Today News detail on 13 April 2021

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NITI Aayog Launched first of its kind Online Dispute Resolution

Handbook in India On 10th April 2021, Supreme Court Justice DY Chandrachud released the first of its kind Online Dispute Resolution(ODR) Handbook

developed by Agami and Omidyar Network India. The handbook was developed in association with (National Institution for Transforming India) NITI Aayog with the support of ICICI Bank, Ashoka Innovators for the Public, Trilegal, Dalberg, Dvara and NIPFP.

Key People: Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog; Poornima Sampath, Vice President

of TATA Sons and Sumit Gupta, Head Collections, Udaan were also present during the launch event.

ODR Handbook: i.ODR Handbook features the insights and learnings to equip a person to successfully adopt ODR. ii.This will encourage the business leaders to adopt ODR in India.

iii.The ODR Handbook highlights actionable processes for the businesses that want to adopt ODR.

What is ODR? i.ODR is a mechanism to resolve disputes collaboratively outside the court. ii.This integrates the technology with dispute resolution mechanisms

like negotiation, mediation, conciliation and arbitration. Click here to know more about ODR and ODR Handbook

Recent Related News: On December 22, 2020 Amitabh Kant, CEO of National Institution for

Transforming India (NITI) Aayog virtually launched India’s 1st digital asset management platform, DigiBoxx. The digital file storage, sharing, and management SaaS product provides storage options for individuals and organisations of all sizes and industries. This cloud storage service

was created by a tech startup founded and promoted by Arnab Mitra, MD, LIQVD ASIA along with Ashish Jalan and Vivek Suchanti, Concept Group.

About NITI Aayog: The National Institution for Transforming India, also called NITI Aayog, was formed under the resolution of the Union Cabinet on

January 1, 2015. Chairperson– Prime Minister Narendra Modi CEO– Amitabh Kant Headquarters– New Delhi

India records 7.2 % Ethanol-blending in Petrol for the 1st Time Ethanol-blending in Petrol in India has reached more than 7.2 per cent

for the First Time. It has reached 7.2 per cent in the first four months of the ethanol supply year 2020-21 (December 2020 – November 2021). • Before this, the best-ever ethanol blending in petrol achieved at all-

India level was around 5.2 per cent. • India has set a target of 10 %(10% of ethanol mixed with 90% of petrol) blending by 2022 & 20 % blending by 2025.

• The government is promoting the use of ethanol as blendstock with Petrol in line with the National Policy on Biofuels (NPB) – 2018 under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme.

States nearing 2022 Target

• If Oil-Marketing Companies (OMCs) lift the ethanol that they had contracted for, then the all-India average blending could reach 8% by

November 2021. • In states such as Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh & UT of Daman and Diu, 9.5-10 percent ethanol is being blended with petrol.

• According to data, in order to achieve the 20% ethanol blending target, India needs 1000 Crore Litres Ethanol Capacity. • Sources of ethanol – C-heavy Molasses, B-heavy Molasses, Sugarcane

Juice/sugar/sugar-syrup, Damaged Food Grain/Maize, Surplus rice with Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme It was launched in January 2003 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG). i.It aims to achieve a blending of Ethanol with Petrol with an aim of

reducing pollution, increasing value addition in the sugar industry & reducing India’s dependence on imported Crude Oil. ii.Under the programme, the government has undertaken several

initiatives. They are • Reducing GST on ethanol meant for the EBP programme from 18% to 5%. • Opening of alternate routes for ethanol production.

• Interest Subvention Scheme for enhancement and augmentation of the ethanol production capacity by Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) (under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and

Public Distribution).

Recent Related News: i.On December 30, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved a modified

scheme to

enhance ethanol distillation capacity in the country for producing 1st Generation, 1G ethanol from feedstocks such as cereals like rice,

wheat, barley, corn and sorghum and sugarcane, sugar beet etc.

About Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) Union Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan (Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha, Constituency – Madhya Pradesh)

HUL, Google collaborated with MyGov India to launch AI for

Agriculture Hackathon Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) & Google partners with MyGov India to jointly formulate an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Agriculture Hackathon that was conducted from 7-9 April 2021. Target – To encourage start-ups and institutions for finding innovative

solutions to address India’s water scarcity problem through AI solutions. i.The hackathon is aimed at conserving freshwater usage, and

addressing water scarcity problems in India. ii.Use of AI in agriculture will improve farmers access to markets, inputs, data, advisory, credit and insurance.

Note – 3 organization has decided to partner on March 22, 2021 during the World Water Day, 2021.

About MyGov India: i.Launched by the Government of India in July 2014, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). ii.It is a web portal, specifically designed for citizens to interact with

Industrial experts to contribute to Social & Economic transformation of India.

Recent Related News: “Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency (SUPACE)” an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven tool for the Supreme Court of

India, which collects relevant facts & laws related to the case, to ease the research process of Judges.

About Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL): Chairman & MD – Sanjiv Mehta Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

About Google: Founders – Larry Page, Sergey Brin Launched – 1998 Parent Organisation – Alphabet Inc.

DRDO opens up Missile Production to Private Sector Under Central Govt’s Make in India initiative to prepare Indian private sector companies to develop Complex Military systems, Defence

Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has extended its Development cum Production Partner (DCPP) programme to Indian Private sector companies.

• Now, Private companies can both develop and produce missile systems like the Vertically-launched Short-range Surface to Air Missile system (VL-SRSAM).

Nirmala Sitharaman participates in 103rd Development Committee

Meeting of World Bank-IMF 2021

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman virtually participated in the 103rd Development Committee Meeting of World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) 2021.

• Nirmala Sitharaman represented India, Bangladesh, Bhutan & Sri Lanka in the meeting. i.The topics of discussion were

• World Bank Group (WBG) & IMF Support for Debt Relief Under the Common Framework & Beyond

• COVID-19 Pandemic: World Bank Group Support for Fair and Affordable Access to Vaccines by Developing Countries

• From COVID-19 Crisis Response to Resilient Recovery-Saving Lives & Livelihoods while Supporting Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID).

Highlights from FM’s Address • Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the Government has announced Atma

Nirbhar Packages of INR 27.1 Lakh Crore, amounting to more than

13% of the GDP. • The Atma Nirbhar Packages were aimed at pushing forward the economic reforms and also providing social protection to the poor and vulnerable.

• FM highlighted WBG has increased its financing during the pandemic, the total financing approvals by WBG exceeded by USD 100 Billion for the 1st time.

• She also highlighted WBG’s role in helping developing countries get access to COVID-19 vaccines in a timely and affordable manner. WBG partnered with WHO (World Health Organization) & GAVI – the

Vaccine Alliance (previously known as Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) for providing vaccines to developing countries. • The next meeting of the Development Committee is scheduled to be held on October 15, 2021, in Washington DC, USA.

FM attends Plenary Meeting of IMFC of IMF Nirmala Sitharaman virtually attended the Plenary Meeting of the

International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) of the Board of Governors of the IMF at the Virtual Spring Meetings 2021. • The discussions were based on IMF’s Global Policy Agenda titled ‘Bolstering the Recovery, Countering Divergence’.

• It was attended by Governors/Alternate Governors representing 190 member countries of the IMF.

Recent Related News: i.On October 16, 2020, Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs

Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 102nd Meeting of the World Bank (WB) Development Committee Plenary through video conferencing from New Delhi.

About World Bank Group (WBG): President – David Malpass Headquarters – Washington DC., USA Member Countries – 189

Russian President Putin signs Law paving way to rule until 2036 Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a legislation which will enable him to run for two or more consecutive six-year terms,

effectively permitting him to remain in office till 2036. • The legislation formalizes changes to the Russian Constitution which were endorsed by people through a referendum held in 2020.

• Before the signing of the new legislation, a President could serve only a maximum of two consecutive six-year terms.

Key Points • Putin completes his ongoing Fourth Term as President of Russia in 2024. • Putin has already governed Russia either as President or as Prime

Minister for more than 20 years, making it the longest period a leader has been in power since Joseph Stalin. • Putin was first elected as Prime Minister of Russia in 1999 and as

President in 2000. • Russia’s Presidential Term was lengthened to 6 years (from 4 years) in 2008

Fact • In countries like US, France and others the President can serve only a maximum of two consecutive terms.

About Russia: Federal Assembly – State Duma – Lower house,

Federation Council – Upper House Seats – Total – 620 (State Duma – 450, Federation Council – 170)

Mobisafar partnered with YES BANK, NPCI to launch ‘Mobisafar

Virtual RuPay Prepaid Card’ On April 5, 2021, Mobisafar Services Private Limited, a Fintech start-up made a partnership with YES BANK & with National Payments

Corporation of India (NPCI) for Rupay to launch ‘Mobisafar Virtual

RuPay Prepaid card’.

About ‘Mobisafar Virtual RuPay Prepaid Card’: • The prepaid card will provide an easier way to access the wallet

through both the mobile app and desktop with a reloadable limit. • Benefits: The card can be used for many common booking purposes such as booking of airline tickets, movie tickets, hotels, retail shopping,

and groceries. • The card was established in accordance with the Government of India’s vision for ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

Inauguration: • Inauguration of the The Mobisafar Virtual RuPay Prepaid card was done by the former Cricketer Kapil Dev along with Abhishek Pandey

and Ajitesh Pandey, (founders of Mobisafar). • Vivek Manchanda, YES Bank’s Digital Marketing Head and Nitin Gupta, NPCI also took part in the inauguration as a special guest.

Prepaid cards vs. credit cards: • While using credit cards the customer will be borrowing the money in case of Prepaid cards the customer will be spending the money which

was loaded already onto the card in advance.

