DoFPD notifies Modified Scheme to Enhance 1G Ethanol Production in India

• Department of Food & Public Distribution (DoFPD) has notified a modified scheme to extend financial assistance for producers of "1st Generation" (16) Ethanol from feed stocks such as Cereals (rice, wheat, barley, corn & sorghum), Sugarcane & Sugar Beet.

• The Main Objective behind the scheme is to achieve 20% Blending of ethanol with Fossil Fuels by 2025 from 2030 (previous target was to achieve 20% blending by 2030).

• Government will bear Interest Subvention for 5 years which includes a 1-year moratorium against the loan availed by the project proponents from banks at 6% per annum or 50% of the rate of Interest charged by banks for capacity addition/new distilleries of distilleries.

"SAKSHAM 2021' Campaign inaugurated by MOPNG Secretary Tarun Kapoor

• The New Delhi-based Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) launched a month long pan-India campaign SAKSHAM 2021 (Sanrakshan Kshamata Mahotsav) to create awareness about the adverse impact of fossil fuels on health and environment, and to convince the consumers of fossil fuels to switch towards cleaner fuels.

• It was inaugurated by Secretary Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) and Chairman, PCRA Tarun Kapoor at New Delhi.

• The tagline of the campaign is 'Green and Clean Energy

• During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between PCRA and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) for promotion of Energy Efficient PNG (Piped Natural Gas) Stove.

• Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) is organizing agency of the campaign.

About Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG):

• Union Minister- Dharmendra Pradhan
• Headquarter- New Delhi

About Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL):

• It is a Joint Venture (JV) of PSU under the Ministry of Power.
• Chairman- Rajeev Sharma
• Headquarter- New Delhi

• The award for the "Best performance in PAT Cycle-Ii for Refineries" was conferred upon Bharat Oman Refinery Limited (BORL) based in Bina, Madhya Pradesh (MP).

India's First Labour Movement Museum to come up at Alappuzha, Kerala

• India's First Labour Movement Museum which showcases the history of the World Labour Movement is set to be launched in Kerala's houseboat tourism hub, Alappuzha, Kerala. The New Model Cooperative Society Limited building has been converted into the Labour Movement Museum.

• The museum has been constructed with a budget of INR 9.95 crores & 97% of renovations works in the museum have been completed.

INMAS Handed Over MotorBike Ambulance 'Rakshita' to CRPF

• A bike-based casualty transport emergency vehicle (bike ambulance) namely 'Rakshita' was handed over by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) during a ceremony held at CRPF Headquarter in New Delhi. Rakshita is built on a Royal Enfield Classic 350CC.

• It was handed over by Distinguished Scientist (DS) & Director General (DG) - Life Sciences (LS), DRDO, Dr Ajay Kumar Singh to DG CRPF, Dr Anand Prakash Maheshwari.

• The handover followed by flagging off the contingent of 21 bikes on the occasion.

About Defence Research & Development Organisation:

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

TRIFED signs MoU with IFFDC to Promote Livelihood Generation of Tribal People

• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), the commercial wing of Ministry of Tribal Affairs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Indian Farm Forestry Development Co-operative Itd (IFFDC) to promote Livelihood Generation of Tribal People.

• The 2 organisations will organise training programmes for Tribal Artisans to develop their entrepreneurship skill & business development..

• Other areas of association between the 2 entities have also been identified, and IFFDC will promote Primary Farm Forestry Cooperative Societies (PFFCS)/Self Help Groups (SHGs) & Community Based Organizations (CBOs) linked with TRIFED for collection and marketing of Non Timber Forest Products & Minor Forest Produce (NTFP/MFP).

About Indian Farm Forestry Development Co-operative Itd (IFFDC):

• Chairman- Umesh Tripathi . Headquarters - Gurgaon, Haryana

Vishwavir Ahuja Re-Appointed as MD & CEO of RBL Bank

• The Board of Directors of RBL Bank approved the re-appointment of Vishwavir Ahuja as the Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Bank for three years, with effect from June 30, 2021 to June 29, 2024.

• The bank has recommended this re-appointment to the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) for approval.

• He has been the MD& CEO of RBL bank since June 30, 2010.

• Earlier to joining RBL Bank in July 2010, he was the MD & CEO of Bank of America, India from 2001 to 2009

About RBL Bank:

• Headquarters, Mumbai, Maharashtra

• Tagline- Apno Ka Bank
• Founded- 1943

16th National Disaster Response Force Raising Day - 19th January 2021

• The National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) annually celebrates the NDRF Raising Day on 19th January to mark its formation in 2006. The 2021 marks the celebration of 16th NDRF Raising Day.

• The National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) came into existence on 19th January 2006.

• The successive natural calamities between 1990 and 2004 led to the enactment of Disaster Management Act on December 26, 2005, which has statutory provisions for the constitution of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The NDMA is the parent body of the NDRF.

