Current Affairs 23 December 2020

 

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 23 December 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 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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Top 25 Current Affairs of 23 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

RIL, BP commence Gas production from Asia’s Deepest Gas Field ‘R-cluster’ situated in Krishna-Godavari Basin

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), BP (formerly known as The British Petroleum Company plc) have commenced Gas production from Asia’s Deepest Gas Field ‘R-cluster’ situated in the KG-D6 block, Krishna-Godavari basin of the Bay of Bengal (eastern coast of India). The gas reserve is located at a water depth of greater than 2, 000 metres, making it the deepest offshore gas field in Asia.
i.‘R-cluster’ is the 1st operational project of the 3 deepwater gas projects that RIL & BP are developing together in the KG-D6 block. The other two projects are Satellites Cluster & MJ Field.
ii.Plateau Gas Production (i.e Constant Production Rate) at the ‘R-Cluster’ is expected to reach ~ 12 Million standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd) in 2021.
About Reliance Industries Limited (RIL):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Chairman & Managing Director (MD)– Mukesh Ambani.
About BP:
formerly known as The British Petroleum Company plc
Chief Executive Officer – Bernard Looney
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom
<<Read Full News>>

Govt decides to constitute HLC headed by Amit Shah to Commemorate 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

On Dec 22, 2020, the Government has decided to constitute a High Level Committee (HLC), to be headed by Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), for commemoration of 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

• The Committee will decide on year long activities starting 23rd January, 2021.
• He was born on January 23, 1897.
• The Commemoration is being held as a tribute to the contribution that Netaji made to India’s freedom struggle.

Members of committee: The members of the Committee will include experts, historians, authors, family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as eminent persons associated with Azad Hind Fauj-INA.
Key Points:
–A permanent exhibition and a ‘Light and Sound show’ on Netaji has been planned to be set up at Kolkata at the historic Victoria Memorial building.
–In 2019, a museum has been set up on Netaji at the Red Fort in New Delhi.

CGWB and CSIR-NGRI sign MoA for High-Resolution Aquifer Mapping & Management in Arid Region of NW India

i.On December 21, 2020, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Ministry of Jal Shakti and Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research–National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI), Hyderabad (Telangana) for use of advanced heliborne geophysical survey and other scientific studies in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana under the Aquifer Mapping Programme.
ii.It was signed by GC Pati, Chairman, CGWB and Dr. Virendra M.Tiwari, Director, CSIR-NGRI in the presence of the Union Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Science and Technology in New Delhi.
About Central Ground Water Board (CGWB):
Chairman – GC Pati
Headquarter – Faridabad, Haryana.
CGWA was constituted under sub-section (3) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
<<Read Full News>>

“JSA II: Catch the Rain” Awareness Generation Campaign Launched by NWM & NYKS

i.On December 21, 2020, National Water Mission (NWM), Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) in collaboration with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYAS) launched the “JSA II: Catch the Rain” Awareness Generation Campaign in New Delhi. JSA stands for Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
ii.The awareness generation phase of campaign will run from mid-December 2020 to March 2021 with tagline “catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls”.
iii.The campaign is focuses towards water conservation and rainwater harvesting with the involvement of youngsters.
About Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS):
Chairperson– Kiren Rijiju
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

PM Narendra Modi addresses 6th India-Japan SAMVAD Conference; proposes creation of Library of Buddhist Literature

On December 21, 2020, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 6th India-Japan SAMVAD Conference. During the Address, PM proposed to create a Library in India containing Traditional Buddhist Literature, Scriptures including digital copies from across the world. The conference was hosted by Nikkei Inc & Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF).
i.The Library will also serve as a platform for research and dialogue for scholars.
ii.The main objective will be to examine how Buddhist messages can guide the modern world against contemporary challenges such as poverty, racism, extremism, gender discrimination, climate change and others.
iii.The Library will translate the literature and will make them freely available for monks and scholars of Buddhism.
Background:
i.The SAMVAD conference was 1st held in 2015 in  New Delhi
ii.It was held after a joint proposal by leaders of Japan and India in 2014.
About Vivekananda  International Foundation (VIF):
Chairman – S Gurumurthy
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Japan:
Prime Minister – Yoshihide Suga
Capital – Tokyo
Currency – Japanese Yen
<<Read Full News>>

MPEDA launches India’s 1st Aquafarmers Call Centre at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh

Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has launched India’s 1st Call Centre for Aquafarmers at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The call centre will handle calls in English & Hindi. Through the Call Centre, MPEDA will address the technical issues, and impart knowledge about efficient farming methods. The call centre will primarily cater to the needs of aqua farmers in Andhra Pradesh, as it is responsible for 60% of India’s marine products export basket. The headquarters of MPEDA is situated in Kochi, Kerala.

