Top Current Affairs 17 February 2021

Top Current Affairs 17 February 2021

Top Current Affairs 17 February 2021: This post contains the latest current affairs for 17 February 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

PM Modi lays foundation stone of Maharaja Suheldev Memorial and Chittaura Lake Development Work at Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Maharaja Suheldev Memorial at Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh on February 16, 2021, via video conference.
• PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of the development work of Chittaura Lake in Bahraich.
• A medical College building named after Maharaja Suheldev was also inaugurated by Modiji.
• The 2021 event marked the 112th birth anniversary celebration of Maharaja Suheldev.
• Maharaja Suheldev was the ruler of Shravasti in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, who ruled in the 11th century. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launches e-Chhawani portal for online civic services to Cantt Boards

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently launched an online portal ‘e-Chhawani’ and mobile app, to facilitate ‘ease of living’ and ‘ease of doing’ for the residents of the Cantonment Boards across the country.
• The ‘e-Chhawani’ portal will provide online municipal services to more than 20 lakh citizens across all 62 Cantonment Boards of India while sitting at home.
• The portal can be accessed at https://echhawani.gov.in/
• The residents of cantonment areas can register their complaints regarding civic issues and even get their documents like trade licence, sewerage connectivity applications through the portal
• Jointly been developed by : eGov Foundation, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE), and National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• A cantonment board is a civic administration body in India under control of the Ministry of Defence. It takes care of mandatory duties such as provision of public health, water supply, sanitation, primary education, and street lighting etc.

SpaceKidz India-built Satish Dhawan Nanosatellite to be launched on Feb 28 along with Bhagavad Gita, PM Modi’s photo & names of 25,000 individuals

• The Chennai-based SpaceKidz India, has developed the nanosatellite called Satish Dhawan Satellite, or SD SAT.
• The SD SAT, a 30x10x10cm cuboid, is an experimental communication satellite, to test the capabilities of LoRa(Long range) technology in Space.
• The indigenously designed and developed miniature spacecraft, will be launched on February 28 by the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV), C51 rocket of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization).
• Besides its scientific payloads, the nanosatellite will also carry a copy of Bhagavad Gita, a photograph of Prime Mister Narendra Modi,  and names of 25,000 common individuals to space.
• SpaceKidz India is an organisation dedicated to promoting space science among students.

International

China Overtakes the US as Largest Trading Partner of European Union 

• The People’s Republic of China has overtaken the United States (US) as the biggest trading partner of the European Union (EU) in 2020, according to the data by the European Union statistics agency, Eurostat.
• Britain, which left the European Union in 2020, was the third-largest trading partner for the bloc, behind China and the United States.
• The trade volume of EU with China reached 586 billion euros ($711 billion) in 2020, compared to 555 billion euros ($673 billion) for the US. Bilateral trade with UK reached 444.7 billion euros.
  1. The EU exports to China rose by 2.2 percent to 202.5 billion euros while imports from China increased by 5.6 percent to 383.5 billion euros.
  2. Similarly, EU exports to the United States fell by 13.2 percent in the same period and imports by 8.2 percent.
  3. Exports to the UK fell by 13.2 percent, while imports dropped by 13.9 percent.

Appointment

Dr Ajay Mathur elected new Director Genera of International Solar Alliance

• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has elected Dr. Ajay Mathur as its new Director General on February 15, 2021, at the first special assembly of ISA members. He will take over the leadership of ISA on March 15, 2021.
• Dr. Mathur will replace Mr. Upendra Tripathy, who has served as Director-General since the inception of the ISA in 2015. 
• Mathur currently heads the New Delhi-based The Energy and Research Institute 
• Based in Gurugram, the ISA is a coalition of 73 member countries, established to accelerate the demand for and use of safe, sustainable, and affordable solar energy for all. 
• ISA aims to mobilize over $1 trillion USD of investment into solar projects by 2030.

President Ramnath Kovind appoints Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court

• Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar has been sworn-in as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court.
• He was appointed by the President of India Shri Ramnath Kovind, in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, on February 12, 2021.
•  Prior to this, Justice PV Sanjay Kumar served as a Judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Indian-origin Preeti Sinha appointed to head United Nations Capital Development Fund

• The UN Capital Development Fund has appointed Indian-origin investment and development banker Preeti Sinha  as its Executive Secretary, the highest leadership rank in the institution.
• She succeeds Judith Karl.
• Sinha will work with focus on providing micro-finance assistance to women, youth, small and medium-sized enterprises in under-served communities.
• The New York-based United Nations Capital Development Fund is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP.
• It was established in 1966. 

Sports

Wicket-keeper batsman Naman Ojha announces retirement from all forms of cricket

• Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha has announced his retirement, from all formats of cricket on 15 February 2021.
• Ojha made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh in 2000-01.
• The 37-year-old from Madhya Pradesh, holds the record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the Ranji Trophy
• Ojha has also represented India in all three formats, featuring in one Test, one ODI and two T20 Internationals.

Obituary

Former Bihar-Jharkhand Governor & Jurist M Rama Jois, passes away at 88

• Noted jurist and a former Governor of Bihar and Jharkhand,  Justice (Retd.) M. Rama Jois has passed away, suffering from age-related ailments. He was 88-year-old.
• The former Rajya Sabha MP, had also served as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
• He was also a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India.

Indo-Pak War Veteran Retired Major General BK Mahapatra Passes Away at 87

• War veteran Major General (retired) Basant Kumar Mahapatra, who had participated in major battles including the 1962 Indo-China war, and 1965 and 1971 India-Pakistan war, has passed away. He was 87. 
• Hailing from Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Mahapatra was commissioned into armoured corps (Tanks) of the Indian Army as a Combat Officer and was popularly known as ‘Tank Man’.
• Mohapatra was conferred with the prestigious Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).