Current Affairs 21 December 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 21 December 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 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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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

3rd Meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue held in New Delhi; Chaired by EAM of India S Jaishankar The 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in New Delhi from 18th to 20th December 2021 under the chairmanship of Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India.The Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the 3rd Meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue.

• Previously the 2nd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was organized by India in October 2020 in digital video-conference format.
• The Ministers of Central Asian countries have agreed to hold the next meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue in 2022.

Features of the Meeting:
i.As a part of the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue, the Ministers discussed strengthening the relationship between India and the Central Asian countries with the focus on trade, connectivity and development cooperation.
ii.They also discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the region, following the Taliban’s occupancy.
iii.The ministers exchanged their views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
iv.They also reaffirmed the importance of UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021), which unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning, or financing terrorist acts, and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups.
v.The Ministers also emphasised the optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as well as the Ashgabat Agreement on International Transport and Transit Corridor to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries.
vi.They also welcomed the proposal to include Chabahar Port within the framework of INSTC.
vii.The Ministers have agreed on the implementation of commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement in line with equity, national circumstances and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).
Click here for the joint statement of the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue
About Ministry of External Affairs(MEA):
Union Minister– Dr S Jaishankar(Rajya Sabha- Gujarat)
Minister of State– V Muraleedharan (Rajya sabha – Maharashtra), Meenakashi Lekhi (Constituency- New Delhi, NCT of Delhi), Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Constituency- Inner Manipur, Manipur)

‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ Inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of ICH of HumanityThe Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) of UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) 2003 Convention on Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) has inscribed ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of ICH of Humanity during its 16th session of IGC which was held in Paris, France from 13 to 18 December 2021.

• With the inscription of Durga Puja in Kolkata, India now have 14 ICH elements on the prestigious UNESCO Representative List of ICH of Humanity.
• Before Durga Puja, the two latest inscriptions in the ICH list from India are Kumbh Mela (inscribed 2017) and Yoga (inscribed 2016).

Key Points:
i.The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the ICH inscribed 4 elements on 2021 UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and 39 elements on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Click here to know more
ii.Congolese rumba which is a musical genre and a dance common in urban areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo was also inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the ICH of Humanity.
About UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage:
i.It was established by UNESCO to ensure better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance. This list is published by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
ii.About the Committee: The core functions of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage are to promote the objectives of the Convention, provide guidance on best practices and make recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage.
ii.The list consists of a longer ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’, a shorter ‘List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding’, and Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.
>> Read Full News

NHAI inks MoU with NCC to Reuse Plastic Waste collected by cadets in Building RoadsA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to reuse plastic wastes collected by NCC cadets during Puneet Sagar Abhiyan and other cleanliness activities in country-wide road construction by NHAI.
Signatories:
Lt. Gen. Gurbirpal Singh, Director General NCC and Sushil Kumar Mishra, Chief General Manager, NHAI signed and exchanged the MoU.
Key Points:
i.As a part of MoU, IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology), NIITs (National Institute of Information Technology), and NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) are also approached for their cooperation in recycling and utilisation of the plastic wastes collected.
ii.IIT Kharagpur has already agreed to extend its technical expertise in this along with NGO, Odisha Yuva Chetana Sangathan.
About Puneet Sagar Abhiyan:
Initiated on December 1, 2021 by NCC, this month-long activity aims to promote and create favourable conditions for environmental safety. Under this, beaches are cleaned along the seashores and also raise awareness about the importance of keeping these places free from plastic wastes.

• A total of 3,40,000 cadets from 127 Coastal Area NCC Units are participating in this activity. So far, the NCC cadets at different locations have collected plastic wastes amounting to almost 6 tonnes. The collected waste will be handed over to NHAI to be used in road construction.

About National Highways Authority of India (NHAI):
Chairperson– Alka Upadhyaya
Headquarter– New Delhi, Delhi

Highlights of Vietnam’s H.E. Nguyen Van Hung visit to India from 15 to 19 DecemberH.E. Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) of Vietnam paid a 5-day official visit to India from December 15 to 19, 2021. India and Vietnam are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2022 and the 5th anniversary of the Indo-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021.
Key Points:
i.In line with the comprehensive strategic and economic partnership and growing relations between the Republic of India and the Socialist Republic of VietNam, the Ministers of both countries signed a ‘Letter of Intent’ for enhanced cooperation in the Postal Sector.
ii.Tran Hong Ha, Vietnam Natural resources & Environment Minister, and Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science & Technology,  signed the first-ever MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to promote scientific and technical cooperation in marine science and ecology.
iii.12 MoUs were signed between Vietnamese and Indian enterprises at a Vietnam India Business Forum which was organised by the Embassy of Vietnam and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
iv.Minister of State for Culture Meenakashi Lekhi met H.E. Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) of Vietnam, accompanied by Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Director General, International Cooperation Department, MoCST, in New Delhi and discussed various cultural cooperation issues.
About Vietnam:
Capital – Hanoi
Currency – Vietnamese dong
President – Nguyen Xuan Phuc
>> Read Full News

