Current Affairs 19 December 2020

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Top 20 Current Affairs of 19 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

DAC Approves Military Hardware Procurement worth Rs 28,000 cr during a Meeting in New Delhi

i.On December 17, 2020, a Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) in New Delhi where 7 Capital Acquisition proposals regarding military hardware worth Rs. 28,000 Crore were approved.
ii.The procurement proposals include various Weapons/Platforms/Equipment/Systems required by the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force (IAF).
iii.This was the first meeting under the new regime of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP), 2020 and these are the first set of Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs).
iv.The approved Acquisition proposals include DRDO designed and developed 6 Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Systems or Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) for IAF, 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Navy and Modular Bridges for the Indian Army.
About Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Rajnath Singh Constituency– Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh
Minister of State (MoS)– Shripad Yesso Naik
<<Read Full News>>

VP Venkaiah Naidu virtually Inaugurates the 12th GRIHA Summit 2020 organized by GRIHA Council & TERI

Vice President (VP) Venkaiah Naidu virtually inaugurated the 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit 2020 organized by GRIHA Council, Hyderabad, Telangana & TERI(The Energy & Resources Institute) from December 15-16, 2020. The Summit was a Virtual Conference.
i.Theme of the 12th GRIHA Summit – ‘Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats’
ii.GRIHA is a National Rating System for Green Buildings, it is an initiative of TERI & developed by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.
iii.VP launched 3 e-publications GRIHA Council – 30 Stories Beyond Buildings, Shashwat Magazine & Version 2019 Manual of the Council.
iv.He called on State Governments to create online portals for providing single-window clearance to green buildings.
About GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Council:
President – Ajay Mathur
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

IndiGrid Collaborates with IBM for Digital Transformation of Critical Power Infrastructure

i.On December 17, 2020 India Grid Trust (IndiGrid) and IBM enters into a multi-year collaboration agreement to build asset management platform that is enabled with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
ii.Purpose of Collaboration- For Digital Transformation of Critical Power Infrastructure.
iii.IndiGrid will deploy a hybrid cloud solution with IBM Maximo Application Suite that runs on open IBM Cloud.
iv.IBM Maximo Enterprise Asset Management, IBM Maximo Asset Monitor and IBM Maximo Asset Performance Management are integrated by IBM Maximo Application Suite deployed by IndiGrid on a single hybrid cloud platform running on IBM Cloud and Red Hat.
About  India Grid Trust (IndiGrid):
It is India’s first listed power sector infrastructure investment trust (InvIT), sponsored by KKR and Sterlite Power Grid Ventures Limited (SPGVL)
CEO & Whole-Time Director– Harsh Shah
Established– October 21, 2016
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
About IBM:
International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation is an American multinational technology and consulting company
CEO– Arvind Krishna
Headquarters–  Armonk, New York, USA
About IBM India:
Headquarters– Bengaluru(Bangalore), Karnataka
General Manager, IBM India/South Asia– Sandip Patel
<<Read Full News>>

Union Ministry of Culture plans a Museum for Netaji Subash Chandra Bose in Kolkata, West Bengal

The Union Culture Ministry was planning a museum for Netaji in Kolkata, an exhibition at the Victoria Memorial and cultural performances in West Bengal, as a part of the commemoration of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary in 2022. Historical documents, photos and other materials would be brought together at one place for display. The commemoration would also be the start of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence in 2022.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India, Indonesia hold the 4th Bilateral JWG meeting on Drug Control Cooperation virtually

On 17th December, 2020 The 4th Bilateral Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), India and the National Narcotics Board (BNN), Indonesia was held virtually. The Indian side was headed by Rakesh Asthana, Director General of NCB, Ministry of Home Affairs, India & Puji Sarwono, Deputy of Legal Affairs & Cooperation, NNB, Indonesia led the Indonesian side.
5th JWG Meeting:
Both sides agreed to hold the 5th India-Indonesia Bilateral JWG Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation in India in 2021.
Key Points from Indian Side:
i.Rakesh Asthana highlighted the trafficking of Heroin & Amphetamine Type Stimulant (ATS) in India through land & maritime routes particularly the Golden Triangle
Key Points from Indonesian Side:
Puji Sarwono highlighted the growing threat of trafficking of Methamphetamine in Indonesia.
About Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB):
Director General – Rakesh Asthana
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Indonesia:
President – Joko Widodo
Capital – Jakarta
Currency – Indonesian Rupiah (Rp) (IDR)
<<Read Full News>>

