Current Affairs 25 December 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 25 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 20 Current Affairs of 25 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Cabinet Approvals on December 23, 2020
On December 23, 2020, the Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the following proposals:-
i.Union Cabinet has approved the merging of four film media units, namely Films Division of India (FDI), Directorate of Film. Festivals, National Film Archives of India, and Children’s Film Society India (CFSI) with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Ltd. by expanding the Memorandum of Articles of Association of NFDC.
ii. Cabinet approved the proposal to revise the guidelines of providing Direct to Home services in India.Once the revised guidelines issued by the Union information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Prakash Javadekar,it will come into effect for all DTH providers.
iii.Delhi’s unauthorised colonies, JJ (Jhuggi Jhopri) clusters in rural areas built illegal constructions on agricultural land.In order to protect the livelihood of people, the cabinet approved an ordinance extending protection from punitive action for another three years under NCT of Delhi (Special Provisions) Amendment Ordinance 2020. The ordinance has to be signed by the President before it comes into force.
iv.Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave nod to the changes in Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme to students under Scheduled Castes (PMS-SC).It will help around 4 crores SC students to complete their higher education in the next five years.
<<Read Full News>>

Cabinet Approval with Foreign Countries on December 23, 2020;Revised Air Services Agreement with Philippines & Afghanistan

On December 23, 2020, the Union Cabinet  chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the signing of a Revised Air Services agreement between India & 2 Countries – Philippines & Afghanistan.
i.The agreement will help in creating an environment for enhanced & seamless connectivity  between the air service carriers of both sides.
ii.Apart from ensuring safety & security, the agreement has the capacity to increase trade, investment, tourism & cultural exchanges with India & both the countries.
iii.The agreement is being seen as an important landmark in civil aviation relations.
Air Service Agreement (ASA):
i.It is a bilateral agreement to allow international commercial air transport services between signatories. It has its basis under the Chicago Convention (also known as Convention on International Civil Aviation) which was signed in December 1944.
Ministry of Civil Aviation:
Union Minister –  Hardeep Singh Puri
About Philippines:
Capital– Manila
Currency– Philippine peso
About Afghanistan:
Capital – Kabul
Currency– Afghan afghani
<<Read Full News>>

MeitY, MoHFW Announce Grand Challenge for Strengthening CoWIN Platform

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) & Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) announced a Grand Challenge for the Strengthening of  “CoWIN” – COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN).
i.CoWIN is a digital platform developed by MoHFW to roll out & scale up mechanisms for COVID Vaccine Distribution System (VDS) across India.
ii.The Challenge is set to be launched on MSH (MeitY Startup Hub) Portal. Startups, Technology specialists have been invited to take part in the challenge.
iii.The challenge will address areas relating to infrastructure, monitoring & management, dynamic learning & information systems, constraints of human resources-including technical capacities, vaccine logistics management & Tracking of enlisted beneficiaries (due to adverse events following immunization).
About Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Union Minister – Harsh Vardhan
Minister of State – Ashwini Kumar Choubey
About Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY):
Union Minister – Ravi Shankar Prasad
Minister of State – Sanjay Dhotre
<<Read Full News>>

India Becomes 6th Country to Manufacture High Power Electric Locomotives Indigenously

India became the 6th Country to manufacture High Power Electric Locomotives indigenously. In 2015, the Ministry of Railways & Alstom (France) signed a contract worth €3.5 billion (INR 25,000 crore) to produce High Power Electric Locomotives at Madhepura Electric Loco Factory in Bihar. It was the largest ever Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) project of Indian Railways. 2020 marks the 5th year of signing of the contract.
The other countries which manufacture High Power Electric Locomotives are Russia, China, Germany & Sweden.
Target – By the year 2030, Indian Railways expects to be the first 100 per cent green railway in the world with net-zero emission.
Gist of the Contract:
i.The contract allowed for manufacturing of 800 Prima Locomotives at the Madhepura Electric Loco Factory, Bihar.
ii.The 12000-horsepower electric motives will be designed at Altsom’s Engineering Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The 12, 000 Horsepower Electric Locomotive is the most powerful engine in Indian Railways, before that the most powerful electric engine in IR was of 6, 000 Horsepower.
iii.The Locomotives are designed for freight service & will have maintenance for a period of 11 years.
iv.The contract also included the setting up of 2 maintenance depots at Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) & Nagpur (Maharashtra).
v.The locomotives are capable of pulling ~ 6, 000 tonnes at a top speed of 120 kmph.
In May 2020, The first of the 12000-horsepower, Prima T8 electric locomotives were put into commercial service by Indian Railways.
Fact:
Indian Railways has set a target of achieving 100% electrification of Railway tracks by December, 2023 and has fixed a target of electrification of 7, 000 Route Kilometres (RKM) for the year 2020-21.
About Indian Railways:
Chairman Railway Board– V. K. Yadav
Union Railway Minister– Piyush Goyal (Maharashtra)
About Alstom:
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer– Henri Poupart-Lafarge
Managing Director(MD), India & South Asia– Alain Spohr

