NATIONAL

National Education Policy: NITI Aayog and Bharti Foundation announce the launch of ‘Convoke 2021-22’

• NITI Aayog in partnership with Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, launched Convoke 2021-22. Convoke is a National research Symposium that aims at addressing challenges in imparting education and strengthening its quality with a special focus on all teachers, educationists, heads of schools across India. Through Convoke they can now share their micro research papers. These research papers will be analyzed by a panel of Educationists. The shortlisted Research Papers will be presented during the ‘National Research Symposium’ scheduled in January 2022.

• School Teachers/ Heads/Principals of Government Schools and teachers from the Bharti Foundation network will be encouraged to use research-based solutions through a scientific approach, and showcase their efforts taken at the grass-roots level in improving learning outcomes.

• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also recognises and identifies teachers and faculty as the heart of the learning process. It recommends that teachers will be recognised for novel approaches to teaching that improve learning outcomes in their classrooms.

Himachal Pradesh set up General Category Commission named ‘Samanya Varg Aayog’

• Himachal Pradesh govt announced setting up a Commission for upper castes, on the lines of Madhya Pradesh. The Commission, to be named as ‘Samanya Varg Aayog’, will be formalised through a legislative enactment in three months’ time when the state assembly meets next in February-March 2021 for the budget session of the House. A Scheduled Caste Commission is already in operation in Himachal Pradesh and is chaired by former Shimla MP Virendra Kashyap.

• As per the 2011 population census, Himachal Pradesh has a population of 68.56 lakhs of which 19.29 lakh, which is 25.22 per cent, are SCs, while the other 4 lakhs are STs, which is 5.71 % and other 9.03 lakh are OBCs, which is 13.52%.

Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka leading states in EV sales: Govt

• Winter Session of the Parliament, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, informed the Rajya Sabha on the state of Electric Vehicles (EV) in India. As per the data, India has a total of 870,141 registered EVs, with Uttar Pradesh (UP) holding the top spot with 255,700 registered EVs. UP is followed by Delhi (125,347), Karnataka (72,544), Bihar (58,014) and Maharashtra (52,506) in successive positions.

• The Central Government of India has reduced the Goods & Service Tax (GST) on Electric Vehicles & related products.

SPORTS

Norway's Magnus Carlsen takes home fifth World Chess Championship title

• Reigning world chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway defended his title and won the FIDE World Championship in Dubai. He beat Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, securing the one point he needed to cross the seven-point threshold to win the global tournament held at Dubai’s Expo 2020 this month in the United Arab Emirates. Carlsen clinched his fifth world championship title. Carlsen wins 60% of the 2 million-euro prize offered by the championship.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

ISRO signs MoU with OPPO to strengthen R&D of NavIC messaging services

• The Indian Space Research Organisation has signed an agreement with Chinese smart devices maker Oppo’s Indian arm to strengthen the research and development of the NavIC messaging service. The messaging service is mainly used for broadcasting safety-of-life alerts in areas with poor or no communication, particularly in the oceans. Oppo India has its manufacturing unit in Noida and an R&D centre in Hyderabad.

• Both ISRO and Oppo India will exchange technical information of NavIC messaging services to build rapid, ready-to-use, end-to-end application-specific solutions. This will enable integrating NavIC messaging service with the mobile handset platform keeping in mind the need of Indian users.

Karnataka govt signs LoU with UNDP to improve employment opportunities for youth

• Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports, Government of Karnataka has signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a part of the State-level initiative ‘Code-Unnati’ to improve the access to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities among the youths, including women. The initiative involves United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and is supported by SAP India Lab’s CSR Strategies will be implemented in 4 districts of Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Dakshina Kannada and Raichuru.

• Fifty colleges, including government pre-university, ITIs, polytechnics and Arts & Science colleges, have already been identified to work with the faculty members and student communities in areas of Training and Capacity Building, Training in the 21st Century & Digital Skills, Entrepreneurship Development, Innovation Challenges, Boot Camps, Corporate Volunteering and Industry Connect.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Energy Conservation Day 2021: 14th December

• Every year on the 14th of December, National Energy Conservation day is celebrated in India. This occasion has been celebrated since 1991 when is led by the Ministry of power. This day is celebrated to raise awareness regarding the conservation of energy as it is the best way to have a greener and brighter future.

• Energy conservation is a big necessity that is required of our future well-being. It is a practice that everyone should indulge in to make the future of our earth even better. The agenda of celebrating national energy conservation Day is to raise awareness regarding the importance of energy and resources conservation. Conserving energy means wisely using energy rather than indiscriminately misusing it.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Azim Premji got Dr. Ida S. Scudder Oration award

• Azim Premji, founder chairman of Wipro Limited and founder of Azim Premji Foundation is this year’s recipient of the 10th annual Dr Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration, jointly established by Christian Medical College Vellore (CMC) and the U.S.-based Vellore CMC Foundation. The award is presented to Mr Premji in recognition of his contributions to society.

• Established in 2001, the Foundation has contributed immensely towards education, runs Azim Premji University in Bengaluru and also supports several not-for-profit organisations with financial grants. The Foundation also funded organisations in the field of healthcare.

RANKING

India Ranked 66th at the Global Health Security Index 2021

• As per the Global Health Security (GHS) Index 2021, the world’s average overall GHS Index score was reduced to 38.9 (out of 100) in 2021, from a score of 40.2 in the GHS Index, 2019. GHS Index is developed in partnership with the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

• India ranked 66 out of 195 countries with an overall Index score of 42.8 and along with a change of -0.8 from 2019. The United States of America (USA) ranked 1st on the index with a score of 75.9 followed by Australia and Finland.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

RBI enforces 20-digit LEI for cross-border deals above Rs 50 crore

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) mandatory for cross-border transactions for capital or current account transactions of Rs 50 crore and above, from October 1 next year. The LEI is a 20-digit number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide to improve the quality and accuracy of financial data systems.

• The identifier norm has been introduced in a phased manner for participants in the over the counter (OTC) derivative, non-derivative markets, large corporate borrowers, and large value transactions in centralised payment systems. Starting October 1, 2022, banks will have to obtain the `LEI` number from the resident entities (non-individuals) undertaking any capital or current account transactions. For LEI holders, it would be mandatory to furnish the number in all transactions irrespective of the transaction size. 

NATIONAL

3rd edition of manohar parrikar vigyan mahotsav being held from 13 December

• The third edition of the Manohar Parrikar Vigyan Mahostav will be held on Monday at eight venues in Goa, organising committee chairperson Jose Manuel Noronha said.

• The science festival, named after the late BJP leader and former chief minister, will have former ISRO chairperson Professor K Kasturirangan delivering a lecture on 'Space- A Promising Endeavour' at the National Institute of Oceanography in Dona Paula.

• “This talk will be followed by a virtual lecture on 'Next Generation Antibiotics' by Prof Ada Yonath, Nobel Prize winner for chemistry in 2009. Then Prof Ashutosh Sharma, former secretary of the government of India's Department of Science and Technology, will speak on science and innovation in the new millennium.

DRDO successfully tests Extended Range Pinaka at Pokhran Range

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired Pinaka Extended Range (Pinaka-ER), Area Denial Munitions (ADM), and indigenously developed fuzes. The test was conducted at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the Odisha coast. A total of 25 enhanced Pinaka rockets were reportedly fired from multi-barrel rocket launchers (MRLs) at several ranges during the test.

