Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 February 2021

Topic: Important Days

1. World Unani Day celebrated on 11 February.

• World Unani Day is celebrated every year on 11 February to commemorate the birth anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan.
• It is observed around the world to raise awareness about healthcare delivery through the Unani system of medicine.
• It was first celebrated at Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM), Hyderabad, in 2017.
• Unani system of medicine:
  • It originated in Greece. It is based on the teachings of Greek physician Hippocrates and Roman physician Galen.
  • It is a traditional medical system that offers treatment of all diseases related to all the body's systems and organs.
  • It uses herbal medicines and specific exercises for the treatment of disease.
• Hakim Ajmal Khan:
  • He was a renowned Unani physician, scholar and a noted social reformer.
  • World Unani Day is celebrated to mark his contribution to the field of Unani medicine.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. Australian bushfire photo won Wildlife Photography of the Year People's Choice Award.

• The drone image of a bushfire in northern Australia captured by Robert Irwin has won the Wildlife Photography of the Year People's Choice Award 2020.
• He has clicked this image at Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York, Queensland. He has received 55,485 votes across the world.
• The Natural History Museum, London, gives the wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards every year.
• Many people had died and around 2.5 million acres of land had burned due to the Australian bushfire in 2019 and 2020.

(Source: Natural History Museum)

Topic: International News

3. US President Joe Biden cancelled national emergency order to provide money for Donald Trump’s Mexico border wall project.

• US President Joe Biden cancelled national emergency order to provide money for Donald Trump’s Mexico border wall project.
• President Biden wrote a letter to Congress, the United States legislature, and said that the national emergency order was unwarranted.
• Biden had earlier passed an order to stop the construction of the US-Mexico border wall. In February 2019, President Trump had declared National Emergency over the Southern Border of US.
• This permitted President Trump to bypass the US legislature and use military funds for the construction of the wall.
• Mexico-US border separates Mexico and US. The physical barriers along Mexico-US border are not continuous. Mexico is located in the South of US.
• The expansion of Mexico-US barriers during Donald Trump was called the Trump wall. Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California are four states in the US that lie on Mexico-US border. 

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

4. Indian Army’s National Seminar-cum-Webinar organized by Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).

• Indian Army’s National Seminar-cum-Webinar on ‘Multi-Domain Operations: Future of Conflicts’ was organized by Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) on 11 February.
• National Seminar-cum-Webinar is named “Divya-Drishti 2021”. Chief of the Army Staff, General MM Naravane, delivered the inaugural address for it.
• It aimed to bring together experts and practitioners to deliberate on subject of multi-domain operations (MDO).
• This National Seminar-cum-Webinar had three sessions focused on three different subjects as given below.
  • First session: Future Threats and Challenges: India’s Preparedness in Multi Domain Ops
  • Second session: Enhancing Jointness in MDO
  • Third session: Achieving Convergence & Collusivity in MDO
• Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) is an independent think tank on strategic studies and land warfare located in New Delhi.

Topic: State News/ Madhya Pradesh

5. Over 57000 water structures in MP under Jalabhishekam campaign virtually inaugurated by Union Defence Minister on 11^th February.

• Over 57 thousand water structures in MP under Jalabhishekam campaign have been virtually inaugurated by Union Defence Minister on 11 February.
• The virtual inauguration programme was organized under chairmanship of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar also attended it.
• These water structures were created at the cost of more than 2000 crore rupees by linking the work with the MNREGA scheme. 
• In 2006, Jalabhishek Abhiyan (Jalabhishek campaign) was launched to prevent ground water level decline and ensure water conservation.

Topic: Miscellaneous

6. India Toy Fair 2021 to be organized from 27th February 2021 to 2nd March 2021.

• The India Toy Fair 2021 will be organized from 27th February 2021 to 2nd March 2021.
• India Toy Fair 2021 is India’s first virtual toy fair. Government of India is organizing it on a virtual platform.
• The Toy Fair aims to bring together policy makers, children, parents, teachers and Indian Toy Industry together.
• It is an attempts to promote the growth of the Indian Toy Industry. Virtual Exhibition with over 1000 virtual stalls are main attraction of India Toy Fair, 2021.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Miscellaneous

7. Lunar New Year is being observed today.

• Lunar New Year is being observed today and it is one of the most important Chinese festivals.
• It is also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. It is also celebrated in other Asian nations such as Vietnam and South Korea.
• Chinese New Year or Spring Festival lasts 15 days. It will end this year with the Spring Lantern Festival on 26th February.
• Laba Festival is a festival celebrated in 12^th month of Chinese calendar. Luna is other word used for moon.
• This year, China entered the Year of Ox.  OX is second animal in Chinese zodiac.  Last year was called Year of Rat. Rat is first animal in Chinese zodiac. Year of Tiger will come after Year of OX.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

8. 12^th February is celebrated every year as National Productivity Day.

