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Daily Current Affairs 03rd Jan 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

ICG signs MoU with 7 Asian Countries for Cooperation in Maritime Search and Rescue Operations

  • Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 7 Asian Countries – Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia & Vietnam Ravish:
  • for cooperation in Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR) Operations.
  • ICG is conducting Maritime Exercises & Training Activities regularly with these countries.
  • India is a signatory to the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR). 1979 ratified in May, 2001.
  • ICG-Karnataka is the coordinator of Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR) for the Indian Coast.
  • The SAR has been established in India and is controlled & coordinated by ICG, through 3 Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers at Mumbai, Chennai & Port Blair.
  • SAR communication check exercises are also conducted with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of Japan,Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia & Vietnam.
  • ICG also hosts national Beacon exercises to test the effectiveness of Satellite-based SAR systems.

About Indian Coast Guard (ICG):

  • Director General, Krishnaswamy Natarajan Motto-“Vayam Rakshamah” meaning “We Protect”
  • Headquarter- New Delhi

96th Edition of Tansen Sangeet Samaroh

  • The 5 day Tansen Sangeet Samaroh 2020, 96th edition of the annual music festival organized to pay tribute to the Great Indian Musical Maestro Tansen was held in Behat Village, Gwalior. The festival was organised near the tomb of Tansen.
  • The event was jointly organised by Ustad Alauddin Khan Kala Evam Sangeet Academy and Department of Culture, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
  • Pt Satish Vyas conferred with prestigious Tansen Samman 2020. Tansen award is provided which carries sum Rs. 1,00,000. The award is given for Hindustani Music.
  • Bhopal-based institution Abhinav Kala Parishad was honoured with Raja Mansingh Tomar award 2020. • The 7 programmes of the Tansen Sangeet Samaroh 2020 were held at the tomb of Tansen and the tomb premises of Mohammed Gaus.
  • The final event took place on the banks of Jhilmil River in Behat, the birthplace of Tansen.

RBI Releases Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2019-20

  • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released “Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2019-20” under the broad theme of impact of COVID-19 on banking and non-banking sectors, and the way forward. This report for the year ended June 30, 2020 has been submitted to the Central Government in terms of Section 36(2) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
  • The report presented the performance of the banking sector, including co-operative banks, and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) during 2019-20. The Gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio of banks declined from 9.1% of total assets at end-March 2019 to 8.2% at end March 2020 and further to 7.5% at end-September.
  • Capital to risk-weighted assets (CRAR) ratio of SCBS strengthened from 14.3% at end-March 2019 to 14.7% at end-March 2020 and further to 15.8% at end-September 2020.
  • On frauds in the banking sector, the report said, operational risk has emerged as a major source of risk. Although 98 per cent of frauds in terms of value were related to loans, their occurrence was spread over several previous years.
  • The amount involved in frauds (Rs 1 lakh and more) was Rs 64,681 crore in the first half of the current fiscal, down from 1,13,374 crore in April-September 2019-20 period. The number of cases of fraud too were lower at 3,488 during April-September 2020-21 as compared to 4,410 in the corresponding period of last fiscal.
  • Banks also recovered over Rs 1.72 lakh crore (of over Rs 7.42 lakh crore NPAs) during 2019-20 through channels like Lok Adalats, DRTS, SARFAESI Act and IBC.

6th Digital India Awards 2020

  • President of India, Ram Nath Kovind conferred 6th Digital India Awards(DIA) 2020 through video conferencing in a virtual awards ceremony. 24 digital governance initiatives/ products by Government entities under 7 categories received Digital India Awards 2020. The National Informatics Centre(NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (Meity) organized the awards online. It is a biennial award.
  • New 2 categories have been introduced namely, Innovation in Pandemic category and Exemplary Product category in DIA 2020.

About Digital India Awards:

  • The Digital India Awards (DIA), instituted under the aegis of National Portal of India.
  • The awards are biennial and the previous editions have been held in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.
  • The award is presented to promote innovation in eGovernance and digital transformation of government service delivery mechanism.
  • The Awards were initially known as Web Ratna Awards until 2014 and from the 2016 season, it was re-named as Digital India Awards.

