current affairs capsule (december 2020)

Triumphant Institute of Management Education Pvt. Ltd. (T.I.M.E.) HO: 95B, 2nd Floor, Siddamsetty Complex, Secunderabad – 500 003. Tel : 040–40088400 Fax : 040–27847334 email : [email protected] website : www.time4education.com 1

INTERNATIONAL

NATION

AL

CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULE (DECEMBER 2020)

Biden names Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary, Neera Tanden as head of OMB US President-elect Joe Biden has named Janet Yellen as his Treasury Secretary and Indian-American Neera Tanden as Director of Office of Management and Budget, as he announced key members of his economic team.

China, Pakistan sign military deal China and Pakistan have signed a new military memorandum of understanding to boost their already close defence relationship. Both countries also discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security, and enhanced bilateral defense collaboration.

Wisconsin, Arizona certify Biden wins in Presidential poll Two battleground States, Wisconsin and Arizona, certified their presidential election results in favour of Joe Biden, even as President Donald Trump’s legal team continued to dispute the results.

U.S. Senate clears Bill on immigrant visas The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a Bill that eliminates the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrant visas and raises it for family-based visas, a legislation that will hugely benefit hundreds of thousands of Indian professionals in America who have been waiting for years to get their green cards.

Bangladesh starts relocation of Rohingyas to the newly developed facility at Bhashan Char Island Going ahead with its plan to shift the Rohingyas from Cox's Bazar refugee camp, the Bangladesh government started the process of relocating them to the newly developed facility at the Bhashan char Island.

Bangladesh signs first Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) since its independence Bangladesh signed its first Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Bhutan allowing duty free access to a range of goods between the two countries. This is the first PTA Bangladesh has signed with any country in the world.

Maduro wins legislature polls boycotted by Opposition Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s political alliance claimed a sweeping victory in congressional elections boycotted by the most influential opposition politicians and widely criticized internationally as being fraudulent. US slaps financial sanctions & travel ban against 14 Chinese officials The United States has slapped financial sanctions and travel ban against 14 Chinese officials for undermining the autonomy of Hong Kong.

UK to become first country to roll out Covid-19 vaccine United Kingdom will become the first country to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine. Earlier, the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use.

Iran says ready to return to nuclear deal Iran is ready to return to full compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers as soon as the other parties honour their commitments, President Hassan Rouhani said.

US panel of experts formally recommend that FDA authorize Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine has passed a critical milestone when a US panel of experts formally recommended that the Food and Drug Administration authorize the vaccine.

Morocco latest country to normalise relations with Israel in US-brokered deal Morocco has become the latest Arab country to agree to normalise relations with Israel in a deal brokered with US help.

Israel establishes diplomatic ties with Bhutan Israel has established diplomatic relations with Bhutan.The agreement follows several years of secret contacts between Israel and Bhutan with the aim of establishing relations.

India, Iran and Uzbekistan to hold talks on joint use of Chabahar port The first Trilateral Working Group Meeting between India, Iran and Uzbekistan on joint use of Chabahar Port will be held virtually.

Germany orders partial lockdown Germany will go into a partial lockdown with non-essential shops and schools to close, as Europe’s biggest economy battles to halt an exponential growth in coronavirus infections. The new curbs will apply until January 1.

UN Secretary General says world leaders should declare climate emergency in their countries to avoid catastrophic global warming UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has called on all countries to declare a climate emergency to spur action to avoid catastrophic global warming. He was speaking at a virtual summit on the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement.

Covid-19 vaccination drive begins in the US; Nurse Sandra Lindsay is the first to get the vaccine The first Covid-19 vaccination in the United States has taken place, as the country gears up for its largest ever immunisation campaign. Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in New York is the first in US to get COVID-19 vaccine.The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine received emergency-use authorisation from the FDA.

Singapore approves Pfizer-BioNTech's novel coronavirus vaccine Singapore has approved Pfizer-BioNTech's novel coronavirus vaccine and expects delivery of the first shots by the end of this month. Saudi Arabia announces three-phase roll out of Covid-19 vaccine Saudi Arabia announced a three-phase COVID-19 vaccination programme as it began registering citizens and foreign residents after approving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.


NATIONAL

NATI

ON

AL

China, Russia aim to enhance strategic mutual trust and avoid strategic miscalculation China and Russia have signed a Protocol to extend an agreement between the two countries on notifications of launches of ballistic missiles and space missile carriers. The validity of the Agreement will be extended for another 10 years.

WHO team expected to visit China in January 2021 to probe COVID-19 origins The much-awaited international mission led by the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to go to China in the first week of January to investigate the origins of the novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that triggered the COVID-19 pandemic.

India’s COVID-19 cases per million among lowest in world The Ministry of Health has said that India's active COVID-19 cases per million population is among the lowest in the world. The Ministry said that while active cases of COVID-19 per million population in India stand at 226, it is 2 thousand 557 in Turkey and 3 thousand 501 in Russia.

U.S. FDA authorizes Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use Moderna Inc's coronavirus vaccine became the second to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New Strain of Coronavirus "Out Of Control", Says UK Amid Flights Ban European countries banned flights from the UK on Sunday and the WHO called for stronger containment measures as the British government warned that a potent new strain of the virus was "out of control".

Nepal: Parliament dissolved, Election will be held in two phases in April and May next year Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari dissolved parliament at the request of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s cabinet. President's office said in a statement that the elections will be held on April 30 and May 10 next year, more than a year ahead of schedule.

China justifies its military exercise with Pakistan amid apprehensions about India’s Malabar exercise China has justified its ongoing joint air exercise "Shaheen-IX" with Pakistan, even though it had expressed apprehensions about India’s "Malabar exercise" last month.

EU approves Pfizer-BioNTech's corona vaccine for use in 27 nation grouping European Union has approved the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. The first phase of the 27-nation bloc's mass vaccination programme to begin later this week.

UK identifies new South African coronavirus variant, tightens lockdown Two cases of another new strain of Covid-19 linked to South Africa have been identified in the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed.

Israel to hold snap polls next year as Parliament fail to meet deadline to pass Budget Israel's parliament, the Knesset, was dissolved after the two main parties in its unity government failed to meet a

deadline in a row over state budgets last night. Israel will now hold its fourth elections in two years in March next year.

European Union and Britain reach an agreement over post-Brexit trade European Union and United Kingdom have struck a post-Brexit trade deal, after months of negotiations over future business rules, just a week before the deadline. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that they have completed the biggest deal yet worth 668 billion pound a year.

Trump Signs $900 Billion Covid Relief Bill After delaying for nearly a week and under pressure from all sides, US President Donald Trump finally signed a massive $900 billion stimulus bill, in a long-sought boost for millions of Americans and businesses battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

WHO calls for expanded measures to find variants The head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that it’s important to step up genomic sequencing worldwide to ensure that new variants of the coronavirus are detected as the pandemic enters its second year.

European Union Ambassadors unanimously approve EU-UK post- Brexit trade deal Ambassadors from 27 European Union (EU) Member States have unanimously approved the EU-UK post-Brexit trade deal. The deal is likely to become law on 1st January, as the UK Parliament is expected to approve it.

British lawmakers approve post-Brexit trade deal with EU Britain’s House of Commons voted resoundingly to approve a trade deal with the European Union, paving the way for an orderly break with the bloc that will finally complete the U.K.’s years-long Brexit journey.

U.K. approves Oxford vaccine The COVID-19 vaccine by Oxford Universty and AstraZeneca has been approved for emergency supply in the U.K., with the first doses being released on Wednesday so that vaccinations may begin early in the New Year.

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund:An important Link in Agricultural Reforms The Central Government has launched one lakh crore rupees Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF). The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is a medium - long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and credit guarantee.

