RBI launches 5-year Financial Inclusion Strategy
The Reserve Bank of India has launched National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (2019-24). The main motive of the strategy is to provide access to financial services in an affordable manner.
The Strategy has been launched after thorough consultation with SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India), PFRDA (Pension fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India) and also Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
Recommendations:
1.The committee has recommended Universal Financial Access. Under this, every village will have formal financial service provider within a radius of 5 k.
2. Recommended for the strengthening of Digital Financial Services to reach a less-cash society by 2022.
3. The Public Credit Registry shall be made completely operational by March 2022.
Revision of interest subvention under Diary Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund from 2% to 2.5%
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved its revision of interest subvention rates from 2% to 2.5% per annum. This is being done under Diary Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF).
Under the DIDF, GoI will now provide interest subvention up to 2.5% to NABARD till 2030. This shall enable NABARD in devising its own strategy of borrowing. In turn, it will be able to provide low cost of funds to milk unions.
The major activities that are covered under the fund includes chilling infrastructure, electronic adulteration testing kit, modernization of milk processing facilities and project management.
Asian Elephant, Great Indian Bustard and Bengal Florican classified as “Endangered Migratory Species” at CMS COP13
Asian Elephant, Indian Bustard and Bengal Florican were declared as “Endangered Migratory Species” at the CMS COP 13. The proposal was accepted by 130 countries.
India declared Indian Elephant as “National Heritage Animal”. This provides highest degree of legal protection to the animal under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Bengal Florican is listed as the critically endangered species under the IUCN list and is of the topmost conservation priority. The Great Indian Bustard is also listed under critically endangered species in IUCN Red List.
Chitra Bharati Film Festival in Ahmedabad
The Chitra Bharati Film Festival held at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and will be organized by Bharatiya Chitra Sadhana. This is the 3rd edition of the film festival having an objective of establishing a ‘Bharatiya’ narrative in Indian cinema.
The Chitra Bharati Film Festival will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani and Bollywood filmmaker Subhash Ghai which will feature 140 films to be screened at the festival. The films to be screened at the festival will be categorised as short film, documentary, animation and campus film.
CSIR tops scientific research institutional ranking
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked first in the Nature Ranking Index-2020. The rankings are based on total research output which the institutions have carried out from December 01, 2018 to 30th November 2019. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, has been ranked second. The third place in India is secured by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR-Mumbai).
About 4600 scientists are actively involved in CSIR’s 38 laboratories across the country, supported by about 8000 scientific and technical personnel. CSIR on average files about 200 Indian patents and 250 foreign patents annually.
Department of Telecommunications launches ‘5G Hackathon’
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched the ‘5G Hackathon’ in association with the government of India, academia and industry stakeholders. The aim of 5G Hackathon is shortlisting India’s focused cutting-edge ideas that can be converted into workable 5G products and solutions.
The Hackathon will be spread across three phases. The event will culminate in a grand felicitation ceremony at India Mobile Congress on 16 October 2020. Winners of the various phases of the 5G Hackathon will share a total prize pool of Rs. 2.5 crore.
February 21: International Mother Language Day
UNESCO is celebrating International Mother Language Day. It is important to celebrate the day as globalization process has put languages under threat and they are disappearing altogether. When languages fade away, the cultural diversity of the world fades away as well.
Every year, UNESCO has been celebrating International Mother Language Day since 2000. The main purpose of celebrating the day is to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity. This year the International Mother Language Day is celebrated under the theme: Languages without Borders.
First Khelo India University Games to be held in Bhuwaneshwar
The first Khelo India University Games is to be held in Bhuwaneshwar, Odisha. The game is to be launched by PM Modi through video conferencing.
Khelo India is a National Programme for Development of Sports. The main objective of the initiative is to inculcate sports culture at Grass-root level. While, the Khelo India University Games are being launched for the first time in the country, Khelo India School games were launched in 2018 and has been conducted annually in the month of January-February since then.
