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 17 | Daily Current Affairs 2021

SPORTS

1. Kings XI Punjab was renamed as which name ahead of the 2021 IPL auction on Thursday in Chennai?
A) Punjab Kings
B) Punjab Queens
C) Punjab Villains
D) Punjab Bengal
E) Punjab Wings
Answer: A) Punjab Kings

• Kings XI Punjab was renamed as Punjab Kings ahead of the 2021 IPL auction on Thursday in Chennai.
• The franchise, jointly owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta and Karan Paul, is yet to win an IPL title since the event’s inaugural edition in 2008.
• In the tournament’s 13-year history, Kings were runners-up once (2014) and achieved a third-place finish on another occasion (2008). They finished sixth in the 2020 edition, held in the UAE.

Kings XI Punjab – Rename as Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2021 auction.

2. Faf du Plessis announced his retirement from which type of cricket?
A) Test Cricket
B) T20 Cricket
C) International Cricket
D) A & B
E) A, B & C
Answer: A) Test Cricket

• Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis announced his retirement from Test cricket to focus on the shorter formats with T20 being his priority.
• Du Plessis played 69 Tests, scoring 4163 runs at an average of 40.02 including 10 hundreds and 21 fifties.
• He stepped down as South Africa’s Test and T20 captain last year after taking over from the charismatic A B de Villiers back in 2016.
• He captained the team is 36 Tests, winning 18 of them.
• The right-hand batsman has so far player 143 ODIs for his country along 50 T20 Internationals.
• He averages over 47 in 50-over cricket and 35.5 in the shortest format.

South Africa:
Capital: Pretoria (Administrative/Executive), Cape Town (Legislative), Bloemfontein (Judicial)
Currency: South African rand (ZAR)

Faf du Plessis – Announce retirement from Test cricket.

OBITUARY

3. Arne Sorenson passed away. He served as CEO of which company?
A) ITC
B) Marriott
C) Facebook
D) Amazon
E) Flipkart
Answer: B) Marriott

• Marriott International Chief Executive Officer Arne Sorenson, who was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer, has died.
• The first non-family member to head the hotel chain, Sorenson, 62, had earlier this month stepped back from full-time role to treat the cancer that was diagnosed in 2019.
• Sorenson took charge in March 2012 and led the $13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2016, resulting in Marriott becoming the world’s biggest hotel chain with over 1 million rooms.

Arne Sorenson – Marriott CEO.

BANKING AND FINANCE

4. ICICI Lombard partners with which e-commerce platform to offer Hospicash insurance to consumers?
A) Shopclues
B) Myntra
C) Snapdeal
D) Flipkart
E) Amazon
Answer: D) Flipkart

• Flipkart has partnered with ICICI Lombard to offer Hospicash insurance to consumers.
• Compared to the standard indemnity health insurance policies, Hospicash is a benefit that will allow consumers to avail a fixed amount for each day of hospitalization.
• The fixed daily amount will enable consumers to pay for incidental medical or emergency expenses.
• The insurance is made paperless, and flexible, covering both accidental hospitalizations or planned surgeries and treatment

ICICI Lombard:
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta

Flipkart:
Hq: Bengaluru, Karnataka
CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy

ICICI Lombard + Flipkart – Offer Hospicash insurance to consumers.

ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS

5. Which Bank has entered into an agreement with fintech startup Thillais Analytical Solutions Pvt. Ltd. to buy 9.65% stake in the company?
A) HDFC Bank
B) Bandhan Bank
C) DBS Bank
D) ICICI Bank
E) Axis Bank
Answer: D) ICICI Bank

• ICICI Bank has entered into an agreement with fintech startup Thillais Analytical Solutions Pvt. Ltd. to buy 9.65% stake in the company.
• Thillais Analytical Solutions operates a neo-banking platform Vanghee, which facilitates connected banking solutions for corporates and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and helps banks deepen their customer relationships.
• The deal agreed for a cash consideration of Rs 1.1 crore (Rs 11 million) is expected to be closed by the end of March 2021.
• ICICI Bank shares fell 2.30% to Rs 658.50 apiece on the BSE even as the benchmark Sensex ended the day 0.10% lower at 52,104.17 points.

