Tamil kathai

ஒரு மகன் ஒரு முறை தன் தாயிடம் கேட்டான். எங்களை வளர்ப்பதற்காக அதிகமாக கஷ்டப்பட்டு தியாகம் செய்தது நீங்களா...? அல்லது அப்பாவா...?

அதற்குத் தாய் இந்தக் கேள்வியை நீ என்னிடம் கேட்டிருக்க கூடாது, குழந்தைகளை வளர்ப்பதில் ஒரு தாய்க்கும் தகப்பனுக்கும் எவ்வித கஷ்டமும் இல்லை. இருந்தாலும் சொல்கிறேன். உங்க அப்பா என்னை திருமணம் செய்துகொண்டபோது சொந்த விருப்பங்களுக்கும் நலன்களுக்கும் அதிக முக்கியத்துவம் கொடுத்தவர். நீ பிறந்த பின்னர் தன் விருப்பு வெறுப்புகளை மாற்றி உங்களுக்காக உங்கள் நலனுக்காக, உணவு, உடை, மருந்து மற்றும் உங்கள் கல்விக்கு என பல தேவைகளுக்காக சம்பாதித்தார். நீங்களும் நானும் இந்த குடும்பமும் உன் தந்தையின் வியர்வை உருவானவர்கள்.

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மகன் இதே கேள்வியை தன் தந்தையிடம் கேட்டார்.

அவரின் பதில் வேறு மாதிரி இருந்தது. உங்கள் தாயார் எவ்வளவு தியாகம் செய்தார் என்று எனக்குத் தெரியவில்லை. உன்னை வளர்ப்பதற்காக அவள் எவ்வளவு கஷ்டப்பட்டாள் என்றுகூட எனக்குத் தெரியவில்லை. அவளுடைய பொறுமையும் விடாமுயற்சியும் தான் இந்த குடும்பத்தை இன்று இந்த நிலைக்கு கொண்டு வந்தது. என்னுடைய வருமானத்திற்கு ஏற்ப செலவுகளை செய்தாள். தனக்கு தேவையான எதையும் அவள் இதுவரை என்னிடம் கேட்டதில்லை. உங்களுக்காக தான் என்னுடன் சண்டையிட்டிருக்கிறாள். அவளது தியாகத்தை விட நான் ஒன்றும் பெரிதாக செய்யவில்லை என்றார்.

மகன் தனது சகோதரர்களிடம் சொன்னான். நம்மைவிட இந்த உலகில் அதிர்ஷ்டசாலிகள் யாரும் இருக்க முடியாது. தந்தையின் தியாகத்தைப் புரிந்துகொள்ளும் தாயும், தாயின் தியாகத்தைப் புரிந்துகொள்ளும் தந்தையும் இருக்கும் ஒவ்வொரு குடும்பமும் சொர்க்கம்தான்.

பெற்றோர்கள் இருவர் அல்ல, ஒரு கிரீடத்தில் இருக்கும் இரண்டு வைரக்கற்கள். அவர்களை நம்முடனேயே வைத்து அவர்களது ஆயுட்காலம் முழுவதும் காப்போம்.

Look back to Republic Day 1950

Daily news 20 January 2021

International News

1. Netherlands PM Mark Rutte and his entire cabinet quits

• The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte and his entire Cabinet has resigned recently over the childcare subsidies scandal, in which thousands of families were wrongly accused of child welfare fraud.
• However, the Rutte government will stay on in a caretaker role until parliamentary elections in March 2021.
• The resignation brings to an end a decade in office for Rutte, although his party is expected to win the election, putting him first in line to begin talks to form the next government. If he succeeds in forming a new coalition, Rutte would most likely again become prime minister.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam; Currency: Euro

State News

2. Maharashtra renames Gorewada international zoo after Bal Thackeray

• The Maharashtra government has renamed Gorewada International Zoo in Nagpur as 'Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park. The zoological park will come up on nearly 2,000 hectares forest land.
• Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate the Indian safari at the zoo on January 26. Three special 40-seat capacity vehicles and an online ticket booking facility will be made available to the people as soon after the Indian safari is inaugurated.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

3. Nitish Kumar inaugurates state’s first Bird Festival ‘Kalrav’

• The Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar has inaugurated the first-ever bird festival of the state, ‘Kalrav’, at Nagi-Nakti bird sanctuary, located in Jamui district.
• The festival was organized by the state environment, forest and climate change department to create awareness among people about birds, especially the migratory birds. He will also launch the logo of the bird festival and also release a coffee table book on the birds available at the sanctuaries.
• The Nagi- Nakti Bird Sanctuaries have been the home of a wide variety of indigenous species of birds and of migratory birds that turn up during the winters from places like Eurasia, Central Asia, the Arctic Circle, Russia and Northern China.
• Over 136 species of birds have been spotted at these sanctuaries.
• Not just that, around 1,600 bar-headed geese, which is about 3% of the global population of this variety, have been seen here, as per a report of the Wetlands International and because of this rare phenomenon, the Birdlife International, a global body, has held the Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary to be globally important for the conservation of birds' population and has declared it as an important bird area.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Bihar: Nitish Kumar; Governor: Phagu Chauhan.

Defence News

4. India to procure 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft from Russia

• The Government of India is set to procure 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft from Russia. Apart from this, the Centre will also purchase the upgrades of the existing fleets of aircraft from Russian state-run defence export arm Rosoboronexport.
• The new set of 21 MiG-29 will add to existing 59 such jets already with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the 12 Sukhoi-30MKIs, on the other hand, will add to the existing fleet of 272 such fighter aircraft.

Appointments News

5. Kiren Rijiju gets additional charge of Ayush Ministry

• Ministry for Sports and Youth Affairs, Kiren Rijiju has been given the additional charge of the Ayush Ministry. He will hold the fort till Shripad Yesso Naik recovers from an accident.
• The President has directed that this arrangement may continue till Shri Shripad Yesso Naik resumes his work related to Ministry of AYUSH.”
• The President, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed that during the hospitalisation and treatment of Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in Ministry of Defence, following a road accident, his portfolio related to Ministry of AYUSH, be temporarily assigned to Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State (Independent Charge) in addition to his existing portfolios.

