Focus Merit

All in One Current Affairs

Click on the Underlined Text for additional Static information.
  • Select a topic

  • Sort Current Affairs

  • No. of CAs per page

  • Select Category

IRDAI approves ICICI Lombard to pilot five projects under Sandbox

ICICI Lombard has received approval from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s (IRDAI) to pilot five innovative applications and programs in its health and motor portfolio under the Sandbox Project. ICICI Lombard is to pilot the five proposals from February 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020. This is the highest number given to any company under the IRDAI introduced project.

The insurer has secured approval for APP Monitored Diabetes Mellitus Wellness Program, APP Monitored Dyslipidaemia Management Program under the health insurance portfolio, Pay As You Use (PAYU) policies for Private Car, Pay How You Use (PHYU) policies for Private Car and Single owner multiple vehicle (Motor floater policy).

This methodology allows insurers to launch and test a product with a select group of people for a period of six months, after which, on the basis of the results of the pilot run and the feedback, it will be launched commercially for the public.

Google Cloud and Bharti Airtel to offer G Suite to SMBs

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel partners with Google Cloud to offer G Suite to small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) in India as part of its integrated information and communication technology portfolio. G Suite is a set of intelligent apps including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar designed with real-time collaboration and machine intelligence to bring people together and help them work smarter and safer.

The agreement will provide a platform for both companies to tap growth opportunities in India, which ranks amongst the fastest growing economies and has the second highest number of internet users in the world. Airtel serves over 2,500 large businesses and over 500,000 SMBs and technology startups across India.

Apollo Hospitals in collaboration with Bajaj Finserv launches ‘Health EMI card’

Apollo Hospitals Group in collaboration with Bajaj Finserv has launched a “Health EMI Card” to enable easy EMI financing for healthcare. It would enable to convert the medical expense into no cost EMIs that can be repaid over a period of 12 months. The card offers a credit limit of up to Rs 4 lakh and covers nearly 600 procedures for patients, according to Rajeev Jain, managing director of Bajaj Finance Limited.

The cards would be accepted across all Apollo Hospitals in the country. It also features a personal accident insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh. The cards are digitised and customers can have it available once they download the wallet app. The card would also cover the entire family.

India’s first e-waste clinic in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

The country’s first e-waste clinic is being opened in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh . It will enable segregation, processing and disposal of waste from both household and commercial units. The clinic is jointly setting up by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Electronic waste will be collected door-to-door or could be deposited directly at the e-waste clinic. The CPCB will provide technical support to the clinic. The e-waste clinic has been prepared in junk low floor bus. The bus is decorated with e-waste material from outside and inside.

A TV has been also installed in it, in which documentary films on the subject of environmental damage caused by e-waste will be shown. The e-waste clinic is being started on the basis of a three-month pilot project. If this project is successful, e-waste clinics will be established at other places in the country.

Mumbai malls, shops, eateries to remain open round the clock

The Maharashtra Cabinet approved its ‘Mumbai 24 hours‘ policy allowing malls, multiplexes and shops to remain open round-the-clock in the city from 27th January, as stated by Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray. He also said keeping shops, malls and eateries open in the night was not mandatory.

In the first phase, shops, eateries and theatres in malls and mill compounds situated in non-residential areas like Bandra-Kurla Complex and Nariman Point will be allowed to remain open. Excise rules have not been touched and pubs and bars will close as usual at 1.30am.

Among the likely early-birds joining the late-night bandwagon are: the Oberoi Mall and The Hub in Goregaon, Growel 101 in Kandivali, R-City Mall in Ghatkopar, Atria Mall in Worli, Phoenix Market City in Kurla, High Street Phoenix in Lower Parel, CitiMall in Andheri, and many even have multiplexes within their premises, besides security and parking.

In another decision, cabinet has made the film “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior” tax-free in the state. The film is based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s trusted lieutenant Tanaji Malusare who had played a pivotal role in capturing the Sinhagad Fort. The movie that released on 10th January has already grossed over 150 crore rupees.

Tamil Nadu: CM lays foundation for DLF DownTown in Chennai

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami laid foundation in Chennai for the construction of DLF DownTown, a joint venture of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and DLF, for housing information technology (IT) firms under one roof.

At an investment of Rs 5,000 crore, the IT complex with all modern facilities would come up on 27.04 acres of land in Taramani. The project is expected to provide direct employment for 70,000 people.

Many new projects like Phase II of the Chennai Metro, widening of OMR Road with by-passes at Kelambakkam and Thiruporur and flyovers at key junctions at a total cost of Rs 1,150 crore are being taken up.

Home Credit partners with HDFC Ergo and Bajaj Allianz Life

Home Credit India has acquired a corporate agency license to provide health life insurance and has partnered with HDFC Ergo General Insurance Company for health insurance and will provide cover in case of an illness or injury. The expenses covered under the policy include in-patient hospitalisation, pre- and post-hospitalisation, domiciliary expenses, day-care procedures as well as cover for newborn baby.

