Current Affairs 18 December 2020

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Top 20 Current Affairs of 18 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MoHF&W approves Health Data Management Policy of NDHM

i.On December 14, 2020, Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHF&W) has approved the health data management policy of the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) to protect and manage personal data of patients using the digital services of the scheme.
ii.The policy has laid minimum standards for data privacy protection in order to ensure compliance with relevant and applicable laws, rules and regulations.
iii.It will acts as a guidance document across the National Digital Health Ecosystem (NDHE)
iv.The government has instructed that this policy is to be read along with any applicable law, or any instrument, and not in contradiction to.
About Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan (Constituency- Chandni Chowk,New Delhi)
Minister of State (MoS)– Ashwini Kumar Choubey
<<Read Full News>>

G Kishan Reddy inaugurates 1st of its kind Establishment, NCDE in Hakimpet, Hyderabad

Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy inaugurated 1st of its kind Establishment National Centre for Divyang Empowerment (NCDE) at CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) Group Centre in Hakimpet, Hyderabad. The Centre has been set up for re-skilling and rehabilitation of Divyang Warriors of the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) who sustained life threatening injuries in the line of duty.
i.The Centre will impart training to the ‘Divyang Warriors’ in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber security or warfare, data analytics.
ii.Also the focus area of training would be on Machine Language, social media monitoring, audio visual effects, advanced animation & block chain management.
iii.NCDE will also focus on promotion of para sports and will be developed as a Centre of Excellence.
iv.They will be skilled in the field of IT and vocational courses by institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad,  BITS Pilani (Birla Institute of Technology & Science), Rajasthan.
Facilities at NCDE:
The NCDE is equipped with modern amenities like high-tech Information Technology (IT), sports paraphernalia, Gym, Lounge, Sauna & Steam treatment infrastructure, physiotherapy room, e-library, recreation zone & meditation space.
Divyang in India:
According to CRPF, 189 personnel have lost their limbs or undergone amputation during the last decade (2010-20) in the line of duty & According to Census 2011, around 2.68 crores of people are disabled. Of this, 69% of the disabled population reside in rural areas.
About Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF):
Director General – A P Maheshwari
Headquarters – New Delhi

Cabinet Approvals on December 16, 2020

i.On December 16, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals which were detailed by Union Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises (MoHI&PE), and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

• Cabinet approves Auction of spectrum worth Rs. 3,92,332.70 cr
• Cabinet approves Revised Cost Estimate of NER Power System Improvement Project for six States
• Cabinet approves assistance of about Rs. 3,500 crore for sugarcane farmers (Ganna Kisan)
• Cabinet approves MoU between India and USA for exchange of information in the Electricity Sector

About Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC):
Chairperson– Pradeep Kumar Pujari
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

India’s 1st Maritime Theatre Command to get its final shape in 2021

As per a plan prepared by a group headed by Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, India’s 1st Maritime Theatre Command (MTC) will get its final shape in 2021. It will be the first new “Geographical” Theatre command to be created as part of military restructuring plans.
i.MTC will be responsible for the security of India’s 7,516 km coastline, 1, 382 islands  and Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
ii.The objective behind creation of MTC is to build an integrated land-air-sea fighting machinery.
iii.Headquarters of MTC will be set up at Karwar Naval Base, Karnataka and will be headed by a Vice Admiral (3-Star Naval Officer).
iv.MTC will consist of elements from Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) under its operational control.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh
Minister of State – Shripad Yesso Naik
<<Read Full News>>

India, UK to Set Up Joint Task Force for Mutual Recognition of Academic Qualifications

i.On December 16, 2020, India and the United Kingdom (UK) agreed to set up a joint task force consisting of designated higher education organisations from both the countries to work towards mutual recognition of academic qualifications over the next year.
ii.This decision was taken during the bilateral meeting between Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Ministry of Education (MoE) and Foreign Secretary of UK Dominic Raab in New Delhi.
About United Kingdom (UK):
Capital– London
Currency– Pound sterling
Prime Minister– Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson
<<Read Full News>>

Telangana’s Nehru Zoological Park becomes 1^st Indian zoo to receive ISO certification 9001:2015

The Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) in Hyderabad, Telangana has become the first in India to acquire ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certification from Accreditation Service for Certifying Bodies (ASCB) United Kingdom (UK) as the zoo passed the extensive documentation of every activity.

