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Daily Current Affairs 13th Feb 2021

To prepare for any competitive exam, one of the important sections to read and learn is current affairs. Exams like UPSC, Bank, SSC, RRB or any Government

TIFAC launches SAKSHAM portal and Seaweed Cultivation Mission

  • The Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) have launched a job portal called SAKSHAM to map the skills of workers as required by the MSMEs. It also launched a Seaweed Cultivation Mission.
  • TIFAC highlighted that the Saksham portal will help in eliminating the middlemen and labour contractors.
  • This initiative will facilitate the placement of 10 lakh blue-collar jobs across India.
  • The Seaweed Cultivation is also called as the kelp farming. It is the practice of cultivating and harvesting the seaweed. The process comprises of management of naturally found batches in the simplest form. While in the advanced form, the process comprises of fully controlling the life cycle of the algae.

Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC)

  • It is an autonomous organization. It was set up in the year 1988. It works under the Department of Science & Technology. The organisation works in the technology domain and assess technology trajectories. It strives for the development of technology by leveraging the technology innovation

Exim Bank to provide $400 Million for Maldives project

  • The Reserve Bank of India has announced that the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) will provide USD 400 million to Maldives project. It will provide the fund for the Greater Male Connectivity Project
  • The Greater Male Connectivity project is the Male to Thilafushi Link project in Maldives.
  • The utilisation period of the terminal is 60 months after the completion date of the project

Jalabhishekam' Water Conservation Campaign

  • The Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, inaugurated 57,000 water structures under the "Jalabhishekam Water Conservation Campaign"Mvirtually from New Delhi.
  • These water structures were constructed in Madhya Pradesh.
  • The Defence Minister highlighted that the Jalabhishekam' Campaign is fulfilling the aim of 'water for every farm and work for every hand'. The campaign would be helpful in the betterment of the villages.
  • More than 57000 water structures were constructed during COVID era. The constriction work for the water structure was carried by linking it with the MNREGA scheme.

India's First CNG Tractor to be Launched

  • India launched its first-ever diesel tractor that has been converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
  • The CNG Tractor formally launched by Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways.
  • The conversion of the Diesel tractor into the CNG tractor was carried out jointly by Rawmatt Techno Solutions and Tomasetto Achille India.
  • The CNG tractor will reduce the overall emissions by 70 per cent as compared to the emission by g diesel tractors.
  • CNG tractor would also help farmers to save up to 50 per cent of the fuel cost.

Financial Literacy Week 2021-Highlights

  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched the Financial Literacy Week (FLW) for the year 2021. The literacy week started from February 8 and it concluded on February 12, 2021.
  • This year, the Financial Literacy week will focus on 'Developing the credit discipline and encouraging availing of the credit from the formal financial institutions as it is required'.
  • In the year 2021, this year the bank is organising the week to spread awareness regarding the credit facilities which are provided by the bank. This topic was chosen by the bank because credit score is an important issue of the banking sector.
  • Through this programme, the banks will spread awareness about various types of credit or loan facilities including the home loan, business loan, vehicle loan and Kisan Credit Card etc.
  • The financial literacy week is organised by the central bank since 2016.
  • In the year 2020, the FLW focussed on the 'Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises'.
  • In the year 2020, the event was organised to raise awareness among the people about the formalisation, discounting of receivables,rehabilitation of stressed units, collateral free loan, and timely repayment of the loan. It also organised a month-long centralized mass media campaign. In the year 2019, it focused on Farmers' while in the year 2018 it focussed on 'Consumer Protection'.
  • During the FLW-2021, the Bol will be organising 75 campaigns. It will be organised in 15 districts Jharkhand.

Himachal Pradesh Became the First State to Implement e-Cabinet

  • Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh inaugurated the first e-cabinet at Shimla. The state became the first to implement e-cabinet and make the end-to-end processing of cabinets paperless.
  • The e-cabinet application for the e-cabinet was developed by the Department of Information Technology, Himachal Pradesh. This is the first of its kind electronic platform in India.
  • The entire process of cabinet that is from initiation of the cabinet memo, approval of the memo through the concern secretary, Chief secretary, minister and Chief Minister to place in cabinet were made through online.
  • This application will increase the overall efficiency in conducting cabinet meetings by removing dependencies due to physical movements of the memos.
  • The e-cabinet generates real-time automatic alerts through SMS for various stages during the processing cabinet issues like receipt of cabinet memo, finalization of cabinet meeting, advice received on cabinet memo.

IMD to Establish India's First Thunderstorm Research Testbed at Balasore, Odisha

  • The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to establish India's first thunderstorm research testbeds at Balasore, Odisha. The testbed will be established in collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Science, IMD, Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO).
  • To reduce the human fatalities and loss of properties due to lightning strikes in Odisha and Eastern States.
  • Every year, on average around 350 people are killed on an average lightning strike in Odisha.
  • The research unit will be equipped with augmented observational systems like radar, wind profiler, microwave radiometer.
  • IMD Director-General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has also announced that the first of its kind monsoon testbed is also being planned near Bhopal.

About IMD:

  • Director-General, Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
  • Headquarters - New Delhi, Delhi

45th International Kolkata Book Fair will be held in July: Theme country to be Bangladesh

  • The 45th International Kolkata Book Fair, will be held in July 2021 at the Central Park, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal. The fair will be organised by Publishers & Booksellers Guild. The fair which was scheduled to be held in January 2021 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The focal theme country of the Book fair 2021 will be Bangladesh, since the year 2021 marks the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangladesh's 50 year of Independence.