ISRO & IIT-BHU Signs MoU to Set-up Regional Academic Center for Space (RAC-S) at IIT-BHU

i.On December 23, 2020 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology(IIT)-Banaras Hindu University(BHU) to set up its Regional Academic Centre for Space(RAC-S) at the institute.
ii.This will enable advanced research in the future technology of the Indian space program.
iii. Purpose– To ease the short and long-term projects at the institute so as to advance the research and development culture among students.
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
Chairman– Kailasavadivoo (K) Sivan
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Indian Institute of Technology(IIT)-Banaras Hindu University(BHU)
Director– Prof. Pramod Kumar Jain
Headquarters– Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
<<Read Full News>>

Indian Navy, CSIR-NIO sign MoU to Collaborate and Exchange Expertise in the Field of Ocean Studies

On December 24, 2020 The Indian Navy represented by Integrated Headquarters, Directorate of Naval Oceanology & Meteorology  (DNOM) &  CSIR-NIO (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – National Institute of Oceanography) virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate & exchange expertise in the field of Oceanography.
Key Points:
i.The agreement will formalise the informal cooperation & scientific research taking place between the 2 agencies.
ii.As part of the agreement, Indian Navy & CSIR-NIO will undertake joint studies in oceanography, ocean modelling, ocean data collection & other professional engagements.
iii.The agreement emphasized on creating a roadmap for meaning interactions in the field of Oceanography.
About CSIR-NIO:
Director – Professor Sunil Kumar Singh
Headquarters – Dona Paula, Goa
<<Read Full News>>

Ministry of Corporate Affairs Extends Suspension of IBC till March 2021

On December 22, 2020 the Ministry of Corporate Affairs extended the suspension of Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) by another 3 months to March 25, 2021. The  Previous suspension was about to expire on December 25, 2020. The Government of India had suspended IBC to help businesses cope with the financial difficulties created by COVID-19.This was announced by Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
i.All the financial defaults which emerged on or after March 25, 2020 (Date of imposition of national lockdown) will remain out of the insolvency net for a whole year.
ii.As part of the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ package, the Government of India raised the minimum limit to initiate insolvency proceedings to INR 1 Crore from INR 1 Lakh to protect micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) from bankruptcy.
iii.The Ministry of Corporate Affairs which is the implementation agency of IBC, suspended Section 7, 9 & 10 of IBC.
iv.The sections deal with initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process by a financial creditor, operational creditor & corporate debtor.
Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC):
i.Introduced in 2016,  IBC is a one stop solution for resolving insolvencies.
ii.It aims to tackle the bad loan problems which affected the banking system.
About Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India:
Chairman – M. S. Sahoo
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Ministry of  Corporate Affairs:
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of State  – Anurag Singh Thakur

India to Host Global Media and Film Summit in 2021

On December 16, 2020 Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting addressed the Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) Big Picture Summit 2020 virtually. During the event, he mentioned that India will host Global Media and Film Summit in 2021.
i.He also added that India will establish a special pavilion at 2022 Cannes Film Festival’s 75 years of celebration.
ii.He announced that the Indian govt in cooperation with Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Bombay, is forming a Center of Excellence, where the courses in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) will be offered.
About the CII Big Picture Summit 2020:
i.CII organised the CII Big Picture Summit 2020 from December 16 to 18, 2020 over a digital platform.
ii.A wide range of sessions were held that included participation from content creators, broadcasters, buyers, studios, production companies, etc.,
Big Picture Summit:
i.The Big Picture Summit is the flagship summit and leadership forum of the Media & Entertainment(M&E) industry.
ii.It unities the M&E stakeholders from Govt of India, Industry and internationally renowned experts on a single platform
iii.This will direct a successful growth path at the time when digital transformation
blends technology and Artificial Intelligence(AI) are changing the rules of the game.
About Confederation of Indian Industry(CII):
President– Uday Kotak(Managing Director & CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited)
Headquarters– New Delhi, India

“Firefly Bird Diverter” a Unique Initiative of MoEFCC & WCS to Protect Great Indian Bustard

“Firefly Bird Diverter” a unique initiative of the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), India to reduce the mortality of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) from the overhead power lines in areas with high population of GIB in the wild. Under this initiative, around 1813 diverter flaps, called “fireflies”, were installed on the lines, which can be spotted by the birds from a distance of 50 meters and change their course.

