Current Affairs 10th March 2021

1. Tirath Singh Rawat: New CM of Uttarakhand

Tirath Singh Rawat will be the new CM of Uttarakhand. He is a Member of Parliament from Pauri Garhwal. He was the first Education Minister after the formation of the Uttarakhand state in 2000. He has headed the state unit of the BJP in the past and has been a state legislator. Trivendra Singh Rawat stepped down from the post of Chief Minister on 9 March 2021.

2. Niger’s President wins African Leadership award

Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou has won the 2020 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. Issoufou is the sixth recipient of the Ibrahim Prize, which is awarded on criteria of good governance, democratic election and respect of terms limits. Issoufou was the Prime Minister of Niger from 1993 to 1994 and President of the National Assembly from 1995 to 1996.

3. UNICEF’S new analysis on child brides

According to a new analysis, five countries, including India, make up for about half of the total child brides in the world, informed the UNICEF. 10 million additional child marriages may occur before the end of the decade. An estimated 650 million girls and women were married in childhood, with about half of those occurring in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India and Nigeria.

4. Sikh Fighter Pilot Memorial in UK

The design for a sculpture of an early 20th-century Sikh fighter pilot has been approved for a new memorial to be erected in the England port city of Southampton. Hardit Singh Malik first arrived in the UK in 1908 and went on to become a member of the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. As the first Indian and turbaned pilot with a specialised helmet, he became famous as the “Flying Sikh”.

5. Warburg Pincus to invest Rs. 800 crore in Adani

Windy Lakeside Investment Ltd, an affiliate of private equity firm Warburg Pincus, will invest Rs. 800 crore in India’s largest private port operator Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) for a 0.49% stake in the company About 10 million equity shares of the face value of Rs. 2 per share will be allotted to the investment company at a price of Rs. 800 each.

6. China’s Meitu Inc. invests in cryptocurrency

China’s Meitu Inc. has become the latest corporation to invest in cryptocurrency. Meitu, which makes an app that helps touch up user-profile pictures, has bought 15,000 units of Ether for $22.1 million and 379.1 Bitcoins for $17.9 million in the open market. Those acquisitions are part of an overall plan to use as much as $100 million of its cash hoard to fund crypto purchases.

7. VS Parthasarathy resigns from Mahindra Group

VS Parthasarathy, the President of Mahindra & Mahindra’s Mobility Services Sector and Member of the Group Executive Board, has decided to leave the group effective close of April 1, 2021. Parthasarathy joined the Mahindra group in 2000 and began with an HR stint. Anish Shah, who is the Deputy MD and Group CFO of M&M, will take additional charge of overseeing the Mobility Services Sector.

8. Conservation works at Singorgarh inaugurated

President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone for the conservation works of Singorgarh Fort in Singrampur village of Damoh district in Madhya Pradesh on 7 March 2021. He also inaugurated the newly carved Jabalpur Circle of Archaeological Survey of India. He also addressed the State Level Tribal Conference at Singrampur village in Damoh.

9. Online training for women coaches launched

Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju jointly launched an online training programme exclusively for women physical education teachers and community coaches, on 8 March 2021. The initiative which is a convergence of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Fit India programmes, aims to empower women teachers.

10. Odisha has most number of contaminated sites

Delhi stands third on the list of states and Union territories with the most contaminated sites, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. Odisha tops the list with 23 contaminated sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh (21) and Delhi (11). There are 112 sites in India contaminated by toxic and hazardous substances.

11. State Bank of India leads in MeitY Scorecard

The State Bank of India has topped the list of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology’s (MeitY) Digital Payment Scorecard for 3 consecutive months. The scorecard tracks commercial banks’ performance on various digital parameters. SBI remained the top remitter bank by recording the highest UPI transaction volume of nearly 64 crores having a user base of 13.5 crores.

12. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat resigns

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat on 9 March 2021, submitted his resignation to Governor Baby Rani Maurya just days before his government’s fourth anniversary on 17 March 2021. He served as the 8th CM of Uttarakhand. Rawat was named the chief ministerial candidate by the BJP in 2017 winning 57 of 70 seats in the state assembly. He was appointed as the CM on 18 March 2017.

13. Baton of Honour presented to Kiran Bedi

President Ram Nath Kovind on 8 March 2021 presented a Baton of Honour and a letter of appreciation to former Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Kiran Bedi was removed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry on February 16, 2021, by the President of India and Tamilisai Soundararajan took additional charge as the Lieutenant Governor on February 18, 2021.

