15th February 2021 Current Affairs

1. Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank chief, was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Italy. Draghi successfully convinced majorly all political parties of Italy to support his government. His main task will be to efficiently manage spending of more than 200 billion euros that Italy expects from the European Union fund for its recovery post COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Britain’s Karim Khan was elected as the new prosecutor of Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC). Khan will replace Fatou Bensoudaand will serve a nine-year term. He will take up the position with effect from June 16, 2021.
3. Indian government gifted 2000 metric tonnes of rice to Middle East country Syria to strengthen its food security. The rice supply was made in a response to request of Syrian government for the emergency humanitarian assistance.
4. Odisha’s Health and Family Welfare Department on February 8, 2021 announced to construct COVID-19 Warrior Memorial in its capital Bhubaneshwar. The Memorial will be build to recognize and honour the services of COVID warriors.
5. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated various development projects in Kerala on February 14, 2021 worth Rs. 6,100 crores including the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Ro-Ro vessels at Willingdon Islands, Cochin.
6. India is expected to start the testing of Astra Mark 2 missile this year with an aim to establish its superiority in air combat over countries like Pakistan and China. Astra Mark 2 is beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM.)
7. Union government has allocated ₹16,000 crores for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for the fiscal year 2021-22 to boost the safety of farmers’ crops and to ensure that maximum benefit of crop insurance reaches farmers.
8. India’s energy consumption is expected to nearly double as the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) expands to an estimated $8.6 trillion by 2040 under its current national policy scenario, the IEA said in its India Energy Outlook 2021.