Daily Current Affairs and GK | 29 April 2021

Topic: Appointments

1. Arun Raste to be appointed as new MD & CEO of NCDEX.

• Arun Raste will be appointed as the new Managing Director and CEO of National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX) for five years.
• His appointment has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• At present, he is the Executive Director of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
• He had also served as director of the Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt Ltd.
• National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX):
  • It was formed in 2003 as a public limited company.
  • It is an online commodity exchange platform.
  • It brings buyers and sellers together through its electronic trading platform.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

2. IIT Guwahati collaborated with railways for operation and expansion of rail network in Northeast.

• Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) and the North East Frontier Railway (NFR) have signed an MoU for improving maintenance and operations of train.
• The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) will help Indian railways in the expansion of rail networks in the North-Eastern states.
• It will also help in making stations plastic-free by providing alternate biodegradable polymer-based technologies.
• Both will jointly execute the projects in different fields like bridges, Information Technology, signaling, and Artificial Intelligence-based predictive maintenance systems.
• Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) will also help railways in the development of world-class railway stations in the North East.
• North East Frontier Railway (NFR):
  • It is one of the 17 railway zones of the Indian Railway.
  • It is responsible for the operation and expansion of the railway network in Northeastern states.

Topic: Important Days

3. World Day for Safety and Health at Work: 28 April

• The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is celebrated every year on 28 April.
• Its main aim is to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases around the world.
• Apart from this, it is also celebrated to raise awareness about safety and healthy culture at work.
• In 2003, International Labour Organization (ILO) had declared this day to prevent death and injuries at work.
• Theme for World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2021- ‘Anticipate, prepare and respond to crises and invest now in resilient OHS systems’.
• This day is also used as an opportunity to bring the attention of all countries to follow safety guidelines at the workplace.

Topic: International News

4. India and Russia agreed to establish a “2+2 ministerial dialogue”.

• India and Russia have agreed to establish a "2+2 ministerial dialogue" between foreign and defense ministers.
• It will help in enhancing the bilateral strategic partnership between both countries.
• So far, India has established “2+2 ministerial dialogue” with United States, Japan, and Australia.
• Recently, India and Russia held a bilateral meeting on UNSC issues in Moscow at the DG level.
• Russia is also providing the ‘Sputnik-V’ coronavirus vaccine to India.

Topic: Appointments

5. Justice Rajesh Bindal will assume charge of Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court.

• President has appointed Justice Rajesh Bindal as the Chief Justice of Calcutta High court. He will assume the charge from 29 April 2021.
• He will take the place of Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan.
• Justice Rajesh Bindal had started his career as an advocate in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
• In 2006, he was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
• He has been appointed by the President under Article 217.
• High Court:
  • It is the principal civil court for state and union territory.
  • There are 25 High Courts in India.
  • The Calcutta High Court is the oldest in India.
  • The High Court of Andhra Pradesh is the newest High court in India.

Topic: Personality in News

6. Noted Odia and English writer Manoj Das passed away.

• Renowned writer and educationist Manoj Das died at the age of 87.
• He will be remembered for his contribution to the field of education and philosophy. He is known for his simplicity and spirituality.
• He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2020.
• He has written many books in English and Odia language.
• He was teaching Aurobindo’s philosophy since 1963 in the Ashram run International Centre of Education.

Topic: Appointments

7. T V Somanathan designated as new Finance Secretary.

• T V Somanathan has been designated as the new Finance Secretary.
• As per the order issued by Personnel Ministry, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as Finance Secretary.
• He has been serving as Secretary, Department of Expenditure in Ministry of Finance since December 2019. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.
• The senior-most officer among all the secretaries in the Ministry of Finance is designated as the Finance Secretary.

Topic: Miscellaneous

8. Jacqueline Fernandez roped in as brand ambassador of Van Heusen’s new denim brand.

• Van Heusen has signed Jacqueline Fernandez as the brand ambassador for its new sub-brand Denim Labs.
• Sportswear brand ASICS has appointed Ravindra Jadeja as its brand ambassador.
• Other recent appointments are as follows:

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

9. Union Cabinet approves signing of agreement between India and UK.

• Union Cabinet has given its nod to the signing of an agreement between India and UK to share information and prevent Customs offences.
• With the signing of this agreement, both sides will be able to get relevant information that will help in preventing and investigating customs offences.
• It is also expected to facilitate trade and ensure efficient clearance of goods traded between the countries.
• In November 2020, Cabinet approved the signing of MoU between CDSCO, India and UK MHRA in the field of Medical Products regulation.
• Cabinet also approved the signing of MoU between India and UK on cooperation in the field of telecommunication.

Topic: Defence

10. LCA Tejas allowed carrying Python-5 air-to-air missile.

• Light Combat Aircraft Tejas has been allowed to carry Python-5 air-to-air missile.
• This will enhance the combat capability of the aircraft.
• Derby Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) is already integrated on Tejas.
• Tejas:
  • It is indigenously developed light combat aircraft.
  • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has manufactured this aircraft.
  • It is a single-engine and highly agile multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.
  • In January 2021, Cabinet Committee on Security approved the purchase of 83 Tejas fighter jets for IAF.