• The range version can destroy the target of up to 45 km. At the same time, the flight path of these missiles was tracked by range instruments including telemetry, radar, and electro-optical tracking system deployed by ITR and Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE).

India re-elected to international Maritime Organisation council

• India has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council after elections were held at its Assembly in London for the 2022-23 biennium.

• India’s election falls under the Category of 10 states with “the largest interest in international seaborne trade”, alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• The newly elected council will meet formally at the conclusion of the 32nd Assembly for the IMO’s 126th session on Wednesday, when it will elect its Chair and Vice-Chair for the next biennium

IIT Guwahati established advanced facilities at nanotechnology centre

• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati has established advanced microelectronics and nano-energy facilities at its Centre for Nanotechnology which is the first-of-its-kind in the Northeast, according to officials. The centre, aimed at meeting future challenges and augmenting academic partnerships with industry in nanotechnology, will carry out multidisciplinary translational research in the fields of health care, nano biomaterials, micro and nanoelectronics, nano-energy devices and sensors.

• The institute has been working in the field of nanotechnology since early 2000 and has a proven record in multiple areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the new building last month, the construction of which was funded by the income generated by the existing work on nanotechnology at the institute.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Unicef Day 2021: 11th December

• Every year, UNICEF Day is observed on December 11 to raise awareness about saving children’s lives by defending and helping them to fulfil their wishes. The day provides assistance for the health, nutrition, education, and welfare of children during World War II. UNICEF’s name was subsequently changed from United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to United Nations Children’s Fund though, it continued to be known by the popular acronym based on the previous title.

• The theme for this year is to help children recover from interruptions and learning losses experienced through pandemics in the last two years.

International Day of Neutrality 2021: 12th December

• International Day of Neutrality is a United Nations recognized day held on December 12 each year to raise public awareness of the value of neutrality in international relations. It was officially declared by a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in February 2017 and first observed on December 12, 2017.

• Neutrality defined as the legal status arising from the abstention of a state from all participation in a war between other states, the maintenance of an attitude of impartiality toward the belligerents, and the recognition by the belligerents of this abstention and impartiality is critically important for the United Nations to gain and maintain the confidence and cooperation of all in order to operate independently and effectively, especially in situations that are politically charged.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

India's Harnaaz Sandhu becomes Miss Universe 2021

• Actor-model Harnaaz Sandhu made history as she was crowned Miss Universe 2021 beating contestants from 80 countries, 21 years after India last brought home the title. While Paraguay’s Nadia Ferreira, 22, finished second, South Africa’s Lalela Mswane, 24, came third.

• Only two Indians before Ms Sandhu have won the title of Miss Universe— actors Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000. The 70th edition of the event was held in Eilat, Israel, where the 21-year-old bagged the coveted pageant.

Mathematician Neena Gupta wins 2021 Ramanujan Prize

• Indian Mathematician Neena Gupta has received the 2021 DST-ICTP-IMU Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries for her outstanding work in affine algebraic geometry and commutative algebra. Professor Neena Gupta, a mathematician at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata. She is the third woman to receive Ramanujan Prize, which was first awarded in 2005 and is administered by Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics jointly with Dept Science and Technology and International Mathematical Union.

• After graduating with mathematics honours from Bethune College, Kolkata, in 2006, Neena Gupta went on to complete her post-graduation from the Indian Statistical Institute.

• Following her post-graduation, Professor Gupta pursued her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in algebraic geometry and in the year 2014 went on to publish her first research paper on Zariski’s ‘cancellation problem’. Her paper received an award and was widely recognised by other mathematicians.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Karnataka Bank bags two DigiDhan Awards from MeitY

• Karnataka Bank has been conferred with two DigiDhan awards instituted by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The awards were given during Digital payment Utsav in New Delhi. The award recognized banks for achieving the target with the highest percentage in BHIM-UPI transactions under the private sector bank category consecutively for two years 2019-20 and 2020-21. Karnataka Bank has always stood ahead of the time in adopting the latest digital technology to its products in order to provide best in class service to our customers.

National

Cabinet approves Ken-Betwa river linking project at cost of Rs 44,605 cr

• Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project has been approved by the Union Cabinet, which is chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. At 2020-21 price levels, the overall cost of the Ken-Betwa link project has been estimated at Rs. 44,605 crore. The Union Cabinet has approved central support for the project in the amount of Rs. 39,317 crore, which includes a grant of Rs. 36,290 crore and a loan of Rs. 3,027 crore.

• The project will be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) known as the Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA).”

• The project includes the construction of the Daudhan dam across river Betwa from Ken and the transfer of water through a canal connecting the two rivers, Lower Orr project, Kotha barrage- and Bina complex multipurpose project.

• The project will irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares annually, provide drinking water to a population of 62 lakhs, and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.

Uttarakhand CM launched the ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme‘ in Dehradun

• Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched the ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme‘ in Dehradun. The scheme is aimed to provide incentives benefiting around 53,000 people of Uttarakhand. The state government is targeting to spend INR 444.62 crore to open 500 milk sales centres in Uttarakhand. It is a Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) scheme, the amount under the scheme would go directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries through their linked bank accounts.

• In the Dehradun district, milk production and consumption are completely contradictory. On one hand, the government is making many attempts to enhance milk production, all government claims of promoting products are proving to be fictitious. Despite thousands of hours of labour, milk is not produced in accordance with demand.

Atma Nirbhar Krishak development scheme Approved in UP

• Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the Atma Nirbhar Krishak development scheme for boosting the agriculture sector. Atma Nirbhar Krishak development scheme will be implemented from the current financial year. Under this scheme, 1,475 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will be formed in the next three years in each development block.

• The scheme will provide a long-term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for postharvest management infrastructure and community.

• Rs 1 lakh crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, Marketing Cooperative Societies, Self Help Groups, farmers, and joint liability groups.

• All loans will be provided with an interest subvention of 3 per cent per annum up to a limit of Rs 2 crore. The scheme will be funded through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund(AIF).

SPORTS

Manipur survive penalty shootout to win 21st Senior Women's NFC title

• Manipur successfully defended their Senior Women’s National Football Championship crown after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Railways in the final at the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, Kerala. After a dearth of goal-scoring chances in regulation and extra time, the match went to penalties with the scores at 0-0. Manipur goalkeeper Okram Roshini Devi produced three saves to give her side their 21st title at this level.

Sanket Mahadev Sargar won the gold medal in the Men's 55kg snatch category

• Sanket Mahadev Sargar won the gold medal in Men’s 55 kg snatch category at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021. He created the national record by lifting 113kg in the men’s 55kg snatch category. Sargar has also qualified for the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

• Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 is being held in Tashkent along with World Weightlifting Championships 2021 from December 7 to 17. The Indian Contingent is participating in the Weightlifting Championships as well as the Commonwealth Senior Championships.

OBITUARY

Serum Institute of India ED Suresh Jadhav passes away at 72

• Serum Institute of India’s Executive Director Dr Suresh Jadhav has passed away. He played an important role in the development of the Covishield vaccine. He was part of several national and international bodies and organisations. Serum Institute of India is the world’s largest vaccine maker. It is the second company to apply for the approval of a vaccine candidate from the Drugs Controller General of India.

