Current Affairs 10 December 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 10 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.

Our Current Affairs December 2021 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2021 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name –  Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP

We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry) 

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Cabinet Approval on December 8, 2021On December 8, 2021, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the following proposals:
i.The Cabinet approved the proposal of the Department of Rural Development for continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) beyond March 2021 till March 2024 as per the existing norms. Under this extension the target is to complete the remaining 155.75 lakh houses from the cumulative target of 2.95 crore houses in rural areas.

• The outlay for the construction of remaining houses will be Rs. 2,17,257 crore with Central Share Rs.1,25,106 crore and State Share Rs.73,475 crores.

ii.The Cabinet also approved the funding and implementation of Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project with an outlay of Rs 44,605 crore at 2020-21 price levels. It is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers. It will cover the states of UP and MP.

• For this, the Central Government will provide a support of 39,317 crore which include Rs.36,290 crore as grant and Rs.3,027 crore as loan.

Static Points about Rives Betwa and Ken:
i.The river Betwa or Betravati which is also called river Vetrawati in Sanskrit one of the major river basins of Madhya Pradesh (MP). It is a tributary of the Yamuna. It rises in the Vindhya Range just north of Hoshangabad in MP and flows north-east through MP and Orchha to UP.
ii.Ken River is one of the major rivers in the Bundelkhand region of central India. It is also a tributary of the Yamuna. The river originates near the Village Ahirgawan in Jabalpur District of MP and joins the Yamuna River, near Chilla Village in UP.
>> Read Full News

11th Edition of India- Maldives Joint Military Exercise EKUVERIN held in MaldivesThe 11th edition of joint military exercise EKUVERIN between India and Maldives was scheduled to be held at Kadhdhoo Island, Maldives in December 06 to 19, 2021.

• The meaning of Ekuverin is ‘Friends’ in the Dhivehi language. The exercise has been conducted since 2009.

Key Points:
i.The exercise improves the synergy and inter-operability between the Armed Forces of both nations in terms of understanding transnational terrorism both on land and at sea, conducting Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations and sharing best military practices and experiences.
ii.The joint military exercise will also include cultural and sports activities to enhance defence cooperation and bilateral relations.
iii.The exercise strengthens India’s relations with the Maldives amidst emerging security dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region.
iv.In 2019, the exercise was organised at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra.
About Maldives:
Capital – Male
President – Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Currency – Rufiyaa

Giriraj Singh releases “Localization of SDGs through Panchayati Raj Institutions” report & Launches GPDP Monitoring Dashboard & Training Management PortalGiriraj Singh, the Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, launched a report titled – ‘Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Panchayati Raj Institutions’ that was prepared by an Expert Group constituted by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.During the occasion he also launched 2 dedicated dashboards:
i.Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Monitoring Dashboard:
GPDP dashboard is specially designed to monitor the progress of GPDP in various Gram panchayats.
ii.Training Management Portal:
The portal is aimed to provide various training & capacity building programs for the Elected representatives & functionaries of Panchayati Raj institutions.

• The Minister also released a Handbook on Training Management Portal

About Ministry of Panchayati Raj: 
Union Minister – Giriraj Singh (Constituency – Begusarai, Bihar)
Minister of State – Kapil Moreshwar Patil (Constituency – Bhiwandi, Maharashtra)
>> Read Full News

Airtel Partners with Invest India To Launch “Airtel India Startup Innovation Challenge”On 9th December, Bharti Airtel (Airtel) and Invest India, National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency jointly launched ‘Airtel India Startup Innovation Challenge’ for Startups to develop solutions in 5G, IoT.
Key Points:
i.Under the Startup Innovation Challenge, early-stage technology companies are being invited to demonstrate differentiated solutions in areas such as 5G, Cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and digital entertainment.
ii.The startups gain access to Airtel’s core platform strengths of data, distribution, network and payments under this Programme. In addition to that the startups get access to Airtel’s global partner ecosystem and advisory from Airtel’s executive team.
Note– India has emerged as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world after the US and China.
About Airtel
Founded: 1995
Chairman: Sunil Bharti
MD & CEO: Mittal Gopal Vittal
Headquartered: New Delhi, India
Invest India:
Invest India, set up in 2009, is a non-profit venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

BANKING & FINANCE

Highlights of the Fifth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy of FY21-22The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 6-members Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had met on 6th, 7th and 8th December 2021 and released its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement for FY22 (April 2021 – March 2022).