Summits and Conferences News

6. 15th India Digital Summit 2021 begins

• The India Digital Summit, the flagship event of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is one of the biggest conferences for the digital industry.
• Honourable Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & IT and Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is the chief guest, will deliver the inaugural address at the Summit.
• The summit, in its 15th year, will bring thought leadership on various digital initiatives that will cover Policies, Business, Investment, Advertising, Digital Commerce, Start-ups Ecosystem, Emerging Tech, and other Digital Trends.
• The theme for this year’s summit, which is being held virtually is ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Start of New Decade’ in line with the government’s ‘Make for the World’ Initiatives.
• The staggering increase in the total number of internet users in rural India recently presents us with the unique opportunity to establish India as a global powerhouse of Digital Growth.

Science and Technology News

7. Infosys receives Google Cloud Partner Status

• Infosys has recently announced that it has been accredited with the Google Cloud Partner Specialization in the data and analytics space. Infosys is among the top global system integrators which have been accredited with this specialization.
• Infosys has received this recognition as the company has successfully demonstrating end-to-end capabilities on Google Cloud including warehousing on the cloud and data ingestion.
• Infosys has showcased robust methodology, strong industry expertise, technical proficiency, success in specialized data and analytics solutions, and service areas.
• These data and analytics offerings are a part of Infosys Cobalt.
• Along with AI capabilities, these data and analytics offerings help in optimizing costs paving the way for AI and cloud-native digital transformation for enterprises, migrating workloads to Google Cloud, and modernize data landscapes.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Infosys Founded: 7 July 1981.
• Infosys CEO: Salil Parekh.
• Infosys Headquarters: Bengaluru.

Books and Authors News

8. Goa CM releases book 'Manohar Parrikar - Off the Record'

• Goa Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant has released a book ‘Manohar Parrikar- Off the Record’ at a function organized at Institute Menezes Braganza hall in the city. The book has been written by senior journalist Waman Subha Prabhu.
• The book ‘Manohar Parrikar- Off the Record’ is a collection of memories of Mr Prabhu who happened to be with late Parrikar during the journey of his life.
• In the book, the author has endeavoured to narrate the multi-faceted personality of late Manohar Parrikar. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, while speaking, said Late Manohar Parrikar was a great visionary who had dreamt to serve Goa.

Obituaries News

9. Padma Award winning Renowned Oncologist Dr V Shanta passes away

• Padma Award winning renowned oncologist Dr V Shanta has passed away. She was the chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai, which she joined in 1954. The institute is known for providing state-of-the-art healthcare to all patients.
• Dr V Shanta was a recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri (1986) and Padma Bhushan (2006) for her efforts for making quality and affordable cancer treatment accessible to everyone. She was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan and the Ramon Magsaysay awards.

Miscellaneous News

10. India’s 1st Labour Movement Museum to be set up in Kerala

• The first-of-its-kind Labour Movement Museum, in India, would be launched in Alappuzha in Kerala, to showcase the history of the world labour movement.
• The museum will portray the growth of the world labour movement and the history of Kerala’s labour movement, through pictures, documents and other exhibits. Alappuzha is famous as the global houseboat tourism hub.
• The New Model Cooperative Society Limited, previously run by the Bombay Company, has been converted into the Labour Movement Museum.
• It will portray, through pictures, documents and other exhibits, the growth of the world labour movement and the history of Keralas labour movement.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan.
• Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

11. Bhawana Kanth to become 1st woman fighter pilot at R-Day parade

• Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth will become the 1st woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade.
• She will be a part of the Indian Air Force’s tableau in the 2021 Republic Day Parade that will showcase mock-ups of the light combat helicopter, light combat aircraft, and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane.
• At present, Bhawana is posted in Rajasthan and flies the MiG-21 Bison fighter plane.
• Bhawana is also one of the first women fighter pilots to be inducted into the Indian Air Force in the year 2016.
• She was inducted into IAF in 2016 along with Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi.
• Since then 10 women have been commissioned as fighter pilots in IAF.
• Induction of Bhawana and other two women fighters was an experimental scheme of induction of women in IAF’s combat stream introduced in the year 2015.

Daily updates 21 January 2021

International News

1. Joe Biden takes oath as 46th US President

• Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States. He swore the oath of office moments after Kamala Harris, who became America's first woman vice president, turning the page on Donald Trump's tumultuous four years.
• At 78, Biden is the oldest president in US history and only the second Roman Catholic president. Biden, who was vice president under Barack Obama and first ran for president in 1987, plans to kick off his tenure with a flurry of 17 orders.
• Biden will immediately rejoin the Paris climate accord and stop the US exit from the World Health Organization and set new paths on immigration, the environment, Covid-19 and the economy.

State News

2. CM Thakur launches HP's first online youth radio station

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched Himachal Pradesh's first online youth radio station ''Radio Hills-Youngistan Ka Dil''.
• The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of young entrepreneurs. The developer of the online radio Karan, and Radio Jockeys Palak, Rahul and Nidhi were also present on the occasion.
• The online radio would go a long way in promoting the culture and traditions of the state, besides providing an opportunity to the youth to exhibit their talents. The founders of the online radio, Deepika and Saurabh.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of HP: Jairam Thakur; Governor of HP: Bandaru Dattatraya.

3. Gujarat to Rename Dragon Fruit as ‘Kamalam’

• The Gujarat state government has renamed dragon fruit as ‘Kamalam’. The move has kept the internet in splits and many criticized it using the hashtag #SanskariFruitSabzi.
• As per Gujarat Chief Minister, the dragon fruit has been renamed Kamalam because of the shape of the fruit.
• The state government has applied for the patent of the fruit named Kamalam. This was announced at the launch of the Chief Minister Horticulture Development Mission.
• The Horticulture Development Mission is a scheme to promote horticulture in the unproductive regions of the state as well.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Gujarat Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani.
• Gujarat Governor: Acharya Devvrat.

Defence News

4. Indo-French Exercise Desert Knight-21 begins

• Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force are conducting a bilateral Air exercise, Ex Desert Knight-21 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
• The exercise marks an important milestone in the series of engagements between the two Air forces. It is unique as it includes fielding of Rafale aircraft by both sides and is indicative of the growing interaction between the two premiers Air Forces.
• The French side will participate with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft and approximately 175 personnel.
• The Indian Air Force aircraft participating in the exercise will include Rafale, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI among other aircraft.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• France President: Emmanuel Macron.
• France Capital: Paris.
• France Currency: Euro.

