Current Affairs December 10th 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Anti-Corruption Day- Dec 9

• The International Anti-Corruption Day is observed globally on 9 December to raise awareness about corruption and the ways to combat this global ill.
• The day seeks to highlight the role of every part of society – individuals, non-governmental organisations, law enforcement, governments and media persons — in tackling the issue of corruption.
• The theme for this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day is ‘Your right, your role: Say no to corruption.”
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on 31 October 2003.
• The Convention, which came into effect in 2005, is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument, with a majority of countries being party to the Convention.
• In 2003, the UNGA also designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day to raise awareness about the corruption and how the UN Convention against corruption combats the issue.
• The UN has also set up a Global Task Force on Corruption, which is co-chaired by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Parliament passes Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021

• Parliament has passed the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021 with the Rajya Sabha approving it. The Bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.
• The Upper House also passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020 with amendments moved by the government.
• The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021 provides for the regulation and supervision of the assisted reproductive technology clinics and the assisted reproductive technology banks.
• The Bill provides that every ART clinic and bank must be registered under the National Registry of Banks and Clinics of India.
• The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020 aims at constituting National Surrogacy Board, State Surrogacy Boards and appointment of appropriate authorities for regulation of the practice and process of surrogacy.
• The government has also incorporated the recommendations of the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha in the bill.

Lok Sabha passes HC and SC Judges (Salaries & Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021

• The Lok Sabha has passed the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021 by voice vote.
• The amendment bill seeks to address the anomalies in the disbursal of pension of retired Supreme Court and High Court judges.
• The amendments entitle them to an additional quantum of pension or family pension when they attain a certain age in accordance with a specified scale.
• The scale contains five age brackets with a minimum age of 80 years.
• The Government is receiving many suggestions from several sections including retired judges, NGOs and civil society expressing reservations against the present Collegium System on the appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.
• Earlier, the Bill was introduced in the Lower House by Minister Kiren Rijiju on November 30.

BEE Launches ‘Certification Course on Home Energy Audit’ Initiative

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) virtually launched “Certification Course on Home Energy Audit (HEA)”, during “National Energy Conservation Week: 8th–14th December 2021“, marked as Iconic Week under “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
• A Home Energy Audit (HEA) enables appropriate accounting, quantification, verification, monitoring, and analysis of energy use of various energy-consuming equipment and appliances in a house and the submission of a technical report with feasible solutions and recommendations for improving energy efficiency, with a cost-benefit analysis and action plan to reduce energy consumption.
• This would ultimately lead to a reduction in energy bills and the carbon footprint of the consumer.
• The certification program will create awareness on importance and benefits of energy audit and energy efficiency and conservation among students from engineering/diploma colleges.
• This will increase employability of youth in the domain of energy efficiency, climate change mitigation, and sustainability.

President of India presents standard to the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron of the Indian Navy

• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the President’s Standard to the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron of the Indian Navy in Mumbai, Maharashtra (December 8, 2021).
• The President noted that the ships of this squadron have been deployed for a multitude of operations.
• They are securing our maritime borders through mission-based deployments.
• They are also undertaking diplomatic missions in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf and anti-piracy operations.
• The emerging geopolitical challenges in the Indo-Pacific region present India with an opportunity to play a pivotal role.
• As one of the leading navies of this region, the Indian Navy has invested significant effort in meeting all regional commitments and furthering our engagements with partners in the Indo-Pacific

Cabinet Approvals

(A) Cabinet approves Ken-Betwa Interlinking of Rivers Project:

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the funding and implementation of Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project.
• The total cost of Ken-Betwa link project has been assessed at Rs.44,605 crore at 2020-21 price levels.
• The Union Cabinet has approved central support of Rs.39,317 crore for the project, covering grant of Rs.36,290 crore and loan of Rs.3,027 crore.
• The project will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects in India and also showcase to the world our ingenuity and vision.
• This project involves transfer of water from the Ken to the Betwa River through the construction of Daudhan Dam and a canal linking the two rivers, the Lower Orr Project, Kotha Barrage -and Bina Complex Multipurpose Project.
• The project will provide an annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh ha, drinking water supply to a population of about 62 lakhs and also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW solar power.
• The Project will be of immense benefit to the water starved Bundelkhand region, spread across the states of MP and UP. 
• This project will provide enormous benefits to the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen of Madhya Pradesh and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi & Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh.

