Live updates 26 December 2020

Coronavirus India LIVE Updates: India's Daily Deaths Below 300 After Over 6 Months

COVID-19 in India: The active caseload remained below three lakh for the fifth consecutive day.

New Delhi:

India's daily fresh COVID-19 fatality count was reported below 300 after over six months, taking the death count to 1,47,343, while the infection tally rose to 1,01,69,118, according to the Health Ministry.

251 more deaths and 22,273 infections were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the latest data.

The number of people who have recovered from the disease surged to 97,40,108, pushing the national recovery rate to 95.78 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent.

The active caseload remained below three lakh for the fifth consecutive day. There are 2,81,667 active coronavirus infections in the country, constituting 2.77 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

Meanwhile, France has confirmed the first case of a new coronavirus variant that recently emerged in Britain, its health ministry said.

The new strain of the virus, which experts fear is more contagious, has prompted more than 50 countries to impose travel restrictions on the UK, AFP reported.

Here are the live updates on Coronavirus Cases:

India's daily fresh COVID-19 fatality count was reported below 300 after over six months, taking the death count to 1,47,343, while the infection tally rose to 1,01,69,118, according to the Health Ministry.

Dec 26, 2020 20:40:44 (IST)

Coronavirus News: Rajasthan sees 7 more COVID deaths, 785 new cases

Seven more people died due to COVID-19 in Rajasthan, taking the deaths from the pandemic to 2,664 on Saturday, while 785 new cases brought the infection tally to 3,04,517, according to a health department bulletin.

The state has 11,488 active cases of the novel coronavirus, it said.

According to the bulletin, 2,90,365 people have recovered from COVID-19 in the state.

The deaths from the pandemic stands at 496 in Jaipur, followed by 284 in Jodhpur, 218 in Ajmer, 165 in Bikaner, 164 in Kota, 118 in Bharatpur, and 109 each in Udaipur and Pali.

Dec 26, 2020 20:25:26 (IST)

Charges against 200 for flouting COVID-19 norms during Christmas party in Kerala

Paying scant regard to the COVID-19 health protocol, hundreds of people gathered at nearby Pozhiyoor beach for a Christmas party on the night of December 25, following which a casewas registered against 200 people, police said. The DJ party was organised by some locals.

Though no permission was granted, they went ahead and conducted the event which lasted from 9.30 pm to 1 am on Saturday, they said.

A case has been registered against the organisers and some of the participants under the Kerala Epidemic Disease, COVID-19 regulation.

The video of the event, which has gone viral, shows several men and women dancing.

Dec 26, 2020 19:47:49 (IST)

374 test COVID-19 positive in Uttarakhand

The COVID-19 deaths in Uttarakhand rose to 1,476 on Saturday with 13 more fatalities, while 374 new cases pushed the infection tally to 89,218, a health bulletin issued here said.

Dehradun district reported the highest 152 cases, followed by Nainital 53, Haridwar 42, Uttarkashi 36, Udham Singh Nagar 20, Pithoragarh 29, Bageshwar 15, Pauri 11, Champawat nine, Rudraprayag seven, Chamoli six, Almora three and Tehri three, it said.

Meanwhile, 13 more COVID-19 patients died in the state, taking the toll so far to 1,476, the bulletin said.

Dec 26, 2020 19:20:36 (IST)

Coronavirus News: Kerala logs 3,527 new cases, 3,752 recoveries

Kerala recorded 3,527 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, while 3,782 people have been cured of the infection, as the deaths inch towards the 3,000-mark with 21 more deaths being added, Health Minister KK Shailaja said.

While the total virus caseload has touched 7,35,611, recoveries went up to 6,68,733 and at least 63,752 people are undergoing treatment for the infection.

Dec 26, 2020 18:52:43 (IST)

Guidelines to prevent, contain spread of mutant variant of coronavirus soon: Karnataka Health Minister

Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Saturday said that the state Health Department will discuss matters concerned with prevention and containment of new variant of coronavirus and come up with the guidelines regarding the same.

Dr Sudhakar said that third stage trials are being conducted including in Karnataka. "Anyone can volunteer to take the vaccine at this stage. I have personally appealed to many frontline warriors, especially, medical students to volunteer for trials," he added.

"A total of 1,638 out of 2,500 returnees from the UK have been tested and 14 of them have been found positive. Their swab samples have been sent to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) for gene-sequencing to find out whether it is a new strain of the virus.

