1. Cabinet approves ₹5,282-cr investment for 850 MW Ratle project on Chenab river
- The Union Cabinet has approved 850 megawatt (MW) Ratle hydropower project worth a Rs. 5281.94 crore on Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The project is being implemented under the Centre’s plan to expedite strategically important hydropower projects in the union territory post its reorganization.
- It will be developed by a new joint venture company between state run National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKSPDC), where NHPC will have a 51% stake in the JV firm, while the balance will be held by JKSPDC.
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Indian Railways Renames Howrah-Kalka Mail as Netaji Express
- Indian Railways has renamed the Howrah-Kalka Mail as ‘Netaji Express’, in a tribute to freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose who is also known as ‘Netaji’.
- The Howrah-Kalka Mail train has been in service for more than 150 years, after coming into operation in the year 1866.
- The Howrah-Kalka Mail runs between Howrah in West Bengal (Eastern Railway) and Kalka in Haryana(Northern Railway) via Delhi.
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Indo-French Air Exercise ‘Ex-Desert Knight 21’ Begins in Jodhpur
- The five-day long Indo-France bilateral Air exercise ‘Ex-Desert Knight 21’ kicked off on 20 January 2021. It will continue till 24 January 2021.
- The exercise is being conducted between the Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
- From the Indian Air Force side, aircrafts participating in the exercise includes Rafale, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI among other aircraft.
- The French side will participate with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft.
- The most interesting part of the exercise is the participation of Rafales from both the air forces.
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Airtel Payments Bank launches ‘Airtel Safe Pay’
- Gurugram-based Airtel Payments Bank has launched a safe mode of pay gateway called ‘Airtel Safe Pay’, to protect Airtel customers from the growing incidents of online payment frauds.
- The Airtel Safe Pay will prevent online frauds when customers transact through UPI (unified payment interface) or net-banking using the Airtel Payments Bank.
- Using the feature, customers of the payments bank can make secure digital payments across millions of merchants, online retailers and utilities, and even send money.
- The new payment gateway is free of cost. It will offer protection against phishing, stolen credentials or passwords, and phone cloning.
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Gujarat to Rename Dragon Fruit as ‘Kamalam’
- The Gujarat state government has renamed dragon fruit as ‘Kamalam’. The move has kept the internet in splits and many criticized it using the hashtag #SanskariFruitSabzi.
- As per Gujarat Chief Minister, the dragon fruit has been renamed Kamalam because of the shape of the fruit.
- The state government has applied for the patent of the fruit named Kamalam. This was announced at the launch of the Chief Minister Horticulture Development Mission.
- The Horticulture Development Mission is a scheme to promote horticulture in the unproductive regions of the state as well.
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Axis Bank launches Aura Credit Card with health, wellness benefits
- Private sector lender Axis Bank has unveiled a credit ‘AURA’ exclusively loaded with several health and wellness benefits for its users at an affordable price.
- Axis Bank has partnered with Poshvine to offer benefits and specialists such as Decathlon, Practo, Fitternity, IndushealthPlus, 1MG etc., to offer a complete and unique health & wellness solution to the cardholders.
- Joe Biden takes oath as 46th US President while Kamala Harris as 49th Vice President
- Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., famous as Joe Biden, has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.
- The 78-year– old, Biden took the oath of the office on 20 January 2021, becoming the oldest president in American history.
- Apart from this, Kamala Harris took oath as 49th Vice President of the country, becoming the first women to hold the post in the history of United States.
- She is even the first Black American and first person of South Asian descent to hold the nation’s second highest office.
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Siddhartha Mohanty set to take over as Managing Director of LIC w.e.f Feb 1, 2021
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Siddhartha Mohanty as the new managing director (MD) of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
- He will assume charge with effect from February 1, 2021, till his superannuation on June 30, 2023.
- He will replace TC Suseel Kumar, who will retire on January 31, 2021.
- Mohanty is currently serving as the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of LIC Housing Finance.
- The Board of LIC comprise of four MDs and one chairman.
- The current Chairman of LIC is MR Kumar.
- TC Suseel Kumar, Vipin Anand, Mukesh Kumar Gupta, and Raj Kumar are the MDs of LIC.
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Former Arunachal Pradesh Governor Mata Prasad passes away at 95
- Former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh and senior Congress leader Mata Prasad has passed away. He was 95.
- Mata Prasad hailed from Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
- He had served as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in 1993 and as Minister in the Congress government in UP in 1988- 89.
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Malayalam actor Unnikrishnan Namboothiri passes away at 98
- Veteran Malayalam actor Unnikrishnan Namboothiri has passed away while contracting COVID-19. He was 98.
- Unnikrishnan made his acting debut in 1996 with Desadanam. However, he became a household name among the Malayalam film audience for his performance as a witty grandfather in Kalyanaraman (2002).
- He is well known for movies like Kaikudunna Nilavu (1998), Kaliyattam (1997), Pammal K Sambandam (2002), Sadanandante Samayam (2003), Madhuranombarakattu (2000), Rappakal (2005), and Pokkiri Raja (2010).
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Rajasthan Congress MLA Gajendra Singh Shaktawat passes away at 48
- Rajasthan Congress MLA from Vallabhnagar in Udaipur district, Gajendra Singh Shaktawat, has passed away after a prolonged illness.
- He was 48.
- Shaktawat is the fourth legislator of the current Rajasthan assembly to have died of illness in past six months.