• The certificate for the same was presented to State Minister of Forests and Environment, Allola Indrakaran Reddy by Managing Director (MD), Life Time Membership QCI (Quality Council of India), Sivaiah Alapati.
• The ISO certificate helps to ensure maintaining the quality of standards.

 Key Points:
–The assessment was done by HYM International Certifications Pvt Ltd accredited by ASCB (UK) through a team of auditors, comprising retired district judge, T. Sundar Ramaiah, Auditor, C. Madhu Babu and Sivaiah Alapati.
–The basis of assessment was sanitisation, food processing, animal breeding, medicare, animal care, hygiene maintenance and establishment.
–Notably, the number of tigers and Indian Gaur were also increased at the Nehru Zoological Park.
Note – In 2004 Africam Safari was the first ever animal park in the world  to gain ISO 9001 certification

Ministry of Home Affairs approves Rs. 90.6 Crore to Land Ports Authority of India for new ICP in Tripura

On 16th December, 2020 the Ministry of Home Affairs approved Rs.90.6 crores to the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) for construction of a new Integrated Check Post (ICP) along the India-Bangladesh border at Sabroom in South Tripura.This will be the 6th multi-facilitated ICP in the India-Bangladesh Border.
KeyPoints:
i.The ICP is a milestone project built to expand India-Bangladesh bilateral relation and provide economic development in Tripura.
ii.The estimated cost of the proposed ICP at Sabroom is around Rs 300 crore which will have separate passenger and cargo terminals with state-of-the-art facilities.As of now, Department of Expenditure approved 90.60 crores.
Other 5 multi-facilitated ICP’s along India-Bangladesh Borders are:
The Other 5 Multi Facilitated ICP’s along the India-Bangladesh Borders are, Petrapole-Benapole along West Bengal, Dawki (Meghalaya), Sutarkandi (southern Assam’s Karimganj), Sonamura and Agartala (both Tripura).
About Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI):
LPAI is a statutory body under the Ministry of Home Affairs
Founded –2012
Operation– Creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing border infrastructure in India.
About Tripura:
Festival- Garia Puja, Ashokastami Festival, Pilak Festival
Wildlife Sanctuary- Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary, Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary

FADA, ASDC partner with Google India to bridge digital skills gap in India’s auto dealerships

On December 16, 2020, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) & Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) announced partnership with Google India to reduce the digital skill gap in India’s auto dealership sector.  The Training programme will be conducted under Google India’s ‘Grow with Google’ initiative.
i.The main focus of the partnership is to empower Indian dealerships through adoption of digital tools and platforms to engage with customers in post-COVID era.
ii.Training will be provided under the topics of Digital Marketing, Hyper Local Marketing & Full Funnel Strategy.
iii.The initiative will provide digital skill training to 20, 000 auto dealerships & 1, 00, 000 auto dealers across the marketing and sales divisions. It will also train the entire ecosystem to monitor their efficiency.
iv.The program will be conducted through Google India’s YouTube  channel.
About Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA):
President – Vinkesh Gulati
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC):
Chairman – Nikunj Sanghi
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Google:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sundar Pichai
Headquarters – California, USA
Manager & Vice President (sales & operations) of Google India – Sanjay Gupta
<<Read Full News>>

India to have 350mn 5G connections by 2026: “The Ericsson Mobility Report 2020”

