Current Affairs 22 December 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 22 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

Multinational Exercise PANEX-21 inaugurated at Pune, Maharashtra comprising BIMSTEC Nationsi.On December 20-22, 2021, the 3^rd edition of multi-national – multi-agency exercise, PANEX-21, was organized at Pune (Maharashtra) to develop capabilities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations among BIMSTEC nations.
ii.BIMSTEC is an acronym for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. It is an international organisation of seven South Asian and Southeast Asian nations comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
iii.The inaugural address for this exercise was delivered by Lt Gen Jai Singh Nain, Army Commander, Southern Command at Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) also addressed over video conference.
About Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC):
Established in 1997, initially it was known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation). With the admission of Myanmar and Bhutan it became BIMSTEC.
Secretary General– Tenzin Lekphell
Secretariat– Dhaka, Bangladesh
>> Read Full News

GIS based ‘Automatic Water Supply System’, 1st of its kind in India launched by Rajnath SinghOn the occasion of Defence Estates Day 2021 i.e. December 16, 2021, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence has launched India’s first of its kind Geographic Information System (GIS) Based ‘Automatic Water Supply System’ for citizens of Cantonment Boards under eChhawani project. It is an easy and fast application with 100% automatic process.

• The module for this system has been developed by Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo informatics (BISAG) under the guidance of Defence Secretary and Director General of Defence Estates (DGDE), Delhi.
• Its integration with the e-Chhawani portal is done by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

Key Points:
i.It is based on “minimum government and maximum governance” as there is no manual intervention for clearance/sanction of the water connection.
ii.It provides a facility to citizens to identify the location of the water supply connection, automatically determines the nearest water pipeline, defines the capacity of all water supply lines, calculates distance based on the location and amount payable by the Applicant including connection charges can be paid online.
About e-Chhawani Project:
It is a citizen-centric project of the Directorate General of Defence Estates, Ministry of Defence. Under this initiative, Cantonment Boards provide online citizen services to more than 20 lakh residents across 62 Cantonments in the country through the unified e-Chhawani Portal.

• These services are being provided in a paperless, faceless and cashless environment.

India’s EAM S.Jaishankar & Tajikistan’s FM Sirojiddin Muhriddin Signs Agreements on Diplomatic TrainingIn December 2021, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met Tajikistan foreign minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin who was on an official visit to India from 18 to 20 December 2021 to attend the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue.

• They have signed agreements on diplomatic training and program of cooperation.
• Both of them exchanged views on expanding bilateral cooperation in energy, connectivity, trade, security and capacity building.

India-Central Asia Dialogue:
i.EAM S. Jaishankar hosted the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi from 18-19 December 2021. Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting.
ii.The Ministers discussed strengthening of relations between India and Central Asian countries with particular focus on trade, connectivity and development cooperation.
Note – The 2nd meeting was organized virtually by India in October 2020.
Additional Points:
i.Tajikistan is India’s key partner in Central Asia in the fight against cross-border terror and radicalisation. It also hosts India’s lone military base.
ii.Earlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tajikistan in July 2015 and both countries decided to step up cooperation in the spheres of defence, connectivity and in the fight against terrorism.
iii.President Ram Nath Kovind paid a state visit to Tajikistan in October 2018 and announced a grant of $20 million for Tajikistan.
About Tajikistan:
Capital – Dushanbe
Currency – Tajikistani somoni
President – Emomali Rahmon

NITI Aayog & UN-WFP Signed SoI to Mainstream Millets & Support India in Knowledge ExchangeOn 20th December 2021, the National Institution for Transforming India, known as NITI Aayog has signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with the United Nations(UN) World Food Program(WFP) for mainstreaming of millets and supporting India in taking lead globally in knowledge exchange using the opportunity of 2023 as International Year of Millets.

• The SoI focuses on strategic and technical collaboration between NITI Aayog and WFP to strengthen climate-resilient agriculture for enhanced food and nutrition security in India.

