Current Affairs 24 December 2020

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Top 20 Current Affairs of 24 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

TRIFED and DIVINITI Join Hands to Sturdy The Market of Tribal Made Products: Minister for Tribal Affairs E-Launched New Tribes India Outlet in Assam

Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (TRIFED) are in motive to promote the livelihood of the tribal artisans with various initiative. As a part of the event, 
i.Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda E-launched new Tribes India Outlet at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport or also called International Airport, Guwahati in Assam.
ii.TRIFED and Shree Swarnam Divine Products Private Limited (DIVINITI) made an MoU aimed to create market-leading products and to be labelled as “TRIFED-DIVINITY Premium Range” in New Delhi.
Other Participants: –Smt. Renuka Singh, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Ramesh Chand Meena, Chairman, TRIFED, Smt. Pratibha Brahma, Vice Chairman, TRIFED, Shri Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFED and Director, Airport Authority of India, Guwahati.
About Tribal Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (TRIFED)
TRIFED was established in August 1987 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 by the Government of India as a National level Cooperative body.It is a national level cooperative body under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.
Managing Director – Shri Pravir Krishna
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs  – Shri Naval Jit Kapoor
<<Read Full News>>

L&T Defence Received ‘Green Channel Status’ for Naval Weapon Delivery Systems: Defence Ministry

L&T Defence, defence manufacturing hub of Larsen and Toubro received ‘green channel status’ from Defence Ministry. It has received the status from the Directorate General Quality Assurance (DGQA) under the Ministry of Defence for its major naval weapon delivery systems.
i.This status also provides deemed registration status and waiver from pre-dispatch inspection to L&T Defence.
ii.Rear Admiral Atul Khanna, Additional Director General and Head of Naval Quality Assurance awarded the green channel status’ to L&T Defence team.
About L&T Defence
L&T Defence is India’s leading private sector company for the development and supply of Defence Equipment and Systems. A leading supplier to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard and also partner to the Indian Army for providing Land-based Systems of Strategic importance.
Headquarters – Mumbai,Maharashtra
Whole-time Director, and Senior Executive Vice President – Mr. J D Patil
<<Read Full News>>

Govt. of Karnataka Inaugurated, 1^st of its Kind FRUITS Portal;Canara Bank Becomes 1^st FI to access FRUITS Portal
i.On December 22, 2020  The 1st of its kind Farmer Registration and Unified Beneficiary Information System(FRUITS)Portal, a project of e-Governance, Government of Karnataka is integrated with BHOOMI Package of the Karnataka State to fetch and validate land details.
ii.Canara Bank will take the project on a pilot basis.
iii.It is the first of its kind technology adoption from the Karnataka govt to combine all 70 lakh farmers in the state with land and other details under a single platform.
About Canara Bank:
Syndicate Bank was amalgamated into Canara Bank on April 2020
Founded– July 1906 by Shri Ammembal Subba Rao Pai.
Tagline– Together We Can
Headquarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– L V Prabhakar
<<Read Full News>>

NMDC, MECL sign MoU for Joint Mineral Exploration across India

NMDC Limited (formerly known as National Mineral Development Corporation) & Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate & conduct exploration in mutually agreed projects for iron ore, gold, coal, diamond and other minerals in various states.
Objective:
To achieve self-reliance in the field of Mineral Exploration and promote domestic production of previously imported items.
Key Points:
i.The agreement will help in establishing resources, reserves of various minerals, ores & its extraction besides identifying unexplored mining areas.
ii.It will support the Government of India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ initiative & aid in the commitment of mineral security of India.
iii.As of February 2020, the Government of India holds  69.65% equity in NMDC.
About  Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL):
Chief Managing Director (CMD) – Ranjit Rath
Headquarters – Nagpur, Maharashtra
About NMDC Limited:
formerly known as National Mineral Development Corporation
CMD – Sumit Deb
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
<<Read Full News>>

PM Modi Released Postal Stamp to Mark Centenary Celebration of Aligarh Muslim University 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a special postal stamp to mark the centenary celebration of Aligarh Muslim University(AMU). He participated in the event organised at the AMU through video conferencing.

• Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Union Minister of Education also participated in the event.
• He highlighted the achievements of AMU over the past 100 years and the contributions of its alumni.

