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 20 | Daily Current Affairs 2021

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. UN Chinese Language Day is observed on which date?
A) April 21
B) April 22
C) April 23
D) April 24
E) April 20
Answer: E) April 20

• The UN Chinese Language Day is observed annually on April 20.
• This event is celebrated every year by the UNESCO.
• It was first observed in 2010 by the organisation to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) through the organisation.
• The first UN Chinese Language Day was held on November 12, 2010.
• In 2011, the date was moved to April 20.

SPORTS

2. The fourth edition of ‘Khelo India Youth Games-2021’ will be organized in which state?
A) Assam
B) Mizoram
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) Haryana
Answer: E) Haryana

• The fourth edition of ‘Khelo India Youth Games-2021’ will be organized in Panchkula, Ambala, Shahabad, Delhi and Chandigarh from November 21 to December 5, 2021, in which various sports activities under-18 category would be organized.
• Besides this, some BRICS Games 2021 would also be organized during Khelo India.
  BRICS countries include like Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

India to host first-ever WBC India C’ship on May 1:

• In a historic and game changing move for professional boxing in the country, the World Boxing Council (WBC) has endorsed the Indian Championship fight between Chandni Mehra and Suman Kumari on May 1 in Jalandhar.
• The fight for the Lightweight 140lb belt is scheduled to take place as part of the LZ Promotions India Unleashed-Fight Night — the country’s first ever Professional USA boxing event.

Haryana – Host Khelo India Youth Games.

OBITUARY

3. Walter F Mondale passed away. He was served as Vice President of which country?
A) Myanmar
B) India
C) Russia
D) UK
E) USA
Answer: E) USA

• Former US vice president Walter F Mondale died at his home in Minneapolis
• Mondale ran as the Democratic candidate for president in 1984, losing to President Ronald Reagan.
• President Biden recalled that Mondale was the first presidential nominee of either party to select a woman (Geraldine Ferraro) as his running mate.

Walter F Mondale – Former US Vice President.

4. Kosuri Amarnath passed away. He was related to which field?
A) Businessman
B) Economist
C) Columnist
D) Actor
E) Journalist
Answer: E) Journalist

• Senior Journalist and former Press Council of India (PCI) Member Kosuri Amarnath died while undergoing treatment for COVID-19.
• An untiring comrade known for his ‘never accept defeat’ attitude, the Senior Journalist made his mark in the Press Council of India (PCI).
• He was member of PCI for two terms representing Indian Journalists Union (IJU).

K Amarnath – Senior Journalist and former Press Council of India (PCI) Member.

5. Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Maidavolu Narasimham passed away. He served as ___ Governor of RBI?
A) 17th
B) 16th
C) 15th
D) 13th
E) 14th
Answer: D) 13th

• Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Maidavolu Narasimham, famously known as the father of Indian banking reforms, passed away at the age of 94.
• Narasimham was the 13th governor of RBI and he served as the central bank head from May 2, 1977 to November 30, 1977.
• After his short term as RBI governor, he served as India’s executive director at the World Bank and later at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• Narasimham also headed various committees including the one on Financial System, 1991 and the Committee of Banking Sector Reforms, 1998.
• Narasimham was awarded Padma Vibhushan award in the year 2000.

Maidavolu Narasimham – Former Reserve Bank governor.

RANKING

6. What is the rank of India in the list of World Press Freedom Index 2021?
A) 141
B) 142
C) 143
D) 144
E) 145
Answer: B) 142

Rank	Country
1	Norway
2	Finland
3	Denmark
142	India
180	Eritrea

 

• While India has not slipped further on the World Press Freedom Index 2021 published by the international journalism not-for profit body, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), however, it continues to be counted among the countries classified “bad” for journalism and is termed as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists trying to do their jobs properly.
• The latest index released on Tuesday ranks 180 countries, topped, yet again, by Norway followed by Finland and Denmark, while Eritrea is at the bottom.
• China is ranked 177, and is only above North Korea at 179 and Turkmenistan at 178.
• India is ranked 142, same as last year, after it had consistently slid down from 133 in 2016.
• In the South Asian neighborhood, Nepal is at 106, Sri Lanka at 127, Myanmar (before the coup) at 140, Pakistan at 145 and Bangladesh at 152.