Prestige group acquires 99% in Ace Realty Ventures:

• Prestige group, the Bengaluru-based real estate developer, has acquired 99 percent in the partnership firm – Ace Realty Ventures.
• Ace Realty Ventures is a partnership firm holding lands and rights in the lands near north Bengaluru, which will be developed in the near future, the company said in a regulatory filing to exchanges.

Tatas acquire 68% stake in bigbasket for ₹9,500 crore:

• Salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group has signed a deal to acquire a 68 per cent stake in bigbasket, an online supermarket backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, for nearly ₹9,500 crore.

Airtel to acquire 20% stake in Bharti Telemedia from Warburg Pincus:

• Bharti Airtel Ltd will acquire a 20% stake in its direct-to-home (DTH) subsidiary Bharti Telemedia Ltd from a Warburg Pincus entity for ₹3,126 crore.
• In December 2017, Bharti group had agreed to sell 20% of its DTH unit, Bharti Telemedia to Warbug Pincus for ₹2,258 crore.
• The telecom operator will pay the said amount primarily through issuance of 36.47 million equity shares at ₹600 per share, while ₹1,037.8 crore will be paid in cash.

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

ICICI Bank – Buy over 9% stake in fintech startup Thillais Analytical Solutions.

APPOINTMENTS

6. Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan has been given additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. She is also served as Governor of which state?
A) Madhya Pradesh
B) Karnataka
C) Andhra Pradesh
D) Tamil Nadu
E) Telangana
Answer: E) Telangana

• Dr. Kiran Bedi has been removed from the post of Puducherry Lieutenant Governor. In a press communiqué, Rashtrapati Bhawan said, Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan has been given additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

Puducherry:
Capital: Pondicherry
CM: V Narayanasamy
Governor: Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan

Tamilisai Soundararajan – Additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

AWARDS

7. Which state Chief Minister has been conferred the Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award?
A) Madhya Pradesh
B) Karnataka
C) Andhra Pradesh
D) Tamil Nadu
E) Telangana
Answer: C) Andhra Pradesh

• The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been conferred the Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award.
• The Award has been presented to the CM by Chairman, Skoch group, Sameer Kochhar personally at Tadepalli in Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh:
Capital: Visakhapatnam (executive), Amaravati (legislative), Kurnool (judicial)
CM: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Governor: Biswa Bhushan Harichandan

Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy – Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award.

8. Which country has conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays decoration on Dr Thangjam Dhabali Singh to honour his contribution to strengthening ties between 2 Nations?
A) UK
B) Australia
C) Russia
D) Japan
E) Mauritius
Answer: D) Japan

• Japan has conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays decoration on Manipur physician and former president of state tourism forum, Dr Thangjam Dhabali Singh, to honour his contribution to strengthening ties between Japan and India, and Japan and Manipur. He was honoured in a simple event in Imphal.
• Dr Dhabali was involved in organising the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Imphal in 2014, an event attended by dignitaries from Japan, Britain and Australia.
• Later with support from the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the Nippon Foundation of Japan, the Imphal Peace Movement (IPM) was launched on June 22 in 2019, which, Ambassador of Japan termed as ‘another symbolic achievement’.
• The MTF played an important role in giving shape to IPM during Dr Dhabali’s tenure as its president.
• The decoration was constituted by Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1875. It is one of the highest orders conferred in the name of his majesty the emperor, by the government of Japan to non-military and apolitical persons, who have made distinguished achievements in international relations, promotion of Japanese culture, achievements in their respective field, development in welfare or preservation of the environment.
• The highest Japanese order, the Order of the Chrysanthemum, is reserved for heads of state or royalty, while the second highest order, the Order of the Paulownia Flowers, is mostly reserved for politicians.

Dr Thangjam Dhabali Singh – High Japanese honour for promoting ties between 2 nations.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

9. Which IIT has developed a novel method for rapid evaporation of droplets?
A) IIT Bhubaneshwar
B) IIT Mandi
C) IIT Hyderabad
D) IIT Bombay
E) IIT Guwahati
Answer: E) IIT Guwahati

• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have developed a novel method for rapid evaporation of droplets.
• According to the team, the method is aimed at controlling the life-time of droplets containing suspended nanoparticles.
• Suspended nanoparticles are magnetically active, thereby enabling the flexibility of being under control in a magnetic forcing environment.
• The research has been published in “Soft Matter”, a highly reputed journal belonging to the Royal Society of Chemistry.

IIT Guwahati – Develop advanced techniques for rapid evaporation of droplets.

