28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
28 March-03 April, 2021
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
NATIONAL NEWS
1.Holi being celebrated throughout the Country
Holi, the festival of colours is being celebrated throughout the country with
great pomp and enthusiasm. The festival is celebrated in the month of
March which not only brings cheers to the people but also brings new lease
of life to plants and animals.
Holi marks the onset of spring season. Holi begins with Holika Dahan, a
day prior to Holi. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu, to save his
devotee Prahlad from demon Hiranyakashipu, burnt the sister of
Hiranyakashipu, Holika. Like any other Hindu festival, Holi also marks the
victory of good over evil.
Vaishnavites believe that Lord Krishna and Radha played Holi on this
occasion and the festival is also marked as a festival of love. Holi gives the
message of equality and fraternity as all the sections of society irrespective
of caste, creed, colour, age, and sex celebrate it with great enthusiasm.
Holi is celebrated in different places with different hues and colours. It is
normally played with liquid colours and also dry gulaal. But, in Braj and
sorrounding areas, along with colours, people play Lathmaar Holi by mildly
patting with sticks. Also, in some places of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, people
play Kapda Phaad Holi with tearing of the dresses they wore on the
occasion of Holi celebration.
2.Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu launched ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu launched ‘Dekho Apna
Pradesh’, a brainchild of Khandu conceptualized in line with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign, is an attempt to promote
tourism within the state to heal the damage caused to the sector by the
COVID 19 pandemic
He flagged off the ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’ campaign in presence of Deputy
Chief Minister Chowna Mein and Tourism Minister Nakap Nalo here from
the D K Convention Centre.
As Arunachal Pradesh is geographically a big state, Khandu claimed that
not many of its residents must have visited places other than their workplace
or residency.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
INTERNATIONAL NEWS & FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1.Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and Yamuna International Airport sign
LoA for civil aviation security
A Letter of Agreement (LoA) was signed between the Bureau of Civil
Aviation Security (BCAS) and Yamuna International Airport Private
Limited (YIAPL) in New Delhi. The LoA defines provisions for civil
aviation security responsibilities and functions at the upcoming international
airport at Jewar, Noida. The agreement letter was signed by Shri Ankit
Garg, Deputy Director General, BCAS, and Shri Christoph Schnellmann,
CEO, YIAPL. Shri Jaideep Prasad, DG, BCAS, and Ms. Kiranjeet Kaur
Jain, COO of YIAPL were also present on the occasion.
The Letter of Agreement stipulates the civil aviation security
responsibilities and functions and implements the tasks relating to civil
aviation security, defined, and allocated for implementation of various
aspects of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) at
Noida International Airport.
The contract of construction of the airport has been awarded to YIAPL,
which is a joint venture of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the
Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Zurich international airport.
2.2020 was Best Year for Wind Industry: Global Wind Report 2021
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2020 was the best year in history
for the global wind industry as this sector installed 93GW of new capacity
in 2020, according to a new report titled ‘Global Wind Report 2021,
released by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC- Headquarters
location: Brussels, Belgium).
This is the 16th annual flagship report, released by GWEC on March 25,
2021.
The 93GW represents a 53% year-on-year increase.
As per the report, the global wind power market increased four times in size
over the past decade but the record growth was seen in 2020.
This increase was driven by a surge of installations in China and the US
alone
Together, the US and China installed 75% of new installations in 2020 and
account for over half of the world’s total wind power capacity.
3.Rajnath Singh, South Korean Defence Minister inaugurated Indo-Korean
bilateral friendship park
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
An Indo-Korean friendship park was jointly inaugurated by Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of National Defence of South Korea
Suh Wook at Delhi cantonment.
The park has been built to commemorate the contribution of Indian
peacekeeping force during the Korean war of 1950-53.
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General M M
Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and Air Chief Marshal R K
S Bhadauria were present on the occasion.
The South Korean minister arrived in India on a three-day visit with a focus
on boosting bilateral defence and military cooperation.
South Korea has been a major supplier of weapons and military equipment
to India.
In 2019, the two countries finalised a roadmap for cooperation in the joint
production of various land and naval systems.
4.Japan to provide loans and grant of 233 billion yen for infra projects in
India
Japan finalised loans and a grant totalling around 233 billion yen ($2.11
billion) for several key infrastructure projects, including for the fourth phase
of the Delhi Metro.
The financial assistance included a grant of 4.01 billion yen for a project for
the improvement of power supply in strategically located Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, according to the Japanese Embassy here.