The selected stretch is opposite to the Pokhran Field Firing Range, which provides a safe habitat for the breeding population of GIB the Desert National Park in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

• This model has been endorsed by the experts from International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s (SSC) Bustard Specialist Group.
• With around only 150 birds in the wild, GIB is one of the most critically threatened species in India.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs Presents Report on ‘Management of COVID-19 Pandemic & Related Issues’ 

On December 21, 2020, The 31-member Committee (10 from Rajya Sabha, 21 from Lok Sabha) , Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs headed by Rajya Sabha MP, Anand Sharma presented a 229th report on ‘Management of COVID-19 pandemic and related issues’ to Rajya Sabha Chairman – Venkaiah Naidu (Vice President). The report lauded the Government’s efforts in controlling the spread of COVID-19, but pointed out the deficiency of testing facilities at Airports throughout March 2020.

BANKING & FINANCE

HDFC Limited Signed MoU with IGBC of CII to Promote Green Building InitiativesHousing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC Limited) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), a part of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to promote green building in India.
Features of MoU:

• HDFC will collaborate with IGBC to create awareness and promote financing green buildings in India.
• Under this MoU the HDFC and IGBC will promote green housing through joint training and awareness programmes to enable the capacity building across India.
• This MoU will advance the National Green Building movement.

Key Points:
i.The HDFC has distributed more than 14000 crores worth retail loans to home buyers in 310 certified green building projects across India.
ii.IGBC is committed to contribute to the sustainable development of the built environment of India.
Green Building:
i.Green building is a practice to increase the efficiency of the buildings or a site to optimise the use of energy, water, and materials and reduce its impacts on the human health and environment throughout its lifecycle.
ii.The concept of Green building includes site planning, community and land use planning issues.
iii.The design and the operation of a green building eliminate its negative impacts and increases its positive impacts on the climate and environment.
About Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited :
Managing Director – Renu Sud Karnad
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About CII:
President– Uday Kotak
Director General– Chandrajit Banerjee
Headquarters– New Delhi

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Boeing & US Navy launch F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Using Ski-jump;Eying Indian Navy ContractOn December 21, 2020, Boeing & United States (US) Navy successfully launched the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block III version using a ski-jump at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland. The Launch showcases the compatibility of Super Hornet  to operate from Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) configured Indian Aircraft carriers such as INS (Indian Naval Ship) Vikramaditya & future INS Vikrant.
i.With this, Boeing has put Super Hornet in contention for Indian Navy’s Fighter Jets procurement.
ii.Ski-jump is an upward-curved ramp that allows aircraft to take off from Aircraft Carriers.
iii.The F/A-18E Super Hornet will act as a force multiplier for Indian Navy.
iii.Under Boeing’s “By India, for India” sustainment program, the hornets can be serviced in partnership with the Indian Navy as well as India & US based partners throughout its lifecycle.
iv.At present, Mikoyan MiG-29K is serving as  Fighter Jet of the Indian Navy.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh
Integrated Headquarters MoD (Navy)– New Delhi
About Boeing:
Headquarters – Chicago, United States (U.S.)
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – David L. Calhoun
<<Read Full News>>

India successfully Test-fires Army variant of MRSAM from ITR, Odisha

On December 23, 2020, India successfully conducted the first army variant test of Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha. The missile has been jointly developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) & Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
i.The MRSAM has been manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL).
ii.The army variant includes a command post, a multi-function radar & mobile launcher system.
Gist of MRSAM:
i.It has a strike range of 100 kms and speed of Mach 2 (supersonic).
ii.MRSAM is a nuclear-capable ballistic missile.
iii.It is capable of neutralizing airborne threats like jets, missiles, rockets & projectiles.
Other variants:
MRSAM has both Land & Maritime variants. The maritime variant is being used by both Indian Navy & Israel Navy.
About Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO):
Chairman  – Dr G Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant Virtually Launched DigiBoxx, India’s 1st Digital Asset Management Platform

i.On December 22, 2020 Amitabh Kant, CEO of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog virtually launched India’s 1st digital asset management platform, DigiBoxx.
ii.The digital file storage, sharing, and management SaaS product provides storage options for individuals and organisations of all sizes and industries.
iii.This cloud storage service was created by a tech startup founded and promoted by Arnab Mitra, MD, LIQVD ASIA along with Ashish Jalan and Vivek Suchanti, Concept Group.
About National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog:
Chairman–Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)
Headquarter– New Delhi, India
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Padma Shri Sugathakumari Malayalam Poet & Activist Passed Away at 86