Appointments News

5. Govt appoints Siddhartha Mohanty as managing director of LIC

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Siddhartha Mohanty as the managing director of India’s largest insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) from February 1 onwards.
• He is currently CEO of LIC Housing Finance Limited. He will serve as the MD of LIC till his superannuation on June 30, 2023. He will be replacing TC Suseel Kumar, who is set to retire on January 31, 2021.
• LIC has four MDs and one chairman. Currently, MR Kumar is serving as the chairman of the corporation and TC Suseel Kumar, Vipin Anand, Mukesh Kumar Gupta, and Raj Kumar are serving as the MDs of LIC.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Life Insurance Corporation Founded: 1 September 1956.
• Life Insurance Corporation Headquarters: Mumbai.

6. ACC appoints Sanjeev Kumar as new CMD of TCIL

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Sanjeev Kumar as the new Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL).
• According to an order from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Kumar has been appointed to the post for a period of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post, or till the age of superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He is currently serving as Director (Technical) in Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).
• Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) is a Miniratna PSU under the administrative control of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications. TCIL, a premier telecommunication consultancy and engineering company is making available its vast and varied telecom expertise to friendly developing countries.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Telecommunications Consultants India Limited Founded: 1978.
• Telecommunications Consultants India Limited Headquarters: New Delhi.

7. Sundaram Finance names Rajiv Lochan as MD

• The board of Sundaram Finance has named Rajiv Lochan (director Strategy) as managing director with effect from April 1. Sundaram Finance Ltd has made top-level changes as the current managing director T.T. Srinivasaraghavan will be retiring on March 31, 2020.
• While the current deputy managing director Harsha Viji will assume the office of executive vice-chairman, and take responsibility for the overall strategy and direction of Sundaram Finance Ltd., and other group companies in financial services.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Sundaram Finance Ltd Founded: 1954.
• Sundaram Finance Ltd Founder: T.S.Santhanam.
• Sundaram Finance Ltd Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Summits and Conferences News

8. India, Singapore sign pact on submarine rescue support

• The 5th edition of the Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD) between India and Singapore was successfully held on 20 January 2021 through a video conference, in an effort to deepen military cooperation.
• During the meeting, the ‘Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation’ was signed between the two Navies. The agreement was signed between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart Dr Ng Eng Hen.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Singapore Currency: Singapore dollar.
• Capital of Singapore: Singapore.
• PM of Singapore: Lee Hsien Loong.

Banking News

9. ICICI Bank launches ‘InstaFX’ mobile app

• ICICI Bank has launched a new mobile application ‘InstaFX’ for authorised money changers to help customers of any bank get ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ swiftly. ICICI is the bank is the first in the country to offer such facility to money changers.
• A money changer is a person or organization whose business is the exchange of coins or currency of one country, for that of another.
• The ‘InstaFX’ app will enable the authorised money changers, who are partners of the Bank, to complete the KYC verification and validation of customers digitally and on a real-time basis.
• The ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ gets activated swiftly within a few hours, as against the industry practice of up to two-days, thus it will significantly improve customer convenience, even if they are not customers of ICICI bank.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi.
• ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka.

10.  Airtel Payments Bank launches ‘Airtel Safe Pay’

• To protect Airtel customers from the growing incidents of online payment frauds, Airtel Payments Bank has launched ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, a safe way to pay digitally.
• With ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, Airtel customers making UPI or net banking-based payments through Airtel Payments Bank, no longer have to worry about money flowing out of their accounts without their explicit consent.
• An India-First innovation, ‘Airtel Safe Pay’ leverages Airtel’s ‘telco exclusive’ strength of network intelligence to provide an additional layer of payment validation, compared to the industry norm of two-factor authentication.
• This offers the highest level of protection from potential frauds such as phishing, stolen credentials or passwords, and even phone cloning that catches customers unaware.
• Using ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, Airtel Payments Bank customers can make secure digital payments across millions of merchants, online retailers and utilities, and even send money.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Airtel Payments Bank CEO: Anubrata Biswas.
• Airtel Payments Bank Headquarters Location: New Delhi.
• Airtel Payments Bank Founded: 2017.
• Airtel Payments Bank Parent organization: Bharti Airtel.

Ranks and Reports News

11. NITI Aayog Releases India Innovation Index 2.0

• NITI Aayog released the second edition of the India Innovation Index on 20 January 2021, along with the Institute for Competitiveness.
• India Innovation Index 2.0 or 2nd edition has released by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar. The index demonstrates the government's continued commitment towards transforming the country into an innovation-driven economy. The report examines the innovation capabilities and performance of the states and union territories.
• The innovation index ranking is based on five enabler parameters (‘Human Capital’, ‘Investment’, ‘Knowledge Workers’, ‘Business Environment’, ‘Safety and Legal Environment’), and two performance parameters (‘Knowledge Output’ and ‘Knowledge Diffusion’).
• In the ‘Major States’ category, Karnataka occupied the top position, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu respectively.
• In UT and city-states category, Delhi topped followed by Chandigarh.
• Under the ‘North-Eastern/Hill States’ category, Himachal Pradesh emerged as the top state.

Obituaries News

12. Former Arunachal Governor Mata Prasad passes away

• Former Arunachal Governor Mata Prasad has passed away at the age of 95.
• He served as minister in the Congress government in Uttar Pradesh in 1988- 89 and appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in 1993.

Miscellaneous News

13. Howrah-Kalka Mail Renamed as “Netaji Express”

• One of the oldest trains of Indian Railways, the Howrah-Kalka Mail has been renamed as the ‘Netaji Express’.
• Indian Railways have renamed the train just a few days before the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on January 23. 
• Howrah-Kalka Mail was started in the 19th Century as one of the early commercial passenger train services in India.
• The Kalka mail has always been popular for connecting Howrah with Kalka and has enjoyed steady patronage.
• It is believed that Netaji took this train from Bihar’s Gomoh after escaping from his house in Kolkata in the year 1941.

