NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. GoI and ADB sign 4.21 million
dollar PRF facility for Tripura: The
Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a US $4.21
million project readiness financing (PRF) facility for the preparation of
infrastructure development projects to improve urban amenities and develop
tourism infrastructure in Tripura. This is ADB’s first PRF facility for a state
in the northeastern region of India.
About
PRF facility: The facility will support the Tripura Government’s priorities of
improving urban services and tourism infrastructures that will help boost
economic development. The facility aims to ensure high readiness of ensuing
infrastructure projects through feasibility studies, preparing detailed
engineering designs, and capacity building of state-level agencies while
ensuring climate and disaster resilience and sustainability of sub-projects.
2. ADB and India sign $300 million
loan to upgrade power projects in UP: The
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed $300 million loan agreement with the
Government of India to upgrade rural power distribution networks in Uttar
Pradesh. This upgradation helps to provide reliable electricity supply to
consumers in the state. This is the first tranche of the loan for the Uttar
Pradesh Power Distribution Network Rehabilitation Project.
About
the project: Overall, the $430 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF)
has been approved for the project constituting two tranches. The project
envisages conversion of 65,000 kilometres (km) of rural low-voltage
distribution lines from bare conductors to aerial bundled conductors (ABC) to
create a robust distribution network that will benefit an estimated 70 million
people in 46,000 villages.
3. Centre to dedicate a Museum on
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in Kolkata on 125th birth anniversary: The Government of India has proposed to set up a museum
dedicated to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, in Kolkata, as a tribute on his 125th
birth anniversary celebrations on 23rd January 2021. The government has also
decided to expand the current museum of Netaji at Red Fort in New Delhi. Apart
from this, Centre is also considering to reprint some of the books written by
Subhash Chandra Bose, and even start fellowships for students. A large array of
historical documents, clippings, photos, videos, memorabilia and other material
is available with the families of Bose as well as those of INA members which
would be brought together at one place for display and dissemination.
4. National Mathematics Day: 22th
December: India observes the National
Mathematics Day every year on 22 December since 2012. The day is celebrated to
commemorate the birth anniversary of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. This
year nation celebrates his 133rd birth anniversary of Ramanujan. Ramanujan had
a wealth of ideas that have transformed and reshaped 20th-century mathematics.
These ideas continue to shape mathematics of the 21st century. The main
objective behind the celebration of National Mathematics Day is to make people
aware of the development of mathematics and its importance in the growth of
humanity. The day was announced on 26 February 2012 by the then Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to mark the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Indian
mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (22 Dec 1887- 26 Apr 1920). 2012 was
also observed as National Mathematics Year.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India ranks 111 in Human Freedom
Index 2020: A worldwide ranking of civil, economic
and personal freedom, the Human Freedom Index 2020 was released. India was
placed at the 111th spot out of 162 countries. In 2019, India ranked 94 on the
index. The first three spots have been bagged by New Zealand, Switzerland and
Hong Kong. The United States and the United Kingdom are tied at the 17th spot
on the index. War-torn Syria ranked the last on the list.
Facts
related to India: India’s scored 6.30 out of 10 in personal freedom and 6.56 in
economic freedom. The country’s overall human freedom score was 6.43. However,
India has been ranked ahead of China and Bangladesh, which ranked 129 and 139
on the 2020 index respectively.
About
Human Freedom Index: Human Freedom Index was published by American think tank
Cato Institute and Fraser Institute in Canada. The index takes into account 76
indicators of personal, civil, and economic freedoms to rank 162 countries from
2008 to 2018. The institutes noted that the world has seen a notable decline in
personal freedom since 2008.
2. Nana Akufo-Addo re-elected as
president of Ghana: Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo
has been re-elected after a tightly contested election. Mr Akufo-Addo obtained
51.6% of the vote, compared with 47.4% won by his main rival, ex-President John
Mahama, official results showed. Mr Mahama has not yet conceded defeat. His
party has rejected the results, citing alleged irregularities.It was the third
time the two politicians had faced each other in a presidential election.
3. Russia successfully test-launches
Angara-5 space rocket: Russia
successfully test-launched its heavy lift Angara A5 space rocket for the second
time, from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northwest Russia. First test-launched in
2014, it is being developed to replace the Proton M as Russia’s heavy lift
rocket, capable of carrying payloads bigger than 20 tonnes into orbit. A launch
pad for the new rocket is due to open in 2021.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Mauritian badminton player Foo
Kune banned for two years by CAS: The
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has banned Mauritian badminton player Kate
Jessica Foo Kune for two years for an anti-doping violation. Foo Kune tested
positive for a banned steroid during the 2019 African Badminton World
Championships in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, but a Badminton World Federation (BWF)
panel ruled she bore no fault or negligence. The 27-year-old escaped sanction
after contending that her positive test was the result of sabotage and that her
water had been spiked by an “ill-intentioned individual”.