The loans and the grant were exchanged between CS Mohapatra, additional
secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs of the Finance Ministry,
and Japanese Ambassador Satoshi Suzuki.
The grant of 4.01 billion yen is Japan's first ever official development
assistance (ODA) to a project in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
5.New Zealand passed miscarriage bereavement leave law
New Zealand's parliament has passed legislation giving mothers and their
partners the right to paid leave following a miscarriage or stillbirth,
becoming only the second country in the world to do so.
The bereavement allowance, passed unanimously in parliament late on 26th
March gives employees three days' leave when a pregnancy ends with a
stillbirth without having to tap into sick leave.
The leave provisions apply to mothers, their partners as well as parents
planning to have a child through adoption or surrogacy.
6.US President Joe Biden invited PM Modi to Global Summit on Climate
US President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin,
to a virtual climate summit he is hosting in April.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
The world leaders have been asked to attend the two-day virtual meeting
meant to mark Washington’s return to the front lines of the fight against
man-made climate change after former US President Donald Trump
disengaged from the process.
The start of the summit on April 22 coincides with Earth Day and will come
ahead of a major UN meeting on climate change scheduled for November in
Glasgow, Scotland. “It will be a key milestone on the road to the United
Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow.
7.Dr. Harsh Vardhan addressed 7th annual summit of NATHEALTH 2021
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare
addressed the 7th annual summit of NATHEALTH focusing on ‘Indian
Health system expansion in post-COVID era’ through a video conference.
The 2-day virtual summit was held on 25 and 26 March 2021.
The theme of the Summit was ‘Indian Health system expansion in post-
COVID era’
The Summit was organised by NATHEALTH-Healthcare Federation of
India, to bring the healthcare industry together to engage, collaborate and
deliberate, to unveil a path together and emerge resilient in the aftermath of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The senior Government representatives, top industry leaders and sectorial
experts from both private and public sector in India participated in the vent.
8.India and Bangladesh signed five MoUs to further enhance bilateral ties
India and Bangladesh on 27th
March signed five MoUs covering a number
of areas of bilateral cooperation to further enhance ties during Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka.
External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India attaches the
highest priority to Bangladesh under its Neighbourhood First Policy.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
PM Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed the
progress achieved in areas of health, trade, connectivity, energy,
developmental cooperation, and many more.
9.Brazil’s Armed Forces Chiefs resigned abruptly amid cabinet shake-up
The three commanders of Brazil’s armed forces resigned jointly on 30th
March, a day after President Jair Bolsonaro fired his defense minister as part
of a big cabinet shake-up.
The departures of the military leaders, which followed the unexpected
replacement of five other cabinet members, fueled rampant speculation in
the capital about a breakdown in the relationship between the president and
the country’s military, which has played a central role in the Bolsonaro
administration.
The political turbulence in Brasília comes as the government faces
withering criticism, including calls for Mr. Bolsonaro’s impeachment, for
its cavalier and chaotic handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has
killed more than 313,000 Brazilians. A surge in infections has overwhelmed
hospitals across the country, leaving patients to die waiting for a hospital
bed.
NEW APPOINTMENTS AND PERSON IN NEWS.
1.SAIL Chairman Soma Mondal elected as New Chairman of SCOPE
The Chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Soma Mondal
has been elected as the new Chairman of the Standing Conference of Public
Enterprises (SCOPE).
Mondal has been elected for a term of two years (2021-23), with effect from
April 01, 2021.
She would succeed Mr. Rakesh Kumar of NLC India Limited (NLCIL).
Apart from this, Shri Pradip Kumar Das, CMD, IREDA has been elected as
Vice Chairman, SCOPE.
SCOPE is an apex professional employers’ organization in India
representing the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
2.Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal inaugurated 'Anandam: The
Center for Happiness' at IIM Jammu
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on 30th March inaugurated
"Anandam: The Center for Happiness" at the Indian Institute of
Management (IIM), Jammu virtually and said incorporating happiness in the
academic curriculum is crucial towards empowering our nation.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
Centre will be divided into 5 categories: counselling, holistic wellness,
elective courses on happiness development, Research-Leadership and
faculty development
Centre will have advisory board of experts from academics, research, and
industry
It acquires its name from Indian wisdom tradition where it means pure
consciousness
3.Rajinikanth to be honoured with 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Superstar Rajinikanth has been conferred with the prestigious Dadasaheb
Phalke Award this year. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the
same on, April 1.