Sweden based networking and communication company Ericsson released a report “The Ericsson Mobility Report 2020” which estimated India’s 5G connection to surpass 350 million, accounting 27% of all mobile subscriptions by 2026. The report also notified India’s first 5G connection to be rolled out by 2021.
i.More than 15% of the world’s population (1 billion people) will live in areas under 5G coverage.
ii.60% of the global population (3.5 billion) will use 5G connections with 5G subscriptions by 2026.
About 5G Technology:
i.5G network provides peak data rates up to 20 Gbps.
About Ericsson:
Headquarter-Stockholm, Sweden
President – Börje Ekholm
<<Read Full News>>

51st International Film Festival of India will be held in Goa in Hybrid format

On 17th December, 2020 Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar announced that the 51st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from January 16 to January 24, 2021. The event will be held in hybrid format i.e., in both Physical and Virtual format featuring a total of 224 films. The festival will showcase 47 films in the Indian panorama section, 26 in feature & 21 in Non feature section. A total of 224 films will be screened under different sections

cinemaSCOpe – India’s exclusive movie series for members of SCO Organisation

Indian Embassy in Beijing, China has launched “cinemaSCOpe” exclusively for the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), more than a 2 dozen Indian films will be dubbed in Russian. Screenings will continue till India’s Chairmanship of the SCO ‘Council of Heads of State’ meeting in 2023. The movie series will coincide with “SCO Year of Culture” in 2021.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Buildings-related CO2 emissions record high level in 2019: 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings & Construction

According to the 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction released by Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), the Building & Construction sector accounted for 38% of CO2 emissions, and the CO2 emission increased to 9.95 GtCO2 (gigatonnes of carbon dioxide) in 2019.
i.This is the 5th Edition of the Annual Report.
ii.GlobalABC was launched at COP21 (2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference) and is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
iii.The report highlighted India’s updation of Energy Efficiency Standards for a wide range of domestic appliances between 2018 & 2020.
iv.Due to the impact of COVID-19 India recorded a slowdown of 2.2 % in the construction sector compared to 2019 levels.
About Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC):
Head – Martina Otto
Headquarters (HQ) –  Since it is hosted by UNEP, the HQ is situated in Paris, France
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

ADB Launches a $9 billion Vaccine Initiative, APVAX to its Developing Members 

On December 11, 2020 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched a $9 billion vaccine initiative, the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX). This facility will
help its developing member economies to procure and deliver an effective and safe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.
Purpose– To Help Members to access and distribute COVID-19 Vaccines
Points to be Noted
i.In association with other development partners including the World Bank Group, World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX), GAVI, and bilateral and multilateral partners, ADB will provide financing for the vaccines.
ii.ADB, in order to support the efforts of its developing members to secure safe and effective vaccines and the goods that support distributions also provides a $ 500 million vaccine import facility.
About APVAX
2 complementary components
APVAX uses 2 complementary components to support the vaccine access to developing Asia namely:
Rapid Response Component
Provides timely support for critical vaccine detection, vaccine procurement, and delivery of vaccines to developing members of ADB.
Project Investment Component
It supports investment in areas related to vaccine procurement and delivery.
The areas include, cold-chain storage and transportation, vehicles,  among others.
The component also can be utilised to develop or expand vaccine manufacturing capacity in developing members.
Eligibility for Financing 
A vaccine must meet one of the 3 criterias mentioned below to be eligible for financing.
Criterias– Procured through COVAX, prequalified by WHO, or authorized by a Stringent Regulatory Authority.
Note
ADB has recently forecasted the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Developing Asia in 2020 to -4%(contract by 4%), this its the 1st regional GDP contraction since the 1960s.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
Establishment– 1966
President– Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters– Mandaluyong City, Manila, Philippines
Membership– 68 countries (Including India)