Note:
Court of Arbitration for Sport President: John Coates; Court of Arbitration for
Sport HQ: Lausanne (Switzerland).
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Paytm launches 24×7 RTGS money
transfer for merchants: Digital
financial services platform Paytm has launched a 24×7 RTGS facility to support
the companies that make high-value transactions. It also enables businesses to
make bulk and instant money transfers to their employees, vendors &
partners. Customers can instantly make bulk payments to Bank Accounts, UPI
addresses, and Paytm Wallets through Paytm Payouts’ APIs and Paytm for Business
Dashboard. Paytm Payout is the only service provider that offers seamless round
the clock money transfers through Wallet, UPI, IMPS, NEFT & RTGS. The
company has made this announcement after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decision
to make RTGS facility 24×7. This service saves time and resources and it is
beneficial for SME & large enterprises who use it to adopt an automated
payment mechanism.
Note:
Paytm HQ: Noida, Uttar Pradesh; Paytm Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
2. Ewire Softtech ties up with YES
Bank for prepaid card: Ewire
Softtech, under Kerala Startup Mission, has launched a prepaid card in
association with YES Bank, enabling the next-generation payment platform
provider chart an all-India presence. The co-branded digital banking mobile
application will help the public and corporate houses with loans, insurance and
CASA account through its channel partners. This can be done via its dedicated
RuPay prepaid cards platform. The card will be offered through YES Bank’s
branches across 28 States and 8 UTs.
3. Edelweiss General Insurance
launches India’s first Open API Gateway for Insurance products: Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI), India’s first
cloud-native insurer, has launched a first of its kind, Open API (Application
Programming Interface) Gateway, to facilitate complete digital collaboration
with its business partners. With this Gateway, EGI’s authorized partners can
easily integrate their systems with the company’s robust technology platform,
which will help further reinforce EGI’s linkages with both customers and
partners. The Open API Gateway is also aimed to bring in a seamless and
delightful experience to the end consumer.
4. SBI Card, BPCL jointly launch
credit card offering benefits to high fuel spending customers: SBI Card announced launch of ‘BPCL SBI Card Octane‘ in
association with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), offering maximum
savings to consumers who spend a significant amount on fuel. The credit card
has been designed to offer maximum savings to the well-heeled consumer segment
which spends a significant amount on fuel. The card offers 7.25 per cent value
back (including 1 per cent surcharge waiver) on fuel and lubricant spends at BPCL
fuel stations and 6.25 per cent value back on Bharat Gas spends. It also
bundles in accelerated savings on other regular spend categories, including
departmental store and grocery, dining and movies.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. IBM, Telangana govt join hands
for skilling 30,000 students in emerging technologies: Tech major IBM and the Telangana government have entered
into a collaboration to provide curated online courses for the states students
that will enhance their technical and professional skills. IBM will work with
Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) to offer Open P-TECH, a free
digital education platform focused on emerging technologies and professional
development skills. A total of 30,000 students of engineering, degree and
polytechnic courses would benefit from the initiative over a period of one
year.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. India’s Vidyut Mohan named among
‘Young Champions of the Earth’ by UNEP:
Vidyut Mohan was one of the “Young Champions of the Earth” winners by United
Nations Environment Programme. A 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur is among the
seven winners of the prestigious “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 prize
given by the UN environment agency to global change-makers using innovative
ideas and ambitious action to help solve some of the world’s most pressing
environmental challenges. The prize is annually awarded to 7 entrepreneurs
under age 30.
About
Vidyut Mohan: Vidyut Mohan, an engineer,
is the co-founder of “Takachar”, a social enterprise enabling farmers to
prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by
converting them into value-added chemicals like activated carbon on-site.
2. Ratan Tata to be honoured with
‘Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace’ award: Veteran industrialist, Ratan Tata will be honoured by the
Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce for promoting innovation that supports
sustainability and peace in the region, including with the Palestinians. The
chairman emeritus of the Tata group will be honoured with ‘Global Visionary of
Sustainable Business and Peace’ award during the launch of the Federation of
Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce’s international chapter in Dubai on December
21. The opening of the Federation of Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce’s
international chapter in Dubai is the first such initiative aiming at tapping
business opportunities together in other countries and developing trilateral
collaborations.
OBITUARIES
1. Senior BJP leader and former Gonda MP Satyadev Singh passes away: One of the senior-most leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former Gonda MP Satya Dev Singh has passed away. He was 75. He contested from Gonda Lok Sabha constituency on the ticket of Bharatiya Lok Dal for the first time in 1977. Later, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Balrampur parliamentary seat as Bharatiya Janata Party MP in 1991 and 1996. He also served as the National President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha from 1980 to 1985.
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