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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January 20 | Daily Current Affairs 2021

OBITUARY

1. Gajendra Singh Shaktawat passed away. He was related to which field?
A) Politician
B) Actor
C) Writer
D) Film Maker
E) Dancer
Answer: A) Politician

• Congress MLA from Vallabhnagar in Udaipur district, Gajendra Singh Shaktawat, died.
• He was the third Congress and the fourth sitting MLA of the Rajasthan Assembly to have died in the past few months.
• Earlier, Congress MLAs Master Bhanwar lal Meghwal (Sujangarh in Churu), Kailash Trivedi (Saharda in BhilwarA) and BJP MLA Kiran Maheshwari (RajsamanD) had died.

Rajasthan:
Capital: Jaipur
CM: Ashok Gehlot
Governor: Kalraj Mishra

Gajendra Singh Shaktawat – Rajasthan Congress MLA.

RANKING

2. According to the second edition of the India Innovation Index, which state is topped in the Major States category?
A) Maharashtra
B) Madhya Pradesh
C) Mizoram
D) Nagaland
E) Karnataka
Answer: E) Karnataka

• NITI Aayog released the second edition of the India Innovation Index-2020.
• The index demonstrates the government’s continued commitment towards transforming the country into an innovation-driven economy.
• The index illustrates that India is on the right path and the states are endeavouring to improve their innovative ecosystem.
• In the India Innovation Index-2020, the States and Union Territories have been divided into 17 Major States, 10 North-East and Hill States and nine Union Territories and Small States for effectively comparing their performance.

Major States category – Top Ranking

 

Major States category – Bottom Ranking

 

The North East and Hill States category

 

The Union Territories and small States category.

BANKING AND FINANCE

3. BSE has joined hands with which state government to create awareness about benefits of listing among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of the state?
A) Maharashtra
B) Madhya Pradesh
C) Mizoram
D) Nagaland
E) Karnataka
Answer: A) Maharashtra

• Leading stock exchange BSE has joined hands with the Maharashtra government to create awareness about benefits of listing among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of the state.
• Through this pact, the exchange will provide intellectual and manpower support to create awareness about the benefits of listing among SMEs and will enable capacity building to such enterprises to fulfil listing requirements.

BSE:
Abbreviation: Bombay Stock Exchange
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded: 1875
Chairman: Just. Vikramajit Sen

Maharashtra:
Capital: Mumbai
CM: Udhav Thackarey
Governor: Bhagat singh koshyari

BSE + Maharashtra = Encourage SME listing.

4. Which Payment Bank launches ‘Safe Pay’ feature to protect users from online fraud?
A) Jio Payments Bank
B) Airtel Payments Bank
C) Fino Payments Bank
D) India Post Payments Bank
E) Paytm Payments Bank
Answer: B) Airtel Payments Bank

• Airtel Payments Bank launched ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, a mode of safe digital transactions to protect its customers from online payment frauds.

Airtel Payments Bank:
HQ: New Delhi, India.
CEO: Anubrata Biswas
Tagline: Banking Is Now at Your Fingertips India’s First Payment Bank.

Airtel Payments Bank – ‘Airtel Safe Pay’ to curb digital transaction frauds.

5. Which Bank launches ‘InstaFX’ mobile app to help customers obtain Forex Prepaid Card swiftly?
A) ICICI Bank
B) Canara Bank
C) HDFC Bank
D) Bandhan Bank
E) IndusInd Bank
Answer: A) ICICI Bank

• ICICI Bank launched a new mobile application ‘InstaFX’ for authorised money changers to help customers of any bank get ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ swiftly.
• The bank is the first in the country to offer such facility to money changers.
• The app enables the authorised money changers, who are partners of the Bank, to complete the KYC verification and validation of customers digitally and on a real-time basis.
• The facility significantly improves customer convenience as the ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ gets activated swiftly within a few hours, as against the industry practice of up to two-days.
• The app enhances convenience of customers, even if they are not customers of our bank, as it facilitates swift activation of the Forex Prepaid Card.

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

ICICI Bank – ‘InstaFX’ mobile app to help customers obtain Forex Prepaid Card swiftly.

APPOINTMENTS

6. Who has been temporarily assigned the charge of the Ministry of AYUSH?
A) Ravi Shankar Prasad
B) Kiren Rijiju
C) Nirmala Sitharaman
D) Amit Shah
E) Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
Answer: B) Kiren Rijiju

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:
Minister: Kiren Rijiju
Constituency: Arunachal Pradesh West, Arunachal Pradesh

Kiren Rijiju – Temporarily assign the charge of the Ministry of AYUSH.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

7. The Union Cabinet has approved to a MoU between India and which country for cooperation in the field of solar energy?
A) Bangladesh
B) Zimbabwe
C) Nepal
D) Iran
E) Uzbekistan
Answer: E) Uzbekistan

• The Union Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of solar energy.
• The main area of work under the MoU is to identify research/demonstration /
  pilot projects between the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) , Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, India and the International Solar Energy Institute (ISEI), Uzbekistan in the mutually identified areas.

