Current Affairs 13 & 14 December 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 13 & 14 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 13 & 14 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

A.K. Singh CMD of NHPC, lays foundation stone of head regulator works for Indo-Nepal Link Canal

On 8th December, 2020 The Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NHPC limited, A.K. Singh, has laid foundation stone of head regulator works of Indo-Nepal Link Canal at Barrage of 94.2 MW Tanakpur Power Station of NHPC at Uttarakhand. This project is constructed under the “Mahakali Treaty” signed between India and Nepal.The length of Indo-Nepal Link Canal is 1.2 Km.
i.Hydropower Project constructed on the Sharda River also known as Mahakali River in Nepal.
ii.Mahakhali treaty signed between India and Nepal in 1996, to resolve the water dispute in the Mahakali river.
About Nepal:
Capital- Kathmandu
President- Bidya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister- K. P. Sharma Oli
<<Read Full News>>

India’s 1st LGBT+ Workplace Equality Index,’India Workplace Equality Index Top Employers 2020 Report’ launched by KSF, Pride Circle & Stonewall

On December 10, 2020, India’s 1st LGBT + (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans +) Workplace Equality Index, “India Workplace Equality Index Top Employers 2020 Report” based on the India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI) Index was launched virtually by KSF (Keshav Suri Foundation), Pride Circle, Stonewall & FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry).
i.The report highlighted Top Employers from Indian Industry who have set an example for inclusion of LGBT + in the workplace.
ii.Index is based on 9 Criterias – Policies & Benefits, Employee Lifecycle, Employee Resource Group, Allies and Role Models, Senior Leadership, Monitoring, Procurement, Community Engagement and Additional work.
iii.2 Indian Companies bagged the Gold Award, 4 Indian Companies – Silver Award 1 Indian Company – Bronze Award.
About Keshav Suri Foundation (KSF):
Chairperson & Managing Director – Jyotsna Suri
Location – New Delhi
About Stonewall Foundation:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Nancy Kelley
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom
<<Read Full News>>

Central Government Launched a Program for Socio-Economic Profiling of Beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi

On 11th December 2020, the Central Government launched a program for socio-economic profiling of the beneficiaries of PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, a special micro-credit facility for street vendors, to support them with the benefits of other government schemes based on their eligibility.

• Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs(MoHUA) launched the programme.
• Quality Council of India (QCI) has been appointed as implementing partner for the programme.

About the Programme:
i.The programme will prepare a complete profile of the beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi and their family members.
ii.Based on the profile, the benefits of other central schemes will be extended to the beneficiaries according to their eligibility.
iii.This programme will support the complete socio-economic development of the street vendors and their family.
iv.The states and Union territories(UTs) have an option to extend their respective welfare schemes to the beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi.
Implementation:
i.Prior to the complete rollout, the MoHUA will run the trial in six cities which are Gaya, Indore, Kakching, Nizamabad, Rajkot and Varanasi.
ii.For the first phase implementation of the programme, 125 cities have been selected for the programme.
PM SVANidhi Scheme:
i.The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) was launched by the MoHUA in June 2020 to provide affordable working capital loan to more than 50 Lakh street vendors whose lives were affected due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The scheme is valid till March 2022.
ii.The scheme will provide a loan up to Rs.10000 whose business was operating on or before 24th March 2020.
iii.The scheme was announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in May 2020.

DCGI Gives Approval for HGCO19, India’s 1st Indigenous mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate to Initiate Human Clinical Trials

On December 11, 2020 Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) gave approval for India’s 1st indigenous messenger Ribonucleic acid(mRNA) vaccine candidate, HGCO19 to initiate Phase I/II human clinical trials.

