NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
India to raise legal marriage age for women: The proposal to raise the minimum
age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 was cleared by the Union Cabinet.
Presently, the minimum age of marriage for men is 21 but for women, it is 18.
The government will now look to introduce amendments to the Prohibition of
Child Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act, and the Hindu Marriage Act to bring
the plan into action. This will give a chance to the girls to study more. They
will be able to enjoy their independence. They will also get better employment
opportunities.”
According to a 2017 United Nations
report:
India was struggling to stop child marriages and improve the health of its mothers.
The report said as many as 27 per cent of Indian girls were married before they
turned 18.
2.
ADB approves $112 million loan to establish Assam Skill University: The Asian
Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $112 million loan to strengthen skills education
and training through the establishment of the Assam Skill University (ASU). The
Loan will create a path for skill development to enhance the productivity and
competitiveness of Assam’s economy and industries. An additional $1 million
grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will support the introduction
of technologies for smart campus management, integrated teaching, learning, and
career development management. About
the project:
(1) The project will help develop the ASU’s
management and operating systems, business models, and faculty and staff, and
support the design and construction of environmentally sustainable and
climate-resilient university campus and facilities to ensure efficient and
sustainable operations.
(2) It will also support the design and
delivery of industry-aligned and flexible skills education and training
programs, including cutting-edge digital skills programs, career development
programs and services, and continuing education programs.
Note: Assam Governor: Jagdish Mukhi; Assam
Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma.
3.
IIT-Delhi tie-up with IAF to improve indigenisation efforts: IIT-Delhi signed an
MoU with Indian Air Force (IAF) to support requirements towards indigenous
solutions in various weapon systems. Under the MoU, The IAF has identified key
focus areas involving the development of technology and finding indigenous
solutions towards the sustenance of various weapon systems. The partnership
between IIT Delhi and IAF will also boost the efforts by Base Repair Depots
(BRDs) of Maintenance Command IAF.
Note: Indian Air Force Establishment: 8
October 1932; Indian Air Force Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi; Indian Air Force
Chief of the Air Staff: Vivek Ram Chaudhari; Indian Air Force Motto: Touch the
Sky with Glory.
4. Odisha
tie-up with UNCDF to launch “Mission Shakti Living Lab”: Odisha inked an
agreement with United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to launch
“Mission Shakti Living Lab” for the financial empowerment of women. A Global
Centre for Financial Health, to launch Mission Shakti Living Lab empowering
women economically and drive gender equality. With the use of digital
technologies and e-commerce, it will increase the income and financial
well-being of women, self-help groups (SHGs) and households by helping them in
the factors of planning, saving, borrow or spending better. It will address the
barriers related to the autonomy and financial freedom of women.
About the Mission Shakti: Mission Shakti was
launched in 2001 to enhance the holistic development of women, there are 6.02
lakh self-help groups (SHGs) comprising 70 lakh members across rural and urban
areas of Odisha under the initiative. This initiative led to an increase in the
income of SHG members from Rs 3,000 to 15,000 per month in Odisha.
Note: UN Capital Development Fund Founded:
1966; UN Capital Development Fund Headquarters: New York, United States; UN
Capital Development Fund Executive Secretary: Preeti Sinha.
5. A
Book titled ‘Pride, Prejudice and Punditry’ by Dr Shashi Tharoor: Former union
minister and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Dr. Shashi Tharoor‘s 23rd book
titled ‘Pride, Prejudice and Punditry’ was launched in Hyderabad, Telangana.
There are ten sections in this book, each devoted to a particular topic such as
modern Indian history, Indian Politics, etc. He has won ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’
for 2019, awarded to his book – ‘An Era of Darkness. The book marks the
culmination of over 50 years of Dr Tharoor’s writings. His first short story
made it into print when he was only 10 and since then he has published well
over 5 million words—in books, newspapers, magazines, journals, online media,
etc.—on a wide array of subjects.
6.
National Mathematics Day: 22nd 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 134th birth anniversary of Ramanujan. 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.
History of National Mathematics Day: 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. Ramanujan had a wealth of ideas that have transformed and
reshaped 20th-century mathematics. These ideas continue to shape the
mathematics of the 21st century.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Malta becomes first European nation to approve cannabis for personal use: Malta became the
first European country to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis
for personal use, following a vote in parliament. The Maltese parliament voted
in favour of the reform last week, with 36 votes in favour and 27 against. Adults will be allowed to grow four plants at
home and carry seven grams of cannabis, with smoking in public or in front of
children remaining illegal. The Netherlands also has a liberal attitude towards
cannabis, allowing the sale of small quantities in a policy aimed at managing
crime and health risks, though officially it is illegal.
Cannabis: Cannabis, also
known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis
plant. Native to Central and South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a
drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various traditional
medicines for centuries.
Note: Malta Capital: Valletta; Malta
Currency: Euro.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur inaugurates Khelo India Women’s Hockey League: Sports Minister
Anurag Singh Thakur formally inaugurated the first-ever national-level Khelo
India Women’s Hockey League at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.
