Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2021

Notes:
Reserve Bank of India recently released a discussion paper on revised regulatory framework for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).
As per the paper, the regulatory and supervisory framework of NBFCs shall be based on a four-layered structure namely Base Layer, Middle Layer, Upper Layer and a possible Top Layer. RBI also recommended more power for the NBFC Boards on capital and risk management.

Notes:
Punjab is implementing a scheme named ‘Shagun’ under which financial assistance is provided for the marriage of daughter who belongs to the low-income family. It aims to prevent child marriages.
Recently, the Punjab government hiked the grant for the marriage of daughters of construction workers from Rs 31,000 to Rs 51,000.

Notes:
‘National Girl Child Day’ has been celebrated in India on January 24 from the year 2008. To mark National Girl Child Day, the Indian Government organises awareness campaigns under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme.
This Day is an initiative of the Ministry of women and child development. It aims to focus on solutions for gender bias and the challenges faced by girls in Indian society. It also aims to create awareness on girl education, health and nutrition of girls.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has recently launched a mobile app named ‘Udyam Sarathi’ for seeking employment, as a part of the 3-day event marking UP DIWAS.
The state also announced the proposal to launch ‘Abhyudaya’ coaching centres, which would benefit the students who are preparing for various competitive examinations.

Notes:
The nation’s central bank – Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has stated that it is examining the need to introduce central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the country. Also, if the need is felt, RBI is also working on the means to operationalize the digital currency in India.
This move comes against the back of increase in private digital currencies, virtual currencies.

Notes:
Indian IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has surpassed Accenture, to become the world’s most valued IT services company.
The Market Capitalization of TCS surged to USD 169.9 billion recently. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is also India’s largest software exporter.

Notes:
Minister of Electronics and IT and Communications has recently launched virtual intelligence tool Tejas.
The tool can extract critical information for policy decisions thereby improving efficiency in government services. The Minister also launched a virtual portal to access routine office applications called ‘Work from Anywhere’ portal and ‘e-Auction India’.

Notes:
As per media reports, the Government has appointed an expert panel to review industry’s objections to the proposed ban on 27 widely used pesticides.
Former assistant director general of ICAR, TP Rajendran is to chair the committee, which will submit the report in next three months. The Government has proposed to ban 27 pesticides, which are said to be harmful to animals and humans.

Notes:
As per the Science Magazine, Scientists have discovered a rare Martian Mineral named ‘Jarosite’ in the Antarctic ice.
After boring more than a mile deep in the Antarctic region, the yellow-brown mineral which is rarely seen on Earth but found more on Mars was spotted. Mars is believed to be a dusty place and this discovery may be used to explain this theory.

Notes:
Republic of Chad, a land locked country in North – Central Africa, has requested the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for debt restructuring, under the new common framework. Chad’s request makes it the first country to seek debt restructuring from IMF.
Chad has been struggling with high debt burden against a backdrop of the coronavirus crisis.