Current Affairs 31 December 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 31 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.

Our Current Affairs December 2020 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 2020 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)

Date-Wise Current Affairs December 2020 PDF for Paid Users – Click Here to Know More

Top 20 Current Affairs of 31 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Harsh Vardhan Inaugurates India’s Highest Meteorological Centre at Leh,Ladakh

On December 29, 2020, Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually inaugurated India’s Highest Meteorological (Met) Centre at Leh, Ladakh (UT). It is situated at a height of 3500 metres from the mean sea level. Radha Krishna Mathur, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Ladakh & Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, MP from Ladakh were the Guest of Honour at the event.
i.This is India’s Second Met Centre located in the Himalayas, the first one is located at Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
ii.The Met centre has been established to prevent losses due to weather events such as Cloud bursts, Flash Floods, Avalanches & Glacial Lake Outbursts & to strengthen the Early Warning System in Ladakh.
About UT Ladakh
Lieutenant Governor– Radha Krishna Mathur
Capital–  Leh, Kargil
About India Meteorological Department (IMD):
IMD’s Parent Organization is  Ministry of Earth Sciences
Director General – Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

GST Rules Amended; Businesses with Monthly Turnover of over Rs 50 lakh to pay at least 1% GST liability in cash

On December 24, 2020, the Ministry of Finance made amendments in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Rules on the recommendations of the GST Council’s Law Committee in order to curb evasion by fake invoicing. The changes have been notified by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
Key Points with Regard to Amendment:
–The amendment has introduced Rule 86B in GST Rules w.e.f. January 1, 2021, which restricts use of input tax credit (ITC) for discharging GST liability to 99% for businesses with monthly turnover of over Rs 50 lakh. Means these businesses will have to mandatorily pay at least 1% of their GST liability in cash.

• This restriction will not apply where the managing director (MD) or any partner has paid more than Rs 1 lakh as income tax or the registered person has received a refund amount of more than Rs 1 lakh in the preceding financial year on account of unutilised ITC.

–Apart from above there is also an amendment in the rules restricting filing of outward supply details in GSTR-1 for businesses that have not paid tax for the past periods by filing GSTR 3B.

• Until now, non-filing of GSTR 3B resulted in blockage of e-way bill but will now result in GSTR 1 blockage as well.

-It was also notified that authentication of Aadhaar number or physical verification of business premises is required for the purposes of obtaining GST registration.
–Now, the validity of electronic way bill will be for 1 day for every 200 km of travel, as against 100 km earlier.
About Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC):
Chairman – Ajit Kumar
Headquarter – New Delhi, Delhi.

India’s 1st Pollinator Park comes up at Haldwani, Uttarakhand

On December 29, 2020, India’s 1st Pollinator Park was inaugurated at Haldwani in Nainital district, Uttarakhand by Peter Smetacek, a butterfly expert.The park has been developed by the Research Wing of Uttarakhand’s Forest Department.Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Chief Conservator of Forest (Research), head of Research Wing, Uttarakhand India was also present during the inauguration.
i.The main objective of the park is to conserve various pollinator species, create awareness among people and promote further research on various aspects
ii.At present the park is home to around 40 different types of pollinator species which includes various species of honeybees, birds & butterflies.
Pollinators:
i.A Pollinator is anything that carries Pollen from male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the same or another flower (Stigma).
ii.The process is essential for the plant to become fertilized & produce fruits, seeds & young plants.
About Uttarakhand:
Lakes –   Skeleton Lake (Roopkund Lake), Bhimtal Lake, Dodital, Nainital Lake, Naukuchiatal, Sat Tal Lake.
Rivers – Yamuna River, Saryu River, Bhagirathi River, Dhauliganga River – Garhwal,Ganga River, Gaula River, Kali River.
<<Read Full News>>

BSSUKM & NKJ Biofuel Partners to Set up India’s 1st Ethanol plant Under PPP Model in Chhattisgarh 

i.On December 30, 2020 Bhoramdeo Sahakari Sakhar Utpadak Karkhana Maryadit (BSSUKM), a sugar mill signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with NKJ Biofuel Ltd, a subsidiary of  Chhattisgarh Distillery Limited(CDL) to set up India’s 1st ethanol plant under Public-Private Partnership(PPP) model at BSSUKM in Kabirdham(Kawardha), Chhattisgarh.
ii.Bhupendra Kumar Thakur, MD of BSSUKM and Aranya Kedia on behalf of  CDL signed MoU in the presence of Bhupesh Baghel, CM of Chhattisgarh at Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

• The agreement is valid for 30 years.

