Current Affairs 23rd January 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

Indian Railways renames iconic Howrah-Kalka Mail as ‘Netaji Express’

• Indian Railways in a tribute to freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose who is also known as ‘Netaji’ has decided to rename the Howrah-Kalka Mail as ‘Netaji Express’
• The train first operated in the year 1866 and it has been in service of the nation for more than 150 years.
• The Howrah-Kalka Mail is one of the oldest running trains at present in the Indian Railways network.
• The Howrah-Kalka Mail runs between Howrah (Eastern Railway) and Kalka (Northern Railway) via Delhi.

About Indian Railways :

• Founded : 16 April 1853
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Comes Under Ministry of Railways
• Railway Minister : Piyush Goyal

India’s longest Road Arch Bridge inaugurated in Meghalaya

• Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated India’s longest road arch bridge, the Wahrew Bridge at Sohbar in East Khasi Hills district.
• The bridge has been constructed at a cost of Rs 49.395 crore under Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) of the DoNER ministry.
• The bridge connects Bholaganj and Sohbar to Nongjri in East Khasi Hills, bordering Bangladesh.
• The 169 metre Wahrew suspension bridge connects Bholaganj and Sohbar to Nongjri. The project was sanctioned in 2013 while work started the following year and was completed in December, 2018.

About Meghalaya :

• Capital : Shillong
• Governor : Satya Pal Malik
• CM : Conrad Sangma

SC upholds IBC’s Section 32A

• The Supreme Court held that the successful bidders for a corporate debtor under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) would be immune from any investigations being conducted either by any investigating agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or other statutory bodies such as Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• Successful bidders for corporate debtors under IBC would be immune from any investigations being conducted by any investigating agencies or Enforcement Directorate (ED).

DPIIT launches regulatory compliance portal

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched a regulatory compliance portal that will act as a bridge between citizens, industries and the government to minimise burdensome compliances.
• It will also act as a first-of-its-kind central online repository of all central and state-level compliances
• Objective : The objective of this portal is to act as a bridge between citizens, industries and the Government in order to minimize burdensome compliances.

About Regulatory Compliance Portal :

• The Regulatory Compliance Portal will be instrumental in achieving the vision of a truly Atmanirbhar Bharat and help usher ease of doing business for industry and ease of living for Indian citizens.

About DPIIT :

• Founded : 1995
• Comes Under Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the new 4-lane Thaltej-Shilaj-Rancharda railway overbridge in Ahmedabad                              

• The Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the new 4-lane Thaltej-Shilaj-Rancharda railway overbridge, in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat through video conferencing from New Delhi.
• It has been built at a cost of Rs 55 crore.
• Several dignitaries including Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Shri Nitin Patel were present at the programme

About Ahmedabad :

• Founder : Ahmad Shah I

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

CM Rawat inaugurates Uttarakhand’s first child-friendly police station

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the state’s first child friendly police station describing it as a major reformative step by the police.
• Purpose : It is a new initiative and a major reformative step towards protection of children by the state police, Rawat said after inaugurating the Bal Mitra police station in Dalanwala area here.
• The child friendly police unit has been set up in the Dalanwala police station with a budget of about Rs five lakhs on the recommendation of the Child Protection Committee of Uttarakhand.
• According to the chairperson of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) Usha Negi, the children who are either victims or need proper counselling or visit police stations due to other reasons should be provided with a comfortable and intimidating environment rather than keeping them in a dull and scary atmosphere.
• To keep children at ease, the walls are painted in bright colours and cartoons and the police personnel will also be dressed in casual clothes rather than their uniforms.

About Uttarakhand :

• Founded : 9 November 2000
• Chief Minister : Trivendra Singh Rawat
• Governor : Baby Rani Maurya

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING NEWS

RBI imposes Rs.2 crore penalty on Standard Chartered Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of 2 crore on Standard Chartered Bank–India for delays in reporting of frauds.
• The penalty has been imposed on the bank for non-compliance with certain directions issued by it contained in the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Frauds – Classification and Reporting by commercial banks and select FIs) Directions 2016’.
• A notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for such non-compliance with the directions.
• After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made in the personal hearing, the RBI concluded that the charge of non-compliance with the aforesaid RBI directions was substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty.
• This action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers.

