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Top 20 Current Affairs of 17 December 2020
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
PM Narendra Modi Visit to Kutch, Gujarat: Foundation Stone Laid for 1st-of-its-kind World’s Largest Renewable Energy Park
ii.The first-of-its-kind world’s largest hybrid RE park, spanning over 72,600 hectares (ha) of waste land with 30,000 megawatt (MW) capacity will be located at Dhordo near the India-Pakistan border in Kutch, Gujarat. This park will use both wind and solar energy.
iii.He also laid the foundation stone for the Desalination Plant in Mandvi along the Arabian Sea coast. It will have a 10 crore litre per day capacity (100 MLD) to strengthen water security in Gujarat.
About Gujarat:
Governor – Acharya Devvrat
Chief Minister – Vijay Rupani
Capital– Gandhinagar
<<Read Full News>>
QCI Launched Recognition Scheme for Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies
Objective – The scheme aims to allow consumers to make informed choices/decisions pertaining to the food outlets where they eat by encouraging food businesses to improve their hygiene and safety standards.
- The recognised agencies verify compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures laid down by FSSAI.
- This was done on the instruction of FSSAI to scale up Hygiene Rating by increasing the number of recognised Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies.
- Currently, this scheme is applicable for Food service establishments (such as hotels, restaurants, cafeteria, dhabhas, etc), sweet shops, bakeries and meat retail stores.
- The Scheme will scale up Hygiene Rating by increasing the number of recognised Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies in the country.
What is the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme?
This initiative is a certification system for restaurants, hotels and cafeterias supplying food directly to consumers, either on or off premise. These food establishments will be rated in the form of smileys (1 up to 5) based on food hygiene and safety parameters.
- The rating is displayed in the consumer facing area.
About Quality Council of India (QCI):
Establishment– 1997
Secretary General– Dr. Ravi P. Singh
Headquarter– New Delhi
Bihar’s 1st Migratory Birds Festival held in Bhagalpur, Bihar
i.Bird watch at Jagatpur lake, Ganga river course in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), Kadwa Kosi diara, Sundervan region and Jaiprakash Udyan.
ii.Garud Saviors, NCC cadets, college students and various stakeholders pledged to act as watch guard to protect migratory birds.
iii.Photography competition to identify migratory birds.
About Bihar:
Tiger Reserve- Valmiki Tiger Reserve
Bird Sanctuary- kawar Jheel Bird Sanctuary, Baralia Jheel Salim Ali Jubba Sahni Bird Sanctuary, Nakti Dam Bird Sanctuary.
<<Read Full News>>
Ladakh New Year ‘Losar’ celebrated on December 15, 2020
i.‘Tarchen’ – a religious and traditional flag was hoisted to mark the beginning of the new year.
ii.LBA’s Youth Wing and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh jointly organized the prayers & celebrations at theChokanga Vihara in Leh.
History:
i.‘Losar’ started as a tradition during the rule of the 9th King of Tibet, King Jamyang Namgyal in the early 17th century.
ii.The king decided to wage a war against the Baltistan forces in Winter and ended up celebrating the festival in advance i.e 11th Month of the Tibetan Calendar.
About Ladakh
Lieutenant Governor– Radha Krishna Mathur
Capital– Leh, Kargil
5th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) 2020 held Virtually; Inaugurated by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
ii.The summit was inaugurated by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS).
iii.The summit provided a platform for interaction between global investors and stakeholders in the water sector to address issues pertaining to water and river management in India.
iv.The summit also hosted a “Finance Forum” to bring together global financial institutes and investors interested in river restoration and conservation programs (Namami Gange). Click here to read about Namami Gange
v.Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with cGanga for the development of sludge management framework in India by providing its best practices.s
About Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga):
It is a think-tank of NMCG.