• He started his career with a research fellowship of CSIR. He was President of Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) from 2004 to 2008.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Mountain Day 2021:11th December

• International Mountain Day is observed globally on December 11 every year. The day is celebrated to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around the world.

• The theme of this year’s International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December will be sustainable mountain tourism. Sustainable tourism in mountains can contribute to creating additional and alternative livelihood options and promoting poverty alleviation, social inclusion, as well as landscape and biodiversity conservation. It is a way to preserve the natural, cultural and spiritual heritage, to promote local crafts and high-value products, and celebrate many traditional practices such as local festivals.

Ministry of Power kickstarts celebration of Energy Conservation Week: 8th to 14th December 2021

• Ministry of Power is celebrating the Energy Conservation Week from 8th to 14th December 2021 under “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. Celebration by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency will include three major activities i.e. National Painting Competition for school children, National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) for Industries and establishments and National Energy Efficiency Innovation Awards (NEEIA) to recognize innovative energy efficiency technologies.

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has been organising National Level Painting Competitions on Energy Conservation for school children studying in 4th to 10th standard. This year, the themes for the competition are “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: Energy Efficient India” and “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: Cleaner Planet”.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Paytm Payments Bank gets RBI nod for scheduled bank status

• Paytm Payments Bank has been given the scheduled bank status by the Reserve Bank of India. The bank has been included in the Second Schedule t o the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and the approval will help it to bring more financial services and products. The bank supports 33.3 crore Paytm Wallets and enables consumers to make payments at over 87,000 online merchants and 2.11 crore in-store merchants.

• The bank can explore new business opportunities, including participation in government and other large corporations issued requests for proposals, primary auctions, fixed-rate and variable rate repos, and reverse repos.

• Besides, it can participate in Marginal Standing Facility and will be eligible to partner in government-run financial inclusion schemes.

• The inclusion of Paytm Payments Bank in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, will help us innovate further and bring more financial services and products to the underserved and unserved population in India.

Microsoft launches cybersecurity skilling programme in India; aims to train over 1 lakh people by 2022

• Microsoft has launched a cybersecurity skilling program with the goal of training over 1 lakh learners by 2022 to address the skills gap and prepare India’s workforce for a career in cybersecurity. The program is meant to give students hands-on experience with security, compliance, and identity fundamentals.

• Courses will be conducted by Microsoft in collaboration with its strategic partners Cloud that, Koenig, RPS, and Synergetics Learning.

• This tie-up is part of Microsoft’s global skilling program, which aims to help 25 million individuals learn new digital skills throughout the world.

• In India, almost 3 million individuals have been trained through this project.

NATIONAL

PM Modi and Russian Prez Vladmir Putin hold 21st India-Russia Annual Summit in New Delhi

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit to discuss the entire gamut of relations, including regional and global issues. During his visit, India and Russia signed 28 agreements. The leaders discussed on International North-South Transport Corridor and also about the Chennai – Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor (which is under the proposal).

• The visit of the Russian President is a reflection of the country’s commitment to its ties with India. This is in need of the moment. Because the ties between India and Russia were buffeted by New Delhi’s ties with the US. Also, Russia was getting closer with China on the back of US sanctions, CAATSA and its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Pune to host joint military exercise with BIMSTEC countries

• PANEX-21 is a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise. It is to be held for the BIMSTEC countries. The exercise is to be held among the BIMSTEC countries: Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The main aim of the exercise is to build regional cooperation in responding to natural disasters. It is to be conducted in Pune from December 20 to December 22.

• The participants of the exercise will be divided into eight syndicates. One syndicate from the participating countries and two from India.

• It will analyse the capabilities of member states in responding to the natural disasters. The countries will share their best practices.

NCW launches 'She is a Changemaker' to improve leadership skills of women

• National Commission for Women (NCW) has launched a pan-India capacity building programme, ‘She is a Changemaker’ for women representatives at all levels, gram panchayats to parliament members and political workers including office bearers of National/State political parties. The programme was launched by Ms Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. To improve leadership skills of grassroots women political leaders.

• The official launch of training programmes under the ‘She is a Changemaker’ series was held in collaboration with Rhambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, Thane, Maharashtra. The three-day capacity building programme for ‘Women in Municipal Corporation’ will be organised from 7thto 9th December. The capacity building programme will be undertaken in association with region-wise training institutes with an objective to undertake capacity building of women political leaders and improve their decision making and communication skills including, oration, writing, etc.

Former CEC Sunil Arora invited to join top international democracy body IDEA

• Former chief election commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora has been invited to join the board of advisers at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, also known as International IDEA. IDEA has a 15-member board of advisers, all of whom are eminent personalities from a wide variety of backgrounds.

• The election commission of India official statement that Sunil Arora has rich leadership experience, knowledge and skills to contribute significantly to the working of the International Institute. Sunil Arora had served as the 23rd Chief Election Commissioner of India from December 2018 to April 2021. It was under his tenure that the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections were conducted.

OBITUARY

CDS Gen Bipin Rawat passes away in a helicopter crash

• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has passed away in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. He was among the 14 people who were on board, including his wife and staff members. Thirteen people have succumbed to the crash, including CDS Rawat, Madhulika Rawat and 11 others. An IAF Mi 17 V5 helicopter with a crew of 4 members carrying the CDS and 9 other passengers met with a tragic accident. Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan was the pilot of the Mi-17V5.

• General Rawat completed his education at St Edward School, Shimla and is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned in the Fifth Battalion of the Eleventh Gorkha Rifles in December 1978 from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, where he was also awarded the Sword of Honour.

• Academically inclined, he has written numerous articles on national security and leadership, which have been published in various journals.

World’s Oldest Test Cricketer, Eileen Ash passes away at 110

• World’s oldest Test Cricketer, former English legend, Eileen Ash passed away at the age of 110. The right-arm seamer made her debut to the national side in 1937 against Australia and in a career spanning till 1949, she took 10 wickets in the seven matches she played. Her career was interrupted by the Second World War – she was seconded to MI6, the UK’s intelligence service – and retired from the sport in 1949.

• Eileen Ash was given the honour of ringing the bell at Lord’s in the Finals of the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup where the host, England have crowned the champions after beating India in a thrilling Finals.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Remember the Victims Prevent Genocide 2021: 9th December

• The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is observed annually on December 9. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention, and to commemorate and honour its victims.

• 9 December 2021 marks the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, as well as the 73rd anniversary of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”), the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly. The Convention signifies the international community’s commitment to “never again” and provides the first international legal definition of “genocide,” widely adopted at national and international levels. It also establishes a duty for State Parties to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.

International Anti-Corruption Day 2021: 09th December

• International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on 9 December to raise public awareness for anti-corruption. The day is observed since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on 31 October 2003. The 2021 International Anti-Corruption Day seeks to highlight the rights and responsibilities of everyone – including States, Government officials, civil servants, law enforcement officers, media representatives, the private sector, civil society, academia, the public and youth – in tackling corruption. The theme of International Anti-Corruption Day 2021: “Your right, your role: say no to corruption”.

