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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur, UP
ii.The outlay of the project is over Rs 9,800 crore, out of which more than Rs 4,600 crore was provisioned in the last four years.
iii.It will cater to the problem of water shortage mainly in eastern UP/ Purvanchal with assured water for irrigation to over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about 29 lakh farmers.
About Uttar Pradesh (UP):
Airport– Kanpur airport, Gorakhpur airport, Agra Airport (Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Airport)
Heritage site – Agra fort (1983) , Taj Mahal (1983), Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
Bird sanctuary– Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary,Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary
>> Read Full News
PM Modi Addressed Depositors in a Bank Deposit Insurance Programme
- Deposit insurance covers all deposits such as savings, fixed, current, recurring deposits, etc. in all commercial banks, functioning in India. Deposits in State, Central and Primary cooperative banks, functioning in States/Union Territories are also covered.
Key Points:
i.Hike in refundable deposit amount: In July 2021, through the amendment to the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) Act, 1961 the government has increased the amount that could be accessed by account holders from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and the time limit of 90 days i.e. 3 months was fixed to refund funds by a bank which is coming under Moratorium imposed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
ii.After the hike of the refundable deposit amount to Rs 5 lakh, the number of fully protected accounts at the end of FY21 was constituted 98.1 percent of the total number of accounts, as against the international benchmark of 80 percent.
ii.Recently, the DICGC released the first tranche of interim payments, against claims received from depositors of 16 Urban Cooperative Banks which are under restrictions by RBI.
iii.Payout of over Rs 1300 crore has been made to alternate bank accounts of over 1 lakh depositors against their claims.
>> Read Full News
Central Govt. Accepts plea to Grants Mithila Makhana GI Tag
- It also suggested amendments in the brand logo to highlight its origins and protect the product’s Geographical Indications (GI) rights.
i.The development ended the controversy over the branding of the mithila region’s makhana or fox nut.
Historical background:
The Sabour based Bihar Agriculture University (BAU) initiated an application on behalf of the Mithilanchal Makhana Utpadak Sangh (MMUS) to name their produce as Mithila Makhana for the welfare of fox nut growers in the Mithila region.
What is geographical indication (GI):
i.It is a mark of authenticity and ensures that registered authorized users or at least those residing inside the geographic territory are allowed to use the popular product names.
ii.GI tag in India is governed by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. It is issued by the Geographical Indications Registry (Chennai).
Popular GI tag of Bihar:
- Madhubani Paintings
- Applique (Khatwa) Work
- Sujini Embroidery Work
- Sikki Grass Products
- Bhagalpur Silk
About Bihar:
Airport– Purnea Airport, Raxaul Airport
Capital- Patna
Uttar Pradesh’s Haiderpur Wetland Recognized as 47th Ramsar Site in India
i.The Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR Convention) is the oldest of the modern global intergovernmental environmental agreements that unite 172 countries to protect and use wisely the wetlands and the resources they provide.
ii.The convention was adopted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
About Convention on Wetlands:
Secretary General– Martha Rojas Urrego
Headquarters– Gland, Switzerland
>> Read Full News
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Dubai becomes World’s 1st 100% Paperless Govt.
- It will save around 3 billion Dirham (USD 350 million) and 14-million-man hours.
Key points:
i.A comprehensive digital government services platform is managing all internal, external transactions and procedures of the Government of Dubai.
ii.The Dubai Paperless Strategy was implemented in five consecutive phases, each entity consisting of a different group of the Dubai Government’s entities.
- By the end of the fifth phase, the strategy was fully implemented across all 45 government entities in the emirate.
- All the entities provide more than 1,800 digital services and over 10,500 key transactions.
iii.All the exceptional digital services can be accessed by the Citizens through “DubaiNow application’’.
iv.The digitization will provide all the govt. services to customers & reduce paper consumption by more than 336 million papers.
About United Arab Emirates (UAE):
The UAE is a country in Western Asia located in the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia, and has maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran.
Capital- Abu Dhabi
Currency– Dirham
President– Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Current Generation Students could lose 14% of Global GDP due to COVID-19 induced School Closures: World Bank Report
- The report was prepared by WB in collaboration with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
Key Points:
i.In low- and middle-income countries, the share of children living in Learning Poverty (which is already over 50 percent before the COVID-19) has increased up to 70 percent, given the long school closures and the varying quality and effectiveness of remote learning.
ii.COVID-19 has brought education systems across the world to a halt, with school closures affecting more than 1.6 billion learners.
iii.More than 370 million children globally missed out on school meals during school closures, losing what is for some children the only reliable source of food and daily nutrition.
iv.In rural Karnataka, the share of grade 3 children in government schools able to perform simple subtraction fell from 24 percent in 2018 to only 16 percent in 2020.
