Daily Current Affairs and GK | 20 March 2021

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

1. Labour Bureau inks an agreement with BECIL for conducting All India survey on Migrant workers.

• The Labour Bureau and Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) have signed an agreement for conducting an All India survey on migrant workers.
• The survey will be done by the Labour Bureau and technology for the survey will be provided by BECIL. The technology provided by BECIL will help in reducing the completion time of the survey.
• It will provide crucial data on migrant workers and the employment condition in formal and informal sectors.
• It will be the first IT-enabled survey that will be undertaken by an organization on such a large scale.
• Labour Bureau will launch and complete All India survey on Migrant workers, Domestic workers, employment generated by professionals and employment generated in the transport sector.
• Labour Bureau is an attached office of the Ministry of Labour & Employment.
• BECIL is a Mini Ratna Company under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

2. Defence Ministry signed a deal with BDL for supplying Anti-Tank Guided Missiles to Indian Army.

• The Defence Ministry has signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) for supplying 4,960 MILAN-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) to the Indian Army.  
• It will help in achieving the goal of “AatmaNirbhar Bharat” in the defence sector.
• It is a ‘repeat order’ of the contract, which was signed by BDL on 08 March 2016.  
• MILAN-2T anti-tank guided missiles:
  • It has a range of 1850 metres.
  • It can be fired from the ground as well as vehicle-based launchers.
  • It will be produced by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) under license from MBDA Missile Systems, France.
  • It can be used for both offensive and defensive tasks.

Topic: International News

3. EU joins India’s Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) initiative.

• European Union has now become part of India’s Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) initiative.
• EU says that the objectives of the European Green Deal and the recently adopted EU Strategy on Adaptation are aligned with CDRI.
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) initiative:
  • The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 September 2019 at the UN Climate Change Summit.
  • It is a voluntary organisation that aims to promote disaster risk and climate-resilient new and existing infrastructure systems.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.

Topic: State News/ Rajasthan

4. “Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana” to be launched on 1 May in Rajasthan.

• During the Budget debate in the Rajasthan legislative assembly, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the state government would launch Universal Health Scheme on 1 May 2021.
• This Universal Health Scheme in Rajasthan will be named Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana.
• Under the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana, cashless health services up to Rs. 5 lakhs will be provided to all families in the state.
• The families not listed under the National Food Security Act or Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) will be registered under the scheme from 1 April.
• The Chief Minister also announced a Back-to-Work scheme under which efforts will be made to provide work from home job opportunities to those working women who left work after marriage.
• The centre’s healthcare Insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana also provides cashless health services of upto Rs 5 lakhs per family. 
• Rajasthan:
  • It is a state in Northern India whose capital is Jaipur.
  • It is the largest state in India in terms of area and seventh largest in terms of population.
  • It shares its border with five Indian states- Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
  • Governor of Rajasthan: Kalraj Mishra
  • Rajasthan has 25 seats in Lok Sabha and 10 seats in Rajya Sabha.
  • The famous Jain temples, Dilwara Temples, are located in Mount Abu.
  • Keoladeo National Park of Rajasthan is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • Ranthambore National Park, Desert National Park and Sariska Tiger Reserve are also located in Rajasthan.
  • Kalbelia dance of Rajasthan is included in UNESCO’s list of Intangible cultural heritage.
  • Ghoomar dance is a famous folk dance of Rajasthan.
  • Manganiyar and Langa communities of Rajasthan are famous for their folk music.
  • Kalibangan is a major site of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

5. UNESCO joins with Toonz Media Group and USO India to conduct water conservation awareness programme for students. 

• UNESCO has joined with Toonz Media Group and USO India in order to do water conservation awareness programme for students. 
• On the occasion of World Water Day (March 22), animation videos created by students will be released as part of H2Ooooh! – Waterwise Program for school students.
• H2Ooooh! – Waterwise Program is conducted in collaboration with National Mission for Clean Ganga, United Schools Organization India (USO India), Water Digest magazine and Toonz Media Group.
• H2Ooooh! – Waterwise Program is a nation-wide water conservation awareness programme aimed at school students of 6-14 years age.
• The students of 6-14 years of age gave story ideas for animation short films to create awareness about the water crisis in India.
• As part of the programme, Toonz Animation mentors gave training to 93 shortlisted students.
• H2Ooooh! – Waterwise Program was launched in September 2020. It has two phases. Phase 1 started in October and ended in November.
• Phase 2 of the programme started in January and will end in March.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. India develops its first indigenously developed Appstore, ‘Mobile Seva Appstore’.

