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Current Affairs 11 December 2020

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We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 11 December 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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Top 25 Current Affairs of 11 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

IIT Bombay Released Urban Quality of Life Index 2020; Mumbai Tops, Patna Ranked LastMumbai offers highest quality of life, Chennai treats its women best

i.On December 5, 2020, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) released the Urban Quality of Life (UQoL) Index 2020, which ranked 14 Indian cities in India using 29 indicators grouped into 7 categories.
ii.In accordance to this, Mumbai(Maharashtra) tops the index followed by Delhi, Kolkata (West Bengal) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu) by providing Highest Quality of Life while Bihar’s capital city Patna provides poorest quality of life to its people.
iii.Notably, this is for the first time the index has considered the factor of gender parity under which Chennai is named as the most women-friendly city while Patna stood last.
About Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B):
Establishment– 1958 (In 1961 Parliament decreed the IITs as “Institutes of National Importance”)
Director– Subhasis Chaudhuri
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

Cabinet Approvals on December 9, 2020cabinet approval on december 9

On December 9, 2020, Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals which were detailed by Minister of State (MoS), Independent Charge (I/C) Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Ministry of Labour & Employment; Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Law & Justice, and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY); and Union Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), and Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises during a press conference on Cabinet decisions, at National Media Centre in New Delhi.

  • Cabinet approves Rs 22,810 cr for Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana
  • Govt Approves USOF Scheme For Providing Mobile Coverage In Arunachal, Assam Districts
  • Cabinet approves Provision of Submarine OFC Connectivity between Mainland (Kochi) and Lakshadweep Islands
  • Cabinet approves to launch massive Wi-Fi networks called PM-Wani Scheme in India
  • Cabinet approves the proposal of SEBI to sign Bilateral MoU between India and Luxembourg
  • Govt approved MoU between India and Suriname on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine

About Suriname:
Capital– Paramaribo
Currency– Suriname Dollar
President– Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi (He is of Indian-Origin, elected in July 2020)
<<Read Full News>>

NE states, UP, Bihar top in pandemic management: SBI Study

According to a study conducted by State Bank of India (SBI) Research, North-Eastern (NE) states (All NE states combined as one) topped the list of states in managing Pandemic, Bihar came second, followed by Uttar Pradesh. Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh were placed at the bottom. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, SBI Group Chief Economic Advisor was the author of the report. They were ranked based on 2 parametersi.macro (Fiscal deficit) & Consumer Price Inflation, ii.5  performance of states on Central Government Schemes (one nation one ration card, PM Svanidhi, PM Samman, emergency credit linked guarantee scheme and PM Awas Yojana).

MoRTH signs MoU with Austria on Technology Cooperation in Road Infrastructure SectorMoRTH signs MoU with Austria on technology cooperation

i.On December 9, 2020, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Austria on Technology Cooperation in the Road Infrastructure Sector.
ii.It was signed by the Additional Secretary, MoRTH Shri K.C. Gupta and the Ambassador of Austria Brigitte Oppinger-Walchshofer in New Delhi.
About Austria:
Capital– Vienna
Currency– Euro
President– Alexander Van der Bellen
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Global CO2 Emissions expected to fall by 7% in 2020 due to Pandemic: UNEP’s Emission Gap Report 2020Emissions Gap Report 2020

According to 11th Edition of Emissions Gap Report 2020 (Annual report) released by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), The Global CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Emissions are set to fall by 7% in 2020 owing to Pandemic.  The report states that emissions of the richest 1% of the Global Population (Countries like United States of America (USA), European Union (EU), Australia and New Zealand) account for more than twice of the share of poorest 50% of countries.
Key Points:
i.Global GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions continued to rise in 2019. 52.4 GtCO2e (Gigatonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide) without land-use change (LUC) and 59.1 GtCO2e including LUC.
ii.India is responsible for 7.1 % of Global Emission and has per capita emission which is 60% lower than Global average.
iii.India stands Fourth in terms of overall emission (3.7 GtCO2e) in 2019. The top 3 countries are China, USA, and EU+UK.
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director – Inger Andersen
Headquarters – Nairobi, Kenya
<<Read Full News>>

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh participates in the 14th ADMM/7th ADMM Plus Meeting 2020 held virtually

