Top Current Affairs 21 January 2021
Top Current Affairs 21 January 2021: This post contains the latest current affairs for 21 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.
Ranking
NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of India Innovation Index
- NITI Aayog released the second edition of the India Innovation Index on 20 January 2021, along with the Institute for Competitiveness.
- The report examines the innovation capabilities and performance of the states and union territories.
- The innovation index ranking is based on five enabler parameters (‘Human Capital’, ‘Investment’, ‘Knowledge Workers’, ‘Business Environment’, ‘Safety and Legal Environment’), and two performance parameters (‘Knowledge Output’ and ‘Knowledge Diffusion’).
- In the ‘Major States’ category, Karnataka occupied the top position, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu respectively.
- In UT and city states category, Delhi topped followed by Chandigarh.
- Under the ‘North-Eastern/Hill States’ category, Himachal Pradesh emerged as the top state.
National
DRDO Develops Special Motor Bike Ambulance ‘Rakshita’ for CRPF
- The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched a bike-based casualty transport emergency vehicle,’RAKSHITA’ for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
- The specially designed bike has been developed by the DRDO’s Delhi-based laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS).
- RAKSHITA’ bike ambulance will help the Indian security forces to reach urgent evacuation sites in event of a medical emergency or battle injury, where access through ambulance is difficult and time consuming.
Flt. Lt. Bhawana Kanth to become the first Woman Fighter Pilot to take part in Republic Day Parade
- Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, who is one of the first women fighter pilots to be inducted in the IAF, will create a historic moment when she will become the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2021.
- Kanth will be the part of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) tableau in the parade.
- The IAF tableau will showcase mock-ups of the light combat aircraft, light combat helicopter and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane.
- Currently Kanth is posted at an airbase in Rajasthan where she flies the MiG-21 Bison fighter plane.
Conference
India & Singapore sign pact on submarine rescue support during 5th Defence Ministers’ Dialogue
- The 5th edition of the Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD) between India and Singapore was successfully held on 20 January 2021 through a video conference, in an effort to deepen military cooperation.
- During the meeting, the ‘Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation’ was signed between the two Navies.
- The agreement was signed between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart Dr. Ng Eng Hen.
15th India Digital Summit 2021 held virtually
- The two-days India Digital Summit 2021, one of the biggest conference for the digital industry, was organised on January 19 and 20, 2021, through virtual platform.
- The 2021 marked the 15th edition of the annual Summit. The event was inaugurated by the honourable Chief Guest Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & IT and Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad.
- The theme of the 2021 Summit was ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Start of New Decade’
- India Digital Summit is the flagship event of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
Apps & Services
ICICI Bank launches ‘InstaFX’ mobile app to help customers obtain Forex Prepaid Card swiftly
- ICICI Bank
- ICICI is the bank is the first in the country to offer such facility to money changers.
- A money changer is a person or organization whose business is the exchange of coins or currency of one country, for that of another.
- The ‘InstaFX’ app will enable the authorised money changers, who are partners of the Bank, to complete the KYC verification and validation of customers digitally and on a real-time basis.
- The ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ gets activated swiftly within a few hours, as against the industry practice of up to two-days, thus it will significantly improve customer convenience, even if they are not customers of ICICI bank.
Appointment
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju assigned additional charge of Ministry of AYUSH
- The Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports (Independent Charge) and Minister of State, Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, has been given the additional charge of the Ministry of AYUSH.
- He has been assigned the portfolio on temporary basis till the treatment of the Union Minister Shripad Y Naik, who met an accident on January 11.
- The 68-year-old Shripad Yesso Naik, was holding the portfolio as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in Ministry of Defence.
Books & Author
Goa CM Pramod Sawant releases book ‘Manohar Parrikar – Off The Record’, by author Shri Waman Subha Prabhu
- The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently released a book titled ‘Manohar Parrikar – Off the Record’ , written by senior journalist Shri Waman Subha Prabhu.
- Through this book, the author narrates the multi-faceted personality of late Parrikar, based on the collection of memories held by Waman Prabhu who happened to be with late Parrikar during the journey of his life.