About National Portal of India:

  • It is a mission mode project under the National E-Governance Plan, designed and maintained by NIC

FAO names 4 Asian Tea Cultivation Sites as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems

  • E: The Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has named 4 Asian Tea Cultivation Sites – 2 from China & 1 each from South Korea & Japan as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
  • The Pu’er Tea Agroecosystem in Yunnan is the world’s largest area of tea forest plantations established by village ancestors thousands of years ago. Yunnan Province (China) is considered as the World’s origin place for tea trees.
  • GIAHS is an initiative started by FAO in 2002 for the identification & conservation of traditional agricultural systems all over the world. These sites also represent models of sustainable agriculture production.
  • Some major factors which go into selection of sites of tea production are idea of Sustainability, ancient traditions.
  • India being the 2nd largest tea producing country (China being the 1st) of the world does not find even 1 tea site in the list because the practice of tea cultivation is not ancient in India. Tea plantation & cultivation in India were introduced by the British Colonists during the 19th Century
  • List of Indian sites in GIAHS:

There are 3 recognised GIAHS sites in India:

  • Koraput Traditional Agriculture recognised in 2012 2) Kuttanad Below Sea Level Farming System recognised in 2013
  • Saffron Heritage of Kashmir recognised in 2011

About Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO):

  • Director General – Qu Dongyu
  • Headquarters- Rome, Italy

1 year extension of ISRO Chairman K Sivan As Space Secretary and Space Commission Chairman

  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet(ACC) approved a 1 year extension of Kailasavadivoo(K) Sivan, Secretary of Department of Space, Govt of India and Chairman of space commission from January 14, 2021, i.e. upto January 14, 2022 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  • He is currently the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO).
  • He took charge in January 2018, succeeding, AK Kiran Kumar.

About Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO):

  • Chairman, Kailasavadivoo (K) Sivan
  • Department of Space and ISRO
  • Headquarters, Bengaluru, Karnataka

IDBI Bank to Sell 23% Stake in IFLI to Ageas Insurance International NV

  • IDBI Bank has entered into the final stage of selling the 23% stake in IDBI Federal Life Insurance Company Limited (IFLI) to Ageas Insurance International NV for a consideration of Rs 507 crore.
  • Following this transaction, the joint venture has been rebranded as Ageas Federal Life Insurance Company Ltd.
  • DRDO, Indian Navy successfully Conduct Maiden Trial of 1st Indigenous Air Droppable Container ‘SAHAYAK-NG’
  • Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) & Indian Navy successfully conducted the maiden trial of ‘SAHAYAK-NG’ which is India’s 1st indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container. It was dropped from IL 38SD aircraft of the Indian Navy at Coast of Goa. This is a first-of-its-kind trial involving mission critical systems.
  • 2 DRDO Laboratories Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam,
  • Andhra Pradesh & Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, Uttar
  • Pradesh developed SAHAYAK-NG, Private company Avantel was also involved in the project for GPS (Global Positioning System) Integration.

SAHAYAK-NG will reduce the requirement of ships to come close to the coast for collecting spare & stores.

  • SAHAYAK-NG is an advanced version of SAHAYAK-Mk I and is aided by GPS.
  • It is capable of carrying payloads of upto 50 Kgs and can be dropped from heavy aircraft

Indian Army receives Bridges developed by DRDO and L&T:

  • Indian Army received 3 sets of 10-metre short span bridges developed & manufactured by DRDO in partnership with Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T).
  • The bridges were handed over to Indian Army at L&T’s facility at Talegaon, Maharashtra.
  • It is developed by DRDO’s Pune based facility, the Research and Development Establishment (Engineers), which is part of the Pune-headquartered Armament and Combat Engineering technology cluster.

About Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO):

  • Chairman – Dr G Satheesh Reddy
  • Headquarters – New Delhi

MEA Launches Global Pravasi Rishta Portal & Mobile app to connect with Global Indian Diaspora

  • Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) launched Global Pravasi Rishta Portal & Mobile application to connect with 3.12 Crore Indian Diaspora across the world. Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan launched the portal.
  • The portal web interface will be used by Indian Missions whereas the mobile app will be used by diaspora & Indian nationals.
  • To establish an effective channel of communication between the External Affairs Ministry & Global Indian community to communicate effectively during normal situations & times of emergencies.
  • The portal will be used by MEA for sharing information on Visa, Passport & other activities like consular services, conducting surveys and news about events organised by missions.
  • At present there are around 3.12 crore overseas Indians, out of which 1.78 crore are NRIs (Non Resident Indians) & 1.34 crore are PIOs (Person of Indian Origin).
  • The rishta portal will enable communication with the diaspora on a realtime basis and will have the ability to issue emergency alerts and advisories.

Kerala Governor Released the Book “Sabarimala Vijnaanakosham” Authored by K S Vijayanath

  • Arif Mohammed Khan, Governor of Kerala released the book titled “Sabarimala Vijnaanakosham” authored by KS Vijayanath at Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
  • He also presented the Limca Book of World Records certificate to Swami Maheswarananda who erected a 111 feet Shiv Linga Sthoopa at Maheswaram Sri Siva parvathi Temple in Chenkal, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.