Current Affairs of 18th April 2021 by Bidyasagar Classes,Bhubaneswar
NATIONAL NEWS
1. Sushil Chandra becomes 24th Chief Election Commissioner
- Sushil Chandra has succeeded Sunil Arora as the 24th Chief Election Commissioner of the country.
2. ESMA invoked in Chhattisgarh, what is it?
- The Chhattisgarh government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) due to a major spike in COVID-19 cases in the state. The order prohibits refusal to work in essential services.
- It applies to all healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, and health workers across all government and private health institutions and sanitation workers.
NATIONAL NEWS
3. The US to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by September 11
- The Biden administration has decided to withdraw all of its remaining troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021.
- The deadline is an absolute one and there will be no more extensions post the date. It will also be the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the US.
4. Lost Golden City discovered in Egypt.
- Egypt has announced the discovery of a ‘Lost Golden City’ that was buried under the sands in Luxor for the past 3,000 years.
- The city has been identified by archaeologists as the most significant discovery, after the unearthing of King Tutankhamun’s tomb approximately 100 years ago.
5. Turkey bans Crypto Currency payments
- The Bitcoin currency tumbled more than 4% after the Central Bank of Turkey banned the use of Cryptocurrencies and crypto assets for purchases.
- The bank cited possible irreparable damages and transaction risks as the reason for the ban. The ban followed the actions of Morocco in banning the currency and is expected to be implemented.
6. US on Refugee Cap
- US President Joe Biden has planned to lift the refugee cap by May 2021.
- The former President Donald Trump had imposed a historically low cap, on refugees.
- Trump had earlier set the Refugee cap to 15,000. This was the lowest in the history of the US.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES NEWS
7. Health sector included in ECLGS scheme
- The Ministry of Finance recently expanded the scope of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme to Rs 3 lakh crores. It aims to provide relief to stressed companies in the country.
- This mainly includes business enterprises in tourism, hospitality, travel, and the sporting sector.
- The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company is the guarantee provider of the ECLGS
DEFENCE NEWS
8. 8th Indo-Kyrgyz Special Forces Exercise ‘Khanjar’ Flags off
- The 8th Indo-Kyrgyz Joint Special Forces Exercise “Khanjar” was inaugurated at the Special Forces Brigade of National Guards of the Kyrgyz Republic in Bishkek, the capital of the host Kyrgyzstan.
- Kyrgyzstan Capital: Bishkek.
- Kyrgyzstan President: Sadyr Japarov.
- Kyrgyzstan Currency: Kyrgyzstani som.
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS
9. RBL Bank Mastercard partner to offer first-of-its-kind payment functionality
- RBL Bank and Mastercard have announced their partnership to launch a mobile-based consumer-friendly payment solution ‘Pay by Bank App’, a first-of-its-kind payment functionality in India.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams: - RBL Bank Founded: August 1943;
- RBL Bank Headquarters: Mumbai;
- RBL Bank MD & CEO: Vishwavir Ahuja.
- Mastercard Headquarters: New York, United States.
- Mastercard President: Michael Miebach.
BUSINESS NEWS
10. Sushil Chandra becomes 24th Chief Election Commissioner
- Microsoft has made its second-biggest acquisition after LinkedIn. The tech giant has bought AI speech tech firm Nuance for $19.7 billion. In 2016, Microsoft had purchased LinkedIn for $26 billion.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams: - Microsoft CEO: Satya Nadella;
- Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States;
- Nuance CEO: Mark D. Benjamin;
- Nuance Headquarters: Massachusetts, United States;
- Nuance Founded: 1992, United States.
BUSINESS NEWS
1. Sushil Chandra becomes 24th Chief Election Commissioner
Sushil Chandra has succeeded Sunil Arora as the 24th Chief Election Commissioner of the country.
2. ESMA invoked in Chhattisgarh, what is it?
The Chhattisgarh government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) due to a major spike in COVID-19 cases in the state. The order prohibits refusal to work in essential services. It applies to all healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, and health workers across all government and private health institutions and sanitation workers.
BUSINESS NEWS
1. Sushil Chandra becomes 24th Chief Election Commissioner
Sushil Chandra has succeeded Sunil Arora as the 24th Chief Election Commissioner of the country.
2. ESMA invoked in Chhattisgarh, what is it?
The Chhattisgarh government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) due to a major spike in COVID-19 cases in the state. The order prohibits refusal to work in essential services. It applies to all healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, and health workers across all government and private health institutions and sanitation workers.