• On 31 October 2003, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and requested that the Secretary-General designate the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as secretariat for the Convention’s Conference of States Parties (resolution 58/4). The Assembly also designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day, to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the Convention in combating and preventing it. The Convention entered into force in December 2005.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Nilmani Phookan Jr & Damodar Mauzo wins Jnanpith Award for years 2020,2021

• Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan Jr won the 56th Jnanpith Award and Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo won the 57th Jnanpith Award. The country’s highest literary award, the Jnanpith is bestowed on writers for “their outstanding contribution to literature”. Jnanpith Award is a literary award presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith organization to Indian writers every year. This was instituted in 1961 and is given only to Indian writers who write in Indian languages and English.

• Phookan is a Sahitya Akademi and Padma Shri awardee. Based out of Guwahati, he is a poet of renown and has written Surya Henu Nami Ahe Ei Nodiyedi, Gulapi Jamur Lagna, and Kobita. Phookan was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990 and received the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2002. Phookan is the third Assamese writer to have received the Jnanpith. The previous awardees were Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya in 1979 and Mamoni Raisom Goswami in 2000.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

City Union Bank-NPCI launch 'RuPay On-the-Go' contactless wearable solution

• City Union Bank (CUB), in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and its manufacturing partner Seshaasai, has announced the launch of RuPay On-the-Go contactless wearable keychain for its debit card customers. This contactless wearable keychain will be part of their daily lifestyle and enable customers to tap and make cashless payments securely.

• This On-the-Go solution allows the bank’s customers to carry payment cards on their keychains, making for fast and convenient payments up to ₹5,000 at all Rupay-enabled point of sale devices (PoS) without entering a PIN.

• This would increase digital payment behaviour among customers, especially the younger generation and students, by enabling faster check out and less waiting in queue with features to set the spending limit, enable/disable usage through net banking, and CUB’s All-in-One mobile app.

NATIONAL

EAM S Jaishankar addressed 5th Indian Ocean Conference

• Union Minister of External Affairs (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has visited Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the 5th Indian Ocean Conference on December 4-5, 2021. The theme of the conference was ‘Indian Ocean: Ecology, Economy, Epidemic’. The Conference is chaired by Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa & Vice Chairs are S.Jaishankar, Vivian Balakrishnan, Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi.

• The conference is being organised by India Foundation in collaboration with the RSIS Singapore, Institute of National Security Studies (INSS), Sri Lanka, and the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), UAE.

GRSE launches first of four Indian Navy Survey Vessels

• Indian shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) has achieved a new milestone with the launch of the first large survey vessel for the Indian Navy. Called Sandhayak, the vessel is the first in the series of four ships being built under the Survey Vessel Large (SVL) project. It has been built at GRSE.

• Indian State Defence Minister Ajay Bhatt, who was present at the launch ceremony, said that the ship’s launch is a new milestone for the country’s vision of ‘New India’ by 2030. In October 2018, the Indian Ministry of Defence and GRSE signed the contract to build the four survey ships. Featuring over 80% indigenous content by cost, the ships are fully designed by GRSE and are being built using ‘Integrated Construction’ concepts.

Indian Army contingent departs for Maldives for joint military exercise

• The 11th edition of Exercise EKUVERIN-21 between India and Maldives, held at Kadhdhoo Island, Maldives. Ekuverin means “Friends” in the Dhivehi language. It is an Indo – Aryan language. It is spoken in India, Lakshadweep and Maldives. The exercise enhances synergy and inter-operability between the Armed Forces of both nations in terms of understanding transnational terrorism both on land and at sea, conducting Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations and sharing best military practices and experiences.

• Besides rigorous training, the joint military exercise will also include cultural and sports activities to enhance defence cooperation and bilateral relations. The exercise will go a long way in strengthening India’s relations with the Maldives amidst emerging security dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region. The Exercise is being conducted between India and Maldives since 2008. In 2019, the exercise was held in Pune, Maharashtra and in 2018, it was held in the Maldives.

SPORTS

Lewis Hamilton wins inaugural edition of Saudi Arabian GP

• Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won the inaugural edition of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (GP), by surpassing Max Verstappen (Netherlands) in the event held at the 30-kilometre (18.6-mile) coastal resort area in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Reema Juffali, has been appointed as an ambassador for the first edition of the Saudi Grand Prix, under the Formula 1 (F1) World Championship.

• Reema Juffali is the 1st Female F1 driver of Saudi Arabia. She is a 29-year-old driver, who has competed in the British Formula 3 championship 2021. She is the first racer to take a lap on the street circuit in Jeddah and also participate in the Williams team car display, dating back to 1979 that is sponsored by Saudi Airlines.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Paytm partners with AWS to offer its startup toolkit to Indian entrepreneurs

• Paytm, a leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to offer Paytm Startup Toolkit with exclusive payment services to early-stage Indian startups. Paytm will help entrepreneurs to grow businesses with payment, distribution, and growth solutions who are operating in India in the AWS Activate.

• The Paytm Startup Toolkit is a single-stop platform that offers solutions in the domain of payments, payouts, banking and distribution with services including Paytm Payment Gateway, which helps businesses accept digital payments on their website, app; Paytm Payouts, which helps companies streamline their payments to employees, vendors, distributors and channel partners; and Paytm Payments Bank including nodal banking, which provides truly digital banking.

OBITUARY

Sarada Menon, India’s first woman psychiatrist, dies at 98 in Chennai

• Padma Bhushan Dr Mamballaikalathil Sarada Menon, India’s 1st woman Psychiatrist and the longest-serving head of the Institute of Mental Health has passed away. She was born in a Malayali family in Mangaluru, Karnataka. She was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1992 for social works.

• Dr M Sarada Menon started her career as a Psychiatrist in the Institute of Mental Health (then known as Government Mental Hospital) in Kilpauk, Chennai in 1959.

• She became the 1st woman Superintendent of the Institute of Mental Health in 1961.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book ‘The Midway Battle: Modi’s Roller-coaster Second Term’ authored by Gautam Chintamani

• Vice President (VP) M. Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled ‘The Midway Battle: Modi’s Roller-coaster Second Term’ authored by Gautam Chintamani and published by Bloomsbury India at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas, New Delhi. The book mentioned the political scenario of India. It marks the second tenure of the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Midway Battle shed light on the various legislations like the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, triple talaq, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as well as farming laws.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

RBI Monetary Policy: Repo rate unchanged at 4% for the 9th consecutive time

• The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das kept the repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent for the ninth consecutive time while maintaining an ‘accommodative stance’ as long as necessary. The reverse repo rate will continue to be 3.35 per cent. The central bank had last revised the policy rate on May 22, 2020, in an off-policy cycle to perk up demand by cutting the interest rate to a historic low.  The meeting was held between December (6 to 8). The remaining will take place in February (7 to 9, 2022).

PNB launches android app for differently-abled employees

• Punjab National Bank (PNB) launched the PNB Pride-CRMD module tool, an android-based application for differently-abled employees to monitor and effectively follow up with the special mention account (SMA) borrowers. The Pride-CRMD module has built-in TalkBack software that allows the visually impaired to access the system freely and to interact with customers by tapping on their phones.

• Punjab National Bank emphasized the abilities of differently-abled staff members and the utilization of their skills in the conceptualization of PNB warriors and implementation of PNB Pride.

