Current Affairs

Top Current Affairs of April 2023

The Top Current Affairs of April 2023 are as follows:

1. 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
2. Green World Award 2023 by Green Organisation has been presented to Chennai Metro Rail Limited.
3. Ramson Magsaysay Award presented to Dalai Lama after its announcement in 1959.
4. QUAD Summit to take place on 24 May 2023 in Australia.
5. With India's assistance, Mongolia will have its first oil refinery by 2024.
6. India launched 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back its citizens stranded in war-torn Sudan.
7. PM Gati Shakti national master plan initiative has been conferred with the Award for Excellence in public administration.
8. The first census of water bodies has been launched by the Minister of Jal Shakti.
9. TeLEOS-2 satellite of Singapore launched by ISRO.
10. A 4% reservation has been announced for Divyang employees in promotions by the Maharashtra Government.
11. World's first Biometric Handgun has been developed by Biofire Technologies, USA.
12. Bengaluru got the first spot in digital payment transactions in 2022.
13. The first underwater metro in India was started by Kolkata Metro.
14. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the first AIIMS of Northeast India in Guwahati.
15. The new logo of SEBI was unveiled on the 35th foundation day of SEBI.
16. India's growth forecast for the financial year 2023- 2024 has been lowered to 5.9% by IMF.
17. James Webb Space Telescope revealed Cassiopeia A details.
18. President of India Droupadi Murmu took a short flight in Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft.
19. In the FIFA rankings, India moved to 101st place.
20. Indian Space Policy 2023 has been approved by the Union Cabinet of India.
21. Basohi Painting from the Kathua district of Jammu received the Geographical Indication Tag.
22. Competition Amendment Bill 2023 has been passed by the Parliament.
23. Paradip Port became the port with the highest annual traffic.
24. A massive black region on the sun has been discovered by NASA scientists.

Top Current Affairs of February 2023

The latest and top current affairs of February 2023 are as follows:

1. Indian Railways has started the Rail Post Gati Shakti Express Cargo Service.
2. Air India has given orders of 25 aircraft to Airbus and 220 aircraft to Boeing.
3. Maharashtra won the highest number of medals in the Khelo India Youth Games.
4. 108 Namma Clinics launched in Karnataka by Chief Minister of state - Basavaraj Bommai.
5. The repo rate has been increased by RBI by 25 basis points.
6. An earthquake of Magnitude 7.8 hit Turkey and Syria.
7. Harmanpreet Singh has become the brand ambassador of PUMA India.
8. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2023 in Parliament.
9. Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2022 - 2023 in the Parliament.
10. The United Kingdom will be the partner for BioAsia 2023.

Top Current Affairs of December 2022

The latest current affairs of December 2022 are as follows:

1. Hornbill Festival 2022 is to be organized in Nagaland till 10 December 2022.
2. India took the G20 presidency on 1 December 2022.

Top Current Affairs of November 2022

The Latest Current Affairs of November 2022 are as follows:

1. Stephanie Frappart is the first women referee in a FIFA Men's World Cup.
2. Mauna Lao - World's largest active volcano erupted in nearly 40 years in Hawaii, USA.
3. AUSTRA HIND 22 - a bilateral training exercise between the Indian and Australian Army began in Rajashthan.
4. The unemployment rate of India declined to 7.2% from 9.8%.
5. India-ASEAN defence ministers meeting co-chaired by Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh with his Cambodian counterpart.
6. Intermediate-range Ballistic Missile AGNI 3 has been successfully tested by India.
7. The Australian Parliament has approved Australia's free trade agreement with India.
8. Integrated firepower exercise - SHATRUNASH conducted by Indian Army's South Western Command.
9. Dalai Lama has been awarded the Gandhi Mandela award.
10. Domestic LPG cylinders will soon have a QR code.
11. World Heritage Week 2022 from 19 November to 25 November 2022 will be celebrated.
12. Achanta Sharath Kamal became the first Indian Table Tennis player to be elected to the Athletes' commission of ITTF.
13. The 17th G20 Summit took place in Bali, Indonesia.
14. First hydrogen fuel cell Catamaran vessel to be built by Cochin Shipyard.
15. Sonar System for testing and evaluation for the Indian Navy has been developed by DRDO.
16. Aadhar regulations have been updated by the Government of India.
17. Skyroot Aerospace will become the first private company in India to launch a rocket into Space.
18. Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report 2022 has been released by Union Jal Shakti Minister.
19. MALABAR Naval Exercise 2022 between QUAD nations took place in Japan.
20. Shyam Saran Negi, the first voter of Independent India voted for the 34th time in the Himachal Pradesh elections.
21. Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a stunning "Smiling Sun" image.
22. Fish Museum to be set up in Arunachal Pradesh
23. India defeated Australia in the finals to win the Sultan of Johor Cup 2022 third time.
24. The President of India launched India Water Week in Greater Noida of Uttar Pradesh.