Rajinikanth made his debut in 1975 with K Balachander's Apoorva
Ragangal and has completed over 45 years in Kollywood.
4.Central Government declares 14th April, birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as
public holiday for all its offices
The Central government has declared 14th April, the birthday of Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar, as a public holiday for all its offices.
Informing the decision through an official order, the Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances & Pensions said that in addition to the Central
government offices, the Industrial Establishments throughout the country
will also remain closed on the 14th of April.
5.Shri Mukhmeet S. Bhatia takes over the charge of Director General of
ESIC
Shri Mukhmeet S. Bhatia, IAS took over the charge of Director General of
Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) under Ministry of Labour
& Employment.
Shri Bhatia is an IAS Officer of 1990 batch of Jharkhand cadre. Earlier, he
has worked as the Additional Secretary in the Dept. of Economic Affairs,
Ministry of Finance and Government of India. He has got vast experience of
governance and management of District & State level Organisations. He has
also served as the Principal Secretary in the Dept. of Labour & Employment
and Women & Child Development in the Government of Jharkhand.
Shri Bhatia holds an M.Phil in Defence & Strategic Studies from the
Madras University, Masters Degree in Business Administration from
Faculty of Mgmt. Studies, University of Delhi and a Masters in
International Development from Harvard University, Cambridge, USA. He
is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College,
Chandigarh. He has various research papers on Governance and Social
Protection to his credit.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
6.Subhash Kumar took over as Acting Chairman of ONGC
Subhash Kumar, director (finance) of flagship explorer Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation, on 1st April assumed additional charge of the company’s CMD
upon the retirement of incumbent Shashi Shanker.
Kumar has over 36 years of experience across the exploration and
production value chain. He first joined ONGC in 1985 and has had stints in
ONGC Videsh, the overseas acquisition arm, and India’s largest LNG
importer Petronet LNG.
A fellow member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and
Associate Member of ICSI, Kumar is a gold medalist of Punjab University,
Chandigarh.
BANKING
1.World Bank releases “World Development Report 2021: Data for Better
Lives”
The “World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives” was released
by the World Bank on March 24, 2021.
The World Development Report focuses on how data can improve the lives
of poor people and advance development objectives, to ensure no one is left
behind.
It highlights the tremendous potential of the changing data landscape to
improve the lives of poor people, at the same time acknowledging its
potential to open back doors that can harm individuals, businesses, and
societies.
Through this report, World Bank aims to support its client countries by
identifying where public and private sector investments are the most critical,
defining a rich program for policy reform and technical assistance, and
highlighting areas in which global initiatives can help to convene and
facilitate cross-border cooperation.
2.RBI extends restrictions on PMC Bank till June 30
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the restrictions on Punjab
and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank till June 30, 2021. The decision
has been taken in the backdrop of financial condition of the bank which is
likely to make the reconstruction process complex and time-consuming, the
central bank said in a notification on Friday.
This restriction was first placed in September 2019, and since then has been
consecutively extended.
The previous restriction was set to expire on March 31, 2021.
3.HDFC Bank named India's best SME bank by Asiamoney
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
HDFC Bank was adjudged the India's best bank for SMEs at the Asiamoney
Best Bank Awards 2021. In its evaluation the magazine said on its website
HDFC Bank's transformation of its micro, small and medium-sized
enterprise (MSME) business over the past few years makes it a worthy
winner of this award.
The Annual Best Banks survey of the financial magazine based in Hong-
Kong, aims to identify which banks in each market have excelled across a
range of core banking activities over the past 12 months.
Asiamoney's award decisions were made by a team comprising senior
journalists after receiving detailed submissions from market participants and
in conjunction with research into the banking and capital markets by
editorial committee. The team also visited each country or territory to meet
leading bankers and gather client and competitor feedback.
4.IIFL Securities to offer trading services to Karnataka Bank customers
Karnataka Bank NSE -1.71 % entered into an agreement with IIFL
Securities NSE -0.22 % to provide its customers demat and trading account
facilities with IIFL Securities. Customers of the lender will be able to
directly open an account with IIFL Securities under KBL Smart Trade
arrangement.
The KBL Smart Trade arrangement will boost user additions at IIFL
Securities, which stands to add 10 million of Karnataka Bank’s users on its
platform.
5.Tata Motors signs MOU with SBI for financing light commercial vehicles
Tata Motors on Friday signed a three-year MoU (Memorandum of
Understanding) with the State Bank of India, to offer financial assistance for
the purchase of the company's range of small and light commercial vehicles.
