Friday, 10 December 2021

09th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

09 December 2021
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09th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that is held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 09th December 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 18 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 18 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

National News

1. NITI Aayog launches ‘e-Sawaari India e-bus Coalition’

  • The National Institution of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog launched the ‘e-Sawaari India Electric Bus Coalition’ in partnership with Convergence Energy Service Ltd (CESL) and World Resources Institute, India (WRI India) and with the support from Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI).
  • The objective of the initiative is to share knowledge of various stakeholders – Central & State Govt. agencies, transit service providers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), on accelerating the process towards seamless adoption of e-bus services in India.
  • Through, e-Sawaari India Electric Bus Coalition, the central-, state-, and city-level government agencies, transit service providers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), financing institutions, and ancillary service providers will be able to share knowledge and their learnings on e-bus adoption in India.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • World Resources Institute, India CEO: O P Agarwal;
  • World Resources Institute, India Establishment: 2011;
  • World Resources Institute, India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

International News

2. Olaf Scholz is sworn in as new German chancellor

  • German lawmakers officially elected Social Democrat, Olaf Scholz as the new chancellor, putting an end to 16 years of conservative rule under Angela Merkel.
  • He will lead a government composed of his Social Democrat Party, the business-friendly Free Democrats and the Greens, a coalition of parties never tried before at the federal level in Germany.
  • The 63-year-old, Scholz previously served as vice-chancellor and finance minister during the Merkel administration, was then sworn in as Germany's next chancellor. Olaf Scholz has achieved the necessary majority of at least 369 votes. Based on article 63, paragraph 2 of the German Constitution he is elected chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Germany Capital: Berlin;
  • Germany Currency: Euro;
  • Germany President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

3. Canada, Australia and UK join US boycott of Beijing Olympic

  • Canada will join the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns.
  • The announcement came after the White House, the Australian government and the UK government confirmed diplomatic boycotts of the Winter Games in February to protest Chinese human rights abuses. China has vowed to react with "firm countermeasures."
  • The diplomatic moves by Canada, the U.S., Britain and Australia do not affect their athletes' ability to compete in the games. The 2022 Winter Olympics are an upcoming international winter multi-sport event.
  • This event is scheduled to take place from February 4 to 20, 2022 in Beijing, China. It will be the first Winter Olympics in China as well as the last of three consecutive Olympics which is to be held in East Asia, after the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.

States News

4. Kazhuveli Wetland declared as 16th Bird Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu

  • The Kazhuveli wetland situated in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu has been declared as the 16th Bird Sanctuary by Surpiya Sahu, Environment and Forest Secretary, at the Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
  • The declaration was made under subsection (1) of section 18 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The Kazhuveli wetlands is referred to as the 2nd largest Brackish Water Lake in South India, only after Pulicat lake.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai;
  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: MK Stalin;
  • Tamil Nadu Governor: R.N.Ravi;
  • Tamil Nadu State Dance: Bharathanatyam.

Business News

5. Shivalik SFB with indiagold launches loan against digital gold

  • Shivalik Small Finance Bank (SSFB) signed a partnership agreement with fintech firm, Indiagold to launch India’s first Loan against Digital Gold.
  • This agreement will enable customers to use their digital gold balance to avail of instant and digital loans up to Rs. 60,000 and also seamlessly access gold loans starting at a monthly interest of just 1%.
  • To provide access to secure and affordable credit to the customers looking for quick liquidity against their gold assets.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Shivalik Small Finance Bank Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh;
  • Shivalik Small Finance Bank MD & CEO: Suveer Kumar Gupta.

6. PayPhi launches tokenization service that supports RuPay cards

  • Phi Commerce’s API (Application programming interface) first digital payments platform, PayPhi has become the first certified tokenization service for NTS supporting tokenization of RuPay cards.
  • Tokenization of cards as an alternate to storing card details with merchants. NPCI’s NTS platform enables PayPhi Tokenization service to provide partner merchants and aggregators with TROF.
  • Token Reference On File (TROF) turns sensitive cardholder data into randomly generated 16 digit numbers called “token” with no meaningful value if breached.
  • On the lines of the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September 2021 regarding tokenization of cards during online transactions, NPCI announced the launch of the NPCI Tokenization System (NTS).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • NPCI Founded: 2008;
  • NPCI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra;
  • NPCI MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe.