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways proposes adoption of E20 Fuel to curb vehicular emissions

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has proposed the adoption of E20 – a blend of 20% of Ethanol & Gasoline as automobile fuel to reduce vehicular emissions & also to cut India’s oil import bill. Ethanol is a biofuel, it is a common by-product of biomass left by Agricultural feedstock like Corn, Sugarcane, Hemp, Potato.  At present, only 10% of ethanol blend is permissible in India, but India has reached only 5.6%.

International Gita Mahotsav 2020 begins in Haryana’s Kurukshetra

The International Gita Mahotsav 2020(17 to 25 December) commenced in Kurukshetra, haryana. Jai Ram Thakur, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Haryana Tourism and Education Minister Kanwar Pal, Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini among the others inaugurated the festival. The highlight of the day is when 55,000 school students will collectively recite 19 verses from the Bhagavad Gita on the concluding day.The international festival is held every year, where about 9,000 students will be from Kurukshetra and the remain will be from the rest of 21 districts in the state.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India-Vietnam Virtual Summit 2020 between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi & Nguyen Xuan Phuc

i.On December 21, 2020, the India-Vietnam Virtual Summit 2020 held which was co-chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. It held to review entire gamut of bilateral relations, discussions on regional & global issues of mutual interest, including post-pandemic economic revival.
ii.Both sides inked 7 MoUs (Memorandum of Understandings) and also set forth the Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People to guide the future development of India – Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
iii.There will be implementation of the High Speed Guard Boat (HSGB) Manufacturing Project for Vietnam Border Guard Command under the US$ 100 million Defence Line of Credit extended by Government of India (GoI) to Vietnam.
iv.The Embassy of India, Hanoi and Telecommunications University, Ministry of National Defence, Vietnam signed an agreement for US$ 5 million Indian Grant Assistance for Army Software Park at National Telecommunications University, Nha Trang, Vietnam.
About Vietnam:
Capital– Hanoi
Currency– Vietnamese dong
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

Central Bank of India in association with NPCI Launches ‘RuPay Select’ Contactless Debit Card 

i.On December 21, 2020, the occasion of Central Bank of India’s 110th foundation day, the bank in association with National PaymentsCorporation of India(NPCI) launched ‘RuPay Select’, a unique variant of contactless debit card.
ii.It is the bank’s one-of-its-kind health & wellness focused card.
iii.On this occasion, the Central Bank of India also launched FASTAG (for electronic toll collection) in association with OSTA.
About National Payments Corporation of India(NPCI):
It is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007
Incorporated– Under the provisions of Section 25 of Companies Act 1956 (now Section 8 of Companies Act 2013)
Established– 2008
MD & CEO– Mr. Dilip Asbe
Head Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Central Bank of India:
It is the 1st first Indian commercial bank which was wholly owned and managed by Indians.
Established– 1911
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer– Shri Pallav Mohapatra
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline–  Central to You Since 1911, Build a better life around us
<<Read Full News>>

BoB Signs MoU with Defence Forces for its Newly Launched ‘Baroda Military Salary Package’

i.On December 21, 2020 Bank of Baroda(BoB) to offer special customized banking services through ‘Baroda Military Salary Package’ has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard and renewed its existing MoU with the Indian Army.
ii.This package was also presented to the Indian Air Force.
iii.A similar package was also introduced to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) by the bank.
About Bank of Baroda(BoB):
i.BoB was founded by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda
ii.The Bank has sponsored 3 Regional Rural Banks(RRBs) namely Baroda Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank, Baroda Rajasthan Gramin Bank and Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank.
HeadOffice– Vadodara(earlier known as Baroda), Gujarat
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Sanjiv Chadha
Established– 20 July 1908
Tagline– India’s International Bank
<<Read Full News>>

