Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 April 2021

Topic: International News

1. India handed over the Fast Patrol Vessel to Seychelles.

• During the Virtual Meeting with the new President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan, PM Narendra gifted a Fast Patrol Vessel worth Rs 100 crore to Seychelles Coast Guard.
• Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineering Company has built this 48.9 m Fast Patrol Vessel.
• It can be used for multi-purpose operations such as patrolling, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching, and search and rescue (SAR).
• The vessel had arrived in Seychelles on 16 March and was officially handed over to the Seychelles Coast Guard during this virtual meeting.
• The Name of the Fast Patrol Vessel is PS Zoroaster and this is the fourth ship to be gifted by India to Seychelles.
• PS Topaz (2005), PS Constant (2014), Patrol Boat Hermes (2016) are the other ships gifted to Seychelles.

Topic: Books and Authors

2. Hindi Version of Odisha Itihaas released by PM Modi on 9th April.

• Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab's Hindi Version book of Odisha Itihaas was released by PM Modi on 9^th April in New Delhi.
• Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab is also known as ‘Utkal Keshari’.
• This book is already available in English and Odia language.
• The book has been translated into Hindi by Shri Shankarlal Purohit.
• Harekrushna Mahtab Foundation is the organizer of this Hindi version release event.
• The writer Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab was an important part of the Indian Independence Movement. 
• He was the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1946 to 1950 and from 1956 to 1961.
• During 1942-1945, he was in jail for more than two years, where he wrote the book ‘Odisha Itihaas’.

Topic: Reports and Indices

3. RBI will publish Financial Inclusion Index in July.

• The Reserve Bank of India has announced that it will release the Financial Inclusion Index.
• It will be published annually in July for the previous financial year.
• It will be used to measure the reach of financial inclusion in the country.  It will be based on various parameters.
• However, RBI has not released the parameters and other details about the Index.
• Earlier, RBI had also released the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion for India 2019-2024.
• Financial Inclusion is a key factor in achieving inclusive and sustainable development.
• Financial Inclusion: It is a method of offering banking and financial services to individuals. It aims to provide basic financial service to everyone.
• RBI:
  • It was established on April 1, 1935, under the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
  • It was set up on the recommendations of the Hilton Young Commission.
  • It is the central bank of India and regulates the banking system in India
  • Shaktikanta Das is the current RBI governor.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

4. Government notified Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021.

• The government has notified the Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021 on 30 March 2021.
• The government had amended the Copyright Rules, 2013 in 2016. At present, India is governed by the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright Rules, 2013.
• The main objective of the new amendments is to adopt electronic means as a primary mode of communication and working in the Copyright Office.
• The provision of Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021 are:
  • The copyright journal will be available at the website of the Copyright Office. Now, there is no need for the Publication of a copyrights journal in the official Gazette.
  • To encourage accountability and transparency, the copyright societies will release the Annual Transparency Report for each financial year.
  • A new system has been introduced to deal with the undistributed royalty amounts, and electronic payment methods will be used to collect and distribute royalties.
  • The Copyright Board has been merged with Appellate Board to bring synergy between the Copyright Rules and the Finance Act, 2017.
  • The time limit to respond to an application for the registration of a copyright society has been extended for 180 days.
  • The government has also reduced the compliance requirement of registration of software work.
• Copyright is a right given by the law to creators of literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works and producers of cinematograph films and sound recordings.

Topic: National News

5. INYAS launched a nationwide campaign to spread awareness about COVID-19 vaccination.

• Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS) has launched a nationwide mass awareness campaign to bust myths about the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
• It will be carried out through a COVACNEWS mobile app. It will provide information about vaccines in 11 languages. 
• A nationwide info-graphic video and audio competition and the GYAN TEEKA webinar series will also be organised to spread awareness about the vaccination programme.
• Eminent speakers will spread awareness about the COVID-19 vaccination programme through the GYAN TEEKA webinar series.
• Vaccination will help India in fighting against the second wave of the COVID-19 and it will create herd immunity.
• Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS):
  • It was established by the INSA council in 2014.
  • It is the first and only recognized young scientist academy of India.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Environment and Ecology

6.  A new species of bird added to India’s bird list.

• A new species of bird has been found in Arunachal Pradesh. It has been added as the 1340^th species in India’s bird list.
• The three-banded rosefinch is generally found in Southern China and Bhutan.
• Scientists of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) have spotted this bird species at Sela in Arunachal Pradesh at an altitude of 3,852 metres above sea level.
• BNHS researchers Atharva Singh and Himadri Sekhar Mondal have published their findings in the journal Indian Birds.
• The three-banded rosefinch belongs to the Fringillidae family. These are seed-eating passerine birds.
• After 2016, 104 new species have been added to the bird checklist of India. In 2021, five new species have been added.

Topic: Corporates/ Companies

7. Infosys and ArcelorMittal announce strategic pact for digital transformation.

• ArcelorMittal has entered into a strategic partnership with Infosys for the digital transformation of its European operations.
• Infosys will offer application management and business process management (BPM) services to ArcelorMittal.
• Infosys will also establish a Business Process Management (BPM) service in ArcelorMittal Europe’s Business Center of Excellence (BCoE) shared services center.
• This partnership will help to strengthen Infosys’ presence in the European market.
• ArcelorMittal is the world’s largest steel and mining company. Lakshmi Mittal is the CEO of the ArcelorMittal.
• Infosys is a Bengaluru headquartered Indian company providing business consulting, information technology, and outsourcing services. Its CEO is Salil Parekh.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana completed six years.

• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana has completed six years. It was launched on 8^th April 2015.
• Under the scheme, Rs 10 lakh is provided as loans to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro-enterprises. ‘Shishu’, ‘Kishore’ and ‘Tarun are three categories under PMMY.
• Its main objective is to promote entrepreneurship among the youth of India. The loans are offered in the manufacturing, services, and agriculture allied sectors.
• Achievements of this Scheme are:
  • More than 28.68 crore loans for an amount of Rs 14.96 lakh crore have been sanctioned since its launch.
  • Around 24% of the loans have been given to new entrepreneurs and about 68% of the loans have been given to women entrepreneurs.
  • 4.20 crore PMMY loans had been sanctioned in 2020-21.
  • The average ticket size of the loans is about Rs 52,000 and 88% of the loans are in the ‘SHISHU’ category.
  • About 51% of the loans have been given to SC/ST/OBC borrowers.

Topic: National News

9. ‘Anamaya’- A Tribal Health Collaborative has been launched by Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

• ‘Anamaya’ is a Tribal Health Collaborative, which has been launched by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, along with Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, through video conference.
• Under Anamaya, it will meet the efforts of various Government agencies and organizations to enhance the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities.
• To fulfill the Prime Minister’s goal of TB Mukt Bharat by 2025, both the Ministries have launched the Tribal TB initiative.

Topic: Personality in news

10. President of Gita Press passes away at the age of 87.

• Radheshyam Khemka, Gita Press President, has passed away recently.
• He was 87 years old.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the death of Khemka and said he was actively involved in various social services throughout his life.
• He took Sanatan literature to the people.
• He was also worked as an editor for Kalyan, a famous magazine of Sanatan Dharma, for approx 40 years.