Current Affairs 4 December 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 4 December 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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Top 25 Current Affairs of 4 December 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

DRDO creates New Laboratory ‘Defence Geo Informatics Research Establishment’ by Merging 2 DRDO Labs – SASE, DTRL

On November 30, 2020, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) created a New Laboratory named ‘Defence Geo Informatics Research Establishment’ for focused research on terrain and avalanches along the borders with China and Pakistan by merging 2 DRDO labs – Manali based Centre for Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) & Delhi based Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL).
i.The merger will help in bringing together the capabilities & resources of two labs to work under the same mission.
ii.DTLR provided real time data for terrain evaluation to Indian Army.
iii.SASE is involved in research in the field of snow and avalanches to provide avalanche control measures, forecasting support to Indian Armed Forces.
iv.DRDO Chairman, Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy constituted a 5-member committee headed by Professor V. Ramagopal Rao to review the charter of duties for laboratories of DRDO.
About Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE):
Director – Lokesh Kumar Sinha
Location – Manali, Himachal Pradesh
About Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL):
Director – Lokesh Kumar Sinha
Location – New Delhi
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
Chairman – Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Southern & Eastern India witnessing higher rise in Pollution Levels than IGP: CPCB-IITD Survey

According to a survey conducted by CPCB-IITD (Central Pollution Control Board-Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi), Southern India & Eastern India recorded a higher rate of increase in pollution levels than the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The study was conducted based on Satellite Data from 2000-2019, which is the First-of-its Kind survey to look at air pollution spatially.
i.They survey has also found that Air Pollution in Rural India has increased at par with Urban India.
ii.The states of Kerala (Urban 24.2%, Rural 21.9%), Goa (Urban 36.4%, Rural 37.3%), Andhra Pradesh (Urban 20.15, Rural 18.9%) recorded the highest levels of pollution during the period.
CPCB-IITD Survey:
i.The study has been commissioned by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
ii.The author of the study is Professor Sagnik Dey of IIT, Delhi.
States with Highest Levels of Pollution (2000-19):

About Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
Chairman –  S.P.S. Parihar
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT, Delhi):
Chairman (Chairperson, Board of Governors) – Dr. R. Chidambaram
Director (Ex-Officio Member) – Professor V Ramgopal Rao
<<Read Full News>>

Odisha hosts 9th International Sand Art festival and 31st Konark Dance festival

From 01-05 December, 2020 Odisha government tourism department has organised the 9th edition of International Sand Art festival at Chandrabhaga Beach in Odisha’s Puri district and parallely the 31st edition of Konark dance festival following the COVID-19 protocols.
i.Theme of the 2020 International Sand Art festival is “environment” and “COVID-19”.
ii.India’s renowned sand artist and Padma Shri Awardee, Sudarsan Pattnaik, is the Brand Ambassador and Chief Curator of the event.
iii.Konark Dance festival witnessed Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Sattriya dances, Organised at the Konark Natya Mandap, Sun Temple.
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India, Suriname hold 7th Joint Commission Meeting virtually; MoS External Affairs, Muraleedharan Co-Chairs the Meeting

On December 2, 2020, The 7th India-Suriname Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held virtually. The meeting was Co-Chaired by the Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan & Albert R. Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation of the Republic of Suriname.
i.The next JCM Meeting is set to be held at Paramaribo, Capital of Suriname in 2022 on a date to be decided by both countries.
ii.They also agreed to enhance cooperation for the establishment of creative industries, Health, Traditional System of Medicine, Agriculture, Mining, Energy, Defense, Culture & Education, Consular Cooperation and Development Partnership.
iii.The Two Ministers emphasized the importance of undertaking developmental projects under concessional conditions (including Lines of Credits) to improve the spirit of South-South Cooperation.
About Ministry of External Affairs (MEA):
Union Minister – Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Minister of State – V. Muraleedharan
About Suriname:
President – Chan Santokhi
Capital – Paramaribo
Currency – Surinamese Dollar (SRD)
<<Read Full News>>

