Daily Current Affairs and GK | 11 February 2021

Topic: Miscellaneous

1. Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2021 is being celebrated in Mumbai.

• The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is being celebrated between 6-14 February in Mumbai.
• It was started in 1999. This year’s festival is the 22^nd edition of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
• It is one of the largest multicultural festivals in Mumbai. The venue for this art festival is the historic Kala Ghoda Art Fort.
• Many events will be organised at this festival, which includes dance, theatre, visual art, comedy, etc. It is organised by Kala Ghoda Association every year.

Topic: Important Days

2. World Pulses Day 2021: 10 February

• World Pulses Day is observed every year on 10 February to raise awareness about the nutritional values of Pulses.
• This year’s theme is “Love Pulses- for a healthy diet and planet.”
• The UN General assembly had adopted 10 February as World Pulses Day in 2019. Burkina Faso had proposed this day in General Assembly.
• UN General Assembly had announced 2016 as the International Year of Pulses.
• World Pulses Day is part of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 “Zero Hunger.”
• Pulses:
  • It is a rich source of protein and plays a vital role in a healthy diet.
  • India is the largest producer of pulses, followed by Canada.
  • Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of Pulses in India.
  • Some prominent types of pulses are- Chickpeas, Black Gram, lentils, etc.

Topic: Indian Polity

3. Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 passed in Rajya Sabha.

• Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 has been passed in Rajya Sabha for regulation, operation and planning of major ports in India.
• The bill will provide greater autonomy to major ports and replace Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.
• As per the bill, a Board of Major Port Authority will be created for each major port to replace existing Port Trusts.
• Port Authority has now been given powers to fix tariff, which will act as a reference tariff for purposes of bidding for PPP projects.
• An Adjudicatory Board will be set up to resolve the disputes between ports and PPP concessionaires and to review stressed PPP projects.
• Union Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that bill does not in any way privatise the ports.
• Union Cabinet approved the bill in February 2020 and Lok Sabha passed it in September 2020.
• Major ports in India:
  • There are 13 major seaports in India, 12 of which are government and one (Ennore Port of Chennai) is corporate.
  • The other 12 major ports of India are as follows: Kolkata Port, Paradip Port, New Mangalore Port, Cochin Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai Port, Kandla Port, Visakhapatnam Port, Chennai Port, Tuticorin Port, Mormugao Port and Port Blair Port.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Environment and Ecology

4. Total 93 thousand 491 birds reported from Kaziranga National Park.

• Total 93 thousand 491 birds were reported from Kaziranga National Park in a 2 day census conducted recently by park authority.
• The number of birds has nearly increased by 59 thousand. Last year, total 34 thousand 284 birds were reported from Kaziranga National Park.
• Kaziranga National Park, Assam has world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceros.
• Nepal’s Chitwan National Park has second highest population of one-horned rhinoceros in the world.

• In another survey, 58 species of waterfowls have been recorded in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam.
• Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as Mini Kaziranga. It is famous for world’s highest density of one-horned rhinoceros.
• The density of one-horned rhinoceros in Pobitora is higher than Kaziranga National Park.  One-horned rhinoceros are herbivores. They are listed as vulnerable in IUCN Red list.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

5. Increase in India’s energy demand to be largest in the world by 2040.

• As per India Energy Outlook 2021, increase in India’s energy demand will be the largest in the world by 2040.
• International Energy Agency (IEA) has recently released India Energy Outlook 2021.
• As per India Energy Outlook 2021, India’s energy demand is projected to increase by almost 25% between 2019 and 2030 and India’s energy consumption will nearly double by 2040.
• IEA has said that India’s dependence on oil imports is projected to rise to 90% by 2030.
• Currently, India is the world's second-biggest net oil importer after China and the world's fourth-largest liquefied natural gas importer.

Topic: Defence

6. Biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 21) is currently underway.

• Biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 21) is currently underway in Indian Ocean Region and adjacent areas.
• TROPEX 21 was started in early January. It will end by third week of February. Its participants are:
  • All operational units of Indian Navy including ships, submarines, and aircraft
  • Units of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard
• Naval headquarters are overseeing TROPEX 21. Tri-Services Command at Port Blair and all three Commands of the Indian Navy are also involved in overseeing TROPEX 21.
• TROPEX 21 is being carried out in different phases. In first phase, coastal defence exercise Sea Vigil was carried out on 12-13 January 2021.
• After exercise Sea Vigil, AMPHEX-21 was carried out in Andaman and Nicobar Islands from 21-25 January. It is a tri-service joint amphibious exercise.
• TROPEX 21 has the theme of being a ‘Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive force’. It is described as the Indian Navy’s largest war game.
• Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX) is an inter-service military exercise. It began in 2005. It was held annually till 2013.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Reports and Indices/Rankings

7. South Korea got first rank in the latest Bloomberg Innovation Index.

• South Korea has got the first rank in the latest Bloomberg Innovation Index.
• Singapore and Switzerland got second and third rank in the latest Bloomberg Innovation Index.
• Germany’s rank in index declined to fourth position. Germany ranked first in Bloomberg Innovation Index 2020.
• US is not included in the economies achieving top 10 ranks in the Bloomberg innovation index 2021.
• China is ranked at 16^th place in Bloomberg Innovation Index 2021. China’s rank declined by one place.
• India’s rank has improved in Bloomberg Innovation Index 2021. It appeared in the top 50 for the first time since 2016.
• Uruguay entered Bloomberg Innovation Index for the first time. Bloomberg Innovation Index is released annually. 

