Current Affairs 29 December 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 29 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.

Our Current Affairs December 2021 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2021 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name –  Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP
We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry) 

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Highlights of NITI Aayog’s 4th edition of State Health Index for 2019-20i.On December 27, 2021, the 4^th edition of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog’s State Health Index for 2019–20 was released in the report titled ‘Healthy States, Progressive India‘.
ii.It was released jointly by NITI Aayog’s Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Amitabh Kant, Additional Secretary Dr Rakesh Sarwal, and World Bank Senior Health Specialist Sheena Chhabra.
iii.This edition of the report measured and highlighted the overall performance and incremental improvement of states and UTs (Union territories) in health outcomes as well as their overall status over the period 2018–19 (base year) to 2019–20 (Reference year).
iv.Among the Larger States, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana emerged among the best three performers in terms of Overall Performance at 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd rank respectively.

• Uttar Pradesh (UP) ranked at the bottom i.e. 19^th

v.The report has been prepared by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank (WB), and in close consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
About NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog:
Established– 2015
Chairperson– Prime Minister of India (Currently- Narendra Modi)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

PM Modi Inaugurated & Laid Foundation Stone of Rs 11,000 crore Worth Hydropower Projects in Mandi, Himachal PradeshPrime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi presided over the 2nd groundbreaking ceremony of the Himachal Pradesh Global Investors’ Meet in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh(HP).  He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of the hydropower projects worth ~Rs 11000 crore in Mandi, HP.

• The Meet is aimed to boost the investment in the region through projects worth around Rs 28,000 crore.

Highlights:
i.He also inaugurated the Sawra-Kuddu Hydro Power Project, a 111 MW Project which has been built at a cost of around Rs 2,080 crore.
ii.He also laid the foundation stone of the Renukaji Dam project which has been kept pending for around 3 decades. The 40 MW project will be built at a cost of around Rs 7,000 crore
iii.He also laid the foundation stone for the Luhri Stage 1 Hydro Power Project and Dhaulasidh Hydro Power Project, the first hydropower project of the Hamirpur district.
About Himachal Pradesh(HP):
Governor- Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
Wildlife Sanctuary– Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary; Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary
Airports– Kullu Manali Airport; Shimla Airport; Kangra Airport
>> Read Full News

Telangana tops in the Implementation of SPMRMTelangana has secured 1st place among the 34 states and Union Territories(UTs) that implement the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM), Tamil Nadu and Gujarat has secured the 2nd and 3rd place on the list respectively.

• In the Ranking of the Cluster, among the 295 clusters, the Ryakal cluster of Sangareddy and the Jukkal cluster of Kamareddy in Telangana has secured the 1st and 2nd position respectively. The Aibawk cluster of Aizawl in Mizoram has secured the 3rd position.

The ranking was made based on the performance-based indicators as of 28th December 2021.
About Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD):
Union Minister– Giriraj Singh (Constituency- Begusarai, Bihar)
Minister of State– Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Constituency- Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh); Faggan Singh Kulaste (Constituency-Mandla, Madhya Pradesh)
>> Read Full News

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Japan introduces world’s 1^st Dual-Mode Vehicle that can run on Roads and TracksJapan has introduced a minibus lookalike world’s first dual-mode vehicle (DMV) in its town of Kaiyo. The vehicle can run on normal rubber tyres on the road but its steel wheels, which are in its underbelly, descend when it hits the rail tracks.

• This feature of effectively changing into a train-like module easily on a rail track is the first of its kind.
• It runs on diesel.

Key Points:
i.The DMV can carry upto 21 passengers and runs at a speed of 60km/h on rail tracks and can go as fast as around 100km/h on public roads.
ii.It will be beneficial for small towns like Kaiyo where local transport companies would not be able to make a profit.
iii.It runs along part of the coast of Shikoku island in southern Japan, connecting several small towns.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBL Bank Extends Co-branded Credit Cards Partnership with Bajaj Finance for 5 yearsOn 27^th December 2021 RBL Bank partnered with Bajaj Finance Ltd (BFL) for the extension of the partnership of co-branded credit cards for 5 years till December 2026.

• The Bank had entered into a partnership with Bajaj Finance in 2018 launching a series of co-branded credit cards.

Key Points:
i.As per the RBL Bank’s FY2019 annual report, RBL Bank – Bajaj Finance co-brand portfolio crosses 10 lakh cards,  making it one of the largest co-branded card partnerships in the country.