• India developed its first indigenously developed Appstore, ‘Mobile Seva Appstore’.
• Mobile Seva Appstore hosts more than 965 live apps from various domains and categories of public services.
• India is the largest user of mobile apps. As per India’s App Market Statistics report 2021, around 5% of apps on Android are from Indian Apps developers.
• Mobile Seva is an innovative initiative to enable all government agencies and departments to deliver services through various channels of mobile such as SMS, IVRS, USSD, Mobile Application and AppStore.
• It was launched by MeitY and implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
• Mobile Seva AppStore is a government-owned mobile application hosting platform. It provides free of cost and hassle-free uploading and downloading of apps.

Topic: Regulatory Bodies/Financial Institutions

7. DPIIT changes norms on downstream investments made by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).

• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has changed Norms on downstream investments made by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).
• As per changed norms, NRI downstream investments on a non-repatriation basis will be treated equally with domestic investments or investments made by residents.
• They will not be considered for the calculation of indirect foreign investments. 
• Downstream investment is an investment by an Indian entity in another company. 
• Indirect foreign investment is an investment made by an intermediate Indian Company in an Indian entity.
• Direct Foreign Investment is an investment by a non-resident in an Indian entity.

Topic: Appointments

8. MA Ganapathy takes charge as DG of Counter-Terror Force National Security Guard.

• IPS Officer MA Ganapathy took charge as the new Director-General of the National Security Guard (NSG).
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police chief SS Deswal handed over the traditional baton to the former Director General (DG) of the Uttarakhand Police Mr. Ganapathy.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) issued the order to appoint Mr. Ganapathy as the NSG Director-General.
• He will retire from his service in February 2024, when he turns 60 years old.
• National Security Guard (NSG):
  • The National Security Guard (NSG) is an elite counter-terrorism unit under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
  • It was founded on 22 September 1986 under the National Security Guard Act, 1986.
  • National Security Guard personnel are sometimes referred to as The Black Cats.
  • Its headquarters is in New Delhi.

Topic: Appointments

9. Ajay Mathur assumed charge as Director-General of International Solar Alliance.

• Ajay Mathur is appointed as the Director-General of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• Ajay Mathur was elected as the Director-General of ISA by the Special Assembly of the ISA.
• He has been appointed for four years, which can be extended for an additional term.
• He replaced Upendra Tripathy, who served as the Director-General since 2017.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA):
  • This alliance was established in 2015 in collaboration with India and France.
  • Its main objective is to reduce the use of conventional energy by using solar energy efficiently.
  • Its headquarters is in Gurugram, Haryana, India.

Topic: Important Days

10. Global Recycling Day 2021 celebrated on 18 March with theme “Recycling Heroes”.

• Global Recycling Day is celebrated every year on 18 March to spread awareness about the importance of recycling for our precious planet.
• The theme of Global Recycling Day 2021 was “Recycling Heroes”.
• Global Recycling Day was first celebrated in 2018.
• It plays an important role in keeping safe our primary resources and keeping secure the future of our planet.
• Six resources are important to live our life on Earth, which are- water, air, oil, natural gas, coal, and minerals.
• These resources are running out rapidly and the simple solution for this is “Recycling” as the Seventh resource.
• Recycling helps to:     
  • Combat climate change
  • Boosts local employment around the world
  • Conserve the Earth’s six precious primary resources

(Source: Globalrecyclingday)