Aim: 
To build resilient livelihoods for small-holder farmers and adopt the capacities to climate change and transforming food systems.
AIM, NITI Aayog & UNCDF Launched 1st AgriTech Challenge Cohort 2021
NITI Aayog, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has launched the first AgriTech Challenge cohort for its  Agri-tech program that aims to help smallholder farmers across Asia and Africa to address their challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic.
>> Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

NPCI ties up with Udemy Business to upskill its EmployeesNational Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) signed a  partnership agreement with Udemy Business,  to encourage innovative learning and skill development for employees of NPCI.Highlights:
i.The 3-year partnership  with Udemy Business will offer courses on in-demand skills such as tech, domain, behavioural, and leadership skills to all NPCI employees.
ii.Through  the mission  ‘Talent Development for All’ of NPCI, it provides  capacity building programmes in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Blockchain, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), etc.
iii.NPCI provides a Differentiated Growth Map (DGM). The company has developed an effective succession plan for critical roles through the Leadership Development Program (LEAD) and executive coaching.
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
MD and CEO- Dilip Asbe
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra

KGB Signed MoU with Care Health Insurance to Offer Health Insurance ProductsOn December 20, 2021, the Karnataka Gramin Bank (KGB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Care Health Insurance Ltd to market health insurance products for customers of the bank across 22 districts of Karnataka.

• Under the partnership, the bank focuses on its rural customers by covering maximum people, including farmers, artisans and rural population under health insurance.
• The bank was also working on a tailor-made product to suit farmers and Kisan Credit Cardholders to face challenges arising out of illness and hospitalisation, through products at an affordable premium.
• The MoU was signed by Shreenath Joshi, Chairman of KGB and Atul Sabharwal, Enterprise Head of Care Medical insurance Ltd in Ballari, Karnataka.

About Karnataka Gramin Bank (KGB):
Establishment – 2019 (by the amalgamation of two Regional Rural Banks i.e. Pragathi Krishna Gramin Bank &Kaveri Grameena Bank).Karnataka Gramin Bank established under the sponsorship of Canara Bank.
Headquarters – Ballari, Karnataka
Chief Executive Officer – Nandini K R, IAS
About Care Health Insurance Ltd:
Headquarters – Gurgaon, Haryana
MD & CEO – Anuj Gulati

Mastercard Partners with Google Pay on Tokenisation for Card-Based PaymentsOn 21st December 2021 Mastercard and Google announced a tokenization method that enables Google Pay users to safely transact using their Mastercard credit cards and debit cards.

• Android users of Google Pay can scan and pay across all Bharat QR-enabled merchants, tap-and-pay, and make in-app transactions through their Mastercard debit and credit card.

Key Highlights:
i.The users can register themselves with a one-time setup by entering their card details and One Time Password (OTP) to add their card on the Google Pay app.
ii.Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) allows payment credentials to be securely stored in the mobile devices in the form of a digital token.

• This avoids sharing details of credit card or debit card details to merchants.

iii.Even if the cardholder’s mobile device is misplaced, or the card is lost, the details of the card still remain secure as they are stored as digital tokens and the users can update the token.
About Google:
Google Pay is the digital wallet platform and online payment system developed by Google.
Headquarters – California, United States (US)
CEO – Sundar Pichai

ICICI Lombard ties up with Clove Dental to offer OPD, Dental InsuranceICICI Lombard General Insurance Company promoted by ICICI Bank (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) has collaborated with Clove Dental to offer dental insurance.  The offering will be covered under the OPD (Out Patient Department) benefit and will be available on a cashless basis to customers.

• This partnership will provide oral health support to Clove Dental’s consumers that will encompass all necessary dental treatment expenses under the OPD benefit of ICICI Lombard.