Establishment– 2016
Headquarter– Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK), Uttar Pradesh (UP)
Founding Head– Dr Vinod Tare
About Norway:
Capital– Oslo
Currency– Norwegian krone (NOK)
Prime Minister– Erna Solberg
Ambassador of India to Norway– B Bala Bhaskar
<<Read Full News>>
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India Slips to 131 in Human Development Report 2020 released by UNDP:Norway tops the list
i.India slipped two spots to 131, it ranked 129 in 2019 HDI.
ii.HDI is measured based on 3 criterias which are – Life Expectancy, Education and Per Capita Income, in the 2020 report ‘Planetary pressures’ a new experimental Index has been introduced.
- ‘Planetary pressures’ – Takes into account Countries carbon dioxide emissions and material footprints.
iii.2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the 1st Human Development report.
Rankings:
Rank | Country | Score |
---|---|---|
131 | India | 0.645 |
1 | Norway | 0.957 |
2 | Ireland | 0.955 |
2 | Switzerland | 0.955 |
188 | Central African Republic | 0.397 |
189 | Niger | 0.394 |
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Administrator – Achim Steiner
Headquarters – New York, United States of America (USA)
<<Read Full News>>
BANKING & FINANCE
Department of Posts Conducted Meghdoot Award Function 2020 in New Delhi; Launched Digital Payment App “Dakpay”
ii.The General category for Grameen Daksevak was conferred upon Kirtan Nayak of Odisha Circle while the Best Woman Employee was presented to Rinchen of Himachal Pradesh Circle. Click Here for Full List
iii.DoP and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) have virtually unveiled a new digital payment app DakPay.
iv.A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by DoP with Common Services Centers (CSC) e-Governance Services India Limited for providing various G2C (Government to Citizen) and B2C (Business to Citizens) services to citizens in rural and remote areas.
About India Post Payments Bank (IPPB):
Establishment – 2018
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– J Venkatramu
Motto– Every customer is important, every transaction is significant and every deposit is valuable
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>
SBI Card and BPCL Jointly Launches ‘BPCL SBI Card OCTANE’ for Consumers who Spend Significant Amount on Fuel
ii.The card is designed to offer maximum savings to the affluent customer segment that spends a significant amount on fuel.
Key People
K. Padmakar, Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) of BPCL and Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman of SBI, jointly launched the card.
About SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited(SBI Card):
Headquarters– Gurgaon, Haryana
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Ashwini Kumar Tewari
Founded– October 1998
About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd(BPCL):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman and Managing Director(CMD)– K. Padmakar
<<Read Full News>>
SBI General Insurance Partners with IntrCity RailYatri to Provide Domestic Travel Insurance For Bus Travellers
ii.Under this partnership, the travel premium charges to the domestic bus travellers have been waived off, i.e., every IntrCity SmartBus traveler can avail complementary travel cover of Rs. 5 Lakhs along with the travel ticket.
About IntrCity RailYatri:
It is India’s 1st SmartBus network. It is a multi-modal intercity mobility platform
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Manish Rathi
Head Office– Noida, Uttar Pradesh
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 & CEO– Shri Prakash Chandra(P.C.) Kandpal
<<Read Full News>>
Citibank and NCPA Partners to Offer ‘Citi-NCPA Scholarships for Young Musicians 2020-21(Hindustani Music)’
Purpose of Scholarship
The scholarship program is for students to get advanced training in the field of Hindustani music(vocal & instrumental).
Scholarship Value
The value of scholarship is Rs 10, 000 for one month for one year (April 2021 to March 2022).
Note
The age limit to apply to the scholarship is 18-35 years. Till January 15, 2021, the applications will be accepted.
Key Info
Citibank and NCPA have been partnering since 2009 to offer scholarships to support the best emerging talent in Hindustani music.
About National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA):
Chairman– K. N. Suntook
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Citibank:
It was founded in 1812 as a city bank of New York, USA. It is 1st National City Bank of New York
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Michael L. Corbat
Headquarters– New York, USA
About Citibank India:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO, Citi India and Regional Head for South Asia – Ashu Khullar
Established– 1902
BSE Ebix Launches Beta Version of Term Insurance for ICICI Prudential on its On-Demand Hi-Tech Platform
ii.This launch allows BSE Ebix to handle the insurance sales across the term and endowment lines in the life insurance segment, using its omni-channel digital presence.
iii.With this launch, 12 Insurance Companies have been integrated with BSE Ebix platform.
About ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.:
Promoted by -ICICI Bank Limited and Prudential Corporation Holdings Limited.
Commenced Operations– 2001
HeadOffice– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– N S Kannan
<<Read Full News>>
Kotak Life Launches 5 city Outdoor Campaign for its 1st Health Insurance Policy, Kotak Health Shield
On December 14, 2020 Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company (Kotak Life) launched its five-city outdoor campaign to increase awareness about its 1st health insurance product, ‘Kotak Health Shield’. The 5 cities are Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Pune.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
India’s FY21 GDP to Contract by 7.4% from -10.9%: SBI’s Ecowrap Report
Nowcasting Model
On the basis of SBI ‘Nowcasting Model’ with 41 high frequency indicators associated with industry activity, service activity, and global economy, the bank has revised the GDP estimates. This model is developed by SBI and State Bank Institute of Leadership(SBIL), Kolkata.
Highlights of the Report
i.The fiscal deficit for FY21 is revised at 8% of GDP.
ii.On the basis of the Nowcasting Model, the Quarter 3 (October-December 2020)’s GDP growth forecast will be around 1%(with downward bias).
iii.In addition to this, of the 41 high frequency leading indicators, 58% are showing acceleration in Q3.
iv.To reach the pre-pandemic level in nominal terms, it will take about 7 quarters from Q4 FY21( and 5 quarters from now) and there will be a permanent output loss of around 9% of GDP.
v.The government expenditure in Q2 (July-September 2020) FY21 was Rs 3.62 lakh crore and in Q1(April-June) FY21 it was Rs 4.86 lakh crore.
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Dinesh Kumar Khara
Tagline– The banker to every Indian; With you all the way; Purely banking nothing else; The nation banks on us; The bank of a common man
Formed– July 1955 as SBI
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Kylie Jenner tops Forbes 2020 Highest Paid Celebrity List
i.The 23-year-old topped the list after she sold a 51% stake in Kylie Cosmetics for $600 million to Coty.
ii.Due to the impact of COVID-19 Pandemic, the combined earnings of the entertainment industry fell short.
Rank | Celebrity | Earning (USD in million) |
---|---|---|
1 | Kylie Jenner | 590 |
2 | Kanye West | 170 |
3 | Roger Federer | 106.3 |
4 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 105 |
5 | Lionel Messi | 104 |
6 | Tyler Perry | 97 |
7 | Neymer | 95.5 |
8 | Howard Stern | 90 |
9 | Lebron James | 88.2 |
10 | Dwayne Johnson | 87.5 |
About Forbes:
The 103-year-old, American business magazine which releases a list of the world’s top billionaires every year.
Editor-in-chief – Steve Forbes
Headquarters– New Jersey, United States of America
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana Won 2nd Term as the President
Note:
This is Ghana’s 8th presidential election since the constitution of Ghana was redrawn in 1992.
About the 2020 Re-Election:
i.John Dramani Mahama from center-left National Democratic Congress (NDC), the former president of Ghana lost the election receiving 47.359%(6213182 votes) of the vote.
ii.The NPP won 137 out of 225 parliamentary seats and NDC won 136 seats.
iii.The total voter’s turnout was around 79% and the chairperson of the Electoral commission inadvertently rejected the 2.33% ballots and used 13433573 as the total valid votes cast.
About Nana Akufo-Addo:
i.Nana Akufo Addo is the son of Edward Akufo Addo, who is regarded as the one of the founding fathers of Ghana.
ii.He won the 2016 election against Mahama and served his first term as the president of Ghana.
iii.He was elected as the Chairman of the West African Trade Community – Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) in October 2020.
About Ghana:
The Republic of Ghana is a West African country.
