NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Jharkhand CM launched SAHAY scheme for maoist-hit areas: The Chief Minister
of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren has launched a Sports Action toward Harnessing
Aspiration of Youth (SAHAY) scheme aimed at nurturing young sporting talents in
Maoist-hit districts of the state. This scheme has been launched to curb the
Left Wing Extremism (LWE) which affected 19 of the state’s 24 districts. Boys
and girls in the 14-19 age group from villages to ward level will be registered
under the scheme and will be given opportunities to display their skills in
basketball, volleyball, hockey and athletics.
Jharkhand Sahay Yojna Objectives: In order to
instil a culture of sports and identify talent in the state, CM Hemant Soren
had earlier given directions to sports department officials to work on a
special sports scheme named Sahay for youth from Naxalite-affected areas.
Officials were asked to work extensively to connect youth below the age of 19
with the Jharkhand Sahay Scheme. Under Sahay Yojana, potential sports talent
will be identified from the panchayat level and taken to the block level and
district level where they will be prepared for national and international
sports events.
Note: Chief Minister of Jharkhand: Hemant
Soren; Governor: Ramesh Bais.
2.
Andhra Pradesh tie-up with UN-FAO & ICAR for sustainable agriculture: The Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has signed an agreement
with the Andhra Pradesh Government to train the farmers in good farm management
practices and sustainable agricultural methods. The FAO apart, the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research is collaborating on the project. FAO will
provide training to farmers, Rythu Bharosa Kendram (RBK) staff, officials, and
scientists on new technologies in agricultural allied sectors and training to
farmers on best cultivation management practices. In 2020, Rythu Bharosa
Kendram (RBK) or farmer support centres were set up in AP as part of an effort
to weed away fake seeds, pesticides and fertilisers from the markets.
Note: Food and Agriculture Organisation
Headquarters: Rome, Italy; Food and Agriculture Organisation Head: Qu Dongyu;
Food and Agriculture Organisation Founded: 16 October 1945.
3.
Adani tie-up agreement with SECI for green power: Adani Green Energy
Ltd (AGEL) has signed a purchase agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of
India (SECI) to supply 4,667 MW of green power. It is the world’s largest-ever
green power purchase agreement (PPA). The agreement is part of a
manufacturing-linked solar tender of 8,000 MW awarded to AGEL by SECI in June
2020. So far, AGEL has signed PPAs with SECI for a total generation capacity of
close to 6,000 MW of the 8,000 MW awarded in 2020. The company expected to
complete the balance of 2000 MW in the coming 2 to 3 months.
Note: Solar Energy Corporation of India
Limited Established: 2011; Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited
Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi; Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited
Chairman: Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi; Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited
Managing Director: Suman Sharma.
4.
Arvind Kumar joins Software Technology Parks of India as DG: Arvind Kumar has
joined as Director General of Software Technology Parks of India. Software
Technology Parks of India is an autonomous body under the Ministry of
Electronics & Information Technology Government of India. STPI is fuelling
the culture of tech entrepreneurship and innovation in the country by launching
25 + Centres of Entrepreneurship in emerging technology domains.
About the Software Technology Parks
of India:
Currently, STPI-registered units have reached IT/ITeS/ESDM exports of over Rs.
5 lakh crores. STPI is one of the largest tech incubators in India with an area
of approx.13 lakh square feet spread across various Tier 1/2/3 cities. STPI is
also assisting in the formulation of India BPO Promotion Scheme 2.0. Further to
strengthen the electronics sector, STPI has undertaken rolling out of the
Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme.
Note: Software Technology Parks of India
Founded: 1991; Parent organisation Software Technology Parks of India: Ministry
of Electronics and Information Technology.
5.
The book ‘Raj Kapoor: The Master at Work’ authored by Rahul Rawail released: Vice President of
India, M Venkaiah Naidu has released the book titled ‘Raj Kapoor: The Master At
Work’ authored by Rahul Rawail. The book launch event was held at India Habitat
Centre in New Delhi, coinciding with Raj Kapoor’s 97th birth anniversary. The
vice president described the book as a “labour of love and dedication”.
