The Covid situation in India has been becoming "bad to worse over the last few weeks,"

New Delhi: 

The Covid situation in India has been becoming "bad to worse over the last few weeks," the Centre said on Tuesday. "Trends show the virus is still very active just when we think we can control it, it sparks back," said VK Paul, chairman of the National Expert Committee on Vaccine Administration. He, however, denied that the mutated strains have a role to play in this surge. States are being told to enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour -- "Use the law, use fine... people need to wear a mask," he said.

Here are the Top 10 points in this big story:

1. "Punjab is neither doing adequate number of tests, nor is isolating infected people properly. Maharashtra has 3.37 lakh active cases. Death has increased from 32 in Feb to 118 now. Karnataka needs to improve testing and isolation," VK Paul said, discussing the situation in the states.
2. Delhi, taken as one district, is among top 10 COVID-19 high-burden districts. Eight such districts are from Maharashtra, he added.
3. "We have taken pride that fatality has been low. But the death rate is now at four times -- at 271 from 73. The virus needs to be eliminated," Mr Paul said. "We want to emphasize that without contact tracing, quarantining, isolation etc. we cannot contain the virus," he added.
4. Denying that there is an Indian variant of the virus, Mr Paul said "There is a concept of virus shift drift and shift. There is no such thing as an Indian strain. It is not a cause to panic". Mutations, he said, are sporadic and "not significant".
5. The ministry also said the presence of foreign mutant variants of the virus is low. Of the 11,064 genome samples sequenced in 10 national laboratories, the scientists have found 807 cases of the UK variant, 47 South African variant and one of the Brazilian variant so far.
6. The Centre has told the states that there should be saturation of vaccination for priority age groups in districts that are reporting a surge in cases.  As of March 30 morning, 6.11 lakh vaccine doses have been administered.
7. All private facilities must be utilised optimally for vaccination, Mr Paul said. The facility must have adequate space for waiting, vaccination and observation room. The hospital must have a functional cold chain storage, adequate number of verifier and vaccinators. They must also have facilities to address adverse events following immunization.
8. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has said there are seven more COVID-19 vaccine candidates in various stages of clinical trials, and a further two dozen in pre-clinical trials, At present India has two vaccines - AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
9. Both Covaxin and Covishield are effective against the UK, Brazilian variant of the virus, the government said. Work is on against the South African variant.
10. More than 68,000 new cases were reported on Monday, the most in a day since October. On Tuesday morning, more than 56,000 fresh cases were reported, taking the country's active caseload to nearly 5.5 lakh.

Daily updates 11 March 2021

11 March 2021
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11th March 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 11th March 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

International News

1. Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou wins Africa’s top prize

• Mahamadou Issoufou, the incumbent President of Niger has won the “2020 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership”, the world’s largest leadership prize, worth $5 million.
• He is the sixth winner of the Ibrahim Prize since it was introduced in 2006, by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim’s foundation to promote good governance in the world’s poorest continent.
• The 69-year-old Issoufou is stepping down as president of Niger in April 2021, after serving two terms in office. He first took office in 2011 and was then re-elected in 2016.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Niger Capital: Niamey.
• Niger Currency: West African CFA franc.

2. China and Russia Inks MoU to jointly build Lunar Space Station

• The space agencies of China and Russia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of their national governments, to jointly construct a lunar space station that will be open to all countries.
• The MoU was officially signed between the Chinese space agency, China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on March 09, 2021.
• Dubbed as the “International Scientific Lunar Station (ISLS)”, the centre will be a “complex of experimental and research facilities” created on the moon’s surface and/or in orbit of the moon.
• The goal of setting up ISLS is strengthening research cooperation and promoting the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes in the interests of all mankind.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• China Capital: Beijing.
• China Currency: Renminbi.
• China President: Xi Jinping.
• Russia President: Vladimir Putin.
• Russia Capital: Moscow.
• Russia Currency: Russian Ruble.

Banking News

3. MeitY released the list of “Digital Payment Scorecard”

• The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has released the list of “Digital Payment Scorecard”. In the list, the State Bank of India (SBI) has topped for the third consecutive months.
• The digital payment scorecard tracks the performance of the Commercial Banks on several digital parameters. SBI maintained the top remitter bank by recording the highest UPI transaction volume which accounted for nearly Rupees 640 million.
• SBI has also emerged as the largest issuer of debit cards. It issued over 290 million debit cards with a 30% market share with respect to card spends and 29% share with respect to transaction volume. Bank has also made steady progress with respect to increasing payment acceptance infrastructure.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• SBI Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara.
• SBI Headquarters: Mumbai.
• SBI Founded: 1 July 1955.