About RBI :

• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Headquarters : Mumbai
• Founder : British Raj
• Founded : 1 April 1935, Kolkata

About Standard Chartered Bank :

• CEO : Bill Winters
• Headquarters : London, United kingdom
• Founded : 1969

SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank remain systemically important banks

• The RBI state-owned SBI, along with private sector lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank continue to be Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) or institutions which are ‘too big to fail’.
• SBIs are subjected to higher levels of supervision so as to prevent disruption in financial services in the event of any failure.
• The Reserve Bank had issued the framework for dealing with D-SIBs in July 2014.
• SBI, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank continue to be identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), under the same bucketing structure as in the 2018 list of D-SIBs.
• The D-SIB framework requires the central to disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs starting from 2015 and place these lenders in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs).
• The additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) requirement for D-SIBs was phased-in from April 1, 2016 and became fully effective from April 1, 2019. The additional CET1 requirement will be in addition to the capital conservation buffer.
• SIBs are seen as ‘too big to fail (TBTF)’, creating expectations of government support for them in times of financial distress. These banks also enjoy certain advantages in funding markets.

About SBI Bank :

• Chairperson : Dinesh Kumar Khara
• Headquarters : Mumbai
• Founded : 1 July 1955

About ICICI Bank :

• CEO : Sandeep Bakhshi
• Headquarters : Mumbai
• Founded : June 1994, Vadodara

About HDFC Bank :

• CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
• Headquarters : Mumbai
• Founder : Hasmukhbhai Parekh
• Founded : August 1994

Axis Bank unveils Aura Credit Card with health, wellness solutions

• Axis Bank has unveiled a credit ‘AURA’ exclusively loaded with several health and wellness benefits for its users at an affordable price.
• The bank has also tied up with Decathlon. As part of the welcome benefit, cardholders get a Decathlon voucher of Rs750.
• It also offers up to four free online interactive fitness sessions per month powered by Fitternity, a health and fitness platform. Cardholders also get access to 16 recorded training sessions per month and can choose from various sessions such as yoga and cross-functional training programmes.
• According to the bank’s website, the joining and annual fee for the card is Rs749. The finance charges will be 3.4% a month or 49.36% a year.

About AXIS Bank :

• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhrv
• Established : 1994

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES 

Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurates the 7th Edition of MASCRADE 2021 organized by FICCI

• Harsh Vardhan,Union Minister of Health and Family welfare today inaugurated the 7th Edition of “MASCRADE 2021”- Movement against Smuggled & Counterfeit Trade
• The aim of MASCRADE 2021 is to foster a healthy discussion on newer and practical strategies to mitigate the challenges of counterfeiting and smuggling especially in a post COVID era.
• The two-day programme was organized by FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy).
• It provided a platform to deliberate and discuss actionable, innovative policy solutions that can reverse the rising incidences of counterfeit, smuggled and spurious products, causing significant damage to the economy of the nation

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AGREEMENTS

CCI approves Flipkart’s 7.8% acquisition of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves acquisition of a minority stake in Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) by Flipkart Investments Private Limited (FIPL).

About FIPL :

• FIPL is a newly incorporated company and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Flipkart Private Limited (FPL). FPL belongs to the Walmart Group, which comprises Walmart Inc. (Walmart) and its affiliates.
• The Walmart Group undertakes various business activities in India, such as wholesale trading of products, providing e-commerce marketplace services and digital payments services.
• The proposed combination relates to acquisition by FIPL of a minority shareholding of 7.8%, on a fully diluted basis in ABFRL, by way of subscription equity shares.

About ABFRL :

• ABFRL is a public limited company incorporated in India and is part of the Aditya Birla conglomerate.
• ABFRL (including through its subsidiaries) is engaged in the business of manufacturing and retailing branded apparels, footwear and accessories, through its retail stores, multi-brand outlets, departmental stores, online retail platforms and e-commerce marketplaces, across India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Andaman and Nicobar Command to conduct Indian Armed forces’ joint military exercise ‘Kavach’

• A large-scale joint military exercise ‘Excercise Kavach’ will be conducted in the coming week under the aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), the only Joint Forces Command of India.
• The joint military exercise Kavach will involve the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard.
• Aim : The tri-services exercise aims to fine-tune joint war-fighting capabilities and SOPs towards enhancing operational synergy.
• During the exercise, the joint force will implement high-density offensive and defensive measures in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. In addition, they will carry out amphibious landing operations, with helicopters transporting maritime special forces, and finally tactical follow-up operations on land.
• In addition to the Kavach exercise, a joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) exercise will also be held. ISR will verify the intelligence gathering capabilities. In addition, it will verify information sharing capabilities from space, land, air and sea.

