Current Affairs December 04th 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Persons with Disabilities- Dec 3

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance on December 3 promoted by the United Nations since 1992
• The theme of the day is ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post-COVID-19 world‘ Every year.
• The day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life.

About UN:

• Secretary general: António Guterres
• Founded: 24 October 1945,
• Headquarters: New York, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

‘Bijli Utsav’ organized by REC in Assam as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav

• As part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ – to celebrate 75 years of Independence, REC Limited, a public infrastructure finance company under the Ministry of Power organized a ‘Bijli Utsav’ in Sonapur village of Kamrup district and adjoining villages in Assam.
• REC Limited is a Navratna NBFC focusing on Power Sector Financing and Development across India. Established in 1969, REC Limited has completed over fifty years in the area of its operations.
• It provides financial assistance to state electricity boards, state governments, central/state power utilities, independent power producers, rural electric cooperatives and private sector utilities.
• Its business activities involve financing projects in the complete power sector value chain; different types of projects include Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Renewable Energy segments

President of India has inaugurated ceremony of fifth International Ambedkar Conclave

• The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, has inaugurated the fifth International Ambedkar Conclave, being organised by the Forum of SC and ST Legislators and Parliamentarians and Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce, (December 2, 2021) in New Delhi.
• This Forum is constantly highlighting issues of social and economic justice and playing an important role in spreading the thoughts and ideas of Dr Ambedkar.
• Article 46 of the Constitution directs that the State shall develop the educational and economic interests of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes with special care
• Also, in this article, the State has been directed to protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.
• A number of institutions and procedures have been put in place to give effect to these guidelines. There has been lot of improvements. But a lot remains to be done by our country and society.

Ministry of Culture implements Scheme of Financial Assistance for the Development of Buddhist/Tibetan Culture and Art under “Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojna (KSVY)

• The Ministry of Culture implements a financial grant scheme known as Scheme of Financial Assistance for the Development of Buddhist/Tibetan Culture and Art for the purpose of strengthening the voluntary Buddhist/Tibetan Organizations including the monasteries engaged in propagation and the scientific development of Buddhist/Tibetan Culture and tradition and in research in related fields.
• Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided to the voluntary Buddhist and Tibetan Organizations including Monasteries engaged in the propagation and scientific development of Buddhist/ Tibetan Culture and tradition, located in any part of the country.
• The quantum of funding is 30.00 lakhs per year for an organization.
• The Expert Advisory Committee (EAC) on the scheme is empowered to recommend the amount beyond the maximum limit but not exceeding Rs.1.00 crore from this scheme.

IIIT-Hyderabad’s incubation centre bags ₹5 cr grant from Startup India

• The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) of IIIT Hyderabad has won a ₹5-crore grant under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme run by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India.
• The CIE incubates early-stage technology startups in deep-tech areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and blockchain.
• The funds will enable proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialisation by providing financial assistance up to ₹25 lakh to each of the startups
• They are targetting to support 20-25 startups in the next three years through this scheme.

U.S. Senate passes bill to avert government shutdown

• The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate passed a bill to fund the government through mid-February, averting the risk of a shutdown after overcoming a bid by some Republicans to delay the vote in a protest against vaccine mandates.
• The 69-28 vote leaves government funding at current levels through Feb. 18, and gives Democratic President Joe Biden plenty of time to sign the measure before funding was set to run out at midnight
• The Senate acted just hours after the House of Representatives approved the measure, by a vote of 221-212, with the support of only one Republican.
• The Government Shutdown occurs in the United States when the US Parliament fails to enact a funding legislation. The funding may be for the next fiscal year or temporary.
• The current bill passed is for temporary funding.
• Earlier, such shutdown occurred during President Obama period (for 16 days), President Bill Clinton period (21 days) and President Donald Trump period (35 days).
• The shutdown disrupts government programmes and services. This includes closure of institutions and national parks. Also, the major loss occurs due to loss of labour. It also causes significant economic growth.

Ola to launch its first electric car in 2023

• Ride-hailing company Ola has received 1 million reservations for its electric scooter, Chief Executive Officer Bhavish Aggarwal, with first deliveries on track for December 15.
• Aggarwal also Ola’s first electric car will be out in 2023 as the company, backed by Japan’s Softbank Group, aims to make India a global electric vehicle hub.
• Ola plans to go public in the first half of 2022, Chief Executive Officer Bhavish Aggarwal, undeterred by the recent volatility and lack luster listing of some start-ups in the country.
• The company claims to have received a booking of more than a million orders. Ola is also likely to raise money of nearly $1 billion through an IPO in the near future.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India joins G20 ‘Troika’ with Indonesia and Italy

