Daily Current Affairs December 25 2021 | Latest News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Consumer Rights Day- Dec 24:

• December 24 is celebrated annually in India as National Consumer Rights Day, also called National Consumer Day, to commemorate December 24, 1986, when the Consumer Protection Act received assent of the President of India.
• The purpose of the day is to make consumers aware of their rights and responsibilities.
• The Union government, in partnership with the state government, conducts events on consumer awareness.
• The National Consumer Rights Day was observed for the first time in 1986 under the Consumer Protection Act.
• It’s different from World Consumer Day, which is celebrated annually on March 15.
• The Consumer Protection Act came into force in 1986.
• In 2019, the Consumer Protection Act 1986 was revised. Later, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution announced the CPA 2019 bill put to effect on July 20, 2020.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Govt extends Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till March 2022:

• Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, Centre is providing five-kilogram food grains per person per month free of cost to all beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act.
• The scheme is a food security welfare scheme that was envisaged by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide assistance and help mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19.
• The Government in March last year had announced the distribution of additional food grains free-of-cost to about 80 Crore National Food Security Act beneficiaries.
• The government will be incurring an expenditure of nearly two lakh 60 thousand crore rupees on Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana.
• Last month, Union Cabinet had approved the extension for this scheme for a period of another four-month, till March 2022.

About PMGKY:

• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is a food security welfare scheme announced by the Government of India in March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
• PM Modi Cabinet Anurag Thakur Extends PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till March 2022.

Union Minister Arjun Munda launches ‘TRIFED Van Dhan’ a Pictorial Chronicle of Tribal grit and enterprise:

• Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Arjun Munda has launched ‘TRIFED Van Dhan’, a Pictorial Chronicle of Tribal grit and enterprise.
• It documents the work done for the promotion of tribal enterprise in the country and the achievements of tribal entrepreneurs under the Van Dhan Vikas Yojana.
• He also launched the formation of 14 Honey Farmer Producer Organizations, MIS Portal for MSP for Minor Forest Produces, communication campaign SAMVAAD and promotional videos for promoting TRIBES INDIA.
• Centre is reaching out to tribals through a multidimensional work plan for their upliftment.
• He stressed the need for effective connection and communication with tribal community.
• The launch of MIS portal will ensure ready availability of procurement data that can help in effective decision making and enhancing overall transparency.
• Arjun Munda inaugurates 14 Honey Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) of TRIFED:
• Initiatives included the launch of the TRIFED VanDhan Chronicle, an in-depth resource on the Van Dhan Yojana and TRIFED’s activities in this important scheme; 9 promotional videos on TRIBES INDIA, TRIFOOD, MSP for MFP and Van Dhan Yojana made by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and 14 Honey Farmer Producer Organisations.
• In addition, UNICEF and TRIFED signed an MoU on Tribal Samvaad Network.
• Beekeeping activity has been recognized as one of the important activities by Govt of India for its promotion and development to achieve “Sweet Revolution” in the endeavor of enhancing income of farmers.
• A central scheme titled “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)” was launched to ensure economies of scale for farmers over the next five years.
• The National Bee Board (NBB), under the National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NHBM), has planned to develop the scientific bee-keeping value chain for honey across 100 clusters in the country.
• In continuation with its partnership with UNICEF, TRIFED rolled out a campaign “Covid teeka sangh, Surakshit van, dhan udyam” which was aimed at accelerating Covid-19 vaccination in tribal communities.
• The focus of the campaign is on three key Js i.e., Jeevan (Life), Jeevika (Livelihood) and Jaagrookta (Awareness and the mantra of the campaign was “Samvad se Sambandh.”
• It had been launched by. Minister of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO and is being currently rolled out in 100 tribal districts across India.

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Signing of agreements with KFW, Germany for energy reform programme, Madhya Pradesh:

• The Government of India and the German Development Bank – KFW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) has signed agreements for Euro 140 million reduced interest loan and Euro 2 million grant for Energy Reform Programme, Madhya Pradesh.
• Shri Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, signed the agreements on behalf of Government of India and Dr. Juergen Welschof, Head of Division, Energy, South Asia signed for KFW.
• The project comprises of 2 components namely, implementation of smart meters & Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI); and, separation of agriculture & non-agriculture feeders.
• The Project will contribute to a more stable, secure and climate and environmentally friendly energy supply in India by upgrading and strengthening distribution networks in Madhya Pradesh.
• It will contribute to an effective, technically and economically efficient as well as socially and ecologically sustainable energy supply.

7 new Internet Exchanges launched by MoS (Electronics & IT) Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar and MoS( Law & Justice) in Uttar Pradesh:

• Rajeev Chandrasekhar– Minister of State, Electronics and Information Technology, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India along with SP Singh Baghel, Minister of State (Law & Justice) and Anil Kumar Jain CEO, NIXI inaugurated the 7 new internet exchange nodes in multiple cities of UP, the main event was held in Agra.
• The inauguration of these new internet exchanges of NIXI in India will help in enhancing and improving the quality of Internet and Broadband services in Uttar Pradesh and nearby regions, as well as the internet provided by them, will bring about a transformation in the lives of the people of Uttar Pradesh.
• NIXI’s 7 new Internet Exchange nodes are bound to give impetus to the Internet ecosystem in the state.
• This launch will impact almost every sector of the state, ranging from health, education. agriculture, startup ecosystem to MSMEs & other business verticals.
• This development will set up a robust foundation for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & IoT in Uttar Pradesh.
• Accessibility & convenience will increase for citizens in terms of availing government benefits, improving quality of life. Everyone in the state will benefit from the opening of seven Internet exchanges.

About NIXI:

• National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization working since 2003 for spreading internet technology to the citizens of India through the following activities: –
• • Internet Exchanges through which the internet data is exchanged amongst ISPs and between ISPs and CDNs.
• • Selling, managing and operating of IN country-code domain and भारत IDN domain for India.
• Selling, managing and operating Internet protocol (IPv4/IPv6) as authorised by APNIC, Australia.

Nitin Gadkari inaugurates and lays foundation stone of National Highway projects of 240 Km worth Rs.9119 crore in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh:

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated and laid foundation stone of National Highway projects of 240 Km worth Rs.9119 crore in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.
• Inaugurating and laying of foundation stone for 6 National Highway projects in Meerut with a total cost of Rs.8,364 crore Shri Gadkari, with these projects it will be easy for the farmers of the area to take their crops to the market, which will lead to their economic upliftment.
• The foundation Stone Laying and Inauguration of 3 National Highway Projects worth Rs 755 Crore in Muzaffarnagar Shri Gadkari emphasized on welfare of farmers by leveraging technology and research for economic prosperity.
• He stressed on the importance of Ethanol, Hydrogen and other bio-fuels for overall progress, self-sufficiency and sustainable development.
• Gadkari also launched first Intelligent Transport system (ITS) on 6 Lane Eastern Peripheral Expressway at Dasna, Ghaziabad.
• This revolutionary state of the art technology will achieve traffic efficiency by minimizing traffic problems, efficient infrastructure usage, enriching users with prior information about traffic and reduce travel time as well as enhance safety and comfort of commuters.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

Government of India & European Investment Bank sign finance contract for first tranche loan of Euro 250 million for Agra Metro Rail project:

• The Government of India (GoI) and European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a Finance Contract for first tranche loan of Euro 250 million for Agra Metro Rail Project.
• Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Edvardas Bumstein as jointly with Mr. Roger Stuart, Head of Divisions on behalf of European Investment Bank (EIB) signed the loan document in New Delhi and in Brussels respectively.
• Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had inaugurated construction work of Agra Metro project in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, last year through video conference.
• EIB had approved a total loan of Euro 450 million to fund the Agra Metro Rail Project.
• The project aims to provide safe, reliable, affordable and environment friendly public Mass Rapid Transit System for Agra city which will improve mobility and support endeavour for planned urban development in Agra.
• The financing from EIB will help to fund construction of 29.4 km metro corridor comprises of Corridor-1 from Sikandara to Taj East Gate and Corridor-2 from Agra Cantt to Kalindi Vihar in the Agra City.
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is the Government of India’s line ministry for this Project and Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (UPMRCL) is the implementing agency.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

REC signs agreement with KfW Development Bank to finance Power Sector and Renewable Energy Projects:

• REC Limited has entered into an agreement with KfW Development Bank for availing ODA term loan of USD 169.5 million under Indo-German Bilateral Partnership in accordance with the approval granted by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India.
• Proceeds of ODA loan will be deployed for part financing of innovative Solar PV Technology based generation Projects in India at competitive interest rates.
• This is the fifth credit line signed between REC Limited and KfW for financing of Power Sector Projects and third credit line for financing of Renewable Energy Projects.
• REC is continuously re-shaping its policies to align with market requirements and developing financial solutions and mechanisms that create scalable and effective ways of channelizing both Private and Public investments in the Renewable Energy space.
• As a testament to this, REC offers the lowest interest rates to renewable energy sector among all the segments being financed by the corporation.

BelfricsBT MoU with Chennai City Football Club:

• Blockchain platform BelfricsBT has announced that it has signed an MoU with Chennai City Football Club and KPR Info Solution to develop a first-of-its-kind hybrid blockchain solution for sports persons and club management.
• Belfrics is one of the leading global blockchain technology firms and cryptocurrency exchanges focussed on making the cryptocurrency technology effortless and accessible to all.
• BelfricsBT is the blockchain technology division of Belfrics.
• BelfricsBT will work with CCFC, which will be the knowledge partner and first adaptor of the solution.
• With this business inputs, BelfricsBT will architect the blockchain solution as the technology partner.
• Sports clubs have seen a tremendous rise in India over the past five years with billion-dollar leagues in football, cricket and kabaddi.
• The global sports ecosystem open for blockchain adoption is valued at $22 billion as of 2021 of which India has a market share that is worth $796 million and we are looking at disrupting this sector with the help of our innovative blockchain solution

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

IFFCO-TOKIO General Insurance appoints HO Suri as MD and CEO

• On Dec 22, 2021, Private sector IFFCO-TOKIO General Insurance appointed H O Suri as new managing director and Chief Executive Officer.
• The appointment is effective October 1, 2021.

About HO Suri :

• Suri, who was the Financial Advisor, head, internal audit & legal at the insurer, began his professional journey in 1982 with Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO).
• He is a chartered accountant by profession & he is one of the founder-members of IFFCO-TOKIO General Insurance Company in 2000.

About IFFCO-TOKIO General Insurance Company :

• CEO: Anamika Roy Rashtrawar
• Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
• Founded: 2000
• It is a joint venture between the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited (IFFCO), which is the world’s largest fertilizer manufacturer, and Tokio Marine Group, which is one of the largest insurance groups in Japan.
• The firm offers retail products like motor, health, travel, home and personal accident insurance and corporate insurance products.

About IFFCO :

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 3 November 1967
• Chairman : Dileep Sanghani
• MD & CEO : Dr. U.S Awasthi

About Tokio Marine Holdings :

• Founded: 1879
• Headquarters: Chiyoda City, Tokyo, Japan
• Chairman of the Board : Shuzo Sumi
• President & Group CEO : Satoru Komiya

Justice SK Mishra Appointed As Acting Chief Justice Of Uttarakhand HC

• The Centre notified the appointment of Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra as the Acting Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court (as per Article 223 of the Constitution of India 1949) with effect from December 24.
• He was appointed following the retirement of Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan, Chief Justice, Uttarakhand High Court.
• Sanjaya Kumar Mishra is the senior most Judge of the High Court.
• The notification issued under the signature of Rajendra Kashyap, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Law and Justice, has been received in the Uttarakhand High Court.

About Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra :

• He Became Additional District and Sessions Judge in Jaipur District Court in 1999.
• He also worked as District & Sessions Judge, Sundergarh, Dhenkanal, Special Judge (CBI), Bhubaneswar and joined as Registrar General of Orissa High Court.
• In October 2021 , Justice Mishra was transferred from the Orissa High Court to the Uttarakhand High Court.

About Ministry of Law and Justice :

• Union Minister : Kiren Rijiju
• Minister of State : S. P. Singh Baghel

About Uttarakhand :

• Governor: Gurmit Singh
• Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
• National Parks : Corbeet National Park, Nanda Devi National Park, Valley of Flowers National Park, Rajaji National Park, Gangotri National Park, Govind National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Binog Mountain Quail Wildlife Sanctuary, Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS

IBSi-Global Fintech Innovation Awards 2021 – Vayana Network and Federal Bank bag the ‘Most Effective Bank-Fintech Partnership’

• Vayana Network and Federal Bank, a leading Private Sector Bank have been awarded the ‘Most Effective Bank-Fintech Partnership: Agile and Adaptable’ at the IBSi-Global Fintech Innovation Awards 2021.
• The award was conferred in recognition of Vayana Network’s partnership with Federal Bank, for automating and simplifying Supply Chain Finance.
• Federal Bank partnered with Vayana Network to provide a seamless on-boarding experience to dealers through their unique ‘Full Stack’ tech infrastructure.
• The facilitates end to end digital solution including client supply chain account set up, monitoring, digital authentication of documents on the transaction platform and notification to customers at every step.
• It would help reduce complexities of supply chain financing and deliver tremendous value to our customers.

About IBSi-Global Fintech Innovation Awards 2021 :

• The Innovation Awards attracted global attention with over 190 participants from 48 countries.

About Vayana Network :

• Founded : 2009
• Headquarters : Pune, Maharashtra
• CEO : RN Iyer
• It is one of India’s largest trade finance platforms.

About Federal Bank :

• Headquarters: Aluva, Kochi, Kerala
• CEO: Shyam Srinivasan
• Founder: K.P Hormis
• Founded: 23 April 1931

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPS & SERVICES

Indian Army Launches ASIGMA

• On Dec 23, 2021, The Indian Army launched a contemporary messaging application named ASIGMA (Army Secure IndiGeneous Messaging Application) .
• It is a new generation, state-of-the-art, web-based application developed entirely in-house by a team of officers of the Corps of Signals of the Army.
• The application is being deployed on the Army’s internal network as a replacement of Army Wide Area Network (AWAN) messaging application which has been in service for the past 15 years.

About ASIGMA :

• The application has been fielded on Army-owned hardware and lends itself to lifetime support with future upgrades.
• It is designed to meet all futuristic requirements for the army and boasts of an enhanced user experience.
• The app offers basics such as group chats, video and image sharing, voice notes, and more.
• It has a variety of contemporary features including multi-level security, message prioritisation and tracking, dynamic global address book and various options to meet the Army’s requirements.
• It will meet real-time data transfer and messaging requirements of the Army, especially in the ba jickdrop of the current geopolitical-security environment.

About Ministry of Defence :

• Defence Minister : Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
• Secretary : Dr. Ajay Kumar

About Indian Army :

• Founded: 1 April 1895, India
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Motto(s): Service Before Self
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
• Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee : General Manoj Mukund Naravane
• Chief of the Army Staff : General Manoj Mukund Naravane
• Vice Chief of the Army Staff : Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Rajnath Singh unveils indigenous “Multi-terrain Artillery Gun” (MArG)

• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched indigenous Multi-terrain Artillery Gun (MArG) 155 – BR in the presence of Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
• In line with the Government’s Make-in-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission, it is developed by Indian Multinational Company Bharat Forge Limited.

About MArG 155–BR :

• It is the only 155mm 39 calibre gun system mounted on 4×4 HMV in the world.
• The vehicle weighs 18 ton and has the capability to be deployed even in mountain regions.
• The gun system is equipped with shoot and scoot capability, providing advanced technical performance and high integration
• Gradient negotiation: 30 degrees (called a “go anywhere gun”)
• Capable of firing complete NATO standard and in service ammunition
• On board ammunition carrying capacity: 18 rounds with Zone 5
• Coming into action time: 1.5 minute in day and 2 minute in night

About Bharat Forge Limited :

• Founded: 1961
• Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Baba Kalyani

Security of Offshore Assets reviewed during exercise “Prasthan”

• The security of the Offshore Development Area (ODA) in Krishna Godavari Basin on the East Coast of India was reviewed during exercise “Prasthan” conducted from 21 December to 22 December 21.
• The biannual exercise was coordinated and controlled by NOIC (APD) from Joint Operations Centre (JOC) Vizag under the aegis of Indian Navy.
• The exercise was conducted for a duration of 24 hours to cater for multiple contingencies that can be expected in all scenarios including simulating an evacuation by helo in dark hours.

Aim :

• To assess overall security architecture to provide support during an emergent situation at ODA and for the Oil Operators to validate their Standard Operating Procedures laid out for various contingencies related to ODA.
• Indian Naval Ships Kamorta, Tarmugli along with ISVs, T 36, T 38, T 39 and ICG ship Kanaklata Barua participated in the exercise along with MARCOS from INS Karna and naval helicopters from INS Dega.
• Oil Operators namely ONGC Ltd, Reliance Ltd & Vedanta Ltd, Coastal Police, Department of Port and Department of Fisheries also participated.

DRDO successfully conducts Flight-Test of Indigenous Aerial Target ‘Abhyas’

• On Dec 23, 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast, Odisha.
• It has been developed by DRDO’s Bengaluru-based laboratory- Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).
• During the flight trial, High subsonic speed trajectory at a very low altitude with high endurance was demonstrated.
• Two boosters provided initial acceleration during launch and a small turbo jet engine is used to sustain high subsonic speed with long endurance.
• The indigenous data link designed by Bengaluru based Industry partner has been successfully flown and tested during the flight.
• The performance of the system during the entire flight duration has been confirmed from the data captured by various Range instruments.
• The aircraft is controlled from a ground based controller and an indigenously developed MEMS based Inertial Navigation System along with the Flight Control Computer which helps it to follow the pre-designated path in a fully autonomous mode.

About DRDO :

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 1958
• Chairman : Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
• Defence Minister : Rajnath Singh

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar releases the book “Spices Statistics at a Glance 2021”

• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has released the book titled Spices Statistics at a Glance 2021’.
• The book is published by the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development (DASD), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

Note :

• DASD is the nodal agency for collection and compilation of area and production estimates of spices at the National level.

About the Book :

• The book is a compendium of all the spices statistics like area, production, productivity, export, import, price and value of output of various spices produced in the country.
• It highlights the growth achieved in the spices sector during the last seven years from 2014-15 to 2020-21 in the country.
• The book deals with the fact that the spice production in the Country has grown from over 67 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 to over 106 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 with an annual growth rate of 7.9 percent.
• The spectacular growth of spices witnessed in the country is due to the various development programmes implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare like MIDH, RKVY, PKVY, PMKSY, etc.

Key points about export of spices :

• Among the major spices, Cumin (14.8%), Garlic (14.7%), Ginger (7.5%), Fennel (6.8%), Coriander (6.2%), fenugreek (5.8%), Red chili (4.2%) and Turmeric (1.3 %), show significant growth rate in production.
• The growth of spices export which grew from 8.94 lakh tons worth Rs 14900 crores to 16 lakh tons valued at Rs 29535 crores (US$ 3.98 billion) during the above period, logging an annual growth rate of 9.8% in terms of volume and 10.5% in terms of value.
• The export of spices contributes 41% of the total export earnings from all horticulture crops in the country and it ranks fourth among agricultural commodities, falling behind only the marine products, non-basmati rice and basmati rice.

About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare :

• Founded: 1947
• Union Minister : Narendra Singh Tomar
• Minister of State : Shobha Karandlaje, Kailash Choudhary

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Asian Champions Trophy 2021: India clinches bronze in men’s hockey team 

• Indian men’s hockey team won the bronze medal at Asian Champions Trophy 2021 after beating Pakistan 4-3 in a third-place play-off match.
• South Korea won their first Asian Champions Trophy title by defeating Japan 4–2.
• Goal-strikers from India- Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Varun Kumar, Akashdeep Singh
• Goal-strikers from Pakistan- Arfraz, Abdul Rana, Ahmed Nadeem

About 2021 Men’s Asian Champions Trophy :

• The 2021 Men’s Asian Champions Trophy was the sixth edition of the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy, a men’s field hockey tournament for the six best Asian national teams organized by the Asian Hockey Federation.
• It was held at the Mawlana Bhashani Hockey Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• Champions : South Korea
• Runner up : Japan
• Top Scorer : Jang Jong-hyun
• Best Players : Kenta Tanaka
• Best Goalkeeper : Suraj Karkera
• Man of the Match- Manpreet Singh

About Asian Hockey Federation :

• President: Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah
• Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• The Asian Hockey Federation is the governing body for the sport of field hockey in Asia.
• It now has 31 member associations. It is affiliated to the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

UNION GOVERNMENT SCHEME

Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan

Launched On:

Sarva shiksha abhiyan is an Indian government program launched in 2001 by the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpeyi.

Ministry Involved:

The program is under Department of Education, Ministry of HRD.

Current education minister – Dharmendra Pradhan

Objective:

SSA’s core objective is to attain UEE in the Country. Its overall goals include universal access and retention, bridging of gender and social category gaps in education and enhancement of learning levels of Children. These objectives are met with specific interventions, that are aligned to the legally mandated norms and standards and free entitlements mandated by the Right to Education Act, 2009 and the Model Rules issued from time to time.

Infrastructure- Open new schools in habitations which do not have schooling facilities

Strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water Human Resource s

Provision of additional teachers

Strengthening capacity of existing teachers by training, developing teaching-learning materials

Strengthening of the academic support structure at a cluster, block and district level Quality Improvement

Provision of quality elementary education including life skills

Special focus on girl’s education and children with special needs

Provide computer education to bridge the digital divide District .

Theme :

SSA is termed as an ‘Education for All’ mov

Convergence Of Programmes Of Other Ministries With SSA

Target Group:

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is the Government of India’s flagship program for achieving Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time-bound manner, as required by the 86th amendment to the Indian Constitution, which makes free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 years a Fundamental Right.

About  The Scheme :

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is Government of India’s flagship programme for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time bound manner, as mandated by 86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory Education to the Children of 6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right.

Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India (GoI) anchors the SSA Programme.

The SSA has been operational since 2000-2001.

With passage of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 20091 changes are incorporated into SSA approach, strategy and also norms.

SSA is being implemented by the Central and State Governments funding and cover the entire country.

Currently, through SSA around 192 million children of 1.1 million habitations are served.

People participation is the base for success of SSA. The community participation & monitoring are encouraged by the scheme at each stage of implementation of the programme.

Daily CA On Dec 25 :

• December 24 is celebrated annually in India as National Consumer Rights Day, also called National Consumer Day, to commemorate December 24, 1986, when the Consumer Protection Act received assent of the President of India.
• Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, Centre is providing five-kilogram food grains per person per month free of cost to all beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act.
• Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Arjun Munda has launched ‘TRIFED Van Dhan’, a Pictorial Chronicle of Tribal grit and enterprise.
• The Government of India and the German Development Bank – KFW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) has signed agreements for Euro 140 million reduced interest loan and Euro 2 million grant for Energy Reform Programme, Madhya Pradesh.
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar– Minister of State, Electronics and Information Technology, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India along with SP Singh Baghel, Minister of State (Law & Justice) and Anil Kumar Jain CEO, NIXI inaugurated the 7 new internet exchange nodes in multiple cities of UP, the main event was held in Agra.
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated and laid foundation stone of National Highway projects of 240 Km worth Rs.9119 crore in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.
• The Government of India (GoI) and European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a Finance Contract for first tranche loan of Euro 250 million for Agra Metro Rail Project.
• REC Limited has entered into an agreement with KfW Development Bank for availing ODA term loan of USD 169.5 million under Indo-German Bilateral Partnership in accordance with the approval granted by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India.
• Blockchain platform BelfricsBT has announced that it has signed an MoU with Chennai City Football Club and KPR Info Solution to develop a first-of-its-kind hybrid blockchain solution for sports persons and club management.
• On Dec 22, 2021, Private sector IFFCO-TOKIO General Insurance appointed H O Suri as new managing director and Chief Executive Officer.
• The Centre notified the appointment of Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra as the Acting Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court (as per Article 223 of the Constitution of India 1949) with effect from December 24.
• Vayana Network and Federal Bank, a leading Private Sector Bank have been awarded the ‘Most Effective Bank-Fintech Partnership: Agile and Adaptable’ at the IBSi-Global Fintech Innovation Awards 2021.
• On Dec 23, 2021, The Indian Army launched a contemporary messaging application named ASIGMA (Army Secure IndiGeneous Messaging Application) .
• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched indigenous Multi-terrain Artillery Gun (MArG) 155 – BR in the presence of Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
• The security of the Offshore Development Area (ODA) in Krishna Godavari Basin on the East Coast of India was reviewed during exercise “Prasthan” conducted from 21 December to 22 December 21.
• On Dec 23, 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast, Odisha.
• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has released the book titled Spices Statistics at a Glance 2021’ & the book is published by the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development (DASD), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
• Indian men’s hockey team won the bronze medal at Asian Champions Trophy 2021 after beating Pakistan 4-3 in a third-place play-off match.