Current Affairs 2021

Telangana’s Manasa Varanasi crowned VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020 [11 Feb 2021]

Manasa Varanasi, an engineer from Telangana, emerged as the winner of VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020. While Haryana’s Manika Sheokand was declared VLCC Femina Miss Grand India 2020, Uttar Pradesh’s Manya Singh was crowned VLCC Femina Miss India 2020 – runner-up.

PM inaugurates ‘Chauri Chaura’ Centenary Celebrations [04 Feb 2021]

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Chauri Chaura’ Centenary Celebrations at Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh through video conference. The day marks 100 years of the ‘Chauri Chaura’ incident, a landmark event in the country’s fight for independence. The Prime Minister also released a postal stamp dedicated to the Chauri Chaura centenary event.

S. N. Subrahmanyan, CEO and Managing Director of L&T Ltd appointed as Chairman of the National Safety Council [04 Feb 2021]

The Ministry of Labour & Employment has appointed Shri S.N. Subrahmanyan, CEO and Managing Director, L&T Ltd, as the Chairman of the National Safety Council for a period of three years. Shri Subrahmanyan is an eminent engineer who has spearheaded the infrastructure business of L&T for several years making it the country’s largest construction organization and 14th in the world. L & T is also one of the largest engineering companies of the country with interest in heavy engineering, Defence, ship building etc.

LT GEN CP Mohanty takes over as Vice Chief of the Army Staff [01 Feb 2021]

Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM assumed the appointment of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff on 01 February 2021. An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Lt Gen CP Mohanty was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment on 12 Jun 1982. In a career spanning four decades, the General officer served across a wide spectrum of conflicts and terrain profiles and tenanted a host of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. He commanded a battalion on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and later in the North East. He has the unique distinction of commanding two brigades: first on the Line of Actual Control and later on, the multinational UN Brigade in Democratic Republic of Congo. He later commanded the Rangiya based Division in a counter insurgency environment and the Sikkim based Trishakti Corps immediately after the Doklam incident. The General officer also has a unique distinction of commanding two Administrative formations as well: the Jodhpur Sub Area as a Major General & Uttar Bharat Area as a Lieutenant General.

Successful Maiden Test Launch of Akash-NG Missile [25 Jan 2021]

DRDO conducted the successful maiden launch of Akash-NG (New Generation) Missile from Integrated Test Range off the coast of Odisha on 25 January 2021. Akash-NG is a new generation Surface to Air Missile meant for use by Indian Air Force with an aim of intercepting high maneuvering low RCS aerial threats. The missile intercepted the target with text book precision. The launch met all the test objectives by performing high maneuvers during the trajectory. The performance of the Command and Control system, onboard avionics and aerodynamic configuration of the missile was successfully validated during the trial. During the test launch, entire flight path of the missile was monitored and the flight data was captured by various Range instruments such as Radar, EOTS and Telemetry systems deployed by ITR, Chandipur. The Multi Function Radar was tested for its capability of integration with the system. The Akash-NG system has been developed with better deployability compared to other similar systems with canisterized launcher and much smaller ground system footprint. The test launch was carried out by a combined team of DRDO, BDL & BEL in the presence of the representatives of Indian Airforce.

Veteran actor Biswajit Chatterjee crowned as Indian Personality of the Year at IFFI 51 Closing Ceremony [24 Jan 2021]

The 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India, Goa has conferred Shri Biswajit Chatterjee, veteran actor, producer, director and singer of Hindi and Bengali cinema, with the Indian Personality of the Year Award, in Goa, January 24, 2021. The award has been presented to the actor at the closing ceremony, together by Governor of Goa Shri Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Chief Minister of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant and Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Shri Babul Supriyo.

Danish World War II drama Into the Darkness bags Golden Peacock Award at 51st IFFI [24 Jan 2021]

The epic World War II film Into the Darkness (De forbandede år,) which portrays the story of a Danish electronics factory owner who is forced to produce for the occupying Nazi forces, has won the coveted Golden Peacock Award at the just-concluded 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India. Directed by Anders Refn, the 152-minute Danish film gives a gripping dive into the complex emotional turmoil which the people of Denmark had to undergo, during the Nazi occupation of the country. The film does this evocatively and powerfully, through the mental conflicts to which the protagonist Karlskov is subjected; on the one hand, he is being forced by the invaders to continue production for the German market, to protect his family; on the other hand, the moral indefensibility of this choice results also in painful breaks within his family. The Golden Peacock Award consists of a cash prize of Rs. 40 lakhs (Rs. 4 million) to be shared equally between Director Anders Refn and Producer Lene Børglum, both of whom have also been presented with a certificate each as well.

Nation Celebrates the National Girl Child Day [24 Jan 2021]

Nation celebrated the National Girl Child Day. The day is celebrated every year on 24th January. The day is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The objective behind celebrating the National Girl Child Day is to provide all support and opportunities to the girls of the country. It also aims towards promoting awareness about the rights of the girl child and to increase awareness on the importance of girl’s education, and their health and nutrition.

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021 [23 Jan 2021]

To recognize and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organizations in India in the field of Disaster Management, Government of India has instituted an annual award known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar. The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh and a certificate in case of an institution and Rs. 5 lakh and a certificate in case of an individual. For the year 2021, (i) Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (in the institutional category) and (ii) Dr. Rajendra Kumar Bhandari (in the Individual category) have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for their excellent work in Disaster Management. It may be recalled that for the year 2020, Disaster Mitigation & Management Centre, Uttarakhand (institution category) and Shri Kumar Munnan Singh (Individual category) were selected for this award.

Ministry of Railways approves the naming of Train No. 12311/12312 Howrah-Kalka Mail as “Netaji Express” [20 Jan 2021]

Ministry of Railways has rechristened the name of Train No. 12311/12312 Howrah-Kalka Mail as Netaji Express. It is noteworthy that Howrah -Kalka Mail is a very popular and one of the oldest trains of Indian Railways. The Howrah-Kalka Mail is running between Howrah (Eastern Railway) and Kalka (Northern Railway) via Delhi.