18th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

18 December 2021
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18th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

Here is the Daily GK Update of 18th December 2021 covering the following news headlines: ISRO, SAHAY scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar Mangalam Birla, National Minorities Rights Day, International Migrants Day. 

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 18th December 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 10 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 10 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

State News

1. Jharkhand CM launched SAHAY scheme for maoist-hit areas

• The Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren has launched a Sports Action toward Harnessing Aspiration of Youth (SAHAY) scheme aimed at nurturing young sporting talents in Maoist-hit districts of the state.
• This scheme has been launched to curb the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) which affected 19 of the state’s 24 districts.
• Boys and girls in the 14-19 age group from villages to ward level will be registered under the scheme and will be given opportunities to display their skills in basketball, volleyball, hockey and athletics.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Jharkhand: Hemant Soren; Governor: Ramesh Bais.

Banking News

2. RBI imposes penalty on PNB and ICICI Bank

• A penalty of Rs 1.8 crores has been imposed on Punjab National Bank (PNB) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), while ICICI Bank has been fined Rs 30 lakh for deficiencies in regulatory compliances.
• According to a statement issued by the central bank, PNB was found guilty of contravening provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, related to pledge of shares by it. In the case of ICICI Bank, the RBI said that after conducting a statutory inspection for supervisory evaluation of the bank, it found non-compliance with directions related to levy of charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance in saving accounts.
• The RBI however made it clear that in both the cases, penalties were levied on deficiencies in regulatory compliances and it was not a pronunciation on the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the banks with their respective customers.

Science and Technology News

3. ISRO signed six agreements with four countries for launching foreign satellites

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed six agreements with four countries for launching foreign satellites during 2021-2023. About 132 million Euros would be earned through the launching of these foreign satellites on a commercial basis.
• The ISRO-Indian space agency, founded in 1969 to develop an independent Indian space program. Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh has said that ISRO has launched a total of 342 satellites from 34 countries since 1999.
• ISRO through its commercial arm, New Space India Limited (NSIL), has been launching satellites belong to other countries from Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Total 124 indigenous satellites have been put into Earth’s orbit including 12 student satellites.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• ISRO Chairman: K.Sivan;
• ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka;
• ISRO established: 15 August 1969.

Ranks and Reports News

4. YouGov: PM Modi world's 8th most admired man in 2021

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ranked 8th on the list of the world's top 20 most admired men, in a survey carried out by data analytics company YouGov. PM Modi is ahead of Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Virat Kohli. The list has been compiled taking feedback from 42,000 people in 38 countries.
• Apart from PM Modi, the other Indian men who, according to the survey, were the most admired in 2021 include Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Virat Kohli.
• The list also includes the most admired Indian women of 2021 has Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sudha Murty.

Awards News

5. Kumar Mangalam Birla receives Global Entrepreneur of the Year Award

• Aditya Birla Group’s chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla has received the Global Entrepreneur of the Year Award- Business Transformation from The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) based out of Silicon Valley.
• Birla is the first Indian Industrialist to receive the award for global entrepreneurship along with top global business leaders Satya Nadella, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos.
• The awardees were selected by an independent jury chaired by Venture Capitalist, Tim Draper, Founder, Draper University.

Schemes News

6. Union cabinet approves Rs 76,000 crore push for semiconductor manufacturing

• Union Cabinet approved a Rs 76,000-crore production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for boosting semiconductor and display manufacturing in India. With this, the total amount of production linked incentive (PLI) announced for the electronics sector increase to Rs 2.30 lakh crore.
• This scheme was approved in order to position India as a global hub for hi-tech production, as well as to attract large chip makers. It would also strengthen India’s ambitions to be self-reliant in electronics manufacturing and bring huge investments.
• The government will also set up an independent ‘India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)’, for driving the long-term strategies to develop a sustainable semiconductor and display ecosystem in India.

Books and Authors News

7. A book title "Rewinding the first 25 years of MeitY! by SS Oberoi

• The book titled ‘Rewinding of First 25 years of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’ authored by S S Oberoi, the former adviser at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) was launched by Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary of MeitY.
• The book consists of life experience, challenges working as an advisor under the MeitY. He was the first head of the Software Development Agency and the first adviser of Information Technology.