14. JSW Sports signs cricketer Rishabh Pant to manage commercial interests

• Rishabh Pant was signed by JSW Sports, the sports arm of JSW Group. The multi-year association between the two parties will see JSW Sports manage all commercial interests and marketing rights of the 23-year-old cricketer, who most recently played a starring role in India's magnificent Test series win in Australia.
• As part of the association, JSW Sports will manage the athlete's image positioning and all his commercial engagements, including brand endorsements and appearances, social media monetisation, and business deals.
• Ever since its inception in 2012, JSW Sports has worked towards maximising India's sporting potential by working with promising Indian talents across Olympic sports, football, and kabaddi; including Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik and wrestling star Bajrang Punia.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• JSW Group Founder: Sajjan Jindal.
• JSW Group Founded: 1982.

Daily updates 13 January 2021

National News

1. First time in history, Union Budget 2021 to be paperless

• Union Budget 2021, slated to be presented on February 1, is going to be completely paperless in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
• This will be the first time since independence that the budget papers will not be printed. The Centre has received permission for the same from both houses of parliament.
• The decision has been taken as several people (approximately 100) would be required to stay at the printing press for around a fortnight amid the COVID-19 fear.
• The budget papers are usually printed at the ministry's in-house printing press in the North Block.
• This year's budget may reportedly witness several conventions being broken as the traditional 'Halwa' ceremony, which is a given every year is also not likely to take place, or a low-key function may be held with limited gathering in attendance.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Anurag Singh Thakur.

State News

2. Manipur: CM Biren Singh virtually inaugurated Cherry Blossom Festival

• The 4th edition of the Cherry Blossom Festival, Mao in Manipur was virtually inaugurated by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
• However this year, the authority decided to scale down the festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Festival featured the picturesque landscape of Mao adorned with beautiful cherry trees laden with blooming flowers which have traditionally attracted visitors from across the world.
• Manipur has been celebrating the festival every year since 2017.
• The festival which featured the picturesque landscape of Mao town adorned with beautiful Cherry Blossom flowers was streamed live from 2 pm on various social media platforms.
• The Mao area of Senapati district in Manipur is known for Cherry Blossom, a plant which is popularly known as Sakura in Japan.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Manipur: N. Biren Singh; Governor: Najma Heptulla.

Banking News

3. RBI cancels the licence of Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Maharashtra-based Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank, with immediate effect.
• Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd will now not be allowed to conduct the business of ‘banking’, including acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits, with effect from the close of business on January 11, 2021.
• RBI has requested the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS), Maharashtra to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.
• The Bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Section 11(1) read with Section 56 of BR Act and thus would be unable to pay its present depositors in full in its current financial position.
• With the cancellation of licence and commencement of liquidation proceedings, the process of paying the depositors of Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd., Osmanabad, Maharashtra as per the DICGC Act, 1961 will be set in motion.
• Every depositor is entitled to repayment of his/her deposits up to Rs 5,00,000 from the DICGC. More than 99% of the depositors of the bank will get full repayment of their deposits from DICGC.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Establishment: 1978.
• Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee CorporationChairman: Michael Debabrata Patra (Deputy Governor, RBI).
• Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Reserve Bank of India Establishment: 1 April 1935.
• Reserve Bank of IndiaGovernor: Shaktikanta Das.
• Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governors: 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao).

4. RBI slaps Rs 2 crore fine on Deutsche Bank for non-compliance

• The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 2 crore on Deutsche Bank AG for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions concerning interest rate on deposits.
• The central bank said the statutory inspection of Deutsche Bank's financial position as on March 31, 2019, and the Risk Assessment Report revealed non-compliance with the 'Reserve Bank of India (Interest Rate on Deposits) Directions, 2016'.
• The action was based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and was not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Deutsche Bank CEO: Christian Sewing.
• Deutsche Bank Headquarters: Frankfurt, Germany.
• Deutsche Bank Founded: 10 March 1870.

Economy News

5. India’s retail inflation drops to 4.59 % in December

• India’s retail inflation fell sharply to 4.59 per cent in December, mainly due to declining food prices, government data showed.
• Retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 6.93 per cent in November.
• Food inflation declined to 3.41 per cent in December in 2020, compared to 9.5 per cent in the previous month, according to the data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) factors in retail inflation while arriving at its monetary policy.

Defence News

6. Dr Ajay Kumar co-chairs 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue

• The 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue was held in a virtual format. The virtual event was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar along with Vietnamese Sr Lt Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Defence Minister, Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
• Defence Secretary and the Deputy Defence Minister expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries in spite of the limitations imposed by COVID 19.
• Both countries exchanged views on the plan of action from the recently concluded Virtual Summit between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc in December 2020.
• Both the sides reviewed the progress on various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives and expressed commitment to further elevate engagements between the Armed Forces under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• Both sides agreed that in the recent past our respective countries have made notable strides in Defence Industry and Technology cooperation and look forward to even greater cooperation in this field.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Vietnam Capital: Hanoi.
• Vietnam Currency: Vietnamese dong.
• Vietnam Prime Minister: Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Agreement News

7. Bharat Biotech inks pact with Precisa Med to supply Covaxin to Brazil

• Bharat Biotech has announced that it has signed an agreement with Precisa Medicamentos for the supply of its indigenously manufactured Covid-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' to Brazil.
• The supplies of Covaxin will be prioritized for the public market, through direct procurement by Brazil government.
• A team from Precisa Medicamentos had visited the Bharat Biotech facility in Genome Valley near here last week to discuss export of COVAXIN, India’s first indigenous vaccine for Covid-19.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Bharat Biotech Founded: 1996.
• Bharat Biotech Headquarters location: Hyderabad.
• Bharat Biotech Executive director: Dr V Krishna Mohan.

Ranks and Reports News

8. India Ranks 85 in Henley Passport Index 2021

• The Henley Passport Index 2021 has been released by Henley & Partners, based on the exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• As per the latest report, India has been ranked 85th among 110 countries, in the Henley Passport Index for 2021, with a visa-free score of 58.
• The index presents the original ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
• Japan has once again topped the list of being the most powerful passport in the world, for the third consecutive year. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 191 countries visa-free. Singapore is in second place (190) and South Korea ties with Germany in third place (189). Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are the countries with the worst passport, with a passport score of 29, 28 and 26 respectively.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• International Air Transport Association Headquarters: Montreal, Canada.
• International Air Transport Association Founded: 19 April 1945.
• International Air Transport Association Leader: William M. Walsh.
• Henley & Partners Headquarters location: London, United Kingdom.
• Henley & Partners Founded: 1997.
• Henley & Partners Chairman: Christian Kalin.
• Henley & Partners CEO: Juerg Steffen.