PM Narendra Modi Launches Development projects worth Rs 650 crore on Goa liberation dayOn 19th December 2021 Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth over 650 crore rupees in Goa during the Goa Liberation Day celebrations at Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Stadium in Taleigao, Goa.
Major Projects:
i.Renovated Fort Aguada jail museum:

• The Re-development is done at 28 crores which highlights the sacrifices and contributions made by freedom fighters, who fought for liberation of Goa.

ii.The super speciality hospital block at Goa medical college (GMC):

• GMC super speciality hospital block was constructed at a cost of 380 crores under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.
• This is the only state-of-art multispeciality public hospital in Goa with services like angioplasty, bypass surgery, kidney transplant and dialysis.

iii.The new south Goa district hospital:

• The district Hospital was built at the cost of 220 crores with modern medical infrastructure including Out Patient Department (OPD) services in 33 specialities.
• The hospital will hold upto 500 oxygenated beds, 5500 litre Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) tank  and 2 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants of 600 litres per Minute (lpm) and also with facilities like audiometry and physiotherapy.

iv.Others:

• The aviation skill development centre at Mopa airport is built at 8.5 Crores that will provide training in 16 job profiles
• The gas-insulated substation at Davorlim- Navelim, Margoa is constructed at the cost of 16 Crores under Integrated Power Development Scheme of the Ministry of Power, Government of India that will provide power to the surrounding villages.

Achievements of Goa Government:
i.Goa is top in good governance, per capita income, and several other fronts. He said that Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swayampurna Goa is a grand success in the state.
ii.Goa government has completed 100 percent coverage of 1st dose of Covid-19 Vaccine to all its eligible population.
iii.The India International University of Legal Education and Research of Bar Council of India Trust, will be established in line with the focus of the government to transform Goa as a hub of higher and technical education.
iv.Prime Minister will also release a Special Cover and Special Cancellation to mark the commemoration of Indian Armed Forces freeing Goa from Portuguese rule.
v.Prime Minister also released ‘My Stamp’ depicting the Hutatma Smarak at Patradevi, which salutes the great sacrifices made by the martyrs of Goa Liberation Movement.
vi.A ‘Meghdoot Post Card’ depicting a collage of pictures of different events during the Goa Liberation Struggle will also be presented to the Prime Minister.Prime Minister also distributed awards to the best Panchayat/Municipality, Swayampurna Mitras and beneficiaries of Swayampurna Goa Programme.
About Goa:
Chief Minister – Pramod Sawant
Governor – P.S. Sreedharan Pillai
National Park – Mollem National Park
Zoological Park – Bondla Zoological Park

PM Modi Virtually Inaugurated the All India Mayors’ Conference in Varanasi

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister(PM) of India virtually inaugurated the All India Mayors’ Conference held at Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Trade Facilitation Centre in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh(UP). Around 120 mayors from different states attended the conference held in Varanasi(also known as Kashi)

• The theme of the conference was ‘New Urban India’.
• PM Modi stated that the development of Varanasi can be a roadmap for the entire country.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

President Ram Nath Kovind’s 3-day visit to Bangladesh: Attended 50th Victory Day Celebrationsi.On the invitation of Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, on December 15-17, 2021, the President of India Ram Nath Kovind was on a 3-day State visit to Bangladesh to attend the 50^th Victory Day (Bijay Dibos or Vjay Diwas) celebrations at the National Parade ground in Dhaka as a guest of honour.
ii.He was the only foreign dignitary invited to jointly commemorate these celebrations reflecting a strong bond between two nations.
iii.This was the first visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to Bangladesh since the Covid-19 outbreak.
iv.He was accompanied by the Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Education (MoE) Dr. Subhas Sarkar and a Member of Parliament Rajdeep Roy.
About Bangladesh:
Capital– Dhaka
Currency– Taka
>> Read Full News

Truecaller Report: India 4th Most Spammed Country in World; Brazil Tops

According to the 5th edition of Truecallers’ annual report “2021 Global Spam & Scam Report”, which lists the Top 20 Countries Affected by Spam Calls in 2021, India has moved up in rankings from 9th in 2020 to 4th in 2021 due to a significant increase in sales and telemarketing calls.
The report is a detailed, global study on how spam and scam affect all of us.
In 2021, more than 202 million spam calls were made by just one spammer in India.