Top Current Affairs of October 2022

The Latest Current Affairs of October 2022 are as follows:

1. Ministry of Defence, India is now the largest employer in the world with 2.92 million employees.
2. A common credit portal named 'SAFAL' was launched by Odisha CM.
3. Elon Musk Twitter Deal completed at $44bn, Musk took over Twitter.
4. New reform policies have been released for Satellite Communication Services.
5. Rishi Sunak became the new Prime Minister of the UK, he is the first Asian British to do so.
6. Kadmat and Minicoy beach of Lakshadweep got Blue Flag Certification.
7. Agni Prime Ballistic Missile successfully test-fired by India.
8. Tiger Triumph humanitarian assistance exercise conducted by India and the USA.
9. Anna May Wong to appear in US Currency, thus becoming the first Asian American to appear.
10. The Minimum Support Price of 6 Rabi crops has been increased by cabinet approval.
11. A new Tiger Reserve named Durgavati Tiger Reserve has been approved by the Madhya Pradesh Wildlife Board.
12. Defence Expo 2022 organized in Gujarat.
13. Haryana came first in Public Affairs Index 2022.
14. Indian Women's Cricket team won the Women's Asia Cup 2022 title.
15. Hyderabad wins World Green CIty Award 2022, organized by AIPH.
16. Maa Bharati ke sapoot website was launched by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
17. Multi-State Cooperative Societies Amendment Bill 2022 has been approved by the Union Cabinet.
18. Indian President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the supercomputer facility 'PARAM KAMRUPA' at IIT Guwahati.
19. Chandrayaan 2 has found Sodium on Moon.
20. The next Chief Justice of India will be Justice DY Chandrachud.
21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Mahakal Lok Corridor in Ujjain.
22. World Economic Forum has released Education 4.0 India Report.
23. Nobel Prize in Economics Winners 2022 - Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig.
24. World Post Day was observed on 9 October 2022.
25. Pooja Patel of Gujarat became the first athlete to win a gold medal in Yogasana in National Games 2022.
26. The Election Commission of India has made Pankaj Tripathi its National Icon.
27. "Emerging Trends in Broadcasting Sector" seminar organized by TRAI.
28. Indigenously built Light Combat Helicopter developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, inducted in the Indian Air Force.
29. President of India Droupadi Murmu presented the National Film Awards in New Delhi.
30. 5G Services launched in India at the 6thIndia Mobile Congress 2022.

You can also read the Monthly Current Affairs of September 2022 in an eBook format.

Top Current Affairs of March 2022

India’s first ‘World Peace Center’ will be established in Gurugram.

Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti organization will set up India’s first ‘World Peace Center’ in Gurugram. 'World Peace Center' will work for the establishment of peace and harmony in the world. Programs of Peace Education will be prepared in the coordination of ancient knowledge and modern science.

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred Nari Shakti Puraskar for the years 2020 and 2021 on International Women’s Day 2022.

International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8 March to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. ‘#Break The Bias’ is the campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2022. ‘Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’ is the UN theme for International Women’s Day 2022.

Indigenous anti-collision technology 'Kavach' was successfully tested to prevent rail accidents.

Indian Railways has successful conducted anti-collision test of the 'Kavach' system, which is an indigenously developed system to avoid rail accidents. Kavach, an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, has been created to assist the Railways in achieving their goal of zero accidents. ‘Kavach' automatically stops the train before 380 metres of other locomotives at the front.

Rafael Nadal wins Mexican Open title by defeating Cameron Norris.

He won his 91st ATP title by defeating Cameron Norris by 6-4, 6-4 in Acapulco. It is his third title in 2022 and 25th tournament win on the hardcourt. Rafael Nadal has clinched Mexican Open title for the fourth time. This year, he has also won the Australian Open. In the doubles final, Feliciano Lopez and Stefanos Tsitsipas won the title by defeating Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer by 7-5, 6-4.

Top Current Affairs of November 2021

7^th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs was hosted by the French Navy.

The 7th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs has been hosted by French Navy at Paris from 15 - 16 November 2021. The Conclave of Chiefs is being attended by Chiefs of Navies/ Heads of Lead Maritime Agencies of IONS nations.

PM Modi addressed the first Audit Diwas on 16 November.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the first Audit Diwas at the CAG office in New Delhi. On this occasion, he also unveiled the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Audit Diwas is being celebrated to mark the formation of CAG and its contribution to governance, transparency, and accountability.

Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv to be organized in Jhansi, UP.

Three-day Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv will be organized from November 17-19, 2021 in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. The event is a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahaotsav’ celebrations. Raksha Mantri will inaugurate the event on November 17.