The essence of the book: The book also
examines how the lessons he learnt under the tutelage of Raj Kapoor carried Rahul
Rawail through directing his own blockbuster films including Love Story,
Betaab, Arjun and Dacait. Raj Kapoor: The Master at Work offers unique insights
into what it took for Raj Kapoor to be an exceptional filmmaker, with his
understanding of human emotions, virtues of music and the art of visual
storytelling. Within these pages, one sees behind the enigma who lived and
breathed cinema, in his before-seen role as a teacher, mentor, parent and guru.
6.
National Farmer’s Day: 23rd December: Kisan Diwas or National Farmers’ Day is
celebrated across the nation on December 23 to commemorate the birth
anniversary of the fifth Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh. He
brought farmer-friendly policies and worked towards the welfare of the farmers.
He was the fifth Prime Minister of India and served the country as Prime
Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
YouGov: PM Modi world’s 8th most admired man in 2021: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has ranked 8th on the list of the world’s top 20 most admired
men, in a survey carried out by data analytics company YouGov. PM Modi is ahead
of Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Virat Kohli. The list has been compiled
taking feedback from 42,000 people in 38 countries.
Apart from PM Modi, the other Indian men
who, according to the survey, were the most admired in 2021 include Sachin
Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Virat Kohli. The list also
includes the most admired Indian women of 2021 has Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya
Rai Bachchan and Sudha Murty.
|
List of the world’s 20
most admired men: |
List of the world’s 20
most admired women: |
|||
|
Rank |
Personality |
Rank |
Personality |
|
|
1 |
Barack Obama |
1 |
Michelle Obama |
|
|
2 |
Bill Gates |
2 |
Angelina Jolie |
|
|
3 |
Xi Jinping |
3 |
Queen Elizabeth II |
|
|
4 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
4 |
Oprah Winfrey |
|
|
5 |
Jackie Chan |
5 |
Scarlett Johansson |
|
|
6 |
Elon Musk |
6 |
Emma Watson |
|
|
7 |
Lionel Messi |
7 |
Taylor Swift |
|
|
8 |
Narendra Modi |
8 |
Angela Merkel |
|
|
9 |
Vladimir Putin |
9 |
Malala Yousafzai |
|
|
10 |
Jack Ma |
10 |
Priyanka Chopra |
|
|
11 |
Warren Buffett |
11 |
Kamala Harris |
|
|
12 |
Sachin Tendulkar |
12 |
Hillary Clinton |
|
|
13 |
Donald Trump |
13 |
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan |
|
|
14 |
Shah Rukh Khan |
14 |
Sudha Murty |
|
|
15 |
Amitabh Bachchan |
15 |
Greta Thunberg |
|
|
16 |
Pope Francis |
16 |
Melania Trump |
|
|
17 |
Imran Khan |
17 |
Lisa |
|
|
18 |
Virat Kohli |
18 |
Liu Yifei |
|
|
19 |
Andy Lau |
19 |
Yang Mi |
|
|
20 |
Joe Biden |
20 |
Jacinda Ardern |
|
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
BWF World badminton championship: K Srikanth won silver: Shuttler Kidambi
Srikanth became the first Indian man to win a silver medal at BWF World
Championships. In the final, Kidambi was defeated by Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew
by 21-15, 22-20. This was the first time that a men’s player from Singapore won
gold at BWF World Championships. The badminton tournament was held from
December 12 to 19, 2021 in Huelva, Spain.
About the 2021 BWF World
Championships:
2021 BWF World Championships is officially known as “TotalEnergies BWF World
Championships 2021” for sponsorship purpose. The badminton tournament was held
from December 12 to 19, 2021 in Huelva, Spain. Huelva was awarded this event in
November 2018, when the announcement was made for 18 major badminton event
hosts from 2019 to 2025.
