Current Affairs 7 December 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 7 December 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 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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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

PM Modi Inaugurated thought Leadership Forum on FinTech – ‘InFinity Forum’

In December 2021, 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 on December 3 and 4, 2021.
• Indonesia, South Africa and the United Kingdom were the partner countries in the 1st edition of the Forum.

Key Points:
i.Theme: 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.

ii.Participants:  Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Finance Minister of Malaysia, Mulyani Indrawati, Finance Minister of Indonesia,  Sandiaga S Uno, Minister of Creative Economy Indonesia, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and MD of Reliance Industries, Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp, Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO, IBM Corporation, Uday Kotak, MD and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited were some of the participants of the forum.
iii.Partners: NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, Invest India, FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) are some of the key partners of 2021’s Forum.
About International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA):
Headquarters – Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Chairperson – Injeti Srinivas

NMPB & CSIR-CIMAP Lucknow Signed MoU to Promote the Production of Medicinal Plants

The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), under the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, (CSIR-CIMAP), lucknow to collaborate in promoting the production of Quality Planting Material (QPM) of medicinal plants.
Features of the MoU:
i.The MoU will support the development of QPM of medicinal plants and herbs identified by NMPB and help in establishment of their nurseries for QPM development, promotion, conservation and cultivation of the appropriate medicinal plants in various agro climatic zones.
ii.Under this MoU, CSIR-CIMAP will undertake the research on mass multiplication, agro technology development, quality planting material generation of selected medicinal plants and herbs.
iii.Under this MoU NMPB will work through the implementing agencies in collaboration with CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow and support projects related to QPM Development of Medicinal plants species.
The implementing agencies include, State Medicinal Plant Boards, State Horticulture Departments, Regional-cum-facilitation centres across India.
About National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB):
Chief Executive Officer– Prof. (Dr.) Tanuja Nesari
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Established on 24th November 2000
About Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP):
CIMAP, is a frontier plant research laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
It was established as Central Indian Medicinal Plants Organisation (CIMPO) in 1959.
Director– Dr. Prabodh Kumar Trivedi
Headquarters– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

EAM S Jaishankar addresses 5th Indian Ocean Conference in Abu Dhabi

The Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (EAM) visited Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the 5^th 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.

Key Points:
i.The Indian Minister met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed where discussions were held to scale up the bilateral strategic ties between India and the UAE.
ii.He also met his counterparts from Oman and Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and discussed bilateral cooperation with them.
About United Arab Emirates (UAE):
Currency– Dirham
Emirates– 7 Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah

G7 Finance Leaders set Guidelines for CBDCs

G7 (Group of Seven) advanced economies’ central banks have been working to set common standards toward issuing ‘Central Bank Digital Currency’ (CBDC).

• As per the statement of G7, any CBDC issued by a central bank should not harm the bank’s ability to fulfill its mandate on monetary and financial stability, and also should meet the standards.

What is CBDC?
i.A CBDC is a legal tender that would be issued by the central bank in a digital form. It is exchangeable one-to-one with fiat currency and it would appear as a liability (currency in circulation) on a central bank’s balance sheet.
ii.A CBDC would complement cash and could act like a liquid, safe settlement asset and an anchor for the payments system.
G7’s Statement on CBDC:
i.Any CBDC should be grounded in long-standing public commitments to transparency, rule of law and sound economic governance
ii.The currencies must be issued in a way that does not violate the central banks’ mandates and meet rigorous standards of privacy, transparency and accountability for the protection of user data.
iii.CBDCs could enhance cross-border payments and minimize harmful spillovers to the international monetary and financial system. Currently, China has been leading toward issuing a digital currency.
Note – In July 2021, the Reserve Bank of India’s Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar stated about the RBI’s plan for the phased introduction of a CBDC. Click here to know more
About G7
Members – The G7 is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of 7 members (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States)
2021 Presidency – United Kingdom

BANKING & FINANCE

PNB Launches Android App for Differently-Abled Employees – ‘PNB Pride-CRMD module’

Punjab National Bank (PNB) launched 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.
• Objective – To promote the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.

SMA Accounts:
Under SMA accounts, the stressed loans are recognized early to enable banks to initiate timely actions to prevent such borrowers from converting into Non-Performing Assets (NPAs)
Significance:
i.The module is developed through a participatory model to focus on visually impaired employees in utilizing their talents within the concept of PNB Yoddha (PNB warriors) and PNB Gaurav (PNB Pride).
ii.The bank plans to make the module compatible with iOS in future.
Note – PNB observed “International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD)” on 3^rd December 2021.
About Punjab National Bank (PNB)
CEO & Managing Director (MD) – S S Mallikarjuna Rao
Established – 1894
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Tagline – The Name You Can Bank Upon

Paytm Partners with AWS to Offer Startup Toolkits for 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.
• Objective – To help startups enhance brand visibility and grow their customer base

About Paytm Startup Toolkit:
i.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 – Makes digital payments easier.
• Paytm Payouts – It helps in streamlining payments to employees, vendors, distributors and channel partners
• Paytm Payments Bank – They Include nodal banking that provides digital banking.

ii.The program also provides access to low-cost, quick-to-build Paytm Mini Apps that can be built using Open Source technologies like HTML and JavaScript.
About Paytm Group:
Founder & CEO –  Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Aditya Birla Health Insurance Launches Activ Health Essential Plan for Senior Citizens 

Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd. (ABHICL), the health insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL) has launched a new affordable health solution plan named ‘Activ Health Essential’ to meet the special health need of senior citizens.
Key Features of Activ Health Essential:
i.It includes Coverage of mental illness hospitalisation and has an expert health coach to assist the senior citizens through their health journey.
ii.It provides a reward of up to 50 percent of the premium paid as HealthReturns.
iii.It has cashless coverage for in-patient hospitalization, along with pre-hospitalization medical expenses for 30 days and post-hospitalization medical expenses for 60 days.
iv.It includes coverage for medical treatments like AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) cover and other modern treatment methods.
Benefits:
i.The plan offers health solutions such as Day 1 Chronic Management Program coverage i.e. a policyholder will be covered from Day 1 in case of an existing condition and if it is developed at a later stage, it will be covered at no additional cost.
ii.Many of the health covers come with a 20 percent mandatory co-pay whereas, in the case of Activ Health Essential, it can be waived off by choosing to pay an extra premium.
Note – As per the recent study by an NGO, around 26 percent of the elderly population were impacted by some of the health issues.
About Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd. (ABHICL):
It is a joint venture between Aditya Birla Group and MMI Holdings of South Africa.
Establishment – 2015
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO & Whole Time Director – Mayank Bathwal

J&K Bank Launched Revised Mobile Banking App ‘mPay Delight’ for Public

R K Chhibber, Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) of Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) Bank launched its revised and refurbished mobile banking app named ‘J&K Bank mPAY – Delight’ for the public.

• The app was initially launched (soft launch) in July 2021.
• The features of the app include Account Details (Deposit and Advances), Fund Transfer, Bill Payments & Donations, Deposit Details, Credit Card Module, App Settings, Service Requests, Positive Pay System and Bharat Bill Pay which enables the users to make payment for various utilities like electricity hospitals, insurance and others.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS   

Adama Barrow wins second term as 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.

Point to be noted:
Adama Barrow’s assumption as President 5 years ago ended more than 20 years of dictatorship of former dictator Yahya Jammeh.
About Gambia:
Capital– Banjul
Currency– Gambian dalasi

Government Expands SCALE Committee with 3 New MembersThe government has expanded the Steering Committee for Advancing Local Value-Add and Exports (SCALE committee) by adding three new members from different industries.
Key Points:
i.3 New Members:

• Manish Sharma, Panasonic India Chairman and CEO 
• Vikram S Kirloskar, Toyota Kirloskar Vice-Chairman 
• Jalaj Dani, Asian Paints co-promoter and Chairman Addverb Technologies 

About SCALE Committee:
i.The SCALE Committee is formed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, working closely with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Ministry’s guidance.
i.Current Members – 14  (Headed by former Mahindra CEO Pawan Goenka)
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry:
Union Minister – Piyush Goyal (Constituency – Maharashtra) 
Minister of State –  Som Parkash (Constituency – Hoshiarpur, Punjab), Anupriya Singh Patel (Constituency – Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh).
>>Read Full News

Alka Upadhyaya appointed as  New Chairperson of NHAI

Alka Upadhyaya, IAS officer (1990 batch)  of Madhya Pradesh cadre appointed as Chairperson of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) by the Government of India.

• She succeeded Giridhar Aramane, who was given additional charge of the Chairperson of NHAI after Sukhbir Singh Sandhu steps down.
• Prior to this appointment Alka Upadhyaya was serving as the Additional Secretary (AS), Department of Rural Development.

Other appointments:
i.Sanjay Bandopadhyay, AS, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), has been appointed as the Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.
ii.Sundeep Kumar Nayak has been appointed as Director-General, National Productivity Council, Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade.

About National Highways Authority of India (NHAI):
i.Yogendra Narain was the first Chairman of NHAI in 1988. He is a retired IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.
ii.It is the nodal agency of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

Unix signs Jasprit Bumrah as Brand Ambassador

Unix, an Indian Mobile Accessories manufacturing brand, has signed Indian Cricket Fast Bowler Jasprit Bumrah as its Brand Ambassador to increase visibility of their products.
Owners of Unix – Naresh Jain, Imran Kagalwala, Sandeep Bafna and Krunal Bafn were present during the official appointment.
UNIX 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.
About UNIX
UNIX is a popular Indian brand which offers the latest and widest range of mobile accessories for your smartphones.
Established – 2006
Headquartered – Mumbai (Manufacturing facility – Gujarat)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

First Ship ‘Sandhayak’ under Survey Vessel (Large) project for Indian Navy launched in Kolkata, WBi.On December 5, 2021, Sandhayak, the first of the four Survey Vessels (Large) Project being built for the Indian Navy (IN) was launched in Hooghly River of Kolkata, West Bengal (WB) in the presence of Minister of State (MoS) Ajay Bhatt, Ministry of Defence (MoD).
ii.These Vessels have been designed and developed by Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU), Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
iii.It was launched by Smt Pushpa Bhatt, spouse of Ajay Bhatt, by chanting invocation from Atharva Veda. It is a Naval Maritime Tradition of launching new vessels.
iv.The contract for building four survey ships is priced at Rs 2435 Crs. It was signed between MoD and GRSE on Oct 30, 2018.
About Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited:
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Chairman & Managing Director– GRSE Rear Admiral Vipin Kumar Saxena (Retd)
Headquarter– Kolkata, West Bengal
>>Read Full News

SPORTS

Argentina beat Germany to lift 12^th Men’s FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2021 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Argentina junior men’s hockey team defeated Germany by 4-2 in the final of the 2021 Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup (WC) or 12th edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey Junior WC to clinch their second Junior Men’s Hockey WC title at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This was held from November 24, 2021- December 5, 2021.

• This makes them only the third team after Germany (six titles) and India (2001, 2016) to win multiple Junior Hockey WC titles.
• The third place was clinched by France after defeating India by 3-1 in the Bronze medal match.

Point to be noted:
This biennial men’s under-21 field hockey world championship was organized by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Other Awards:

Best Player of the Tournament: Timothée Clément (FRANCE)
Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Anton Brinckman (GERMANY)
Hero Top Scorer of the Tournament: Miles Bukkens (NETHERLANDS) (18 goals)
Odisha Fair Play Award: Team Chile

Odisha Fans Choice Award for Best Goal of the Tournament: Ignacio Nardolillo (ARGENTINA)
Hockey India Maximum Team Goals: NETHERLANDS (45 goals)
Hockey India Best Goal Saved of the Tournament: Mahmoud Seleem (EGYPT)
AM/NS India Best Coach of the Tournament: Johannes Schmitz (GERMANY)

Lewis Hamilton Wins inaugural edition of Saudi Arabian GP

On 5^th December 2021 Mercedes Driver Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won the inaugural edition of Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (GP), by surpassing Max Verstappen (Netherlands) in the event held at the 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) coastal resort area in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

1. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which is scheduled to be held on 12th December, is the last race of ‘2021 Formula One World Championship’, which will decide 2021’s Winner.

• Currently the top position is shared by Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton with 369.5 points each.

Highlights:
i.Hamilton has eight wins in the F1 season, who ties up with Verstappen.
ii.Red Bull Racing Honda’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands) still leads the championship on most wins (9-8).
About Lewis Hamilton
i.He won his 1st World Driver’s Championship in 2008.
iii.Records – Most F1 wins (102), only driver to have won 100 F1 races.
–Reema Juffali appointed as the ambassador of Inaugural Saudi GP
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.

About Reema Juffali:
i.Reema Juffali is a 29-year-old driver, who has competed in the British Formula 3 championship 2021
ii.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.
Background:
i.Juffali’s Racing career started with competing in the Formula 4 category and racing in Boston despite a ban on women to drive or be granted a driving licence in Saudi Arabia.
ii.Juffali became the first Saudi female license holder and racer in 2018 after the lift of ban on women in driving
About Federation Internationale de l’ Automobile (FIA)
The F1 championships are organised by FIA
President – Jean Todt
Headquarters – Paris, France

OBITUARY

Senior Journalist Vinod Dua passed Away at 67

On 4 December 2021, Senior journalist Vinod Dua passed away at the age of 67 years in Delhi’s Hospital.In 1996, he became the first electronic media journalist to receive the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award. 
About Vinod Dua’s Life & Career:
i.He was born on March 11, 1954 in New Delhi. He has  completed his  Master’s degree in Literature from the University of Delhi (DU).He was the father of comedian Mallika Dua.
ii.Vinod Dua made his first television appearance in Doordarshan’s youth program Yuva Manch. He also anchored Yuv Jan, a youth show for the youth of Jaipur, Muzaffarpur, and Raipur for SITE (Satellite Instructional Television Experiment) in 1975.
iii.Vinod also used to host Zaika India Ka, a program on a Hindi TV channel in which he travelled across the cities and tasted food.
iv.Awards: Padma Shri for Journalism in 2008. RedInk Award for his lifetime achievement in journalism (2017)

Padma Bhushan Awardee Sarada Menon, India’s 1st Woman Psychiatrist, Passed Away

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 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She was born in a Malayali family in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
About Dr M Sarada Menon:
i.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.
ii.She became the 1st woman Superintendent of the Institute of Mental Health in 1961.
iii.She established the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF India) in 1984 along with psychiatrist R Thara.
iv.She also founded ASHA, a community-based platform supporting the families of those affected by mental illnesses.
v.She was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1992 for social works.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

VP launched book ‘The Midway Battle: Modi’s Roller-coaster Second Term’ by Gautam Chintamani

On  4 December 2021,the 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.
i.The book mentioned about the political scenario of India.
ii.It marks the second tenure of the  current Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi.
iii.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.
Books of Gautam Chintamani: Rajneeti: A Biography of Rajnath Singh,
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak,
Nouf: A Yogi in Saudi Arabia: A Preview,
Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna,
Pink: The Inside Story
Vice President releases Book on ‘Public Service Ethics’ by Shri Prabhat Kumar
The VP M Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled ‘Public Service Ethics- A Quest for Naitik Bharat’ authored by Prabhat Kumar, former Governor of Jharkhand and former Cabinet Secretary. It was 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.

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

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Soil Day 2021 – December 5

The United Nations(UN)’s World Soil Day(WSD) is annually observed across the globe on December 5th to highlight the importance of healthy soil and to advocate the sustainable management of soil resources.

• The day also coincides with the birth anniversary of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, who sanctioned the event of World Soil Day.

The World Soil Day 2021 and the 2021 campaign “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity” aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems
Background:
On 20th December 2013, UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/68/232 and proclaimed the 5th December of every year as World Soil Day and the year 2015 as the International year of Soils.

• The first WSD was observed on 5th December 2014.

Events:
As a part of the commemoration of Soil Day, FAO has organised a virtual event on 3rd December 2021 and felicitated the winners of the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award and Glinka World Soil Prize. 
>>Read Full News

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 2021 – December 5

The United Nations(UN)’s International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, which is commonly referred to as the International Volunteer Day(IVD) is annually observed across the globe on 5th December to create awareness about the important contribution of volunteer service and encourage more people to offer their service as volunteers.
The day is marked and supported by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.
The theme of International Volunteer Day 2021 is “Volunteer now for our common future”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/40/212 on 17th December 1985 and proclaimed the 5th December of every year as  International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development.
ii.The first ever International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development was observed on 5th December 1986. 
About United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme:
Executive Coordinator– Toily Kurbanov (Russian Federation)
Headquarters– Bonn, Germany
>>Read Full News

65th Mahaparinirvan Diwas – 6th December 2021

The Mahaparinirvan Diwas is annually observed across India on 6th December to mark the death anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who died on 6th December 1956 in Delhi. He is fondly remembered as “Babasaheb” and ‘The Father of Indian Constitution’.

• 6th December 2021 marks the observance of the 65th Mahaparinirvan Diwas.
• The 2021 Mahaparinirvan Diwas is observed as a part of the commemoration of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

Background:
i.Babasaheb was regarded as a Buddhist guru due to efforts to eradicate the social scourge of untouchability in India.
ii.His admirers and followers observed his death anniversary as the Mahaparinirvana Diwas.
>>Read Full News

World Spine Day 2021 – October 16

World Spine Day is annually observed across the globe on October 16th to create awareness about spinal health and spine disorders among individuals and stakeholders associated with spine care.
The day also highlights the burden of spinal pain and disability around the world.

• The 16th October 2021 marked the celebration of the 10th World Spine Day.

The theme of 2021’s World Spine Day campaign is “BACK2BACK’ which reflects the need to reset and refocus on spinal pain and disability as part of the global burden of disease.
Background:
i.World Spine Day, organized and coordinated by the World Federation of Chiropractic, is a
part of the Global Alliance of Musculoskeletal Health’s Bone and Joint Decade Action Week which is annually held from 12th to 20th October.
ii.World Spine Day has been celebrated since 2012.
Bone and Joint Decade Action Week:
The Bone and Joint Decade Action Week consist of 5 special days,

• October 12 – World Arthritis Day
• October 16 – World Spine Day
• October 17 – World Trauma Day
• October 19 – World Pediatric Bone and Joint (PB&J) Day
• October 20 – World Osteoporosis Day

India & Bangladesh Celebrates Maitri Diwas on December 6

India and Bangladesh will jointly observe Maitri Diwas/Divas or friendship day on December 6 in New Delhi (India) and Dhaka (Bangladesh). 6th December, 2021 marks the 1st Maitri Diwas of India and Bangladesh.

• It was decided to commemorate 6 December as Maitri Diwas when Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi attended the 50th National Day of Bangladesh on 26 March 2021.
• India had recognised Bangladesh on 6 December 1971 and it was one of the first countries to establish bilateral diplomatic ties with Bangladesh

Maitri Diwas:
i.The Maitri Diwas is being commemorated in 18 countries around the world apart from Dhaka and Delhi. These countries are Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Qatar, Singapore, UK (United Kingdom), Australia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE (United Arab Emirates) and USA (United States of America).
ii.The holding of Maitri Diwas is a reflection of the deep and abiding friendship between the people of India and Bangladesh.
Note- the Govt. of India conferred  Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 to  Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman posthumously in recognition of his outstanding contributions.

• India also announced the establishment of Bangabandhu Chair at the University of Delhi.

About Bangladesh:
Prime Minister- Sheikh Hasina
President– Mohammad Abdul Hamid
Capital-Dhaka
Currency-Bangladeshi taka

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