About World Bank:
Establishment – 1944 ( at the Bretton Woods Conference, along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF))
Headquarters – Washington, D.C., United States
President – David Malpass (13th President)
Member countries – 189
>> Read Full News
WHO report on 3 Diseases: State of Inequalities – HIV, TB and Malaria
- The report takes a look at 32 health indicators from 186 countries on HIV, TB and malaria.
- India’s average on prevention of HIV, TB and malaria have improved in the past decade.
Aim – To document and understand the relation between inequalities and the fight against HIV, TB and malaria that kill more than 2 million people every year.
Note – People living with HIV accounted for 8 percent of new TB infections in 2020. Moreover, 1.3 million, who were HIV negative have died of TB, while 214,000 people living with HIV were affected with TB.
About World Health Organisation (WHO):
Director – General – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
>> Read Full News
India Ranks 56th on IMD 2021 World Talent Ranking; Switzerland Tops
In the Peer Group Ranking – Asia – Pacific, India have ranked 12th.
- Switzerland tops the ranking followed by Sweden in 2nd and Luxembourg in 3rd.
- The ranking is published by the IMD World Competitiveness Center.
About International Institute for Management Development (IMD):
President- Jean-François Manzoni
Location- Lausanne, Switzerland
>> Read Full News
BANKING & FINANCE
NABARD Projects 12% increase in Assam’s Credit Potential to INR 36,292 Cr for FY23
- The amount will be used as a base for preparation of the annual credit plan for priority sector lending (PSL) for FY23.
Key points:
i.According to a report titled State Focus Paper for 2022-23 released by the NABARD, around 52% of the total projected credit potential is estimated for the agriculture and allied activities, and 36% for the MSME (Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises) sector
- The State Focus Paper for 2022-23 focuses on the priority sectors to ensure integrated and sustainable rural prosperity.
ii.In absolute terms, a credit potential of INR 18,755 crore is projected for agriculture and allied sectors INR 12,952 crore for MSME and INR 3,197 crore for housing, educational and other sectors.
iii.It will boost productivity by reforms in agriculture post-harvest management, collectivisation of agricultural produce, value addition and organizing cultivators through Farmer Producers’ Organizations (FPOs).
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
Chairman- G.R Chintala
Founded-12 July 1982
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
RBI Mandated 20-digit LEI for Cross-Border Transactions above Rs 50 crore
What is LEI and who maintains it?
i.LEI is a number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide to improve the quality and accuracy of financial data systems.
ii.The LEI numbers are maintained in a global LEI database available on the website of the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF).
iii.RBI has introduced the LEI in a phased manner for over the counter (OTC) derivative, non-derivative markets, large corporate borrowers and large value transactions in centralised payment systems.
Key Regulations of RBI:
i.AD (Authorised Dealers) Category-I banks were directed to obtain LEI numbers from local companies (resident entities) undertaking capital or current account transactions of Rs 50 crore and above, for each transaction.
ii.Once an entity has obtained an LEI number, it is mandatory for the firms to furnish the LEI number in all transactions of the entity irrespective of transaction size.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Established – 1st April 1935
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
>> Read Full News
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Launched ‘#Care4Hockey’ Campaign; Rani Rampal Face of the Campaign
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, a leading private general insurer in India has launched its ‘#Care4Hockey’ Campaign to elevate field Hockey’s recognition in India. The company has partnered with Padma Shri (2020) Rani Rampal, Indian Women’s Hockey Team Captain, who will be the face of the campaign.
- ‘#Care4Hockey’ is a one of its kind campaign which aims to support the development of Hockey in India from the grass-root level.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
DBS Bank India Won Two Awards at ET BFSI Excellence Awards 2021
DBS Bank India was awarded at the ET BFSI Excellence Awards 2021.The bank has won two awards – for the ‘DBS Rapid (Real-time API)’ solution in the ‘Innovative API/Open Banking model‘ category and for ‘Intelligent Banking’ in the ‘Best Digital Customer Experience initiative’ category.
- The award is an initiative of The Economic Times, ET BFSI Excellence Awards, and honours the best innovations & practices implemented by the Banking Financial Services & Insurances (BFSI) industry in a dynamic and competitive environment.
Key points:
i.The bank has designed a real-time, digital payments solution for Transport Corporation of India Limited (TCI). It allows TCI to make real-time advance payments to the transport owners enabling them to withdraw cash from any ATMs.
ii.DBS RAPID is a digital solution that leverages DBS’ Application Programming Interface (API) capabilities.
iii.DBS is the first bank to offer paperless onboarding for mutual fund investments from multiple fund houses.
iv.The bank offers ‘Travel Now’, a one-stop travel marketplace within the digibank app for small and medium businesses.