About Bhoramdeo Sahakari Sakhar Utpadak Karkhana Maryadit (BSSUKM):
Headquarters– Kabirdham(Kawardha) district, Chhattisgarh
Managing Director–  Bhupendra Kumar Thakur
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Myanmar Inducts Indian Submarine ‘INS Sindhuvir’ into its Navy

Myanmar officially inducted the Kilo Class Submarine, ‘INS Sindhuvir’ into its Navy under the name ‘UMS Minye Theinkhathu’. The submarine was handed over by India to Myanmar in October, 2020.  It is the 1st & only submarine of the Myanmar Navy.The Submarine was inducted during 73rd anniversary(December 25) of the Myanmar Navy.
i.It is also the 1st time that India has given a Submarine to any other country. It was given to Myanmar under India’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
ii.It is a Soviet-era kilo class submarine and has served Indian Navy since 1988.
iii.India Ambassador to Myanmar Saurabh Kumar along with Myanmar Navy’s officials were present during the Induction ceremony.
Key Points:
i.It is capable of operating at a depth of 300 metres and has a top speed of 20 knots.
ii.It has a displacement of 3, 000 tonnes, a length of 74 metres and has capability of staying underwater for almost 45 days.
iii.The modernization of the submarine was carried out by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
About Myanmar:
Capital– Naypyidaw
Currency– Kyat
President– U Win Myint
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

Maintaining 4% inflation appropriate for India: RBI paper

i.In accordance with the paper authored by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra and another official Harendra Kumar Behera,maintaining an inflation rate of 4% is appropriate for India.
ii.A lower rate could impart deflationary bias to the monetary policy while a higher trend renders monetary policy too expansionary and prone to inflationary shocks and unanchored expectations
iii.As per the paper, there is a steady decline in trend inflation to 4.1-4.3% since 2014.
iv.It should be noted that the views expressed in the paper are those of the authors and not of the RBI.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M. Rajeshwar Rao).
<<Read Full News>>

HDFC, ICICI, and SBI are Top Three Banks of 2020 in India: Report by Wizikey

In accordance with the Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) Movers and Shakers 2020 Report by Wizikey, Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC), Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI), and State Bank of India (SBI) are the top three banks of 2020 in India.

• They were followed by Yes Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bank of Baroda, Deutsche Bank and Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) among the top-10 banks of 2020.
• The report by Wizikey states about the top-100 banks in India and BFSI models such as wallets, Neobanks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), small finance banks and payments banks.

Key Points:
–Among wallets, Google Pay has emerged as the number one followed by Phone Pe
–In Neo Banks category, SBI’s YONO emerged as the number one followed by Niyo and Kotak 811 at ranks two and three, respectively.

• A neobank operates exclusively online without traditional physical branch networks

–In NBFC sector, Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. (DHFL) grabbed the top spot with an overall rank of 15.
About Wizikey:
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Anshul Sushil
Headquarter– Gurugram, Haryana

YES Bank Collaborates with Salesforce to Build Next Generation Tech Platform for Retail Banking

On December 22, 2020 YES Bank collaborated with Salesforce to build a next generation technology platform for retail lending business. YES BANK is among the first banks in India to partner with Salesforce for Loan origination and processing.

• The building of the platform is in accordance with the strategy of the bank to further scale up its retail assets portfolio.
• As part of this collaboration ‘Salesforce Loan Origination System’, is being deployed to provide personalized solutions and connected banking experiences for consumers across segments.

Aim of the Partnership– To enhance customer experience and accelerate retail growth of the bank by leveraging the strengths of tech capabilities of YES bank and of the Salesforce’s platform
Key People
Arundhati Bhattacharya, CEO and Chairperson, Salesforce India and Prashant Kumar, MD & CEO, YES BANK announced the collaboration at YES BANK’s Corporate Headquarters in Mumbai.
Benefits of Salesforce Loan Origination System:
Strengthen Bank’s Capacity & Eliminates Manual Process
i.It will strengthen the ability of the bank to process high volumes of loan applications through enhanced automations and progressive API integrations.
ii.It eliminates the manual process in the loan cycle, thus minimises the TurnAround Time (TAT) for improved customer satisfaction.
New Range of Innovative Products & Services can be Launched
The bank to support the evolving needs of the customers  can quickly launch a new range of innovative products and services by leveraging on the digital capabilities.
Benefits of the Platform:
Leverage the Platform at PoS
Besides the end customers, the bank’s alliance partners, associates, manufacturer dealers and builders, among others can leverage the platform at the Point of Sale(PoS), thus empowers the internal and external ecosystem of the Bank.
Enhances Collaborative innovation within the Bank
The platform also boosts collaborative innovation within the Bank, i.e., it provides a unified view of their customer’s portfolio  for all the employees of the bank in offering customized digital solutions.
About YES Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Experience our expertise
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Prashant Kumar
Incepted– 2004
About SalesForce:
Founded– 1999
Headquarters– San Francisco, California, US
Chair & Chief Executive Officer– Marc Benioff
CEO and Chairperson, Salesforce India– Arundhati Bhattacharya