• Policy Rates: RBI kept the rates unchanged (maintains status quo) for the 8th consecutive time i.e it decided to continue with the accommodative stance to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.
• Growth: The MPC has retained India’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection for FY22 at 9.5 percent with 6.6 percent in Q3; and 6.0 percent in Q4. Real GDP growth for Q1 FY23 is projected at 17.2 percent and for Q2 at 7.8 percent.
• Inflation: Consumer Price Index (CPI)/Retail inflation was projected at 5.3 % percent in FY22, with 5.1 percent in Q3 and 5.7 percent in Q4. CPI inflation for Q1 and Q2 FY23 was projected at 5.0 percent.

Key Points :
i.RBI has decided to launch a UPI (Unified Payments Interface)-based payment product for feature phone users to increase digital penetration of financial services and support them to transact digitally without access to smartphones or reliable internet services.
ii.For the first time in 21 years, the RBI plans to revise norms for investment portfolios of commercial banks to reflect changes in global standards on valuation and measurement, and progress in the domestic market.
iii.RBI has proposed to increase the 14-day variable rate reverse repo (VRRR) auction amounts on a fortnightly basis in the manner of  Rs 6.5 lakh crore on December 17, 2021, and further to Rs 7.5 lakh crore on December 31, 2021.
iv.RBI has plans to allow banks to infuse capital in their overseas branches as well as to repatriate profits without seeking prior approval from RBI.
v.RBI plans to increase the all-in-cost ceiling for new Foreign Currency (FCY) ECB/TC from 450 basis points (bps) to 500 bps and from 250 bps to 300 bps, respectively, over the alternative reference rates (ARRs).
About the Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Establishment – April 1, 1935
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor –  Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
>> Read Full News

Aviva Life Insurance launches Life Insurance Plan Nivesh Bima
Aviva Life Insurance, a private insurance company, has launched Aviva Nivesh Bima, a non-linked, non-participating, individual savings life insurance plan providing guaranteed money back at every 5th policy year, in addition to a lump sum payout at maturity.

• It also offers features such as fixed benefit pay-out on maturity or death, limited premium paying term, and an option to enhance the coverage through an add-on accidental death benefit, along with tax benefits.

Key Points:
i.The minimum annualized premium is Rs 25,000 and a maximum is Rs 1,00,00,000.
ii.It offers annual, Semi-Annual and Monthly modes for paying premiums.
iii.While Aviva Nivesh Bima offers coverage tenures up to 20 years, policyholders are required to pay the premium only for a limited period.

• The premium paying term is 5 years less than the policy term.

About Aviva Life Insurance:
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director– Amit Malik
Headquarter– Gurugram, Haryana

BoM, NPCI tie up to launch RuPay Credit Card

Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has tied up with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch its 1st credit card on card payment network RuPay, named ‘BoM Platinum RuPay Contactless Credit Card’.
The benefits of the credit card include reward points for every Rs 100 spent, fuel surcharge and the card also has card liability cover wherein customers will have zero liability post reporting of fraud. The card will also be protected against card counterfeiting, card skimming and other online frauds under the liability cover.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS  

Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women List 2021: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman topsFortune India released the list of most powerful women in India 2021 in which Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (62), Ministry of Finance & Ministry of Corporate Affairs ranked 1st.

• She is followed by Reliance Foundation Chairperson and Goodwill Ambassador Nita Ambani (58) in 2^nd position, and Soumya Swaminathan (62), Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO) at 3^rd

Key Points:
i.Nirmala Sitharaman is the 28th finance minister of India. The top spot in this list recognized her Rs 1.70 lakh crore Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), and other efforts including Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package. This direct cash and food grain scheme that positively impacted the Indian economy
ii.In 2020, Nita Ambani in collaboration with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation set up India’s first dedicated 250-bed Covid-19 treatment facility in Mumbai (Maharashtra). Its capacity further increased to over 2,000 beds with an uninterrupted oxygen supply.

• Treatment was free of cost.