• The exposure to the unsecured credit cards segment is very high which touches 55 percent of its retail loan portfolio of Rs. 30,784 crore in September 2021.
• The business loans of the Bank stand second highest at 30 percent and third highest would be micro-banking at 16 percent and finally Housing loans stands at 5 percent of the total retail portfolio.

Highlights:
i.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Yogesh Dayal as an additional director of the RBL bank’s board of directors for 2 years until December 23, 2023, or until further orders, whichever comes first.
ii.The RBI has also appointed Rajeev Ahuja (current executive director of the bank) as interim standing director and CEO succeeding Vishwavir Ahuja.
About RBL Bank Ltd:
Incorporated in – 1943 (Under Indian Companies Act, 1913)
CEO & MD – Rajeev Ahuja
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Apno Ka Bank

IndusInd Bank launches ‘Green Fixed Deposits’ to support UN-SDGsIndusInd Bank launched Green Fixed Deposits (FDs) where the deposit proceeds will be used to finance projects and firms supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs).

• With this, the bank has entered the list of few global banks which offer integrating SDG into a regular FD product.
• These FDs will be offered to both retail and corporate customers.

Key Points:
i.It should be noted that IndusInd Bank is the only bank in India to secure ‘band A’ in the Carbon Disclosure Project.
ii.The sectors under the SDG category include energy efficiency, renewable energy, green transport, sustainable food, agriculture, forestry, waste management, and greenhouse gas reduction.
iii.For senior citizens, the interest on Green deposit will attract an additional benefit of 50 basis point.
iv.Depositors will be issued a Green’ certificate as well as an Assurance certificate confirming the end use of deposit proceeds at the end of the financial year.
Features & Benefits of Green FD:
i.Higher rate of interest up to 6% per annum
ii.Deposits backed by insurance for up to Rs 5 lakh
iii.Low pre-mature withdrawal charges of only 1%
About IndusInd Bank:
Managing Director & CEO– Sumant Kathpalia
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– We Make You Feel Richer

BoM & MAS Financial Services Signed a Co-lending Partnership for MSME loans

The Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has signed a strategic co-lending partnership with MAS Financial Services Limited, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), to offer loans to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) borrowers.

• The partnership is subject to compliance laws including applicable guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI).
• This partnership will support the expansion of the portfolios of both BoM and MAS Financial Services Limited.

Features of the Partnership:
i.MAS Financial Services will originate and process loans to MSME borrowers under priority sector as per jointly formulated credit parameters and eligibility criteria.
ii.BoM will take on its books these loans under mutually agreed terms.
About Bank of Maharashtra (BoM):
MD & CEO– A S Rajeev
Head Office– Pune, Maharashtra
Tagline– Ek Parivaar, Ek Bank (One Family One Bank)
BoM was established in 1934 and later registered under the Indian Companies Act on 16th September 1935
About MAS Financial Services Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director – Kamlesh Gandhi
Director & CEO– Darshana Pandya
Headquarters- Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Incepted in 1995
Received NBFC license from RBI in 1998

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Wholesale price inflation spikes to 12-year high of 14.23% in November 2021

As per Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s annual wholesale price index (WPI) inflation rises to 12-year high to 14.23% in November 2021 as compared to last year due to base effect.

• This WPI inflation is dominated by the prices of mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum, natural gas, chemicals and food products.
• It was 12.54% in October 2021.

WPI measures factory-gate inflation, or what producers charge wholesalers excluding taxes.
Note – The consumer price index (CPI) for November 2021 climbed to 4.91% compared with 4.48 per cent registered in October 2021. Reason for Retail inflation hike is mainly due to an uptick in food prices

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS  

Harmony Foundation Felicitated the 17th Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2021 In December 2021, the Harmony Foundation hosted the 17th annual Mother Teresa Memorial Awards (MTMA) for Social Justice 2021 and felicitated the winners.

• The award was given by Dr Abraham Mathai, the founder chairman of the foundation.

