this was the state’s and Adityanath
government’s first paperless budget and also the largest budget in the history of UP in terms of fund
allocation. It marks an increase of around Rs 37,000 cr from the previous year’s budget size. Rs 100cr
budgeted for new migrant workers scheme “Mukhyamantri Pravasi Shramik Udyamita Vikas Yojana”.

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West Bengal
West Bengal Budget: Mamata Banerjee Presented Rs 2,99,688 cr Budget for FY22
On February 5, 2021, West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee presented the state’s annual
budget worth Rs 2,99,688 crore (net) for FY2022 stating an increase of 17.21% over 2020. The state tax
revenue is projected to increase to Rs 75,415.74 crore in FY22.

LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal addressed the inaugural session 2021 ASEAN-India
Hackathon
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the inaugural session of 2021’s
ASEAN-India Hackathon. ASEAN-INDIA Hackathon 2021 is launched by Association of Southeast Asian
Nation (ASEAN) in partnership with Ministry of Education (MoE).This ASEAN-India Hackathon, a brain
child of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came as an outcome of the Singapore India Hackathon in 2019.
2 broad themes are “Blue Economy” & “Education”.

Textile Minister Smriti Irani virtually Inaugurates 8th India International Silk Fair
On 31st January 2021, Union Minister for Women & Child Development and Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani
virtually addressed the inaugural session of India’s Biggest Silk Fair, the 8th India International Silk
Fair. The 5 daylong events was virtually organised by Indian Silk Export Promotion Council (ISEPC), a
non-profit organisation under the Ministry of Textiles & Sponsored by Department of Commerce.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Inaugurates 2nd Exclusive LCA Tejas Production Plant in
Bengaluru
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) 2nd
Exclusive Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas Fighter Jets Production Plant at Doddanekundi, Bangalore,
[Link] Plant will double HAL’s production capacity of LCA Tejas to 16 LCA Tejas Aircrafts a year
(at present it is 8). The Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, indigenously designed by Aircraft Development
Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). India has set a
target of achieving a turnover of INR 1.75 Lakh Crore (USD 25 Billion) in Defence Manufacturing by
2025.

PGIMER Launched India’s First Amputee Clinic in Chandigarh

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) launched India’s first Amputee
Clinic, “PGI Amputee Clinic” in Chandigarh. The PGI Amputee clinic was inaugurated by PGIMER
Director Prof. Jagat [Link] purpose is to improve the amputation patients, care by providing
collection of services in one place with significant coordination.

2nd CCTNS Hackathon and Cyber Challenge 2020-21 of NCRB inaugurated in New Delhi
2nd Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) Hackathon and Cyber Challenge 2020-
21 of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) was inaugurated in New Delhi to enhance analysis and
deepen understanding of police personnel. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by the Union
Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar [Link] Phal Pawar, IPS, Director of NCRS along with other senior
officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and NCRB participated in the inauguration event.

PM Modi Released Postage Stamp to Mark the Beginning of Centenary Celebration of Chauri
Chaura Incident
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the postage stamp to mark the beginning of the centenary
celebrations of the Chauri Chaura Incident in Uttar Pradesh(UP) over a virtual platform. The stamp was
released during the event organised to inaugurate the Centenary celebration of the Chauri Chaura

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incident. The state government has also planned to develop the “Chauri Chaura Shaheed Memorial”in
Gorakhpur as a heritage tourist site.

PM Modi Unveiled Postage Stamps on Diamond Jubilee of Gujarat High Court

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the event organised to mark the Diamond Jubilee
of the Gujarat High Court and unveiled the commemorative Postage Stamps to mark the completion of
60 years of establishment of the High Court of Gujarat on May 1 2020. Vikram Nath is the Current Chief
Justice of Gujarat High Court.

India & Nepal Inaugurated the Newly Constructed 108km Road Connecting Indo-Nepal Border
India and Nepal jointly inaugurated the newly constructed 108 kilometer road which connects the Indo-
Nepal border with several areas of Himalayan Country. Nitesh Kumar, Consul General of the Consulate
General of India, Birgunj and Binod Kumar Mauwar, division chief of Department of Roads,
Chandranigahpur jointly inaugurated the road. The Government of India grant under ‘Nepal-Bharat
Development Cooperation’ was utilized for construction of Blacktopped Road.

SIDBI, COWE launch ‘Swavalamban Sashakt’ to promote Stand-Up India Scheme

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs of
India (COWE) have launched “Swavalamban Sashakt- Mega campaign” to encourage and to create
awareness about the Stand-Up India (SUI) scheme of Central Government.

India’s AIM & Australia inaugurated India-Australia Circular Economy (I-ACE) Hackathon, 2021
India-Australia Circular Economy (I-ACE) Hackathon, 2021 was inaugurated virtually on February 11,
2021 by the NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission in collaboration with Australia’s Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CISRO). Under this, 80 selected applicants consisting of
students and start-ups of both the nations will work together on innovative ways of boosting Circular
Economy in priority themes. I-ACE is supported by the Australian Department of Industry, Science,
Energy and Resources (DISER), AIM Atal Incubation Centre network, and various domain experts.

Nitin Gadkari Launched India’s 1st Diesel-converted CNG Tractor

Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) launched
India’s first-ever diesel tractor converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) which was co-developed by
Thane, Maharashtra based Rawmatt Techno Solutions and Tomasetto Achille India as a pilot project.

India Tunisia Business Council’ Launched for Boosting Trade Relations

India Tunisia Business Council’ (ITBC) was launched for boosting the trade relations between the two
countries. The main focus of the ITBC will be to focus on development in both countries. Launching of
ITBC was signed between ‘Tunisia India Business Council’ (TABC) & ‘Indian Economic Trade
Organization’ (IETO) during the India Tunisia Economic Forum 2020 held virtually on December 22,
2020. The discussions during the forum were chaired by Mohit Srivastava, Director of [Link] was
organized by IETO with the support of Indian Africa Trade Council.

MSDE launches Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship 2021-23

On February 13, 2021, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched a
Two-year Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) 2021-23 programme during the event
‘Transforming Skilling through Strategic partnerships under SANKALP’. MGNF will be a certificate
program in Public Policy and Management offered by IIMs.

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MoHUA launches ‘Pey Jal Survekshan 2021’ on Pilot basis in 10 cities
On February 16, 2021, Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
(MoHUA) launched ‘Pey Jal Survekshan 2021’, drinking water survey under Jal Jeevan Mission-
Urban (JJM-U) on a pilot basis in 10 cities. As part of the survey, ‘Pey Jal Survekshan 2021’, data will
be collected on wastewater management and condition of water bodies of at least 3 water bodies in
the cities.

PM Inaugurates & Lays Foundation Stone of Key Projects of Oil & Gas sector in TN
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually Inaugurated & Laid Foundation Stone for several key
projects related to Oil & Gas Sector in Tamil Nadu (TN).
The projects are
[Link] of 143 Km Long Ramanathapuram-Thoothukudi section of Natural Gas Pipeline
[Link] of Gasoline Desulphurisation unit at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited,
Manali, Chennai.
Laid Foundation stone of Cauvery Basin Refinery at Nagapattinam

Harsh Vardhan Inaugurates ‘Common Research and Technology Development Hub’ at CDRI,
Lucknow
On February 17, 2021, Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated
‘Common Research and Technology Development Hub (CRTDH)’ – a Research Facility at CSIR-CDRI
(Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Drug Research Institute), Lucknow (Uttar
Pradesh) on occasion of the institute’s 70th Annual Day Celebrations. During the event, Harsh
Vardhan also announced the recipients of CDRI Awards-21 for Excellence in Drug Research &
inaugurated a series of lectures named ‘Atal National Colloquium on Healthcare and
Innovation’…Click here for more detail

West Bengal Governor Inaugurates 11th Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav at Cooch Behar
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the 11th Edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti
Mahotsav’ at Cooch Behar Palace at Cooch Behar, West Bengal in the presence of Prahlad Singh
Patel, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture & [Link] is the flagship programme of
the Ministry of Culture and is organized under the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ Programme. The
11th Edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav is being held between February 14-28, 2021 in West
Bengal at Cooch Behar (February 14-16, 2021), Darjeeling, West Bengal (February 22-24, 2021) &
Murshidabad, West Bengal (February 27-28, 2021).

PM Launches ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ Programme & lays Foundation Stone for 2 Bridges in

Assam
On February 18, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launched the ‘Mahabahu-
Brahmaputra’ programme & laid the foundation stone for 2 Bridges ‘Dhubri-Phulbari’ bridge which
is set to be India’s Longest Bridge & ‘Majuli’ Bridge in Assam. 19.282 Km ‘Dhubri Phulbari’ 4-lane
bridge will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya. It will be constructed on the River of
Brahmaputra.‘Majuli’ Bridge is an 8 Km long Two-Lane bridge on the River Brahmaputra, it will
connect Neematighat (on Jorhat side) & Kamalabari (on Majuli side).

Nitin Gadkari launched “Go Electric campaign” to give a boost to electric mobility and use of
electrical appliances across country
Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) in the
presence of Minister of State (MoS) Raj Kumar Singh, Ministry of Power and New & Renewable

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Energy launched “Go Electric” [Link] aim of the campaign, “Go Electric” is to spread
awareness at PAN-India level on the benefits of e-mobility and EV Charging Infrastructure as well
as electric cooking in India.

PM inaugurates key projects of power and urban sector in Kerala

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated Pugalur – Thrissur Power Transmission
Project, Kasaragod Solar Power Project and Water Treatment Plant at Aruvikkara in [Link] also
laid the foundation stone of Integrated Command and Control Centre and Smart Roads Project in
Thiruvananthapuram during the event.

Dr Harsh Vardhan launches Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0

Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) virtually
launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0. He also launched the IMI 3.0 portal & released the
Operational Guidelines for IMI 3.0 and the awareness material/IEC package developed as part of the
[Link] video conference was also attended by Minister of State (MoS) Ashwini Kumar Choubey,
MoH&FW.

Thaawarchand Gehlot Virtually Releases ‘3rd Edition of Indian Sign Language Dictionary with
10,000 Terms’
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually released the ‘3rd
edition of the Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary with 10,000 terms (including 6,000 earlier terms)’
in a virtual programme and published by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre
(ISLRTC), under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of
Social Justice & Empowerment.

Harsh Vardhan launched Operational Guidelines for Integration of NAFLD with NPCDCS
Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) launched the
operational guidelines for Integration of NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) with NPCDCS
(National Programme for Prevention & Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and
Stroke).India has become the first country in the world to identify the need for action for NAFLD.

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami Inaugurates Asia’s Largest Cattle Park in Salem
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister(CM) Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurated Asia’s biggest cattle park,
Advanced Institute for Integrated Research on Livestock and Animal Sciences (AIIRLAS) in Thalaivasal,
Salem district. It was constructed at a cost of Rs 1,023 crore. It is the state’s 5th veterinary college. On
the occasion, he also announced that a frozen semen station will be set up in Karumandurai, Salem at
the cost of Rs 100 crore.

Govt launches National Urban Digital Mission for Creating Digital Infrastructure in Urban India
Minister of State (MoS) Hardeep Singh Puri, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Union
Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ministry of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology virtually
launched a “National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM)” to create a digital infrastructure for Indian cities.
Both Ministers also launched other initiatives viz : India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX),SmartCode, Smart
Cities 2.0 website, andGeospatial Management Information System (GMIS) following the efforts of
MoHUA and MeitY to attain Digital India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat by catering the needs of [Link]
mission envisages supporting all ULBs (Urban Local Bodies) in serving all citizens on the lines of
sabkasaath – sabkavikas – sabkavishwas.

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World’s Largest Cricket Stadium Inaugurated in Ahmedabad;Renamed to Narendra Modi
Cricket Stadium
President of India, Ram Nath Kovind was on a 2 day visit to Gujarat from February 23 to 24, 2021. As
part of his visit, he inaugurated the World’s Largest Cricket Stadium, the refurbished Sardar Patel
Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, which was renamed as Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium on
February 24, 2021. It is named after the sitting Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi. It has been set up
by the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA).

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar Inaugurated Atal Paryavaran Bhavan in Lakshadweep

Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change inaugurated the Atal
Paryavaran Bhavan, Forest Department Headquarters in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep during his 4-day visit
to Lakshadweep (19th February 2021 to 22nd February 2021).Atal Paryavaran Bhavan is a unique eco-
friendly green building in an area of 22,150 sq. ft. with modern hi-tech facilities for coral and other
marine biodiversity research. He also released the book titled “Fishes and Corals of Lakshadweep with
New Records” authored by Dr. Rajkumar Rajan, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Damodhar A.T, IFS and
Abdul Raheem, Range Forest Officer(RFO).

Durga Shanker Mishra Launched City Innovation Exchange (CiX)

Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs(MoHUA) launched the City
Innovation Exchange (CiX) platform at an online [Link] aim is to foster innovative practices in cities
by adopting solutions that increase the quality of life for its residents and significantly improve the Ease
of Doing Business. It is designed on the philosophy of ‘everyone is an innovator’.

PM inaugurates & lays Foundation Stone for various projects in Puducherry & Coimbatore
On February 25, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurated & Laid Foundation Stone for various
projects in Puducherry including 4 laning of NH45-A – 56 kms Sattanathapuram-Nagapattinam section
of Villupuram to Nagapattinam project which covers Karaikal District with the cost INR 2426 crores.&
laid the foundation stone for multiple infrastructure projects in Coimbatore,TamilNadu worth INR
12400 Crores.

PM Modi Inaugurates 2nd Khelo India National Winter Games 2021 in Gulmarg, J&K
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the 2nd Edition of Khelo India National
Winter Games 2021 in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The event will take place from February 26-
March 2, [Link] 2021 edition of Khelo India Winter games is organized by J&K Sports Council &
Winter Games Association of J&K under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & [Link] aims to
strengthen the resolve for ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat’ (One India, One Nation).

FESTIVALS
VP Venkaiah Naidu Inaugurates National Tribal Festival – Aadi Mahotsav 2021 at New Delhi
On February 1, 2021, Vice President (VP) of India inaugurated the National Tribal Festival ‘Aadi
Mahotsav’ 2021 at Dilli Haat, New Delhi. The festival will be held from February 1-15, 2021 will
showcase Tribal art, crafts, medicine, cuisine & folk performances from Tribal Artists and chefs from
more than 20 states of the country. The festival is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs &
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).

Jammu & Kashmir’s Chenab Valley Celebrates 3 Day Kanchoth Festival

3-day Kanchoth festival, a symbol of ancient Nag culture is observed annually across Chenab valley
region of Jammu and Kashmir during the ‘Shukla Paksha of Magh month’ in January or February. It
is mainly celebrated by Nag followers. Kanchoth festival 2021 begins from February 14, [Link] is

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believed that on Gouri Tritiya( February 14 ), Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married.
Kanchoth festival is like ‘Karva Chouth’ that is being celebrated in other parts of the country.

Mandu Festival held at Mandu in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh

On February 13-15, 2021, a three-day Mandu Festival was held at Mandu in Dhar district of
Madhya Pradesh on the theme “Khojne mein Kho Jao (feel lost in discovering)”. It was inaugurated
by state culture and tourism minister Usha [Link] also inaugurated Dino Adventure Park &
Fossils Museum in Mandu and construction of Astro Park building at a cost of Rs 59 lakh.

47th Khajuraho Dance Festival Organised in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh: 20th to 26th
February 2021
Ms Usha Thakur, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Madhya Pradesh inaugurated the 47th edition
of Khajuraho Dance Festival on 20th February 2021.47th Khajuraho Dance Festival at Khajuraho, a
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Heritage site in Madhya
[Link] 7-day dance festival is organised by the Ustad Alauddin Khan Music and Arts
Academy under the Department of Culture, Government of Madhya Pradesh from 20th February to
26th February 2021.

OTHER NATIONAL NEWS

Maharashtra CM unveiled the 1st indigenous Metro racks at Charkop Metro Depot
On 29th January 2021, Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister of Maharashtra unveiled the first indigenous
metro racks for the new Metro line of Mumbai – Metro 2A and 7 at the Charkop Metro Depot, Mumbai,
Maharashtra. Metro line 2A will run from Dahisar to D N Nagar & it is an 18.58-km-long elevated
corridor built at an estimated cost of Rs 6,410 crore, the metro line 7 from Andheri (East) to Dahisar
(East) is an 16.47-km-long built at an estimated cost of Rs 6,208 [Link] rake was manufactured by
Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and delivered the first ‘Made in India’ rake from the Bengaluru
facility of BEML.

Nepal awards Construction of 679 MW Lower Arun Hydropower Project to India’s SJVN
On 30th January, 2021, During the 46th meeting of the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) chaired by
Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli awarded the contract for construction of 679 MW (MegaWatt)
Lower Arun Hydropower Project to India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Ltd under public-private
[Link] project has been awarded to SJVN after a successful International Competitive Bidding.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs includes 14 New MFP items under MSP scheme to provide fair prices
to Tribal Gatherers
Ministry of Tribal Affairs has included 14 additional Minor Forest Produce (MFP) items under the under
the ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through Minimum Support Price (MSP) &
Development of Value Chain for MFP’ scheme to ensure that Tribal Gatherers get fair prices for their
Forest Produces. 14 items are Tasar Cocoon, Cashew Kernel, Elephant Apple Dry, Bamboo Shoot,
Malkangani Seed, Mahul Leaves, Nagod, Gokhru, Pipla/Uchithi, Gamhar/Gamari, Oroxylumindicum,
Wild Mushroom dry, Shringraj & Tree Moss.

India’s 1st Wetland Conservation Centre to be set up at Chennai

Minister of State for Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Babul Supriyo
announced the establishment of India’s 1st Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM)
at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is being set up as a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal
Management (NCSCM) Institute, a research institute under MoEFCC. It was launched on occasion of the
World Wetland Day observed on February 2, 2021.

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UP’s Shravasti Tops NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Ranking in December 2020
Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh(UP) topped the Aspirational Districts Ranking of NITI Aayog in
December 2020, the ranking is done every month. Health and nutrition, education, agriculture and
water resources, financial inclusion, skill development and basic infrastructure were the development
areas that were considered for the ranking. Dhalai of Tripura secured the 2nd position followed by
Garhwa of Jharkhand, Baksa of Assam and Bokaro of Jharkhand in 3rd, 4th and 5th position
respectively.

MCA amends One Person Companies (OPCs) rules; revises paid up capital & Turnover
threshold for Small Companies
Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has amended the ‘Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014’ to make
changes in the definition of One Person Companies (OPCs) Rule. The new changes will be called as
‘Companies (Incorporation) Second Amendment Rules, 2021’. The Changes allow Non-Resident Indians
(NRIs) to incorporate one person companies (OPCs) in [Link] residency period for being considered
as a Resident in India has been reduced to 120 days from 182 days for NRIs. MCA has also revised the
limit of paid-up capital & Turnover of small companies under Companies Act , 2013.

MCA initiates process of Decriminalization of Compound Offences under LLP Act, 2008
Based on the recommendations of the Company Law Committee (CLC) headed by Corporate Affairs
Secretary, Rajesh Verma, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has started the process of
Decriminalization of Compound Offences under the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008. MCA
has adopted three principles for the Decriminalization process. MCA has also proposed to allow LLPs to
raise capital through issue of Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) (alternative to equity participation)
from investors regulated by SEBI or RBI.

MUI urges Shipping Ministry to take note of ‘Neptune Declaration’

Maritime Union of India (MUI) urged the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India to take
note of “Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change” while preparing the ‘Maritime
India Vision 2030’. Neptune declaration initiated by Global Maritime Forum focuses on Recognition of
seafarers as key workers by Governments of all countries in line with UN General Assembly resolution
adopted on December 1, 2020.

Commerce Ministry Organised Udyog Manthan To Focus On Quality And Productivity in Indian
Industry
Ministry of Commerce and Industry has organised Udyog Manthan under which a series of webinars
were conducted on 45 sectors which includes pharma and electronics. Udyog Manthan focuses on
quality and productivity in all the major sectors of manufacturing services. Udyog Manthan started on
4th January 2021 and concluded on 2nd March 2021. Udyog Manthan covers various sectors like
pharma, medical devices, closed circuit camera, electronics system design and manufacturing, new and
renewable energy, robotics, aerospace and defence.

MoAFW Gets DGCA Nod for a 1st of its kind Pilot Study using drones to capture crop images
Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) gave approval to Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare(MoAFW) to use drones(Unmanned Aerial Vehicles -UAVs) to capture images of rice and wheat
fields in 100 districts to assess crop yields at gram panchayat level under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal
Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Government of India’s Crop Insurance [Link] is the 1st time in India that
remote sensing technology based largest pilot study is conducted for crop yield estimation.

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GoI brings Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions under Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways
Government of India has brought Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions (such as Ropeway, Cable
Car, Funicular Railway & Electric Public transport) under the ambit of Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways (MoRTH) by amending the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules,
[Link] earlier work under Ministry of Railways.
MoRTH will now be responsible for development, construction, research and policy formulation in
Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions.

Environment Ministry approves Lakhwar Electricity Project on Yamuna River, Uttarakhand

Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) gave approval for the Lakhwar
Electricity Project at a cost of Rs 5747.17 crore on the Yamuna river at Dehradun district, Uttarakhand.
With this project, Electricity upto 572.54 million units can be generated per year. In addition to the
electricity generated, the water storage capacity is also increased.330 metric cusec meters of additional
water can be stored.

India’s Tea Output Drops 9.7% in 2020 Due to Flood & COVID Restriction; Lifts Average Prices
to Record High
The production of tea in India dropped by 9.7% in 2020 due to the flood and movement restrictions due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduction in the tea production increased the price of tea by 31% from
the price of 2019, to a record price of Rs.184.69 per Kg. This increase in price has supported the Indian
tea industry which was under severe stress due to the rising production cost.

Himachal Pradesh Became the First State to Implement e-Cabinet

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 [Link]
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.

IMD to Establish India’s First Thunderstorm Research Testbed at Odisha

India Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to establish India’s first thunderstorm research testbeds
at Balasore, Odisha to reduce the human fatalities and loss of properties due to lightning strikes in
Odisha and Eastern [Link] 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).

A target of Rs. 16.50 Lakh Crore for Ground Level Credit (GLC) to Agriculture has been fixed for
2021-22
Government has fixed the target of Rs. 16.50 lakh crore for Ground Level Credit (GLC) to agriculture for
2021-2022. It is an increase of 10% over the previous year’s Rs 15 lakh crore. The target has been fixed
considering the performance under GLC flow during 2013-14 to 2020-21. This enhancement will
further boost the efforts of concessional institutional credit to farmers and is bound to act as an enabler
in doubling farmers’ income by reducing the cost of credit.

GoI approves Srivilliputhur-Meghamalai Tiger Reserve in TN;set to become 5th Tiger Reserve
in TN
Government of India (GoI) has approved the Srivilliputhur-Meghamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR) in Tamil
Nadu (TN), it will be TN’s 5th Tiger Reserve and the Largest ever Tiger Reserve in the state. It is also
India’s 51st Tiger Reserve. SMTR is spread over an area of 1 Lakh Hectares and encloses lands which

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fall under the Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary & Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary
(WLS).

Market Size of Indian Pharma Industry is Expected to Reach US $130 Billion By 2030
On February 8, 2021 Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, D V Sadananda Gowda while
addressing the Press Conference on the 6th Edition of ‘India Pharma & India Medical Device 2021’
mentioned that the total market size of the Indian Pharma Industry is expected to reach the US $ 130
billion(approximately Rs 9.47 lakh crore) by 2030 & medical devices industry in India is expected to
reach $ 50 billion (approximately Rs 3.67 Lakh crore) by 2025.

Wipro 3D Collaborates with HAL to Manufacture Metal 3D Printed Aircraft Engine Component
Wipro 3D has collaborated with Engine Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to Manufacture
Aero Engine Component, Nozzle Guide Vane (also called the Inner Ring), 3D Printed in a high
temperature resilient steel A286 operating in the hot zone using Metal 3D Printing.

CCEA approves Grant-in-aid of Rs 100 cr to BVFCL, Assam

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has
approved Grant-in-aid of Rs.100 crore to Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizers Corporation Limited (BVFCL),
Namrup (Assam) for the strengthening of it’s urea manufacturing units.

Govt sets up Nodal Authority for Design and Specifications of Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels
In order to aid the fisheries department of the states to fast-track the implementation of the Pradhan
Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Central government has set up a nodal authority to frame
Approved Standardised Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels (DSFV) Design and Specifications (ASDDS). The Nodal
Authority will be headed by the director of Kochi, Kerala based Central lnstitute of Fisheries Technology
(CIFT).

