Tuesday, 14 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 .

11th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

11 December 2021
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11th 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 11th 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. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launched ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme’

  • Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched the ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme‘ in Dehradun. The scheme is aimed to provide incentives benefiting around 53,000 people of Uttarakhand.
  • The state government is targeting to spend INR 444.62 crore to open 500 milk sales centres in Uttarakhand. It is a Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) scheme, the amount under the scheme would go directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries through their linked bank accounts.
  • In the Dehradun district, milk production and consumption are completely contradictory. On one hand, the government is making many attempts to enhance milk production, all government claims of promoting products are proving to be fictitious. Despite thousands of hours of labour, milk is not produced in accordance with demand.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer);
  • Uttarakhand Governor:  Lt Gen Gurmit Singh;
  • Uttarakhand Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami.

2. Haiderpur wetland in Uttar Pradesh recognised as Ramsar Site

  • The Haiderpur Wetland abutting the Madhya Ganga barrage, about 10 km from Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh, has been recognised under the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Uttar Pradesh is now home to 9 Ramsar wetlands.
  • The wetland has also been identified under Namami Gange, a central flagship, as a model wetland along the Ganga. With this, there are now a total of 47 such designated areas in the country.

Banking News

3. Federal Bank and Star Health Insurance tie-up for bancassurance

  • Federal Bank has entered into a Bancassurance partnership with Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd as a corporate agent to provide health insurance products for the Bank’s 8.90 million customers across India.
  • The Bank’s customers can avail benefits of Star Health’s retail products and group affinity products through the bank’s various distribution channels which help the customers to address their complete financial needs under one roof.
  • It is a partnership between a bank and an insurance company that would enable them to offer insurance products to the bank’s customers.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Federal Bank Establishment: April 23, 1931;
  • Federal Bank Headquarters: Aluva, Kerala;
  • Federal Bank Managing Director & CEO: Shyam Srinivasan;
  • Federal Bank Tagline: Your Perfect Banking Partner.

Summits and Conferences News

4. PM Modi participates in 'Summit For Democracy'

  • US President Joe Biden is hosting the first of two Summits for Democracy, which takes place virtually between December 9–10.
  • India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the summit saying that 'democratic spirit' and 'pluralistic ethos' are ingrained in Indians. A total of 100 nations participated in this 'Summit for Democracy'.
  • Even Ukraine and Taiwan were invited to the summit but Russia and China were not. Both these countries released a joint statement in which they said that the US is displaying a “Cold-War mentality” that will “stoke up ideological confrontation and a rift in the world".

Ranks and Reports News

5. Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women in India 2021 announced

  • Fortune India released the list of most powerful women in India 2021 in which Union Minister, Ministry of Finance & Ministry of Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman ranked 1st.
  • She is followed by Reliance Foundation Chairperson and Goodwill Ambassador Nita Ambani in 2nd position, and Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO) at 3rd.

Fortune India’s List of Top 5 Most Powerful Women in India:

RankNamePosition
1Nirmala SitharamanUnion Ministry, Ministry of Finance
2Nita AmbaniReliance Foundation Chairperson and Goodwill Ambassador
3Soumya SwaminathanChief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO)
4Kiran Mazumdar-ShawExecutive Chairperson, Biocon
5Suchitra EllaCo-founder and Joint MD, Bharat Biotech International Ltd

6. India Skills Report 2022: Maharashtra Retains Top Position

  • The 9th edition of India Skills Report (ISR) 2022, released by Wheebox, Maharashtra has retained the top position in the list of states with the highest poll of employable talent followed by Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.
  • The theme of ISR 2022 – ‘Rebuilding and Reengineering the Future of Work’.  India Skills Report is a full-fledged report about the future of work, education, and skilling to match the talent demand and supply in a growing India.
  • Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are the 3 states that have a higher job demand.
  • Pune is the city with the most highly employable resources with 78% of the test takers scoring above 60 per cent.

Top 5 States with Highest Employability:

RankStateEmployability %
1Maharashtra66.1
2Uttar Pradesh65.2
3Kerala64.2
4West Bengal63.8
5Karnataka59.3

Business News

7. Airtel, Invest India launch 'Startup Innovation Challenge'

  • Bharti Airtel and Invest India, National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency jointly launched ‘Airtel India Startup Innovation Challenge’ for Startups to develop solutions in 5G, IoT.
  • Under the Startup Innovation Challenge, early-stage technology companies are being invited to demonstrate differentiated solutions in areas such as 5G, Cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and digital entertainment.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Airtel Founded: 1995;
  • Airtel Headquarters: New Delhi, India;
  • Airtel Chairman: Sunil Bharti;
  • Airtel MD & CEO: Mittal Gopal Vittal.