Dr Harsh Vardhan Chaired “Health Talks”, Annual Conference under Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week

i.As a part of 13th Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week 2020, on December 2, 2020, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) chaired the inaugural session of “Health Talks”, an annual conference of the India Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre.
ii.During the conference it was announced that the Innovation Centre is also in the process of setting up a Centre of Excellence at AIIMS Jodhpur on Cancer Care to help patients to better understand and manage their disease.
iii.The Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week was instituted in the memory of Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel and celebrates his biggest contributions viz. innovations, entrepreneurship and creativity.
Static GK:
Ambassador of Sweden to India– Klas Molin
Ambassador Designate of India to Sweden & Latvia– Tanmaya Lal
Minister of State (MoS) MoHFW– Ashwini Kumar Choubey
<<Read Full News>>

1^st  State of Tax Justice 2020 Report Released by Tax Justice Network; India’s Annual Tax Loss over $10.3 bn

i.The Tax Justice Network (TJN) has released the first-of-its-kind report titled “The State of Tax Justice 2020- Tax Justice in the time of COVID-19” in accordance to which the international corporate tax abuse and private tax evasion is incurring a global loss of over $427 billion in tax each year.
ii.In this scenario, India’s annual tax loss aggregates to $10.3 billion i.e. $10,319,683,940 (equivalent to INR 70,000 crore), of which, a major part is corporate tax evasion nearly $10.11 billion and $202.15 million is offshore private tax evasion.
iii.This report revealed how much tax each country in the world loses to international corporate tax abuse and private tax evasion.
iv.Out of the total global tax loss of $427 billion, $245 billion (or 57.4%) is directly due to the corporate tax abuse by multinational corporations (MNCs) by shifting $1.38 trillion worth of profit into tax havens and $182 billion (or 42.6%) owing to private tax evasion i.e. wealthy individuals hiding undeclared assets and incomes offshore.
v.The TJN also ranked countries on the basis of two biennial indexes viz. 2^nd Corporate Tax Haven Index 2019 and 6^th Financial Secrecy Index 2020.
About Tax Justice Network (TJN):
Chief Executive – Alex Cobham
Headquarter– Chesham, United Kingdom (UK)
<<Read Full News>>

6th BRICS Youth Summit 2020 Opening Ceremony held in Ulyanovsk, Russia;Sports Minister, Kiren Rijiju addressed Virtually

On 29th November, 6th BRICS Youth Summit 2020 opening ceremony and a meeting of BRICS Ministers was held in Ulyanovsk, Russia. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju virtually addressed the 6th BRICS Youth Summit 2020 on behalf of India, which was held from 29 November to 2 December, 2020.
Theme for 6th BRICS Youth Summit 2020- “BRICS: Challenges of the Time for young People”.
Organised by: The Summit and the BRICS Ministerial meeting are organized by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs and the Government of the Ulyanovsk Region, Russia.
Address by Kiren Rijiju
i.Minister showcased the works by Indian youth volunteer organisations,

• Youth Volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS)
• National Service Scheme (NSS)
• Bharat Scouts and Guides

ii.Creating a robust infrastructure for the development of volunteerism for donating blood and plasma to Covid-19 patients.
iii. In his address, the minister highlighted the contribution of Youth across the globe in fighting the Covid-19 Pandemic.
About BRICS youth summit:
Aim- To engage youth in economic, political, humanitarian, information, scientific and Technological cooperation amongst the BRICS countries.
Started in 2015 in Russia.
In the 6th BRICS youth summit under the chairmanship of Russia in 2020, the BRICS International School and the contest for BRICS young leaders are merged to identify most promising research projects.
India to host BRICS Games in 2021
On the occasion of India’s annual sports competitions along with the Khelo India Games, BRICS member countries will be invited to showcase their traditional indigenous games in the inaugural or closing ceremony of Khelo India 2021, at Panchkula, Haryana.
About BRICS:

• Formed in 2009, among the five major world economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• Russia hosted the 12th BRICS summit.

Inaugural Meeting of US-India Counternarcotics Working Group held Virtually; Dy DG NCB Sachin Jain Participated

The inaugural meeting of the United States (US)-India Counternarcotics Working Group (CNWG) was held virtually where India was represented by Sachin Jain, Deputy Director General, Narcotics Control Board (NCB), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

• The US delegation was jointly led by Kemp Chester, Assistant Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Jorgan Andrews, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. State Department and Jennifer Hodge, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice.
• This meeting will be continued in the spring of 2021.

