Daily Current Affairs 20 July 2021

Daily Current Affairs – 20 July 2021

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

APEDA with Basmati Export Development Foundation organizes awareness creation programme for

the basmati rice growers

• For boosting exports, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority

(APEDA)’ arm Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) has taken an innovative step to

sensitize farmers involved in the cultivation of Basmati rice.

• As a part of the initiative, BEDF in association with Rice Exporters Association of Uttar Pradesh has

launched an awareness campaign to encourage farmers for growing high-quality Basmati rice at

Jahangirpur under GautamBudh Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh.

• The farmers have been requested to get themselves registered on basmati.net through State

Agriculture Department.

• APEDA has been promoting rice exports through collaborations with various stakeholders in the

value chains. The government had set up the Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF), under the aegis

of the APEDA. REPF has representations from rice industry, exporters, and officials from APEDA,

ministry of commerce and directors of agriculture from major rice producing states including West

Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and

Odisha.








Government launches National Logistics Excellence Awards

• Government announced the launch of National Logistics Excellence Awards. The framework of

awards has been finalized in consultation with the logistics associations and forum user industry

partners. The awards are in two categories, the first group includes logistics infrastructure/service

providers and second one is for various user industries. There was wide scale appreciation from

user industries for giving the due recognition to various players involved in the logistics supply chain.

• The winners will be announced on 31 October 2021. All case studies by finalists in the National Jury

round will be showcased in the Logistics Excellence Gallery.

104 startups from different sectors have currently on boarded on the Startup India Showcase Platform

• Startup India Showcase is an online discovery platform for the most promising startups of the

country. These innovations span across various cutting-edge sectors such as Fintech,

EntrepriseTech, Social Impact, HealthTech, EdTech, among others. Ecosystem stakeholders have

evaluated, nurtured, and supported these startups. These startups are solving critical problems and

have shown exceptional innovation in their respective sectors.

Features of Startup Showcase

I. Visibility








• Each startup has a profile page with detailed pitch about their product, innovation, and USP in forms

of Videos and PDF links. This provides unique visibility to them in front of the entire startup

ecosystem. The startups act as the flagbearers of good quality of Indian startups.

II. Networking

• Startup India Showcase is also an online networking portal which offers various social and digital

connect opportunities on the platform. Each startup profile is linked with Social Media Pages,

LinkedIn URLs of founders and a direct Connect button which facilitate networking opportunities

between users. This enables platform users to connect better and explore further business

opportunities.

III. Discovery

• Startup India Showcase is an online discovery platform for one of the most credible startups out

there in our ecosystem. The platform is powered with various tools from a powerful search to an

intuitive filter which will enable seamless discovery of startups for stakeholders.

IV. Star Repository

• Startup India Showcase is an all-star repository as the platform contains startups that have already

proved their capabilities via different means (winning competitions, selling on GeM etc.); they will

also be a potential priority choice for government and corporate buyers, facilitating their business

growth.

Rs 21,231 crore spent by 21,349 companies on CSR funds in 2019-20

• Corporate houses spend a huge sum on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the welfare of

workers and local people in the country. This was stated by Minister of State for the Ministry of

Corporate Affairs Shri Rao Inderjit Singh.








• The Minister stated that Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 (‘Act’) mandates every company

having net worth of Rs. 500 crore or more, or turnover of Rs. 1000 crore or more, or net profit of Rs.

5 crore or more during the immediately preceding financial year to undertake Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) activities.

More than 2.8 Lakh Artefacts of ten Government museums and galleries under Ministry of Culture

available for online access

• The Ministry of Culture has taken up the task of digitisation of collections of ten (10) museums under

its domain through Jatan programme since April 2014, even before the onset of Covid-19. Besides

this, the Ministry also operates a scheme namely ‘Museum Grant Scheme’ under which financial

assistance is provided to State Governments, Societies, Autonomous Bodies, Local Bodies and

Trusts registered under the Societies Act for digitisation of art objects in the museums across the

country for making their images/catalogue available over the website for online access.

• Name of Museum - No. of artefacts available on site

• National Museum, New Delhi - 80997

• Indian Museum, Kolkata - 46326








• Victoria Memorial Hall. Kolkata - 26611

• Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad - 47504

• Allahabad Museum, Paryagraj - 61642

• National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi - 12902

• National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai - 1460

• National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru - 534

• ASI Goa Museum - 701

• ASI, Nagarjunakonda Museum - 8450

Government to set up a world-class 'Indian Institute of Heritage' at Noida

• The government has decided to set up the ‘Indian Institute of Heritage’ at Noida, Gautam Buddha

Nagar. This will impact higher education and research in the field related to rich Indian heritage and

its conservation leading to Masters and Ph.D. courses in History of Arts, Conservation, Museology,

Archival Studies, Archaeology, Preventive Conservation, Epigraphy and Numismatics,

Manuscriptology etc. as well as conservation training facilities to in-service employees and the

students of the Indian Institute of Heritage.