Awards News

8. Balkrishna Doshi Awarded 2022 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture

  • The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi will be the recipient of the 2022 Royal Gold Medal.
  • The distinction, approved by Her Majesty The Queen and awarded each year since 1848, is given to architects or practices in recognition of a lifetime’s work and the impact on the evolution of the field and the built environment.

Sports News

9. India won 41 medals at Asian Youth Para Games 2021

  • India claimed 41 medals (12 Gold, 15 Silver, 14 Bronze) at the 4th Asian Youth Para Games (AYPG), Asia’s biggest event held at Riffa city, Bahrain. The event is organized by the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Bahrain with the support of the local government.
  • Over 700 athletes from around 30 countries participated in the event from 2ndto 6th December 2021. The 5th edition of the Asian Youth Para Games 2025 will be hosted by Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Important Days

10. International Mountain Day observed on 11 December

  • International Mountain Day is observed globally on December 11 every year. The day is celebrated to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around the world.
  • The theme of this year's International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December will be sustainable mountain tourism. Sustainable tourism in mountains can contribute to creating additional and alternative livelihood options and promoting poverty alleviation, social inclusion, as well as landscape and biodiversity conservation.
  • The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2003 to encourage the sustainable development of mountains. United Nations had declared 2002 as the UN International Year of Mountains.

12th and 13th December Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

13 December 2021
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12th and 13th 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 12th and 13th December 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 19 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 19 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

National News

1. India assumed the chairmanship of Council of RATS SCO

  • India assumed the Chairmanship of Council of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (RATS SCO) for 1 year from October 28, 2021.
  • The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Government of India, in association with Data Security Council of India (DSCI), as a Knowledge Partner, organized a 2-day Practical Seminar on ‘Securing Cyberspace in the Contemporary Threat Environment’ for delegates from SCO member States.
  • The seminar is the 1st event to be hosted by India during its Chairmanship of Council of RATS SCO. This Seminar addressed key areas like Policies and Strategies, Cyber Terrorism, Ransomware, and Digital Forensics amongst others. The representatives from the Executive Committee (EC) of RATS SCO and all SCO member countries attended this Seminar.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • SCO Headquarters: Beijing, China;
  • SCO Founded: 15 June 2001;
  • SCO Secretary-General: Vladimir Norov.

2. NITI Aayog to establish 1,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in J&K

  • The NITI Aayog has planned to establish 1000 Atal Tinkering Laboratories in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of 1000 Atal Tinkering Laboratories, 187 will be established by the end of the financial year 2021-22.
  • Out of 187 ATLs, 31 are being established across government schools of J&k while 50 will be established in several educational institutions like KVs, JNVs, and Private schools.
  • Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) is a sub-mission under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of the Central Government in India. It is the flagship initiative of AIM, that seeks to nurture an innovative mindset amongst high school students across India.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • NITI Aayog Formed: 1 January 2015;
  • NITI Aayog Headquarters: New Delhi;
  • NITI Aayog Chairperson: Narendra Modi;
  • NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson: Rajiv Kumar;
  • NITI Aayog CEO: Amitabh Kant.

International News

3. UNGA granted observer status to International Solar Alliance

  • The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has granted Observer Status to International Solar Alliance (ISA) by adopting resolution 76/123. This decision has been taken based on the UNGA’s Sixth Committee report.
  • In November 2015, ISA was jointly launched by India and France during the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change COP-21 in Paris, France to promote solar energy among its Member Countries.
  • A total of 108 countries participated in the Assembly, including 74 Member Countries and 34 Observer and Prospective Countries, 23 Partner Organizations and 33 Special Invitee Organisations.
  • The launch of the ISA was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and former French President Francois Hollande in November 2015, at the 21st session of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Paris, France.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • International Solar Alliance Headquarters: Gurugram;
  • International Solar Alliance Founded: 30 November 2015;
  • International Solar Alliance Director-General: Ajay Mathur.

Appointments News

4. Catherine Russell appointed as the new head of UNICEF

  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Catherine Russell as the head of UN children’s agency UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund.
  • Catherine Russell is an assistant to US President Joe Biden. She also heads the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Russell will succeed Henrietta Fore, who resigned in July 2021 because of a family health issue.
  • UNICEF is governed by a 36-member executive board. The board establishes policies, oversees administrative & financial plans and approves programs. Board comprises of government representatives, who are elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. They are elected for three-year terms.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • UNICEF Headquarters: New York, United States of America;
  • UNICEF Founded: 11 December 1946.