Important Days 

8. International Migrants Day 2021: 18th December

• The International Migrants Day is observed globally on 18 December every year. The day is marked by the United Nations, through the UN-related agency International Organization for Migration (IOM).
• The day is observed to highlight the contributions made by the  272 million migrants, which includes more than 41 million people who are internally displaced persons, and the challenges they face. The theme of International Migrants Day 2021 is Harnessing the potential of human mobility.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• International Organization for Migration Headquarters: Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland;
• International Organization for Migration Founded: 6 December 1951;
• International Organization for Migration Director General: António Vitorino.

9. National Minorities Rights Day 2021

• Every year, December 18 is observed as the Minorities Rights Day to uphold the right to freedom and equal opportunities for the ethnic minorities in India and create awareness about the respect and dignity of the minorities.
• India has faced many obstacles since the British Rule regarding basic human rights. However, these rights were safeguarded after the independence and people must be made aware of it. Thus we celebrate Minorities Rights Day on 18th December every year.
• The Minority Rights Day 2021 aims to uplift all the minority sections of society and back them to voice their opinion. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, all the sessions, seminars, and debates are likely to take place digitally.

10. World Arabic Language Day: 18 December

• World Arabic Language Day is observed globally on 18th December every year. The Arabic language is one of the pillars of the cultural diversity of mankind. It is one of the most widely used languages ​​in the world, spoken daily by more than 400 million people.
• The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of the history, culture and development of the language by preparing a program of special activities and events.
• The theme of this year's World Arabic Language Day is "The Arabic Language and Civilizational Communication", and it is considered as a call to reaffirm the important role that the Arabic language plays in building bridges of connection between people on the rise of culture, science, literature and many other fields.

All the Best BA’ians for the Bank exam!

14th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

14 December 2021
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14th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

Here is the Daily GK Update of 14th December 2021 covering the following news headlines: National Energy Conservation Day, Code-Unnati, Global Health Security Index, International Maritime Organisation, Abu Dhabi GP 2021 F-1 Drivers’ championship.

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 14th December 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 17 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 17 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

National News

1. IMO: India re-elected to International Maritime Organisation Council

• India has been re-elected to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council for the 2022-2023 biennium under category B states.
• The Assembly of the International Maritime Organization has elected the Members of its Council for the 2022-2023 biennium.
• The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• International Maritime Organisation Headquarters: London, United Kingdom;
• International Maritime Organisation Founder: United Nations;
• International Maritime Organisation Founded: 17 March 1948.

2. PM Modi inaugurates Kashi-Vishwanath Dham project in Kashi

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first phase of the Rs 339 crore Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project that connects the temple town's two iconic landmarks - Kashi Vishwanath temple and Ganga ghats.
• The idea behind the project is to ensure that all heritage structures get preserved.
• A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in phase 1 of the project.
• They will provide a variety of facilities to the pilgrims visiting Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery and Food Court, among others.
• The project is now spread over a massive area of about 5 lakh square feet, whereas earlier premises was limited to just around 3000 square feet.

3. Centre to launch National Helpline against atrocities on SCs, STs

• Union Minister Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Virendra Kumar has launched National Helpline against atrocities on SCs, STs.
• The objective of the helpline, reportedly, is to build awareness about the provisions of the Act that are aimed at ending discrimination and providing protection to all. The Helpline will be available 24-7 on toll-free number – 14566.
• This Service will be available in Hindi, English, and Regional languages of the States. The objective of this helpline is to spread awareness about the provision of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
• All registered complaints will be investigated and all charge sheets filed are prosecuted in the Courts for decision within the given timelines in the Act. A docket number will be given for each complaint received from Victim/Complainant/NGOs regarding non-compliance with The Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955 and the Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act, 1989.