• It was developed by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd in collaboration with HDT Biotech Corporation, Seattle, USA.
• Seed grant was given under the Ind-CEPI mission ‘India Centric Epidemic Preparedness through Rapid Vaccine Development: Supporting Indian Vaccine Development Aligned with the Global Initiative of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)’

Note– Establishing such indigenous technology platform will empower India to handle COVID-19 pandemic and ensure readiness for future outbreaks.
Important Info
This vaccine is Gennova’s 1st mRNA platform based vaccine. The vaccine remained stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius
About Gennova’s candidate vaccine:
HGCO19 uses the most  prominent mutant of spike protein (D614G) and also uses the mRNA platform, that gives advantage of a low dosing regimen when compared with the non-replicating mRNA or traditional vaccines.
Highlights of mRNA Vaccines 
i.It does not use the conventional model to produce immune response.
ii.As it is non-infectious, non-integrating in nature, and degraded by standard cellular mechanisms, it is considered safe.
iii.It is fully synthetic and do not require a host for growth.
About Ind-CEPI:
i.It aims to reinforce the development of vaccines and related competencies/technologies for the diseases of epidemic potential in India.
ii.The responsibility to implement this program is given to Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council ( BIRAC), a Public Sector Undertaking of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology and Govt of India.
About Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd:
Headquarter – Pune, Maharashtra
Chairman – Mr. Satish Ramanlal Mehta

PM Narendra Modi Addresses International Bharathi Festival 2020; Seeni Viswanathan Wins Bharathi Award 2020

On December 11, 2020 Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi addressed the International Bharathi Festival 2020 through video conferencing. The festival was organised by the Vanavil Cultural Centre to celebrate the 138th birth anniversary of Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi, a Tamil writer, poet, journalist, Indian independence activist and social reformer.
Bharathi  Award 2020
During the event, Seeni Viswanathan was named as the winner of Bharathi  Award 2020.The award is presented since 1994.
Key Info
i.PM mentioned that the definition of progress of Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi had a central role for women.
ii.In India, more than 15 crore women entrepreneurs are funded by schemes  like  MUDRA Yojana.
About Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi:
i.Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi(11 December 1882 – 11 September 1921)  was a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry.
ii.He fought for the freedom of women, against child marriage, stood to reform Brahminism and religion. He was also in unity with Dalits and Muslims.
iii.He worked as a journalist with many newspapers, including The Hindu.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

1^st India-Uzbekistan virtual summit Held; Co-chaired by Narendra Modi & Shavkat Mirziyoyev; 9 Agreements Inked

i.On December 11, 2020 the first bilateral virtual summit between India and Uzbekistan was co-chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev to discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relationship, including strengthening India-Uzbekistan cooperation in the post-COVID-19 world between both nations.
ii.Both sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
iii.During the summit both sides signed 9 Agreements/ Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC)/Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
iii.Following the summit, a joint statement on close friendship and strong partnership between Uzbekistan and India was also adopted.
About Uzbekistan:
Capital– Tashkent
Currency– Uzbekistani soʻm
<<Read Full News>>

India Contributed US$ 2 mn to UNRWA to Support Programmes for Palestine refugees

i.On December 10, 2020, the Representative of India to the State of Palestine, Sunil Kumar, presented a contribution of US$ 2 million on the behalf of Government of India (GoI) to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
ii.This funding is meant to support the UNRWA programmes and services for Palestine refugees which include education, health care, relief and social services.
iii.With this contribution, the total funding by India to the agency has reached US$ 5 million in 2020.
About United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
Commissioner-General– Philippe Lazzarini
Headquarters– Amman (Jordan) and Gaza or Gaza Strip
<<Read Full News>>

Ischaemic Heart Disease is the Top Cause of Death at the Global level from 2000-19: WHO’s 2019 Global Health Estimates

According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2019 Global Health Estimates, Ischaemic Heart Disease remained the Top Cause of death at the Global level over the period 2000-19, it is responsible for 16% of World’s total deaths. The study has also stated that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) constitute 7 of the World’s Top 10 causes of death.
i.In 2019, the 7 non-communicable diseases accounted for 44% of all deaths or 80% of the deaths caused by top 10 diseases. However, all noncommunicable diseases together accounted for 74% of deaths globally in 2019.
ii.In the year 2019, the top 10 causes of death accounted for 55% (55.5 Million deaths) of deaths worldwide.
iii.The Top 10 causes of death over the period 2000-19 are Ischaemic Heart Disease, Stroke, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Lower Respiratory Infections, Neonatal Conditions, Trachea, Bronchus & Lung Cancers, Alzheimer’s & Dementia, Diarrhoeal diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Kidney Diseases.
iv.The estimates in the 2020 report are based on trends from 160 diseases and injuries annually from 2000-19.
About WHO
Director General – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

