Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 15 February 2021

SSC CGL Current Affairs

::NATIONAL::

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stone of various projects in Kochi Kerala.
Governor of Kerala, Chief Minister of Kerala, Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan,Ministers of State Shri Mansukh Mandaviya , Shri V. Muraleedharanwere present on the occasion.
A wide range of industries would gain and employment opportunities would be generated. Similarly, with Ro-Ro Vessels, a distance of almost thirty kilometres on road will become 3.5 kilometers through waterways leading to less congestion and more convenience, commerce and capacity-building.
The Prime Minister asserted that the Government of India is undertaking many efforts to improve tourism related infrastructure in Kerala.
The inauguration of Sagarika, the International Cruise Terminal in Kochi is one example of this. Sagarika Cruise Terminal will cater to over a lakh cruise guests. The Prime Minister noted the rise in local tourism due to pandemic related restrictions on international travel. He said this is a great opportunity for added livelihood to those in the local tourism industry and deepening of connection between our culture and our youth. He called upon start-ups to think about innovative tourism related products.

The new Chinese law allows Beijing's coast guard to use weapons against foreign ships that it sees as illegally entering its waters, sparking fear that Japanese vessels navigating around the Senkaku Islands would be targeted.
Amid the growing belligerence of China in the East and South China Sea following Beijing's enactment of a new coast guard law, Japan is now deliberating on an apt response to the legislation, which is poised to escalate tensions in the region.
The new Chinese law allows Beijing's coast guard to use weapons against foreign ships that it sees as illegally entering its waters, sparking fear that Japanese vessels navigating around the Senkaku Islands would be targeted.
A 2020 US Department of Defense report notes that over the past decade, China has more than doubled the number of large coast guard ships over 1,000 tons, from about 60 in 2010 to over 130 as of last year, writes Eric Johnson for The Japan Times.
In the early 2010s, China and Japan were mired in a territorial row over the Senkakus. Beijing has rapidly built up artificial islands with military infrastructure in the region, in its claim of sovereignty over almost the entire maritime region.

The European Union on Thursday acknowledged a move by the new U.S. government to refrain from imposing additional tariffs on EU goods in a long-running dispute over aircraft tariffs and said it was ready to work to resolve trade disputes.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office on Thursday said it had agreed with U.S. industry that it was unnecessary to revise existing tariffs on European goods at this time, refraining from changes that would have been possible during a periodic review.
The move came a day after USTR said it looked forward to working with European allies to resolve a 16-year-long battle over subsidies provided to Europe’s Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing Co.
Officials from the EU and Britain are keen to work out a deal with the administration of President Joe Biden, but talks are on ice until Biden’s pick as top trade negotiator, Katherine Tai, is confirmed in her job by the U.S. Senate. That could take several more weeks, with a confirmation hearing not yet scheduled.
Envoys from Britain and the European Union on Monday stressed their willingness to resolve the aircraft subsidies dispute.

In a step that would establish its superiority in air combat over China and Pakistan, India would start testing the Astra Mark 2 beyond visual range air to air missile, which would be capable of taking down enemy aircraft from a range of 160 kilometres.
The extended range Astra Mark 2 would give India an edge over its adversaries and would add more lethality to its fighter jets in aerial combat, like the one which happened a day after the Balakot airstrikes on February 26, 2019.
"The trial for the Astra Mark would be starting in the second half of this year and we are hoping to see the missile fully developed by 2022," government officials told ANI.
The next-generation missile is expected to be operational by the next year-end, former Central Air Commander Air Marshal SBP Sinha (Retd) said.
The all-weather day and night capable Astra, which currently has a strike range of around 100-km, will eventually replace the expensive Russian, French and Israeli BVRAAMs that are currently imported to arm IAF fighters.
The Indian Air Force and Indian navy have already given orders for 288 Astra Mark-1 Missiles which are already "proven" on the Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI fighters.

Olympian Manish Rawat (Uttarakhand) won the inaugural men’s 35k race at the eighth National Open Race Walking Championships on the Morabadi Road in Ranchi.
He beat Tamil Nadu’s Ganapati Krishnan by comfortable nine-minute margin but was outside the qualifying standard for next year’s World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
Approaching his 30th birthday, Manish Rawat kept Ganapati Krishnan’s company for a good part of the first 15km but started pulling away gradually. However, the pace of the race did not inspire confidence that the qualifying standard of 2:35:00 would be breached today. The younger walkers, Vikash (Delhi) and Rhythu Binduji (Kerala) did not push the experienced walkers.