Note:
i.This is the first time in 50 years that a Prime Minister attended an event of AMU as a chief guest.
ii.Lal Bahadur Shastri was the last prime minister to attend an AMU event (1964).
About Aligarh Muslim University(AMU):
i.Aligarh Muslim University(AMU) was founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, one of the architects of modern India. He was born on 17th October 1817 in Delhi.
ii.AMU is located in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Special Postal Cover Released to Commemorate the Completion of 25 years of Controller of Defence Accounts, Secunderabad

On December 21, 2020 The Controller of Defence Accounts(CDA), Secunderabad, Telangana to commemorate its 25 years of service released a special post cover.
Key People
It was released by S.Rajendra Kumar, Chief Postmaster General, Telangana Circle in the presence of Sanjiv Mittal, Controller General of Defence Accounts(CGDA) in Secunderabad
About the Special Cover
It will capture the honour of CDA Secunderabad nationwide, that has the ‘Philately’ legacy alongside.
Philately– It is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection, appreciation and research activities on stamps and other philatelic products.
Additional Info
Secunderabad is the twin city of Hyderabad
About CDA Secunderabad:
It is an Organization under Defence Accounts Department(DAD), Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
Formed on– 1st November, 1994 coinciding with the formation of the State of Andhra Pradesh.
Headed by–  Shri K Venkata Rao, IDAS, Controller.

India plans to set up Coastal Radar Stations in Maldives, Myanmar & Bangladesh to expand area under CSN

India is planning to set up Coastal Radar Stations in Maldives, Myanmar & Bangladesh as part of its plan to expand the area under Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN). An expanded CSN will help in Real time monitoring of the high seas for threats & Expanding India’s assistance for capacity building to Indian Ocean littoral (places close to shore) states.
i.India has already integrated Mauritius, Seychelles & Sri Lanka into its CSN, and discussions are being held to bring Bangladesh & Thailand into the network.
ii.CSN a surveillance system gained momentum after the 26/11 Terror Strikes in Mumbai.  Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is responsible for implementing it.
About Indian Coast Guard (ICG):
Director General of ICG (DGICG) – Krishnaswamy Natarajan
Motto-“Vayam Rakshamah” meaning “We Protect”
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India, Israel sign MoU for cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine & support to ‘Green Healthcare’

On December 21, 2020, India & Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the fields of Health and Medicine, sharing expertise in building climate resilient infrastructure & support to ‘Green Healthcare’. The MoU was signed by Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabi Ashkenazi & Sanjeev Kumar Singla, India’s ambassador to Israel.
i.On November 4, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the signing of MoU between India & Israel.
ii.The Agreement will replace the existing MoU signed between both countries in September, 2003.
Key Points of the Agreement:
i.Exchange & Training of medical doctors and other healthcare professionals between the two countries.
ii.Sharing of expertise for facilitating climate resilient infrastructure & support for development of ‘Green Healthcare’ – Climate resilient hospitals.
iii.Exchange of information between the two sides regarding the regulation of pharmaceutical, medical devices and cosmetics.
About Israel:
Prime Minister- Benjamin Netanyahu
Capital– Jerusalem
Currency– Israeli Shekel
<<Read Full News>>

UNICEF Launches COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard

On December 21, 2020 The United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) launched  ‘COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard’. The interactive tool enables countries, partners and industry to follow the developments of COVID-19 vaccine market  and the efforts of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) facility to confirm that there is fair and equitable access for each and every country in the world.
About the Dashboard:
i.The dashboard, in this 1st release offers a routinely updated overview of the global research and development pipeline, the projected production capacity, the bilateral and multilateral supply agreements, that were announced publicly and the reported price points.
ii.The dashboard will be expanded to see the progress towards the goal of the COVAX Facility to achieve 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021.
iii.This will happen after the ongoing joint UNICEF-Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) tender on behalf of the COVAX Facility comes to an end.
iv.The dashboard, in 2021 will offer an update about the UNICEF’s status of procurement and other buyers participating in the COVAX Facility
v.It will also monitor UNICEF’s status of delivery and also of the other participating national and institutional buyers.
About COVAX:
General Info
i.It is the  vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator
ii.It is led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
iii.All of them are working in partnership with the developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, Civil Society Organisations and others.
Significance
COVAX is the  only global initiative that works with governments and manufacturers to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are available across the world quickly to economies of all financial means.

