Daily Current Affairs: December 28 & 29, 2020

Daily Current Affairs (December 28 & 29, 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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National News

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announces Multi-Model Logistics park in Silchar, Assam

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced that a multi-model logistics park would be constructed in the Silchar and Balacherra-Harengajao section of the Silchar-Saurashtra Highway, which is to be completed in March 2022.
• He also laid a foundation stone for 20 projects and inaugurated seven projects worth 2366 crores for Assam with a total length of 439 kilometres.

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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the 100^th run of Kisan Rail in Maharashtra

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the 100^th run of Kisan Rail in Maharashtra. The 100^th run of the Kisan Rail was virtually flagged off from Sangola, Maharashtra to Shalimar, West Bengal.
• Kisan Rail is a mobile cold storage to move perishable goods like vegetables, fruits, milk, fish, etc.,

Maharashtra:                   

• Capital: Mumbai.
• Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray.
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Launches ‘E-Sampada’ Web Portal and Mobile App for Estate Services

• Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, has launched E-Sampada, a new web portal and mobile app for the Management of all Government of India (GoI) Estate services on Good Governance Day. It has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• The new application provides a single-window for all the services, including an allotment for over one lakh government residential accommodations, office space allotment to government organisations in 45 office complexes in 28 cities, and booking of 1,176-holiday homerooms.

Jal Jeevan Mission launches “Water Quality Testing Innovation Challenge” for portable water testing devices

• The Jal Jeevan Mission & the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) have launched an innovation challenge to develop portable devices which are to be used for water testing. The main objective of this exercise is to develop a modular and cost-effective solution that could be used at a household level to test the drinking water quality
• The Jal Jeevan Mission is a national mission to provide potable water on tap to every household by 2024.

East Coast Railway becomes the first zone to adopt the EOTT system in Indian Railways

• The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has commissioned an End of Train Telemetry (EOTT) system to run trains without guards. It is the country’s first railway zone to use cutting-edge technology for the operation of trains without brake van and guards.
• The field trial for Indian Railways was conducted between Talcher and Paradip section of Odisha successfully reached the destination with EOTT system in place. Electric Loco Shed, Angul has commissioned and tested the technology.

International News

Indian and Vietnamese Navy concludes two-day naval passage exercise ‘PASSEX’ in the South China Sea

• Indian and Vietnamese Navy concluded the two-day naval passage exercise PASSEX in the South China Sea as part of their efforts to boost maritime cooperation between the two countries.
• Indian Naval Ship Kiltan, carrying humanitarian assistance, reached Vietnam’s Nha Rong Port in Ho Chi Minh City to deliver fifteen tonnes of relief material for flood-affected people under Mission Sagar-III.

India set to become the 5^th largest economy in 2025 and the 3^rd largest by 2030; CEBR report

• According to the CEBR (Centre for Economics and Business Research) report, India will overtake the UK to become the 5^th largest economy in 2025. India had overtaken the UK in 2019 to become the fifth largest economy in the world, but it has been relegated to the sixth spot in 2020. India would overtake Germany in 2027 and Japan in 2030.

Banking and Economy

Punjab National Bank (PNB) introduces PNB e-Credit Card

• Punjab National Bank (PNB) introduced “PNB e-Credit Card,” a digital replica of a physical Credit Card. It will allow PNB customers to use PNB e-credit card at any e-commerce platform or merchant website without carrying a physical card.
• Customers can view PNB e-Credit Cards’ details by clicking on the e-Credit Card facility in the PNB Genie Mobile app.

Bank of Baroda launches digital lending platform to serve retail loan virtually in 30 minutes

• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched a Digital Lending Platform that enables prospective retail loan seekers to get loans digitally through a paperless process. Bank of Baroda currently offers pre-approved micro personal loan to existing selected customers to shop anything through offline/online partner channels and pay later in easy EMIs.
• Customers can also avail of the amount into their savings bank account and convert it to EMIs from 3 to 18 months through m-Connect+ (Bank’s mobile banking app) in 60 seconds. The bank also offers ‘Online Loan against Fixed Deposits (FD)’ through a digital lending platform.

Bank of Baroda (BOB):

• Headquarters: Baroda (Vadodara), Gujarat
• MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha.
• Chairman:  Hasmukh Adhia
• Tagline: “India’s International Bank”.

Acquisitions and Mergers

Hero Electric ties up with startup eBikeGO

• Hero Electric has tied up with e-mobility startup eBikeGO to supply over 1000 bikes to transform last-mile deliveries. eBikeGo will procure these Hero Electric bikes through the next financial year.
• Through the partnership, the companies will further transform the last mile deliveries from petrol to electric with their expertise in EV technology and Internet of Things (IoT) enabled operations.

AU Small Finance Bank ties up with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to offer life insurance solutions

• AU Small Finance Bank announced a strategic partnership with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to offer life insurance solutions. Through the corporate agency arrangement, over 18 lakh customers of AU Bank across over 700 banking touchpoints in 13 states & 2 UTs, will have access to the entire suite of customer-centric protection & long-term savings products of ICICI Prudential Life.