Key Discussions:
–Discussions were held on increasing collaboration on counternarcotics regulation and law enforcement and also identified areas of joint action for the same.
–Both sides committed to strengthening their cooperation in curtailing the illegal production, manufacturing, trafficking, and distribution of pharmaceutical and illicit drugs, as well as the precursor chemicals used to manufacture them.
–They also discussed strengthening India’s regional leadership role in building capacity for counternarcotics initiatives in South Asia.
About Narcotics Control Board (NCB):
Director General– Rakesh Asthana
Headquarter– New Delhi

BANKING & FINANCE

NPCI Allowed Payment Banks and Fintechs in its Shareholding upto 0.44%

i.The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has completed private placement of 4.63% of its equity shares worth Rs 81.64 crores.  This placement has enabled small finance and payment banks, as well as fintechs to be its shareholders up to 0.44%.
ii.With this placement, now the total shareholder entities for NPCI stand at 67.
About National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI):
It is a not-for-profit organisation, and an initiative of the RBI and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

• In November 2020, UPI-payments in the country crossed the 2 billion transaction count.
• In August 2020, NPCI launched its international arm, NPCI International Payments Ltd to expand real-time payment system UPI and card payment network RuPay in other countries.

Head Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Dilip Asbe
<<Read Full News>>

Paytm Partners with Suryoday Small Finance Bank to Offer Instant Digital Loans to MSMEs 

i.On December 2, 2020 Paytm partnered with Suryoday Small Finance Bank(SFB) Ltd to offer collateral-free instant digital loans to MSMEs(Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises). This will empower the MSMEs.
ii.This is the 1st lending partnership for Paytm with a small finance bank to help merchants to avail loans seamlessly.
iii.Aim of the Partnership

• To democratize access to loans for small businesses and merchants and promote financial inclusion.
• Paytm and Suryoday SFB aims to disburse loans to more than 1 lakh small businesses in the next 12 to 18 months, through this partnership.

About Paytm:
Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Founder & CEO(Chief Executive Officer)– Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Founded– August 2010
Paytm’s lending business CEO– Bhavesh Gupta
About Suryoday Small Finance Bank Ltd:
It is one among the 10 companies and the only one from Maharashtra to obtain a ’Small Finance Bank’ licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Launched-January 23rd 2017
Managing Director(MD) and CEO–  Baskar Babu Ramachandran
Tagline– A Bank of Smiles
Headquarters– Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

NABARD Signs MoU with SBI to Take up Joint Intervention Projects in Karnataka

i.On December 2, 2020 NABARD( National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), Karnataka Regional Office Bengaluru, Karnataka has signed MoU(Memorandum of Understanding) with SBI(State Bank of India), LHO, Bengaluru.
ii.Aim of the MoU

• The 2 institutions to take up joint intervention projects in the State.
• NABARD through this MoU, aims to provide grant support, concessional refinance and undertake capacity building of the stakeholders of various livelihood interventions that is promoted by NABARD.

About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
Came into existence-12 July 1982
Chairman– Dr. Govinda Rajulu(G.R.) Chintala
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About SBI(State Bank of India):
Founded– July 1, 1955 as SBI
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman–  Dinesh Kumar Khara(Succeeds Rajnish Kumar)
Tagline– The banker to every Indian; With you all the way; Purely banking nothing else; The nation banks on us; A bank of the common man
<<Read Full News>>

IFSCA Became Member of International Association of Insurance Supervisors

i.On Dec 2, 2020, International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) obtained membership of International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).
ii.Now, IFSCA can access IAIS’s global network and would be able to exchange ideas and information relating to insurance with other global regulators.
iii.This membership will aid in developing a global Insurance hub in International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), from current 17 entities, at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT).
About International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA):
On April 28, 2020, the Union government notified the setting up of the IFSCA as a unified authority to regulate all financial services in IFSCs across the country.

• Injeti Srinivas was appointed as the first chairman of IFSCA.
• Headquarter– Gandhinagar, Gujarat

<<Read Full News>>

Razorpay and PayPal Partnered to Enable Seamless International Payments for Indian MSMEs and Freelancers 

i.On December 2, 2020 Razorpay and PayPal partnered to enable Indian MSMEs(Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) and Freelancers to seamlessly accept international payments.
ii.This removes the need to write a single line of code.
iii.The integration of PayPal into Razorpay’s payment platform enables Indian small businesses and freelancers to go global.
About Razorpay:
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) & Co-Founder– Harshil Mathur
HeadQuarters– Bengaluru( Bangalore), Karnataka
About PayPal:
Headquarters- San Jose, California
President and CEO– Dan Schulman
<<Read Full News>>