(B) Cabinet approves continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) beyond March 2021 till March 2024:

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Department of Rural Development for continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) beyond March 2021 wherein financial assistance is to be provided for the construction of the remaining 155.75 lakh houses, as on 31st March, 2021 under the scheme within total target of 2.95 crore houses.
• Continuation of PMAY-G beyond March 2021 till March 2024 as per the existing norms to complete remaining houses within a cumulative target of 2.95 crore houses.
• The total financial implication for construction of the remaining 155.75 lakh houses is Rs. 2,17,257 crore (Central Share Rs.1,25,106 crore and State Share Rs.73,475 crores) for achieving cumulative targets of 2.95 crore houses in rural areas under the PMAY-G and an additional requirement of Rs.18,676 Crore towards the interest repayment to NABARD.
• The continuation of scheme till March, 2024 ensures that the remaining 155.75 lakh households within overall target of 2.95 crore houses under PMAY-G would be provided assistance for construction of Pucca houses with basic amenities to achieve the objective of “Housing for All” in rural areas. 
• As on 29th November, 2021, 1.65 crore PMAY-G houses have been constructed out of the total target of 2.95 crore.
• It is estimated that 2.02 crore houses, which is almost equal to SECC 2011 database based Permanent Wait List will be completed by the deadline of 15th August, 2022.
• Therefore, to achieve the total target of 2.95 crore houses, the scheme need to be continued till March, 2024.

NMCG and c-Ganga organize 6th India Water Impact Summit in hybrid mode

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) along with the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (c-Ganga) are organizing the 6th edition of the India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) from 9th December to 14th December 2021.
•  The summit is being organized in a hybrid mode – online and physically at the NMCG office, New Delhi and IIT, Kanpur.
• The IWIS 2021 is a five-day event and this year’s theme is ‘River Resources Allocation “Planning and Management at the Regional Level”’. 
• Last year, the 5th edition of the India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) was successfully organized by the NMCG and c-Ganga on the theme of comprehensive analysis and holistic management of local rivers and water bodies with the focus on Arth Ganga – River Conservation Synchronized Development.
• This year the Summit will enlighten the participants on the complexities and peculiarities as well as the scales of managing the rivers across the basin.
• The focus will be on synchronizing river conservation with long term developmental needs by river resource budgeting.
• The systematic assessment, planning, and management of river resources for various human requirements will ensure healthy rivers and scope for optimal and sustainable development by providing municipal water supplies, hydro-energy, recreation and tourism, irrigation, commercial navigation, fisheries, waste management and flood management.
• Hence, to accomplish these multiple goals across the length of large rivers, the IWIS has invited participation of small and large stakeholders in upstream and downstream regions in the context of select Ganga Basin states, namely Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.
• The IWIS 2021 will provide a knowledge enriching platform to all stakeholders and aim to discuss, debate and develop the model solutions for some of the important challenges before not only Ganga but all rivers and the water sector in India.

Launch of Hackathon “Sprint04: Market-Tech” under I-Sprint’21

• Towards the closure of the “Infinity Forum, 2021”, IFSCA launched the FinTech Hackathon “Sprint04: Market-Tech”.
• This hackathon is focussed on the Capital Market Segment and is one of its kind being backed by a Regulator.
• It is being conducted virtually and be open to eligible FinTechs from across the Globe.
• Following the announcement made by the Hon’ble Finance Minister in Union Budget 2020-21 on supporting a “World Class FinTech Hub” at GIFT IFSC, IFSCA had introduced a framework for “Regulatory Sandbox” in October 2020 which allows the FinTech entities to have facilities and flexibilities to experiment with innovative FinTech solutions in a live environment with a limited set of real customers for a limited time frame.
• To encourage the promotion of financial technologies (‘FinTech’) initiatives in financial products and financial services across the spectrum of banking, insurance, securities, and fund management in IFSCs, IFSCA has launched a series of Hackathons, cutting across these sectors under the banner of I-Sprint’21.
• The finalists of this Hackathon shall be allowed Direct-Entry into IFSCA Regulatory/Innovation Sandbox.
• Sprint04: Market-Tech is hosted by IFSCA and GIFT city in collaboration with NSE. 
• The Partners to the Hackathon are Zerodha, PWC, ChainFlux, Talent-Sprint, iCreate, IIM-B (NSRCEL), and Invest-India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Central grant of Rs. 120 Crore released to Manipur under Jal Jeevan Mission