10. Which IIM has established a centre for transportation and logistics, which will facilitate research in the areas?
A) IIM Gujarat
B) IIM Hyderabad
C) IIM Bangalore
D) IIM Ahmedabad
E) IIM Trichy
Answer: D) IIM Ahmedabad

• Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM) has established a centre for transportation and logistics, which will facilitate research in the areas.
• He institute, through the Centre for Transportation and Logistics (CTL), will offer an integrated, multidisciplinary program of research, post-graduate and executive education, technology transfer, and policy advice for enhancing the mobility of people and goods.
• The centre is co-chaired by Debjit Roy and Sandip Chakrabarti – faculties at IIMA.
• The centre plans to organise a series of webinars, workshops and panel discussions periodically throughout the year and will also have rolling opportunities for postdoctoral research and distinguished visiting scholar positions

IIM Ahmedabad – Centre for transportation and logistics research.

11. Which institution, Oslo University Hospital and the University of Agder in Norway have developed a software tool that can reveal the severity of lung infections in Covid-19 patients?
A) IIT Mandi
B) IIT Hyderabad
C) IIT Bombay
D) IIT Madras
E) IISc Bangalore
Answer: E) IISc Bangalore

• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in collaboration with colleagues from Oslo University Hospital and the University of Agder in Norway, have developed a software tool that can reveal the severity of lung infections in Covid-19 patients.
• The findings were published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems.
• Covid-19 can cause severe damage to the respiratory systems, especially the lung tissues.
• Image-based methods such as X-ray or CT scans can prove helpful in determining how bad the infection is AnamNet employs deep-learning and other image-processing techniques, which have now become integral to biomedical research and applications.
• The software can identify infected areas in a chest CT scan with a high degree of accuracy.

IISc Bangalore + Oslo University Hospital + University of Agder – AI-based software tool for diagnosis of Covid-19 lung infection.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

12. The Cabinet has approved the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and which country to encourage and improve trade between the two countries?
A) UK
B) Australia
C) Russia
D) Japan
E) Mauritius
Answer: E) Mauritius

• The Cabinet has approved the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius to encourage and improve trade between the two countries.
• The Agreement is a limited agreement, which will cover trade in goods, rules of origin, trade in services, technical barriers to trade (TBT), sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, dispute settlement, movement of persons, telecom, financial services, customs procedures and cooperation in other areas.
• The CECPA will be the first trade agreement to be signed by India with a country in Africa.
• The agreement covers 310 export items for the former, including foodstuff and beverages (80 lines), agricultural products (25 lines), textile and textile articles (27 lines), base metals and articles thereof (32 lines), electrical and electronic item (13 lines), plastics and chemicals (20 lines), wood and articles thereof (15 lines), and others.

Mauritius:
Capital: Port Louis
Currency: Mauritian rupee

Cabinet – Okay trade deal with Mauritius, the first with an African nation.

13. India and Which Country will host a 42-hour digital hackathon on mobility to tackle issues regarding safe and sustainable transportation?
A) Bangladesh
B) New Zealand
C) Iraq
D) Iran
E) Sweden
Answer: E) Sweden

• India and Sweden will host a 42-hour digital hackathon on mobility to tackle issues regarding safe and sustainable transportation.
• The ‘Sweden-India Mobility Hackathon: Changing the way we move!’ aims to “design, test and execute ideas” for the future and will take place from February 26 to 28.
• Organised jointly by the Embassy of Sweden, the Consulate General of Sweden in Mumbai and the Swedish Institute, it invites students, entrepreneurs, innovation enthusiasts, developers, designers, creatives and mobility experts across both the countries.
• Anna Lekvall, Consul General of Sweden in Mumbai, added, Innovation is at the heart of the Sweden India relationship, and safe, sustainable transport has grown immensely as a vital new area of co-operation.
• The event is supported by several Swedish and Indian partners including startups, incubators, research institutes, innovation cells, road safety organisations and companies in sectors of sustainability, automotives and transport.

Sweden:
Capital: Stockholm
Currency: Swedish krona

India + Sweden – Host digital hackathon on mobility.

