Current Affairs 20th & 21st December 2020| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

International Human Solidarity Day 2020: Observed on Dec 20

• International Human Solidarity Day is celebrated every year on December 20.
• According to the UN website, the day celebrates unity in diversity throughout the world and serves as a reminder to governments to respect their commitment to international agreements and raise public awareness.
• International Human Solidarity Day also reiterates the importance of solidarity in removing poverty.
• The day was proclaimed by the United Nations’ (UN) General Assembly on December 22, 2005.
• According to the United Nations Millennium Declaration, solidarity is one of the fundamental values that are essential for healthy international relations.

About Solidarity

• Solidarity is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It refers to the ties in a society that bind people together as one.

History of International Human Solidarity Day : 

• The General Assembly, on December 22, 2005, by resolution 60/209 recognized solidarity as one of the fundamental and universal values in the twenty-first century. Therefore, proclaimed December 20 of each year as International Human Solidarity Day.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Skill India establishes first Centre of Excellence for Skill Development in Power Sector

• Skill India has established the first Centre of Excellence for Skill Development in the Power Sector in the campus of National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurugram Haryana.
• Inaugurating the Centre, Minister of State for Skill Development Raj Kumar Singh stated that India is taking rapid strides to move towards renewable energy to accelerate economic development, improve energy security and energy access while mitigating climate change challenges too
• The Centre of Excellence located in Gurugram is an outcome of collaboration between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, along with the Ministry of National Education and Youth, Government of France and Schneider Electric.
• Centre has high-end modern labs designed keeping in mind the future technology, which will further strengthen India and France’s relationship in the energy sector.
• The Centre of Excellence will focus on creating a pool of highly skilled trainers and assessors for further training to increase employability of candidates in the field of Electricity, Automation and Solar Energy Sectors.

PM Modi to be chief guest at virtual centenary celebrations of Aligarh Muslim University

• In Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the virtual centenary celebrations of Aligarh Muslim University .
• This is for the first time in over five decades that any Prime Minister of India will attend a function at Aligarh Muslim University.
• Earlier to this Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri attended an event at AMU in 1964. Before Lal Bahadur Shastri, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had visited AMU four times. He visited the AMU campus first time in 1948 and lastly in 1963.
• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will also join the event via videoconferencing.

PM Modi to address India-Japan Samvad Conference On Dec 21

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the India-Japan Samvad Conference on December 21.
• This Samvad Conference revolves around the need to build the future of Asia on the positive influence of traditions of non-violence and democracy in Asia.
• The first conference, Samvad-I, was held in New Delhi in 2015, at Bodh Gay During Samvad I, leading scholars, religious leaders, academics, and political personalities had exchanged views on conflict avoidance and environmental consciousness.

About Japan : 

• Capital : Tokyo
• Currency : Japanese Yen
• Prime Minister : Yoshihide Suga

PM Modi to deliver inaugural address at IISF 2020 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the inaugural address at the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 through video conferencing.
• Purpose : To promote scientific temper in society, the Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences in association with Vijnana Bharati conceptualized the India International Science Festival.
• Launched in 2015, IISF is a celebration to promote science and technology.
• Aim : The aim is to engage the public with science, celebrate the joy of science and show how Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, STEM can provide solutions to improve lives.
• Goal : The goal of the IISF 2020 is to help youth develop 21st century skills, with a focus on scientific knowledge, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. A long-term objective is to encourage students to study and work in scientific fields.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

UP Govt launches Special Varasat campaign to curb property and land-related disputes in rural areas

• In Uttar Pradesh,the  government has  launched a special campaign to curb property & land-related disputes in rural areas.
• This is a first of its kind campaign to end the nagging land-related issues in the rural areas.
• Aim : It is aimed at eradicating the exploitation of the villagers in the name of ‘Varasat’ of land and property.
• This special campaign will continue till 15 th February next year.

About Varasat scheme:

• Under the arrangements  people will get both online and offline facilities for registering the ‘Varasat’.
• For the people who have land in the village but they are living at some other place, a special counter will be opened at the Tehsil-level where they can apply for the same.

About UP:

• Capital : Lucknow
• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• Chief Minister : Yogi Adityanath

Mega Leather Park with Rs. 5850 crore investment to come up in kanpur : to create 50,000 Jobs

• A mega leather park will come up in Ramaipur village of Kanpur with an investment of Rs 5,850 crores.
• The park which is part of the mega leather cluster project is likely to create 50,000 jobs, for 5 lakh people.
• Recently, the project has received approval from the Union Commerce Ministry.
• The mega leather cluster project will attract an investment of about Rs 13,000 crores.

