Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 14 February 2021

::NATIONAL::

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will visit poll-bound Tamil Nadu on Sunday, will inaugurate the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension and other railway projects.
A Railway Ministry statement said that the Prime Minister, apart from Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension, completed at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore, will also commission the passenger services from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar.
It said that the 9.05 km long extension will link north Chennai with the airport and Central Railway Station.
Modi will also inaugurate the fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu.
According to ministry, the 22.1 km section, laid at a cost of Rs 293.40 crore, traverses through Chennai and Thiruvallur districts and will ease out traffic from Chennai Port.
This 228-km-long project has been completed at a cost of Rs 423 crore, and will enable free flow of traffic without the need for a change of traction between Chennai Egmore and Kanyakumari, resulting in saving of Rs 14.61 lakh per day on fuel cost.

This will be the third visit of envoys from various countries, including European Union, since the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019
A group of foreign envoys is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) this week and will be meeting top officials and politicians in the Union territory, said people aware of the matter, requesting anonymity.
This will be the third visit of envoys from various countries, including European Union, since the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. Officials privy to the development said that the diplomats could visit Srinagar this week and will also travel to Jammu for a series of meetings.
“Yes, we have been told that diplomats are coming this week. The dates haven’t been given to us. It could be in the next few days,” said a senior government officer.

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the situation in Myanmar including the increasing use of force and the reported deployment of additional armoured vehicles in major cities of the country.
The Secretary General called upon the Myanmar military and police to ensure the right of peaceful assembly of the protestor. He also expressed deep concern over the ongoing arrest of government officials, civil society actors and media representatives along with restrictions on internet and communication services.
The embassies of US, UK, the Delegation of the EU and European Union Member States with presence in Myanmar including Denmark, Czech Republic, New Zealand and Australia also issued a statement on Sunday condemning the detention and ongoing arrests of political leaders, civil society activists, and civil servants, as well as the harassment of journalists. The ambassadors called upon the security forces to refrain from violence against demonstrators and civilians who are protesting against the military government.
Meanwhile, the detention of the deposed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was extended by two more days today. She was scheduled to be presented before the court on Monday but now she will be brought before the court on Wednesday. She is facing charges of illegally importing Walkie-talkies into the country.

The government had initially set the deadline for the mandatory fitment of FASTag for all vehicles in the country from January 1, 2021 but the implementation was delayed and toll plazas continued collecting money manually too.
Electronic toll collection system FASTag will become mandatory for all vehicles from February 15, 2021. The ministry of road transport and highways had earlier given an order in this regard. The FASTag will be necessary while travelling across the country and will also be required while crossing any toll plazas throughout the country’s national highways.
The government had initially set the deadline for the mandatory fitment of FASTag for all vehicles in the country from January 1, 2021 but the implementation was delayed and toll plazas continued collecting money manually too.
Several banks like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, Paytm Payments Bank and IDFC First Bank are issuing FASTags.

For the first time, Kotak customers can conveniently transfer money internationally to their beneficiaries straight from their mobile, Kotak Mahindra Bank said in a release.
Kotak Mahindra Bank announced the launch of its outward forex remittance service, Kotak Remit, on mobile that will allow users to send money abroad directly from their mobile phones.
The outward forex remittance solution is live on the Kotak Mobile Banking App.
For the first time, Kotak customers can conveniently transfer money internationally to their beneficiaries straight from their mobile, Kotak Mahindra Bank said in a release.
The private sector lender said that it is an industry-first move, and customers will not have to furnish any physical documents for transactions up to $25,000 or equivalent seamlessly to permissible geographies across the world.
"The mobile has been at the centre of a revolution of sorts and it has changed the way we bank, invest, shop and pay.

China's space agency released video footage from its spacecraft circling Mars on Friday, two days after it successfully entered the planet's orbit in Beijing's latest ambitious space mission.
In the video, published by state broadcaster CCTV, the surface of the planet is seen coming into view out of a pitch black sky against the outside of the Tianwen-1, which entered the orbit of the Red Planet on Wednesday.
White craters are visible on the planet's surface, which fades from white to black through the video as the probe flies over the course of one Martian day, said official news agency Xinhua.
The five-tonne Tianwen-1 -- which translates as "Questions to Heaven" -- includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a solar-powered rover and launched from southern China last July.
Tianwen-1 launched around the same time as a rival US mission, and is expected to touch down on the surface of the planet in May.
Its success comes the same week as the United Arab Emirates' "Hope" probe also successfully entered Mars' orbit -- making history as the Arab world's first interplanetary mission.
Chinese scientists hope to land a 240-kilogram (530-pound) rover in May in Utopia, a massive impact basin on Mars. Its orbiter will last for a Martian year.
For the three-month study of the planet's soil and atmosphere, the mission will take photos, chart maps and look for signs of past life.

The newly elected president of the All-India Chess Federation, Dr Sanjay Kapoor, unveiled a blueprint to turn the country into a chess superpower starting with the decision to bid for the next available Chess Olympiad and commencing a high-profile Indian Chess League soon.
“We want India to become the chess destination for the world. We have drawn out a detailed plan to achieve this goal,” Dr Kapoor said at a press conference, immediately after a power-packed AGM.
He revealed that a foolproof bid would soon be prepared to bag the coveted world event as and when the process would begin.
“For a long time, we have been keen on starting the Indian Chess League with an international flavour to popularise the game even more. The first edition, following the franchise-model, will be organised before this year is through,” Dr Kapoor, who is also the chairman of the Kanpur Cricket Association, said.