India and Nepal decide to open flights under bilateral bubble arrangement India and Nepal have decided to open flights under a bilateral bubble arrangement, as India has done with several countries.

India, UK hold delegation level talks on boosting cooperation in different areas India and UK held delegation level talks on strengthen cooperation in different areas including trade and prosperity, defence and security, climate and health.


India and Uzbekistan hold their first virtual summit A virtual summit was held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This will be the first bilateral ‘Virtual Summit’ meeting between India and a central Asian country.

India and Uzbekistan sign nine agreements to strengthen strategic partnership India and Uzbekistan signed nine Agreements and Memorandum of Understandings, MoUs in various areas including in the field of Solar Energy, Digital Technologies and on High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP).

India and Qatar to create special Task-Force to further facilitate investments by QIA into India India and Qatar have decided to create a special Task-Force to further facilitate investments by Qatar Investment Authority into India.

Govt. announces ₹900 crore package for COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission The Centre has announced the third stimulus package of ₹900 crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha- The Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission. This grant will be provided to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for Research and Development of Indian COVID-19 vaccines.

Bangladesh signs agreement with Serum Institute of India for procuring COVID-19 vaccine The government of Bangladesh signed an agreement with the Serum Institute of India (SII) for procurement of 3 crore doses of the Oxford/ Astrazeneca vaccine

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile in Anti-Ship mode successfully test fired BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile in Anti-Ship mode was successfully test fired against a decommissioned Ship. The test firing was carried out by Indian Navy.

Panel formed to oversee India’s Paris climate goals The Union Environment Ministry has constituted a high-level inter-ministerial apex committee for Implementation of Paris Agreement (AIPA) under the chairmanship of Secretary, MoEFCC.

India and the US sign MoU on Intellectual Property cooperation India, and the US have signed Memorandum of Understanding on Intellectual Property cooperation. The MoU aims at increasing IP co-operation between the two countries

Manipur police station chosen best in country Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district of Manipur has been selected by the Home Ministry as the best among all police stations in the country for its performance in dealing cases.

PASSEX conducted by Indian Navy and Russian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) has undertaken a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from 4 to 5 December 2020.

IIT alumni body to raise ₹50,000 cr for revitalising domestic research The relatively new Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Alumni Council has announced an “India Empowerment Fund” with an aim to raise ₹50,000 crore in a decade, with a promise to rekindle domestic research.

Naidu releases postage stamp in former PM IK Gujral's honour Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has virtually released a commemorative Postage Stamp in honour of the late Prime Minister of India & Freedom Fighter, I K Gujral (Inder Kumar Gujral).

Gwalior, Orchha in UNESCO world heritage cities list The historical fort cities of Gwalior and Orchha in Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of UNESCOs world heritage cities under its urban landscape city programme.

Ministry of AYUSH, AIIMS to set up Department of Integrative Medicine Ministry of AYUSH and AIIMS have decided to initiate work on setting up a Department of Integrative Medicine at AIIMS

Nine states complete implementation for One Nation one Ration Card System A total of nine states have completed the implementation process of One Nation One Ration Card System. Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh have successfully completed the reforms in PDS.

Cabinet nod for public WiFi networks The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for setting up public WiFi hotspots across the country via public data offices or PDOs, which could even be a kirana shop or a paan shop. The public Wi-Fi Access Network Interface, which will be called ‘PM-WANI’.

Karnataka Assembly adopts Bill against cow slaughter The Legislative Assembly adopted the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2020, that has stringent penal provisions ranging from imprisonment of three to seven years and penalty of ₹50,000 to ₹7 lakh for violations.

PM Modi laid foundation stone of new Parliament building Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed a ground-breaking ceremony in the heart of Delhi to mark the symbolic launch of the new parliament building. Tata Projects Limited won the bid to construct the new Parliament building.

BSNL launches world’s largest NB-IoT to benefit traditional sectors BSNL announced the launch of a satellite-based internet of things (IoT) device service that can be used across India where mobile towers are not present, including the seas within the country's jurisdiction The state-run telecom firm said it is the world's first satellite-based narrowband-IoT(NB- IoT) network.

India’s first indigenous mRNA vaccine candidate receives approval to initiate Phase 1 and 2 human clinical trials India’s first indigenous mRNA vaccine candidate has received approval from Indian Drug regulators to initiate Phase one and two human clinical trials. The novel mRNA vaccine candidate, HGCO19 has been developed by Gennova, Pune and supported with seed grant under the Ind-CEPI mission of the

Handicraft and GI Toys exempted from Quality Control Order Centre has exempted Handicraft and Geographical Indications toys from Quality Control Order. Department


for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade mentioned this exemption in Toys (Quality Control) Second Amendment Order, 2020.

Ashraf Patel named Social Entrepreneur of the year Ashraf Patel has won the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award instituted by the Schwab Foundation and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation. Ashraf Patel is the co-founder of Pravah and ComMutiny Youth Collective.

All states, except TN, availed benefits of “Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure” scheme All the states except Tamil Nadu have availed benefits of the newly announced scheme for “Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure”. The scheme was announced by the Finance Minister on 12th October as a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat package.

Norway Research Institute signs an MoU with Clean Ganga Mission for development of sludge management framework Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research has signed an MoU with cGanga, a think-tank of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for development of sludge management framework in India.

NITI Aayog releases a white paper ''Vision 2035 - Public Health Surveillance in India'' NITI Aayog released a white paper Vision 2035 - Public Health Surveillance in India. The white paper lays out India’s vision for public health surveillance through the integration of the three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat.

Gujarat to get mega renewable energy park Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay foundation stone for what is billed as the world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park in Gujarat’s Kutch district. The 30,000 MW hybrid renewable energy park will be the world's largest with both windmills and solar panels being set up to generate power.

GRSE Kolkata launches ‘Himgiri’, its 1st Ship of Project 17A Himgiri, which is the first of the three Project 17A ships being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata was launched. P17A ships are the first gas turbine propulsion and largest combat platforms ever built at GRSE.

British PM Boris Johnson to be Chief Guest at Republic Day Parade next year The United Kingdom has confirmed that Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be the chief guest at Republic Day Parade in January 2021.

Centre issues guidelines for mass Covid-19 vaccination drive;First Phase to include 30 crore people Centre has issued guidelines for mass Covid-19 vaccination drive in the country. Health and Family Welfare Ministry is planning to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people during the first phase. The vaccine will be offered first to healthcare workers, frontline workers and to persons above 50 years of age.

Dept of Posts & India Post Payments Bank unveil new digital payment app ‘DakPay’ Department of Posts and India Post Payments Bank has unveiled a new digital payment app DakPay. The App is launched as part of its ongoing efforts to provide Digital Financial inclusion at the last mile across India.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 23rd Meeting of FSDC through video conference Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 23rd Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council, FSDC through video conference in New Delhi.

GoI, World Bank sign 400 million dollar project to protect India’s poor from COVID-19 Government of India and the World Bank have signed 400 million dollar project to protect India’s poor and vulnerable from the impact of COVID-19.

India signs one billion dollar loan agreement with NDB for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan The Government of India and New Development Bank signed a loan agreement for one thousand million dollar to provide support to Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan through MGNREG Scheme.

Virtual Summit: India and Bangladesh sign 7 MoUs, agreements India and Bangladesh signed seven MoUs and agreements during the virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

DAC approves proposals worth ₹27,000 crore to procure equipment from domestic industry Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved proposals to procure equipment worth ₹27,000 crore from the domestic industry.

Farmers have the right to continue protest: SC The Supreme Court of India said farmers have a constitutional right to continue with their “absolutely perfect” protest as long as their dissent against the three controversial agricultural laws did not slip into violence.

