Current Affairs 5 December 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 5 December 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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Top 25 Current Affairs of 5 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

India’s Top 10 Police Stations List 2020 released during 55^th DGPs &IGPs Conference; Manipur’s Nongpok Sekmai Tops

i.On December 3, 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released the annual list of India’s Top 10 Police Stations for 2020 during the virtual 55th annual DGPs (Director Generals of Police) and IGPs (Inspector Generals of Police) conference 2020 which was attended by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Anilchandra Shah, MHA among others.
ii.The list was topped by Manipur’s Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district as the best performing police station in India. It was followed by AWPS-Suramangalam in Tamil Nadu’s Salem city and Kharsang in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district.
iii.The top 10 police stations were ranked out of 16,671 Police Stations in the country through data analysis, direct observation and public feedback.
About Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA):
Amit Anilchandra Shah Constituency– Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Ministers of State (MoS) – Gangapuram Kishan Reddy, Nityanand Rai
<<Read Full News>>

APEDA and NABARD signed MoU to Cooperate in Agriculture Activities & Implementing Agriculture Export Policy

i.On 3rd December, 2020 Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address the key interests of Agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to the stakeholders and Implementing Agriculture Export Policy (AEP).
ii.The MoU was signed virtually at the respective headquarters, by Dr. Sudhanshu, Secretary APEDA and Mr. Nilay D. Kapoor, Chief General Manager, NABARD.
Key Features of MoU:
APEDA and NABARD will cooperate in
i.Capacity development of farm related stakeholders
ii.Organising awareness programs and workshops
iii.Implement Measures to double farmers’ income by 2022
About Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA):
Chairman- Dr. M. Angamuthu
Secretary- Dr. Sudhanshu
Headquarter- New Delhi, Delhi
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
Chairman- Govinda Rajulu Chintala
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

DoS Signed 1st of its kind NDA with Agnikul Cosmos for Launch Vehicle Development Programm

i.On December 3, 2020, the Department of Space (DoS) has signed first one of its kind Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with Agnikul Cosmos Pvt. Ltd under which the latter can access the facilities and technical expertise of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its launch vehicle programme.
ii.It was signed by R Umamaheswaran, Scientific Secretary, ISRO, on behalf of DoS and Srinath Ravichandran, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Agnikul in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
iii.As a part of MoU, ISRO will provide full support to Agnikul for testing and qualifying its launch vehicle programme small rocket that can launch 100 kg satellites into low earth orbit.
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
Headquarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
ISRO Chairman & Secretary Department of Space (DoS)– Kailasavadivoo (K) Sivan
<<Read Full News>>

MoPNG Dharmendra Pradhan launches First Mobile CNG Dispensing Unit

India’s first Mobile Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Dispensing Unit was virtually launched by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) Dharmendra Pradhan. The launch is in line to reduce environmental pollution, fulfil commitment to COPE-21 climate change commitments.

Note – MNGL has taken pioneering initiative of placing Mobile Refueling Unit (MRU) for the first time in the India.

Various Other Inaugurations:

• He dedicated 5 Mahanagar Gas Ltd (MNGL) Station which takes the company’s CNG stations to one hundred.
• Commencement of Civil work in LNG/ CNG station at Pathardi, Nashik, Maharashtra
• CNG supply to busses in Nashik.
• CNG distribution through award of Mobile refuelling Unit (MRU) at Pune.

Target – To reach the figure of 10,000 CNG stations in coming 7-8 years.As of now, there is 100 CNG in India.

Key Points:
i.MoPNG Dharmendra Pradhan, announced that India’s CNG capacity has jumped from 1300 in 2014 to nearly 2500 in 2019 with the launch of the 5 CNG Stations.
ii.India is committed to achieve 15% share of natural gas in the primary energy mix by 2030 for a more sustainable energy use.
About Maharashtra: 
Capital-Mumbai
Governor- Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Chief Minister– Uddhav Thackeray

Sequoia India launched ‘Sequoia Spark’ in association with WEP to Promote Women Entrepreneurs

On 3rd December, 2020 Equity financing firm Sequoia India partnered with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), to promote women entrepreneurship in India.In line with this partnership, Sequoia India, launched a year long Programme, ‘Sequoia Spark’, in association with WEP for women entrepreneurs in India and Southeast Asia.
About the Sequoia Spark Programme:
i.Under this Programme, Sequoia India will mentor a group of women founders to equip them with domain knowledge and skills through mentorship sessions with investors and business leaders.
ii.Will help women founders on their enterprise building journeys by launching a new capacity- building program to impart sound financial knowledge and develop fundraising skills.
About WEP:
i.Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), established during the 8th Annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad, by NITI Aayog in partnership with the Government of USA.
ii.Launched in March 2018, has signed a Statement of Intent  (SOI) with more than 30 companies.
About NITI Aayog:
National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, the think tank of India was established in 1st January, 2015
Chairman- PM Narendra Modi
Vice Chairman- Rajiv Kumar
CEO- Amitabh Kant
About Sequoia India:
Sequoia Capital is an American Venture Capital firm, which invests in both public and private companies.
Established in India in 2000, has branches at Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi
Managing Director- Rajan Anandan

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu virtually releases Postage Stamp in honour of late Prime Minister of India, I K Gujral

On December 4, 2020, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu virtually released a commemorative Postage Stamp in honour of the Late Prime Minister of India & Freedom Fighter, I K Gujral (Inder Kumar Gujral).
Key Persons-Naresh Gujral, Member of Parliament, B. Selvakumar, Chief Postmaster General-Tamil Nadu Circle, Sumathi Ravichandran, PostMaster General, Chennai City Region participated in the virtual event.
About I K Gujral:
i.I K Gujral was the 12th Prime Minister of India, he served as the Prime Minister from April 1997-March 1998.
ii.He was born in Jhelum, Punjab (now in Pakistan) in 1919.
iii.During his tenure as India’s External Affairs Minister, I K Gujral laid a set of five principles – ‘Gujral Doctrine’ to guide the conduct of foreign relations with India’s immediate neighbours.
iv.He passed away in 2012 due to a lung infection.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

5th Presidium Meeting of the BRICS Media Forum 2020 Conducted Virtually to Combat Disinformation

On November 30, 2020 Executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum He Ping, also president and editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, presides over the “5th Presidium Meeting of the BRICS Media Forum 2020″ was held virtually.The countries exchanged information from the economic issues to public health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic
The focus point of discussion was “virus of disinformation” in the era of pandemic.
Key highlights of 5th Presidium Meeting of the BRICS Media Forum-2020:
Participants- Heads of five leading news organisations from BRICS countries addressed virtually as the co-chairpersons of the forum , they are

• N.Ram, Director of The Hindu group, India
• He Ping, President of Xinhua news agency, China
• Jose Juan Sanchez, President of CMA Group, Brazil
• Sergey Kochetkov, Deputy Editor-in-chief of Rossiya Segodnya, Russia
• Iqbal Surve, Executive Chairman of Independent Media, South Africa

Problems Discussed:
i.India, Brazil and Russia among the five highest number of confirmed cases discussed on the common thread, the growing problem of disinformation or “fake news” during the pandemic
ii.They discussed on the rise of disinformation spread globally through technology platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google, WhatsApp and Instagram becoming threat to the reliable mainstream media
Possible Solution:

• Strengthening media information exchanges
• Conducting workshops and training journalists
• Implementing specialised fact-checking mechanism through Artificial Intelligence (AI)

About BRICS Media Forum:
Aim- To promote the exchange of cultural, trade and economic among BRICS nations by deepening the media corporations.
Started in 2015, on the proposal made by Xinhua News Agency of China and jointly initiated with mainstream media from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.
About BRICS:

• Formed in 2009, with 5 member countries viz, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• 2020 Presidency- Russia.
• India Succeeds Russia as BRICS chair for the year 2021
• Russia under its current Presidency hosted the 12th BRICS summit with the theme “BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth”.

2020 set to be among one of the Three Warmest Year Ever Recorded: WMO’s State of the Global Climate 2020

According to the “State of the Global Climate 2020” Interim report released by the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) based on the temperature data from January-October (of 2020), the year 2020 is set to be among one of the Three Warmest Years Ever recorded.2020 becomes the 2nd warmest year followed by 2016.
Key Points:
i.The past six years (2015-2020) are set to make up all six of the hottest years since modern records began in 1850.
ii.The Global mean temperature for January-October 2020 was 1.2 Degree Celsius.
iii.Approximately 152 Gigatonnes (Gt) of ice were lost between September 2019 and August 2020 in Greenland ice sheets.
iv.Global sea-level rise in 2020 is similar to 2019 continuing the general decreasing trend.
About World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
President – Gerhard Adrian
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

MoPNG Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan virtually represents India at 7th IEF-IGU Ministerial Gas Forum 2020

On December 4, 2020, Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), Dharmendra Pradhan represented India at the Virtual Ministerial Roundtable of 7th IEF-IGU (International Energy Forum-International Gas Union) Ministerial Gas Forum held from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Forum was hosted by the Government of Malaysia and was inaugurated by Muhyiddin Yassin, Prime Minister of Malaysia.
i.It is a Biennial event and is being held Online for the First Time.
ii.The Theme of the Forum – “Towards Recovery and Shared Prosperity: Natural Gas Opportunities for a Sustainable World”.
iii.Dharmendra Pradhan emphasized the cooperation between Natural Gas Producing and Consuming Nations to utilize the opportunities presented by the Pandemic.
iv.He cited the example of Gujarat, which has 25% of share of natural gas in the primary energy mix with 6.3 % at the national level.
About International Energy Forum (IEF):
There are 70 members in IEF
Secretary General – Joseph McMonigle
Headquarters – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
About International Gas Union (IGU):
President – Joe M. Kang
Headquarters – Barcelona, Spain
<<Read Full News>>

Fossil Fuel Production to Exceed Climate Targets: Production Gap Report, 2020

i.In accordance with the report titled “The Production Gap, 2020” produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) the world is planning an average annual increase of 2% for coal, oil, and gas production in 2030 as against the requirement of fossil fuel reduction by around 6% per year between 2020 and 2030 to attain warming target of 1.5°C.
ii.The basis of future fossil fuel production assessment is the recently published energy plans by eight key countries that produce 60% of the world’s fossil fuels: Australia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Norway, Russia and the United States (US).
iii.Reminder: Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, member nations have committed to a long-term goal of limiting average temperature rise to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and then further limit to 1.5C.
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director of UNEP – Inger Andersen
Headquarters– Nairobi, Kenya.
<<Read Full News>>

India hosts the 1st SCO-YSC 2020;Minister of Science & Technology, Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the conclave

Union Minister for Science & Technology, Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the 5 day 1st SCO-YSC 2020 (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – Young Scientists Conclave) held virtually from November 24-28, 2020 as an integral part of SCO Young Scientists Forum (SCO YSF). India is the Host and Organizer of the Forum.
The Theme of the conclave was “Shaping SCO-STI (Science, Technology and Innovation) Partnership:Young Scientists Perspectives”.
Objective:
The Main aim of the forum was to provide opportunity to the youth in SCO member states to interact, network and collaborate with their counterparts to address challenges in Science & Technology.
Key Points:
i.The young scientists shared their ideas in the areas of

• Agriculture and Food Processing
• Sustainable energy and energy storage
• Biotechnology and Bioengineering
• Combating COVID-19 and emerging pandemics through Research and Innovation
• Environmental protection and natural resource management

ii.The conclave was attended by 200 participants which included 67 Young scientists & Students from SCO member states. Indian Participants will participate in the forum from CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad .
iii.A fellowship program for young scientists allowing exchange of students and early career researchers were proposed in the forum.
iv.The Union Minister called for Scientists to ‘Innovate, Patent, Produce & Prosper’ for rapid development of countries.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
Secretary-General – Vladimir Norov
Headquarters – Beijing, China
Member Countries– 8 Countries -India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia,Tajikistan & Uzbekistan.
Observer Countries – 4 Countries -Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia.

Pandemic has pushed 32 Million People into Extreme Poverty in LDCs : UNCTAD Report 2020

According to “The Least Developed Countries Report 2020: Productive Capacities for the New Decade” released by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), Pandemic has pushed around 32 Million People into Extreme Poverty in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Highlights of the Report:
i.Due to the Pandemic 32 million people live on less than USD 1.90 per day.
ii.According to the report, this is the worst economic performance of 47 countries in LDCs since the Third-World debt crisis of 1980s.
iii.The combined merchandise trade deficit of the LDCs is expected to exceed 2019’s value of USD 91 Billion.
iv.Pandemic has further worsened the falling income levels, widespread unemployment and widening fiscal deficits.
v.Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, LDCs GDP fall by 2.6 per cent in FY-21.
vi.Extreme poverty rates in these countries will rise from 32.5 per cent to 35.7.
Analysis of Countries:
These are measured on Three Criterias – Per Capita income, Human Assets Index (HAI), economic and environmental vulnerability index.
The full report can be accessed here.
Note: – The List of LDCs in Asian Region are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Yemen.
About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
Secretary General –  Mukhisa Kituyi
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland

BANKING & FINANCE

Fiscal Deficit Reached 119.7% of Annual Budget Target of FY21 in Oct 2020: CGA Data

i.In accordance with the official data released by Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the Central Government’s fiscal deficit increased to Rs 9.53 lakh crore (9,53,154 crore), or 119.7%  of the annual budget estimate of FY21, at the end of October 2020. It was 114.8% of the annual budget estimate at the end of September 2020. Also, in the first 7 months of the FY20, the deficit was at 102.4% of the annual target.
ii.The key reason behind this increase is poor revenue realisation due to lockdown imposed to curb COVID-19.
iii.It should be noted that for FY21 the government had set the fiscal deficit at Rs 7.96 lakh crore or 3.5% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in February 2020.
About Controller General of Accounts (CGA):
CGA– Soma Roy Burman
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Finance
<<Read Full News>>

PayNearby in partnership with NPCI & YES Bank Launched “PayNearby shopping card” for Retailers

i.India’s largest Hyperlocal fintech startup, PayNearby Technologies Pvt. Ltd., in collaboration with YES Bank and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched the “PayNearby shopping card” powered by RuPay for its retail partners to provide maximum benefits of e-commerce in a risk-free mode over mass market category.
ii.The maximum wallet balance of the card is upto Rs. 1 Lakh and can be used for transactions upto Rs. 5 lakh monthly and Rs. 25 lakhs annually.
iii.Among its features, the user can lock/unlock the card digitally and can also get a summary of the transaction statement to keep their spending under check.
About PayNearby Technologies Pvt. Ltd:
It is a Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Certified Fintech Company registered under The Startup India program of Government of India (GoI).
Establishment– 2016
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Anand Kumar Bajaj
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Yes Bank:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Prashant Kumar
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Experience our expertise
<<Read Full News>>

Axis Bank in Partnership with Rupifi and Visa Launches ‘Axis Bank Rupifi Business Credit Card’ for MSMEs

i.On December 3, 2020 Axis bank Ltd in partnership with Rupifi and Visa launched  ‘Axis Bank Rupifi Business Credit Card’ for MSMEs(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).
ii.This Contactless Co-Branded credit card, powered by Visa is applicable only to the MSMEs businesses that transact on the aggregator platforms partnered with Rupifi PAN India for their business purchases.
iii.The card offers credit solutions to such MSMEs. It is only for domestic transactions.
About Axis Bank:
It is 3rd largest private sector bank in India
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)–  Amitabh Chaudhry
Tagline– Badhti Ka naam Zindagi
Commenced operations– 1994(Incorporated- 1993)
About Rupifi:
Co-Founder and CEO– Anubhav Jain
Headquarters-Bengaluru(Bangalore), Karnataka
<<Read Full News>>

CREDAI-MCHI Partners with SBI, Google & BookMyShow for India’s Biggest Real-Estate Expo

On 4th December 2020, CREDAI-MCHI partnered with State Bank of India, Google and BookMyShow for the first virtual edition of India’s largest real-estate expo from 4th December 2020 to 13th December 2020. This collaboration between CREDAI-MCHI, SBI Google & BookMyShow is the first of its kind in the Real Estate sector.
About the Partnership:
i.As a part of the collaboration, SBI will ease the transaction between the developers and homebuyers and offer competitive home loan rates and quick processing of loan applications.
ii.The association of CREDAI-MCHI with Google as its digital partner will enable a more strategic and targeted approach to ensure the presence of genuine homebuyers at the virtual expo.
iii.The expo will use the technical expertise of google to reach out to the potential customers.
Virtual Real Estate Expo:
i.This virtual real estate expo will provide a platform for the developers to reach out the potential homebuyers.
ii.The expo expects the participation of 5 lakh homebuyers and 100 developers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
iii.The home buyers participating in the expo, will get access to 3D virtual tours of the preferred projects.
iv.They will also be provided with facilities like live chat, video conferencing, 24*7 helpdesk support, project materials etc.,

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Ranjitsinh Disale, Maharashtra Primary School Teacher Wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2020

i.Ranjitsinh Disale, a teacher from Zilla Parishad Primary School, Paritewadi, Solapur district in Maharashtra, India won US $1 million annual Global Teacher Prize 2020.
ii.The Prize was founded by Varkey Foundation and organised in partnership with UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).
iii.US$45,000 COVID Hero Award, supported by CVC Capital Partner was given to UK(United Kingdom)Maths teacher Jamie Frost.
iv.The Varkey Foundation  launched a new Chegg.org Global Student Prize, a US$50,000 sister prize to the Global Teacher Prize.
About Varkey Foundation:
Founder– Sunny Varkey
Head Office– UK(United Kingdom), London
<<Read Full News>>

2nd Edition of Kotak Wealth Hurun – Leading Wealthy Women 2020: Roshni Nadar Malhotra of HCL Tech Tops the List as India’s Richest Woman 

i.On 3rd December 2020, the 2nd edition of “Kotak Wealth Hurun – Leading Wealthy Women” 2020 was jointly launched by Kotak Wealth Management, a division of Kotak Mahindra Bank(Kotak) and Hurun India.
ii.Roshni Nadar Malhotra (32 years), the chairperson of HCL Technologies has topped the Kotak Wealth Hurun India 2020 and was named as India’s richest woman with a wealth of Rs.54,850 crore. 
iii.Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon Limited was named the 2nd richest women of India with a wealth of Rs.36600 crore. She is the wealthiest self-made woman on the list.
About Kotak Wealth Management:
CEO– Oisharya Das
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Hurun India:
Chairman- Rupert Hoogerwerf
Managing Director– Anas Rahman
Headquarters– Mumbai Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Shrikant Madhav Vaidya Appointed as the First Vice President of WLPGA

Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was appointed as the first Vice President of the World Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (WLPGA), an authoritative voice of the LPG industry across the globe which represents the complete LPG value chain.
About Shrikant Madhav Vaidya:
i.Shrikant Madhav Vaidya prior to his appointment as the chairman of IOC in July 2020 he served as the director(Refineries) of IOC since 2019.
ii.He also serves as the Chairman of the Chennai Petroleum Corporation, a standalone refining subsidiary of IOC.
iii.He is also the chairman of Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd.
iv.He is also a Director at the board of Petronet LNG Limited.
v.He has led various refinery expansion and petrochemical projects and he has guided the timely rollout of BS-VI grade auto fuels across India and expanded the green energy offerings of the Corporation with projects related to biofuels and 2G/3G ethanol-blended fuels at its refineries.
About World LPG Association:
President– Henry Cubbon
Headquarters– Paris, France

Defence Ministry approves Creation of 2 New posts – Deputy Chief for Military Operations & Strategic Planning, DG Information Warfare

On December 3, 2020, As part of reorganisation of Army Headquarters, Defence Ministry approved the Creation of 2 New Posts – Deputy Chief for Military Operations & Strategic Planning & Director General (DG) of Information Warfare. The Deputy Chief (for Military Operations & Strategic Planning) will be the 3rd post of Deputy Chief in the Indian Army.
i.Deputy Chief for Military Operations & Strategic Planning will deal with military operations, military intelligence, strategic planning and operational logistics.
ii.Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt General Paramjit Singh is set to become the First Deputy Chief of Army Staff for Military Operations & Strategic Planning.
iii.Director General of Information Warfare will cater to the needs of future battlefield, hybrid warfare and social media realities additionally they would deal with media affairs.
iv.The recommendation for creation of new posts were made based on results of Four Studies Institutes by Indian Army in 2018.
About Indian Army:
Chief of Defence Staff – General Bipin Rawat
Commander-in-Chief of Indian Armed Forces – President of India (Ram Nath Kovind)
<<Read Full News>>

Akshay Kumar Becomes Brand Ambassador of the Relaunched Horlicks Protein Plus

On December 1, 2020 Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) appointed Bollywood actor, Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador of its relaunched adult nutrition brand, Horlicks Protein Plus, through a new TVC(Television Commercial). Through the campaign, he will represent the brand and encourage urban Indian adults to fight the protein deficiency on a daily basis by making ‘Protein ka routine’ (make protein a routine).

• The campaign has been conceptualised by FCB India.

Note– The new TVC aims to spread awareness regarding protein deficiency among adults.
Key Info:

• About 30% of an individual’s daily protein needs.
• Every 1 kg of healthy body weight requires 1 g of protein every day.

About Akshay Kumar:
i.Apart from being an actor, he is also a producer, martial artist and television personality
ii.He has acted in more than 100 films including, Rowdy Rathore(2012) and Kesari(2019).
iii.He has received a National Film Award for Best Actor for the films Rustom and Airlift.
iv.He also received Padma Shri in 2009 for Art.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

BOI Enters into Agreement with AXA IM to Acquire 49% Stake each in BOI AXA Investment Managers, BOI AXA Trustee Services

i.On December 2, 2020 Bank of India(BOI) entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with AXA Investment Managers Asia Holdings Pvt Ltd (AXA IM),a part of AXA Group. Through the SPA, BOI agreed to purchase AXA IMs:

• Entire 49% equity shares in BOI AXA Investment Managers Private Limited  (BAIM).
• Entire 49% equity shares in BOI AXA Trustee Services  Private Limited (BATS).

ii.Following the transaction, BOI will hold 100% equity shares in BAIM and BATS, i.e., both the entities will become BOI’s fully owned subsidiaries.
About Bank of India(BOI):
Incorporated– September 7 1906
Managing Director & CEO– Shri Atanu Kumar Das
Tagline-Relationship Beyond Banking
About BOI AXA Investment Managers Private Limited(BALM):
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Sandeep Dasgupta
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Padma Shri Dr S Ramakrishnan, Indian Space Scientist and Former VSSC & LPSC Director Passed Away at 71

On December 1, 2020 Padma Shri Dr Sundaram(S) Ramakrishnan, Indian space scientist and former director of  Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre-VSSC(January 2013 to June 2014)passed away at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala at the age of 71. He also served as a director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) from June 2010 to December 2012.
Note
VSSC– The lead Centre of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for launch vehicle development
LPSC– One of the lead Centres of ISRO in the area of Liquid Propulsion Systems for Launch Vehicles and Spacecraft Programmes.
About Dr S Ramakrishnan:
Career
i.He joined ISRO in August 1972.
ii.He started his career as a member of the SLV(Satellite Launch Vehicle)3 team vested with the responsibility to develop India’s first satellite launch vehicle, under the leadership of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
iii.He has worked in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Project.
Key Position
i.He served as the Project Director for the PSLV continuation programme from 1996 to 2002
ii.He served as the Mission Director for PSLV C1, C2, C3 and C4 flights.
iii.He took charge as Project Director for GSLV MkIII(Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III), also known as Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) in 2003.
Awards

• He has received many awards including,  ASI Award (1998), Dr Biren Roy Award by Aeronautical Society of India-AeSI (1999), ISRO Performance Excellence Award (2006) and National Design Award by Institute of Engineers (2010).
• He is also received Padma Shri in 2003 for Science and Engineering

Honours

• He was Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering(INAE), AeSI and Systems Society of India(SSI).
• He was also a Member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

About Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC):
Chairman– Kailasavadivoo(K.) Sivan
Director– S. Somanath
Headquarters– Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Padma Bhushan Awardee & “King of Spice”, Dharampala Gulati passed away

Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, the founder and CEO of MDH Masala India’s famous spices company, dies at the age of 97 due to cardiac arrest in New Delhi. The pioneer of the ready to use ground spices, also called as “King of Spice” was awarded India’s third highest civilian award “Padma Bhushan” in 2019.
Gulati’s career:
i.Born on March 27,1923, in Sialkot, Punjab in present day Pakistan.
ii.Started a small business on mirrors with his father in 1937
iii.Tried multiple businesses, then joined his father’s spices business, “Mahashian Di Hatti”
iv.Returned to India after partition in September 1947
v.Restarted his family business of ground spices, Mahashian Di Hatti (MDH) Spices in 1959
vi.In 2020, the company produces 50 varieties of spices, with a net income of 450 crore.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

VP Venkaiah Naidu Virtually Released the Book “40 Years with Abdul Kalam- Untold Stories” Authored by Sivathanu Pillai

On 3rd November 2020, the Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu released the book titled “40 Years with Abdul Kalam- Untold Stories”, a book on the life of the former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. The book was authored by Dr A.Sivathanu Pillai. The book is published by Pentagon Press LLp and the foreword was written by Pranab Mukherjee, former president of India.
Key People:
ISRO Professor Dr YS Rajan, MD and CEO of Pentagon Press Rajan Aryaa along with other dignitaries participated in the virtual event.
About the book:
i.The book provided a first-hand account of the life of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who was described as the epitome of simplicity, honesty and wisdom.
ii.Dr. Kalam strengthened the Defence sector of India and contributed to the development of India’s space capabilities.
iii.The book discusses his life events including the events at ISRO, DRDO and BrahMos and his interaction with the power corridors.
Note – He has authored many books including Revolution in Leadership, Nano Science and Nano Technology for Engineering.
About A. Sivathanu Pillai:
Career:
i.He started his career in Systems engineering and systems management of launch vehicles at ISRO in 1969.
ii.He served as the Honorary Distinguished Professor at ISRO and served as the Distinguished Scientist and Chief controller of Research and Development department of DRDO.
iii.He was the Founder CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture for the development of supersonic cruise Missiles.
Experience:
Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai has assisted Dr. Vikram Sarabhai during the evolution of the ten-year space profiles and worked with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) configuration design and with Prof. Satish Dhawan in the study of future ISRO launch vehicles and missions.
Awards:
i.He received various honours including the Padma Shri in 2002 & Padma Bhushan in 2013 for science and engineering.
ii.He also received the “Order Of Friendship”, the highest Russian Award for the foreign citizens of highest order from the Government of Russian Federation.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Indian Navy Day 2020 – December 4

i.Indian Navy Day is annually celebrated on 4th December to celebrate the achievements of Indian Navy and commemorate the launch of Operation Trident during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
ii.The Navy day 2020 marks the commencement of the 50th Anniversary of the victory in the 1971 war – “Swarnim Vijay Varsh”.
iii.The theme of Indian Navy Day 2020 is “Indian Navy Combat Ready, Credible & Cohesive”.
iv.The 2020 events include, 360-degree Virtual Reality Tour of INS Vikramaditya which enables the users to explore the flight deck and other unclassified areas.
v.On 3rd December 2020, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh stated that the Indian Navy is set to procure key assets which includes 6 submarines during the press conference at the eve of Navy Day 2020.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh
Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy)– New Delhi
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Kolkata’s Majerhat Bridge named “Jai Hind” to Mark Netaji’s 125th Birth Anniversary

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Gitanjali Rao 15 year old Indian-American Scientist & Inventor named First Ever Times”Kid of the Year”

Gitanjali Rao,15-year-old Indian-American Scientist and Inventor has been named as the first ever “Kid of the Year” by TIME Magazine. She was selected from a field of more than 5000 nominees for her work “to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying using technology”.

Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry Assumes Charge as 27th Director General of Border Roads Organisation; Succeeds Lt Gen Harpal Singh

On December 1, 2020 Lieutenant General(Lt Gen) Rajeev Chaudhry assumed charge as 27th Director General(DG) of Border Roads Organisation(BRO). He succeeds Lt Gen Harpal Singh. BRO is headquartered in New Delhi, India.

Britain became the First Country to recognise Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine

The Government of Britain has become the first country to recognise Pfizer-bioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine, after recommendations by Independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for its use. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been proven to have 95% effectiveness against COVID-19 in the final phase trials.

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