Finin Becomes India’s 1st full-fledged Consumer Neobank in Partnership with SBM Bank India; SmartBanking Platform Launched

i.On December 2, 2020 Finin launched itself as a ‘neobank’, in partnership with SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India). It is India’s 1st full-fledged consumer neobank.
ii.SBM Bank India has launched Hyper-personalised SmartBanking platform in partnership with Finin.
iii.The platform helps the users to manage , save and invest their money in a smarter, secured and simpler way.
About SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief executive Officer(CEO)– Sidharth Rath
Commenced Operations– 1st December 2018
About Finin:
Founded– In 2019
Founder & CEO– Suman Gandham
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer(COO)– Sudheer Maram
Headquarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
<<Read Full News>>

Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Launched the Upgraded USGI PULZ Mobile App

On 1st December 2020, the Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited, a non-life insurance company launched the upgraded Mobile application – USGI PULZ to enhance service delivery. The Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture of Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Karnataka Bank Ltd, Dabur Investment Corporation and Sompo Japan Insurance Inc, a leading general insurer from Japan.
USGI PULZ:
Aim:
To enhance the service delivery for their policyholders.
Features:
i.The mobile application acts as a one stop shop for all post sales insurance needs, online claims intimation, GPS based nearby service providers, marketplace for various value-added services, AI based health risk assessment among other facilities.
ii.The app will also offers a feature rich and user friendly interface to its customers.
iii.The application acts as an insurance wallet which helps the users to manage Policy accessibility, policy renewal, and claims related services coupled with health and wellness solution platform for the new age customers.
iv.The app helps you to view motor and health insurance policy details, download policy documents, renew policies, file claims and track claim status online.
the app provides a host of value-added services related to motor and health.
About Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited:
MD & CEO– Sharad Mathur
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

RIL Tops 2020 Fortune 500 Ranking List of Indian Companies 

i.On December 2, 2020 Fortune India announced the 2020 Fortune 500 Ranking List of Indian companies .
ii.The list is topped by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) with revenue of Rs 615,854.00 crore, accounting for 7% of cumulative revenues and 11% profit of the companies featured. RIL retains the top rank  for the 2nd time.
iii.Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.(IOCL) secured 2nd rank with revenue of Rs 493,932.99 crore followed by Oil & Natural Gas Corporation with revenue of Rs 405,243.31 crore.
About Reliance Industries Limited (RIL):
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD) –  Mukesh Ambani
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal constitutes Task Force to impart Technical Education in Mother Tongue

On December 2, 2020 Union Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ constituted a Task Force for preparing a blueprint on imparting Technical Education in Mother Tongue. The Task Force will be headed by Secretary of Higher Education (Amit Khare).
i.The Task Force will submit a report in 1 month based on suggestions made by various stakeholders.
ii.The decision to constitute a Task Force was taken by Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal during a high level meeting on the Implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) – 2020.
iii.The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 had mandated that the Medium of instruction up to Grade 5, which can be extended till Grade 8 will be in Mother Tongue/Regional Language.
About Ministry of Education:
The Ministry of Education was formerly known as the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD).
Union Minister – Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

First Dronacharya Awardee from J&K, Kuldeep Handoo appointed as “Fit India” movement ambassador

Srinagar born Wushu coach and the first Dronacharya Awardee from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Kuldeep Handoo is appointed as the Ambassador of Fit India movement.

About Kuldeep Handoo:
i.Kuldeep Handoo born in Srinagar, is the first recipient form the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to receive Dronacharya Award
ii.A former Wushu Athlete who won 11 gold medals in National and 6 in International stage, is the Wushu coach of Team India.
iii.Under his guidance Athletes have won two gold medals at the world championship and one at the World Cup.
iv.He also serves as Inspector of police in Jammu and Kashmir.
v.Kuldeep Handoo received other awards such as Jammu and Kashmir Police medal award, for meritorious service, The Parshuram Award, an honour of sports in the state of Himachal Pradesh

Fit India movement:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Fit India movement in August 2019 in New Delhi, to encourage Indians to include fitness activities and sports in their daily lives to pave the way for a healthy and fit lifestyle.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IAF Carries out Firing of Surface-to-Air Missiles Akash, Igla in Suryalanka, Andhra Pradesh