DBS Bank India Introduces ‘Travel Now’, a One-Stop Travel Marketplace Within Digibank App

On December 29, 2020 DBS Bank India introduced ‘Travel Now’, a one-stop travel marketplace within the digibank app. This new feature allows the customer to browse and book flights, bus tickets and hotels across many destinations within and outside of India. The customers also have the option to choose travel insurance, offered by Bharti AXA General Insurance, along with an automated claims process for flight cancellation, and flight departure and arrival delays of over 60 minutes.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Signs MoU with UNDP India to Co-Create India’s 1st Social Impact Bond

i.Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation(PCMC) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) India to co-create India’s 1st Social Impact Bond(SIB).
ii.As part of this investment tool, if the pre-defined project targets are fulfilled, the PCMC administration will bear only the public welfare project cost associated with the bond.
iii.The Palladium Group has been appointed to design and structure the expertise of the impact bond.
About United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) India:
UNDP worked in India since 1951
Resident Representative– Shoko Noda
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
About Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC):
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra, India
Commissioner– Mr. Shravan Hardikar (Indian Administrative Service-I.A.S.)
<<Read Full News>>

   APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

DST Constitutes Committee Chaired by Prof. Santanu Chaudhury for Conservation of Indian Heritage using Futuristic Techi.On December 23, 2020 The Department of Science and Technology(DST) under Frontier and Futuristic Technologies (FFT) Division constituted  an advisory committee to use futuristic and new age technologies for conservation of  Indian heritage conservation, documentation, and digital restoration.
ii.The committee will be chaired by Prof. Santanu Chaudhury, Director, IIT Jodhpur Rajasthan.
iii.With a focus on technical inputs to advance the heritage domain, Hardik Somani, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Sapio Analytics and lead of its Heritage Restoration Division is nominated as one of the members of the committee.
About Department of Science and Technology(DST):
DST is under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Secretary– Prof Ashutosh Sharma
Union Minister of Science & Technology– Harsh Vardhan(Constituency- Chandni Chowk, New Delhi)
About Sapio Analytics:
CEO– Ashwin Srivastava
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

Harsh Vardhan Nominated to the Board of GAVI; Will Succeed MyintHtwe of Myanmar

i.On December 29, 2020 GAVI(formerly theGlobal Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation),the vaccine alliance nominated Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare as a member on the GAVI Board.
ii.He will represent  the South East Area Regional Office(SEARO)/ Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) constituency on the GAVI Board.
iii.He will succeed MyintHtwe, Union Minister of Health and Sports, Govt of Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
iv.He will be on the board from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023.
About GAVI:
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland & Washington D.C., United States (U.S.)
Chair of the Board – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Members of the Board– 28
<<Read Full News>>

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

Tata Sons Acquired Further 32.67% Stake in AirAsia India From AAIL for USD 37.66 Million

On December 29, 2020 Tata Sons acquired an additional 32.67% stake in AirAsia India Limited from AirAsia Investment Ltd (AAIL), subsidiary of AirAsia Group Berhad for USD 37.66 million(about Rs 275 crore).
Earlier Tata Sons was holding 51% in AirAsia India, with this acquisition Tata Sons will hold 83.67% stake & AirAsia Investment Limited (AAIL) will hold 16.33 % Stake.
Key Info:
i.Tata Sons will be given a call option for the balance 16.33% stake in AirAsia India. This is exercisable after the transaction is completed.
ii.In addition to this, there is also a put option exercisable by AirAsia in two tranches:
1st tranche- exercisable from March 1 to May 30, 2022
2nd Tranche- exercisable from October 1 to December 31, 2022
iii.The cash consideration for the remaining 16.33% stake shall be USD 18.8 million.
What is Call Option?
Call options are financial contracts that give only the option buyer the right. He will not be given an obligation to buy a stock, bond, commodity or other asset or instrument at a specified price within a specific time period.
What is Put Option?
A put option is a contract that gives the owner the right. He will not be given an obligation to sell–or sell short–a specified amount of an underlying security at a predetermined price within a specified time frame.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Harsh Vardhan launches ‘Digital Ocean’ – 1st of its kind digital platform for Ocean Data Management