On 23rd December 2020, Padma Shri awardee Sugathakumari renowned Malayalam poet and environmental activist passed away at the age of 86 in the Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She died due to COVID-19 complications. She was born on 22nd January 1934 in Kingdom of Travancore, British India (present day Kerala, India).
About Sugathakumari:
i.Sugathakumari was the founding secretary of the Prakriti Samrakshana Samiti and ‘Abhaya’, a home for destitute women in Kerala.
ii.She published her first poem in 1957.
iii.Some of her notable worlds include, ‘Rathrimazha’, ‘Ambalamani’, Paavam Manavahridayam, Swapnabhoomi and ‘Pathira Pookal’.
Awards:
i.She won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 1968 for her “Pathirapookal” and the Kendra Sahitya Akademi award in 1978 for “Rathrimazha”.
ii.She has also won the Odakkuzhal award in 1982, Vayalar award in 1984 for “Ambalamani”.
iii.She was honoured with the Ezhuthachan award in 2009 for her contributions to Malayalam literature.
iv.She received the first Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra by the Centre for her contribution to the conservation of nature.
v.She received the Padma Shri in 2006 for literature.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi Launched His New Book “Covid-19: Sabhyata Ka Sankat Aur Samadhan” On 17th December 2020, former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh launched Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s new book titled “Covid-19: Sabhyata ka Sankat aur Samadhan” (Covid-19: Crisis of Civilisation and Solutions). This Hindi book was published by Prabhat Prakashan. 
About the book:
i.The book discusses the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the common way of life and suggests the solutions to the ongoing pandemic.
ii.The book also discusses the impacts of the pandemic on education, business, politics, public safety, foregin policy, law, medicine, economy and the development of the nation.
iii.The book has highlighted the need to focus on the children who have suffered the most due to the pandemic.
iv.The author states that around 1.5 billion children across the globe were affected due to the closure of schools and around 50% do not have any access to online education.
About Kailash Satyarthi:
i.Kailash Satyarthi, hailing from Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh is an electrical engineer who worked as a teacher.
ii.He founded the “Bachpan Bachao Andolan” organisation which has saved more than 1000 children from slave-like conditions.
iii.He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his endeavours against the suppression of children and young people and for his rights to education.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Consumer Day 2020 – December 24

i.The National Consumer Day also called as National Consumer Rights Day is annually observed across India on 24th December to highlight the importance of the consumer movement and the needs to ensure that customers are aware of their rights and responsibilities.
ii.The National Consumer Day marks the day on which the Consumer Protection Act 1986 received the presidential assent.
iii.The theme of National Consumer Day 2020 is “New Features of Consumer Protection Act, 2019”. 
iv.The Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India in collaboration with the Centre for Consumer Studies, Indian Institute of Public Administration(IIPA), virtually celebrates the National Consumer Day 2020 on 24th December 2020.
About Central Consumer Protection Authority(CCPA):
Chief Commissioner– Nidhi Khare
Headquarters– Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Telangana Govt & SAP India Signs MoU to Equip MSMEs in the State with Digital skilling and Technology

i.On December 23, 2020 Telangana government and SAP India signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to equip Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) in the state with digital skilling and technology.
ii.This will pave the way for MSMEs to become self-reliant and globally competitive.
iii.Purpose of MoU– To digitize and empower MSMEs in the state.
About SAP India:
President and MD– Kulmeet Bawa
Headquarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
<<Read Full News>>

IIT Madras signs MoU with Rajasthan Govt to Implement Data-driven Systems Approach to Road Safety

i.Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Madras has signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Rajasthan government to help the state to implement a structured framework for a data-driven systems approach to road safety.
ii.As per the MoU, Rehabilitation Bioengineering Group (RBG) Labs at IIT Madras will help the state to implement the Tamil Nadu Model of Road Safety.
Main Objective of the Partnership
i.To improve the road safety measures.
ii.To enhance capacity and capability across the board in the Government to increase survival rate of road accident victims and minimise occurrence rate in the state.
About Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Madras:
Director– Bhaskar Ramamurthi
About Rajasthan:
Lake– Anand Sagar Lake, Anasagar Lake, Balsamand Lake, Diablab Lake, Doodh Talai Lake
Dam– Rana Pratap Sagar(Chambal River), Panchana Dam(Gambhir River), Meja Dam (Bhilwara), Bhimsagar Dam(Jhalawar), Jawahar Sagar Dam(Kota)
<<Read Full News>>

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