Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (Feb 01st to 08th Feb 2021)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of 01st & 08th Feb 2021. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2021 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• The day marks the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. On this day in 1948, Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse in the compound of Birla House after one of his routine multi-faith prayer meetings.
• January 30, 2021 will mark the second annual World Neglected Tropical Diseases  (NTD) Day. Theme of 2021 is Face NTDs: End the Neglect. The first World NTD Day was held on 30 January 2020
• World Leprosy Day is observed on the last Sunday of January. The day was chosen by French humanitarian Raoul Follereau in 1953 to coincide with the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s death which happened on the last Sunday of January 1948.
• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will celebrate its 45th Raising Day on Feb 01. The ICG is headed by a Director-General, Vice-Admiral rank of the Indian Navy.
• World Wetlands Day is observed every year on 2nd February .Purpose : To raise global awareness about the vital role played by wetlands for people and our planet.
• World Cancer Day 2021 Annually observed on February 4. World Cancer Day seeks to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding the disease that is the second leading cause of deaths globally.
• In December, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare 4 February as International Day of Human Fraternity.
• Every Year On Feb 06 , International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is Observed.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• The High-Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Home Minister Amit Shah approved Additional Central Assistance of over one thousand seven hundred 51 crore rupees under the National Disaster Response Fund, NDRF to five states.
• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has had a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.
• The government has said that the country is witnessing a V-Shaped Economic Recovery which is a testimony to the resilience and intrinsic strength of its economy.
• An arboretum showcasing the floral diversity of the Shivalik hills was inaugurated at Jeolikot in Nainital district.It is Mainly for conserving over 210 species of trees found in the Shivalik range of Himalayas
• Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate Aadi Mahotsav, a National Tribal Festival at Dilli Haat in INA in the National Capital.
• Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the 8th India International Silk Fair on Virtual Portal. India has long history of silk production and is the 2nd largest producer of Silk.
• The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Budget for the fiscal year 2021-22. 
• In the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to amend Insurance Act, 1938 to increase FDI limit from 49% to 74% in insurance companies, and allow foreign ownership and control with safeguards.
• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Animal Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria jointly launched a unified web portal for monitoring the progress of GOBARDHAN activities across the nation.
• Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget FY 2021-22 in Parliament  announced that the government has approved a policy of strategic disinvestment of public sector enterprises
• To help India’s startups amid the COVID-19 pandemic, tax holidays for these businesses have been extended by one year till March 31, 2022, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2021-22
• Babul Supriyo announced the establishment of a Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM), as a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management(NCSCM), Chennai, an institution under the Ministry.
• An ‘amputee clinic’, the first of its kind in India, with the aim of improving amputation patient care by providing a collection of services under one roof with significant coordination was launched in Chandigarh.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) an Oxford panel has now chosen ‘Atmanirbharta’ in Hindi word of 2020.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Chauri Chaura centenary celebrations at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh on February 4 via video conferencing.x`
• Union Budget for Financial Year 2021-22 has proposed to set up 100 new Sainik Schools in the country, in partnership with NGOs, private schools and State-owned schools.
• Ayesha Aziz, the 25-year-old from Kashmir who is the youngest female pilot in the country, acts as a source of inspiration and a beacon of empowerment for numerous Kashmiri women.
• The Ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) amended the Companies Rules to revise the definition of a small company and to allow non-resident Indians (NRIs) to incorporate one person companies (OPCs) in India.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited NSE 3.79 % (HAL) unveiled a leap in technology of teaming up unmanned aircraft and vehicles with manned jets similar to the US project of skyborg.
• Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Rajya Sabha.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), added four more states have completed the reforms in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’, as stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance as per recent data.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The Government of India and the World Bank signed a 500-million US dollar Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Programme (STARS) to improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states.
• Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, 76, has been re-elected for a rare third five-year term.
• The UK is applying to join a free trade area made up of 11 Asia and Pacific nations, under its post-Brexit plans. 
• A visa scheme to allow Hong Kong residents to come to the UK opened, with some THREE LAKH people expected to apply.
• Nepal has decided to award the contract for construction of 679 mega wattLower Arun Hydropower Project to India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN).
• The Myanmar Military Tatmadaw has announced a one year state of emergency in the country.  The Vice President Myint Swe has been made the acting President and all powers have been transferred to the Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing.
• The government of Bangladesh signed an agreement with the World Bank for the upgradation of rural  roads and connectivity in the western region.
• According to the  global travel and tourism report ‘World Tourism Barometer’ released by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the year 2020 was the “worst year on record.
• Denmark to build the world’s first energy island in the North Sea. The €28 billion construction project is the biggest of its kind in Danish history. The government will hold a 51% stake in the island, with the remainder held by the private sector
• The 14th International Children’s Film Festival of Bangladesh (ICFFB) came to an end in A total of 12 awards were presented to the winners at the concluding ceremony.
• South Korea unveiled a5 trillion won ($43.2 billion) plan to build the world’s largest wind power plant by 2030 as part of efforts to foster an environmentally-friendly recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• NASA has chosen SpaceX to provide launch services for its upcoming two-year astrophysics mission slated to kick off in June of 2024.
• A new intergovernmental organisation called Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) Council has been formed with the intention of building the world’s largest radio telescope.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Adviser to Lieutenant Governor Farooq Khan reviewed the functioning of One-Stop-Centres for women in the UT during a meeting at Civil Secretariat, Jammu.
• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, over 22 lakh people have so far applied for the golden card under newly launched Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) SEHAT scheme in various districts across the Union Territory.
• The Kerala government’s Gender Park in Kozhikode will become functional from next month, coinciding with the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE-II).
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands has become the first state or Union territory in the country to become Covid-19 free with active cases falling to zero in the islands.
• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh virtually launched the ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai’ mission as part of the government’s campaign to accomplish the goal of 100 per cent potable piped water supply in all rural households by March next year.
• State Election Commissioner Ramesh Kumar launched a software application called ‘eWatch’ to keep tabs on poll-related irregularities.
• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the ‘Switch Delhi’ campaign to promote electric vehicles and appealed to people to buy such vehicles to combat pollution in the city.
• The southern state of Kerala will get its first human milk bank. The state-of-the-art facility will be inaugurated by health minister K K Shailaja at state-owned Ernakulam general hospital in Kochi.
• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the first heliport of the state in Majuli
• 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.
• The high speed mobile data services have been restored in Jammu and Kashmir, bringing respite to people affected by the ban, especially students, working professionals and business community.
• In Jharkhand, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSME wing of the Government of India will cooperate in setting up industries up to  20 crore rupees in Dhanbad.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

