Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 16 February 2021

SSC CGL Current Affairs

::NATIONAL::

On the lines of Karnataka's Indira Canteen and Tamil Nadu's Amma Canteen, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched 'Maa Kitchens' in poll-bound West Bengal, which will provide nutritious food at a highly subsidised price. After the BJP dismissed the scheme - under which a plate full of rice, cooked vegetables, dal and an egg will be offered at just 5 - as an election stunt, the ruling Trinamool Congress pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently launched several infrastructure projects for the state, just months ahead of the assembly elections.
At the launch event at the state secretariat - Nabanna, Ms Banerjee said, "This is the Maa Kitchen. We are proud of our Maa (mother). Wherever there is Maa, things will be good. We salute all mothers."
This is Ms Banerjee's third big-ticket scheme for the poor after the flagship Duarey Sarkar (government services at doorstep) and Swasthya Sathi (health insurance). The scheme, which started today in Kolkata, will be expanded across the state.
The BJP attacked the government over the announcement. "The people of Bengal don't have money to buy food to eat. That's why she has to run Maa Canteen so that people get food at 5. She has proved she has failed. People have become beggars and she has to feed people at 5," BJP's Bengal chief, Dilip Ghosh said.

China last year overtook the U.S. as the EU's biggest trading partner, with China-EU trade volume reaching 586 billion euros ($711 billion), compared to 555 billion euros between the U.S. and the EU, the bloc's statistics agency Eurostat.
The agency said EU exports to China rose by 2.2 percent to 202.5 billion euros, while imports from China increased by 5.6 percent to 383.5 billion euros.
However, the EU's trade with the U.S. dropped significantly in 2020, with a 13.2 percent dip in imports and 8.2 percent in exports, Eurostat said.
China's resilience came after it suffered from the coronavirus pandemic during the first quarter, then vigorously recovering with consumption exceeding that of a year ago by the end of 2020.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it will provide Rs 100 crore loan to hospital chain Medanta for healthcare services and medical equipment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will support the purchase of personal protective equipment, basic hygiene products, and patient care equipment such as ventilators and beds.
It will also support staff training programmes on infection prevention and control. "Private sector healthcare services play a life-saving role during health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic," said Aniruddha Patil, Head of Health and Education Investments at ADB's Private Sector Operations Department.
Patil said that Medanta's proven expertise and leadership will further improve the resilience of India's health system, enabling it to respond effectively to the current crisis and future healthcare challenges. Naresh Trehan, Global Health Chairman and Managing Director of Medanta said the partnership with ADB will meet its financing requirement.
Global Health Pvt Ltd operates and manages hospitals across India under the Medanta brand with a total operational capacity of about 2,000 beds. "The financing will help us focus on increasing healthcare capacity to satisfy the strong Indian demand for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related treatment," Trehan said.
The debt financing by ADB is part of a USD 20 billion assistance package announced by the multi-lateral funding agency in April 2020 to help its developing members manage the pandemic.

Talismanic India captain Sunil Chhetri was in sublime form as he struck a brace to help Bengaluru FC beat Mumbai City FC 4-2 in an eventful Indian Super League match here.
Chhetri scored in the 57th and 90th minutes of his 200th game for the club while Cleiton Silva also bagged a double (1st, 22nd).
Adam Le Fondre (50th, 72nd) scored the two goals for Mumbai City FC, who have already qualified for the play-offs.
Mumbai City remained on second spot with 34 points from 17 matches while Bengaluru FC jumped to sixth with 22 points from 18 matches.