Economy News

7. Fitch Ratings cuts India’s FY22 GDP Growth Forecast to 8.4%

  • Fitch Ratings has slashed India’s economic growth forecast in the financial year 2021-22 (FY22) to 8.4 per cent and raised the growth projection to 10.3 per cent for FY23, compared to October 2021 rating projections of 8.7 per cent (FY22) and 10 per cent (FY23).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Fitch Ratings President: Ian Linnell;
  • Fitch Ratings Headquarters: New York, United States.

Banking News

8. RBI imposed restrictions on Nagar Urban Co-operative Bank

  • The Reserve Bank of India has imposed several restrictions on Nagar Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, including restrictions on withdrawals up to Rs. 10,000 for customers.
  • RBI has issued the directions in the exercise of powers vested in it under subsection (1) of Section 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 for six months.
  • The bank shall not, without prior approval of RBI, grant or renew any loans and advances, make any investment, incur any liability, disburse any payment, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets. The bank will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions till its financial position improves.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Nagar Urban Co-operative Bank Headquarters: Ahmednagar, Maharashtra;
  • Nagar Urban Co-operative Bank Acting CEO:  V. Rokde;
  • Nagar Urban Co-operative Bank Slogan: ‘One Family….. One Bank’.

Ranks and Reports News

9. Asia Power Index 2021: India Ranked as 4th

  • According to Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2021, India has ranked 4th most powerful country in the Asia-Pacific region for comprehensive power out of 26 countries, with an overall score of 37.7 out of 100.
  • India’s overall score declined by 2 points compared to 2020. India again falls short of the major power threshold in 2021. India is one of 18 countries in Asia to trend downward in its overall score in 2021.
  • The top 10 countries for overall power in the Asia-Pacific region are the United States, China, Japan, India, Russian, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Lowy Institute Chairman of the Board: Frank Lowy AC;
  • Lowy Institute Headquarters: Sydney, Australia.

10. World Inequality Report 2022 announced

  • France-based World Inequality Lab published its report titled “World Inequality Report 2022”. This report was authored by Lucas Chancel, who is the co-director of World Inequality Lab. It was coordinated by famed French economist Thomas Piketty.
  • In 2021 the top 10 per cent and top 1 per cent of the Indian population holds 57 per cent and 22 per cent of total national income respectively, whereas the share of the bottom 50 per cent has gone down to 13 per cent.
  • The report notes that the top 1 % of India’s population owns more than one-fifth of the total national income in 2021.
  • The bottom half of the population earns just 13.1 per cent.
  • It highlights that economic reforms and liberalization that India has adopted, have mostly benefited the top 1 per cent.

11. FM Nirmala Sitharaman Ranked 37th on Forbes’ 2021 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women

  • Finance Minister(FM) of India, Nirmala Sitharaman has ranked 37th on the Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women 2021 or 18th Edition of Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.  She has been featured on the list for the 3rd year in a row. She was ranked 41st on the list in 2020 and 34th in 2019.
  • India’s seventh woman billionaire and the wealthiest self-made billionaire, Falguni Nayar, founder and CEO, Nykaa was ranked 88th on the list.
  • Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of the HCL Technology, the first woman to lead a listed IT company in India was ranked 52nd on the list.
  • Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson and founder of Biocon was ranked 72nd on the list. She founded India’s largest listed biopharmaceutical firm in India in 1978.
  • The 3rd richest woman in the world, MacKenzie Scott, philanthropist, author and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was topped Forbes’ 2021 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women replacing the outgoing German chancellor Angela Merkel who topped the 15 out of 17 iterations of the list.