Uzbekistan:
Capital: Tashkent
Currency: Uzbekistani som

India + Uzbekistan – Cooperation in the field of solar energy.

8. The Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force conducted the bilateral exercise Desert Knight-21 at which Place?
A) Jodhpur, Rajasthan
B) Bangalore, Karnataka
C) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
D) Hyderabad, Telangana
E) Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Answer: A) Jodhpur, Rajasthan

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) and French Air and Space Force will kickstart the bilateral exercise Desert Knight-21 at Air Force Station Jodhpur from January 20.
• The five-day exercise will witness participation from a plethora of aircraft including the recently acquired Rafale fighter jets. IAF’s Mirage 2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI, IL-78 will be other aircraft that will feature in the exercise.
• The French side will participate with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft besides others.
• The last edition of Exercise Garuda, another landmark wargame, took place in 2019.

France:
Capital: Paris
Currency: Euro

IAF + French Air Force – Desert Knight-21 at Air Force Station Jodhpur.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

9. Narendra Modi releases financial assistance of how much amount to 6.1 lakh beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) via video conferencing?
A) Rs 1,691 crores
B) Rs 2,691 crores
C) Rs 3,691 crores
D) Rs 4,691 crores
E) Rs 5,691 crores
Answer: B) Rs 2,691 crores

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi released financial assistance of around Rs 2,691 crores to 6.1 lakh beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) via video conferencing.
• Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also be present on the occasion.
• The assistance includes release of first installment to 5.30 lakh beneficiaries and second installment to 80,000 beneficiaries who have already availed of the first installment of assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G).
• Modi had given a call of Housing for All by 2022, for which a flagship programme of PMAY-G was launched on November 20, 2016.
• So far 1.26 crore houses have already been built across the country under the scheme, the beneficiaries of PMAY-G are also provided support of unskilled labour wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and assistance of Rs 12,000 for construction of toilets through the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.

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

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

Narendra Modi – Financial support to over 600,000 beneficiaries under PMAY-G.

10. Which state has decided to rename dragon fruit as ‘Kamalam’?
A) Gujarat
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Nagaland
E) Mizoram
Answer: A) Gujarat

• The Gujarat government has decided to rename dragon fruit as ‘Kamalam’.
• The state government has applied for a patent to change the nomenclature of dragon fruit, which is largely grown in Kutch, Navsari and different parts of Saurashtra, to ‘Kamalam’

Gujarat:
Capital : Gandhinagar
CM : Vijay Rupani
Governor : Acharya Dev Vrat

Gujarat – Rename dragon fruit as ‘kamalam’.

11. Which Minister and DRDO signed a MoU to strengthen collaboration in the field of technical exchange and co-operation on sustainable geo-hazard management?
A) Road Transport and Highways Minister
B) AYUSH Minister
C) External Affairs Minister
D) Women & Child Development Minister
E) Home Minister
Answer: A) Road Transport and Highways Minister

• Road Transport and Highways Ministry and Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in the field of technical exchange and co-operation on sustainable geo-hazard management.
• The MoU was signed by Secretary Ministry of Road and Transport Giridhar Aramane and Secretary DRDO Dr Satieesh Reddy.
• It has been agreed that both will co-operate in the areas of mutual benefit including, conceptual planning of integrated avalanche and landslide protection schemes for all weather connectivity in snow bound areas of the country.
• This initiative will ensure safety of road users on National Highways in the country and safeguard them from the adverse effects of landslides and other natural calamities.

Road Transport and Highways and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises:
Minister: Nitin Gadkari
Constituency: Nagpur. Maharashtra

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

Road Transport and Highways Ministry + DRDO – Technical exchange on sustainable geo-hazard management.

12. Which state has launched the ‘Horticulture Development Mission’ (Bagayat Vikas Mission) aim to double the income of farmers involved in medicinal and horticulture farming?
A) Gujarat
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Nagaland
E) Mizoram
Answer: A) Gujarat

• In Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the ‘Horticulture Development Mission’ (Bagayat Vikas Mission).
• The aim of this mission is to double the income of farmers involved in medicinal and horticulture farming. He said that under this mission, the waste land of the government will be given on 30-year lease for farming of horticulture and medicinal crops.
• As per an estimate, the government has about 50,000 non-cultivated land waste lands. The government intends to convert this land into cultivation.
• The government has included Kutch, Surendranagar, Patan, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts in the first phase.
• Under this mission, a tax on land conversion will be waived off. Lease amount applicable will be Rs 100 to Rs 500 per year per acre during 6th to 30th year.
• Lease holders will be able to set up solar panel, windmills to generate energy for their own use, but will not be allowed to sell it.

Gujarat:
Capital: Gandhinagar
CM: Vijay Rupani
Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat

Gujarat – The ‘Horticulture Development Mission’ (Bagayat Vikas Mission).