NSDC partners with HP India to facilitate skill Development of Students

HP (Hewlett-Packard) India & National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) have entered into a pact
for providing ‘scientifically designed worksheets, content for supporting home learning & Early
Childhood Skill Development of Students’ to students across [Link] content will be provided for Free
of [Link] – To ensure complete skill development of children from an early age.

India to Fund NR 142 million for Restoration of 3 Cultural Heritage Projects in Nepal
India committed to Nepal that it will fund Nepali Rupees(NR) 142 million to restore 3 cultural heritage
projects in Nepal. These projects are implemented as part of the US $50 million grant assistance
committed by the Government of India for post-earthquake reconstruction of the Cultural Heritage sites
across 8 districts of Nepal.

Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to feature India’s 1st & Asia’s largest 12 Km Wildlife Protection
Corridor
The upcoming 210 kilometres long Delhi-Dehradun Expressway (Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun
Economic corridor) is all set to become India’s first highway with 12 km long elevated corridor for
the protection of wildlife as it will pass through pristine forest areas. It will also be Asia’s largest
wildlife corridor. The project will be executed under the Engineering, Procurement, and
Construction (EPC) mode by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

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2nd Phase of Vigyan Jyoti Programme Commenced
The second phase of Vigyan Jyoti programme has been commenced on the occasion of International
Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, 2021. This phase will cover 50 more districts in
addition to the existing 50 districts across India. The programme encourages girls to nurture their
interest in science and build a career in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM).

NeGPA: The Mission of Digital Agriculture

National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme initiated in
2010-11 as a pilot project in 7 Indian states viz. Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala,
Karnataka, Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh. It was then extended for all the remaining States and 2
UTs in 2014-15 for a period of 5 years. Now, this 5-year period was extended up to March 31, 2021.
The aim of the scheme is to provide timely access to agriculture related information to the farmers
through Information & Communication Technology (ICT).

Central Government raises Upper Ceiling for Family Pensions

Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions stated
that the upper Ceiling for 2 Family Pensions (i.e) The amount of 2 family pensions that a child can
draw has been increased to INR 1, 25, 000 per month from INR 45, 000 per month. According to the
sub-rule (11) of rule 54 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules 1972, in case both wife &
husband are Government servants, on their death, the surviving child is eligible for 2 family
pensions in respect of the deceased parents.

ESIC Partners with NHA to Upgrade Medical Infrastructure in Maharashtra

Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has partnered with National Health Authority
(NHA) to upgrade the medical infrastructure available under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan
Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) in the state of Maharashtra. This will provide medical care to the
insured beneficiaries of the ESI Act, 1958 and their dependants.

India Contributes Around 24% to Global Pulses Output

On 13th February 2021, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’
Welfare virtually addressed the International conference “Global virtual Ceremony” in Rome on
World Pulses [Link] stated that India has contributed to around 24% of the global pulses
production.

Jute seed distribution Plan & Jute Farmers Awareness Workshop started at Barrackpore, WB
Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani, Ministry of Textiles and Women & Child Development virtually
inaugurated the Certified Jute Seeds Distribution Plan and Jute Farmers Awareness Workshop on
Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise for Jute (ICARE-Jute) Initiative.
The workshop was organised at Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Research
Institute for Jute and Allied Fibers (CRIJAF) Institute at Barrackpore, West Bengal (WB).

DoT to set up Digital Intelligence Unit & TAFCOP to tackle UCC, Financial Frauds
Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications has set up a New Nodal
Agency called ‘Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU)’ & Consumer protection mechanism called ‘Telecom
Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP)’ for tackling Unsolicited
Commercial Communication (UCC), financial frauds involving telecom resources. The decision is to

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set up DIU & TAFCOP at a high-level meeting chaired by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of
Communications.

DoT to set up Digital Intelligence Unit & TAFCOP to tackle UCC, Financial Frauds
Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications has set up a New Nodal
Agency called ‘Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU)’ & Consumer protection mechanism called ‘Telecom
Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP)’ for tackling Unsolicited
Commercial Communication (UCC), financial frauds involving telecom resources. The decision is to
set up DIU & TAFCOP at a high-level meeting chaired by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of
Communications.

Amazon India to begin its 1st Manufacturing Line in India at Chennai

Amazon India announced that it will begin its 1st Device Manufacturing Line in India for
production of electronic devices at Chennai by the end of 2021. It has collaborated with Contract
Manufacturer Cloud Network Technology, a subsidiary of Foxconn for the manufacturing
[Link] begin with, Amazon will start manufacturing Amazon Fire TV sticks from India.

PM Modi lays Foundation Stone for Maharaja Suheldev Memorial in UP

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for Construction of Statue &
Memorial for Maharaja Suheldev at Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh (UP). He also laid the foundation stone
for development works around the Chittaura Lake in Bahraich, [Link] works are aimed at
improving the Tourism sector in the [Link] event marked the 112th Birth Anniversary
Celebration of Maharaja Suheldev.

MoE to rename Schools Under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan after Subas Chandra Bose
Ministry of Education (MoE) is set to rename residential schools and hostels funded under Samagra
Shiksha scheme of MoE as ‘Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose residential schools and hostels’ to inspire
them to achieve high standards of quality education & create awareness about the facility of such
residential schools & hostels. Under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, MoE provides financial
assistance to States & UTs to set up residential schools & hostels in hilly terrain, small & sparsely
populated areas for children who are in need of shelter and care.

MoHUA shortlists 25 Cities for ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ Cohort

Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) shortlisted 25 Cities for the ‘Nurturing
Neighbourhoods Challenge’ Cohort, the challenge is hosted by the Smart Cities Mission, MoHUA in
collaboration with Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF), Urban95 of BvLF & technical partner
World Resources Institute (WRI) India. The shortlisted cities will receive support & technical
assistance for the next 6 months to implement their proposals.

Government approves 8 Toy Manufacturing Clusters worth Rs 2,300 crore

Central Government approved 8 toy manufacturing clusters at a cost of Rs 2,300 crore viz. three
clusters in Madhya Pradesh, two in Rajasthan, and one each in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil
[Link] decision has been taken on the lines of “National Action Plan for Indian Toy Story” that seeks
to reduce import dependence of toys which was around $1.5 billion in FY2020 of which 90% of imports
was from China and Taiwan.

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India’s first Digital University set up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
State government of Kerala, on the line of its Digital Transformation Initiatives announced in Budget
2021, has launched India’s first Digital University, Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and
Technology (KUDSIT) in Technocity at Mangalapuram in Thiruvananthapuram by upgrading its two-
decade old Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Kerala (IIITM-K), a centre of
excellence in information technologies.

Goa to become India’s First Fisheries Hub with an investment of INR 400 Crore
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh informed about the Central
Government’s Invest INR 400 crore in Goa to transform the state into India’s First Fisheries Hub. Out of
the INR 400 Crore Investment, The Union Minister has already sanctioned INR 41.7 Crores to Goa under
the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Odisha hosts the 17th India International Mega Trade Fair 2021
Odisha is currently hosting the 17th India International Mega Trade Fair & Home Decor Exhibition 2021
at Janata Maidan, Bhubaneswar from February 19-March 1, 2021. It is being organized by the Odisha
Chapter of the Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI).Partner Country for the 2021 Fair
– Bangladesh & focus countries are Afghanistan & Iran. Bihar is the Partner State for the [Link] was
inaugurated by the Odisha Law Minister Pratap Jena.

GSL is Set to Build Damage Control Simulator for Indian Navy at Port Blair
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) is set to build the Damage Control Simulator(DCS) for the Indian Navy at
Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar [Link] 20th February 2021, Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande, Commander in
Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command laid the foundation stone to build the State-of-the-Art for the
Damage Control Training Facility, a simulator to train the naval personnel for managing battle damage
on board [Link] 7th August 2020, Indian Navy and GSL formally signed the contract for setting up
the simulator. This will be the 7th Simulator built by GSL for the armed forces.

Chenab Bridge – World’s Highest Rail Bridge to completed by 2021

Chenab Bridge’ which is set to be the World’s Highest Rail Bridge are expected to be completed by the
end of 2021. The bridge is 1.315 Kms long with 17 spans and is being constructed at a height of 359
metres (1, 178 feet) over the River Chenab which is 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris,
[Link] bridge will connect Bakkal (katra) and Kauri (Srinagar) in the Reasi district of Jammu &
Kashmir UT.

Ministry of Jal Shakti selects 12 sites under Phase-IV of ‘Swachh Iconic Places (SIP)’
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti has selected 12 iconic sites
which will be transformed into ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’ under Phase-IV of ‘Swachh Iconic Places
(SIP)’ initiative of Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G).Already 30 Sites across India have been
selected under the Phase I, II & III of the ‘SIP’ initiative. The Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation
(MDWS) is the nodal agency for this initiative.
It is a collaborative project between 3 Central Ministries.

India’s 1st Undersea Tunnel to come at Mumbai by 2023

Two undersea tunnels are under construction in Mumbai city, as a part of the 10.58 kms long, Mumbai’s
Coastal Road Project. 2 tunnels each 3-3.2 m wide are constructed for 2.07 km long of which one
kilometer is constructed under the seabed. Notably, this is India’s 1st Undersea Tunnel which will come
to operation by [Link] at 20m below the seabed.

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GOVT SCHEMES
Government approves INR 945 Crore for ‘Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)’
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry
has given the approval for setting up of Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) with a Corpus of INR
945 crores for the period 2021-25. The Scheme will come into force from April 1, 2021 & DPIIT will be
the implementing agency of the scheme. The scheme will provide funds to startups for proof of concept,
prototype development, product trials, market entry & commercialization.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot launches New Phase of Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi
Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojana
On 30th January, 2021 Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, launched a new Phase of the state
government Insurance scheme “Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojana”
from Jaipur. The scheme will provide free treatment to its beneficiaries in both private & state-run
hospitals. The scheme will provide INR 5 lakhs worth benefits to 1.1 crore families.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal launches 2 Schemes for College Students, Literary bodies
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched 2 schemes namely – ‘Pragyan Bharati’ & ‘Bhasha
Gourab’ in the State. Under the schemes monetary assistance will be provided to college students &
literary bodies of the [Link] main objective is to encourage the young generation to Strive for
Knowledge through Education and to provide financial assistance to writers & indigenous Sahitya
Sabhas.

Uddhav Thackeray Maharashtra CM Launched Intellectual Property Rights Scheme & Quality
Testing & Certification Scheme
On 2nd February 2021, Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister of Maharashtra launched Intellectual
Property Rights Scheme and Quality Testing & Certification Scheme to provide financial support to the
innovative startups to file for IT [Link] the schemes will be implemented by the Maharashtra
State Innovation Society(MSInS) under the Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,
Government of Maharashtra.

Government of India allocates Rs. 16000 crore for PMFBY for FY22
On February 7, 2021, the Central Government has allocated Rs 16000 crores for Pradhan Mantri Fasal
Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for FY22, an increase of around Rs 305 crore as compared to FY21. The reason
behind an increase in the amount is to boost the safety of farmers’ crops and ensure maximum benefit
of crop insurance.

GoI launches New Scheme ‘Formation and Promotion of 10, 000 new FPOs’
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare stated that the Government of India (GoI) has launched a
New Central Sector Scheme named ‘Formation and Promotion of 10, 000 new Farmer Producer
Organizations (FPOs)’. Under the Scheme, GoI will form and promote 10, 000 new FPOs in India with a
budget of INR 6865 Crores. It will help in Doubling of Farming Exports by 2022 and also increasing the
income of farmers.

Delhi Cabinet Approves ‘Mukhyamantri Vigyan Pratibha Pariksha’, a Science Scholarship

Scheme
The Delhi Cabinet approved Mukhyamantri Vigyan Pratibha Pariksha scheme, under which Rs. 5000
will be provided as a science scholarship to 1000 meritorious students of Class 9 in the schools of

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[Link] main purpose is to enhance science education in secondary school level. Under the scheme,
the students who secure over 60% in Class 8 will be eligible to take up the examination

UP CM Yogi Adityanath Launches ‘UP Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana 2021’

On February 15, 2020, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath launched ‘UP
Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana 2021’ to provide assistance to students who want to prepare for
various competitive examinations but are unable to prepare due to their financial conditions.
Under the scheme, Free-of-cost coaching centres will be established across the state, through which
students can prepare for competitive exams like IAS, PCS, NDS, CDS, NEET & JEE.

West Bengal CM Launches ‘Maa’ Scheme for providing meals at INR 5

On February 15, 2021, West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee virtually launched ‘Maa’
Scheme under which the Government will provide subsidised cooked meals for the poor &
destitute at a cost of INR 5. The state government has allotted a budget of INR 100 Crore for the
[Link] West Bengal Government will bear a subsidy of INR 15 per plate.

2nd Anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN)

24th February, 2021 is the 2nd Anniversary of the starting of the Central Sector Scheme ‘Pradhan
Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN)’ which was launched on the same date in 2019 by PM
Narendra Modi at Gorakhpur, Uttar [Link] is 100% Funded by the Central Government. Under the
Scheme, an amount of INR 6000 rupees per year will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of
[Link] amount will be paid in 3 installments of INR 2000 rupees.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
UN World Tourism Organization named 2020 as ‘worst year on record’
In accordance with the latest United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN-WTO) “World Tourism
Barometer”, the year 2020 was the “worst year on record” as global tourism suffered adversely due to
international travel bans implemented to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. The travel ban resulted in an
estimated loss of USD 1.3 trillion in export revenues.

South Korea signs $43 billion deal to create World’s Biggest Offshore Wind Farm
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 [Link] 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.

Denmark is set to Build the World’s First Energy Island in North Sea
On 4th February 2021, the Government of Denmark approved the plan to build the world’s first energy
island (Artificial island) in the North Sea which will produce and store green energy enough to cover the
electricity requirement of 3 million households in Europe. The construction of the island will cost
around 210 billion Danish krone.

FAO endorses First-ever Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture at COFI34
During the 34th Session of UN’s FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) Committee on Fisheries (COFI
34) which took place virtually from February 1-5, 2021, members of the session supported the first-
ever Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries & Aquaculture. The declaration calls for Strong action to

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combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and emphasized on the importance of
recovering from impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.

Linxon commissions Nepal’s first 400-kV GIS substation at Dhalkebar

On behalf of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Engineering firm Linxon has successfully
commissioned Nepal’s first 400-kilovolt gas insulated substation (GIS) at Dhalkebar which facilitated
the 400-kV Muzaffarpur (India)-Dhalkebar (Nepal) line. The GIS was inaugurated on February 1, 2021
where NEA presented a certificate of commendation to Linxon India Private Ltd for the successful
completion.

UN’s CFS endorses 1st Ever Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition
During the 47th Session of UN’s Committee on World Food Security (CFS) which took place virtually
from February 8-11, 2021, members of the CFS endorsed the 1st Ever Voluntary Guidelines on Food
Systems and Nutrition (VGFSyN).The guidelines aim to achieve the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development & its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are intended to support the
implementation of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025).

Environmental Degradation Poses Triple Threat to Humans: UNEP Assessment

In accordance with the scientific assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) titled “Making Peace With Nature”, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are
posing a triple threat to human health due to environmental degradation.
There is a massive need of adopting renewable energy methods and eliminating habitat loss for
saving our future generations from unacceptable [Link] lead author of the report is Robert
Watson, Ivar A. Baste.

US officially re-joined Paris Climate Agreement

On 19th February 2021, the United States of America(USA) formally re-joined the Paris Climate
agreement which was adopted by 196 countries in 2015. The new government of America under Joe
Biden aims to strengthen the US’s 2030 emission reduction pledge under the pact by 22nd April 2021,
Earth [Link] McCarthy has been named as the head of a new National Climate Task [Link] is the
biggest historical polluter and 2nd biggest current emitter after [Link] Union nations and
India are in 3rd and 4th position.

Omega Seiki to Set up EV Manufacturing Facility in Bangladesh

Omega Seiki Pvt Ltd has announced that it will set up an Electric Vehicle(EV) manufacturing facility,
known as OSM-Bangladesh near Dhaka in Bangladesh with investment of Rs 100 crore. This will be the
1st project of any Indian EV company in international markets. The EV manufacturing company will be
registered in Bangladesh. The vehicles of Omega Seiki will be powered by Li-Ion batteries and with
powertrains built in Bangladesh, with technology transfer from India.

VISITS
INDIAN VISIT
Overview of France’s Ecological Transition Minister, Barbara Pompil’s 5-day Visit to India
Barbara Pompili, French Minister for Ecological Transition made a 5-day Visit to India from January 28-
February 1, 2021. During the visit several key initiatives were signed & discussed between the two
countries for boosting the Indo-French cooperation in sustainable development such as sustainable
development, renewable energy, Biodiversity Conservation, Smart cities & plastic waste management.

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PM Narendra Modi visit to Assam and West Bengal
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the states of Assam and West Bengal on February 7, 2021. In
Assam he laid the Foundation Stone of two hospitals and launched ‘Asom Mala’ while in West Bengal he
dedicated to the Nation and laid the Foundation Stone of key infrastructure projects in its Haldia city.
He also launched the second Catalytic-Isodewaxing unit of Haldia Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation.

Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to Tamil Nadu & Kerala on February 14, 2021
On February 14, 2021, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Tamil Nadu & Kerala. During his
visit to Tamilnadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated & Laid Foundation Stones for
several Projects from Chennai. Some are
• Inauguration of Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I Extension
• Inauguration of Fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach & Attipattu
• Inauguration of Railway Electrification of single line section in Villupuram-Cuddalore-
Mayiladuthurai-Thanjavur & Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur.
Visit to Kerala:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects in
Kochi, Kerala. some are
• Inaugurated Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDPP) of Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited (BPCL).
• Launches 2 Ro-Ro Vessels to be operated between Bolgatty & Willingdon Island.
• Inaugurated India’s 1st Full-fledged International Cruise Terminal – ‘Sagarika…………..Click
here for complete visit

Highlights of Ethiopia Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen 4-day visit to India
Ethiopia Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen was on a four-day visit to
India where he inaugurated the new Chancery & Residence at Ethiopian Embassy, New Delhi and
met Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at Hyderabad
House, New Delhi. India and Ethiopia signed following two MoU in the presence of both ministers.
• Mutual Visa Exemption for holders of Diplomatic Passports.
• MoU between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Central Leather
Research Institute (CLRI), India and Wollo University, Ethiopia.

Highlights of PM Narendra Modi Visit to West Bengal and Assam

PM Narendra Modi visited Assam and West Bengal where he dedicated to the nation important projects
of the oil & gas sector in an event organized at Silapathar in Dhemaji, Assam worth over Rs 3,300 crore
and inaugurated several railway projects in Hooghly, West Bengal including Extension of Metro Railway
from Noapara to Dakshineswar…Click here for complete detail

FOREIGN VISIT
Highlights of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visit to Maldives and Mauritius
Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India had
a four-day visit to Maldives and Mauritius on February 20-21, 2021 and February 22-23, 2021
respectively. Maldives is the first country where Indian-made COVID vaccines landed and also India
inked 5 pacts with Maldives for its development. India and Mauritius sign Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation and Partnership Agreement.
• India announces USD 40mn LoC to boost sports infrastructure in Maldives at Ekuveni Stadium.
• India also extended a $50-million line of credit (LoC) to the Maldives for defence projects.

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• India offered a USD 100 million line of credit to Mauritius to facilitate procurement of defence
assets.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI IN NEWS
RBI Cancels Licence of Shivam Sahakari Bank Ltd, Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)cancelled the licence of Shivam Sahakari Bank Ltd, a co-operative bank in
Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Following the cancellation of its license, the bank will stop to carry
on the banking business, which includes accepting and repaying deposits as defined in Section 5(b) read
with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation(BR) Act, 1949, with effect from the close of business on
January 29, 2021.

RBI Appointed External Professional IT Firm to Audit HDFC Bank’s IT Infrastructure

Reserve Bank of India has appointed an external professional IT firm to carry out a special audit of the
entire IT infrastructure of HDFC bank under Section 30 (1-B) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The
audit will be conducted at the cost of the bank under Section 30 (1-C) of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949. The name of the IT firm was not disclosed.

RBI Issued Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) Guidelines for Select NBFCs & UCBs
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines on Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) for selected Non-
Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs). The mentioned
entities have to implement the RBIA framework by March 31, 2022. The guidelines also specified that
these entities may also set up a committee of senior executives to formulate a suitable action [Link]
is an audit methodology that links with an organisation’s overall risk management framework.

Highlights of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Feb 5, 2021

Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on 3rd, 4th and 5th February,
2021 which projected India’s gross domestic Product (GDP) growth at 10.5% for the FY2021-22, 26.2 to
8.3% in H1 FY22 and 6.0 % in Q3 [Link] is 5th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Committee Meeting for
FY [Link] projection of Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation has been revised to 5.2% for the Q4
FY21, 5.2 % to 5.0 % in H1 FY22 and declined to 4.3% by Q3 FY22.
The MPC kept the interest rates unchanged the fourth time in a row which are as follows:
Policy Repo Rate 4.00%
Reverse Repo Rate 3.35%
Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate 4.25%
Bank Rate 4.25%

RBI Observes Financial Literacy Week 2021 from February 8 to 12

RBI observes Financial Literacy Week(FLW) annually since 2016 to promote & spread awareness about
financial education messages on a particular theme through a focused campaign across India. FLW 2021
is being celebrated from February 8 to 12. It was launched by Ajay Kumar, Regional Director, RBI.
Theme of FLW 2021– Credit Discipline and Credit from Formal Institutions.

RBI Restricts Withdrawals from Independence Cooperative Bank

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in exercise of powers vested in it under sub section (1) of Section 35 A of
the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949 read with Section 56 of the BR Act, 1949 has issued certain

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Directions to Independence Co-operative Bank Limited based in Nashik, Maharashtra due to its present
liquidity position.

RBI announces Rs 20,000cr Open Market Operations on February 10

In order to boost liquidity in the economy, On February 10, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
purchase Rs 20,000 crore ($2.74 billion) of government securities under Open Market Operations
(OMO).This purchase will also boost government’s borrowing programme worth Rs 12.06 lakh crore
which will initiate in April 2021.

RBI Tightens Norms for Investments in NBFCs from 17 Non-FATF Countries

The 17 countries (or jurisdictions) flagged by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) under its
publications of ” High-risk jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action “, and “jurisdictions under
Increased Monitoring” will face restrictions on the fresh investments in India’s Non-Banking
Finance Companies (NBFCs).The restrictions put in force by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will
not treat the FATF-flagged countries at par with the compliant jurisdictions.

RBI Formulates EC for Strengthening & Consolidating UCBs; Headed by N S Vishwanathan

On the lines of the “Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies” released with the
Monetary Policy Statement on February 05, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) formulated an 8-
member Expert Committee (EC) on Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs). The former Deputy Governor
of RBI, N. S. Vishwanathan, is the chairman of the committee. The Committee is required to submit
its report within three months. Headquarters of RBI is Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Bank Credit Growth at 90% of FY20 level: RBI Data

In accordance with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) data on Scheduled Banks’ Statement of
Position in India, bank credit growth in FY21 up to January 29, 2021 has reached about 90% of the
same period of FY20. It should be noted that RBI has projected real GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
growth at 5% in FY22.

RBI permits Residents to Make Remittances to IFSCs under LRS

RBI permitted resident individuals to make remittances under Liberalised Remittance Scheme
(LRS) to International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) set up in India under the Special
Economic Zone Act, 2005. In this regard, Authorized Dealer Category Banks allow resident
individuals to make these remittances subject to the following conditions:The remittance shall be
made only for making investments in IFSCs in securities, other than those issued by
entities/companies resident (outside IFSC) in India. Any funds lying idle in the account for a period
upto 15 days will be immediately repatriated to domestic INR account of the investor in India.

RBI issues draft guidelines on Credit Default Swaps

On February 16, 2021, RBI has released the Draft Reserve Bank of India (Credit Derivatives)
Directions, 2021 in exercise of the powers conferred under section 45W of the RBI Act 1934 read
with section [Link] guidelines are for allowing derivatives trading in the credit default swaps
(CDS) in over-the-counter (OTC) markets and on recognised stock exchanges in the [Link]
invited comments on the Draft Directions by March 15, 2021.