14. Which country has joined Iran and Russia in a two-day navy exercise dubbed “Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021” in the northern part of the Indian Ocean?
A) Bangladesh
B) UAE
C) UK
D) USA
E) India
Answer: E) India

• India has joined Iran and Russia in a two-day navy exercise dubbed “Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021” in the northern part of the Indian Ocean.
• Forces and vessels from the navy divisions of both the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) participated in the drill, which kicked off on Tuesday, alongside several vessels from the Russian navy.
• The Indian Navy has also joined the exercise with a select group of vessels, Admiral Gholamreza Tahani, spokesman of the drill.
• Meanwhile, Hossein Khanzadi, commander of the Iranian Navy, has said that the Chinese Navy will also be participating in the exercise.

Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021 – India joins two-day navy exercise.

15. Which edition of Round of India-Japan Consultations on Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Export Control was held in a virtual format?
A) 9
B) 8
C) 7
D) 6
E) 5
Answer: A) 9

• The 9th Round of India-Japan Consultations on Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Export Control was held in a virtual format.
• The two sides exchanged views on a range of contemporary issues of mutual interest in the areas of nuclear, chemical, biological disarmament and non-proliferation, conventional weapons, outer space security and export control.
• Both sides recognized the importance of the dialogue for enhancing mutual understanding and appreciation on non-proliferation and disarmament issues that contribute to the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

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

Virtual format – 9th Round of India-Japan Consultations on Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Export Control.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

16. The government approved how much amount production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom gear manufacturing in India?
A) 11,195 crore
B) 12,195 crore
C) 13,195 crore
D) 14,195 crore
E) 15,195 crore
Answer: B) 12,195 crore

• The government approved a 12,195 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom gear manufacturing in India, a move that will position the nation as a global powerhouse for production of such equipment ahead of 5G roll-outs.
• The PLI scheme for telecom gear manufacturing, will be operational from April 1, 2021.
• It will lead to incremental production of around Rs 2.4 lakh crores with exports of around Rs 2 lakh crores over five years.
• The scheme is expected to bring investment of over Rs 3,000 crore and generate huge direct and indirect employment and taxes both.
• The new scheme has an outlay of Rs 12,195 crores over five years, and its eligibility will be subject to achievement of a minimum threshold of cumulative incremental investment and incremental sales of manufactured goods.
• The incentive structure ranges between 4 and 7 per cent for different categories and years.
• Financial Year 2019-20 will be treated as the base year for computation of cumulative incremental sales of manufactured goods net of taxes, Minimum investment threshold for MSMEs has been kept at Rs 10 crores and for others at Rs 100 crores.

Govt – Approve over Rs 12000 cr manufacturing push for telecom equipment.

17. The Union Food Processing Industries Ministry has cleared 20 projects worth how much amount under two central government schemes?
A) Rs 263.4 crore
B) Rs 363.4 crore
C) Rs 163.4 crore
D) Rs 463.4 crore
E) Rs 563.4 crore
Answer: B) Rs 363.4 crore

• The Union Food Processing Industries Ministry on Wednesday said it has cleared 20 projects worth Rs 363.4 crore under two central government schemes.
• The government will provide a grant-in-aid of Rs 102.91 crore for these projects, which together are expected to generate nearly 12,000 jobs and benefit 42,800 farmers.
• A decision in this regard was taken in the Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) meeting chaired by the Food Processing Industries Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
• Junior Minister Rameshwar Teli and promoters of the projects were also present in the virtual meeting held on February 16.
• The proposed projects have been cleared under the Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster (APC) and the scheme for Creation/ Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) approved in May 2017.
• Under the CEFPPC, the ministry said 11 proposals with a project cost of Rs 113.08 crore including grants-in-aid of Rs 36.30 crore have been cleared.
• These projects will leverage private investment of Rs 76.78 crore and are likely to generate employment for 3,700 persons and benefit 6,800 farmers.
• These projects will come up in Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Mizoram and Gujarat.
• Whereas under the creation of infrastructure for APC, nine proposals with total project cost of Rs 250.32 crore including grants-in-aid of Rs 66.61 crore have been cleared in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Rajasthan.
• These projects will leverage private investment of Rs 183.71 crore and are expected to generate employment for 8,260 persons and benefit 36,000 farmers.

Centre – Twenty food processing projects worth Rs 363.4 cr.