Rajnath Singh attended the 10th anniversary of the ADMM-Plus newOn December 10, 2020, Union Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh attended the 14th ADMM-Plus Meeting (ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defence Ministers’ Meeting)/7th ADMM Plus Meeting 2020 held virtually at Hanoi, Vietnam. The meeting was held on the 10th Anniversary of ADMM-Plus. The meeting was hosted by Vietnam.
i.ADMM Plus is an annual meeting of Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN Countries and its 8 partner countries.
ii.Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh was granted the privilege of addressing the session as a special gesture towards India’s contribution towards the forum.
iii.Rajnath Singh welcomed Brunei Darussalam as the new Chair of ASEAN in 2021.
About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):
2020 Chairmanship– Vietnam
Secretariat – Jakarta, Indonesia
Secretary General– Dato Lim Jock Hoi
Membership– 10 States ― Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 1 Observer – Papua New Guinea
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

RBL Bank & ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Enters into a Bancassurance Partnership to Offer Life Insurance Products RBL Bank ICICI Prudential join hands for bancassurance partnership

i.On December 9, 2020 RBL Bank Ltd & ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Ltd entered into a bancassurance partnership to offer a range of life insurance products, i.e., protection and long-term savings products of ICICI Prudential Life to the customers of RBL Bank.
ii.This partnership will allow more than 8.7 million customers of RBL Bank to access and purchase ICICI Prudential Life’s customer-centric protection and long-term savings products.
About RBL Bank Ltd:
Incorporated in – 1943 under the Indian Companies Act, 1913
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Vishwavir Ahuja
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Apno Ka Bank
The bank’s name was changed  from ‘The Ratnakar Bank Limited’ to ‘RBL Bank Limited’ in August 2014.
About ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Ltd:
It is promoted by ICICI Bank Limited and Prudential Corporation Holdings Limited.
Commenced Operations– 2001
HeadOffice– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– N S Kannan
<<Read Full News>>

Max Life Launches ‘Max Life Critical Illness and Disability Rider’, a Health Insurance Rider and ‘Max Fit’, a Wellness App Max Life Insurance launched wellness app

i.On December 9, 2020 Max Life Insurance Company Limited launched ‘Max Life Critical Illness and Disability Rider’ is a health insurance rider that offers customers protection from upto 64 critical illnesses.
ii.The company also launched ‘Max Fit’ , a comprehensive wellness programme(app).
iii.Purpose of Launch
The health insurance rider and the wellness app has been launched to address the health coverage needs of the policyholders to ensure that they continue to be fit, protected and happy.
<<Read Full News>>

IRDAI proposes a cap of Rs 1 cr in draft norms on Standard Accident Insurance PoliciesIrdai proposes a cap of ₹1 cr in draft norms on standard accident insurance policies

On December 10, 2020, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) issued draft guidelines on standard personal accident insurance policies. Under them, the insurance watchdog has recommended that all general and standalone health insurers will have to offer this product from April 1, 2021.

  • It will be offered on an individual basis and act as a standard product with common coverage across the sector.

Key Features:
–The minimum and maximum entry age has been kept at 18 years and 70 years, respectively. The policyholder can pay premiums yearly, half-yearly, quarterly, or monthly.
–It will have a minimum sum insured of Rs 2.5 lakh and a maximum of Rs 1 crore.
–There will  be a proposed payout equal to 100% of the sum insured in case of death or permanent total disablement because of the accident.
–For permanent partial disablement, the payout percentage will vary according to the type of disablement.
–The optional cover will also pay out up to 10% of the base sum insured for hospitalization for a minimum of 24 hours as the result of an accident.
About Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI):
Establishment– 1999 (Incorporated as a statutory body in April, 2000)
Chairman– Subhash Chandra Khuntia
Headquarter– Hyderabad, Telangana

SBI General Insurance Enters into Strategic Partnership with Mahindra Insurance Brokers to Increase Insurance Penetration in Rural IndiaSBI General Insurance partners with Mahindra Insurance Brokers

i.On December 9, 2020 SBI General Insurance Company Limited entered into a strategic partnership with Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd. (MIBL) to increase the insurance penetration in tier 2 & 3 cities(Rural Indian Cities ).
ii.MIBL has collaborated with SBI General Insurance under its ‘Sajhedaari program’.
iii.Objective-To increase insurance penetration in the under-served and under-penetrated rural areas of India.
About Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd (MIBL):
It is an 80% subsidiary company of Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd.
HeadOffice– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman of MIBL & Principal Advisor, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.-Rajeev Dubey
Managing Director(MD)– Dr. Jaideep Devare
Set up– 2004
About SBI General Insurance Company Limited:
It commenced its operations in 2010 as a Joint Venture(JV) between State Bank of India (SBI) and Insurance Australia Group (IAG). SBI owns 70% of the total capital.
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Promoters– SBI and Premji Invest
MD & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Shri Prakash Chandra(P.C.) Kandpal
<<Read Full News>>