The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out the Firing of Indigenously Developed Akash Missile System (Surface-to-Air Missile) & Russian-Origin Short-Range Igla Missile (Surface-to-Air Missile) as part of a drill which took place at Air Force Station in Suryalanka, Andhra Pradesh. The drills were part of an exercise which was carried from November 23-December 2  by the IAF.
i.Both the  Akash Missile System & Short Range Igla Missiles were fired and they engaged the  Maneuverable Expendable Aerial Targets (MEAT).
ii.Akash is a Nuclear capable Missile Defence System developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)
iii.The Igla Missile is a Russian man-portable infrared homing Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM).
About Indian Air Force:
Chief of the Air Staff – Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

IIT Kanpur Researchers Develop “Damaru” Inspired Lattice for Vibration Isolation in High Speed Trains and Stealth Submarines

Under the SPARC project of Ministry of Education, IIT Kanpur researchers develop a ‘Dambaru’ or ‘Damaru’ inspired lattice, which shows tremendous application in vibration isolation in high speed trains, Stealth submarines and Helicopters rotors.
About “damaru”shaped lattice:
i.The hour-glass shaped meta-structure provides superior absorption of electromagnetic and sonic waves.
ii.Theoretically, this absorption could provide “invisibility” of an object either in optical or in acoustic domain.
iii.Existing lattice and crystal based phononic materials have however, practical limitations in terms of customizability and hence, they can be generally used in a narrow band of frequency.
iv.Stiffness of a vibrating medium is altered drastically by controlling the microstructure from regular honeycomb structure of the lattice to auxtetic honeycomb structure.
v.This control provides space for development of new ultrasonic devices with subwavelength imaging capacity, useful for the health industry.
About SPARC project:
i.The Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) promotes research ecosystem of India’s Higher Educational Institutions by facilitating collaboration between Indian Institutions and World’s best institutions.
ii.The Ministry of Education provides funds for infrastructure development and as scholarship to the research fellows.

SPORTS

Australian Cricket Team won the 2020 Dettol ODI series against India held in Australia 

The Australian Cricket Team won the 3-match Dettol ODI series 2020 against India by 2-1. The ODI series is part of India’s Tour of Australia, 2020-21 consisting of 3 ODIs, 3 Twenty20 Internationals (T20I), 4 Test Matches to be played from November 2020 – January 2021.
i.Australian Batsman Steve Smith was chosen as the Player of the Series for scoring 216 runs in the series which included 2 Centuries.
ii.During the series Virat Kohli became the Fastest Batsman to reach 12, 000 runs in ODIs (242 innings) & 22, 000 International runs (462 International innings).
iii.The ODI Series is the first for India in the 2020-22 ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket World Cup Super League. The top 7 teams on the points table of ICC super league will qualify directly for the 2023 ODI World Cup set to be held in India.
About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
President – Sourav Ganguly
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Former PM of Pakistan, Zafarullah Jamali dies at 76

On 2nd December, 2020 the 15th Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan Zafarullah khan Jamali passed away at the age of 76 in Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology & National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD), a military hospital in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Jamali’s Career:
i.Born on 1st January 1944, at an impoverished province of Balochistan.
ii.Started his political career in 1964, and got elected to the Provincial Assembly in 1977.
iii.Holded various ministerial posts for brief durations.
iv.Got appointed as the Chief Minister of Balochistan in 1988 and again in 1996.
v.Elected as the 15th Prime Minister of Pakistan under the Candidature of Pakistan Muslim League (PML).
vi.He was elected as the Member of Parliament for the last time in 2013.
As the 15th PM of Pakistan:

• Served as PM from November 2002 to June 2004 for a duration of 1 Year, 7 Months and 3 days.
• He is the first politician from Balochistan to become Prime Minister.
• He served the country when Former military dictator Pervex Musharraf was the President of the country
• As PM, Jamali vowed to sign a peace agreement and cease-fire in the disputed Kashmir region.
• In 2004, Jamali made the first high level visit from Pakistan to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban government in 2001.