INTERNATIONAL

Adama Barrow re-elected The Gambia’s President

• The President of Gambia, Adama Barrow, won the second term as President during Gambia’s presidential election by achieving over 53% votes from 50 of 53 constituencies. He defeated his main challenger Ousainou Darboe who won 27.7% of vote. The results of the election were declared by Electoral commission Chairman Alieu Momarr Njai. Adama Barrow’s assumption as President 5 years ago ended more than 20 years of the dictatorship of former dictator Yahya Jammeh.

NATIONAL

PM Modi virtually inaugurated thought Leadership Forum

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated a thought leadership forum on FinTech, ‘InFinity Forum’. The event was hosted by International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), under the aegis of the Government of India in collaboration with GIFT City and Bloomberg. Indonesia, South Africa and the United Kingdom were the partner countries in the 1st edition of the Forum.

• The Forum focused on the theme of ‘Beyond’ with various sub-themes. The sub-themes include FinTech beyond boundaries, FinTech beyond Finance, and FinTech Beyond Next, with a focus on how Quantum Computing could impact the nature of the Fintech industry in the future and promote new opportunities.

SPORTS

Argentina beat Germany to lift Junior hockey world cup

• Argentina showcased its organised game with great composure to beat six-time champion German side 4-2 and win the title after 16 years in the men’s Hockey Junior World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium. Argentina has become the only third team after Germany (six wins) and India (2001, 2016) to win multiple Junior Hockey WC titles. Defending champions India finished fourth in the junior hockey world cup 2021 after losing 1-3 to France in the third-place match.

Badminton World Federation: Viktor Axelsen, Tai Tzu Ying named 2021 BWF Player of the Year

• Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen and China’s Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying were named Male and Female player of the year 2021 respectively by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). It was the first season-ending award in this category for both Vicktor Axelsen and Tai Tzu Ying — the All England champions of 2020. Viktor Axelsen is the Olympic champion and Tai Tzu Ying is the Tokyo Games, silver medallist. Viktor Axelsen was rewarded for his extraordinary run starting from the Barcelona Spain Masters in February 2020.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Jasprit Bumrah signs up as Unix Brand Ambassador

• Unix, an Indian Mobile Accessories manufacturing brand, has signed Indian Cricket Fast Bowler, Jasprit Bumrah as its Brand Ambassador to increase the visibility of their products. The products include wearable mobile electronics such as Chargers, Earphones, Data Cables, Power Banks, Wireless Speakers, Smartphone Batteries, Bluetooth neckbands and TWS are mostly manufactured and marketed across India through distributors.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Armed Forces Flag Day 2021:7th December

• National armed forces day is also known as the National flag day of India. The day is every year celebrated and observed on 7th December. The aim to observe this day as the national armed forces day is to collect funds from the people for the betterment of armed forces. To know more about the national armed forces day, candidates are advised to read the article below.

• A committee was set up on August 28, 1949, under the then Defense Minister of India. The committee decided to observe a Flag Day annually on December 7. The aim to celebrate this day as the national flag day Or national armed forces day is to distribute flags amongst the people and collect the funds from them for the betterment of the armed forces. The Defence Ministry of India in 1993 consolidated all the related welfare funds into a single Armed Forces Flag Day Fund.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Eminent Indian-American mathematician Nikhil Srivastava, has been jointly selected for the inaugural $5,000 Ciprian Foias Prize

• Indian-American mathematician, Nikhil Srivastava, who teaches at the University of California, Berkeley along with Adam Marcus and Daniel Spielman were awarded the First Ciprian Foias Prize in Operator Theory by the American Mathematical Society (AMS). Adam Marcus holds the Chair of Combinatorial Analysis at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. Daniel Spielman is a Sterling Professor of Computer Science, a professor of statistics and data science, and a professor of mathematics.

• The $5,000 award has been given to Nikhil Srivastava for his work in developing and introducing techniques to understand the characteristic polynomial of matrices, including iterative sparsification. Nikhil Srivastava has earlier jointly won the George Polya Prize in 2014, and the Held prize in 2021 making this his third major award. He is an associate professor of mathematics at UC Berkeley.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book on ‘Public Service Ethics’ authored by Prabhat Kumar

• The Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu launched ‘Public Service Ethics- A Quest for Naitik Bharat’ authored by Prabhat Kumar, published by IC Centre for Governance, at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas, New Delhi. The book highlights the multiple dimensions element of human character, the practice of ethical principles as a way of life. It marked the importance of accountability, integrity, transparency and trustworthiness of the public governance system.

• Prabhat Kumar was an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1963 batch, Uttar Pradesh (UP) cadre. Prabhat Kumar is an Indian politician and retired civil servant. He served as the Cabinet Secretary between 1998 and 2000. On the creation of Jharkhand in November 2000, he was made the first Governor.

Book titled “1971: Charge of the Gorkhas and Other Stories” released

• A new book that unearths true stories of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, ’1971: Charge of the Gorkhas and Other Stories, written by Rachna Bisht Rawat, was released. The book includes, from the story of the flight lieutenant who went missing after his plane crashed inside Pakistan to the ‘last khukri attack’ in modern military history.

• Rachna Bisht Rawat is the author of six books by Penguin Random House India, including the bestsellers The Brave and Kargil. She lives in Gurugram with Hukum the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed golden retriever; an eclectic collection of books and music; and Manoj Rawat, the man in olive green, who met her when he was a gentleman cadet at the Indian Military Academy and offered to be her comrade for life.

NATIONAL

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple projects worth Rs 18000 crore at Dehradun

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple projects worth Rs 18,000 crore at Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The 7 projects inaugurated consist of initiatives focusing on making travel safer including the 120 MW Vyasi Hydroelectric Project, along with Himalayan Culture Centre in Dehradun.

• The 11 projects for which the foundation has been laid include the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor which will be built at a cost of Rs 8,300 crore. It will have Asia’s largest wildlife elevated corridor (12 kilometres) for unrestricted wildlife movement. The expressway will reduce the distance between the two cities from 248 km at present to 180 km.

• PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Dehradun – Paonta Sahib (Himachal Pradesh) road project, being constructed at a cost of around Rs 1700 crore.

Amitabh Kant launched Genesys International’s digital twin platform of urban

• Genesys International has launched its pan India program to make the Digital Twin of the entire Urban India. The launch programme was inaugurated by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. The creation of this very accurate 3D data will mean a host of applications would open up in high-definition mapping, which was hitherto not possible, for smart cars, e-commerce, logistics, gaming, utilities planning for next-generation networks in telecom, renewable energy and in disaster management and emergency response.

• Moreover, with all the smart city components, the digital twin of cities will put India on the map with advanced cities that are now using this geospatial technology. Genesys has a constellation of advanced sensors in India, consisting of aerial mobile and terrestrial systems capable of imaging at very high speeds and resolution. Genesys has also filed for patents in unique Geocoding for addressing 3D data as well as automated capture of features from 3D Street map imagery.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Ravindra Jadeja Appointed as Brand Ambassador of Kinara Capital

• Bangalore based innovative, fast-growing fintech, Kinara Capital signed the Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, as its official brand ambassador on the occasion of the company’s 10th anniversary. Kinara Capital provide loan service to India’s MSMEs. Till date, Kinara Capital has disbursed 70,000 collateral-free loans. With this partnership, Kinara aims to boost its outreach in financing the MSME sector in the country. With a current AUM of INR 1000 crores, Kinara Capital plans to grow 500 per cent by the year 2025. 