Summits and Conferences News

9. France hosts 4th One Planet Summit

• The Government of France organised the fourth ‘One Planet Summit’, through videoconferencing, which aimed at protecting the world’s biodiversity.
• The Summit was organised in cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank.
• The theme of the Summit was “Let’s act together for nature!”.
• It was inaugurated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, and President of the World Bank Group David Malpass.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• France Capital: Paris.
• France President: Emmanuel Macron.
• France Prime minister: Jean Castex
• France Currency: Euro.

Books and Authors News

10. Manipur Guv released book "Making of a General A Himalayan Echo"

• Manipur Governor, Dr Najma Heptulla has virtually released a book titled “Making of a General-A Himalayan Echo” authored by (Retd) Lt General Konsam Himalaya Singh at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, Imphal.
• The book elegantly summons the essence and imperatives of superior command of one of the most formidable forces in the world.
• The book is the memoir of Lt Gen (Dr) Konsam Himalay Singh who has traced his journey from a small village in Manipur to becoming the first person from North East India to hold the rank of a Three-Star General of the Indian Army. The book has also highlighted about Manipur, the “Land of Emeralds”.

11. A book titled “The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India” by Ex-CEC

• Former chief election commissioner (CEC) S Y Quraishi has come out with his book titled “The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India”.
• The book will hit the stands on February 15, 2021. It has been published by HarperCollins India.
• The book evaluates India’s demographics from a religious perspective and seeks to demolish two basic myths that ‘Islam is against family planning’ and ”Muslim rate of growth” is linked to capture political power.
• The book is a detailed analysis of the 'Muslim rate of growth' in the light of population data and national and international reports.
• The book examines the crucial and urgent question of the politicisation of demography in India.

Obituaries News

12. Indian American writer Ved Mehta passes away

• Indian American writer Ved Mehta passed away. The Indian-American novelist overcame blindness & was widely known as the 20th-century writer most responsible for introducing American readers to India.
• Ved Mehta, a longtime writer for The New Yorker whose best-known work, spanning a dozen volumes, explored the vast, turbulent history of modern India through the intimate lens of his own autobiography.

Miscellaneous News

13. First-ever Ice climbing festival celebrated in Nubra valley

• In Leh, the first-ever Ice climbing festival was celebrated in Nubra valley. The Seven Day event was organized by Nubra Adventure Club.
• Ice climbing is a popular winter sport abroad. To promote winter tourism in Nubra valley, Nubra Adventure Club, with the help of Social activist Dr Nordan Otzer, has organized the Seven Day Ice Climbing Festival.
• Trainer Rigzin Tsewang said that Nubra has the potential to be the ice climbing capital in the Himalayas.

14. Suriname’s Indian-origin President to be Republic Day chief guest

• President of the Republic of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade on January 26.
• India had initially invited Boris Johnson to be the chief guest but the British PM had to cancel his visit in view of the grim coronavirus situation back home.
• Earlier this week, Santokhi was the chief guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention, held by the Ministry of External Affairs and he delivered the keynote address.
• He was sworn in as the president of Suriname in July 2020, when his party, the Progressive Reform Party, won 20 of the 51 seats in the elections.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Suriname Capital: Paramaribo.
• Suriname Currency: Suriname Dollar.
• Suriname Continent: South America.

Daily news 5 January 2021

International News

1. U.S. Congress passes ‘Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act’

• The U.S. Congress has passed the ‘Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act’ to increase the number of scholarships for Pakistani women in higher education under merit and needs-based programme.
• The bill was passed by the United States Senate by a voice vote on January 1. The bill now heads to the White House for U.S. President Donald Trump to sign into law.
• The bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to award at least 50% of scholarships under a Pakistan-based higher education scholarship programme to Pakistani women, from 2020 to 2022, across a range of academic disciplines and in accordance with existing eligibility criteria.
• The bill also requires USAID to consult with and leverage investments by the Pakistani private sector and Pakistani diaspora in the United States to improve and expand access to education programmes in Pakistan.

State News

2. ADB approves $100 million loan to upgrade power distribution system in Bengaluru

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a USD 100 million (around Rs 730 crore) loan to modernise and upgrade the power distribution system in Bengaluru city.
• Besides the USD 100 million sovereign loans, ADB will provide a USD 90 million loan without sovereign guarantee for the project to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (BESCOM), one of the five state-owned distribution utilities in Karnataka.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Karnataka: B.S. Yediyurappa; Governor: Vajubhai Vala.
• President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
• ADB Established: 9 December 1966.

Banking News

3. IDBI Bank launches video KYC facility for opening savings bank accounts

• IDBI Bank announced the launch of video KYC account opening (VAO) facility for savings bank accounts. Through the facility, a customer can open a savings account with the lender from the convenience of his/her home or office as there are no physical forms to be filled or visits to be made to the branch.
• Video KYC is a quick and easy way to open a savings account from the comforts of your home. It ensures that the online journey for opening savings account remains safe, simple, and fast eliminating the need to visit the branch for KYC.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• IDBI Bank CEO: Rakesh Sharma.
• IDBI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Business News

4. Bajaj Auto becomes world’s most valuable two-wheeler company

• Indian multinational two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturing company, Bajaj Auto has become the most valuable two-wheeler company in the world, after it crossed a market capitalization of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore, on January 01, 2021.
• Bajaj’s share price on NSE closed at Rs. 3,479 per share on the first day of 2021, leading to a market capitalization of more than Rs 1,00,670.76 crore.
• Thus, Bajaj Auto is not only the most valued company in the two-wheeler segment but also the first-ever two-wheeler company in the world to have reached this market cap milestone.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Headquarter of Bajaj Auto: Pune, Maharashtra.
• Managing Director of Bajaj Auto: Rajiv Bajaj.

Appointments News

5. Pankaj Mithal sworn in as CJ of J&K, Ladakh Court

• Justice Pankaj Mithal has been appointed as the new Chief Justice (CJ) of the Common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh in Jammu on January 04, 2021.
• Chief justice Mithal has been appointed in view of the retirement of chief justice Gita Mittal recently. Chief Justice Mithal was administered the oath of office by Lieutenant Governor of J&k, Manoj Sinha.