RBI issues Master Directions for Housing Finance Companies

On February 17, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued “Master Direction – Non-Banking
Financial Company – Housing Finance Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2021” in exercise of the

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powers conferred under sections 45L and 45MA of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and
Sections 30, 30A, 32 and 33 of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987. These directions are come into
force with immediate [Link] are applicable to every Housing Finance Company (HFC)
registered under Section 29 A of the NHB Act, 1987…Click here for more detail

Piramal Group Gets RBI nod to Acquire DHFL

RBI has given approval to the Dewan Housing Finance Corporation(DHFL) resolution plan from
Piramal Capital and Housing Finance (PCHFL), a company of Piramal [Link] of
Creditors(CoC) has approved the resolution plan in its 18th meeting ended on January 15, 2021.
The resolution plan will revive the debt-ridden DHFL. This approval paves way for Piramal group
to acquire DHFL. After RBI’s Approval, Piramal Group has to seek approval from The National
Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to acquire DHFL.

RBI Puts Rs 1000 Withdrawal Cap on Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd. for Next 6 Months
RBI on considering the present liquidity position of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., has
imposed a withdrawal cap of Rs 1,000 on the customers of the bank. But, customers are allowed to
set off loans against deposits subject to conditions. This is for the period of 6 months from the close
of business on February 19, 2021.

RBI has Brought State Bank of Sikkim Under its Regulatory Purview
Reserve Bank of India has brought the State Bank of Sikkim under its regulatory purview. The bank only
operates within Sikkim and is wholly-owned by the state government. The bank is also responsible to
handle the treasury function of the State. With this regulatory purview, the ownership structure of the
bank will not be changed and will be regulated by the RBI on a par with other banks.

BANKING TECHNOLOGY
NPCI launched Global Hackathon – ‘NPCI PayAuth Challenge’ on APIX
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched a Global level Hackathon ‘NPCI PayAuth
Challenge’, to find out the alternatives for the authentication of UPI (Unified Payments Interface)
transaction for eg: Biometric. This Challenge is supported by APIX, world’s first cross-border, open
architecture API marketplace and sandbox platform.

AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED

BANKS SIGNED WITH KEY NOTES
ICICI Bank MUFG Bank Ltd ICICI Bank has signed a MoU with MUFG Bank Ltd, Japan to
jointly cater the banking requirements of Japanese corporates
present in India. It establishes a framework of partnership
between the banks across various domains including trade,
investment, treasury, corporate and retail [Link]
Headquarters of ICICI Bank is Mumbai, [Link]
headquarters of MUFG Bank Ltd is Tokyo, Japan.
Bank of LoanTap Credit On February 8, 2021 Bank of Maharashtra(BoM) entered into a
Maharashtra(BoM) Products co-lending agreement with Non-Banking Financial Company
(NBFC), LoanTap Credit Products to extend credit to Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprise(MSME) loans. Under this
agreement, 80% of the loan will be braced by the bank and the
remaining 20% by the Loan Tap.

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Punjab National Indian Oil Punjab National Bank (PNB) has signed a First-of-its-kind
Bank (PNB) Corporation Ltd Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil
(IOCL) Corporation Ltd (IOCL) for providing up to INR 2 Crore Loan to
IndianOil dealers through the PNB e-Dealer scheme (PNB
electronic dealer finance scheme).
IPPB CREDAI On the lines of the labour welfare initiatives by the Central
Government, the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’
Associations of India (CREDAI) has inked memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Indian Payments and Postal Bank
(IPPB) to facilitate opening of bank accounts for construction
[Link] MoU will ensure accessible financial services for
construction workers along with financial literacy and digital
inclusion.
Asian Development Medanta On February 15, 2021 The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Bank (ADB) headquartered at Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines signed
Rs 100 crore(USD 13.7 million) debt financing agreement
with Multi-Specialty medical institute, Medanta to provide
essential health care services and medical equipment to
India. This financing is part of the $20 billion assistance
package announced by ADB in April 2020 to help its
developing members manage the pandemic.
SIDBI PHDCCI PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry(PHDCCI) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to offer
various credit & other schemes of SIDBI to Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which is member of PHDCCI
in India. They can get the schemes with comparative ease
and better terms.
Indian Bank SID of IISc Indian Bank head quartered at Chennai, Tamil Nadu signed
MoU with Society for Innovation and Development (SID), an
initiative of Indian Institute of Science(IISc), Bengaluru to
provide exclusive credit facility to start-ups and Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs).This initiative is a
part of the Bank’s scheme ‘Ind Spring Board for financing
Start-ups’.
World Bank Government of India Government of India, Government of Nagaland & the World
Bank signed a USD 68 Million (~ INR 490 Crore) Project for
improving the governance of schools across Nagaland. The
program is called ‘Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching
and Resources Project’.The project will also improve teaching
practices and learning environments in select schools of
Nagaland. The project will support Nagaland Government’s
efforts to develop a strong education system in the state.
AIIB Government of India Government of India and the Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) signed a loan agreement of $304 million (mn) for
Assam Intra-State Transmission System Enhancement Project
to strengthen the quality, capacity and security of the power
supply in Assam along with reducing greenhouse gas
[Link] agreement was signed by Baldeo Purushartha,

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Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of
Finance on behalf of GoI and Rajat Misra, Acting Director
General, Investment Operations on behalf of the AIIB.
IPPB Stellapps Stellapps, an IIT(Indian Institute of Technology) Madras
incubated dairy-tech startup signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to
digitize the dairy milk procurement value chain and improve
banking facilities at milk collection [Link] to expand
access to a range of financial services for millions of unbanked
and underbanked dairy farmers.

OTHER BANKING NEWS

SEBI Revises Objective, Eligibility Criteria of Innovation Sandbox
On February 3, 2021 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) revised the objective and
eligibility criteria of innovation sandbox to encourage innovation and boost participation in the
securities [Link] Sandbox eases access to an environment (testing facilities and test data)
that is provided by Enabling Organizations like Stock Exchanges ,Depositories and Qualified Registrar
and Share Transfer Agents(QRTAs).

AMCs of Mutual Funds to Set Up LPCC by Contributing Rs 150 Crore: SEBI

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released the guidelines to set up Limited Purpose
Clearing Corporation (LPCC) by Asset Management Companies (AMCs) of Mutual Funds(MFs) to clear
and settle the repo transactions in corporate debt securities. As per the guidelines, AMCs needs to
contribute Rs 150 crore towards share capital of LPCC.

Federal Bank Launched FedFirst, a Special Savings Account for Children

On February 3, 2021 Federal Bank Ltd headquarters at Aluva, Kerala launched FedFirst, a special
savings account for children up to age of 18 years (both Resident and Non-Resident Indians-NRIs). The
account is designed to help children learn about the importance of money management. FedFirst
contactless Debit Card is given to this account holder.

SEBI Releases New Norms of SEBI (Mutual Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released new norms of Securities and Exchange
Board of India (Mutual Funds) ( Amendment) Regulations, 2021. This regulation came into force by
amending, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996. 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).

PhonePe Partnered with Axis Bank on UPI Multi-Bank

The digital payment platform PhonePe has partnered with India’s third largest bank, Axis Bank on a
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) multi-bank model. It will enable the PhonePe users to create and use
multiple UPI IDs with Axis Bank’s “@axl” handle. Until now, the PhonePe’s key banking partner was Yes
Bank. This collaboration will also give PhonePe access to the Axis bank’s merchant base.

HDFC Bank invites start-ups to apply for SmartUp grants

Private sector lender HDFC Bank is inviting applications from start-ups and individual entrepreneurs
for its SmartUp grants. SmartUp grants are a part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR).

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BRICS’ New Development Bank commits USD 100 Million to NIIF Fund of Funds;1st Ever
Investment in FoF
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) has stated that New Development Bank
(NDB) (formerly known as BRICS Development Bank) has committed to invest USD 100 Million (~ INR
727 Crore) into the NIIF Fund of Funds (FoF). This is the NDB’s 1st Equity Investment into India & the
1st ever Investment in an FoF.

Sri Lanka Settles $400 million Currency Swap Facility with India
On February 4, 2021 The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) repaid USD 400 million currency swap to the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI). RBI and Sri Lanka entered into this facility in July 2020 under the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) currency swap framework. This facility was got for
an initial period of 3 months to cope with the severe economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

EXIM Bank to provide $400 mn funding for Maldives project

On February 12, 2021, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified The Greater Male Connectivity Project
(GMCP) of Maldives will get a $400 million funding from Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank)
headquarters at Mumbai, Maharashtra, the agreement for the same is effective for January 28, [Link]
terminal utilisation period is 60 months after the scheduled completion date of the project.

Kotak Mahindra Bank Launches Kotak Remit, its Outward Forex Remittance Service
On February 15, 2021 Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd launched its outward forex remittance service,
Kotak Remit. In an industry-first move, Kotak Remit is live on the Kotak Mobile Banking App. Kotak
Mahindra Bank’s customer for the 1st time can transfer the money internationally to their
beneficiaries from their mobile.

Google Partners with EIF, Inter-American Development Bank & Kiva to Invest $75 million in
COVID-19 Hit Small Businesses
Google has partnered with European Investment Fund (EIF), Inter-American Development
Bank(IDB) and Kiva, an organisation that crowdfunds loans to unlock capital for the underserved
around the world to invest $75 million(about Rs. 545 crore) to small and medium-sized companies
outside U.S who are suffering from the impact of COVID-19.
The funds are part of $800 million (about Rs. 5,820 crores)commitment announced by Google in
March 2020 to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 pandemic.

Exim Bank Extended LOC of 15 Million USD to Republic of Sierra Leone

Export-Import (Exim) Bank, government of India, extended a Line of Credit(LOC) of 15 million USD
(around Rs. 109.11 crore) to the government of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
The agreement to this effect was signed by Saroj Khuntia, General Manager, Exim Bank, and Jacob
Jusu Saffa, Finance Minister, Government of Republic of Sierra Leone on 5th February 2021. LOC
will be used for the expansion of the projects for the rehabilitation of existing potable water
facilities in 4 communities of Sierra Leone.

Govt to Infuse Rs 1,500 Crore into EXIM Bank in FY 22

The government has decided to infuse Rs 1,500 crore capital into Export-Import Bank of India
(EXIM Bank) headquarters at Mumbai, Maharashtra in FY 22. This equity support/subscription is
to maximise the paid-up capital of the bank to the level of its authorised [Link] is Higher
than amount earmarked in FY [Link] amount is Rs 200 crore higher than the amount(Rs 1,300
crore) earmarked by the government to be infused in the bank in FY 21.

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Bank of Maharashtra Partnered with Vayana Network Launches its Mahabank Channel
Financing Scheme for MSMEs
Bank of Maharashtra(BoM) headquartered at Pune, Maharashtra in partnership with Vayana
Network, India’s largest Supply Chain Financing (SCF) platform, launched its Mahabank Channel
Financing Scheme, a Channel Financing solution for Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises(MSMEs). This partnership enables BoM to provide short term credit to meet funding
requirements of corporate dealers and vendors through its channel.

Kotak Standard Multicap Fund Renamed as Kotak Flexicap Fund

Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited (KMAMC) announced that Kotak Standard
Multicap Fund is being renamed as Kotak Flexicap [Link] is in line with the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI)’s Modification in Multi-Cap Mutual Funds Category, where multicap funds are
required to invest at least 25% of their corpus in large, mid and small cap stocks each.

SEBI to introduce Pre-Expiry Margins to Curb Negative Price Scenarios

In order to strengthen the risk management framework, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
will introduce pre-expiry margins on cash settled contracts with effect from April 1, 2021. Under these
underlying commodities are deemed to be susceptible to possible near zero or negative [Link]
margins will be levied during the last five trading days prior to expiry date, wherein they will increase
by 5% every [Link] will be applicable on certain commodities under the Alternate Risk Management
Framework (ARMF).

ICICI Bank in Partnership with GCC and CSCL Launched ‘Namma Chennai Smart Card’
ICICI Bank in partnership with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Smart City Limited
(CSCL) launched ‘Namma Chennai Smart Card’, a Common Payment Card System (CPCS). The Rupay
powered co-branded, contactless prepaid card was unveiled by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister(CM)
Edappadi K. [Link] aims to enable residents of Chennai, Tamil Nadu to make seamless
payments for various services within the city.

Social Alpha and SIDBI Partnered to Set up 1st of its Kind Swavalamban Divyangjan ATMA Fund
Social Alpha, a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform has partnered with
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to set up the Swavalamban Divyangjan Assistive
Tech Market Access (ATMA) fund, a Social Impact fund.
It is a first of its kind inclusion fund that offers financial grants to Social Alpha-incubated startups that
work in the Assistive Technology(AT) sector.

Exim Bank to Support Construction of Social Housing Units in Maldives Through USD 130
Million Funding
Export-Import Bank of India headquarters at Mumbai, Maharashtra is set to support the construction of
social housing units in Maldives, through its USD 130 million loan to Fahi Dhiriulhan Corporation
Limited. The funding is set to be provided through the credit programme of the buyer under the
National Export Insurance Account (NEIA Scheme).The project is proposed to be executed by the NBCC
(India) limited (formerly National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited).

Exim Banks Extended LOC of USD 7.35 Million to Republic of Nicaragua

The Export-Import Bank of India(Exim Bank), on behalf of the Government of India, extended Line of
Credit(LOC) of USD 7.35 million(about 54 crore) to the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua for to
replace and supply equipment of the High Technology Centre of Hospital Antonio Lenin Fonseca at
Managua, Nicaragua.

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FINANCE NEWS
IRDAI Releases Guidelines on Standard Vector Borne Disease Health Policy
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) issued guidelines on Standard
Vector Borne Disease Health Policy to encourage all general and health insurers to offer this product.
They can offer this product by 1st April, 2021. The product will offer a policy tenure of a year (12
Months). The nomenclature of the product should be in the name of the insurance company followed by
“Mashak Rakshak”…Click here for more detail

Bharti AXA General Insurance Launches ‘Salute to Caregivers – Ek Naya Nazariya Campaign’ for
Cancer Survivors
Bharti AXA General Insurance has launched ‘Salute to Caregivers – Ek Naya Nazariya Campaign’ to
support the cancer survivors in the battle against [Link] commemorate the World Cancer
Day(February 4, 2021) Bharti AXA General Insurance has collaborated with poetess Priya Malik, who
wrote a poem on the Campaign & she also expressed her experience as a [Link] of the
Campaign– ‘Iss Jung Mein Hum Sang Hai’.

AGSTTL & Mastercard Partnered to Introduce 1st-Ever ‘Contactless’ Cash Withdrawals on

ATMs in India
On February 9, 2021 AGS Transact Technologies Ltd (AGSTTL) entered into partnership with
Mastercard to introduce First-Ever ‘Contactless’ Cash Withdrawals on Automated Teller
Machines(ATMs) in India. The partnership enables the Mastercard cardholders to withdraw cash at
ATMs by scanning the Quick Response(QR) code that is displayed on the ATM screen. The Cardless ATM
is powered by Mastercard’.

IRDAI panel okays the launch of Index-Linked Insurance Policies

The Working Group Committee (WGC) set up by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
of India (IRDAI) has recommended the introduction of index-linked insurance policies (Ilips). The
report is opened for comments till March 8, 2021. The committee has been formed in August 2020
under Dinesh Pant.

Bharti AXA General Insurance Introduced Health AdvantEDGE, an Innovative Health Insurance
Plan
Bharti AXA General Insurance introduced Health AdvantEDGE, an innovative health insurance plan. It is
specifically designed to cater the healthcare and wellness needs of customers. The insurer has launched
the Bharti AXA Wellness Cuppa portal for its customers to boost customer engagement and experience.

Star Health and Allied Insurance Launched its Arogya Sanjeevani Policy on PhonePe
On February 12, 2021 Star Health & Allied Insurance Co. Ltd launched its Arogya Sanjeevani policy on
PhonePe. This launch enables all the users of PhonePe to protect their families from financial burdens
in case of any medical emergency. This policy has been designed to cover the most necessary aspects of
any kind of hospitalization in the family.

ESFBL Partnered with MSRDC & Ocean Highway Facilities and Solutions to Launch India’s 1st
FASTag Powered Truck Terminal
On February 12, 2021 Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd (ESFBL) headquarters at Chennai, Tamil Nadu
has partnered with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC) and Ocean
Highway Facilities and Solutions Pvt Ltd. to launch India’s first FASTag powered truck terminal at
Khalapur, Maharashtra on the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai – Pune Expressway.

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ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Launched a New Savings Product, ‘ICICI Pru Guaranteed Income
for Tomorrow’ (GIFT)
On February 9, 2021 ICICI Prudential Life Insurance launched a new goal-based savings product ‘ICICI
Pru Guaranteed Income for Tomorrow’ (GIFT). The non-participating savings product helps customers
to eliminate the uncertainty of future income streams to a large extent. It also provides financial
security to the family.

Mastercard Launched “Priceless™ India”

On 11th February 2021, Mastercard launched its Flagship ‘Priceless’ program – “Priceless India”.
The Priceless India will enable the Mastercard holders both domestic and global travellers to get
exclusive access to various experiences in the iconic cities of India. The program will be executed in
2 phases:
i) Mastercard will launch 16 short films which showcase the unique aspects of the iconic cities.
ii) The card holders can get the experiences in real time through selected packages over online.

Kerala Financial Corporation Becomes 1st Govt Financial Institution in Kerala to Launch Debit
Card
Kerala Financial Corporation(KFC) announced that it will introduce its own debit card. KFC
becomes the 1st government financial institution in Kerala to launch debit card. This 5 year Rupay
platinum card will be co-branded in association with public sector [Link] card will be issued in
accordance with the guidelines of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Mastercard and Razorpay partner to make digital payments more accessible for MSMEs and
startups
Mastercard and Razorpay have joined hands to empower Indian micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) and startups especially in tier 2 and 3 cities in digitising their operations,
maintaining business continuity in the challenging environment, and preparing them for cashless
[Link] should be noted that Razorpay is India’s youngest unicorn (Company valuation exceeds $1
billion).

Flipkart Partners with ICICI Lombard to Offer Group SafeGuard Insurance

Flipkart partnered with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd to offer Group SafeGuard
insurance, a group insurance policy to its consumers and their [Link] this partnership
Flipkart consumers will get Hospicash benefit under Group SafeGuard [Link] benefit helps
consumers to get a fixed daily amount for their hospitalisation, enabling them to pay for incidental
medical or emergency expenses.

LIC of India launches Individual Savings Plan, ‘Bima Jyoti’ Plan

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India launched a new Individual Savings Plan, ‘Bima Jyoti’ Plan (Plan
No. 860),will be effective from February 22, 2021. It is a Non-linked, Non-Participating, Individual,
Limited Premium Payment, Life Insurance Savings Plan which offers a Guaranteed addition at a rate of
5% (i.e at a rate of INR 50 per thousand or INR 5 per 100) Basic Sum Assured at the end of each policy
year throughout the policy term.

IRDAI Issues Guidelines on Standard Personal Accident Insurance Product

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) issued guidelines on Standard
Personal Accident Insurance Product named ‘Saral Suraksha Bima’, succeeded by name of insurance
company under the provisions of Section 34 (1) (a) of Insurance Act, [Link] has directed all the

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general and Health Insurers to offer this product from April 1, 2021. The product can be offered as a
group product.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

GDP & GROWTH RATE
ORGANIZATION YEAR RATE
Moody’s FY 22 ~17%
On February 3, 2021 Moody’s in its report titled
‘Government Policy – India: Budget provides broad support;
fiscal consolidation prospects still weak’ has increased
India’s nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at
~17% for FY 22 from earlier 14.3%. The projection has been
made on the basis of a ‘pro-growth’ budget. This forecast is
higher than 14.4% estimated in the Union Budget 2021-22.
Ecowrap report of the FY 21 Contract by 7%(-7%)
State Bank of India (SBI) On February 10, 2021 Ecowrap report of the State Bank of
India (SBI) has estimated that India’s Gross domestic
Product(GDP) for FY 21 will contract by 7%(-7%) from -
7.4% projected earlier. The GDP growth in FY22 will remain
at 11%.
India Ratings and FY22 10.4%
Research (Ind-Ra)Ltd On February 10, 2021 India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra)
Ltd estimated that India’s real Gross Domestic Product(GDP)
will bounce back to 10.4% in FY22, primarily based on the
base effect. The GDP growth of Q1 to Q3 of FY 21 was
negative, the agency expects that the growth will be positive
in Q4 at 0.3% .Earlier, Ind-Ra had projected the GDP for FY
21 as -7.8%.
Nomura FY22 13.5%
In accordance with Nomura, India’s GDP will grow at
13.5% in FY22 as Nomura India Business Resumption
Index (NIBRI) increased to 98.1 for the week ending
February 14, 2021 from 95.9% in the preceding week. The
real GDP to contract by 6.7% in FY21 and grow by 13.5%
in FY22. On the other hand, India Ratings & Research (Ind-
Ra) projected aggregate fiscal deficit of States for FY22 at
4.3% of GDP compared to 4.6 %(Revised) in FY21. In this
regard, the agency has revised the outlook on State
finances for FY22 from stable to negative.
Moody’s FY 22 13.7%
Moody’s projected India’s growth at 13.7% for FY 22. Earlier
it was estimated at 10.8%.The revision has been made due to
normalisation of activity and growing market confidence in
the market with the introduction of COVID-19
[Link]’s also projected that Indian economy will
contract by 7%(-7%) in FY21, which is lower than the
previous estimate of -10.6%.ICRA Limited (formerly

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Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency) expects
the Indian economy to contract by 7%(-7%) in FY 21. The
growth will be rebounded to 10.5% in FY 22.

BUSINESS NEWS
Reliance Jio Becomes World’s 5th Strongest Brand: Brand Finance’s Global 500 2021
As per the Global 500 2021, an annual report on the most valuable and strongest global brands of Brand
Finance, Reliance Jio has been ranked in 5th position as world’s strongest brand with a Brand Strength
Index (BSI) score of 91.7 out of 100 and AAA+ brand strength rating. Reliance Jio enters the ranking for
the 1st time. The list is topped by WeChat followed by Ferrari. Russian bank Sber is spotted in 3rd rank.
• In the list of Top 500 most valuable global brands, Apple is ranked 1st. Among the Indian brands
Tata Group(77th rank) topped in the 500 Most Valuable Global Brand 2021.
• In the list of top 100 CEOs in Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index 2021, Mastercard’s Ajay
Banga secures the 1st [Link] India, 5th rank- Rajesh Gopinathan(TCS).

PFC raises USD 500 Million: Largest Tenor Bond Issuance from India in 2021
Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has successfully raised USD 500 Million through issuance of USD
Denominated Bonds under ‘Reg S route’. The Bonds have a Fixed Coupon of 3.35% and will mature on
May 16, 2031 making it the Longest Tenor Bond Issuance from India since the start of 2021.

RIL Gets world’s 1st Carbon-Neutral Oil from Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, US
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has received 2 million barrels cargo of ‘carbon-neutral oil’ from Oxy
Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV), a division of US oil major Occidental on January 28, 2021 at Jamnagar,
Gujarat. It is the world’s 1st consignment of carbon-neutral oil and is also the energy industry’s 1st
major petroleum [Link] to become a net zero-carbon company by 2035.

MoU’s & AGREEMENTS

MoU’s BETWEEN COUNTRY
COUNTRIES MoU’s WITH FIELD / PURPOSE
Spear UAV of Paras Aerospace of During the Aero India Show 2021, Spear UAV of Israel & Paras
Israel India Aerospace of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
to introduce ‘Ninox 40’ Micro-tactical UAV System (Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle) into the Indian market. Ninox 40 drone system consists of a
Drone & a control unit and is intended for use by Military Forces,
Paramilitary, Internal Security & Law Enforcement agencies. It has
been designed especially for single-user operations.
India Afghanistan On February 9, 2021, the Central Government has laid the
foundation of 2nd dam i.e. Lalandar [Shatoot] Dam, to be built by
India in Afghanistan, by signing the virtual Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between both nations. It will be constructed
on the Kabul river basin which is one of the five river basins of
Afghanistan. This project is partially funded by India and is a part of
Indo-Afghan New Development Partnership.
India Australia On February 17, 2021, Australian Space Agency & Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) signed an Amendment of the ‘2012
India – Australia Inter-Governmental MoU for cooperation in Civil
Space Science, Technology and Education’ for enhancing

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cooperation between the two countries in Civil Space
[Link] Agreement for Amendment is signed by Dr. K.
Sivan, Chairman, ISRO/ Secretary, Department of Space & Mr.
Enrico Palermo, Head, Australian Space Agency during the Virtual
meeting.
India Nepal For Reconstruction of 6 Secondary Schools in Nepal at a cost
of Nepali Rupees 518 Million (NPR) (~ INR 32.63 crore).The MoU
was signed by Indian Embassy & Nepal’s Central Level Project
Implementation Unit (Education) of Nepal Reconstruction
Authority (NRA). Central Building Research Institute (CBRI),
Roorkee, a leading institute in India in the field of earthquake-
resilient reconstruction will provide technical assistance for
construction of these schools.

