Dear Champions, as you all know that a lot of competitive exams have been notified consequently. Candidates have to prepare themselves according to the level of competition and expectation of  the Recruitment board. Regarding that one of the most important topic is Daily Current Affairs. Current Affairs in the form of contemporary events of national & international play a crucial role in almost every competitive exams like Banking, Insurance, SSC, UPSC, TNPSC, Railway etc.

Current affairs are the most dynamic yet scoring among all sections and need to be prepared from the right source. Here, we cafunsta team, providing  Daily GK Updates, Current Affairs Questions, and Monthly  current affairs pdf.

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April 1 | Daily Current Affairs 2021

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. ‘Utkala Dibasa’ or ‘Utkal Diwas’ is celebrated in which of the following State?
a) Himachal Pradesh
b) Odisha
c) Maharashtra
d) Gujarat
e) Goa
Answer: B) Odisha

• In Odisha, a number of programmes have been organised to mark the 86th statehood day April 1.
• Celebrated as Utkal Diwas, the day commemorates the coming into being of Odisha as a state in 1936.
• The State of Odisha was established on April 1, 1936.
• It was established as a province of British India on April 1, 1936. It was named Orissa.
• The English name was changed to Odisha on November 4, 2011.

India Centre for Migration Foundation Day is observed on
March 27:

• ICM celebrated its Foundation Day on March 27. as part of India@75 celebrations
• The Council for Promotion of Overseas Employment, which has served as a think tank to the Ministry of External Affairs, has been renamed as India Centre for Migration (ICM) with the mandate to cover all global migration-related issues.
• Secretary (CPV & OIA) and ICM Chairman Sanjay Bhattacharyya, members of Governing Council of ICM and key partners and stakeholders participated in a virtual event to mark the occasion.
• At the event, two knowledge products developed by ICM — a report on ‘The Impact of Covid-19 on India”s International Migration’ and ‘Student Handbook for Studying Abroad”.
• ICM has focused on medium and long-term strategies regarding overseas employment of Indian workers, has commissioned and undertaken studies on labour market and has collaborated with various UN and international organisations, academic institutes and research organisations to enhance knowledge on migration issues.

SPORTS

2. Nine cities in Australia and New Zealand to host 2023 FIFA Women’s world cup. The opening match will take place at?
A) Adelaide
B) Auckland
C) Melbourne
D) Sydney
E) Wellington
Answer: B) Auckland

• The 2023 Women’s World Cup will be spread across nine cities in Australia and
  New Zealand.
• The opening match will take place at Eden Park in Auckland, with Sydney’s Stadium Australia hosting the final.
• The two semifinal matches will be split between Australia and New Zealand.
• This World Cup will also be the first to feature 32 teams, up from the 24 that participated in the 2019 women’s tournament in France. The U.S. women’s national team is the defending champion.
• The host cities and stadiums are: Adelaide, Hindmarsh Stadium; Auckland, Tamaki Makaurau-Eden Park; Brisbane, Brisbane Stadium; Dunedin, Otepoti-Dunedin Stadium; Hamilton, Kirikiriroa-Waikato Stadium; Melbourne, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium; Perth, Perth Rectangular Stadium; Sydney, Stadium Australia and Sydney Football Stadium; Wellington, Te Whanganui-a-Tara-Wellington Stadium.

Nine host cities – 2023 Women’s World Cup.

RANKING

3. Which Indian city is topped in the list of The Knight Frank Global Residential Cities Index Q4 2020?
A) Hyderabad
B) Bengaluru
C) Chennai
D) Kolkata
E) Agartala
Answer: A) Hyderabad

• Total Countries: 150 cities

 

