Friday 22 January 2021
GK Update of twenty first January 2021 masking the next information headlines: Joe Biden, Radio Hills-Youngistan Ka Dil, Kamalam, Exercise Desert Knight-21, Telecommunications Consultants India Limited.
International News
1. Joe Biden takes oath as forty sixth US President
- Joe Biden grew to become the forty sixth president of the United States. He swore the oath of workplace moments after Kamala Harris, who grew to become America’s first girl vp, turning the web page on Donald Trump’s tumultuous 4 years.
- At 78, Biden is the oldest president in US historical past and solely the second Roman Catholic president. Biden, who was vp below Barack Obama and first ran for president in 1987, plans to kick off his tenure with a flurry of 17 orders.
- Biden will instantly rejoin the Paris local weather accord and cease the US exit from the World Health Organization and set new paths on immigration, the surroundings, Covid-19 and the economic system.
State News
2. CM Thakur launches HP’s first on-line youth radio station
- Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched Himachal Pradesh’s first on-line youth radio station ”Radio Hills-Youngistan Ka Dil”.
- The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of younger entrepreneurs. The developer of the net radio Karan, and Radio Jockeys Palak, Rahul and Nidhi had been additionally current on the event.
- The on-line radio would go a good distance in selling the tradition and traditions of the state, apart from offering a possibility to the youth to exhibit their skills. The founders of the net radio, Deepika and Saurabh.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Chief Minister of HP: Jairam Thakur; Governor of HP: Bandaru Dattatraya.
3. Gujarat to Rename Dragon Fruit as ‘Kamalam’
- The Gujarat state authorities has renamed dragon fruit as ‘Kamalam’. The transfer has saved the web in splits and plenty of criticized it utilizing the hashtag #SanskariFruitSabzi.
- As per Gujarat Chief Minister, the dragon fruit has been renamed Kamalam due to the form of the fruit.
- The state authorities has utilized for the patent of the fruit named Kamalam. This was introduced on the launch of the Chief Minister Horticulture Development Mission.
- The Horticulture Development Mission is a scheme to advertise horticulture within the unproductive areas of the state as nicely.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Gujarat Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani.
- Gujarat Governor: Acharya Devvrat.
Defence News
4. Indo-French Exercise Desert Knight-21 begins
- Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force are conducting a bilateral Air train, Ex Desert Knight-21 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
- The train marks an essential milestone within the sequence of engagements between the 2 Air forces. It is exclusive because it consists of fielding of Rafale plane by each side and is indicative of the rising interplay between the 2 premiers Air Forces.
- The French facet will take part with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, A-400M Tactical Transport plane and roughly 175 personnel.
- The Indian Air Force plane collaborating within the train will embody Rafale, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI amongst different plane.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- France President: Emmanuel Macron.
- France Capital: Paris.
- France Currency: Euro.
Appointments News
5. Govt appoints Siddhartha Mohanty as managing director of LIC
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Siddhartha Mohanty because the managing director of India’s largest insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) from February 1 onwards.
- He is at present CEO of LIC Housing Finance Limited. He will function the MD of LIC until his superannuation on June 30, 2023. He can be changing TC Suseel Kumar, who is about to retire on January 31, 2021.
- LIC has 4 MDs and one chairman. Currently, MR Kumar is serving because the chairman of the company and TC Suseel Kumar, Vipin Anand, Mukesh Kumar Gupta, and Raj Kumar are serving because the MDs of LIC.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Life Insurance Corporation Founded: 1 September 1956.
- Life Insurance Corporation Headquarters: Mumbai.
6. ACC appoints Sanjeev Kumar as new CMD of TCIL
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has accredited the appointment of Sanjeev Kumar as the brand new Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL).
- According to an order from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Kumar has been appointed to the submit for a interval of 5 years from the date of assumption of the cost of the submit, or until the age of superannuation, or till additional orders, whichever is earlier. He is at present serving as Director (Technical) in Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).
- Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) is a Miniratna PSU below the executive management of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications. TCIL, a premier telecommunication consultancy and engineering firm is making out there its huge and different telecom experience to pleasant growing international locations.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Telecommunications Consultants India Limited Founded: 1978.
- Telecommunications Consultants India Limited Headquarters: New Delhi.
7. Sundaram Finance names Rajiv Lochan as MD
- The board of Sundaram Finance has named Rajiv Lochan (director Strategy) as managing director with impact from April 1. Sundaram Finance Ltd has made top-level adjustments as the present managing director T.T. Srinivasaraghavan can be retiring on March 31, 2020.
- While the present deputy managing director Harsha Viji will assume the workplace of government vice-chairman, and take duty for the general technique and path of Sundaram Finance Ltd., and different group corporations in monetary providers.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Sundaram Finance Ltd Founded: 1954.
- Sundaram Finance Ltd Founder: T.S.Santhanam.
- Sundaram Finance Ltd Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Summits and Conferences News
8. India, Singapore signal pact on submarine rescue assist
- The fifth version of the Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD) between India and Singapore was efficiently held on 20 January 2021 by way of a video convention, in an effort to deepen army cooperation.