MoU’s WITH STATES

STATE MoU’s WITH FIELD / PURPOSE
Goa Confederation of Indian State government of Goa signed an Memorandum of
Industries (CII) 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.
Meghalaya Police State Bank of India (SBI) For implementation of e-Challan in the jurisdiction of
Shillong Traffic Police (STP).e-Challan system is a digital
traffic enforcement solution through which penalties for
violators of traffic rules & generation of challans will be
carried out digitally.
Uttarakhand National Council of For the establishment of INR 173 Crore Science City in
State Council for Science Museums Jhajhra area of Dehradun to advance the Scientific Culture of
Science & (NCSM) India. The Central Government will provide INR 88 Crore for
Technology the project whereas Uttarakhand Government will provide
(UCOST) INR 85 Crore for the project which will take 4 years to
complete.
Maharashtra Flipkart Flipkart signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development
Corporation (MSSIDC) and Maharashtra State Khadi &
Village Industries Board (MSKVIB) to bring Maharashtra’s
artisans, weavers, craftsmen and Small and medium-size
Businesses (SMBs) of the state into the e-commerce strata.
The MoU is signed under the Flipkart Samarth initiative.
Haryana’s MSME 3 e-commerce firms Haryana’s MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises)
Department signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with 3 e-commerce firms namely ‘eBay’, ‘Power2SME’ &
‘[Link]’ to enable Global reach for the products
manufactured by Haryana’s MSMEs. It will help artisans
producing traditional products to get fair prices for their
crafts.

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Bihar State United Nations Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) signed a
Pollution Control Environment Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with United Nations
Board (BSPCB) Programme (UNEP) Environment Programme (UNEP) to develop a framework
for achieving climate resilience & low-carbon development
in the state by 2040. Bihar became the 1st Indian State to
sign such an agreement. The agreement was signed by Atul
Bagai, UNEP India head & S Chandrasekar, Member Secretary
of the BSPCB.
Karnataka IETO On February 9, 2021 The Indian Economic Trade
Organization (IETO) and the Government of Karnataka
signed MoU at Bengaluru, Karnataka to implement the
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) more effectively in
the state and to expand the scope of the sustainable
future. This partnership will improve Karnataka’s ranking
at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Uttar Pradesh IKEA Government of Uttar Pradesh(UP) signed a Memorandum
of Understanding with IKEA, a Swedish furniture and
home applications company, which is set to invest
Rs.5500 crore in the state during the next 5 years. The
MoU was virtually signed in the Presence of Yogi
Adityanath, the Chief Minister of UP. IKEA will pay Rs 850
crores for the purchase of the land which will generate a
revenue of Rs.56 crore in the form of Stamp [Link]
outlet will commence its operations by 2025.
WE Hub JKEDI WE Hub(Women Entrepreneurship Hub), India’s first and
only state-led incubator of the government of Telangana
for women entrepreneur and Jammu and Kashmir
Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) virtually
signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to boost
the entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem in Telangana
and Jammu and Kashmir(J&K).
JMC IPCA & UNDP Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has signed 2
Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with 2 recyclers
namely United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) &
Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA) to make Jammu
[Link] entities have the fundamental basis of door-
to-door garbage collection in Jammu.
Andhra Pradesh SIDBI Small Industries Development Bank of India(SIDBI), signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government
of Andhra Pradesh(AP) to develop the micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSME) ecosystem in [Link] MoU was
signed by JVN Subramanyam, director of industries,
commerce and export promotion, Andhra Pradesh and
Sanjay Jain, general manager, regional head, SIDBI,
Hyderabad.

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MoU’s BETWEEN ORGANIZATION
ORGANIZATION MoU’s WITH FIELD / PURPOSE
Skyroot Aerospace ISRO Skyroot Aerospace has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement
(NDA) with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on
behalf of Department of Space (DoS), through which Skyroot
Aerospace can use the facilities & technical expertise in ISRO
centers for development of their Launch Vehicle Development
Program.
Department of CE Info Systems Pvt Department of Space (DoS) & CE Info Systems Pvt Ltd (owned
Space (DoS) Ltd by MapmyIndia) entered into a MoU. According to the
agreement, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) &
MapmyIndia will partner to build an Indigenous, mapping
portal and geospatial services which could become an
alternative to GoogleMaps & GoogleEarth services.
MapmyIndia’s digital maps and ISRO’s catalogue of satellite
imagery and earth observation data will be utilized to build the
indigenous portal.
ARAI AIM Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) signed a
statement of intent (SOI) with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
the flagship initiative of NITI Aayog to boost the start-up
ecosystem in the mobility sector. ARAI and AIM will collaborate
under the Atal New India Challenge(ANIC) for the development
of the technologies. The objective of the partnership includes,
to create mobility, electric mobility, transportation, sustainable
development goats and digital infrastructure in cities and
villages across India.
IIT-BHU MoRTH Indian Institute of Technology – Banaras Hindu University (IIT-
BHU) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) as a move
to up-grade road construction in India, through scientific
research. In November 2020, Ministry of Education requested
all technical institutions in the country (including IITs & NITs)
to provide technical supports to upgrade stretches of National
Highways on voluntary basis.
BEML CSIR-NAL During the Aero India 2021 show being held at Yelahanka Air
Force Base, Bengaluru, Karnataka, BEML Ltd (previously
Bharat Earth Movers Limited) signed a MoU with CSIR-NAL
(Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National
Aerospace Laboratory) for development of two-seater trainer
aircraft through technology transfer. The MoU was exchanged
between A K Srivastav, Director Defence and Aerospace, BEML
& R Venkatesh, Director, Business Development of NAL.
IIT Kharagpur NIUA Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Kharagpur signed a
Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the National
Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for ‘Building Accessible Safe
and Inclusive Indian Cities (BASIIC) to develop a framework for
universal city planning for accessible, safe and inclusive cities
in India to benefit all sections of the society including the
disabled and elderly persons.

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GRSE Seychelles Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has signed
a contract with Seychelles for delivering 1 Fast Patrol Vessel
(FPV) called ‘Zoroaster’ to the Seychelles Coast
Guard.“Zoroaster” will be a powerful, fuel-efficient platform
which will be capable of performing operations like Patrolling,
anti-smuggling, anti-poaching & search and rescue
[Link] overall design of the FPV was developed
indigenously by GRSE.
MoHUA Zomato Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Zomato to onboard
street food vendors on its food-tech platform. This is part of
Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM
SVANidhi) [Link] launched the Mobile Application for
PMSVANidhi se Samriddhi. This is an additional component of
the scheme. In a first of its kind initiative, MoHUA signed a
MoU with Swiggy on October 5, 2020 to take street food
business online under PM SVANIDHI.
Triton Electric Bharat Electronics To develop Electric Vehicles(EVs) and Energy Storage
Vehicle Limited (BEL) Systems(ESS). Through this partnership, both parties aim to
create an innovative product that will transform the Indian EV
and ESS segment. Recently, Triton has made the announcement
to launch electric sedan N4 for the Indian market. The base
model is priced at Rs 35 lakhs.
Bharat Electronics Ministry of Defence On February 8, 2021, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the
Limited (BEL) (MoD) Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Electronics
Limited (BEL) have signed a contract for procurement of
Software Defined Radio Tactical (SDR-Tac) worth over Rs
1,000 crore in New Delhi. As per the contract, the delivery will
take place within 3 years.
DRDO Indian Institute of On 8th February 2021, the Defence Research and Development
Science(IISc) Organisation (DRDO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Indian Institute of Science(IISc) to create Joint
Advanced Technology Program- Center of Excellence(JATP-
CoE) in the premises of IISc.
IEPF Authority IGNOU Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPF
Authority), Ministry of Corporate Affairs signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indira Gandhi
National Open University (IGNOU) for collaboration in using
the Tele-Lecturing Facility of Gyan Darshan Channel (EMPC –
Electronic Media Production Centre) for telecast of Investor
Awareness Programmes (IAPs) through distance learning
mode.
IIT Delhi Indian Navy On February 10, 2021 Indian Navy and Indian Institute of
Technology(IIT) Delhi signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) to further their relationship on research
in the underwater domain of Naval Electronic Systems. Since
1970s the Centre for Applied Research in Electronics (CARE) at
IIT Delhi has been developing key technologies for Navy in the
field of underwater electronics.

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GE Power Garden Reach To act as partners on propulsion system [Link] MoU is
Conversion Shipbuilders & on the lines of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” making India self-
Engineers (GRSE) reliant as it will bring global technology, expertise, and
design capabilities together.
EOGEPL IIT (Indian School Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL),
of Mines-ISM) India’s leading Coal Bed Methane (CBM) gas producer has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT
(Indian School of Mines-ISM), Dhanbad (Jharkhand) for
collaboration. Through this MoU both entities will work
together on research and development of various advanced
Coal Bed Methane (CBM) technological innovations. EOGEPL
is an investee company of Ruia-family owned Essar Global
Fund Ltd (EGFL) producing over 1 million standard cubic
meters per day of gas.
Indian Oil Greenstat Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) signed a Statement of Intent
Corporation (IOC) Hydrogen India (SoI) with Greenstat Hydrogen India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of
Pvt. Ltd. Greenstat Norway for setting up a Centre of Excellence on
Hydrogen (CoE-H) including CCUS and Fuel [Link] will be
set up through Indo-Norwegian Hydrogen Cluster
companies/organizations which will facilitate the transfer
and sharing of technology, know-how and experience for
R&D (Research & Development) projects in Green and Blue
Hydrogen.
Amazon India Directorate To provide work opportunities to ex-service personnel of
General the armed force(Army, Air force, Navy,) and their families
Resettlement(DGR) across its network in [Link] in line with the global vision
of Amazon to hire 25,000 military veterans by 2025. The
partnership further expands the Military Veterans
Employment program of Amazon India.
Council of Scientific Bill & Melinda For supporting development, conduct & promotion of health
& Industrial Gates Foundation research in [Link] Focus of the agreement will be on
Research (CSIR) (BMGF) developing & testing new preventions, therapies and
interventions for solving major health concerns which affect
India & other developing countries.
MCEME OFMK Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering
(MCEME), Secunderabad, Telangana signed an Academic
and Technical Linkage Agreement with Ordnance Factory,
Medak (OFMK) district, Andhra Pradesh for designing an
indigenous Armoured Tracked Repair Vehicle
(ATRV).Lieutenant General TSA Narayanan, AVSM (Ati
Vishisht Seva Medal), Commandant MCEME & Mr Alok
Prasad, General Manager, OFMK were present during the
event.
HCL Technologies IIT – Kanpur On 15th February 2021, the HCL Technologies (HCL) signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian
Institute of Technology – Kanpur (IIT – K) to collaborate in
the field of [Link] will also work with the
C3iHub, a specialised cyber security research centre of IIT-K.

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Coal India CRIS Coal India Limited(CIL), Kolkata based public sector coal
Limited(CIL) mining and reigning company signed a MoU with the Centre for
Railway Information Systems (CRIS), under the Ministry of
Railways for fast and customised automated access to coal
freight data through Freight Operation Information
System(FOIS). This is the first of its kind data sharing which
will support CIL to rationalise the coal supply matriz through
rail mode.
TERI POSOCO Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi signed a
MoU with Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO),
New Delhi for promoting research in the domestic power
sector. The entities will work towards addressing the
challenges of the Power Sector. Aims to enhance the interaction
between the industry-research bodies for knowledge sharing
and capacity building through collaboration.
MPEDA NCDC Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA),
under the Ministry of commerce and Industry, signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National
Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to coordinate
their programs in export-oriented captures and culture of
fisheries and allied sectors to bring better value to the
stakeholders. K S Srinivas, Chairman of MPEDA and Sundeep
Kumar Nayak, Managing Director of NCDC, signed the MoU in
Kochi, Kerala.
Ministry of CBIC Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA) and Central Board of
Corporate Affairs Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), under the Department of
Revenue, Ministry of Finance signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) for data exchange between the two
[Link] MoU was signed by Manoj Pandey, Joint
Secretary, MCA, and B. B. Gupta, ADG, [Link] MoU will ease
the sharing of data and information between MCA and CBIC on
an automatic and regular basis for enhancing the ease of doing
business in India.
IWAI MOL (Asia Oceania) On February 25, 2021 The Inland Waterways Authority of
Pte. Ltd India(IWAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
with MOL (Asia Oceania) Pte. Ltd to transport Liquified Natural
Gas(LPG) through barges on National Waterways-1 and
National [Link] MoU was signed in presence of
Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of State (MoS)
(Independent Charge) of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
National Health CSCs The National Health Authority (NHA) has signed Memorandum
Authority of Understanding(MoU) with Common Service Centres (CSCs)
under the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology(MeitY) to generate new Polyvinyl
Chloride(PVC)beneficiary cards called ‘Ayushman cards’ under
the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-
PMJAY). This enables the eligible beneficiaries under PM-JAY to
avail their entitlement cards free of cost.

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OTHER MoU’S IN CONTENT FORMAT
Ladakh UT, LAHDC & ONGC Energy Centre sign Tripartite Agreement to establish India’s 1st
Ever Geothermal Project
Union Territory (UT) Administration of Ladakh, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council
(LAHDC)-Leh and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Energy Centre have signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) to establish India’s 1st ever Geothermal Field Development Project in Puga
Village of Eastern Ladakh (UT Ladakh). ONGC Energy Centre will be the implementing agency of the
project.

Siemens Ltd signs 2 separate MoUs with IISc, CMTI to set up 1st of its kind Digital
Transformation labs
On February 8, 2021, Siemens Ltd (India) signed 2 separate Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs)
with Smart Factory, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru & Smart Manufacturing Demo and
Development Cell (SMDDC) at Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), Bengaluru for the
establishment of 1st of its kind Digital Transformation labs. The Agreements were signed for a period of
3 years.

GSL signs MoU with various Industry Partners to expand its capacity
During the 13th Edition of Aero India Show 2021, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) signed 5 Memorandum of
Understandings (MoUs) & Agreements with various Industry partners to expand its capacity for
Indigenous shipbuilding, ship repair and [Link] has signed MoUs with Hindustan Shipyard Ltd
(HSL), SeaTech (Singapore), and with Industry representatives of Bangladesh.

AYUSH Ministry & WHO SEARO signed LoE to Depute AYUSH Expert for WHO’s Traditional
Medicine Programme
Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) and the
World Health Organization South East Regional Office (WHO SEARO) signed a letter of exchange
(LoE) for deputation of an AYUSH expert to WHO’s regional traditional medicine programme in
New Delhi. LoE was signed by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush and Dr Poonam
Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

APPOINTMENTS
NATIONAL
PERSON NAME APPOINTED ENTITY / PLACE KEY NOTES
AS
Rama Mohan Rao MD & CEO SBI Cards and On January 30, 2021 Rama Mohan Rao
Amara Payment Services Amara took charge as the Managing
Ltd Director(MD) and Chief Executive
Officer(CEO) of SBI Cards and Payment
Services Ltd for a period of 2 years. He
succeeds Ashwini Kumar Tewari, who was
appointed as one of the 4 Managing
Directors(MDs) of State Bank of India (SBI).

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Ram Sewak Sharma CEO National Health On February 1st, 2021 Ram Sewak
Authority (NHA) of Sharma(R.S. Sharma), former Chairman of
India Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) took charge as the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the National Health
Authority (NHA) of India. R.S. Sharma
replaced the outgoing CEO Indu Bhushan.
NHA, an autonomous body is responsible
for implementing Ayushman-Bharat
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-
PMJAY).
Andy Jassy CEO Amazon On 2nd February 2021, Jeff Bezos, the
Founder and CEO of Amazon, will step
down as the CEO of Amazon in the third
quarter October 2021 and Andy Jassy, the
lead of Amazon Web Services(AWS), the
cloud computing unit of Amazon will take
over as the New [Link] Bezos will be
taking up the role of executive chair of the
Amazon’s Board of Directors.
Ajay Singh President Boxing Federation Ajay Singh has been re-elected as the
of India(BFI) president of Boxing Federation of
India(BFI) for the second term after
securing 37 votes in the general elections
held on February 3, 2021 at
Gurugram(Gurgaon), Haryana. Hemanta
Kumar Kalita was elected as the secretary
and Digvijay Singh as treasurer.
SN Subrahmanyan Chairman National Safety Ministry of Labour and Employment has
Council(NSC) appointed SN Subrahmanyan, the CEO and
Managing Director(MD) of Larsen & Toubro
Limited (L&T Ltd) as the new Chairman of
National Safety Council(NSC).He will be
holding the position for a period of 3 years.
Satish Reddy was the last chairman of the
NSC who served from 2015 to 2018.
Sridhar Vembu Member National Security Padma Shri Sridhar Vembu, founder & Chief
Advisory Executive Officer(CEO) of Zoho has been
Board(NSAB) appointed to the National Security Advisory
Board(NSAB). Generally, members of NSAB
have a 2-year term. National Security
Advisor (NSA) heads the NSAB. Currently,
Ajit Doval is the NSA.
Rajeev Ranjan Chief Secretary Tamil Nadu On 31st January 2021, Rajeev Ranjan, a
senior IAS officer of 1985 batch Tamil Nadu
cadre was appointed as the Chief Secretary
of Tamil Nadu following the retirement of
the incumbent K [Link] took
charge as the new Chief Secretary on 1st
February 2021 .Rajeev Ranjan was serving

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as the Union secretary for fisheries, animal
husbandry and dairy development in New
Delhi. He will attain his superannuation on
30th September 2021.
Praveen Sinha Acting Chief CBI An Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has appointed Praveen Sinha, 1988 batch
IPS officer of Gujarat Cadre, currently
serving as the Additional Director of
Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI), as the
acting Chief of CBI. He succeeds Rishi
Kumar Sukla who retires on 3rd February
2021 after a 2-year stint.
Marc Llistosella CEO & MD Tata Motors Ltd Tata Motors Ltd appointed Marc Llistosella
as the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and
Managing Director(MD)of the company,
effective from July 2021. He succeeds
Guenter Butschek who served the position
since February 15, 2016. He served as the
President and CEO of Fuso Truck and Bus
Corporation between 2015-2018 and Head
of Daimler Trucks in Asia.
VP Joy Chief secretary Kerala The government of Kerala has decided to
appoint VP Joy the officer on special duty in
the rank of additional chief Secretary, as the
Chief secretary of Kerala following the
retirement of the incumbent Vishwas
Mehta on 28th February [Link] Joy will
take charge as the new Chief Secretary of
Kerala on 1st March 2021 and He will hold
the post till 30th June 2023, the date of his
superannuation.
Puligoru Venkata Chief Justice Manipur High On 12th February 2021, Ramnath Govind,
Sanjay Kumar Court President of India, appointed Justice
Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar, a judge of
the Punjab and Haryana High Court as the
chief justice of Manipur High Court.
Manipur Governor Dr. Najma A. Heptulla
administered the oath of office. Puligoru
Venkata Sanjay Kumar was also appointed
as an additional judge of Bombay High
[Link] notification of this appointment
was issued by the Ministry of Law and
Justice.
Dr A Sakthive President FIEO Federation of Indian Export Organisations
(FIEO) has unanimously elected Padma Shri
Dr A Sakthivel as its president. He is the
owner and Founder of Poppys Group of
Companies of Tirupur, Tamil Nadu and is
currently the Chairman of Apparel Export

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Promotion Council(AEPC). He succeeds
Sharad Kumar(S K) Saraf, a Mumbai-based
businessman.
Dushyant Chautala President TTFI Dushyant Chautala, the Deputy Chief
Minister of Haryana, was re-elected as the
President of Table Tennis Federation of
India (TTFI). He was unanimously elected
during the 84th Annual meeting of TTFI at
Panchkula, Haryana. He is the youngest
president of any National sports
federations in India.
Matam Venkata Rao MD & CEO Central Bank of Central Government has appointed Matam
India Venkata Rao, the Executive Director of
Canara Bank as the new Managing Director
and Chief Executive Officer of the Central
Bank of India for a period of 3 [Link]
replaces Pallav Mahaparta, the MD & CEO of
Central Bank of India who retires on 28th
February 2021.

INTERNATIONAL
PERSON NAME APPOINTED AS ENTITY / PLACE KEY NOTES
Jay Shah President Asian Cricket Jay Shah, secretary of Board of Control for
Council (ACC) Cricket in India(BCCI) was elected as new
President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) at
the Annual General Meeting of ACC which
was held virtually due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Jay Shah(32 years) is the
youngest administrator to be appointed as
the President of [Link] will succeed
Nazmul Hasan Papon, the Chief of
Bangladesh Cricket Board(BCB).
Mario Draghi Prime Minister Italy Mario Draghi,73-year-old former President
of the European Central Bank, has been
named the new Prime Minister of Italy. He
accepted the request of Sergio Mattarella,
President of Italy, to form a new
government. Mario Draghi will lead the
unity government replacing the centre left
coalition government of Former prime
minister Giuseppe Conte. He was formally
sworn in as the prime Minister of Italy on
13th February 2021.
Jean-Michel Prime Minister Congo Felix Tshisekedi, President of Democratic
Sama Lukonde Republic of the Congo named Jean-Michel
Kyenge Sama Lukonde Kyenge as the Prime
Minister(PM) of the country. He belongs
to the Future of Congo political party. He
succeeds Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, who

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resigned on January 28, 2021 after a no-
confidence vote in the [Link]
capital and currency are Kinshasa(largest
city of Congo) and Congolese franc.
Ngozi Okonjo- Director General World Trade Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria was
Iweala Organisation(WTO) appointed as the 7th Director General of
the World Trade Organisation(WTO),
multilateral trade [Link] will hold the
position from 1st March 2021 to 31st
August [Link] succeeds former
Director-General Roberto Azevêdo who
announced his retirement 1 year before
the expiry of his tenure. With this
appointment, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala
became the first woman and the first
African to head the WTO.
Preeti Sinha Executive UNCDF United Nations Capital Development Fund
Secretary (UNCDF) appointed Preeti Sinha, an
Investment and development Banker of
Indian Origin as the New Executive
Secretary of UNCDF. Sinha succeeds
Judith Karl, who retired in February
[Link] Sinha started her tenure on
15th February 2021.
Dr Ajay Mathur Director-General International Solar Dr Ajay Mathur has been named as the
Alliance (ISA) new Director-General of International
Solar Alliance (ISA) following his election
at the 1st special Assembly of ISA
members that was held virtually on
February 15, [Link] succeeds Upendra
Tripathy who was in the position since
ISA was founded in 2015.
Usha Rao- Under-Secretary- UNDP António Guterres, United Nations
Monari General and Secretary-General appointed Ms. Usha
Associate Rao-Monari of India as Under-Secretary-
Administrator General and Associate Administrator of
the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP).She succeeds Mourad
Wahba of Egypt, who served as the acting
associate administrator. He also serves as
the UNDP Regional Director for Arab
[Link] previous Associate
Administrator of UNDP was Tegegnework
Gettu.
Seiko President Tokyo Olympic Seiko Hashimoto, seven time Olympian
Hashimoto 2020 (speed skater and cyclist) who was
serving as the Minister for the Tokyo
Olympic and Paralympic Games became

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the president of the Tokyo 2020
Organising Committee of the Olympic and
Paralympic [Link] Hashimoto
resigned from the role of Minister of
Olympics as she takes over as the
president of 2020 Tokyo [Link]
succeeds Former chief Yoshiro Mori
following his resignation over the
condemned sexist remarks.
Woochong Um Managing Director Asian Development Woochong Um of Republic of Korea was
General Bank (ADB) appointed as the new Managing Director
General of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
He assumed office on 22nd February and
will be reporting to Masatsugu Asakawa,
President of ADB. He will assist the
President of ADB to institute the bank wide
coherence on various key initiatives and
issues.
Irakli Prime Minister Georgia Parliament of Georgia confirmed the
Garibashvili appointment of Defence Minister Irakli
Garibashvili (38 years old) of Georgian
Dream party, as the new Prime Minister of
Georgia. He took office immediately after
the [Link] was appointed as the PM
following the resignation of former PM
Giorgi Gakharia on 18th February 2021.
Mohamed President Niger Mohamed Bazoum, 61 years old, of Nigerien
Bazoum Party for Democracy and Socialism (Parti
Nigérien pour la Démocratie et le
SocialismeTarayya, PNDS Tarayya), the
ruling party of Niger was declared as the
winner of the parliamentary run off held on
21st February 2021. He won the election
with 55.75% of the vote cast against the
former President Mahamane Ousmane who
secured 44.25%.

