07th January 2021 Current Affairs

1. India launched the 40th Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. This Indian expedition marks four decades of the country’s scientific endeavour to the southern white continent. The 40th expedition journey was flagged off from Goa with 43 members onboard.
2. India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), plans to reduce the level of trans fats in food items from the permissible limit of 5 per cent to 3 per cent by 2021, and to 2 per cent by 2022 is under process.
3. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Geneva has awarded the status of ‘centennial observing station’ to the Patna meteorological observatory in recognition to its long-term meteorological observation exceeding over 100 years.
4. Well-known breast cancer surgeon from Hyderabad Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti has been named in the New Year’s Honours list of Queen Elizabeth II. Dr Pillarisetti, 54, is one of the youngest surgeons of Indian origin to be named on the list.
5. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched mPension Manipur App, an online platform through which pensioners can do self-updation without visiting Treasury Offices. The App uses Artificial Intelligence techniques to detect whether the pensioner is alive or dead from the updated photographs and will allow uploading of only photographs taken from living persons.
6. The Centre has notified an area to an extent varying from zero to one km around the boundary of Mathikettan Shola National Park in Kerala’s Idukki district as an Eco-sensitive Zone considering the unique nature of the Shola forest and its importance as an elephant strip.
7. The fourth Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2021), aimed at the global discussion and development of Ayurveda, will be held from March 12 to 19 as a virtual meet. It will be hosted by Kerala state government.
8. Indian multinational two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturing company, Bajaj Auto announced that it becomes the first two-wheeler company globally to cross a market capitalization of INR one trillion.
9. In Madhya Pradesh, ‘Launch Pad Scheme’ is being started for boys and girls coming out of child care institutions and having completed 18 years of age. The objective of this scheme of the Women and Child Development Department is to provide such a platform to these youth, through which they will be able to become self-reliant by continuing their education and training.