4. RBI removes PCA restrictions on IDBI Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India has removed IDBI Bank from its enhanced regulatory supervision or Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework.
• It was noted that as per published results for the quarter ending December 31, 2020, the bank is not in breach of the PCA parameters on regulatory capital, net NPA and leverage ratio.
• The bank has also provided a written commitment that it would comply with the norms of minimum regulatory capital, net NPA and leverage ratio on an ongoing basis and has apprised the RBI of the structural and systemic improvements that it has put in place which would help the bank in continuing to meet these commitments.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

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

5. Axis Bank launches "Wear N Pay" contactless payment wearable devices

• Axis Bank has launched a range of wearable contactless payment devices under the brand Wear ‘N’ Pay. These devices come in different forms of wearables like a band, key chain and watch loop and are available starting at Rs 750.
•  The wearables are directly linked to the bank account of an Axis Bank customer and function like a regular debit card. It allows purchases at any merchant store which accepts contactless transactions.
• Axis Bank's new 'Wear N Pay' devices are available in a variety of accessories like the band, key chain, and watch loop.
• Users do not need to carry their smartphones and wallet for payments anymore. These wearable devices can be worn easily to carry out contactless transactions on the go.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Axis Bank Commenced operations: 1994.
• Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Axis Bank Tagline: Dil Se Open.
• Axis Bank MD and CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry.

Defence News

6. India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise DUSTLIK II commences in Ranikhet

• The India - Uzbekistan joint military exercise DUSTLIK II has commenced in Foreign Training Node Chaubatia, Ranikhet in Uttarakhand. This is the Second Edition of the annual bilateral joint exercise of both armies.
• It will continue till the 19th of this month. The first edition of the exercise was held in Uzbekistan in November 2019. 45 Soldiers each from Uzbekistan and the Indian Army are participating in the exercise.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Capital of Uzbekistan: Tashkent; Currency: Uzbekistani Som.

• President of Uzbekistan: Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Science and Technology News

7. ISRO Develops Joint Earth Observation Satellite Mission Radar With NASA

• ISRO has completed the development of a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capable of producing extremely high-resolution images for a joint earth observation satellite mission with the US space agency NASA. NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a joint collaboration for a dual-frequency L and S-band SAR for earth observation.
• NISAR will be the first satellite mission to use two different radar frequencies (L-band and S-band) to measure changes in our planet's surface less than a centimetre across.
• The mission is targeted to launch in early 2022 from ISRO's Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district, about 100 km north of Chennai.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan.
• ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• ISRO established: 15 August 1969.
• Acting Administrator of NASA: Steve Jurczyk.
• Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.
• NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.

Appointments News

8. Girish Murmu re-appointed Chairman of UN Panel of External Auditors

• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), Girish Chandra Murmu has been re-appointed as the Chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations for the year 2021. Prior to this, Mr Murmu was elected as Chairman of the Panel for 2020 as well.
• At present, the panel consists of 13 countries which are India, Germany, Chile, China, United Kingdom, France, Philippines, Switzerland, Italy, Ghana, Indonesia, Canada and Russia.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• CAG Founded: 1858.
• CAG Headquarters location: New Delhi.

Awards News

9. Amitabh Bachchan to be honoured with 2021 FIAF Award

• Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured with an award by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF).
• The veteran actor will be the first Indian cinema personality to be bestowed with the FIAF Award for his dedication and contribution to the preservation of the world’s film heritage.
• Amitabh Bachchan was nominated for the award by the FIAF affiliate Film Heritage Foundation which is a not-for-profit organisation founded by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur a filmmaker & archivist. This foundation is dedicated to preserve, restore, document, exhibit and study the film heritage of India.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• FIAF Founded: 17 June 1938; Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

Important Days

10. Central Industrial Security Forces Celebrates its 52nd Raising Day

• The Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) – Raising Day (CRD) is observed on March 10 in India every year. In 2021, the nation is celebrating the 52nd Raising Day of CISF. The basic objective of the CISF is Better “protection and security” of industrial undertakings in both government and private sectors in the country.
• CISF was set up under an Act of the Parliament of India on 10 March 1969, for the better protection and security of industrial undertakings in the country.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Director-General of Central Industrial Security Force: Subodh Kumar Jaiswal.

