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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February 15 | Daily Current Affairs 2021

SPORTS

1. Ravichandran Ashwin is related to which sports?
A) Basketball
B) Baseball
C) Volleyball
D) Football
E) Cricket
Answer: E) Cricket

• Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin became the first player in the 143-year history of Test cricket to take 200 wickets against left-handed batsmen.
• He achieved the feat during the second day of India’s second Test against England here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
• Ashwin has picked 391 wickets in his career so far and 51.2 percent of his scalps have come against left-handers.
• His bowling average against left-handers is 19.55 and 31.24 against right-handed batsmen.
• The second most successful bowler in Test cricket against left-handed batsmen is Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan.
• He has dismissed left-handers 191 times out of his world-record 800 Test wickets.
• Ashwin also surpassed Harbhajan Singh as the second-highest wicket taker in home Tests for India.
• Harbhajan had taken 265 wickets while Ashwin’s five-wicket haul on the second day of the Test took his tally to 268.

Ravichandran Ashwin – First bowler to dismiss left-handers 200 times in Tests.

2. Naman Ojha announced retirement from all forms of which sports?
A) Basketball
B) Baseball
C) Volleyball
D) Football
E) Cricket
Answer: E) Cricket

• Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing down curtains on a two-decade-long illustrious domestic career.
• The 37-year-old from Madhya Pradesh, who holds the record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the Ranji Trophy, has featured in one Test, one ODI and two T20 Internationals.
• Ojha made his international debut in 2010 in his only ODI against Sri Lanka, followed by his first T20I match in Zimbabwe a week later.
• His lone Test came in 2015 against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
• Although Ojha’s international career never took off, the Ujjain-born player has played 146 first-class games notching up 9,753 runs with 22 hundreds at an average of 41.67 in a career spanning two decades.
• The right-hand batsman has been excellent in the domestic circuit both with the gloves and bat.
• In the 143 List A and 182 T20s games, Ojha amassed 4,278 and 2,972 runs respectively.
• He last appeared in a Ranji Trophy match for MP against Uttar Pradesh in January last year.
• He had captained MP in that Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match in Indore.
• In the Indian Premier League, Ojha played for Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils.

Naman Ojha – Retirement from all forms of cricket.

RANKING

3. Which state becomes Maximum cotton procurement by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) during the current season 2020-21?
A) Nagaland
B) Uttar Pradesh
C) Telangana
D) Punjab
E) Odisha
Answer: C) Telangana

• Telangana, Punjab and Odisha are three top States that have got maximum benefits of cotton procurement by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) during the current season 2020-21 (October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021).
• CCI has procured 55 per cent of the cotton procured in Telangana followed by 45 per cent in Punjab and 44 per cent in Odisha.
• CCI has procured 90.87 lakh bales (24.49 % of the total production) under Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations.
• Gujarat is the highest cotton producer State with the production of 90.5 lakh bales.
• CCI procured 4.05 lakh bales( 4.48%) from Gujarat.
• Maharashtra, the second-highest producer, produced 86 lakh bales of which 17.45 lakh bales (20.29%) were procured.

Telangana:
Capital: Hyderabad
CM: K. Chandrashekar Rao
Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan

Telangana – Cotton procurement by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) during the current season 2020-21.

BANKING AND FINANCE

4. Kotak Mahindra Bank announced the launch of its outward forex remittance service named ________ on mobile that will allow users to send money abroad directly from their mobile phones?
A) Kotak Pay
B) Kotak Wallet
C) Kotak Money
D) Kotak Card
E) Kotak Remit
Answer: E) Kotak Remit

• Kotak Mahindra Bank announced the launch of its outward forex remittance service, Kotak Remit, on mobile that will allow users to send money abroad directly from their mobile phones.
• The outward forex remittance solution is live on the Kotak Mobile Banking App.
• For the first time, Kotak customers can conveniently transfer money internationally to their beneficiaries straight from their mobile.
• Kotak Remit offers remittances in 15 currencies including the US dollar, Australian Dollar, UK Pound Sterling, Hong Kong Dollar, Saudi Riyal, Canadian Dollar, Singapore Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen.
• By entering transfer details and beneficiary details, customers can remit up to USD 25,000 or equivalent per day and up to USD 250,000 or equivalent in a financial year through Kotak Remit.

Kotak Mahindra Bank:
Hq: Mumbai
MD and CEO: Udaykotak
Tagline: Let’s make money simple, Ab Kona KonaKotak

Kotak Mahindra Bank – Launch of Kotak Remit on mobile.