What is intelligent banking?
Intelligent Banking is an AI-powered smart money management feature that helps consumers with predictive insights about their spending patterns and recommendations on monthly budget requirements.
Other partnership:
i.In 2021, the bank partnered with ODeX to introduce ODeX Pay Later Solutions powered by DBS- a hassle-free credit solution for freight forwarders.
ii.DBS has also launched real-time online tracking for cross-border collections for businesses in India in partnership with SWIFT Global Payments Innovation (GPI).
About DBS Bank India:
MD & CEO – Surojit Shome
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
70th Miss Universe: India’s Harnaaz Sandhu Crowned Miss Universe 2021; 3rd Indian to become Miss Universe
- Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza(Mexico) presented the crown to Harnaaz Sandhu.
- The ceremony of the 70th edition was hosted by Steve Harvey.
Note:
Nadia Ferreira(Paraguay) finished 2nd followed by Lalela Mswane (South Africa) in 3rd.
About Harnaaz Sandhu:
i.At the age of 17, Harnaaz Sandhu won the Times Fresh Face 2017 representing Chandigarh and later she also won the Liva Miss Diva Universe 2021 title.
ii.She has worked in Punjabi Films which includes ‘Yaara Diyan Poo Baran’ and ‘Bai Ji Kuttange’.
About Miss Universe Competition:
i.Miss Universe, founded in 1952, is an annual international beauty pageant organised by the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) based in the United States of America(USA).
ii.At present, the Miss Universe Organization and its brand are owned by Endeavor.
The first-ever Miss Universe pageant was held in 1952 in Long Beach, California, USA.
Selection Committee of 70th Miss Universe:
The members of the selection committee of the 70th edition of Miss Universe (2021) are, Urvashi Rautela(India), Adamari López, Adriana Lima, Cheslie Kryst, Marian Rivera, Lori Harvey, Iris Mittenaere, Rena Sofer, and Rina Mor Goder.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IAF-DRDO flight-tested Helicopter-launched Stand-off Anti-Tank Missile from Pokhran Range, Rajasthan
iii.The test met all its mission objectives viz. release mechanism, advanced guidance, tracking algorithms etc.
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Chairman– Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
Headquarter– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News
China Launches Satellites for Space Exploration – Shijian-6 05
- The satellites were launched by a Long March-4B rocket which marked the 400th mission of Long March series carrier rockets.
Note – The first flight of Long March-1 was in 1970, Long March carrier rockets marked the majority deployment with 92.1 percent of China’s space launches.
Past Missions:
In the recent 100 launches, the Long March rockets have taken up quality missions like the launch of China’s Tianhe space station core module, Shenzhou manned spacecraft, Chang’e-5 lunar probe and the country’s first interplanetary Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission.
Background:
According to the rocket developers with the state-owned space giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the first 100 launches took place over 37 years, the second 100 launches took seven and half years, the third took four years and three months, and the fourth only took two years and nine months.
About China:
Capital – Beijing
President – Xi Jinping
Currency – Renminbi
Lokpal Launches Digital Platform to Address Citizen’s Complaints – ‘LokpalOnline’
About LokpalOnline:
i.The LokpalOnline is a web-based portal hosted on National Informatics centre (NIC) Cloud which has been developed on an Open Source Technology for the management of complaints against public servants filed under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
ii.Its security audit has been done by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
iii.This increases accountability, transparency and efficient benefits to all citizens of India.
Features:
i.Convenient for filing complaint online from anywhere & anytime and is kept confidential
ii.Periodic management on information to the complainant at every stage through e-mails and SMS
iii.The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Centre bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other inquiry agencies can upload their reports directly on ‘LokpalOnline’ platform.
About Lokpal:
i.Lokpal of India, has been established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 to inquire and investigate allegations of corruption against public functionaries.
Aim of Lokpal – To free the country from corruption and to build a strong and corruption free India.
India’s 1st Lokpal – 19th March 2019
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
India Successfully Test-fires Supersonic Missile Assisted Torpedo in Odisha
- The SMART will enhance anti-submarine warfare capability far beyond the conventional range of the torpedo.
- The weapon system is a next-generation missile-based standoff torpedo delivery system, it is being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Navy.
- Note – It is a canister-based missile system and it consists of advanced technologies like two-stage solid propulsion, electro-mechanical actuators and precision inertial navigation.
Other Tests:
i.In December 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) has flight-tested the indigenously made helicopter-launched SANT (Stand-off Anti-tank) missile from Pokhran ranges.