Awards News

12. IIT-Kanpur Scientist Ropesh Goyal bags "Young Geospatial Scientist" Award

  • Ropesh Goyal from IIT-Kanpur won the 'Young Geospatial Scientist' award in recognition of his unique contribution to developing the Indian Geoid Model and computation software.
  • Member of Space Commission, Government of India, and former ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar presented the award to Goyal during the inaugural event of the DigiSmart India 2021 conference hosted by the Geospatial World.
  • The 'Young Geospatial Scientist' award and a gold medal have been presented every year since 2011 to promising scientists below 35 years of age in memory of Rachapudi Kamakshi, a strategic analyst with a strong inclination towards geography and geospatial studies.

Defence News

13. Ram Nath Kovind Presented ‘President’s Standard’ to Indian Navy Squadron

  • President of India, Ram Nath Kovind has presented the ‘President’s Standard’ to the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron of the Indian Navy, which is also known as the Killer Squadron at the ceremonial parade held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
  • To mark this occasion, the postal department has released a special day cover and a commemorative stamp. The year 2021 also marks the 50 years of inception of the Missile Vessel Squadron, also known as Killers.
  • President’s Standard is the highest honour bestowed by the President, the Supreme Commander, to a Military unit in recognition of the Service rendered to the nation. President’s Standard is the equivalent to that of President’s colours, but this is awarded to relatively smaller military formations or units.

Sports News

14 Indian Shuttler PV Sindhu won Silver at BWF World Tour Finals 2021

  • Indian Shuttler and 2-time Olympic medalist Pusarla V Sindhu, world’s number 7, won the silver at the 2021 Badminton World Federation(BWF) World Tour Finals, officially known as the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2021.
  • The reigning world champion PV Sindhu has won the BWF World Tour finals in 2018 and became the only Indian to achieve the feat.

Important Days

15. International Anti-Corruption Day: 09 December

  • International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on 9 December to raise public awareness for anti-corruption. The day is observed since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on 31 October 2003.
  • The 2021 International Anti-Corruption Day seeks to highlight the rights and responsibilities of everyone - including States, Government officials, civil servants, law enforcement officers, media representatives, the private sector, civil society, academia, the public and youth - in tackling corruption.
  • The theme of International Anti-Corruption Day 2021: “Your right, your role: say no to corruption”.

16. Remember the Victims Prevent Genocide: 9 December

  • The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is observed annually on December 9.
  • The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention, and to commemorate and honour its victims.
  • 9 December 2021 marks the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, as well as the 73rd anniversary of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”), the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly.

17. SAARC Charter Day 2021: 8th December

  • The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Charter Day is observed annually on 8th December to commemorate the adoption of the SAARC Charter. This year marks the 37th anniversary of the regional group.
  • The charter was signed by the Leaders of SAARC Countries Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the First SAARC Summit held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • SAARC Chairmanship: Nepal;
  • SAARC Secretary-General: Esala Ruwan Weerakoon (Sri Lanka);
  • SAARC Secretariat: Kathmandu, Nepal.

Obituaries News

18. Padma Shri awardee Nanda Kishore Prusty passes away

  • Padma Shri awardee who is a well-known teacher from Odisha, Nanda Kishore Prusty (Nanda Sir), passed away. On 9th November 2021, he was conferred with the Padma Shri award for his contributions in the field of education. He belonged to Kantira village in Jajpur district, Odisha.
  • Nanda Kishore Prusty, a Class 7 pass out has dedicated several decades of his life in providing free education to children and adults in Jajpur and thus best known for his selfless dedication towards eradicating illiteracy in Odisha .

