Top Current Affairs 13 January 2021

Top Current Affairs 13 January 2021

Top Current Affairs 13 January 2021: This post contains the latest current affairs for 13 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.

National

Centre forms empowered panel under former TRAI chief RS Sharma, for Covid-19 vaccine

• The Union government has formed an empowered committee for administration of Covid-19 vaccine. 
• The committee formation has come days ahead of the mega vaccination drive which is to start in India from 16 January 2021.
• This ten-member team will be headed by RS Sharma, former TRAI chief and will include top health ministry and UIDAI officials as other members..
• However, the panel are free to invite eminent persons as and when required to ensure delivery of the vaccine through the Co-Win technology platform.
• It must be noted that Sharma is also a member of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration of Covid-19 that was formed in August 2020 and is headed by Niti Aayog member, VK Paul.

Two-day coastal defence exercise ‘Sea Vigil-21’ kicks off

• The second edition of the biennial pan-India coastal defence exercise ‘Sea Vigil-21’ has been organised on 12-13 January 2021 by the Indian Navy.
• The exercise will involve all the 13 coastal States and Union Territories along with other maritime stakeholders, including the fishing and coastal communities.
• It will take place along the entire 7516 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone of India.
• Exercise ‘SEA VIGIL 21’ will provide an assessment of strengths and weaknesses and further strengthen maritime and national security.
• The exercise is a build up towards the major Theatre level exercise TROPEX [Theatre-level Readiness Operational Exercise] which Indian Navy conducts every two years.

Conference & Summits

Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar co-chairs 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue

• The 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue was held on 12 January 2021 in virtual format.
• The virtual event was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar along with Vietnamese Sr Lt Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Defence Minister, Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
• Both countries exchanged views on the plan of action from the recently concluded Virtual Summit between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc in December 2020.

France hosts 4th One Planet Summit in cooperation with UN and World Bank

• The Government of France organised the fourth ‘One Planet Summit’ on 11 January 2021, through videoconferencing, which aimed at protecting the world’s biodiversity.
• The theme of the Summit was “Let’s act together for nature!”
• The Summit was organised in cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank.
• It was inaugurated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, and President of the World Bank Group David Malpass.
• The Summit focused on biodiversity preservation through:
  • the protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems,
  • the promotion of agroecology,
  • the mobilization of funding for biodiversity, and
  • the link between deforestation, species and human health.

Ranking

India Ranks 85 in Henley Passport Index 2021; Japan Tops

• The Henley Passport Index 2021 has been released by Henley & Partners, based on the exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). 
• The index presents the original ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
• As per the latest report, India has been ranked 85th among 110 countries, in the Henley Passport Index for 2021, with a visa-free score of 58.
• Japan has once again topped the list of being the most powerful passport in the world, for third consecutive year. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 191 countries visa-free.
• Singapore is in second place (190) and South Korea ties with Germany in third place (189).
• Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are the countries with the worst passport, with a passport score of 29, 28 and 26 respectively.

Banking

RBI cancels the licence of Maharashtra-based Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd [headquarter -Osmanabad, Maharashtra], with immediate effect.
• Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd will now not be allowed to conduct the business of ‘banking’, including acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits, with effect from the close of business on January 11, 2021. 
• The Bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Section 11(1) read with Section 56 of BR Act and thus would be unable to pay its present depositors in full in its current financial position.
• RBI has requested the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS), Maharashtra to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.
• With the cancellation of licence and commencement of liquidation proceedings, the process of paying the depositors of Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd., Osmanabad, Maharashtra as per the DICGC Act, 1961 will be set in motion.

Books & Author

Book titled “The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India”, authored by former CEC ‘S Y Quraishi’ to hit stands on February 15

• Former chief election commissioner (CEC) S Y Quraishi has come out with his book titled “The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India”.
• The book will hit the stands on February 15, 2021. It has been published by HarperCollins India.
• The book evaluates India’s demographics from a religious perspective and seeks to demolish two basic myths that ‘Islam is against family planning’ and ”Muslim rate of growth” is linked to capture political power.

Obituary

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and NY Times Reporter Neil Sheehan passes away at 84

• Veteran American reporter and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Neil Sheehan, has passed away.
• Mr. Sheehan, was the Vietnam War correspondent, who covered the war from 1962 to 1966 for United Press International and The New York Times.
• He was the author of the book titled “A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam,” which won a National Book Award and a Pulitzer in 1989.