DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 04 JANUARY 2021

1. India approves two COVID19 vaccines for emergency use

• COVISHIELD by Serum Institute
• COVAXINE by Bharath Institute

2. Malayalam poet Lyricist ANIL PANACHOORAN passes away.

3. FSSAI (Food safety and standards authority of India) has limit transfat levels in foods due to 5.4 lakhs deaths a year globally from its intake

• Transfats in oils to be reduced to 3% in2021 and 2% in 2022
• WHO (world health organization) also called for the elimination of trans fats completely by 2023.

4. Prime Minister to dedicate Cochin –Mangalore natural gas pipeline to the nation on 5th Jan 2021

• The event marks an important milestone towards the creation of one nation one gas grid.
• 450 km long pipeline built by GAIL.
• Transportation capacity 12 million metric standard cubic meters per day
• The total cost of the project is 3000 crore.

5. DBT-BIRAC supported indigenously developed DNA vaccine candidate ZYDUS CADILA and approved for phase 3 clinical trials.

• Candidate supported by National Biopharma Mission and the Department of Biotechnology, GOI.
• This establishment of the nation’s first DNA vaccine platform is an important milestone for Atma Nirbhar Bharath and a big leap forward for Indian research.

6. Ministry of social justice and empowerment organizes distribution camp to provide aid and assistive devices to 1343 senior citizens under Rashtriya Vayoshri yojana and 564 devices to divyanjan under AIDP (Assistance to Disabled Persons for the purchase/fitting of aids or appliances) the scheme in Bhatinda, Punjab.

7. Railway renames RPF (Railway protection force) as Indian railway protection force

• It is a security force enacted by Indian parliament for “Better protection and security of railway prosperity”.

8. Gujarat CM unveils world’s second tallest statue of Sardar vallabhai Patel in the world at Ahmadabad.

• 50 feet tall bronze statue which weighs 70 thousand kilograms.

9. India’s Malavath Poorna scales Antarctica’s Highest peak Mt. Vinson Massif (4987 mts)

10. KVIC (khadi and village industries commission) opens 1st silk plant in Gujarat

11. Manav Thakkar becomes world no.1 in ITTF rankings under 21 men’s singles category.

12. ‘Cyber safe women’ initiative launched by the Maharashtra government

13. WHO (World Health Organization) designated 2020 as “year of Nurse and Midwife”

• It is designated in the honour of 200th birth anniversary of Florence “Nightingale”

14. Ministry of External affairs sets up new emerging and strategic technologies (NEST)

• NEST acts as a nodal division within the ministry for issues pertaining to new and emerging technologies.
• It will help in collaboration with foreign partners in the field of 5G and artificial intelligence.

15. National Metrology conclave is to held in NEW DELHI

• It is to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Theme: Metrology for Inclusive Growth of the Nation.

16. IFSCA (International Finance Service Centre Authority) becomes an associate of IOSCO (International Organization of Securities Commissions)

• IOSCO works closely with FSB (financial security Board) and G20 Nations to set up standards that strengthen security markets.

17. Delhi government to set up Tamil academy

• Vice-chairman of the academy is Ex. councillor N.Raja
• This academy is to protect Tamil language and culture.