Recipients of the MTMA for Social Justice 2021:
i.Dr Anil Prakash Joshi  (The environmentalist, who was conferred upon the Padma Bhushan in 2021) – Awarded for his efforts as a changemaker in the environmental sustainability sector by impacting over 10,000 villages in the Himalayan region through the Himalayan Environmental Studies & Conservation Organisation.
ii.Vidyut Mohan (the winner of the Earth shot Prize) –  Awarded for his efforts in combating air pollution through social enterprise Takachar.
iii.Ridhima Pandey (young environmental activist from Uttarakhand) –  Awarded for her involvement in national participation to stop climate change.
iv.Tulsi Gowda  (A Padma Shree awardee) – Awarded for conservation of trees and her traditional knowledge of the same.
v.Aadya Joshi (Recipient of the Children’s Climate Prize 2020) – The founder of the Right Green initiative, an initiative that spreads awareness by educating children and municipal authorities about using native plants to create biodiversity-rich ecosystems in urban environments.
vi.Paani Foundation – Awarded for the mission to create a drought-free Maharashtra.
vii.Subojit Mukherjee – Awarded for his efforts to amplify the green cover in and around Mumbai, and rainwater harvesting initiatives.
The other recipients of the award include – Vinisha Umashankar (youth environmental activist); Jamuna Tudu (for preserving the forests of Jharkhand); WeForest; Pollution Coalition;
About Harmony Foundation:

• Harmony Foundation is an international NGO that focuses on the field of Social Justice.
• The MTMA is bestowed as an honour to individuals or organisations who aim to promote peace, harmony and social justice.

Establishment –2005
Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra      

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS    

Centre appoints Atul Kumar Goel as new MD & CEO of PNBAtul Kumar Goel was appointed as the Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Punjab National Bank (PNB). The appointment comes after the approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

• Atul Kumar Goel will serve as PNB chief until December 31, 2024.
• He will succeed Mallikarjuna Rao, the incumbent MD & CEO of PNB, who will retire on 31st January 2022.
• Until 31st January 2022, he will serve as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in PNB.

Key points:
i.Prior to this appointment Atul Kumar Goel served as the MD & CEO of UCO Bank.
Note – The committee  appointed Soma Sankara Prasad as MD & CEO of UCO Bank, who presently serves as the Deputy MD at State Bank of India
ii.In September 2021, the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) recommended the name of Atul Kumar Goel as MD & CEO of PNB.
About Punjab National Bank (PNB):
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Founder- Dyal Singh Majithia (1st Chairman)
Started operation-1895
About UCO Bank:
Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
Founded- 1943      

SPORTS

Bangladesh Won the SAFF U19 Women’s Football Championship 2021Bangladesh Under-19 Women’s Football team won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-19 Women’s Football Championship 2021 defeating India (runner ups). Mohammad Zahid Ahsan Russel, State Minister for Youth and Sports, Bangladesh Presented the prizes as the Chief Guest.

• SAFF U-19 Women’s Football Championship 2021 hosted by Bangladesh was held at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Shipahi (BSSS) Mostafa Kamal Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• This is an international football competition for women’s under-19 national teams organized by SAFF.

Participants:
i.The Under 19 Women’s National Team of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal participated in the championship.
ii.Pakistan did not participate in the championship since the Pakistan Football Federation was suspended by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) in April 2021 and the Maldives withdrew from the tournament.
Awards:
i.Shahada Akter Ripa of Bangladesh, who scored the highest number of Goals (5) was honoured with the Most Valuable Player of the Game Award.
ii.The Nepal National football team were awarded the Fair Play.
About South Asian Football Federation(SAFF):
President– Kazi Md. Salahuddin(Bangladesh)
Headquarters– Dhaka, Bangladesh
Formed in 1997

OBITUARY

Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar – Mahendra Prasad passes awayMahendra Prasad, a Member of Parliament (MP) in Rajya Sabha from Bihar, passed away at the age of 81 years after suffering from prolonged illness. Currently, he represents the Janata Dal(United) party of Bihar in the Rajya Sabha.
i.Mahendra Prasad was born on 8 January 1940 in Govindpur, Bihar.

• His name was often prefixed with “King”, as he remained in the Rajya Sabha continuously since 1985 except for brief gaps.

ii.He was the founder of Aristo Pharmaceuticals and served a seven-term Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar and was also elected to the Lok Sabha once.
iii.He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980, representing Congress party and remained associated with the party for a long time.

• He joined the Janata Dal and then its offshoots, first Rashtriya Janata Dal and then JD(U).

STATE NEWS

Hardeep Singh Puri & Dr Jitendra Singh Attended 1st ever J&K Real Estate Summit- 2021-Unlocking Opportunities in JammuThe government of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) hosted the first-ever ‘J&K Real Estate Summit- 2021-Unlocking Opportunities’ at the Convention Centre, Jammu, J&K.
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO) and Lieutenant Governor J&K, Manoj Sinha attended and addressed the summit.
The summit is in line with the efforts to connect J&K to mainstream India.