ADB, Northern Arc Capital Ltd Signed a $40 million loan to Support Microfinance Borrowers and MSMEs in India

i.On December 21, 2020 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $40 million(around Rs 295 crore) loan to Northern Arc Capital Ltd(NACL) for on lending to microfinance borrowers, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and affordable housing finance companies in India who are facing difficulties to attract debt funding from investors.
ii.As part of ADB’s ongoing COVID-19 response, this rupee denominated loan is given to NACL.
About Northern Arc Capital Ltd(NACL):
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Dr. Kshama Fernandes
Headquarters– Chennai, Tamil Nadu
<<Read Full News>>

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

India’s GDP to Contract by 7.3% in FY21: NCAER

i.On December 22, 2020 The ‘2020-21 Mid-Year Review of the Indian Economy’ of National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has forecasted that India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) in FY21 will contract by 7.3%(-7.3%) from -12.6% estimated in September 2020 with anticipation that the economy will register marginal growth in the December quarter.
ii.The GDP for Q3(October-December 2020) of FY21 is expected to be 0.1% and 2% for Q4(January-March 2021) of FY21.
About National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER):
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
President– Nandan M Nilekani
Director General– Shekhar Shah
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Singapore’s Foodie “Hawker” Culture Given UNESCO Recognition

i.Singapore’s tradition of communal dining at hawker centres has been included in the UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” for its cultural significance. Singapore hawker culture got this recognition two years after Singapore submitted a bid to be included in the list.
ii.The award took place at a virtual ceremony on December 16, 2020.
iii.Singapore must submit a report every six years to UNESCO, showing the efforts made to safeguarding and promoting its hawker culture.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
<<Read Full News>>

US President Donald Trump confers ‘Legion of Merit’ to PM Modi & other leaders of QUAD forum

On December 21, 2020, United States (US) President, Donald Trump conferred the ‘Legion of Merit’ (Degree: Chief Commander) to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Advancement of India-US strategic partnership & steadfast leadership and vision for India’s Emergence as a Global power. The Honor was also bestowed upon Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia & Former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe.
i.Legion of Merit is conferred to members of the US Military, as well as Military & Political figures of foreign government for meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.
ii.The award was presented by US National Security Advisor (NSA), Robert O’Brien to Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to the United States who received the award on behalf of Narendra Modi.
About United States:
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– United States Dollar (USD)
President– Donald John Trump
<<Read Full News>>

FIICC Honoured Ratan N Tata with the title ‘Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace’

i.On December 21, 2020 The Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce (FIICC) honoured Veteran industrialist Ratan Naval(N) Tata(82 years old) with the title of ‘Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace’ for promoting ‘unity, peace and sustainability.
ii.During the event, FIICC announced the global partnership with Dubai headquartered IFIICC, an independent organisation that was recently launched as an international platform for collaboration between Israel and the Indian migration.
About Federation of Indo-Israeli Chambers of Commerce (FIICC):
It is the only bilateral Chamber of Commerce in South India, that is committed to the development of Indo-Israel business and trade relations.
Chairman– B.V. Naidu
HeadQuarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
<<Read Full News>>

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

Warburg Pincus Sells 4.47% stake in AU Small Finance Bank for Rs 1,247.69 crore 

On December 18, 2020 Redwood Investment Ltd, an entity owned by Warburg Pincus  sold a 4.47% stake(13.7 million shares)in AU Small Finance Bank for Rs 1,247.69 crore through open market transactions. As per the latest shareholding data, Warburg Pincus held 4.58% of AU Small Finance Bank.

ENVIRONMENT

India records 60% rise in Leopard population across the Country: Status of Leopards in India, 2018 report

On December 21, 2020, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Prakash Javadekar released the ‘Status of Leopards in India, 2018’ report. The report states that India has recorded a 60% rise in Leopard population across the country and it now has 12, 852 Leopards. The states Madhya Pradesh (3, 421), Karnataka (1, 783) & Maharashtra (1, 690) recorded the most number of leopards.
i.India had recorded 7, 910 Leopards in 2014.
ii.The study has been conducted using Satellite imaging, camera traps & field work by teams of Forest Officials & teams of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) & National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
iii.The report states that poaching, habitat loss, depletion of natural prey and human-leopard conflict are major threats to leopard populations.
About  Wildlife Institute of India (WII):
WII is an Autonomous Institution of the MoEFCC.
Chairman – R.P. Gupta (Secretary of Environment, Forest and Climate Change)
Location – Dehradun, Uttarakhand
About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
NTCA has been constituted under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Chairperson – Union Minister of MoEFCC (Prakash Javadekar)
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Veteran Congress Leader & Former CM of MP Motilal Vora Passed Away at 93