About Union Commerce Ministry : 

• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Cabinet Minister : Piyush Goyal
• Minister of State : Hardeep Singh Puri

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

India Ranks 111 in Human Freedom Index 2020

• India was ranked 111th out of 162 countries in the Human Freedom Index 2020 report released by the Cato Institute, plummeting 17 spots from its position in the last index.
• In 2019, India was ranked 94 on the index.
• The countries that ranked in the top 10 are New Zealand (8.87), Switzerland(8.82), Hong Kong(8.74), Denmark, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Estonia, and Germany and Sweden (with the last two tied in the 9th place).
• Syrian Arab Republic is the last ranked country with a human freedom score of 3.97 out of 10.

About Human Freedom Index 2020:

• The Human Freedom Index 2020, Published by the Cato Institute in the United Fraser Institute in Canada.
• The index covered 76 indicators of personal, civic and economic freedom to rank 162 countries.
• These indicators are grouped in 12 major parameters.

About Cato Institute:

• President : Peter N. Goettler (Chief Executive Officer)
• Founded : 1977
• Located at : Washington DC, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

World Bank approves $800 million project to better education quality 

• The World Bank has approved 4 india projects worth $800 million to support development initiatives.
• This is the second operation in a programmatic series of two. The first operation of USD 750 million was approved in May 2020.

The 4 Projects are :

• USD 250 million : Second Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2)
• USD 68 million :  In Nagaland, Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project
• USD 100 million : Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and Accelerated Agriculture Growth Project (CHIRAAG)
• USD 400 million : Second Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program.

Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2) :

• DRIP-2  will improve the safety and performance of existing dams across various states of India, the World Bank said, and added it will strengthen dam safety by building dam safety guidelines; bring in global experience; and introduce newer technologies.

Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project

• It will improve classroom instruction; create opportunities for the professional development of teachers; and build technology systems to provide students and teachers with more access to blended and online learning as well as allow better monitoring of policies and programs.

CHIRAAG project  :

• It will develop sustainable production systems that allow tribal households in remote areas of Chhattisgarh to practice round-the-year production of diversified and nutritious food.
• It will be implemented in the southern tribal-majority region of the state where a large population is undernourished and poor.
• The project will benefit over 180,000 households from about 1,000 villages in eight districts of Chhattisgarh.

USD 400 million Second Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Programme project:

• It will support India’s efforts at providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

RBI slaps 50 lakh fine on Urban Co-operative Bank in Kerala

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹00 lakh on The Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd in Kerala.
• This fine is for non-compliance with directions issued on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms and on Management of Advances-UCBs.
• Statutory inspection of the bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2019, conducted by RBI, revealed that the bank had not complied with the directions, the central bank stated.
• A notice was issued to the bank asking why penalty should not be imposed for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI.
• The penalty has been imposed through an order dated December 11.

About RBI:

• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Headquarters : Mumbai
• Founded: 1st April 1935, Kolkata.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS & HONOURS

PM Modi Presents ASSOCHAM Enterprise of the Century Award to Shri Ratan Tata

• Prime Minister, Narendra Modi addressed the ‘ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020’ via video conferencing on 19th December 2020.
• The theme of the programme : India’s resilience: Atmanirbhar roadmap towards a $5 trillion economy.
• Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) Foundation Week was organised from 15 to 19 December 2020.
• And also Tata will also be honored with the Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace award by the Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce on December 21.

About ASSOCHAM:

• President : Niranjan Hiranandani
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Founded : 1920

Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sanjay Dhotre presents Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards

• Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications and Electronics &IT and  Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State for Communications and Electronics & IT,  presented the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards including cash award.
• First Prize – Sreenivas Karanam of Bangalore – Rs 50,000 Second Prize – Prof. Subrat Kar of New Delhi  – Rs 30,000
• The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards scheme was launched in 2017 by DoT.
• Significance of the award : to reward the successful telecom skilled people for their special contributions  in the areas of Telecom Skilling, Telecom Services, Telecom Manufacturing, Telecom Applications in deploying telecom dependent sectoral solutions for different fields such as agriculture, commerce, health, education etc.

Indian entrepreneur named Young Champions of the Earth winners by UN environment agency

• Vidyut Mohan was one of the Young Champions of the Earth winners by United Nations Environment Programme.
• A 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur is among the seven winners of the prestigious Young Champions of the Earth 2020 prize given by the UN environment agency.
• Young Champions of the Earth is given to global change-makers using innovative ideas and ambitious action to help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
• The prize is annually awarded to 7 entrepreneurs under the age of 30.

Other Winners:

• Nzambi Matee (Kenya)
• Xiaoyuan Ren (China)
• Lefteris Arapaki’s (Greece)
• Niria Alicia Garcia
• Max Hidalgo Quinto
• Fatemah Alzelzela

About Vidyut Mohan:

• Vidyut Mohan, an engineer, is the co-founder of Takachar, a social enterprise enabling farmers to prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by converting them into value-added chemicals like activated carbon on-site.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir announces retirement from international cricket

• Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has decided to quit international cricket alleging ‘mental torture’ from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
• Amir played 30 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20Is in his international career, picking up 119, 81, and 59 wickets in the three formats respectively.
• His last appearance for Pakistan came in the T20I series against England in August earlier this year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

First Official RSS Ideologue MG Vaidya Passes Away at 97 in Nagpur

• Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue and first spokesperson of the organization, Madhav Govind Vaidya passed away. He was 97.
• MG Vaidya was an ace journalist, ex MLC, Sanskrit scholar and first official spokesperson of RSS.
• The RSS is the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),and he became a member of the RSS in 1943.
• He was also a member of Maharastra’s Legislative Council as the Governor’s nominee between 1978 and 1984.

Daily CA on Dec 19th

• Goa Liberation Day is observed on December 19 every year in India
• To commemorate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary on 23rd January, the Union Culture Ministry was planning a museum in Kolkata.
• Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs Nitin Gadkari has stated that the Government has finalised GPS-based(Global Positioning System) technology toll collection to ensure seamless movement of vehicles across the country.
• The Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad has become the first zoo in the country to receive the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certification from the Accreditation Services for Certification Bodies (ASCB), UK.
• The Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad has also become the first zoo in the country to get ISO certificate.
• Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched ‘Pareshram’ Portal along with 22 online services of Labour and Employees State Insurance Department.
• Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for 33 highway projects in Karnataka.
• Singapore’s tradition of communal dining at hawker centres, has been recognised by UNESCO for its cultural significance.
• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu has received a six months extension in his central deputation. He was due to end his second extension term on January 21 next year.
• Coming out with corrected Doing Business rankings following review of data irregularities, the World Bank has announced that China’s ranking would have been lower by seven notches in the index for 2018.
• Domestic rating agency ICRA Ratings expects the technical recession in the country’s economy to end in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal, limiting the contraction to 8% in the financial year 2021.
• The 35th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy will be conducted between December 17 and 18.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over three indigenously developed systems to Army, Navy and Air Force at a function held in Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Bhawan.
• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded with the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2020 in the Steel Sector by the Institute of Directors.
• The chairman emeritus of the Tata group Ratan Tata will be honoured with the Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace award during the launch of the Federation of Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce’s international chapter in Dubai on December 21.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $300 million loan to upgrade rural power distribution networks to provide reliable electricity supply to consumers in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
• The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020 was announced on 17th December 2020, during a virtual event held at
• The Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formal recognition of Yogasana as a Competitive Sport.

Daily CA on Dec 20th and 21st

• International Human Solidarity Day is observed on December 20 to celebrate the unity in diversity and raise awareness about the importance of solidarity.
• Skill India has established the first Centre of Excellence for Skill Development in the Power Sector in the campus of National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurugram Haryana.
• In Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the virtual centenary celebrations of Aligarh Muslim University .
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the India-Japan Samvad Conference on December 21.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the inaugural address at the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 through video conferencing.
• In Uttar Pradesh,the  government has  launched a special campaign to curb property & land-related disputes in rural areas.
• A mega leather park will come up in Ramaipur village of Kanpur with an investment of Rs 5,850 crores. The park which is part of the mega leather cluster project is likely to create 50,000 jobs, for 5 lakh people.
• India was ranked 111th out of 162 countries in the Human Freedom Index 2020 report released by the Cato Institute, plummeting 17 spots from its position in the last index.
• In 2019, India was ranked 94 on the index.
• The World Bank has approved 4 india projects worth $800 million to support development initiatives.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹00 lakh on The Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd in Kerala.
• Prime Minister, Narendra Modi addressed the ‘ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020’ via video conferencing on 19th December 2020.
• Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications and Electronics &IT and  Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State for Communications and Electronics & IT,  presented the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards including cash award.
• In Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards First Prize – Sreenivas Karanam of Bangalore – Rs 50,000 Second Prize – Prof. Subrat Kar of New Delhi  – Rs 30,000
• Vidyut Mohan was one of the Young Champions of the Earth winners by United Nations Environment Programme.
• Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has decided to quit international cricket alleging ‘mental torture’ from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
• Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue and first spokesperson of the organization, Madhav Govind Vaidya passed away. He was 97.