18th February 2021 Current Affairs

 

GK Update of 18th February 2021 masking the next information headlines: Indian Sign Language Dictionary, Sandes, Maa scheme, HCL Tech, IIT Kanpur, Hospicash.

National News

1. Thaawarchand Gehlot Releases third Edition of Indian Sign Language Dictionary

• The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot launched the “third version of the Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary, in a digital occasion.
• The third version of the ISL dictionary accommodates a complete of 10,000 phrases. These embody the 6000 phrases of the primary and second version of the dictionary.
• The phrases are of on a regular basis use from tutorial phrases, authorized & administrative phrases, medical phrases, technical phrases and agricultural phrases.
• The Dictionary has been developed by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), an autonomous Institute below the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• The 1st version of the ISL Dictionary was launched on 23 March 2018 with 3000 phrases.
• The 2nd version was launched on twenty seventh February 2019, with 6000 phrases (together with earlier 3000 phrases).

2. Centre Launches new Instant Messaging platform ‘Sandes’

• The National Informatics Centre (NIC), below the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has launched an prompt messaging platform known as “Sandes”. Similar to WhatsApp, the brand new authorities prompt messaging techniques (GIMS) platform can be utilized for all types of communications by anybody utilizing a cell quantity or e mail id.
• The must construct a home-grown messaging platform was felt by the federal government to make sure safe communication between individuals as they labored from dwelling, following the nationwide lockdown imposed to comprise the unfold of Covid-19.
• The Sandes app can be part of the federal government technique to encourage using India-made software program in order to construct an ecosystem of indigenously developed merchandise.

Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:

• National Informatics Centre Founded: 1976.
• National Informatics Centre Director-General: Neeta Verma.
• National Informatics Centre Headquarters: New Delhi.

State News

3. Mamata Banerjee launches ‘Maa’ scheme to supply meals at Rs 5

• West Bengal authorities launched “Maa” canteens for offering subsidised cooked meals for the poor and the destitute at a nominal price of ₹5. The govt will give a subsidy of ₹15 and folks must pay ₹5.
• The kitchen will run by Self-Help Groups (SHG). The authorities allotted ₹ 100 crores for this challenge.
• The canteens shall be open from 1 p.m. to three p.m. on daily basis. People will get a plate of rice, dal, a vegetable and egg curry.
• This new initiative is for frequent individuals. Though we give free rations there may be nonetheless an enormous demand for cooked meals. Therefore, we’re beginning these neighborhood kitchens.

Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:

• Chief Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee; Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Agreement News

4. HCL Tech inks pact with IIT Kanpur to construct up competence in cybersecurity

• HCL Technologies has inked an settlement with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) to collaborate within the space of cybersecurity. As a part of the pact, the IT firm will work with C3iHub, a specialised cybersecurity analysis centre at IITK.
• This collaboration will carry collectively the nation’s brightest minds, superior analysis capabilities and international assets to develop superior options within the space of cybersecurity.
• HCL and IITK will usher in real-world business publicity to hold out joint initiatives and analysis.
• The groups will develop a safety framework and options for cybersecurity challenges in present and future operational applied sciences as one of many first areas of curiosity.
• They may also work collectively to find and handle cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and dangers for crucial infrastructure.

Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:

• HCL Technologies CEO: C Vijayakumar.
• HCL Technologies Founded: 11 August 1976.
• HCL Technologies Headquarters: Noida.

Banking News

5. ICICI Lombard companions with Flipkart to supply ‘Hospicash’ insurance coverage

• The e-commerce firm Flipkart has partnered with ICICI Lombard to supply its clients the ‘Group SafeGuard’ insurance coverage, a gaggle medical health insurance coverage.
• The ‘Group SafeGuard’ comes with every day money advantages ranging from Rs 500, and ‘Hospicash’ profit for Flipkart customers.
• The product will permit customers to avail a payout for every day of hospitalisation.
• The fastened every day quantity will allow customers to pay for incidental medical or emergency bills.
• The insurance coverage is affordably priced, paperless, and versatile; masking each unintentional hospitalisations or deliberate surgical procedures/therapy.

Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:

• Flipkart headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Flipkart CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy.
• ICICI Lombard CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta.
• ICICI Lombard Headquarters: Mumbai.
• ICICI Lombard Founded: 2001.

