Test: July 2021 Weekly Current Affair - 4 - UPSC MCQ

LIC Cards Services Limited (LIC-CSL) and IDBI Bank announced that they’ve launched two new co-branded RuPay Credit Cards. This LIC card will be designated as the LIC CSL ‘Eclat’ Select Credit Card and the ‘Lumine’ Platinum Credit Card. As per the release, the credit cardholder will apparently be able to gain access to a range of new benefits that have been termed, ‘the best in class’.

Government has said that around one crore 13 lakh houses have been sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban till date.

LIC Cards Services Limited (LIC-CSL) and IDBI Bank announced that they’ve launched two new co-branded RuPay Credit Cards. This LIC card will be designated as the LIC CSL ‘Eclat’ Select Credit Card and the ‘Lumine’ Platinum Credit Card. As per the release, the credit cardholder will apparently be able to gain access to a range of new benefits that have been termed, ‘the best in class’.

The book titled ‘India Versus China: Why They Are Not Friends’ authored by Kanti Bajpai has been released recently.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated a scheme “SMILE – Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”, which includes subscheme – ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.

IFC, along with two investment funds managed by IFC Asset Management Company (IFC Financial Institutions Growth Fund and IFC Emerging Asia Fund) have picked up 4.99 per cent stake in Federal Bank for ₹916 crore.

The Union government will set up over 42 virology research and diagnostic laboratories under a central scheme during the period of 15th Finance Commission (2021-22 to 2025-26) at a cost of Rs324 crore.

State Bank of India topped the list of public sector banks writing off loans in FY21 followed by Union Bank of India.

The Bangladesh government is working to develop a social media platform named ‘Jogajog’ as an alternative to Facebook. The platform will help the local entrepreneurs to create their own marketplace for sharing information and data without depending on any foreign platform.
The government is also working to develop a communication app ‘Alapan’ as an alternative to Whatsapp.

“Renegades: Born in the USA” is a candid, revealing, and entertaining dialogue between President Barack Obama and legendary musician Bruce Springsteen that explores everything from their origin stories and career-defining moments to our country’s polarized politics and the growing distance between the American Dream and the American reality.

Nasa selected Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch its probe of Jupiter’s moon Europa, which has liquid oceans that could harbour life.

Indian Naval Ship (INS) Talwar is participating in Exercise Cutlass Express 2021, which commenced on July 26 along the East Coast of Africa, to improve combined maritime law enforcement capacity and increase interoperability between the regional navies.

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission – NITI Aayog, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rabo Foundation has launched the Agritech Challenge 2021, which aims to help address challenges faced by smallholder farmers across Asia and Africa.

China has launched its long-planned national emissions-trading program—a system that would create the world’s largest carbon market and double the share of global emissions covered under such programs. China is the world’s largest carbon emitter.

12th Edition of Indo-Russia joint Military Exercise INDRA-2021 will be held at Volgograd, Russia from 1st to 13th August.

Private sector lenders including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank have picked up a stake in blockchain technology focussed start-up IBBIC Pvt Ltd.

Rajasthan government’s Industries Department and the apex industrial development body, the Rajasthan Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO), have launched a campaign “Mission Niryatak Bano” to help local traders in expanding their businesses to foreign countries.

Philippines becomes first country to give green light to grow enriched ‘golden rice’ Nutrient-enriched “golden rice”, a major innovation in fighting malnutrition, could be on Filipino tables within just 18 months after the government became the first in the world to approve the crop.

Twenty-seven percent of the all-India quota admissions for medical and dental courses will be reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) starting this academic year, the Union health ministry said. An additional 10% will be reserved for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS).

India will take over the Presidency of the UN Security Council on August 1 and is set to host signature events in three major areas of maritime security, peacekeeping and counterterrorism during the month.

The Reserve Bank of India has raised the limit on loans to be sanctioned to directors or associates without board approval for the first time in 26 years to Rs. 5 crore from Rs. 25 lakhs last set in 1996.

Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan said that the Government is proposing to set up a National Research Foundation (NRF) to strengthen the research ecosystem in the country. The total proposed outlay of National Research Foundation is Rs 50,000 crore over a period of five years.

Digital payments have recorded a growth of 30.19 per cent during the year ended March 2021, reflecting adoption and deepening of cashless transactions in the country, RBI data showed.

To manage hearing loss in newborn and young children, Punjab government launched an automated auditory brainstem response system (AABR) under universal newborn hearing screening programme. By doing so, Punjab has become the first state in the country to introduce the system.

India women’s forward Bala Devi has been named as the AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year 2020-21, with young gun Manisha Kalyan winning the AIFF Women’s Emerging Footballer of the Year 2020-21 Award.