• Goonmeet Singh Chauhan has authored a new book titled “Invertonomics: 8 ideas to transform India”.

• The book presents practical ideas and models to solve the 8 specific fundamental problems of India like, Social inequality, Air pollution, Cleanliness, Safer Cities, Women empowerment and rural economy deteriorating etc.

• It was published by published by HarperCollins India.

• The book focuses on creating a model to involve the citizens to work towards the solutions and to use those ideas to solve similar global problems, especially in economies.

• In this book, Goonmeet coined a methodology “Invertonomics”, a model that invert problems into economic opportunities.

• The book proposes a “Dream for India” which steps into idealism tempered with realistic applications.

• India and Japan signed an Agreement between the two countries concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services.

• The agreement was signed by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Ambassador of Japan Mr Suzuki Satoshi

• This agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in the reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities

• The agreement will also enhance the interoperability between the Indian security forces and Japan thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between the two countries.

• The agreement comes at a time when India and China are engaged in a face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

• CRISIL has projected India’s GDP rate at -9% for the financial year 2020-21 (FY21).

• CRISIL revising its forecast down from 5% owing to uncertainty over the spread of Covid-19 and lack of adequate financial support from the government.

• For FY22, Crisil has projected India’s GDP to grow at 10%.

• For the next three years, between fiscals 2023 and 2025, CRISIL projects the Indian GDP to average a growth of 6.2% annually.

• Former Lok Sabha MP and Bollywood actor, Paresh Rawal have been appointed as the new chief of National School of Drama by President Ram Nath Kovind.

• In a career span of over three decades, Rawal has been acknowledged with numerous awards, including the prestigious National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994.

• He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2014 for his contribution to the entertainment industry.

• Rawal made his debut with the 1985 film Arjun. He played a supporting role in the film. He, however, gained recognition after the release of the 1986 blockbuster Naam.

• Mastercard has launched a digital currency testing platform aimed at helping central banks test their digital currencies.

• The platform will allows central banks to test how proposed central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) would work in real life.

• The system will also demonstrate how consumers can use central bank digital currencies to pay for goods and services wherever Mastercard is accepted worldwide.

• The new protocol would help financial institutions understand the feasibility of CBDCs and allow them to explore new use cases, including issuance at a local or regional level.

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges.

• The programme will spur applied research and innovation in Indian MSMEs and startups.

• The initiative will help identify and promote innovations necessary for boosting the MSME sector.

• The programme will be driven by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), four ministries including Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Food Processing Industries; Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs along with associated industries to facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems.

* National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and LinkedIn announced a partnership to provide access to free learning resources for imparting digital skills to youth for enhancing employability.

* According to LinkedIn, Indian professionals with digital skills are 20 percent more in demand than professionals without digital skills in 2020.

* Under the partnership, 10 free LinkedIn learning paths, consisting of 140 courses for a range of in-demand tech jobs will be made available for free on eSkill India digital platform till March 31, 2021. It will help India’s youth to develop skills needed for jobs.

* LinkedIn will provide insights on the Labour market based on an economic graph of more than 69 million members in India.

* It will also share in-demand skills, emerging jobs, and global hiring rates with NSDC to better understand the skilling ecosystem.

• Government of India has constituted an Expert Committee for making an overall assessment of relief to bank borrowers related to waiver of interest and waiver of interest on interest on the COVID-19 related moratorium.

• State Bank of India will provide secretarial support to the committee.

• The Committee may consult banks or other stakeholders, as deemed necessary, for the purpose.

• Former CAG Rajiv Mehrishi will chair the committee and other members include Ravindra H. Dholakia, former Professor, IIM Ahmedabad & ex- Member, MPC of Reserve Bank of India and B. Sriram, Former Managing Director, State Bank of India & IDBI Bank.

• Martial artist Poonam Khatri, who won a silver medal at the Wushu World Championship, is now being upgraded to a gold medal.

• Her medal got upgraded after Iran’s Maryam Hashemi failed her dope test.

• Maryam won the gold medal in the Women’s Sanda event at this Championship last year in October.

• She defeated Poonam in the 75 kg category in the final which was held in China.

• A four-time world champion, Maryam has received a four-year ban after testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone.

• Poonam is now the third Indian to win a gold in Wushu World Championship after Pooja Kadiyan (2017) and Praveen Kumar (2019).

• Hubballi Railway Station in Karnataka will now be known as ‘Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Railway Station.

• Union government has approved long-pending demand of Hubballians of renaming the Hubballi railway station.

• Name of Hubballi railway station, which is headquarters of South Western Railway, is being changed for the second time in the last five years. It was changed in 2015 from ‘Hubli’ to ‘Hubballi’.

• Siddharoodha Swamiji was an Indian Hindu guru and philosopher.