• 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.

• The World Health Organisation’s independent panel for pandemic preparedness and response appointed former health secretary, Preeti Sudan as one of its 11 panellists from across the world.

• The decision by the panel’s two heads, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke and former Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

• In a meeting of the Chairs, Helen Clarke is believed to have conveyed that Sudan’s experience as the head of the government ministry that led India’s response to the pandemic makes her much more suited for the job.

• The fantasy sports gaming platforms, Playerzpot has announced the signing of cricketers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Smriti Mandhana as its brand ambassadors.

• Playerzpot is a fantasy sports gaming app that allows its users to play fantasy cricket.

• The partnership will see the cricketers in the brand’s upcoming campaigns and promote Playerzpot through engagement activities.

• The duo will anchor the brand with their sports charisma and help in creating a higher brand recall amongst the key target audience.

• British actress Diana Rigg, whose commanding career stretched from iconic 1960s spy series The Avengers to fantasy juggernaut Game of Thrones passed away.

• Ms. Rigg also starred in 1967 James Bond thriller On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as the only woman ever to marry Agent 007.

• Citigroup named Jane Fraser as its next chief executive officer (CEO).

• She will be the first women CEO of Citigroup

• She will take over the top job in February, replacing Michael Corbat who will retire.

• Fraser, who has served as president and CEO of global consumer banking since 2019, will join the board of directors immediately

• She has held prior roles for Citi in Latin America and in investment banking.

• UiPath, an enterprise Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software company, has partnered with Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), as part of its Academic Alliance Programme.

• The programme is designed to bridge the growing skill requirements and build RPA resiliency in more than 50,000 students, in the next one year.

• In line with this, APSSDC will act as the regional center for all UiPath Academic Alliance activities in the State. To start off, UiPath will onboard 100 APSSDC institutes.

• The institutions will receive curriculum, content, learning materials, educator enablement sessions and software tools, to provide training to their students, according to a release.

• Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai has put in place a QR code-enabled contactless check-in mechanism for the passengers, which allows them the use of their mobile phones to remotely operate check-in and self-bag drop kiosks for printing boarding passes and bag tags.

• Passengers at Mumbai airport just need to scan the QR code shown on the kiosks to access a remote keyboard and mouse on their mobile device, without touching the kiosks.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be digitally launching the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

• The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to focus on the focused and sustainable development of the fisheries sector in the country.

• The scheme will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs. 20,050 crores within a period of 5 years from the fiscal year 2020-21 to the fiscal year 2024-25 in all states and union territories.

• The scheme was announced as a part of the centre's AatmaNirbhar Bharat Package.

• The investment of Rs. 20,050 crores under PMMSY is the highest ever in the fisheries sector.

• Iran’s army conducted an annual three-day naval exercise near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

• Units from the navy, air force and ground forces participated in the maneuver in the Gulf of Oman.

• Iranian submarines and drones were used during the exercise.

• The annual maneuver dubbed as Zolfaghar-99 was aimed at improving readiness in confronting foreign threats and any possible invasion.