Home Credit India will also offer a savings plan of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company which has life cover benefit along with tax-free guaranteed returns. While health insurance will provide coverage for medical expenses, life insurance will provide benefits and financial protection to Home Credit India customers.

13th Weld India Exhibition to be held in Mumbai from February 6

The 13th Weld India Exhibition being organised in association with the International Institute of Welding (IIW) in Mumbai from February 6 to 9 will highlight India’s potential to become a $5 trillion economy. The event will have the theme of ‘Advanced welding technology and quality systems for developing economies‘ and is expected to have participants from around 22 countries.

IIW was working on closing the gap of the skilled manpower needed in the country to meet the objective of making India a $5 trillion economy, under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Skill Development, along with the support of National Skill Development Corporation and private industries.

Election Body organises 1st memorial lecture to honour Sukumar Sen

As a tribute to India’s first Chief Election Commissioner Sukumar Sen, the Election Commission of India organised the first memorial lecture in Delhi on Thursday. Sukumar Sen had served as the first Chief Election Commissioner of India from March 21, 1950, till 19th December 1958. The memorial lecture was addressed by former President of India Pranab Mukherjee.

The lecture was attended by Mr Sen’s family along with invitees from the national political parties, members of the academia, civil society organisations, senior civil servants and international delegates. The event commenced by the welcome speech of Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa while Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra concluded the event.

During his service, he held several important posts, including as Chief Secretary of West Bengal (1947-1950). He conducted the first two Lok Sabha elections of India held in 1952 and 1957 simultaneously with the Legislative Assembly Elections based on universal adult franchise under challenging circumstances and little precedence to guide him.

22 children selected for ICCW National Bravery Award 2019

Twenty-two children, including 10 girls and 12 boys from 12 different states of India, have been selected for the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) National Bravery Awards, 2019. Out of which one award has been given posthumously.

15-year-old Master Adithya K, from Keral has be conferred with Bharat Award for saving more than 40 lives when a bus they were travelling caught fire in Nepal in May 2019. The only recipient to recieve the award posthumously is Muhhamed Muhsin EC, who has honoured with the Abhimanyu award. He was a Kerala resident.

The two awardees from J&K were Sartaj Mohidin Mughal and Mudasir Ashraf, they both had won the bravery award. Mughal saved his family during live shelling from Pakistan. Mughal lives at the Line of Control (LoC) while Mudasir helped IAF and rescue personnel during the IAF chopper crash in Budgam in February 2019. A 13-year-old Alaika saved her family after their car met with an accident.

The ICCW Markandeya Award was given to 10 yr old Rakhi from Uttarakhand, who saved her 4 yr old brother from a leopard. The ICCW Dhruva Award has been given to 16 yr old, Purnima Giri and 15 yr old, Sabita Giri from Odisha who saved 12 persons from drowning a river when a boat sank into the water full with wild crocodiles. ICCW Prahalada Award has been given to 10 yr old, Srimati Badra for helping her friend who lost her right leg in a train accident.

The other recipients are Assam’s Kamal Krishna Das; Chhattisgarh’s Kanti Paikra and Bharneshwari Nirmalkar; Karnataka’s Aarti Kiran Shet and Venkatesh; Maharashtra’s Zen Sadavarte and Akash Machindra Khillare; Lourembam Yaikhomba Mangang from Manipur; Everbloom K Nongrum from Meghalaya; Lalliansanga, Carolyn Malsawmtluangi and Vanlalhriatrenga from Mizoram.

Manoj Kohli appointed as SoftBank India head

SoftBank India has appointed  Manoj Kohli as its country head. The former Bharti Airtel executive, who has an experience of over 40 years, was head of Airtel’s international operations besides working at companies like DCM Shriram and Escotel before joining SoftBank.

In this new role, Kohli will be responsible for supporting SoftBank, SoftBank Vision Fund, and their portfolio companies’ interests in India. He will be responsible for government relations and public policy efforts, working closely with portfolio company founders and CEOs to address government and policy issues and secure required approvals to enable their businesses to run smoothly and achieve their full business potential

SoftBank has also been beefing up its team in India as earlier this month Vision Fund roped in Vikas Agnihotri, who was till recently Google India’s interim country head, as its first operating partner in the country. SoftBank Vision Fund has been building a team in India, which started with the hiring of Sumer Juneja last year to lead investments.

The World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative survey: Sri Lanka tops the list

According to a new survey conducted by the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) taken among 97 countries globally, Sri Lanka topped the breastfeeding rate. The rank is based on the performance on ten indicators of policies and programs.

WBTi uses color-code to rank countries. Sri Lanka earned a green color code, which implies the best level of performance. Sri Lanka has been making an effort to support and provide supportive measures for breastfeeding since 2005. It has demonstrated a high level of commitment towards the health and nutrition of mothers and babies.

Global Talent Competitiveness Index: India moves up eight places to rank 72

The ‘2020 Global Talent Competitiveness Index‘ report compiled by INSEAD in collaboration with human resource firm Addeco and Google was released in Davos, Switzerland. India has moved up eight places to 72nd rank. The list was topped by Switzerland, followed by US and Singapore. Sweden (4th), Denmark (5th), the Netherlands (6th), Finland (7th), Luxembourg (8th), Norway (9th) and Australia (10th) secured the top 10 positions in the list.