YES Bank in Partnership with Mastercard  Launches ‘Yes Private Prime Credit Card’ for India’s Affluent and Ultra HNWIsYES BANK launches Yes Private Prime

i.On December 8, 2020 YES Bank in partnership with Mastercard launched  ‘Yes Private Prime Credit Card’ for the Affluent and Ultra High-Net-Worth-Individuals (HNWIs) of India.
ii.The card is available on the Mastercard World Elite platform. The card is a strictly by-invitation-only lifestyle Credit Card.
About YES Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Experience our expertise
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Prashant Kumar
Incepted– 2004
About Mastercard:
Headquarters – New York, United States
President and CEO-Elect– Michael Miebach
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Ajay Banga(Michael Miebach will take over as CEO by January, 2021)
<<Read Full News>>

Google Pay, PhonePe Together Accounts for More than 82% of UPI market by volume in November 2020: NPCI Data

As per the data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Google Pay and PhonePe together account for more than 82% of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) market by volume and more than 86%  by value in November 2020.

Google Pay has done 960.02 million transactions, worth Rs 1.61 trillion and PhonePe has done 868.4 million transactions, worth Rs 1.75 trillion.

As per the October data, Google Pay accounted for 857.81 million transactions, and  PhonePe for 839.88 million transactions, where they both accounted for more than 82% of the market by volume.

Recently, NPCI has imposed a 30% cap on third-party applications (apps) on total volume transactions processed through UPI, effective January 1, 2021.

Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance launched its new digital campaign, #heroesofmycity

On December 9, 2020 Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce(OBC) Life Insurance launched its new digital campaign, ‘#heroesofmycity’. This 2 month long campaign is an extension to the initiative #meformycity. #meformycity was launched by Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance in 2018. The purpose of designing the new digital campaign is to recognise the heroes of everyday life of the people who kept the city going when everything was stopped due to COVID-19 pandemic.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

ADB Revised India’s GDP Forecast for FY21 to -8% from -9%ADB projects -8 Per as India's GDP forecast for FY21

i.The Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s  ‘Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020 Supplement: Paths Diverge in Recovery from the Pandemic’- December 2020, has revised India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) FY21 rate upwards to -8%(contract by 8) from -9% projected in Asian Development Outlook 2020 Update in September 2020.

  • The Growth will return in 2021 at 8.0% in India.

ii.The GDP of Developing Asia(46 ADB-Asian Development Bank member economies across Asia and the Pacific) forecasted to contract by 0.4%(-0.4%) from -0.7% projected in September 2020.

  • The growth will rebound to 6.8% in 2021

About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
Establishment– 1966
President– Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters– Mandaluyong City, Manila, Philippines
Membership– 68 countries (Including India)
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Bajrang Punia and Elavenil Valarivan Awarded “FICCI Sportsperson of the Year” at India Sports Award-2020Bajrang Punia, Elavenil Valarivan bag top honours at FICCI India Sports Awards

On 10th December, 2020 Federation of Indian Commerce and Industry (FICCI) virtually presented India Sports Awards-2020, to sports personalities for their outstanding contributions in the field of sports.
In the Event, Wrestler Bajrang Punia and Shooter Elavenil Valarivan received the highest honour “Sportsperson of the Year of Male & Female” Award.

AwardPersonality
Sportsperson of the Year- FemaleElavenil Valarivan (Shooting)
Sportsperson of the Year- MaleBajrang Punia (Wrestler)
Best State Promoting Sports AwardMadhya Pradesh
Best Company Promoting Sports (Private Sector)Anil Kumble for Tenvic Sports
Coach of the year awardRadhakrishnan Nair (Athletics)
Best National Sports FederationWrestling Federation of India and Paralympic Committee of India
Best Para-athlete Award – MaleSundar Singh Gurjar (Javelin thrower, Shot putter and Discus thrower)
Best Para-athlete Award – Female Simran Sharma (Athlete)


About Federation of Indian Commerce and Industry (FICCI):
Established in -1927
President- Elect – Uday Shankar
Headquarter – New Delhi, Delhi
<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah reappointed as Prime Minister of Kuwait Kuwait emir reappoints Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid as prime minister

On 8th December, 2020 Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah reappointed Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al- Sabah as the Prime Minister of Kuwait. Earlier Sabah took over the Country’s Prime Ministership in September, 2020 after the death of his brother, Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

About Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah: 
i.He started his career in 1978, joining the ministry of foreign affairs, where he worked at various capacities, including being a member of Kuwait’s permanent mission to the United Nations (1983-1989).

ii.He belonged to the political Party, Independent.

iii.He served as the Minister of the Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2019 simultaneously, during the same period, he had been served as the Deputy Prime Minister(PM).