Centre decides to discard caste-based payment method for MGNREGA Scheme.

Centre has decided to discard the caste-based payment method for people working under MGNREGA Scheme. The Finance Ministry has directed the Ministry of Rural Development to bring back the earlier system of making Single Muster and Single Fund Transfer Order (FTO).

SpaceX sets up its subsidiary in India.

Elon Musk-owned SpaceX established its wholly-owned subsidiary in India to start local broadband operations. SpaceX's satellite broadband arm Starlink is planning to launch its broadband service in India from December 2022. SpaceX's subsidiary in India named SSCPL - Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited has been established on 1 November.

Union Education Minister launches Bhasha Sangam initiative.

Bhasha Sangam initiative has been launched for schools by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on 01 November. He has also launched Bhasha Sangam Mobile App and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Mobile Quiz. Bhasha Sangam is an initiative of the Ministry of Education under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

Facebook, a Social media giant, is going to change its name to 'Meta'.

Mark Zuckerberg has announced that Facebook is going to change its parent company name to 'Meta'. 'Meta' will be part of a rebrand to highlight the company's new focus on developing the 'Metaverse'. During the describing the Metaverse, Zuckerberg said that it will be the next generation of the Internet, as a virtual environment that would allow people to be present with each other in a digital space.

Top Current Affairs October 2021

“SAMBHAV”, a National Level Awareness Programme, launched by Union Minister for MSME Narayan Rane.

Union Minister of MSME Shri Narayan Rane has launched a National level awareness program-2021 “SAMBHAV”. Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has organized this National Level Awareness Programme in New Delhi. Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma emphasized on enhancing the GDP contribution of the MSME sector from the present 30 percent to 50 percent, and employment generation from 11 crores to 15 crores.

India and Asian Development Bank signed a project readiness financing (PRF) loan agreement to improve urban mobility in Mizoram.

Indian Government and Asian Development Bank signed a $4.5 million project readiness financing (PRF) loan agreement to improve urban mobility in Mizoram. It will support project preparation and design activities to improve urban mobility in Mizoram.

Education Minister launched phase II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship.

Union Education Minister has launched phase II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship. It is a two-year-long fellowship programme for young, dynamic individuals to contribute to enhancing skill development at the grassroots.

DRDO carried out successful flight test of ABHYAS. 

DRDO has carried out a successful flight test of ABHYAS- the High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT).  The flight test has been carried out from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha. ABHYAS can be used as an aerial target for the evaluation of various missile systems.

India hands over Jaynagar-Kurtha cross-border rail link to Nepal government.

India has handed over a 34.9 km long cross-border rail link to the Nepal government. It connects Jayanagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal. The rail link handing over ceremony took place in the presence of the Nepal minister for physical Infrastructure and Indian Transport Minister Renu Kumari Yadav.

Sri Lanka receives first consignment of non-harmful Nano Nitrogen liquid fertilizer from India.

Sri Lanka has received the first consignment of 3.1 million liters of non-harmful Nano Nitrogen liquid fertilizers from India. It will help in increasing the productivity of paddy, and maize in the eastern province of Sri Lanka. Recently, Sri Lankan Government has banned the import of chemical fertilizers. Sri Lanka’s annual fertilizers imports cost is around 400 million U.S. dollars.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launches AQEWS on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav week organised by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has launched Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav week organised by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. He said that Air Quality Warning System integrated with the Decision Support System could become user friendly tool for air-quality management in and around Delhi. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has developed a new Decision Support System (DSS). IITM, Pune is an autonomous institute of Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Geospatial Energy Map of India launched by NITI Aayog.

Geospatial Energy Map of India has been launched by NITI Aayog on 18 October 2021. NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India with the support of Energy Ministries of Government of India. The GIS map provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country. This enables visualisation of energy installations such as conventional power plants, oil and gas wells, petroleum refineries, coal fields and coal blocks, district-wise data on renewable energy power plants.

Indian army team wins gold medal in the Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2021.

Indian army team has won the gold medal in the Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2021 organised at Brecon, Wales, UK from 13th to 15th October 2021. A team from 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) represented Indian Army at Exercise Cambrian Patrol and won the gold medal. Ex Cambrian Patrol is organised by the UK Army. It is sometimes referred to as the Olympics of Military Patrolling among militaries in the world.

India slips to 101^st position in Global Hunger Index 2021.

In the Global Hunger Index 2021, India has been placed on the 101st position among the 116 countries. India has slipped to the 101st position in Global Hunger Index 2021 from its 2020 position of 94th. India has been placed behind most of its neighbouring countries. Pakistan has been placed on 92nd position while Nepal and Bangladesh are at 76 and 65 spots respectively.

Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin gets emergency approval for kids aged 2-18 years.