The collaboration with State Bank of India (SBI) will allow Tata Motors'
commercial vehicle (CV) customers to avail of loans in a hassle-free
manner as well as access SBI's unique technology-laden offerings, the
company said in a statement.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
It will also introduce easy loan structured schemes which will help mitigate
the cost difference between the BS-IV and the BS-VI vehicles for both,
down payment as well as the EMI of the vehicle
6.Only 11% low-income countries make their data open: World Bank report
Most countries have shied away from an open-data policy — more so
countries with developing economies, according to a recent World Bank
report.
Only 11 percent low-income countries consistently made available with a
license classifiable as ’open’, the report flagged. The comparable rate for
lower-middle-income countries was 19 per cent, for upper-middle-income
countries 22 percent and high-income countries 44 percent.
Public intent data should be safeguarded as a global public good and
resource to achieve equitable and sustainable development.
7.Government announces Rs. 14,500 crore capital infusion in 4 PSBs
The government has announced an infusion of Rs. 14,500 crore into Central
Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of India and UCO Bank by
issuing non-interest bearing bonds to them despite reservations raised by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over the use of this instrument.
The recapitalisation bonds would be issued with six different maturities and
would be at par for the amount, in line with the application made by the
eligible banks. The special securities would be repayable at par on the date
of maturity.
No interest would be payable on issue of these securities, said the
notification. This is a shift from the past when the government issued
interest-bearing bonds to public sector banks.
8.Government extended Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme to June
30
The government has extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee
Scheme (ECLGS) by another three months, and widened its scope to issue
additional funding up to 40 percent of outstanding loans as on Feb 29, 2020
as against 20 percent earlier.
The scheme, dubbed as ECLGS 3.0, has been extended until June 30, or
until Rs 3 trillion is disbursed, due to continuing adverse impact of Covid-
19 pandemic on certain services sector, Ministry of Finance said in a
statement.
9.Government pegs market borrowing at Rs. 7.24 lakh crore in first half of
FY-22
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
The government has decided to borrow Rs. 7.24 lakh crore in the first half
of 2021-22 fiscal (FY-22) to meet resources to revive the economy hit by
coronavirus pandemic.
This borrowing is 60.06 percent of the estimated gross issuances for the
fiscal 2021-22.
According to the Budget 2021-22, the estimated gross borrowing is pegged
at Rs. 12.05 lakh crore in the financial year beginning April 01, 2021.
The government raises money from the market to fund its fiscal deficit
through dated securities and treasury bills.
10.RBI extended deadline for processing auto-debit payments by 6 months till
September 30, 2021
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the timeline for processing
recurring online transactions by 6 months to September 30, 2021.
Earlier in December 2020, RBI had directed all banks including RRBs,
NBFCs, and payment gateways that the processing of recurring transactions
(domestic or cross-border) using cards or Prepaid Payment Instruments
(PPIs) or Unified Payments Interface (UPI) would not be continued beyond
March 31, 2021 if they do not comply with Additional Factor of
Authentication (AFA).
This means that with effect from April 30, 2021, there were supposed to be
no automatic recurring payment for various services, including recharge and
utility bill, under arrangements/practices not compliant with AFA.
However, banks and payment gateways had sought additional time to
comply with the RBI directive on automatic recurring payment. Taking it
into consideration, RBI decided to further extend the timeline.
11.SBI raises $1 billion loan with Japan Bank for International Cooperation
India's biggest lender SBI has signed a loan agreement of $1 billion with
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), taking the total facility to
$2 billion, including $1 billion which was signed last year in October 2020.
The loan is in the form of refinance against the funding support provided to
the manufacturers, suppliers and dealers of Japanese automobiles in India,
whose business activities are recovering from reduced sales of automobiles
due to the COVID-19.
The financing will assist in Government of India’s ‘Make in India’
initiative, SBI said, adding the loan is intended to promote smooth flow of
funds for the whole range of business operations of Japanese automobile
manufacturers in India.
JBIC is a policy-based financial institution, wholly owned by the Japanese
government, with the objective of contributing to the sound development of
Japan, the international economy and society.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
12.Union Cabinet approved Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food
Processing Industry worth Rs. 10,900 crore
The Union Cabinet has approved the Central Sector Scheme called
“Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry
(PLISFPI)” with an outlay of Rs.10900 crore.
Scheme will be implemented over a six year period from 2021-22 to 2026-
27.