Mobisafar Services Private Limited:

• It is involved in Insurance and pension funding and provides payments solutions to the masses through its strong Agent Network using Semi-

Closed Wallet. • Services Include – Domestic Money Transfer (DMT), cash withdrawal, Mini ATM (AEPS), PAN Card applications, travel bookings, Insurance, BBPS, Indo Nepal Money Transfer.

• Mobisafar has its existence over 13000+ pin codes along India with 1.5 lacs Business Correspondent (BC) agents.

Recent Related News: On March 08, 2021, In the event of International Women’s Day Yes Bank launched a banking proposition called ‘YES Essence’ service to offer preferentially – priced loans and healthcare benefits for women

customers.

About Mobisafar Services Private Limited: Establishment – 2015 Headquarters – Ludhiana, Punjab CEO – Abhishek Kumar Pandey

About YES Bank: Establishment – 2004 Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra MD&CEO

– Prashant Kumar Tagline– Experience our Expertise

India’s debt-to-GDP ratio increased from 74% to 90% during

Covid-19: IMF On April 7, 2021, the International Monetary Fund(IMF) reported an increase in India’s debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio from 74

percent (at the end of 2019) to 90 percent (at the end of 2020) during the COVID-19 period. • Based on the IMF’s baseline forecast, it expects a further drop in India’s ‘Debt to GDP ratio’ to 80 percent due to the recent Indian

economy recovery.

Key points:

• IMF suggested India to support people and firms, and, in particular, the most vulnerable.

• Vitor Gaspar, Director of IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department stated a worldwide increase in the widening deficits, contraction in economic activity and debt sharply to 97 percent of GDP in 2020 and it will increase slower to 99 percent in 2021 before stabilising below but

close to 100 percent of GDP. • The IMF mentioned that it stands ready to act and has a financial capacity of about USD 1 trillion when it is necessary to restore

confidence in markets.

About Debt-to-GDP Ratio: • The debt-to-GDP ratio is the ratio of a country’s public debt to its

gross domestic product (GDP). • By comparing what a country owes with what it produces, the debt-to-GDP ratio reliably indicates the particular country’s ability to pay

back its debts it is often expressed as a percentage. • The Formula: Debt to GDP= Total GDP of Country/ Total Debt of Country

Recent Related News: IMF in its World Economic Outlook, titled ‘Policy Support and Vaccines Expected to Lift Activity’ has projected India’s GDP to contract by

8%(-8%) in FY20-21. Earlier in its October’s forecast, this estimate was -10.3%. It also projected India’s GDP growth at 11.5% in FY 21-22

About International Monetary Fund (IMF): Establishment– 1944 Member Countries– 190 Headquarter – Washington, D.C., United States Managing Director – Kristalina Georgieva Economic Counsellor and Research Department Director – Gita Gopinath

WazirX launched an NFT marketplace for Indian Artists

On March 5, 2021, WazirX, the Binance-owned cryptocurrency exchange has launched one of India’s first marketplaces for Non-

Fungible Tokens (NFT), which will enable Indian artists and creators to auction their digital assets over the Blockchain-based platform and earn royalty.

Key points: • This marketplace enables the exchange of digital assets and intellectual properties such as art pieces, audio files, videos and even

tweets apart from other digital goods and services • According to industry data, the NFT market grew by 299 per cent in 2020 as it clocked more than $250 million as the total value of transactions.

• WazirX is now aiming to hit $1 billion in trading volume per day in 2021. • WazirX ‘s NFT initiative is being led by Canada-based entrepreneur

Sandesh B Suvarna with film actor and producer Vishakha Singh as an adviser.

What is a cryptocurrency exchange? • A cryptocurrency exchange, or a digital currency exchange (DCE), is a business that allows customers to trade cryptocurrencies or digital currencies for other assets, such as conventional fiat money or other

digital currencies.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs): • NFTs are a class of cryptocurrency assets in which each item, or token A non-fungible token is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable.

• NFTs can be used to represent items such as photos, videos, audio and other types of digital files.

• NFT is a one-of-its-kind asset that is non-fungible in nature. It means that NFT is not replaceable by another ‘identical’ item.

• Note- At the end of 2020 ‘Unicas’, the world’s first crypto bank was launched in India as a Joint Venture(JV) by Cashaa of the UK and United Multistate Credit co-operative society Ltd of India.

About WazirX: Binance the world’s biggest crypto exchange platform has acquired WazirX by the end of 2019. Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra CEO – Nischal Shetty

SwitchON signed an MOU with PNB for Solar Pump Financing

through Loss default guarantee fund On April 10, 2021, SwitchON Foundation has partnered with Punjab

National Bank(PNB) to offer finance to the marginal farmers for buying solar pumps. • PNB will be financing solar pumps through the SwitchON Foundation’s

– First Loss Default Guarantee Fund. Objective: The basic aim of this fund is to help unbanked small

marginal farmers without any collateral and to promote clean energy.