08th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

08 December 2021
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08th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that is held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 08th December 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 16 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 16 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

National News

1. Sunil Arora invited to join top international democracy body IDEA

  • Former chief election commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora has been invited to join the board of advisers at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, also known as International IDEA. IDEA has a 15-member board of advisers, all of whom are eminent personalities from a wide variety of backgrounds.
  • The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) was established in 1995. It is an intergovernmental organization based in Stockholm, Sweden. India is one of the founding members of the institute.
  • The key mission of International IDEA is to support sustainable democracy worldwide. It currently has 34 member countries, which include new, old, small and large democracies from all continents.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Founded: 27 February 1995;
  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Stockholm, Sweden;
  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Secretary-General: Kevin Casas-Zamora.

International News

2. US announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

  • The Biden administration has announced that US officials will not attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing after China pledged unspecified “countermeasures” against any such diplomatic boycott.
  • The US cited that “China’s human rights ATROCITIES” is the main reason for its boycott. The US has named the boycott as “Diplomatic Boycott”. It means that the US is not sending any official or diplomatic representation to participate in the Olympics.
  • However, the US is allowing American athletes to participate in the Olympics. The US is boycotting for the following human rights atrocities of China: Situations in Taiwan and Tibet, The crackdown in Hong Kong and Abuse of minority Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Appointments News

3. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank named Ittira Davis as MD & CEO

  • The Board of Directors of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank appointed Ittira Davis as the MD and CEO of the bank. Davis has been appointed as the MD and CEO for a period of 3 years from the date of approval of the RBI or such other period as may be approved by RBI.
  • Davis was the MD and CEO of Ujjivan Financial Services Limited from July 2018 from where he resigned in 2021.
  • Davis has a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and is an international banker with over 40 years of banking experience. He worked extensively in India, the Middle East and Europe.
  • He was with the Europe Arab Bank from July 2008 to October 2012 initially as the Managing Director – Corporate and Institutional Banking and then as an Executive Director.
  • Davis has also previously worked with Citibank in India and the Arab Bank Group in the Middle East and has been associated with Ujjivan since 2015. He played a pivotal role in its transition into a Small Finance Bank.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Headquarters: Bengaluru;
  • Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Founder: Samit Ghosh;
  • Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Founded: 28 December 2004.

4. FICCI appoints Sanjiv Mehta as its President

  • The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) announced that Sanjiv Mehta, the Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), will be appointed as its President.
  • Mehta, presently the Senior Vice President of FICCI, will be succeeding media industry veteran Uday Shankar. Mehta is also the President of Unilever South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Nepal), and is a member of the 'Unilever Leadership Executive' which is Unilever's Global Executive Board.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • FICCI Founded: 1927;
  • FICCI Headquarters: New Delhi;
  • FICCI President: Harshavardhan Neotia;
  • FICCI Secretary General: Arun Chawla.

Defence News

5. Pune to host joint military exercise PANEX-21 with BIMSTEC countries

  • PANEX-21 is a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise. It is to be held for the BIMSTEC countries. The exercise is to be held among the BIMSTEC countries: Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
  • The main aim of the exercise is to build regional cooperation in responding to natural disasters. It is to be conducted in Pune from December 20 to December 22.
  • The participants of the exercise will be divided into eight syndicates. One syndicate from the participating countries and two from India.
  • It will analyse the capabilities of member states in responding to the natural disasters. The countries will share their best practices.
  • The exercise will review the procedures of preparedness and response. It will then recommend the evolution of organised structure.
  • During the exercise, the countries will discuss military–to–military cooperation protocol.

6. India-Maldives joint military Exercise EKUVERIN in Maldives

  • The 11th edition of Exercise EKUVERIN-21 between India and Maldives, held at Kadhdhoo Island, Maldives. Ekuverin means “Friends” in the Dhivehi language. It is an Indo – Aryan language. It is spoken in India, Lakshadweep and Maldives.
  • The exercise enhances synergy and inter-operability between the Armed Forces of both nations in terms of understanding transnational terrorism both on land and at sea, conducting Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations and sharing best military practices and experiences.
  • The exercise helps the militaries to understand each other’s drills and procedures. It helps to overcome language barriers. It aids in weapon familiarization which is essential in war or humanitarian aid such as disaster – relief. It is also essential in disaster relief operations.