6. GJC elects Ashish Pethe as New Chairman

• The All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), the national apex body of the gems and jewellery industry, has announced the appointment of Ashish Pethe as chairman and Saiyam Mehra as vice chairman for a period of two years.
• Pethe has been closely associated with GJC and was the Zonal Chairman West, which he will continue even after this new position.
• The entire e-Voting election process was conducted by an authorised independent person (Chief Election Authority), and the voting platform was created by a digital agency, both appointed by GJC.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council HQ: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council Founded: 2005.

7. Sanjay Kapoor elected All India Chess Federation president

• Sanjay Kapoor was elected president of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) while Bharat Singh Chauhan retained the secretary's post.
• Kapoor, representing Uttar Pradesh Chess Association, defeated incumbent PR Venketrama Raja in a close contest.
• Kapoor received 33 votes as against 31 of Raja. Chauhan beat Ravindra Dongre 35-29. Apart from the president, secretary and treasurer, six vice-presidents and six joint secretaries were also elected.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• All India Chess Federation Headquarters:  Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium; Chennai.
• All India Chess Federation Founded: 1951.

Agreements News

8. Indian Army inks pact with Goa Shipyard to get 12 fast patrol boats

• Indian Army has inked a contract with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) to procure 12 Fast Patrol Boats for surveillance and patrolling of large water bodies, including those in high altitude areas like Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh.
• Pangong Tso's 134-km length is divided into eight 'fingers', military parlance for mountain spurs jutting into the water body that is contested by both sides. The lake is frozen with the onset of winters, and the Army plans to deploy around two dozen such boats by next summer.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

Summits and Conferences

9. PM Modi inaugurates National Metrology Conclave 2021

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has addressed the National Metrology Conclave, via video conferencing on January 04, 2021.
• National Metrology Conclave 2021 was organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi, to mark its 75th year of inception. This year theme: ‘Metrology for the Inclusive Growth of the Nation’.
• As a part of this conclave, PM Modi also dedicated ‘National Atomic Timescale’, and ‘Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya’ to the nation, and laid the foundation stone of the ‘National Environmental Standards Laboratory’.

Obituaries News

10. Former Maharashtra Minister Vilas Patil Undalkar passes away

• Former Maharashtra cabinet minister and seven-time Congress MLA Vilas Patil Undalkar has passed away.
• The veteran Congressman, Undalkar, who was popularly known as ‘kaka’, was elected seven times from Karad-South Assembly constituency for a record 35 consecutive years, from 1980 to 2014.
• Undalkar held the Cooperation and Law and Justice portfolios in the State Cabinets during the previous Congress-led state governments.

Miscellaneous News

11. Argentine filmmaker Pablo Cesar to head 51st IFFI''s International Jury

• The International Jury for 51st edition of International Film Festival of India has been announced with eminent filmmakers from across the world.
• According to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the Jury will comprise Pablo Cesar of Argentina as Chairman, Prasanna Vithanage of Sri Lanka, Abu Bakr Shawky of Austria, Priyadarshan of India and Rubaiyat Hossain of Bangladesh.
• Pablo Cesar is an Argentine filmmaker. He has contributed to the African cinema by making the critically acclaimed films, Equinox, the Garden of the Roses, Los dioses de agua and Aphrodite, the Garden of the Perfumes.

Daily news 3 and 4 January 2021

National News

1. India becomes co-chair of Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP)

• India has been chosen as the co-chair of the IUCN-supported Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP) for a period of three years till November 2023. India will replace South Korea, which held the post for 3 years until November 2020.
• As a co-chair, India would be responsible to assist other Asian countries in managing their protected areas.
• The APAP is chaired by IUCN ( International Union for Conservation of Nature) Asia and co-chaired by an APAP nation member on a rotational basis.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• International Union for Conservation of Nature Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature CEO: Grethel Aguilar.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature Founder: Julian Huxley.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature Founded: 5 October 1948.

Banking News

2. RBI introduces the RBI-Digital Payments Index

• Reserve Bank of India has launched a Digital Payments Index (DPI) to capture the extent of digitization of digital/electronic payments across the country.
• This RBI-Digital Payments Index (DPI) has 5 broad parameters that will be used for the measurement of deepening and penetration of digital payments.
• The RBI-DPI comprises of 5 broad parameters that enable measurement of deepening and penetration of digital payments in the country over different time periods.
• These parameters are – (i) Payment Enablers (weight 25%), (ii) Payment Infrastructure – Demand-side factors (10%), (iii) Payment Infrastructure – Supply-side factors (15%), (iv) Payment Performance (45%) and (v) Consumer Centricity (5%).
• The base period for RBI-DPI is March 2018. This means that the DPI score for March 2018 is set at 100. RBI has calculated the DPI for March 2019 and March 2020 at 153.47 and 207.84 respectively, indicating appreciable growth. RBI-DPI shall be published on a semi-annual basis from March 2021 onwards with a lag of 4 months.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

Defence News

3. GRSE delivers 8th landing craft utility ship to Indian Navy

• Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) has delivered the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) MK IV class vessel ‘IN LCU L-58’ (Yard 2099) to the Indian Navy.
• The amphibious ships, to be based in the strategic location of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which is close to various routes leading to the South China Sea.
• LCU L-58 is the final ship in the series of 8 LCUs being manufactured by GRSE for the Indian Navy.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• GRSE Chairman & Managing Director: Rear Admiral V K Saxena.
• GRSE Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal.

4. BEL and Indian Navy inks pact for initial supply of Laser Dazzlers

• The Indian Navy has signed a contract with the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), to procure Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation Dazzlers (Laser Dazzlers).
• Initially, agreement has been signed for 20 Laser Dazlers. The Laser dazzler technology has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and would be manufactured by BEL, Pune plant.
• It is the first time that this unique product is indigenously designed and developed for the Armed Forces.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Bharat Electronics Limited Chairman & Managing Director: M V Gowtama.
• Bharat Electronics Limited Headquarters: Bengaluru.
• Bharat Electronics Limited Founded: 1954.
• Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.
• Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950.