• The summit was organized by the Department of Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of J&K in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) has signed as many as 39 Memorandums of Understanding(MoUs) worth ~Rs 18300 crores with the real estate organisations and a major fast-food chain during the 1st ever Real Estate Summit held in Jammu.
About Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA):
Union Minister– Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha- Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State–  Kaushal Kishore (Constituency- Mohanlalganj, Uttar Pradesh)
>> Read Full News

Haryana CM launches ‘Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam’ portalThe Chief Minister (CM) of Haryana,  Manohar Lal Khattar,  launched the ‘Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam portal’ and announced to set up the Atal Park & Smriti Kendra in Gurugram, Haryana.

• The event was organised on the occasion of Good Governance Day – the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee & Madan Mohan Malviya

Note- 25 December is celebrated as the Good Governance Day every year.
Key points:
i.The CM also honoured 78 officers and employees for delivering best services in various fields.
ii.He also launched a magazine ‘Vyavastha Parivartan Se Susashan’ and 2022 official calendar.
iii.The Haryana government has abolished the practice of remand in the cases of the revenue department. Now, only a maximum of two appeals can be made in this regard.
About Haryana:
Stadium- Nahar Singh Stadium (Mayur Stadium), Nehru Stadium (or Dronacharya Stadium)
Wildlife Sanctuary- Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary

Gujarat Launches Portal to Monitor Benefits of State Health SchemesOn 27^th December 2021 Gujarat Chief Minister (CM) Bhupendra Patel launched a health service management centre (HSMC) for monitoring various national and state-level health schemes.

• CM also launched the website of the Gujarat Epidemic Response Management Information System (GERMIS) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Objective of HSMC – To monitor the benefits received under various government schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY), Mukhyamantri Amrutam (MA) scheme, nutrition-related schemes, maternal and child health schemes.
Key Highlights:
i.The HSMC monitors the free diagnostic treatment given to patients such as screening for non-communicable diseases. It also tracks the number of beneficiaries enrolled
ii.GERMIS, a portal under HSMC, is a control and command centre designed to monitor the daily availability of hospital beds, ventilators, and oxygen beds in the state’s public and private Covid hospitals and make the information available to the public.
About Gujarat:
Governor – Acharya Devvrat
Stadium – Sardar Patel Stadium/ Motera Cricket Stadium (Narendra Modi Stadium) – the largest cricket stadium in Gujarat, Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground (Municipal Ground or Race Course Ground)
Dance – Garba, Dandiya, Bhavai

Karnataka govt partners with NPCI & SBI to implement ‘e-RUPI’ for Payment of Scholarships The Karnataka government has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) & State Bank of India (SBI) to enable and implement the ‘e-RUPI’ payment solution to students under its scholarship programme.

• For redeeming e-RUPI, the identified institutes will scan the QR code or SMS string displayed by the students using an Application.

Key points:
i.The e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless payment solution provided by NPCI and It will be used to ensure leak-proof delivery transactions.
ii.The e-vouchers will be delivered by the govt. to the mobiles of eligible students.
iii.The students will be able to redeem e-RUPI at the identified colleges or institutes for the intended purpose of fees payment.
iv.Each transaction will be mapped with the beneficiary and the institution ensuring that the e-Voucher can be redeemed by the college where the student has enrolled.
About Karnataka:
Nuclear Power Station- Kaiga Generating Station (KGS)
Dance- Yakshagana, Dollu Kunitha
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
MD & CEO – Dilip Asbe
Established – 2008
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

MK Stalin CM of TN Launched Meendum Manjapai Campaign to Promote Cloth Bags

Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin(MK Stalin) Chief Minister(CM) of Tamil Nadu(TN) launched the ‘Meendum Manjappai’ Campaign(Meendum Manjapai Vizhipunarvu Iyakkam), a campaign against single-use plastic (SUP) bags at the Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The campaign of the Department of  Environment, Climate Change & Forest, Government of Tamil Nadu is supported by GIZ(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH).

• The scheme aims to promote the use of cloth bags by the public and to reduce the use of SUP which affects the environment.

In 2019, TN Government has banned the production, use, storage, distribution, transportation or sale of 14 types of plastics.

*******

***** List of Less Important News – October 2021 – Click Here *****

Click Here View – AC Excluded News

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)