Honours

  • Order of King Abdulaziz (1998) of Saudi Arabia.
  • Honorary Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (2012) of United Kingdom.

About Kuwait:
Capital- Kuwait City
Prime Minister (PM)- Sheikh Nawaf Al- Ahmad Al- Sabah

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

Central Govt Sells Nearly 1 Crore shares of SUUTI’s Stake in Axis Bank; Earns about Rs 600 CroreGovernment garners ₹600 crore from SUUTI stake sale in Axis Bank

The central government, in the last 2 weeks has sold nearly 1 crore shares of Axis Bank worth around Rs 600 crores held through the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI).
Between November 26 and 27, 2020– Sold 36.25 lakh shares of Axis Bank for Rs 221.47 crore
Between December 2 and 4, 2020– Sold 61.43 lakh shares of Axis Bank for Rs 374.21 crore.
Post Transaction SUUTI Holds 3.92% Stake in Axis Bank

  • SUUTI held 4.33% stake in Axis Bank as on September 30, 2020.
  • After this transaction, SUUTI holds 3.92% stake(11.98 crore shares) in Axis Bank.

Background
i.The government in February 2020 has set a disinvestment target of Rs 2.1 trillion for FY21, that includes privatization of Air India and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).
ii.In May 2020, the government has decided to sell the remaining stake in companies held under SUUTI to raise money. The government expects to raise around Rs 22000 crore by selling its then 7.93% and 4.6% stake in ITC and Axis Bank respectively.
iii.Till now, in 2020 the government has earned Rs 6734 crore through minority stake sales and initial public offering of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.
About Specified Undertaking of The Unit Trust of India(SUUTI):
i.The Parliament divided the Unit Trust of India (UTI)in 2002, creating SUUTI and UTI Asset Management Co. Pvt. Ltd.
ii.SUUTI came into effect from  1st February, 2003 on the passing of the Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking and Repeal) Act, 2002(“Repeal Act”).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DRDO successfully demonstrates Quantum Communication between 2 Labs of DRDO using QKD TechnologyDRDO successfully demonstrates quantum communication between two labs

On 9th December, 2020, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrated communication between 2 labs of DRDO using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Technology to share encryption keys. The QKD technology was developed by CAIR (Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics), Bengaluru, and DYSL-QT (DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories-Quantum Technologies), Mumbai. The 2 DRDO labs which participated are Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and the Research Centre Imarat (RCI).
DRDO had developed QKD technology exclusively for the Indian Armed Forces.
Objective:
i.To ensure secure communication in defence and strategic agencies.
ii.Quantum based communication will enable secure transfer of encryption keys, which are vital in the modern digital world.
iii.This Quantum works being executed by DRDO will be used to help start-ups and Small & Medium size Enterprises working in the domain of Quantum Information Technologies.
About Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR):
Director – Upendra Kumar Singh
Location – Bengaluru, Karnataka
About DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories-Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT):
Location – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai
<<Read Full News>>

China successfully launches 2 satellites from XSLC for Gravitational Wave DetectionChina successfully launches two satellites for gravitational wave detection

i.On December 10, 2020, China successfully launched the Gravitational Wave High-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM also called Huairou-1) comprising of 2 satellites for Gravitational Wave Detection from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre (XSLC), Sichuan Province, China. The satellite was sent into orbit by a Long March-11 Rocket developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
ii.The launch is the 355th Flight of the Long March Carrier Rocket Series.
iii.The GECAM project is being carried out by Chinese Academy of Sciences.
iv.The satellite will monitor high-energy celestial phenomena – Gravitational waves, gamma-ray bursts, high-energy radiation of fast radio bursts, special gamma-ray bursts and Magnetar bursts.
Gravitational Waves:
A Gravitational Wave is an invisible ripple in space produced by exploding stars and collisions between ultradense neutron stars or merging black holes.
About China:
President – Xi Jinping
Currency – Renminbi (RMB)
Capital – Beijing
About China National Space Administration (CNSA):
Director – Zhang Kejian
Headquarters – Beijing, China
<<Read Full News>>

