Daily Current Affairs 6th January, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 6 January 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

India sets up high-level group for South Asia energy security
The center has set up a high-level group to help build a South Asia-focused energy security architecture.

• The high-level group, headed by former Union power secretary Ram Vinay Shahi, is named the South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE).
•  It has been set up under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)-run think tank Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).
• The objective is to achieve a balanced and optimal development of energy infrastructure through mutual understanding and cooperation.

PM Modi inaugurates 450 km Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurated the 450-km Kochi-Koottanad-Mangaluru LNG (liquified natural gas) pipeline through video conferencing.

• The facility was part of his government’s “one nation-one gas grid” policy. The government has a concrete plan to move towards a gas-based economy that would be cheaper, convenient and environment-friendly.
• The government would make substantial investments in coal and gas sectors. The plan was to increase the share of natural gas in the energy sector from the present 6% to 15% by 2030.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates migrant worker cell in Surat
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated a migrant worker cell of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) at Udhna based iLab in Surat.

• The migrant workers cell with linkage with the city livelihood centre will help extend all kinds of assistance and government-led benefits to them.
• This cell will do a detailed mapping of migrant workers and classify them according to their skill. This will help in connecting ‘Shramshakti’ to relevant industries and boost their livelihood and also ensure their dignity.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India launches 40th Scientific Expedition to Antarctica
India launched the 40th Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. This Indian expedition marks four decades of the country’s scientific endeavour to the southern white continent.

• The 40th expedition journey will be flagged off from Goa with 43 members onboard.
• The chartered ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin will make this journey and will reach Antarctica in 30 days. After leaving behind a team of 40 members, it would return to India in April. On return, it will also bring back the winter team of the preceding trip.

BANKING & FINANCE

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY-SEHAT in Jammu & Kashmir
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has in association with Jammu & Kashmir Government launched the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) SEHAT for all the residents of the Union territory.

• A total of 2.1 million families will be covered under the SEHAT scheme. SEHAT stands for social, endeavour for health, and telemedicine.
• The scheme will provide universal health insurance cover with a sum insured of Rs 5 lakh and the health insurance will be provided on family floater basis. This scheme will provide free of cost insurance to residents and the premium is borne by the government.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

FSSAI reduces trans fat levels in food from 5% to 3%
India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), plans to reduce the level of trans fats in food items from the permissible limit of 5 per cent to 3 per cent by 2021, and to 2 per cent by 2022 is under process.

• The regulation is also being extended to food products having fats or oils
• Trans fat is a form of unsaturated fat associated with a number of negative health effects.

AWARDS

India’s Dr Raghu Ram in Queen Elizabeth II’s honours list
Well-known breast cancer surgeon from Hyderabad Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti has been named in the New Year’s Honours list of Queen Elizabeth II. 

• Dr Pillarisetti, 54, is one of the youngest surgeons of Indian origin to be named on the list.
• He is also a recipient of Padma Shri award and Dr BC Roy National award. Dr Raghu Ram has established a comprehensive Breast Health Centre, founded a breast cancer charity to raise awareness about the importance of early detection, implemented a population-based Breast Cancer Screening Programme in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

Manipur CM Biren launches App to help pensioners
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched mPension Manipur App, an online platform through which pensioners can do self-updation without visiting Treasury Offices.

• mPension Manipur has been introduced on which pensioners instead of visiting the Treasury Office can make their periodic photograph updation online through a smartphone or a desktop/laptop, from the comfort of their own homes.
• The App uses Artificial Intelligence techniques to detect whether the pensioner is alive or dead from the updated photographs and will allow uploading of only photographs taken from living persons.

Patna Meteorological Observatory gets centennial observing station status
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Geneva has awarded the status of  ‘centennial observing station’ to the Patna meteorological observatory in recognition to its long-term meteorological observation exceeding over 100 years.

• The recognition has come as a result of extensive consultation and close collaboration between WMO climate, network and instrument experts representing WMO technical commissions, the Global Climate Observing System.

Japan to launch the first wood-based satellite by 2023 to reduce space debris
Japan’s Sumitomo Forestry company and Kyoto University aims to launch the world’s first wood-based space satellite to combat the problem of space junk.

• Currently, the initiative is in the nascent stage as several wooden materials are being tested by the research team to find a suitable one for space missions.
• It is also reported that the team is also working towards developing wooden materials extremely resistant to temperature changes and sunlight.

OBITUARIES

Kerala poet and lyricist Anil Panachooran passes away
Malayalam poet and lyricist Anil Panachooran passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 51.

• Known for the lyrics he penned for movies including ‘Arabi Katha’ regarding Communism had won him many fans. His poetry collection includes ‘Akshethriyude Atmageetam’, “Valayil Veena Kilkal”.

Former Maharashtra Minister Vilas Patil Undalkar passes away
Veteran Congressman and former Maharashtra Minister Vilas Patil Undalkar, a seven-time MLA from Karad, passed away following a brief illness in Satara. He waa 82.

• Mr. Undalkar, affectionately known as ‘Vilaskaka’, had held the Cooperation and Law and Justice potfolios in erstwhile State Cabinets and was notable for his strong hold over the cooperative sector besides having deep grassroots connect.

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