Note: Badminton World Federation Founded: 5
July 1934; Badminton World Federation Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;
Badminton World Federation President: Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
RBI imposes penalty on PNB and ICICI Bank: A penalty of Rs 1.8 crores has been
imposed on Punjab National Bank (PNB) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), while
ICICI Bank has been fined Rs 30 lakh for deficiencies in regulatory
compliances. According to a statement issued by the central bank, PNB was found
guilty of contravening provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, related
to pledge of shares by it.
In the case of ICICI Bank, the RBI said
that after conducting a statutory inspection for supervisory evaluation of the
bank, it found non-compliance with directions related to levy of charges for
non-maintenance of minimum balance in saving accounts. The RBI however made it
clear that in both the cases, penalties were levied on deficiencies in
regulatory compliances and it was not a pronunciation on the validity of any
transaction or agreement entered into by the banks with their respective
customers.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
WhatsApp announces Digital Payments Utsav for 500 villages in India: WhatsApp has
announced the Digital Payments Utsav for 500 villages in India. WhatsApp’s
Digital Payments Utsav is a pilot program that promotes digital payments to
empower individuals and businesses and is meant as a project to further the
cause of financial inclusion. The aim is to empower villagers with access to
digital payments via the ‘payments on WhatsApp’.
At the Fuel For India 2021 event:
(1) WhatsApp announced the Digital Payments
Utsav – a pilot program that is going to adopt 500 villages in Karnataka and
Maharashtra in an effort to “accelerate financial inclusion”.
(2) Digital Payments Utsav took off on October
15 this year in the Kyathanahalli village in the Mandya district of Karnataka.
(3) Here on-ground facilitators helped
familiarise villagers with various aspects of digital payments including how to
sign up for UPI, set up a UPI account, and also told them about the best
practices to be safe while using digital payments online.
Note: WhatsApp Founded: 2009; WhatsApp CEO:
Will Cathcart; WhatsApp Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States;
WhatsApp Acquisition date: 19 February 2014; WhatsApp Founders: Jan Koum, Brian
Acton; WhatsApp Parent organization: Facebook.
2.
TVS Motor and BMW Motorrad tie up to make electric vehicles: India’s TVS Motor
Company will develop electric vehicles (EV) with BMW’s motorcycle brand in
India, joining a host of Indian automakers that have sought to expand their
clean mobility offering. The tie-up comes at a time when new-age start-ups like
Ola Electric & Ather are ramping up investment in electric scooters. Under
the extended scope of the partnership, the companies plan to come up with an
electric vehicle platform in addition to the existing internal combustion
platform for both global and domestic markets. The first product under the
enhanced co-operation, an electric model suited for the urban ecosystem, is
expected to make its debut in the next 24 months.
Note: TVS Motor Company CEO: K. N.
Radhakrishnan; TVS Motor Company Headquarters: Chennai; TVS Motor Company
Founder: T. V. Sundram Iyengar; TVS Motor Company Founded: 1978.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
Kumar Mangalam Birla receives Global Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Aditya Birla
Group’s chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla has received the Global Entrepreneur of
the Year Award- Business Transformation from The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE)
based out of Silicon Valley. Birla is the first Indian Industrialist to receive
the award for global entrepreneurship along with top global business leaders
Satya Nadella, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos. The awardees were selected by an
independent jury chaired by Venture Capitalist, Tim Draper, Founder, Draper
University.
2. Avani Lekhara won ‘Best Female Debut’ honour at 2021 Paralympic Sport Awards: Indian shooter Avani Lekhara, who has created history by winning India’s first Gold medal in Shooting at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, won the “Best Female Debut” honour at the 2021 Paralympic Sport Awards. The Awards were announced by the International Paralympic Committee. She became the 1st Indian woman to win 2 Paralympic medals in a single edition of the Paralympic Games. India won an unprecedented 19 medals at the Paralympic Games including 5 Gold, 8 Silver & 6 Bronze.
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