5. Medanta would get how much amount from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in debt financing to provide essential healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic?
A) $15.7 million
B) $14.7 million
C) $13.7 million
D) $11.7 million
E) $12.7 million
Answer: C) $13.7 million

• The Gurugram-based Medanta, or Global Health Private Limited, would get ₹100 crore ($13.7 million) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in debt financing to provide essential healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• An agreement for this was signed between Aniruddha Patil, head of Health and Education Investments at ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department.
• The project will support the purchase of personal protective equipment, basic hygiene products, and patient care equipment such as ventilators and beds.
• It will also support staff training programmes on infection prevention and control.
• This debt financing is part of a $20-billion assistance package that ADB announced in April 2020 to help its developing members manage the pandemic.
• The funding complements ADB’s sovereign support to India, including a $1.5-billion loan approved in April 2020 for Covid-19 disease containment and prevention, and social protection for poor and economically vulnerable communities.

Medanta:
Headquarters : Gurugram, Haryana

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

Medanta – Get ₹100 crore from ADB in debt financing to provide essential healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

6. Essar Group and Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd announced how much amount waste-to-fuel plant in North West of England that will convert non-recyclable household waste into aviation fuel for use by airlines?
A) 200 million pounds
B) 300 million pounds
C) 400 million pounds
D) 500 million pounds
E) 600 million pounds
Answer: E) 600 million pounds

• Essar Group and Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd announced a 600 million pounds waste-to-fuel plant in North West of England that will convert non-recyclable household waste into aviation fuel for use by airlines.
• This innovative bio-refinery will convert several hundred thousand tonnes of pre-processed waste, which would have otherwise been destined for incineration or landfill, into approximately 100 million litres of low carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) annually.
• The project, which will see an investment of approximately 600 million pounds, will use Fulcrum’s proven waste-to-fuel process, which is already being deployed at its pioneering facility outside of Reno, Nevada in the US, where operations are due to begin later this year.
• Earlier this year, it announced its participation in the production of blue hydrogen under the HyNet project.

Essar + Fulcrum BioEnergy – £600m waste-to-fuel plant in England.

APPOINTMENTS

7. The Reserve Bank of India has set up an expert committee on urban co-operative banks (UCBs) to provide a road map for strengthening the sector and also evaluate the prospects for consolidating the sector. Who is headed in this committee?
A) M S Sriram
B) R N Joshi
C) N S Vishwanathan
D) Harsh Kumar Banwala
E) N C Muniyappa
Answer: C) N S Vishwanathan

• The Reserve Bank of India has set up an expert committee on urban co-operative banks (UCBs) to provide a road map for strengthening the sector and also evaluate the prospects for consolidating the sector.
• The committee will be headed by former deputy governor of RBI,
  N S Vishwanathan.
• Other members include Harsh Kumar Banwala, former Chairman Nabard,
  Mukund M Chitale, Chartered Accountant, N C Muniyappa, R N Joshi,
  M S Sriram, Professor IIM Bangalore, Jyotindra M Mehta, and Neeraj Nigam, chief general manager RBI.
• The expert committee has been asked to submit its report within three months.
• Among the terms of reference, it has been asked to look into regulatory measures that the central bank has taken with respect to the UCBs and evaluate the impact it has had over the period of five years.
• Also, they have been asked to suggest measures to strengthen the sector post the amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, which gives more power to the central bank to supervise them.
• The expert committee will also evaluate the need for differential regulations and look at the prospect of allowing more flexibility in permissible activities for UCBs with a view to enhance their resilience.
• More importantly, it will look at prospects of consolidation in the sector.

Reserve Bank of India:
Act: Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao)

RBI – Form expert panel to explore consolidation of urban co-op banks.

AWARDS

8. How many contingents won Best Marching Contingent award of Republic Day parade 2021?
A) 5
B) 4
C) 3
D) 2
E) 1
Answer: D) 2

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh presented the trophies of best marching contingents of the Republic Day Parade 2021, in New Delhi on February 15, 2021.
• Jat Regimental Centre bagged the trophy of best marching contingent among the
  Tri-Services, while Delhi Police was adjudged as the best marching contingent among the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and other auxiliary services.
• Brigadier Adarsh K Butail & Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Virendra received the trophy on behalf of the Jat Regimental Centre and Special Commissioner of Police
  Shri Robin Hibu and Assistant Commissioner of Police Shri Vivek Bhagat, Commander received the trophy on behalf of Delhi Police.
• The two contingents were adjudged on the basis of assessment by two panels of judges.
• Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Dr G Satheesh Reddy and senior civil & military officials of Ministry of Defence and senior officers of Ministry of Home Affairs were present on the occasion.