Dec 26, 2020 18:39:01 (IST)

COVID-19 news: Second UK returnee tests positive in Madhya Pradesh's Indore

A 39-year-old man, who recently returned to Indore in Madhya Pradesh from the UK, on Saturday became the second such person to be found infected with coronavirus in the last two days, an official said. However, it was not yet clear if the strain he is carrying is the same as the one detected in the European nation, he added.

The man, who returned from the UK on December 6, is fine and is being closely monitored, while his family has been placed under isolation at their home in Rau, said Indore district COVID-19 prevention nodal officer Amit Malakar.

Dec 26, 2020 18:17:56 (IST)

UK Scientists Begin Trial Instant Immunity Antibody Drug Treatment For COVID-19

Scientists in the UK have begun trials of innovative antibody drug treatments that they hope could provide instant protection against COVID-19.

The University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH) said that the researchers in the Storm Chase study believe a Long Acting AntiBody (LAAB) known as AZD7442, developed by AstraZeneca, may offer immediate and long-term protection to people who have been recently exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and prevent them developing COVID-19.

"We know that this antibody combination can neutralise the virus, so we hope to find that giving this treatment via injection can lead to immediate protection against the development of COVID-19 in people who have been exposed - when it would be too late to offer a vaccine," said Dr Houlihan.

Dec 26, 2020 17:52:00 (IST)

Spain Confirms Four Cases Of British Coronavirus Variant

Four cases of a coronavirus variant believed to be particularly infectious that recently emerged in Britain have been confirmed in Madrid, the regional government said Saturday, the first cases detected in Spain.

Dec 26, 2020 17:24:21 (IST)

Coronavirus Cases Updates: Russia registers 29,258 COVID-19 cases within 24 hours, total tops 3 million

Russia has registered 29,258 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to over three million, the federal response centre said on Saturday.

"Over the past 24 hours, 29,258 coronavirus cases were confirmed in 85 regions, including 4,571 cases (15.6 percent) without clinical symptoms," the centre said, adding that the cumulative case count has now reached 3,021,964, with the rate of increase at 1 per cent.

Moscow confirmed 7,480 new coronavirus cases over the given period, followed by St. Petersburg with 3,755 cases, and the Moscow region with 1,615 new cases.

Dec 26, 2020 16:52:06 (IST)

Coronavirus News Updates: China reports 20 new COVID-19 mainland cases

Mainland China recorded 20 new COVID-19 cases on December 25, compared with 14 cases the previous day, the country's health authority said on Saturday.

The National Health Commission said in its daily bulletin that 12 of the new cases were imported. Of the eight locally transmitted cases, six came from the northeastern province of Liaoning and two from the capital Beijing.

The new Beijing cases were from its Shunyi district, which has entered a "wartime state" requiring all residents to undergo testing, the state-owned China Daily reported on Saturday.

The People's Daily reported five people had tested positive after nucleic acid tests were carried out across Beijing's districts of Chaoyang, Shunyi and Tianzhu on Saturday.

Dec 26, 2020 16:29:05 (IST)

Tokyo sets new daily record with 949 Covid-19 cases amid holidays

The Japanese capital city of Tokyo on Saturday reported a record 949 coronavirus cases amid a surge in infections during the New Year holidays, the NHK broadcaster reported, citing the metropolitan government.

According to the media outlet, the figure surpassed the previous record of 888 cases registered on Thursday and exceeded 800 cases for the third consecutive day.

Dec 26, 2020 16:10:37 (IST)

COVID-19 News Updates: Puducherry reports 33 new cases

Puducherry has reported 33 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Saturday, while 36,962 patients have recovered so far, the health department said. As per it, the total number of active cases in the Union Territory currently stood at 355.

"Puducherry reported 33 new Covid-19 cases and one death today, taking active cases to 355 and deaths to 630. A total of 36,962 patients have recovered so far," the department said in a statement.

Dec 26, 2020 15:24:17 (IST)

Coronavirus Latest Updates: Russia Tops 30 Lakh COVID-19 Infections
Russia on Saturday passed 30 lakh confirmed coronavirus infections, as authorities hold out against reimposing a national lockdown while the country is battered by a second wave.

Official figures showed that a total of 3,021,964 cases have been detected, with 54,226 deaths.

In the past 24 hours, 29,258 new infections and 567 deaths were registered in Russia, fourth on the list of hardest-hit countries worldwide.