Drugs Controller General of India’s subject expert committee has approved the emergency use of Covaxin for kids aged between 2-18 years. Covaxin is the second Covid-19 vaccine to get approval for emergency use among children in India after Zydus Healthcare’s ZyCoV-D.

The proposal of Department of Fertilizers for fixation of NBS Rates for P&K Fertlisers for 2021-22 approved by CCEA.

The proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Rates for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers for 2021-22 has been approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). Special one-time package for additional subsidy on Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) at the tentative cost of Rs 5,716 crore has also been provided.

Haryana bans government employees from taking part in politics and elections.

Haryana has banned government employees from taking part in politics and elections. The office of the chief secretary has issued a notification in this regard. Any violation of the order will invite immediate and strict disciplinary action.

Kanniyakumari clove has got the Geographical Indication Tag.

The geographical indication (GI) tag has been awarded to Kanniyakumari clove for its unique qualities such as high concentration of volatile oil content and aroma. Clove is one of the major spice crops of the district, which is grown on 760 hectares in the densely wooded areas of Maaraamalai, Blackrock, and Velimalai in the Western Ghats of the Veerapuli Reserve Forests and Mahendragiri.

The bid for acquiring Air India won by Tata Sons group.

The bid for acquiring Air India has been won by the Tata Sons group. It made a winning bid of Rs 18,000 crore for Air India. Talace Private Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons. It has emerged as a successful bidder for acquiring Air India.

Andhra Pradesh government launched Swechha scheme for adolescent girl students.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Swechha programme. It aims to improve the health and hygiene of adolescent girls studying in Government Schools or colleges. Under this initiative, sanitary napkins will be provided to girls.

WHO endorsed and recommended first Anti-Malaria vaccine.

World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed and recommended first Anti-Malaria vaccine. WHO has recommended widespread use of RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission.

Manabe, Hasselmann, and Parisi win the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The Nobel Prize in Physics for the year 2021 has been awarded to Soukuro Manabe, Klos Hesselmann and Giorgio Parisi. The one half is jointly awarded to Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann "for the physical modelling of Earth's climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming" and the other half to Giorgio Parisi "for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales." Their discoveries recognize new methods for describing complex physical systems and help in predicting their long-term behavior.

Najla Bouden Romdhane appointed Tunisia’s first female Prime Minister.

Najla Bouden Romdhane has been appointed as the first female Prime Minister of Tunisia. She is a 63-year-old female geologist and university professor. Tunisia has become the first Arab country to appoint a female Prime Minister.

Top Current Affairs April 2021

Kalinga Ratna award has been presented to Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan.

Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu conferred the Kalinga Ratna Award to Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan for 2021. The award comprises a silver statue of Goddess Saraswati and a copper plaque. It has been given during the 600^th Birth Anniversary of Adikabi Sarala Das and the 40th Annual Celebrations of Sarala Sahitya Sansad.

DRDO developed lightweight bullet-proof jacket for Indian Army.

The DMSRDE Kanpur has developed a lightweight bullet-proof jacket to meet the requirement of the Indian Army. The bullet-proof jacket was tested at Terminal Ballistics Research Lab in Chandigarh and it has full fill the criteria of the Bureau of Indian Standards. Its weight is about 9 kg. The front hard armour panel technology helped in reducing the weight of this jacket.

RBI Foundation Day: 1 April

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is celebrating its 86^th foundation day. RBI was established on April 1, 1935, under the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. It was set up on the recommendations of the Hilton Young Commission. It is the central bank of India and regulates the banking system in India. It also regulates the monetary policy of India.

Top Current Affairs March 2021

ISRO launches 19 satellites from Sriharikota.

India’s PSLV C-51 rocket with 19 satellites of Brazil, the USA, and India, was launched successfully from Sriharikota on 28 Feb 2021. This is the first commercial mission of New Space India Limited (NSIL). The main satellite among these 19 satellites was Brazil’s Amazonia 1 satellite.

The government decides to integrate Common Service Centres with e-daakhil portal.

The government has decided to integrate Common Service Centres with e-daakhil portal to facilitate the rural consumers for e-filing. E-daakhil portal was launched by National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission on 7 September, 2020. E-daakhil portal was launched for online redressal of consumer grievances. It is now operational in 15 states and Union Territories.

World Wildlife Day: 3 March

World Wildlife Day is observed every year on March 3. The theme of World Wildlife Day 2021 is “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”. The aim of celebrating World Wildlife Day is to establish awareness, cooperation, and coordination towards the conservation of wildlife on a global scale.

First-ever United Arab Emirates ambassador officially received by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

First-ever United Arab Emirates ambassador has been officially received by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. Mohamed Al Khaja is the name of the ambassador. He is the first Emirati ambassador to the State of Israel. Last year, UAE became the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel under Abraham Accord. Israel had opened its embassy in UAE in January.

