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 18 | Daily Current Affairs 2021

OBITUARY

1. Satish Sharma passed away. He was related to which party?
A) YSRCP
B) BJP
C) Congress
D) BJD
E) ADMK
Answer: C) Congress

• Congress leader and former union minister Captain Satish Sharma died in Goa.
• A close aide of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Sharma was Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas from 1993 to 1996 in the Narasimha Rao government.
• Born on October 11, 1947 in Andhra Pradesh’s Secunderabad, Sharma was a professional commercial pilot.
• A three-time Lok Sabha MP who represented Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies, Sharma was a Rajya Sabha member for three terms representing the states of
  Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
• He first became a member of Rajya Sabha in June 1986 and was later elected to the Lok Sabha from Amethi in 1991 after the death of Rajiv Gandhi.
• He was later a member of Rajya Sabha from July 2004 to 2016.

Capt Satish Sharma – Congress leader and Gandhi loyalist.

RANKING

2. How many Indan-origin personalities presented in the list of TIME magazine’s annual list of 100 “emerging leaders who are shaping the future?
A) 6
B) 5
C) 4
D) 3
E) 2
Answer: B) 5

• Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad and five Indan-origin personalities are part of TIME magazine’s annual list of 100 “emerging leaders who are shaping the future”.
• The 2021 TIME100 Next, released is an expansion of TIME’s flagship TIME100 franchise of the most influential people in the world and highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future.

Aazad:

• Aazad, 34, is the leader of the Bhim Army, which runs schools to help Dalits escape poverty through education and also “practices a distinct brand of assertiveness, sweeping into villages on loud motorbikes to protect victims of caste-based violence and organising provocative demonstrations against discrimination.

About Rishi Sunak:

• Sunak’s profile in the TIME feature says that a little over a year ago, the 40-year old was an “unknown junior minister in the British government” but after he was named to lead Britain’s Treasury last year, he “quickly became the benevolent face of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, approving large handouts for many citizens whose jobs were disrupted by the virus.”

About Apoorva Mehta:

• On Mehta, 34, the TIME profile said that in the initial days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Instacart “faced a tidal wave of orders, as people with means opted en masse to pay the service’s workers to buy groceries for them.” Mehta describes that period as a “wartime moment,”

About Vijaya Gadde:

• The TIME profile described Gadde, 46, as “one of Twitter’s most powerful executives” who was the one to convey the news to CEO Jack Dorsey that President Donald Trump’s Twitter account had been suspended following the Capitol attack of January 6.

About Shikha Gupta:

• TIME said Gupta and her team stepped up to meet the growing demand for personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals at a time when there was a “leadership vacuum” from the White House.

About Rohan Pavuluri:

• Pavuluri is the 25-year founder of the free online tool that helps users fill out bankruptcy forms on their own.

Bhim Army chief, five Indian-origin persons – Feature in ‘TIME100 Next’ list of emerging leaders.

BANKING AND FINANCE

3. The Reserve Bank of India has cleared the acquisition of Diwan Housing Finance Corporation by Piramal Capital And Housing Finance. What is the headquarters of Diwan Housing Finance Corporation?
A) Kolkata, West Bengal
B) Bangalore, Karnataka
C) Chennai, Tamil Nadu
D) Hyderabad, Telangana
E) Mumbai, Maharashtra
Answer: E) Mumbai, Maharashtra