Ranks and Reports News 

5. Mukesh Ambani ranked 12th in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2021

• India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) dropped down to 12th spot in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2021 (as on 2nd January 2021).
• The net worth of Ambani dropped from 90 billion USD (around Rs. 6.62 lakh crore) (in early 2020) to 76.7 billion USD (around Rs. 5.6 lakh crore).
• The drop in the net worth of Mukesh Ambani was due to the correction in the shares of RIL which has fallen to Rs.1995.50 on 30th December 2020, which is 16% from its all-time high of Rs 2369.35.
• Zhong Shanshan, referred to as “Lone Wolf”, has replaced Ambani as Asia’s richest person, he is one of the fastest in the history to achieve the feat.

Top 3 in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index:

Rank	Personality	Net worth
1	Jeff Bezos	190 Billion USD
2	Elon R Musk	170 Billion USD
3	Bill Gates	132 Billion USD

Science and Technology

6. DCGI gives final approval for Covid-19 vaccines of SII, Bharat Biotech

• The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has formally announced the final approval for Oxford-AstraZeneca "Covishield" and Bharat Biotech "Covaxin" vaccines against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for emergency use.
• CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) accepts the subject expert committee reform rations on Serum and Bharat Biotech Covid vaccines.
• The subject expert committee (SEC) under CDSCO had recommended Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) as Covishield, for emergency use and Covaxin for restricted use.
• Covaxin is the indigenous vaccine being developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Serum Institute of India CEO: Adar Poonawalla.
• Serum Institute of IndiaFounder: Cyrus S. Poonawalla.
• Serum Institute of IndiaFounded: 1966.
• Serum Institute of India Headquarters location: Pune.

Sports News

7. Leon Mendonca becomes India’s 67th Grandmaster

• Goa’s 14-year-old Leon Mendonca has become India’s 67th chess Grandmaster by winning the third and final norm at a tournament in Italy.
• Mendonca, who achieved the feat at 14 years, 9 months and 17 days, is the second GM from the coastal State. Chennai player G. Akash, had in July, become the country’s 66th Grandmaster. He became the 29th Youngest GM in the world. The 1st GM from Goa is Ivana Maria Furtado, she achieved it in 2011.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• International Chess Federation President: Arkady Dvorkovich.
• International Chess Federation Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.
• International Chess Federation Founded: 20 July 1924.

Important Days

8. World Braille Day: 4 January

• World Braille Day is observed globally on 4th January since 2019. The day is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.
• The day is marked remembering the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille – for people with visual disabilities. Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in the town of Coupvray in northern France.

Obituaries News

9. Former Union Minister Buta Singh passes away

• Former Union Minister and senior Rajasthan Congress leader Buta Singh passed away.
• The veteran politician Buta Singh served as Home Minister of India in the Rajiv Gandhi government from 1986 to 1989.
• Buta Singh had also served as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. He was a four-time MP from Jalore-Sirohi Lok Sabha constituency.
• He served as the Chairperson of the National Commission For Scheduled Cast from 2007 to 2010.

10.  Ace mountaineer Colonel Narendra ‘Bull’ Kumar passes away

• Ace mountaineer Colonel Narendra 'Bull' Kumar, who helped India secure the Siachen Glacier, passed away.
• He was responsible for the success of Operation Meghdoot in 1984. He was the first Indian to climb Mount Nanda Devi.
• He climbed Mount Everest in 1965, Mount Blanc( highest peak in the Alps), and later Mount Kangchenchanga. He earned the nickname 'Bull' for relentlessly charging into everything he did.
• Col Kumar, who was awarded the Kirti Chakra, Padma Shri, Arjun Award and the McGregor medal, carried out multiple expeditions in the Siachen glacier area in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Miscellaneous News

11. Delhi government sets up Tamil Academy

• Delhi government Department of Art, Culture, and Language has set-up a Tamil academy to promote the language and culture of the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
• Delhi has a large population of people from Tamil Nadu and we want to present a platform to the people of Delhi to get a taste of the art and culture of Tamil Nadu.
• The Delhi government has appointed a former councillor and member of Delhi Tamil Sangam N Raja as the Vice-Chairman of the academy.
• The Department of Art, Culture, and Language of the Delhi govt has decided that the new academy will introduce various awards to promote and reward the good works of people in Tamil language and culture.
• The government will also provide language courses through this academy. The Delhi government will also celebrate and organise cultural festivals for the people of Tamil Nadu.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal; Governor of Delhi: Anil Baijal.
• Delhi Minister of Art, Culture, and Language: Manish Sisodia.

12. Oscar nominee 'Another Round' to be opening movie at 51st IFFI

• The 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will open on 16th January, with the Indian premiere of the movie ‘Another Round’ by Thomas Vinterberg.
• The movie starring Cannes Best Actor Award winner Mads Mikkelsen is among a star-studded line up of movies being showcased at IFFI.
• The movie is also Denmark’s official entry to the Oscars. The festival will also witness the World Premiere of ‘Mehrunisa’. The film by Sandeep Kumar will premier mid-fest.
• The festival will close on 24th January with the India Premiere of the historical drama ‘Wife of a Spy’ by Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

13. Amit Shah released the inaugural issue of “National Police K-9 Journal”

• Home Minister Amit Shah has released the inaugural issue of the National Police K-9 Journal in New Delhi. It is the first such publication in the country on the subject of Police Service K9s, Police Dogs.
• This is a unique initiative that will further enrich the subjects related to Police Service Dog, K-9, PSK teams in the country.
• A special Police K9 Cell was established in November 2019, under the Police Modernization Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs with the mandate of Mainstreaming and Augmentation of Police Service K9s in the country.
• The publication of the Police K9 Journal is another step in creating an ecosystem in the country to train and learn on augmenting this vital resource.
• The journal comprises different sections in Hindi and English. It is a biannual journal which will be released in April and October every year.

Daily news 1 and 2 January 2021

National News

1. PM Modi lays foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs)

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs) at six sites across six States through video conference on 1st January 2021.
• The LHPs will be implemented at Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
• The project is being constructed under the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)-India. It has been conceptualised by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• Under the programme, over 1,000 houses would be built in each of the six cities in 12 months along with allied infrastructure facilities.

2. GoI extends Deadline to file Income Tax Returns to January 10, 2021

• The Central government has further extended the deadline to file an income tax return (ITR) for FY 2019-20 by 10 days, up to January 10, 2021. Earlier this deadline was December 31, 2020.
• This extension of the deadline is for those individuals whose accounts are not required to be audited and who usually file their income tax return using ITR-1 or ITR-4 forms, as applicable. This is the third extension of the deadline to file a tax return.
• The first extension was given from the normal deadline of July 31 to November 30, 2020, and then to December 31, 2020.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Anurag Singh Thakur.