On 21st December 2020, Motilal Vora, a veteran congress leader who twice served the Chief Minister(CM) of Madhya Pradesh(MP), passed away at the age of 93 in a private hospital in Delhi. He died due to post COVID-19 complications.  He was born on 20th December 1927 in Nimbi Jodha, near Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
About Motilal Vora:
i.Motilal Vora became the 13th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in 1985 and held the office till 8th December 1989.
ii.He served as the member of Rajya Sabha from Chhattisgarh for 4 terms from 10th April 2002 to 9th April 2020.
iii.He has also served as the Lok Sabha MP for 1 term.
iv.He has also served as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh between 1993 and 1996 in the post 1992 Babri Masjid demolition era.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Mathematics Day 2020 – December 22

i.The National Mathematics Day is annually observed across India on 22nd December to mark the birth anniversary of the renowned mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. The day aims to create awareness among people about the importance of mathematics.
ii.To honour and remember the contribution of Srinivasa Ramanujan in the field of Mathematics, on 26th February 2012, Former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh decided and proclaimed the 22nd December of every year as the National Mathematics Day.
iii.The 2020 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize (10000 USD) will be awarded to Shai Evra of Princeton University, United States and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel for her research which concerns locally symmetric spaces of arithmetic groups and their combinatorial, geometric and topological structure.
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

UN Women Signs MoU with Kerala Govt’s Gender Park for India’s first Gender Data Hub

On December 21, 2020 UN Women signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kerala Govt’s Gender Park to establish India’s first Gender Data Hub at the Gender Park at 24-acre Kozhikode campus, where International Institute for Gender and Development is also present.
Gender Park will function as the South Asian hub for gender equality that aims to share knowledge and experiences from the region.
Key People
Dr P T M Sunish, CEO of the Gender Park signed MoU with Nishtha Satyam, UN Women Deputy Country Representative at Cliff House, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Benefits of Partnership:
This partnership furthers the cause of a just and equal society and of women empowerment.
Provisions of MoU
i.As per the MoU, the UN Women will offer project development and capacity-building to the Gender Park for the empowerment of women empowerment in South Asia.
ii.Other Key areas of Cooperation:

• To launch 2nd edition of  International Conference on Gender Equality
• To increase engagement on the global normative frameworks on gender equality and empowerment of women.

About Gender Park:
Gender Park, an initiative of the Department of women and child development, Govt of Kerala was established in 2013. It is the first space of its kind in the world.
HeadQuarters– Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Chairperson– K K Shailaja, Minister for Health, Social Justice and Women & Child Development, Govt. of Kerala

DITECH, Haryana & India Accelerator sign MoU to improve startup ecosystem in Haryana

Startup Haryana setup by the Department of Information Technology, Electronics, and Communication (DITECH), Government of Haryana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India Accelerator (IA) to build a strong startup ecosystem in Haryana.
i.The MoU will help in bridging the gap between Industry & startups.
ii.The MoU was signed in the presence of Rajnarayan Kaushi, Special Secretary, DITECH;Nitin Bansal, Chief Technology Officer, DITECH & Munish Bhatia, General Manager & Partner, IA.
iii.IA will provide support to the startups through Knowledge sharing & free of cost services to high-potential startups.
iv.IA will provide young entrepreneurs with access to its online programs and equip them with knowledge, mentorship, and connections.
About India Accelerator:
Founder & Managing Director – Ashish Bhatia
Location – Haryana
<<Read Full News>>

Gujarat, Cerestra Ventures sign MoU to set up Gujarat-Special Education Region at Dholera

On December 21, 2020, Government of Gujarat & Cerestra Ventures entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of Gujarat-Special Education Region (G-SER) at the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR).
i.The G-SER will be spread over 1, 000 acres.
ii.G-SER will include residential and sports complexes for students.
iii.The establishment of G-SER will help in overall development of the region, and in the establishment of Gujarat as a knowledge-driven economy.
Key Points:
i.The G-SER can also be expanded upto 5, 000 acres to develop university district, school district & innovation district.
ii.The project is expected to provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to about Two-and-a-half lakh people.
About Cerestra Ventures:
Director – Vikesh Malpani
Location –  Hyderabad
About Gujarat:
Chief Minister – Vijay Rupani
Governor – Acharya Devvrat
<<Read Full News>>

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