• With 32.9 spam calls per user per month, Brazil has retained its title as the most spammed country in the world for the 4th year, followed by Peru and Ukraine.
• The United States has dropped from 2nd place in 2020 to 20th place in 2021.
• Cameroon tops the countries affected by spam SMS in 2021 followed by Somalia and Tanzania.

Click here for the top 20 countries affected by spam calls in 2021

SOLAW 2021: Land & Water Systems are at Breaking Point; Resources Will Need SafeguardingThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture – Systems at breaking point Synthesis report 2021 (SOLAW 2021), which highlights the worsening state of the earth’s soil, land and water resources and the challenges it poses for feeding a global population which is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050.

• The central theme of SOLAW 2021 is “Systems at breaking point”.
• SOLAW 2021 is a collaborative effort led by the Land and Water Division of FAO in collaboration with several divisions/units at FAO

Note:
The SOLAW 2021 Synthesis Report presents the main findings and recommendations of the full SOLAW 2021 report and background studies, which will be published in early 2022.

About Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):
FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations(UN) that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
Director-General– QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
>> Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

Edelweiss General Insurance, PhonePe Partners to Offers Digital Motor InsuranceEdelweiss General Insurance (EGI) has partnered with PhonePe, a fintech firm in the digital payments space, to offer quick and easy, digital motor insurance products to all its customers.

• The partnership offers PhonePe customers simple, end to end digital solutions in the motor insurance segment.

Vision of PhonePe – To be a one-stop destination for all the insurance needs of customers.
Key Points:
i.PhonePe customers can purchase EGI’s motor insurance policy with Zero paperwork and can opt for add-on benefits like depreciation protection, engine protection, consumable expense protection, roadside assistance, key and lock protection according to individual needs.

• PhonePe customers can choose from multiple motor insurance products on EGI platform.

ii.EGI has also launched need-based, bite-sized insurance products in partnership with some of the other best brands in the digital ecosystem.

• EGI also has an extensive omnichannel digital distribution platform along with its own digital platforms and marketplaces.

About Edelweiss General Insurance:
Executive director & CEO – Shanai Ghosh
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
About PhonePe:
CEO – Sameer Nigam
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka

Liberty General ties with CSC e-Governance Services India to strengthen insurance penetration in Rural NetworkIn December 2021, Liberty General Insurance signed a partnership agreement with CSC (Common Service Centres) e-Governance Services India under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Objective:
To strengthen insurance penetration in rural areas across India by selling insurance products through the CSC network.
Highlights:
i.Liberty General Insurance will offer Motor Insurance products for Two-Wheeler, Private Car and Commercial Vehicle to the customers.
ii.The agreement will provide impetus to improve the access to insurance products for rural India through awareness creation, technology leverage, product innovation.
iii.The agreement will empower the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) through new skills and knowledge of products and services.

• It will help in financial inclusion and catering to the last mile network of 4.2 lakh, of which 2.74 lakh are in Gram Panchayats.

About CSC (Common Service Centres) e-Governance Services:
i.The CSC is a strategic cornerstone of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), approved by the Government in May 2006.
CEO-Dinesh Kumar Tyagi,
About Liberty General Insurance:
Director & CEO– Roopam Asthana
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

ESFBL Became the Banking Partner of the Government of Maharashtra 

Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited(ESFBL) has empanelled as the banking partner of the state government of Maharashtra with an aim to offer its services to employees of the State Government.
Note:
The Bandhan Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, and the South Indian Bank have been assigned the role of distributing salaries and allowances to the government employees.

Features of the partnership:
i.This partnership will enable the ESFBL to distribute salaries and allowances to the existing employees apart from making provision of pension to pensioners.
ii.The state government has authorised the Equitas SFB to open salary and pension accounts for the existing and retired employees across 58 branches of the bank across the state.
iii.The bank is also subjected to withdrawal and disbursement of funds.
iv.This partnership with the state government will open up avenues to leverage its 58 branches to provide tailor-made solutions to institutions.
About Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited:
Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited was formerly known as Equitas Finance Limited. 
The Bank commenced the business of SFB on 5th September 2016. 
MD & CEO– Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan
Headquarters– Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Tagline– It’s Fun Banking

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS  

SAIL Receives Prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2021The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), awarded with the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award (GPEMA) 2021 in the Steel Sector by the Institute of Directors (IOD). SAIL received this award for the 3rd consecutive year.
About the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award:
i.Golden Peacock Environment Management Award is a prestigious award that was instituted by the World Environment Foundation in 1998.
ii.It encourages corporate companies to enhance their environmental performances.