• NDRF has 12 battalions, 3 each from the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 2 each from Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema

• Bal (SSB), in 12 different locations of the country and has more than 13000 personnels.

• The battalions of the NDRF have 18 self-contained specialist search and rescue teams.

About NDRF:

• Director General-SN Pradhan
• Motto- Aapda Seva Sadaiv
• Functions under- Ministry of Home Affairs. .

• Headquarters, New Delhi

NHAI signs MoU with IRTE, IDC to Promote Road Safety & Collaborate in areas of Traffic Management

• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Institute for Road Traffic Education (IRTE) and Institute for Development and Communication, Chandigarh (IDC) for promotion of road safety & collaborate in areas of traffic management under the programme "Capacity building of Road Safety Management through the Safe Systems Approach Programme".

• NHAI will provide full support to IRTE & IDC regarding data, traffic information to improve traffic management across NHs in India.

• The agreement will be effective for a period of 2 years.

• Objective - To create Safe road environment through reduction of traffic violations, injuries and fatalities due to road crashes.

About Institute for Road Traffic Education (IRTE):

• President - Rohit Baluja
• Location of Institute - Faridabad, Haryana

About Institute for Development and Communication, Chandigarh (IDC):

• Director - Pramod Kumar
• Location - Chandigarh

India set to implement New Foreign Trade Policy 2021-26 from April 1, 2021

• Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry has stated that the New Foreign Trade Policy 2021-26' of India will come into effect from April 1, 2021. The main mission of the policy would be to make India a leader in International Trade in the next 5 years.

The policy aims;

• To make India an USD 5 Trillion economy by boosting exports from both services & merchandise sectors.

• It will be achieved by addressing various overseas and domestic constraints related to regulatory, policy, and framework to lower transaction costs & enhance the ease of doing business.

• The previous Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 was extended for a year till 31 March 2021 due to the Pandemic.

• It came into effect on 1 st April 2015

ILO calls for National-level policy for Home-based Workers in New report

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) in its report titled "Working from home from invisibility to decent work' has highlighted the need to adopt Global Labour Standards and improve national-level labour registries for home-based workers Industrial home-based workers, Teleworkers, Digital Platform workers) & organisations.

• Prior to COVID-19 crisis i,e 2019, there were 260 Million home-based workers, which represents 7.9% of Global employment and 56% of them were women

• Post COVID-19, the number of home-based workers is expected to surpass the 2019 figures

• The report highlighted one of the clear dangers of home-based work is the use of children in the production process.

• The 3 main types of home-based workers about which the report mentioned are:

• Industrial home-based workers - workers involved in production of goods like artisanal production, manufacturing of handicrafts, rolling of beedis, making of laces etc.

• Teleworkers - Workers who use information & communication technologies to perform their work.

• Home-based digital platform workers - crowdworkers who perform service-sector tasks.

• It also noted that the propensity of women to work from home - 11.5 per cent - was much higher than that of men (5.6 per cent).

• On an average, homeworkers earn 13% less in the United Kingdom, 22% less in the United States of America, 25% less in South Africa and 50% less in Argentina, India & Mexico.

ADB, EIB join Hands to Protect Oceans by Supporting Blue Economy

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) initiated a Clean and Sustainable Ocean Partnership to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the climate goals as advised in the Paris Agreement. In this regard, both entities will support the initiatives in Asia and the Pacific.

• They will also develop joint technical assistance programs and advisory support to help their partners in achieving SDGs of blue economy.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB):

• Establishment- 1966
• Headquarters- Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines
• President- Masatsugu Asakawa

• Membership-68 countries

About European Investment Bank (EIB)

• Secretary General, Marjut Falkstedt

• Headquarter- Kirchberg, Luxembourg

India to Set up $ 1 Million Financial Facility for Academic Collaboration with Arab

• 3rd Senior Officials Meeting of Arab-India Cooperation Forum was held through video conference. The meeting was co-chaired by Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (CPV&OIA), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and Ambassador Mohamed Abu Al-Kheir, Assistant Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative of Egypt to the League of Arab States.

• India to Set up $ Million Financial Facility for Academic Collaboration with Arab:

• During this meeting India decided to establish a USD 1 million(about Rs 7.32 crores)financial facility for academic collaboration with Arab.

• This establishment will have a vast impact on people to people contacts between Delhi and its extended neighbours.

Padma Awardee Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Legendary Indian Classical Vocalist & Musician, Passed Away

• Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Legendary Indian classical vocalist and musician passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was a renowned vocalist and musician of Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana of Hindustani classical music. He was born on March 3, 1931 in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.

• He made his debut in the music industry with his song, 'Chand Pretticha' in Marathi.

• He along with Namrata Gupta Khan authored his autobiography titled 'A Dream I Lived Alone

• He is a recipient of many awards including, Padma Shri in 1991, Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibushan in 2018 for arts among others.

• He also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003.