• The Reserve Bank of India has cleared the acquisition of Diwan Housing Finance Corporation by Piramal Capital And Housing Finance.
• The Piramal Group has pipped US-based asset management firm, Oaktree, by bidding far higher for the company last month and now it will merge DHFL with its financial services business as soon as the court clears the transaction.
• On January 15, the Indian public sector banks had voted in favour of Piramal’s debt resolution plan for DHFL and paved the way for the turnaround of the bankrupt housing finance company, which was in bankruptcy court since December 2019.
• DHFL was sent to bankruptcy court in December 2019 after the company defaulted to its lenders on debt worth Rs 90,000 crore.
• The promoters of the company are currently in jail and are facing money laundering charges.
• Piramal’s plan will lead to recovery of Rs 37,250 crore over the next five years for DHFL’s lenders, which includes provident funds, fixed deposit holders and foreign note holders.
• Of its total payout, Piramal will give Rs 12,700 crore as upfront cash to the lenders.
• The higher upfront cash tilted the scales in Piramal’s favour and was scored higher by the CoC.
• As per Piramal plan, the existing shareholders of DHFL will get zero value.
• The fixed deposit holders have not voted for both plans.
• The third bidder, Adani’s offer was too low and was not considered.
• Oaktree, which had offered an additional Rs 1,700 crore after the bidding deadline, was out of the race and did not find favour with the lenders.

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 – Approve DHFL resolution plan from Piramal Capital and Housing Finance.

4. Which insurance company has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) to provide health insurance solutions to the customers of the bank?
A) Cholamandalam MS General Insurance
B) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
C) ICICI Lombard General Insurance
D) Apollo Munich Health Insurance
E) Care Health Insurance
Answer: E) Care Health Insurance

• Care Health Insurance (formerly known as Religare Health Insurance) has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Dharwad-based regional rural bank — Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) — to provide health insurance solutions to the customers of the bank.
• Under the agreement, Care Health Insurance will provide comprehensive health insurance solutions and services to over eight million customers of KVGB spread across 629 branches in nine districts of Karnataka.

Care Health Insurance:
Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
MD & CEO : Anuj Gulati

Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank:
Headquarters: ‎Dharwad, Karnataka
Chairman : Puttaganti Gopi Krishna

Care Health Insurance + Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank – Bancassurance.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

5. Google gives how much amount to support small and micro enterprises in India in the face of Covid-19 pandemic?
A) $25 million
B) $15 million
C) $35 million
D) $45 million
E) $55 million
Answer: B) $15 million

• Google said it would give $15 million (nearly Rs 109 crore) to support small and micro enterprises in India in the face of Covid-19 pandemic.
• The investment is part of the $75 million commitment from Google to help small businesses outside of the US.
• When the pandemic hit last year, Google announced a $200 million investment fund as part of its more than $800 million commitment to support small businesses.
• In July last year, the company’s CEO Sundar Pichai announced a Google for India digitisation fund through which, the company will invest Rs 75,000 crore or approximately $10 billion over the next five to seven years to help India go digital.

Google:
Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
CEO: Sundar Pichai
Founded: 4 September 1998

Google – Give Rs 109 crore to support SMBs in India.

6. Flipkart has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with which state Micro, Small Medium Enterprises Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau to serve local artisans, weavers, craftsmen?
A) Mizoram
B) Maharashtra
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Andhra Pradesh
E) Tamil Nadu
Answer: E) Tamil Nadu

• Flipkart, an e-commerce firm said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tamil Nadu Micro, Small Medium Enterprises Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau to serve local artisans, weavers, craftsmen.
• The partnership, under the Flipkart ‘Samarth’ programme, would enable the artisans, weavers, craftsmen and small industries to showcase their products from the house of Flipkart.
• The trade bureau would support Flipkart with its state-owned affiliated enterprises and undertakings which work with the crafts producers and farmers.
• The Samarth was launched in 2019 to build a sustainable and inclusive platform for under-served, domestic communities and businesses to empower them with greater opportunities and better livelihood. Currently, the programme supports over 7.50 lakh artisans, weavers and craftsmen across the country

Flipkart:
Hq :Bengaluru, Karnataka
CEO : Kalyan Krishnamurthy

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

Flipkart + Tamil Nadu Micro, Small Medium Enterprises Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau – To help small businesses grow

APPOINTMENTS

7. Seiko Hashimoto takes over as Olympic president of which place?
A) Moscow
B) Paris
C) Cuttack
D) Manila
E) Tokyo
Answer: E) Tokyo

• Seiko Hashimoto appeared in seven Olympics – four Winter Olympics and three Summer Olympics.
• The 56-year-old Hashimoto was named president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee after a meeting of its executive board, which is 80% male.
• She replaces 83-year-old Yoshiro Mori, a former Japanese prime minister who was forced to resign last week after making sexist comments about women.