The Project Management Agency (PMA) shall implement the scheme. PMA
will be responsible for appraisal of applications/ proposals, verification of
eligibility for support, scrutiny of claims eligible for disbursement of
incentive.
The PLI scheme will support creation of global food manufacturing
champions and support Indian brands of food products in the international
markets.
13.Interest Rates on Small Savings Schemes for Q1 of FY 2021-22 (April-
June) will remain unchanged
The rate of interest on Small Savings Schemes for the first quarter (April-
June) of 2021-22 will remain unchanged as the last quarter (January-March)
of 2020-2021.
Earlier on March 31, 2021, the Government had announced a cut in interest
rates on various small savings schemes sharply by 40-110 basis points.
However, the orders issued were withdrawn by the government on April 01,
2021.
This marks the fourth consecutive quarter that the government has
maintained the rates on such schemes that are effective from April 1 and
remain in effect till June 30, 2021.
14.PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline extended to June 30, 2021
The government extended the deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar yet again.
The income tax department on its official Twitter handle announced that the
deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar has been extended by three months to
June 30, 2021, from the previous deadline of March 31, 2021.
Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, last year the government had
extended the deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar to March 31, 2021, from
the previous deadline of June 30, 2020. This extension will come as a relief
for those who still have not linked their PAN with their Aadhaar.
The income tax department in its tweet said: Central government extends
the last date for linking of Aadhaar number with PAN from 31st
March 2021
to 30th
June 2021 in view of the difficulties arising out of the covid-19
pandemic.
15.India ranked 140th
among 156 nations in WEF’s gender gap index 2021
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
India has slipped 28 places to rank 140th among 156 countries in the World
Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021, becoming the third-
worst performer in South Asia.
India has closed 62.5 percent of its gender gap till date.
Most of the decline occurred on the political empowerment sub-index,
where India regressed 13.5 percentage points, with a significant decline in
the number of women ministers (from 23.1 percent in 2019 to 9.1 percent in
2021).
SCIENCE TECH & DEFENCE
1.Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable ballistic missile Shaheen-1A
Pakistan successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic
missile with a range of 900 kilometres.
The test of Shaheen-1A surface to surface ballistic missile, was aimed at re-
validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system
including advanced navigation system, the media wing of the Pakistani
army - the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.
The Army’s media wing said that the missile has a range of 900 kilometers.
Shaheen 1-A with its sophisticated and advanced guidance system is a
highly accurate missile system.
2.Ramesh Pokhriyal launched CBSE Assessment Framework for science,
maths and English classes with British Council
Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal launched the CBSE Assessment
Framework for science, maths and English classes along as part of the
British Council-CBSE Competency Based Education Project.
This is a suggested competency-based assessment framework to strengthen
the existing school education system for secondary level (classes 6-10).
It is a part of the CBSE Competency-Based Education Project to replace the
existing rote learning model with a competency-based framework as
directed in the NEP 2020 over the next 2-3 years.
3.Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Signed ₹100 Crore agreement with CNB
Logitech
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) recently signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with CNB Logitech worth ₹100 crore per annum for
monitoring, tracking, and optimise the movement of as many as 50 lakh
containers in foreign trade. According to Invest India, around 95 percent of
the country's merchandise trade is handled by the maritime transport. The
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust situated in Maharashtra is the country's largest
port and it handles 55 percent of the country's cargo across all major ports.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
The ₹100 crore agreement signed between the two companies will facilitate
the country's foreign trade policy through a more efficient movement of
containers. Additionally, CNB Logitech is a firm that utilizes machine
learning, artificial intelligence technologies, and network-based processes in
order to automate the container terminals, as well as port operations.
4.New bacteria Methylobacterium indicum found on International Space
Station named after indian scientist Ajamal Khan
The Discovery of a novel bacterial strain aboard the International Space
Station (ISS) suggests the possibility of astronauts growing their own
vegetables while in space, says a new study by researchers based at the
University of Hyderabad (UoH) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL), among other institutions.
The new bacterial strains discovered from different locations aboard the ISS
flights may help in creating the "fuel" to help plants withstand such stressful
situations. The findings of the study were published in a recent issue of the
journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
Genetic analyses revealed them to be closely related to Methylobacterium
indicum.
5.Women-led startup develops a product for low-cost internet in rural areas
Astrome, a women-led startup, has developed an innovative wireless
product that gives fibre-like bandwidth at fraction of the cost of fibre to help
telecom operators deliver reliable low-cost internet services to suburban and
rural areas.