Dec 26, 2020 13:35:21 (IST)

Covid Latest News: Jagannath Temple In Puri Reopens For Local Residents

After remaining closed for nearly nine months due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Jagannath Temple in Puri was reopened for local residents on Saturday.

Puri District administration said that till December 31, locals will be allowed to enter the temple ward-wise after showing their voter card or Aadhaar card.

People from other parts of states and countries will be allowed to visit the temple from January 3 with a COVID-19 negative report, not more than four days old.

As per COVID-19 guidelines issued by Puri District administration, old persons above 65 years and children below 10 years will be not allowed to enter the temple premises.

Dec 26, 2020 13:07:59 (IST)

Coronavirus Live News: Telangana Reports 317 New Cases, 536 Discharges And 2 Deaths

Dec 26, 2020 12:29:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Latest News: 8 UK Returnees Test Covid Positive In Kerala

Eight people who recently returned from the UK to Kerala, have tested positive for coronavirus and their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune for genomic analysis, PTI reported quoting Health Minister KK Shailaja on Saturday.

Surveillance at the four international airports in the state have been further strengthened.

Dec 26, 2020 11:03:50 (IST)

Coronavirus Latest News: UK Returnee Tests COVID-19 Positive In Maharashtra's Aurangabad

A woman, who had returned to Aurangabad in Maharashtra from the UK in the last few weeks, has tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Saturday.

The woman is among the 44 persons who arrived in the district from the UK after November 25, they said.

"Eleven of these UK returnees underwent RT-PCR test, in which the woman was found infected with COVID-19. She is asymptomatic," Aurangabad Municipal Corporation's health officer Dr Neeta Padalkar said.

Dec 26, 2020 10:45:57 (IST)

Coronavirus Live Updates: India's Total Cases Rise To 1,01,69,118 With 22,272 New Infections

Dec 26, 2020 09:49:45 (IST)

Coronavirus Latest Updates: Telangana Adds 317 New Cases, Death Count Rises To 1,529

Telangana reported 317 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to over 2.84 lakh while two fatalities pushed the death count to 1,529, the state government said on Saturday.

Over 2.76 lakh people have recovered from the disease so far.

As many as 6,618 patients are under treatment and 30,376 samples were tested on Friday. Cumulatively, over 66.86 lakh samples have been tested.

Dec 26, 2020 09:31:59 (IST)

COVID-19 Live News: 16,71,59,289 Samples Tested Till December 25, Says Indian Council Of Medical Research

Dec 26, 2020 09:01:34 (IST)

Boston Doctor Has Severe Allergic Reaction To Moderna Covid Vaccine: Report

A doctor in Boston with a shellfish allergy developed a severe allergic reaction after receiving Moderna's coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing the doctor.

Dr Hossein Sadrzadeh, a geriatric oncology fellow at Boston Medical Center, said he had a severe reaction almost immediately after being vaccinated, feeling dizzy and with a racing heart.

It is the first severe reaction publicly linked to Moderna's vaccine, which is in its first week of a nationwide rollout.

Dec 26, 2020 07:34:58 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Assam reports lowest coronavirus cases since May 23

Assam reported 61 new COVID-19 positive cases on Friday, the lowest since May 23, with the

total cases so far rising to 2,15,836 ande no deaths were reported, state Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The 61 new cases were detected out of 11,757 tests
conducted during the day with a positivity rate of 0.52 per cent, PTI reported.

Dec 26, 2020 07:33:30 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Tripura reports nine more COVID-19 cases

Nine more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura on Friday, pushing the tally

to 33,225, a Health Department official said. The death count remained at 381, PTI reported.

There are no more posts to show

Daily updates 23 December 2020

National News

1. Dharmendra Pradhan dedicates Bengal’s 1st oil and gas reserve ‘Bengal Basin’

• Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan has dedicated West Bengal’s first oil and gas reserve, ‘Bengal Basin’, to the nation.
• The Bengal Basin is explored and owned by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). It is the eight producing basins of India by ONGC.
• The others are Krishna-Godavari (KG), Mumbai Offshore, Assam Shelf, Rajasthan, Cauvery, Assam-Arakan Fold Belt and Cambay.
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited commenced the production of crude oil from the Asokenagar-1 well, Bengal Basin in 24 Paragana district of the state on 20 December 2020.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee; Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Summits and Conferences News

2. 12th GRIHA Summit of TERI Concludes

• The 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit was held virtually. It was inaugurated by Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu virtually.
• The Summit provides a platform to deliberate on innovative technologies and solutions to help in creating robust mechanisms for developing sustainable and resilient solutions for the benefit of the entire community.
• The theme of the Summit was “Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats”. It is the annual flagship event organized by GRIHA Council in association with ‘key stakeholders in the construction industry’ to discuss and deliberate on the furtherance of Sustainable Habitat Development in India.