Seiko Hashimoto -Tokyo Olympic president

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

8. Israel is developing a new ballistic missile shield named the Arrow-4 with which country?
A) UAE
B) Iraq
C) UK
D) Iran
E) USA
Answer: E) USA

• Israel said it is developing a new ballistic missile shield, the Arrow-4, with the United States, another layer in a defensive system built with an eye towards Iran.
• Israel’s Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors are already operational as part of a multi-layered system to destroy incoming missiles in the atmosphere and in space.

Israel:
Capital: Jerusalem
Currency: Israeli new shekel

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

Israel – Developing new Arrow-4 ballistic missile shield with U.S.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

9. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a how much amount package for the development of the 16th-century shrine of Maa Samaleswari, the presiding deity of western Odisha?
A) Rs 100-crore
B) Rs 200-crore
C) Rs 300-crore
D) Rs 400-crore
E) Rs 500-crore
Answer: B) Rs 200-crore

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a Rs 200-crore package for the development of the 16th-century shrine of Maa Samaleswari, the presiding deity of western Odisha.
• The SAMALEI (Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economy Initiatives) project will be implemented during the 2021-22 fiscal.
• Housing will be developed for servitors and a 30- metre-wide road will be constructed from the temple to the Mahanadi Gate Road.

Odisha:
Capital : Bhubaneswar
Chief Minister – Naveen Patnaik
Governor – Ganeshi Lal

Odisha CM – Rs 200-cr package for Samaleswari shrine development.

10. Who launched the ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ initiative via video conferencing in Assam?
A) Narendra Modi
B) Nirmala Sitharaman
C) Amit Shah
D) S Jaishankar
E) Harsh Vardhan
Answer: A) Narendra Modi

• Ahead of the assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched multiple developmental projects in Assam via video conferencing.
• PM Modi launched ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ and laid the foundation stone of the two of India’s longest bridges which will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya.
• The 19 km bridge will be India’s longest and will play a crucial role in connecting the two Northeastern states

I. 2-lane major bridge including approaches over Brahmaputra between Majuli on north bank and Jorhat on south bank (6.8 km) on NH-715K

Project details:

• This Bridge will connect Jorhat to Majuli (Nemati ghat to Kamlabari ghat).
• To meet the long pending demand of people of Majuli Island to connect Majuli with Jorhat a new NH -715K connecting Jorhat to Kamalabari (Majuli) have been declared on 17-11-2020.
• An estimate of Rs 925.47 Cr. have been sanctioned on 04-02-2021 and the work has been awarded to M/s UP State Bridge corporation Limited on 08.02.2021.
• This bridge will be constructed by March, 2025.
• This total length of this bridge is 6.8 Km.
• As per requirement of inland water way authority of India,40 span of 125m long (5 km) with 10 m vertical clearance over high flood level has been provided to facilitate water transport in Brahmaputra river.

II)- 4 lane Dhubri – Phulbari Bridge on River Brahamputra in the State of Assam and Meghalaya on NH-127B

Project details:

• This 19 Km four lane bridge costing Rs. 4997 Crore. have been approved in Feb, 2019 and work of have been awarded in November, 2020.
• This project will complete in September, 2028.
• These projects also have Vertical clearance of 10.50 m over high flood level and navigational length of 12.625 km to facilitate waterway transport on National watery way-2.
• The Ro-Pax services, between Neamati and Majuli, will help in reducing the travel time by providing connectivity between banks, and thus reducing the distance to be travelled by road.
• It will reduce the total distance of 420 km, currently being travelled by vehicles, to only 12 km, resulting in a substantial impact on the logistics of small-scale industries of the region.
• The program also includes shilanyas for the construction of tourist jetties at four locations – Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, Pandu, and Jogighopa with the financial assistance of Rs 9.41 crore from the Ministry of Tourism.
• These jetties will promote river cruise tourism, generate local employment, and also generate growth for local businesses.
• Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya and Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma were presented on the occasion.