ISRO launches new communication satellite CMS-01 successfully The Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, has successfully launched the country’s new communication satellite CMS-01 in the intended orbit in space. The new satellite CMS-01 will take over the mantle from the ageing telecommunication satellite GSAT-12 that has outlived its planned operational period by rendering seamless service for 11 years.

COVID19 Vaccination will be voluntary: Health Ministry Vaccination against Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as part of national vaccination drive is voluntary, reiterated Union ministry of health and family welfare in its recently released document.

Skill India establishes first Centre of Excellence for Skill Development in Power Sector Skill India has established first Centre of Excellence for Skill Development in Power Sector in the campus of National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurugram Haryana.

India, Indonesia holds the 4th Bilateral JWG meeting on Drug Control Cooperation virtually 4th Bilateral Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), India and the National Narcotics Board (BNN), Indonesia was held virtually.

Health Minister chairs 22nd meeting of high-level Group of Ministers on COVID-19 Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, chaired the 22nd meeting of the high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 by a video-conference in New Delhi.


Prime Minister delivers inaugural address at India International Science Festival 2020 on Dec 22 Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at the India International Science Festival, IISF 2020 on December 22 through video conferencing. The central theme of this year’s festival is “Science for Self-reliant India and Global Welfare”.

I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar announces the selection films in Indian Panorama for the 51st IFFI Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the selection of 23 Feature and 20 non-feature films in Indian Panorama for the 51st International Film Festival of India, IFFI to be held in Goa in January next year.

Amid global concerns over a new strain of Coronavirus India suspends all flights originating from UK till 31st December India has suspended all flights originating from the United Kingdom to the country till 31st December 2020, amid growing global concerns over a highly infectious new strain of the Coronavirus.

Centre and WB sign USD 500 million project to build Green National Highway Corridors The Centre and the World Bank signed a USD 500 million project to build safe and green national highway corridors in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Leopard population increases by 60 per cent in the country The ‘Status of Leopard in India 2018’ report, released by Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar, said that India now has 12,852 leopards. More than 60 per cent increase in population has been recorded over the previous estimate which was conducted in 2014.

DRDO conducts successful trial of Medium Range Surface to Air MR-SAM missile from Chandipur off Odisha coast DRDO conducted the successful trial of the Medium Range Surface to Air MR-SAM missile from Chandipur off the Odisha coast. This was the army version of the MR-SAM missile which has been designed jointly by India and Israel.

Cabinet approves post matric scholarship scheme for more than 4 Crore SC students The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved 59 thousand 48 Crore rupees post matric scholarship scheme for more than 4 Crore Scheduled Castes students in 5 years.

Cabinet gives nod to merger of 4 Film Media Units with NFDC through rationalization of infrastructure, manpower and other resources The union Cabinet approved the merger of Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India, and Children's Film Society, India with National Film Development Corporation.

Aero India latest edition to be held only on 3 business days In view of COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions, the 13th edition of Aero India scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in February next year will be held only on three business days and the public will be able to witness the air display only in virtual mode, the Defence Ministry said.

Thaawarchand Gehlot Launches ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ Mobile App to Identify, Geotag the data of Insanitary Latrines & Manual Scavengers Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot launched a Mobile Application ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ for identifying & Geo-tagging the data of Insanitary Latrines & Manual Scavengers across the country.

Niti Aayog launches Cloud Storage Service ‘DigiBoxx’ NITI Aayog has launched indigenously developed India’s first Digital Asset Management and Storage platform, called ‘DigiBoxx’. Digiboxx offers free 20GB cloud storage space, and 100GB space per month at just ₹30.

ISRO & IIT-BHU Signs MoU to Set-up Regional Academic Center for Space (RAC-S) at IIT-BHU Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to set up its Regional Academic Centre for Space(RAC-S) at the institute.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches E-Sampada web portal and mobile app on Good Governance Day Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched E-Sampada, a new web portal and mobile app on Good Governance Day(December 25th).

First data from Chandrayaan-2 out The Indian Space Research Organisation has released the first set of data from the country's second mission to the Moon, the Chandrayaan-2, for the general public. Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22, 2019 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

DGT inks pact with MICROSOFT and NASSCOM FOUNDATION for digital skilling of ITI Students through Bharatskills Portal The Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has collaborated with Microsoft and NASSCOM Foundation to provide a digital content for ITI students.

Visakahapatnam’s civic body ranks first in country Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has been selected as the best performing civic body in the country. It has been chosen under the annual awards for excellence instituted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to recognise the outstanding contribution of PMAY-Urban in 2019.

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurates India’s first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated India’s first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV. The vaccine named ‘’Pneumosil’’ has been developed by the Serum Institute of India Private Limited, SIIPL in collaboration with partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

PM Modi inaugurates country's first ever driverless metro train in Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off India’s first ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line which will connect Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden metro stations.


BANKING & ECONOMY

NATIONAL

Total electrification of railways by 2023: Railway Board CEO Indian Railways is on course to complete the electrification of entire broadgauge network by 2023 with 66% of track length already covered so far.

Govt proposes to make airbag mandatory for front passenger seat In a significant measure to boost passenger safety, the union government has proposed to make airbag mandatory for the passenger on the front seat of a vehicle seated next to the driver.

DRDO, Indian Navy conduct successful maiden test trial of SAHAYAK-NG Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO along with Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test trial of SAHAYAK-NG India’s first indigenously designed and developed Air Dropped Container from IL 38SD aircraft of Indian Navy off the coast of Goa.

Govt launches Global Pravasi Rishta portal & mobile App to connect with Indian Diaspora across the world The External Affairs Ministry launched the Global Pravasi Rishta portal and app to connect with the nearly 3.12-crore strong Indian diaspora across the world.

Cabinet clears modified scheme to enhance ethanol distillation capacity in country The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved modified scheme to enhance ethanol distillation capacity in the country for producing 1st Generation, 1G ethanol from feed stocks such as cereals like rice, wheat, barley, corn and sorghum and sugarcane, sugar beet etc.

Govt approves export of indigenous Akash missile system The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved the export of Akash Missile System and a Committee for faster Approvals has been created. Developed by DRDO, it is India’s first indigenously designed missile system and can target fighter jets, cruise missiles, drones and other aerial assets.

India FDI Apr-Sep 2020: Singapore with $8.30 billion tops the list, US 2nd biggest source The US has emerged as the second biggest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India, replacing Mauritius, during the first half of the current financial year. Singapore with $8.30 billion foreign inflows continued to be the top source of FDI for India in April-September 2020-21.

GST collections over ₹1 lakh crore for second consecutive month Finance Ministry has said that Revenue from the Goods and Services Tax(GST) exceeded One Lakh Crore Rupees for the second consecutive month. The Collection of one lakh four thousand nine hundred and 63 crore Rupees in November, a 1.4% year-on-year growth, and also registering a third straight month of growth.

Paytm waives off all charges on merchant transactions Paytm has waived off all charges on the merchant transactions. The company is now enabling the merchant partners to accept payments from Paytm wallet, UPI apps and RuPay cards at zero charges.

