DAILY GK: 2 FEB 2021

 DAILY GK: 2 FEB 2021

1. CONSTRUCTION OF ARUN HYDROPOWER PROJECT IN NEPAL

•      During the 46th meeting of the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) chaired by Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli awarded the contract for construction of 679 MW (MegaWatt) Lower Arun Hydropower Project to India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Ltd under public-private partnership.

•      The project has been awarded to SJVN after a successful International Competitive Bidding.

 

2. INDIA’S TRANSITION TOWARDS EV IN 2020-30

•      According to the report ‘Mobilising Finance for EVs in India: A Toolkit of Solutions to Mitigate Risks and Address Market Barriers, January 2021’ released by NITI Aayog & Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), India’s transition towards Electric Vehicles (EVs) adoption between the years 2020-2030 will need a capital of INR 19.7 Lakh Crores (USD 266 Billion) they will be utilized for construction of vehicles, charging stations.

•      Initiatives taken by Government to improve EV Sector in India

•      Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, with a budget of INR 18, 100 Crore (USD 2.4 Billion) for Advanced Chemistry Cell battery sector.

•      ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME)’ with a budget of INR 1, 000 Crore (USD 135 Million) for improving charging infrastructure.

 

3. PHDCCI IER RANKINGS

•      According to the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) International Economic Resilience (IER) India is set to emerge as the 2nd Most Resilience Economy in 2021 among top-10 leading economies showcasing the strong recovery of Indian Economy in the Post COVID-19 era.

•      Germany took the top spot & South Korea took the 3rd spot.

•      Indicators – It is based on 5 Macroeconomic indicators such as Real GDP growth rate, Merchandise export growth rate, Current Account Balance (as percentage of GDP), General Government net lending/borrowing (as percentage of GDP), Gross Debt-to-GDP ratio.

 

4. HAL TO LAUNCH TEJAS MARK II IN 2022

•      Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is planning to launch the Indigenous Tejas Mark II Multirole Combat Jet in August-September of 2022.

•      The 1st high-speed trial of the jet will be started in 2023 and productions are expected to begin in 2025.

•      The new version of Tejas will have Bigger fuselage, longer range, better maintainability, greater load carrying capability, stronger engine power & superior net-centric warfare systems.

 

5. BEST TABLEAU AWARD AMONG THE 32 PARTICIPANTS

•      The Republic Day parade tableau of Uttar Pradesh was adjudged as the best tableau among the 32 tableaux that participated in the Parade on 26th January 2021.

•      The theme of the UP tableau was “Ayodhya: The cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh”.

•      Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sport presented the awards and prizes to the participants.

•      The tableau of the Department of Biotechnology won the top honours among the 9 tableaus from various ministries, departments, paramilitary forces and Defence Ministry.

 

6. NEW CEO OF NATIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITY

•      Ram Sewak Sharma(R.S. Sharma), former Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) took charge as the CEO of the National Health Authority (NHA) of India.

•      R.S. Sharma replaced the outgoing CEO Indu Bhushan.

•      NHA, an autonomous body is responsible for implementing Ayushman-Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

 

7. SYED MUSHTAQ ALI T20 COMPETITION

•      Tamil Nadu Cricket Team defeated Baroda in the finals of the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Competition held at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat to win the trophy.

•      The 12th Edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was held from January 10-31, 2021.

•      The Tamil Nadu cricket team was led by Dinesh Karthik.

 

8. BOOK -“YES MAN: THE UNTOLD STORY OF RANA KAPOOR”

•      Pavan C.Lall’s new book titled “Yes Man: The Untold Story of Rana Kapoor” provides the details about the rise and fall of one of the India’s promising bankers Rana Kapoor and it also questions the banking system, its regulators and the business environment that led to the fall of YES Bank.

 

9. WORLD LEPROSY DAY 2021

•      World Leprosy Day is annually observed across the globe on the last Sunday of January to create awareness about leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease.

•      The World Leprosy Day 2021 falls on 31st January 2021.

•      The theme of the 2021 World Leprosy day is “Beat Leprosy, End Stigma and Advocate for Mental Well-Being”.