5th India – Myanmar Bilateral Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation held Virtually; NCB DG Rakesh Asthana Participated

i.On December 11, 2020, the 5th India- Myanmar Bilateral Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation between the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), India and the Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control, Myanmar was held virtually.
ii.The Indian delegation was led by the Director General (DG) Narcotics Control Bureau, Rakesh Asthana while the Myanmar delegation was represented by the Commander of the Drug Enforcement Division (DED) cum Joint Secretary of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control, Pol. Brig. Gen. (Police Brigadier General) Win Naing.
iii.The issue of trafficking of Heroin and Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS) in India was highlighted during the meet as there is high prevalence of drug abuse in the North Eastern (NE) States bordering Myanmar. Also, the maritime route in Bay of Bengal is being used for drug trafficking.
About Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB):
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
Headquarters– New Delhi
About Myanmar:
Capital– Naypyidaw
Currency– Kyat
President– U Win Myint
<<Read Full News>>

5th Round of Foreign Office Consultations held virtually between India & Cyprus 

On December 11, 2020, The 5th Round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) was held virtually between India & Cyprus. Neeta Bhushan, Joint Secretary (Central Europe) led the Indian side and Thessalia Salina Shambos, Political Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Republic of Cyprus led the Cypriot side.
i.Both Countries reviewed the progress of cooperation in the areas of Politics, Economics, Consular, Culture and agreed to strengthen ties.
ii.They also reviewed the progress made in agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) (Defence & Military Cooperation, Sports, Culture & Ayurveda). They agreed to work for early finalization of the agreements.
iii.They exchanged views on Eastern Mediterranean, occupation of Northern Cyprus, India-European Union relations and other international issues.
iv.Both sides agreed to increase cooperation in the United Nations and other International forums.
v.India & Cyprus accepted to hold the next round of Foreign Office Consultations on a date agreed by both sides.
About Cyprus:
President – Nicos Anastasiades
Capital – Nicosia
Currency – Euro

8th Meeting of India-Nepal JSC on Cooperation in Power Sector held virtually

On December 11, 2020, the 8th meeting of India and Nepal Joint Steering Committee (JSC) on Cooperation in the Power sector was held virtually.The meeting was chaired by Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, Power Secretary, Government of India & Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, Secretary (Energy) of Nepal. JSC is the supreme bilateral mechanism for coordinating Government-to-Government initiatives in the Power Sector.
Members:
i.Sajiv Nandan Sahai was accompanied by Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Ambassador of India to Nepal & a 17-member delegation from various Ministries and NHPC Limited.
ii.The Nepalese side was assisted by representatives of various Ministries and Departments of Government of Nepal.
Key points:
i.Progress made on bilateral processes and initiatives in the power sector were reviewed during the meeting.
ii.Discussions regarding cross border trade of electricity, developing energy banking mechanism, and development of high voltage transmission lines along the borders were held.
iii.JSC reviewed the progress in the construction of 900 MegaWatt Arun-III Hydro Electric Project in Nepal (being built by SJVN Limited) and agreed to increase the implementation process.
iv.Some of the projects which have made progress during the last five years (2016-20) are

• Completion of South Asia’s 1st Cross Border 400 KV Transmission line in Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar.
• Completion of Funding modality for Gorakhpur-Butwal 400 KV line (Construction to start soon).
• Progress in 900 MW Arun-III Hydroelectric Project.

v.Both sides reiterated their commitment to strengthen the cooperation of the power sector between the two countries.
Joint Working Group Meeting:
In preparation for the JSC meeting, a Joint Working Group meeting at the level of Joint Secretaries was held on December 10, 2020.
About Nepal:
Prime Minister – K. P. Sharma Oli
Capital – Kathmandu
Currency – Nepalese Rupee (NPR)