Exxon Mobil in talks to buy stake in Indian oil, gas fields: Pradhan Energy supermajor Exxon Mobil Corp is in talks to buy a stake in producing oil and gas fields in India, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said. Onion exports to resume from January 1 The Centre has lifted the ban on exports of all varieties of onions with effect from January 1, 2021. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade had issued a notification lifting the prohibition on Monday. Nov. exports decline 9.1%, imports slide India’s merchandise exports fell 9.1% in November to $23.43 billion, while imports fell 13.3% to $33.39 billion, preliminary data from the Commerce and Industry Ministry show. Lottery, gambling and betting taxable under GST Act: SC The Supreme Court of India held that lottery, gambling and betting are taxable under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act. HCL’s Roshni tops list of India’s richest women HCL Technologies chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra, with a net worth of ₹54,850 crore, tops the Kotak Wealth Hurun list of India’s wealthiest women. Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the second-richest woman on the list. RBI halts HDFC Bank from issuing new credit cards In an unprecedented move, the Reserve Bank of India has temporarily barred HDFC Bank from launching new digital banking initiatives and issuing new credit card after taking a serious view of service outages at the country''s largest private sector lender over the last two years. Reserve Bank keeps repo rate unchanged at 4 % Maintaining an accommodative stance, the RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that the Monetary Policy Committee has unanimously decided to leave the policy repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent. He said the marginal standing facility remains unchanged at 4.25 percent and reverse repo rate stands unchanged at 3.35 per cent. RBI advises banks not to make any dividend payouts from profits pertaining to the FY ended March 2020 The Reserve Bank of India has advised banks not to make any dividend payouts from profits pertaining to the financial year ended March 2020. RBI said it is imperative that banks continue to conserve capital to support the economy and absorb losses, if any. RBI tightens oversight of NBFCs, UCBs The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the introduction of risk-based internal audit norms for large urban cooperative banks (UCBs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), as part of measures aimed at improving governance and assurance functions at supervised entities. Axis Bank launches ‘Axis Bank Rupi Business Credit Card’ for MSMEs Axis Bank Ltd in partnership with Rupifi and Visa launched ‘Axis Bank Rupifi Business Credit Card’ for MSMEs(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).


Ikea to launch its second physical store in India at Navi Mumbai on Dec 18 Furniture maker Ikea will open its Navi Mumbai outlet on December 18, making it the second store launch for the Swedish company in the country in two years.

DBS Bank India gets ₹2,500 cr capital support from parent for LVB merger DBS Bank India Limited (DBIL) has received capital infusion of ₹2,500 crore from DBS Bank Limited, Singapore to support its amalgamation with Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB).

BBB recommends S Ramann for post of CMD of SIDBI The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) has recommended S Ramann for the post of Chairman and Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Shivendra Tomar for the post of MD&CEO of IFCI Ltd.

Shantanu Narayen, Ajay Banga named among Fortune Businessperson of the Year 2020 Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen and Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga have been named by Fortune among the Businessperson of the Year 2020, a list topped by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The Fortune 2020 Businessperson of the Year is Musk for a second time. Narayen has been ranked 8th on the list and Ajay Banga, ranked 9th on the list.

Chinese exports to India decline in first eleven months of 2020 China's exports to India continued to decline with a 13-percent drop in the first 11 months of the year 2020, customs data showed. However, China's imports from India rose by 16 percent during this period. China exported about $59 billion worth of products to India from January to November, down 13 percent.

Quarterly return filing option for most GST payers from Jan. Starting January 2021, 92% of taxpayers under the Goods and Services Tax regime with an annual turnover of up to ₹5 crore can opt to file their returns once a quarter instead of the present monthly system, Department of Revenue officials said.

RBI cancels licence of Karad Janata Sahakari Bank The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Karad Janata Sahakari Bank, Karad, in Maharashtra, with effect from the close of business from December 7. RBI cancelled the licence of the bank as the bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.

ICICI Bank to sell 2.21% stake in ICICI Sec via OFS ICICI Bank will sell up to 2.21 per cent stake in ICICI Securities through an offer for sale on December 9 and 10. The proposal was approved by the board of directors of ICICI Bank.

Not viable to extend moratorium: RBI The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) told the Supreme Court that extending the loan moratorium date was “not viable”.

Union Cabinet approves SEBI's proposal to sign Bilateral MoU between India and Luxembourg Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to sign Bilateral Memorandum of Understanding between India and Luxembourg. The MoU is likely to strengthen cross

border cooperation in the area of securities regulations and facilitate mutual assistance.

BSE Sensex hits 46,000 mark for 1st time; NSE Nifty touches 13,500 level Key domestic indices continued their rally of setting fresh records. Amid positive global cues, the BSE Sensex hit 46,000 mark for the first time while the NSE Nifty crossed 13,500 level on December 9.

ADB cuts India's FY21 contraction forecast to 8% on back of faster recovery The Asian Development Bank (ADB) upgraded its forecast for the Indian economy, projecting 8 per cent contraction in 2020-21 as compared to 9 per cent degrowth estimated earlier, on the back of faster than expected recovery.

Swiggy to bring 36,000 street food vendors online under PM SVANidhi scheme Food delivery platform Swiggy will bring over 36,000 street food vendors online under the Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme.With this partnership, Swiggy will expand its Street Food Vendors program to 125 cities.

RBL Bank, ICICI Pru Life enter bancassurance partnership RBL Bank and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance have entered a bancassurance partnership. RBL Bank will distribute ICICI Prudential Life’s products through its network of 398 branches in 28 States.

Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Launches 3 in 1 Account(savings + trading + demat) Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd (ESFBL) launched a 3-in-1 account (tripartite account), which comprises savings, trading and demat accounts for its customers.

Maharashtra Govt Signs MoU with Cornell University to Set up World-Class Incubation Centre in Maharashtra to Train Entrepreneurs Maharashtra Govt signed a 1st of its kind Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cornell University, to set up a world-class incubation centre in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. This is the first time for Cornell University to set up an incubation centre outside the US.

Round-the-clock RTGS facility from December 14 The Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) for high-value transactions will become available round-the-clock from 00:30 hours December 14 onwards, making India one of the few countries in the world to operate the system 24X7.

SEBI forms new department to check promoter frauds Market regulator SEBI has set up a specialised department to tackle cases of diversion of funds, bank loans and resources by company promoters. The new department will be known as the Corporation Finance Investigation Department (CFID).

Wholesale price-based inflation rises to 1.55% in November The wholesale price-based inflation rose to 1.55 percent in November, mainly due to rise in manufactured products prices. The WPI inflation was 1.48 per cent in October 2020 and 0.58 per cent in November last year.

Centre releases ₹42,000 cr to states to meet GST compensation shortfall The Centre has so far borrowed ₹42,000 crore since October and released the funds to states to meet GST compensation shortfall, the Finance Ministry said.


Exports fall 8.7%; trade deficit shrinks Declining for the second straight month, India’s exports dipped 8.7% in November to $23.52 billion on account of contraction in shipments at key sectors like petroleum, engineering, chemicals and gems and jewellery, even as the trade deficit narrowed to $9.87 billion. Imports declined for the ninth month in a row, slipping 13.3% to $33.39 billion.

FinMin extends deadline to implement reform-linked benefits till Feb 15 The finance ministry has extended the deadline for states to complete citizen-centric reforms in various sectors to February 15 from December 31 earlier. Now the states will be eligible for reform linked benefits if the finance ministry receives a recommendation from the nodal ministry concerned about the implementation of the reform by February 15, 2021.

Cabinet approves assistance of ₹3,500 crore for sugarcane farmers The Centre approved a ₹3,500-crore subsidy to sugar mills to incentivise them to export 60 lakh tonnes of surplus stock in the 2020-21 season, helping them to clear payment arrears due to cane farmers.

SBI sees recovery narrowing FY21 GDP contraction to 7.4% India’s GDP is expected to shrink 7.4% in FY21 on a better-than-projected recovery, SBI said in a research report, upgrading its earlier forecast of a 10.9% contraction.

Govt. plans $60-bn investment to bolster gas infrastructure Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the government had planned a $60-billion investment for creating gas infrastructure in the country till 2024, and that gas’s share in the energy mix is expected to rise to 15% by 2030. Currently, gas accounts for 6% in the country’s total energy mix.