Ministry of Defence:
Minister: Rajnath Singh
Constituency: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Raksha Mantri – Hand over best marching contingent trophies to Jat Regimental Centre and Delhi Police.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

9. HCL Technologies has inked an agreement with which IIT to collaborate in the area of cybersecurity?
A) IIT Mandi
B) IIT Hyderabad
C) IIT Madras
D) IIT Kharagpur
E) IIT Kanpur
Answer: E) IIT Kanpur

• HCL Technologies said it has inked an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) to collaborate in the area of cybersecurity.
• As part of the pact, the IT company will work with C3iHub, a specialised cybersecurity research centre at IITK.
• This collaboration will bring together the country’s brightest minds, advanced research capabilities and global resources to develop advanced solutions in the area of cybersecurity.
• HCL and IITK will bring in real world industry exposure to carry out joint initiatives and research.

HCL Technologies:
Headquarters‎: ‎Noida, Uttar Pradesh‎
CEO: C Vijayakumar

HCL Tech + IIT Kanpur – Capabilities in cybersecurity.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

10. Dr. S Jaishanker and Satoshi Suzuki visited the water supply project at Kharghuli in Guwahati.Satoshi Suzuki is which country Ambassador in India?
A) USA
B) Japan
C) Iraq
D) Iran
E) Israel
Answer: B) Japan

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishanker and Japan’s Ambassador in India Satoshi Suzuki visited the water supply project at Kharghuli in Guwahati.
• Both of them inspected the site and held a brief discussion with the concerned officials.
• Japan has supported the project to provide clean drinking water in Guwahati.
• The project is likely to be completed next year.
• Earlier, Dr. Jaishanker and Mr. Suzuki visited the Kamakhya temple.

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

External Affairs:
Minister: Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Constituency: Rajya Sabha MP, Gujarat

External Affairs Minister+ Japan’s Ambassador in India – Inspect water supply project at Kharghuli in Guwahati.

11. ‘Pahela Phagun’ spring festival celebrated in which country?
A) Bangladesh
B) Japan
C) Iraq
D) Iran
E) Israel
Answer: A) Bangladesh

• The first day of the spring called ‘Pahela Phagun’ was celebrated in Dhaka despite the continued shadow of Corona pandemic in the country.
• Cultural organisations held programmes at different venues in the city to herald the beginning of the spring. Programmes were held at the Suhrawardy Udyan, Nandan Manch of Shilpakala Academy and several other locations.
• The Jatiya Basanta Utsab Udjapan Parishad organized the programme at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka. Young women wearing yellow saris and youth dressed in ‘Punjabis’ took part in the festivity.
• The programme featured dance and musical performances.
• The traditional programme of ‘Basanta Utsab’ at the Fine Arts faculty in Dhaka university was cancelled since educational institutions have been closed till Feb. 28 by the government due to the Corona pandemic.
• The Bangladesh Shilpa Kala Academy held the spring festival at its Nandan Mancha.
• State Minister of Culture K.M. Khalid was the Chief guest on the occasion.
• Children from Bangladesh Performing art performed the musical drama ‘Aha Ki Ananda Akase Batase’.
• Music, dance and choreography performances were also organised during the event.
• The day also coincides with Valentine’s Day after the revision of the Bangla Calendar in 2019 by the Bangla Academy to align it with the Gregorian calendar.
• The two events were celebrated together by the youth of Bangladesh with the fragrance of love in the air.

Bangladesh:
Capital: Dhaka
Currency: Bangladeshi Taka
President: Mohammad Abdul Hamid
Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh – ‘Pahela Phagun’ spring festival.

12. Which Country launches cargo ship to International Space Station?
A) Russia
B) Japan
C) Iraq
D) Iran
E) Israel
Answer: A) Russia

• An unmanned Russian cargo ship launched successfully a load of supplies for the International Space Station.
• The Progress MS-16 cargo ship blasted off from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan and reached the designated orbit en- route to the station.
• It is carrying water, propellant and other supplies and is set to dock at the space outpost.
• The space outpost is operated by NASA’s Kate Rubins, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi and Russian Space Agency Roscosmos’ Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.

Russia:
Capital: Moscow
Currency: Russian Ruble

Russia – Cargo ship to International Space Station.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

13. India to start trials of Astra missile in 2021. What is the range of this Missile?
A) 260 km
B) 160 km
C) 360 km
D) 460 km
E) 560 km
Answer: B) 160 km

• In a step that would establish its superiority in air combat over China and Pakistan, India would start testing the Astra Mark 2 beyond visual range air to air missile, which would be capable of taking down enemy aircraft from a range of 160 kilometres.
• The extended range Astra Mark 2 would give India an edge over its adversaries and would add more lethality to its fighter jets in aerial combat, like the one which happened a day after the Balakot airstrikes on February 26, 2019.
• The trial for the Astra Mark would be starting in the second half of this year and we are hoping to see the missile fully developed by 2022
• The Astra is a beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), which flies over four times the speed of sound at Mach 4.5.
• Efforts are now on to integrate the over 100 km strike range missile on the indigenous fighter aircraft LCA Tejas.
• The all-weather day and night capable Astra, which currently has a strike range of around 100-km, will eventually replace the expensive Russian, French and Israeli BVRAAMs that are currently imported to arm IAF fighters.
• The Indian Air Force and Indian navy have already given orders for 288 Astra Mark-1 Missiles which are already “proven” on the Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI fighters.