BANKING AND FINANCE

7. ADB approves how much amount grant to help Afghanistan rollout COVID-19 vaccine program?
A) $30 million
B) $20 million
C) $40 million
D) $10 million
E) $50 million
Answer: E) $50 million

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $50 million grant to help the Government of Afghanistan procure and deploy safe, high-quality COVID-19 vaccines, and strengthen the country’s capacity to implement its vaccine program.
• The project will support the National Plan for COVID-19 Vaccination in Afghanistan by procuring and transporting 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for priority segments of the population, as determined by the government.
• The project is financed by ADB’s $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility launched in December 2020 to offer rapid and equitable vaccine-related support to ADB developing member countries.

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

Afghanistan:
Capital: Kabul
Currency: Afghan Afghani

ADB – Approve $50m grant to help Afghanistan rollout COVID-19 vaccine program.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

8. Which company has become the largest beneficiary bank on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform?
A) ICICI Bank
B) Paytm Payments Bank
C) State Bank of India
D) Axis Bank
E) Yes Bank
Answer: B) Paytm Payments Bank

• Paytm Payments Bank said it has become the largest beneficiary bank on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform, with 469.84 million transactions in March, an increase of almost 21 per cent month-on-month.
• The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) is behind Paytm Payments Bank with 413.33 million transactions in March, followed by Yes Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and HDFC Bank.
• Beneficiary banks are those in which the account holder is receiving money.
• When it comes to remitter banks, Paytm Payments Bank is fifth on the list, with 173.09 million transactions in March. SBI is leading the list with 775.55 million transactions, followed by HDFC Bank with 244.63 million transactions.
• Axis Bank and ICICI Bank are third and fourth on the list of remitter banks with the highest transactions.
• Among remitter banks, SBI has a decline rate of 0.9 per cent, while top private sectors banks such as HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and ICICI Bank have 0.13 per cent, 0.60 per cent, and 1.01 per cent decline rates, respectively.
• Last week, Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL) had said it registered over 970 million digital transactions in March 2021, led by growth in transactions on Paytm Wallet, Paytm FASTag, Paytm UPI, and internet banking over the past several quarters.
• It is also averaging one million savings and current accounts a month, and with over 64 million accounts, the bank’s total deposits have crossed over Rs 3,200 crore.

Paytm Payments Bank – The largest beneficiary on UPI platform.

APPOINTMENTS

9. Jacqueline Fernandez is appointed as brand ambassador of Formal wear brand Van Heusen. Jacqueline Fernandez is related to which field?
A) Businessman
B) Economist
C) Columnist
D) Actor
E) Journalist
Answer: D) Actor

• Puma ropes in Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal as brand ambassadors
  Global sportswear brand Puma has signed long-term endorsement deals with cricketers Washington Sundar and Devdutt Padikkal.
• The duo will be joining the company’s roaster of brand ambassadors that include Indian captain Virat Kohli; wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul; women’s national cricketer, Sushma Verma and veteran cricketer Yuvraj Singh.

Name	Organisation
Virat Kholi	Educational technology company Great Learning
Suresh Raina	Online poker platform 9stacks

 

Jacqueline Fernandez – Brand ambassador of Formal wear brand Van Heusen.

AWARDS

10. Priyanka Mohite becomes first Indian woman to scale Mt Annapurna, world’s 10th highest peak. She is related to which state?
A) Jharkhand
B) Maharashtra
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) Haryana
Answer: B) Maharashtra

• Priyanka Mohite from Satara in western Maharashtra has scaled Mt Annapurna (8091 metres), the 10th highest mountain peak in the world, becoming the first Indian woman climber to achieve the feat.
• Priyanka has also climbed the world’s highest peak Mount Everest (8,849 metres) in 2013, Mount Lhotse (8,516 metres) in 2018, Mount Makalu (8,485 metres) and also Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres) in 2016.
• In 2015 Priyanka scaled Mt Menthosa which at 6,443 metres is the second-highest peak in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
• The Bengaluru-based climber is also the recipient of the Maharashtra Government’s Shiv Chhatrapati state award for adventure sports for 2017-2018.