• The Union Government led by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi is according top priority to make provision of tap water connection in every rural household across the country, for which since August, 2019, Jal Jeevan Mission is under implementation in partnership with States.
• With undivided focus to expedite the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the State of Manipur, the Government of India released Rs. 120 Crore of Central grant to the State.
• Central fund of Rs. 481 Crore has been allocated to the State for 2021-22 for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission, which is nearly four times the fund allocation made during 2020-21.
• Manipur plans to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household of the State by September,2022.
• As on date, out of 4.51 lakh rural households in the State, 2.67 lakh (59.2%) households have tap water connections.
•  Since the announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019, about 2.41 lakh households have been provided with tap water supply.
• In 2021-22, the State plans to provide tap water connections to 2.26 lakh rural households.
• Further in 2021-22, Rs. 78 Crore is allocated to Manipur as 15th Finance Commission grant for water & sanitation to Rural Local Bodies/ PRIs and there is an assured funding of Rs. 414 Crore for the next five years i.e. up to 2025-26 to the rural local bodies

About Manipur:

• Capital: Imphal
• Chief minister: N. Biren Singh
• Governor: La. Ganesan
• WLS: Keibul-Lamjao (Loktak Lake) National Park, Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Bunning Wildlife Sanctuary, Dzuko Valley, Jiri-Makru Wildlife Sanctuary, Kailam Wildlife Sanctuary.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

Fitch Ratings cuts India’s GDP forecast for FY22 to 8.4%, RBI retains 9.5%

• Fitch Ratings has announced a cut to India’s economic growth forecast by 30 basis points (100 basis points mean 1 percentage point) to 8.4 per cent. 
• Earlier, the Ratings Agency had forecasted the economic growth at 8.7 per cent.
• However, it has upped the growth rate projection by 20 basis points for FY 2022-23.
• They have cut their FY22 (financial year ending March 2022) GDP (gross domestic product) growth forecast, to 8.4 per cent (-0.3pp). GDP growth momentum should peak in FY23, at 10.3 per cent (+0.2pp), boosted by a consumer-led recovery and the easing of supply disruptions
• An increasing share of the population being fully vaccinated has reduced the risk of future disruptive outbreaks and will support consumer confidence.
• The agency mentioned that India’s economy staged a strong rebound in 3Q21 (July-September) from the Delta variant-induced sharp contraction.
• According to our estimate, GDP rose a sharp +11.4 percent q-o-q in seasonally adjusted terms (calendar year), after slumping -12.4 per cent in 2Q21.

About Fitch:

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• CEO: Paul Taylor
• Founder: John Knowles Fitch
• Founded: 24 December 1913

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

RIL’s Jio-BP enters into MoU with Mahindra Group for RV products

• Reliance BP Mobility Limited (RBML), operating under the brand name Jio-bp, has entered into an MoU with Mahindra Group for exploring the creation of EV products and services, alongside identifying synergies in low-carbon and conventional fuels.
• The MoU also covers evaluating charging solutions by Jio-bp for Mahindra vehicles including electric 3 and 4 wheelers, quadricycles and e-SCV (small commercial vehicles – sub 4 tonnes).
• This would include captive fleets and last-mile mobility vehicles of Mahindra Group.
• The partnership aims at accelerating EV adoption in India with high-performance and swappable batteries that will help in dispelling range anxiety

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo conferred with 57th Gyanpeeth Award

• Renowned Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo has been conferred with 57th Gyanpeeth Award for the year 2022.
•  Noted Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan has bagged 56th Gyanpeeth award for the year 2021.
• Mauzo is second Konkani writer to receive the highest literary award, earlier being given to Writer Ravindra Kelekar in 2006.
• Mauzo is short story writer, novelist and screenplay writer.
• His novel Karmelin had bagged Sahitya Akademi award in 1983.
• His several short stories are translated into other languages and have appeared in various magazines.
• Stories of Mauzo depict the struggle of poor people, their agonies and sorrows.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

RIL inks $736 mn green loan pact to fund REC Solar acquisition

• Reliance Industries has signed a $736 million equivalent green loan agreement with five banks to fund its acquisition of Norwegian solar panel manufacturer REC Solar Holdings.
• ANZ, Credit Agricole, DBS Bank, HSBC and MUFG were the lenders on the borrowing.
• The borrowing is split into a $250m six-year term loan, a $150m working capital facility and a $336 million five-year bank guarantee facility.
• ANZ and MUFG took $70m each of the term loan, while DBS and HSBC took $40m apiece. Credit Agricole was allocated $30m.
• Earlier, Reliance had announced the acquisition of 100 per cent shareholding of REC Solar from China National Bluestar (Group) for an enterprise value of $771 million.
• Singapore-incorporated REC Solar is the borrower on the loan, while Reliance New Energy Solar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RIL and the acquiring entity, is the guarantor.