Some Achievements of SAIL includes,

• Solid waste management initiatives, water conservation efforts and plantation.
• carbon footprint reduction, deployment of state-of-the-art environment friendly technology
• Environmental auditing and environmental accounting.

Note – Jamshedpur, popularly known as the ‘Steel City of India’ was established by Jamsetji Tata in 1919.
About Institute of Directors (IOD), India:
It is a Society (National Level), registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. It was established in July 1990.
About Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL):
Chairperson- Soma Mondal (1st Woman Chairperson of SAIL)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi      

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS 

Gabriel Boric becomes Youngest President Elect of ChileOn 19 December 2021, Gabriel Boric, 35 year old, won Chile presidential elections, to become the youngest-ever President elect of Chile. He defeated his oppositionJose Antonio Kast in the elections.Key points:
i.Gabriel Boric will assume office in March 2022, will become the youngest president in Chile’s history.
ii.He secured 56 percent of the votes, while  44 percent votes were won by Jose Antonio Kast.
About Gabriel Boric:
i.Gabriel Boric was born on 11 February 1986 in Punta Arenas, Chile.
ii.He belongs to the Social Convergence party and he has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2014, representing the Magallanes district, Chile.
About Chile:

• It is a South American country occupying a narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
• Chuquicamata is the World’s largest copper mine located in Chile.

President- Sebastian Pinera (Outgoing President)
Capital- Santiago
Currency- Peso

Uttarakhand State appoints Rishabh Pant as Brand Ambassador

On 19 December 2021,Uttarakhand Chief Minister (CM) Pushkar Singh Dhami appointed Indian cricketer  Rishabh Pant as the ‘State Brand Ambassador’ with the aim of encouraging the youth of the state towards sports and public health.
Note – In December 2021, Actor Salman Khan was appointed as the COVID Vaccination Ambassador of Maharashtra.
i.Rishabh Rajendra Pant is a 24 year old cricketer, who was born in Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
ii.He is an Indian cricketer who plays as a middle order wicket-keeper batsman for India, Delhi, and the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
iii.In 2015, he was named in India’s squad for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
About Uttarakhand:
Biosphere reserve- Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
Dance- Barda Nati, Langvir Nritya, Ramola           

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DRDO Conducts Flight Demonstration of CADSThe Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted a flight demonstration of its Controlled Aerial Delivery System (CADS) by the DRDO’s Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) in Agra, New Delhi.

• The flight demonstration is part of a series of activities organised towards the commemoration of the 75th Independence day – ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

Key Highlights:
i.The Controlled Aerial Delivery System has the capacity to deliver 500-kilogram (CADS-500) of payloads at a predetermined location by the use of manoeuvrable capabilities of Ram Air Parachute (RAP).
ii.The CADS autonomously steers its flight path using waypoint navigation towards target location by operating controls & onboard electronics unit.
iii.CADS uses Global Positioning System for the coordinates, altitude and heading sensors for the heading information during its flight.
iv.The system was para-dropped from an AN32 aircraft and then steered to the predesignated landing point in autonomous mode.
About The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
Parent Ministry – Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Chairman – G Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

Indian Navy’s 2nd Indigenous Stealth Destroyer Sails for Maiden Sea Trials

On 19th December 2021, during the Goa Liberation day, Indian Navy’s indigenous stealth guided-missile destroyer ‘Mormugao’ went for her maiden sea trials.

• This second indigenous stealth destroyer of the Project 15 B (P15B) class, is planning to be commissioned in mid 2022.

Key Highlights:
i.Mormugao is being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL) as part of the Project 15B destroyers and incorporates several indigenous technologies
ii.The ship’s name was dedicated to the maritime state of Goa with the goal to enhance the bonding between the Indian Navy and the people of Goa to link the ship’s identity to the crucial role the Navy played in nation-building.
iii.In November 2021, INS Visakhapatnam and the fourth P75 submarine INS Vela were commissioned into the Indian Navy.
About Indian Navy
Chief of Naval staff (CNS) –Admiral R Hari Kumar
Integrated Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

SPORTS

BWF World Championships 2021:Kidambi Srikanth Becomes 1st Indian Male Shuttler To win Silver Medal at BWF World ChampionshipsKidambi Srikanth (India) made history by becoming the 1st Indian shuttler to win a silver medal in the men’s singles at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) world championships. He achieved this feat by winning silver medal after losing to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the finals of Men’s Singles in the BWF World Championships 2021(officially known as the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2021) held in Huelva, Spain.