On December 29, 2020 Union Minister for Earth Science, Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually launched ‘Digital Ocean’ (www.do.incois.gov.in) a 1st of its kind Digital platform for Ocean Data Management. The platform has been developed by INCOIS (Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services).
i.The platform will serve as a one stop-solution for all data related needs of a wide range of users such as research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, academic community, maritime industry & public.
ii.Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Dr. Vipin Chandra, Joint Secretary of MoES, Dr T Srinivasa Kumar, Director of INCOIS were present during the launch.
iii.Until now, there are multiple platforms for storing data from Oceans (Bay of Bengal & Arabian Sea), Digital Ocean will replace these platforms & will act as a  single platform for repository of data.
iv.The platform has been designed in an interactive mode by using techniques like 3D, 4D data visualization.
About Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS):
An Autonomous Institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
Director – T Srinivasa Kumar
Location – Hyderabad, Telangana
<<Read Full News>>

DRDO Facility develops Quantum Random Number Generator

The DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT) has successfully developed the Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG).  QRNG has the capability to detect random quantum events & convert them into a stream of binary digits.
i.DYSL-QT has developed a fiber-optic branch path based QRNG.
ii.With this, India enters a select list of countries which possess the technology to achieve generation of random numbers based on Quantum Phenomenon.
iii.Random Numbers play important roles in the fields of Quantum communication & cryptography applications like key generation, key wrapping, authentication along with scientific simulations, lotteries & fundamental physics experiments.
iv.On 9th December, 2020, DRDO successfully demonstrated communication between 2 labs of DRDO using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Technology to share encryption keys
Significance of Random Generation:
i.It is considered that Generation of perfect randomness is impossible with classical methodologies.
ii.However, Quantum mechanics has the potential to provide true random numbers.
Testing Standards:
i.QRNG developed by DYSL-QT passed Global randomness testing standards of NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology), America & Die-harder Statistical Test Suites.
ii.QRNG were also evaluated and verified using DRDO’s indigenously developed Randomness Testing Statistical Test Suite of SAG (Scientific Analysis Group).
About DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories-Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT):
Location – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai

BARC Develops India’s first indigenous Ruthenium 106 Plaque to treat Eye cancer

On December 29, 2020, an eye cancer therapy namely “Ruthenium plaque therapy” developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has been successfully used for the first time for the treatment of patients with ocular tumours in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Delhi.

• The therapy used Ruthenium 106 plaque for treatment of a patient with choroidal hemangioma (benign tumour in blood vessels).
• The efforts has been lauded by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Minister of State (MoS) Prime Minister PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh.
• The minister also informed that the Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) in Guwahati, Assam has been co-opted with the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, Mumbai which functions under the aegis of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

Key Points:
–The BARC-developed plaque is very convenient for surgeons and is at par with international standards.
— This development followed the collaboration between the DAE and Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS, Delhi.
— Ruthenium-106 plaque has been made available free of cost for AIIMS-Delhi, Hyderabad (Telangana) based Centre for Sight and Sankara Eye Hospital in Bengaluru (Karnataka).
What is Ruthenium plaque therapy?
It involves placing a radioactive source like Ruthenium-106 (a radioisotope) in contact with the surface of the eyeball for cancer therapy. Ru-106 is recovered from radioactive waste and has a simple and slim design. One plaque can treat about 50 patients and its usable life is one year.

Indian Oil Launches India’s 1st Remote Monitoring System of Gas Turbines
On December 29, 2020, Indian  Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) launched India’s 1st Remote Monitoring & Operation Centre for Tracking of Refinery Gas Turbines across all its refineries in Hyderabad, Telangana. The project has been implemented by BHEL-GE Gas Turbine Services (BGGTS), a joint venture of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited-General Electric (BHEL-GE). It was inaugurated by Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan.
The technology behind the Monitoring system is called ‘Proactive Predictive Analytics based Automated Anomaly Detection’, it was developed by GE, BHEL & IndianOil.
Objective:
i.To aid in early detection & diagnosis of issues related to Gas Turbines, before they become critical & trigger corrective actions.
ii.To enhance operational reliability, productivity, and environmental sustainability of refineries.
About BHEL-GE Gas Turbine Services (BGGTS):
Chairman – Kamalesh Das
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
About General Electric (GE):
Chairman & CEO – H. Lawrence Culp Jr
Headquarters – Boston, United States of America
About Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL):
Chairman – Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