Obituaries News

11. Veteran Marathi Actor Shrikant Moghe Passes Away

• The Marathi stage and film actor, Shrikant Moghe has passed away. He was popular for his work in both Marathi and Hindi languages. He was born at Kirloskarwadi in the Sangli district of Maharashtra.
• He is known for his performances in Marathi films like Madhuchandra, Sinhaasan, Gammat Jammat and Umbaratha, and plays such as Varyavarchu Varaat and Tuze Aahe Tujapashi.

Miscellaneous News

12. President Ram Nath Kovind presents Baton of Honor to Kiran Bedi

• President Ram Nath Kovind has presented a baton of honour and a letter of appreciation to former Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The former Puducherry lieutenant governor received a Baton of Honor decorated with the emblem of the Indian Republic and the appreciation letter recognizing her service in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
• Kiran Bedi was removed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry on February 16 by the President of India and Tamilisai Soundararajan took additional charge as the Lieutenant Governor on February 18.

13. Deepika Padukone joins WEF list of Young Global Leader

• Actor Deepika Padukone has joined the list of the Young Global Leaders (YGLs) compiled by the World Economic Forum. The list also includes several Indian citizens and India-origin persons.
• They join a group of Nobel Prize recipients, Pulitzer winners, heads of state and chief executive officers committed to improving the state of the world.
• The Forum of Young Global Leaders was founded in 2005 by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the WEF, to create a world where leaders take responsibility for a sustainable future while meeting increasingly complex and interrelated challenges.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• World Economic Forum Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland.
• World Economic Forum Founder: Klaus Schwab.
• World Economic Forum Founded: January 1971.

Daily updates 05 March 2021

05 March 2021
-------------------------------
5th March 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 5th March 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

National News

1. UNGA adopts India-led resolution declaring 2023 as Int'l Year of Millets

• The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution sponsored by India and supported by over 70 nations declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The International Year of Millets is aimed at raising awareness about the health benefits of the grain and its suitability for cultivation under changing climatic conditions.
• India's Permanent Mission to the UN also distributed savoury millet snack murukku to all UN Member States.
• The 193-member General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution, declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
• The resolution titled International Year of Millets 2023′ was initiated by India with Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Russia and Senegal and was co-sponsored by over 70 nations.
• The resolution considers the urgent need to raise awareness of the climate-resilient and nutritional benefits of millets and to advocate for diversified, balanced and healthy diets through the increased sustainable production and consumption of millets.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• UN General Assembly President: Volkan Bozkır.
• UN General Assembly Headquarters: New York, United States.
• UN General Assembly Founded: 1945, New York, United States.

International News

2. Australia building world’s first platypus sanctuary

• Australian conservationists have unveiled plans to build the world’s first refuge for the platypus, to promote breeding and rehabilitation as the duck-billed mammal faces extinction due to climate change.
• The Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the New South Wales State government said they would build the specialist facility, mostly ponds and burrows for the semi-aquatic creatures, at a zoo 391 km from Sydney, by 2022.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Australia Capital: Canberra.
• Australia Currency: Australian dollar.
• Australia PM: Scott Morrison.

Appointments News

3. Mary Kom appointed chairperson of AIBA’s champions and veterans committee

• Six-time world champion boxer Mary Kom has been appointed as the Chairperson of the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) Champions and Veterans Committee. The 37-year-old was voted to the post by AIBA’s board of directors on March 03, 2021.
• The Committee was formed in December 2020. It consists of the most respected worldwide boxing veterans and champions who have achieved significant results and who are ready to share their experience.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• AIBA Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.
• AIBA President: Umar Kremlyov.
• AIBA Founded: 1946.

Agreements News

4. India inks pact with the Philippines for sale of ‘defence equipment

• India has signed a key pact with the Philippines called “implementing arrangement” for “procurement of defence material and equipment”, as per which the country will buy the BrahMos cruise missiles from India.
• Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who was also present at the pact's signing ceremony in Manila.
• The BrahMos missile is produced by an India-Russian joint venture “BrahMos Aerospace” and it can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or from land platforms.
• It is the fastest supersonic cruise missile in the world.
• Currently, the missile is used only by India, however, several countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, South Africa, Egypt, Oman, Chile and Brunei have expressed interest in the procurement of the missile.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Philippines President: Rodrigo Duterte.
• Philippines Capital: Manila.
• Philippines Currency: Philippine peso.

Ranks and Reports News

5. Ease of Living Index 2020 released

• Bengaluru emerged as the top city on the government's Ease of Living Index 2020 that was released by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Pune was second and Ahmedabad was ranked third among 111 cities.
• A total of 111 cities under the Smart Cities Program, participated in the assessment exercise that was conducted in 2020.