Rank	City	Country/Territory	12-Month % Change (Q4 2019-Q4 2020)
1	Ankara	Turkey	30.2%
2	Izmir	Turkey	29.4 %
3	Istanbul	Turkey	27.9 %
4	Auckland	New Zealand	26.4 %
5	St. Petersburg	Russia	25.4 %
6	Seoul	South Korea	22.3 %
7	Moscow	Russia	21.1 %
8	Ottawa Gatineau	Canada	19.7 %
9	Wellington	New Zealand	18.4 %
10	Halifax	Canada	16.3 %
122	Hyderabad	India	0.2 %
129	Bengalaru	India	-0.8 %
143	Ahmedabad	India	-3.1 %
144	Mumbai	India	-3.2 %
146	Delhi	India	-3.9 %
147	Kolkata	India	-4.3 %
148	Pune	India	-5.3 %
150	Chennai	India	-9.0 %

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

4. ADB approves how much amount loan to Indonesia to deliver safe COVID-19 vaccines?
A) $430m
B) $440m
C) $450m
D) $420m
E) $410m
Answer: C) $450m

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $450 million loan to Indonesia to help Bio Farma, a state-owned vaccine supplier, procure and deliver safe and effective vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
• The Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery (RECOVER) project will fund the purchase of at least 65 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for priority groups determined by the Indonesian government.
• The project is supported by ADB’s $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX), which was launched in December 2020 to offer rapid and equitable vaccine-related support to ADB developing members.
• The RECOVER project follows earlier ADB assistance to help Indonesia address the challenges posed by the pandemic.
• This includes a $3 million Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund grant approved in April 2020 to help the Ministry of Health deliver critical medical equipment and supplies; and a $1.5 billion COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure (CARES) Program loan as budget support for urgent public health, social, and economic assistance.
• The CARES Program is co-financed by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, German development cooperation through KfW, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
• ADB has also provided knowledge support for pandemic response options and vaccine deployment strategies.

Asian Development Bank:
Member Countries: 68
Founded Year: 1966
Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
Head: Masatsugu Asakawa

Indonesia:
Capital: Jakarta
Currency: Rupiah

ADB – $450m loan to Indonesia to deliver safe COVID-19 vaccines.

5. The government has announced a cut in small savings rates by how many basis points for the first quarter of the new financial year?
A) 25-100
B) 50-75
C) 40 -110
D) 1-100
E) 50-100
Answer: C) 40 -110

• The government resets the interest rate on small savings instruments every quarter, but this round of rate cuts was significant after three quarters of the rates being left untouched.
• The last round of rate reductions was in the April to June quarter of 2020, when small savings rates had been cut between 0.5% and 1.4%.
• The rates notified for the April to June 2021 quarter were 40 basis points (0.4%) to 110 basis points (1.1%) lower on various instruments.
• The sharpest cut was proposed in the quarterly interest rate paid on one year term deposits, from 5.5% in the January to March quarter to 4.4% in this quarter.
• The rate of return on the Senior Citizen Savings’ Scheme was cut from 7.4% to 6.5%, while the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme’s return was reduced from 7.6% to 6.9%.
• The rate of return on the popular Public Provident Fund (PPF) scheme was reduced from 7.9% to 7.1% last April and further slashed to 6.4% for this quarter, before the minister announced the rollback.
• The interest rate paid on National Savings Certificate and Kisan Vikas Patra were also reduced significantly, from 6.8% to 5.9%, and from 6.9% to 6.2%, respectively.
• Consequently, the Kisan Vikas Patra, which used to mature in 124 months, was to mature in 138 months.

Instruments	Jan 1 to March 31	Apr 1 to Jun 30
Savings Deposit	4.0	3.5
1 Year Time Deposit	5.5	4.4
2 Year Time Deposit	5.5	5.0
3 Year Time Deposit	5.5	5.1
5 Year Time Deposit	6.7	5.8
5 Year Recurring Deposit	5.8	5.3
Senior Citizen Savings Scheme	7.4	6.5
Monthly Income Amount	6.6	5.7
National Savings Certificate	6.8	5.9
Public Provident Scheme	7.1	6.4
Kisan Vikas Patra	6.9*	6.2**
Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme	7.6	6.9

 

Govt – Cut interest rates on small savings schemes effective from April 1.