- The missile provides high precision strike capability from a safe distance and can neutralise targets in a range up to 10 km.
ii.In October 2021, The premier research organisation flight-tested various systems of Abhyas, its high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT), in Chandipur, off the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Odisha.
- The vehicle can be used as an aerial target for the evaluation of various missile systems.
About Odisha:
Governor – Ganeshi Lal
Tiger Reserves – Similipal Tiger Reserve, Satkosia Tiger Reserve
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Satkosia Gorge sanctuary, Nandankanan sanctuary, Lakhari valley sanctuary
SPORTS
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021
- With this, Max Verstappen won his first Formula One (F1) World Driver Championship.
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 was the 22nd and final round of the 2021 F1 World Championship.
- The third position is won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro (Carlos Sainz Jr.) of Spain
F1 World Constructor Championship 2021:
For the F1 World Constructor Championship 2021, Mercedes (Germany) won for the 8th consecutive time, setting a new record. It is followed by Red Bull Racing-Honda (Austria) at 2nd and Ferrari (Italy) at 3rd.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Universal Health Coverage Day 2021 – December 12
- The UHC Day, 12th December, also marks the anniversary of the UN’s unanimous endorsement of universal health coverage in 2012.
The theme of UHC Day 2021 is “Leave No One’s Health Behind: Invest in health systems for all.”
Background:
i.The Universal Health Coverage Day was first organised on 12th December 2014 by the Universal Health Coverage Coalition.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/72/138 on 12th December 2017 and proclaimed the 12th December of every year as the International Universal Health Coverage Day.
iii.The first official International Universal Health Coverage Day was observed on 12th December 2018.
>> Read Full News
International Day of Neutrality 2021 – December 12
- Article 2 of the UN charter also permits the member states to settle their disputes by peaceful means.
The first International Day of Neutrality was observed on 12th December 2017 to raise public awareness of the value of neutrality in international relations.
About United Nations:
Secretary General – Antonio Guterres
Headquarters – New York, United States
>> Read Full News
STATE NEWS
Delhi Police Launched E-learning Platform “Unnati” to Skill School Dropouts
Rakesh Asthana, Police Commissioner of Delhi launched an e-learning platform ‘Unnati’, under the Delhi Police’s flagship scheme ‘YUVA’ at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Auditorium, New Delhi, Delhi.
Unnati is an e-learning and certification initiative by the Delhi Police-South West District to help educate youths and impart skill training to school dropouts from the weaker sections of society.
- The courses offered under ‘Unnati’ include digital literacy courses comprising basic computer courses and typing training, preparatory courses for competitive exams and sports courses, among others.
The police personnel will also provide counselling, training and placements.
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Click Here View – AC Excluded News 2021
Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)
| S.no | Current Affairs 14 December 2021 |
|---|---|
| 1 | PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur, UP |
| 2 | PM Modi Addressed Depositors in a Bank Deposit Insurance Programme |
| 3 | Central Govt. Accepts plea to Grants Mithila Makhana GI Tag |
| 4 | Uttar Pradesh’s Haiderpur Wetland Recognized as 47th Ramsar Site in India |
| 5 | Dubai becomes World’s 1st 100% Paperless Govt |
| 6 | Current Generation Students could lose 14% of Global GDP due to COVID-19 induced School Closures: World Bank Report |
| 7 | WHO report on 3 Diseases: State of Inequalities – HIV, TB and Malaria |
| 8 | India Ranks 56th on IMD 2021 World Talent Ranking; Switzerland Top |
| 9 | NABARD Projects 12% increase in Assam’s Credit Potential to INR 36,292 Cr for FY23 |
| 10 | RBI Mandated 20-digit LEI for Cross-Border Transactions above Rs 50 crore |
| 11 | Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Launched ‘#Care4Hockey’ Campaign; Rani Rampal Face of the Campaign |
| 12 | DBS Bank India Won Two Awards at ET BFSI Excellence Awards 2021 |
| 13 | 70th Miss Universe: India’s Harnaaz Sandhu Crowned Miss Universe 2021; 3rd Indian to become Miss Universe |
| 14 | IAF-DRDO flight-tested Helicopter-launched Stand-off Anti-Tank Missile from Pokhran Range, Rajasthan |
| 15 | China Launches Satellites for Space Exploration – Shijian-6 05 |
| 16 | Lokpal Launches Digital Platform to Address Citizen’s Complaints – ‘LokpalOnline |
| 17 | India Successfully Test-fires Supersonic Missile Assisted Torpedo in Odisha |
| 18 | Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 |
| 19 | International Universal Health Coverage Day 2021 – December 12 |
| 20 | International Day of Neutrality 2021 – December 12 |
| 21 | Delhi Police Launched E-learning Platform “Unnati” to Skill School Dropouts |