18. The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in which year increasing the role of district magistrates and additional district magistrates?
A) 2013
B) 2014
C) 2015
D) 2016
E) 2017
Answer: C) 2015

• The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, increasing the role of district magistrates and additional district magistrates.
• Addressing the media on the Cabinet decision, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said in every district, the district magistrate and the additional district magistrate will get the power to monitor functions of agencies responsible for the implementation of the Act.
• The district child protection unit will also function under the district magistrate, she said. Irani said till now there was no specific direction to carry out a background check of people who are to become members of the child welfare committees (CWC).
• According to the amendments cleared by the Cabinet, before becoming a member of the CWC, background and educational qualification checks will be included, she noted.
• Irani said earlier any organisation which wanted to run a child care institution would need to give its purpose to the state government

Increase level of processing & value addition of horticultural & agricultural produce:

• Food Processing Industries Ministry has approved proposals worth over 363 crore rupees to increase the level of processing and value addition of horticultural and agricultural produce.
• This will result in increase in income of the farmers and create employment at the local level.
• The approval was given in the two Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee meetings, which were chaired by Minister of Food Processing industries Narendra Singh Tomar.
• The proposals were received under the Scheme for Creation for Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster and the scheme for Creation and Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation.
• Capacities under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana.
• Minister of State Rameshwar Teli was also present in the meeting.

Cabinet – To juvenile justice law amendments.

19. The government has decided to infuse how much amount capital into state-owned Export-Import Bank of India in the next financial year?
A) Rs 2,500 crore
B) Rs 1,500 crore
C) Rs 3,500 crore
D) Rs 4,500 crore
E) Rs 5,500 crore
Answer: B) Rs 1,500 crore

• The government has decided to infuse Rs 1,500 crore capital into state-owned Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) in the next financial year.
• The amount is Rs 200 crore higher than the provision made by the government for the current fiscal.
• The government has earmarked Rs 1,300 crore capital infusion for the bank.
• The government doubled the authorised capital of the bank from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore in 2019.
• Exim Bank is the principal export credit agency in India and the capital infusion will give an impetus to new initiatives such as supporting Indian textile industry, likely changes in the concessional finance scheme, likelihood of new letters of credit in future in view of the country’s active foreign policy and strategic intent.
• Established in 1982, the bank primarily lends for exports from India, including supporting overseas buyers and Indian suppliers for export of developmental and infrastructure projects, equipment, goods and services from the country.

EXIM Bank:
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO: David Rasquinha

Govt – Infuse Rs 1,500 cr into Exim Bank next fiscal.

20. Which Minister virtually released the third edition of the Indian Sign Language Dictionary having 10 thousand terms?
A) Home Minister
B) Social Justice and Empowerment Minister
C) Finance Minister
D) External Affairs Minister
E) Women & Child Development Minister
Answer: B) Social Justice and Empowerment Minister

• Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually released the third edition of the Indian Sign Language Dictionary having 10 thousand terms.
• The new dictionary contains 10 thousand terms of everyday use including academic, legal, administrative, medical, technical and agricultural terms.
• The dictionary also contains regional signs used in different parts of the country.

Social Justice and Empowerment:
Minister: Thawar Chand Gehlot
Constituency: Rajya Sabha MP, Madhya Pradesh

Thaawarchand Gehlot – 3rd edition of ISL Dictionary virtually.

21. PM Modi inaugurates Ennore Thiruvallur Madurai Tuticorin Ramanathapuram pipeline project. What is the length of this project?
A) 123 kilometer
B) 133 kilometer
C) 143 kilometer
D) 153 kilometer
E) 163 kilometer
Answer: C) 143 kilometer

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ennore Thiruvallur Madurai Tuticorin Ramanathapuram pipeline project as part of the one Nation one gas grid concept.
• Three projects were inaugurated by the Prime Minister through video conferencing.
• He said dependence on import of oil and gas should reduce considerably by 2030.
• He assured that the Government was working to reach the growing energy demand of the Country.
• He said that projects were launched to meet the demands of oil and gas.
• Prime Minister Modi said that India was set to become a leader in solar power.
• He also said that there was a need to increase ethanol production.
• The 143 kilometer of the Ennore Thiruvallur Bengaluru Puducherry Nagapattinam Madurai Tuticorin Natural gas pipeline has been laid at a cost of Rs 700 crore.
• Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Cauvery Basin Refinery at Nagapattinam.
• The Cauvery Basin Refinery project estimated at a cost of Rs 31 thousand five hundred crore will be set up at Nagapattinam at a capacity of nine million tps.
• This joint venture between IOCL and CPCL will produce motor spirit and diesel with BS VI specifications and polypropylene as a value added product.
• These projects result in socio economic benefits and boost the Country’s Urja aatmanir bharta.
• The project will help utilise gas from ONGC fields and deliver natural gas as feedstock to industries and other commercial customers.
• He also inaugurated the gasoline desulphurisation unit at CPCL Manali which has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 500 crore.
• The unit will produce low sulphur environment friendly gasoline and help reduce emission contributing towards a cleaner environment.
• Tamilnadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy thanked the Prime Minister for inaugurating the projects.