BRAND & CAMPAIGN AMBASSADORS

PERSON NAME BRAND / CAMPAIGN KEY NOTES
Rana Daggubati Brand Ambassador CEAT Limited, a tyre company of RPG Enterprises
(Rama Prasad Goenka Group) has signed in Actor
Rana Daggubati as its brand ambassador to
promote the new ‘Puncture Safe’ range of bike
tyres. CEAT has launched ‘Puncture Safe’ range of
tyres in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Sachin Tendulkar Brand Ambassador Former Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar signed a
strategic partnership with Unacademy, India’s
largest online learning app to pick up small stakes in

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the platform and he also became its brand
ambassador. As a part of the partnership, Sachin will
host a series of live interactive classes which can be
accessed by the users of Unacademy at free of cost.
Natalia Vodianova Goodwill Ambassador United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA), the UN’s
sexual and reproductive health agency, has
appointed Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova as
its new Goodwill Ambassador to tackle stigma and
advance women’s health.
Deepika Padukone Brand Ambassador Levi’s, a premium American denim brand
announced Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone as
its Global Brand Ambassador. This strategic
partnership highlights the increasing focus of Levis
on women’s [Link] became the first
female celebrity to endorse the brand in [Link] a
part of this partnership, Deepika Padukone will
work on the new campaign of levis which is focused
on a new range of fashion fits from Levis.

RESIGNATIONS
PERSON NAME RESIGNED AS ENTITY / PLACE
Dr. Kiran Bedi Lieutenant-Governor On February 16, 2021 President of India, Ram
Nath Govind directed Dr. Kiran Bedi shall cease
to hold (Removed) the office of the Lieutenant-
Governor (LG) of Puducherry. While, Dr.
Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of
Telangana, was given additional charge as LG
of Puducherry. Her appointment is effective
from the date she assumes charge of her
[Link] Soundararajan is the fifth
woman to hold the post of Lt. Governor of
Puducherry and Chandrawati was the 1st LG of
Puducherry.
Giorgi Gakharia Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, PM of Georgia resigned due to
a disagreement with his own team over the
decision to arrest Nika Melia, chairman of the
United National Movement (UNM) opposition
party. He served as the Prime Minister since
September [Link] ruling party is expected
to nominate a new PM and cabinet members
for approval by Georgian President Salome
Zourabichvili shortly.
V Narayanasamy Chief Minister The notification of the Union Home ministry
stated that President Ram Nath Kovind has
accepted the resignation of V Narayanasamy,
Chief Minister of Puducherry and his council of
Ministers with effect from 22nd February 2021. V
Narayanasamy lost the majority in the 33-
member house after the resignation of 5

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Congress and 1 Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam(DMK) legislators in the past weeks.
Union cabinet approved to impose President Rule
in Puducherry after the BJP and its allies did not
stake a claim to form a Government in
Puducherry.

OTHER APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Centre reconstituted NITI Aayog governing council with PM as Chairperson
Central Government has reconstituted the governing council of the NITI (National Institution for
Transforming India) Aayog with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its [Link] full-time
members of the council will be the chief ministers of all states and those of the Union Territories (UTs)
of Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Puducherry. PM Narendra Modi also virtually chaired the 6th meeting
of NITI Aayog.

Recykal Becomes 1st member from India for WEF’s The Circulars Accelerator Programme 2021
Recykal has been selected as the 1st Indian company to be a cohort member for the World Economic
Forum(WEF)’s Circulars Accelerator Programme 2021. The company has been selected for the category
‘Recovering Value’. This is Circulars Accelerator’s 1st cohort of leading circular innovators from around
the [Link] 6-month program is headed by Accenture, in partnership with Anglo American, Ecolab
and Schneider Electric, and in collaboration with UpLink and the World Economic Forum(WEF).

Mohammad Younes Menfi Becomes Interim Head of Presidential Council of Libya & Abdul
Hamid Dbeibah as Interim PM of Libya
On February 5, 2021 UN-led Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) selected Mohammad Younes
Menfi as interim president of the 3-member Presidential Council of Libya and Abdul Hamid
Dbeibah as interim Prime Minister of the [Link] members of the Presidential council
include, Abdullah Al-Lafi and Mossa [Link] Hamid Dbeibah has to form his government in
21 days. He is the founder of Libya al-Mustakbal (Libya Future) Movement.

RBI Ropes in Punjabi Singer-Rapper Viruss to Drive its Public Awareness Campaign
RBI has roped in Punjabi Singer-Rapper Viruss to drive its public awareness campaigns on cyber frauds.
On February 19, 2021 RBI in its official twitter handle, launched the campaign, featuring Viruss. This is
part of its awareness campaign ‘RBI Kehta Hai’: Jaankar Baniye, Satark Rahiye!(RBI Says: Be
knowledgeable, Be cautious) that was launched in 2016 and has been running in social media accounts
on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube .

Former Union Minister Vijay Sampla Assumed Charge as Chairman of National Commission for
Scheduled Castes
Former Union Minister Vijay Sampla assumed charge as chairman of 6th National Commission for
Scheduled Castes(NCSC) in New Delhi, Delhi. He was appointed by President of India, Ram Nath
[Link] to him, Prof.(Dr.) Ram Shankar Katheria was the chairman of NCSC, whose term ended in
May 2020.

Anil Mukim Chief Secretary of Gujarat Gets 2nd 6 Months Extension

On 22nd February 2021, following the Central’s approval, the Government of Gujarat granted the 2nd
6months extension to Anil Mukim, IAS of 1985 batch, the Chief Secretary(CS) of Gujarat. He will serve as
the CS of Gujarat till August 2021. This extension comes into effect from 1st March 2021.

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AWARDS
AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICE, SCIENCE & BRAVERY
AWARD NAME AWARD WINNER FIELD KEY NOTES
SERB Women 4 Young Women Science and Science and Engineering Research
Excellence Award 2021 Awardees Engineering Board (SERB), a statutory body under
Department of Science and Technology
(DST) has conferred the ‘SERB Women
Excellence Award 2021’ to Four Young
Women Fellows of National Science
Academies for their excellence in
Science and Engineering. The awards
were announced on occasion of the
International Day of Women and Girls
in Science 2021 (11th February, 2021).
International Anti- Anjali Bharadwaj Social Activist On 23rd February 2021, the State
corruption Champions Department under the Biden
Award Administration has named Anjali
Bharadwaj, 48-year-old Indian Activist
working on issues of transparency and
accountability among the 12
individuals for the new International
Anti-corruption Champions Award.
She was an active member of the Right
to information movement in India for
around 20 years.

AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SPORTS

AWARD NAME AWARD WINNER FIELD KEY NOTES
ICC Men’s Player Rishabh Pant Cricket Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant won the
of the Month International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s
Award for Player of the Month award for January 2021
January 2021 and South African cricketer Shabnim Ismail
won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month
award for January 2021. This is the first edition
ICC Women’s Shabnim Ismail
of the ICC Player of the Month Awards. ICC
Player of the
introduced the awards in January 2021, where
Month Award for
The ICC Voting Academy that comprises former
January 2021
players, broadcasters, and journalism from
across the world and fans will vote to select the
winner of the award.

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OTHER IMPORTANT AWARDS
AWARD NAME AWARD WINNER FIELD KEY NOTES
‘Prani Mitra’ & 14 Individuals/ Animal Welfare and On February 16, 2021, AWBI (Animal
‘Jeev Daya’ Organizations/ Protection Welfare Board of India) conferred
Awards Corporates AWBI National Awards for Animal
Welfare and Protection – 2021 namely
‘Prani Mitra’ & ‘Jeev Daya’ awards to 14
Individuals/Organizations/Corporates.
The awards were presented by Giriraj
Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries,
Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Click here
Asia Wildlife Crime Innovation Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB),
Environmental Control Bureau under the Ministry of Environment,
Enforcement (WCCB) Forests and Climate Change(MoEF&CC),
Award 2020 Government of India was selected as
one of the winners of the 5th Asia
Environmental Enforcement Award,
2020 by the United Nations
Environment Programme(UNEP).
WCCB has won the award under the
Innovation [Link] was selected
as a winner for its contribution against
transboundary environmental crime.
This is the 2nd time WCCB received the
award in the same category. Earlier
WCCB had won the award in the year
2018.
SKOCH Chief YS Jagan Mohan Yearlong study on On 16th February 2021, YS Jagan
Minister of the Reddy the government Mohan Reddy, the Chief Ministerof
Year Award project- level Andhra Pradesh received the SKOCH
outcomes Challenger Award – Chief Minister of
the Year Award. The award of the
SKOCH Group was presented to him by
Sameer Kochhar, Chairman of SKOCH
Group at the Camp office of CM at
Tadepalli, Guntur, Andhra [Link]
SKOCH CM of the year Award was given
to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy based on the
yearlong study on the government
project- level outcomes across different
states of India.
Sanctuary S Theodore Wildlife S Theodore Baskaran, Conservation
Lifetime Service Baskaran Conservation writer, historian, naturalist and veteran
Award 2020 activist was honoured with the
Sanctuary Lifetime Service Award 2020
by the Sanctuary Nature Foundation.
The Sanctuary Wildlife Service Awards

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2020 were presented over a virtual
[Link] has been honoured for his
contribution towards wildlife
conservation and for his legacy of
writing in Tamil and English which
contributes towards the discussions on
conservation.
Best Tableau Uttar Pradesh Republic Day parade tableau of Uttar
Award Pradesh was adjudged as the best tableau
among the 32 tableaux that participated
in the Parade on 26th January 2021. The
theme of the UP tableau was “Ayodhya:
The cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh”.
- Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Youth
Affairs and Sport presented the awards
and prizes to the [Link] tableau
of the Department of Biotechnology won
the top honours among the 9 tableaus
from various ministries, departments,
paramilitary forces and Defence Ministry.
Award of Ministry of tribal Project Category On 12th February 2021, the Ministry of
Appreciation Affairs tribal Affairs won the Award of
Appreciation under Project Category
Award in the 18th Computer Society of
India (CSI) Special Interest Group on e-
Governance(SIGe-Gov) Awards 2020
for its Performance Dashboard
Empowering Tribals Transforming
India through various ICT initiatives.
Dr. Navaljit Kapoor, joint secretary of
the Ministry of tribal affairs received
the honours from Yogi Adityanath, Chief
Minister of Uttar Pradesh(UP) at the
event organised in Lucknow.

RECOGNITIONS
NAME RECOGNITION
Hyderabad (Telangana) Arbor Day Foundation and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations(UN) has recognised
Hyderabad (Telangana) as one of the ‘2020 Tree City of the World’ for
its contributions and commitment towards growing and maintaining
urban [Link] became the first and only city in India to be
recognised as the 2020 Tree City of the World.

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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS IN CONTENT FORMAT
10th National Awards for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals & Downstream Plastics
Processing Industry for FY19-20
Union Minister Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
(MoC&F) presented the 10th National Awards for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals and
Downstream Plastics Processing Industry for FY 2019-20 at Vigyan Bhavan in New [Link] of 273
nominations ,4 nominations have been selected as Winners and 09 nominations as [Link]
award is aimed at felicitating and recognizing the innovative efforts of renowned scientists, researchers
and industrialists in the broad areas of Polymer Science and Technologies…Click here for more detail

Team TRIFED led by MD Pravir Krishna bag 4 awards at World Leadership Congress & Awards
Team TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), the commercial
wing of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and its Managing Director, Pravir Krishna won Four Awards in the
19th Global Edition & 4th India Edition of World Leadership Congress and Awards. The Economic
Times presents ‘Business Leader of the Year’ took place in Mumbai, Maharashtra on February 17,
[Link] Awards are hosted by World Leadership Congress and Awards. TRIFED won the
Collective Award of Excellence in PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) for investment in start-ups
under the Organisational Award Category.
Pravir Krishna won 3 awards in the Individual Category for his leadership – ‘CEO of the year’,
‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ (both under ‘Business Leader of the Year’ category) & ‘Brand Builder of
the Year’ (under Health Category).

“Aatmanirbharta” named Oxford Hindi Word of 2020

Oxford Languages has named “Aatmanirbharta or Self-Reliance” as the Hindi Word of the year 2020
since it validated the day-to-day achievements of the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the
perils of a pandemic. The word was chosen by the advisory panel of language experts: Kritika Agrawal,
Poonam Nigam Sahay and Imogen Foxell.

SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE

SUMMITS
SUMMITS VENUE KEY POINTS
World Sustainable Virtual Mode On February 10-12, 2021, the 20th World Sustainable
Development Summit Development Summit (WSDS) 2021 was held on the
(WSDS) 2021 theme “Redefining our common future: Safe and secure
environment for all”. These three days long event was
virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The event was also attended by Union Minister
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA).
11th World PetroCoal New Delhi Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of
Congress 2021 and Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) addressed the
World Future Fuel Joint Conference of the 11th World PetroCoal Congress
Summit 2021 2021 and World Future Fuel Summit 2021 in New
Delhi. The 11th World PetroCoal Congress-
International Conference and Expo was organized by
Energy and Environment Foundation on the theme

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“Petroleum-Coal-Gas: Towards a Win-Win Strategy for
Producer and Consumer”. World Future Fuel Summit
and Expo 2021 was also organized by Energy and
Environment Foundation.
India Aircraft Leasing Vigyan Bhavan During the India Aircraft Leasing Summit-2021, Minister
Summit-2021 Convention Centre, of State (I/C) for Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri stated
New Delhi that India is set to emerge as World’s 3rd Biggest Civil
Aviation Market in overall terms by [Link] India
Aircraft Leasing Summit 2021 was held at Vigyan Bhavan
Convention Centre, New Delhi on February 26, [Link]
theme of the summit was ‘Rupee Raftaar’. Ministry of Civil
Aviation & IFSC (International Financial Services Centres)
Authority in collaboration with GIFT (Gujarat
International Finance Tec)- City & FICCI (Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry).

EVENTS
EVENTS VENUE KEY POINTS
Foreign Office Consultation Virtual Mode On 1st February 2021, the fourth Foreign Office
Consultation was held between India and Qatar over
a virtual platform to review the complete scope of
the bilateral relations, including political, energy,
trade, investments, Defence, food security, health
security, science and technology, consular,
community and cultural issues. Sanjay
Bhattacharyya, Secretary (Consular, Passport and
Visa and OIA), Ministry of External Affairs(MEA),
India led the Indian side and Dr. Ahmad Hassen Al-
Hammadi, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Qatar, led the Qatari side.
International Kolkata Book Fair West Bengal 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 [Link]
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.
High-Level Dialogue(HLD) on Virtual Mode On February 5, 2021 1st High-Level Dialogue(HLD)
India-European Union(EU) on India-European Union(EU) Bilateral Trade and
Bilateral Trade and Investment Investment Agreement (BTIA) 2021 Held virtually.
Agreement (BTIA) 2021 It was co-chaired by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of
Commerce and Industry and Valdis Dombrovskis,
EU Executive Vice-President & Trade
[Link] dialogue has been established as
an outcome of the 15th India-EU Leader’s Summit
held in July 2020, which aims to provide ministerial-

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level guidance on bilateral trade and investment
relations.
National Horticulture Fair Hesaraghatta, India’s largest horticulture event, five-days long
Bengaluru National Horticulture Fair was held on February 8-
12, 2021 at Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru on the theme
“Horticulture:For start-up and stand-up India”.It
was organized by Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Horticultural
Research (IIHR) in collaboration with, ICAR-ATARI,
Bengaluru, Society for Promotion of Horticulture,
Bengaluru, BESST-HORT Technology Business
Incubator, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, Sri Sri Institute of
Agricultural Sciences & Technology Trust,
Bengaluru and National Horticulture Board,
Gurugram.
NASSCOM Technology and Virtual Mode On February 17-19, 2021, a three-day 29th
Leadership Forum (NTLF) 2021 NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum
(NTLF) 2021 is being held virtually on the theme
“Shaping the future towards a better normal”. It is
organized by NASSCOM with Maharashtra
Government as a state partner and Microsoft as
Technology Partner. NASSCOM stands for
National Association of Software and Service
Companies. Its aim is to achieve three key
objectives:i)To celebrate technology which has
enhanced businesses during the [Link])To draw
a roadmap for building a better [Link])To bring
out the importance of trust and responsible tech
in this hyper virtual world.
Covid-19 Management: Virtual Mode India organized a virtual workshop on “Covid-19
Experience, good practices and Management: Experience, good practices and way
way forward forward” for health officials and experts from the
eight members of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Mauritius and
Seychelles. It was chaired by India’s health
secretary Rajesh [Link] Minister (PM),
Narendra Modi, addressed the workshop. While
addressing the workshop, PM proposed five
measures to cope with future medical
emergencies for the countries in South Asia and
the Indian Ocean region.
India-EU (European Union) Virtual Mode 11th India-EU (European Union) Macroeconomic
Macroeconomic dialogue dialogue was held virtually. Tarun Bajaj,
Secretary, Economic Affairs led the Indian
Delegation & Maarten Verwey, Director General,
Economic & Financial Affairs (ECFIN), European
Commission led the European Union
[Link] from Department of Economic
Affairs, Department of Revenue & Ministry of

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External Affairs. During the meeting, the two sides
expressed interest to sign Bilateral Cooperation
arrangements to boost bilateral trade. India &
European Union have been negotiating the
Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)
for many years, but have not yet arrived at a
mutual consensus on it.
India-Australia Circular Virtual Mode Valedictory session of India-Australia Circular
Economy (I-ACE) Hackathon, Economy (I-ACE) Hackathon, 2021 was held
2021 where PM Narendra Modi and his Australian
counterpart Scott Morrison have felicitated the
participants of I-ACE at a virtual award
[Link] I-ACE Hackathon was organized
jointly by Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog,
India and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia with the
aim of enabling students and start-ups/MSMEs
from both countries to present innovative
solutions for the development of a circular
economy across the food system value chain.
BioAsia 2021 Virtual Mode 18th Edition of BioAsia 2021 was conducted
virtually from Hyderabad during the dates of
February 22-23, 2021. Organized by the Telangana
Government, BioAsia is Asia’s Largest Life Sciences
& healthcare forum. It is also a flagship event of the
Telangana Government.
Theme – Move the [Link] is the 18th edition in
the annual series and was held virtually for the first
time. Click here

CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE VENUE KEY POINTS
India-Russia Military Bengaluru, 6th India-Russia Military Industrial Conference(IRMIC) was
Industrial Karnataka held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. On this occasion, Bharat
Conference(IRMIC) Electronics Limited (BEL) entered into an Offset Contract
under invest in kind with Rosoboronexport, a Joint Stock
Company(JSC) in Russia to set up industrial facilities to
manufacture a diverse range of aviation hoses at BEL
Optronic Devices Limited, Pune, a subsidiary of BEL.
International Kozhikode, The 2nd edition of International Conference on Gender
Conference on Gender Kerala Equality (ICGE II) was held at the Kozhikode, Kerala on
Equality (ICGE II) February 11-13, 2021. It was inaugurated by the Kerala
Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi [Link] conference was
hosted by the Gender Park in association with UN Women
on the theme “Gender in Sustainable Entrepreneurship
and Social Business: The Mediating Role of
Empowerment”. The conference was organized as the first
carbon neutral event in Kerala highlighting the state’s

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continued commitment to achieving SDG-objectives by
2030.

COMMITTEES & MEETINGS

COMMITTEES
COMMITTEE NAME COMMITTEE HEAD KEY NOTES
Expert panel TP Rajendran The government has appointed an expert panel to
review the objections of industry to the proposed
ban on 27 pesticides, that are mentioned as
harmful to animals and humans by the government.
The committee is headed by TP Rajendran, former
assistant director general of Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR).
14-member committee Janakiram Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
of India (IRDAI) has formed a 14-member
committee to review its information and cyber
security guidelines. The committee is headed by
Prof Janakiram, chairman of Institute for
Development and Research in Banking Technology
(IDRBT).A R Nithiyanantham, CGM-IT, IRDAI will
be a member convenor of the working group.

MEETINGS
MEETING NAME VENUE KEY POINTS
QUAD Ministerial meeting Virtual Mode The 3rd India-Australia-Japan-USA Quadrilateral
2021 Security Dialogue (QUAD) Ministerial meeting
2021 held virtually from Washington DC, United
States(US).The meeting was attended by Foreign
Ministers of Japan, India, Australia and the
US(QUAD) [Link] was the key focus
of the meet. The QUAD nations reaffirmed their
commitment to strengthen cooperation including
support for freedom of navigation and territorial
integrity.
ASEAN-India Tourism Minister Virtual Mode 8th ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian
Meeting 2021 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.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.
NCAVES India Forum-2021 Virtual Mode NCAVES (Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation
of the Ecosystem Services) India Forum-2021 was
organized by the Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation (MoSPI) through

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virtual mode on January 14, 21, 28, 2021. The
NCAVES project was initiated in 2017 by European
Union (EU). Spread the knowledge of
Environmental-Economic accounting for
Sustainable Economic Growth using the United
Nations’ System of Environmental-Economic
Accounting (SEEA) framework. Participating
Countries – India, Brazil, China, Mexico & South
Africa. MoSPI released ‘EnviStats India’ report
highlighting the efforts taken by it under the
NCAVES Project.
Joint Working Group Meeting Virtual Mode India & Kingdom of Bahrain held the 1st Joint
2021 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.
In July 2018, Both sides had signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) for boosting cooperation in
the field of Renewable Energy.
India-Singapore CEO forum Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce &
2021 Industry(FICCI) jointly with Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
organised 2nd Meeting of India-Singapore CEO
- forum [Link] Meeting was co-chaired by
Harshavardhan Neotia & Gautam [Link]
Goyal, Union Minister of Railways, Commerce &
Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public
Distribution delivered the keynote address at the
Meeting.
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, India hosted the meeting of BRICS (Brazil, Russia,
China, and South Africa) finance India, China, and South Africa) finance and central
and central bank deputies bank deputies. Notably it was the first meeting on
the BRICS Financial Cooperation under India
Chairship in [Link] was co-chaired by Economic
- Affairs Secretary Tarun Bajaj and RBI Deputy
Governor Michael Patra along with the participation
of BRICS countries’ finance and central bank
deputies. Theme for India’s Chairship: BRICS @ 15:
Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity,
Consolidation and [Link] 13th BRICS
Summit is going to be held under India’s Chairship
in 2021.
Sherpas Meeting Virtual Mode India virtually held the inaugural 3-day long Sherpas
meeting from February 24-26, 2021. This is the 1st
Sherpas meeting hosted by India after it assumed
the 2021 BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South
Africa) Chairship. India succeeds Russia as the Chair
of BRICS. The meeting was chaired by Sanjay

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Bhattacharyya, Secretary, CPV and OIA (Consular,
Passport & Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) & P
Harish, Additional Secretary, Economic Relations as
India’s BRICS Sherpa & Sous Sherpa. Theme for
India’s Chairship – ‘BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS
Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and
Consensus’.