DRDO successfully tested solid fuel ducted ramjet (SFDR) technology for missiles.

India successfully conducted a flight test of Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur. SFDR technology will enable the DRDO to develop long-range air-to-air missiles. In the world, only a few countries have developed this technology.

Google launched “Women Will Web” platform on the occasion of Women’s Day.

Google launched the “Women Will Web” platform for supporting 1 million women entrepreneurs of rural India. The Women Will web platform will help rural women in starting a business through tutorials and mentorship programme. It will be available in English and Hindi language. It has been launched as part of the Google Internet Saathi programme. It will help in increasing the contribution of women to the economy of the country.

INS Karanj commissioned into the Indian Navy.

INS Karanj has been officially commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard Mumbai. It is India’s third stealth Scorpene-class submarine. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, in partnership with Naval Group, France, will build Six Scorpene Class submarines. INS Karanj has been built as part of this project. Former Navy chief Admiral V S Shekhawat was the chief guest of this ceremony. INS Karanj will be part of the Western Naval Command’s Submarine fleet.

Sangay volcano erupted in Ecuador.

Ecuador’s Sangay volcano erupted with clouds of ash up to a height of 8 kilometres into the sky. Sangay volcano is located in the forest area of the Morona Santiago province. It has affected Riobamba, the capital of the province of Chimborazo. According to a geophysical institute, the Sangay volcano has been in an eruptive stage since 2019.

Indian Institute of Spices Research received a patent for bio-capsules.

The Indian Institute of Spices Research has received a patent for developing bio-capsules. IISR has developed a method of storing and delivering microbes through bio-capsules. It is developed by IISR scientists M Anandraj, R Dinesh and Y K Bini. Bio-capsules will be used for improving the soil quality and environmental conditions. It will help in reducing the use of pesticides and other chemical fertilizers.

World Happiness Report 2021 Released: Indian ranked 139, Finland topped.

India ranked 139^th out of 149 countries on the list, according to the UN World Happiness Report 2021. Finland ranked first in the list of the World Happiness Report 2021, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, and Norway.

Noted Carnatic Musician Muthuswami Dikshitar’s birth anniversary is being celebrated today.

Renowned Carnatic Musican Muthuswami Dikshitar’s 246^thbirth anniversary is being celebrated today. He was born on 24 March 1775. He was a South Indian poet, singer, veena player, and a legendary composer of Carnatic music. Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Sastri and Tyagayya are known as the Trinity of Carnatic music.

The World’s first ship tunnel will be constructed in Norway.

Norway is going to build World’s first ship tunnel. The tunnel will be constructed under the mountains in Norway’s Stadhavet peninsula. It will be 1,700 meters long, 37 meters high and 26.5 meters wide. The construction of the tunnel has to start in 2022 and will be completed by 2025 or 2026.

US President Joe Biden invites PM Modi to Leaders’ Summit on Climate.

US President Joe Biden has invited PM Modi to the Leaders’ Summit on Climate. Leaders’ Summit on Climate will be held virtually on 22 and 23 April. Biden has invited 40 leaders and PM Modi is one among them.

TRIBES India store inaugurated in Jabalpur.

TRIFED opened its 131st showroom in Jabalpur on 25 March 2021. It is the third outlet of TRIBES India in Madhya Pradesh. The main objective of the expansion of the retail outlet of TRIFED is to empower the tribal people. It will help them in getting a fair price for their products. The showroom will have tribal handicrafts and handlooms from all states of India. It will also have products of Van Dhan such as immunity booster, organic grains, spices, herbal teas, etc.

Top Current Affairs February 2021

West Bengal Government launched ‘Maa’ scheme to provide meal at ?5.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched the ‘Maa’ scheme to provide a meal to poor people for ?5. Under this scheme, people will get rice, dal, vegetable, and egg curry in a meal at ?5. The state government will bear a subsidy of Rs 15 per plate. Government has allocated ?100 crores for this scheme. The meal will be provided through Maa kitchens at different locations in the state. The kitchens will be operated by the Self Help Groups. ‘Didir Rannaghar’ Scheme was also launched to provide meals to migrant workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID pandemic in September 2020.

Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan launched by Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan under Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban has been launched by Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It will be carried out to assess equitable water distribution, wastewater reuse and mapping of water bodies. Under the survekshan, data on drinking water and conditions of three water bodies in the city will be collected.  

Covid Warrior Memorial will be established in Bhubaneswar.

Odisha Government will construct a Covid warrior memorial at the Biju Patnaik Park in Bhubaneswar. It will be inaugurated on 15^th August 2021. It will be built to honour the sacrifice and services of health workers who lost their lives in the fight against the COVID pandemic. The State Government had already announced that the martyr status and ?50 lakh ex-gratia would be given to all health workers who lost their life due to Covid-19.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria set to become next Director General of WTO.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria is set to become the next Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala would be the first female leader and first African national to become Director-General of WTO.

