Zero discrimination Day is commemorated on March 1 every year by the UN & other international institutions. It aims at highlighting the need to take action to end inequalities. The Day was launched in December 2013. The symbol for this day is a butterfly.
Zero Discrimination Day was first observed on March 1, 2014.
UN Committee for Development Policy recommended Bangladesh's graduation from Least Developed Country status. It met, for the 2nd time, all 3 eligibility criteria for graduation such as income per capita, human assets, economic & environmental vulnerability
Myanmar and Lao PDR also met the criteria for the 2nd time.
Ghana became the 1st country in the world to receive vaccines acquired through the United Nations-backed COVAX initiative with a delivery of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India. COVAX is led by WHO, GAVI and CEPI.
Ghana is among 92 countries that signed onto the COVAX program.
The Kushinagar Airport is granted the licence to operate international flights and has become the 3rd such airport in Uttar Pradesh after Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi.
Kushinagar Airport Director: A K Dwivedi.
Uttar Pradesh amid the pandemic-driven slowdown became the 2nd largest state in India locking Rs 19.48 lakh crore of Gross State Domestic Product. It surpassed states such as Gujarat, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu. UP climbed 3 ranks from number 5 to number 2.
Maharashtra is ranked at the top of the list.
In Jammu & Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha who is also the Chancellor of Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology Kashmir (SKUAST-Kashmir) inaugurated a 2-day long 6th Technology Exhibition cum Seed Sale Mela at the University of Srinagar.
Theme of event: Shaping the Future Farming for Better Returns.
RBI granted a further 3-month extension of its banking licence to Rupee Cooperative Bank, Pune till May 31, 2021. Till January 2021, the bank made a total recovery of Rs 258.11 crore and aggregate operating profit of Rs 53.19 crore in the last four years.
The bank is under the banking restrictions since 2013.
RBI included Fino Payments Bank in the category of a scheduled commercial bank. It included the bank in the 2nd Schedule of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. It will enable Fino to enhance its banking position in the treasury & participation in LAF window.
MD & CEO of Fino Payments Bank: Rishi Gupta.
Founded in 2017.
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Ltd., the Health Insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited announced an industry-first initiative of up to 100% health insurance premium returns and other significant product offering upgrades.
The newly designed product is called ‘Activ Health'.
Public Sector Indian Overseas Bank signed a Corporate Agency agreement with SBI General Insurance to retail its insurance products to bank customers. IOB signed a bancassurance agreement for distribution of non-life offerings with SBI General Insurance.
IOB CEO: Partha Pratim Sengupta
HQ: Chennai
Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar took charge as the Flag Officer Commanding-In-Chief of Western Naval Command, one of the 3 command–level formations of Indian Navy. He took the charge from C. Ajit Kumar in a ceremony at the Command Post of Headquarters, Mumbai.
Western Naval Command is headquartered in Mumbai.
Dept of economic affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj is given the additional charge of revenue secretary. Present revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey retired on February 28. Prior to this, AB Pandey also headed the Unique Identification Authority of India.
Department of Economic Affairs works under Ministry of Finance.
Hillary Clinton is to publish a suspense thriller with Louise Penny. The book tells the story of a novice secretary of state serving in the administration of her political rival as a series of terrorist attacks throws the global order into disarray.
Hillary Clinton: Former Secretary.
Louise Penny: Canadian Author
Advantage India introduces readers to former greats of the game, the journeymen & millennials of Indian tennis. It covers all major players, achievements & their place in the pantheon of tennis. It is a tribute to Indian lawn tennis players since 1885.
Anindya Dutta’s first book: A Gentleman’s Game.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with IIT Bombay decided to form a Centre of Excellence in gaming and other related areas. The objective is to create India’s own games and apps in line with #MakeInIndia for the world.
Information and Broadcasting Minister: Prakash Javadekar.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs signed an MoU for data exchange between the two organisations. It is in line with the vision of both organisations to harness data capabilities to ensure effective enforcement.
Minister of State for Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.
The Indian Space Research Organisation made its first launch of 2021 by successfully blasting into space the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C51. It carried 19 payloads: Brazil's 637-kg Amazonia-1 (its primary passenger) & 18 co-passenger satellites.
It was also the 1st commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited
According to provisional data from India’s Commerce ministry, China regained its position as India’s top trade partner as the two-way trade between the countries stood at $77.7 billion. It was, however, lower than the previous year’s $85.5 billion total.
India’s 2nd largest trading partner: USA ($75.9 billion).
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank addressed the inaugural session of the 16th Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry Higher Education Summit 2021. He also released the FICCI EY report titled ‘Higher Education in India: 2040’.
Organisers: FICCI, Min of Education & Min of Commerce & Industry
Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, a non-profit organization, & leading association for the Indian medical diaspora organised its annual Global Indian Physicians Congress in February. Minister of Health Dr Harsh Vardhan was the chief guest.
Founder of GAPIO: Dr. Prathap C Reddy.
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat won the gold medal in the women's 53-kg category at XXIV Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial in Kyiv, Ukraine. She defeated world number 7 Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus in the finals to win the medal.
She is 1st Indian nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards.
World Civil Defence Day is celebrated on March 1st every year to raise awareness about the importance of civil protection and to pay tribute to the efforts, sacrifices and accomplishments of all the services responsible to fight against disasters.
Theme for 2021: Civil Defence and a faster aider in every home.