1^st Webinar between India-Brazil Held; SS-CBC India Ammunition Project to start in 2021

i.India is organizing a series of webinars with friendly foreign countries to boost defence exports and to achieve the defence export target of $5 billion in the next five years. In this regard, on December 8, 2020, the first webinar between India and Brazil was held on the theme “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”.
ii.It was organised by Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Brazilian Association of Defence and Security Materials Industries (ABIMDE).
iii.The Production of ammunition under the JV between Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos (CBC) Brazil, the world’s second-largest ammunition manufacturer, and Stumpp Schuele & Somappa India (SSS Defence) will be initiated in August 2021.
Static Points:
Association of Defence and Security Materials Industries (ABIMDE) President- Dr Roberto Gallo
Indian Ambassador to Brazil– Suresh K Reddy
About Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM):
President– Jayant D Patil
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

India, Qatar set up task force to identify projects for investment

On December 11, 2020, India and Qatar have decided to set up a task force on Energy, to identify specific projects in India’s energy sector for investments by Qatar. It was informed by Union Minister Dharmendra Debendra Pradhan, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

• The task force will be represented by the Vice President of Qatar Petroleum and a senior officer from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• This decision was taken during a telecall between Dharmendra Pradhan and Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qatar Petroleum.
• Both sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the energy sector by encouraging two-way investments.

 Additional Info:
–Qatar is India’s biggest Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) supplier as the latter imports 8.5 million tonne per annum of gas under a long-term contract.
–India also buys liquified petroleum gas to meet the fast-expanding cooking gas requirements.
–India is the world’s third-largest oil and LNG importer.
–India is targeting to raise the share of natural gas in its energy basket to 15% by 2030 from the current 6.3%.
About Qatar:
Capital– Doha
Currency– Qatari Riyal
Emir– Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani

Singapore to host Special Annual Meeting of WEF in May 2021

The Organisers of the World Economic Forum (WEF) have announced that Singapore will host the Special Annual Meeting 2021 of WEF from May 13-16, 2021. This will be the first time that the WEF Special Annual meeting is taking place in Asia and the second time that meeting is being held outside Davos, Switzerland.
Note- Ahead of the Special Annual Meeting 2021, the Forum will host the Global Technology Governance Summit in Tokyo from 6-7 April 2021. 
i.The first meeting outside Davos, Switzerland being the 2002 edition, when it was held in New York.
ii.The Special Annual meeting will return to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland for 2022 Edition.
iii.The venue has been changed keeping in mind the alarming rate of COVID-19 cases in Switzerland, while Singapore has reported very few cases.
iv.Singapore is set to allow in-person meetings, which means the meeting will be the 1st time that leaders from business, government, and civil society will meet in person since the start of the pandemic.
v.However, WEF will hold special virtual components to allow for greater participation due to the travel restriction posed by pandemic.
About World Economic Forum(WEF):
Founder & Chairman- Klaus Schwab
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
About Singapore:
Prime Minister – Lee Hsien Loong
Currency – Singapore Dollar (SGD)

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan virtually addresses World Bank Inter Ministerial Meeting on Vaccination of South Asia against COVID-19

On December 10, 2020 Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare virtually addressed the World Bank Inter Ministerial Meeting on Vaccination of South Asia against COVID-19.
Key Points from Union Minister’s Address:
i.Union Minister, Harsh Vardhan highlighted that India’s fatality rate is 1.45% which is below the global average of 2.29%.
ii.Out of 260 vaccine candidates at the Global Level, 8 vaccine candidates are set to be manufactured in India (including 3 indigenous ones).
Note:
The 3 indigenous vaccines are – Covishield (developed by Serum Institute of India (SII)), Covaxin (developed by Bharat Biotech) & ZyCoV-D (Cadila Healthcare).
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
Union Minister – Dr Harsh Vardhan
Minister of State – Ashwini Kumar Choubey
About World Bank:
President- David R. Malpass
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States
<<Read Full News>>