List of Top 5 Most Powerful Women in India by Fortune India:

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS 

Disney BYJU’s Early Learn App Signs Neeraj Chopra & PV Sindhu as Brand AmbassadorsIn December 2021 BYJU’S announced a 2 year partnership with Olympic medalists Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu as the brand ambassadors for Disney BYJU’S Early Learn app.

• Javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra is a Gold medallist and Badminton player, PV Sindhu is a Bronze medallist from 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Disney BYJU’s Early Learn App
Launched – 2019
Run by – Think And Learn Private Limited
The Disney BYJU’s Early Learn App has taken Disney-licensed characters for its early learning app for younger children aged between 6-8 years.
About Neeraj Chopra
i.Neeraj Chopra , India’s javelin thrower from panipat, Haryana, won the Gold medal at the men’s javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympic 2020
ii.August 7 to be marked as ‘Javelin Throw Day’ in India to honour Neeraj Chopra’s first historic Olympic gold.
iii.He was honoured with Arjuna awards in 2018
iv.Army Sports Institute at Pune has been renamed as Neeraj Chopra stadium after his win in Tokyo Olympics.
About PV Sindhu:
i.PV Sindhu is a 25 year old shuttler form Hyderabad, Telangana who is currently ranked world no. 3 in women’s single category.
ii.She won silver in 2016 Rio Olympics and also won India’s first BWF World Championship gold in 2019
About Byju’s:
Establishment – 2011
Founder – Byju Raveendran
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
Note – Byju’s acquired online exam preparation platform Gradeup in September 2021

Olaf Scholz appointed as German Chancellor; succeeds Angela MerkelThe Parliament of Germany has appointed Olaf Scholz (63) as the 9^th post-World War II Chancellor of Germany succeeding Angela Dorothea Merkel who retires from her services after 16 years (since 2005) of tenure as Chancellor.

• The ceremony for the same took place at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany.

Key Points:
i.Olaf Scholz, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of Germany will lead a three-party coalition with the Greens (Alliance 90), and the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP).
ii.He won a majority of 395 votes from lawmakers in the lower house of parliament
iii.Previously, he served as the Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister in coalition with Angela Merkel.
About Germany:
Capital– Berlin
Currency– Euro     

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

South Korean Defence Ministry unveils model for Hypersonic Weapon Prototype ‘Hycore’The Agency for Defence Development (ADD) under South Korea’s Ministry of Defence has unveiled a model for a hypersonic weapon prototype namely ‘Hycore’ through an animated video. Its testing is expected to begin in 2022.

• Hycore is a ground-launched cruise missile with two-stage solid-fueled rocket and scramjet engine.
• It has a stark resemblance to Boeing’s X-51 Waverider experimental hypersonic vehicle.

 About Hypersonic weapons:
Hypersonic weapons are capable of traveling faster than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, and have maneuvering capabilities. They can be launched from the surface, from a submarine, or by aircraft, and often have extremely long ranges.
Points to be noted:
i.The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), announced its first hypersonic test in September 2021, and Russia and China each have several hypersonic weapons in service.
ii.India is also working on hypersonic missile technology. In June 2019 and September 2020, India successfully tested its hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle, which speeds at mach 6.

• India is also working with Russia on the development of the Brahmos II, a mach 7 hypersonic cruise missile, expected to operationalize between 2025 and 2028.

NASA launches X-ray space telescope to unlock secrets of black holeNASA launched its new Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) X-ray space telescope to unlock the secrets of extreme cosmic objects.It was launched into orbit by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United State(US). The project is a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency.
Objective- 
i.To determine the radiation processes of specific cosmic X – ray sources.
ii.To explore the general relativistic and quantum effects in extreme environments.
iii.IXPE is going to explore some of the most extreme and mysterious objects in the universe – including black holes and pulsars – and the X-rays they emit. It is the first mission that will map the polarization of many of these objects.
Key points:
i.It includes three identical space telescopes with sensitive detectors capable of measuring the polarisation of cosmic X-rays.
ii.They were designed by INAF (Istituto nazionale di astrofisica) and INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare).
Note- IXPE observatory is NASA’s first mission dedicated to measuring the polarization of X-rays from the most extreme and mysterious objects in the universe – supernova remnants, supermassive black holes, and dozens of other high-energy objects.
Background:
NASA selected IXPE as a Small Explorer mission in 2017. NASA Marshall manages the IXPE mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate as a project of the NASA’s Explorers Program.
What is Polarization?
Polarization is a property of light that holds clues to the environment from which the light originates.