• The Institute is being set up as Deemed to be University by integrating Institute of Archaeology (Pt.

Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology), School of Archival Studies under National Archives

of India, New Delhi, the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC),

Lucknow, National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology (NMICHM) and

Academic Wing of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi.








Steps taken by the Government to support Out of School Children and orphaned children due to

COVID-19

• Department of School Education & Literacy (DOSE&L) has developed an online module for

compiling the data of Out of School Children (OoSC) identified by each State/UT and their mapping

with Special Training Centres (STC) on the PRABANDH Portal (http://samagrashiksha.in).

• The concerned State/UT validates the child wise information of the identified OoSC and STC

uploaded by the concerned Block Resource Centre of the State for monitoring the progress of

mainstreaming of OoSC. Under Samagra Shiksha, for the first time in 2021-22, financial assistance

upto Rs 2000 per annum has been envisioned for supporting Out of School Children of age group of

16-19 for completing their education through NIOS/SIOS, for accessing course materials and

certification.

Welfare schemes of the Government promoting girls’ education

• Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education is implementing

various welfare schemes for incentives for girls’ education. Under the Samagra Shiksha, there is a

provision of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) under Samagra Shiksha. KGBVs

are residential schools from class VI to XII for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC,








ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL). A total of 5726 KGBVs have been sanctioned in

the country. Out of it, 5010 KGBVs are functional with the enrolment of 6.54 lakh girls.

• The scheme also has a provision of opening of schools in the neighbourhood, free uniform and text-

books up to Class VIII, provision of gender segregated toilets in all schools, provision of self-defense

training from classes VI to XII and stipend to Divyang girls from class I to Class XII. Special state

specific projects such as Life Skills, Awareness programmes, Incinerators, Sanitary Pad Vending

Machines etc. for varied interventions under equity are also emphasized under the scheme for

enhancing access, retention and quality for girls by promoting enrolment drives, retention and

motivation camps, gender sensitization modules etc.

• A Central Sector Scheme ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)’is also under

implementation since 2008 to award scholarships to meritorious students, including girls, of

Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to arrest their drop-out at class VIII and encourage them to

continue the study at Secondary Stage. Under the scheme, one lakh fresh scholarships of

Rs.12000/- per annum per student are awarded to selected students of class IX every year and are

renewed in classes X to XII for study in a State Government, Government-aided and Local body

school under the scheme.

Government sets up Dairy Investment Accelerator to promote & facilitate investments in the Dairy

sector

• The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Government of India, with a view to

provide dedicated focus towards promoting & facilitating investments in the Indian Dairy sector, has

setup Dairy Investment Accelerator under its Investment Facilitation Cell.

• Dairy Investment Accelerator is also generating awareness among investors about Animal

Husbandry Infrastructure Development fund (AHIDF). AHIDF is one of the flagship schemes by

DAHD, Government of India whereby Rs. 15,000 crore fund has been setup for offering financial








support to entrepreneurs, private companies, MSME, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs), and

Section 8 companies. Eligible entities can avail the benefits of the scheme to set up new units or

expand existing units in areas of dairy processing & related value addition infrastructure, meat

processing & related value addition infrastructure and Animal Feed Plant. The benefits available are:

➢ 3% interest subvention on loans

➢ 2-year moratorium with 6-year repayment period

➢ INR 750 Cr credit guarantee

• India is the largest milk producer contributing 23% of global milk production.

Expansion and Increase in Capacity of MSMEs

• The Government of India has announced Fund of Funds with the nomenclature Self Reliant India

(SRI) Fund to infuse Rs. 50,000 crore as equity funding in those MSMEs which have the potential

and viability to grow and become large units.

• Under this scheme total size of fund of Rs. 50,000 Crore has a provision of Rs.10, 000 Crore from

Government of India and Rs.40, 000 Crore leverage through Private Equity / Venture Capital funds.

The guidelines of the fund have been issued.

• This initiative is aimed at providing growth capital to the deserving and eligible units of MSME sector.