ENVIRONMENT

Researchers Discovered 2 New Species: Hedychium mechukanum & Amomum Arunachalense in Arunachal Pradesh

Researchers have discovered 2 new species:  Hedychium mechukanum and Amomum arunachalense from Arunachal Pradesh, North East India. The Hedychium mechukanum belongs to the Hedychium genus and Amomum arunachalense belongs to the Amomum genus.
Hedychium mechukanum:
i.M. Sabu and V.S. Hareesh researchers from Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute of Plant Sciences, Kozhikode discovered the Hedychium mechukanum, from a location at Quing and Tato near Mechuka valley, Shi Yomi, Arunachal Pradesh. It is named after Mechuka, a small town on the Indo-China border.
ii.The Hedychium mechukanum found in north east India and China.
iii.This species is closely related to the Hedychium coronarium. 
Note:

• The discovery was published in the Gardens Bulletin, Singapore.
• Under the IUCN guidelines, this is assessed as a Data Deficient.

Features:
i.They have large white flowers with pleasant fragrance.
ii.The glowing season is from June to September and the fruiting season is from September to November.
iii.They grow in open areas of evergreen forests.
Amomum arunachalense:
i.M. Sabu and V.S. Hareesh researchers from Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute of Plant Sciences, Kozhikode and Dipankar Borah from the Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar discovered Amomum arunachalense from Nirjuli in Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh.
ii.With the white rhizome with a pale brown centre the new species is distinguished from the other of the Amomum genus.
iii.Deforestation and extraction of shoots for medicinal purposes are the major threat to this species.
Note:
The discovery is reported in the December 8 issue of Annales Botanici Fennici, a research journal published from Helsinki.

OBITUARY

Former Indian Footballer and Olympian Nikhil Nandy Passed Away at 88

On December 29, 2020 Nikhil Nandy, former Indian footballer and olympian passed away at the age of 88 in Nagerbazar, West Bengal. He was born in 1932 at Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal.
About Nikhil Nandy:
i.He played with the Blue Tigers(Indian Football team) in 1956 Summer Olympics, held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956.
ii.He was a part of the Bengal team that won the Santosh Trophy in 1955.
iii.He also won the Calcutta Football League(CFL) title with Eastern Railways in 1958.
iv.He also served as the coach of the national team jointly with J. Kittu.
v.After his retirement from football  he continued to serve as coach.

STATE NEWS

CSC Partnered with IIT Delhi to Set Up Design & Innovation Lab for Rural Entrepreneurs

i.On 29th December 2020, the Common Services Centers(CSC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY) partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi to set up a design and innovation lab named “Design and Innovation in VLE’s Indegenous Network Ecosystem(DIVINE) Lab” which will work on new products and services for Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE). 
ii.The design and innovation lab will be established at the Department of Design, IIT Delhi.
iii.The lab aims to channelize the rural connect for the students of IIT Delhi and faculty and conduct continuous research in the rural entrepreneurial ecosystem and design new products and services for VLEs.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY):
Union Minister– Ravi Shankar Prasad
Minister of State– Sanjay Dhotre
About Common Services Centers(CSC) e-Governance Services India Limited:
CEO– Dinesh Tyagi
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Vijay Rupani unveils ‘Gujarat Solar Power Policy 2021’

On December 29, 2020, Gujarat Chief Minister (CM) Vijay Rupani unveiled the ‘Gujarat Solar Power Policy 2021’ which will be effective from 2021-2025.
Target – Gujarat has set a target to achieve 30, 000 MW through sustainable energy sources by 2022.
Solar Power Policy 2021:
i.Any individual or industry can produce solar power in their premises as per their requirements, there will be no cap on the capacity of Solar power production.
ii.Consumers can lease their roof or premises to a third party for generation & consumption of power on the same premises. They can also sell their surplus power at a tariff of INR 2.25 per unit.
iii.Any individual can set up solar projects upto 4 MW and supply entire power to DISCOMS (Distribution Companies).
iv.The policy also aims to reduce the power cost to Industry by 50% to help them compete in the Global market.
v.Group of Consumers can set up solar projects for self-consumption as a collective ownership project.
About Gujarat:
RAMSAR site – Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
Lakes –  Hamirsar Lake, Kankaria Lake, Lakhota Lake
<<Read Full News>>

*******

Click Here View – AC Excluded News 2020

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)