Tuesday 23 February 2021
GK Update of 14th and fifteenth February 2021 masking the next information headlines: CNG Tractor, Italy’s new prime minister, START Arms Reduction Treaty, Mandu Festival, MapMyIndia.
National News
1. Gadkari launches India’s first CNG Tractor
- Union highway transport and highways minister, Nitin Gadkari has launched India’s first-ever diesel tractor, transformed to a a lot cleaner (compressed pure fuel) CNG variant. With this, farmers will be capable to save greater than ₹1 trillion yearly on gas price, which can assist them to enhance their livelihood.
- This conversion is collectively carried out by Rawmatt Techno Solutions and Tomasetto Achille India. The CNG tractor will assist farmers to extend their revenue, by reducing prices and assist to create job alternatives in rural India.
- The farmers can save as much as 50 per cent on the gas price as the present Diesel costs are round 77 rupees per litre whereas CNG is just 42 rupees per kilogram.
- The conversion from diesel to CNG can be helpful as it’s a clear gas with the bottom carbon and pollutant content material. It can be economical because it has zero lead and is non-corrosive, non-dilutive and non-contaminating which helps in growing the lifetime of the engine.
International News
2. Mario Draghi sworn in as Italy’s new prime minister
- The former European Central Bank Chief Mario Draghi has been sworn in because the new Prime Minister of Italy on 12 February 2021. The 73-year-old had served as President of the European Central Bank from 2011 till 2019.
- He replaces Giuseppe Conte, who resigned not too long ago after shedding majority assist from his coalition authorities over his dealing with of the coronavirus pandemic. Here Italy goes once more, with its 67th authorities since World War Two.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- President of Italy: Sergio Mattarella.
- Capital of Italy: Rome; Currency of Italy: Euro.
3. US-Russia Extends New START Arms Reduction Treaty
- The United States has prolonged the “New START” nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia for a interval of 5 years. The New START, which stands for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, is a nuclear arms discount treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation.
- The new strategic arms discount treaty was formally signed on April 8, 2010, and after ratification, entered into power on 5 February 2011. The New START treaty was set to run out on February 5, 2021, however each the events have additional prolonged it for 5 extra years, until February 2026.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- President of United States: Joe Biden; Capital: Washington, D.C.
- Russia President: Vladimir Putin.
- Russia Capital: Moscow.
- Russia Currency: Russian Ruble.
State News
4. Famous Mandu Festival Begins in Madhya Pradesh
- The three-day well-known “Mandu Festival” started on the historic city of Mandu in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh on February 13, 2021. The pageant will culminate on February 15, 2021. The pageant is organised by the state authorities of Madhya Pradesh to showcase each facet of the historic Mandu metropolis, starting from meals, music, historical past & heritage, artwork & craft and so on.
- During the pageant, the state tradition and tourism minister Usha Thakur inaugurated the newly constructed Dino Adventure Park and Fossils Museum in Mandu and building of Astro Park constructing at a price of Rs 59 lakh. The Dinosaur Park is the primary fashionable fossil park in India which has 24 eggs and different fossils of dinosaurs on show.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.
5. Maharashtra govt indicators MoU with Flipkart to advertise wood toys
- Maharashtra authorities has signed an MoU with Flipkart to advertise wood toys, native artefacts, handicrafts. Maharashtra Small Industries Development Corporation and Maharashtra State Khadi & Village Industries Board have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Flipkart.
- This MoU will allow artisans, weavers, craftsmen & MSMEs from Maharashtra to showcase their merchandise to thousands and thousands of consumers in India. Flipkart will present free coaching for packaging and branding to all these producers. Also, product pictures can even be carried out by the corporate.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
- Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai.
- Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.
Agreements News
6. India’s Homegrown App MapMyIndia Ties Up With ISRO
- India’s homegrown app MapMyIndia ties up with ISRO to construct an alternative choice to Google Maps. The settlement between ISRO and MapmyIndia is usually recommended to change into an alternative choice to Google maps and related platforms. The collaboration with MapMyIndia will change into a profit for customers as a result of it is going to use digital maps of MapmyIndia and satellite tv for pc imagery and earth remark information of ISRO.
- According to this collaboration the mapping information together with the knowledge concerning air pollution, agricultural output, climate, land-use adjustments, flood and several other disasters can be seen to the customers. Rohan Verma, CEO of MapmyIndia, known as the settlement a path-breaking milestone with the purpose of fulfilling the target of Atamanirbhar Bharat.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan.
- ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- ISRO established: 15 August 1969.
7. Skill ministry launches fellowship programme in partnership with IIMs
- The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has launched the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) programme in partnership with 9 Indian Institutes’ of Management (IIM) throughout India.
- Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey chaired the occasion on ‘Transforming skilling through strategic partnerships under SANKALP’ and rolled out the MGNF and different initiatives.
- The two-year government-funded programme has been launched below the World Bank mortgage assisted programme SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion).
- The chosen fellows below the programme can be given a stipend of about Rs 50,000 per month through the first 12 months and Rs 60,000 per thirty days through the second 12 months.
- Initially, the fellows can be imparted coaching by the 9 prime IIMs of the nation and after that, the fellows will work on strengthening the District Skill Committees and the District Skill administration.
