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Current Affairs Today – 2nd February 2021
NEWS AT A GLANCE
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
Indian Coast Guard Day: Observed on Feb 01
- The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will celebrate its 45th Raising Day on Feb 01.
- The ICG is an armed force of India that protects maritime interests and enforces maritime law.
- The ICG is headed by a Director-General, Vice-Admiral rank of the Indian Navy.
- With just seven surface platforms in 1978, the ICG has grown into the fourth largest coast guard with 156 ships and 62 aircraft in its inventory.
- The ICG has targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 80 aircraft by 2025.
- Since its inception in 1977, the ICG has saved over 10,000 lives and apprehended around 14,000 miscreants, the agency said.
- Director General, Indian Coast Guard K Natarajan
CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS
Uttarakhand Sets up Shivalik arboretum
- 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.
- One of the unique features of the “Shivalik Arboretum” inaugurated by noted environmental activist Ajay Rawat is that the trees standing there introduce themselves to visitors.
- Shivalik Arboretum aims to spread nature education among people so that they are able to feel an emotional connection with the trees, and make them more active towards conservation.
- The facility will showcase information like scientific information about particular species, cultural significance, medicinal use, country of origin, type of habitat in which it is found and all possible uses including timber, dyes or any other peculiar use.
- The tree species include Kaphal (myrica esculenta), Toon (toona ciliata), Tejpat (cinamomum tamala), Banj oak (quercus leucotrichophora) and Buransh (rhododendron arboreum).
- Some exotic tree species like Queensland Kauri Pine (agathis robusta), Atlas Cider (cedrus Atlantica) and Montezuma Cypress also stand at the arboretum. PTI ALM HDA
About Uttarakhand :
- Governor : Baby Rani Maurya
- CM : Trivendra Singh Rawat
Venkaiah Naidu to inaugurate National Tribal Festival ‘Aadi Mahotsav’
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate Aadi Mahotsav, a National Tribal Festival at Dilli Haat in INA in the National Capital.
- It will continue till 15th Feb.
- The Tribal Affairs Ministry said, the Aadi Mahotsav – A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Crafts, Cuisine and Commerce is a successful annual initiative that was commenced in 2017.
- The festival was an attempt to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country, in one place.
Smriti Irani inaugurates India International Silk Fair
- 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.
- India is the only country in the world which produces all the four major varieties of silk – Mulberry, Eri, Tassar, and Muga.
- The fair is considered to be India’s biggest silk fair, being held under one roof on Indian Silk Export Promotion Council’s virtual platform.
- The five days event is being held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic.
- Mrs Irani said that more than 200 overseas buyers have already registered and equal number of their representatives in India will be interacting with more than 100 renowned and big Indian companies manufacturing and trading silk and silk blended products.
- She called upon the exhibitors and overseas buyers to take part in this initiative to celebrate the beauty and vibrancy of Indian silk.
Cabinet approves Budget for fiscal year 2021-22
- The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Budget for the fiscal year 2021-22.
- Earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called on President Ram Nath Kovind before presenting the Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament.
- MoS Finance Anurag Thakur and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance also were present during the meeting.
- Traditionally, copies of the Budget are brought to the Parliament complex before the Finance Minister arrives, this year no document has been printed following the COVID-19 protocol.
- The Budget copies will be disseminated electronically, with documents being uploaded on the government website as well as being made available on a special app developed for the same.
Insurance stocks advance after FM proposes higher FDI limit
- 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.
- Shares of six insurance companies added 3% to 5% after the central government proposed to amend Insurance Act to allow higher foreign direct investment (FDI) in insurance companies.
- ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company (up 5.86%), General Insurance Corporation of India (up 5.41%), The New India Assurance Company (up 5.16%), HDFC Life Insurance Company (up 4.46%), ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company (up 3.68%), SBI Life Insurance Company (up 3.49%) advanced.
About FDI :
- Foreign direct investment (FDI) is when a company takes controlling ownership in a business entity in another country. With FDI, foreign companies are directly involved with day-to-day operations in the other country. This means they aren’t just bringing money with them, but also knowledge, skills and technology.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Vietnam ruling Communist Party chief Trong re-elected for third term
- Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, 76, has been re-elected for a rare third five-year term.
- Mr Trong was granted an exception to party rules that say people over the age of 65 should retire, cementing his position as one of the country’s strongest and longest-serving leaders for decades.
- It aims to bolster Vietnam’s ongoing economic success, and the legitimacy of the party’s rule.
- Vietnam’s Communist Party governs the nation of nearly 100 million people and has ruled for more than 45 years since reunification.
- Leadership of the one-party state is split among three positions: the party chief, a president who serves as head of state and a prime minister who runs the government. Since 2018, Mr. Trong has served as both party leader and president.
- A new study by the independent Lowy Institute in Australia ranked Vietnam second in the world behind New Zealand in handling the pandemic’s first nine months.
About Vietnam :
- PM : Nguyen Xuan Phuc
- Capital : Hanoi
- Currency : Vietnamese dong
UK applying to join Asia-Pacific free trade pact
- The UK is applying to join a free trade area made up of 11 Asia and Pacific nations, under its post-Brexit plans.
- The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
- The trade agreement formed in 2018 which includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
- In total, it covers a market of around 500 million people, generating more than 13% of the world’s income.
- International Trade Secretary Liz Truss will make the request with negotiations expected in the spring.
UK opens visa scheme – Hong Kong residents to become citizens
- A visa scheme to allow Hong Kong residents to come to the UK opened, with some THREE LAKH people expected to apply.