5. Which Bank , PhonePe tie up for issuance of FASTags?
A) ICICI Bank
B) HDFC Bank
C) IndusInd Bank
D) Punjab National Bank
E) City Union Bank
Answer: A) ICICI Bank

• ICICI Bank and digital payment wallet PhonePe have partnered for issuance of FASTag, which facilitates electronic payment of fee at toll plazas.
• Under the partnership, the issuance of FASTag will take place by using UPI on the PhonePe app.
• This integration allows over 28 crore registered PhonePe users to order and track the ICICI Bank FASTag conveniently on the app, ICICI Bank said in a release.
• FASTag is a brand name owned by Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL), which carries out electronic tolling and other ancillary projects of the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI).
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), IHMCL and NHAI are working together to make state and national highway toll payments completely digital.

ICICI Bank:
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO : SandeepBakshi
Tagline : Hum Hai Na, KhayalApka

PhonePe:
Founded: December 2015
CEO: Sameer Nigam
Headquarters location: Bengaluru

ICICI Bank + PhonePe – Tie up for issuance of FASTags.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

6. Facebook, which company plan new undersea cables to connect Southeast Asia and America?
A) Neo
B) Yahoo
C) Flipkart
D) Amazon
E) Google
Answer: E) Google

• Facebook said it planned two new undersea cables to connect Singapore, Indonesia and North America in a project with Google and regional telecommunication companies to boost internet connection capacity between the regions.
• Named Echo and Bifrost, those will be the first two cables to go through a new diverse route crossing the Java Sea and they will increase overall subsea capacity in the trans-pacific by about 70%.
• “Echo” is being built in partnership with Alphabet’s Google and Indonesian telecommunications’ company XL Axiata and should be completed by 2023.
• Bifrost, which is being done in partnership with Telin, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Telkom, and Singaporean conglomerate Keppel is due to be completed by 2024.

Facebook:
Founded: February 2004
CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
CFO: David Wehne

Google:
CEO: Sundar Pichai
Founded: 4 September 1998

Facebook + Google – New undersea cables to connect Southeast Asia and America.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

7. Cinema Through Rasa: A Tryst with Masterpieces in the Light of Rasa Siddhanta is authored by whom?
A) Sekar Praveer
B) Sudhan Praveer
C) Pravin Praveer
D) Siva Praveer
E) Prachand Praveer
Answer: E) Prachand Praveer

• In the book, translated from the original Hindi version Abhinava Cinema by Geeta Mirji Narayan and published by DK Printworld (P) Ltd.

Cinema Through Rasa: A Tryst with Masterpieces in the Light of Rasa Siddhanta – Authored by Prachand Praveer – Published by DK Printworld (P) Ltd.

APPOINTMENTS

8. Urjit Patel is appointed Additional Director of Britannia. He served as which organisation?
A) SCOPE
B) IBBI
C) SIDBI
D) SEBI
E) RBI
Answer: E) RBI

• The Board of Britannia Industries has appointed former Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel as the company’s Additional Director in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director.
• He has been appointed as the Additional Director with effect from March 31 for a five-year period.
• He was the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) during September 2016-December 2018.

Britannia Industries Limited:
CEO: Varun Berry
Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
Founded: 1892

Urjit Patel – Additional Director of Britannia.

AWARDS

9. Who will be bestowed with the Dada Saheb Phalke award?
A) Amitabh Bachchan
B) Shah Rukh Khan
C) Ranveer Singh
D) Ajay Devgn
E) Rajinikanth
Answer: E) Rajinikanth

• Superstar Rajinikanth will be bestowed with the Dada Saheb Phalke award, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced.
• India every year gives Dada Saheb Phalke award to a film personality.
• This year this selection has been made by a jury comprising Asha Bhonsle, Mohanlal, Biswajit Chatterjee, Shankar Mahadevan and Subhash Ghai.
• The award is for the year 2019.

