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Current Affairs 21 August 2021
Daily Current Affairs 21 August 2021: This post contains the latest current affairs for 21 August 2021 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. You can also attempt our Current Affairs Quiz after reading our daily current affairs.
National
PM Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of multiple projects at Somnath in Gujarat
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple projects in Somnath, Gujarat on August 20, 2021 via video conferencing.
Projects inaugurated included:
- Somnath Promenade – This project is developed under PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) Scheme, at a cost of over Rs. 47 crore.
- Somnath Exhibition Centre – This centre has been developed in the premises of ‘Tourist Facilitation Centre’. It displays the exhibits from dismantled parts of old Somnath temple and its sculptures having Nagar style temple architecture of old Somnath.
- Reconstructed temple precinct of Old (Juna) Somnath – This temple is also known as Ahilyabai Temple because it was built by Queen Ahilyabai of Indore. The reconstructed project has been completed by Shree Somnath Trust with a total outlay of Rs 3.5 crore.
- Foundation Stone: The project for which the foundation stone was laid was Shree Parvati Temple. Total outlay of project is Rs. 30 Crore. The project includes construction of temple in Sompura Salats Style, development of Garbha Griha and Nritya Mandap.
Banking
Kotak Mahindra Bank launches DIY Digital Repayment platform- ‘Neo Collections’
- Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched a platform named ‘Neo Collections’, which is a Do It Yourself Digital Repayment Platform for missed loan repayments.
- Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched the Neo Collections platform in tie-up with Creditas Solutions.
- The main objective of this DIY digital repayment platform is to make repayments for outstanding loans more convenient for the customers.
NPCI partners with Mashreq Bank to launch UPI in the UAE
- NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) has partnered with Mashreq Bank to launch the payment system facility of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), in the UAE.
- Mashreq Bank is the oldest privately owned bank in the United Arab Emirates.
- This step will benefit the Indian tourists who travel to UAE for business or leisure purposes to pay for their purchases using UPI-based mobile applications across shops and merchant stores in the UAE.
Business
Facebook launches “Small Business Loans Initiative” in India
- Facebook India has launched “Small Business Loans Initiative” in India in partnership with online lending platform Indifi. India is the first country where Facebook is rolling out this programme.
- The objective of this initiative is to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) that advertise on Facebook to get quick access to credit/loans through independent lending partners.
- This will make business loans more easily accessible to small businesses, and reduce the credit gap within India’s MSME sector. Through this programme, small businesses can get loans between Rs 5 lakh and 50 lakh.
Amitabh Bachchan Becomes India’s First Celebrity Voice For Amazon’s Alexa
- Amitabh Bachchan has become India’s First Celebrity to lend his voice for Amazon’s Alexa. His voice will be available both in English and Hindi language.
- The cost of adding Amitabh Bachchan’s voice to Alexa will be Rs 149 per year.
Committee
Govt forms Committee for doubling the production of handlooms; Chairman- Sunil Sethi
- Government of India has constituted an 8-member Committee with an aim of doubling the production and quadrupling the exports of handlooms in 3 years.
- Shri Sunil Sethi, Chairman of Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) New Delhi, is the Chairman of the committee.
Ranking
Apple tops Hurun Global 500 Most Valuable Companies list 2021; Reliance top Indian
- Apple is the world’s most valuable company (USD 2,443 billion) according to the Hurun Global 500 Most Valuable Companies list 2021.
- Reliance Industries (USD 188 billion) ranked at 57 is the top Indian company in the list. There are total 12 Indian companies in this list.
- Microsoft is second while Amazon is second in the list. In terms of number of companies from a country, USA led the ranking with 243 companies while India is ranked 9th with 12 companies.
Appointment
Shanti Lal Jain appointed MD and CEO of Indian Bank
- Shanti Lal Jain has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank for a period of three years. He will replace Ms. Padmaja Chunduru as MD and CEO of Indian Bank.
- Shanti Lal Jain is currently the Executive Director (ED) at Bank of Baroda. He will take charge after September 01, 2021.
Days
India Celebrates Sanskrit Week 2021 From August 19 To 25
- In 2021, India is observing the Sanskrit Week from August 19 to August 25, 2021.
- Aim: to promote, popularise and cherish the importance of ancient language.
- World Sanskrit Day – In 2021, the Sanskrit Day will be celebrated on August 22, 2021. The day is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Shravan, which also marks the occasion of Raksha Bandhan each year.
- World Sanskrit Day was first declared in 1969, by the Indian Government on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
World Senior Citizen Day: 21 August
- The World Senior Citizen Day is observed globally on August 21 every year to raise awareness about issues affecting older people, such as deterioration with age and the abuse of the elderly and support, honor and show appreciation to seniors and to recognize their achievements.
- The Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 14, 1990.
- The day was officially founded by the former President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan in 1988 to dedicate a day to older adults and their issues.
International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism: 21 August
- The International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism is a UN recognised day observed on August 21 to pay tribute to the individuals across the globe who have been attacked, injured, traumatized or lost their lives because of terrorist attacks.
- The day was designated by United Nations General Assembly in 2017 and first time the day was observed in 2018..
