Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 28 February 2021

::NATIONAL::

National Science Day was celebrated on 28 February
National Science Day is celebrated every year on February 28. This day recalls the notable invention "Raman Effect" by India's greatest scientist C V Raman. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery. Since that day, February 28 is being commemorated as National Science Day to recall the great discovery of CV Raman.
The theme for National Science Day 2021 is "Future of STI: Impacts on Education, Skills, and Work". The National Science Day 2021 aims to motivate the students to gain hands-on experience in the field of science.
The celebration of National Science Day consists of public speeches, science movies, science exhibitions, events based on science themes, concepts, and many more activities.
The government of India felicitates scientists who have contributed immensely in the field of science to mark the anniversary of India's greatest discovery- 'Raman effect'.
Dr CV Raman was a renowned scientist who had bachelors' and masters' in Physics from the Presidency College in Madras. He took part in numerous science competitions along with the government job. Afterward, he received a scholarship from the Indian government.

Covid-19 vaccine dose in private hospitals limited to Rs 250

People who want to take Covid-19 vaccine shots at private hospitals will have to pay up to Rs 250 per dose for the vaccine from Monday. The Union Health Ministry has capped the price of Covid-19 vaccine for private hospitals. As per the ministry, the Rs 250 will include the cost of vaccine (Rs 150) plus service charges (Rs 100).
After having vaccinated healthcare and frontline workers engaged in Covid duty, the next phase of nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive will begin from Monday.
In this phase, all people aged above 60 will be able to get Covid-19 vaccine shots free of cost from over 10,000 government vaccination centres.
Apart from them, this phase will also cover people in the age group of 45-59 years who have comorbidities.
The government has said people will have the option to either take their vaccine shots from a government facility or opt for a private hospital.
The ceiling on price of vaccine (up to Rs 250) will remain unchanged until further orders, the government said, adding that states and UTs have also been informed about it.

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::International::

Israel to vaccinate Palestinian labourers against Covid-19

The vaccination campaign, which could apply to around 130,000 Palestinians, will begin within days, COGAT said.
Shaher Saad, secretary-general of the Palestinian Workers' Union, said thousands of Palestinians who work in the Israeli service and industrial sectors had already been vaccinated privately by their employers inside Israel.
He said that under the new Israeli programme, Palestinian medical teams would be stationed at checkpoints to administer shots. Moderna Inc's vaccine will be used, COGAT said.
Israel has given at least one dose of Pfizer Inc's Covid-19 vaccine to more than half of its 9.3 million population, including Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
But it has come under international criticism for not doing more to enable vaccination of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel captured the territories in the 1967 war. It quit Gaza in 2005, which is now under Islamist Hamas rule, but maintains a clampdown on the enclave's borders with Egypt's support.
"The Palestinian population remains, in the main, unprotected from Covid-19, and we would be glad to see more initiatives of this kind. We would like to see full, equitable access to vaccines for all Israelis and Palestinians," he said.

::Economy::

‘Not an unmixed blessing’: RBI report amid plan for digital currency

The Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) has the potential to bring about a sea change in payment transactions and quicken transmission, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a report. "CBDC is, however, not an unmixed blessing – it poses a risk of disintermediation of the banking system, more so if the commercial banking system is perceived to be fragile," the report said.
The report also said that it is imperative for RBI to monitor global developments, explore the possibility of the need for the introduction of the digital currency and remain in readiness to operationalise CBDC, as and when necessary.
"CBDC can be designed to promote non-anonymity at the individual level, monitor transactions, promote financial inclusion by direct benefit fiscal transfer, pumping central bank 'helicopter money' and even direct public consumption to a select basket of goods and services to increase aggregate demand and social welfare," the report said adding it can act as a direct instrument of monetary transmission.
Earlier in the week, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said that the central bank plans to launch its own digital currency and the work with respect to the same was in progress. "It will be very difficult and not possible for me to give a date as there are several loose ends that need to be tied up and it is receiving our full attention," Das said.

India's coal import drops 12 % to 181 million tonnes in January-April period

India's coal import registered a drop of 11.59 per cent to 180.84 million tonnes (MT) in the first 10 months of the ongoing fiscal.
The company had imported 204.55 MT of coal in April-January period of the previous fiscal year, according to provisional data compiled by mjunction services. Mjunction -- a joint venture of Tata Steel and SAIL -- is a B2B e-commerce company and also publishes research reports on coal and steel verticals.
However, India's coal imports in January increased to 20.05 MT as against 18.67 MT in year-ago period, it said. Commenting on the coal import trend, mjunction MD and CEO Vinaya Varma said, "There was a drop in January volumes as compared to the previous month (December). This was mainly due to the firmness in seaborne prices.

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

ISRO launches 19 satellites including Amazon 1 from Brazil using PSLV-C51 rocket

India's Polar rocket on Sunday successfully launched Amazonia-1 satellite of Brazil from the spaceport, in the first mission of the year for space agency ISRO from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 10:24 am.
The 637-kg Amazonia-1, which became the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India, is an optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE). It is the first dedicated PSLV commercial mission by New Space India Limited (NSIL)-- commercial arm of Department of Space.
This is also the first time Brazil is launching its satellite on an Indian rocket. It is the first satellite that is completely designed, tested, integrated and operated by National Institute for Space Research (INPE) Brazil.
Amazonia-1 carries with it a wide field camera with 850 km swath and 60m resolution. It has two solar panels to charge its Lithium Ion Batteries. The optical Earth observation satellite has a lifespan of more than four years.

::SPORTS::

Vinesh Phogat won gold medal in wrestling tournament in Kiev, Ukraine

India's star wrestler Vinesh Phogat defeated 2017 world champion V Kaladzinskay to win the gold medal at the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial tournament.
Up against the world number seven Belarusian, it was not an easy bout for the world number three Indian as the two grapplers kept testing each other with consistent attacks in the sea-saw battle in which Vinesh prevailed.
Vinesh opened up a 4-0 lead in the 53kg final with a throw which she initiated with a left-leg attack but Kaladzinskay made it 4-4 with her brilliant move.
Vinesh took the break leading 6-4, adding to her score with a takedown, 10 seconds before the break.
The Belarusian put pressure on the Indian with another four-point throw but with 25 seconds to go, Vinesh's move fetched her four more points for a 10-8 lead. She got into a position from where she pinned Kaladzinskay to ensure herself a gold.