Agreements News

3. ADB announces Rs 2100 crore loan to Tripura

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced to provide Rs 2,100 crore loan to the Tripura government for the development of urban areas and tourism in the northeastern state.
• From the total fund of Rs 2,100 crore, Rs 1600 crore will be for urban development and Rs 500 crore for the tourism sector.
• Under this, all 20 urban local bodies in Tripura would be covered and in the tourism sector, all tourism destinations, roads leading to them and tourist facilities would be covered.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
• ADB Established: 9 December 1966.

4. UN Women and Kerala govt tie-up for India's 1st Gender Data Hub

• The UN Women and Kerala government have collaborated to establish India's first Gender Data Hub. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
• Three key areas of co-operation, as specified in the MoU, will be setting up the Gender Data Centre at The Gender Park, launching the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality, and increasing engagement on the global normative frameworks on gender equality and empowerment of women.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan; Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

Appointments News

5. Vineet Agarwal takes over as new Assocham President

• Managing Director of logistics major Transport Corporation of India Limited, Vineet Agarwal has taken over as the new President of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).
• He replaces Niranjan Hiranandani, Co-Founder and MD, Hiranandani Group of Companies. Sumant Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director of ReNew Power, is the new Senior Vice-President of Assocham.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Assocham Headquarters: New Delhi;
• Assocham Founded: 1920.

6. Satyendra Garg assumes Andaman and Nicobar DGP charge

• Senior IPS officer, Satyendra Garg has assumed Andaman and Nicobar DGP charge. Garg, a 1987-batch IPS officer was posted as joint secretary in the Union home ministry.
• He was handing the North East division in the home ministry as a joint secretary before being repatriated to his cadre.

Schemes and Committees News

7. Amit Shah to lead the panel on Netaji's 125th birth anniversary event

• The Union Government has decided to constitute a High-Level Committee (HLC) to commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The High-Level Committee will be headed by the Union Home Minister,  Amit Shah.
• This HLC will decide on the activities for a one-year-long commemoration beginning 23 January 2021, as a tribute and mark of gratitude to the contribution made by Netaji in India’s freedom struggle.
• The other members of the High-Level Commemoration Committee will include experts, historians, authors, family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as eminent persons associated with Azad Hind Fauj/INA.

Banking News

8. ICICI Bank launches online portal ‘Infinite India’

• ICICI Bank has launched an online platform ‘Infinite India’ to support foreign companies to establish or expand business in India.
• The one-stop portal will offer banking solutions as well as value-added services such as the incorporation of a business entity, corporate filings, licences and registrations, HR services, compliances and taxation among others.
• Through this initiative, ICICI bank aims to strengthen its position in the multinational corporations (MNC) segment. The initiative is part of our strategy to further strengthen our technology-enabled offerings aimed to partner with foreign companies coming to India.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi.
• ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka.

9. BoB signs MoU with defence forces named "Baroda Military Salary package"

• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard under which the bank would offer customised services along with a host of facilities to account holders.
• The bank has also renewed its existing MoU with the Indian Army to offer specially customised banking services through ''Baroda Military Salary Package''.
• Services under ''Baroda Military Salary Package will be offered to serving and retired personnel of Indian Armed Forces through the Bank''s network of over 8,200 domestic branches and around 20,000 business correspondent touchpoints.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Bank Of Baroda Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
• Bank Of Baroda Chairman: Hasmukh Adhia.
• Bank Of Baroda MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha.

Economy News

10. NCAER projects India’s GDP to contract 7.3% in FY21

• The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected the Indian economy to contract 7.3 per cent in FY21, compared to -12.6% forecast in September 2020.
• The Delhi based economic think tank released its mid-year review of the Indian economy virtually on 21 December 2020.

Awards News

11. Donald Trump Honours PM Modi With Top US Honour ‘Legion Of Merit’

• US President Donald Trump has presented America’s highest military decoration, ‘The Legion of Merit’, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The prestigious Legion of Merit was given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership in elevating strategic partnership of the two countries.
• The award was accepted by India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu on behalf of the prime minister from the US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien at the White House on 21 December 2020.