- During the assembly, the ‘Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation’ was signed between the 2 Navies. The settlement was signed between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart Dr Ng Eng Hen.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Singapore Currency: Singapore greenback.
- Capital of Singapore: Singapore.
- PM of Singapore: Lee Hsien Loong.
Banking News
9. ICICI Bank launches ‘InstaFX’ cellular app
- ICICI Bank has launched a brand new cellular utility ‘InstaFX’ for authorised cash changers to assist clients of any financial institution get ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ swiftly. ICICI is the financial institution is the primary within the nation to supply such facility to cash changers.
- A cash changer is an individual or group whose enterprise is the alternate of cash or foreign money of 1 nation, for that of one other.
- The ‘InstaFX’ app will allow the authorised cash changers, who’re companions of the Bank, to finish the KYC verification and validation of consumers digitally and on a real-time foundation.
- The ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ will get activated swiftly inside just a few hours, as in opposition to the business apply of as much as two-days, thus it’ll considerably enhance buyer comfort, even when they don’t seem to be clients of ICICI financial institution.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi.
- ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka.
10. Airtel Payments Bank launches ‘Airtel Safe Pay’
- To defend Airtel clients from the rising incidents of on-line fee frauds, Airtel Payments Bank has launched ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, a secure method to pay digitally.
- With ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, Airtel clients making UPI or internet banking-based funds by way of Airtel Payments Bank, now not have to fret about cash flowing out of their accounts with out their express consent.
- An India-First innovation, ‘Airtel Safe Pay’ leverages Airtel’s ‘telco exclusive’ energy of community intelligence to supply an extra layer of fee validation, in comparison with the business norm of two-factor authentication.
- This gives the very best degree of safety from potential frauds comparable to phishing, stolen credentials or passwords, and even cellphone cloning that catches clients unaware.
- Using ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, Airtel Payments Bank clients could make safe digital funds throughout thousands and thousands of retailers, on-line retailers and utilities, and even ship cash.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Airtel Payments Bank CEO: Anubrata Biswas.
- Airtel Payments Bank Headquarters Location: New Delhi.
- Airtel Payments Bank Founded: 2017.
- Airtel Payments Bank Parent group: Bharti Airtel.
Ranks and Reports News
11. NITI Aayog Releases India Innovation Index 2.0
- NITI Aayog launched the second version of the India Innovation Index on 20 January 2021, together with the Institute for Competitiveness.
- India Innovation Index 2.0 or 2nd version has launched by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar. The index demonstrates the federal government’s continued dedication in the direction of remodeling the nation into an innovation-driven economic system. The report examines the innovation capabilities and efficiency of the states and union territories.
- The innovation index rating relies on 5 enabler parameters (‘Human Capital’, ‘Investment’, ‘Knowledge Workers’, ‘Business Environment’, ‘Safety and Legal Environment’), and two efficiency parameters (‘Knowledge Output’ and ‘Knowledge Diffusion’).
- In the ‘Major States’ class, Karnataka occupied the highest place, adopted by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu respectively.
- In UT and city-states class, Delhi topped adopted by Chandigarh.
- Under the ‘North-Eastern/Hill States’ class, Himachal Pradesh emerged as the highest state.
Obituaries News
12. Former Arunachal Governor Mata Prasad passes away
- Former Arunachal Governor Mata Prasad has handed away on the age of 95.
- He served as minister within the Congress authorities in Uttar Pradesh in 1988- 89 and appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in 1993.
Miscellaneous News
13. Howrah-Kalka Mail Renamed as “Netaji Express”
- One of the oldest trains of Indian Railways, the Howrah-Kalka Mail has been renamed because the ‘Netaji Express’.
- Indian Railways have renamed the practice just some days earlier than the beginning anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on January 23.
- Howrah-Kalka Mail was began within the nineteenth Century as one of many early industrial passenger practice providers in India.
- The Kalka mail has all the time been in style for connecting Howrah with Kalka and has loved regular patronage.
- It is believed that Netaji took this practice from Bihar’s Gomoh after escaping from his home in Kolkata within the yr 1941.
14. JSW Sports indicators cricketer Rishabh Pant to handle industrial pursuits
- Rishabh Pant was signed by JSW Sports, the sports activities arm of JSW Group. The multi-year affiliation between the 2 events will see JSW Sports handle all industrial pursuits and advertising rights of the 23-year-old cricketer, who most lately performed a starring position in India’s magnificent Test sequence win in Australia.
- As a part of the affiliation, JSW Sports will handle the athlete’s picture positioning and all his industrial engagements, together with model endorsements and appearances, social media monetisation, and enterprise offers.
- Ever since its inception in 2012, JSW Sports has labored in the direction of maximising India’s sporting potential by working with promising Indian skills throughout Olympic sports activities, soccer, and kabaddi; together with Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik and wrestling star Bajrang Punia.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- JSW Group Founder: Sajjan Jindal.
- JSW Group Founded: 1982.