Daily Current Affairs 26th Jan 2021 | Daily GK update Quiz

Exp. The government has proposed to levy a “green tax” on old polluting vehicles, in a bid to control the rising levels of pollution in the country. Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has approved the proposal, a government statement said on January 25, 2021.

According to the proposal, transport vehicles older than eight years could be charged Green Tax at the time of renewal of fitness certificate, at the rate of 10 to 25 % of road tax, while personal vehicles to be charged Green Tax at the time of renewal of registration certification after 15 years.

Exp. Estonia’s two biggest political parties have signed a deal to form a new government that will be led by a female prime minister for the first time in the Baltic country’s history. The new government will be replacing the previous Cabinet that collapsed into a corruption scandal.

The party councils of the opposition Reform Party and the ruling Center Party are expected to vote in favour of joining a Cabinet headed by Reform Party’s prime minister-designate and chairwoman Kaja Kallas.

Exp. This year in 2021, a 122-member contingent from Bangladesh’s armed forces will be part of the Republic Day parade. They will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Indo-Pak war that led to the liberation and creation of Bangadesh. This is the first time that a marching contingent from neighbouring country is being invited to participate in the parade. This will be the third time India will be hosting a foreign contingent to participate in the parade after the French troops in 2016 and the UAE personnel in 2017.

Exp. Foreign Direct Investment into India rose by 13 per cent in 2020, boosted by interest in the digital sector, and while fund flows “declined most strongly” in major economies such as the UK, the US and Russia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, India and China bucked the trend according to UN.

An ‘investment trends monitor’ issued by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) on January 24, 2021 showed that FDI in India rose 13% to $57 billion in 2020. Global FDI collapsed in 2020 by 42% to an estimated USD 859 billion from USD 1.5 trillion in 2019.

Exp. India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to contract by 8 per cent in 2020-21, according to the latest round of FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey. The annual median growth forecast by the industry body is based on responses from leading economists representing industry, banking and financial services sector.

The survey was conducted in January.

Exp. India’s GDP estimated to contract by 9.6% in FY 21, grow at 7.3% in FY22: UN

India’s economy is projected to grow at 7.3 per cent in 2021, even as it is estimated to contract by 9.6 per cent in 2020 as lockdowns and other efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic slashed domestic consumption according to UN.

The global economy shrank by 4.3 per cent last year, over two-and-a-half times more than during the global financial crisis of 2009. The modest recovery of 4.7 per cent expected in 2021.

Exp. President approves conferment of 455 Gallantry & other Defence Decorations

The President has approved awards of 455 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of 72nd Republic Day celebrations. These include one Mahavir Chakra, 05 Kirti Chakras, 05 Vir Chakras, 07 Shaurya Chakras.

Mahavir Chakra: Colonel Santosh Babu (posthumous), Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment.

Exp. This year the President has approved conferment of 119 Padma Awards 2021. The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri Awards.

29 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, 16 Posthumous awardees and one transgender awardee.

Exp. This year the President has approved conferment of 119 Padma Awards 2021. The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri Awards.

29 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, 16 Posthumous awardees and one transgender awardee.

Padma Vibhushan: Shri S P Balasubramaniam (Posthumous), Art, Tamil Nadu

Exp. This year the President has approved conferment of 119 Padma Awards 2021. The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri Awards.

29 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, 16 Posthumous awardees and one transgender awardee.

Padma Bhushan Awardee 2021 list:

Ms. Krishnan Nair

Shantakumari Chithra

Shri Tarun Gogoi (Posthumous)

Shri Chandrashekhar Kambara

Ms. Sumitra Mahajan

Shri Nripendra Misra

Shri Ram Vilas Paswan (Posthumous)

Shri Keshubhai Patel (Posthumous)

Shri Kalbe Sadiq (Posthumous)

Shri Rajnikant Devidas Shroff

Shri Tarlochan Singh

Exp. Himachal Pradesh celebrated its 50th Statehood day on January 25, 2021. It was on this day, the year 1971 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi addressed people at the historic Ridge Maidan of the Shimla, the Summer capital of Himachal.

Exp. India is celebrating its 72nd Republic Day on January 26, following COVID-19 safety rules.  Republic Day is a national holiday in India. It honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India and thus, turning the nation into a newly formed republic.

The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system, completing the country’s transition towards becoming an independent republic.

Exp. Uttar Pradesh Diwas or the Uttar Pradesh Day or Uttar Pradesh Statehood Day is observed as the foundation day of this state on 24 January. It was on this very same day in 1950 that Uttar Pradesh was renamed. Earlier, the state was known as the United Provinces.

Exp. Capital: Tallinn

President: Kersti Kaljulaid

Currency: Euro

Exp. Headquarters location: Geneva, Switzerland

Head: Mukhisa Kituyi

Exp. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry has announced Uday Shankar as president-elect, for the year 2020-21.