Brazil’s Marcopolo to exit bus body making JV with Tatas Brazil’s Marcopolo S.A., one of the world’s largest bus and coach manufacturers, has agreed to sell its 49% shareholding in Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd. (TMML) to joint venture partner Tata Motors Ltd. for ₹99.96 crore in cash.

Bank credit grows by 5.73%, deposits by 11.34% Bank credit grew by 5.73 per cent to Rs 105.04 lakh crore while deposits increased by 11.34 per cent to Rs 145.92 lakh crore in the fortnight ended December 4, the RBI data showed. In the fortnight ended December 6, 2019, bank credit had stood at Rs 99.35 lakh crore and deposits at Rs 131.06 lakh crore

RBI extends curbs as PMC draws 4 EoIs The Reserve Bank of India has extended the current curbs on the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Ltd. till March 31, 2021, after the cash-strapped lender received four proposals from potential investors.

RBI Invited Application for 2nd Test Phase of Regulatory Sandbox on Cross Border Payments After the commencement of Test Phase of First Cohort under the Regulatory Sandbox (RS) by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), now the apex bank has announced the opening of the Second Cohort on the theme of “Cross Border Payments”.

Public sector banks to raise ₹25,000 crore in next three months Public sector banks (PSBs) are planning to raise about ₹25,000 crore through a mix of equity and debt in the next three months to support credit pick up and meet regulatory requirement.

5 States permitted to borrow additional ₹16,700 crore The Centre granted permission for additional borrowing of over ₹16,700 crore to 5 States on account of completing stipulated citizen centric reforms. These States are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

Canada’s PSP, US’ DFC, Axis Bank invest USD 107 mn in NIIF’s master fund The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) announced a USD 107 million investment into its 'master fund' from Canada's PSP Investments, US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and domestic private sector lender Axis Bank.

Canara Bank has exposure of ₹678 crore to Transstroy Canara Bank has clarified that it has an exposure of ₹678.28 crore to Transstroy India Ltd which allegedly committed a bank fraud and is under liquidation. Canara Bank said that it has already made 100 per cent provision for the account in its books.

Paytm Payments Bank has best tech for UPI payments, confirms NPCI report Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) has once again outperformed all major banks in India in terms of the success rate of UPI transactions. According to the latest report by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), PPBL has the lowest technical decline rate at 0.02% among all UPI remitter banks and 0.04% among all UPI beneficiary banks.

Centralised investment clearance cell by April 15 The Centralised ‘Investment Clearance Cell’, under the proposed single window system, aimed at facilitating businesses through a one-stop digital platform, is planned to be launched with relevant Ministries and Departments and select States by April 15, 2021.

Fundraising via bonds hits a peak at ₹7.45-lakh crore Riding on low-interest rates and policy reforms by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Indian corporates have raised the highest-ever sum of 7.45-lakh crore through rupee bonds this year. This is 8.3% more than last year’s ₹6.87-lakh crore.

Centre to set up development finance entity in 3-4 months The Union government plans to set up a Development Finance Institution (DFI) in the next three to four months with a view to mobilise the ₹111 lakh crore required for funding of the ambitious national infrastructure pipeline, according to Financial Services Secretary Debasish Panda.

Govt. invites EoI to divest full stake in Shipping Corp. The Centre invited expression of interest (EoI) for the disinvestment of its entire 63.75% shareholding in the Shipping Corporation India Limited (SCIL) along with the handing over of its management control.

Indian Army and Bank of Baroda enter into MoU for Baroda Military Salary Package Indian Army and Bank of Baroda have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU for Baroda Military


AWARDS

NAT

IO

N

A

L

Salary Package. The MoU lays down the basis on which banking services would be provided by Bank of Baroda to serving and retired Army personnel. ICICI Bank launches 'Infinite India' for foreign companies setting up operations in India ICICI Bank launched 'Infinite India' - an online platform

for foreign companies looking to set up or increase business in India. This platform provides banking solutions, as well as value-added facilities. RBI Cancelled Licence of Maharashtra-Based

Subhadra Local Area Bank Banking Licence of Subhadra Local Area Bank at Kolhapur, Maharashtra under Section 22 (4) of the

Banking Regulation Act, 1949 was cancelled by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) with immediate effect from December 24, 2020. SBI Life Insurance acquires 8.99% stake in Paisalo Digital

SBI Life Insurance Company has acquired 38 lakh equity shares or 8.99% equity stake in non-banking finance company Paisalo Digital. US financial body to invest USD 54 mn in India to support critical infrastructure projects

The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has announced to invest $54 million in India to support the development of critical

infrastructure projects in the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Govt re-caps Punjab & Sind Bank via zero coupon bonds

The Centre has resorted to a novel recapitalisation exercise to provide ₹5,500-crore support to state-owned listed Punjab & Sind Bank to shore up its regulatory

capital and help enhance exposure limits, thereby improving the lending capacity of the bank. India to replace UK as fifth-biggest economy in 2025, says UK think-tank A UK based think-tank, the Centre for Economics and

Business Research has said that Indian economy will again overtake the UK to become the fifth largest economy in 2025 and race to the third spot by 2030.

India had overtaken the UK in 2019 to become the fifth largest economy in the world but has been relegated to 6th spot this year. RBI extends deadline for urban co-ops by 6 months

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the timeline for constitution of Board of Management (BoM) by Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) by six

months till June 30, 2021. The central bank has conveyed the extension in the timeline to state UCB Federations.

Maintaining inflation target at 4% is appropriate: RBI

paper Amid growing speculation that the Union government may ask the central bank to loosen the inflation target to

help push economic growth, a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) working paper has recommended that maintaining the inflation target at 4 per cent is appropriate for the

country.

Vedanta raises $1.4 bn to retire debt Promoters of Vedanta have pledged their holding in the company to raise $1.4 billion, mostly for repaying the debt that was coming up for maturity. Tatas pay $37.7 mn, raise AirAsia stake to 83.67% Tata Sons acquired an additional 32.67% stake in AirAsia India (AAI) from AirAsia Group Berhad for $37.7 million (₹276.6 crore), thereby reducing the Malaysian carrier stake to 16.33%. Suryoday Small Finance Bank gets SEBI nod to float IPO Markets regulator Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) has granted the go-ahead to small lender Suryoday Small Finance Bank to float its Initial Public Offering (IPO). Current account surplus moderates to $15.5 bn in Q2 India’s current account surplus moderated to $15.5 billion (2.4% of GDP) in the second quarter compared with a $19.2-billion surplus (3.8% of GDP) in the April-June quarter.

Infosys Prize 2020 winners felicitated in six categories The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) announced the winners of the Infosys Prize in six categories Engineering and Computer Science category: Prof. Hari Balakrishnan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Humanities category: Dr Prachi Deshpande, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (CSSS ) Life Sciences category: Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Mathematical Sciences category: Prof. Sourav Chatterjee, Stanford University Physical Sciences category: Prof. Arindam Ghosh, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Social Sciences category: Prof. Raj Chetty, Harvard University Maharashtra teacher Ranjitsinh Disale wins Global Teacher Prize 2020 A primary school teacher from Maharashtra Ranjitsingh Disale won the Global Teacher Prize 2020 in recognition of his efforts to promote girls' education. Invest India wins United Nations Investment Promotion Award for 2020 The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has declared ‘Invest India’ as winner of the 2020 United Nations Investment Promotion Award. Bajrang Punia, shooter Elavenil Valarivan bag top honours at FICCI India Sports Awards Shooter Elavenil Valarivan and wrestler Bajrang Punia bagged the sportspersons of the year award at the FICCI India awards ceremony.

Cricket legend Anil Kumble received the 'Best Company Promoting Sports (Private Sector)' award on behalf of his enterprise - Tenvic Sports.