Disbursal of Loans to MSMEs under ECLGS

• Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) is under the operational domain of Ministry of

Finance, Department of Financial Services (DFS). As informed by DFS, as on 2.07.2021,

guarantees have been issued for loan granted to around 1.09 crore Micro, Small and Medium

Enterprises (MSMEs).

• ECLGS being a demand driven scheme, sanctions/disbursements are made by lending institutions

based on assessment of borrower’s requirement and their eligibility.

The eligibility criteria for availing credit under ECLGS are:

• For ECLGS 1.0, MSME units, Business Enterprises, Mudra Borrower and individual loans for

business purpose having loan outstanding upto Rs.50 crore and days past due upto 60 days as on

29.02.2020.

• For ECLGS 2.0, Borrower belonging to 26 stressed sectors identified by Kamath Committee &

Healthcare sector having loan outstanding above Rs.50 crore and upto Rs.500 crore and days past

due upto 60 days as on 29.02.2020.

• For ECLGS 3.0 Borrower belonging to Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Leisure & Sporting and Civil

Aviation sector having days past upto 60 days as on 29.02.2020.

• For ECLGS 4.0 Existing Hospitals/Nursing Homes/Clinics/Medical Colleges/units engaged in

manufacturing of liquid oxygen, oxygen cylinders etc. having credit facility with a lending institution

with days past due upto 90 days as on March 31, 2021.

• As on 2.07.2021 an amount of Rs.2.73 lakh crore have been sanctioned under the scheme of which

an amount of Rs.2.14 lakh crore has been disbursed.








• The scheme was designed to support existing borrowers meet the liquidity crisis due to Covid-19

pandemic. Ministry of MSME has launched Credit Guarantee Scheme for Subordinate Debt

(CGSSD) to extend financial assistance to stressed MSMEs including NPA accounts. The credit

needs of the first time bowers belonging to the Micro and Small Enterprises are catered to by the

Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises.

MECL signs MoU with DMG, Goa

• Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) a premier notified mineral exploration agency under

the aegis of Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with

Directorate of Mines & Geology (DMG), Government of Goa, offering integrated mineral exploration

and consultancy services today at New Delhi.

• With the signing of MoU, MECL will assess mineral resources by conducting an array of geo-

scientific exploration and will finalize the mineral blocks to be auctioned and establish the state’s

mineral inventory.

• The State of Goa has been bestowed with large deposits of Iron Ore (1,456 Million Tonnes) as well

as significant occurrence of other major minerals like Bauxite (55 Million Tonnes) and Manganese

Ore (34 Million Tonnes)

Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Varanasi








• During the visit Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for

multiple development projects worth INR 1500 crores.

• He inaugurated Projects worth around INR 744 crores which includes 100 beds Mother & Child

Hospital (MCH) wing in Banaras Hindu University (BHU), multi-level parking at Godauliya, Ro-Ro

(Roll- on/Roll-off) Vessels for tourism development on River Ganga and 3 lane flyover bridge on the

Varanasi- Ghazipur Highway.

• He laid Foundation stones for several projects and public works worth INR 839 crores. It includes

Centre for Skill and Technical Support of Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and

Technology (CIPET), 143 rural projects under Jal Jeevan Mission and Mango and vegetable

integrated pack house in Karkhiyaon.

• ‘Rudraksh’ – an International Cooperation and Convention Centre was also inaugurated by PM Modi.

The Centre has been built with financial assistance from the Japanese International Cooperation

Agency (JICA), which provided a grant of 3,042 million Japanese Yen (~ INR 200 crore) under

Japanese ODA (Official Development Assistance) scheme.

• Several projects under PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation

Drive) scheme were also inaugurated. The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and

Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) is a Central Sector Scheme launched by the

Ministry of Tourism in 2014-15. It includes Operation of Cruise Boat from Assi Ghat to RajGhat

under the project ‘Development of River Cruise in Varanasi under PRASHAD Scheme’.

India targets Rs 100 Billion Blue Economy

• Minister of State (I/C) for Earth Science, Jitendra Singh, announced India’s target of attaining over

Rs 100 billion Blue Economy through Deep Ocean Missions (DOM) and conducting deep sea

explorations.








• The ministry also partnered with ISRO for integrating science oriented departments from various

ministries. DOM plans to explore various mineral resources present unexplored in the ocean, which

can be used for commercial purposes to generate newer economic forms.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN NEWS

IIT Ropar develops first-of-its-kind Oxygen rationing device – AMLEX

• To increase the life of medical oxygen cylinders three fold, the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar

has developed a first-of-its-kind Oxygen Rationing Device – AMLEX that supplies a required volume

of oxygen to the patient during inhalation and trips when the patient exhales CO2. This process

saves oxygen which otherwise unnecessarily get wasted.

