National Affairs
Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates world’s second-largest refurbished gene bank
The Union Minister for Agriculture and Family Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has inaugurated the world’s second-largest National Gene Bank.
The National Gene Bank established at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa provides the facility for germplasm securing seeds for years.
The new facility will help in the conservation of the diversity of indigenous crops in the country and benefit farmers by providing a source of income.
Quick Fact: China National GeneBank (CNGB) is the world’s largest gene bank situated in Shenzhen, China.
Economy
HDFC unveils ‘Green & Sustainable Deposits’ to fight climate change
The HDFC Bank has announced a ‘Green & Sustainable Deposits’ to safeguard the environment from climate change.
The fixed deposits would be directed towards financing green and sustainable housing credit solutions and services.
The facility would offer a deposit period of 36-120 months where both residents and NRIs can invest in this instrument.
Quick Fact: Sashidhar Jagdishan is the MD and CEO of HDFC Bank.
Sports
Harshit Raja becomes India’s 69th Chess Grandmaster
The 20-year old Chess player Harshit Raja from Pune, Maharashtra has claimed the title of the 69th Grandmaster of India in Chess.
He achieved this feat at Biel Masters Open 2021 where he defeated Dennis Wagner
Grandmaster (GM) title is awarded to chess players by the World Chess Organisation FIDE and is the highest title a chess player can attain.
Quick Fact: Norway GM Magnus Carlsen is the current world chess champion.
Miscellaneous
75 new Vande Bharat trains to connect all parts of India
PM Narendra Modi has announced that 75 Vande Bharat trains would connect different parts of the country in 75 weeks of the celebration of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
Currently, two Vande Bharat Express trains are operating, the first operates between Varanasi & New Delhi and the second operates between Katra & New Delhi.
Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is being celebrated from March 12, 2021, up to August 15, 2023.
Quick Fact: Vande Bharat express also known as Train 18 was designed and built by Integral Coach Factory at Perambur, Chennai.
Government Schemes
Vriksharopan Abhiyan 2021 to be launched
The Vriksharopan Abhiyan 2021 of the Coal Ministry is all set to be launched as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
Under the Scheme, coal PSUs of the Ministry of Coal have set an ambitious target to cover 2385 hectares of the area by bio-reclamation or plantation under the ‘Go Greening’ drive.
The Mission will be launched by the Union Minister of Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Prahlad Joshi.
Government Schemes
Six lakh villages to get internet connectivity by 2024 under BharatNet initiative
According to the Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, six lakh villages in India will get internet connectivity by 2024 under the BharatNet program.
Currently, about 2.8 lakh villages have got internet facility and the government is aiming to provide internet facilities for each household.
BharatNet initiative is a flagship mission implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL) and the Department of Telecommunication.
Quick Fact: BharatNet initiative was earlier launched as the National Optical Fibre Network in 2011.
Defense
HAL successfully tests Hindustan-228 aircraft
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully carried ground tests for making a civilian aircraft named ‘Hindustan-228’.
The ground run and low-speed taxi trials (LSTT) of the Hindustan-228 aircraft were carried out at the HAL facility at Kanpur.
The Hindustan-228 aircraft has been built to support the regional connectivity scheme- UDAN and would be used as an air ambulance, VIP transport, cloud seeding, etc.
Quick Fact: HAL is headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka.
International Affairs
Malaysia PM Muhyiddin Yassin resigns amid political turmoil in the country
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin recently resigned from his position following months of political turmoil in the country.
Yassin and his cabinet resigned after losing his majority opening another chapter of instability due to the absence of an obvious successor.
Yassin resigned after the tenure of 17 months in the office making him the Malaysian leader with the shortest stint to date.
Quick Fact: The King of Southeast Asian nations is Al-Sultan Abdullah.
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