PERSONS IN NEWS

(National and International)

Brazil's Carolina Araujo Becomes First Non-Indian To Win Ramanujan Prize For Young Mathematicians The year 2020 Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians was awarded to Dr Carolina Araujo, Mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

UNEP announces 2020 Champions of the Earth Award winners The UN Environment Program (UNEP) announced six winners of the 2020 Champions of the Earth Award for their pioneering initiatives aimed at healing the planet amid natural and man-made threats. The winners are: Frank Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of Fiji, Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer from Burkina Faso, Nemonte Nenquimo, an Ecuadorian female green campaigner, Fabian Leendertz, a German scientist , Mindy Lubber, an American social entrepreneur. The Champion of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award went to Robert D. Bullard

SAIL gets Golden Peacock Environment Management Award Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded with the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2020 in the Steel Sector by the Institute of Directors.

Robert Lewandowski, Lucy Bronze Win FIFA Player Of The Year Awards Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was named men's player of the year at FIFA's 'The Best' awards ceremony in Zurich. England defender Lucy Bronze took the women's award.

Indian entrepreneur named among ‘Young Champions of the Earth’ winners by UN environment agency A 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur named Vidyut Mohan 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.

US President confers 'Legion of Merit' award to PM Modi The President of the United States of America conferred the highest decoration, The Legion of Merit, Degree Chief Commander, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Djokovic clinches top ATP award Djokovic finished world number one for a record-equaling sixth time in the past 10 years.

Federer was the singles fans’ favorite for a record-extending 18th straight year.

Nadal received the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the third year straight and fourth time overall after winning a 13th Roland Garros crown.

NTPC wins ‘Excellence’ award for Corporate Social Responsibility National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC), the country’s largest power producer has won the ‘Excellence’ award in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Domain at CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2020.

The ICC Awards of the Decade winners announced The winners of the prestigious ICC Awards of the Decade were announced.

Ellyse Perry wins the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade Virat Kohli wins the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade

Steve Smith is ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade Virat Kohli is ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade

Ellyse Perry is ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade Rashid Khan is ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade

Ellyse Perry is ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade

Kyle Coetzer is ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade

Kathryn Bryce is ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade MS Dhoni wins ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade

Sheetal Amte Renowned social worker and CEO at Maharogi Sewa Samiti (Leprosy Services Committee) Sheetal Amte-Karajgi was found dead at ‘Anandwan’ in Chandrapur district’s Warora. Sheetal Amte-Karajgi is the granddaughter of social worker Baba Amte Abhay Bhardwaj Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Abhay Bhardwaj died due to Covid19. He was 66 .Abhay Bharadwaj was a prominent lawyer and was elected to Rajya Sabha in June this year. Vivek Murthy US President-elect Joe Biden has selected his key Covid-19 advisor Dr Vivek Murthy as the next Surgeon General, a role for which he was appointed during the Obama administration. Zafarullah Khan Jamali Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali passed away at a hospital in Rawalpindi at the age of 76. Jamali served as the premier from November 2002 until June 2004. Gitanjali Rao A 15-year-old Indian-American Gitanjali Rao has been named by TIME magazine as the first-ever 'Kid of the Year' for her astonishing work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying. Mahashay Dharampal Gulati Dharampal Gulati, the owner of the MDH Masala brand often called the grand old man of spices, died. He was 97. Gulati was awarded the country's third-highest civilian award Padma Bhushan last year.


Stephanie Frappart Stephanie Frappart became the first woman to referee a men’s Champions League game. Frappart has already made history as the first woman to referee in Ligue 1, and took charge of the 2019 Uefa Super Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea.

Dineshwar Sharma Lakshwadweep’s Administrator and former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma passed away at a Chennai hospital. He was 66.

G.R Udhwani Gujarat High Court sitting Judge G.R Udhwani passed away due to Covid19.He began his law practice in 1987 and was elevated as additional judge of the Gujarat High Court in 2012.

Uday Shankar The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry has announced Uday Shankar as president-elect, for the year 2020-21.

Dennis Ralston Dennis Ralston, a five-time Grand Slam doubles champion who was one of the initial players signed to the professional World Championship Tennis tour in the 1960s and a member of the sport’s Hall of Fame has passed away. He was 78.

Anil Soni World Health Organisation has appointed Indian-origin Anil Soni as the Chief Executive Officer for the WHO Foundation.

Tabare Vazquez Tabare Vazquez, an Uruguayan oncologist who rose from poverty to win two terms as the country’s first socialist president, died. He was 80.

Justice Bindal Justice Rajesh Bindal was announced as the new Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh.

Ludovic Orban Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has resigned after his party's disappointing performance in parliamentary elections.

Lloyd Austin US President-elect Joe Biden has chosen retired General Lloyd Austin as his defence secretary. If approved, the 67-year-old who retired in 2016 would become the first African-American to lead the Pentagon.

Nana Addo Dankwa Ghana's incumbent president Nana Addo Akufo-Addo has been declared winner of the country's presidential election.

Sonu Sood Indian actor Sonu Sood has topped U.K.’s 2020 Celebrity List for his charitable efforts during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic this year

Paolo Rossi Paolo Rossi of Italy, who scored 6 goals in the 1982 World Cup, passed away. He is the only male player in history to win the World Cup, the Golden Boot, the Golden Ball and Ballon d’Or in the same year.

Roddam Narasimha Well-known aerospace scientist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Roddam Narasimha passed away. He was 87. Professor Narasimha made a mark in the field of aerospace and as a fluid dynamicist.

John le Carre John le Carre, the spy-turned-novelist best known for the Cold War thrillers Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, has died. He was 89. MG Vaidya MG Vaidya, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue and former spokesman of the organisation, died of age-related complications. He was 97.

Motilal Vora Veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora passed away from post-COVID-19 complications. He was 93. He served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh twice. He was also the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and a Union Minister. Sugathakumari Eminent Malayalam poet, conservationist and women''s activist, Sugathakumari, who had tested positive for COVID-19 died at the government medical college hospital. She was 86.

John Edrich England's former "fearless" opening batsman John Edrich has died at the age of 83. He played 77 Tests, scoring 5,138 runs at an average of 43.54. Shamsur Rahman Faruqi Legendary Urdu poet and critic Shamsur Rahman Faruqi passed away at his Allahabad home, a month after recovering from COVID-19. He was 85.

Robin Jackman Former England and Surrey bowler Robin Jackman has died at the age of 75.He was reputed commentator. Sunil Kothari Eminent dance scholar and critic Sunil Kothari passed away in a private hospital in Delhi because of COVID-19-related complications.

Nikhil Nandy Nikhil Nandy, a prominent member of the 1956 Indian football team that finished a creditable fourth in the Olympics, is no more. He was 88.

John F Reid Former New Zealand cricketer John F Reid, who played a key role in their success in the 1980s, has died in Christchurch at the age of 64. Harsh Vardhan Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been nominated as a member on the GAVI Board by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation. Dr. Harsh Vardhan will represent India for two years starting from 2021 to 2023.

Rajinikanth Tamil actor Rajinikanth has announced that he will not take the political plunge and start a party as announced earlier, citing his frail health. Earlier, he had said he will float his own outfit in January and face the 2021 Assembly polls.


SPORTS

NA

T

I

O

N

A

L

Shashi Shekhar Vempati Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati was elected as the vice president of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, one of the largest broadcasting associations in the world.

Lewis Hamilton Wins Bahrain GP Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix for Mercedes. The win, from pole position, was the 95th of seven-times world champion Hamilton’s career.

Wesley So wins title GM Wesley So won the Skilling Open final by beating GM Magnus Carlsen 1.5-0.5 in the blitz tiebreak.