Rajinikanth – Dada Saheb Phalke award.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

10. Which Institution rolled out a two-seater trainer aircraft HANSA-NG?
A) CSIR-CHSL
B) CSIR-NCL
C) CSIR-NAL
D) CSIR-CRRI
E) CSIR-CMERI
Answer: C) CSIR-NAL

• CSIR’s Bengaluru based research lab National Aerospace Laboratories rolled out a two-seater trainer aircraft HANSA-NG that is developed by it.
• HANSA-New Generation swadeshi trainer aircraft is retro-modified with a glass cockpit, bubble canopy design, IFR compliant avionics with smart multi-functional displays, efficient digitally controlled Rotax 912 ISC engine that gives the aircraft superior performance, range and endurance.
• A MOU was signed between NAL and Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy to purchase five HANSA NG aircraft on this occasion.
• The Director of NAL Jitendra J Jadhav informed that they have received Letter of Intent from various flying schools across the country to purchase 30 HANSA- NG trainer aircraft.

CSIR-NAL – Two-seater trainer aircraft HANSA-NG.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

11. Which edition of Indo-US joint special forces exercise ‘Vajra Prahar 2021 in located at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh?
A) 12th
B) 13th
C) 14th
D) 15th
E) 11th
Answer: E) 11th

• Special forces of India carried out a joint military exercise with US Special forces at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh this month to enhance interoperability between the two side.
• The joint exercise between the special forces of both the countries is held to share the best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.
• The 11th edition of Indo-US joint special forces exercise ‘Vajra Prahar 2021’ was conducted at Special Forces Training School located at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh in March.
• In February, the Indian and US Armies carried out ‘Exercise Yudh Abhyas’ at Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, to focus on counter terrorism operations under the mandate of the United Nations.

United States of America:
Capital: Washington D.C
Currency: US Dollar
President: Joe Biden

‘Vajra Prahar 2021’ – India, US carry out military exercise in Himachal Pradesh.

12. India, Japan signs how many pacts to support healthcare projects under GGP scheme?
A) 6
B) 5
C) 4
D) 3
E) 2
Answer: C)4

• India and Japan signed four agreements under which Tokyo is to support health care projects funded under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP) scheme in India.
• Since 1989, the scheme has been supporting relatively small-scale projects implemented by non-profit organizations through Japanese diplomatic missions in developing countries.

Japan:
Capital: Tokyo
Currency: Japanese Yen
Prime Minister: Yoshihide Suga

India + Japan – 4 pacts to support healthcare projects under GGP scheme.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

13. Which state has inaugurated the state’s first formal indigenous language and knowledge system school in East Kameng district?
A) Tamil Nadu
B) Mizoram
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Andhra Pradesh
E) Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: E) Arunachal Pradesh

• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has inaugurated the state’s first formal indigenous language and knowledge system school in East Kameng district.
• The first-of-its-kind school called ‘Nyubu Nyvgam Yerko’ was inaugurated at Rang village near Seppa
• The school will help in promoting and preserving indigenous traditions, culture and language.

Arunachal Pradesh:
Capital: Itanagar
CM: Pema Khandu
Governor: B.D. Mishra

Arunachal Pradesh – First formal indigenous knowledge system school.

14. The government extended the deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar by how many months?
A) 5
B) 4
C) 3
D) 2
E) 1
Answer: C) 3

• The government extended the deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar by three months till June 30.

Govt – Extend deadline for PAN-Aadhaar linkage till June 30.

15. The Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE) has developed Light Weight Bullet Proof Jacket (BPJ). What is the headquarters of DMSRDE?
A) Hyderabad
B) Bangalore
C) Chennai
D) Mandi
E) Kanpur
Answer: E) Kanpur

• The Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur has developed Light Weight Bullet Proof Jacket (BPJ) weighing nine kg, meeting the qualitative requirements of Indian Army.
• The Front Hard Armour Panel (FHAP) jacket was tested at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh and met relevant BIS standards.
• This technology reduces the weight of the medium sized BPJ from 10.4 kg to nine kg.

DRDO:
Abbreviation: Defence Research and Development Organisation
Founded: 1958
Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
Chairman: G. Satheesh Reddy

DRDO – Lightweight bullet-proof jacket.