About RIL:

• CEO: Mukesh Ambani
• Founder: Dhirubhai Ambani
• Founded: 8 May 1973, Maharashtra
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• It is the largest publicly traded company in India by market capitalisation, and the largest company in India as measured by revenue after recently surpassing the government-owned Indian Oil Corporation

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India Successfully Test-Fires Air Version of BrahMos Supersonic Missile

• On Dec 08, 2021, India successfully test-fired the air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I from the integrated test range of Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
• The missile launched from the aircraft followed the planned trajectory, achieving all mission objectives.
• The “copy book flight” followed the pre-planned trajectory and met all objectives.
• The launch has cleared the way for serial production of air-version BrahMos missiles.
• It is a major milestone in the BrahMos development as it paves the way for the serial production of air-version BrahMos missiles within the country.
• Various laboratories of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), academic institutions, quality assurance & certification agencies, Public Sector undertakings and Indian Air Force participated in the development, testing, production and induction of this complex missile system.
• The air version of the BrahMos was last tested in July 2021.

About BrahMos:

• The BrahMos is a joint venture between India (DRDO) and Russia (NPOM) for the development, production and marketing of the supersonic cruise missile.
• BrahMos is a potent offensive missile weapon system that is already being used by the Armed Forces.

DRDO successfully test fires Vertically Launched Short Range Surface to Air Missile                

• On Dec 07, 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the vertical launch short range surface-to-air missile from integrated test range, Chandipur, off the Odisha coast.
• The test launch was monitored by senior officials from DRDO and the Indian Navy for neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges, including sea-skimming targets.
• The launch of the system was conducted to validate the integrated operation of all weapon system components, “including the vertical launcher unit with controller, canisterised flight vehicle, weapon control system etc.
• It was conducted from a vertical launcher against an electronic target at a very low altitude.
• The flight path of the vehicle along with health parameters were monitored using a number of tracking instruments deployed by ITR, Chandipur.
• The missile has an operational range of 50 km distance and features mid course inertial guidance through fiber optic gyroscope and active radar homing in terminal phase.
• The integration of this weapons system will further boost the defence capability of Indian Warships against aerial threats.

Note:

• The first trial was conducted on February 22, 2021 and this was a confirmatory trial to prove the consistent performance of the configuration and integrated operation.

About DRDO:

• Chairman: G.Satheesh Reddy
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 1958

About Ministry of Defence:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Minister of Defence : Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary : Dr Ajay Kumar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING & INDEX

India Ranked 4th Most Powerful Country in Asia Power Index 2021

• According to a report by Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2021, India has secured the fourth post as the most powerful country in Asia.
• Its overall score declined by two points compared to 2020.
• India is one of 18 countries in the region to trend downward in its overall score in 2021.

Top 10 countries for overall power in the Asia-Pacific region:

1. United States of America with a score of 82.2
2. China – 74.6
3. Japan – 38.7
4. India – 37.7
5. Russia – 33.00
6. Australia – 30.8
7. South Korea – 30.00
8. Singapore – 26.2
9. Indonesia – 19.4
10. Thailand – 19.2

• India performs best in the future resources measure, where it finishes behind only the US and China.
• India stands at the fourth position in other measures like economic capability, military capability, resilience, and cultural influence.
• India stayed in the 7th spot in its defence networks, reflecting developments in its regional defence diplomacy. Meantime, the country has tumbled down into the 8th spot for economic relationships, as it further falls behind in regional trade integration efforts.
• The report further noted that India is an underachiever relative to both its resources and potential.
• The institute noted that India exerts less influence in the region than expected due to its negative power gap score.

About Asia Power Index:

• The Asia Power Index is an index that measures resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in the Indo-Pacific, published by the Lowy Institute annually from 2018.
• The Index ranks 26 countries and territories.