About Indian Army :

• Founded : 1 April, 1895
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Commander in Chief : Ram Nath Kovind

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING

The Global Risks Report 2021, 16th Edition 

• Infectious diseases topped the global risks chart, displacing climate change, in a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• In the Global Risks Report 2021, we share the results of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS), followed by analysis of growing social, economic and industrial divisions, their interconnections, and their implications on our ability to resolve major global risks requiring societal cohesion and global cooperation.
• The report is being released before WEF upcoming virtual Davos Agenda scheduled to be held between January 25 to 29, 2021.
• The Main objective behind the publishing of the report is to enable better preparation by Government & other International Communities during the times of crisis.

About the Report :

• The 2021 report centres around the ‘risks and consequences’ of ‘widening inequalities and societal fragmentation’, to determine the future.
• The key findings of the survey and the analysis says that environmental risks continue to threaten and they remain top risks by ‘likelihood and impact’ in this year’s survey.
• Highest likelihood risks of the next ten years are extreme weather, climate action failure and human-led environmental damage; as well as digital power concentration, digital inequality and cybersecurity failure.
• Highest impact risks of the next decade, infectious diseases are in the top spot, followed by climate action failure and other environmental risks; as well as weapons of mass destruction, livelihood crises, debt crises and IT infrastructure breakdown.
• Further, the report has divided the risks into three types of threats, which are:
• short term (0-2 years) threats: infectious diseases, livelihood crises, digital inequality and youth disillusionment
• medium term (3-5 years) threats : asset bubble bursts, IT infrastructure breakdown, price instability and debt crises
• long term (5-10 years) threats : weapons of mass destruction, state collapse, biodiversity loss and adverse technological advances

About World Economic Forum :

• Headquarters : Cologny, Switzerland
• Founder : Klaus Schwab
• Founded : January 1971

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

MeITY and AWS announced Quantum Computing Applications Lab in India

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced the establishment of a Quantum Computing Applications Lab in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). 
• The move will give select researchers, scientists access to Amazon’s Braket cloud-based quantum computing service.
• The Quantum Computing Application Lab in collaboration with AWS is the first lab on AWS that’s aligned to a government mission.
• It is to be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology operating under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The MeitY Quantum Computing Applications Lab will provide quantum computing as a service to government ministries and departments, researchers, scientists, academia, and developers, to enable advances in areas such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and aerospace engineering.
• The Union Budget 2020-21 had proposed to spend Rs. 8000 crores on the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications.

About Amazon Web Services :

• CEO : Andy Jassy
• Founded : 2006
• Headquarters : Seattle, Washington, United States

About MeitY :

• Minister of state : Surinderjeet Singh Ahluwalia
• Founded : 19 July 2006
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Minister Responsible : Ravi Shankar Prasad

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Popular Singer, Narendra Chanchal, passes away at 80

• Popular bhajan singer Narendra Chanchal passed away in New Delhi. He was 80.
• Chanchal was known for his religious songs and bhajan.
• Chanchal’s songs like “Chalo Bulava Aaya Hai” from Avtaar and “Beshak Mandir Masjid Todo” from Bobby became immensely popular.
• Besides several bhajans, Chanchal had also given voice in several Hindi films as well.
• He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Singer for Bobby

Daily CA On Jan 22 :