Million+ category

• Bengaluru emerged as the top performer in this category.
• This was followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Coimbatore, Vadodara, Indore, and Greater Mumbai respectively.

Less than Million category

• In this group, Shimla was ranked the highest in ease of living.
• This was followed by Bhubaneshwar, Silvassa, Kakinada, Salem, Vellore, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Davangere, and Tiruchirappalli.

6. 11th QS World University Rankings 2021 released

• The 11th edition of the QS World University Rankings was released on March 04, 2021. The QS World University Rankings 2021 ranks the top 1,000 universities from around the world, covering 80 different locations. There are 47 new entrants on the list.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the United States has retained its top position as the best university for the ninth year in a row.
• Stanford University, the United States and the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom are the second and third best University globally in QS World University Rankings 2021.
• The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay has emerged as the best institution. It is placed at 172 positions. No institute in India is in the top 100.

7. Indore and NDMC tops Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2020

• The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has released the final rankings of the Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2020. The ranking has classified municipalities into two categories based on their population which are: million-plus category and the less than million categories.
• The Municipal Performance Index will help Municipalities in better planning and management, filling the gaps in city administration, and improving the liveability of cities for its citizens.

Million plus population category

• Indore has topped this list, followed by Surat and Bhopal.

Less than a million category

• New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) emerged as the leader, followed by Tirupati and Gandhinagar.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.

Science and Technology News

8. SpaceX successfully tests Starship SN10 prototype rocket

• Elon Musk owned private rocket company, SpaceX successfully tested its Starship prototype rocket “SN10 “ after two recent failed attempts. SpaceX launched the rocket prototype, to an altitude of 10,000 kilometres and then landed back on the ground. However, the rocket exploded about six minutes after landing.
• The SN10 is an early prototype of the Starship Mars rocket of SpaceX which aims to get people and payloads to the moon, Mars and other distant destinations.
• This rocket is also a part of the company’s strategy to phase out its other flight hardware including, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and Dragon cargo and crew capsules, and let Starship shoulder the entire load.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• SpaceX founder & CEO: Elon Musk.
• SpaceX president & COO: Gwynne Shotwell.
• SpaceX Founded: 2002.
• SpaceX Headquarters: California, United States of America.

Awards News

9. WAN-IFRA names The Hindu Group ‘Champion Publisher of the Year 2020’

• The Hindu Group won two golds and two silvers at South Asian Digital Media Awards given by WAN IFRA (World Association of News Publishers), culminating in being named ‘Champion Publisher of the Year’, owing to the highest tally on the points table.
• The awards are presented in recognition of outstanding work done by news publishers, in digital media. The winners were honoured virtually at the Digital Media India 2021 Conference held on March 3, 2021.

Sports News

10. Kieron Pollard becomes 3rd Man to Hit 6 Sixes in an over

• Kieron Pollard hit six sixes in an over to guide West Indies to a comprehensive four-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the first game of their three-match T20 series.
• Pollard joins former India batsman Yuvraj Singh as the only other player to hit six sixes in an over in T20 cricket, and just the third man to hit six sixes in an international match, emulating Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa) and Yuvraj Singh (India).
• Pollard achieved the feat when he hit Sri Lanka's Akila Dananjaya out of the park 6 times in the 6th over of West Indies' successful chase in the first T20I at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
• Sri Lanka leg-spinner Akila Dananjaya (3-62) was the unfortunate bowler, pummelled in all directions by Pollard, and this coming after he had taken a hat-trick in his previous over.

11. J&K tops medals tally at Khelo India Winter National Games

• Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir topped the medals tally in the second edition of the Khelo India Winter National Games.  J&K won 11 gold, 18 silver and 5 bronze medals.
• The five-day mega sports event which began on the 26th of February concluded in the famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. The event was e-inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The second edition of the Khelo India winter games is a major step towards making Jammu and Kashmir a hub of the winter games.
• In the event, more than 1,000 athletes from 27 states and union territories took part.
• The event was organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council and the Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir: Manoj Sinha.

Miscellaneous News

12. India to commemorate ‘Chabahar Day’ on 4 March

• The Ministry of External Affairs India will commemorate ‘Chabahar Day’ on March 4 on the sidelines of the Maritime India Summit 2021 being held in New Delhi.
• The virtual event will see the participation of ministers from Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan.
• The Summit is being held from March 2-4, 2021. The ministerial-level opening session would be followed by two webinar sessions namely the ‘Boosting Business through Trade Promotion and Regional Connectivity’ and ‘Development of Port Infrastructure: Unleashing Opportunities’.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.