About Lowy Institute:

• Founder: Frank Lowy
• Founded: 2003
• Executive Director: Michael Fullilove

 2021 Forbes’ 100 most powerful women list : FM Sitharaman in top 40

• On Dec 07, 2021, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman was ranked 37th in the Forbes’ 100 most powerful women in the world.
• She has been featured 3rd time in the list earlier in 2020 she has bagged the 41st spot & 34th spot in 2019.
• Founder and CEO of Nykaa, Falguni Nayar, who recently became India’s seventh woman billionaire, made her debut and bagged the 88th spot.

Other Indian women to feature on the list:

• HCL Corporation CEO Roshni Nadar Malhotra who bagged the 52nd spot.
• Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazundar-Shaw who was placed at 72 & Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar ranked 88th.
• Other notable faces on the list are Facebook’s whistleblower Frances Haugen (100), Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed (43).

Note: 

• 2021 Forbes’ 100 most powerful women list is 18th annual ranking of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

Top 10 in Forbes’ 100 most powerful women list:

Rank	Name	Category
1	Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott	Philanthropy
2	US vice-president Kamala Harris	Politics & Policy
3	European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde	Politics & Policy
4	CEO of General Motors Mary Barra	Business
5	Philanthropist Melinda French Gates	Philanthropy
6	Fidelity Investments CEO Abigail Johnson	Finance
7	Santander Executive Chairman Ana Patricia Botín	Finance
8	President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen	Politics & Policy
9	Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen	Politics & Policy
10	Accenture CEO Julie Sweet	Business

About Nirmala sitharaman:

• Nirmala Sitharaman was born on 18 August 1959 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• She is a member of the Rajya Sabha, upper house of the Indian Parliament, since 2014.
• She formerly served as the Defence Minister of India, thereby becoming India’s second female defence minister and also the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi and first full-time female Finance Minister.
• Before her career in politics, Sitharaman held roles at the UK-based Agricultural Engineers Association and BBC World Service.
• She has also served as a member of the National Commission for Women.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021: Sanket Mahadev Sargar wins gold medal in Men’s 55 kg snatch category  

• Sanket Mahadev Sargar won the gold medal in the Men’s 55kg snatch category at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent,Uzbekistan.
• He also registered a new snatch national record.
• For the top-podium finish, the Indian lifted the weight of 113kg.
• He was the Khelo India University Games champion in 2020.
• Meanwhile, Jhilli Dalabehera bagged a silver medal in women’s 49kg category at the ongoing 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.
• Jhilli Dalabehera lifted a total of 167kg & she managed a successful 73 kg lift in Snatch while she lifted 94kg in Clean and Jerk to win the yellow metal in the 49kg category at the ongoing weightlifting tournament.

About Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021:

• The Commonwealth Senior Championships 2021 kickstarted on December 7 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
• The Weightlifting Championships are slated to be held from December 7-17.
• It is serving as a qualifying event for the 2022 Birmingham CWG.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

CDS General Bipin Rawat passes away 

• On Dec 08, 2021, the country’s most senior serving soldier, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, passed away in the IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
• He was 63.
• He was among the 14 people (13 have been confirmed dead) who were on board, including his wife Madhulika Rawat and members of his personal staff on an Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 helicopter.
• He was on a visit to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu to address the faculty and the students’ officers of the Staff Course.
• The sole survivor is Group Captain Varun Singh, directing staff at Defence Services Staff College (DSSC).

About General Bipin Rawat:

• General Bipin Laxman Singh Rawat was born on 16 March 1958 in Pauri of Uttarakhand.
• Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat was commissioned into the Indian Army in December 1978.
• He was a Four-Star General of the Indian Army.
• He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces from January 2020 until his death in a helicopter crash in December 2021.
• Prior to CDS, he served as 57th and last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as 26th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.
• He was commissioned into the 5th battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles on 16 December 1978.
• Gen. Rawat was appointed as the 27th Chief of Army Staff on 17 December 2016.
• He was also the third officer from the Gorkha Brigade to become the Chief of Army Staff.

World’s Oldest Test Cricketer Eileen Ash Passes away

• Former England cricketer Eileen Ash, the world’s oldest Test cricketer described as a ‘pioneer’ of the sport, Passed away at the age of 110.