• India has joined the G20 Troika, apart from India, Troika consists of Indonesia and Italy.
• External Affairs Ministry, India will assume the G20 Presidency in December 2022 from Indonesia and will convene the G20 Leaders’ Summit for the first time in the country in 2023. 
• India will work closely with Indonesia and Italy to ensure consistency and continuity of the G20’s agenda as a Troika member.
• Indonesia has assumed the G20 Presidency and will convene various G20 meetings throughout the year culminating with the G20 Leaders’ Summit in October next year under the overall theme of Recover Together Recover Stronger.
• The G20 is a premier forum for international economic cooperation. As a founding member of the G20, India has used the platform to raise issues of vital importance.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

PM to inaugurate and lay foundation stone of multiple projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore in Dehradun

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Dehradun and inaugurate & lay the foundation stone of multiple projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore 
• A significant focus of the visit will be on projects to improve road infrastructure, which will make travel smooth and safer, and also increase tourism in the region.
• This is in line with the vision of the Prime Minister to boost connectivity in the areas which were once considered far-flung.
• Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of eleven development projects. This includes the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor (from Eastern Peripheral Expressway Junction to Dehradun) which will be built at a cost of around Rs 8300 crore.
• The greenfield alignment project from Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, connecting Halgoa, Saharanpur to Bhadrabad, Haridwar will be constructed at a cost of over Rs 2000 crore.
• It will provide seamless connectivity and reduce travel time from Delhi to Haridwar as well.
• Prime Minister will also inaugurate seven projects, including those which focus on making travel safer by tackling the problem of chronic landslides in the region.

2-day Regional Conference on ‘Replication of Good Governance Practices’ to be held in Bhubaneswar

• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with Government of Odisha is organizing a Regional Conference on the theme: “Replication of Good Governance Practices,” at Bhubaneswar in a semi-virtual mode.
• The main objective of the Conference is to bring national and state level public administration organizations on the same platform to share experiences and innovations in public administration, transforming future public solution for improving quality of life, e-Governance and Digital Governance.
• The Conference is a two-days event in which representatives/ DM/DC of States are invited to make presentation on good governance practices of the States for wider dissemination.
• This Conference is an effort to create a common platform to share experiences in the formulation and implementation of best practices which has led to better public service delivery and benefit to the citizens. Delegates from 14 States of North-Eastern and Eastern Region of India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh including Odisha) will participate in the Conference in a semi-virtual mode.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

ADB inks pact for $250 mn loan to support National Industrial Corridor program

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the central government have signed a $ 250 million loan to support the National Industrial Corridor Development Program (NICDP) to boost the country’s manufacturing competitiveness and generate high level employment.
• Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, inked for the government of India the agreement for first of the two sub-programmes, each of USD 250 million, of the Industrial Corridor Development Program, while Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signed for ADB.
• The ADB financing supports India’s NICDP that aims to develop world-class industrial nodes that are buttressed by efficient urban agglomerations and multimodal connectivity, including international gateways like ports and airports and inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
• India has initiated significant reforms to increase the manufacturing sector’s productivity and competitiveness like streamlined business processes to facilitate private investment, reduced corporate taxes and consolidated labour codes.
• As part of NICDP, it is also developing guidelines for green corridor frameworks and climate-resilient infrastructure as well as focusing on enhancing skills for participation of female labour.

About ADB:

• Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
• President: Masatsugu Asakawa
• Membership: 68 countries
• Founded: 19 December 1966

SBI signs master agreement with Adani Capital for co-lending to farmers

• State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a master agreement with Adani Capital for co-lending to farmers for purchase of tractor and farm implements, to increase efficiency in farm operations and productivity of crops.
• Adani Capital is the non-banking finance company (NBFC) arm of Adani Group.
• It would be able to target farmer customers in the interior hinterland of the country looking for adoption of farm mechanisation to enhance productivity of crops.
• India’s largest bank underscored that it is actively looking at co-lending opportunities with multiple NBFCs for financing farm mechanisation, warehouse receipt finance, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) etc., for enhancing credit flow to double the farmers’ income.
• This partnership shall help SBI to expand customer base as well as connect with the underserved farming segment of the country and further contribute towards the growth of India’s farm economy.
• Through this partnership our aim is to contribute to farm mechanisation and play a role in improving productivity and income of the farm segment

About SBI:

• Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara
• Founded: 1 July 1955
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Tagline: The Nation banks on us; Pure Banking Nothing Else; With you all the way

DBS revises India’s FY2023 growth forecast by 100 bps to 7%

• DBS has revised India’s FY23 growth forecast upwards to 7 percent year-on-year from 6 per cent earlier.
• The Singapore-based Bank’s economic research team observed that the 7 per cent growth rate in FY23 will be amongst the fastest in its Asia-10 universe.
• The MNC bank-maintained India’s full-year FY22 forecast at 9.5 per cent. It noted that with a receding Covid case count, India’s recovery is turning more broad-based.
• The DBS team assessed that into FY23, beyond the thrust from reopening gains, precautionary savings and sectoral normalisation to pre-pandemic levels, capex generation is likely to be the next driver in raising and maintaining growth on a higher plane.
• With growth expected to gain traction in FY23 and assuming firm commodity prices, the bank expects FY23 inflation to also average a firm 4.5 per cent overcoming a high base.
• The policy stance is likely within first half of 2022, likely to followed by the start of policy tightening by mid-2022 (50 basis points hikes), when inflation will hover above the mid-point of the target range.