Indian Navy gets three advanced light helicopters from HAL for coastal security.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered three MK III advanced light helicopters to the Indian Navy. These helicopters will be used for coastal security. Indian Navy had ordered 16 MK III advanced light helicopters to replace their existing fleet. It is equipped with advanced sensors, full glass cockpit, latest-generation avionics, low-frequency dunking sonars system, etc.

The first round of Pulse Polio Programme 2021 launched by President Ram Nath Kovind.

First round of Pulse Polio Programme 2021 was launched by President Ram Nath Kovind on 30 January 2021. Polio vaccination day was on 31 January. It is also called National Immunisation Day or Polio Ravivar. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has rescheduled the Polio vaccination day (National Immunisation Day or Polio Ravivar) to 31 January 2021.

Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 introduced in Rajya Sabha.

Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has been introduced in Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy. Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance of 2021 will be replaced through Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

ICC nominated Rishabh Pant and two others for ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.

ICC has nominated Rishabh Pant, England skipper Joe Root and Ireland’s Paul Stirling for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. It will be given for January month. In January, Joe Root has scored 426 runs in two test matches, Rishabh Pant has scored 245 runs in two test matches and Paul Stirling has scored 420 runs in 5 ODIs.

Top Current Affairs January 2021

Australia changed one word in its national anthem to honour Indigenous people.

Australia has change one word in its national anthem to show the spirit of unity and to honour the indigenous people. In the second line of the anthem, “For we are young and free” has been changed into “For we are one and free.” “Advance Australia Fair” is the national anthem of Australia. Advance Australia Fair was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1984. It was first performed in 1878. The new changes in the anthem will be effective from January 1, 2021.

NIXI will provide a free domain name booking service in Indian Languages.

The National Internet Exchange of India (Nixi) will offer the free domain name booking service in 22 official Indian languages. It will also provide free email in the local language. The objective of this initiative is to promote the adoption of the domain name in Indian languages. This offer will be for the applicant who registers the domain name till 31^st January. It will also be available for existing users who renew their domain names in the month of January 2021.

The government will form a committee for the protection of the language, culture & land of Ladakh.

The union government has decided to form a committee for the protection of language, culture and land of Ladakh. Minister of state, G Kishan Reddy, will be the head of the committee. It will also have representatives from Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, the central government, and the Ladakh administration. On 31 October 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Argentine filmmaker Pablo Cesar will be chairman of Jury for 51st IFFI's.

A filmmaker, Pablo Cesar, will be the head of the International jury for the 51st edition of International Film Festival of India. The other members of the jury are- Prasanna Vithanage of Sri Lanka, Abu Bakr Shawky of Austria, Priyadarshan of India and Rubaiyat Hossain of Bangladesh. Prasanna Vithanage, Priyadarshan and Rubaiyat Hossain are film directors, while Abu Bakr Shawky is a writer.

DRDO and Indian Navy conducted the first trial of SAHAYAK-NG

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with the Indian Navy conducted a trial of 'SAHAYAK-NG' from an IL-38SD aircraft at Goa. 'SAHAYAK-NG' is India’s first indigenously developed air-droppable container. It is developed by two laboratories of DRDO and a private company Avantel. The trial will help in increasing the logistics capabilities of the Indian Navy.

Top Current Affairs December 2020

National Farmers’ Day or Kisan Diwas: 23 December

National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas is celebrated every year on 23 December in India. The day is celebrated to praise farmers’ contribution to the economy and society and create awareness about helping them. The day also celebrates the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the fifth Prime Minister of India. Majority of the population in India is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.

Ola will set up the world’s largest Scooter factory in Tamil Nadu.

Ola has announced that it will establish the world’s largest scooter factory in Tamil Nadu. It will provide employment to around 10,000 people, and the cost of the project will be Rs 2400 crore. It is a step towards making India a global manufacturing hub in the field of electric vehicles. This factory will not only fulfill the demand for electric vehicles in India, but it would also export vehicles to other countries. Ola is planning to launch its first electric scooters.

Dr. Carolina Araujo wins Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020.

Dr. Carolina Araujo from Brazil has won Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020. She is the first non-Indian to receive this prize. She has won the prize for outstanding work in Algebraic Geometry. Her work is on birational geometry, a branch of Algebraic Geometry. She is a mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) informed Dr. Carolina Araujo about Vigyan Jyoti, a DST’s initiative to tap 100 girl students in 550 districts during 2020-2025.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris- Time’s Magazine 2020 Person of the Year.

