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CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
International Anti-Corruption Day 2020: Observed On Dec 9
- The first International Anti-Corruption Day was celebrated across the world in the year 2005.
- The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the convention against corruption on October 31, 2003.
- The UN designated December 9 International Anti-Corruption Day in 2005
- The day intends to raise awareness on the importance of a corruption-free society
- International Anti-Corruption Day 2020: Theme – United Against Corruption
- The theme focuses on corruption as one of the biggest obstacles to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime 2020: Dec 9
- In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.
- The 9th of December is the anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”).
Purpose of the day:
- 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.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Gwalior, Orchha in UNESCO world heritage cities list: MP Govt
- The historical fort cities of Gwalior and Orchha in Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of UNESCO’s world heritage cities under its urban landscape city programme, according to the state government.
- Under the plan UNESCO will suggest best measures and resources for the development of these places under the Historic Urban Landscape recommendations, the official said.
About Gwalior and Orchha
- Gwalior was established in the 9th century and ruled by GurjarPratiharRajvansh, Tomar, BaghelKachvaho and Scindias.
- Orchha is popular for its temples and palaces and was the capital of the Bundela kingdom in the 16th century.
About UNESCO
- Headquarters – Paris, France
- Head – Audrey Azoulay
- Founded – 16 November 1945, London
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Mount Everest is 8,848.86 metres tall, says Nepal and China after remeasurement
- The world’s highest peak is now taller by 86 centimetres, Nepal and China jointly announced after they remeasured Mt. Everest at 8,848.86 metres, over six decades after India conducted the previous measurement in 1954.
- The new height is 86 cms more than the previous measurement. According to the measurement done in 1954 by Survey of India, the height of Mount Everest is 8,848 metres.
- In 1955, the height of Mount Everest was measured at 8848 m (29,028 feet) by the Survey of India.
UK become first country to roll out Covid 19 Vaccine
- The United Kingdom will become the first country to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine. As per the government, the shots will be initially available at hospitals before distributing stocks to doctors’ clinics.
- Britain gave emergency use approval for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
- The National Health Service is giving top priority to vaccinating those above 80 years, frontline healthcare workers and care home staff and residents.
- Britain has ordered 4 crore doses of COVID Vaccine.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
ICICI Bank launches iMobile Pay
- ICICI Bank has launched a new version of mobile banking app, called iMobilepay, that offers payments and banking services to customers of any bank.
About iMobile pay
- iMobile Pay, the app offers a unique combination of facilities of a payment app such as enabling customers to pay to any UPI (Unified Payments Interface) ID or merchants, pay bills and do online recharges among others
- In addition to that it offers instant banking services namely savings account, investments, loans, credit cards, gift cards, and travel cards, along with other banking services.
- Another prominent feature of iMobile Pay is ‘pay to contacts’ that enable users to automatically see the UPI IDs of their phone book contacts, registered on the ICICI Bank UPI ID network, of any payment app and digital wallet.
About ICICI Bank
- Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
- MD & CEO – SandeepBakhshi
Kotak AMC launches India’s first international REIT fund of funds
- On December 7, 2020 Kotak Mahindra Asset Management launched Kotak International REIT funds, which is India’s first diversified REIT mutual fund (MF).
- It is an open ended mutual fund scheme that will invest in units of SMAM Asia REIT sub Trust Fund .
- Kotak International REIT Fund of Funds Will Invest in units of Japan Based SMAM Asia REIT Sub Trust Fund.
ADB approves USD 2.5 mn technical assistance for advanced biofuel development in India
- The Manila Bades Multilateral lending agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated it has approved a USD 2.5 million (about Rs 18 crore) technical assistance to support advanced biofuel development in India.
- The grant is funded from the Asia Clean Energy Fund, financed by the Government of Japan under the Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility, and the Republic of Korea’s e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund.
- ADB stated the technical assistance (TA) will support development of advanced bioethanol, bio-compressed natural gas, and biodiesel plants to demonstrate the best practices for suitable feedstock, efficient conversion technology, and sustainable biofuel value chain.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
PwC, UNICEF &YuWaah to upskill 300 Mn people in India
- PwC India has announced the launch of a strategic collaboration with UNICEF and YuWaah (Generation Unlimited in India) to help bridge the digital gap and help upskill 300 million young people in India over the next 10 years.
- KirenRijiju, Minister of State (IC), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and Usha Sharma, Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, were present during the launch.
- This announcement is part of PwC’s global collaboration with UNICEF in support of Generation Unlimited; a multi-sector partnership aimed at helping 1.8 billion young people transition from school to work by 2030.
- This partnership will focus on three facets to India’s digital empowerment for youngsters, which are education, skilling and entrepreneurship.