SBI Life Insurance acquires 8.99% stake in Paisalo Digital

• SBI Life Insurance had acquired an 8.99 percent (38 lakh equity shares) stake in non-banking finance company Paisalo Digital. The transaction was for cash consideration of about ₹186.20 crores via a bulk deal on the NSE at Rs 490 per share.

Science and Technology

Indian submarine INS Sindhuvir handed over to the Myanmar navy:

• Myanmar Navy officially inducted a submarine handed over by India. INS Sindhuvir was commissioned as UMS Minye Theinkhathu and inducted on the 73^rd anniversary of the Myanmar Navy.
• It is the first submarine in the Myanmar Navy’s arsenal. The former Soviet-era submarine was in operation in the Indian Navy since 1988.

Skyroot Aerospace becomes the first Indian company to test-fire solid-fueled rocket engine

• Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian space startup, has proven the crucial propulsion technology of their maiden rocket Vikram-1, with the latest test-firing of an engine. Vikram-1 rocket is powered by four engines – three solid-fuel stages and one liquid-fuel stage that the firm has designed and developed.
• Skyroot Aerospace has become the first private company of India to successfully design, develop, and test a full solid-fueled rocket stage. The remaining four motors are in various stages of manufacturing and would be tested in 2021.

Appointments

Suresh Mohapatra appointed new chief secretary of Odisha

• Odisha government appointed 1986 batch IAS officer Suresh Chandra Mohapatra as the new chief secretary. He will succeed Asit Kumar Tripathy, who will retire on December 31.
• The state government has appointed Tripathy as chairman of Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) and principal adviser to the chief minister on regional development, tourism, agribusiness, and industry.

Awards and Recognitions

Bihar wins Digital India Award for transferring money to beneficiaries’ accounts during COVID-19

• The Bihar government’s initiative to transfer financial assistance directly to the accounts of beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic has made its departments the winners of the Digital India Awards for innovative steps in e-governance.
• The Chief minister’s office, State’s disaster management department & NIC were jointly selected as the winners for the ‘Innovation in Pandemic’ Through their Bihar Corona Sahaayta Mobile App, financial assistance of Rs. 1000 was provided to more than 21 lakh people.

K. Veeramani honoured with Dr. Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Award

• The Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Award for this year has been conferred to K. Veeramani. The award was instituted in the memory of the Maharashtra-based rationalist Dabholkar.
• Narendra Achyut Dabholkar was an Indian medical doctor, social activist, rationalist, and author from Maharashtra, India.

Indian Captain Virat Kohli wins the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for Male Cricketer of the Decade

• Indian captain Virat Kohli has been named as the Men’s Cricketer of the Decade by ICC. He had scored 20,396 runs in all international cricket in this decade. He also won the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade Award.
• Ellyse Perry won the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award & she had scored 4,349 runs. Australian batsman Steve Smith was declared the ICC Test Cricketer of the Decade. Afghan spinner Rashid Khan was named the ICC T20I Cricketer of the Decade.

Obituary News

Former WWE wrestler Jon Huber known as Luke Harper, passed away at 41

• WWE wrestler Jon Huber passed away due to lung illness. He wrestled under the names Luke Harper and Brodie Lee and performed for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as well as All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Padma Shri dance historian Sunil Kothari passed away at 87

• Padma Shri dance historian and critic Sunil Kothari passed away in New Delhi. He was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995); the Padma Shri award (2001); and the Life Time Achievement Award of the Dance Critics Association, New York (2011).

Urdu poet and critic Shamsur Rahman Faruqi passed away at 85

• Legendary Urdu poet and critic Shamsur Rahman Faruqi passed away in Allahabad. He received the Saraswati Samman award in 1996 for “She’r-e Shor-Angez”.
• Some of his books are Mirror of Beauty, Ghalib Afsaney Ki Himayat Mein,

Sports News

MS Dhoni was named the captain of ICC T20I and ODI Teams of the Decade, Virat Kohli to lead the ICC Test side

• International Cricket Council (ICC) announced glittering men’s and women’s teams for different formats from the last decade. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain of the T20I and ODI Teams of the Decade, and Virat Kohli was picked to lead the Test side. The T20I side comprises four Indian players, three in the ODI side and two in the Test side. Australia’s Meg Lanning has been named the captain of ICC’s T20I Women’s Team of the Decade.
• ICC’s T20I Men’s Team of the Decade: Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, MS Dhoni (c), Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, and Lasith Malinga.
• ICC’s ODI Team of the Decade: Rohit Sharma, David Warner, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Shakib Al Hasan, MS Dhoni (c), Ben Stokes, Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, Imran Tahir, and Lasith Malinga.
• ICC’s Test Team of the Decade: Alistair Cook, David Warner, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli (c), Steve Smith, Kumar Sangakkara, Ben Stokes, Ravi Ashwin, Dale Steyn, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
• ICC’s T20I Women’s Team of the Decade: Alyssa Healy, Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Meg Lanning, Harmanpreet Kaur, Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Ellyse Perry, Anya Shrubsole, Megan Schutt, Poonam Yadav

Russian badminton player Nikita Khakimov banned for five years over betting and fixing offences

• Russian badminton player Nikita Khakimov has received a five-year ban after being found guilty of offences relating to “betting, wagering and irregular match results” announced by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
• The 32-year-old Khakimov was part of the Russian men’s team that won the bronze medal at the European Team Championships 2020.

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