- The visa, which is open to holders of a British National (Overseas) passport and their immediate dependents, will offer a fast track to UK citizenship.
- But the Chinese foreign ministry said it would no longer recognize the BNO passport as a travel document.
- The UK launched the new visa after China imposed a new security law.
- Beijing has previously warned the UK not to meddle in domestic issues.
Nepal decides to award hydropower project
- Nepal has decided to award the contract for construction of 679 mega watt Lower Arun Hydropower Project to India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN).
- This was decided at a meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN), chaired by Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
- The project was awarded to the SJVN under the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) delivery method.
- Arun III hydel project, which will provide 21 per cent free power to Nepal during the concession period.
Military seizes power in Myanmar- report 1 year emergency
- 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 development follows early morning detention of the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior leaders from the ruling party National League for Democracy (NLD) by the military.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & ECONOMY
PNB customers won’t be able to withdraw money from these ATMs
- 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).
- To protect our esteemed customers from fraudulent ATM activities, PNB will be restricting transactions (financial and non-financial) from Non-EMV ATM machines from February 1, 2021.
- Punjab National Bank has introduced PNB One App that allows PNB debit card users to switch on or off their debit card through this app.
What are non-EMV ATMs
- Non-EMV ATMs are those which read data through magnetic strips and do not hold the ATM card during the transaction.
- In such ATMs, Data Magnetic Chips enabled reading is done by the ATM machine and for a few seconds one’s debit card gets locked.
About PNB :
- Headquarters :New Delhi
- CEO : S.S. Mallikarjuna Rao
- Founded : 19 May 1984, Lahore, Pakistan
CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS
SBI Card appoints Rama Mohan Rao Amara as MD & CEO for 2 years
- 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.
- It was effective from 30 January 2021.
- Prior to this appointment, Amara, who started his banking career with SBI in 1991 as a probationary officer, was the Chief General Manager of SBI Bhopal circle.
- Rao is a veteran banker, with a successful career spanning over 29 years at SBI, the credit card company said in a release. Prior to taking charge at SBI Card, he was the Chief General Manager, SBI Bhopal Circle.
About SBI Card :
- CEO : Ashwini Kumar Tewari
- Headquarters : Gurugram
- Founded : 1998
- Chairperson : Dinesh Kumar Khara, Rajinish Kumar
Facebook Hires Its First Chief Compliance Officer
- Facebook Inc. has hired its first chief compliance officer, as the social media company faces increasing scrutiny from regulators.
About Henry Moniz :
- 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.
- He will be the first person to hold the compliance chief title at Facebook.
- Moniz was previously the chief compliance officer and chief audit officer at Viacom before its merger with CBS.
- He also previously worked as a partner at law firm Bingham McCutchen LLP, which is now Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, and as an assistant U.S. attorney in Miami and Boston.
About Facebook :
- CEO : Mark Zuckerberg
- Founded : February 2004
- Headquarters : California, US
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS
India top medals tally at first Asian Online Shooting Championship
- India’s 24-member shooting contingent topped the medals tally in the first Asian Online Shooting Championship.
- The squad won four out of the eight gold medals on offer, besides two silver and five bronze medals, for a total of 11 podium finishes.
- The two-day competition, held on Thursday and Friday, was organised by the Kuwait Shooting Federation and saw 274 shooters from 22 Asian countries take part.
List of Medal Winners from India
Gold
- 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
Silver
- Arjun Babuta – men’s 10m air rifle
- Shreyasi Singh – women’s trap
Bronze
- Manu Bhaker – women’s 10m air pistol
- Sarabjot Singh – men’s 10m air pistol
- Deepak Kumar – men’s 10m air rifle
- Prithviraj Tondaiman – men’s trap
- Manish Keer – women’s trap
- There were a total of eight events on the roster with no final rounds in the pistol and rifle competitions. In the shotgun events, 150-bird matches were held.
Dinesh Karthik-led Tamil Nadu defeat Baroda to win Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy
- 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.
- This was Tamil Nadu’s second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph, after winning their first title way back in 2006-07.
- Baroda, who had won the title twice in the past (in 2011-12 and 2013-14), ended runners-up this time.
- Siddharth (4/20) spun his web around the Baroda batsmen to restrict them to a meagre 120 for 9 and then Tamil Nadu overhauled the target in 18 overs, with opener C Hari Nishaanth top-scoring with 35.
- Chasing 121 for a win, Tamil Nadu lost opener Narayan Jagadeesan (14) early as pacer Lukman Meriwala (1/34) picked up the first wicket, with the opposition at 26/1.
- This is the second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title for Tamil Nadu, and their first title in 13 years. The team claimed their first SMAT title in 2006-07, that too under Karthik’s captaincy.
- The Player of the match title was won by Manimaran Siddharth (Tamil Nadu) who picked 4 wickets, conceding 20 runs
CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES
Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine dies at the age of 77
- 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.
- The British band’s version of blues standard The House of The Rising Sun topped the UK and US charts in 1964.
- The Animals’ record label ABKCO Music described Valentine as a pioneering guitar player influencing the sound of rock and roll for decades to come.
- Valentine co-founded the Animals in Newcastle in 1963 alongside singer Eric Burdon, bassist Chas Chandler, organist Alan Price and drummer John Steel.
Daily CA On Jan 31 & Feb 01 :
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- India ranked 10th out of 11 Asia Pacific countries in a newly-launched health index to measure the progress towards personalised healthcare.
- 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 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.
- 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).
- The man most responsible for that moniker, Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen, died. He was 87.
Daily CA On Feb 02 :
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 watt Lower 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 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