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Rs. 1050 crore budget allocated to Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) for 2021-22.

• Rs. 1050 crore budget has been allocated to Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) for 2021-22.
• The allocation for 2021-22 is more than the allocation made last year. In last six years (2014-15 to 2020-21), government has released Rs.4556.93 crores of funds under SMAM.
• Government launched Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) in 2014-15.
• Under SMAM, government proposed to set up Village Level farm Machinery Bank (VLFMB) and Custom Hiring Centers (CHC).
• SMAM aims at making farm mechanization available to small and marginal farmers. It also aims at setting up hubs for hi-tech & high value farm equipment and creating awareness among stakeholders.
• Performance testing and certification at designated testing centers is also an objective of SMAM.

Topic: State News/ Karnataka

9. Karnataka Digital Economy Mission office has been inaugurated.

• The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) office has been inaugurated. The "Beyond Bengaluru" report has also been launched on this occasion. 
• The main objective of KDEM is to increase the share of the digital economy in Gross State Domestic Product to 30 percent. It will also work for the employment generation in the state.
• The mission aims to attract investment from the IT/ITeS sector in the state. It will also help the state government in achieving the goal of 300 billion dollars economy by 2025.
• 'Beyond Bengaluru' project has been started to increase the contribution of other regions of the state in the GSDP. It aims to increase the other region contribution to 10 per cent of GSDP. At present, Bengaluru is the main contributor to GSDP.
• The Government will provide 24/7 electricity, improve connectivity, and develop infrastructure to boost the digital economy in the state.
• Digital economy: It refers to a broad range of economic activities that use digitized information and knowledge as key factors of production.

Topic: Space and IT

10. UAE’s Mars mission ‘Hope Probe’ entered in Mars orbit.

• UAE's first mars mission, ‘Hope Probe’, was launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan in July 2020. It has now entered in the orbit of Mars after seven months.
• United Arab Emirates has become the fifth country to reach the Martian orbit after the US, Russia, China, the EU, and India. It has become the second country to enter Mars' orbit in the first attempt.
• UAE's Mars mission is developed and operated by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre with the support of Arizona State University, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Colorado-Boulder.
• It is equipped with a high-resolution camera and a spectrometer. The Hope Probe was launched by the H-II A rocket.
• Its main objective is to collect information about Martian climate dynamics and also find out the reason for the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases.
• It is the UAE'S fourth space mission and first interplanetary mission. It will spend one Martian year (687 days on earth) on Mars. 
• In 2020 mars mission launched are:

Topic: Miscellaneous

11. ‘Jallikattu’ exits race, short film Bittu moves to next round in Oscars 2021.

• The Malayalam film 'Jallikattu’, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, is out from the race of Oscars 2021. It was India's official entry in the Best International Feature film category.
• "Bittu", directed by Karishma Dev Dube, has been shortlisted in the Best Live Action Short Film category. It is part of 10 shortlisted films of this category.
•  “Lagaan”, “Mother India”, and “Salaam Bombay” are Indian films who had made their places in the final five of Best International Feature category.
• The 93rd Academy Awards will be presented on April 25, 2021.
• “Parasite” was the winner of the 92^nd Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.

Topic: Important Day

12. International Day of Women and Girls in Science: 11 February.

• International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed every year on 11 February to highlight the role of women in the field of science and technology.
• The theme of International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021 is “Women Scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19".
• The United Nations General Assembly had decided to celebrate 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2015.
• On this occasion, the 6th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly will be organised virtually.
• It is celebrated to raise awareness about the role of women in achieving development goals.
• Sustainable Development Goal 5: Its objective is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
• Facts about Women role in science and technology:
  • Only 30 percent of researchers around the world are women.
  • Around 30 percent of female students have selected STEM-related fields in higher education between 2014-2016.
  • Enrollment of female students is very low in mathematics and statistics, engineering, ICT fields.
  • Only 12 percent of women are in a STEM job.

Topic: Miscellaneous

13. Fossil of the world’s ‘oldest animal’ found in Bhimbetka caves.

• Experts of the Geological Survey of India have discovered a fossil of world’s ‘oldest animal’ in Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh. It has been found on the roof of ‘Auditorium Cave’.
• It could be the first-ever fossil of ‘Dickinsonia’, the Earth’s 'oldest animal, in India.
• The fossil is 17 inches long and it can help scientists in finding many answers about the evolution of life.
• Bhimbetka rock shelters:
  • It is located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh.
  • It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India.
  • It is famous for the prehistoric and Mesolithic period paintings.
  • The Bhimbetka rock shelters were discovered by V S Wakankar.
  • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.