Oyo appointed SBI's former Chairman Rajnish Kumar strategic group advisor

• IPO-bound hospitality unicorn Oyo Hotels and Homes (Oyo) has appointed Rajnish Kumar, former Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI) as Strategic Group Advisor. In his role, Kumar will advise Oyo’s management on short-term and long-term strategy, regulatory and stakeholder engagement, and enhancing the brand of the company globally. He is currently a part of the boards of HSBC Asia Pacific, L&T infotech, Hero Motocorp and BharatPe.

OBITUARY

Veteran journalist Vinod Dua passes away at 67

• Veteran journalist Vinod Dua passed away recently. He was one of the pioneers in Hindi broadcast journalism, worked with Doordarshan to present the youth programme Yuva Manch in the mid-’70s and later with several other television news channels. He was an integral part of NDTV’s journey as well. His much-loved food show ‘Zaika India Ka’ saw him crisscrossing the whole country just for the best taste.

• More recently, he was known for his political commentary in web shows for digital media platforms The Wire and HW News. Mr Dua was honoured with several awards for his contribution to journalism.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Civil Aviation Day 2021: 7 December

• International Civil Aviation Day is celebrated every year on December 7 to recognize the importance of aviation to the social and economic development of the world. The purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of States, and of the unique role of ICAO in helping States to cooperate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at the service of all mankind.

• The Council has decided that from now until 2023, the theme will be: “Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development”.

Nation remembers BR Ambedkar on his 66th death anniversary in 2021

• India observes December 6 as Mahaparinirvan Divas every year to mark the death anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who fought for the economic and social empowerment of Dalits in the country. He was popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar passed away on December 6, 1956. The Union government has decided to celebrate Mahaparinirvan Divas as part of the major commemoration of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

• Bhimrao Ambedkar was born in Madhya Pradesh’s Mhow, Ambedkar was the 14th and the last child of his parents. He was primarily an Economist and educationist.

• Babasaheb was also the flag bearer of India’s Dalit Activism, is called the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Goldman Sachs has estimated India's GDP growth at 9.1 per cent in 2022

• Wall Street brokerage, Goldman Sachs has estimated India’s GDP growth at 9.1 per cent in 2022. After India’s economy contracted by a sharp 7 per cent in 2020, Goldman Sachs pegged the economy to grow at 8 per cent in 2021 and 9.1 per cent in 2022. It earlier estimated India’s economic growth to 11.1 per cent in the fiscal year to March 31, 2022.

IDFC FIRST Bank debuts with India’s first standalone metal debit card

• IDFC FIRST Bank announced the launch of FIRST Private Infinite, the country’s first-ever standalone metal debit card, in partnership with Visa. FIRST Private Infinite is a lifetime free card designed specifically for customers who are part of the Bank’s FIRST Private program, premium savings and wealth offering. The FIRST Private program offers an unrivalled banking and investment experience to customers and comes with a range of exceptional investment, banking, lifestyle and wellness benefits.

• IDFC FIRST Bank offers a comprehensive digital savings account solution that includes a seamless online account opening process, video KYC and a new-age digital platform for mobile and net banking with an easy-to-navigate user interface. The Bank’s digital wealth management solutions are available to customers on the mobile app and net banking platform which offer unique features such as a ‘Consolidated Investment Dashboard’.

Gujarat has surpassed Maharashtra to become India's leading manufacturing hub

• Gujarat has left behind Maharashtra to become the country’s leading manufacturing hub, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Gujarat saw its Gross Value Addition (GVA) in manufacturing grow by 15.9 per cent annually between FY12 to FY20 to stand at Rs 5.11 lakh crore, data shows. GVA is an economic metric that measures the supply of goods and services in an economy.

• Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s annual growth rate stood at nearly half of Gujarat’s at 7.5 per cent for the same time period and its GVA for manufacturing stood at Rs 4.34 lakh crore in FY20. Maharashtra is still the leading provider of services in India, with the state’s services GVA growing by 12.6 per cent annually, standing at Rs 15.1 lakh crore in FY20.

INTERNATIONAL

Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year 2021: ‘Perseverance’

• Perseverance, a word that captures the undaunted will of people across the world to never give up, despite the many challenges of the last 12 months, is Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2021. Perseverance has been looked up more than 243,000 times on the website in 2021, the first time it has made a noticeable appearance. NASA’s Perseverance Rover made its final descent to Mars on 18 February.

NATIONAL

Delhi’s Nizamuddin Basti conservation project wins two Unesco awards

• Nizamuddin Revival Project, India’s project on the holistic urban revitalisation of the historic Nizamuddin Basti community, in New Delhi has won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2021. The project involves the meticulous restoration of over 20 historic monuments clustered around the 14th-century mausoleum of the revered Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

• The settlement around the tomb of Noted Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, who settled in a Delhi village Ghiyaspur located on the tributary of River Yamuna, is known as the Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti. The Nizamuddin area comprises the Humayun’s Tomb, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti and Sunder Nursery, Batashewala Tomb-Garden Complex, the tomb of courtier poet Khan I Khanan ‘Rahim’, and the Mughal-period caravanserai of Azimganj Serai.

Hemant Soren launched “Hamar Apan Budget” and a mobile application

• Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren has launched a web portal named ‘Hamar Apan Budget’ and a mobile application prepared by the state finance Department from the Chief Minister’s residential office in Ranchi. Through this portal, the general public of the state can share their suggestions for the 2022-23 budget. The public can give suggestions through Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and e-mail and also through the app by downloading the ‘Hamar Budget’ from Google Playstore for Android phones.

• The public could use the hyperlink https://finance.jharkhand.gov.in/budgetvichar to register oneself on ‘Hamar Apan Price range Portal’.

• The portal requires a Mobile number and e-mail (non-compulsory) to generate OTP.

• After profitable authentication of the OTP, the public can file the suggestion for the desired area in the budget.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Alka Upadhyaya appointed as chairperson of National Highways Authority of India

• Centre effects major bureaucratic reshuffle. The Centre has appointed Alka Upadhyaya as chairperson of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). A 1990-batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, Upadhyaya is currently Additional Secretary, Department of Rural Development.

• Sanjay Bandopadhyay, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, has been named chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India, a Personnel Ministry order said.

• Sundeep Kumar Nayak has been appointed as Director-General, National Productivity Council, Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

EU, India to step up Clean Energy and Climate Partnership

• India and European Union (EU) have agreed to step up their Clean Energy and Climate Partnership. They jointly agreed on a detailed work program until 2023 to implement the 2016 India-EU Clean Energy and Climate Partnership. The Panel agreed on increased technical cooperation in energy efficiency, renewable energy, green hydrogen, grid integration, storage, power market design, interconnection, cold chain, and sustainable financing.

• The Panel also agreed to explore further avenues to strengthen India-EU cooperation within the context of the International Solar Alliance. EU expressed its support for the close cooperation between India and the International Energy Agency. India and EU also agreed to exchange closely on clean energy in the frame of G20.

OBITUARY

Former Tamil Nadu Governor Konijeti Rosaiah passes away

• Former Governor of Tamil Nadu and former Chief Minister of the unified State of Andhra Pradesh, Konijeti Rosaiah (89-years) passed away. He had served as MLA, MLC, Lok Sabha members. He held several key portfolios including finance, transport, energy in the cabinets headed by Kotla Vijayabhaskhara Reddy, Channa Reddy, and YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Volunteer Day 2021: 5 December

• International Volunteer Day (IVD), also called International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is observed on 5 December every year. International Volunteer Day Theme 2021: “Volunteer now for our common future”. The purpose of the day to celebrate the efforts of volunteers and organizations and offer the opportunity to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts and recognize volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national and international levels.