Time magazine has jointly named U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as 2020 Person of the Year. Kamala Harris will become the first woman, first African American, and first Asian American Vice President of U.S.  The 45^th U.S. President Donald Trump was named Time’s 2016 Person of the Year. Recently, Indian-American Gitanjali Rao was named first-ever Time’s Kid of the Year.

Central Government announced ‘CO-WIN’ app for delivery of COVID-19 vaccine.

The Union Health Ministry has announced a ‘CO-WIN’ mobile app for the COVID-19 vaccine delivery. It will look at the whole vaccination process from registration to report. It will have five separate modules for administrator, registration, vaccination, beneficiary acknowledgment and reports.

Bangladesh signed its first Preferential Trade Agreement.

Bangladesh has signed its first Preferential Trade Agreement with Bhutan after Independence. It is its first PTA with any country in the world. It was signed on the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Bhutan and Bangladesh in Dhaka. It will allow the passage of many goods duty-free between both countries. It will allow passage of 100 Bangladesh products and 34 Bhutan products duty-free. The Trade volume between Bhutan and Bangladesh is about 50 million dollars.

McAfee’s report finds losses from cybercrime at over $1 trillion.

McAfee’s “The Hidden Costs of Cybercrime report” has found that losses from cybercrime all over the world stand at over $1 trillion. The global losses of over $1 trillion are equal to more than 1% of global GDP. Global GDP was $142 trillion in 2019.  As per the report, the global losses increased by more than 50% from the $600 billion losses reported in a study carried out in 2018. McAfee’s report is in collaboration with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Indian Navy successfully tested BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile in Anti-Ship mode.

Indian Navy has successfully test-fired the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile in Anti-Ship mode on 1 December. It has been test-fired with high precession on a decommissioned ship. Supersonic missiles: Missiles that could travel at speed between 2-3 Mach are called Supersonic. It travels faster than the speed of sound.

World’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa sized asteroid was to pass by Earth.

World’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa sized asteroid was to pass by Earth on 29 November. The name of the asteroid is 153201 (2000 WO107). Scientists discovered it in 2000. Its diameter is 820 meters. The height of the Burj Khalifa is 829.8 metres. It is a near-earth asteroid and is classified as Potentially Hazardous Asteroid by NASA’s jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was earlier seen in January 2018. It will pass by the Earth in February 2031.

Top Current Affairs November 2020

A new species of burrowing frog named after Bengaluru.

A new species of burrowing frog has been named after Bengaluru as Sphaerotheca Bengaluru. The researchers found this species while documenting Amphibians in the Deccan Plateau parts of Karnataka. They named the new species Sphaerotheca Bengaluru to highlight that amphibians from the non-forested area have not been documented completely. They also named the new species Sphaerotheca Bengaluru to highlight that there are lacunae in restoring frog habitats in Bengaluru.

Russia signed a pact with Hetero for producing Sputnik V COVID vaccine in India.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund signed a pact with the pharmaceutical company Hetero for the production of 100 million doses of Sputnik V COVID vaccine in India. As per the RDIF, Sputnik V has shown 95% efficacy after the first dose. RDIF and Hetero are the manufacturing partner for the production of the Sputnik V COVID vaccine. The production will start from the beginning of 2021. RDIF has also collaborated with other countries for the global production of the Sputnik V vaccine.

Platinum Partner Award conferred to EPFO for highest transactions on UMANG App.

Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has been awarded Platinum Partner Award for the highest transactions on UMANG App. It has done more than 25 lakh transactions. On the eve of the 3rd anniversary of the UMANG App, the government has been giving the UMANG Awards to the Departments of Centre and States, based on the transactions in the last six months. EPFO has launched its services on the UMANG platform to easily availability its services to the socio-economically weaker sections. EPFO members can use 19 services on the UMANG App.

ATAL Faculty Development Programmes launched by Education Minister.

Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' has inaugurated 46 online programmes of AICTE Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy Faculty Development Programmes. It has been launched to train faculty of higher education institutions. These programmes will be conducted according to the National Education Policy -2020 in 22 states of India. It will help in improving the standard of faculties in the field of Engineering, Management, Life Skills, Design and Media.

Conference organized to mark the 3rd Anniversary of UMANG.

To mark the 3rd anniversary of UMANG and 2000+ services, an online conference has been organized under Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad’s chairmanship. During the event, the international version of UMANG was launched for USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Netherlands, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. It will enable people living outside India to avail the services of the Government of India.

30^th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol concluded.

Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy conducted the 30th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol from 18 – 20 November 2020. INS Karmuk and HTMS Kraburi, along with Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft, have participated in the CORPAT. To strengthen the maritime links, both countries’ navies have been carrying out CORPAT twice a year since 2005. It will help in preventing and suppressing illegal fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.

India and NDB sign a USD 500 million loan agreement for Public Transport System in NCR Region.

