Weekly Current Affairs 9th February - 15th February 2021

FINANCE AND BANKING

• RBI sets up panel to suggest steps for strengthening, consolidating UCBs
  • The RBI has set up a committee to draw a vision document for strengthening urban cooperative banks (UCBs) and exploring the potential of consolidation in the sector.
  • The committee will suggest “effective measures for faster rehabilitation and resolution of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and also assess their potential for consolidation in the sector.”

• RBI: India’s GDP growth projected at 10.5 per cent for FY22
  • In the last bi-monthly monetary policy meet for the current, the Reserve Bank of India projected India’s GDP growth rate at 10.5 per cent for the fiscal year 2021-22.

• RBI releases Annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes for 2019-20
  • The RBI has released the Annual Report of the Ombudsman Schemes for the year 2019-20.
  • There was an increase of around 65 per cent in the receipt of complaints out of which almost 92 per cent have been disposed of.

ECONOMY

• IFC picks up $56 million of Continuum Energy’s $561 million-green bonds
  • The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has picked up 10 per cent of the first green bond issuance worth USD 561 million by Continuum Wind Energy as the anchor investor.

• World Bank Signs $100 million Project with Chhattisgarh
  • Indian Govt and Chhattisgarh Govt has signed a $100 million for CHIRAAG (Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and Accelerated Agriculture Growth) project with the World bank.

• Laxity found in ensuring safety by SAIL at Bhilai plant: CAG report
  • The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has pulled up SAIL for “laxity” in ensuring safety measures which led to the blast at the company’s Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in 2018, in which 14 people had lost their lives.

NATIONAL

• Aarogya Setu integrates with Indian vaccine app CoWIN
  • Aarogya Setu announced an integration with CoWIN that gives us a brief glimpse at what can be expected from the standalone app. The first phase of the vaccination drive is already underway, with health officials, frontline workers, and people over the age of 50 years, the first in line for the vaccine.

• India & Nepal Jointly Inaugurate 108km Road to Improve Daily Connectivity at Border
  • India and Nepal jointly inaugurated a newly constructed 108-kilometre road connecting Indian borders with several areas of the Himalayan nation.
  • The Indian government has provided the grant assistance of Rs 44.48 million that was utilised for the construction of the road.

• India inks MoU to build dam for safe drinking and irrigation water to Kabul
  • India and Afghanistan signed a MoU for construction of the proposed Shatoot (Lalandar) dam that India will build to provide safe drinking and irrigation water to Kabul residents.
  • The MoU for Shatoot dam was signed by foreign minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart Hanif Atmar.

INTERNATIONAL

• Mario Draghi Sworn In As Italy's New Prime Minister
  • Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi was formally sworn in as Italy's new prime minister.

• U.S. extends New START nuclear arms treaty with Russia
  • The United States has extended the New START nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia for five years.

STATES

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates ‘Jalabhishekam’ campaign in Madhya Pradesh
  • Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated water conservation campaign in Madhya Pradesh under 'Jalabhishekam' campaign from New Delhi.

• Madhya Pradesh: Mandu festival starts at Mandu in Dhar
  • In Madhya Pradesh, the three-day Mandu Festival began at Mandu in the historic town of Dhar district.

• Madhya Pradesh launches 'SAANS' campaign to reduce infant mortality
  • The health department in Madhya Pradesh has launched the Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (‘SAANS’) campaign with the aim of reducing infant mortality due to pneumonia.

REPORTS AND INDEXES

• Report Guide for Road Safety Opportunities and Challenges: World Bank
  • World Bank has released “Guide for Road Safety Opportunities and Challenges: Low and Middle-Income Countries Country Profiles” report.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• ISRO tests satellites developed by private sector for the first time
  • Two satellites by Indian startups—SpaceKidz India and Pixxel (incorporated as Sygyzy)—were tested at the UR Rao Satellite Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation in Bengaluru.

• Skyroot and Bellatrix signs MoU to use latter's orbital transfer vehicle
  • Skyroot Aerospace and Bellatrix Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to use the Orbital Transfer Vehicle being developed by Bellatrix Aerospace in the upper stage of Vikram series of launch vehicles being developed by Skyroot.

• UAE’s Hope spacecraft successfully enters Mars orbit
  • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) made history as its first-ever interplanetary Hope Probe mission successfully entered orbit around Mars.
  • The Emirates Mars Mission, known as the Hope Probe, sent back a signal confirming it's in orbit.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

• Govt planning to set up 500 Farmer Produce Organisations by March-end
  • The government is planning to create at least 500 Farmer Produce Organisations (FPOs) by the end of March 2021. The target is to facilitate rolling out of 10,000 such bodies across the country by FY24.

• Agriculture highly vulnerable to climate change in 20% districts: ICAR
  • Around 20% districts in the country are in a very high-risk zone in terms of vulnerability of agriculture to climate change, while another 35% come under the high-risk classification, according to a study undertaken by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

• FAO calls for sustainable aquaculture, end to illegal fishing
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in its first-ever Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, pressed for stronger action to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

DEFENCE

• Defence Ministry Inks an Agreement for Ship-borne Modern Radio System
  • Recently, the Defence ministry of India has signed an agreement with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to obtain a software-defined radio tactical (SDR-Tac) ship-borne system worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

• PM Modi hands over indigenous Arjun tank to Army
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over to the Army the home made Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A).

• First women team inducted into CRPF's CoBRA commando unit
  • In a first, a maiden contingent of 34 CRPF women personnel were inducted into the specialized jungle warfare commando force called Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

EVENTS

• World Sustainable Development Summit 2021
  • The 20th edition of The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI) flagship event, the World Sustainable Development Summit, was held online from February 10 to February 12.
  • The theme of the Summit is 'Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all'.

• Annual Convention of Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India
  • The Annual Convention of Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) concluded at Kevadia in Gujarat.

• Maritime India Summit 2021
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 2nd edition of Maritime India Summit-2021 on 2nd March.
  • The event is being organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways jointly with FICCI as Industrial Partner and EY as Knowledge Partner.

AWARDS AND REWARDS

• Koozhangal wins Tiger Award at Rotterdam Film Festival 2021
  • Director PS Vinothraj's Koozhangal (Pebbles) won the coveted Tiger Award at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021.
  • Koozhangal becomes the first Tamil film to win the prestigious award at the film festival.

• Bengaluru airport achieves ACI World's 'Voice of the Customer' recognition
  • The Bangalore International Airport Limited's (BIAL) has bagged global recognition from the Airports Council International World's 'Voice of the Customer' award.

• SERB Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) Women Excellence Award 2021
  • Four young women fellows of Indian National Science Academy have been awarded the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) Women Excellence Award 2021 for excelling in science and engineering on the International Day of Women and Girls. All four women received a grant of ₹15 lakh for a period of three years to pursue their research ideas.

SPORTS

• ICC Player of the Month for January 2021
  • The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the winners of the inaugural ICC Player of the Month Awards.

• Australian Cricket Awards 2021
  • Australian Cricket Awards 2021 were decided by a voting process for the period 2020-21. Steve Smith and Beth Mooney have taken out Australian cricket's top awards, winning the Allan Border Medal and the Belinda Clark Award respectively.

• Ishant Sharma becomes third Indian pacer to take 300 Test wickets
  • Veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma became the sixth Indian and third pacer from the country to take 300 wickets in Test cricket.