Key Points:
i.Oral cancer, tooth decay, and gum diseases are the major concerns among oral diseases.
ii.Dental insurance is usually clubbed with health insurance where dental ailments are not exclusively covered. Also, a traditional health insurance policy typically covers in-patient department (IPD) expenses that require hospitalization. Out-patient department expenses such as doctor’s consultation fees, health check-ups, pharmacy bills, dental treatment, and diagnostic tests, are not typically included in the insurance coverage. Therefore this partnership will benefit customers a lot.
About ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited:
MD & CEO– Bhargav Dasgupta
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS 

Divya Hegde Wins UN Women’s Award For Leadership CommitmentDivya Hegde, an Indian Climate Action Entrepreneur from Udupi, coastal Karnataka, has won the United Nation (UN) Women’s Award for Leadership Commitment at the 2021 Regional Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP) Awards ceremony.

• She has been recognised for her sustained efforts in advancing gender equality through climate action efforts.
• Baeru Environmental Services, Divya’ s organisation works towards waste management, creation of livelihoods for rural women, and developing a circular economy in the region.

Other Winners –
i.Youth Leadership – Pallavi Sherring
ii.Gender-inclusive Workplace – NatWest Group
iii.Gender-Responsive Marketplace – Dharma Life
iv.Community Engagement & Partnerships – The Very Group
v.Transparency & Reporting – Biocon Ltd India
vi.SME Champions – Namita Vikas
About Baeru Environmental Services:
Headquarters – Coastal Karnataka (a global biodiversity hotspot)
Aim – To address the disconnect between the rising climate crisis and local coastal communities and empower them to find climate solutions for rural populations.
i.The Organisation empowers women to take proactive climate action measures by generating employment and offering them access to training programmes in lingual and regional context
ii.Effective workshops for women and children are conducted through the medium of local arts and culture for better understanding
About The UN Leadership Commitment Award:
i.This award is a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact aimed at empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors.
ii.It also recognises leaders who promote gender equality in the workplace, marketplace and community.
About Karnataka:
Governor – Thawar Chand Gehlot
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Melkote Wildlife Sanctuary, Mookambika wildlife sanctuary, Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary
Airports – Hubballi domestic Airport, Belgaum domestic Airport, Bellary domestic Airport, Mysore Airport (Mandakalli airport)  

Bank of Baroda achieves top position in Digital Payments for 2020-21 On December 20, 2021, Bank of Baroda (BoB) grabbed the top spot in overall digital transactions among large banks for FY20-21. It was felicitated by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) at the Digital Payments Utsav which was held to commemorate 75th anniversary of Independence of India. Click here to read

• BoB has been conferred with five DigiDhan awards for FY 2019-20 & 2020-21 in various categories.
• The award was received by Akhil Handa, chief digital officer at BoB, which was presented by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnav, MeitY and MoS (Minister of State) Rajeev Chandrashekar, MeitY.

About Bank of Baroda (BoB):
Managing Director & CEO– Sanjiv Chadha
Headquarter– Vadodara, Gujarat
Amalgamated banks– Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank     

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS    

PV Sindhu Re-elected as Member of BWF’s Athletes’ Commission for 2nd term till 2025

Former World Champion and India’s 2-time Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu (Pusarla Venkata Sindhu) was re-elected as a member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF)’s Athletes’ Commission for a 2nd term till 2025. She is among the 6 appointed members of the Commission.

• PV Sindhu was first elected as a member of the BWF’s Athletes’ Commission in 2017. She is the only member who stood for re-election.
• PV Sindhu was the 2nd Indian to become a member of the BWF’s Athletes Commission. In 2017, Sana Nehwal joined the commission as a representative of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission.