Providing internet access at remote places in countries such as India is
difficult because laying fibre is too expensive. There is a need for wireless
backhaul products that can deliver low-cost, high data capacity, and wide
reach. Currently available wireless backhaul products either do not provide
sufficient data speeds or the required range or are very expensive to deploy.
6.VVPAT machines to be installed in all polling stations in Tamil Nadu
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo has said that VVPAT
machines will be installed in all polling stations.
In Chennai, 1,55,102 Electronic Voting Machines 1,14,205 Control Units
and 1,20,807 VVPATS will be installed in the state. 89,195 government
employees on poll duty will be exercising their franchise through postal
ballots. He said that the flying squads had seized Rs. 319 crore worth cash,
gold and silver without documents. Mr. Sahoo told that ex-servicemen and
retired policemen will be employed on toll duty.
7.Final Crew Members named for World’s First All-Civilian mission to Space
Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space, announced the
final two members of the four-person crew that will undertake a historic
voyage to the stars later this year. Christopher Sembroski of Everett, WA
and Dr. Sian Proctor of Tempe, AZ will join previously announced crew
member Hayley Arceneaux under the command of Jared Isaacman.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch the crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft
later this year.
The full crew will be introduced publicly today for the first time from
historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
8.Indian Navy to take part in French Naval Exercise in Bay of Bengal along
with other QUAD member Countries
India is to participate in France-led naval drill La Perouse for the first time
in the Bay of Bengal next month. Australia, Japan and the US will also
participate in La Perouse, but India’s first-ever participation is seen as a
significant step.
The exercise is scheduled between April 5 and 7. After La Perouse, another
important naval exercise, the India-French Varuna exercise, will also take
place. This time, it will also include the United Arab Emirates.
9.AYUSH Ministry in collaboration with Vinoba Seva Pratishthan organizes
‘Ayurveda Parav’
The 3-days event was inaugurated by Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath
Mohapatra, Hon’ble Member of Rajya Sabha along with Shri Naba Kishore
Das, Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Odisha and
Shri Trilochan Majhi, Director of AYUSH, Govt. of Odisha and was
attended by with other dignitaries.
This unique initiative aims to not only ensure greater acceptance of
Ayurveda among the masses but also to popularize Ayurveda as the main
line of treatment for the current lifestyle diseases. The Ministry of AYUSH
provided full-fledged support to this programme.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
10.Facebook and Google are planning to build new cables under the sea
called 'Echo' and 'Bifrost'
Facebook and Google are planning to build new subsea cables from the US
to Singapore and Indonesia.
Facebook has partnered with leading regional and global partners to build
two new subsea cables -- Echo and Bifrost -- that will provide vital new
connections between the Asia-Pacific region and North America.
While Google is only investing in Echo, Facebook is investing in both
cables.
While these projects are still subject to regulatory approvals, when
completed, these cables are expected deliver much-needed Internet capacity,
redundancy, and reliability.
11.Indian Army to participate in Multinational Military Exercise ‘Shantir
Ogroshena -2021’ in Bangladesh
Indian Army will participate in Multinational Military Exercise
namely "SHANTIR OGROSHENA -2021" in Bangladesh. The nine days
exercise will start on the 4th
of this month to commemorate the birth
centenary of Bangladesh Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman and mark glorious 50 years of liberation.
Indian Army contingent comprising 30 personnel from the Dogra Regiment
will participate in the exercise along with contingents of Bhutan, Sri Lankan
and Bangladesh Armies. The theme of the exercise is Robust Peace Keeping
Operations. Military observers from the USA, UK, Turkey, Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait and Singapore will also be in attendance throughout the exercise.
BOOKS AND AWARDS
1.Prakash Javadekar congratulated Mahinder Giri for winning International
Ranger Award
Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar
has congratulated Mahinder Giri, range officer of Rajaji Tiger Reserve for
being the only ranger from Asia to win the prestigious International Ranger
Award for his contribution towards conservation.
The award has been announced for 10 professionals across the world by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN and World
Commission on Protected Areas WCPA.
Developed through collaboration between the IUCN WCPA, the
International Ranger Federation, Global Wildlife Conservation, and
Conservation Allies, these awards, created in 2020, aim to highlight and
felicitate the extraordinary work that rangers do in protected and conserved
areas worldwide.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
2.HarperCollins India to publish Vinod Kapri's true account of the migrant
exodus- 1232 km: The Long Journey Home
As the nation marks the first anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic-induced
lockdown, HarperCollins India is proud to announce the upcoming
publication of journalist turned filmmaker, Vinod Kapri's compelling book,
1232 km: A Long Journey Home, a true account of human grief, grit, and
gumption, which will release in May 2021.