3rd Meeting of Joint Working Group on Shipping between India-Denmark held Virtually

i.On December 17, 2020, the 3rd meeting of Joint Working Group (JWG) on shipping between India and Denmark was held virtually to identify areas of co-operation between the two countries.
ii.Indian Delegation was led by the Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Dr. Sanjeev Ranjan while Denmark Delegation was represented by DG, Danish Maritime Authority, Andreas Nordseth.
iii.Both side agreed on cooperation on matters of mutual interest in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) by holding web-meetings in negotiations concerning greenhouses gas emissions.
iv.The Indian side proposed to extend invitation to the Technical University of Denmark (DPU) to become a global partner in the Maritime Knowledge Cluster being developed by India.
About Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW):
Minister of State (MoS)-Independent Charge (I/C)– Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya
<<Read Full News>>

12th Meeting of India-Australia JWG on Counter-Terrorism held virtually

On December 17, 2020, the 12th Meeting of India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism was held virtually. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs of India led the Indian side & Tony Sheehan, Deputy Secretary International Security, Humanitarian and Consular Group, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Australia led the Australian side.
i.Both countries called for immediate action to ensure territories under their control are not being used for terrorist attacks.
ii.India, Australia strongly opposed the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism.
iii.Both Countries exchanged views regarding banning of terrorist individuals/entities as a tool to combat terrorism.
iv.Both sides called for a coordinated action against all terrorist network
About Australia:
Capital– Canberra
Currency– Australian dollar
Prime Minister– Scott John Morrison
<<Read Full News>>

India-Bangladesh Virtual Summit 2020 held between Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina

i.On December 17, 2020, a virtual India-Bangladesh Summit 2020 was held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina which concluded with a Joint Statement. The highlights of the summit are as follows:

• 5 KM Haldibari – Chilahati rail link jointly inaugurated by India-Bangladesh Prime Ministers
• 7 Memorandum of Understandings (MoU)/Agreements signed between both nations
• Unveiled a stamp honouring Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman), and launched the Bangabandhu-Bapu museum
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Bangladesh to join NDB

About Bangladesh:
Capital– Dhaka
Currency– Bangladeshi taka
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Invited Application for 2^nd Test Phase of Regulatory Sandbox on Cross Border Payments

i.After the commencement of Test Phase of First Cohort under the Regulatory Sandbox (RS) by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on November 17, 2020, click here to read, now the apex bank has announced the opening of the Second Cohort on the theme of “Cross Border Payments”.
ii.The window for submission of applications by eligible entities for the Cohort will be open from December 21, 2020 to February 15, 2021.
iii.The theme of the first cohort was “Retail Payments” while for third Cohort, the theme will be “MSME Lending”.
iv.This program allows the collaboration of banks, fintech and technology companies to conduct real-time experimental projects under the supervision of the RBI team.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao)
<<Read Full News>>

IndusInd Bank Partners with Mastercard to Launch its 1st Metal Credit Card ‘Pioneer Heritage Credit Card’ for HNWIs

i.On December 17, 2020 IndusInd Bank in partnership with Mastercard launched its 1st metal credit card, ‘Pioneer Heritage Credit Card’.
ii.This Contactless Credit Card is designed to meet the needs of High-Net-Worth-Individuals (HNWIs), especially of the affluent Indian professionals and entrepreneurs.
iii.This card is a part of the Mastercard’s ‘World Elite’ platform  that offers privileges to complement the lifestyle of  HNI cardholders.
About IndusInd Bank:
Managing Director(MD)& Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Sumant Kathpalia
Chairman– Mr. Arun Tiwari
Established– 1994
HeadOffice– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline-We Make You Feel Richer
About Mastercard:
Headquarters – New York, United States
President and CEO-Elect– Michael Miebach
CEO– Ajay Banga(Michael Miebach will take over as CEO by January, 2021)
<<Read Full News>>

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Snapdeal Partners with NPCI to Enable Doorstep QR Code Payments for Orders

On December 17, 2020 Snapdeal partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to enable buyers to make Quick Response(QR)-based digital payments on getting delivery of their orders.
Target Customers– New or first-time users who are not comfortable to pay in advance for items at the time of purchase.
Key Info about the Facility
i.As part of the delivery process, the QR-code payment option will be offered to the customer at their doorstep.
ii.This facility will work with all UPI-payment options, including Bhim, Google Pay, Whatsapp Pay, etc. from leading private and public sector banks like HDFC, SBI, ICICI and others.
iii.Snapdeal buyers who bank with cooperative banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) can also pay through this feature.

