Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why; many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 20 & 21 February 2022, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.
Daily Current Affairs 20 & 21 February 2022
Bank of Baroda signs MoU with Assam Rifles to provide Central Forces Salary Package
Bank of Baroda said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Assam Rifles, the country’s oldest paramilitary force, to provide ‘Central Forces Salary Package’ to all personnel of the Assam Rifles. Bank of Baroda will also provide special benefits, including Personal Accident Insurance and a co-branded credit card to the personnel of Assam Rifles.
Govt of India, Karnataka and Odisha signs loan agreement of $115 million with World Bank for implementation of REWARD Project
The Government of India, the State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha and the World Bank have signed a $115 million (INR 869 crore) Programme (Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development Programme) that will help national and state institutions adopt improved watershed management practices to help increase farmers’ resilience to climate change, promote higher productivity and better incomes.
The bifurcation of the loan amount of $115 million is given below:
- Government of Karnataka- $60 million (INR 453.5 crore)
- Government of Odisha- $49 million (INR 370 crore)
- Central Government- $6 million (INR 45.5 crore)
Terms of Loan: The loan has been provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) arm of World Bank and has a maturity of 15 years, including a grace period of 4.5 years.
SEBI reconstitutes advisory committee on alternative investment policy; Chair-N R Narayana Murthy
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reconstituted its alternative investment policy advisory committee, which advises the capital markets regulator on a range of issues that impact further development of the AIF (Alternative Investment Fund) industry)space.
The reconstituted committee has 20 members. Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy is the chair of this committee. Earlier there were 22 members in the committee, which was constituted in March 2015 by Sebi.
Govt to launch ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’ under PMFBY to deliver crop insurance policies to farmers at doorstep
As the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) enters the seventh year of implementation with the upcoming Kharif season, the government on Friday, February 18, said it will launch a doorstep distribution drive to deliver crop insurance policies to farmers.
The doorstep campaign ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’ aims to ensure all farmers are well aware and equipped with all information on their policies, land records, the process of claim and grievance redressal under the PMFBY. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has completed 6 years of its implementation. It was launched by PM Modi on 18th February 2016 at Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.
Government plans ‘Heal by India’ for positioning India as global source for health sector
The government of India is looking to promote ‘Heal by India’ for strengthening the country’s educational institutions in the health sector and enhancing education to churn out quality human resources in health, thus helping them become eligible to work anywhere in the world.
The Union Health Ministry recently organised a Chintan Shivir — ‘Heal by India’ for two days. ‘Heal by India’ initiative is meant to generate job opportunities abroad for India’s trained professionals in the health sector and enhance education to churn out quality human resources in health, thus helping them become eligible to work anywhere in the world.
Book titled “Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us” authored by Ro Khanna
A book titled ‘Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us’ authored by Ro Khanna was released in February 2022. He is an Indian-American Congressman. The book highlights the effects of changing lifestyle patterns of Americans due to technological progress.
The foreword to the book has been written by eminent economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, who writes that the book offers a graceful picture of the coexistence of disparate ways of living, allowing justice and fairness. The book has received accolades from various big business persons like Satya Nadella, Bill Clinton etc.
SBI, PNB, BoB, UBI, Canara Bank and BoM acquires stake in IDRCL
State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BoB), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Union Bank of India (UBI), Canara Bank, and Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) have announced subscription to the shares of India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL).
PSBs and public Financial Institutions (FIs) will hold a maximum of 49 % stake in IDRCL and the rest will be with private sector lenders. PSBs will maintain 51 % ownership in NARCL and and the rest will be with private sector lenders.
The stakes acquired by these banks is given in the table below. The Banks will further reduce their stake in IDRCL that is also given in the table below:
| Name of Bank | Stake acquired | Reduces stake by March 31, 2022 |
| State Bank of India (SBI) | 12.30% | 5% |
| Punjab National Bank (PNB) | 11.18% | 5% |
| Union Bank of India (UBI) | 12.30% | 10% |
| Canara Bank | 14.90% | 5% |
| Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) | 6.21% | 4% |
| Bank of Baroda (BoB) | 12.30% | 9.90% |
The objective of IDRCL:
National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) and an Asset Management Company (IDRCL) have been set up by lenders (public sector and private sector banks and financial institutions) to consolidate and take over the existing stressed debt in the banking/ financial system and then manage and dispose the assets to Alternate Investment Funds and other potential investors for eventual value realisation.
Book titled ‘A Nation To Protect’ authored by Priyam Gandhi Mody launched
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday launched the book titled “A Nation To Protect” authored by Priyam Gandhi Mody.
Highlighting India’s fight against the COVID pandemic, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said the government had denied accepting objectionable negotiation terms raised by the top vaccine manufacturers of the world for vaccine supply to the country.
France to withdraw military from Mali after nine years
France and its European partners are to begin a military withdrawal from Mali after more than nine years fighting a jihadist insurgency, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed. France first deployed troops against jihadists in Mali in 2013 under the Socialist president François Hollande. The decision has been taken due to a breakdown in France’s relations with the ruling junta government in the country. The heart of this military operation will be shifted from Mali to Niger.
Chetan Ghate appointed as director of Institute of Economic Growth
The Institute of Economic Growth has appointed Chetan Ghate as the new director succeeding Ajit Mishra.
Chetan Ghate is a former member of the Reserve Bank of India’s first monetary policy committee between 2016-2020, is the winner of the 2014 Mahalanobis Memorial gold medal for the best research economist in the country under the age of 45. The Institute of Economic Growth, is an autonomous body and civil service training institute under the Government of India and is located in New Delhi.
International Mother Language Day: 21 February
International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of Linguistic diversity and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.
The IMLD day was announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999 and formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2002.
The 2022 theme is “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”.
17th IBA’s Annual Banking Technology Awards 2021 announced
Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has announced the IBA’s 17th Annual Banking Technology Awards 2021. In total South Indian Bank has won 6 awards in the event.
This year’s IBA Awards celebrating “Next Gen Banking” has recognized technologies and practices in the banking industry that have demonstrated a high degree of innovation over the past year.
Senior journalist Ravish Tiwari passes away
Senior journalist, Ravish Tiwari has passed away. He was the national bureau chief of Indian Express. He was popular for his political news reporting. Before this, he had also served as Senior Assistant Editor at Economic Times, Associate Editor at India Today and Senior Assistant Editor at the Indian Express. He had done his graduation from IIT Bombay and master’s from the University of Oxford.