Capital- Accra
Currency- Ghanaian Cedi
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
ICGS C-454 commissioned in Hazira Plant, Gujarat; Built by Larsen & Toubro
i.The ship will be used for tightening security along Gujarat’s maritime borders.
ii.C-454 Interceptor Boat is the 54th boat built by L&T for ICG.
iii.C-454 will operate from Gujarat under the control of Commander Coast Guard Region (North-West) of ICG.
iv.C-454 will be used for patrolling, preventing illicit activities like infiltration, smuggling, and illegal fishing activities along the International borders. It is also capable of operating in shallow waters.
About Indian Coast Guard (ICG):
Director General of ICG (DG ICG) – Krishnaswamy Natarajan
Motto – Vayam Rakshamah (“We Protect”)
<<Read Full News>>
Israel successfully Test fires 3 Missile Defence Systems over Mediterranean Sea
i.The tests showcased the interoperability of the multilayered air-defense mechanisms (Arrow Missile, David’s Sling and Iron Dome).
ii.The drills showcased the capability of the systems to intercept a range of aerial targets from drones to long range ballistic missiles.
iii.“Arrow Missile” – An anti-ballistic missile intercepts long-range missiles, “David’s Sling” – shoots down medium-range missiles, and “Iron Dome” air defence system to engage incoming rocket fire.
About Israel:
Prime Minister- Benjamin Netanyahu
Capital– Jerusalem
Currency– Israeli Shekel
<<Read Full News>>
ICG Launches 5th & Final OPV ‘Saksham’ in Goa; to be delivered to ICG by October, 2021
i.The OPVs are part of the second batch of vessels of Samarth class ordered by the ICG.
ii.It will be used for protection of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in India.
iii.It is equipped with features like Quick Response Boats for rescue and anti-piracy, Gunnery simulators.
iv.With computerised control systems, they are the most advanced patrol vessels in service with the Coast Guard.
v.It has an indigenous content of about 70% and weighs 2400 tonnes.
About ICG:
i.It operates under the Ministry of Defence.
ii.It was established on 18th August, 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India.
<<Read Full News>>
ENVIRONMENT
New species of Pygmy Grasshopper named “Tettilobus trishula” after Shiva’s Trishul
i.It was discovered by a team of Researchers led by Dhaneesh Bhaskar, regional Vice-Chair for Asia, IUCN SSC (International Union for Conservation of Nature – Species Survival Commission). The other members are P S Easa, Sara Stermsek, Damjan Franjevic and Josip Skejo.
ii.The discovery has been published in the Journal Zootaxa.
iii.Shiva’s Pygmy Trishula is set to be added in the list of 30 target species under the Red List Assessment of Grasshoppers in India, which is being initiated by the Grasshopper Specialist Group of the IUCN.
About International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):
Director General– Dr Bruno Oberle
Headquarters– Gland, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>
OBITUARY
Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, PM of Eswatini Passed Away at 52
About Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini:
i.He was appointed as the PM of Eswatini in November 2018 by King Mswati III.
ii.Prior to his appointment as PM, he was Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of
MTN Eswatini, a telecommunications company that is part of South African MTN Group.
iii.He has served in the banking sector for over 18 years, including his post as a Managing Director(MD) of Neobank from 2003 to 2010.
About Eswatini( officially the Kingdom of Eswatini):
It is formerly and still commonly known in English as Swaziland. It is Africa’s last absolute monarchy.
Head of State– His Majesty King Mswati III
Currency– Swazi Lilangeni(SZL)
Indian Navy’s Senior Most Submariner, Vice Admiral Srikant passed away
i.Vice Admiral Srikant is the current Director general of Indian government’s largest infrastructure project “Project Seabird”.
ii.Previously he holded the charge of Inspector General of Nuclear Safety and Commandant of the National Defence College.
iii.The 59-year-old submariner was about to retire on 31st December before he ended up with COVID linked breathing complications.