NDB inked $1bn Loan Agreement with GoI for Economic Revival

i.On December 16, 2020, a loan agreement was inked between Government of India (GoI) and New Development Bank (NDB) under which the latter will lend $1,000 million ($1 billion) for supporting the former’s economic recovery from COVID-19. The loan has a tenor of 30 years, including a 5-year grace period.
ii.The agreement was signed by Baldeo Purushartha, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Xian Zhu, Vice President, Chief Operations Officer (COO) on behalf of the NDB.
About New Development Bank (NDB):
Establishment– 2014
President – Marcos Prado Troyjo
Headquarters – Shanghai, China
Former Name– BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa) Development Bank
<<Read Full News>>

World Bank Approves 4 India Projects Worth over $800 millioni.On December 15, 2020 the World Bank has approved 4 India projects worth over $800 million.
ii.The projects will support a range of development initiatives that supports the efforts of India to rebuild itself by creating sustainable and resilient economy
4 Projects Include:

• $400 million Second Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program
• $100 million Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and Accelerated Agriculture Growth Project (CHIRAAG)
• $68 million Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project
• $250 million Second Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2)

About World Bank:
HeadQuarters– Washington, DC, New York, United States.
President – David Malpass
Founded– 1944
Member Countries– 189(including India)
<<Read Full News>>

YES Bank Partners with Visa to Enhance Payments Efficiency; Introduced New Line of Vertical Debit cards under the E-seriesi.On December 16, 2020 YES bank partnered with Visa as a payment processor to enhance salaried and YES FIRST account holders’ payment experience.
ii.The bank has also introduced a new line of vertical Debit cards under the E-series across Mastercard and VISA cards.
iii.This launch enables customers to avail VISA-branded YES bank debit cards along with Mastercard and RuPay branded debit cards.
About YES Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Experience our expertise
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Prashant Kumar
Incepted– 2004
About Visa:
Headquarters– California, United States
Chairman and CEO– Alfred F. Kelly, Jr.
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

UNEP announces 7 recipients for “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 Prize; Indian Entrepreneur Vidyut Mohan features in the listThe United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced 7 recipients for the “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 Prize, Indian Entrepreneur Vidyut Mohan featured in the list for his Social Enterprise “Takachar”. The prize is given to global change-makers who use innovative ideas and ambitious action to solve the world’s most important environmental challenges.
The prizes are awarded annually to 7 Entrepreneurs below the age of 30 who have bold ideas for sustainable environmental change. Winners will be selected from each global region: Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, West Asia and two from Asia and the Pacific.
List of Winners of “Young Champions of Earth” 2020 Prize:

About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Headquarter- Nairobi, Kenya
Executive Director – Inger Andersen

<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Shashi Shekhar Vempati CEO of Prasar Bharati Elected as Vice President of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union 

On 16th December 2020, Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO of Prasar Bharati was elected as the Vice President of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union(ABU), one of the World’s largest broadcasting associations. He will be serving for a three-year term, which starts on 1st January 2021.
The election was conducted during the 57th ABU General Assembly and Associated Meeting which was conducted as a virtual event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Points:
i.Ibrahim Eren, Chairman and Director General of Turkish Radio Television Corporation(TRT) has been elected as the President of ABU. He is the first Turk to become the president of ABU.
ii.Along with Shashi Shekhar Vampati, Masagaki Satoru, Executive Vice President of NHK, Japan was also elected as the Vice president of ABU.
About Shashi Shekhar Vempati:
i.Shashi Shekhar Vempati is the youngest and the first non-bureaucrat CEO of India’s public broadcaster.
ii.He managed the transformation of twin networks Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), which includes 35 tv channels and more than 400 radio stations respectively.
Prior to his posting in public broadcasting, he managed the digital news media startup – Niti Digital.
iii.He has served on the boards of Indian Broadcasting Foundation(IBF) and the Broadcast Audience Research Council(BARC), Indian Council for World Affairs and the Public Service Broadcasting Trust(PSBT).
About Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union(ABU):
President– Ibrahim Eren,
Formed in– 1964
Member– 256 members in 69 countries and regions
Secretariat– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO sets up  ‘NETRA’ – Dedicated Control Centre for Space Situational Awareness