• So far, during exhalation, the oxygen in the oxygen cylinder/pipe is pushed out along with the

exhaled CO2 by the user. This leads to wastage of a large volume of oxygen in long run. In addition

to this, a large volume of oxygen escapes from the openings of the mask to the environment in the

resting period (between inhalation and exhalation) due to continuous flow of life saving gas in the

mask. As we have seen the demand of medical oxygen has jumped manifold amid the second wave

of Covid-19, the device would help in stopping the unwanted wastage of the same.

• It has been developed by PhD students of Biomedical Engineering Department of the institution -

Mohit Kumar, Ravinder Kumar and Amanpreet Chander under the guidance of Dr. Ashish Sahani,

Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering.








IIT Madras, Sony to collaborate on hackathon

• The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and Sony India Software Centre have proposed to host a

hackathon — Samvedan 2021. Contestants will be asked to develop solutions for the country’s

societal problems. Participants of the IIT-Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation (IITM-PTF)’s

‘Sensing Solutions for Bharat’ will use the Internet of Things sensor board. The competition is based

on Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation’s Spresence board. Registration commenced on July

1, and is open to all Indian nationals.

• Winners will be eligible for entrepreneurial support from IITM-PTF. The contest is open to industry

personnel and academics too.

• Event coordinator V. Kamakoti, professor, Computer Science and Engineering Department, said

IITM-PTF would offer entrepreneur-in-residence scholarship for the top team for a year to enable

them to nurture their project into a start-up.

• Masayuki Toriumi, managing director, Sony India Software Centre, said the company would like to

use its leading-edge technology to help solve the country’s problems. Each team can have a

maximum of three members, and the challenge will be held in three stages. Of the 75 ideas selected

for the quarter-finals, 25 will make it to semi-finals, and seven finalists will be selected. Each finalist

will receive prizes worth ₹3 lakh. Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation will provide each

quarter-finalist a free Spresence board.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

RBL Bank tie-up with VISA to Issue Credit Cards








• The restriction has been imposed by the Reserve Bank of India on MasterCard from on-boarding

new domestic customers (debit, credit or prepaid) onto their card networks from July 22, 2021

• RBL Bank, which has issued credit cards only on the MasterCard payment network, has now

entered into an agreement with Visa Worldwide Pte Ltd to issue credit cards on Visa’s payment

network.

FEDDY – AI-powered virtual customer assistance of Federal Bank

• FEDDY, an Artificial Intelligence powered virtual assistant was launched by Federal Bank to provide

24*7 assistance to its customers on banking related queries.

• FEDDY is a State-of-Art tool that can also be integrated and accessed through Alexa,

• “FedSelfie”- a user-friendly tool that allows users’ to open a bank account by taking selfies.

• “Federal 24*7” – Users can open bank accounts through Video Call.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Anshula Rao becomes 1st Woman Cricketer to be banned for doping








• Anshula Rao, a woman cricketer from Madhya Pradesh, was banned for 4-years by the National

Anti-Doping Agency after failing a dope test. She is the 1st Woman Cricketer to be banned for use of

illegal substances, for intentionally using 19-Norandrosterone, a performance-enhancing steroid.

Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah retires from Test Cricket

• Bangladeshi Cricketer Mahmudullah announced retirement from Test Cricket in the middle of the

ongoing Test Series between Bangladesh & Zimbabwe, after scoring a century in his 50th

International Test match.

• He has scored 2914 runs from 50 test matches. He also represented Bangladesh in 197 ODIs and

89 T20Is.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Actress Surekha Sikri Passed Away

• Veteran Theatre and television actress Surekha Sikri, 3-time national Award winner passed away.

• She was well known for her role in Badhaai Ho, starring Ayushmann Khurrana.

• Surekha Sikri debuted as an actress in the 1978 film “Kissa Kursi Ka”.

• She has starred in various films like Tamas, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Mammo, Sardari Begum and

Zubeidaa.

• She has also starred in television series like Sanjha Chula, Kabhie Kabhie, CID and Balika Vadhu.








• She won her first National Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Tamas (1988)

and she won the National Award for Best Supporting actress in 1995 for Mammo and 2018 for

Badhaai Ho.

• She has also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1989 for her contributions to Hindi

theatre.








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Daily Current Affairs 20 July 2021

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