Mick Schumacher to drive for Haas next season Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time World champion Michael Schumacher, will drive in Formula One for the first time with Haas next season, the team announced.

India beats Australia by 13 runs to win final ODI India defeated Australia by 13 runs in the final ODI of the three-match series at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Australia wins series 2-1.

Radhakrishnan is new National chief coach The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) appointed Radhakrishnan Nair as the full-time coach of athletics.

New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson retires from international cricket New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson, who once held the record for fastest ODI hundred, called time on his international career and signed a three-year deal with USA's Major League Cricket (MLC).

Japan to host seven-team Club World Cup in 2021 FIFA has confirmed that the 2021 Club World Cup will now be held in Japan and plans to expand the tournament have been shelved for another year. India beat Australia by six wkts in 2nd T-20 to clinch 3 match series 2-0 India defeated Australia by six wickets in the second T20 at Sydney Cricket Ground. With this win, India also won the three-match series.

Mick Schumacher wins Formula 2 title ahead of F1 debut next season Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, won the Formula Two title in Bahrain.

NZ beats West Indies by innings and 134 runs in 1st test New Zealand beat the West Indies by an innings and 134 runs on the fourth morning of the first cricket test.

Daruvala finishes maiden season on a high India’s Jehan Daruvala capped off his rookie campaign in Formula 2 with a brilliant maiden win in the Sakhir Sprint Race.

Kiren Rijiju launches 2nd edition of Fit India Cyclothon Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched the second edition of Fit India Cyclothon via social media. The mega

cycling event which started will run for 25 days till 31st December.

Govt to start 1000 Khelo India small centres to encourage sports culture in country Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports (I/C) said that the central government is starting 1000 Khelo India small centres across the country that will help retired sportspersons get employment or some role in shaping the sports culture of the country.

Parthiv Patel retires from all forms of cricket Former India wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The 35-year-old represented India in 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and 2 T20Is having made his international debut as a 17-year old in 2002. Madagascar replaces Maldives as host of 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games Madagascar has replaced the Maldives as the host of the 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. New Zealand inflicts innings defeat on West Indies, clinches series New Zealand took a little over an hour to wrap up a comprehensive innings and 12 runs victory in the second Test against West Indies on the fourth day at the Basin Reserve to seal a 2-0 series sweep.

New dates announced for rescheduled Women's World Cup The rescheduled Women's 50-over World Cup in New Zealand will start on 4 March, 2022 with the final to be held on 3 April, the International Cricket Council have confirmed.

Moody named SRH director of cricket Australia cricketer-turned-coach Tom Moody was appointed as the director of cricket by IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad. Iniyan, Pranav claim gold Grandmaster P. Iniyan and V. Pranav won gold medals in the under-18 and u-14 open categories respectively in the Asian continental online selection chess tournament recently for the FIDE online world u-10 to 18 rapid championships to be held from Dec. 19 to 23.

Qatar to host 2030 Asian Games, 2034 edition in Saudi Arabia The 2030 Asian Games were awarded to Doha and the 2034 event went to Riyadh after a deal was struck between the rival nations.

Kiren Rijiju lauds role of Ayush Ministry for creating perfect platform to launch Yogasana as competitive sport The Centre has decided to promote Yogasana as a competitive sport. National Yoga Sports Federation (NYSF) recognized as a National Sports Federation for promotion & development of Yogasana.

Russia banned from Olympics, FIFA WC Russia will be barred from competing as a nation at the Olympic Games, Winter Olympics and football World Cup over the next two years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport partly upheld a suspension imposed for


breaching anti-doping rules. In 2019, Russia was handed a four-year ban from major international sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Australian Open to begin on Feb. 8 The Australian Open is set to begin on February 8, three weeks later than planned, as part of a pandemic-altered

2021 tennis calendar released by the ATP. Rajeev Shukla set to be BCCI vice-president

Former Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla is all set to be elected unopposed as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president. Meanwhile, IPL chairman

Brijesh Patel and Khairul Jamal Majumdar have been re-elected as members of the governing council.

Anshu Malik grabs silver Anshu Malik won a silver in the 57kg category of the wrestling World Cup. She lost the gold medal bout 5-1 to

Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita. Mohammad Amir retires from international cricket

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has retired from international cricket. Amir represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 50 T20Is

Australia defeat India by 8 wickets in First day and night Test at Adelaide

Australia beat India by eight wickets in the first Day and night Test of the 4-match series at Adelaide. Chasing 90 runs for a win, Australia scored 93 runs for 2 wickets.

Earlier, India were bowled out for 36 in their second innings which is the lowest test score by any team in 65 years. Indian pugilists bag nine medals including 3 golds

in Cologne, Boxing World Cup championship Indian pugilists bagged nine medals including three gold, two silver and four bronze at the Cologne Boxing World

Cup ended in Cologne, Germany. Amit Panghal won gold in men's category while Manisha Moun and Simranjit Kaur won gold in Women's category.

Govt approves inclusion of four indigenous sports in Khelo India Youth Games 2021

The Sports Ministry has approved the inclusion of four indigenous Games to be a part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, scheduled to take place in Haryana. The

games include, Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba. Seifert, Southee seal series for New Zealand An unbeaten 129-run stand between Kane Williamson and Tim Seifert and a four-wicket haul from Tim Southee

saw New Zealand take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series against Pakistan in Hamilton. India Open to be the last Olympic-qualifying event The twice-cancelled $400,000 India Badminton Open will be held here from May 11 to 16, 2021, and will be the

final Olympic-qualifying event.

FIH rankings: Indian men finish 2020 in fourth position, women ninth The Indian men's and women's hockey teams will finish 2020 in fourth and ninth positions, respectively, after a major part of the year was disrupted by the COVID-19

pandemic. Belgium men's and the Netherlands' women's teams will finish the year at the top of the world rankings. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju virtually inaugurates 8 Khelo India State Centres of Excellence across India Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju virtually inaugurated 8 Khelo India State Centres of Excellence across India in the presence of State Sports Ministers. The 8 States include Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Kerala, Telangana, Nagaland, Karnataka and Odisha. Narain to lead Team India India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan will lead an all-Indian line-up, which includes Arjun Maini and Naveen Rao, for Racing Team India’s campaign in the 2021 Asian Le Mans Series in February. Nihal Sarin, Rakshitta Ravi and D Gukesh win gold medals at Online World Youth and Cadet Rapid Chess Championships Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, Woman International Master Rakshitta Ravi and D Gukesh won the titles in their respective categories in the FIDE Online World Youth and Cadet Rapid Championships. Qatar To Host FIFA Club World Cup 2020 Across Three Venues Qatar will host the FIFA Club World Cup from February 1 to 11, 2021, after it was postponed earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament will be held across three FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums -- Ahmad Bin Ali, Khalifa International and Education City. Landmark goal for Messi in Barcelona’s victory Lionel Messi overtook Pele's record of goals for a single club as Barcelona strolled to a 3-0 La Liga win at Real Valladolid. Messi struck his 644th goal for Barca, one more than Brazil legend Pele scored for Santos. FIFA postpones Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups till 2023 due to coronavirus pandemic The World football's governing body, FIFA has cancelled Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups that were scheduled to be played next year due to a coronavirus pandemic. These World Cups will now be played in 2023, with Indonesia still hosting the Under-20s and Peru the Under-17s. India’s largest hockey stadium planned in Rourkela, will host 2023 World Cup Games Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced that India’s biggest hockey stadium will come up at Rourkela and the 20,000-capacity facility will host matches of FIH men’s World Cup in 2023. Dhoni captain of ICC's white-ball teams of decade, Kohli voted skipper of Test side Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain of ICC's ODI and T20 International teams of the decade, while Virat Kohli was voted the skipper of the Test team. Roger Federer out of Australian Open after knee surgery Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will miss the Australian Open for the first time in his career as he continues his recovery from two rounds of knee surgery, organisers said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1598386/roger-federer-out-of-australian-open-after-knee-surgery

https://www.dawn.com/news/1598386/roger-federer-out-of-australian-open-after-knee-surgery


MISCELLANEOUS

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane guides India to series-levelling victory against Australia in 2nd Test at Melbourne Stand in Skipper Ajinkya Rahane guided India to level the Test series against Australia by 1-1 by registering an eight-wicket victory in the second match at Melbourne. Chasing a low target of 70 runs, Shubman Gill and Rahane kept their cool and achieved the meagre target with ease.