State News

3. ADB to provide $231 mn loan to enhance power generation capacity in Assam

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $231 million loan with the Government of India to augment electricity generation capacity in the state of Assam.
• This is the third tranche loan for the ‘Assam Power Sector Investment Programme’ that was approved by the ADB Board in July 2014.
• Under the project, 120 megawatts (MW) hydroelectric power plant would be constructed. The programme focuses on enhancing the capacity and efficiency of the energy generation and distribution systems in Assam to improve the availability of electricity service to end-users.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Assam: Sarbananda Sonowal; Governor: Prof. Jagdish Mukhi.

4. ADB and India sign $10 million loan to support horticulture in HP

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $10 million project readiness financing (PRF).
• This agreement aims to help finance piloting activities, and design and capacity building for an ensuing project that aims to expand horticulture production and farm household income in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh.
• The PRF project will support advance actions to achieve a high level of project readiness through detailed design activities, capacity building of state-level agencies, and creating an enabling environment for subtropical horticulture development in the state.
• The PRF project aims to ensure implementation readiness with prior testing of new production technologies and marketing systems so that the ensuing project is cost-effective and gets completed in a timely manner to enhance farm profitability.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of HP: Jairam Thakur; Governor of HP: Bandaru Dattatraya.

Appointments News

5. Umesh Sinha named deputy election commissioner

• Umesh Sinha has been named as the deputy election commissioner in the Election Commission of India.
• Sinha, a 1986-batch IAS officer (retired) is at present serving as secretary-general in the commission.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared the extension in the term of reemployment of Sinha as deputy election commissioner on contract basis for a period of six months beyond December 31, 2020.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Election Commissioner of India: Sunil Arora.
• Chief Election Commissioner Formed: 25 January 1950.
• Chief Election Commissioner Headquarters: New Delhi.

6. ISRO Chairman K Sivan gets one year extension up to 2022

• The Central Government has approved the extension of the term of ISRO Chairman K Sivan, for a period of one year. He was due to retire on January 14, 2021.
• Sivan will now continue as ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space up to January 14, 2022. He joined ISRO in 1982, has been the chairman of the space agency since January 2018.
• ISRO chief has imminent knowledge in Aerospace engineering, Space Transportation Systems Engineering, Launch vehicles, mission simulation software design and many other operations related to Space programs.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan.
• ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• ISRO established: 15 August 1969.

7. Soma Mondal takes charge as new SAIL Chairman

• Soma Mondal has taken over as the new Chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) with effect from January 01, 2021.
• She is the first-ever women-head of the body. She replaces Anil Kumar Chaudhary, who superannuated on 31 December 2020. She joined SAIL in 2017 as the director (commercial).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• SAIL Headquarters: New Delhi.
• SAIL founded: 19 January 1954.

8. Suneet Sharma takes over as new Chairman & CEO of Railway Board

• The appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved Suneet Sharma appointment as Chairman & CEO of Railway Board, Ministry of Railways and ex-officio Principal Secretary to Government of India.
• He took over in his new role with effect from January 01, 2021. The extended one-year tenure of Sharma’s predecessor, Vinod Kumar Yadav, who also became the restructured Board’s first CEO, ended on December 31, 2020.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Railway Board Founded: March 1905.
• Headquarters of Railway Board: New Delhi.

Agreements News 

9. UNDP and PCMC join hands for ‘first social impact bond’

• Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Pune has recently signed an MoU with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India to co-create India’s first Social Impact Bond (SIB).
• This is the first time that a government body will act as the ‘outcome funder’ in a bond, whereas traditionally most government-funded public projects require large and early investments by the government with a substantial gestation period of outcomes and involve various kinds of risks.
• A Social Impact Bond also called pay-for-success bond or pay-for-success financing or simply social bond is basically a contract with public sector authority, where it pays for better social outcomes.
• This bond is a form of outcome-based contracting and aims at improving social outcomes for a specific group of citizens.
• The PCMC administration will bear the costs of a public welfare project associated with the bond if the pre-defined project targets are fulfilled.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• UNDP Headquarters: New York, New York, United States.
• UNDP Head: Achim Steiner.
• UNDP Founded: 22 November 1965.

Books and Authors News

10. A book titled "Vahana Masterclass" launched by Italian Writer Alfredo Covelli

• Alfredo Covelli, an Italy based author has launched his new book Vahana Masterclass for children and Young Audience.
• The books will be illustrated and published by Scholastic India. Alfredo had a keen interest in our Indian culture and mythology which inspired him to write a story on Lord Ganesh for children.
• The book narrates the story of the Ganesha looking for a new vahana to accompany him to all the great adventures around the cosmos.

Important Days

11. DRDO Celebrates 63rd Foundation Day on 1st January 2021

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) observed the 63rd Foundation Day of its establishment on January 01, 2021.
• DRDO was established in 1958 with just 10 laboratories to enhance the research work in the Defence sector. At that time, it was tasked with designing and developing cutting edge defence technologies for Indian Armed Forces.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Secretary Department of Defence Research and Development  & Chairman DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy.
• DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi.
• DRDO Established: 1958.

Obituaries News

12. Legendary Music Director Shantanu Mohapatra passes away

• Legendary Odia musician, Shantanu Mohapatra passed away. He was the first Odia music composer to work with legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey and Md Rafi and also the first to work in Hindi, Bengali, Assamese and Telugu film industries.
• Mohapatra has composed music for hundreds of Odia film songs and Jatra (opera) shows in a career that spanned over three decades.
• Mohapatra, who retired as the Director of Odisha Mining Corporation, received several awards including the Odisha Film Critic Award for his contribution to Odia music.

Miscellaneous News

13. IFSCA becomes Associate Member of IOSCO

• The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has become an Associate Member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). The Headquarter of IOSCO is at Madrid, Spain.
• The IOSCO is the international organization of the world’s securities regulators, covering more than 95% of the world’s securities markets, and is also the global standard-setter for the securities sector.
• With this new membership, IFSCA will get the platform to exchange information at the global level and regional level on areas of common interests and help to learn from the experiences and best practices of the regulators of other well established financial centres.