Member of BWF’s Athletes Commission 2021-2025:
i.P V Sindhu (India)
ii.Kim So-yeong (South Korea)
iii.Iris Wang (United States of America-USA)
iv.Robin Tabeling (Netherlands)
v.Greysia Polii (Indonesia)
vi.Zheng Siwei (China)
Note:
The Chair and Deputy Chair will be decided among the six members.
The elected chair of the BWF’s Athletes Commission will become a member of the BWF Council until the next elections in 2025.
About PV Sindhu:
i.PV Sindhu is currently ranked 7th in the BWF Ranking (Women’s Singles).  She has ranked 3^rd (Women’s Single) on the HSBC BWF World Tour 2021 ranking.
ii.PV Sindhu was the 1st Indian to win Silver at the 2016 RIO Olympics.
iii.She won the Bronze at Tokyo 2020 and became the 2nd Indian and the 1st Indian woman to win 2 Olympic medals.
iv.She became the 1st Indian to Win BWF World Championship Gold (Women’s Single) in 2019. Before winning the gold in the BWF World Championship 2019, she won the bronze in 2013 and 2014, and the silver in 2017 and 2018.
Awards:

• Padma Shri 2015 for Sports
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2016
• BWF’s Best Female Promising Player 2016
• Padma Bhushan 2020 for Sports

About the BWF’s Athletes Commission:
Aim: 
To represent the needs and views of athletes to the BWF Council and Committees.
Objectives:

• To act as the official link between the players and the BWF.
• To proactively consider issues relating to players and give advice to the BWF on player-related matters.
• To represent the rights and interests of the players to the BWF Council to ensure the athlete’s opinion is heard at the highest level of governance of Badminton.
• To maintain contact and good relations with the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Current BWF’s Athletes Commission:
Chair– Marc Zwiebler (Germany)
Vice Chair– Ville Lång (Finland)
Members– P V Sindhu; Peter Briggs; Kirsty Gilmour.
About Badminton World Federation (BWF):
President– Poul-Erik Høyer
Headquarters– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

DRDO Scientist Atul Dinkar Rane Appointed DG BrahMos Aerospace Limited Senior DRDO(Defence Research and Development Organisation) Scientist Atul Dinkar Rane has been appointed as the Director-General(DG) of the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, Which manufactures the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

• He was a part of the core team of BrahMos Aerospace, since its foundation as a joint venture with Russia.

About Atul Dinkar Rane:
Career:
i.Atul Dinkar Rane joined DRDO in 1987 and started his career as System Manager at Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).
ii.He has served as the Director of International Cooperation & Joint Venture at DRDO Headquarters, New Delhi.
iii.He led the development of Onboard Mission Software for Agni-I missile, as part of the OBC division, Research Centre Imarat (RCI).
iv.He has also established the integrated testbed facility for seamless test and evaluation of Onboard Systems for various missile projects.
Expertise:
He is well known for his Research and Development (R&D) contribution in the design and development of mission-critical Onboard Computers(OBC), hardware in loop simulation studies, systems analysis, development of mission software and avionics technologies for defence applications.
About BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited:
BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between DRDO of India and Joint Stock company Military Industrial Consortium NPO Mashinostroyenia(formerly known as Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPOM of Russia).
The name BrahMos represents the fury of the Brahmaputra and the grace of the Moskva rivers.
Director-General– Atul Dinkar Rane
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi      

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS   

CCI Approves Acquisition of Air India stake by Tata SonsThe Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved acquisition of 100% shareholding in Air India Limited (AI), Air India Express Limited and 50% shares in Air India SATS (AISATS)  by Talace Private Limited .

• Talace Private Limited is a wholly-acquired subsidiary of Tata Sons.

Highlights:
i.Air India & Singapore Airport Terminal Services (AISATS) provides ground handling services at Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mangalore and Thiruvananthapuram airports and also provides cargo handling services at Bengaluru airport.
ii.In October 2021, the Central Government approved the INR 18000 crore bid provided by Talace Private Limited for acquiring Air India & its subsidiaries.
iii.The government will retain INR 44,679 crore debt of AI through a SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle), which will be paid off gradually by monetising its non-aviation assets like land and buildings.
About Competition Commission of India (CCI):
i.CCI is a statutory body responsible for enforcing the objectives of the Competition Act, 2002.
ii.CCI was announced by the central govt in 2003 but due to some court proceedings, it became operational only in 2009.
iii.The government replaced the Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in 2017.