AR Rahman is the ambassador for BAFTA Breakthrough Academy Award-winning music composer AR Rahman was announced as the ambassador for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' (BAFTA) ''Breakthrough Initiative''.

Joe Biden & Kamala Harris jointly named Time magazine's Person of the Year U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were jointly named Time magazine’s 2020 Person of the Year.

UNESCO to launch international prize in the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib The United Nations has decided to establish "UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize in the field of the Creative Economy" to promote creative industries that provide youths, women and migrants with sustainable jobs globally. The prize worth $50,000 will be given once in every two years.

Singapore Becomes First Country To Approve Sale Of Lab-Grown Meat Singapore has given US start-up Eat Just the greenlight to sell its lab-grown chicken meat, in what the firm says is the world's first regulatory approval for so-called clean meat that does not come from slaughtered animals. China turns on nuclear-powered 'artificial sun' for first time China successfully powered up its "artificial sun" nuclear fusion reactor for the first time, marking a great advance in the country's nuclear power research capabilities. The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China's largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device. International Volunteer Day: 05 December The International Volunteer Day (IVD), also called International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is observed on 5 December every year. IVD 2020 Theme: “Together We Can Through Volunteering”. World Soil Day: 05 December The World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5 to raise awareness of the importance of soil quality for human well-being, food security and ecosystems. Mahaparinirvan Diwas: December 6 The death anniversary of Dr BabasahebAmbedkar, which falls on December 6, is dubbed as

Mahaparinirvana Divas. Mahaparinirvan is one of the major goals of Buddhism. It means “Nirvana after death”. Armed Forces Flag Day being celebrated across

country on December 7 Armed Forces Flag Day is observed every year on 7th December since 1949 to honour the soldiers, sailors,

airmen of our country. International Human Rights Day – December 10

Every year Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10. The theme for this year is Recover Better-Stand Up for Human Rights. Pak. approves chemical castration of sex offenders

Pakistan has approved the chemical castration of rapists as part of sweeping new legislation sparked by outcry over the gang-rape of a mother on a motorway. India drops two ranks in Human Development Index India dropped two ranks in the United Nations’ Human

Development Index this year, standing at 131 out of 189 countries. Norway topped the index, followed by Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Iceland, the report

showed. India among top 10 nations in climate performance

index India remained in the top 10 for the second year in a row in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)

2021, occupying rank 10. It received high ratings in all CCPI categories, except renewable energy, where it had a medium performance. Sweden continues to lead

the Index. China successfully launches two satellites for gravitational wave detection China successfully launched two satellites for the

detection of gravitational waves into planned orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province. India contributes USD 2 million to UNRWA India has contributed US$ 2 million to the United Nations

Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in support of the Agency’s programmes and services, including education,

health care, relief, and social services for Palestine refugees. India drops to 2nd Position in BNEF’s 2020 Climatescope survey

According to Climatescope Survey Emerging Markets Outlook 2020 : Energy Transition in the World’s Fastest Growing economies’ released by Bloomberg New

Energy Finance Limited BNEF) India with a score of 2.61 dropped to the 2nd position in the 2020 survey due to decline in Clean Energy Investment. Chile topped the

survey rankings

International Mountain Day 2020: December 11 International Mountain Day is annually observed across the globe on 11th December to encourage the

sustainable developments in mountains and to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life. The theme of International Mountain Day 2020 is

“Mountain Biodiversity”


UNICEF Day 2020: December 11 The UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) day is annually celebrated on 11th December to mark the creation of UNICEF by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 11th December 1946. CinemaSCOpe: India's diplomatic outreach to SCO countries Indian Embassy in Beijing launched a movie series "cinemaSCOpe" exclusively for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, SCO in which more than two dozen Indian films dubbed in Russian, will be screened on a monthly basis. International Universal Health Coverage Day: 12 December International Universal Health Coverage Day is a United Nations’ recognized international day celebrated every year on December 12. This year theme of International Universal Health Coverage Day is ‘Health For All: PROTECT EVERYONE’. International Day of Neutrality: 12 December International Day of Neutrality is a United Nations recognized day held on December 12 each year to raise public awareness of the value of neutrality in international relations. Human Freedom Index 2020: India slips 17 spots down to 111th rank The Human Freedom Index 2020, a worldwide ranking of civil, economic and personal freedom, released, placed India at the 111th spot out of 162 countries. New Zealand, Switzerland and Hong Kong bagged the first three spots. International Migrants Day 2020 observed in Dec 18 International Migrants Day is a global event observed on December 18 every year. This year, the theme of the International Organization for Migration is “Reimagining Human Mobility”. Singapore’s Hawker culture gets UNESCO recognition The UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has recognized “Hawker” culture of Singapore and has included it under the list of intangible cultural heritage. Goa Liberation Day: December 19 Every year, the Goa Liberation day is celebrated on December 19 in India. The day is celebrated to mark the victory of Indian armed forces to free Goa from 450 years of the Portuguese rule. National Farmers’ Day observed on December 23 December 23 is commemorated as the National Farmers' Day or Kisan Divas in India in the honour of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was a premier farmers' leader of his time.

India jumps to 63 in 2020 EODB survey Following reviews of data irregularities, the World Bank

recently released its updated Doing Business in which China's position has been downgraded. As per the 'Doing Business' 2020 report, India had jumped 14

places to the 63rd position on the ease of doing business ranking. New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong are ranked as top three in ease of doing business rankings

2020. Cairn Energy wins arbitration award

British energy major Cairn Energy has won an international arbitration case against the Indian government over a tax dispute.

India adds Ladakh’s Tso Kar Lake Complex to list of Ramsar Sites

Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Prakash Javadekar announced that Tso Kar Wetland complex in Changthang region, Ladakh

has been added to the list of Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International Importance). It will be India’s 42nd site & Ladakh’s 2nd Ramsar Site.

National Good Governance Day: 25th December 2020

National Good Governance Day is annually observed across Indian on 25th December to create awareness about the accountability of the government. The day also

marks the birth anniversary of India’s former Prime Minister (PM) and Bharat Ranta Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who served 3 terms as the Prime Minister of India.

U.S., China dominates arms market: report U.S. and Chinese companies dominated the global arms

market in 2019, while West Asia made its first appearance among the 25 biggest weapons manufacturers, a report by the SIPRI research institute

said. The US arms industry accounted for 61 percent of sales by the world's "Top 25" manufacturers last year, ahead of China's 15.7 percent.

India ranks 3rd in list of Countries with most Publications on AI from 2015-2019

According to the ‘Nature Index 2020 Artificial Intelligence’ released by Nature Research, India ranked 3rd (with 91,563 publications) in the list of 25 Countries

with most publications on Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the period 2015-2019. China topped the List, followed by the United States.

50 journalists killed in 2020: watchdog Fifty journalists and media workers were killed in

connection with their work in 2020, the majority in countries that are not at war, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in report. It highlighted murders in Mexico,

India and Pakistan.

current affairs capsule (december 2020)

Documents