Daily Current Affairs: December 22, 2020

Daily Current Affairs (December 22, 2020) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK, and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness, and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

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Important Days

National Mathematics Day – December 22:

• National Mathematics Day is observed every year on December 22 since 2012 across India to recognise and celebrate the works of Srinivasa Ramanujan. It was on this day in 1887, the Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan was born.

National News

8^th edition of the North East Festival held in Guwahati, Assam:

• The 8^th edition of the North East Festival (NEF) 2020 was held in Guwahati, Assam. This was the first time that Guwahati has hosted the two-day event.
• The festival was organised with minimum human presence and broadcasted all over the globe through digital platforms. The focus of the festival is “growth agenda for North East post COVID19.”

Assam:    

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief Minister: SarbanandaSonowal
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
• National Parks: Orang National Park, Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Nameri National Park, Dehing Patkai Wls.

ADB approves $231 million loan to construct the Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Power plant in Assam:

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned a $231 million loan for the construction of the Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Power (LKHEP) plant in Central Assam, India. The plant will produce 120 MW of electricity to harness water from the Kopili river, to address power requirements during peak demand periods.
• This loan is the third and largest tranche of the $ 300 million Assam Power Sector Investment Program approved by ADB in 2014. The project has so far upgraded the 70-megawatt (MW) Lakwa gas project and improved its distribution networks.

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar releases ‘Status of Leopard in India 2018’ report:

• Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar released the Status of Leopard in India 2018 report. India’s leopard population recorded an encouraging increase of 62% in four years, from 7910 in 2014 to 12852 in 2018.
• Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of leopards (3421), followed by Karnataka (1783) and Maharashtra (1690).

United Nations Women collaborates with the Kerala government for India’s first Gender Data Hub:

• The Kerala government and UN Women have collaborated to establish India’s first Gender Data Hub. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
• The Gender Hub builds on the goals established through the International Conference on Gender Equality held in November 2015 to collect, analyse, and use more nuanced data and inform policy formulation in a manner that centre-stages women’s rights.

Uttar Pradesh becomes the first state in India to establish a Mega leather park in Kanpur:

• Uttar Pradesh Government is set to establish India’s first mega leather park. The mega leather park will come up in Ramaipur village of Kanpur with an investment of 5,850 crores. The park, which is part of the mega leather cluster project, is likely to create 50,000 jobs.

Uttar Pradesh:                 

• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• National Park: Dudhwa National Park (Tiger Reserve)
• Zoological park: Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Prani Udyan (Gorakhpur), Kanpur Zoological Park, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden.

Centre promulgates new ‘Electricity Rules, 2020’ to give consumers the right to 24×7 supply electricity rules:

• The Union Ministry of Power issued a set of rules to ensure power consumers’ rights in the country. As per the new rules, there will be penalties for power distribution utilities (discoms) for not maintaining mandated standards of services under the Electricity (Rights of consumers) Rules, 2020.
• The distribution licensee supply 24×7 power to all consumers. However, the Commission may specify lower hours of supply for some categories of consumers like agriculture.

Uttar Pradesh launched India’s First Blockchain-Enabled Rooftop Solar Trading Platform in Lucknow:

• Uttar Pradesh has launched India and South-Asia’s first blockchain-enabled ‘peer to peer’ (P2P) trading platform for rooftop solar power. India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF), along with blockchain technology partner Power Ledger, Australia, and Abajyon Consulting, will execute the project.
• The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL), Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (MVVNL), and Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) are hosting the first-of-its-kind pilot project, involving energy generated from solar rooftop systems installed on buildings in Lucknow.

International News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 6^th Indo-Japan SAMVAD Conference:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the sixth edition of the India-Japan SAMVAD conference held in virtual mode. PM Modi proposed to create a library of traditional Buddhist literature and scriptures in India.
• The purpose of this Samvad Conference is to discuss the need to build the future of Asia on the positive influence of traditions of non-violence and democracy in Asia. The first conference, Samvad I, was held in New Delhi in 2015, at Bodh Gaya.