IMPORTANT DAYS
49th Vijay Diwas – 16th December 2020
ii.The 16th December 2020 marks the 49th Vijay Diwas and also marks the beginning of the celebration of “Swarnim Vijay Varsh” – 50th anniversary of India’s victory over Pakistan.
iii.The day is observed to pay tribute to the martyrs of both India and Bangladesh who died in the line of duty during the 1971 Liberation War.
iv.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the logo for “Swarnim Vijay Varsh” on the occasion of the 49th Vijay Diwas.
v.PM Modi lit the “four Swarnim Vijay Mashaal” at the NWM to mark the 50th anniversary of India’s victory.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister- Rajnath Singh
Minister of State- Shripad Yesso Naik
About Indian Army:
Chief of the Army Staff– General MM Naravane
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>
STATE NEWS
Andhra CM Jaganmohan Reddy launches ‘YSR Free Crop Insurance Scheme’ for Farmers
Key Points:
i.The AP government has paid the entire premium on behalf of the famers, it has paid around INR 971 crore as premium for the period 2019-20.
ii.Around 49.80 Lakh farmers have been brought under the ambit of the insurance.
iii.The crop insurance for 2020 will be paid in March/April 2021.
iv.The insurance is expected to cover a crop area of approximately 1.14 crore hectares.
About Andhra Pradesh (AP):
Airport– Visakhapatnam International airport, Vijayawada International Airport,Tirupati International Airport
Festivals – Ugadi, Makar Sankranti, Lumbini festival
<<Read Full News>>
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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)
S.no | Current Affairs 17 December 2020 |
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1 | PM Narendra Modi Visit to Kutch, Gujarat: Foundation Stone Laid for 1st-of-its-kind World’s Largest Renewable Energy Park |
2 | QCI Launched Recognition Scheme for Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies |
3 | Bihar’s 1st Migratory Birds Festival held in Bhagalpur, Bihar |
4 | Ladakh New Year ‘Losar’ celebrated on December 15, 2020 |
5 | 5th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) 2020 held Virtually; Inaugurated by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat |
6 | India Slips to 131 in Human Development Report 2020 released by UNDP:Norway tops the list |
7 | Department of Posts Conducted Meghdoot Award Function 2020 in New Delhi; Launched Digital Payment App “Dakpay” |
8 | SBI Card and BPCL Jointly Launches ‘BPCL SBI Card OCTANE’ for Consumers who Spend Significant Amount on Fuel |
9 | SBI General Insurance Partners with IntrCity RailYatri to Provide Domestic Travel Insurance For Bus Travellers |
10 | Citibank and NCPA Partners to Offer ‘Citi-NCPA Scholarships for Young Musicians 2020-21(Hindustani Music)’ |
11 | BSE Ebix Launches Beta Version of Term Insurance for ICICI Prudential on its On-Demand Hi-Tech Platform |
12 | Kotak Life Launches 5 city Outdoor Campaign for its 1st Health Insurance Policy, Kotak Health Shield |
13 | India’s FY21 GDP to Contract by 7.4% from -10.9%: SBI’s Ecowrap Report |
14 | Kylie Jenner tops Forbes 2020 Highest Paid Celebrity List |
15 | Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana Won 2nd Term as the President |
16 | ICGS C-454 commissioned in Hazira Plant, Gujarat; Built by Larsen & Toubro |
17 | Israel successfully Test fires 3 Missile Defence Systems over Mediterranean Sea |
18 | ICG Launches 5th & Final OPV ‘Saksham’ in Goa; to be delivered to ICG by October, 2021 |
19 | New species of Pygmy Grasshopper named “Tettilobus trishula” after Shiva’s Trishul |
20 | Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, PM of Eswatini Passed Away at 52 |
21 | Indian Navy’s Senior Most Submariner, Vice Admiral Srikant passed away |
22 | 49th Vijay Diwas – 16th December 2020 |
23 | Andhra CM Jaganmohan Reddy launches ‘YSR Free Crop Insurance Scheme’ for Farmers |