Important Days

12. India Observes National Farmer’s Day on December 23

• National Farmer’s Day (Kisan Diwas) is observed every year on 23 December in India to remember the role of Indian farmers in the economy.
• The day is observed to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. He brought farmer-friendly policies and worked towards the welfare of the farmers. He was the fifth Prime Minister of India and served the country as Prime Minister from 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980.

Daily updates 11 December 2020

International News

1. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris jointly named Time’s ‘Person of the Year’ 2020

• US President-elect, Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have been jointly named Time magazine’s 2020 “Person of the Year”.
• The TIME magazine releases the annual list since 1927, to recognise a person or organisation who affected the news or impacted the country and world the most, for better or worse, during the calendar year.
• Apart from this, Time magazine has named the Korean pop group BTS as its Entertainer of the Year, and basketball star LeBron James as Athlete of the Year.
• Zoom founder Eric Yuan was aptly named Businessperson Of The Year, as the video communications company has come to define the way millions have connected with each other during the pandemic.

2. ADB launches $9 bn "APVAX" for Developing Countries

• The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched an initiative called, the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX), for its developing member countries. The bank has allocated USD 9 billion for APVAX.
• APVAX will play a critical role in helping our developing members meet these challenges, overcome the pandemic, and focus on economic recovery.
• Through APVAX, the ADB will offer rapid and equitable support to its developing members, who need financing to procure vaccines as well as offer appropriate plans and knowledge to be able to safely, equitably and efficiently manage and deliver the COVID-19 vaccine.

Business News

3. RBL Bank, ICICI Prudential join hands for Bancassurance partnership

• RBL Bank and ICICI Prudential have joined hands under a bancassurance partnership. 398 RBL Bank branches across 28 states will distribute ICICI Prudential Life's protection and savings products.
• The protection products of ICICI Prudential Life will help the bank’s customers to develop a strong financial plan and its long-term savings products will help the customers of the bank to achieve their financial goals.
• This partnership will allow more than 8.7 million customers of RBL Bank to access and purchase ICICI Prudential Life’s customer-centric protection and long-term savings products.
• It provides financial security to the customers and their families through life insurance cover.
• It will deepen and strengthen the multi-channel distribution network of ICICI Prudential Life.
• It will also accelerate the value creation for the bank and ICICI Prudential Life.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• RBL Bank Ltd Incorporated: 1943, under the Indian Companies Act, 1913
• RBL Bank Ltd MD and CEO: Vishwavir Ahuja.
• RBL Bank Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• RBL Bank Ltd Tagline: Apno Ka Bank.
• The bank’s name was changed from ‘The Ratnakar Bank Limited’ to ‘RBL Bank Limited’ in August 2014.
• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Ltd Commenced Operations: 2001.
• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Ltd HeadOffice: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Ltd MD & CEO: N S Kannan.

Summits and Conferences News

4. 5th India Water Impact Summit begins

• The 5th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) kicked off on 10th December 2020 virtually. The event was inaugurated by Ratan Lal Kataria, Minister of State for Jal Shakti. The objective of IWIS 2020 is Comprehensive Analysis and Holistic Management of Rivers and Water Bodies.
• IWIS 2020 has been organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) to discuss water-related issues and steps taken to save the planet’s most precious resource.
• The theme of IWIS 2020 is Arth Ganga: River Conservation Synchronised Development.
• The conference will have a comprehensive analysis and review of river rejuvenation and local river. It will also have deliberation about Arth Ganga, i.e. how river conservation synchronised development can take place.

5. PM Narendra Modi addresses International Bharati Festival 2020 virtually

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the International Bharathi Festival 2020 through video conferencing.
• The festival was organised by Vanavil Cultural Centre in Chennai to celebrate the 138th birth anniversary of Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi, an eminent writer, poet and journalist from Tamil Nadu.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conferred the 2020 Bharathi Award to the noted writer Seeni Viswanathan, who is credited with compiling the voluminous works of Bharathi in chronological order.
• The Bharathi Award is conferred every year since 1994, to eminent persons who have done laudable service in any field of social relevance.