SPORTS

Sri Lanka to host 2021 Edition of Asia Cup Cricket Tournament; Pakistan to host 2022 Edition of Asia Cup Sri Lanka to host Asia Cup in 2021, Pakistan in 2022

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Wasim Khan stated that Sri Lanka will host the 2021 Edition of Asia Cup, Cricket tournament and Pakistan will host the 2022 Edition of Asia Cup, Cricket tournament.
i.In July 2020, Asia Cup’s Governing body, Asia Cricket Council (ACC) announced that the 2020 Edition of Asia Cup was cancelled due to Pandemic.
ii.The 2020 Edition was originally set to be hosted by Pakistan, as it was cancelled Pakistan were awarded to host the 2022 Edition as Compensation.
Asia Cup:
i.Asia Cup is a men’s One Day International (ODI) & Twenty20 International Cricket Tournament.
ii.It is organized by ACC, which has 5 full members – India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Afghanistan.
About Asian Cricket Council (ACC):
President – Nazmul Hassan
Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Hindi poet-journalist, Manglesh Dabral dies at 72Famous Hindi poet Manglesh Dabral dead

On 10 December, 2020 India’s renowned journalist & Hindi Poet, Manglesh Dabral died at the age of 72 in New Delhi due to Covid-19. As a critic of government policies, he returned his Sahitya Akademi award in 2015 in protest against the growing climate of intolerance in the country, which he won in 2000 for his anthology  “Ham Jo Dekhte Hain”, Literary work in Hindi.
About Manglesh Dabral:
i.Born in 1948 at Kafalpani village, in Uttarakhand.
ii.He worked as the Editor of Jansatta’s Sunday Magazine, Ravivari.
iii.Through his writings in the four-page literary magazine, Jansatta, he mentored a generation of Hindi writers.
iv.Translated Multiple books to Hindi, which involves the famous translation of Arundhati Roy’s “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness” to “Apaar Khushi Ka Gharana”.
Manglesh Dabral Works
v. Poems – Pahar Par Lalten, Ghar Ka Rasta,Ham Jo Dekhte Hain,Awaz Bhi Ek Jagah Hai,Naye Yug Men Shatru.
vi. Prose – Lekhak Ki Roti, Kavi Ka Akelapan, Ek Bar Iowa

Indian Dancer, Padma Shri Astad Deboo Passed Away at 73

Padma Shri awardee Dance pioneer Astad Deboo diesOn 10th December 2020, Padma Shri Astad Deboo, a renowned Indian Dancer passed away at the age of 73 at his residence in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was born on 13th July 1947 in Navsari town, Gujarat.
About Astad Deboo:
i.Astad Deboo was well known as the pioneer of modern dance in India who utilised his training in the classical dance form of Kathak and Kathakali and created a new fusion dance form.
ii.During his 50-year career in the dance field he has collaborated with Pina Bausch, Alison Becker Chase and Pink Floyd and performed across the globe.
iii.He was the student of Guru Prahlad Das(Kathak) and Guru E K Pannicker(Kathakali).
iv.He founded the Astad Deboo Dance Foundation to provide creative training to marginalised sections and differently abled.
Awards:
i.He won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to contemporary creative dance in 1995.
ii.He received the Padma Shri for arts in 2007.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Human Rights Day 2020 – December 10Human Rights Day

i.United Nations(UN)’s Human Rights Day is annually observed across the world on 10th December, the day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) in 1948.
ii.The theme of 2020 Human rights day is “Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights”, which is associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
iii.The UN’s call to Action “Stand Up for Human rights”, aims to engage the general public, its partners and other UN bodies to enhance the transformative actions and showcase the practical and inspirational examples that contribute to recovering better and fostering more resilient and just societies.
About United Nations General Assembly:
President- Volkan Bozkir
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Maharashtra Government Launches “Sharad Pawar Rural Prosperity Scheme” and passes “Sakthi Act”Maharashtra cabinet approves proposal to name a new rural development scheme

On 09 December, 2020 State Government of Maharashtra launched the ambitious rural development scheme “Sharad Pawar Rural Prosperity Scheme” named after Sharad Pawar, Former Agriculture Minister, President of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the chief architect of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
i.To strengthen the law on prevention of atrocities against women, children Maharashtra Cabinet has passed “Shakti Act” which Envisages death sentence for rape, acid attack and child abuse. The act also reduces the investigation period to 15 working days for heinous crimes against womens.
ii.Bill tabled in two parts-

  1. The Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) ACT, 2020
  2. The Special Court and Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020.