The 2020 nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 left millions
of migrant labourers without job, food and home. Desperate and helpless,
most took to the road, embarking on a long, often fatal journey home.
1232 km is about one such journey that seven migrants from Bihar-Ritesh,
Ashish, Ram Babu, Sonu, Krishna, Sandeep and Mukesh-undertook on their
bicycles that lasted for seven days and seven nights. Accompanying them
was National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri.
3.Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’ wins book critics award for fiction
Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, an imagined take on the death of
Shakespeare’s son from the bubonic plague, has won the National Book
Critics Circle prize for fiction.
Hamnet, an unfortunately well-timed story for the current pandemic,
explores the impact of the boy’s illness and death on his family. He was
Shakespeare’s only son, and scholars have long speculated about his
influence — if any — on “Hamlet,” which Shakespeare worked on in the
years following Hamnet’s death.
Tom Zoellner’s Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the
British Empire won for nonfiction, and Amy Stanley’s Stranger in the
Shogun’s City: A Japanese Woman and Her World was the winner in
biography.
The autobiography award went to Cathy Park Hong for Minor Feelings: An
Asian American Reckoning.
4.Noted Marathi writer Dr. Sharankumar Limbale to receive Saraswati
Samman 2020
Noted Marathi writer Dr. Sharankumar Limbale will receive Saraswati
Samman, 2020 for his book Sanatan. The award carries fifteen lakh rupees,
a citation and a plaque. Saraswati Samman, instituted by K.K. Birla
Foundation in 1991, is recognised as the most prestigious and highest
literary award in the country.
Dr. Limbale's Sanatan has been published in 2018. Sanatan is an important
social and historical document of dalit struggle. Speaking first to All India
Radio, Dr. Limbale was overjoyed with emotion as he started his career
with the public broadcaster.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
SPORTS
1.Gokulam Kerala script incredible comeback to win maiden title
Gokulam Kerala FC clinched their maiden I-League title in spectacular
fashion as they came back from a goal down to beat TRAU 4-1 in the final
match of the season. Bidyashagar Singh's 23rd minute strike did little to
stop the Gokulam juggernaut as goals by Sharif Mohamed (69th), Emil
Benny (74th), Dennis Antwi (77th) and Mohammad Rashid (90+6) handed
them the trophy.
With Churchill Brothers winning 3-2 against Punjab FC in the day's other
match held simultaneously at another venue here, Gokulam shared points
(29) with the Goan side but were crowned champions on head-to-head
record.
2.Odisha to Co-Host AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022
Odisha has been selected to co-host AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022
along with the Indian National Football Team & All India Football
Federation (AIFF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Local Organising Committee
(LOC) confirmed the three host cities and stadiums for the competition.
The D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Ahmedabad’s TransStadia and the
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar have been selected as the three stadiums
and host cities that will provide the ultimate backdrop for some of the finest
players in Asian and world women’s football
3.Thisara Perera became first Sri Lankan to hit Six sixes in an over
All-rounder Thisara Perera has become the first Sri Lankan cricketer to hit
six sixes off one over during a domestic match in Colombo. The 31-year-
old, playing for the Sri Lanka army team, cleared the ropes a total of eight
times in his whirlwind unbeaten 52 off 13 balls against the Bloomfield
Cricket and Athletic Club at the weekend.
Perera is the second player to achieve the feat in 2021 and coincidentally
was on the field when it happened earlier this month as Kieron Pollard hit
six sixes off Sri Lanka's Akila Dananjaya in a Twenty20 international in
Antigua.
Perera scored only one that day but now joins an exclusive club of nine
batsmen to score 36 off an over in professional cricket alongside Garfield
Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, Ross Whiteley,
Hazratullah Zazai, Leo Carter and Pollard.
4.PUMA signs multi-year deal with IPL franchise RCB
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
Global sports brand PUMA has signed a strategic long-term partnership
with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers
Bangalore (RCB). With this, PUMA has become the only global sports
brand to currently be associated with an IPL franchise.
Under the terms of the deal, PUMA will be the official kit partner of the
team from the upcoming IPL 2021 season. The partnership marks the
coming together of two of the biggest names in the world of cricket in India.