• The International volunteer day was first observed and mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. It was observed through Resolution A/RES/40/212 on 17 December 1985. This day offers a chance to individual volunteers, communities, and organizations in order to promote their contributions to the development at the local, national and international levels.

World Soil Day 2021:5 December

• World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5 to raise awareness of the importance of soil quality for human well-being, food security and ecosystems. World Soil Day 2021 (#WorldSoilDay) and its campaign “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity” aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, fighting soil salinization, increasing soil awareness and encouraging societies to improve soil health.

• In June 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference unanimously endorsed World Soil Day. It was also adopted officially in the 68th United Nations General Assembly. As a result, World Soil Day was for the First time Officially celebrated on 5th December 2014. The date of 5 December was chosen because it corresponds with the official birthday of the late H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, who was one of the main proponents of this initiative.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

ADB approved $500-million loan to India to help improve the quality of school Education

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500 million loan to the Government of India to help improve the quality of the country’s school education and mitigate the impact of the Covid-19) pandemic on students’ learning. The loan supports the Integrated Scheme for School Education (Samagra Shiksha) and the new Exemplar School Initiative of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to improve education quality by focussing on inclusive and equitable learning outcomes.

• About 1,800 government schools will be transformed into exemplar schools in Assam, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand. Exemplar schools will demonstrate quality learning environments and effective learning, which will become a model for replication in other government schools across the country.

S&P projected India’s GDP growth forecast at 9.5% in FY22

• S&P Global Ratings has retained the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast of India unchanged at 9.5 percent for the financial year 2021-22 (FY22) and 7.8 per cent for the year ending FY23. GDP growth projection of India was revised for FY 24 to 6 per cent from 5.7 percent estimated earlier. Rising inflation is a pressure point, unlike elsewhere in emerging Asia, but external demand continues to support growth, S&P noted.

NATIONAL

2021 India-ITU joint CyberDrill for Indian entities

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Department of Telecommunications operating under the Ministry of Communications conducted a Joint Cyber Drill 2021. The cyber drill was conducted for the Critical Network Infrastructure operators of India. The Critical Network Infrastructure are the systems, assets and networks that are essential to ensure the security of a country.

• It aims to improve the cyber security readiness of India. Also, it aims to improve the protection and incident response capability of the country.

• During the cyber drill, the cyberattacks and information security incidents were simulated. And the participants were trained to defend and respond against such incidents. Thus, the drill helped to test the cyber capabilities of an organisation.

Cyclone Jawad likely to reach north coastal Andhra Pradesh

• The low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into Cyclone Jawad which is likely to reach the north Andhra Pradesh, south Odisha coasts and Some parts of West Bengal. The storm, once developed, will be called Jawad (pronounced Jowad), as named by Saudi Arabia. After Yaas in May and Gulab in September, this will be the third cyclone headed towards the east coast this year.

• A rotational list of the names of cyclones is maintained by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), with the names specific for each tropical zone. If a cyclone is especially deadly then its name is never used and is replaced by another name. The list has a total of 169 names at present which will be used on a rotational basis.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Gita Gopinath: From Mysuru to No. 2 Official at IMF, First Indian to Take up the Top Role

• International Monetary Fund Chief Economist, Gita Gopinath is set to take over from Geoffrey Okamoto as the institution’s No. 2 official. It is going to be a historic movement when International Monetary Fund has the female at its first two leading positions. The IMF has done some changes in the roles and responsibilities of the fund’s senior management team. In which they introduced deputy managing director for the first time and it is gone to the first female named Indian born economist Gita Gopinath.

• The move comes as a surprise because Gopinath, the first woman to serve as the IMF’s chief economist, had said in October she planned to rejoin Harvard University in January to retain her tenured facility post after three years of public service.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Walmart announces MoU with MP government to train and support MSMEs

• Walmart and its subsidiary Flipkart have signed an MoU with the Department of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, Government of Madhya Pradesh to create an ecosystem of capacity building for MSMEs in Madhya Pradesh. Under this MoU, Walmart, Flipkart, and MSME Department will assist MSMEs to digitize their business and enable them to sell their products through online retail.

• This initiative comes under the Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Programme (Walmart Vriddhi), delivered by knowledge partner Swasti, which aims to train around 50000 Indian MSMEs with business skills to become successful as suppliers to Walmart, sellers on global marketplace platforms like Flipkart. Under this programme, Walmart and Flipkart have partnered with various states including Haryana and Tamil Nadu.

OBITUARY

Renowned Bangladesh’s Professor Rafiqul Islam passes away

• Renowned scholar and national professor of Bangladesh Professor, Rafiqul Islam passed away. Prof. Rafiqul Islam was one of the greatest scholars on the national poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam. He was honoured with Swadhinta Padak and the Ekushey padak, which is the highest civilian award of Bangladesh. He was a recipient of the Bangla Academy Literary Award. He had written close to 30 scholarly books. Prof. Rafiqul Islam was currently the President of the Bangla Academy.

IMPORTANT DAYS

India & Bangladesh will celebrate Maitiri Diwas on 6 December

• India and Bangladesh have decided to celebrate December 6, the day on which India formally recognized Bangladesh, as “Maitri Diwas” (Friendship Day). During the visit of PM Narendra Modi to Bangladesh in March 2021 to attend the national day of Bangladesh, it was decided to commemorate 6 December as Maitri Diwas (Friendship Day). Ten days before the liberation of Bangladesh, India had recognised Bangladesh on 6 December 1971. India was one of the first countries to establish bilateral diplomatic ties with Bangladesh.

• According to the joint statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister Modi highlighted that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, one of the greatest leaders of modern times, will be remembered for his courage and indelible contribution to Bangladesh’s emergence as a sovereign country.

Indian Navy Day 2021: 04 December

• In India, December 4 is observed as the National Navy Day every year, to celebrate the achievements and role of the naval force to the country. The theme of Indian Navy Day 2021 is ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ signifying 50 years of India’s victory in the Indo-Pakistan war that took place in 1971.

• Indian Navy is a naval branch of Indian armed forces Led by the President of India (commander-in-chief). Back in 1971, during the Indo-Pakistan war, December 4 was chosen to launch Operation Trident against Pakistan. On December 4, the Indian Navy formally entered the war and attacks on Karachi were constantly showering. As we all know because of the Indian Navy the whole country rejoiced with success. The victory over Pakistan made our country proud and respect the Indian Navy even more.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

President's Colour Award ceremony organised by HP Police

• Himachal Pradesh Police has conducted the ‘President’s Colour Award’ ceremony at Shimla’s historic Ridge Ground. The Governor bestowed the ‘President’s Color Award’ to the State Police on this occasion. Director-General of Police Sanjay Kundu received the award on the behalf of state police. The Chief Guest was Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, while Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was also there as a special guest. Himachal Pradesh Police is India’s eighth state police force to receive this honour.

• ‘President Colour’ is a special achievement, demonstrating that the state police ranks highly in the service of humanity, as well as performance, professionalism, integrity, human rights protection, and other factors.