The Sport event is organized by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Fourth Anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission celebrated
The Fourth Anniversary of Shyama Mukherji Rurban Mission is being celebrated all over India. The mission aims at stimulating local economic development and create well planned Rurban Regions.
The mission aims to preserve the essence of rural community life. It was announced in the Union Budget 2014-15. The Budget allocated Rs 5,142 crores of rupees for the scheme. As 69% of rural population lives in the rural areas, the mission aims on the availability of amenities to the rural population.
IIT to set up Data Science Centre at Kanjikode campus
The Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad is to set up a research centre in data science. The centre being set up at Kanjikode aims at providing a platform of research for artificial intelligence and Data Science.
The centre has been named as the Centre for Research and Education in Data Science. The Centre will collaborate with the Government, industries and other academic institutes.
India beat Australia in ICC Women T20 World Cup opener
In cricket, India defeated defending champions Australia by 17 runs in the ICC Women’s T-20 World Cup opener at Sydney.
Poonam Yadav’s four for 19 derailed Australia’s chase of 133 and they were all out for 115 just one ball short of 20 overs. Put into bat, India women posted 132 for 4 in the stipulated 20 overs. Opener Shafali scored 29 off 15 balls. Deepti Sharma remained unbeaten with 49 runs while Jemimah Rodrigues stitched 26.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar resigns
Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar has resigned. Mr. Varadkar will be staying on as interim leader while the country’s three main parties battle out deadlocked coalition talks after an inconclusive election. Mr. Varadkar has conveyed to the president his resignation from the office. “In accordance with the constitution, the (Prime Minister) and the government will continue to carry on their duties until successors have been appointed.
Maharashtra Government orders to destroy “Thai Mangur” fish breeding centres
The Maharashtra Government ordered to destroy the Thai Mangur fish breeding centres. This is mainly because the fish is cultivated in unhygienic conditions.
The fish whose breeding is to be stopped in Maharashtra is commonly called Thai Mangur or foreign Mangur or African Mangur. As they are being cultivated in unhygienic conditions and have enough potential to make people sick, their breeding centres are being destroyed.
The Mangur Fish was banned in India as the fish poses threats to other fishes in an ecosystem. A study in Mumbai says that the Mangur fish is responsible for 70% decline in native fish species of the country.
National Organic Food Festival inaugurated in New Delhi
Ministry of Food Processing and Ministry of Women and Child Development jointly inaugurated the National Organic Food Festival in New Delhi. The festival aimed at strengthening organic food produce in the country. It also aimed at encouraging women entrepreneurs in manufacturing organic produce.
GoI has been taking several steps to export organic foods. In order to achieve this, Jaivik Kheti Portal has been included in the agricultural budget presented by the Finance Minister. Jaivik Kheti is a National Project on Organic Farming.
One Million Dollar Worth Prizes created by Sweden for sustainable Food Solutions
Sweden has created 1 million USD worth prizes to feed billion of people. The prize is named as the “Food Planet Prize”. The main aim of the step is to address the climate change threats towards food supply all over the world.
The prize is to be awarded annually. Sweden is to offer two Food Planet prizes. They are “an existing scalable solution for sustainable foods” and the other includes “innovative initiatives to transform global food sector”.
Pragyan Ojha announces retirement from international, 1st-class cricket
Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha announced retirement from international and first-class cricket with immediate effect. The 33-year-old last played for India in 2013 during Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell Test against the West Indies in Mumbai.
In all, he played 24 Tests between 2009 and 2013 in which he took 113 wickets. From 18 ODIs, he grabbed 21 wickets. He also played six T20 Internationals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets on Herath festival
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion of Herath, one of the biggest festivals of Kashmiri Pandits.
The festival is marked by a night of praying. Called ‘Herath’ in Kashmiri, a word derived from the Sanskrit ‘Hararatri’ the ‘Night of Hara’ (another name of Shiva), it has been described as Bhairav Utsava in Tantric texts.
It is celebrated a day ahead of ‘Shivratri’ by Hindus in other parts of the country.