16. The Kumbh Mela began in which state?
A) Rajasthan
B) Mizoram
C) Uttarakhand
D) Andhra Pradesh
E) Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: C) Uttarakhand

• The Kumbh Mela formally began in Haridwar with several restrictions imposed on devotees coming to attend the event amid rising cases of Covid-19 in various states including Uttarakhand.
• It is for the first time in the history of the grand religious congregation held on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar once in 12 years that its duration has been curtailed to just one month due to the pandemic.
• In normal circumstances, Kumbh is held for nearly four months.
• Its last edition was held in Haridwar from January 14 to April 28 in 2010
• Between April 1 and 30, there will be three major bathing dates (shahi snan or royal baths) on April 12, 14 and 27.

Uttarakhand:
Capital: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain(Summer)
CM: Tirath Singh Rawat
Governor: Baby Rani Maurya

Haridwar – Kumbh Mela.

17. Which Minister launched a new cruise service connecting Hazira port in Surat and Diu Island?
A) Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
B) Health Minister
C) Women & Child Development Minister
D) Home Minister
E) Finance Minister
Answer: A) Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

• Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (Independent charge) Mansukh Mandaviya launched a new cruise service connecting Hazira port in Surat and Diu Island.
• He flagged off this service virtually via video conference.
• A 300-passenger capacity cruise ship will have 16 cabins.
• It will make two round trips during the week.
• It will take passengers to high-sea.

Ports, Shipping and Waterways:
Minister: Mansukh L. Mandaviya
Constituency: Rajaya sabha MP, Gujarat

Mansukh Mandaviya – New cruise service connecting Hazira port in Surat and Diu Island.

18. Which state CM launches free travel facility for women in govt buses?
A) Maharashtra
B) Mizoram
C) Uttarakhand
D) Punjab
E) Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: D) Punjab

• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh virtually launched free travel facility for women in government buses running within the state.
• CM said, the free travel scheme, will benefit over 1.31 crore females across the state, irrespective of their financial status.
• The free travel facility will be given in all intra state non-AC buses, intra-state, just by showing Aadhar or Voter card or some other valid identity card.

Punjab CM – Free travel facility for women in govt buses.

19. Government infuses how much amount into four PSBs?
A) Rs 12,500 crore
B) Rs 13,500 crore
C) Rs 14,500 crore
D) Rs 15,500 crore
E) Rs 16,500 crore
Answer: C) Rs 14,500 crore

• The government has infused ₹14,500 crore, mainly into banks that are under the RBI’s prompt corrective action framework to improve their financial health.
• Indian Overseas Bank Central Bank of India and UCO Bank are currently under this framework that puts several restrictions on them, including on lending management compensation and directors’ fees.
• Of the total infusion, ₹11,500 crore has gone to these three banks while the remaining ₹3,000 crore has been infused into Bank of India.

Government – Infuse Rs 14,500 crore into four PSBs.

20. Central and state governments collected how much amount in goods and services tax (GST) revenue in March?
A) Rs1.14 trillion
B) Rs1.34 trillion
C) Rs1.44 trillion
D) Rs1.54 trillion
E) Rs1.24 trillion
Answer: E) Rs1.24 trillion

• Central and state governments collected Rs1.24 trillion in goods and services tax (GST) revenue in March, a record since the new indirect tax was rolled out in 2017
  after the settlement of various components, the central government received Rs58,852 crore and states Rs60,559 crore.
• The central government has also released a compensation of Rs30,000 crore to states in March.
• The GST revenue during March 2021 is the highest since introduction of GST.
• In line with the trend of recovery in the GST revenues over past five months, the revenues for March 2021 are 27% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year.
• On a quarterly basis, GST revenue saw contraction of 41% and 8% respectively in the June and September quarters of the just concluded financial year, followed by an 8% and 14% growth respectively in the December and March quarters.

Centre, States – Collect record GST revenue of Rs1.24 trillion in March.

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