Maharashtra’s Priyanka Mohite – First Indian woman to scale Mt Annapurna, world’s 10th highest peak.

11. Who won International Ranger Award 2021?
A) S Sathish
B) S Selvam
C) S Sarath
D) S Sudhar
E) S Siva
Answer: A) S Sathish

• Ramanathapuram Forest Range Officer S Sathish on winning the International Ranger Award 2021 issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Switzerland, World Commission on Protected Areas, International Ranger Federation and Global Wildlife Conservation and Conservation Allies, for his work in marine conservation at the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and Palk Bay region.

S Sathish – The International Ranger Award 2021.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

12. Russia will launch own space station in which year?
A) 2024
B) 2023
C) 2025
D) 2026
E) 2027
Answer: C) 2025

• Russia’s space agency said it hoped to launch its own orbital station in 2025 as Moscow considers withdrawing from the International Space Station programme to go it alone.
• Launched in 1998 and involving Russia, the United States, Canada, Japan, and the European Space Agency, the ISS is one of the most ambitious international collaborations in human history.

Amazon gets ULA’s satellite launch vehicles for Project Kuiper:

• Amazon.com Inc said it had secured nine satellite launch vehicles from United Launch Alliance (ULA) to support the initial deployment of its broadband internet initiative, Project Kuiper.
• Atlas V launch vehicles from ULA, a joint rocket venture between Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp, is the first of many vehicles which will be used to deploy Amazon’s satellite constellation to orbit.
• Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a planned network of over 3,000 satellites that will provide high-speed internet from space, faces stiff competition from the Starlink network by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
• Last year, Amazon said it will invest more than $10 billion to build a network of 3,236 satellites that will provide high-speed broadband internet services to people around the world who lack such access.

Russia:
Capital: Moscow
Currency: Russian Ruble

Russia – Launch own space station in 2025.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

13. Webinar cum expo organised between Defence Ministries of India & which country?
A) Malaysia
B) Maldives
C) Vietnam
D) USA
E) Vietnam
Answer: E) Vietnam

• A webinar cum expo was organised between Ministry of Defence, India and Ministry of National Defence, Vietnam on April 20, 2021.
• The theme of the webinar was ‘India – Vietnam Defence Cooperation’. Various Indian companies such as Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Forge, Economic Explosives Limited, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Goa Shipyards Limited, HBL Power Systems, Larsen & Toubro Limited, Mahindra Defence, MKU, SMPP, Tata Advanced Systems made company and product presentations.
• Thirty-seven companies setup virtual exhibition stalls in the expo.
• The webinar was organised under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through FICCI.
• It is part of the series of webinars which are being organised with friendly foreign countries in order to boost defence exports and achieve defence export target of $5 billion by 2025.

Vietnam:
Capital: Hanoi
Currency: Vietnamese dong
Prime Minister: Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Webinar cum expo – Organise between Defence Ministries of India & Vietnam.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

14. The Cabinet Union approved the Bangalore Metro Rail Project phase 2A and phase 2B. The total length of the project is ____?
A) 53.19 km
B) 54.19 km
C) 55.19 km
D) 56.19 km
E) 58.19 km
Answer: E) 58.19 km

Union Cabinet clears Silk Board-Airport metro line, to complete in 54 months:

• The Union Cabinet cleared Bangalore Metro Rail’s ambitious Silk Board to international airport line project, which is estimated to cost about Rs 14,788 crore.
• The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) is implementing the project in two phases.
• While phase 2A covers Central Silk Board Junction to K.R. Puram, the phase 2B runs from K.R. Puram to Airport via Hebbal Junction.
• The two phases cover a length of 58.19 km.
• Thirteen stations over a length of 19.75 km come under phase 2A, while 17 stations over a stench of 38.44 km fall under phase 2B

Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval for amendments to Finance Bill, 2021:

• The Union Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to the official amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021, which were aimed at clarifying and rationalizing tax proposals for 2021-22.
• The amendments were essential to clarify and rationalize the proposals further and address stakeholders’ concerns arising out of the proposals enumerated in the Finance Bill.
• The Finance Bill became the Finance Act, 2021 on March 28, 2021 after receiving the President’s nod.
• The amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021 were primarily aimed at generating timely revenue for the exchequer and addressing the issues flagged by taxpayers and other stakeholders.