Former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing Passed Away at 94

On 2nd December 2020, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing the former President of France who served from 1974 to 1981 passed away at the age of 94 at his residence in Loir-et-Cher region, in central France. He passed away due to COVID-19 complications. He was born on 2nd February 1926 in Koblenz, French-occupied Germany (now Germany).
About Valéry Giscard d’Estaing:
i.Valéry Giscard d’Estaing served as the finance minister under the presidency of Charles de Gaulle.
ii.He became the president of France in 1974 at the age 48, he was one of the youngest Presidents of France.
iii.He founded the Union for French Democracy, a centre-right political party in 1978 to counter the Gaullist preponderance over the political right in France.
iv.Contesting against Socialist Francois Mitterrand he lost re-election in 1981.
Reforms:
i.He lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and he also liberalised the laws on divorce, abortion and contraception during his tenure as the President.
ii.He also supported the laws on equal pay and opportunities for women and reduced the retirement age to 60.
iii.He opposed the death penalty and the last death sentence using the guillotine in France took place in 1977.
iv.He worked on the European constitution and presented it in 2004, which was rejected by the French and Dutch voters and later led to the adoption of the treaty on European Union in 2007.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2020 – December 3

i.The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities is annually observed across the globe on 3rd December to promote the participation of people with disabilities and to take action towards the inclusion of them in all aspects of the society and development.
ii.The theme of the 2020 International Day of Persons with Disabilities is “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.
iii.The UNESCO will also organise a global awareness raising campaign “Tell our stories, enable our rights” on its social media platform. The campaign focuses on the impacts of COVID-19 on people with disabilities.
iv.As a part of the celebration of International day of Persons with Disability, India honours disabled people with National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disability, this was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
About UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
<<Read Full News>>

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2020 – December 2

i.The United Nations(UN)’s International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is annually celebrated across the globe on 2nd December with an aim to eradicate the modern form of slavery like human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage and forced recruitment of children for armed conflicts.
ii.2nd December marks the date, 2nd December 1949, on which the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/317(IV) – United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Person and of the exploitation of the Prostitution of other.
iii.ILO’s “50 for Freedom campaign” aims to persuade at least 50 countries to ratify the protocol on Forced Labour by the end of 2019. So far 47 countries have ratified the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labour.
About International Labour Organisation (ILO):
Director General(DG)– Guy Ryder.
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland.
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Assam Proposed to set up its 6th National Park – “Raimona National Park” in the Ripu Reserved Forest

The Assam government has proposed to establish its 6th National park, the “Raimona National Park” in the Ripu Reserved Forest of the state which was severely damaged due to militancy.
The proposal to upgrade an area of 422 square kilometer notified Ripu Reserve forest under Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve into Raimona National Park has been submitted to Jagadish Mukhi, the governor of Assam.
Note:
On 28th November 2020, Parimal Suklabaidya, Forest Minister of Assam unveiled the map of the proposed national park at the Manas National Park.
About Ripu Reserved Forest:
i.The Ripu Reserved Forest is a part of the buffer zone of the Manas National Park along the borders of Bhutan.
ii.The Ripu forest along with the Chirang Reserve forest has the largest known population of endangered golden langur.
iii.Around 30% of this reserve forest has been encroached and cut down since 1989 due to the insurgency related issues.
About Assam:
Chief Minister– Sarbananda Sonowal
National Parks– Kaziranga National Parks, Manas National Parks, Dibru-Saikhowa National Parks, Manas National Parks, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Parks.

AC GAZE

Shia Cleric & Scholar Maulana Kalbe Sadiq Passed Away at 83

On 1st December 2020, Prominent Shia cleric and Islamic scholar Maulana Kalbe Sadiq passed away at the age of 83 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He was born on 22nd June 1939 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was an educationist, philanthropist, who served as the senior vice president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). He was described as India’s “second Sir Syed Ahmad Khan”.

HDFC Life in Association with Ketto India has Initiated ‘PromisewalaDabba’, a Nationwide Crowdfunding Campaign

HDFC Life in association with Ketto India has initiated ‘PromisewalaDabba’, a nationwide crowdfunding campaign. This is to support the Dabbawalas of Mumbai, who have been affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. As part of the campaign, a PromisewalaDabba will be delivered that includes essential supplies such as staple food ingredients, spices and accompaniments, sanitizers and toiletries to their homes.

Indigenous Aircraft Carrier to be commissioned by end of 2021 end or by early 2022

Indian Navy’s Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) will be commissioned by the end of 2021 or by early 2022. The IAC had undergone Basin Trials at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CGL) on November 30, 2020. The Sea Trials of the IAC would be undertaken in the first half of 2021 after which it will be inducted into the Indian Navy as Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant.

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