RANKING

IFFCO ranks first among top 300 cooperatives in the world

• The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has been ranked ‘number one Cooperative’ among the top 300 cooperatives in the world. The ranking is based on the ratio of turnover over the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. It signifies that IFFCO is contributing significantly to the GDP and economic growth of the nation. The 2021 edition of the 10th Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report, withholding its position from the 2020 edition.

• The 2021 WCM report is published by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse). WCM is a project designed to collect robust economic, organizational, and social data about cooperatives worldwide.

• The report is the 10th annual one and explores the economic and social impact of the largest cooperatives and mutual worldwide, providing a ranking of the top 300, sector rankings, and an analysis of responses to the current global challenges: Covid and climate change.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

DBS revises India's FY2023 growth forecast by 100 bps to 7%

• The Singapore-based DBS Bank’s economic research team has revised India’s FY23 growth forecast upwards to 7 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) (CY2022 6.5 per cent) from 6 per cent earlier. The DBS team assessed that into FY23, beyond the thrust from reopening gains, precautionary savings and sectoral normalisation to pre-pandemic levels, Capex generation is likely to be the next driver in raising and maintaining growth on a higher plane.

INTERNATIONAL

Barbados parts way with Queen and becomes world's newest republic

• Barbados has become the World’s newest republic, around 400 years after it became a British colony. Barbados is said to have been made a ‘slave society by the British. It first became an English colony in 1625. It gained its independence in 1966.  Barbados, the Caribbean Island nation, removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the state.

• Dame Sandra Prunella Mason took over as the President of Barbados. He was selected to become the first president of Barbados in October 2021. He was selected as President of Barbados, at a joint meeting of both the Houses of Parliament of Barbados. His name was announced by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Arthur Holder.

NATIONAL

Kerala Tourism launches STREET project to enhance visitor experience

• Kerala Tourism launched the ‘STREET’ project to promote and take tourism deep into the interiors and rural hinterland of Kerala. The project would help visitors experience the diversity of offerings in these locales. The STREET is an acronym for Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, Tourism hubs.

• The STREET project aims to present the unique identity of the state of Kerala before to travellers. It also offers a huge potential for growth in the tourism sector and would bring in significant changes.

• The project will foster mutually beneficial organic relationships between tourism development and the ordinary lives of people in the state of Kerala.

First Indian Young Water Professionals Programme launched virtually

• The First Edition of the Indian Young Water Professionals Programme was launched virtually. The programme was launched in the presence of the Indian High Commissioner to Australia, Manpreet Vohra; Australian High Commissioner to India, Barry O’ Farrell and Additional Secretary of Ministry of Jal Shakti, Debashree Mukherjee. The program was taken up under National Hydrology Project.

• The India Young Water Professional Programme is unique and different from typical capacity building and training programs. It focuses on the engaged Training and Learning Model.

• 70% of this program is focused on project-based learning by means of Situation Understanding and Improvement Projects (SUIP).

• It also focuses on gender equality and diversity, since sustainable water management can only benefit from the skills and views of all members of society.

• For the first edition of the programme, about 20 participants have been selected, comprising of 10 men and 10 women, from central & state implementing agencies of the National Hydrology Project.

All India Radio gives opportunity to Young India Voices

• All India Radio has decided to begin a new programme called AIRNxt to offer youth a platform to air their voices as part of the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. AIR stations will allow youngsters from local colleges, universities to take part in programming, allowing them to discuss and curate youth-centric shows.

• It added that about 20,000 youth from 1,000 educational institutions will be participating during the next year from every nook and corner of India through 167 AIR stations.

• These shows would encourage the youth to speak about the achievements of the country during the last 75 years of independence and where do they expect the country to reach in various fields.

• This way, the youth can air their big dreams and define the future of India. It is the biggest single theme show on All India Radio involving thousands of youth and hundreds of Educational Institutions across the country. This talent hunt show #AIRNxt will be broadcast in all major Indian languages and dialects.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Mago takes over as NDC Commandant

• Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Mago has taken over as the Commandant of National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi. He hails from Ludhiana, was commanding the 10 Corps at Bathinda before being given the assignment at NDC that entails evolving a strategic culture among the country’s senior-most officials of the military, the civilian bureaucracy and the Indian Police Service. Lt Gen Mago, who passed out of Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, was commissioned into the 7th Battalion of the Brigade of Guards in 1984. He later commanded 16 Guards.

OBITUARY

National Award-winning Choreographer Shiva Shankar passes away due to C-19

• The renowned National Award-winning choreographer and actor, Shiva Shankar Master passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana. He was born on 7 December 1948 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was an Indian dance choreographer, worked in South Indian movies. He received the National Award for ‘Best Choreographer’ for the movie ‘Magadheera’.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Pollution Control Day 2021: 2nd December

• National Pollution Control Day is observed on 2nd December every year. The day is observed as a national pollution control day to commemorate the lives of the people who died in the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984. The main objective of this day is to educate the people and to make them aware of pollution control acts and industrial disasters. This year will be marked as the 37th national pollution control day. To know more about this day, candidates are advised to read the article below.

• The day is observed in the memory of people who lost their lives in the Bhopal gas disaster. The industrial accident occurred in 1984 when the gas Methyl Isocyanate leaked on the night of December 2–3 and killed thousands.

World Computer Literacy Day 2021:2nd December

• World Computer Literacy Day is observed on 2nd December every year all over the world. The day is celebrated as the world computer literacy day to create awareness and drive digital literacy in underserved communities worldwide. The day promotes technological skills, especially in children and women, and aims to inspire them to learn more and make their work easier by the use of computers. To know, more about the World Computer Literacy day candidates are advised to read the below article.

• The day was originally founded by the Indian computer company NIIT to mark its 20th anniversary in 2001. World Computer Literacy Day was first observed and held in the year 2001 on 2nd December. As mentioned above, the day is celebrated to create awareness and drive digital literacy in underserved communities worldwide.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book ‘Democracy, Politics and Governance’ authored by Dr A. Surya Prakash

• Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu on the 72nd anniversary of the adoption of the ‘Constitution of India’ released a book titled “Democracy, Politics and Governance” in English and ‘Loktantr, Rajniti and Dharm’ in Hindi at an event in the Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi. The book was authored by Dr A. Surya Prakash.

• This book is a collection of articles about the social, political, and economic issues that impacted India’s politics and governance. Dr A. Surya Prakash is a Vice Chairman, Executive Council of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, and also a veteran journalist.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

India1 Payments deploys over 10,000 White Label ATMs

• India1 Payments has crossed a milestone on deploying 10000 white-label ATMs, which was called as “India1ATMs”. India1 Payments is IPO-bound and is promoted by the Banktech Group of Australia. It was formerly known as BTI Payments. India1 ATM has become the second-largest white label ATM brand on semi-urban and rural areas. With the deployment of 10000 ATMs, India1 Payments has become the largest player in this segment.

• The Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) which are set up, owned and operated by non-bank entities are known as “White Label ATMs” (WLAs). Non-bank entities which are incorporated in India, under the Companies Act 1956, are allowed to run WLAs. Non-bank entities are allowed to set up WLAs across India, after getting authorisation from the apex bank, under the Payment & Settlement Systems (PSS) Act, 2007.