Govt approves subsidy policy for urea produced through coal gasification:

• The Union Cabinet approved an exclusive subsidy policy for urea produced through coal gasification by Talcher Fertilizers Limited.
• It would assist in reducing urea imports to the tune of 12.7 lakh tonne per annum leading to savings in foreign exchange, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
• The estimated cost of this first of its kind project in India is about Rs 13,277 crore, he added.
• Urea is a widely used fertiliser in India.

Cabinet nod to India-Bangladesh trade remedies MoU, pact to mutually recognise CA qualification between India, ANZ:

• The Cabinet also gave its nod to a Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bangladesh- signed – to setup a framework of cooperation in the area of trade remedial measures and discourage unfair trade practices

Cabinet approves fresh MoU between ICAI and CA ANZ:

• The Cabinet approved a fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, (CA ANZ).
• It intends to develop mutually beneficial relationships in the best interest of members, students and their organizations and is expected to provide an opportunity to the ICAI members to expand their professional horizons and to foster working relations between the two accounting institutes.
• The two accountancy institutes will have an opportunity to play the leadership role in addressing new challenges facing the profession in a globalized environment.
• The engagement between the two Institutes is expected to result in greater employment opportunities for Indian Chartered Accountants and also greater remittances back to India.
• The MoU provides for mutual recognition of qualification of members of other bodies, who have achieved membership by completing the Examination, professional program and practical experience membership requirements of the two parties.
• The Cabinet also approved the Mutual Recognition Agreement, MRA between the ICAI and Certified Practising Accountant CPA Australia.
• Under the MRA, both institutes will work together to establish a mutual co-operation framework for the advancement of accounting knowledge, professional and intellectual development, advancement of the interests of their members and contribute positively to the development of the accounting profession in Australia and India.
• The engagement between the two Institutes is expected to result in greater employment opportunities for Indian Chartered Accountants and also greater remittances back to India.

Cabinet approves MoU between CCI and CADE:

• Cabinet approved the MoU between Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Administrative Council for Economic Defense of Brazil, (CADE).
• Section 18 of the Competition Act, 2002 permits CCI to enter into any Memorandum or arrangement with any agency of any foreign country for the purpose of discharging its duties or performing its functions under the Act.
• CCI has entered into the MoUs with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice of USA, Director General Competition of European Union, Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Competition Bureau of Canada and BRICS Competition Authorities.

Union Cabinet – Bangalore Metro Rail Project phases 2A, 2B.

15. Govt to provide how much amount to vaccine manufacturers to ramp up capacity?
A) Rs 3,500 cr
B) Rs 2,500 cr
C) Rs 1,500 cr
D) Rs 5,500 cr
E) Rs 4,500 cr
Answer: E) Rs 4,500 cr

• Looking to ramp up supplies ahead of the opening of Covid-19 vaccination to all citizens over 18 years of age, the government has approved a payment of about Rs 4,500 crore as advance to vaccine makers like Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech against future supplies
• SII will supply 200 million doses and Bharat Biotech is to supply another 90 million doses to the government by July at a pre-agreed rate of Rs 150 per dose.
• SII will get Rs 3,000 crore in advance and Bharat Biotech about Rs 1,500 crore.
• Earlier this month, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla had said that the company would require around Rs 3,000 crore to ramp up production capacity for making vaccines for COVID-19.

Govt – Provide Rs 4,500 cr to vaccine manufacturers to ramp up capacity.

16. Which state announces “Health Safety Week” beginning from April 22 to 29 to break chain of growing COVID-19 infection rate?
A) Jharkhand
B) Mizoram
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) Haryana
Answer: A) Jharkhand

• In Jharkhand, the State Government has announced to follow a “Health Safety Week” beginning from April 22 to 29, to break the chain of growing COVID-19 infection rate in the State.
• People have been advised to stay home and do not move without unnecessary work.
  Essential services and medical services continue to function and all identified offices of private sector, central and state government offices shall remain open.

Jharkhand:
Capital: Ranchi
CM: Hemant Soren
Governor: Draupadi Murmu

Jharkhand – “Health Safety Week” beginning from April 22 to 29 to break chain of growing COVID-19 infection rate.

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