About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister – Uddhav Thackeray
Governor – Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Capital – Mumbai.
<<Read Full News>>

Andhra Pradesh, Survey of India sign MoU for implementation of Land Survey;1st of its kind survey in IndiaAndhra Pradesh signs MoU with Survey of India for historic land survey

On December 9, 2020 Andhra Pradesh (AP) Government and Survey of India (SoI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of ‘YSR Jagananna Saswath Bhoo Hakku-Bhoo Raksha Pathakam’ – a land resurvey project in Andhra Pradesh. This is the 1st time in 100 years that such a survey is being conducted in India.  The Survey will be launched on December 21, 2020.
i.The survey will include all types of land – House site, Agricultural land & real estate layouts.
ii.The project is estimated to cost about INR 1, 000 Crore.
iii.The Survey will be conducted in 3 phases and will take place from December 2021-January 2023.
iv.Latest Technologies like CARS (Computerized Automotive Recording System) Technology, drones and rovers will be used for the survey.
v.Benefits of Land Survey – Land Titling Card, Digital Cadastral Maps, Digitization of property registers.
About Andhra Pradesh:
Airports – Visakhapatnam International Airport, Vijayawada International Airport, Tirupati International Airport
National Parks (NP) – Kasu Brahmananda Reddy NP, Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali NP, Mrugavani NP
About Survey of India:
Survey of India is a Department under the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India
Surveyor General of India – Lieutenant General Girish Kumar
<<Read Full News>>

Odisha Government launches 2nd Edition of Eco-Retreat programme at 5 locations

Tourism Department of Odisha launched the 2nd Edition of its flagship “Eco-Retreat” programme – Eco-Retreat 2020 at five locations in Odisha – Konark, Bhitarkanika, Daringibadi, Hirakud and Satokosia. They will be open to Tourists till February 28, 2021.

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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)

S.noCurrent Affairs 11 December 2020
1IIT Bombay Released Urban Quality of Life Index; Mumbai Tops, Patna Ranked Last
2Cabinet Approvals on December 9, 2020
3NE states, UP, Bihar top in pandemic management: SBI Study
4MoRTH signs MoU with Austria on Technology Cooperation in Road Infrastructure Sector
5Global CO2 Emissions expected to fall by 7% in 2020 due to Pandemic: UNEP’s Emission Gap Report 2020
6Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh participates in the 14th ADMM-Plus Meeting held virtually
7RBL Bank & ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Enters into a Bancassurance Partnership to Offer Life Insurance Products to Bank’s Customers
8Max Life Launches ‘Max Life Critical Illness and Disability Rider’, a Health Insurance Rider and ‘Max Fit’, a Wellness App
9IRDAI proposes a cap of Rs 1 cr in draft norms on Standard Accident Insurance Policies
10SBI General Insurance Enters into Strategic Partnership with Mahindra Insurance Brokers to Increase Insurance Penetration in Rural India
11YES Bank in Partnership with Mastercard  Launches ‘Yes Private Prime Credit Card’ for India’s Affluent and Ultra HNIWs
12Google Pay, PhonePe Together Accounts for More than 82% of UPI market by volume in November 2020: NPCI Data
13Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance launched its new digital campaign, #heroesofmycity
14ADB Revised India’s 2020 GDP Forecast to -8% from -9%
15Bajrang Punia and Elavenil Valarivan Awarded “Sportsperson of the Year” at India Sports Award-2020
16Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid reappoints as Prime Minister of Kuwait
17Central Govt Sells Nearly 1 Crore shares of SUUTI’s Stake in Axis Bank; Earns about Rs 600 Crore
18DRDO successfully demonstrates Quantum Communication between 2 Labs of DRDO using QKD Technology
19China successfully launches 2 satellite from XSLC for Gravitational Wave Detection
20Sri Lanka to host 2021 Edition of Asia Cup Cricket Tournament; Pakistan to host 2022 Edition of Asia Cup
21Manglesh Dabral, renowned Hindi poet-journalist dies at 72
22Indian Dancer, Padma Shri Astad Deboo Passed Away at 73
23Human Rights Day 2020 – December 10
24Maharashtra Government Launches “Sharad Pawar Rural Prosperity Scheme” and passes “Sakthi Act”
25Andhra Pradesh, Survey of India sign MoU for implementation of Land Survey;1st of its kind survey in India
26Odisha Government launches 2nd Edition of Eco-Retreat programme at 5 locations