International News

4. UAE becomes first country to transition to 4.5-day Work Week

• The United Arab Emirates has announced to change its existing five-day workweek to a four-and-a-half day starting January 1, becoming the world's first country to make the employee-friendly transition as part of its efforts to improve productivity and work-life balance.
• According to the new schedule, Monday to Thursday the work timings would be from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm, followed by a half-day on Friday from 7.30 am to 12.00 pm. Saturdays and Sundays are full-day holidays under the new rule.
• The government’s move is expected to make it come closer to the timings of the US, the UK, and Europe, boosting commerce. The Emirati govt of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have already announced the four-and-a-half day workweek.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• UAE Capital: Abu Dhabi;
• UAE Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham;
• UAE President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

5. Indian-American Gautam Raghavan elevated to key White House position

• US President Joe Biden has elevated Indian-American political advisor Gautam Raghavan as the head of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
• White House Presidential Personnel Office (PPO), also written as Office of Presidential Personnel, is the White House office tasked with vetting new appointees. The PPO is one of the offices most responsible for assessing candidates to work at or for the White House.
• A first-generation immigrant, Raghavan was born in India, raised in Seattle and graduated from Stanford University. He is the editor of the book 'West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House'.

States News

6. Madhya Pradesh govt organised first drone Mela at Gwalior

• In Madhya Pradesh, the first drone fair in the country was organised at Gwalior. Gwalior Drone Mela was organised jointly by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Government of India, the Government of Madhya Pradesh, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
• Addressing the youths and farmers present at the "Drone Mela" in Gwalior, MP Chief Minister said that Madhya Pradesh will be made a leading state by using drone technology. Mr Scindia said that five Drone Schools will be opened in Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Satna in Madhya Pradesh.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• Madhya Pradesh Capital: Bhopal;
• Madhya Pradesh Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel;
• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

7. Himachal govt set up General Category Commission

• Himachal Pradesh govt announced setting up a Commission for upper castes, on the lines of Madhya Pradesh. The Commission, to be named as ‘Samanya Varg Aayog’, will be formalised through a legislative enactment in three months' time when the state assembly meets next in February-March 2021 for the budget session of the House.
• A Scheduled Caste Commission is already in operation in Himachal Pradesh and is chaired by former Shimla MP Virendra Kashyap.
• As per the 2011 population census, Himachal Pradesh has a population of 68.56 lakhs of which 19.29 lakh, which is 25.22 per cent, are SCs, while the other 4 lakhs are STs, which is 5.71 % and other 9.03 lakh are OBCs, which is 13.52%.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Himachal Pradesh Capital: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter);
• Himachal Pradesh Governor: Rajendra Arlekar;
• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur.

Agreements News

8. Karnataka & UNDP signed LoU as a part of ‘Code-Unnati’

• Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports, Government of Karnataka has signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a part of the State-level initiative ‘Code-Unnati’ to improve the access to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities among the youths, including women.
• The initiative involves United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and is supported by SAP India Lab’s CSR Strategies will be implemented in 4 districts of Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Dakshina Kannada and Raichuru.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• United Nations Development Programme Founder: 1965;
• United Nations Development Programme Headquarters: New York, United States;
• United Nations Development Programme Administrator: Achim Steiner.

9. IPPB : NPCI tie up to launch doorstep bill payments service

• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has tied up with National Payments Corporation of India’s (NPCI) bill payments system Bharat BillPay to facilitate cash-based bill payments service at customer’s doorstep.
• Payments for various utility bills can be done on the Bharat BillPay platform and the facility will be made available to non- IPPB customers as well.
• The aim is to provide access to payment solutions to millions of unbanked and underserved customers in remote locations at their doorstep, NPCI said in its statement. The service will enable payments of mobile postpaid, D2H recharge, school fees, and other utility services by using the bank's mobile banking service.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• IPPB Founded: 2018;
• IPPB Headquarters: New Delhi;
• IPPB MD & CEO: J Venkatramu;
• IPPB Tag line: Aapka Bank, Aapke Dwaar.