14. 1% concession in stamp duty for women

Maharashtra government has proposed a one percent concession in stamp duty if the transfer of house property or registration of sale deed is in the name of woman or women only. The proposal was made in the state budget for 2021-22. Zero percent interest loans to farmers who take crop loans up to a limit of Rs. 3 lakh and make timely repayment, was also proposed.

15. EC orders removal of West Bengal DGP

Election Commission ordered the removal of West Bengal Director-General of Police, Virendra with immediate effect on 9 March 2021. P Nirajnayan has been appointed as Director-General of Police (DG) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) in place of Virendra. The decision has been taken by the commission after reviewing the poll preparedness in the state.

16. National-level workshop on asset monetization

NITI Aayog, along with the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), organized a national-level virtual workshop on asset monetization on 9 March 2021. The workshop was chaired by the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman. The workshop elaborated the strategic context of core and non-core asset monetization, along with detailed discussions on the need for and modality of such monetization.

17. DoT launches certification course on 5G

Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Anshu Prakash inaugurated an online certification course on 5G Technology for Government Officers on 9 March 2021. The course is being conducted by the National Telecommunications Institute for Policy Research, Innovation and Training (NTIPRIT). It is a 36-hour (12 weeks) online 5G certification course to train and certify Government Officers.

18. Indian Navy, Suryadipta Projects ink an MoU

The Indian Navy has signed a contract with Suryadipta Projects to construct 11 ammunition-cum-torpedo-cum-missile (ACTCM) barges. The contract was concluded on March 5, 2021. Delivery of barges is scheduled to commence from 22 May 2021. The ACTCM barges will be inducted in Indian Navy to undertake the mission needs for embarking or disembarking ammunition, torpedo, missile, etc.

19. IOCL, IDCO sign MoU for Paradip Plastic Park

The state-run Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited signed an MoU on 9 March 2021, to develop a Plastic Park in Paradip. IOCL announced a special strategic incentive scheme to attract investments in downstream polymer industries at Paradip Plastic Park. With a project cost of Rs. 107 cr, the park is spread over 120 acres of land.

20. Russia, China sign MoU to build space station

Russia and China signed an MoU on 9 March 2021 for the joint construction of a lunar space station. The lunar station will be designed as a “complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface and/or in the orbit of the Moon”. The collaboration will promote international cooperation on the project and offer equal access to any nation that wants to take part.

21. New Chairman of UN Panel of External Auditors

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India Girish Chandra Murmu has been again appointed as the Chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations for 2021. The CAG was elected as Chairman of the Panel in 2020 as well. As of March 2021, CAG is also the External Auditor of the WHO, Geneva and Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome and Inter-Parliamentary Union.

22. Afghanistan receives COVID vaccine from India

Afghanistan received 4,68,000 doses of the Made in India Covid-19 vaccine on March 9, 2021. Vaccines were dispatched under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ programme of the Government of India. India’s Vaccine Maitri programme aims to aid poor countries amidst global pandemic. Under this programme, the country has delivered around 56 mn doses of Made in India Covid-19 vaccine, as of 9 March 2021.

23. J&K Govt launches super-75 scholarship scheme

J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha announced the launch of Super-75 scholarship scheme on 8 March 21. The scheme aims to support the education of meritorious girls from poor families, so that they can excel in streams like medicine, engineering and humanity. Governor also announced a new scheme ‘Tejaswini’ under Mission Youth to provide financial assistance to the girls to start their business.

24. Odisha: District Investment Promotion Agency

The Odisha government on March 8, 2021, announced the setting up of District Investment Promotion Agencies (DIPA) in 30 districts to promote and facilitate investment across the state. The DIPAs will be working as an extended arm of the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha(IPICOL). It will be set up in phases from April 2021 to December 2021.

25. Andhra CM flags off Disha patrolling vehicles

Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually flagged off 900 Disha patrolling vehicles from the CM’s camp office in Tadepalli on 8 March 2021. As many as 18 integrated crime scene management vehicles were also allocated to each police unit. These vehicles will help in physical evidence recognition, collection and packaging of evidence, preservation and scene reconstruction.

26. CISF Raising Day 2021

CISF Raising Day is observed every year on March 10. It was set up under an act of the Parliament of India on March 1969 with a strength of around 2,200 personnel. CISF stands for Central Industrial Security Force, which is a Central Armed Police Force in India. It is governed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and its headquarters is in New Delhi.

27. India’s GDP to expand by 12.6 percent

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has raised the projection for India’s economic growth rate by 4.7% points at 12.6 per cent for 2021-22. That would enable India to retain its earlier tag of the fastest-growing large economy in the world. It, however, pegged the economic growth rate to come down to 5.4 per cent in 2022-23.