About UNICEF
- UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund
- Headquarters – New York
- Head – Henrietta H. Fore
- Founded – 11 th December 1946
NTPC inks MoU with IIFM-Bhopal for Narmada Landscape Restoration Project
- NTPC, an integrated energy company and a PSU under the Ministry of Power, inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, on 4 December 2020, to implement the Narmada Landscape Restoration project.
- The programme is in partnership with a grant in aid from NTPC and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in equal proportions.
- Narmada Landscape Restoration project is a 4 year Project.
- The four-year project will be implemented in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, in the catchments of selected tributaries of the river Narmada between Omkareshwar and Maheshwar dams.
- IIFM, Bhopal, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) with the grant-in-aid from NTPC will be jointly implementing this project with Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an intergovernmental organisation that promotes sustainable and inclusive economic growth in emerging economies.
Aim of the Project
- The project aims to establish an incentivisation mechanism to maintain sustainable landscape practices in Narmada basin. This is expected to positively impact the water quality and quantity in the Narmada tributaries.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE
PM Modi to give inaugural address at virtual IMC 2020
- Prime Minister NarendraModi will deliver the inaugural address at the virtual India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated.
- The fourth edition of the three-day telecom industry event will be held online for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- IMC 2020 is being organised by the department of telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and will be held from December 8-10.
- The title theme for IMC 2020 is Inclusive Innovation – Smart, Secure, Sustainable
- Vision : To promote Aatmanirbhar Bharat, digital inclusivity, sustainable development, entrepreneurship and innovation.” IMC 2020 also “aims to drive foreign and local investments, encourage Research and Development in the telecom and emerging technology sectors
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS
Raj Kamal Jha wins Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2020
- Writer and chief editor of The Indian Express, Raj Kamal Jha, has won the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2020 for his book, The City and the Sea.
- Due to this Covidpandemic The winner will receive USD 5,000 along with a Rabindranath Tagore statuette announced online, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Jha’s book, which is based on the December 2012 Nirbhaya rape and murder case, was chosen from ten shhortlisted books including AmitavGhosh’s Gun Island, NirmalaGovindarajan’s Taboo and RanjitHoskote’sJonahwhale.
About Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize
- The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was founded in 2018 by US-based publisher Bundalo as a platform for world peace, literature, art, education and human rights. Last year, British Indian novelist RanaDasgupta was awarded the literary prize for his novel Solo.
CURRENT AFFAIRS:RANKING
India ranked 10th in Climate Change Performance Index
- On December 7, 2020 Germanwatch has released the 16 th edition of CCPI.
- The list is prepared by assessing performances of 57 countries and European Union in four categories.
- GHG emissions – 40%
- Renewable Energy – 20%
- Energy Use – 20%
- Climate Policy – 20%
- These 57 Countries and European Union Collectively are responsible for about 90% of Global GHG emissions.
- Though India slid one position down from ninth in 2019 to 10 th this year and scored 63.98 out of 100.
- No countries were ranked in top 3 Positions, the top rank in the CCPI 2021 Index is the 4 th Rank.
- Sweden (4th) United Kingdom (5th), Denmark (6th), Morocco (7th), Norway (8th), Chile (9th) were among the top 10 rankers in the index.
- No country was doing enough to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, according to the index. Six G20 countries were ranked among very low performers. The United States, with a rank of 61, was the worst performer.
- Paris Agreement commitment of keeping global warming increase below 2 degree celsius by the end of the century and actually to make efforts to restrict it to 1.5 degree celsius rise.
About CCPI:
- The Climate Change Performance Index was first published in 2005 and an updated version is presented at the UN Climate Change Conference annually.
About Germanwatch:
- Headquarters – Bonn, Germany
- Founded – 1991
- Policy Director – ChristophBals
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS
KirenRijiju launches 2nd edition of Fit India Cyclothon
- Sports Minister KirenRijiju has launched the second edition of Fit India Cyclothon via social media.
- The mega cycling event which started from 7 th Dec to till 31st December 2020 for 25 days.
- The event will be held across the country in each district and citizens can participate by registering on Fit India website
- The Participants can cycle daily a distance of their choice, and share their images and videos on social media.
- They may also tag @FitIndiaOff and use the hashtag- FitIndiaCyclothon and #NewIndiaFitIndia.
About Sports Authority
- Founder – Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
- Founded – 1982
- Headquarters – Delhi
- Annual Budget – 500 Crores
- Sports Secretary Cum Director General – SandipPradhan
CURRENT AFFAIRS:OBITUARY
Veteran Hindi writer MadhukarGangadhar passes away at 88
- Veteran Hindi writer MadhukarGangadhar passed away in National Capital Delhi.