• Engineering college students in Hubballi have come up with ‘Maya’,a robot that has been programmed to serve in banks and speaks in many regional languages.
• The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept its repo rate unchanged at 4 percent while maintaining an ‘accommodative stance’ as long as necessary at least through the current financial year to the next year.
• The Union Budget 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) projected a GDP growth rate of 10.5 percent for the financial year beginning 1 April.
• Federal Bank has announced the launch of FedFirst, a special savings account scheme for children below 18 years of age.
• RBI to set up a 24×7 helpline for digital payment services, integrated ombudsman scheme, CTS across all bank branches and allowing retail investors to open Gilt accounts with RBI.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up an expert committee on Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) involving all stakeholders in order to provide a medium-term road map to strengthen the sector, enable faster rehabilitation/resolution of UCBs, as well as examine other critical aspects relating to these entities.
• The Punjab National Bank (PNB) has taken a giant step and won’t allow its customers to withdraw money from non-EMV automated teller machines (ATMs) from today(1 February 2021). 
• The government proposed to introduce a unified securities markets code, a move that will help in boosting the ease of doing business in the country’s financial markets.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines on risk-based internal audit (RBIA) system for select non-bank lenders and urban co-operative banks (UCBs).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• In Economic Survey India to become Fastest Growing Economy in next 2-years reported by IMF
• Microsoft announced the launch of its new India Development Center (IDC) facility at NCR that will serve as a premier hub for driving cutting-edge engineering and innovation.
• The California-based global digital payment platform PayPal has announced that the company has decided to wind down its domestic payment services in India with effect from April 01, 2021.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AGREEMENTS 

• Ford Motor Co will tap into software, artificial intelligence and cloud computing offered by Alphabet Inc’s Google to develop new consumer services and modernize internal operations.
• The National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC) has signed an MoU with Apollo Medskills Private Ltd for providing COVID Vaccination Administration training to Nurses, Medical and Nursing students and Pharmacists.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for development and production of composite raw materials during the Aero India 2021 in Bengaluru on February 04, 2021
• Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd has sourced the world’s first consignment of ‘carbon-neutral oil’ from the US as it looks to become a net zero-carbon company by 2035.
• The 1st meeting of the Joint Working Group in the field of Renewable Energy between India and the Kingdom of Bahrain held On Feb 04, 2021 in virtual format.
• A total of 201 MoUs, product launches, and technology transfers were concluded at the Bandhan ceremony held on the last day of Aero India 2021 at Yehalanka, Bengaluru on February 05, 2021.
• Karnataka has benefitted from the Aero India show that concluded in Bengaluru.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS & AUTHORS

• Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has come out with his new book titled  ‘The Little Book of Encouragement’, in which he has shared quotes and words of wisdom to promote human happiness.
• Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden and an ongoing target for conservatives, has a memoir coming out April 6, 2021.The book is called “Beautiful Things” and will center on the younger Biden’s well publicized struggles with substance abuse.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• In a first, the 13th edition will see an Indian Ocean Region (IOR) defence minister’s conclave as India seeks a bigger role in this volatile hub of global geopolitical rivalry.