INDEX
RANKING
INDEX / SURVEY RELEASED BY / KEY NOTES
NAME CONDUCTED BY
Democracy Index 2020 Economist Intelligence India => 53rd Rank with the score 6.61
Unit (EIU) According to the ‘Democracy Index 2020’ released by
the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), India with a
score of 6.61 slipped two places to 53rd Rank (out of
167 countries) in the Index due to decline in Civil
Liberties. Norway topped the index followed by
Iceland & [Link] least country placed in the
index is North [Link] was ranked 51st in 2019
Democracy Index.
Top 3 Country:
1. Norway with the score 9.81
2. Iceland with the score 9.37
3. Sweden with the score 9.26 Click here
International Economic PHD Chamber of India => 2nd Rank
Resilience (IER) Commerce and Industry According to the PHD Chamber of Commerce and
(PHDCCI) Industry (PHDCCI) International Economic
Resilience (IER) India is set to emerge as the 2nd
Most Resilience Economy in 2021 among top-10
leading economies showcasing the strong recovery
of Indian Economy in the Post COVID-19 era.
Germany took the top spot & South Korea took the
3rd spot It is based on 5 Macroeconomic indicators.
Top 3 Country:
1. Germany
2. India
3. South Korea Click here
COVID Performance Australia based Lowy India => 86th Rank
Index : Deconstructing Institute According to the ‘COVID Performance Index :
Pandemic Responses Deconstructing Pandemic Responses’ released by
Australia based Lowy Institute, India ranked at 86
out of 98 Countries with a score of 24.3 on basis of its
response towards tackling the Pandemic. New
Zealand topped the list followed by Vietnam &
Taiwan.
Top 3 Country:
1. New Zealand
2. Vietnam

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3. Taiwan Click here
Grant Thornton Confederation of Indian In accordance with the 7th edition of Grant
Bharat’s Britain Meets Industry (CII) and with Thornton Bharat’s Britain Meets India report, the
India report the support of the UK’s FDI inflow from the United Kingdom to India has
Department of increased from $898 million in 2015- 16 to $1,422
International Trade million in 2019-20. The report is prepared in
collaboration with the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) and with the support of the UK’s
Department of International [Link] should be
noted that Maharashtra is the top investment
destination for UK companies, followed by
Haryana, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and
Karnataka.
Top Investment destination for UK companies:
1. Maharashtra
2. Haryana
3. Delhi Click here

REPORTS
REPORT NAME SUBMITTED BY KEY NOTES
Ombudsman Schemes of the Reserve Bank of India Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the
Reserve Bank for the year 2019- (RBI) Annual Report of the “Ombudsman Schemes of
20 the Reserve Bank for the year 2019-20” i.e. the
period covering July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
Complaints received at Office of Banking
Ombudsman (OBO) recorded an increase of
57.54% Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) in FY19-20.
There were a total of 308,630 complaints in
the FY20 as against 195,901 in FY19.
Complaints against NBFCs increased by 387%.
IRDAI annual report 2019-20 IRDAI In accordance with the data by Insurance
Regulatory and Development Authority of
India’s (IRDAI) annual report 2019-20, the
claim settlement ratio of Life Insurance Corp.
of India (LIC) declined in FY20 to 96.6% from
97.7% in FY19. On the other hand, Private
Insurers has increased their settlement ratio
to 97.18% for FY20 from 96.6% in FY19. LIC
was ranked 17th among the 24 life insurers.
Corporate India Risk Index 2020 ICICI Lombard General ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd
Insurance Co. Ltd launched its 1st ‘Corporate India Risk Index
2020’.India’s Corporate India Risk Index
stands at [Link] HealthCare Sector topped
among the sectors with the highest score of
70, which indicates that it manages the risk
[Link] Corporate India Risk Index 2020 uses
a risk measurement tool that has been
developed by ICICI Lombard in partnership

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with Frost and Sullivan, a leading management
consulting firm.
All India Consumer Price Index National Statistical The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry
(CPI) for January 2021 Office (NSO) of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI) is released the All India Consumer
Price Index (CPI) for January 2021. As per the
index, India’s retail inflation eased to a 16-
month low at 4.06% in January 2021. The
retail inflation was 4.59% in December 2020.
The food inflation fell to a 20-month low of
1.89% in January 2021 . The retail inflation in
rural India was 3.23% and in urban India was
5.06%.
Profile of Cancer and Related ICMR & NCDIR According to the report ‘Profile of Cancer and
Health Indicators in the North Related Health Indicators in the North East
East Region of India-2021 Region of India-2021’ released by Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) &
National Centre for Disease Informatics &
Research (NCDIR), the number of New Cancer
Cases in North East Region (NER) is set to
increase to 57, 131 by 2025, which is a big
increase over the estimated 50, 317 cases of
Cancer in NER in 2020. The report prepared
by ICMR-NCDIR has been funded by the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(MoHFW), Government of India.
Mobilising Finance for EVs in NITI Aayog & Rocky According to the report ‘Mobilising Finance for
India: A Toolkit of Solutions to Mountain Institute EVs in India: A Toolkit of Solutions to Mitigate
Mitigate Risks and Address (RMI) Risks and Address Market Barriers, January
Market Barriers, January 2021 2021’ released by NITI Aayog & Rocky
Mountain Institute (RMI), India’s transition
towards Electric Vehicles (EVs) adoption
between the years 2020-2030 will need a
capital of INR 19.7 Lakh Crores (USD 266
Billion) they will be utilized for construction of
vehicles, charging stations, and batteries &
other infrastructures.
Upskilling for Shared Prosperity World Economic According to the report ‘Upskilling for Shared
Forum (WEF) Prosperity’ – January 2021 released by World
Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Investments
in Upskilling can boost the Global Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) by USD 6.5 Trillion by
2030 also adding that it has the potential to
boost India’s GDP by USD 570 Billion (INR 40
Lakh Crore) by 2030. The report was released
during WEF’s The Davos Agenda 2021.
Upskilling has the potential to create 5.3
Million new jobs by 2030.

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COVID-19: Missing More Than a UNICEF Office of United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF)
Classroom. The impact of school Research – Innocenti Office of Research – Innocenti and the World
closures on children’s nutrition and the World Food Food Programme (WFP) released a new
Programme (WFP) report titled “COVID-19: Missing More Than a
Classroom. The impact of school closures on
children’s nutrition” which states that more
than 39 billion in-school meals were missed
due to the closure of schools during the
COVID-19 pandemic. It is observed that the
Midday Meals Scheme (MDMS) of India has
reduced the calorie deficits in children by
30%.
India Energy Outlook 2021 International Energy In accordance with the International Energy
Agency’s (IEA) Agency’s (IEA) “India Energy Outlook 2021”,
India will surpass European Union as the
world’s third-biggest energy consumer by
2030. In this regard, India energy demand
growth share will be maximum at 25% in the
next two decades. As per India’s current
national policy scenario, its gross domestic
product (GDP) expands to an estimated $8.6
trillion by 2040.
Capital Flows Underpinning Institute for Energy According to the report ‘Capital Flows
India’s Energy Transformation Economics and Underpinning India’s Energy
Financial Analysis Transformation’ released by Institute for
(IEEFA) Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
(IEEFA), India needs an Investment of USD
500 Billion to reach its target of 450
Gigawatts (GW) of Renewable Energy (RE)
by 2030. The report was authored by Tim
Buckely, Director Energy Finance Studies &
Saurabh Trivedi, Research Analyst.
Traffic Crash Injuries and World Bank According to the report ‘Traffic Crash
Disabilities:The Burden on Injuries and Disabilities:The Burden on
Indian Society Indian Society’ released by the World Bank
with 1% of World’s vehicles, India accounts
for 11% of Global Road Accident deaths &
6% of total road crashes. The World Bank
report was prepared in association with
Save LIFE Foundation (SLF). In India,
annually around 4.5 Lakh road crashes take
place out of which 1.5 Lakh people die.
76.2% of people who are killed in road
crashes are in the prime working-age i.e 18-
45 years.
Cross-Sector Outlook: India’s S&P (Standard & On February 16, 2021 S&P (Standard &
Escape From Covid Poors) Global Ratings Poors) Global Ratings released a report
titled, ‘Cross-Sector Outlook: India’s Escape
From Covid’, where it estimated that India

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will have an economic recovery at 10% in
FY22, on a lower base. Earlier, it had revised
India’s Real GDP Forecast for FY21 to -
7.7%(contract by 7%) from -9%. It also
mentioned that, the 91st Union Budget
2021-22, that is India’s 1st Digital Budget
will also support the recovery
Impact of IBOR transition on EY (Ernst & Young) In accordance with the new EY (Ernst &
NBFCs in India India Young) India report titled “Impact of IBOR
transition on NBFCs in India”, Indian Non-
Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) require
an effective plan for Inter Bank Offered Rate
(IBOR) transition, as majority of London Inter
Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) rates are likely to
be phased out by the end of 2021. It is one of
the most common series of benchmark rates
for determining short-term interest rates
across the world which are measured in
trillions of dollars across global currencies.

ACQUISITION & MERGERS

CCI Approves Acquisition of GIL’s Indo Gulf Fertilisers by Indorama India Private Limited
Competition Commission of India (CCI) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002, gave
approval for the acquisition of Indo Gulf Fertilisers(IGF), a fertiliser division of Grasim Industries
Limited (GIL) by Indorama India Private Limited (IIPL). IIPL will acquire Indo Gulf Fertilisers as a going
concern on a slump sale basis.

GAIL Acquires 5% Stake of Indian Energy Exchange in Indian Gas Exchange

GAIL (India) Limited has acquired a 5% stake of Indian Energy Exchange Ltd (IEX) in Indian Gas
Exchange Ltd (IGX). GAIL becomes the 3rd strategic investor in IGX after Adani Total Gas & Torrent Gas.
With this disinvestment, IEX will hold 85% stake in IGX.

CCI Approves BOI- BAIM & BATS Deal, SHS GmbH- Varian Deal & Ecom-CDC Deal
On February 10, 2021 The Competition Commission of India(CCI) has approved following deal:
• BOI Acquires 49% Stake each in BOI AXA Investment Managers & BOI AXA Trustee Services.
• Siemens Healthineers Holding I Gmb (SHS GmbH) acquires 100% Shares of Varian Medical
Systems, Inc.
• CDC Group plc Subscribes Securities of Ecom Express Private Limited.

BPCL to Buyout 36.62% Stake of BORL from OQ S.A.0.C. for Around Rs 2,399.26 crore
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to buyout 36.62% stake (88.86 crore equity shares) of
Bharat Oman Refineries Limited (BORL) from OQ S.A.0.C. (formerly known as Oman Oil Company
S.A.0.C.) for approximately Rs 2,399.26 [Link] built and operates a 7.8 million tonne oil refinery at
Bina in Madhya Pradesh.

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NVIDIA to Acquire SoftBank Group’s Arm Ltd for USD 40 Billion
US based NVIDIA will acquire UK based Arm Holdings, a designer of chips for mobile phones, from
SoftBank Group in a deal worth $40 billion. This deal was signed in September 2020 & became the
largest-ever deal in the semiconductor industry.

Govt to sell 20% stake in National Fertilizers Ltd through OFS

Central Government is all set to sell 20% stake in National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) out of its shareholding
of 74.71% through an Offer For Sale (OFS) method of shares, which can fetch about Rs 400 crore. To
initiate the sale process, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has
invited tenders from merchant banks.

ICICI Bank to Buy 5.40% Stake in CityCash & 9.65% Stake in Thillais Analytical Solutions for Rs
6.03 Crore
On February 16, 2021 ICICI Bank headquarters at Mumbai, Maharashtra announced that it will buy
5.40% stake in Tap Smart Data Information Services Pvt Ltd (CityCash) for Rs 4.93 crore (Rs 49.34
million) and 9.65% stake in Thillais Analytical Solutions Pvt Ltd for Rs 1.1 crore (Rs 11 million). It
is expected that both deals will be completed by the end of March 2021.

GoI to sell its 26.12% Stake in Tata Communications Ltd by March 20, 2021
Government of India (GoI) is set to sell its entire stake of 26.12% in Tata Communications Ltd
(TCL) (formerly known as VSNL) through an offer for sale and strategic sale route by March 20,
2021. Several Merchant Bankers like Goldman Sachs, ICICI Securities, SBI Capital Markets & others
have expressed interest in buying the stake and are making presentations before the officials of the
Department of Investment and Public Asset Management.

Tata Group to Acquire 68% Stake in BigBasket for About Rs 9,500 Crore; Tata Communications
Partners with Google Cloud in India
Tata Group has signed a deal to acquire 68% stake in bigbasket for about Rs 9,500 crore. The
stake will be acquired by Tata Digital, a subsidiary of Tata Sons. Post-acquisition, the enterprise
value of BigBasket becomes more than Rs 13,500 crore. Tata Communications has partnered with
Google Cloud in India to drive cloud adoption and transform Indian businesses. Alibaba Group
Holding Ltd holds 29% stake in BigBasket.

CCI approves Stake Purchase by Panatone Finvest in TCL

Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of shares of Tata Communications Ltd
(TCL), by Panatone Finvest Ltd. In accordance with the deal, the Panatone Finvest Ltd will buy a
shareholding of 26.12% which will increase its total shareholding to 74.99% from 48.87%. Now, its
shareholding in Tata Communications Ltd should not exceed 74.99%. This acquisition is on the lines of
divestment of Government of India’s 26.12% equity stake in TCL which was approved by Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in December 2020.

NTPC Signs Share Purchase Agreement with GAIL to Buy GAIL’s 25.51% stake in RGPPL
NTPC Ltd(formerly- National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) signed a share purchase agreement
with GAIL (India) [Link] per the agreement NTPC will buy GAIL’s 25.51% in Ratnagiri Gas and Power
Pvt Ltd (RGPPL), which is commonly known as Dabhol [Link] from this, NTPC will sell its
14.82% stake in Konkan LNG Ltd (KLL) on a fully diluted basis to GAIL.

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IRDAI Gives Nod to Acquisition of upto 12% Stake in Max Life Insurance by Axis Entities
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has given its formal approval to
acquisition of up to 12% stake in Max Life Insurance company ltd by Axis entities(Axis Bank ltd and its
subsidiaries, Axis Capital Ltd and Axis Securities Ltd ). In January 2021 CCI gave approval to this deal.
The total premium generated through this deal has aggregated to over Rs. 40,000 crores.

CCI Approves NAM Estates, EOCPDPL and IBREL Deal & Technip Energies B.V.-Bpifrance
Participations S.A Deal
Competition Commission of India(CCI) gave approval for the proposed merger of NAM Estates Private
Limited and Embassy One Commercial Property Developments Private Limited (EOCPDPL) into
Indiabulls Real Estate Limited (IBREL). Also CCI gave approval to the acquisition of Technip Energies
B.V., belonging to TechnipFMC plc by Bpifrance Participations S.A. As per the combination, Bpifrance
Participations S.A. will acquire a minimum 11.82% and maximum 17.25% of outstanding shares of
Technip Energies B.V.

HDFC Bank & Kotak Mahindra Bank to Pick up 9.99% Stake Each in Ferbine Pvt Ltd
On 25th February 2021, the HDFC bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank acquired 9.99% stakes each in
Ferbine Private Limited, a company promoted by Tata Sons, which plans to apply to the Reserve Bank
of India to set up a Pan India Umbrella entity(PUE) for retail payments. HDFC bank has executed an
agreement to subscribe 4995 equity shares each of face value Rs.10 each fully paid up issued by Ferbine
for a consideration of Rs.10 per equity share. Kotak Mahindra Bank has also subscribed 4995 equity
shares for Rs.49950 which translated into an equity shareholding of 9.99% on 25th February 2021.

DEFENCE
EXERCISE
EXERCISE NAME VENUE / PARTICIPATING KEY NOTES
COUNTRIES
Yudh Abhyas 20 India-Pakistan border in The 16th edition of an annual joint military
Rajasthan, India and the exercise between India and the United States
United States (US) (US), “Yudh Abhyas 20” was initiated as a part
of defence cooperation at the Mahajan Field
Firing Range (MFFR), near the India-Pakistan
border in Rajasthan on February 8, 2021. The
Indian side is represented by the 11th
Battalion of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.
Biennial Military Exercise – Yelahanka Air Force Base, The 13th Edition of the Biennial Military
‘Aero India 2021: A Big Bengaluru, Karnataka Exercise – ‘Aero India 2021: A Big Step
Step Towards Towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ took place at
Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ the Yelahanka Air Force Base, Bengaluru,
Karnataka from February 3-5, 2021. It was
inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh. Aero India 2021 was centered on the
theme ‘Conceive, Indigenize, Collaborate’. Click
here
Theatre Level Operational Indian Navy’s Largest War Game – the Biennial
Readiness Exercise ‘Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise
(TROPEX 21) (TROPEX 21)’ is currently taking place at the

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- Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Operational assets
of the Indian Navy as well as Indian Army,
Indian Air Force and Coast Guard were
participating in the Exercise.
‘PASSEX’ (Passage Arabian Sea, India & Indian Navy conducted a Bilateral Military
Exercise) Indonesia Exercise ‘PASSEX’ (Passage Exercise) with
the Indonesian Navy in the Arabian Sea. The
main aim of the exercise is to increase
interoperability & strengthen the Bilateral
Maritime Cooperation between the two
navies. Indian Navy Ship INS Talwar &
Indonesian Navy’s multirole Corvette KRI
Bung Tomo participated in the exercise.
Indian Navy undertook a Passage Exercise
(PASSEX) with Russian Federation Navy
(RuFN) in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region
(IOR) from December 4-5, 2020.

TESTING
MISSILES NAME TESTING LOCATION FEATURES
Combat Kh35E Indian Ocean Region Indian Navy’s long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft,
anti-ship missile (IOR) Ilyushin 38SD successfully fired ‘Combat Kh35E’ anti-ship
missile during the Theatre level Readiness and Operational
Exercise 2021 (TROPEX-21) being carried out in the Indian
Ocean Region (IOR). TROPEX-21 is a Biennial exercise
which aims to test the combat readiness of the Navy with
the assets of the Air Force, Army & Coast Guard. The IL38SD
is a maritime patrol & anti-submarine aircraft developed by
Soviet Union.
Ghaznavi (Hatf-III) Pakistan’s Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC)
successfully Test Fired the Nuclear-Capable Surface-to-
Surface Ballistic Missile ‘Ghaznavi (Hatf-III)’.Ghaznavi has a
- range of 290 Kms & can carry both Nuclear & Conventional
[Link] was launched by ASFC as part of its Annual
Field Training Exercise. It is a Hypersonic Missile developed
by National Development Complex (NDC), Pakistan.
Babur On February 11, 2021, Pakistan successfully test-fired a
short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile namely
“Babur” from a state-of-the-art Multi Tube Missile Launch
- Vehicle. The missile is capable of hitting land and sea targets
with a range of 450 Kilometer & has a high precision up to
490 kilometers (about 280 miles) away.
HELINA & Pokhran, Rajasthan DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organization)
Dhruvastra successfully conducted the trials of HELINA (Helicopter
Launched Nag) (Army version) & Dhruvastra (Air Force
Version) of the Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform in Pokhran,
[Link] Missiles have been developed
indigenously byDRDO.

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VL-SRSAM Integrated Test Range Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO)
(ITR), Chandipur, successfully conducted 2 launches of Vertical Launch Short
Odisha Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the
Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha. This is the
maiden launch of the missile [Link] missile has been
indigenously designed and developed by DRDO for Indian
[Link] has a Strike Range of 40-50 kms. Union Defence
Minister, Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated DRDO Skill
Development Centre (SDC) for Fire Safety Training at
Pilkhuwa, Uttar Pradesh. It is a first-of-its-kind facility in
India.

ARMY, NAVY & AIR FORCE NEWS

Indian Navy Ship ‘Pralaya’ participates in NAVDEX-21 & IDEX-21 held at Abu Dhabi, UAE
Indian Navy Ship (INS) ‘Pralaya’ participated in NAVDEX 21 (Naval Defence Exhibition) & IDEX 21
(International Defence Exhibition) held at Abu Dhabi, UAE (United Arab Emirates) from February 20-
25, [Link] of INS Pralaya in NAVDEX 21. Middle-East Region’s leading naval defence &
maritime security exhibition & IDEX 21, the only International Defence Exhibition and conference in the
MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region showcases the close relations between UAE & India.

Third Batch of 3 Rafale Aircraft From France Landed At an IAF Base

On 27th January 2021, The 3rd batch of 3 Rafale Aircrafts which got airborne from Istres Air Base,
France landed at an Indian Air Force Base, India. The non-stop flight for 7000 km was supported by the
inflight refuelling by Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) , UAE Air Force.
The Rafale jets are manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. This is India’s 1st major
acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets from Russia.

HAL to Launch Tejas Mark II in 2022; High-speed trials to be conducted in 2023

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is planning to launch the Indigenous Tejas Mark II Multirole
Combat Jet in August-September of 2022. The 1st high-speed trial of the jet will be started in 2023 and
productions are expected to begin in [Link] new version of Tejas will have Bigger fuselage, longer
range, better maintainability, greater load carrying capability, stronger engine power & superior net-
centric warfare systems.

AEPL Enters into a Framework Agreement with MiG For Post-Warranty Support to Indian Navy
fighter Jets
Aviatech Enterprises Pvt Ltd (AEPL), a part of Crown group company which deals defence aerospace
maintenance ,entered into a ‘framework agreement’ with Russian Aircraft Corporation(RAC) MiG. to
provide post-warranty product support to Mikoyan-Gurevich(MiG)-29K and MiG-29KUB fighter
[Link] group has also signed a MoU with Russian company United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) for
maintenance and servicing of Indian Navy ships.

Supreme Court stays dismantling of India’s first aircraft carrier INS Viraat
Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde stayed dismantling of the
decommissioned India’s first aircraft carrier INS Viraat(world’s longest-serving warship), was
purchased by Shree Ram Group for a sum of ₹38.54 crore at an auction conducted by the Metal Scrap
Trade Corporation Limited in July 2020 and was proposed to preserve it as a maritime museum. This
aircraft carrier was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1987 and decommissioned in 2017.

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BHEL bags order to Supply Super Rapid Gun Mounts for Indian Navy frontline ships
On February 11, 2021, an Indian Navy has placed an order with engineering firm BHEL (Bharat Heavy
Electricals Limited) under which the latter will supply two Super Rapid Gun Mounts (SRGM) to the
former. These are the main guns standardised for all Warships of the Indian [Link] guns are being
manufactured with the aim of making defence industry self-reliant on the lines of Atmanirbhar Abhiyan.

Indian Navy signs Contract with Titagarh Wagon for Constructing 5 DSCs
On February 12, 2021, Indian Navy signed a contract for construction of 5 Diving Support Crafts (DSCs)
with Titagarh Wagons Ltd, Kolkata (West Bengal) under the ‘Make in India’ initiative of Government of
India. The value of order is about Rs.174.76 crore only. As per the contract, the DSC has to be supplied
within 30 months approximately.

MDL delivers ‘INS Karanj’ – India’s 3rd Kalvari-Class Submarine to Indian Navy
On February 15, 2021, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) delivered the Third of Six
Kalvari-class submarines based on ‘Scorpene Class’ to the Indian Navy at Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The submarine will be commissioned into the Indian Navy in March, 2021 as ‘INS Karanj’.The
submarine has been designed by French company ‘The Naval Group’ (formerly known as DCNS) &
constructed in MDL, Mumbai under Project 75 (P-75).

L&T delivers 100th & Final K-9 Vajra Howitzer Gun to Indian Army
On February 18, 2021, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) delivered the 100th & Final K-9 Vajra-T 155 mm/52
calibre self-propelled Howitzer guns to the Indian army from L&T’s Armoured Systems Complex
(ASC) situated at Hazira near Surat, Gujarat. The K-9 Vajra was flagged off by Chief of Army Staff
General MM Naravane.K-9 Vajra has a range of 38 kms and is an indigenized version of K-9
Thunder of South Korea. The Howitzers have been produced by L&T with technology transfer from
South Korean defence major Hanwha Defense.

Indian Coast Guard’s C-453 Interceptor Boat Commissioned at Chennai

Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) C-453 Interceptor Boat was commissioned in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. C-
453 is the 17th of 18 Interceptor Boats which are being indigenously built by Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
The ship was commissioned by Leena Nanda, Secretary, Department of Consumer [Link] will be
commanded by Assistant Commandant Animesh Sharma and will be based at Chennai under Coast
Guard Region (East).

Israel, US commence works to develop ‘Arrow-4’ – Air Defense System Missile

Israel Missile Defense Organisation & United States Missile Defense Agency have commenced work
on the development of ‘Arrow-4’ anti-ballistic missiles which will be part of Israel’s multi-layered
Ballistic Missile Shield. Missile Defence/shield is a system, weapon, or technology which is used for
detecting, tracking, intercepting & destroying incoming attack missiles (Ballistic Missiles & other
short tactical missiles) in the atmosphere and in space.

India to start trials of Astra Mark2 BVRAAM Missile in 2021

India is set to begin the trials of Astra Mk2 Missile in 2021. Astra Mark2 is a Beyond Visual Range Air-
to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) which has a strike range of 160 kms. It is capable of flying at a speed of Mach
4.5, and is set to be integrated into the indigenous LCA Tejas. The missile will be fully developed by the
end of 2022.

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Defence Acquisition Council approves Procurement worth INR 13, 700 Crore
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath singh approved 3 Acceptance of
Necessities (AoNs) worth INR 13, 700 Crore for procurement of various
weapons/platforms/equipment/systems for the Indian Army, Indian Navy & Indian Air [Link] 3
AoNs have been placed under the ‘Buy [Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and
Manufactured)]’ Category of India’s new Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.

