Activate War Rooms, Night Curfews As Needed, Centre Tells States: 10 Points

New Delhi: 

Omicron is three times as infectious as Delta and "war rooms" are needed to contain it, the Centre has told states. It listed a series of prevention and containment measures that included extensive testing, night curfew and regulation of gatherings.

Here are the Top 10 points in this big story:

1. The letter from the health ministry said the measures taken should be based on local conditions, laying down the guidelines for what it called "threshold limits".
2. The thresholds, the Centre said, are test positivity of 10 per cent or more in the last one week or 40 per cent occupancy on oxygen supported or ICU beds.
3. The states and Union Territories can take "containment measures, curbs even before thresholds are reached" the Centre said.
4. Besides Omicron, the Delta variant is "still present" in different parts of the country, the letter read.
5. Calling for "greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making and strict and prompt containment action", the letter said decision making at the State/UT and district level "must be very prompt and focused and take containment measures and restrictions even before these thresholds are reached".
6. As part of test and surveillance methods, the Centre has mentioned door-to-door case searches, contact tracing of all Covid-positive persons.
7. Samples from cluster infections must immediately be sent to INSACOG Labs for Genome Sequencing.
8. The states have also been asked to "accelerate and ensure" 100 per cent vaccination coverage.
9. It has also been suggested that emergency funds be used to ramp up medical infrastructure, including hospital beds, ambulances, oxygen equipment and medication.
10. The number of Omicron cases has crossed the 200-mark in India, the Health Ministry has said. Maharashtra and Delhi have reported the highest number of cases of the new variant -- 54. They are followed by Telangana (20 cases), Karnataka (19), Rajasthan (18), Kerala (15) and Gujarat (14). Of them, 77 patients have recovered or migrated, the ministry added.

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.