• This is also the first time that a Men’s(Loh Kean Yew) player from Singapore has won gold Medal at the BWF World Championships.
• India’s Lakshya Sen & Denmark’s Anders Antonsen won the Bronze Medal in the Men’s Singles in BWF World Championships 2021.
• Note-Apart from Kidambi Srikanth 3 Other Men from India had also won the medal in the BWF Championship, they are Prakash Padukone (bronze in 1983), B Sai Praneeth (bronze in 2019) and Lakshya Sen (bronze in 2021).

About Kidambi Srikanth:
Born – 1993, at Ravulapalem, Andhra Pradesh
i.With the entry into Badminton world in 2014, Srikanth and Sai Praneeth became the first Indian badminton pair in 2017 to reach the finals of a ranking event at the Singapore Super Series.
ii.At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Srikanth won a Gold in Mixed Team event and a Silver in Men’s Singles at Gold Coast in Australia.
About Badminton World Federation (BWF):
President – Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen
Headquarters – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Human Solidarity Day 2021 – December 20The United Nations(UN)’s International Human Solidarity Day is annually observed across the globe on 20th December to create awareness about the importance of solidarity, a socio-ethical and political concept, which states that it is fair and just that benefits and obligations are shared between members of society.

• The day commemorates the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund on 20th December 2002.

Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/60/209 on 22nd December 2005 and proclaimed the 20th December of every year as the International Human Solidarity Day.
ii.The resolution also identified solidarity as one of the fundamental and universal values that should underlie the relations between people in the 21st century.
iii.The first ever International Human Solidarity Day was observed on 20th December 2006. 
About Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) (UN Human Rights):
High Commissioner– Michelle Bachelet Jeria
President of Human Rights Council(HRC)– Nazhat Shameem Khan
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Punjab CM Channi declares Krishan Balram Rath Yatra as State FestivalThe Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi declared Lord Krishna Balram Jagannath Rath Yatra as an annual state festival. The announcement for the same was made during flagging off the 25^th Shri Lord Krishna Balram Jagannath Rath Yatra.
He also announced a grant of Rs 2.51 crore for the Iskcon Temple in Ludhiana, Punjab.

• The yatra, which was carried out after a gap of two years due to coronavirus restrictions.
• Notably, Punjab Government is also developing the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana Research Centre on 20-acre land in Patiala.
• Rath Yatra is organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). It is considered the second largest congregation of Lord Jagannath devotees in the country after the historic Jagannath Yatra of Puri in Odisha.

About Punjab:
Governor– Banwarilal Purohit
Heritage site– Kanjli (2002), Ropar (2002), Harike Lake(1990)
Festival– Basant Panchami, Guru Nanak Gurpurab

Nagaland Govt creates 3 new districts namely Tseminyu, Nuiland and ChumukedimaThe State Government of Nagaland has created three new districts namely Tseminyu, Nuiland and Chumukedima, reaching the total district tally of the state to 15. Tseminyu became the 13th district followed by Nuiland and Chumukedima as 14th and 15th Districts respectively.

• The decision was taken during a state cabinet meeting held under the leadership of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today at Kohima.
• Niuland and Chumukedima have been formed out of Dimapur district, while Tseminyu is the sub-division of the Kohima district.

About Nagaland:
Mount Saramati is the highest peak in Nagaland
Chief Minister– Neiphiu Rio
Zoological Park– Nagaland Zoological Park located in Dimapur

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Launched Mukhyamantri Vayu Swasthya Seva for Remote Tribal DistrictsNaveen Patnaik, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha has launched the Mukhyamantri Vayu Swasthya Seva (Air Health Services) at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (Bhubaneswar Airport) and flagged off the first flight headed to Malkangiri District with a medical team.

• Under this scheme, specialist doctors will be flown to remote areas of Odisha to treat the people suffering from serious diseases.

Key Points:
i.The Air Medical service launched by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Odisha is a part of Odisha’s mission to provide free healthcare to all.
ii.Through this initiative, the people in remote districts of Odisha can be treated and operated by renowned specialists and surgeons from medical colleges.
About the Scheme:
i.In the first phase, the scheme will be made available for the tribal-dominated districts like  Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Kalahandi.
ii.In a phased manner the other districts of the state will also be covered under the scheme.
iii.As a part of the scheme, the operation theatres at the district headquarters hospital (DHH) will be augmented to conduct major surgeries.
iv.The service will be offered free of cost to the patients.
About Odisha:
Governor– Professor Ganeshi Lal
Capital– Bhubaneshwar
Tribes– Bonda , Juang, Didayi

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