Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 16 January 2021

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 16 January 2021

::NATIONAL::

PM Modi to launch Pan India Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccination drive

Prime Minister NarendraModi will launch the pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination .
This will be the world’s largest vaccination program covering the entire length and breadth of the country. A total of 3006 session sites across all States and UTs will be virtually connected during the launch. Around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on the inaugural day.
This vaccination programme is based on the principles of priority groups to be vaccinated and Health Care workers, both in government and private sectors including ICDS workers, will receive the vaccine during this phase.
The vaccination programme will use Co-WIN, an online digital platform developed by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which will facilitate real time information of vaccine stocks, storage temperature and individualized tracking of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccine. This digital platform will assist programme managers across all levels while conducting vaccination sessions.
A dedicated 24x7 call centre – 1075 – has also been established for addressing the queries related to COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rollout and the Co-WIN software.
Adequate doses of both COVISHIELD and COVAXIN have already been delivered across the country to all States/UTs with the active support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. These have been further delivered by the State/UT governments to the districts. All preparations are in place to initiate the programme on the principles of Jan Bhagidari.

::ECONOMY::

Third phase of PradhanMantriKaushalVikasYojana to be launched

The third phase of PradhanMantriKaushalVikasYojana (PMKVY 3.0) will be launched on 15-01-2021 in 600 districts across all states of India.
Spearheaded by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), this phase will focus on new-age and COVID-related skills.
Skill India Mission PMKVY 3.0 envisages training of eight lakh candidates over a scheme period of 2020-2021 with an outlay of Rs. 948.90 crore. The 729 PradhanMantriKaushalKendras (PMKKs), empaneled non-PMKK training centres and more than 200 ITIs under Skill India will be rolling out PMKVY 3.0 training to build a robust pool of skilled professionals. On the basis of the learning gained from PMKVY 1.0 and PMKVY 2.0, the Ministry has improved the newer version of the scheme to match the current policy doctrine and energize the skilling ecosystem affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Skill India Mission” launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, NarendraModi on 15th of July 2015 has gained tremendous momentum through launch of its flagship scheme PMKVY to unlock the vision of making India the ‘Skill Capital’ of the world.
The launch will be done by the Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr.MahendranathPandey, in the presence of the Minister of State, Raj Kumar Singh. The event will also be addressed by the State Skill Ministers and Members of Parliament.

::INTERNATIONAL::

Hong Kong government 'strongly' objects to US congressional report

The annual report from the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China this week said that the "one country, two systems" framework in Hong Kong has been "dismantled", severely undermining the rule of law and respect for human rights that the city has long enjoyed.
The Hong Kong government said it "strongly" objects to a US congressional report critical of Beijing's handling of the city, calling the report "biased, politically motivated and not reflecting the truth".
The annual report from the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China this week said that the "one country, two systems" framework in Hong Kong has been "dismantled", severely undermining the rule of law and respect for human rights that the city has long enjoyed.
The report says a national security law that Beijing imposed over the summer on the former British colony directly threatens Hong Kong residents' right to due process and their freedoms of expression and association. "The legislation is clearly meant to target, intimidate, and silence Hong Kong's robust civil society," it says.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Exploring Earth From Space: Tanezrouft Basin

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Tanezrouft Basin – one of the most desolate parts of the Sahara Desert.
Zoom in to see this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more about the features in this image.
Tanezrouft is a region of the Sahara lying in southern Algeria and northern Mali. The hyperarid area is known for its soaring temperatures and scarce access to water and vegetation, a reason why it’s often referred to as the ‘Land of Terror’. There are no permanent residents that live here, only occasional Tuareg nomads.
The barren plain extends to the west of the Hoggarmountains and southeast of the sandy Erg Chech. The terrain shows evidence of water erosion that occurred many years ago, when the Sahara Desert’s climate was much wetter, as well as wind erosion caused by frequent sandstorms – exposing ancient folds in the Paleozoic rocks.
White lines in the right of the image are roads that lead to In Salah – the capital of the In Salah Province and In Salah District. Just above the center-left of the image, an airstrip can be seen. An interesting, grid-like pattern can be seen in the bottom of the image and mostly consists of human-made clearings and roads.
This image was captured on January 12, 2020, by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission – a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for Europe’s Copernicus programme.

Sports

Santosh back in India, out of induced coma

“CS Santosh was transferred by air ambulance from Riyadh to Bengaluru on Thursday without any issues,” Santosh’s team Hero MotoSports said in a statement on Friday after the 43rd Dakar Rally ended.
Indian rallyist CS Santosh, who had crashed out of the 2021 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia last week, is out of medically induced coma after being brought back to India.
“CS Santosh was transferred by air ambulance from Riyadh to Bengaluru on Thursday without any issues,” Santosh’s team Hero MotoSports said in a statement on Friday after the 43rd Dakar Rally ended.
“As per the latest information, he has been brought out of the induced coma successfully. He is now receiving the next stage of treatment and continues to be in CCU (Critical Care Unit) for observation.”