Defence News

6. India joins Iran-Russia’s two-day navy train

• India joined Iran and Russia within the naval train dubbed as “Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021”, which kicked-off within the northern a part of the Indian Ocean. The Chinese navy may also be a part of the train.
• The function of the drill is to reinforce the safety of worldwide maritime commerce, confront maritime piracy and terrorism, and change info.
• The drill will cowl an space of 17,000 sq. kilometres (6,500 sq. miles).
• It will embody taking pictures at sea and air targets and liberating hijacked ships, in addition to search and rescue and anti-piracy operations.
• The train ‘Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt’ is so versatile that any nation may be a part of if they want to take action.

Schemes and Committees News

7. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launches Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan below Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban. The Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan has been launched in 10 cities, that are Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur.
• The motive of the Jal Jeevan Mission Urban is to supply common protection of water provide to all households by way of purposeful faucets in all 4,378 statutory cities in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal – 6.
• The Government has proposed a complete outlay of Rs 2.87 lakh crore for JJM (U) in fiscal 2021-22, which incorporates Rs. 10,000 crore for persevering with monetary help to AMRUT Mission.

Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:

• Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.

Summits and Conference News

8. Dharmendra Pradhan Participates in eleventh IEA, IEF, OPEC Symposium

• The eleventh IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks was held just about on February 17, 2021, below the patronage of the Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud.
• From India, the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan, participated within the symposium.
• The trilateral symposium mentioned the long-term outlooks of key producer and client nations, aside from the comparative evaluation of quick, medium, and long-term power outlooks that OPEC and the IEA revealed in 2020.

Science and Technology News

9. IIT Madras-incubated Pi Beam launches PiMo e-bike

• An IIT Madras-Incubated start-up Pi Beam Electric has lately launched a sustainable electrical two-wheeler, dubbed as PiMo. The utility e-bike has been developed for private and business use. It doesn’t require a licence or registration.
• The price of the electrical two-wheeler has been fastened at Rs. 30, 000.
• It eliminates gas prices because it runs on battery. The electrical car provides ‘Battery Swapping’, which means that the drained battery might be exchanged for a totally charged one at designated areas.
• The battery can cost sooner than a smartphone and comes with a variety of 50 km.
• Pi Beam goals to promote 10,000 autos by the top of the monetary 12 months 2021-22.

Awards News

10. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy conferred SKOCH Chief Minister of the Year Award

• The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been conferred the Skoch Chief Minister of the Year Award. The Award has been introduced to the CM by Chairman, Skoch Group, Sameer Kochhar personally at Tadepalli in Andhra Pradesh. The award choice was based mostly on a research of project-level outcomes in varied States.
• Similarly, initiatives have been taken throughout the federal government to reply to COVID-19 and have proven fascinating outcomes. All the above and extra is clear in a year-long research of 123 initiatives from throughout sectors in Andhra Pradesh.
• The State has taken a number of revolutionary measures prior to now two years to make governance extra environment friendly and clear. Innovative measures have been taken throughout sectors, the credit score for which matches to the Chief Minister.

Important takeaways for all aggressive exams:

• Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy; Governor: Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.

Books and Authors News

11. Award profitable Author Irwin Allan Sealy’s new novel ‘ASOCA’

• Prizewinning author Irwin Allan Sealy’s new novel ‘ASOCA: A Sutra’, an imagined memoir of Ashoka The Great.
• The novel shall be introduced as an imagined memoir of Ashoka The Great, the emperor who dominated a lot of the Indian Subcontinent and performed a pivotal position within the unfold of Buddhism from India to different components of Asia within the third century BC. It shall be revealed by Penguin Random House India. 
• Earlier, Penguin had revealed the thirtieth-anniversary version of Sealy’s critically acclaimed debut novel The Trotter-Nama and that is the second ebook by the writer to be revealed by PRH. This ebook shall be launched below Penguin’s Viking imprint in July 2021.

Miscellaneous News

12. Kiran Bedi Removed As Puducherry Lt Governor 

• Kiran Bedi, the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry, has been faraway from the highest place. Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Governor of Telangana, has been given extra cost because the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry until a everlasting substitute shall be introduced.
• The growth comes within the backdrop of a serious shake-up within the Puducherry Assembly after a number of Congress legislators resigned forward of the Assembly elections due this 12 months.