Appointments News
8. Tata Motors appoints Marc Llistosella as new CEO & MD
- Tata Motors Limited has appointed Marc Llistosella as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD). The appointment of Llistosella can be efficient from July 1, 2021.
- He will exchange present CEO & MD of Tata Motors, Guenter Butschek, who had expressed his want to relocate to Germany on the finish of the contract for private causes. Llistosella is the previous president and CEO of Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. and head of Daimler Trucks in Asia.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Tata Motors Founder: J. R. D. Tata.
- Tata Motors Founded: 1945, Mumbai.
Banking News
9. ICICI Lombard launches Corporate India Risk Index
- Private basic insurer ICICI Lombard has launched the ‘Corporate India Risk Index’. This is meant to be a unified, standardised company danger index that spans industries and corporations.
- This will assist corporations perceive the extent of danger that their enterprise is going through and in addition help in growing a profitable danger aversion plan. It has labored with consulting agency Frost and Sullivan to develop the chance measurement instrument.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- ICICI Lombard CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta.
- ICICI Lombard Headquarters: Mumbai.
- ICICI Lombard Founded: 2001.
Science and Technology News
10. Indian astronomers detect enormous optical flare in black gap ‘BL Lacertae’
- Indian astronomers have reported one of many strongest flares from a feeding supermassive black gap or blazar known as BL Lacertae, evaluation of which may also help hint the mass of the black gap and the supply of this emission, the Department of Science and Technology stated.
- Blazars or feeding supermassive black holes within the coronary heart of distant galaxies obtain a whole lot of consideration from the astronomical neighborhood due to their sophisticated emission mechanism.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Minister of Science and Technology: Dr Harsh Vardhan.
Defence News
11. Prime Minister palms over indigenous Arjun Mk-1A tank to Army
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has handed over the indigenous fundamental battle tank Arjun Mk-1A to the Army in a perform on the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.
- Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane acquired the mannequin of the tank, designed and developed by Chennai-based Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), a unit of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).
- A tank made in Tamil Nadu can be utilized in our northern borders to maintain the nation protected. This showcases India’s united spirit — Bharat’s Ekta Darshan,”. The indent for 118 of those tanks can be positioned shortly with the Heavy Vehicle Factory (HVF) at Avadi close to Chennai.
Books and Authors
12. Meghna Pant’s new e book “The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News”
- Award-winning author, journalist and speaker, Meghna Pant has penned a brand new e book “The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News”. The e book can be launched in April 2021, and shortly be seen as a significant movement image below the title Badnam Ladoo.
- The e book is a few small-town lady, Ladoo, who scandalizes her conservative household when she decides to make use of a sperm donor to have a child whereas persevering with to search for Mr Right. This e book takes a humorous and lightweight method to deal with an necessary subject, related to each lady on this planet, with out being belligerent or pedantic.
13. Peter Mukerjea pens memoir ‘Starstruck: Confessions of a TV Executive’
- Former media baron Peter Mukerjea has come out along with his memoir ‘Starstruck: Confessions of a TV executive’. The e book is offered as a recollection of his experiences within the satellite tv for pc tv business in India and the adjustments it has gone by way of over time.
- Mukerjea is the previous chief govt of Star India. Through this e book, he has shared his journey, to focus on and showcase the loads of errors made and the loads of classes learnt over virtually three a long time. It should be remembered that Mukerjea was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in November 2015 in reference to the Sheena Bora homicide case.
Awards News
14. Four Women Scientists wins SERB Women Excellence Award 2021
- The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory physique of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has introduced the SERB Women Excellence Award for the 12 months 2021, on the event of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Four younger ladies fellows of National Science Academies have been awarded SERB Women Excellence Award 2021.
The winners embody:
- Dr Shobhna Kapoor – Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, working within the space of Chemical Biology with experience in ‘Host-Pathogen Interactions and Membrane Biology, Chemical Biology and Biophysics’
- Dr Antara Banerjee – Scientist B National Institute For Research In Reproductive Health, Mumbai, Maharashtra from the Health Sciences space with experience in Signal Transduction, Biology of Reproduction and Endocrinology,
- Dr Sonu Gandhi – Scientist D from National Institute Of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad from Bionanotechnology space specializing in Nanosensors, Design and Fabrication of Label-free Biosensors
- Dr Ritu Gupta – Assistant Professor at Indian Institute Of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan engaged on Nanotechnology with experience in Materials Science, Nanodevices and Sensors, Health & Energy.
Miscellaneous News
15. Puducherry launches marketing campaign to change into Covid-free by February 28
- In Puducherry, a marketing campaign has been launched titled “Zero Covid by Feb28” to make sure that there are not any COVID-19 circumstances by the tip of February 2021, within the union territory. The total caseload in Puducherry was 39,448 whereas 38,533 had recovered thus far, leaving 258 lively circumstances.
- Under the marketing campaign, all those that had come into contact with folks contaminated with coronavirus can be recognized and supplied remedy, in order that the additional unfold of the pathogen could possibly be prevented.
Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:
- Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry (UT): Dr Kiran Bedi.
- Chief Minister of Puducherry: V. Narayanasamy.