WHO, IFRC sign MoU for implementation of Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative

The World Health Organization (WHO) & International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) known as ‘Red Channel Agreement’ for the implementation of Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative.
i.EMT initiative will strengthen the delivery of emergency medical and health services during humanitarian crises.
ii.The agreement recognizes IFRC’s Emergency Response Units as EMTs.
iii.The involvement of IFRC teams, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is set to help in the capacity building efforts of the EMT network.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director General – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
About International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC):
Secretary General – Jagan Chapagain
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

DBS Bank India Partners with Haqdarshak to Help Indian MSME to Recover from COVID-19 Pandemic

i.On December 11, 2020 DBS Bank India Ltd. (DBIL) partnered with Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions Private Limited to help Indian MSMEs(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) to recover from COVID-19 pandemic.
ii.This aid will happen through the newly launched Haqdarshak MSME platform.
iii.The platform helps India’s enterprises to access MSME-focused government welfare schemes, covering registrations, documentation and applications for financing across India.
iv.Purpose– To provide application support services to India’s business owners to enable them to avail the right schemes.
About DBS Bank India Ltd. (DBIL):

• It is a wholly owned subsidiary of DBS Bank Ltd, Singapore.
• It received a banking license to operate as a banking company under Section 22 (1) of the Banking Regulation(B R) Act, 1949.

Incorporated under–  Companies Act, 2013
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Surojit Shome
About Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions Private Limited
CEO and Co-founder– Aniket Doegar
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Dr. Carolina Araujo of Brazil Becomes 1st Non-Indian to Win Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020 from Developing Countries

On 9th December 2020, Dr. Carolina Araujo, Brazilian Mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was named as the winner of Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020 from developing countries in a virtual ceremony.  She is the 1st non-Indian women mathematician to receive this prize. The Prize carries a cash award of USD 15,000.
Reason of the Prize

• She won the prize for her outstanding work in algebraic geometry, especially in bilateral geometry, and in the theory of extremal rays.
• And also for her work in the Fano varieties’ study and classification and study of algebraic foliations.

About Dr. Carolina Araujo
i.She is the vice president of the Committee for Women in Mathematics at the International Mathematical Union(IMU).
ii.She has been a Simons Associate at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), since 2015.
iii.She has played a key role to promote women in mathematics.
iv.She won many awards including, the L’Oreal Award for Women in Science in Brazil in 2008.
About Ramanujan Prize for young mathematicians:
i.The Ramanujan Prize for young mathematicians from developing countries has been awarded annually since 2005.
ii.The prize is named after the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
iii.It is funded by the Department of Science and Technology(DST) of the Government of India in association with ICTP and IMU.
iv.The prize is given to a young mathematician less than 45 years of age, who has conducted outstanding research in a developing country.
About The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP):
It operates under a tripartite agreement between the Italian Government, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and ratified by an act of the Italian Parliament in January 1995.
Director– Atish Dabholkar(50th director)
Headquarters– Trieste,  Italy
About International Mathematical Union(IMU): 
President– Prof. Carlos Kenig
IMU Secretariat– Berlin, Germany

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

BSE Launches ‘BSE E-Agricultural Markets Ltd.(BEAM)’, an Electronic Spot Platform for Agricultural Commodities 

i.On December 11, 2020 BSE(formerly known as Bombay Stock Exchange), through its subsidiary BSE Investments Ltd., launched ‘BSE E-Agricultural Markets Ltd.(BEAM)’, an electronic spot platform for agricultural commodities.
ii.The platform will commence beta operations from December 11, 2020.
iii.BEAM is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The CEO of BEAM is Rajesh Sinha.
iv.Aim of BEAM– To boost the competitiveness of the Indian agricultural market by enhancing the strength of the BSE in financial markets, market technology and its vibrant ecosystem.
About BSE(formerly known as Bombay Stock Exchange):
It is Asia’s first & world’s fastest Stock Exchange with a speed of 6 microseconds. It is one of India’s leading exchange groups
Established– 1875
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)–  Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan
<<Read Full News>>

China becomes 2nd country to Plant its National Flag on Moon   

China’s Chang’e-5 probe planted the Chinese National Flag on the Moon’s Surface. The United States was the first country to plant its National Flag on the Lunar surface during the manned Apollo 11 mission in 1969.  Chang’e-5 planted the flag before starting on its return journey from the moon. It is carrying China’s first Lunar Samples.