Agreements News

5. NITI Aayog and Bharti Foundation announce the launch of ‘Convoke 2021-22’

  • NITI Aayog in partnership with Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, launched Convoke 2021-22.
  • Convoke is a National research Symposium that aims at addressing challenges in imparting education and strengthening its quality with a special focus on all teachers, educationists, heads of schools across India.
  • Through Convoke they can now share their micro research papers. These research papers will be analyzed by a panel of Educationists. The shortlisted Research Papers will be presented during the ‘National Research Symposium’ scheduled in January 2022.

Defence News

6. DRDO successfully tests Pinaka Extended Range 2021

  • Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired Pinaka Extended Range (Pinaka-ER), Area Denial Munitions (ADM), and indigenously developed fuzes.
  • The test was conducted at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the Odisha coast. A total of 25 enhanced Pinaka rockets were reportedly fired from multi-barrel rocket launchers (MRLs) at several ranges during the test.
  • The range version can destroy the target of up to 45 km. At the same time, the flight path of these missiles was tracked by range instruments including telemetry, radar, and electro-optical tracking system deployed by ITR and Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE).

Banking News

7. RBI enforces 20-digit LEI for cross-border deals

  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) mandatory for cross-border transactions for capital or current account transactions of Rs 50 crore and above, from October 1 next year.
  • The LEI is a 20-digit number used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide to improve the quality and accuracy of financial data systems.
  • The identifier norm has been introduced in a phased manner for participants in the over the counter (OTC) derivative, non-derivative markets, large corporate borrowers, and large value transactions in centralised payment systems.
  • Starting October 1, 2022, banks will have to obtain the `LEI` number from the resident entities (non-individuals) undertaking any capital or current account transactions. For LEI holders, it would be mandatory to furnish the number in all transactions irrespective of the transaction size.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

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

Economy News

8. ADB approved a USD 350 million loan to improve India's urban services

  • Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a Rs 2653.05 crore (USD 350 million) policy-based loan to improve urban services in India.
  • This loan supports the policies formulated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to benefit the urban poor, economically weaker sections, and low-income groups.
  • ADB will also provide knowledge and advisory support to MoHUA in program implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Asian Development Bank Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines;
  • Asian Development Bank President: Masatsugu Asakawa;
  • Asian Development Bank Membership: 68 countries;
  • Asian Development Bank Founded: 19 December 1966.

Business News

9. LIC gets RBI approval to increase stake up in IndusInd Bank

  • Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India to increase its stake to 99 per cent in IndusInd Bank of the total issued and paid-up capital of the private sector lender.
  • The approval will be valid for 1 year i.e., up to December 8, 2022. At present, LIC holds a 4.95 per cent stake in the IndusInd Bank. Recently, LIC had also received a similar kind of approval from RBI to increase its stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank to 9.99 per cent.
  • It holds a 49.24 per cent stake in IDBI Bank. Among other major banks, LIC holds 8.8 per cent in Canara Bank, 8.3 per cent in Punjab National Bank and State Bank of India, 8.2 per cent in Axis Bank, and 7.6 per cent in ICICI Bank.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • LIC Chairperson: M R Kumar;
  • LIC Headquarters: Mumbai;
  • LIC Founded: 1 September 1956.

Awards News

10. Karnataka Bank won 2 DigiDhan Awards by MeitY

  • Karnataka Bank has been conferred with two DigiDhan awards instituted by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The awards were given during Digital payment Utsav in New Delhi.
  • The award recognized banks for achieving the target with the highest percentage in BHIM-UPI transactions under the private sector bank category consecutively for two years 2019-20 and 2020-21.
  • Karnataka Bank has always stood ahead of the time in adopting the latest digital technology to its products in order to provide best in class service to our customers.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Karnataka Bank Ltd Chairman: Pradeep Kumar Panja;
  • Karnataka Bank Headquarters: Mangalore;
  • Karnataka Bank Founded: 18 February 1924.

11. Indian Mathematician Neena Gupta receives Ramanujan Prize 2021

  • Indian Mathematician Neena Gupta has received the 2021 DST-ICTP-IMU Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries for her outstanding work in affine algebraic geometry and commutative algebra.
  • Professor Neena Gupta, a mathematician at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata. She is the third woman to receive Ramanujan Prize, which was first awarded in 2005 and is administered by Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics jointly with Dept Science and Technology and International Mathematical Union.
  • The prize, named after Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, was first awarded in 2005 and is administered by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) jointly with the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and the International Mathematical Union (IMU).