Assam:
Capital: Dispur
CM: Sarbananda Sonowal
Governor: Jagdish Mukhi

Assam – PM Modi Launches ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’, Several Development Projects.

11. Who launched software applications for five pan-India surveys, including on migrant and domestic workers?
A) Narendra Modi
B) Nirmala Sitharaman
C) Amit Shah
D) S Jaishankar
E) Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar
Answer: E) Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar

• Stressing on the importance of accurate data for policy making, Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar launched software applications for five pan-India surveys, including on migrant and domestic workers.
• The minister also released instruction manuals with questionnaires for the five pan-India surveys being conducted by the Labour Bureau.
• The five All India surveys on migrant workers, domestic workers, employment generated by professionals and transport sector have tremendous role to play at national level by providing data on the most effected labour market participants.
• The Minister lauded the efforts of Shri Apurva Chandra, Secretary, L&E and Shri DPS Negi, Director General, Labour Bureau for their steadfastness and exemplary role which have finally culminated in the launch of four All India surveys.
• Secretary L&E Shri Apurva Chandra informed that the Government has constituted an Expert Group under the chairmanship and co-chairmanship of Dr. S. P. Mukherjee and Dr. Amitabh Kundu respectively with leading economists and statisticians as members to guide Labour Bureau for conducting these surveys.
• The Expert Group has so far conducted forty-six meetings of the group and Sub-Group to finalise the questionnaire, instruction manuals and sampling designs of these surveys.
• The Labour Bureau is entrusted with five All India surveys
  a. All India Survey of Migrant workers,
  b. All India survey of Domestic Workers,
  c. All India survey of employment generated by Professionals,
  d. All India survey of employment generated in Transport Sector and
  e. All-India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey
• The surveys are also significant in terms of the path-breaking initiative being taken by Bureau in terms of use of Information Technology (IT) in the entire chain of data collection to report generation. In a pioneering move, all across the country, data under all the surveys will be collected through IT enabled software using handheld electronic devices and will be stored and processed electronically.
• The IT interventions in conduct of surveys will reduce the completion time of surveys by at least 30-40%.
• The Bureau will engage an IT partner for providing the technological support for these surveys.
• This success of Bureau in utilisation of this innovative technology will be worth emulating by other agencies involved in similar survey works.
• The Bureau is also going to launch All India Quarterly Establishment Based Employment Survey to assess the employment situation in establishments with more than 10 workers and also less than 10 workers.
• These surveys will fill the huge data gap that exists on the employment numbers in the unorganized sector.

Labour and Employment:
Minister: Santosh Kumar Gangwar
Constituency: Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

Gangwar – Software Applications and instruction manuals with questionnaire for five All India Surveys.

12. Army Chief Gen Manoj Naravane flagged off ______ K9 Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzer built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T)?
A) 125
B) 100
C) 75
D) 50
E) 25
Answer: B) 100

• Army Chief Gen Manoj Naravane flagged off the 100th K9 Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzer built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its armoured system complex at Hazira in Gujarat.
• With this, L&T had completed the delivery of all the howitzers under the contract awarded in May 2017 ahead of schedule.
• The K9 Vajra programme involved the delivery of 100 howitzers with associated engineering support package covering spares, system documentation and training.
• It also involves maintenance transfer of technology to an army base workshop to support the howitzers throughout their operational life cycle.
• The 155mm, 52 calibre K9 Vajra is built by L&T with technology transfer from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defense, and is based on its K9 Thunder.
• L&T had started indigenising the howitzer right at the field trial stage by replacing 14 critical systems with indigenous systems.

L&T – 100th K9 Vajra howitzer to Army.

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