Science and Technology News

6. BSNL launches World’s 1st Satellite-based Narrowband-IoT Network

• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has partnered with Skylotech India (Skylo), a global machine connectivity solutions company, to launch satellite-based narrow band-Internet of things (NB-IoT).
• This initiative is the world’s first satellite-based NB-IoT network.
• The new indigenous IoT solution has been developed by Skylo and will connect with BSNLs satellite- ground infrastructure to provide PAN-India coverage, including Indian seas. To begin with, the solution will be extended to fishermen, farmers, construction, mining and logistics enterprises.
• The solution is in line with BSNL’s vision to leverage technology to provide affordable and innovative telecom services and products across India’s core sectors.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Chairman & MD: Pravin Kumar Purwar.
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Headquarters: New Delhi.

Important News

7. 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.
• It was officially declared by a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in February 2017 and first observed on December 12, 2017.

8. 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.
• The Day aims to raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage with multi-stakeholder partners.
• This year theme of International Universal Health Coverage Day is ‘Health For All: PROTECT EVERYONE’. The theme reflects that to end this crisis (COVID-19) and build a safer and healthier future, we must invest in health systems that protect us all—now.

Obituaries

9. Italy’s 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi passes away

• 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. In 1982 was Italy's first victory after 1938.

Miscellaneous News

10. Lakshadweep becomes India’s 1st UT to be declared 100% Organic

• The Ministry of Agriculture has declared Lakshadweep as India’s first Union Territory to become 100 per cent organic.
• All farming activity in the UT is carried out without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, which provides access to safer food choices and making agriculture a more environment-friendly activity.
• Lakshadweep is second only to Sikkim, which was India’s first state to be declared completely organic. This comes after the UT received proper certifications and declarations under the Centre’s Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (organic farming improvement programme).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Lakshadweep Capital: Kavaratti.
• Lakshadweep Administrator: Praful Khoda Patel.

Daily updates 13 December 2020

National News

1. PM Modi delivers inaugural address at FICCI’s 93rd Annual General Meeting

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered the inaugural address at FICCI’s 93rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Annual Convention via video conferencing.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has organised the convention from December 11 to 14, 2020.
• The theme for the FICCI 93rd AGM is ‘Inspired India’. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the virtual FICCI Annual Expo 2020. It was started from 11 December 2020 and will continue for a period of a whole year.

2. 5th India – Myanmar bilateral meeting on Drug Control Cooperation

• The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), India and the Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control, Myanmar conducted the 5th edition of the India- Myanmar Bilateral Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation.
• The Indian delegation was led by the Director-General Narcotics Control Bureau, Shri Rakesh Asthana. The Myanmar delegation was led by Pol. Brig. Gen. Win Naing. the Commander of the Drug Enforcement Division (DED) cum Joint Secretary of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control.
• Both countries agreed on the exchange of intelligence information in a timely manner to conduct follow-up investigations in drug seizure cases, new psychotropic substances and their precursors.

Business News

3. BSE launches e-agricultural spot market platform ‘BEAM’

• Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Ltd. has launched an electronic spot platform, "BSE E-Agricultural Markets Ltd (BEAM)", for agricultural commodities through its subsidiary BSE Investments Ltd.
• The platform aims to boost the competitiveness of the Indian agricultural market by enhancing the strength of the BSE in financial markets, market technology and its vibrant ecosystem.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• BSE is Asia’s first & world’s fastest Stock Exchange with a speed of 6 microseconds. It is one of India’s leading exchange groups
• BSE Established: 1875.
• BSE Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• MD and CEO of BSE: Ashish Kumar Chauhan.

Banking News

4. RBI to set up Automated Banknote Processing Centre in Jaipur

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up an Automated Banknote Processing Centre (ABPC) in Jaipur for the receipt, storage and dispatch of currency notes.
• The functions of the ABPC will also include processing of banknotes received from currency chests (CCs) and bank branches and destruction of soiled banknotes in an automated manner.
• The volume of banknotes in circulation has increased three-fold from March 2001 to March 2019 and is expected to rise further in the years to come.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

Agreements News

5. India and Austria ink MoU on Technology Cooperation

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Austria on Technology Cooperation in the Road Infrastructure Sector.
• The MoU will further strengthen ties, promote long-standing bilateral relations and enhance trade and regional integration between the two countries.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Austria Capital: Vienna.
• Austria Currency: Euro.
• Austria President: Alexander Van der Bellen.

6. India and Uzbekistan inks 9 Agreements to strengthen strategic partnership

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev co-chaired the virtual Summit held between the two countries, to strengthen strategic partnership among them.
• The Government of India also approved a US $448 million Line of Credit for four developmental projects in Uzbekistan in the fields of road construction, sewerage treatment and information technology.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Capital of Uzbekistan: Tashkent; Currency: Uzbekistani Som.