Prahlad Singh Patel Co-Chairs the Virtual 8th ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers Meeting 2021

  • 8th ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations)-India Tourism Minister Meeting 2021 took place virtually, it was co-chaired by Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, India & Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia.
  • The 8th ASEAN-India Tourism Minister meeting was part of the 24th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers (24th M-ATM) hosted by Cambodia
  • Participants expressed their sympathy for loss of lives & livelihood in ASEAN-India region due to COVID-19.
  • He invited ASEAN member countries to participate in the International Buddhist Conclave (IBC). The Conclave is hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, India to raise awareness on India's Buddhist Heritage & to increase foreign tourist traffic to Buddhist sites.
  • Highlighted the importance of wellness and Medical Tourism and stated that India is emerging as a preferred country for medical treatments due to advanced quality healthcare, affordable costs, less waiting time & easy medical visa process.
  • Prahlad Singh highlighted initiatives taken by Government of india to revive the Tourism sectors
  • SAATHI - System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for Hospitality Industry
  • IITF - Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification Programme, which is an online learning platform for creating a group of well trained and professional Tourist Facilitators across India
  • Organizing webinars under the theme 'Dekho Apna Desh' for showcasing diverse culture, heritage, undiscovered destinations & other aspects of popular tourist spots.

India, Bahrain hold first Joint Working Group Meeting 2021 in the field of Renewable Energy

  • India & Kingdom of Bahrain held the first Joint Working Group Meeting 2021 in the field of Renewable Energy (RE) in a virtual format. The Indian side was led by Mr Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy & Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza, President of Sustainable Energy Authority led the Bahraini side.
  • Both sides emphasized on the importance of renewable energy to meet the climate change goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. India has set a target to cut its emissions intensity by 33-35% by 2030 of 2005 levels.

About Bahrain:

  • Prime Minister (Crown Prince) - Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
  • Capital - Manama
  • Currency - Bahraini Dinar (BHD)

South Korea signs $43 billion deal to create World's Biggest Offshore Wind Farm

  • South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced a $43 billion deal to create World's Biggest offshore wind farm, a major component of South Korea's Green New Deal. With this deal the South Korean government plans to attain Carbon neutrality by 2050.
  • The agreement involves 33 different entities, among them regional governments, the electricity generator KEPCO, and major private firms including Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction and SK E&S.
  • The plant is planned at the south western coastal town of Sinan.
  • Maximum production capacity. 8.2 Gigawatts (GW) which is equivalent to the generation capacity of 7 Nuclear power generators.
  • This will boost the wind power capacity upto 16.5 GW by 2030.

About South Korea:

  • President- Moon Jae-in
  • Capital- Seoul
  • Currency- Won

Sridhar Vembu Appointed to the National Security Advisory Board

  • Sridhar Vembu, founder & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Zoho has been appointed to the National Security Advisory Board(NSAB).
  • National Security Advisor (NSA) heads the NSAB. Currently, Ajit Doval is the NSA.
  • The other new members, who were inducted into the NSAB for the 2 year term are K Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO). Anshuman Tripathy, faculty at Indian Institute of Management(IIM)Bangalore, and Arun K Singh, former ambassador to France and the United States.

About National Security Council (NSC)

  • It was established by the former prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 19 November 1998. It is a three-tiered organisation structure that oversees political, economic, energy and security issues of strategic concern 3 tier - The Strategic Policy Group, the National Security Advisory Board and a secretariat from the Joint Intelligence Committee.
  • NSA presides over the NSC and he/she is the primary advisor to the prime minister.
  • The 1st NSA was Brajesh Mishra

What is NSAB?

  • NSAB consists of a group of top national security experts outside the government
  • The members are generally senior retired officials, civilian and military, academics and distinguished members of civil society
  • Government of Goa signs an MoU with Cll to establish Model Career Centre in Goa
  • State government of Goa signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to establish a Model Career Centre (MCC) at Goa. This MoU is signed with a motive to find suitable employment & livelihood for the youth.
  • Regional Employment Exchange of Goa is revamped as the Model Career Centre with state of the art infrastructure and facilities.
  • This is an online service, through which an employer can select the best available candidate from the wider pool of job seekers.

About Confederation of Indian Industry(CII):

  • President- Uday Kotak
  • Director General, Chandrajit Banerjee
  • Headquarters, New Delhi, India

Oscar Winner Christopher Plummer, Canadian Actor Passed Away

  • Legendary Canadian Actor Christopher Plummer, the star of "The Sound of Music and the oldest person to win the Oscar Award passed away at the age of 91 at his residence in Connecticut, United States of America. He was born on 13th December 1929 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  • Christopher Plumer has starred in more than 100 films and television roles.
  • He made his Broadway debut in "The Starcross Story" and his first feature film was "Stage Struck" a 1958 drama about the New York theater world.
  • He has also acted in William Shakespeare's Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard II, Mark Antony and others.
  • At the 84th Academy Awards, Plummer won the Oscar for his performance in the film "Beginners" (2011).

American Tennis Legend Tony Trabert passed away at 90

  • American tennis champion Marion Anthony Trabert (Tony Trabert) who was a 5- time Grand Slam singles champion passed away at the age of 90 in his residence in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
  • Tony Trabert served a 2-year stint (ended in June 1953) in the US Navy, during the Korean War, after which he won the 1953 US Open, 1954 French open.
  • He won 3 grand slams singles in 1955 US Open and French Open and Wimbledon.
  • He is one of the players to win the three Grand Slam titles in a single year.
  • He has also won 5 Grand Slam titles in doubles.
  • He was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970.