SPORTS

India wins 41 medals at Asian Youth Para GamesOn 8^th December 2021 at Indian para-athletes claimed 41 medals at 4th Asian Youth Para Games (AYPG), Asia’s biggest event held at Riffa city, Bahrain.

• The event is organized by the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Bahrain with the support of the local government.

Participants – Over 700 athletes from around 30 countries participated in the event from 2^nd to 6^th December 2021.
Sports –  Para athletics, Para badminton, boccia, goalball, Para powerlifting, Para swimming, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, and wheelchair basketball.
Note – The 5th edition of the Asian Youth Para Games 2025 will be hosted by Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
About Asian Paralympic Committee
President – Majid Rashed
Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
>> Read Full News

OBITUARY

India’s 1st CDS Bipin Rawat dies in IAF Mi17 Helicopter CrashOn 8th December 2021, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Indian Armed Force General Bipin Rawat, India’s most senior defence official died in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

• Gen Rawat was on board an Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi17 V5 helicopter from Russia along with his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other defence personnel. While IAF Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor in the crash.
• He was returning from the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

About Bipin Rawat:
i.63 year old General Bipin Rawat was born on 16th March 1958 in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.
ii.He topped during his military training and was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’ at the National Defence College and the Indian Military Academy.
Awards – Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal
Bipin Rawat as CDS:
He was appointed as India’s 1st Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 2019 who served till  death, and previously served as the Chief of the Indian Army since December 2016.
Note – As per the new military rules, a CDS can serve till the age of 65 & the all three Armed Service Chiefs have a tenure of 3-years or 62 years of age, whichever is earlier.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Anti-Corruption Day 2021 – December 9The United Nations (UN) International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on 9th December to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the UN convention on combating and presenting corruption.

• The UN has set up a Global Task Force on Corruption to reinforce a One-UN approach to support in combating corruption.

The Day highlights the role of every part of society – individuals, non-governmental organisations, law enforcement, governments and media persons in tackling the issue of corruption.
Theme of 2021 – “Your right, your role: say no to corruption”.
Note – The UNGA declared 9th December as International Anti-Corruption Day in 2003.
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Administrator – Achim Steiner
Headquarters – New York, United States
About UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Director-General UNODC – Ghada Fathi Waly (Egypt)
Headquarters – Vienna, Austria
About the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)
Under-Secretary-General – Rosemary DiCarlo
Established – 1992
Headquarters – New York, United states
>> Read Full News

International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide & the Prevention of this Crime – December 9The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is marked annually on 9th December.2021 marks the 73rd anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 ‘Genocide Convention’ by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

• This was the 1st Human Rights Treaty adopted by the UNGA.

Objective:
i.It is observed to raise awareness about genocide and the role of the United Nations’ Genocide Convention in preventing it.
ii.To establish the duty of governments and states to prevent crimes of genocide and punish those who are involve in the heinous crime.
About United Nations (UN):
Secretary general-António Guterres
Headquarters– New York,  United States
Founded– 1945
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Pushkar Singh Dhami launches – ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme’ in Uttarakhand

On 8 December 2021, The Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme‘ in Dehradun. The scheme is aimed to provide incentives benefiting around 53,000 people of Uttarakhand.
Key points:
i.It is a Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) scheme, the  amount under the scheme  would go directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries through their linked bank accounts.
ii.The state government is targeting to spend INR 444.62 crore to open 500 milk sales centres in Uttarakhand.
Dairy sector in India:
i.The dairy sector accounts for 4.2% of the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
ii.India is the World’s largest Milk Producer, while the State of Uttar Pradesh is India’s Top Milk producing state, accounting for a total of 18% of India’s total production.
iii.Methane from animal waste contributes about 75% of the total GHG emissions of the dairy sector.

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed an anti-methanogenic feed supplement ‘Harit Dhara’ (HD), which can cut down cattle methane emissions by 17-20% & helps in higher milk production.

About Uttarakhand :
Stadium– Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Airport– Jolly Grant Airport, Pantnagar Airport

*******

Click Here View – AC Excluded News 2021

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)