India – Start trials of 160 km strike range Astra missile in 2021.

14. Which state launched the ‘Maa’ scheme would provide a meal at a nominal cost of Rs 5 to poor people?
A) Andhra Pradesh
B) Maharashtra
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) West Bengal
Answer: E) West Bengal

• Ahead of the assembly election in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee virtually launched the ‘Maa’ scheme under which her government would provide a meal at a nominal cost of Rs 5 to poor people.
• They will get a platter of rice, dal, a vegetable and egg curry for Rs 5, she said adding that the state government will bear a subsidy of Rs 15 per plate.

West Bengal:
Capital: Kolkata
CM: Mamata Banerjee
Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar

West Bengal – Maa scheme to provide meal at Rs 5 to poor people.

15. Which state launched ‘Abhyudaya’ scheme and interact with registered candidates under the scheme?
A) Andhra Pradesh
B) Maharashtra
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) West Bengal
Answer: D) Uttar Pradesh

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate ‘Abhyudaya’ scheme and interact with registered candidates under the scheme.
• The programme of the free coaching centre for competitive examinations –IAS, IPS, PCS, NDS, CDS, NEET and JEE.
• Under the scheme, free coaching will be provided to all such students who want to prepare for these exams but are unable to do due to their financial status.
• UP Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana 2021 will be implemented under the supervision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
• Classes under this scheme will start from the day of Basant Panchami.
• Under this scheme, students will also be provided with offline classes along with online study material.
• The coaching will also involve the provision of direct counselling by senior IAS, IPS and PCS officers for the aspirants.

Uttar Pradesh:
Capital: Lucknow
CM: Yogi Adityanath
Governor: Anandiben Patel

Uttar Pradesh – Launch Abhyudaya scheme and interact with registered candidates under the scheme.

16. Which state launched the KFON for free internet access to 20 lakh families?
A) Maharashtra
B) Nagaland
C) Andhra Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) Kerala
Answer: E) Kerala

• To bridge the digital divide by providing high-speed, affordable internet connectivity to every household, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the KFON (Kerala Fibre Optic Network) in the state.
• KFON is a joint venture of Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).
• A consortium led by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was selected to implement the project in March 2019.
• The project will leverage the infrastructure of the Kerala State Electricity Board by establishing a core ring, and a network operating center will be set up at Eranakulam.
• KFON is part of the Kerala government’s effort to provide a digital infrastructure in the state.

Gender Park campus:

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Gender Park campus in Kozhikode.
  It is an initiative to work towards gender equality and empowerment in the state.
• Headquartered in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, with its main campus at Kozhikode, the Gender Park drives policy, research, economic and social initiatives that work for a just and equal society.
• The Gender Park campus is a 24-acre space that will act as a convergence centre for various projects, cultural and academic engagements.
• The park includes a gender museum, library, convention centre and amphitheater.
• Vijayan also inaugurated the International Women’s Trade Centre to promote women’s entrepreneurs.

Kerala:
Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
CM: Pinarayi Vijayan
Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan

Kerala – Fibre optic network for free internet access to 20 lakh families.

17. The government has made it mandatory for all four-wheeled vehicles across the country to have FASTags starting February 15. NH Fee Rules in which year?
A) 2002
B) 2003
C) 2004
D) 2005
E) 2008
Answer: E) 2008

• All lanes in the fee plazas on National Highways will be declared as FASTag lane from midnight tonight.
• As per NH Fee Rules 2008, any vehicle not fitted with FASTag or vehicle without valid, functional FASTag entering into the FASTag lane of the fee plaza will have to pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable to that category.
• The ministry of road transport and highways has decided that all lanes in the fee plazas on national highways shall be declared as ‘FASTag lane of the fee plaza.
• Any vehicle not fitted with FASTag or vehicle without valid, functional FASTag entering into the FASTag lane of the fee plaza will be charged double the toll at electronic toll plazas, according to NH Fee Rules 2008.
• FASTag, which was first introduced in 2016, has been made compulsory to promote fee payment through digital mode, reduce waiting time and fuel consumption, and provide for a seamless passage through the fee plazas.
• What are categories M and N? – Category ‘M’ stands for a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying passengers while category ‘N’ stands for a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying goods, which may also carry persons in addition to goods

FASTag – Mandatory from Feb 15 midnight.

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