In the BRICS grouping, China was ranked 42nd, Russia ranked 48th, South Africa 70th and Brazil at 80th position. This year’s GTCI report explores how the development of artificial intelligence (AI) is not only changing the nature of work but also forcing a re-evaluation of workplace practices, corporate structures and innovation ecosystems. The report noted that the gap between high income, talent rich nations and the rest of the world is widening. More than half of the population in the developing world lack basic digital skills.

POLNET 2.0 commissioned by Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai commissioned a revamped and upgraded POLNET 2.0 at a national conference. It will bolster the police communication services. The new platform is armed with a robust multi-media facility and is a captive satellite-based network that provides video, audio and data connectivity across the country, especially in times of disasters when regular communication either gets jammed or crashes.

To communicate better during law and order problems and disasters, including linkup from remote border and coastal areas, the Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless (DCPW) has brought out an enhanced communication platform for police and security forces.

DCPW that operates the police network services POLNET in the country was set up in 1946 and it was placed under the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1950 with the primary mandate of coordination between state and central police and security agencies for radio communication and frequency allocation.

The World Archery lifts suspension on Indian archers

The World Archery has conditionally lifted the suspension of the Archery Association of India following elections in New Delhi on 18 January. The decision was made by executive board postal vote. Indian archers are allowed to compete in World Archery events as of Thursday 23 January 2020.

The federation has been instructed to update its constitution to clarify athlete membership, develop a strategic plan and resolve other governance issues. A progress report is required every three months. The Archery Association of India had been suspended since Monday 5 August 2019, with Indian athletes only allowed to compete under a neutral flag at events that directly affected their qualification chances for the Olympics.

Union Minister Arjun Munda was elected as President of the Archery Association of India (AAI), which were held in presence of three observers, including one from the World Archery. The elections were held as per the Delhi High Court order and the two bitter rivals clashed for the first time. World Archery had sent an Observer, Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol.

Alistair Shearer’s “The Story of Yoga: From Ancient India to the Modern West” launched

Book titled ‘first definitive history’ of Yoga, “The Story of Yoga: From India to the Contemporary World” has been written by Scottish cultural historian Alistair Shearer, published by Penguin Random House.

The book reveals history boasting a colourful cast of characters past and present, in an engaging tale of scholars and scandal, science and spirit, wisdom and waywardness. The book is divided into 2 parts – Today and Yesterday, with 9 chapters, including “The Age of invasions”, “Female fitness” and “Yoga Goes West”.

Terry Jones, ‘Monty Python’ star Passes Away at 77

Terry Jones, a star of the seminal comedy group ‘Monty Python‘ who delivered some of the most famous lines in comedic history, passes away at age 77. In 2016 it was announced that Jones had been diagnosed with dementia.

Jones was a major creative force behind the surrealist troupe’s pioneering works, which flitted between styles and tones and cemented the six-man group as one of the most influential acts in the British cultural canon.

India’s 1st Mahatma Gandhi convention centre inaugurated in Niger

Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou have inaugurated India’s first Mahatma Gandhi convention centre in Niger. It is the first convention centre established in Africa by India to honour the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. The centre will be landmark for India-Niger friendship, and also a symbol of India’s firm commitment towards Africa.

The convention centre has been designed as a spacious, modern and eco-friendly facility, including a 2,000 capacity Plenary Hall, to witness high-level and wide-ranging participation from African Union member states and other high-level conventions. The bilateral relations have expanded significantly in recent years. India has provided Lines of Credit to Niger for projects in transport, electrification, solar energy and potable drinking water.

Maharashtra tops in Khelo India Youth Games 2020

Maharashtra has topped the medal tally of the 3rd season of the Khelo India Youth Games concluded in Guwahati. The state clinched 256 medals including 78 gold comprising 78 gold, 77 silver and 101 bronze.

Haryana stood at 2nd position with a total of 200 medals while Delhi secured 3rd position with 122 medals. Assam’s swimmer Shivangi Sharma won five gold and two silver medals and became the most successful female player of the tournament.

The winning trophy was given by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of Union Minister of State for Food Processing, Rameshwar Teli and Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in a glittering closing ceremony.

RBI ups investment limit for FPIs in govt and corporate bonds

The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday raised the investment limit for FPIs in government and corporate bonds to bring in more foreign funds into the market. Currently, short-term investments by a foreign portfolio investors (FPI) should not exceed 20 per cent of the total investment of that FPI in either central government securities (including treasury bills) or state development loans or corporate bonds. The short-term investment limit has now been increased from 20 per cent to 30 per cent in both cases.

The central bank has also made a relaxation in the voluntary retention route (VRR) for FPI investments in debt. The investment cap through VRR has been doubled to ₹1.5 lakh crore. FPIs are also allowed to invest in exchange-traded funds that invest only in debt instruments, it added. The RBI had introduced VRR in March 2019. This helped FPIs to invest in debt markets in India.

Join Now

State-Wise Static GK