Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 21 FEBRUARY 2019
::NATIONAL::
NITI Aayog organises workshop on promotion of healthy diets through
local food system
- With an aim to improve nutritional choices and enhance dietary
diversity of India, the NITI Aayog, in collaboration with National
Centre of Excellence and Advanced Research on Diets (NCEAR-D), UNICEF
India and Lady Irwin College, organised a National Workshop on
“Promoting Healthy Diets Through Local Food Systems”.
- Envisaging a convergence between the Aspirational Districts
programme and POSHAN Abhiyaan, the workshop seeks to design
institutional collaborations between academia and State Governments
across these districts.
- Under the aegis of POSHAN Abhiyaan, promoting consumption and
household/community production of locally available nutritionally rich
food resources has been a priority concern. ]
- The academic institutions will serve as resource centres and
Nutrition Support Units to the Districts and State administration for
technical, training, concurrent monitoring support to achieve the goals
of POSHAN Abhiyaan.
- The workshop provided a platform to reach a common
understanding of diet diversity problems in Aspirational Districts
across India and learn from national and international examples where
nutrition academia and state governments have collaborated. Academic
institutions were also encouraged to frame scientific methodologies and
prepare achievable action plans with clearly defined indicators.
::ECONOMY::
Centre clears recapitalisation package for PSB’s
- The government has approved the disbursal of a
recapitalisation package of Rs. 48,239 crore for 12 public sector banks,
Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar announced on Wednesday.
- He said that this package had a fourfold objective: (i)
bringing the better-performing banks currently in the Prompt Corrective
Action (PCA) category out of it, (ii) helping those that have recently
come out of PCA to stay out of it, (iii) equipping non-PCA banks to meet
regulatory requirements, and (iv) helping the remaining PCA banks to
meet their requirements as well.
- Towards this, a total of Rs. 15,982 crore is to be disbursed
to Allahabad Bank and Corporation Bank, both of which fall within the
first objective. Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra, which recently
exited the PCA category, are to receive a total of Rs. 4,843 crore. The
bulk of this (Rs. 4,638 crore) is allocated for Bank of India.
- These banks are Central Bank, United Bank, UCO Bank, and
Indian Overseas Bank. “It should be taken as a supplement to the earlier
package of recapitalisation, which was much bigger,” D.K. Srivastava,
chief policy advisor, EY India, said.
- “We need to also take this in the context of growth picking
up. Usually, when growth starts to become better, then those NPAs which
have an economic reason behind them automatically get out of their NPA
status. So, given that growth is improving and that this is a
supplementary amount, it may be considered a timely intervention.”
HRD ministry launches operation digital board platform
- The Minister of Human Resource Development,
ShriPrakashJavadekar launched Operation Digital Board to leverage
technology in order to boost quality education in the country.
- Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, the Minister
of Human Resource Development said that Operation Digital Board is a
revolutionary step which will make the learning as well as the teaching
process interactive and popularize flipped learning as a pedagogical
approach.
- He further said that ODB aims at converting a class room into
a digital class room and in addition to availability of e-resources at
any time and at any place to students, it will also help in provisioning
of personalised adaptive learning as well as Intelligent Tutoring by
exploiting emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial
Intelligence & Data Analytics.
- ShriJavadekar also stated that the launching of e-Pathshala,
DIKSHA, NROER,NPTEL, e-pgpathshala SWAYAM and SWAYAM-Prabha DTH Channels
etc. by MHRD have provided adequate content of high quality which can be
taken to every classroom, and thereby facilitating blended learning and
flip class learning.
- These pedagogical interventions can adequately raise the
standards of teaching, irrespective of the location of the Schools and
Colleges/Institutes. Such technology enabled learning can also inspire
teachers across the country to raise their own standards of teaching
- UGC will be the implementing agency for ODB in HEIs. UGC in
its Commission meeting held on 29th Jan 2019, has passed a resolution
for extending digital education to every classroom in the country by
2022.
::INTERNATIONAL::
India – Saudi discuss bilateral issues, Saudi releases Indian prisoners
- Prime Minister Modi and His Royal Highness Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz held delegation level talks at
Hyderabad House on February 20, 2019. External Affairs Minister Smt.
SushmaSwaraj called on His Royal Highness.
- India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations
reflecting the centuries old economic and socio-cultural ties. Close
geographical proximity, civilizational links, cultural affinity, natural
synergies, vibrant people to people contacts. Common challenges and
opportunities have added momentum to this robust engagement
- The bilateral discussions were held in the spirit of strong
friendship that binds the two countries and their leaders. They
expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral ties of
friendship and cooperation, which are marked by trust, mutual
understanding, goodwill and respect for each other’s interests.
- Both sides expressed satisfaction at the progress made in
diverse fields including trade, energy, security and cultural spheres
since the landmark visit of the Prime Minister to Riyadh in April 2016,a
visit which served to enhance our engagement and take our relations to
the next level.
- Meanwhile The Crown Prince ofSaudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman
bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has ordered the releaseof 850 Indian prisoners
lodged in Saudi jails at the request of Prime MinisterNarendraModi.
- The External Affairs Ministry said, the Saudi Crown Prince
hasalso announced the increase in quota for Indian Haj pilgrims to
200,000.
U.S set to create new space force
- US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to
establish its Space Force as a new armed service within the Department
of Air Force.
- As per the memorandum signed by Trump in his Oval Office on
Tuesday, the Space Force will include both combat and combat support
functions to enable prompt and sustained offensive and defensive space
operations in all domains.
- It said, the force will be organized, trained, and equipped to
meet and protect the US national interests in the space, consistent with
international laws.
- Mr Trump described the unique force as the future of US forces
and a very big part of its defence system. He said, it will organize and
train the next generation of warriors to deter aggression and defend the
United States.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
Aero India 2019 exhibition inaugurated
- Defence Minister NirmalaSitharaman rolled out a red carpet of
opportunities in local defence and aerospace manufacturing to global
investors as she launched Aero India 2019 here on Wednesday.
- As the 12th edition of the biennial international military and
civil expo and air show opened at the Air Force Station Yelahanka, the
gathering and airmen showered tributes to Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi,
who was killed during a rehearsal on Tuesday.
- “Aero India 2019 endeavours to put India as the global runway
of a billion opportunities,” Ms.Sitharaman told a gathering of a few
thousand invitees. Ministers, heads of global defence aerospace
companies, corporate and government policymakers, military brass,
entrepreneurs, delegates and exhibitors from across the world were at
the event.
- Three IAF fighter jets and a Rafale aircraft paid an aerial
tribute to Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi, who was killed in a midair
mishap during a rehearsal on Tuesday.
- The Indian jets Tejas, Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Jaguar flew past in
a formation called Missing Man. The pilot of a French Rafale fighter in
a flying demonstration made a sombre flypast for the killed airman.
- Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) did a jaw dropping vertical climb
called the Charlie in memory of the late AtalBihari Vajpayee.
::SPORTS::
Sports minister to inaugurate shooting world cup in New delhi
- Sports Minister RajyavardhanRathore will inaugurate the
International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup in New Delhi
today. Various events in the world cup will start from February 23rd and
end on the 27th.
- The ISSF World Cup is crucial for Indian shooting as it has 16
quotas up for grabs for Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification. Hosts India is
fielding a 23-member squad with 11 shooters in the non-competition
Minimum Qualification Score category.