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS & CONFERENCE

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has started organising KRITAGYA- a National level hackathon in the month of August, 2020 to promote innovation in agriculture and allied sectors in the country.
• The Indian Air Force will host a Chiefs of Air Staff (CAS) Conclave on 3rd and 4th Feb 21 at Air Force Station Yelahanka.
• The first-ever ASEAN-India Hackathon concluded on February 4 with more than 400 students, mentors, and officials from 10 ASEAN countries and India participating.
• The first High-Level Dialogue (HLD), co-chaired by the Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and the European Union Executive Vice-President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, was held on Feb 05, 2021.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Music composer AR Rahman and social activist from Saidapet Hari Krishnan were among the 14 people who were presented the fourth edition of the Alert Being Awards 2020 by the NGO ALERT, for their Good Samaritan work.
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the 2019 Kerala State Film Awards and the J C Daniel Award at a function here.
• Dr Pathi is a noted orthopaedic surgeon who is known for his landmark work in tribal districts of the State.
• Fondly known as ‘Nanda Mastre’, centenarian Nanda Prusty of Kantira in Sukinda block had never imagined he would be bestowed the coveted Padma Shri award for his service to the society.
• Purnamasi Jani has over a lakh poems and devotional songs to her credit, but Purnamasi Jani has never been to a school. 
• Music composer AR Rahman and social activist Saidapet Hari Krishnan were among the 14 people who were presented the fourth edition of the Alert Being Awards 2020 by the NGO ALERT, for their Good Samaritan work.
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the 2019 Kerala State Film Awards and the J C Daniel Award at a function here. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

• India ranked 10th out of 11 Asia Pacific countries in a newly-launched health index to measure the progress towards personalised healthcare.
• Germany ranks first in the PHDCCI International Economic Resilience (IER) Rank followed by India and South Korea at second and third positions, respectively, according to the report released by industry body PHDCCI.
• India slipped two places to 53rd position in the 2020 Democracy Index’s global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCHEMES

• The government has approved the Rs 945-crore Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) for the period 2021-25 to offer early-stage funding to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization.
• The Maharashtra Cabinet approved the implementation of the Chief Minister Water Conservation Programme, costing ₹1,340.75 crore.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Zomato for empowering street food vendors with new digital technology and to provide greater income-earning opportunities on the food delivery platform.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS

• The National Health Authority (NHA) has appointed RS Sharma as the new Chief Executive to head its health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, a flagship programme of the government.
• Minister for Environment,Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar and Ms Barbara Pompili, the French Minister for Ecological Transition launched the Indo-French Year of the Environment in New Delhi.
• SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd (SBI Card) appointed Rama Mohan Rao Amara as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for a period of two years.
• Henry Moniz, who has been the chief compliance officer and chief audit executive at media company ViacomCBS Inc., will join Facebook on 8 to lead the company’s global compliance team, according to Facebook. 
• NASA appointed Indian-American Bhavya Lal as its acting chief of staff.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) chief Andy Jassy will replace billionaire founder Jeff Bezos as com’s next chief executive officer.
• The government has appointed 1998 Gujarat cadre IPS officer Praveen Sinha as interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
• Air Marshal GS Bedi Ati Vishisht Sewa Medal,Vayusena Medal, Vishisht Sewa Medal took over as Director General (Inspection & Safety) at Air HeadQuarters on 01 Feb 21. 
• Ajay Singh has been re-elected as President of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
• Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former finance minister of Nigeria, appears set to become the next director general of the World Trade Organization.
• United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres re-appointed Michael Bloomberg as his Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions.
• Google Cloud has announced the appointment of Bikram Singh Bedi as the Managing Director for its India business.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• The BCCI will not be conducting its premier first-class domestic tournament Ranji Trophy for the first time in 87 years as the parent body opted for the Vijay Hazare Trophy .
• BCCI secretary Jay Shah was unanimously elected as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM).
• India’s 24-member shooting contingent topped the medals tally in the first Asian Online Shooting Championship.
• Dinesh Karthik-led Tamil Nadu clinched their second national T20 championship as they beat Baroda by seven wickets in the final of Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy in Ahmedabad.
• Former pacer Merv Hughes has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, the country’s board (CA) announced.
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Kiren Rijiju launched a breakthrough Reference Material for use in chemical testing.
• Fast bowler Ashoke Dinda, 36, has retired from all forms of the game after 15 years in Bengal cricket.
• India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been nominated for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award along with England skipper Joe Root and Ireland’s Paul Stirling.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES 

• The man most responsible for that moniker, Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen, died. He was 87.
• The Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine, who created one of the most famous riffs in pop music in the 1960s, died at the age of 77.
• Pioneering Hollywood actressCicely Tyson – who was known for portraying strong African-American characters – has died aged 96.
• Christopher Plummel, known for his popular role as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music, has passed away at 91.
• Founder of Rang Vidushak and theatre director Padma Shri Bansi Kaul, 71, passed away.

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