Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2021

Notes:
Mr K. VijayRaghavan has been given a one-year extension as the principal scientific advisor (PSA) to the Government of India.
As per the order issued by the Personnel Ministry, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the extension as the PSA for a period of one year. He provides objective advice to the Prime minister and Cabinet on matters related to science, technology and innovation.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet headed by the Chief Minister has approved the Affordable Rental Housing and Complexes (ARHC) scheme.
he scheme would offer affordable rental housing for poor people living in cities, urban migrants/poor labourers, those belonging to economically weaker sections, including factory workers, educational institutions, and those associated with hospitality and students.

Notes:
The Market Regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India approved amendments to SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.
It extended the requirement for formulation of dividend distribution policy by the existing top 500 listed companies to the top 1,000 listed companies. It also relaxed norms for listing of start-ups.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina has recently inaugurated the new passenger train named ‘Mithali Express’.
It connects Dhaka Cantonment and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal via Chilahati, a border railway station in Bangladesh. This is the third passenger train after Maitree Express (Dhaka-Kolkata) and Bandhan Express (Khulna-Kolkata).

Notes:
India has signed 5 MoUs in the fields of trade, IT and setting up of sports facilities with Bangladesh. This event took place during the concluding sessions of Indian Prime Minister’s 2-day visit to Bangladesh.
During the visit, both national leaders discussed progress achieved on various parameters like health, trade, connectivity etc.

Notes:
As per the report titled “Playing by new rules”, released by FICCI-EY, Indian media and entertainment (M&E) sector is expected to grow upward by 25% during the year 2021.
The total value of the sector is expected to reach Rs 1.73 lakh crore during 2021 and with the same level growth, the industry is expected to reach Rs 2.23 lakh crore by 2023.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has written the new version of Exam Warriors. It contains many new mantras for students and for parents to cope with the anxiety and stress caused during examinations.
This is available in leading retail stores as well as in online stores. The Exam Warriors module is also made available on the NaMo App.

Notes:
The Government of India had signed the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on 22nd February, 2021.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has notified that all the legal formalities pertaining to the CCEA has been completed and the agreement has come into force on 1st April 2021.

Notes:
The state Government of Odisha has proposed to form the state’s 2nd biosphere reserve at Mahendragiri, a hill ecosystem having rich biodiversity located in southern part of the state. The reserve will cover parts of Gajapati and Ganjam districts in the Eastern Ghats.
Similipal Biosphere Reserve is Odisha’s first Bio sphere reserve notified in the year 1996.

Notes:
India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) announced that it has signed a loan agreement of up to USD 1 billion with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). JBIC is wholly owned by the Government of Japan.
This loan intends to promote smooth flow of funds for the business operations of Japanese automobile manufacturers in India. SBI had signed a similar deal with JBIC in October last year. The beneficiaries include suppliers, dealers and the end users.