About Eileen Ash:

• Eileen Ash was an English cricketer and supercentenarian who played primarily as a right-arm medium bowler. 
• She made her Test debut against Australia in 1937 and represented England in seven Test matches picking up 10 wickets before retiring in 1949.
• She retired in 1949 but she also played golf until the age of 98 and even practiced yoga at the age of 105.
• The ECB described her as “a remarkable woman who led an extraordinary life”
• During her England career, Ash was also seconded to MI6 – Britain’s foreign intelligence service – during the second World War.
• The player was honoured by the ECB and was chosen to ring the bell at Lord’s to commence the 2017 World Cup final which England won over India.
• London-born Ash was also honoured with a portrait at Lord’s and honorary life membership of the MCC.

Note:

• In 2011, Ash became the first female test cricketer to live to 100 years old.

About England and Wales Cricket Board:

• Chairman: Barry O’Brien (Interim)
• CEO: Tom Harrison
• Founded: 1 January 1997
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

Padma Shri Awardee Nanda Kishore Prusty passes away

• On Dec 07, 2021, Noted Educationist and Padma Shri awardee Nanda Kishore Prusty passed away at the age of 104.

About Nanda Kishore Prusty:

• Nanda Prusty was a 98-year-old school teacher from Jajpur, popularly known as Nanda Sir who provided free education to generations of children since independence.
• He was a resident of Kantira village in Sukinda block in Jaipur district, Rajasthan.
• Nanda Sir, 7-pass out has been educating children and adults of Kantira and nearby communities free of cost in a temporary shed for decades

Awards & Honours:

• He was awarded Padma Shri 2021 under the “Literature and Education” category by President Ram Nath Kovind in November 2021.

Daily CA On Dec 10:

• The International Anti-Corruption Day is observed globally on 9 December to raise awareness about corruption and the ways to combat this global ill & the theme for this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day is ‘Your right, your role: Say no to corruption.”
• Parliament has passed the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021 with the Rajya Sabha approving it. The Bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.
• The Lok Sabha has passed the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021 by voice vote.
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) virtually launched “Certification Course on Home Energy Audit (HEA)”, during “National Energy Conservation Week: 8th–14th December 2021“, marked as Iconic Week under “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the President’s Standard to the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron of the Indian Navy in Mumbai, Maharashtra (December 8, 2021).
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the funding and implementation of Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project & the total cost of Ken-Betwa link project has been assessed at Rs.44,605 crore at 2020-21 price levels.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Department of Rural Development for continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) beyond March 2021 wherein financial assistance is to be provided for the construction of the remaining 155.75 lakh houses, as on 31st March, 2021 under the scheme within total target of 2.95 crore houses.
• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) along with the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (c-Ganga) are organizing the 6th edition of the India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) from 9th December to 14th December 2021.
• Towards the closure of the “Infinity Forum, 2021”, IFSCA launched the FinTech Hackathon “Sprint04: Market-Tech”.
• The Union Government led by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi is according top priority to make provision of tap water connection in every rural household across the country, for which since August, 2019, Jal Jeevan Mission is under implementation in partnership with States.
• Fitch Ratings has announced a cut to India’s economic growth forecast by 30 basis points (100 basis points mean 1 percentage point) to 8.4 per cent. 
• Reliance BP Mobility Limited (RBML), operating under the brand name Jio-bp, has entered into an MoU with Mahindra Group for exploring the creation of EV products and services, alongside identifying synergies in low-carbon and conventional fuels.
• Renowned Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo has been conferred with 57th Gyanpeeth Award for the year 2022.
• Reliance Industries has signed a $736 million equivalent green loan agreement with five banks to fund its acquisition of Norwegian solar panel manufacturer REC Solar Holdings & ANZ, Credit Agricole, DBS Bank, HSBC and MUFG were the lenders on the borrowing.
• On Dec 08, 2021, India successfully test-fired the air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I from the integrated test range of Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
• On Dec 07, 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the vertical launch short range surface-to-air missile from integrated test range, Chandipur, off the Odisha coast.
• According to a report by Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2021, India has secured the fourth post as the most powerful country in Asia.
• On Dec 07, 2021, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman was ranked 37th in the Forbes’ 100 most powerful women in the world.
• Sanket Mahadev Sargar won the gold medal in the Men’s 55kg snatch category at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent,Uzbekistan.
• On Dec 08, 2021, The country’s most senior serving soldier, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, passed away in the IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
• Former England cricketer Eileen Ash, the world’s oldest Test cricketer described as a ‘pioneer’ of the sport, Passed away at the age of 110.
• On Dec 07, 2021, Noted Educationist and Padma Shri awardee Nanda Kishore Prusty passed away at the age of 104.