Daily Current Affairs and GK | 8 April 2021

Topic: International News

1. PM Benjamin Netanyahu got official clearance to form new Israeli government.

• The President of Israeli Reuven Rivlin has assigned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government after an inconclusive election.
• Netanyahu has 28 days to form the Next Israel government.
• PM can get two-week extension before the President picks another candidate or ask parliament to choose one.
• Israel:
  • It is located in Middle East (on the Mediterranean Sea).
  • Its capital is Jerusalem.
  • Its currency is the Israeli shekel.
  • Its President is Reuven Rivlin.

Topic: Reports and Indices

2. According to a Forbes report, India has the third-highest number of billionaires in the world.

• Forbes magazine has recently released the list of the highest number of billionaires in the world.
• India has ranked third in this list with the third-highest number of billionaires.
• The USA and China have ranked first and second respectively.
• The Chairman of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani, took back his title of Asia’s richest person from Chinese business tycoon Jack Ma.
• According to a report, the number of Indian billionaires rose from 102 to 140 this year.
• Amazon CEO and Founder Jeff Bezos has topped for the fourth consecutive year in the Forbes 35th annual list of the world’s billionaires.
• SpaceX founder Elon Musk has ranked third in the list.

Topic: National News

3. PLI scheme for ‘National Programme on High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules’ approved.

• Union Cabinet has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for ‘National Programme on High-Efficiency Solar PV (Photo Voltaic) Modules’.
• The scheme will help in achieving the manufacturing capacity of Giga watt in high-efficiency solar PV Modules.
• The programme will reduce the dependency on imported solar PV cells and modules for solar capacity addition.
• PLI amount will depend on module efficiency and sourcing of material from the domestic market.
• Union Cabinet has also approved PLI Scheme for White Goods such as Air Conditioners and LED Lights. This scheme aims to remove sectoral disabilities, create economies of scale, and ensure efficiency to make manufacturing in India globally competitive.

Topic: Banking System

4. RBI keeps policy rate unchanged and continues with its accommodative stance.

• RBI has kept the policy repo rate unchanged at 4% and continued with its accommodative stance.
• It has kept the reverse repo rate unchanged at 3.5%. Marginal Standing Facility rate and bank rate have also been kept unchanged at 4.25%.
• RBI has kept the real GDP Growth Rate projection for 2021-22 unchanged at 10.5%. It consists of 26.2% in Q1, 8.3% in Q2, 5.4% in Q3 and 6.2% in Q4.
• RBI has revised CPI Inflation projection to 5% in Q4 of 2020-21.

• RBI has decided to introduce a secondary market G-sec acquisition programme or G-SAP 1.0.  It announced a G-SAP of Rs 1 lakh crore for Q1 of 2021-22.
• Inflation measured by consumer price index (CPI) is defined as the change in the prices of a basket of goods and services that are typically purchased by specific groups of households.

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

5. Union Cabinet was informed regarding an MoU signed between India and Japan for Academic and Research Cooperation and Exchange.

• Union Cabinet was informed about an MoU signed between the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Dept of Space, Government of India and Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
• The MoU was signed in November 2020 for Academic and Research Cooperation and Exchange.
• This MoU will enable mutual utilization of facilities and instruments available from RISH and complementary instruments available at NARL.
• The two institutes have been cooperating in the field of atmospheric science and technology. For this, an MoU was signed in 2008 that was later renewed in 2013. A new MoU was signed in 2020 to promote collaborative research.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. Union Agriculture Minister launches ‘Madhukranti’ portal and ‘Honey corners’.

• Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has launched ‘Madhukranti’ portal and Honey Corners of NAFED in New Delhi.
• Madhukranti portal:
  • It is an initiative of National Bee Board (NBB) under National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM).
  • The portal will help in achieving traceability of honey and other beehive products on a digital platform.
  • It will also ensure quality check and source of adulteration of honey.
  • National Bee Board and Indian Bank signed an MoU for this project. Indian Bank is the technical and banking partner for development of this portal.
• National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM):
  • It a Central Sector scheme that was approved by the government for overall promotion and development of scientific beekeeping.
  • The mission aims to achieve the goal of “Sweet Revolution”.
  • Implementing agency: National Bee Board

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. GD Birla Award will be presented to Sumon Chakraborty for Scientific Research. 

• The faculty member of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Professor Suman Chakraborty will be awarded the 30th GD Birla Award for Scientific Research.
• He has been selected for his outstanding contribution to engineering science and its applications in developing technologies for affordable healthcare.
• Chandrima Shaha, the President of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is the present head of the selection board, who has chosen  Suman Chakraborty as the winner of the GD Birla Award.
• G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research:
  • The was instituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation in 1991 to honor the Indian philanthropist Ghanshyam Das Birla.
  • The eminent Indian scientists below the age of 50 are awarded this prestigious award for their original and outstanding contributions to any branch of science or technology.
  • ₹5 lakh cash is awarded to the winner of the GD Birla Award.

Topic: Miscellaneous

8. Virat Kohli became a brand ambassador of Digital Insurance.

• Digital Insurance has appointed Virat Kohli as the brand ambassador.
• Digital Insurance:
  • The founder and chairman of Digital Insurance is Kamesh Goyal.
  • It was founded in 2016.
  • It is headquartered in Bangalore.
• Recently appointed Brand Ambassador of companies:

Topic: Appointments

9. DGP Shabir Hussein appointed as Anti-Corruption Unit chief of BCCI ahead of IPL 2021.

• The former Gujarat DGP Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwala has been assigned as the head of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• He replaced former DGP of Rajasthan Ajit Singh, whose tenure was ended on March 31.
• Ajit Singh was appointed to this position in April 2018.
• A 1973 batch IPS officer Shabir Hussein was retired from Gujarat DGP in December 2010.
• Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
  • It is India’s governing body for cricket.
  • It was established in December 1928.
  • Headquarters: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
  • First President of BCCI: R E Grant Govan
  • First Secretary of BCCI: Anthony De Mello
  • Current President of BCCI: Sourav Ganguly
  • Current Secretary of BCCI: Jay Shah

Topic: Defence

10. INS Sarvekshak is deployed in Mauritius for hydrographic survey.

• INS Sarvekshak is a hydrographic survey ship.
• It is deployed in Mauritius to conduct a joint hydrographic survey with the Mauritius Navy.
• Under the Training, Mauritian personnel will be trained on advanced hydrographic equipment and practices.
• INS Sarvekshak took a tour of Port Louis, Mauritius, and started off the hydrographic survey of the Deep sea area off Port Louis.
• The ship has been equipped with state-of-the-art survey equipment like Deep Sea Multi-Beam Echo Sounder, Side Scan Sonars, and a fully automated digital surveying and processing system.
• Besides, the ship has been fitted with an integral Chetak helicopter, which will be deployed extensively during the survey.

(Source: PIB)