• Annual Day of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) was observed on 20th May.

Chairperson– Ashok Kumar Gupta
About Tata Sons Private Ltd:
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Executive Chairman- N Chandrasekaran 

SBI acquires Minority Stake in JSW Cement for INR 100 crore via CCPSThe State Bank of India (SBI) acquired a minority stake (less than 50 percent) in JSW Cement Limited for an investment of INR 100 crore through Compulsory Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS).
Highlights:
i.The SBI is working as a strategic investor at JSW Cement and  has invested in the company  through CCPS. The conversion of CCPS into common equity will link with the  JSW Group to provide valuation determined at the time initial public offering (IPO).
ii.This amount will support the expansion of JSW Cement  from taking its production from the current 14 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) to 25 MTPA.

• The group was only into Portland slag cement (PSC) tearlier, in 2021 it  entered the ready mix concrete (RMC) business with its first commercial unit in Chembur, Mumbai.

iii.In 2021, other giant companies such as Apollo Global Management Inc. (through its investment entity in Singapore) and Synergy Metals Investments Holding Ltd also invested in JSW Cement.
About JSW Cement:
Chairman -Nirmal Kumar Jain
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Chairperson- Dinesh Kumar Khara
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded-1955

IOCL Acquires 4.93 Percent Stake in Indian Gas ExchangeOn 21st December 2021 Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) acquired a 4.93 percent equity share in Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) Limited, the country’s first automated national level gas exchange.

• It was approved by the Board of Directors of Indian Oil in the meeting held on 20th December 2021. 
• IGX is envisaged to play an important role to facilitate achieving the government’s target of increasing the share of natural gas in India’s energy basket from the current 6.5 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030.

Key Points:
i.The deal is for the acquisition of 36,93,750 equity shares with the face value of Rs.10 each that could equate to 4.93 percent of the share capital in IGX Limited.
ii.Indian Oil also announced an investment of Rs.9,028 crore for setting up a crude oil pipeline from Mundra to Panipat.
About Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) Limited:
IGX is a subsidiary of the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX)
Started operations – 15th June 2020 as a gas trading platform and has been operating as the gas exchange since December 2020. 
Regulatory Body – Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).
Major equity holders – Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Adani Total Gas, and Torrent Gas.
About Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL):
Chairman – Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

CCI Approved Acquisition of 16.94% Stake in IRB Infrastructure by Bricklayers Investment

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of up to 16.94% equity share capital of IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited (IRB) by Bricklayers Investment Private Limited, controlled by GIC Investor under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
About the proposed Combination:
i.This combination relates, GIC Investor’s proposed the acquisition of up to 16.94% of the share capital of IRB on a fully diluted basis and non fully diluted basis through subscription of new shares issued by way of preferential issues on private placement.
ii.The proposed transaction is an acquisition within the meaning of Section (5) of the Competition Act 2002.
About GIC Investor:
GIC Investor, incorporated in May 2019, is a foreign direct investor and a wholly-owned subsidiary of GIC Infra Holdings (GIC Infra).
GIC Infra is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GIC Ventures.

• GIC Investor is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) organised as a private limited company in Singapore.
• It is a part of the group of investment holding companies managed by GIC Special Investments(GICSI).

About IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited (IRB):
IRB, a public company incorporated in 1998, is a holding company of IRB Group.
IRB is engaged in construction works in accordance with engineering, procurement and construction(EPC) contracts and providing Operation and Maintenance(O&M) services of roads and highways.

• IRB has ancillary interests in power generation(wind), real estate service and the development and operation of airports.

CCI Approved Acquisition of Forbes Enviro Solutions by Lunolux Limited
CCI has approved the acquisition of a controlling stake in Forbes Enviro Solutions Limited (FESL), a subsidiary of Eureka Forbes Limited by Lunolux Limited(LL) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.