India’s GDP to contract by 7.8% in FY2021: ICRA

ICRA Limited in its GDP Outlook- December 2020 projetcs that India’s GDP(Gross Domestic Product)in real terms will contract by 7.8%(-7.8%) in FY2021. This is due to the agency’s forecast that the technical recession in Indian economy will end in Q4 of FY2021, with a slow 1.3% growth benefitting from a real recovery and the low base effect.
Key Info
The report projects that in the 3rd quarter of FY2021, there will be a small contraction of 1%
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout will strengthen the demand and economic activity in Q4 FY2021,
India will be fastest growing Asian economy in 2021 at 9.9%: Nomura
Nomura projected that India will be the  fastest growing Asian economy in 2021, with an estimate of 9.9% gross domestic product (GDP) growth in CY 21
About ICRA Limited
Formerly called as Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited.
It was established in  1991.
Managing Director & Group CEO– Mr. N. Sivaraman
Chairman Emeritus-Mr. Dhruba Narayan Ghosh
Head Office– New Delhi, India

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

SAIL Wins Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2020

i.On December 15, 2020 At a virtual ceremony, the winners of the 2nd cycle of Golden Peacock Awards 2020 were announced.
ii.The Institute of Directors(IOD) awarded the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award(GPEMA) 2020 to Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in the steel sector.
iii.SAIL receives this award for the successive 2nd year.
About Institute of Directors(IOD), India :
It is a Society (National Level), registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. It was established on 12 July 1990.
Headquarters– NewDelhi ,India
Chairman– Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah
About Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL):
Headquarters-New Delhi, India
Chairman with additional charge of Director (Personnel)– Shri Anil Kumar Chaudhary
<<Read Full News>>

Poland Footballer, Robert Lewandowski won Best FIFA Men Player Award 2020

On 17th December, 2020 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) awarded Robert Lewandowski, captain of Poland National Team as the Best FIFA Men’s player for 2020 in its annual award ceremony. The event also saw the distribution of 9 awards related to football.Lucy Bronze of England won the Best FIFA Women’s player for 2020.
Other Awardees:
i.Best FIFA Men’s Coach Award 2020 won by Jurgen Klopp for a record second time.
ii.Best FIFA Women’s Coach Award 2020 won by Sarina Wiegman(Currently Coaching Netherland Football National Team).
iii.Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper 2020 won by Manuel Neuer.
iv.Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper 2020 won by Sarah Bouhaddi.
About FIFA: 
Headquarters– Zurich, Switzerland.
Motto– For the Game. For the World.
President– Gianni Infantino.
FIFA started to award world player awards since 1991.
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO’s PSLV-C50 successfully launches CMS-01 satellite from SDSC, Sriharikota

On December 17, 2020 India’s communication satellite CMS-01 was successfully launched by Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) PSLV-C50 (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The satellite CMS-01 was successfully launched into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
CMS-01 is the first communication satellite that ISRO has orbited under its new satellite naming scheme.
i.It will provide Telecom services in the Extended-C band of the Frequency spectrum which includes Indian mainland, Andaman-Nicobar & Lakshadweep islands.
ii.It has a mission life of 7 years and will replace GSAT-12 (Geostationary Satellite) satellite launched in 2011.
Highlights:
i.CMS-01 is India’s 42nd communication satellite.
ii.It is the 52nd Flight of PSLV & 22nd Flight PSLV ‘XL’ variant. The XL variant has 6 additional strap-ons.
iii.This is also the 77th Launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota Spaceport.
iv.Godrej Aerospace played a major role in manufacturing of the Vikas Contour Engine, which propelled the 2nd stage of rocket & satellite thrusters.
About Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO):
List of Operational Launchers in ISRO – PSLV, GSLV (Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) & GSLV MkIII.
<<Read Full News>>

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launches Economic Diplomacy website

On 16th December, 2020 Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar launched an economic diplomacy website to highlight India’s economic, sectoral and state wise strength. This website paves way for the Global business community to utilise India’s ease of doing business initiatives and enhance trade with India.
i.Aim- To provide critical and relevant information on major economic indicators of central and state government policies.
ii.Information provided- Government policies, global mineral resource endowments, detailed policy profiles of states and union territories.
About Ministry of External Affairs:
Union Minister- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Minister of State- V. Muraleedharan
<<Read Full News>>

SPORTS

India Pledges USD 1 Million to WADA’s Scientific Research Budget towards doping free sport

On December 17, 2020, India pledged to contribute USD 1 Million (Approximately INR 7.35 Crores) to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Scientific Research Budget.  The amount will be India’s contribution to WADA’s initiative of raising a corpus of USD 10 Million.This will contribute greatly towards WADA’s mission for doping-free sport.
i.India’s contribution is the highest ever contribution made to WADA by a third world country which includes Saudi Arabia, China and Egypt.
ii.The contribution will be used for the development of innovative anti-doping testing and detection methods.
Russia’s Ban:
i.The Court of Arbitration for Sport, Switzerland has banned Russia from Using its name, flag and anthem at the next 2 olympics or any world championships in the next 2 years or Hosting of any major sporting events for 2 years.
ii.It is due to an accusation that Russia tampered with databases containing the samples of Russian athletes at the Moscow testing laboratory.
About World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA):
President – Witold Banka
Headquarters – Montreal, Canada
<<Read Full News>>