• The government has nominated 28 non-official members on the National Startup Advisory Council.
• NITI Aayog released a book on faecal sludge and septage management in urban areas. It is Jointly developed with National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM)
• Road Transport and Highways Ministry and Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in the field of technical exchange and co-operation on sustainable geo-hazard management.
• The Cabinet has given its approval for the investment of over Rs.5200 crore for 850 MW Ratle Hydro Electric (HE) Project located on river Chenab, in Kishtwar in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi released financial assistance of around Rs 2,691 crore to over six lakh beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), through video conferencing.
• President, Vice President and Prime Minister have greeted the people of Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura on the occasion of their Statehood Day on January 21, 2021.
• India and the EU have held their first maritime security dialogue in a virtual format.
• Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has proposed to rename dragon fruit as ‘Kamalam.The dragon fruit has been renamed Kamalam because of the shape of the fruit.
• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched Himachal Pradesh”s first online youth radio station ”Radio Hills-Youngistan Ka Dil.
• In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister S. Jagan Mohan Reddy flagged off Mobile Dispensing Units/ Door to door Delivery Vehicles in Vijayawada. 
• Ministry of Minority Affairs will organise the 24th Hunar Haat at Avadh Shilpgram, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from 22nd January to 4th February with the theme of Vocal for Local.
• In Karnataka, Chief Minister S. Yediyurappa launched Avolokana software that will enable the government to access data on sanctions and expenditures incurred by 39 departments on 1,800 programmes implemented by them.
• Airtel Payments Bank launched a mode of safe digital transactions to protect customers from online frauds.
• Bank of Baroda (BoB) Executive Director Vikramaditya Singh Khichi called on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the CM’s camp office in Tadepalli.
• Punjab National Bank, one of the leading nationalized banks of the country, established in 1895, and completed 126 years of banking service.
• The Andhra Pradesh State Cooperative Bank (APCOB), Vijayawada was awarded the first prize for the overall best performance for the year 2018-19
• To improve telecom connectivity in hilly areas, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), the PSU under Ministry of Power, has recently signed an agreement with Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited. (HPSEBL) in Shimla (H.P.)
• Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force are conducting a bilateral Air exercise, Ex Desert Knight-21 in Jodhpur .
• Joe Biden took oath as the 46th President of the United States of America at a scaled-back ceremony in the US Capitol building in Washington.
• The government appointed Siddhartha Mohanty, currently serving as the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of LIC Housing Finance, as the MD of India’s largest insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) from February 1 onwards.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Sanjeev Kumar as the new Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) .
• Chennai headquartered Non-Banking Finance Company Sundaram Finance has announced that Managing Director TT Srinivasaraghavan will retire on March 31, 2021 and Rajiv Lochan will become the next Managing Director from April 1.
• Karuna Sagar, a 1991 batch IPS officer of the TN cadre, has bagged the prestigious Bharat Gaurav Award for the year 2020 under the public service category.
• The Union Cabinet was apprised of signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of Solar Energy.
• Road Transport and Highways Ministry and Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in the field of technical exchange and co-operation on sustainable geo-hazard management.
• Former Arunachal Pradesh Governor Mata Prasad He was 95 years old.
• Veteran actor Unnikrishnan Namboothiri passed away in Kannur. He was 98.
• Congress legislator from Udaipur’s Vallabhnagar constituency Gajendra Singh Shaktawat He was 48.

Daily CA On Jan 23 :

• Indian Railways in a tribute to freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose who is also known as  ‘Netaji’ has decided to rename the Howrah-Kalka Mail as ‘Netaji Express’
• Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated India’s longest road arch bridge, the Wahrew Bridge at Sohbar in East Khasi Hills district.
• The Supreme Court held that the successful bidders for a corporate debtor under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) would be immune from any investigations.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched a regulatory compliance portal that will act as a bridge between citizens, industries and the government to minimise burdensome compliances.
• The Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the new 4-lane Thaltej-Shilaj-Rancharda railway overbridge, in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat through video conferencing from New Delhi.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the state’s first child friendly police station describing it as a major reformative step by the police.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of 2 crore on Standard Chartered Bank–India for delays in reporting of frauds.
• The RBI state-owned SBI, along with private sector lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank continue to be Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) or institutions which are ‘too big to fail’.
• Axis Bank has unveiled a credit ‘AURA’ exclusively loaded with several health and wellness benefits for its users at an affordable price.
• Harsh Vardhan,Union Minister of Health and Family welfare today inaugurated the 7th Edition of “MASCRADE 2021”- Movement against Smuggled & Counterfeit Trade
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves acquisition of a minority stake in Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) by Flipkart Investments Private Limited (FIPL).
• A large-scale joint military exercise ‘Excercise Kavach’ will be conducted in the coming week under the aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), the only Joint Forces Command of India.
• Infectious diseases topped the global risks chart, displacing climate change, in a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced the establishment of a Quantum Computing Applications Lab in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). 
• Popular bhajan singer Narendra Chanchal passed away in New Delhi. He was 80.

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