12. India's Harnaaz Sandhu crowned 70th Miss Universe 2021

  • Actor-model Harnaaz Sandhu made history as she was crowned Miss Universe 2021 beating contestants from 80 countries, 21 years after India last brought home the title.
  • While Paraguay's Nadia Ferreira, 22, finished second, South Africa's Lalela Mswane, 24, came third. Only two Indians before Ms Sandhu have won the title of Miss Universe— actors Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000.
  • The 70th edition of the event was held in Eilat, Israel, where the 21-year-old bagged the coveted pageant.
  • The ceremony was hosted by Steve Harvey and saw performances from American singer JoJo. The selection committee included actor and Miss Universe India 2015 Urvashi Rautela, Adamari López, Adriana Lima, Cheslie Kryst, Iris Mittenaere, Lori Harvey, Marian Rivera and Rena Sofer.

13. Azim Premji receives Dr. Ida S. Scudder Oration award

  • Azim Premji, founder chairman of Wipro Limited and founder of Azim Premji Foundation is this year’s recipient of the 10th annual Dr Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration, jointly established by Christian Medical College Vellore (CMC) and the U.S.-based Vellore CMC Foundation.
  • The award is presented to Mr Premji in recognition of his contributions to society. Dr Scudder who was born in Ranipet in 1870 dedicated her life to bringing modern healthcare and medical education to the people of India.
  • The Oration seeks to inspire people to emulate her dedication to the service of humanity by honouring exceptional individuals. The previous recipients of the Dr Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration include former president of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Ranks and Reports News

14. World Talent Ranking report 2021: India ranked 56th

  • International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitive Centre published its “World Talent Ranking Report”. In the report, Europe has dominated the ranking in 2021.
  • Global top 10 countries are from this region. Switzerland has retained its top spot. India has been ranked at 56th position. In the Middle East & North Africa, UAE maintained its second position, following Israel (first in this region). Israel has been ranked 22nd.

Top 10 in World Talent Ranking report 2021:

RankCountry
1Switzerland
2Sweden
3Luxembourg
4Norway
5Denmark
6Austria
7Iceland
8Finland
9Netherlands
10Germany

Science and Technology News

15. ISRO, Oppo collaborate to strengthen R&D of NavIC messaging service

  • The Indian Space Research Organisation has signed an agreement with Chinese smart devices maker Oppo’s Indian arm to strengthen the research and development of the NavIC messaging service.
  • The messaging service is mainly used for broadcasting safety-of-life alerts in areas with poor or no communication, particularly in the oceans. Oppo India has its manufacturing unit in Noida and an R&D centre in Hyderabad.
  • Both ISRO and Oppo India will exchange technical information of NavIC messaging services to build rapid, ready-to-use, end-to-end application-specific solutions. This will enable integrating NavIC messaging service with the mobile handset platform keeping in mind the need of Indian users.

Sports News

16. Norway's Magnus Carlsen wins FIDE World Chess Championship

  • Reigning world chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway defended his title and won the FIDE World Championship in Dubai.
  • He beat Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, securing the one point he needed to cross the seven-point threshold to win the global tournament held at Dubai's Expo 2020 this month in the United Arab Emirates.
  • Carlsen clinched his fifth world championship title. Carlsen wins 60% of the 2 million-euro prize offered by the championship.

Important Days

17. Unicef Day 2021: History, significance, theme

  • Every year, UNICEF Day is observed on December 11 to raise awareness about saving children’s lives by defending and helping them to fulfil their wishes. The day provides assistance for the health, nutrition, education, and welfare of children during World War II.
  • UNICEF’s name was subsequently changed from United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to United Nations Children’s Fund though, it continued to be known by the popular acronym based on the previous title.
  • The theme for this year is to help children recover from interruptions and learning losses experienced through pandemics in the last two years.

18. International Universal Health Coverage Day :12 December

  • International Universal Health Coverage Day is a United Nations’ recognized international day celebrated every year on December 12. International Universal Health Coverage Day aims to raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage with multi-stakeholder partners.
  • Each year on 12 December, UHC advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, champion what we have achieved so far, call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and encourage diverse groups to make commitments to help move the world closer to UHC by 2030.
  • This year theme of International Universal Health Coverage Day is “Leave No One’s Health Behind: Invest in health systems for all.”

19. International Day of Neutrality: 12 December 2021

  • International Day of Neutrality is a United Nations recognized day held on December 12 each year to raise public awareness of the value of neutrality in international relations. It was officially declared by a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in February 2017 and first observed on December 12, 2017.
  • On 2 February 2017, the UN General Assembly adopted without a vote resolution 71/275 — introduced by Turkmenistan, recognized by the UN as a permanently neutral state since 12 December 1995, which noted the link between the preservation of peace and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and declared 12 December as the International Day of Neutrality.