Business News

7. Paytm partnered with AWS to offer startup Toolkits for entrepreneurs

  • Paytm, a leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to offer Paytm Startup Toolkit with exclusive payment services to early-stage Indian startups.
  • Paytm will help entrepreneurs to grow businesses with payment, distribution, and growth solutions who are operating in India in the AWS Activate.
  • To help startups enhance brand visibility and grow their customer base, the Paytm Startup Toolkit also provides access to Paytm Mini Apps, which enables developers to set up low-cost, quick-to-build mini-apps which can be built using Open Source technologies like HTML and JavaScript.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

  • Paytm Founded: August 2010;
  • Paytm Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India;
  • Paytm CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

Economy News

8. RBI Monetary Policy: Repo rate unchanged for the 9th consecutive time

  • The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das kept the repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent for the ninth consecutive time while maintaining an ‘accommodative stance’ as long as necessary.
  • The central bank had last revised the policy rate on May 22, 2020, in an off-policy cycle to perk up demand by cutting the interest rate to a historic low.  The meeting was held between December (6 to 8). The remaining will take place in February (7 to 9, 2022).

The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and bank rates remain unchanged:

  • Policy Repo Rate: 4.00%
  • Reverse Repo Rate: 3.35%
  • Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 4.25%
  • Bank Rate: 4.25%
  • CRR: 4%
  • SLR: 18.00%

RBI Monetary Policy Highlights & Key Decisions:

  • The projection for real GDP growth is retained at 9.5% in 2021-22, consisting of 6.6% in Q3, & 6% in Q4. Real GDP growth is projected at 17.2% for Q1 of 2022-23 and at 7.8% for Q2 of 2022-23.
  • The inflation projection was retained for FY22 at 5.3%, 5.1% for Q3, 5.7% for Q4, and 5% for Q1 FY23.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

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

Banking News

9. PNB launched “PNB Pride-CRMD module” app for differently-abled employees

  • Punjab National Bank (PNB) launched the PNB Pride-CRMD module tool, an android-based application for differently-abled employees to monitor and effectively follow up with the special mention account (SMA) borrowers.
  • The Pride-CRMD module has built-in TalkBack software that allows the visually impaired to access the system freely and to interact with customers by tapping on their phones.
  • Punjab National Bank emphasized the abilities of differently-abled staff members and the utilization of their skills in the conceptualization of PNB warriors and implementation of PNB Pride.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

  • Punjab National Bank Founded: 1894;
  • Punjab National Bank Headquarters: New Delhi;
  • Punjab National Bank MD & CEO: S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao;
  • Punjab National Bank Tagline: The Name You Can Bank Upon.

10. City Union Bank & NPCI launched ‘On-the-Go’ wearable keychain

  • City Union Bank (CUB), in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and its manufacturing partner Seshaasai, has announced the launch of RuPay On-the-Go contactless wearable keychain for its debit card customers.
  • This contactless wearable keychain will be part of their daily lifestyle and enable customers to tap and make cashless payments securely.
  • This On-the-Go solution allows the bank’s customers to carry payment cards on their keychains, making for fast and convenient payments up to ₹5,000 at all Rupay-enabled point of sale devices (PoS) without entering a PIN.
  • This would increase digital payment behaviour among customers, especially the younger generation and students, by enabling faster check out and less waiting in queue with features to set the spending limit, enable/disable usage through net banking, and CUB’s All-in-One mobile app.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • City Union Bank Headquarters: Kumbakonam;
  • City Union Bank CEO: Dr. N. Kamakodi;
  • City Union Bank Founded: 1904.

Summits and Conferences News

11. PM Modi holds India-Russia Summit 2021

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit to discuss the entire gamut of relations, including regional and global issues. During his visit, India and Russia signed 28 agreements.
  • The leaders discussed on International North-South Transport Corridor and also about the Chennai – Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor (which is under the proposal).
  • The countries agreed to extend the military-technical cooperation by another ten years. Currently, the indigenous production under this cooperation includes T – 90 tanks, MiG 29K aircraft, Su – 30 MKI, upgrade of MiG and supply of Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher Smerch.
  • Both India and Russia are currently developing fifth-generation Fighter Aircraft and Multi-Role Transport Aircraft.