Awards News

7. Ashraf Patel wins Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award – India 2020

• Ashraf Patel, the founder member and Board member of Pravah and ComMutiny – The Youth Collective (CYC) has been declared as the winner of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) Award – India 2020.
• The award was presented by the Union Minister of Women & Child Development & Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani.
• The SEOY award “recognizes entrepreneurs who implement innovative, sustainable and scalable solutions to solve India’s social problems. It is the 11th edition of the annual award, instituted by the Schwab Foundation and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation in 2010.

8. UNESCO launches Bangabandhu award on the creative economy

• UNESCO has launched an international award named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman following Bangladesh’s proposal.
• The UN agency’s executive board unanimously adopted the proposal on UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the "Creative Economy" in its 210th session. This is the first time a UN agency launched an award named after Bangabandhu.

Sports News

9. Max Verstappen wins 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2020, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
• This was his second victory of the season and 10th victory of his career. The race was the 17th and final round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship.
• Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) stood second, followed by world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) at third place.

10. Indian Tennis player Ankita Raina wins ITF doubles title in Dubai

• Indian Tennis player, Ankita Raina clinched her third doubles title of the season after she won the 2020 Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge jointly with her Georgian partner Ekaterine Gorgodze in Dubai.
• The unseeded Indo-Georgian pair defeated the pair of Spain’s Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov and Slovakian Kaja Juvan by 6-4 3-6 10-6 to win the final of the USD 1,00,000 event.
• Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge is a professional female tennis tournament and part of the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour, held annually in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since 1998.

Science and Technology News

11. ISRO to launch communication satellite CMS-01

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a communication satellite CMS-01, formerly named GSAT-12R, on December 17, using its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket's XL variant numbered as PSLV-C50.
• The CMS-01 will be a replacement for GSAT-12 that weighed 1,410 kg and was launched on July 11, 2011, with a mission life of eight years.
• CMS-01 is a communication satellite envisaged for providing services in Extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum, which will include the Indian mainland, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands.
• The 42nd communication satellite of India, it will have a mission life of seven years.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan.
• ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Important Days

12. National Energy Conservation Day: 14 December

• The National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated every year on 14 December by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under Ministry of Power.
• The day is celebrated to raise awareness among the general public about the importance of energy conversation and energy efficiency, as well as holistic development for overall effort towards climate change mitigation.
• Bureau of Energy Efficiency is a constitutional body that comes under the Government of India and helps in the development of policies and strategies in order to reduce energy use.
• The Energy Conservation Act in India was executed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in the year 2001. 

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power: Raj Kumar Singh.

Obituaries News

13. 1st man to fly faster than the speed of sound Chuck Yeager passes away

• US Air Force officer and test pilot Chuck Yeager, who in 1947 became the first pilot in history to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight, has passed away.
• As a test pilot, on October 14, 1947, Yeager became the first human to officially break the sound barrier, when he flew the experimental Bell X-1 aircraft at Mach 1 (speed of sound) at an altitude of 45,000 ft (13,700 m). Level flight means flying at a constant altitude, not going up and down.

14. Renowned Sanskrit Scholar Vidyavachaspati Govindacharya passes away

• Renowned Sanskrit scholar, Vidyavachaspati Bannanje Govindacharya has passed away.
• He was well versed in Veda Bhashya, Upanishad Bhashya, Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas and had written commentaries on Veda Suktas, Upanishads, Shata Rudriya, Brahma Sutra Bhashya, and Gita Bhashya.

Daily updates 5 December 2020

State News

1. Majerhat Bridge named “Jai Hind” to Mark Netaji’s 125th Birth Anniversary

• West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee named the newly built "Majerhat bridge" in Kolkata as ‘Jai Hind’ bridge to commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Subash Chandra Bose.
• The new bridge has been built in the place of an old one which collapsed in September 2018. It is 650-metres long and connects the Central part of Kolkata to the Southwestern suburbs of Behala and others.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee; Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Agreements News

2. 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).
• This Contactless Co-Branded credit card, powered by Visa is applicable only to the MSMEs businesses that transact on the aggregator platforms partnered with Rupifi PAN (Permanent Account Number) India for their business purchases.
• The card offers credit solutions to such MSMEs. It is only for domestic transactions.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Axis Bank is 3rd largest private sector bank in India
• Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Axis Bank MD and CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
• Axis Bank Tagline: Badhti Ka naam Zindagi
• Rupifi Co-Founder and CEO: Anubhav Jain
• Rupifi Headquarters: Bengaluru(Bangalore), Karnataka
• Rupifi Founded: 2019.