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has set up ‘NETRA’ (NEtwork for space object TRacking and Analysis) – an dedicated Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Control Centre at ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network) Campus at Peenya, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The main objective of NETRA is to protect Indian Space Assets from Space debris close approaches and collisions.
i.NETRA will act as the hub for all SSA activities in India and has been set up as a ‘Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management (DSSAM)’.
ii.Only America, Russia and Europe have similar SSA capabilities to track space objects and share collision warnings.
iii.NETRA was formally inaugurated by ISRO Chairman K Sivan on December 14, 2020.
About Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO):
Chairman – K Sivan
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
<<Read Full News>>

India successfully test fires two Prithvi-2 Missiles from Odisha’s Balasore Coast

On December 16, 2020, India successfully fired two Nuclear Capable Prithvi-2 Ballistic Missiles from Balasore, Odisha.  Prithvi-2 is a Surface-to-Surface Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM).
Prithvi-2 Missile:
i.The Missile is developed by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and is deployed by SFC (Strategic Forces Command).
ii.Range – 350 Kilometres and can carry upto 500-1, 000 Kilograms of Nuclear Warheads.
iii.It is a single stage Missile and is powered by Liquid Propulsion Single Engines
iv.The missile has been inducted into the armory of Indian Defence Forces in 2003, and was the first missile to have been developed by DRDO under IGMDP.
Night Trials:
India had conducted 2 Night Trials of the Prithvi-2 Missile in October, 2020 & September, 2020.
About Defence Research & Development Organisation:
Chairman – Dr G Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters – New Delhi

China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft brings home first moon samples in 40 years

China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft successfully landed in Siziwang Banner, China bringing home the first samples of the moon in 40 years. It was China’s 1st attempt to get materials from an extraterrestrial body. The mission marks the successful conclusion of China’s 3 step lunar exploration programme which began in 2004.

SPORTS

Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) selects Qatar to host Asian games 2030 and Saudi Arabia as host for 2034 Edition

On 16th December, 2020 the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) general assembly selected the countries to host 2030 and 2034 editions of Asian Games through virtual voting. Qatar’s Doha city will be host of 2030’s edition, while the runner-up in voting, Saudi Arabia will host 2034 edition of Asian games at Riyadh city.The OCA General Assembly meeting held in Muscat, Oman.
Note: Qatar will also be hosting the 2022 Edition of FIFA Football World Cup.

About Asian Games:
Second largest multi-sport event after Olympic games
Organiser- Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)
First Asian games were conducted in 1951.
About Qatar: 
Capital- Doha
Prime Minister- Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani

OBITUARY

Father of Fiber Optics Narinder Singh Kapany India born American Physicist Passed Away at 94

On 4th December 2020 Narinder Singh Kapany, known as the “Father of Fiber Optics”, who coined the term Fiber optics in 1956, passed away at the age of 94 in California, United States. He was an India born American physicist who was named as one of the seven “Unsung Heroes” in Fortune’s “Businessmen of the Century” issue of November 1999. He was born in 1927 in Moga, Punjab.
He has more than 100 patents to his name for his research in the field of fiber optic communication, lasers, biomedical instrumentation, solar energy and pollution monitoring.

IMPORTANT DAYS

17th International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers – 17th December 2020

i.Internatioanl Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers(IDEVASW) is annually observed across the globe on 17th December to remember the people who lost their lives due to violence, marginalisation and stigma faced by the sex workers across the globe.
ii.The 17th December 2020 marks the 17th annual observance of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.
iii.The idea of the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers was conceived by Annie Sprinkle, sex worker right activist, United States of America(USA) in 2003 and the day was started by the Sex Workers Outreach Project(SWOP), USA.
<<Read Full News>>

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