28. India crosses a landmark in COVID vaccination

India has crossed a landmark in COVID-19 vaccination as more than 20 lakh COVID vaccine doses were administered across the country in the last 24 hours. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 2 crores 30 lakh on 9 March 2021. More than 43,74,000 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years have been vaccinated to date.

29. 11 Shrimad Bhagwat Gita manuscripts released

PM Narendra Modi on 9 March 2021 released 11 volumes of the manuscript with commentaries by 21 scholars on shlokas of Srimad Bhagavadgita at Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi. The manuscript, published by Dharmarth Trust, is written with extraordinary variety and nuance of Indian calligraphy ranging from Shankar Bhashya to Bhasanuvada.

30. EV industry projected to be Rs. 3,70,000 cr

India’s Electric Vehicle financing industry is projected to be Rs. 3,70,000 cr in 2030. This was said in the report titled Mobilising Electric Vehicle Financing in India, which was released by NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute India. The report has also proposed a toolkit of 10 solutions that can be adopted in catalyzing the required capital.

31. 3.77 cr rural households get water connections

3.77 crore rural households have been provided tap water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission. Over seven crore families in rural areas now have an assured tap water connection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) on 15th August 2019, with an aim to provide a tap water connection in every rural household by 2024.

32. Sugar production estimated to be 310 lakh MT

The sugar production in the country during the current sugar season 2020-21 is estimated to be at 310 lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) as against the estimated domestic consumption of 260 LMT. Till February 2021, 222 LMTs of sugar have been produced by the domestic sugar mills. The government has allocated a mill-wise export quota of 60 Lakh Metric Tonnes for export during the current sugar season.

33. 1 cr 11 lakh houses sanctioned under PMAY-U

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has informed that so far 1 crore 11 lakh Houses have been sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban. Of these, 73 lakh are grounded and over 43 lakh have been delivered. The houses constructed or acquired under this scheme are in the name of the female member of the household or in joint name with the lady’s name at first.

34. 157 new medical colleges approved under CSS

The Government has informed that 157 new medical colleges have been approved under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) in three phases. These new medical colleges are attached with existing district and referral hospitals. In phase-I of the scheme, 58 districts in 20 states and union territories have been approved for the establishment of medical colleges.

35. 1st military exercises in space: France

France launched its first military exercise in space on 8 March 2021 to evaluate its ability to defend its satellites and other defence equipment from an attack. The exercise, codenamed “AsterX” in the memory of the first French satellite from 1965, will be based on 18 simulated events in an operations room. The US Space Force and German space agencies are taking part in the exercises.

36. Ravichandran Ashwin: Player of the month

Ravichandran Ashwin has been named the ICC men’s Player of the Month for February 2021 for his stellar show against England in a four-match Test series which India won to qualify for the World Test Championship final. England’s Tammy Beaumont was adjudged the women’s Player of the Month. Ashwin who played in three Tests in the four-match series scored a 106 in the second innings

37. Koneru Humpy wins BBC ISWOTY for 2020

Chess player Koneru Humpy from Andhra Pradesh has won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award (ISWOTY) for 2020, following a public vote. Humpy is the World Rapid Chess champion having won the title in December 2019. She received the Arjuna Award, one of India’s top sporting honors, in 2003, and India’s fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 2007

38. Uttar Pradesh government launches a campaign

Uttar Pradesh govt has launched a campaign to make golden cards of the Ayushman Bharat scheme across the state. It aims to drive awareness about Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) across the state. The campaign will run from 10-24 March 2021. Under this, a free Ayushman golden card will be given to those families who have still not taken the benefit of the scheme.

39. Govt Polytechnic College signs MoU with GCET

In the Jammu and Kashmir, Government Polytechnic College, Jammu inked an MoU with Government College of Engineering & Technology (GCET), Jammu on 9 March 2021. It has been signed for upskilling and enhancing employability of engineering students to the latest technologies at Center for Invention, Innovation, Incubation, and Training (CIIIT), Jammu established at Government Polytechnic Jammu.

40. Vi partners with Disney+ Hotstar

Telecommunications company Vi has partnered with video streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar to provide a year of free content to its users. This will include live sports such as the IPL (Indian Premier League). For Vi prepaid users, it is launching three new unlimited recharge plans and a new data-only plan that will offer the one-year Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscription as a bundled benefit.

41. OZiva signs Deepika Padukone as endorser

Plant-based nutrition brand OZiva has announced the appointment of actor Deepika Padukone as its brand ambassador. Recently, OZiva became the first nutrition brand in India to be certified clean and received the Purity Award and Pesticide Free certificate from the US-based Clean Label Project. OZiva provides everyday fitness, skin, and hair nutrition products.