12. Union Minister S Jaishankar addressed 5th Indian Ocean Conference

  • Union Minister of External Affairs (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has visited Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the 5th Indian Ocean Conference on December 4-5, 2021.
  • The theme of the conference was ‘Indian Ocean: Ecology, Economy, Epidemic’.
  • The Conference is chaired by Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa & Vice Chairs are S.Jaishankar, Vivian Balakrishnan, Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi.
  • The conference is being organised by India Foundation in collaboration with the RSIS Singapore, Institute of National Security Studies (INSS), Sri Lanka, and the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), UAE.

Awards News

13. Nilmani Phookan Jr and Damodar Mauzo receive Jnanpith Award

  • Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan Jr won the 56th Jnanpith Award and Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo won the 57th Jnanpith Award. The country’s highest literary award, the Jnanpith is bestowed on writers for “their outstanding contribution to literature”.
  • Jnanpith Award is a literary award presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith organization to Indian writers every year. This was instituted in 1961 and is given only to Indian writers who write in Indian languages and English.

Schemes and Committees News

14. ‘She is a Changemaker’ programme launched by National Commission for Women

  • National Commission for Women (NCW) has launched a pan-India capacity building programme, ‘She is a Changemaker’ for women representatives at all levels, gram panchayats to parliament members and political workers including office bearers of National/State political parties.
  • The programme was launched by Ms Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. To improve leadership skills of grassroots women political leaders.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • National Commission for Women Formed: 1992;
  • National Commission for Women Headquarters: New Delhi.

Sports News

15. Russia defeated Croatia to win Davis Cup tennis tournament 2021

  • The Davis Cup 2021 was won by the Russian Tennis Federation by a 2-0 lead over Croatia in the Davis Cup final in Madrid. Medvedev defeated Marin Cilic in the second singles match to give Russia an insurmountable 2-0 lead over Croatia and its first Davis Cup title since 2006.
  • Croatia also was seeking its third title after triumphs in 2005 and 2018. Andrey Rublev was named the Most Valuable Player. The Russian team is officially being called RTF (Russian Tennis Federation) in the competition amid its ongoing doping suspension in international sport.

Obituaries News

16. World’s Oldest Test Cricketer, Eileen Ash passes away

  • World’s oldest Test Cricketer, former English legend, Eileen Ash passed away at the age of 110.
  • The right-arm seamer made her debut to the national side in 1937 against Australia and in a career spanning till 1949, she took 10 wickets in the seven matches she played.
  • Her career was interrupted by the Second World War – she was seconded to MI6, the UK's intelligence service – and retired from the sport in 1949.
  • Eileen Ash was given the honour of ringing the bell at Lord’s in the Finals of the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup where the host, England have crowned the champions after beating India in a thrilling Finals.

World Cooperative Monitor report 2021: IFFCO ranks first

04 December 2021
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World Cooperative Monitor report 2021: IFFCO ranks first

The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has been ranked ‘number one Cooperative’ among the top 300 cooperatives in the world. The ranking is based on the ratio of turnover over the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. It signifies that IFFCO is contributing significantly to the GDP and economic growth of the nation. The 2021 edition of the 10th Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report, withholding its position from the 2020 edition.

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About the report:

  • The 2021 WCM report is published by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse). WCM is a project designed to collect robust economic, organizational, and social data about cooperatives worldwide.
  • The report is the 10th annual one and explores the economic and social impact of the largest cooperatives and mutual worldwide, providing a ranking of the top 300, sector rankings, and an analysis of responses to the current global challenges: Covid and climate change.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • IFFCO Founded: 1967;
  • IFFCO Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi;
  • IFFCO MD & CEO: DR. U. S. Awasthi.