India and Vietnam sign seven agreements during a virtual summit:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnam PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc are holding a virtual summit to discuss the future development of the India-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership.
• India and Vietnam signed seven agreements during the virtual summit in areas such as defence, scientific research, renewable energy, nuclear energy, petro-chemicals, and cancer treatment.

Banking and Economy

Central Bank of India launches ‘RuPay Select’ Contactless Debit Card:

• Central Bank of India (CBI), in association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), launched a unique variant of contactless Debit Card’ RuPay Select.’ The card will focus on customers’ lifestyle, fitness, rejuvenation, nutrition, and personal care.
• The bank also launched another customer utility product FASTag, in association with OSTA (Optical Storage Technology Association).

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund launched “ICICI Prudential Business Cycle Fund”:

• ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched the “ICICI Prudential Business Cycle Fund,” an open-ended equity scheme. The New Fund Offer (NFO) opens on December 29, 2020, and closes on January 12, 2021.
• The scheme will invest in equity and equity-related securities, with a focus on riding business cycles through dynamic allocation across sectors and stocks.

Science and Technology

Indian Navy signs MoU with INCOIS to share ocean services data:

• Indian Navy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to share ocean services data and expertise in operational oceanography.
• This MoU is focused on sharing of ocean services, data, and expertise in the field of operational oceanography and the same will benefit both Indian Navy and INCOIS professional exchanges in future.

Awards and Recognitions

F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for 2020:

• Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was named the ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020′. It is the second time that Hamilton has been crowned the sports personality award. Prior to this, he won the award in 2014.

Other Sports Personalities of the Year 2020:

• Coach of the Year: Jurgen Klopp
• Team of the Year: Liverpool
• Young Sports Personality of the Year: Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix
• World Sport Star of the Year: Khabib Nurmagomedov
• Panel Special Award: Marcus Rashford
• Helen Rollason Award: Captain Sir Tom Moore
• Captain Tom Young Unsung Hero: Tobias Weller
• Unsung Hero: Sergeant Matiu Ratana

Aesthetic Dhokra decorative pieces added to the Tribes India collection:

• Exquisite Dhokra products from different tribes of India were among the main items added in the 7^th edition of “From Our Home to your Home” campaign on Tribes India, which focusses on sourcing new, natural, attractive as well as immunity-boosting tribal products and bringing them to the customer.
• These products reflect the simplicity & motifs of tribal and folklife & make for excellent gifting options. Dhokra products are statues of fish, elephants & hangers from Lohra tribes.
• Thirty-five new products were included in the Tribes India catalogue over the past week. Key among them is the Dhokra style metalwork.

Rankings

India ranked 63^rd in the Ease of Doing Business Survey 2020; New Zealand topped:

• According to the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Survey 2020, India remained unaffected in the revised Ease of Doing Business report and ranked 63^rd. China dropped seven places to 85^th from the previous 78^th
• The list was topped by New Zealand, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong in the 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively.

Obituary News

Congress veteran Motilal Vora passed away at 93:

• Veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora died due to post-COVID-19 complications. He was born at Jodhpur in Rajasthan and began his career as a journalist. Motilal Vora served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh twice, once from 1985 to 1988 and then again in 1989 for 11 months.

Former football player and Packers assistant coach Kevin Greene passed away at 58:

• Former Packers assistant coach and American football player, Kevin Greene has passed away at 58. He was an assistant Packers coach for five seasons, including Super Bowl 45. Kevin was a coach from 2009-2013.

Sports News

Four Indigenous games to be included in the Khelo India Youth Games 2021:

• The Union Sports Ministry has approved four indigenous games to be a part of the Khelo India Youth Games 2021 which is scheduled to take place in Haryana next year.
• The four selected games represent different parts of the country – Gatka (Punjab), Kalaripayattu (Kerala), Thang-Ta (Manipur), and Mallakhamba (Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra).

Former Tamil Nadu and CSK bowler Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh retire from all forms of cricket:

• Former Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seamer Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The right-arm medium-fast bowler ends his career with 108 wickets in 50 first-class matches. He also scalped 93 wickets in List A cricket at an average of 67.

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