BANKING & FINANCE

ICICI Bank Becomes 1st bank in India to Launch ‘Infinite India’, an Online Platform for Foreign Companies; Industry-first initiative

i.On December 22, 2020 ICICI Bank Ltd launched ‘Infinite India’, an online platform for foreign companies who set up or expand business in India.
ii.The portal unifies different banking and value-added services on one platform for foreign companies throughout their business lifecycle.
iii.With this launch, ICICI bank becomes the 1st bank in India to offer such facilities. This initiative is an industry first initiative.
About ICICI Bank:
At September 30, 2020, the consolidated total assets of the bank was at Rs 14,76,014 crore.
It was formed in 1955 at the initiative of the World Bank, the Government of India and representatives of Indian industry.
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Incorporated-1994
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)–   Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline– Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka
<<Read Full News>>

SBI Tops in UPI transaction Among UPI Remitter Banks & PPBL Record lowest Decline Rate in November 2020: NPCI

i.The ‘UPI Ecosystem Statistics’- November 2020 of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI),  has released Unified Payments Interface(UPI)  Top 30 Banks Performance(for Remitter Banks and Beneficiary Bank).
ii.The State Bank of India(SBI) secured the top spot in UPI Transaction among the UPI Remitter Banks with 607.92 million transactions.
iii.The list is followed by  Axis Bank(241.92 million transaction), HDFC bank (179.40 million transaction) and Paytm Payments Bank ltd- PPBL(169.25 million transaction).
iv.PPBL has the lowest Technical Decline(TD) rate at 0.08% among all UPI remitter banks and 0.06% among all UPI beneficiary banks. Oriental Bank of Commerce also has a TD rate of 0.08% among all UPI remitter banks, but it has less than 1% of total volumes.
About National Payments Corporation of India(NPCI):
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
<<Read Full News>>

NIIFL announces closure of NIIF Master Fund at USD 2.34 Billion

On December 21, 2020 National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Ltd (NIIFL) announced closure of NIIF Master Fund, as it had completed the raising of the fund by achieving a rupee equivalent size USD 2.34 Billion exceeding its target of USD 2.1 Billion. The investments marked the 5th & Final Close of the NIIF Master Fund.
i.The Fund saw investments worth USD 107 Million from new investors –  Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) & Axis Bank which had already invested.
ii.The other investors in the master fund are Government of India, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), AustralianSuper, CPP Investments, Ontario’s Teachers’ Pension Plan, Temasek, HDFC Group, ICICI Bank & Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance.
NIIF Master Fund:
The Fund predominantly invests in operating assets in the infrastructure, Transportation & Energy Sector.
About National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL):
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sujoy Bose
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

World Bank & Govt of India Signs $500 Million Green National Highways Corridors Project

i.On December 22, 2020 The World Bank and Government of India signed a $500 Million(around Rs 3,692 crore) Green National Highways Corridors Project to build safe, green and resilient highways in states of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
ii.The loan will be provided by International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). It has a maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of 5 years.
iii.The agreement was signed by Dr Mohapatra on behalf of the Government of India and Ms SumilaGulyani, Acting Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank.
About World Bank:
HeadQuarters– Washington, DC, New York, United States(US)
President – David Malpass
Founded– 1944
Member Countries– 189(including India)
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China Launches 5 Satellites into space with its New Space Carrier Rocket ‘Long March-8’

On December 22, 2020, China’s new Space Carrier Rocket ‘Long March-8’ successfully launched 5 satellites into a preset orbit in its maiden flight, the rocket was launched from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan, China. The rocket has been developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).
i.The 5 satellites will perform in-orbit verification of microwave imaging and other technologies and conduct experiments in Space Science, remote sensing & Communication technologies.
ii.XJY-7, a classified remote sensing technology test satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) was the main payload of the satellite. Mass of the satellite is understood to be around 3 tons.Four smaller payloads were also launched along with this.
iii.China National Space Administration (CNSA) has stated Long March-8 series is equipped with a recyclable design, the future variant of the rocket can be reusable.
iv.The launcher of the rocket was developed using China’s new-generation cryogenic rocket engine which adopts no-toxic propellants, making the launch process environment friendly and efficient.
About China National Space Administration (CNSA):
Administrator – Zhang Kejian
Headquarters: Beijing, China
<<Read Full News>>

SPORTS

Indian Men’s Hockey Team to finish 2020 in 4th Position, Women’s Team in 9th Position : FIH Rankings

According to the latest rankings released by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Indian Men’s Hockey Team will finish 2020 in the 4th Position, while the Women’s Hockey Team will finish at the 9th Position. Belgium Men’s Team finished 2020 at the top position, while Netherlands women’s team finished 1st.
i.In January, 2020, FIH released a new method for calculation of World Ranking.
ii.The new method is based on a match-based rankings model, moving away from Tournament-based rankings followed by FIH.
Hockey Men’s Team 2020 end ranking:

Hockey Women’s Team 2020 end ranking:

About International Hockey Federation (FIH):
President – Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh Authored New book “The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined the Buddha”

Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh authored his new book titled “The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined the Buddha”. The book will showcase the story of the poem “The Lights of Asia” which shaped the people’s view of Buddha and his teachings.
The book will be published by Viking imprint of Penguin India.
About the book:
i.The book uncovers and narrates the story of “The Light of Asia: The Great Renunciation” written and published by Sir Edwin Arnold in 1879.
ii.The book describes the life and period of Prince Gautama Siddhartha.
iii.The book “The Light of Asia: The Great Renunciation” was translated into more than 30 languages which has impacted numerous lives across the globe.
iv.The book “The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined the Buddha” provides a better understanding of the poem of Sir Edwin Arnold.
About Jairam Ramesh:
i.Jairam Ramesh, an economist and policy expert, served as a member of Rajya Sabha representing Karnataka.
ii.He was a member of the Indian National Congress(INC).
iii.He has served as the advisor to the Prime Minister and the finance minister on numerous issues.
iv.He has served as a member of the Planning Commission of India, Ministry of Industry and the Advisory Board on Energy, Cabinet Secretary.
Books:
He has authored various books which includes, Making Sense of Chindia: Reflections on China and India (2005), To The Brink and Back: India’s 1991 Story (2015) among others.
Awards:
i.He was declared as the winner of 2020 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize for his book “A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives of VK Krishna Menon”.
ii.He shares the award with Amit Ahuja, US based academician for the book “Mobilizing the Marginalised: Ethnic Parties without Ethnic Movements”.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas 2020 – December 23

The National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas is annually observed across India on 23rd December to honour the contributions of the Indian farmers and to mark the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh, 5th Prime Minister of India.
ii.He served as the Prime minister for a short period of time from 28th July 1979 to 14th January 1980.
iii.He was the chief architect of the UP land reforms and he played a key role in the formulation and finalisation of the Department Redemption Bill 1939 which provided relief to the rural debtors.
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

IAS officer Aditya Nath Das Appointed as the New Chief Secretary of AP

Aditya Nath Das, a 1987 batch IAS officer has been appointed as the New Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh(AP). He will succeed the incumbent Nilam Sawhney who retires from the service on 31st December 2020. Aditya Nath Das is currently serving as the Special Chief Secretary, Water Resources and Environment, Forest, Science and Technology departments. Aditya Nath Das is set to retire on 30th June 2021.
The order of the appointment was issued by Praveen Prakash, Principal Secretary (Political) on 22nd December 2020.
About Aditya Nath Das:
i.Aditya Nath Das has served as the Collector of Warangal (undivided AP) in 1999.
ii.He served as the Additional Commissioner of AP Bhavan in Delhi.
iii.He has also served as the Director of North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) on deputation to the Centre.
iv.He worked as the Commissioner and Director Municipal Administration Department.
v.He has also served as the Special Chief Secretary of the School Education and Higher Education departments.
Other Appointment:
i.Nilam Sawhney has been appointed as the Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister(CM) in the rank of Cabinet minister after her retirement on 31st December 2020.
ii.She became the 2nd Principal Advisor to the CM with a cabinet rank.
iii.She will look after the Health and COVID-19 management, Centre-State relations and bifurcation issues, administrative reforms like strengthening of Village and Ward Secretariats, and other institutions at various levels in the districts, reorganisation of districts, land resurvey and titling Act.
iv.J Syamala Rao, 1997 batch IAS officer has been appointed as the officer on special duty in the water resource department.
v.Y Srilakshmi, 1988 batch IAS officer from AP cadre (transferred form Telangana cadre to AP cadre) has been appointed as the Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development

Maharashtra Government signs MoU worth About INR 61, 042 Crores with 25 Companies under ‘Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0’ initiative

On December 22, 2020 Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) worth about INR 61, 042 Crore with 25 Indian Companies under its ‘Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0’ initiative. With this the proposed investment in Maharashtra has gone above INR 1 Lakh Crore (through MoUs) target set by Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray.
i.The MoUs were signed across 15 sectors and are expected to create 2.53 Lakh Jobs in Maharashtra.
ii.The MoUs were signed in the presence of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray & Industries Minister, Subhash Desai & Aditi Tatkare, Minister of State for Industries, Maharashtra.
iii.MoUs were signed with companies like  JSW Steel,  Kirtikumar Steel Udyog, Inspire Infra Projects,  Bajaj Motors and others.
About Maharashtra:
Ports – Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai Port
Lakes – Gorewada Lake, Khindsi Lake, Lonar Lake
<<Read Full News>>

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