The winner of the Khelo India Women’s Hockey League will get a cash prize of 30
lakhs. In the first phase, total 14 teams will participate in the league and 42
matches will be played from 15 December to 21 December. The second and third
phases will be organized in early next year. The Sports Authority of India and
Hockey India are jointly organizing the first-ever national-level Khelo India
league. This is the first big event that will be organized at the Major
Dhyanchand Stadium after 2015.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
SEBI form ‘ALERTs’ committee for early detection of market anomalies: The Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has set up an Advisory Committee for Leveraging
Regulatory and Technology Solutions (ALeRTS) to enhance technological
capabilities and explore suitable technology solutions for the early detection
of market anomalies. ALeRTS is a 7-member committee headed by Madhabi Puri
Buch, a former whole-time member of SEBI and has experts from various
technology domains as members. About the ALeRTS:
(1) ALeRTS will recommend future roadmaps
and improvements in the various ongoing technology projects. It will also guide
SEBI in designing and framing requirements for the different in-house systems
(2) In addition, the committee has also
been constituted “to guide SEBI from a domain perspective, in ascertaining the
adequacy of SupTech / RegTech tools envisaged/proposed to be used in-house for
improving its capabilities,”.
Note: Securities and Exchange Board of
India Founded: 12 April 1992; Securities and Exchange Board of India
Headquarters: Mumbai; Securities and Exchange Board of India Agency executive:
Ajay Tyagi.
2.
Paytm launches EdTech Platform “Paytm Wealth Academy”: Paytm, which got
listed in bourses last month, has announced the launch of Paytm Wealth Academy,
a tech-powered educational platform. The launch of the wealth academy is
initially on the Paytm Money app, the wealth management app owned by Paytm’s
wholly-owned subsidiary Paytm Money. Paytm Wealth Academy will initially be
available to select users, followed by a complete rollout.
About the Academy:
(1) The Paytm Wealth Academy will allow
users to learn trading and financial concepts at their own pace at their level
of comfort. The platform offers a wide catalogue of courses and webinars along
with personalized recommendations for users, curated to complement their
existing knowledge.
(2) Paytm Wealth Academy is an educational
platform designed to make financial learning intuitive and self-driven. For the
first time, highly customizable courses are being offered, allowing users to
start their learning journey from any stage. This will allow new traders to
establish a ground-up understanding of financial concepts and also encourage
experienced traders to stay updated with advanced trading strategies.
Note: Paytm Founded: August 2010; Paytm
Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India; Paytm CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Adda247 buys ed-tech platform StudyIQ Education for Rs 150 crore: Edtech platform
firm Adda247 has acquired UPSC-focused ed-tech platform StudyIQ Education for
$20 million (150 crores) in a cash and stock deal. Speaking on the acquisition,
Adda247 founder and CEO Anil Nagar said it’s a strategic acquisition for
Adda247. StudyIQ Education has over 11 million subscribers on Youtube and the
platform receives close to 100 million views a month, the company claims. The
current acquisition will give Adda247 an edge in the UPSC segment.
Some key points about the
acquisition:
(1) By acquiring it, Adda247’s will be able
to strengthen its position in the UPSC segment, which has one of the highest
ARPUs (average revenue per user) in the test preparation segment.
(2) In November, Adda247 had secured Rs 20
million as part of a Series B funding round led by private equity firm
WestBridge Capital. Operated by Metis Eduventures Pvt Ltd, Adda247 had said
it’ll use the money to strengthen its technology platform and product, besides
funding senior-level hiring.
(3) Founded by Anil Nagar and Saurabh
Bansal in 2010, Adda247 had acquired YouTube channel Success Ease for an
undisclosed amount in 2019.
About StudyIQ: StudyIQ YouTube
channel is India’s largest educational Youtube channel in terms of monthly
viewership, while it is the second largest in terms of subscribers’ base after
Wifistudy. StudyIQ’s gross revenue for 2020-21 stood at Rs 33 crores, growing
at over three times as compared to the previous financial year.
2.
British-Indian Leena Nair is the new global CEO of Chanel: French fashion
house Chanel named Leena Nair, an executive from Unilever, as its new global
CEO. Nair’s career at Unilever spanned 30 years, most recently as the chief of
human resources and a member of the executive committee. The recruitment of
Nair, who rose through the ranks of Unilever having started out as a trainee on
the factory floor, comes as the fashion industry is under pressure to show a
more inclusive approach. A British national, born in India, Nair is a rare
outsider at the helm of the tightly controlled family fashion house, known for
its tweed suits, quilted handbags and No. 5 perfume. The 52-year-old follows US
businesswoman Maureen Chiquet, who came from a fashion background and was CEO
of Chanel for nine years until early 2016. Chanel was founded in 1910 by
fashion legend Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel as a hat boutique on rue Cambon in Paris
and grew to become a byword for French chic.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
7-time champion Lewis Hamilton receives knighthood at Windsor Castle: Lewis Hamilton has
picked up a new title only days after losing one on the track. The seven-time
Formula One champion received a knighthood at Windsor Castle, London. Hamilton
gets the honorary title of “Sir” after being knighted by the Prince of Wales for
services to motorsports. Three other F1 drivers have been knighted: Jack
Brabham, Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart. Hamilton is the first to be awarded
while still competing in the sport.
2. Simone Biles named Time Magazine’s 2021 Athlete of the Year: Simone Biles was named Time magazine’s 2021 Athlete of the Year. The world’s most decorated gymnast, a four-time Olympic medalist, was hailed for putting her mental health first when she withdrew from four event finals at the Tokyo Olympics. Despite the setback, the 24-year-old managed to earn a team all-around silver and a bronze in balance beam at the Tokyo Games. Biles along with hundreds of athletes accused the FBI, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for failing to stop the abuse. A month after the Tokyo Olympics, Biles gave an emotional testimony at a US senate hearing into former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.
No comments:
Post a Comment