PUMA's on-going association with RCB skipper, Virat Kohli and the
success of PUMA one8 makes this partnership a natural progression for the
brand.
5.Indian Skipper Virat Kohli retained top spot in ICC ODI rankings
Team India Captain Virat Kohli has retained his top spot in the
ICC rankings for ODI batsman released today. Kohli has 870 points in his
kitty. Rohit Sharma has been ranked third, behind Pakistan's Babar Azam. K
L Rahul has moved up from 31st to 27th spot. Hardik Pandya has achieved
a career-best 42nd position while Rishabh Pant has entered the top 100.
In the bowler's list, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has slipped a place to
fourth. He has 690 points. Another pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has gained
nine slots to reach the 11th position.
In the Test rankings, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retained his second spot
behind Australia's Pat Cummins.
OBITUARIES
1.Former RBI Deputy Governor KC Chakrabarty passed away at 68.
Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Kamalesh Chandra
Chakrabarty passed away in Mumbai on 26th March following a heart
attack.
Chakrabarty, 68 years old, was the Deputy Governor of the central bank
between June 15, 2009, and April 25, 2014. He left office three months
before his tenure ended. He also served as the Chairman and Managing
Director of Punjab National Bank (2007-2009) and CMD of Indian Bank
(2005-2007).
Chakrabarty was candid in his views on various issues related to the
banking sector and often differed from the official stance of the central
bank. He was highly critical of the unethical practices and poor risk
management systems in Indian banks. He was in the RBI during the
governorship of D Subbarao and Raghuram Rajan.
2.Beloved children's author Beverly Cleary passed away at 104
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
Beverly Cleary, the celebrated children's author whose memories of her
Oregon childhood were shared with millions through the likes of Ramona
and Beezus Quimby and Henry Huggins, has died. She was 104.
Cleary's publisher HarperCollins announced that the author died in Carmel
Valley, California, where she had lived since the 1960s.
Trained as a librarian, Cleary didn't start writing books until her early 30s
when she wrote "Henry Huggins," published in 1950. Children worldwide
came to love the adventures of Huggins and neighbors Ellen Tebbits, Otis
Spofford, Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby and her younger sister, Ramona. They
inhabit a down-home, wholesome setting on Klickitat Street - a real street in
Portland, Oregon, the city where Cleary spent much of her youth.
IMPORTANT DAYS
1.International Transgender Day of Visibility 2021 : 31 March
Founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall, International
Transgender Day of Visibility is marked on March 31 every year, with the
aim to celebrate transgender individuals’ contributions to society. The day
also calls upon us to counter the homophobic, biphobic and transphobic
social attitudes that inflict incredible harm on the lives of LGBTQ+
individuals across the globe.
The transgender community is an important part of cultures, but awareness
of trans issues is inadequate. Sadly, trans individuals are seen as a threat to
cultural values by some people. The latter often try to rationalise
discrimination against trans people as a means to protect their beliefs in the
name of tradition and culture.
What is even more shocking is that this hatred is often codified into legal
statutes that prevent trans people from exercising their basic human rights.
Regardless of how diverse the beliefs, values and opinions of people are,
tradition and culture cannot be used as a licence to discriminate against
anyone.
2.Odisha celebrated 86th foundation day on 1st April, 2021
Odisha Day, also Utkala Dibasa, is celebrated on 1 April in the state of
Odisha in memory of the formation of the state as a separate state out of
Bihar and Orissa Province with addition of Koraput and Ganjam from the
Madras Presidency on 1 April 1936.
Utkala Dibasha is celebrated on April 1 every year to remember the
formation of the Odisha state after a struggle to be recognised as an
independent state.
Under British rule, Odisha was part of the Bengal presidency, which
consisted of the present-day Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha.
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)
The entire state indulges in merrymaking on Utkal Diwas with decorated
shops, competitions arranged by local politicians, and cultural programs
arranged by various families.
3.International Children’s Book Day 2021: 02 April
International Children’s Book Day is an annual celebration of the birthday
of Danish author and poet, Hans Christian Andersen every 2nd
day of April.
On this day, many bookstores and libraries hold storytelling workshops and
book reading events related to children’s book authors. The purpose of the
day is to recognize the power of reading and the role of books in the
development and education of children. The day also aims to inspire the
love of reading among children.
IBBY United States is the sponsor for International Children’s Book Day
2021.
Theme 2021: “The Music of Words.”
28 March-03 April, 2021 Weekly Current Affairs (English)