First of its kind agreement: • It is a first of its kind agreement between a private non-profit

organisation and a public sector bank to set up a Guarantee Fund (usually guarantee fund will be set up by the Government) • PNB is offering a payback period of 7 years with a zero down

payment for up to 1.6 lakhs of loan for small and marginal farmers. • Previously, SwitchON partnered with RBL and Axis Bank to sanction loans for over 100 solar pumps, but it is the first time that along with a Nationalized Bank for the financial partnership.

• There have been zero Non-Performing Assets (NPA) to date and farmers have seen a 1.6x raise in income after the adoption of solar pumps through SwitchON.

Features of the Partnership: • This partnership will be helpful to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources and enhance the quality of life of marginal farmers. • It will also accelerate the achievement of the official target of the

central PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) Scheme of India is to achieve 30.75 GW of solar energy generation by 2022.

The First Loss Default Guarantee Fund: • The first loss guarantee is a mechanism whereby a third party compensates lenders if the borrower defaults i.e. (insurance against a

loss). • This clause makes the lender financially responsible for any loan losses up to a certain percentage (decided, upfront, based on the

perception of risk), which typically ranges between 8-20% of the portfolio.

• The guarantee fund is set up to reduce lender’s risk – such arrangements are already have been set up by the Ministry of MSME to increase lending for small business.

Recent Related News: On March 16, 2021, Punjab National Bank (PNB) set up a wholly-owned subsidiary named PNB Cards & Services Ltd to provide the non -

financial support services related to the credit card business of the bank.

About SwitchON Foundation Establishment – 2008 Office Location – Kolkata, West Bengal Managing Director – Vinay Jaju

About Punjab National Bank(PNB): Founded – May 19, 1894 Commenced Operations – April 12, 1895 MD &

CEO – CH. S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao Headquarters– New Delhi, India Tagline– The name you can bank upon

Airtel Payments Bank Announced ‘Rewards123’ Savings Account with

Benefits On Digital Transactions On April 9, 2021, Airtel Payments Bank announced its new savings

account ‘Rewards123’ which offers benefits and value to customers when they transact digitally using the bank account. Annual Fee: ‘Rewards123’ could be availed by the customers at an annual fee of Rs 299

Benefits of ‘Rewards123’ account: • Consistent rewards for each month along with Annual Cashback Rewards of Rs.960

• Unlimited Deposits with Auto-Sweep Facility (Sweep account opened in Partnership with Suryoday Small Finance Bank, which enables the customers to save more than 1L with Airtel Payments Bank.)

• Other benefits include zero minimum balance and free Platinum Online Mastercard Debit Card. • Customers can easily open or upgrade to Rewards123 through the Airtel Thanks app using Video KYC.

About Payments Bank: • A committee headed by Nachiket Mor recommended setting up

‘Payments Bank’ to serve the lower-income groups and small businesses. • There are two kinds of banking licences that are granted by the Reserve Bank of India – universal bank licence and differentiated bank licence.

• Payments bank comes under a differentiated bank licence since it cannot offer all the services that a commercial bank offers.

Recent Related News: On November 9, 2020, Airtel Payments Bank, India’s first payments

bank partnered with Bharti AXA General Insurance Co Ltd to offer ‘Smart Drive Private Car Insurance, comprehensive car insurance for its customers.

About Airtel Payments Bank: • 1st Payment Bank Establishment – January 2017, by Bharti Airtel Headquarters – New

Delhi MD and CEO – Anubrata Biswas

RXIL Becomes the 1st TReDS Platform to Record Highest Monthly

Throughput of Rs 1,000 Crore Receivables Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL), leading invoice discounting platform for MSMEs,has become the 1st TReDS Platform to record the highest monthly transaction volumes of Rs 1,000 crore in the

month of March, 2021.

Transaction-Comparison:

i.RXIL, the 1st TReDS, has increased its transaction volumes from Rs 69 crore in April 2020 to Rs 1,105 crore in March 2021, which is an indication of the revival and resumption of the economic activity. ii.RXIL records the highest transactions volumes of more than ₹6,500

crore by way of discounting of invoices of MSMEs in FY 2020-21. iii.On a cumulative basis RXIL has processed throughput of more than Rs 10,000 crore since inception. About

Receivables Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL): RXIL was launched in 2016.RXIL, a joint venture between the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the National Stock Exchange of India

Limited (NSE) with State Bank, ICICI and Yes Bank as other stakeholders.

About Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS): TReDS is a digital platform where small businesses (MSMEs) can get access to

capital by auctioning their trade receivables. The process is also commonly known as ‘bills discounting’, a financier (typically a bank) buying a bill (trade receivable) from a seller of goods before it’s due or before the buyer credits the value of the bill.

Bill Desk Partnered J.P. Morgan To Provide Online Payments

Solutions Payments aggregator Bill Desk has Partnered with Global Financial Institution, J.P. Morgan to provide online payments solutions to corporate clients of J.P. Morgan. • This Partnership will integrate Bill Desk’s payments platform with the

J.P. Morgan Access banking portal & uses Application Programming Interface (API) technology to authenticate and verify payments instantaneously, allowing payments to be executed in real time.