Cochin Shipyard bags Indian Navy order for 6 Next Generation Missile Vessels
Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) emerged as the Lowest Bidder in a tender floated by the Ministry of Defence
for construction of 6 Next-Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) to be utilized by the Indian Navy. The
order is estimated to be around INR 10, 000 [Link] are a planned class of anti-surface warfare
corvettes for the Indian [Link] Present, CSL is also building India’s First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier
called ‘INS Vikrant’ (also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1)).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

SATELLITES LAUNCHES
SATELLITE NAME COUNTRY PURPOSE
Stardust 1.0 United States (US) United States (US) based Startup bluShift Aerospace
based Startup launched ‘Stardust 1.0’ from Loring Commerce Centre in
bluShift Aerospace Maine, US. It is the World’s 1st Commercial Rocket
launch powered by Biofuel. The solid biofuels used in the
launch is non-toxic, Carbon Neutral & can be sourced
from America. bluShift Aerospace’s Rocket Engine is a
hybrid of solid and liquid propellant called ‘Modular
Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL)’.
Amazonia-1 Brazil Indian 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, [Link] is PSLV-C51 is
the 53rd mission of PSLV.
60 Starlink satellites United States of On February 15, 2021 SpaceX launched 60 Starlink
America satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United
States of America. The satellites were launched using a
two-stage rocket, otherwise known as the Falcon 9
booster. This was the 6th launch of this Falcon 9
booster. This launch is part of the 19th Starlink
mission. The rocket’s first stage did not land on
SpaceX’s drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ in the
Atlantic Ocean as planned.

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OTHER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEWS
NATIONAL
Bellatrix Aerospace is building a ‘space taxi’ for satellites
In a reforming development, the Bengaluru, Karnataka based Bellatrix Aerospace is building an Orbital
Transfer Vehicle (OTV) that will work as a “taxi in space” to ferry small satellites into multiple orbits. It
will be big development for global operators to reduce time and costs. The space startup’s vehicle is
expected to launch to low earth orbit in 2023 on the Vikram rocket of Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-
based rocket startup by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists.

Dharmendra Pradhan Launches Investment Corner on MoPNG’s Revamped Website

On February 9, 2021, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel
launched Investment Corner under Project Development Cell (PDC) on the upgraded website of the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG). The section will help the investor community to reach
out to the MoPNG.

Aarogya Setu App Integrated with CoWIN Portal

India has integrated its COVID-19 Tracing App ‘Aarogya Setu’ & COVID-19 Vaccine Registration
platform ‘Co-WIN portal (COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network)’. The integration will enable Users to
download Vaccination certificates after they have received at least one dose of COVID-19 Vaccination.

HAL to Develop 1st of its Kind Unmanned Pseudo Satellite “CATS”

In a first of its kind in the world, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is developing a futuristic
high altitude unmanned pseudo satellite namely Combined Air Teaming System (CATS) with a start-up
[Link] developed the pseudo-satellite will be capable of taking information flying unmanned
around 70,000 ft for 2-3 months.

Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar Launched Software Applications for 5 Pan-India Surveys
Santosh Kumar Gangwar Minister of State (Independent Charge(IC)) of Labour and Employment
launched the software application for 5 pan-India surveys which are being conducted by the
Labour [Link] has already constituted an Expert Group under the chairmanship and
co-chairmanship of Dr. S. P. Mukherjee and Dr. Amitabh Kundu respectively with leading
economists and statisticians as members to guide Labour Bureau for conducting these surveys.

INTERNATIONAL
SpaceX announced World’s First All Civilian Mission to Space
SpaceX announced its plan for the World’s first all civilian mission to space, the mission is named
Inspiration4 in recognition of the 4-person crew to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The
mission commanded by Jared Isaacman, a 37-year-old entrepreneur the founder and CEO of Shift4
Payments and accomplished pilot will be launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Square Kilometre Array – World’s Largest Radio Telescope

On February 5, 2021, Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) Council held its Maiden Meeting
during the meeting they approved the establishment of World’s Largest Radio Telescope namely
‘Square Kilometre Array’. The telescope will consist of a vast number of radio receivers which will be
positioned in South Africa and Australia.

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China’s Tianwen-1 enters Mars Orbit, Joining UAE’s Hope Probe
On February 10, 2021, Chinese Spacecraft ‘Tianwen-1’ (Means “Quest for Heavenly Truth”) entered the
Mars Orbit. It became the World’s second one in two days after United Arab Emirates’ ‘Hope’ Space
Probe entered the Mars Orbit on February 9, 2021. The Chinese Spacecraft will probe for signs of
ancient life on Mars. USA’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration rover called ‘Perseverance’
is aiming for a landing on Mars on February 18, 2021.

NASA Launched Space Station Supply Ship to ISS Named After S.S. Katherine Johnson
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Space Station Supply Ship,
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule named after S.S. Katherine Johnson, to the International Space
Station (ISS). The launch of this 4-ton shipment for NASA from Wallops Island, Virginia marks the 59th
anniversary of John Glenn’s historic launch.

Indian-American scientist Swati Mohan leads NASA’s Mars mission

National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Perseverance rover of Mars 2020 mission
successfully landed on the surface of [Link], its Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Operations
(GN&C) were handled by Indian-American Swati Mohan. She is responsible for the training of the GN&C
team, scheduling the mission control staffing for GN&C, as well as the policies/procedures the GN&C
uses in the mission control room.

UAE published the image of mars north pole Olympus Mons

The United Arab Emirates published the first image from its Mars probe “Amal,” or “Hope,” which
circling the red planet. the image shows Mars’ largest volcano, Olympus Mons and mars north pole.

SPORTS
CRICKET
Domestic Cricket: Tamil Nadu wins 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 competition
On January 31, 2021, Tamil Nadu Cricket Team defeated Baroda in the finals of the 2020-21 Syed
Mushtaq Ali T20 Competition held at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat to win the trophy. The
12th Edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was held from January 10-31, 2021. The Tamil Nadu
cricket team was led by Dinesh Karthik.

Indian Cricketer Ashok Dinda Announced His Retirement From All Forms Of Cricket
On 2nd February 2021, Indian bowler Ashok Dinda announced his retirement from all formats of
Cricket at the age of 36. He is one of the quick bowlers in Indian Domestic [Link] Hails from West
Bengal. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in May 2010 against Zimbabwe.

ICC Announced BYJU’s as Global Partner from 2021 – 2023

On 8th February 2021, The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced BYJU’s as its global partner
from 2021 to 2023. Under the 3-year agreement BYJU’s will partner all the events of ICC from 2021 to
2023, including the Men’s T20 World Cup in India, and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New
Zealand. Under this partnership BYJU’s will have extensive in-venue, broadcast, and digital rights to all
ICC events.

Former Indian Cricketer Naman Ojha retires from all forms of Cricket
On 15th February 2021, Former Indian Wicketkeeper – Batsman Naman Ojha(37 years old) from
Madhya Pradesh(MP) announced his retirement from all forms of Cricket(international and

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BCCI/MPCA domestic first-class cricket). He has represented India in all three formats and holds
the record for the most dismissals (351) by a wicketkeeper in Ranji Trophy.

South Africa’s Faf du Plessis Announces Retirement from Test Cricket

On February 17, 2021, Former South African Captain & Batsman Francois ‘Faf’ du Plessis
announced Retirement from Test Cricket format of the game. He is the only South African Captain
to lead his team to a Test Series victory over Australia in both home (South Africa) & Away
(Australia). The 36-year-old has played 69 Tests for South Africa & captained the team in 36 Tests.

Sri Lankan Cricketer Dhammika Prasad announces Retirement from International Cricket
Sri Lankan Fast Bowler Dhammika Prasad announced his retirement from International Cricket at
the age of [Link] has represented Sri Lanka in 25 Tests, 24 One Day Internationals (ODIs) & 1
Twenty20 International (T20I).

Sri Lankan Cricketer Upul Tharanga announces retirement from International Cricket
Former Sri Lankan Limited Overs Captain (ODIs & T20Is) & Batsman Upul Tharanga announced
retirement from International cricket at the age of [Link] has represented Sri Lanka in 31 tests, 235
ODIs & 26 T20Is. He has scored 1754 runs in Tests, 407 runs in T20Is & 6951 runs in ODIs.

Indian Cricketer Yusuf Pathan announces Retirement from all forms of Cricket
Former Indian Cricketer & All-Rounder Yusuf Pathan has announced retirement from all forms of
Cricket at the age of 38. Yusuf Pathan hails from Vadodara (Baroda), Gujarat. Yusuf holds the record for
the fastest century (off 37 balls) by an Indian in IPL. He has represented India in 57 ODIs & 22 T20Is
scoring 1046 runs & 46 wickets across the 2 formats.

BADMINTON & TENNIS

Tennis: Overview of 2021 Australian Open
109th Edition of Australian Open (53rd in Open Era) took place from February 8-21, 2021 at the
Melbourne, [Link], it is the First Grand Slam event (out of 4) of each Year in both the
Men’s & Women’s Tour. It takes place on a Hard surface (called as Hard Courts)…click here for more
detail
Winners of 2021 Australian Open
Category Winner Runner-up
Men’s Singles Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
Women’s
Singles Naomi Osaka (Japan) Jennifer Brady (USA)
Ivan Dodig (Croatia) & Filip Polasek Rajeev Ram (USA) & Joe Salisbury
Men’s Doubles (Slovakia) (Great Britain)
Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina
Women’s Elise Mertens (Belgium) & Aryna Siniakova
Doubles Sabalenka (Belarus) (Czech Republic pair)
Rajeev Ram (USA) & Barbora Krejcikova Matthew Ebden & Samantha Stosur
Mixed Doubles (Czech Republic) (Australian pair)

Tennis : India’s Ankita Raina claims her Maiden WTA doubles title
India’s Ankita Raina partnered with Russia’s Kamilla Radhikova to defeat the Russian pair of Anna
Blinkova & Anastasia Potapova in the final of Phillip Island Trophy Tennis Tournament at Melbourne,
Australia to win her maiden WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) 250 Doubles title. The win made
Ankita India’s First WTA Champion since Sania Mirza. The win will catapult her to a Ranking of 94 from

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the current 115 in the WTA Doubles chart. She will become the 2nd Indian player to crack the doubles
top-100 since Sania Mirza.

BOXING, WRESTLING & WEIGHTLIFTING

Boxing : Indian Contingent wins 12 Medals Tally at 30th ‘Adriatic Pearl’ Tournament
Indian Boxing Contingent finished with 12 medals at the 30th Youth International Boxing Tournament
‘Adriatic Pearl’ held at Budva, Montenegro from February 16-22, 2021. It finished 2nd in the overall
medals tally, Uzbekistan took the 1st place while Ukraine finished 3rd in the medals tally.
List of Winners (Indian Women’s Contingent)
Winners Category Medal
Alfiya Pathan 81+ Kg Gold
Arundhati Choudhary 69 Kg Gold
N Babyrojisana Chanu 51 Kg Gold
Thokchom Sanamacha Chanu 75 Kg Gold
Vinka 60 Kg Gold
Raj Sahiba 75 Kg Silver
Gitika 45-48 Kg Silver
Lucky Rana 64 Kg Silver
Preethi 57 Kg Bronze
Neha 54 Kg Bronze
List of Winners (Indian Men’s Contingent)
Winners Category Medal
Priyanshu Dabas 46-49 kg Bronze
Jugnoo 91+ Bronze

ARCHERY & SHOOTING

Shooting : India tops Medals tally by bagging 11 Medals at First Asian Online Shooting
Championship
India’s 24-Member Indian Shooting Contingent topped the Medals Tally by bagging 11 Medals – 4 Gold,
2 Silver & 5 Bronze Medals at the First Asian Online Shooting Championship organized by Kuwait
Shooting Federation from January 29-30, 2021. The Indian Shooters participated in the online
competition from the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, New Delhi.
Indian Medals Tally: Gold Medal
Winner Category
Saurabh Chaudhary Men’s 10m Air Pistol
Divyansh Singh Panwar Men’s 10m Air Rifle
Kynan Chenai Men’s Trap
Rajeshwari Kumari Women’s Trap

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OTHER SPORTS NEWS
Karnataka to host 2nd Edition of Khelo India University Games in 2021
Karnataka is set to host the 2nd Edition of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) in 2021. The games will
be hosted in Jain University, Bengaluru and other venues in Karnataka in collaboration with Association
of Indian Universities (AIU). KIUG 2021 will see the addition of 2 new native sports namely ‘Yogasana’ &
‘Mallakhamb’ in the medal events. The total number of medal events/sports will be 19. KIUG is
organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) & Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports along with
Association of Indian Universities, Indian Olympic Association & National Sports Federation.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

BOOK NAME AUTHOR KEY NOTES
Yearbook Seth Rogen Seth Rogen, Hollywood Actor, comedian, and a writer
authored his debut book titled “Yearbook” a collection
of true stories and essays of Seth Rogen. The hardcover
and digital format of the book will be published by
Crown Publishing Group and the audio edition of the
book will be released by Penguin Random House Audio.
Yearbook” is a collection of true stories and funny
essays of Seth Rogen that speaks about his
grandparents, about him from doing standup comedy
during his teenage and Jewish summer camp.
Yes Man: The Untold Pavan [Link]’s Pavan [Link]’s new book titled “Yes Man: The Untold
Story of Rana Kapoor Story of Rana Kapoor” provides the details about the
rise and fall of one of the India’s promising bankers
Rana Kapoor and it also questions the banking system,
its regulators and the business environment that led to
the fall of YES [Link] book was published by
HarperCollins.
This Life at Play: A Girish Karnad The English translation of the “This Life at Play: A
Memoir by Girish Karnad Memoir by Girish Karnad” the Kannada book authored
by Girish Karnad is set to be released on the 83rd birth
anniversary of Girish Karnad, on 19th May 2021 by
Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins
[Link] Kannada book is translated into English
by writer and translator Srinath Perur and Girish
[Link] book is published by HarperCollins India
Publisher.
The Little Book of Dalai Lama His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama authored a new book
Encouragement titled “The Little Book of Encouragement”. The book
edited by Renuka Singh is published by Penguin
Random House is set to be released. The book is a
compilation of Dalai Lama’s quotes and ideas to deal
with the new realities of the post pandemic world along
with how to combat rising extremism, polarity and
climate change and his views on Tibet.
Whereabouts Jhumpa Lahiri Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri is set to release her
new novel titled “Whereabouts”. The book is published
by Penguin Random House India is about a woman

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protagonist and her journey through life. The book will
be released in April. The novel Whereabout was written
in Italian and translated into English by Jhumpa Lahiri.
1857 – The Sword of Vineet Bajpai A new novel titled ‘1857 – The Sword of Mastaan’ has
Mastaan been authored by Vineet Bajpai. It is published by Delhi-
based publishing house, TreeShade Books. The book has
been launched online and offline across [Link] is part
two of the Mastaan Trilogy. The first part of the trilogy,
Mastaan – The Fallen Patriot of Delhi, was released in
October [Link] is author’s 5th fiction novel and 8th
book overall.
Parliamentary Dr K.N. Bhandari M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India released a
Messenger in Rajasthan book titled ‘Parliamentary Messenger in Rajasthan’. The
book is authored by Dr K.N. Bhandari. 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.
Platform Scale: For A Sangeet Paul A book titled ‘Platform Scale: For A Post-Pandemic
Post-Pandemic World Choudary World’ has been authored by Sangeet Paul Choudary.
The book has been published by Penguin Random
House India. The first edition of ‘Platform Scale’ was
published in 2015. It explains about the importance of
inner workings of platform business models and their
ability to scale rapidly.
By Many a Happy Mohammad Hamid Former Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid
Accident: Recollections Ansari Ansari has authored a book titled ‘By Many a Happy
of a Life Accident: Recollections of a Life’. The book is published
by Rupa Publications. It describes the unplanned
happenings that took place in the life of M. Hamid that
changed his way from his deferred fancy for academia
to professional diplomacy and then co-opted in public
life and became the Vice President of India for 2
consecutive terms.
Beautiful Things Hunter Biden Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden has authored
the memoir titled “Beautiful Things” which is set to be
released in April 2021. The book is published by Gallery
Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The book aims
to provide hope to the people who can relate to the life
events of Hunter Biden.
The Terrible, Horrible, Meghna Pant Meghna Pant has authored a new book titled ‘The
Very Bad Good News Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News’. The book will
be published by Penguin Random House India. It will be
released in April 2021, and will shortly become a major
motion picture under the title Badnam Ladoo. This is
the author’s second novel.
Turn Around India: RP Gupta On 9th February 2021, Jual Oram, Member of
2020- Surmounting Past Parliament and the chairman of the standing committee
Legacy on defence released the RP Gupta’s new book titled

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“Turn Around India: 2020- Surmounting Past Legacy”
on creating awareness among masses. The book was
published by Himalaya Publishing House.
Kamala’s way: An Dan Morain Journalist and author Dan Morain has authored his new
American Life book titled “Kamala’s way: An American Life”, a
biography of Kamala Harris, the first woman vice
president of the United States of America. The book is
published by Simon & [Link] book is about the
journey of Kamala Harris, the daughter of two
immigrants in California and the former California
Senator and Attorney General who became the first
African American and Asian American vice president.
Trust Exercise: A Novel Susan Choi Trust Exercise: A Novel” authored by Susan Choi was
the winner of the 70th annual National Book Award
2019 for fiction. The book was published by Henry Holt
and Co. The book is about the life of the students in a
competitive performing arts high school in an American
suburb in the early 1980s. The book provides an
understanding about the capacities of adolescents and
the power and responsibilities of adults.
Mapping Love Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, the 41-year-old Filmmaker is set
to publish her debut fiction Novel titled “Mapping Love”
in May 2021. The book is published by Rupa
Publications. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari debuted as a director
with the film “Nil Battey Sannata” in 2016 which was
remade in Tamil as “Amma Kanakku”
Tipane Kashmirchi Arun Karmarkar On 14th February 2021, Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant
(Notes on Kashmir), Governor of Jammu and Kashmir released the book
untold stories titled ‘Tipane Kashmirchi (Notes on Kashmir), untold
stories’ authored by Arun Karmarkar. The book
features the researched facts about Jammu and
Kashmir. Manoj Sinha, stated that the new industrial
development scheme of Rs.28,400 has been
introduced which will attract investment to J&K and
it will also create various opportunities to the
youngsters.
ASOCA: A Sutra Irwin Allan Sealy Award Winning Author Irwin Allan Sealy to pen a
new book titled, ‘ASOCA: A Sutra’, a memoir of
Ashoka The Great. The book is to be published by
Penguin Random House‘s Viking imprint and will be
released in July [Link] had published the 30th
anniversary edition of his debut novel ‘The Trotter-
Nama’.
Sarasvati’s Gift Kavita Kane Bestselling author and former Journalist Kavita
Kane’s new novel titled “Sarasvati’s Gift” has been
acquired by the Penguin Random House India. The
book is set to release in [Link] book is the story of
Sarasvati, the goddess of Art, Music and Knowledge
told in the perspective of nameless celestials,

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powerful gods and [Link] book will be
published by Ebury Publishing and Vintage of
Penguin Random House India.
Fractured Mosaic Sabarna Roy Sabarna Roy unveiled his 7th literary work titled,
‘Fractured Mosaic’ on February 12, 2021 at
Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is published by Leadstart
Publishing Pvt Ltd of Mumbai. The book was released
on January 25, 2021 around the [Link] is a sequel to
his 5th literary work, titled: Random Subterranean
Mosaic: 2012 – 2018 Time Frozen in Myriad
Thoughts.
COVID and Post-COVID Launched by Dr. Dr. Vishakha Shivdasani launched the e-book titled
Recovery: DoctorVee’s Vishakha Shivdasani “COVID and Post-COVID Recovery: DoctorVee’s 6-
6-Point Plan Point Plan”, a practical guide on Re-Engineering
Health and Immunity in Context of COVID-19. The E-
book published by HarperCollins Publishers India will
be available on Amazon, Kindle and other online sites.
The book also provides tips on how to prepare the
body to ensure the effectiveness of the COVID-19
vaccine.
Indian Economy’s Arun Kumar Arun Kumar has authored a new book titled, ‘Indian
Greatest Crisis: Impact Economy’s Greatest Crisis: Impact of Coronavirus and
of Coronavirus and the the Road Ahead’. The book is published by Penguin
Road Ahead Random House.
Essence of the Book:
• People have experienced viral attacks-H1N1,
Ebola and Nipah, but what is strange about
Coronavirus?
• What are Ways through which COVID-19 has
affected India and the world?
• How has India responded to COVID-19?
• Is life or livelihood important?
• What are the ways and means through which
India can recover itself from the sudden
economic shock caused by the pandemic?
Louiz Banks: A Ashis Ghatak “Louiz Banks: A Symphony of Love”, authored by
Symphony of Love Ashis Ghatak is the biography of Louis Banks, the
Godfather of Indian Jazz. Ustad Zakir Hussain, the
tabla maestro has written the foreword of this book.
The book published by Rupa Publications was
released on 11th February 2021, the 80th Birthday of
Louiz Banks. The book of 15 chapters each named
after a song by Banks provides a detailed narrative
about the life incidents and experiences of Louiz
Banks.
The Epic Battle of Bharat Kumar On 18th February 2021, As a part of the celebration of
Longewala the 50th Anniversary year of India’s victory over
Pakistan in 1971 war, Indian Air Force(IAF) Chief Air

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Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria launched the book
“The Epic Battle of Longewala” authored by Air
Marshal (retd) Bharat Kumar at the event organised
at the IAF Museum in Palam, New Delhi and aims to
document the stories of valour and pass it to the next
[Link] book will provide a better
understanding about the battle of longewala to the
present and future generation.
Star Struck: Confessions Peter Mukerjea Peter Mukerjea, the former CEO of Star India
of a TV Executive Network, has penned down his memoir titled “Star
Struck: Confessions of a TV Executive”. The book is a
written confession of Peter Mukerjea, a well-known
media personality who is undertrial for the murder
case of Sheen [Link] book is published by
Westland Books, the publishing arm of Amazon.
Maverick Messiah: A Ramesh Kandula On February 18, 2021 Vice President(VP) M
Political Biography of Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled, ‘Maverick
N.T. Rama Rao Messiah: A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao’. The
non-fiction book is authored by senior journalist,
Ramesh Kandula and published by Penguin Random
house India. He received Padma Shri in 1968 for art
among others.
Rashtra Pratham – 82 Dr Bhuwan Kumar On 19th February 2021, Amit Shah, Home Minister of
varshon ki Swarnim Jha India released a book titled “Rashtra Pratham – 82
Gatha varshon ki Swarnim Gatha” (Nation First – The
Golden Story of 82 Years), which chronicles the
history of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) since
its raising in 1939. The book was compiled by
historian Dr Bhuwan Kumar Jha of Delhi University.
The book was released at the event organised for the
first ever CRPF Veteran Day, at the CRPF Shaurya
Officers Institute, New Delhi.
Agriculture Acts 2020 Justice A.K. Rajan Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani released a
book “Agriculture Acts 2020” written by Justice A.K.
Rajan, former judge of the Madras High [Link] book
is about the three controversial Central farm laws,
which resulted in a months-long massive protest by
farmers in New [Link] has shown how the laws hit at
the federal structure of India.
Leadership Lessons from Srikanth Ram Corporate leader Srikanth Ram has authored a new
22 Yards book titled “Leadership Lessons from 22 Yards: An
interesting comparison of cricket and corporate stories
for entrepreneurs and leaders to create high
performance teams and winning culture”. The foreword
of the book is written by Dilip Vengsarkar. The book
was published by [Link] of One Point
Six Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Runway to Skilled India Dr Darlie O Koshy India Craft Week 2021(February 18-21) Dr Vinay
Sahasrabuddhe, President Indian Council for Cultural

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Relations has unveiled a new book titled, ‘Runway to
Skilled India’ at Bikaner House, New Delhi. The book is
authored by Dr Darlie O Koshy, noted educationist and
Director General and CEO at Apparel Training & Design
Centre(ATDC), under the aegis of Apparel Export
Promotion Council(AEPC). The book is published by
DFU [Link] book is a sequel to his earlier
work “Indian Design Edge”.
They Found What/They Shweta Taneja A Book Titled ‘They Found What/They Made What’
Made What authored by Shweta Taneja is set to release on National
Science Day (i.e February 28). The book will educate
children about discoveries and inventions of India’s
Brightest [Link] book will be published by
Hachette.
Because India Comes Ram Madhav Ram Madhav, an Indian Politician, author and the
First: Reflections on former National General Secretary of BJP launched his
Nationalism, Identity and new book titled “Because India Comes First: Reflections
Culture on Nationalism, Identity and Culture” in Kolkata, West
Bengal. The book examines the decisions of the BJP led
government in the past few years. The book was
published by Westland limitd.
The Lost Soul Olga Tokarczuk’s Polish Author and 2018 Nobel Prize winner (Literature)
Olga Tokarczuk’s latest book ‘The Lost Soul’, English
translation of “Zgubiona dusza” is set to hit the
bookstores. The book is translated by Antonia Lloyd-
Jones and the illustrations were done by Joanna
Concejo. This is the first time that Olga Tokarczuk’s
prose will be accompanied by illustrations in the form of
a picture [Link] book is published by Seven Stories
Press.
Stories I Must Tell: the Kabir Bedi Veteran Indian Actor Kabir Bedi(75 years old) is set to
Journey of an Actor release his autobiography titled ‘Stories I Must Tell: the
Journey of an Actor’ in April 2021. The memoir features
the journey of a middle-class boy from Delhi who
reached the heights of success in his acting career.
The book is published by Westland Publications.
#METOO Karan Puri Karan Puri launched his second book titled, ‘#METOO’.
The book is a collection of 6 short stories. It is published
by Invincible publishers. Author’s 1st fiction novel is
‘Shit Happens – A desi boy in America’. This book was a
best seller and also as mentioned in India Today Top 20
books in 2012. The book highlights the strength of
human beings who have lived through the trauma of
sexual violence.
The Last Light of Glory Dr. Avinuo Kire Dr. Avinuo Kire’s new book titled “The Last Light of
Days: Stories from Glory Days: Stories from Nagaland” was released by Dr.
Nagaland Ralimongla, the principal of Kohima college in Kohima,
Nagaland. The book was published by Speaking Tiger
Books, a Delhi based publishing house.