Defence News

3. PASSEX conducted by Indian Navy and Russian Navy

• The Indian Navy (IN) and the Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) are undertaking Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• The exercise will help in enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices between both the friendly navies. It involves advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, weapon firings, seamanship exercises and helicopter operations.
• Indian Navy is being represented by indigenously constructed guided-missile frigate Shivalik and anti-submarine corvette Kadmatt along with integral helicopters. Russian Federation Navy includes guided-missile cruiser Varyag, the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev and medium ocean tanker Pechenga. The PASSEX's are conducted regularly by Indian Navy with units of friendly foreign navies.

Awards News

4. Ranjitsinh Disale becomes 1st Indian to win 2020 Global Teacher Prize

• Ranjitsinh Disale, a government teacher from Zilla Parishad Primary School, in Paritewadi village, Solapur district of Maharashtra, has won the 2020 Global Teacher Prize.
• He is the first Indian to win this award, which carries prize money of $1 million (Rs 7.4 crore).
• The 32-year-old has won the annual Global Teacher Prize 2020 in recognition of his efforts to promote girls’ education in his village and trigger a quick-response (QR) coded textbook revolution in India.
• He made efforts and added QR codes to textbooks of primary classes to provide links to audio poems, video lectures, stories and assignments.
• He also worked towards education for girls and teaching people about the ill-effects of teenage marriage and even helped to achieve 100% attendance of girls.
• The Global Teacher Prize is an annual prize founded by the Varkey Foundation in 2014 to recognise an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. The award is given in partnership with UNESCO.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France.
• UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay.
• UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.

5. Gitanjali Rao becomes 1st-ever TIME’s “Kid Of The Year”

• The Indian-American young scientist and inventor, Gitanjali Rao, has been named as the first-ever ‘Kid of the Year’ by the iconic TIME magazine.
• This is the first time that the TIME magazine has launched the Kid of The Year” award.
• The 15-year-old Gitanjali Rao was chosen from among more than 5,000 nominees, for her “astonishing work” using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• TIME magazine Headquarters: United States.
• TIME magazine Editor: Edward Felsenthal.
• TIME magazine First issue date: 3 March 1923.

Books and Authors

6. Vice President releases a book on Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

• The Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu has released the book titled “40 Years with Abdul Kalam- Untold Stories”, a book on the life of the former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
• The book was authored by Dr A.Sivathanu Pillai. The book is published by Pentagon Press LLP and the foreword was written by Pranab Mukherjee, former president of India.

Important Days

7. 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”.
• The IVD international observance was mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985.
• The purpose of the day to celebrate the efforts of volunteers and organizations and offer the opportunity to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts and recognize volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national and international levels.

8. 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.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) campaign "Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity" aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Food and Agriculture Organisation Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
• Food and Agriculture Organisation Head: Qu Dongyu.
• Food and Agriculture Organisation Founded: 16 October 1945.
• International Union of Soil Sciences President: Takashi Kosaki (Japan).
• International Union of Soil Sciences Founded: 1924.
• International Union of Soil Sciences Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.

Obituaries News

9. Lakshadweep Administrator Dineshwar Sharma passes away

• Lakshadweep Administrator, Dineshwar Sharma passed away. He was earlier headed the Intelligence Bureau and was also the Interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir.
• The 66-year-old retired IPS officer of the Kerala cadre had been appointed administrator of the Lakshadweep Union Territory in October 2019.
• He was assistant director in the IB in Kashmir between 1994 and 1996 and then went on to serve on the Kashmir desk of the bureau in the national capital.

Miscellaneous News

10. V. Naidu virtually 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).
• I K Gujral was the 12th Prime Minister of India, he served as the Prime Minister from April 1997-March 1998. He was born in Jhelum (now in Pakistan) in 1919.
• During his tenure as India’s External Affairs Minister, I K Gujral laid a set of five principles – ‘Gujral Doctrine’ to guide the conduct of foreign relations with India’s immediate neighbours. He passed away in 2012 due to a lung infection.

All the Best BA’ians for SBI PO Prelims!