1. PM Modi virtually addresses 2nd Khelo India National Winter Games in Gulmarg

• On February 26, 2021, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at 2nd Khelo India National Winter Games through video conference.

• The second edition of Khelo India-Winter Games has been organised at the world famous ski-resort Gulmarg in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.

• The 5 days Games will be held from February 26 to March 02, 2021.

• The event has been organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council and the Winter Games Association of J&K.

• The sports activities at the games will include alpine skiing, nordic ski, snowboarding, ski mountaineering, ice hockey, ice skating, ice stock etc.

2. Indian Railways reactivates ‘UTS ON MOBILE App’ facility

• The Indian Railways has decided to reactivate the facility of ‘UTS ON MOBILE App’, which allows passengers to book unreserved train tickets through app.

• The facility of Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) on Mobile app was discontinued by Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways in 2020, when the novel coronavirus-triggered lockdown was imposed across India.

• However, the app is being reactivated by Indian Railways to decongest ticket booking counters and to ensure smooth compliance of social distancing norms.

3. Common Service Centres to be integrated with E-Daakhil portal

• The Centre has decided to integrate the Common Service Centres (CSC) with the E-Daakhil portal for Consumer grievance redressal.

• The decision to integrate the Common Service Centres (CSC) with the e-daakhil portal has been taken because many consumers at Gram Panchayat level either do not have access to electronic modes of communication or are unable to use the tools, so they may avail the services of CSCs in filing their complaints in the Consumer Commission.

What is E-Daakhil portal

• The E-Daakhil portal was launched by National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC), Department of Consumer Affairs on September 07, 2020.

• It has been developed and is maintained by the National Information Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

• The portal facilitates e-filing of consumer complaints in the Consumer Commissions and also has provision of online payment of the fees from anywhere for the redressal of their complaints.

• It also facilitates the consumer commissions to scrutinize the complaints online to accept, reject or forward the complaint to the concerned commission for further processing. and online payment of the fees for filing a complaint.

• E-Daakhil portal for Consumer grievance redressal is now operational in 15 States/UTs.

• The portal has been launched under Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which has come into force from 20th July, 2020.

National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC)

• NCDRC is a quasi-judicial commission in India which was set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

• Headquarter -New Delhi.

• Head – Justice R K Agrawal

4. Chandigarh launches ‘Carbon Watch’, India’s first app to assess one’s carbon footprint

• Chandigarh has launched a first-of-its-kind mobile application “Carbon Watch”, to assess the carbon footprint of an individual.

• Although the app can be accessed by everyone, in any part of India, but the app has been specifically designed for the residents of Chandigarh to compile a detail study.

What is Carbon footprint? 

• The amount of greenhouse gases-especially carbon dioxide-released into the atmosphere by a particular human activity.

• Carbon Watch app requires a person to fill details in four parts — Water, Energy, Waste Generation and Transport (Vehicular movement).

• The basic aim of this mobile application is to suggest ways and methods to reduce the carbon footprints, based on the information furnished by the individuals.


5. NSO expects Indian economy to contract by 8% in 2020-21

• The GDP growth of India during 2020-21 is estimated to contract 8 percent, as per the second advanced estimates projected by the National Statistical Office (NSO). This was 4.9 percent in 2019-20.

• NSO had projected a GDP contraction of 7.7 percent in its first advance estimate.

6. Irakli Garibashvili Sworn in as Prime Minister of Georgia 

• Irakli Garibashvili has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Georgia on February 22, 2021. This is his second term as the Prime Minister.

• Garibashvili has also served as the Prime Minister of Georgia from November 20, 2013 until his resignation on December 29, 2015.

• Prior to this, he was the Defence Minister of the country since September 2019.


7. Shantanu Mitra appointed CEO and MD of Fullerton India Credit Company

• The non-banking financial company, “Fullerton India Credit Company (Fullerton India)” has appointed Shantanu Mitra as its new CEO and MD.

• Mitra will take over the new role with effect from 2nd April, 2021.

• Mitra has over 40 years of experience in financial services, with over 20 years at Standard Chartered and Citibank.

About Fullerton India

• Fullerton India is wholly owned by Fullerton Financial Holdings, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Temasek.

• The company provides secured products which comprise of mortgages/loans against property, and commercial vehicle loans. The unsecured product offerings comprise of personal loans and rural group loans.


8. OLX Autos Ropes in Gautam Thakar as Global CEO

• Prosus-owned OLX Group has appointed Gautam Thakar as the global CEO of its pre-owned car marketplace OLX Autos.

• Gautam Thakar, who is a former Star Sports president and chief executive, will take up the new role with effect from March 15, 2021.

• Thakar will manage the global operations of OLX Autos, both offline and online across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the United States.

• provide a platform for NGOs to discuss the issues that affect their work and share their knowledge and experience with one another.

9. Papua New Guinea’s first Prime Minister, Michael Somare, passes away at 84

• Michael Somare, the first prime minister of Papua New Guinea has passed away. He was 84.

• Michael Somare was known as the “father of the nation” because he led the Pacific archipelago to independence from Australia in 1975.

• Somare had served as the prime minister of the country four times, between 1975 to 2011, and has been the longest-serving prime minister (17 years).


10. Padma Shri Winning Eminent Malayalam Poet Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri passes away at 81

• Renowned Malayalam poet, priest and academician Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri, has passed away. He was 81.

• He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2014, for his contribution in the world of Malayalam literature for decades.

• Mr Namboothiri also won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Kendra Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, Vallathol Award, Odakkuzhal Award and the Mathrubhumi Literary Award, among others.

• He was also a noted scholar of language and the Vedas, as well as an orator.