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Bare Necessities: How to Sahar Mansoor & Tim Sahar Mansoor founder and CEO of Bare Necessities, a
Live a Zero Waste Life de Ridder zero-waste social enterprise and Tim de Ridder,
sustainability consultant, have authored a new book
titled “Bare Necessities: How to Live a Zero Waste Life”,
a one stop guide promoting a sustainable lifestyle in
India. The book was published by Penguin Random
House.
India: A Scamster Born Snigdha Poonam Snigdha Poonam authors a new book titled ‘India: A
Every Minute Scamster Born Every Minute’.
Penguin Random House India acquired the book from
the leading international literary agency, The Wylie
Agency. It will be released under Penguin’s Viking
imprint in 2022. The book provides insight about the
subculture of scams, cons and frauds in India.
Bride of the Forest: The Madhavi S Mahadevan Madhavi S Mahadevan has authored her latest and 2nd
Untold Story of Yayati’s Novel titled ‘Bride of the Forest: The Untold Story of
Daughter Yayati’s Daughter’, a story about the sacrifice and
nobility of Drishadvati, a little-known character from
[Link] book is published by Speaking Tiger
Publishing Private Limited. The book features the
stories of the little-known women in the epis who
suffered various systemic atrocities of that period.
Unfinished: A Memoir Priyanka Chopra Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who featured in various
Jonas Hollywood and Bollywood projects, has released her
memoir (Authored by Priyanka Chopra) titled
“Unfinished: A Memoir”. The book is published by
Penguin Viking owned by Penguin Random House
[Link] book features Priyanka Chopra’s childhood in
India, her teenage years in the United States where she
faced bouts of racism.
The Presidential Years: Pranab Mukherjee Late Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee’s
2012-2017 memoir(Authored by Pranab Mukherjee) titled ‘The
Presidential Years: 2012-2017’ has been released in
January 2021. The book was published by Rupa
Publications India. The book gives an account of how
Pranab Mukherjee reshaped the functioning of
Rashtrapati Bhavan.

OBITUARY
NATIONAL
PERSON NAME FIELD BORN PLACE KEY NOTES
Akhtar Ali Indian Tennis West Bengal Indian Tennis Legend, Akhtar Ali, the
Legend former Davis Cup Coach, passed away
at the age of 81 in Kolkata, West
Bengal. He has supported the career
development of the legendary Leander
Paes. He was born on 5th July 1939. He
hails from Kolkata, West Bengal. He is

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the father of the current Davis Cup
Coach Zeeshan Ali.
Rajiv Kapoor Bollywood Actor, Maharashtra On 9th February 2021, Bollywood
Director and film Actor, Director and film producer Rajiv
producer Kapoor passed away at the age of 58 in
Chembur, Mumbai, Maharashtra. He
was the son of veteran filmmaker Raj
Kapoor and brother of Rishi Kapoor
and Randhir Kapoor. He was born on
25th August 1962 in Mumbai,
Maharashtra. Rajiv Kapoor is also
known as “Chimpu”.
Bansi Kaul Theatre director and Jammu and Kashmir On 6th February 2021, Padma Shri
the founder of Rang Bansi Kaul, theatre director and the
Vidushak founder of Rang Vidushak passed away
at the age of 71 at his residence in
Delhi. He was born in 1949 in Srinagar,
Jammu and Kashmir. Bansi Kaul has
staged the Hindi adaptation of the
Oedipus (Greek play) at the Ravindra
Bhawan.
Mandagadde Rama Former Governor of Karnataka On 16th February 2021, Justice
Jois Bihar and Mandagadde Rama Jois, the former
Jharkhand governor of Bihar and Jharkhand
passed away at the age of 89 in
Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was born
on 27th July 1931 at Shimoga,
Karnataka. M Rama Jois served as the
Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana
High Court.
Captain Satish Veteran congress Andhra Pradesh Passed away at the age of 73 in Goa.
Sharma leader and the He was born on 11th October 1947 in
former Member of Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
Parliament Captain Satish Sharma was a
professional commercial pilot with
Air India.
Vishnu Narayanan Malayalam Poet Kerala On 25th February 2021, Renowned
Namboothiri Malayalam Poet, priest and
academician Padma Shri Vishnu
Narayanan Namboothiri passed away
at the age of 81 in his residence in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He was
born on 2nd June 1939 at Iringolil,
Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district of
Kerala. He was honoured with Padma
Shri for Literature and education in
2014.

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INTERNATIONAL
PERSON NAME FIELD BORN PLACE KEY NOTES
Paul Jozef Nobel Prize Amsterdam Passed away at the age of 87. He was born in
Crutzen winning Amsterdam in [Link] made Key studies on
atmospheric degradation of Ozone layer by pollutants, which
chemist served as a base to 1987’s Montreal Protocol. In
his key finding he described that Nitrogen
Pollution destroys the ozone layer in the
atmosphere.
Christopher Legendary Canada The star of “The Sound of Music” and the oldest
Plummer Canadian Actor 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. At
the 84th Academy Awards, Plummer won the
Oscar for his performance in the film
“Beginners”(2011).
Marion Anthony Legendary USA Who was a 5-time Grand Slam singles
Trabert (Tony American tennis champion passed away at the age of 90 in his
Trabert) champion residence in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He
was born on 16th August 1930 in Cincinnati,
Ohio, USA. He won 3 grand slams singles in
1955 US Open and French Open and
Wimbledon.
Bruce Taylor Former New New Zealand Former New Zealand Cricketer Bruce Taylor
Zealand Cricketer passed away at the age of 77 in Lower Hutt,
New Zealand. He was born on 12th July 1943
in Timaru, New [Link] was described as
“Force of Nature” by the New Zealand Cricket
Team. Bruce Taylor scored the first century in
1965 against India at Kolkata, West Bengal.
Ezra Moseley Former West Barbados On 6th February 2021, the former West Indies
Indies cricketer cricketer and fast bowler, Ezra Moseley, the
and fast bowler current coach of the Barbados Women’s team
passed away at the age of 63 in Barbados after
a road accident. He was born on 5th January
1958 in Barbados. Moseley signed on for the
controversial West Indies “rebel tour” of South
Africa in 1982.
Leon Spinks Former USA On 5th February 2021, American professional
heavyweight boxer, Leon Spinks, Former heavyweight
champion champion passed away at the age of 67 in Las
Vegas, Nevada, USA. He was born on 11th July
1953 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He won the
bronze at the 1974 world championship, silver
in the 1975 Pan American Games & won the
gold medal in the light heavyweight at the 1976
Olympics in Montreal against Sixto Soria.
Carlos Menem Former president Argentina On 14th February 2020, the former president
of Argentina Carlos Menem, passed away at

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the age of 90 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He
was born in 1930 in Anillaco, Argentina. He
was elected as the 44th President of
Argentina and served from 1989 to
[Link]’s Currency: Argentine peso
and Capital: Buenos Aires.
Michael Somare First Prime New Guinea Passed away at the age of 84 in Port Moresby,
Minister of Papua PNG, after being diagnosed with a late-stage
New Guinea pancreatic cancer. He was born on 9th
February 1936 in Rabuk Rabaul, Territory of
New [Link] is popularly known as the
“Father of the nation(PNG)” and he is also
referred to as the Chief by the people of PNG.

IMPORTANT DAYS
OBSERVED DATE / WEEK DAYS KEY NOTES
January 31, 2021 World Leprosy Day World Leprosy Day is annually observed
across the globe on the last Sunday of January
to create awareness about leprosy, also
known as Hansen’s Disease. This day is a
celebration of the leprosy community to
advocate the rights of the person affected
with the Leprosy and to create awareness
about the medical and social implications of
Leprosy. The World Leprosy Day 2021 falls
on 31st January 2021. The theme of the 2021
World Leprosy day is “Beat Leprosy, End
Stigma and Advocate for Mental Well-Being”.
February 1, 2021 Indian Coast Guard Day Annually observed across India on 1st
February which marks the Raising day of the
Indian Coast Guard.1st February 2021 marks
the 45th Raising day of the Indian Coast
Guard, Operating under the Defence Ministry.
ICG cooperates with Indian Navy, the
Department of Fisheries, the Department of
Revenue (Customs) and the Central and State
police forces.
February 2, 2021 World Wetlands Day Annually observed across the globe on 2nd
February to create awareness about the
importance of wetlands and their roles
towards humans and the planet.2nd February
2021 marks the 25th World Wetlands Day.
The theme of World Wetlands Day 2021 is
“Wetlands and Water”.It aims to highlight the
importance of wetlands as the source of
freshwater and to promote the actions to
restore and stop the loss of wetlands.

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February 4, 2021 World Cancer Day Annually observed across the globe on 4th
February to create awareness and educate
the general public about the stigma around
cancer and to reduce the preventable deaths.
The World Cancer Day is a global uniting
initiative led by the Union of International
Cancer Control (UICC). The theme of the
World Cancer Day for 2019 to 2021 is “I Am
and I Will”. The theme of World Cancer Day
2021 is “I Am and I Will: “Together, all our
actions matter”.
February 4, 2021 International Day of United Nations(UN)’s observed the first ever
Human Fraternity 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. The
theme of the International Day of Human
Fraternity 2021 is “A Pathway to the Future”.
February 6, 2021 International Day of Zero United Nations(UN)’s International Day of
Tolerance for Female Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
Genital Mutilation is annually observed across the globe on 6th
February to heighten the efforts towards
eliminating the process of Female Genital
Mutilation(FGM). 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”.
February 10, 2021 World Pulses Day The United Nations(UN)’s World Pulses Day
is annually observed across the globe on 10th
February to celebrate the contribution of the
pulses to the sustainable food system, healthy
growth and environmental benefits. The First
World Pulses Day was celebrated on 10th
February 2019.
February 10, 2021 National Deworming Day National Deworming Day (NDD) 2021 is
(NDD) celebrated on 10th February, [Link] is a
biannual event celebrated across India to
create awareness about worm infection and
to eradicate the intestinal worms which is
also known as soil Transmitted
Helminths(STH) in children aged 1 to 19. In
2021, NDD is observed on 10th February,
2021 with a mop-up day on 15th February,
2021.
February 11, 2021 International Day of United Nations(UN)’s International Day of
Women and Girls in Women and Girls in Science is annually
Science observed across the world on 11th February
to recognize the critical role women and girls

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play in science and technology
[Link] theme of 2021
International Day of Women and Girls in
Science is “Women Scientists at the forefront
of the fight against COVID-19”.
February 11, 2021 World Unani Day Annually observed across the globe on 11th
February to create and spread awareness
about health care delivery through the Unani
system of medicine. The day marks the birth
anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan, a great
Unani scholar and social reformer.
February 12, 2021 National Productivity Day Annually observed across India on 12th
February to create awareness about
productivity, that maximum output with
optimum utilization of resources can be
planned and achieved. The day is organised
by the National Productivity Council(NPC).
February 13, 2021 World Radio Day(WRD) United Nations World Radio Day(WRD) is
annually observed across the globe on 13th
February to celebrate radio as a part of the
history of humanity. 2021 marks the 10th
edition of World Radio Day(WRD) and more
than 110 year of [Link] theme of the
world radio day 2021 is “New World, New
Radio.”
February 13, 2021 National Women’s Day Annually celebrated across India on 13th
February to honour Sarojini Naidu, the
“nightingale of India”, on her birth
anniversary. The National Women’s day is
celebrated to recognise the social, cultural,
political and economic achievements of
Women. 13th February 2021 marks the
142nd birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu.
February 8, 2021 International Epilepsy Day Observed across the globe on the second
Monday of February. The day aims to create
awareness about epilepsy and its treatment
and the need to bring the treatment to all
who need [Link] International Epilepsy Day is
a joint initiative of the International Bureau
for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International
League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).The theme of
the International Epilepsy Day 2021 is
“Epilepsy is more than seizures”.
February 9, 2021 Safer Internet Day Annually observed across the globe on the
2nd day of the 2nd week (i.e. 2nd Tuesday)
of February to create awareness about the
emerging new online issues and current
issues like cyberbullying to social
networking to digital identity. The Safer
Internet Day 2021 observed on 9th

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February 2021 marks the 18th edition of
Safer Internet Day. The safer internet day
2020 was observed on 11 February 2020.
The theme of the 2021 Safer Internet Day is
“Together for a better internet”.
February 15, 2021 International Childhood Each Year, the International Childhood
Cancer Day (ICCD) Cancer Day (ICCD) is observed on February
15. The day aims to raise awareness about
childhood cancer, express support for
children & adolescents with cancer, the
survivors and their [Link] year 2021
marks the 20th Commemoration of the
International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD)
since it was created in 2002 by Childhood
Cancer International (CCI). In order to
commemorate the 20th Anniversary of
ICCD, the CCI & International Society of
Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) unveiled a joint
three-year campaign called ‘Tree of Life’.
February 20, 2021 World Day of Social United Nations(UN)’s World Day of Social
Justice Justice is annually observed across the
globe on 20th February to promote and
ensure Social justice in letter and spirit in
the world where the social inequality
[Link] day recognises that social
development can be ensured in the absence
of Social [Link] theme of the 2021
World Day of Social Justice is “A Call for
Social Justice in the Digital Economy” which
highlights the basic rights of the workers
who have shifted to the digital platform and
whose lives were affected by the lack of
digital infrastructure.
February 21, 2021 International Mother United Nations(UN)’s International Mother
Language Day Language Day is annually observed across the
globe on 21st February to promote linguistic
and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
The 2021 marks the 22nd edition of the
International Mother Language Day. The
theme of the 2021 International Mother
Language Day is “Fostering multilingualism
for inclusion in education and society”.
February 22, 2021 World Thinking Day 22nd February of every year is observed as
World Thinking Day by the girl scouts and
girl guides in 150 countries across the globe.
The day offers an opportunity for the girl
scouting and girl guiding communities to
think about others and focus on a wider issue
that impacts the others within the guiding

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and scouting movements. The theme of the
World Thinking Day 2021 is “Peacebuilding”.
February 20, 2021 World Pangolin Day World Pangolin Day is annually observed
across the globe on the 3rd Saturday of
February to raise awareness about the
Pangolins, a unique mammal and the
difficulties they face. 20th February 2021
marks the 10th edition of the World Pangolin
[Link] first World Pangolin day was
observed in February 2012. Pangolins are
known as scaly anteaters, which are covered
in hard, pate-like scales. This nocturnal
mammal is insectivorous, which feeds on ants
and termites.
February 27, 2021 World NGO (Non- World NGO (Non-Governmental
Governmental Organization) day is annually observed
Organization) day across the globe on 27th February to create
awareness about the importance of social
work and to recognise and honour the
contributions of the Social workers, NGO
founders, employees, volunteers, members
and supporters who are working towards the
betterment of the society.

APPS & WEB PORTAL

APP & WEB NAME LAUNCHED BY PURPOSE
MCA21 Version 3.0 Ministry of Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is set to launch
Corporate Affairs 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).
Innovation Sandbox BSE BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) has set up
an ‘Innovation Sandbox’ web portal, a workflow-
based platform. It is a testing environment that
enables FinTech firms and individuals to do offline
testing of their applications. The innovation
sandbox is set up as per the guidelines of Securities
and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).Main aim is to
create an ecosystem which promotes innovation in
the securities market.

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Unified Portal of Gobardhan Union Ministers Union Ministers jointly launched a ‘Unified Portal of
Gobardhan’ to promote ‘Galvanizing Organic Bio-
Agro Resources Dhan’ (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme, an
initiative that aims to manage cattle and
biodegradable waste and also help enhance
farmers’ income. The portal also helps to track real
time progress of the scheme. Galvanizing Organic
Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme
is implemented under the Swachh Bharat Mission
Gramin-Phase 2, by the Department of Drinking
Water and Sanitation under the Jal Shakti ministry.
e-Watch N. Ramesh Kumar Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner (AP
SEC) N. Ramesh Kumar launched the ‘e-Watch’ app
to receive complaints related to poll related
irregularities. This launch comes ahead to the Gram
Panchayat Elections of Andhra Pradesh state, that is
planned to be held on February 21, [Link] App is
developed by SEC with the initial cooperation of
Reliance Jio.
SAKSHAM TIFAC On Occasion of its 34th Foundation Day on
February 10, 2021, Technology Information,
Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) an
autonomous organisation under Department of
Science & Technology launched 2 new initiatives
namely SAKSHAM Job Portal (Shramik Shakti
Manch) & Sea Weed Mission. The theme of the
Foundation Day was ‘Technology, Innovation and
Economy for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’.
[Link] Dr. Ramesh Union Education Minister, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal
Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin
‘Nishank’, Smriti Irani and Union Minister of Commerce and
Zubin Irani and Industry, Piyush Goyal jointly launched the
Piyush Goyal website([Link] for 1st India
Toy [Link] is the 1st ever exhibition and
platform to be accessed digitally. The fair is the 1st
of its kind initiative to bring together all
stakeholders of the Indian toy industry especially
children, parents and teachers on a single digital
platform.
YONO Merchant App SBI Payment SBI Payment Services Pvt. Ltd launched YONO
Services Pvt. Ltd Merchant App to expand the digitization of
merchant payments in India. Through the app,
merchants can turn their Near Field
Communication (NFC)-enabled Android
smartphones into payment acceptance devices. It
is a brand extension of State Bank of India(SBI)’s
YONO(You Only Need One) [Link] has also
partnered with Visa on the Tap to Phone feature
to boost acceptance infrastructure across India .

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E-Chhawani Rajnath Singh On February 16, 2021, Union Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh launched ‘E-Chhawani’ Portal &
Mobile app in New Delhi. It has been developed
by eGov Foundation, Bharat Electronics Limited
(BEL), Director General Defence Estates (DGDE)
& National Informatics Centre (NIC).‘E-Chhawani’
has been launched along the lines of Digital India
& e-Governance. Chief of Defence Staff General
Bipin Rawat;Director General Defence Estates
(DGDE), Deepa Bajwa were present during the
event.
[Link] Dr. S. Jaishankar External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar
[Link] launched India’s BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,
China, South Africa)2021
website([Link]
[Link]) at the BRICS Secretariat at Sushma
Swaraj Bhawan, [Link] addition to this, he also
soft launched the upgraded facilities at Sushma
Swaraj Bhavan that will serve as the Secretariat
for BRICS Summit. India assumed the presidency
of BRICS for 2021. Russia was the chair of BRICS
for [Link] celebrates its 15th anniversary
under the theme ‘Intra-BRICS Cooperation’.
Aaple Sarkar MahaDBT Government of The Government of Maharashtra launched an
Maharashtra online application, for the first time, through the
Aaple Sarkar MahaDBT Portal (Direct Benefit
Transfer). The Portal provides the benefits of
various schemes of the Department of
Agriculture on a single application by the
Farmers. The farmers can register their
application online from anywhere at any time
and they can view and track the status of their
application in the system.
Sandes India India launched an instant messaging app, an
alternative to WhatsApp for government employees
called Sandes , a Made in [Link] was developed by
National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of
Electronics & Information [Link] from
Govt. officers it has been released for common
public on Apple’s App Store. It is an upgrade of
Government Instant Messaging System (GIMS)
[Link] Government is also working on another
Instant Messaging app called ‘Samvad’, it is being
developed by Centre for Development of Telematics
(C-DOT).
E-Daakhil National ‘E-Daakhil’ portal was launched by National
Consumer Dispute Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC)
Redressal in September, 2020 for Consumer Grievance
Redressal (e-filing) is now operational in 15

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Commission States/UTs across India. “[Link]” has been
(NCDRC) developed by the National Informatics Centre
(NIC). e-filing of consumer complaints in Consumer
Commissions & online payment of fees for filing a
complaint is mandated under Consumer Protection
Act, 2019 which came into force in July, 2020.
Carbon Watch Chandigarh Union Territory of Chandigarh and the joint capital
of Punjab and Haryana became the first state/UT to
launch “Carbon Watch”, a mobile application to
assess the carbon footprint of individual [Link]
application was developed by the Department of
Environment and Forest, Union Territory (UT) of
[Link] application is available for android
smartphones.

ENVIRONMENT
Cyrtodactylus arunachalensis: New Species of Gecko Named After Arunachal Pradesh
A team of researchers from 5 institutes discovered a new species of gecko in Arunachal Pradesh. The
species is named “Cyrtodactylus arunachalensis” after Arunachal Pradesh, the state in which it was
[Link] paper on the newly discovered Gecko was published in “Evolutionary Systematics”, an
international peer reviewed journal. Cyrtodactylus arunachalensis belongs to the genus Cyrtodactylus,
commonly known as bent-toed geckos.

New Chameleon Species “Brookesia nana”: Earth’s Smallest Reptile Species

Scientists from Germany and Madagascar have discovered a new species of Chameleon “Brookesia
nana” in the montane rainforest in northern Madagascar. This is the Earth’s smallest known reptile.
Brookesia nana belongs to the genus Brookesia. The male species measures 21.6 mm and the
female measures 28.9 [Link] world’s longest reptile reticulated python (6.25 meter) is as long as
289 brookesia nanas and Sphaerodactylus ariasae, the smallest species of lizards is 20 to 25%
longer than brookesia [Link] discovery of Brookesia nana is published in the Journal Scientific
Reports.

Scientists Discovered Cremanthodium indicum, New Alpine Plant Species in Arunachal

Pradesh
A group of scientists from 3 institutes across India discovered a new species of Alpine plant in Tawang
district of Arunachal Pradesh. The new species of Himalayan Sunflower family has been named
“Cremanthodium indicum”.The discovery of the species was published in ‘Biodiversitas: Journal of
Biological Diversity’ an international peer reviewed publication.

India’s 1st fossil of a Dickinsonia Discovered in ‘Auditorium Cave’ at Bhimbetka, MP: GSI
Two experts from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) found three fossils of a Dickinsonia, the Earth’s
‘oldest animal’, dating back 570 million years in the roof of Auditorium Cave at Bhimbetka Rock
Shelters, Madhya Pradesh. It is India’s 1st fossil of Dickinsonia. The cave is a UNESCO(United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site for Paleolithic and Mesolithic
cave art. The discovery was published in Gondwana Research titled, ‘Dickinsonia Discovered in India
and Late Ediacaran Biogeography’.

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GA Questions Asked in Exams

• GA Questions asked in RRB PO Mains Exam 2021 – Jan 30

• GA Questions asked in SBI PO Mains 2021 – Jan 29
• SBI Clerk Mains 2020
• IBPS RRB Officer Scale II GBO Exam 2020
• RBI Assistant Mains 2020
• GA Questions Asked in IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2020 – 90% Questions Covered by AC
• GA Questions asked in SBI PO 2019 Main Exam
• GA Questions asked in SBI Clerk Main Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS PO Main Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in RBI Grade B Prelims Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS RRB PO Mains Exam 2019

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