OBITUARY

Paolo Rossi, Italian Footballer and Star of 1982 World Cup Star Passed Away at 64

On December 10, 2020 Paolo Rossi, Italian footballer, passed away at the age of 64 on Siena, Italy. He became the star of 1982 FIFA World Cup held in Spain by scoring 6 goals, which led Italy to win the 1982 world cup title. He was born on 23rd September 1956 in Prato, Italy.
Achievements of Paolo Rossi:
i.Paolo Rossi received the 1982 World Cup’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball. He scored 20 goals in 48 senior international caps for Italy
ii.He is one of the 3 players who won all 3 awards at a World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962, and Mario Kempes in 1978.
iii.He won 2 Serie A titles, a European Cup and a Coppa Italia with Juventus Football Club.
iv.He was awarded the 1982 Ballon d’Or as the European Footballer of the Year for his performances.
v.He was named as the vice-president of Lega Pro Prima Divisione club A.S. Pescina Valle del Giovenco in August 1990
vi.After his retirement, he also worked as an expert/advisor for Sky, Mediaset Premium, and Rai Sport.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Releases booklet, ‘Putting Farmers First’ to Highlight Govt’s Agri Reforms

On December 10, 2020 The Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting(I&B) released a booklet, ‘Putting Farmers First’. It highlights the reforms introduced by the government of India in the agriculture sector through the recent 3 farm laws enacted and also the various steps taken since 2014 for the farmers’ welfare.
Note- The booklet will clear the doubts and misinformation about the 3 laws.
3 farm Laws
3 farm laws enacted include, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
About Ministry of Information and Broadcasting(I&B):
Union Minister- Prakash Javadekar(Constituency-Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra)

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Universal Health Coverage Day 2020 – December 12

i.The United Nations(UN)’s International Universal Health Coverage Day(UHCDAY) is annually observed across the globe on 12th December to raise awareness about the need for a strong and resilient health system and universal health coverage with multi stakeholder partners.
ii.The day also marks the anniversary of the UN’s endorsement of Universal health coverage in 2012.
iii.The theme of International UHCDAY 2020 is Health for All: Protect Everyone.
iv.The International Universal Health Coverage Day was first observed on 12th December 2018.
v.WHO has launched a new Primary Health Care (PHC) Special Programme and the new UHC Compendium of Health Interventions.
About World Health Organisation(WHO):
Director-general– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

International Day of Neutrality 2020 – December 12

i.The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Neutrality is annually observed across the globe on 12th December to promote neutrality among countries and to highlight the importance of peace and develop mutually benefiting relationships between countries.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution A/RES/71/275 on 2nd February 2017 and proclaimed the 12th December of every year as the International Day of Neutrality.
iii.The first International  Day of Neutrality was observed on 12th December 2017.
About United Nations:
Secretary general– António Guterres
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates 3 lane 1.5 Km long Koilwar bridge over Sone river in Bihar

On 10th December, 2020 Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Rs.266 crore 3 lane 1.5 km long Koilwar Bridge over Sone river in Bihar through video conferencing. Construction of the 6 lane Bridge to connect Bihar and Uttar Pradesh through road.
i.3 lanes of the total 6 were opened for the public after the inauguration.
ii.The bridge is aimed at  reducing the traffic on NH-922 and NH-30.
About Bihar:
Wildlife Sanctuaries in Bihar- Valmikinagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary
Nicknames of Cities:
Muzaffarpur- The land of Leechi
Gaya- City of Enlightenment
Nalanda- City of Knowledge
<<Read Full News>>

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