Test: January 2021 Weekly Current Affair - 1 - UPSC MCQ

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched mPension Manipur App, an online platform through which pensioners can do self-updation without visiting Treasury Offices.
The App uses Artificial Intelligence techniques to detect whether the pensioner is alive or dead from the updated photographs and will allow uploading of only photographs taken from living persons.

The Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and the World Bank signed a $105 million project to improve the inland water transport infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Indira Joseph Venniyoor, Renowned broadcaster, All India Radio veteran, and the first English news announcer of Travancore Radio, passed away at her residence at Poojapura. She was 94.
The Kerala-based veteran was the first English news announcer of Travancore Radio, when its English service started in 1949.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constructed a composite Digital Payments Index (DPI) to capture the extent of digitisation of payments across the country.
The RBI-DPI has been constructed with March 2018 as the base period.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to introduce the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) system for all payment transactions of value ₹50 crore and above undertaken by entities (non-individuals) using the Reserve Bank-run Centralised Payment Systems with effect from April 1.
LEI is a 20-digit number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide.

The All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), the national apex body of the gems and jewellery industry, has appointed Ashish Pethe as Chairman and Saiyam Mehra as its Vice Chairman for a period of two years.

The fourth Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2021), aimed at the global discussion and development of Ayurveda, will be held from March 12 to 19 as a virtual meet. It will be hosted by Kerala state government.

After efficiently growing inhabitants of wild animals corresponding to tigers, lions and leopards via defending their habitats, India will be the co-chair of the IUCN-supported Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP) for 3 years and it could, on this capability, help different Asian international locations in managing their protected areas.
The APAP at present consists of 21 members from 17 international locations together with China, Japan, South Korea, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Umesh Sinha has been appointed as the deputy election commissioner in the Election Commission of India. Sinha, a 1986-batch IAS officer (retired) of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present the secretary-general in the commission.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between Indian and Japan on a Basic Framework for Partnership for Proper Operation of the System Pertaining to ‘Specified Skilled Worker’.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Buta Singh passes away. He subsequently held many positions including those of the Union home minister and Union agriculture minister.

Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera has won five more years in power by securing more than 53% of votes in an election that was marred by violence, according to provisional results announced..

The Centre has notified an area to an extent varying from zero to one km around the boundary of Mathikettan Shola National Park in Kerala’s Idukki district as an Eco-sensitive Zone considering the unique nature of the Shola forest and its importance as an elephant strip.

Alfredo Covelli, an Italy based author has launched his new book Vahana Masterclass for children and Young Audience. The books will be illustrated and published by Scholastic India. Alfredo had a keen interest in our Indian culture and mythology which inspired him to write a story on Lord Ganesh for children.

India’s fiscal deficit stood at Rs 10.75 lakh crore at the end of November, 35% higher than the budget estimate for FY21, mainly on account of low realisation of revenue due to disruption in business activities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
India’s April-November fiscal deficit tops 135% of full-year target.

International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) said that it has become an associate member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), plans to reduce the level of trans fats in food items from the permissible limit of 5 per cent to 3 per cent by 2021, and to 2 per cent by 2022 is under process.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has in association with Jammu & Kashmir Government launched the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) SEHAT for all the residents of the Union territory.
SEHAT stands for social, endeavour for health, and telemedicine.

The center has set up a high-level group to help build a South Asia-focused energy security architecture. The high-level group, headed by former Union power secretary Ram Vinay Shahi, is named the South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE).

Australia has changed one word in its national anthem to reflect what the prime minister called the spirit of unity and the country’s Indigenous population.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on New Years Eve announced that the second line of the anthem, Advance Australia Fair, has been changed from “For we are young and free” to “For we are one and free.”

To bring in more automation and efficacy in the functioning of the state Public Relations department, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh virtually launched a mobile application ‘DigiNest’, to give people digital access to the state government’s directory, which can be synced with the smart phone with the click of a button.
The Chief Minister also rolled out an online Punjab Advertisement Release Order System to bring transparency and efficiency in the entire process of releasing State Government’s advertisements and payments to media houses.

Japan’s Sumitomo Forestry company and Kyoto University aims to launch the world’s first wood-based space satellite to combat the problem of space junk.

Goa’s 14-year-old Leon Mendonca has become India’s 67th chess Grandmaster by winning the third and final norm at a tournament in Italy. Mendonca, who achieved the feat at 14 years, 9 months and 17 days, is the second GM from the coastal state.

Goa’s 14-year-old Leon Mendonca has become India’s 67th chess Grandmaster by winning the third and final norm at a tournament in Italy. Mendonca, who achieved the feat at 14 years, 9 months and 17 days, is the second GM from the coastal state.

Soma Mondal has taken over as Chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). She was the Director (Commercial) of SAIL prior to this.
She replaces Anil Kumar Chaudhary, who superannuated on 31 December 2020.