• The proposed combination pertains to the acquisition of controlling stake in FESL by LL through the primary acquisition of up to 72.56% and the subsequent acquisition of up to 26% equity stake by way of an open offer under the Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011.

SPORTS

Highlights of 2021 BWF World ChampionshipsThe 2021 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World championship (officially known as the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2021), an annual tournament was held between 12th December 2021 and 19th December 2021 in Huelva, Spain
Venue – Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marin, Spain
Winners of Bwf World Championship:

Highlights:
i.Kidambi Srikanth has won India’s first medal at the 2021 World Championships.
ii.It was Kidambi’s first-ever World Championships podium.
iii.Loh Kean Yew is the first player from Singapore to win a world championship title.
About Badminton World Federation (BWF):
Established – 1934
Headquarters – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
President – Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Amit Shah released a Book titled ‘Sahakar Sandarbha’ at VAMNICOM Pune

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah released a book titled ‘Sahakar Sandarbha’ at the convocation ceremony of Vaikunth Mehta National Cooperative Management Institute (VAMNICOM) in Pune, Maharashtra.

• The book highlights various sectors of cooperative governance and its need for expansion in the field of agriculture and rural areas.

i.Amit Shah, who also served as the Union Minister of Cooperation, has announced the formulation of India’s new ‘Cooperative Sector Policy’.
ii.He also unveiled the statue of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar & also laid the foundation stone of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak in Pune.
iii.The Home Minister also inaugurated a new building of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and the campus of 5th Battalion of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Pune.

STATE NEWS

J&K Govt Signs MoU with UCB Dubai for Students EducationThe Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University College Birmingham (UCB) at India Global Forum, held in Taj Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• TheMoU was signed between the Director Industries and Commerce, Jammu, Anoo Malhotra and International Recruitment, University College Birmingham, Eileen Pryer in the presence of Counsel General of India, Aman Puri.

Objective – To achieve skill development of students in a variety of different subject areas and levels and to provide opportunities in teaching and research fields.
Key Highlights:
i.For the first time, UCB has decided to  set up an office in Jammu and Kashmir to tie up with local educational institutions to facilitate academic exchange programmes and enable students to secure admissions at reduced fees.
ii.The MoU provides opportunities through institutional partnership with vocational colleges and universities in J&K.
iii.A framework will be provided for developing a formal relationship in exchange for undergraduate & graduate students, technical programs, academic mobility, teaching and research programs which would be valid for 3 years.
About Jammu and Kashmir (J&K):
Governor – Manoj Sinha
Dance – Rouf Dance, Dumhal Dance, Kud Dance
Stadium – Gandhi Memorial Science College, Baljata

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Inaugurated ‘T-Setu’ Odisha’s Longest Bridge Over Mahanadi river in CuttackNaveen Patnaik, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha inaugurated Odisha’s longest bridge, ‘T-Setu’, built over the Mahanadi river at Gopinathpur, Cuttack District, Odisha.
The bridge will benefit more than 5 lakh people and contribute to the development of tourism, agriculture and commerce in the region.
About T Setu:
i.The foundation stone of the bridge was laid on 28th February 2014.
ii.The bridge in the shape of the English alphabet ‘T’ was constructed at a cost of Rs 111 crore.
iii.The 3.4-km-long bridge connecting Gopinathpur in Badamba, Baideswar in Banki to Singhanath Pitha in Cuttack, will cut the distance between Badamba and Banki Baideshwar by almost 45 km.
Note:
i.Previously, the 2.88-km-long Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Setu over Kathajodi river at Trisulia held the title of Odisha’s longest bridge since 2017.
ii.The bridge connects Bhubaneswar and Cuttack via Barang.
About Odisha:
Governor– Professor Ganeshi Lal
Tribes– Kharia, Kutia Kondhs, Lodha
Dance Forms– Odissi; Chhau Dance; Gotipua Dance

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