- Gangadhar was born in Bihar’s Purnia district on 7th January 1932
- He studied in Purnia Inter College and Patna University and had worked at Patna Akashwani and later also served as the director, AIR Allahabad.
- He also worked in the capacity of Deputy Director General (DDG), AIR at New Delhi.
- He also Served in All India Radio (AIR) for 39 years and then he became an independent writer based in Delhi.
Well Known Works :
- Motiyo Wale Hath
- Hirna Ki Aankhen
Popular TV actress DivyaBhatnagar passes away at 34 years
- Popular TV actress DivyaBhatnagar passed away on Dec 7 in Mumbai.
- She acted in hit serials like YehRishtaKyaKehlata and Udaan.
- Apart from being a part of shows like YRKKH, the actress did shows like TeraYaarHoonMain,Divya did Udaan, JeetGayiTohPiyaaMorre and Vish.
- She was also the part of comedy show TeraYaarHoon Main.
Daily CA Dec 8th
- IIT Bombay Releases Urban Quality of Life Index Mumbai Bagged the 1 st Place
- Prime Minister NarendraModi is set to inaugurate the phase one of construction of the Agra metro project via video conferencing on 7 thdec.
- The Agra metro project comprises two corridors with a total length of 29.4 km and The estimated cost of the construction of the project is Rs 8,379.62 crore
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has bagged the prestigious International King Bhumibol World Soil DayAward conferred by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome.
- PM Modi to share his thoughts in Mann Ki Baatprogramme on Dec 27. It will be the 19th edition of Prime Minister’s Mann kiBaat 2.0.
- Father of fiber optics& Sikh activistNarinder Singh Kapany passes away at 94. He received The Excellence 2000 Award from the USA Pan-Asian American Chamber of Commerce in 1998.
- World Health Organisation has appointed Indian-origin Anil Soni as the Chief Executive Officer for the WHO Foundation.
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has declared Invest India as winner of the 2020 United Nations Investment Promotion Award.
- Invest India award ceremony took place at UNCTAD Headquarters in Geneva on Dec 7.
- Sri Lanka to host Asia Cup in 2021, Pakistan in 2022 Stated PCB CEO Wasim Khan
- JehanDaruvala creates history, becomes first Indian to win F2 race at Sakhir
- The government has launched the Quarterly Return filing & Monthly Payment scheme for small taxpayers under the Goods and Services Tax system With Turnover Up To Rs 5 Crore
- Punjab National Banklaunched a tech-based loan management solution called LenS-The Lending Solution to speed up and maintain accuracy in online loan processing and sanctioning of credit proposals.
Daily CA on Dec 9th
- Veteran Hindi writer MadhukarGangadhar passed away in National Capital Delhi. He Served in All India Radio (AIR) for 39 years and then he became an independent writer based in Delhi.
- Popular TV actress DivyaBhatnagar passed away on Dec 7 in Mumbai. She acted in hit serials like YehRishtaKyaKehlata and Udaan.
- International Anti-Corruption Day 2020 Observed On Dec 9 and the Theme is United Against Corruption
- International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime 2020 Observed on Dec 9
- Writer and chief editor of The Indian Express, Raj Kamal Jha, has won the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2020 for his book, The City and the Sea.
- ICICI Bank has launched a new version of mobile banking app, called iMobilepay, that offers payments and banking services to customers of any bank.
- On December 7, 2020 Kotak Mahindra Asset Management launched Kotak International REIT funds, which is India’s first diversified REIT mutual fund (MF).
- Sports Minister KirenRijiju has launched the second edition of Fit India Cyclothon via social media. The mega cycling event which started from 7 th Dec to till 31st December 2020 for 25 days.
- On December 7, 2020 Germanwatch has released the 16 th edition of CCPI. India ranked 10th in Climate Change Performance Index
- Mount Everest is 8,848.86 metres tall, says Nepal and China after remeasurement. The new height is 86 cms more than the previous measurement
- The historical fort cities of Gwalior and Orchha in Madhya Pradesh have been named in the list of World Heritage Cities by UNESCO
- The United Kingdom will become the first country to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine.
- The Manila Bades Multilateral lending agency ADB stated it has approved a USD 2.5 million (about Rs 18 crore) technical assistance to support advanced biofuel development in India.
- NTPC inks MoU with IIFM-Bhopal for Narmada Landscape Restoration Project. Narmada Landscape Restoration project is a 4 year Project.
- Prime Minister NarendraModi will deliver the inaugural address at the virtual India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020. The title theme for IMC 2020 is Inclusive Innovation – Smart, Secure, Sustainable.