A loan agreement of 500 million has been signed between the New Development Bank (NDB), the Government of India, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Project. This ambitious project will develop an efficient and sustainable regional transport system in the NCR region. This 82 km long RRTS project between Delhi and Meerut will reduce the travel time, help in decongestion, and reduce pollution in the region. NDB funds will be utilized for procuring signaling, telecommunication, train control system, automatic train protection, etc.

Capacity building component of Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme (PM-FME Scheme) inaugurated.

Capacity building component of Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme (PM-FME Scheme) has been inaugurated by Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Narendra Singh Tomar. He has also launched GIS One District One Product (ODOP) digital map of India. It provides details of ODOP products of all the states to facilitate the stakeholders. The PM-FME scheme aims to train food processing entrepreneurs, various groups, viz., SHGs / FPOs / Co-operatives, workers, and other stakeholders of its implementation.

Bengaluru Tech Summit 2020 to be inaugurated by Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate Bengaluru Tech Summit, 2020 on 19th November. The Bengaluru Tech Summit 2020 will be organised by Karnataka government along with Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society, Karnataka government’s Vision Group on Information Technology, Biotechnology and StartUp, Software Technology Parks of India and MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications. The theme of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2020 is "Next is Now". It is scheduled to take place from November 19-21. Industry captains, technocrats, researchers, innovators, investors, policymakers and educators will also participate in the summit.

Government announced a stimulus package to boost the economy.

Union Finance Minister has announced various measures to boost employment, credit and manufacturing in the country. Government has announced an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana”. Under it, the government will give Employees contribution and employer’s contribution to EPF-registered organizations on recruiting new people. It will cover new employees whose monthly wages are less than Rs. 15000 and people who lost their jobs in the pandemic period from 1 March 2020 in an EPFO-registered establishment. The government will give an additional outlay of Rs 10,000 crore to boost rural employment under PM Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojana.

India-Brazil bilateral meeting held virtually.

A bilateral virtual meeting held between External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and Brazilian counterpart Ernesto Araujo. Both countries discussed various issues, including strengthening the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership and cooperation in healthcare, supply chain resilience, cybersecurity, etc. They also discussed issues such as India’s upcoming membership of the UNSC, the role of G4, and India’s priorities in the UNSC. Both countries condemned terrorism in any form and reaffirmed their cooperation in dealing with such issues.

Modi and Conte sign 15 agreements and adopt Action Plan for 2020-25.

PM Modi and PM of Italy Giuseppe Conte have signed 15 agreements and adopted an Action Plan for 2020-25. The Action Plan has been adopted for setting up priorities, strategic goals, and mechanisms for 2020-25. PM Modi and PM of Italy also said that the two countries are committed to working closely on a development-oriented global agenda for their respective G20 Presidencies (India in 2022 and Italy in 2021).

Childcare expenses to be included in the calculation of maintenance to deserted wives.

On November 4, the Supreme Court held that childcare expenses would be included in calculating maintenance/alimony to deserted wive Supreme Court also ruled that deserted wives and children will get alimony /maintenance from the date they file an application. In its 67 page judgment, the Supreme Court has laid guidelines for the amount of maintenance that should be paid by husbands to wives and children in matrimonial cases.

Malabar 20: Phase I commences off Vishakhapatnam from 3 November to 6 November

The 2020 Malabar Exercise is scheduled to be held in two phases. The 1st phase of the exercise has begun. Indian Navy (IN), United States Navy (USN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) are the participants of Malabar 20. This year it is the 24th edition of the Malabar exercise. Malabar Exercise is a naval exercise that started as a bilateral exercise in 1992 between the navies of India and US. Later, Japan joined the exercise in 2015. For the first time, QUAD countries will together conduct naval exercise as the Royal Australian Navy is also part of Malabar 20.

An MoU signed between IISc and IOCL for hydrogen-generation technology.

IISc and IOCL have signed an MoU to develop and demonstrate biomass gasification based hydrogen generation technology for producing fuel cell-grade hydrogen at low cost. It will be very helpful for hydrogen-based fuel technology and will be very crucial for a hydrogen-based economy. It will not only provide cleaner energy but will also help in addressing the challenge of biomass waste. It will help in meeting India’s de-carbonisation targets.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Zoological Park in Kevadia inaugurated by Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has inaugurated the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Zoological Park in Kevadia in Gujarat. It has been set up near the Statue of Unity for promoting tourism in the area. He inaugurated 17 projects and laid the foundation stone for four new projects under the Integrated Development of Kevadia project. He also flagged off Ekta Cruise service from Shrestha Bharat Bhavan to the Statue of Unity. Zoological Park will be an interesting place for birdwatching. It also has a facility of Jungle Safari, which is the fastest built Jungle Safari. It has two aviaries-one for domestic birds and another for exotic birds. It is the world’s largest geodesic dome for the aviary.