13. The Union Cabinet approved for how much amount investment in the 850-MW Ratle Hydro Electric (HE) Project located on river Chenab in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir?
A) ₹3,281.94-crore
B) ₹2,281.94-crore
C) ₹4,281.94-crore
D) ₹5,281.94-crore
E) ₹1,281.94-crore
Answer: D) ₹5,281.94-crore

• The Union Cabinet gave its approval for ₹5,281.94-crore investment in the 850-MW Ratle Hydro Electric (HE) Project located on river Chenab, in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The investment will be made by a new joint venture company (JVC) to be incorporated between National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKSPDC) with equity contribution of 51 per cent and 49 per cent respectively.

Jammu and Kashmir:
Capital: Srinagar(summer), Jammu(winter)
Governor: Manoj Sinha

Cabinet – ₹5,282-cr investment for 850-MW Ratle Hydro Electric project in J & K.

14. The government has raised Punjab & Sind Bank authorized capital to
Rs 10,000 crore from __________?
A) Rs 1,000 crore
B) Rs 2,000 crore
C) Rs 3,000 crore
D) Rs 5,000 crore
E) Rs 4,000 crore
Answer: C) Rs 3,000 crore

• State-owned Punjab & Sind Bank said the government has raised its authorised capital to Rs 10,000 crore.
• Government of India vide Gazette Notification No.F.No.l l/8/2019-BOA-I dated 06.01.2021 has increased the Authorized Share Capital of the Bank from Rs 3,000 crore to Rs Rs 10,000 crore.
• Last year, the government had approved capital infusion of Rs 5,500 crore into the bank through preferential allotment of shares.
• The fund was approved from Rs 20,000 crore cleared by Parliament in September 2020 for capital infusion in PSBs as part of the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2020-21.

Punjab & Sind Bank:
Hq: New Delhi, Delhi
MD & CEO: S Krishnan
Tagline: Where Service is a way of Life

Government – Raise authorised capital of Punjab & Sind Bank to Rs 10,000 crore.

15. Which state has become the first State to give electricity subsidy through Direct Benefit Transfer?
A) Gujarat
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Nagaland
E) Mizoram
Answer: C) Madhya Pradesh

• Madhya Pradesh has become the first State to give electricity subsidy through Direct Benefit Transfer.
• With this, it has fulfilled a power reform condition as proposed by the Centre and thus eligible for additional borrowing.
• The scheme has been implemented in Vidisha district of the State, where electricity is bring supplied through the MP Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Co Ltd with effect from December 2020.
• Under the scheme, an amount of ₹32.07 crore was transferred to the bank accounts of 60,081 beneficiaries in December.

Madhya Pradesh:
Capital: Bhopal
CM: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Governor: Anandiben Patel

Madhya Pradesh – First State to give power subsidy to farmers through DBT.

16. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has signed an agreement with which State Electricity Board for utilization of 500 km of optical ground wire (OPGW) telecom network?
A) Madhya Pradesh
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Himachal Pradesh
D) Maharashtra
E) Nagaland
Answer: C) Himachal Pradesh

• To improve telecom connectivity in hilly areas, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), the PSU under Ministry of Power, has recently signed an agreement with Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEBL) in Shimla (H.P.) for utilization of 500 Kms of OPGW Telecom network.
• This is in addition to the existing 350 Kms of OPGW laid on HPSEBL Extra High Voltage (EHV) lines already being used in the state to boost its connectivity.
• This total 850 Kms long telecom network will enable POWERGRID Telecom to reach remote areas of Kangra, Una, Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur, Sirmour, Palampur, Sundernagar, Banikhet, Amb, Paonta Sahib, Nahan etc.
• POWERGRID has created over 67,500 km of OFC network connecting over 1000 plus locations across the country carrying traffic in multiple of 10G/100G in rings.
• The POWERGRID OFC network covers all the important towns & cities of the country along with the hilly & difficult terrains of J&K and North Eastern Region.
• The Company has also provided the domestic leg of International Connectivity to Bhutan and Nepal, and proposed connectivity to Bangladesh up to the Indian border to International Long Distance (ILD) Licensees.

About POWERGRID:

• POWERGRID, a ‘Maharatna’ CPSE under Ministry of Power, Government of India and Central Transmission Utility (CTU) of India, is India’s principal power transmission company and also one of the largest power transmission utilities in the world.
• POWERGRID’s vast transmission network comprises of ~168,140 circuit kilometers of transmission lines, 252 EHVAC & HVDC substations with transformation capacity of about 420,630 MVA, spread across the country.
• This network has been consistently maintained at an average availability of >99%. The Company’s shares are listed on the BSE and the NSE and are a part of S&P BSE SENSEX and NIFTY.

Himachal Pradesh:
Capital: Shimla
CM: Jai Ram Thakur
Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya

Power Grid Corporation + Himachal Electricity Board = Telecom network.

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