Defence News

10. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Swarnim Vijay Parv

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated Swarnim Vijay Parv commemorating 50 years of India’s victory in the 1971 war. He inaugurates 'Wall of Fame -1971 Indo-Pak War' at the inaugural ceremony.
• Swarnim Vijay Parv is an event commemorating the valour & professionalism of the Armed Forces and their contribution to the liberation of Bangladesh in the Indo-Pak 1971 war, at India Gate Lawns in New Delhi on December 12, 2021.
• The event marks the culmination of year-long celebrations of 50 years of India’s victory in 1971. The event will be opened to the public after the inauguration. Many dignitaries, including those from Bangladesh, will be present.

Ranks and Reports News

11. Uttar Pradesh holds the top position in Total Registered EVs

• Winter Session of the Parliament, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, informed the Rajya Sabha on the state of Electric Vehicles (EV) in India.
• As per the data, India has a total of 870,141 registered EVs, with Uttar Pradesh (UP) holding the top spot with 255,700 registered EVs. UP is followed by Delhi (125,347), Karnataka (72,544), Bihar (58,014) and Maharashtra (52,506) in successive positions.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Uttar Pradesh Capital: Lucknow;
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath;
• Uttar Pradesh Governor: Anandiben Patel.

12. Global Health Security Index 2021: India ranked 66th

• As per the Global Health Security (GHS) Index 2021, the world’s average overall GHS Index score was reduced to 38.9 (out of 100) in 2021, from a score of 40.2 in the GHS Index, 2019.
• GHS Index is developed in partnership with the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
• India ranked 66 out of 195 countries with an overall Index score of 42.8 and along with a change of -0.8 from 2019. The United States of America (USA) ranked 1st on the index with a score of 75.9 followed by Australia and Finland.

The overall ranking of GHS Index 2021:

Rank	Country	Score
1	USA	75.9
2	Australia	71.1
3	Finland	70.9
4	Canada	69.8
5	Thailand	68.2
66	India	42.8
195	Somalia	16.0

Sports News

13. India won Six medals at Asian Rowing Championship

• India won a total of six medals, including two gold and 4 silver medals in the Asian Rowing Championship in Thailand.
• Senior rower Arvind Singh bagged a gold in the lightweight Men’s single sculls event while his compatriots won three silver medals.
• India bagged silver medals in Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls, Men’s Quadrapul Sculls and in Men’s Coxless Four. In Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls, India’s Ashish Phugat and Sukhjinder Singh won the silver.

14. Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi GP 2021 F-1 Drivers’ championship

• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his maiden F1 Drivers’ championship title by beating Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes in the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP 2021.
• Mercedes bagged another World Constructor’s Championship title but were denied the double they would have wanted. Verstappen ended the season with 10 wins to Hamilton’s eight, having also led more laps and taken more poles and podiums.

Books and Authors News

15. “Watershed: How We Destroyed India’s Water And How We Can Save It” authored by Mriduala Ramesh

• Mriduala Ramesh, the founder of Sundaram Climate Institute, which works on water and waste solutions and the angel investor in cleantech start-ups, has authored a new book titled “Watershed: How We Destroyed India’s Water And How We Can Save It”.
• Mriduala Ramesh is the author of “The Climate Solution” and she writes regularly on climate issues.
• She is also a member of the board of trustees of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), India, and chairperson of the board of governors at the National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh (AP).

Important Days

16. National Energy Conservation Day 2021

• Every year on the 14th of December, National Energy Conservation day is celebrated in India. This occasion has been celebrated since 1991 when is led by the Ministry of power.
• This day is celebrated to raise awareness regarding the conservation of energy as it is the best way to have a greener and brighter future.
• Back in 2001, the Indian bureau of energy efficiency implemented the Indian energy conservation act which focused on formulating policies regarding energy conservation.

Obituaries News

17. Gothic novel author Anne Rice passes away

• American gothic-fiction writer Anne Rice, best known for The Vampire Chronicles novel series, passed away.
• Anne Rice's debut novel, published in 1976, Interview with the Vampire revolves around a vampire named Louis de Pointe du Lac, who narrates the story of his life to a reporter. Her other works: Pandora, Violin, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, The Witching Hour etc.

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 .