Prime Minister, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space and All important policy issues and All other portfolios not allocated to any Minister:
Minister: Narendra Modi
Constituency: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Tamil Nadu:
Capital: Chennai
CM: Edappadi K. Palaniswami
Governor: Banwarilal Purohit

Narendra Modi – Ennore Thiruvallur Madurai Tuticorin Ramanathapuram pipeline project.

22. Which state has launched a ₹100 crore Travancore Heritage Project to conserve and showcase the cultural richness and tangible legacy of the erstwhile kingdom?
A) Madhya Pradesh
B) Kerala
C) Andhra Pradesh
D) Tamil Nadu
E) Telangana
Answer: B) Kerala

• In a tourism initiative, the Kerala government has launched a ₹100 crore Travancore Heritage Project to conserve and showcase the cultural richness and tangible legacy of the erstwhile kingdom.
• State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the project would “make the visit to the state capital and its surroundings a more riveting experience”.
• The project, which seeks to preserve old-world looks of the vintage structures, overall covers heritage structures from Padmanabhapuram Palace, now in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, to the Parthasarathy temple on the banks of the Pampa in Aranmula of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala.

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

Kerala – Travancore Heritage tourism project.

23. Who addressed the NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum (NTLF) via video conferencing?
A) Home Minister
B) Prime Minister
C) Finance Minister
D) External Affairs Minister
E) Women & Child Development Minister
Answer: B) Prime Minister

Narendra Modi – Address NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum.

24. How many States complete ease of doing business reforms?
A) 15
B) 14
C) 13
D) 12
E) 11
Answer: A) 15

• The number of States successfully completing the “Ease of Doing Business” (EoDB) reforms has increased to 15.
• Three more States namely, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have reported completion of “Ease of Doing Business” reforms stipulated by the Department of Expenditure.
• On receipt of recommendation from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Department of Expenditure has granted permission to these three States to raise additional financial resources of Rs. 9,905 crore through Open Market Borrowings.
• Earlier, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana had also reported completion of this reform, which was confirmed by DPIIT.
• Till now, 18 States have carried out at least one of the four stipulated reforms and have been granted reform linked borrowing permissions. Out of these, 13 States have implemented the one nation one ration card system, 15 States have done ease of doing business reforms, 6 States have done local body reforms and 2 States have undertaken power sector reforms.
• Total reform linked additional borrowing permission issued so far to the States stands at Rs. 86,417 crore.

15 States – Complete ease of doing business reforms.

25. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas &Steel, participated in which edition of IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks held virtually?
A) 13th
B) 12th
C) 18th
D) 10th
E) 11th
Answer: E) 11th

• Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas &Steel, participated in the 11th IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks —held virtually— on 17th February 2021 under the patronage of the Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud.
• The symposium saw the presence of heads of all top inter-governmental energy agencies -IEF, IEA, OPEC, IRENA and the GECF. Also, dignitaries like, H.E. Norma RocíoNahle García, Secretary of Energy, Mexico and H.E. Timipre Sylva, Minister of State of Petroleum Resources of Nigeria participated in the event.
• Apart from the comparative analysis of short, medium, and long-term energy outlooks that OPEC and the IEA published in 2020, the trilateral symposium reflected on the long-term outlooks of key producer and consumer countries.
• In his address, Shri Pradhan highlighted that there was unanimous agreement among international agencies, like IEA, OPEC, vis-a-vis reports released by them on India’s robust energy growth profile during 2021 and beyond.
• While the world’s total primary energy demand would increase at less than 1% per annum till 2040, India’s energy demand would grow at about 3% per annum till 2040.

Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel:
Minister: Dharmendra Pradhan
Constituency: Rajya Sabha MP, Madhya Pradesh

Petroleum Minister – 11th IEA, IEF, OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks.

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