Top Current Affairs 11 and 12 January 2021

Top Current Affairs 11 and 12 January 2021

Top Current Affairs 11 and 12 January 2021: This post contains the latest current affairs for 11 & 12 January 2021 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. You can also attempt our Current Affairs Quiz after reading our daily current affairs.

Banking & Economy

ICRA Projects India’s real GDP to expand by 10.1% in FY22

• Domestic rating agency Icra Ratings expects the real gross domestic product (GDP) of India to grow by 10.1% in the financial year 2021-22 (FY2022).
• The rating agency ICRA had earlier projected a contraction of 7.8% for the ongoing fiscal 2020-21.

Books & Author

New book, “Modi India Calling-2021”, Chronicling PM Modi’s Foreign Tours Released

• A coffee table book titled “Modi India Calling – 2021” was released on the eve of the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) on 8 January 2021. The book was released by Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.
• The 450-page book is filled with over hundreds of photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his “107 overseas and bilateral visits”.
• The book is the brainchild of senior BJP leader Vijay Jolly. 
• It has been published by Maneesh Media.
• The criterion for selecting the photographs is centered around ‘PM Modi’, ‘the country that he was visiting’, ‘the business people’, ‘the local leadership’, and ‘the Indian diaspora living there’.

National

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurates Coastal Research Vessel ‘Sagar Anveshika’

• The Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched state-of-the-art vessel ‘Sagar Avneshika’ on 9 January 2021,  at Chennai Port Trust in Chennai.
• The vessel ‘Sagar Avneshika’ will enable the scientists to launch deep ocean mission for ocean exploration.
• The research ship ‘Sagar Avneshika’  has been developed by the Titagarh Marine Limited, Kolkata for the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.
• The research vessel can accommodate about 15-20 scientists for research purposes and has advanced navigation systems as well as well equipped laboratories with research and exploration apparatus for taking up scientific explorations.
• It would boost multi-disciplinary research on oceanography along the Indian coast, deepen understanding of the ocean, transform India’s ocean research activities and boost blue economy.

Mamata Banerjee Inaugurates 26th Kolkata International Film Festival

• The 26th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was inaugurated by the  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 8 January 2021, through virtual platform.
• The festival will screen 131 movies from 45 countries till January 13.
• The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Bollywood superstar and West Bengal’s brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan virtually from Mumbai.
• The Chief Minister has also raised the occupancy limit of theatres from 50 percent to 100 percent. 

Bangladesh Declared as ‘Country in Focus’ for 51st IFFI

• Bangladesh has been chosen as the ‘Country in Focus’ for the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
• The festival will be held at Goa from January 16 to January 24, 2021.
• The Country in Focus is a special segment that recognizes the cinematic excellence and contributions of the country. This section at the 51st IFFI will showcase four films from Bangladesh.
• The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), is being held annually since 1952,  in Goa. The event is organised jointly by the Directorate of Film Festivals (under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) and the state Government of Goa.

Japan Government Commits Rs 2,113 crore to support India’s Covid-19 relief effort

• The Government of Japan has committed Official Development Assistance loan of 30 billion Japanese Yen (approx Rs 2,113 crore) for a programme loan to support India’s COVID-19 relief efforts.
• This programme loan aims to support India’s efforts to provide coordinated and adequate social protection to the poor and vulnerable across the country against the severe impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.

Appointment

Jay Shah named BCCI’s Official Representative on ICC Board

• Jay Shah has been named as the official representative of  Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board meetings.
• Shah is the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• He will replace BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who was currently representing India at the ICC Board, but he suffered a heart condition recently and had to be admitted to hospital where he underwent primary angioplasty.

Days

National Road Safety Month 2021: 18 January – 17 February

• The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways observes the National Road Safety Week every year in the second week of January.
• However, in 2021, the Government has decided to observe National Road Safety Month instead of National Road Safety Week.
• Accordingly, the National Road Safety Month will be observed from 18th January, 2021′ to 17th February’ 2021.
• During this period nation-wide various activities will be conducted throughout the country in association with the Central/ State Governments/ UT administrations, and other stakeholders.

National Youth Day: 12 January

• National Youth Day is celebrated in India every year on 12 January to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
• The day was declared by the Government of India in 1984 while the event was first celebrated in 1985.
• In 2021, we are observing 158th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand (12 January 1863).
• The theme for National Youth Day 2021 is ‘Channelizing Youth Power for Nation Building‘.

Obituary

Padma Shri Awardee Telugu Journalist Turlapati Kutumba Rao passes away at 89

• Veteran journalist and orator (public speaker) Sri Turlapati Kutumba Rao has passed away. He was 89 years old.
• Rao is known for his service to journalism in Telugu language.
• He has written over 4000 biographies and delivered over 16000 public speeches which has been recorded by the Telugu Book of Records as a world record.
• Rao has received a number of honour for his field of work, including the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri, in 2002, making him the first journalist from the state of Andhra Pradesh to receive the award.