Key Points: i.This Partnership, will help the Clients of J.P. Morgan to independently initiate statutory and utility payments online.

ii.For this, Clients of J.P. Morgan will use 100 merchants that Bill Desk partners with, securely and without additional manual assistance from their partner banks. iii.Since the process is fully automatic, the transaction will be secure.

About Bill Desk: Director & Co-founder – Karthik Ganapathy Head

quarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Withdrawal of All-Inclusive Directions from Youth Development Co-

operative Bank Limited -RBI On April 5, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) withdrew all restrictions imposed on the Youth Development Co-operative Bank Ltd,

Kolhapur, Maharashtra. • Background: On January 5, 2019, The Cooperative Bank was placed under “All-Inclusive Directions” by RBI as per the Banking Regulation

Act, 1949, and further extended from time to time, up to April 5, 2021.

• Earlier Restrictions: Restriction was given on cap of withdrawal and the bank was barred from granting or renewing any loans and advances, making any investment, incurring any liability, without prior approval in writing from RBI.

• Initially the withdrawal of currency was restricted to Rs.5000 which was enhanced to Rs.20000 in June, 2020.

L&T Construction bags order to set up 1.5 GW Solar Plant in Saudi

Arabia The Renewables arm of Larsen & Toubro’s Power Transmission & Distribution Business has bagged a Turnkey EPC (Engineering,

Procurement & Construction) contract to set up Sudair Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Project of 1.5 GigaWatt (GW) in Riyadh Province of Saudi Arabia.

• It will be the largest solar plant in Saudi Arabia with a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed & will also be one of the largest such plants in the World.

• The total cost is estimated to be between INR 5000-7000 Crore in value. • The contract has been bagged from the consortium of ACWA Power and the Water and Electricity Holding Company (a subsidiary of the

Public Investments Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF). • It was awarded to PIF and ACWA Power as part of Saudi Arabia’s

National Renewable Energy Program (NREP).

Key Points • The 1.5GW PV Solar Module with associated single Axial Tracker & Inverters will be installed on a 30.8 square kilometre land parcel.

• The project is part of 70% of the target capacity of 58.7 GW assigned to PIF.

• Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO), Saudi Arabia will undertake competitive tendering for the remaining 30%.

Recent Related News: i.On November 17, 2020, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) delivered First Hardware – a Booster Segment – ‘S-200’ for Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle

to ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) in a virtual flag-off ceremony.

About Larsen & Toubro (L&T): Chairman – Anil Manibhai Naik CEO & MD – S. N. Subrahmanyan Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

About Saudi Arabia: Capital– Riyadh Currency– Saudi riyal Crown Prince– Mohammed bin

Salman Al Saud

ReNew Power pledged to achieve net Zero Emission by 2050 On 9th April 2021, ReNew Power, a Clean Energy firm of India has pledged to achieve net-zero emission by 2050. This is in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC)’s

Race to Zero Campaign, the largest global alliance committed to achieve net-zero carbon emission. Aim: To address the global climate crisis and lead the world’s

transition to low carbon economy.

Efforts of ReNew Power:

i.ReNew Power is set to tackle climate change by identifying, assessing and managing Climate related risks and opportunities. ii.It is also committed to reduce its carbon footprint through improved energy efficiency, increased renewable energy supply and reducing

network waste. iii.With its commitment to support the Race to Zero Campaign, ReNew Power aims to stabilise global emission by 2050 and create

opportunities for low carbon innovations which will support the low carbon economy and spur the investment and innovations required to

make the net-zero goal attainable.

Race to Zero Campaign:

i.It is a global effort to rally leadership and support business,

investors for a healthy, resilient zero carbon future that prevents future threats and supports inclusive and sustainable growth. ii.It mobilizes a coalition of leading net zero initiatives, representing

471 cities, 23 regions, 1,675 businesses, 85 of the biggest investors, and 569 universities Objective: To build momentum around the shift to a decarbonized

economy ahead of COP26.

Ramesh Pokhriyal presents AICTE Lilavati Awards 2020 on Women

Empowerment to winners On April 13, 2021, Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ presented the AICTE (All India Council for Technical

Education) Lilavati Awards 2020 on Women Empowerment to winners in New Delhi. Around 25 Winners were announced from a total of 456 entries.

Lilavati Awards 2020 i.Launched in November 2020, It is an initiative of AICTE to promote Women Empowerment in India.

ii.Theme – Women Empowerment iii.Objective – To create awareness about issues like sanitation, hygiene, health and nutrition using ‘traditional Indian values’ iv.Categories/sub-themes of Lilavati Awards

• Women’s Health • Self-Defence • Sanitation and Hygiene

• Literacy • Women Entrepreneurship

• Legal Awareness v.Prize Money – 1st Prize Winner will get Rs 1 lakh, the 2nd Prize Winner will get Rs 75,000 and the 3rd Prize winner will get Rs 50,000.

Winners Sub-theme

Name of the Team Name of the Institute

Legal

Awareness

Radiant Seetha Thiagarajar Polytechnic

College, Salem, Tamil Nadu

Self Defence Paritranas St. Joseph’s College of

Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Sanitation &

Hygiene

SKBCoP ECO CLUB Smt.Kishoritai Bhoyar

College of Pharmacy, Nagpur, Maharashtra

Women Health WIT Women Health

Coalition

Walchand Institute of

Technology (WIT), Solapur, Maharashtra

Women

Entrepreneurship

Sweat (Sona Women

Entrepreneurship and Training)

Sona College of

Technology, Salem, Tamil Nadu

Literacy Digital Literacy Bharati Vidyapeeth

Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship Development, Pune,

Maharashtra

Highlights from Education Minister’s Address The Central Government has launched several schemes for the overall development of girls & women in various fields.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana • Launched in 2015 by PM Modi as part of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao

campaign (Under Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD)) • A Savings scheme targeted at parents of girl children.

Pragati Scholarship • It is a scheme of the Ministry of Education being implemented by AICTE (since 2014-15). • It aims to provide assistance for the Advancement of Girls pursuing

Technical Education.

Recent Related News: i.On 17th November 2020, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister

of Education virtually launched the Lilavati Award 2020, an initiative by AICTE to promote women empowerment in India. ii.September 15, 2020, The Government of India announced an

increase in Scholarship amount for the students of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) under the ‘Pragati’ and ‘Saksham’ Scholarship Schemes.

About All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE): Chairman – Professor Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe Headquarters– New Delhi Established – 1945

2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: Nomadland Won 4 BAFTA’s

Including Best Picture The winners of the 74th edition of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts(BAFTA)’s annual film awards – 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards were announced and presented over 2

ceremonies on 10th and 11th April 2021 over a virtual platform. The award ceremony was broadcasted by BBC in the United Kingdom and across the globe. The film “Nomadland” directed by Chloé Zhao won the 2021 EE British

Academy Film Awards under 4 categories – Best Film, Best Director, Best Leading Actress and Best Cinematography.

Acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee received a Bafta Fellowship, the

organisation’s highest honour. • The award ceremony was hosted by Edith Bowman and Dermot O’Leary at the Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom. • The opening night ceremony was hosted by Clara Amfo.

Highlights: i.The film “Promising Young Women” won 2 awards under Outstanding British Film, and Original Screenplay categories.

ii.The film “The Father” won 2 awards under Best Leading Actor and Adapted Screenplay. iii.Bukky Bakray won the EE Rising Star Award which was voted by the public.

iv.Noel Clarke, the British multi-hyphenate behind the Hood franchise and the hit TV series Bulletproof, will receive 2021 Outstanding

British Contribution To Cinema honorary award at the BAFTA

Winners of 2021 EE

BAFTA Film Awards:

S.no

Award Winner

1 Best film

Nomadland

2 Outstan

ding British film

Promising Young

Woman

3 Outstanding debut by a

British writer, director

or

His House

producer

4 Best film not in the

English language

Another Round

5 Best

director

Chloé Zhao for

“Nomadland”

6 Best leading

actor

Anthony Hopkins for “The Father”

7 Best leading actress

Frances McDormand for “Nomadland”

8 Best supporting actor

Daniel Kaluuya for “Judas and the Black Messiah”

9 Best supporting

actress

Youn Yuh-jung for “Minari”

10 Best original

screenplay

Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young

Woman”

11 Best

adapted screenplay

Christopher

Hampton, Florian Zeller for “The Father”

12 Best original

score

Soul

13 Best

cinematography

Nomadland

14 Best

editing

Sound of Metal

15 Best casting

Rocks

16 Best production

design

Mank

17 Best costume

design

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

18 Best makeup and hair

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

19 Best sound

Sound of Metal

20 Best special visual effects

Tenet

21 Best British short

film

The Present

22 Best documen

tary

My Octopus Teacher

23 Best animate

d film

Soul

24 Best British

short animation

The Owl and the Pussycat

25 EE Rising Star award

(voted by the public)

Bukky Bakray

About EE Limited: i.EE Limited is a British Mobile Network operator and an Internet

Service provider. ii.EE Brought the first 4G network to the UK in 2012 and launched the first 5G network in 2019.

Recent Related News: i.On 28th October 2020, The Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA) announced the winners of the 14th Asian Film Awards (AFA14) held at

Busan, South Korea. Karsh Kale and the Salvage Audio Collective won the Best Original Music Award 2020 for the film Gully Boy directed by Zoya Akhtar. Yang Ik-Joon, South Korean Actor and Director presented the Award.

ii.On March 22, 2021, the 67th edition of annual National Film Awards was announced, it bestows honours on films and artists for the year

2019. The National Film Awards are given out by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation which comes under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

About British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA): BAFTA is a leading independent art charity.

Formed on 16 April 1947 Headquarters– London, United Kingdom

Prithvi Shaw appointed as Brand Ambassador of SportzXchange

Indian Batsman, Prithvi Shaw, was appointed as the brand ambassador of SportzXchange, a fantasy sports platform. He will be a part of the brand’s promotional campaign “Yahaan Hai Kuch Xtra” to amplify the

reach of Fantasy matches in IPL.

About Prithvi Shaw: • Prithvi Shaw was the captain of India’s 2018 World Cup winning U-19 squad. • He is the 1st person to score 800 runs in a single season of the Vijay Hazare trophy.

About SportzXchange: Founder & CEO – Hari Narayan The fantasy gaming app is in beta version & is about to launch its Full version.

Pramerica Life Insurance Appointed Kalpana Sampat as its MD &

CEO On 12th April 2021, Pramerica Life Insurance Limited (PLIL), a private

life insurer, appointed Kalpana Sampat as its Managing Director(MD)

and Chief Executive Officer(CEO), with effect from 9th April 2021.

• Prior to the appointment, she was serving as the Chief Operating Officer(COO) of the company.

• She succeeds Annop Pabby as the new MD & CEO.

About Kalpana Sampat:

i.Kalpana Sampat has been working with Pramerica life Insurance since

2018. ii.She has served as the CEO of Swiss Reinsurance Co., India. iii.She joined the ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. ltd, as a founder

member in 2000. iv.She has also worked with the life Life Insurance Corporation of India between 1984 to 2000.

About Pramerica Life Insurance Limited (PLIL):

PLIL is a joint venture between DHFL Investments Limited (DIL) and Prudential International Insurance Holdings, Ltd. (PIIH). MD & CEO–

Kalpana Sampat Headquarters– Gurgaon, Haryana

Russia’s Soyuz Rocket Launches 3-member crew to International

Space Station Russia’s Soyuz MS-18 Yu. A. Gagarin Rocket (named after Yuri Gagarin the 1st human being to travel to space) successfully launched a

3-member crew (2 Russian Cosmonauts & 1 American Astronaut) to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

• The rocket has been named after Societ Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of his travel to space aboard Vostok 1 (On April 12, 1961). • The rocket took 2 Russian Cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy & Pyotr Dubrov,

and US Astronaut Mark Vande Hei to the ISS.

• The arrival of 3 more astronauts to ISS, temporarily increases the Station’s population to 10. At present, 4 Americans, 2 Russians & 1

Japanese national man the International Space Station.

ISS • The International Space Station (ISS) is a multinational collaborative

project involving 5 participating space agencies – NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe) & CSA (Canada).

• The 1st module of the ISS, Zarya was launched on 20th November 1998.

Fact • The 1st Indian to enter space was Rakesh Sharma, when he flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11 in 1984. • The 1st human being to go on a spacewalk was Alexei Leonov from the

Soviet Union (In 1965 during Voskhod 2 Mission). • 1st Women to travel in space – Valentina Tereshkova (aboard Vostok-6)

Recent Related News: i.On March 22, 2021, the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) launched 38 Satellites from 18 Countries into orbit onboard its Soyuz-2.1a

Rocket.

About Russia: President – Vladimir Putin Capital – Moscow Currency – Russian Rouble

SpaceX Announced 4 Member Crew for “Inspiration4”, World’s 1st

all-civilian Earth Orbiter Mission SpaceX announced the 4 member crew for the World’s 1st all-civilian Earth Orbiter Mission, “Inspiration4”. Christopher Sembroski, Dr. Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman and Hayley Arceneaux were the 1st batch of

civilians aboard the Crew Dragon Resilence spacecraft to be launched into orbit by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket by September 15, 2021.

Egypt excavates 3, 000-year-old ‘Lost Golden City’ in Luxor A 3, 000-year old town has been excavated in the city of Luxor, Egypt. The city formally named the ‘Rise of Aten’ (commonly called the ‘Lost

Golden City’) dates back to the reign of 18th-dynasty King Amenhotep III, who ruled between 1391 and 1353 BCE. It is believed to be the largest ancient city ever uncovered in Egypt.

• The excavations have unveiled mud-brick houses, artefacts, and tools from pharaonic times. • The city is located on the west bank of the Nile river. It is believed to have been the largest administrative and industrial settlement of

the pharaonic empire. • It is considered the second most important archaeological discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamen.

• The discovery was announced by famed Egyptologist Zahi Hawass.

Fact The Rise of Aten is named after the disc of the sun (called Aten in Ancient Egyptian).

Key Findings • 3 Major Districts – one for administration, one for workers to sleep in and another for the industry. • Spaces including workshops for drying meat, making clothes and

sandals, and crafting amulets and small statues. • ‘Golden Fish’ – A large fish covered in Gold. • Jewellery, vessels and even bricks with the seal of Amenhotep III have been discovered.