Pakistan Cricketer Mohammad Amir Announces Retirement from International Cricket

On December 17, 2020 Pakistan’s Fast Bowler Mohammad Amir announced retirement from International Cricket at the age of 28. Amir had already announced his retirement from Test Cricket in July, 2019.
i.He was born in Gujar Khan, Pakistan and is a Left-arm Batsmen & Left-arm Bowler.
ii.Mohammad Amir represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 One Day Internationals (ODIs) & 50 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).
iii.Amir, the Left-arm bowler has claimed 119 Wickets in Tests, 81 Wickets in ODIs & 59 Wickets in T20Is.
iv.He was part of the Pakistan team which won the 2009 ICC (International Cricket Council) World T20 (held at England) & 2017 ICC Champions Trophy (held at England & Wales).
v.He was banned for 5 years (2010-2015) after he was convicted in a spot-fixing Scandal.

AYUSH Ministry & Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry recognises Yogasana as a Competitive Sport in India

On 17th December, 2020 Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports jointly announced the formal recognition of Yogasana as a Competitive sport in India. The ministries also plan to conduct ‘National Individual Yogasana Sports Championship’ in february 2021.
Highlights:
i.Formal recognition of the sport will create national visibility and awareness of its efficacy in fitness and general wellness.
ii.Yogasana will be included in Khelo India and other University games making its way for National games.
iii.This move will create international recognition of the sport, so that it can be included in Olympics in future
iv.All over India 51 medals in 4 events and 7 categories will be made.
Categories (male & female)- Traditional Yogasana, Artistic Yogasana (Single), Artistic Yogasana (Pair), Rhythmic Yogasana (Pair), Free Flow/Group Yogasana, Individual All Round – Championship and Team Championship.
About Ministry of AYUSH:
AYUSH stands for “Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy”.
Founded- 9 November 2014
MOS independent charge- Shripad Yesso Naik
About Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports:
MoS Independent Charge – Kiren Rijiju

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Arabic Language Day 2020 – 18th December

i.The United Nations(UN)’s World Arabic Language Day is annually celebrated across the world on 18th December to create and spread awareness about the history, culture and development of Arabic language. The day provides an opportunity to celebrate the richness and global significance of Arabic language which is one of the oldest and most widely spoken languages in the world.
ii.The World Arabic Language day was first celebrated on 18th December 2012.
iii.The theme of the World Arabic Language Day 2020 is “Arabic Language Academies: Necessity or Luxury?” with a focus on how the language academics can be empowered to enhance and revive the use of classical Arabic.
iv.The 2020 World Arabic Language day focuses the concerns on the decreasing use of classic Arabic and increasing number in the use of local Arabic dialects.
About UNESCO:
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
Director General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
<<Read Full News>>

International Migrants Day 2020 – December 18

i.The UN’s International Migrants Day is annually observed across the globe on 18th December with an aim to ensure effective and full protection of human rights of the migrants and to spread the information on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants.
ii.The theme of 2020 International Migrants Day is “Reimagining Human Mobility”
iii.The day 18th December was chosen to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the 1990 resolution A/RES/45/158 on International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their family by the UNGA.
About International Organization for Migration (IOM):
Director General- António Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira Vitorino(10th DG of IOM)
Headquarter – Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland
Established in– 1951
<<Read Full News>>

Minorities Rights Day 2020: December 18 

i.Minorities Rights Day is celebrated every year on December 18 across India by the National Commission for Minorities(NCM).
ii.The day aims to educate people about the rights, problems of minorities and eliminate all forms of discrimination against them as a moral obligation.
iii.The day also aims to safeguard the constitutional guaranteed freedoms of them.
About National Commission for Minorities(NCM):
Vice-Chairperson– Shri Atif Rasheed
HeadQuarters– New Delhi, India
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh CM Named Jewar Airport as ‘Noida International Greenfield Airport’

On December 18, 2020  Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, approved the name, design and logo of the international airport to be constructed in Jewar, Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Name– Noida International Greenfield Airport
Logo– Image of ‘sarus’ (stork), the state bird
Design– On lines of  world-famous airports in London, Moscow and Milan.
Key Info about the Airport
i.The airport will be developed in 4 phases.
ii.The initial capacity of the airport will be 12 million passengers per year. This will be expected to be increased to 70 million passengers annually  by 2050.
iii.Initially, it will have 2 runways, in later phases will be increased to five.
iv.The cost for the Jewar Airport is estimated to be around Rs 30,000 crore.

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