• 12 February every year is celebrated as Productivity Day and National Productivity Week is celebrated every year from 12^th February to 18^th February.
• National Productivity Council is organizing seminars on different topics during National Productivity Week this year.
• ‘Udyog manthan for productivity’ is the theme for year 2021. Productivity Day marks the formation of National Productivity Council.
• National Productivity Council:
  • It comes under administrative control of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
  • It was formed on 12^th February 1958. Minister of Commerce and Industry is its President.
  • It is an autonomous, tripartite (having three parties), non-profit organization

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. Mountaineer Narender Singh Yadav will not get Tenzing Norgay Award.

• Narender Singh Yadav will not get the Tenzing Norgay Award in the land adventure category of 2020. He will not be conferred this award due to fake documents submission.
• Nepal government has banned Narender Singh Yadav and Seema Rani from mountaineering in the Himalayan country for six years.
• He had claimed to conquer Mount Everest in 2016. His certificate of climbing Mount Everest peak has also been revoked by the concerned authorities. 
• Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award:
  • It is given for adventure on land, sea and air. A certificate and Rs 5 lakh cash is given to the awardee.
  • It is the highest national award for outstanding achievements in adventure on land, sea and air.
  • It is given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
  • Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

10. Manasa Varanasi won the VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020 award.

• Manasa Varanasi has won the VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020 award. Manya Singh and Manika Sheokand are first and second runner-up of this competition.
• Manasa Varanasi is an engineer from Telangana. Manya Singh is from Uttar Pradesh while Manika Sheokand is from Haryana.
• It was the 57th edition of the Femina Miss India beauty pageant.

Topic: India and its Neighbourhood

11. India-China agreed on new disengagement agreement in eastern Ladakh.

• Indian and Chinese troops have commenced their disengagement along the North and South banks of Pangong Lake in Ladakh. It is the first step to resolve the standoff between both countries near Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
• Under this agreement, the Chinese troops will go back to Finger 8 position from their current position of Finger 4. Indian troops will be stationed at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3.
• Both countries have agreed that the area between Finger 3 and Finger 8 will be the no-patrolling zone temporarily.
• Both sides will remove all the construction work done by them on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake since 2015.
• This agreement is the result of the ninth round of the senior commander meeting on 24 January. It is only restricted to Pangong Lake areas.

(Source: Indian Express)

• Pangong Lake areas significance:
  • It is a strategically most important location in the eastern Ladakh.
  • The north and south bank of this lake is the area, where a standoff between both countries had started in May 2020.
• Line of Actual Control:
  • It is a line that separates India controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory.
  • The major disagreement between India and China is on the western side of the LAC.
  • India-China LAC is divided into three parts:
    • Arunachal and Sikkim Border
    • Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh Border
    • Ladakh Border

Topic: Reports and Indices

12. Union Minister of Coal provided information about National Coal Index in Parliament.

• Union Minister of Coal Shri Pralhad Joshi provided information about National Coal Index in Lok Sabha.
• National Coal Index:
  • It was launched by the Ministry of Coal on 4 July 2020.
  • It will help in fixing the revenue share from commercial mining. It will give information about the change in the price level of coal on a particular month relative to the base year.
  • The base year for this Index is FY 2017-18.
  • It is based on the three sub-indices of Non-Coking Coal and two sub-indices of Coking Coal.

Topic: National News

13. Union Transport Minister launched India's first CNG tractor.

• The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has launched India’s first-ever converted CNG tractor.
• It has been converted from diesel tractor by the Rawmatt Techno Solutions & Tomasetto Achille India.
• It will help farmers in saving fuel cost and generate new job opportunities in rural areas.
• Features of CNG tractor are:
  • It will use Compressed Natural Gas as fuel, which will reduce pollution in the atmosphere.
  • The engines have longer life-line and require less maintenance.
  • It is cheaper than diesel tractors.
  • The stubble can be used for producing Bio-CNG fuel.
  • It produces more power than the diesel tractors.
• Compressed natural gas: It is formed by compressing natural gas to less than 1% of the volume. It can be used as an alternative to petrol and Diesel.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

14. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana's statistics have been provided by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development.

• The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, provided information about the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in Rajya Sabha.
• She has provided statistics that a total of 1.83 crore pregnant women have received the benefit from PMMVY scheme from 2018-19 till 29.1.2021.
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana:
  • It was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2017.
  • It is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for pregnant women and lactating mothers.
  • It provides wage compensation of Rs 5000 in three instalments for the loss of wages of working women due to pregnancy.
  • The cash incentive will be provided for only the first living child of the family.
  • Madhya Pradesh has got the 1st prize in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna.