Current Affairs 14 December 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 14 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 Narendra Modi inaugurated Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur, UPi.The 40-year long pending project, Saryu Nahar National Project, is inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh (UP) on December 11, 2021.
ii.The outlay of the project is over Rs 9,800 crore, out of which more than Rs 4,600 crore was provisioned in the last four years.
iii.It will cater to the problem of water shortage mainly in eastern UP/ Purvanchal with assured water for irrigation to over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about 29 lakh farmers.
About Uttar Pradesh (UP):
Airport– Kanpur airport, Gorakhpur airport, Agra Airport (Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Airport)
Heritage site – Agra fort (1983) , Taj Mahal (1983), Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
Bird sanctuary– Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary,Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary
>> Read Full News

PM Modi Addressed Depositors in a Bank Deposit Insurance ProgrammeOn December 12, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the a bank deposit insurance programme titled ‘Depositors First: Guaranteed Time-bound Deposit Insurance Payment up to Rs 5 Lakh’ in Delhi and addressed depositors.

• Deposit insurance covers all deposits such as savings, fixed, current, recurring deposits, etc. in all commercial banks, functioning in India. Deposits in State, Central and Primary cooperative banks, functioning in States/Union Territories are also covered.

Key Points:
i.Hike in refundable deposit amount: In July 2021, through the amendment to the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) Act, 1961 the government has increased the amount that could be accessed by account holders from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and the time limit of 90 days i.e. 3 months was fixed to refund funds by a bank which is coming under Moratorium imposed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
ii.After the hike of the refundable deposit amount to Rs 5 lakh, the number of fully protected accounts at the end of FY21 was constituted 98.1 percent of the total number of accounts, as against the international benchmark of 80 percent.
ii.Recently, the DICGC released the first tranche of interim payments, against claims received from depositors of 16 Urban Cooperative Banks which are under restrictions by RBI.
iii.Payout of over Rs 1300 crore has been made to alternate bank accounts of over 1 lakh depositors against their claims.
>> Read Full News

Central Govt. Accepts plea to Grants Mithila Makhana GI TagThe Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry  accepted the proposal to rename Bihar Makhana as Mithila Makhana and retain its Geographical Identification (GI) tag.

• It also suggested amendments in the brand logo to highlight its origins and protect the product’s Geographical Indications (GI) rights.

i.The development ended the controversy over the branding of the mithila region’s makhana or fox nut.
Historical background:
The Sabour based Bihar Agriculture University (BAU) initiated an application on behalf of the Mithilanchal Makhana Utpadak Sangh (MMUS) to name their produce as Mithila Makhana for the welfare of fox nut growers in the Mithila region.
What is geographical indication (GI):
i.It is a mark of authenticity and ensures that registered authorized users or at least those residing inside the geographic territory are allowed to use the popular product names.
ii.GI tag in India is governed by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. It is issued by the Geographical Indications Registry (Chennai).
Popular GI tag of Bihar:

• Madhubani Paintings
• Applique (Khatwa) Work
• Sujini Embroidery Work
• Sikki Grass Products
• Bhagalpur Silk

About Bihar:
Airport– Purnea Airport, Raxaul Airport
Capital- Patna

Uttar Pradesh’s Haiderpur Wetland Recognized as 47th Ramsar Site in IndiaHaiderpur Wetland, the human-made wetland of around 6908 hectares in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh(UP) has been recognised as the 47th Ramsar Site of India and 2,463rd site internationally. The wetland is located within the boundaries of Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh.About RAMSAR Convetion:
i.The Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR Convention) is the oldest of the modern global intergovernmental environmental agreements that unite 172 countries to protect and use wisely the wetlands and the resources they provide.
ii.The convention was adopted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
About Convention on Wetlands:
Secretary General– Martha Rojas Urrego
Headquarters– Gland, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

 Dubai becomes World’s 1st 100% Paperless Govt.In December 2021, Dubai became the world’s first government to turn 100 percent paperless, the announcement was made by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

• It will save around 3 billion Dirham (USD 350 million) and 14-million-man hours.

Key points:
i.A comprehensive digital government services platform is managing all internal, external transactions and procedures of the Government of Dubai.
ii.The Dubai Paperless Strategy was implemented in five consecutive phases, each entity consisting of a different group of the Dubai Government’s entities.

• By the end of the fifth phase, the strategy was fully implemented across all 45 government entities in the emirate.
• All the entities provide more than 1,800 digital services and over 10,500 key transactions.

iii.All the exceptional digital services can be accessed by the Citizens through “DubaiNow application’’.
iv.The digitization will provide all the govt. services to customers & reduce  paper consumption by more than 336 million papers.
About United Arab Emirates (UAE):
The UAE is a country in Western Asia located in the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia, and has maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran.
Capital- Abu Dhabi
Currency– Dirham
President– Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Current Generation Students could lose 14% of Global GDP due to COVID-19 induced School Closures: World Bank ReportAs per the report of the World Bank (WB), titled, ‘The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery’, the present generation of students risks losing USD 17 trillion (higher than the 2020 estimation of USD 10 trillion) in lifetime earnings in present value, or about 14 percent of today’s global GDP (Gross Domestic Product) due to COVID-19-related school closures.

• The report was prepared by WB in collaboration with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).

Key Points:
i.In low- and middle-income countries, the share of children living in Learning Poverty (which is already over 50 percent before the COVID-19) has increased up to 70 percent, given the long school closures and the varying quality and effectiveness of remote learning.
ii.COVID-19 has brought education systems across the world to a halt, with school closures affecting more than 1.6 billion learners.
iii.More than 370 million children globally missed out on school meals during school closures, losing what is for some children the only reliable source of food and daily nutrition.
iv.In rural Karnataka, the share of grade 3 children in government schools able to perform simple subtraction fell from 24 percent in 2018 to only 16 percent in 2020.
About World Bank:
Establishment – 1944 ( at the Bretton Woods Conference, along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF))
Headquarters – Washington, D.C., United States
President – David Malpass (13th President)
Member countries  – 189
>> Read Full News

WHO report on 3 Diseases: State of Inequalities – HIV, TB and MalariaThe World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Fund released titled ‘State of Inequalities – HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria’, stating that the poorest, least-educated and rural subgroups remain vulnerable to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.

• The report takes a look at 32 health indicators from 186 countries on HIV, TB and malaria.
• India’s average on prevention of HIV, TB and malaria have improved in the past decade.

Aim – To document and understand the relation between inequalities and the fight against HIV, TB and malaria that kill more than 2 million people every year.
Note – People living with HIV accounted for 8 percent of new TB infections in 2020. Moreover, 1.3 million, who were HIV negative have died of TB, while 214,000 people living with HIV were affected with TB.
About World Health Organisation (WHO):
Director – General – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

India Ranks 56th on IMD 2021 World Talent Ranking; Switzerland TopsIndia has ranked 56th on the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) 2021 World Talent Ranking, which evaluates the ability of the economies in developing, attracting and retaining talent. The IMD World Talent Ranking 2021 shows the overall ranking for 64 economies.
In the Peer Group Ranking – Asia – Pacific, India have ranked 12th.

• Switzerland tops the ranking followed by Sweden in 2nd and Luxembourg in 3rd.

• The ranking is published by the IMD World Competitiveness Center.

About International Institute for Management Development (IMD):
President- Jean-François Manzoni
Location- Lausanne, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

NABARD Projects 12% increase in Assam’s Credit Potential to INR 36,292 Cr for FY23The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) projected a 12% increase in credit potential of Assam  to INR 36,292 crore for the 2022-23 financial year (FY).

• The amount will be used as a base for preparation of the annual credit plan for priority sector lending (PSL) for FY23.

Key points:
i.According to a report titled State Focus Paper for 2022-23 released by the NABARD, around 52% of the total projected credit potential is estimated for the agriculture and allied activities, and 36% for the MSME (Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises) sector

• The State Focus Paper for 2022-23 focuses on the priority sectors to ensure integrated and sustainable rural prosperity.

ii.In absolute terms, a credit potential of INR 18,755 crore is projected for agriculture and allied sectors INR 12,952 crore for MSME and INR 3,197 crore for housing, educational and other sectors.
iii.It will boost productivity by reforms in agriculture post-harvest management, collectivisation of agricultural produce, value addition and organizing cultivators through Farmer Producers’ Organizations (FPOs).
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
Chairman- G.R Chintala
Founded-12 July 1982
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

RBI Mandated 20-digit LEI for Cross-Border Transactions above Rs 50 croreIn December 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated the companies to quote the 20-digit Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) for cross-border transactions for capital or current account transactions of Rs 50 crore and above, from October 1 2022.
What is LEI and who maintains it?
i.LEI is a number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide to improve the quality and accuracy of financial data systems.
ii.The LEI numbers are maintained in a global LEI database available on the website of the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF).
iii.RBI has introduced the LEI in a phased manner for over the counter (OTC) derivative, non-derivative markets, large corporate borrowers and large value transactions in centralised payment systems.
Key Regulations of RBI:
i.AD (Authorised Dealers) Category-I banks were directed to obtain LEI numbers from local companies (resident entities) undertaking capital or current account transactions of Rs 50 crore and above, for each transaction.
ii.Once an entity has obtained an LEI number, it is mandatory for the firms to furnish the LEI number in all transactions of the entity irrespective of transaction size.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Established – 1st April 1935
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
>> Read Full News

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Launched ‘#Care4Hockey’ Campaign; Rani Rampal Face of the Campaign

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, a leading private general insurer in India has launched its ‘#Care4Hockey’ Campaign to elevate field Hockey’s recognition in India. The company has partnered with Padma Shri (2020) Rani Rampal, Indian Women’s Hockey Team Captain, who will be the face of the campaign.

• ‘#Care4Hockey’ is a one of its kind campaign which aims to support the development of Hockey in India from the grass-root level.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

DBS Bank India Won Two Awards at ET BFSI Excellence Awards 2021

DBS Bank India was awarded at the ET BFSI Excellence Awards 2021.The bank has won two awards – for the ‘DBS Rapid (Real-time API)’ solution in the ‘Innovative API/Open Banking model‘ category and for ‘Intelligent Banking’ in the ‘Best Digital Customer Experience initiative’ category.

• The award is an initiative of The Economic Times, ET BFSI Excellence Awards, and honours the best innovations & practices implemented by the Banking Financial Services & Insurances (BFSI) industry in a dynamic and competitive environment.

Key points:
i.The bank has designed a real-time, digital payments solution for Transport Corporation of India Limited (TCI). It allows TCI to make real-time advance payments to the transport owners enabling them to withdraw cash from any ATMs.
ii.DBS RAPID is a digital solution that leverages DBS’ Application Programming Interface (API) capabilities.
iii.DBS is the first bank to offer paperless onboarding for mutual fund investments from multiple fund houses.
iv.The bank offers ‘Travel Now’, a one-stop travel marketplace within the digibank app for small and medium businesses.
What is intelligent banking?
Intelligent Banking is an AI-powered smart money management feature that helps consumers with predictive insights about their spending patterns and recommendations on monthly budget requirements.
Other partnership:
i.In 2021, the bank partnered with ODeX to introduce ODeX Pay Later Solutions powered by DBS- a hassle-free credit solution for freight forwarders.
ii.DBS has also launched real-time online tracking for cross-border collections for businesses in India in partnership with SWIFT Global Payments Innovation (GPI).
About DBS Bank India:
MD & CEO – Surojit Shome
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS  

70th Miss Universe: India’s Harnaaz Sandhu Crowned Miss Universe 2021; 3rd Indian to become Miss Universe21 years old Indian Actor and Model, Harnaaz Sandhu from Chandigarh, Punjab, has been crowned Miss Universe 2021 at the 70th Edition of the Miss Universe Competition held in Eilat, Israel.Harnaaz Sandhu became the 3rd Indian to be crowned Miss Universe after Sushmita Sen, the 1st Indian to win Miss Universe (1994) and Lara Dutta (Miss Universe 2000).

• Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza(Mexico) presented the crown to Harnaaz Sandhu.
• The ceremony of the 70th edition was hosted by Steve Harvey.

Note:
Nadia Ferreira(Paraguay) finished 2nd followed by Lalela Mswane (South Africa) in 3rd.
About Harnaaz Sandhu:
i.At the age of 17, Harnaaz Sandhu won the Times Fresh Face 2017 representing Chandigarh and later she also won the Liva Miss Diva Universe 2021 title.
ii.She has worked in Punjabi Films which includes ‘Yaara Diyan Poo Baran’ and ‘Bai Ji Kuttange’. 
About Miss Universe Competition:
i.Miss Universe, founded in 1952, is an annual international beauty pageant organised by the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) based in the United States of America(USA).
ii.At present, the Miss Universe Organization and its brand are owned by Endeavor.
The first-ever Miss Universe pageant was held in 1952 in Long Beach, California, USA.
Selection Committee of 70th Miss Universe:
The members of the selection committee of the 70th edition of Miss Universe (2021) are, Urvashi Rautela(India), Adamari López, Adriana Lima, Cheslie Kryst, Marian Rivera, Lori Harvey, Iris Mittenaere, Rena Sofer, and Rina Mor Goder.    

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IAF-DRDO flight-tested Helicopter-launched Stand-off Anti-Tank Missile from Pokhran Range, Rajasthani.On December 11, 2021, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully flight-tested the indigenously designed and developed Helicopter launched (air-launched) Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile from the Pokhran range in Rajasthan.ii.It should be noted that it is for the first time that this was launched from a Russian origin Mi-35 helicopter gunship.
iii.The test met all its mission objectives viz. release mechanism, advanced guidance, tracking algorithms etc.
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Chairman– Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
Headquarter– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

China Launches Satellites for Space Exploration – Shijian-6 05China successfully launched a new group of satellites Shijian-6 05 into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China for space exploration and new technology tests.

• The satellites were launched by a Long March-4B rocket which marked the 400th mission of Long March series carrier rockets.

Note – The first flight of Long March-1 was in 1970, Long March carrier rockets marked the majority deployment with 92.1 percent of China’s space launches.
Past Missions:
In the recent 100 launches, the Long March rockets have taken up quality missions like the launch of China’s Tianhe space station core module, Shenzhou manned spacecraft, Chang’e-5 lunar probe and the country’s first interplanetary Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission.
Background:
According to the rocket developers with the state-owned space giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the first 100 launches took place over 37 years, the second 100 launches took seven and half years, the third took four years and three months, and the fourth only took two years and nine months.
About China:
Capital – Beijing
President – Xi Jinping
Currency – Renminbi

Lokpal Launches Digital Platform to Address Citizen’s Complaints – ‘LokpalOnline’On 13th December 2021, Lokpal Chairperson Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose inaugurated a digital platform for the complaints management from anywhere called ‘LokpalOnline’ for Indian citizens.
About LokpalOnline:
i.The LokpalOnline is a web-based portal hosted on National Informatics centre (NIC) Cloud which has been developed on an Open Source Technology for the management of complaints against public servants filed under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
ii.Its security audit has been done by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
iii.This increases accountability, transparency and efficient benefits to all citizens of India.
Features:
i.Convenient for filing complaint online from anywhere & anytime and is kept confidential
ii.Periodic management on information to the complainant at every stage through e-mails and SMS
iii.The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Centre bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other inquiry agencies can upload their reports directly on ‘LokpalOnline’ platform.
About Lokpal:
i.Lokpal of India, has been established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 to inquire and investigate allegations of corruption against public functionaries.
Aim of Lokpal – To free the country from corruption and to build a strong and corruption free India.
India’s 1st Lokpal – 19th March 2019
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

India Successfully Test-fires Supersonic Missile Assisted Torpedo in OdishaIndia has successfully test-fired a long-range Supersonic Missile Assisted Torpedo (SMART) off the coast of Balasore in Odisha.

• The SMART will enhance anti-submarine warfare capability far beyond the conventional range of the torpedo.
• The weapon system is a next-generation missile-based standoff torpedo delivery system, it is being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Navy.
• Note – It is a canister-based missile system and it consists of advanced technologies like two-stage solid propulsion, electro-mechanical actuators and precision inertial navigation.

Other Tests:
i.In December 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) has flight-tested the indigenously made helicopter-launched SANT (Stand-off Anti-tank) missile from Pokhran ranges.

• The missile provides high precision strike capability from a safe distance and can neutralise targets in a range up to 10 km.

ii.In October 2021, The premier research organisation flight-tested various systems of Abhyas, its high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT), in Chandipur, off the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Odisha.

• The vehicle can be used as an aerial target for the evaluation of various missile systems.

About Odisha:
Governor – Ganeshi Lal
Tiger Reserves – Similipal Tiger Reserve, Satkosia Tiger Reserve
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Satkosia Gorge sanctuary, Nandankanan sanctuary, Lakhari valley sanctuary

SPORTS

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021Red Bull’s Max Emilian Verstappen (24) from The Netherlands clinched the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 by defeating Mercedes’ Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton of the United Kingdom (UK) at the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• With this, Max Verstappen won his first Formula One (F1) World Driver Championship.
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 was the 22^nd and final round of the 2021 F1 World Championship.
• The third position is won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro (Carlos Sainz Jr.) of Spain

F1 World Constructor Championship 2021:
For the F1 World Constructor Championship 2021, Mercedes (Germany) won for the 8^th consecutive time, setting a new record. It is followed by Red Bull Racing-Honda (Austria) at 2nd and Ferrari (Italy) at 3rd.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Universal Health Coverage Day 2021 – December 12The United Nations(UN)’s International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) is annually observed across the globe on 12th December to create awareness about the need for strong and resilient health systems and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).The day also signifies the unprecedented momentum and global commitment to achieving Health for All by 2030.

• The UHC Day, 12th December, also marks the anniversary of the UN’s unanimous endorsement of universal health coverage in 2012.

The theme of UHC Day 2021 is “Leave No One’s Health Behind: Invest in health systems for all.” 
Background:
i.The Universal Health Coverage Day was first organised on 12th December 2014 by the Universal Health Coverage Coalition.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/72/138 on 12th December 2017 and proclaimed the 12th December of every year as the International Universal Health Coverage Day.
iii.The first official International Universal Health Coverage Day was observed on 12th December 2018.
>> Read Full News

International Day of Neutrality 2021 – December 12The United Nations (UNs) International Day of Neutrality is annually observed globally on 12th December to promote neutrality among countries and to lay emphasis on raising awareness levels in public about the value of neutrality in international relations.

• Article 2 of the UN charter also permits the member states to settle their disputes by peaceful means.

The first International Day of Neutrality was observed on 12^th December 2017 to raise public awareness of the value of neutrality in international relations.
About United Nations:
Secretary General – Antonio Guterres
Headquarters – New York, United States
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Delhi Police Launched E-learning Platform “Unnati” to Skill School Dropouts

Rakesh Asthana, Police Commissioner of Delhi launched an e-learning platform ‘Unnati’, under the Delhi Police’s flagship scheme ‘YUVA’ at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Auditorium, New Delhi, Delhi.
Unnati is an e-learning and certification initiative by the Delhi Police-South West District to help educate youths and impart skill training to school dropouts from the weaker sections of society.

• The courses offered under ‘Unnati’ include digital literacy courses comprising basic computer courses and typing training, preparatory courses for competitive exams and sports courses, among others.

The police personnel will also provide counselling, training and placements.

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