• Brickhouses bear the seal of Tutankhamun’s grandfather King Amenhotep III, who is one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs.

About Egypt: President – Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi Capital – Cairo Currency – Egyptian

Pound (EGP)

International Day of Human Space Flight 2021 – April 12 The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Human Space Flight

is observed annually across the globe on 12th April to promote the aspirations to explore and maintain outer space for peaceful purposes. The day is commemorated to remember the first human space flight on

12th April 1961.

Why April 12? i.On 12th April 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen carried out the

first human space flight. ii.He crewed the Vostok 1 Space flight in 1961 and made one orbit around the earth over 108 minutes in the Vostok 3KA spacecraft

launched by the Vostok K launch vehicle. iii.He became the first human to orbit the earth.

Background: Recognising the 50th Anniversary of the first-ever human space flight, The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/65/271 on 7th April 2011 and proclaimed the 12th April of

every year as the International Day of Human Space Flight. The first International Day of Human Space Flight was observed on 12th April 2011.

Other Achievements in Space: i.The first human-made earth satellite ‘Sputnik 1’ was launched into space in 1957.

ii.In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova, the Soviet cosmonaut became the first woman to travel into space.

iii.In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot upon the surface of the moon.

iv.Apollo-Soyuz was the first crewed international space mission jointly carried out by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1975, this marked the first International human mission in Space.

UN and Space: i.Recognising the common interest of Humans in outer space and to answer the questions on how outer space can help humans, The UNGA

adopted the first resolution related to outer space – 1348 (XIII) entitled “Question of the Peaceful Use of Outer Space”. ii.The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is responsible for promoting international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space.

About United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs(UNOOSA): Director- Simonetta Di Pippo Headquarters– Vienna, Austria

National Safe Motherhood Day 2021 – April 11 The National Safe Motherhood Day is annually observed across India on 11th April to create awareness about the importance of pregnancy

care, safe delivery, Childbirth and postnatal services along with a focus on reducing anaemia. • 11th of April was chosen to honour the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi.

• The National Safe Motherhood Day is an initiative of the White Ribbon Alliance India(WRAI), an alliance of around 1800 organisations.

Aim: To ensure that pregnancy and childbirth are safe for all women and newborns.

Background: i.In 2003, The Government of India declared 11th April of every year as the national Safe Motherhood Day.

ii.India became the first country to observe the National Safe Motherhood Day.

Maternal Mortality: i.According to the World Health Organisation(WHO), around 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and

childbirth. ii.According to the data of the National Sample Registration System(SRS) the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India per 100000

live births has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 130 in 2014 – 2016. iii.Around 50 to 98% of maternal deaths are caused by direct obstetric causes like haemorrhage infection, hypertensive disorder, hepatitis and anaemia.

iv.India is one of the most high-risk places in the world to give birth, accounting for 15 per cent of total maternal deaths worldwide. Every year, 44,000 women die in India due to improper care during pregnancy.

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram to Ensure Safe Motherhood: i.The Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) was launched by the

Ministry of health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India in 2011. ii.Under this scheme, every pregnant woman became eligible to deliver a child in a public health institution free of cost.

Aim: To motivate the people to opt for institutional deliveries instead of delivering at their homes.

Sonu Sood Appointed as Brand Ambassador for Punjab’s Anti-

COVID-19 Vaccination Drive On 11th April 2021, Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab

announced the appointment of actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood as the brand ambassador of the anti-coronavirus vaccination programme of the government of Punjab.

• As the brand ambassador, Sonu Sood will be reaching out and promote the benefits of the covid-19 vaccination

• The popularity of Sonu Sood among the people will help to counter the reservations of the people regarding the vaccination. Note: Sonu Sood presented his book “I am no Messiah” to the CM of Punjab.

Punjab’s Anti-COVID-19 Vaccination Drive: i.The COVID-19 Vaccination Drive, one of the largest campaigns of

Punjab aims to provide all with the required immunity to combat the pandemic. ii.The government will ensure that all eligible people get the vaccination and continue to follow the safety protocols.

About Sonu Sood: i.Sonu Sood hails from Moga, Punjab. ii.He was well known for his negative roles in the films. iii.He has supported to provide food and

travel assistance to thousands of migrants who were stranded across India and helped them to reach their home states. iv.He was hailed as a messiah for the migrants.

Recent Related News: The Election Commision of India(ECI) approved the appointment of Sonu Sood as the State Icon of Punjab. The proposal for the

appointment was made by S Karuna Raju, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer(CEO). Sonu Sood hails from the Moga district of Punjab.

About Punjab: Tribes– Bauria, Bazigar, Bangali, Barar, Gandhila, Nat, Sansi

Festivals– Baisakhi, Hola Mohalla, Lohri, Basant Panchami, Guru Nanak

Gurpurab