Paytm signed an MoU with Skill Development Ministry to train youngsters in fintech

• Paytm has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Directorate of General Training (DGT) in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to train 6,000 individuals over a period of three years in the rapidly growing fintech industry.
• The selected individuals will undertake a six-month programme, designed by Paytm, in consultation with the DGT.
• It will equip the trainees with fundamentals and knowledge of the latest fintech IoT products and financial services.
• The trainees will also undergo professional skills, communications, sales and pitch, and on-the-job training.
• The collaboration is part of DGT’s Flexi-MoU scheme wherein industry partners provide an opportunity to the youth to acquire skills related to industries with high job potential through a ‘learn and earn’ approach consisting of a mix of theoretical and on-the-job training.

About Paytm:

• CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• Founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• Founded: August 2010
• Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Gita Gopinath to take on new role at IMF as First Deputy Managing Director

• Indian-American Gita Gopinath, the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is being promoted as IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, the fund announced.
• She would replace Geoffrey Okamoto who plans to leave the Fund early next year. Gopinath, who was scheduled to return to her academic position at Harvard University in January 2022, has served as the IMF’s chief economist for three years.
• Georgieva noted that given the increasingly complex policy choices and difficult trade-offs facing the IMF’s 190 member countries exacerbated by the pandemic some realignment in the roles and responsibilities of the Fund’s senior management team is being undertaken

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

ITC chief Sanjiv Puri is ‘Impact Person of the Year 2020’

• Sanjiv Puri, Chairman and Managing Director, ITC Ltd, was named the ‘Impact Person of the Year 2020’. Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development, announced the winner, chosen from a wide field of business achievers.
• he is dedicating it to the farmers and rural communities with whom ITC has worked to create inclusive and sustainable growth.
• He emphasised that enterprises must serve a larger societal purpose as they pursue their economic agenda.
• Enterprises possess the innovative managerial capacity and financial resources to make a difference and contribute to inclusive growth for the country.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

India-ITU Joint Cyberdrill 2021 commences

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have commenced India-ITU Joint Cyberdrill 2021 starting from 30 November to 3 December 2021 virtually.

Aim:

• To improve the cyber security readiness of India & also, to improve the protection and incident response capability of the country.
• This Cyberdrill is intended for Indian entities especially Critical Network Infrastructure operators.
• The inaugural session of the joint cybersecurity exercise was attended by high-level speakers, panelists, and experts from the ITU, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), and other Organizations.
• Ms Atsuko Okuda, Director of ITU Regional Office, Asia and Pacific Region highlighted the significant achievement of India in securing 10th rank in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI).
• More than 400 participants participated from critical sectors, namely, power, insurance, finance, CERT-In and CSIRT, industry, academia, telecom service providers and field units of DoT.

Benefits of India – ITU Joint Cyber Drill :

• The drill emphasized the role of Computer Security Incident Response Team and Computer Incident and Response Team (CIRT). 
• The CIRT is responsible for handling security breaches
• It also strengthened India’s capability in protecting critical information infrastructure and building cyber resilience.

About Department of Telecommunications:

• Minister of State : Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre
• Chairman of Telecom Commission and Telecom Secretary: Anshu prakash

About International Telecommunication Union:

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded: 17 May 1865
• Secretary-General; Houlin Zhao

About Ministry of Communications:

• Cabinet Minister :  Ashwini Vaishnaw
• Minister of State : Devusinh Chauhan

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Bio-Jet Fuel Technology Receives Formal Military Certification

• CSIR-IIP Dehradun’s home-grown technology to produce bio-jet fuel has been formally approved for use on military aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• The technology, developed by the Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
• It has undergone evaluation tests and trials over the last three years.
• The provisional clearance (PC) certificate was handed over by Shri R.Kamalakannan,Group Director(AT&FOL), Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) to Mr Saleem Akhtar Farooqui, Principal Scientist fromCSIR-IIP.
• This certification represents India’s growing confidence in the aviation biofuel sector.
• The testing of airborne items is a complex and meticulous process involving intricate checks while ensuring the highest levels of flight safety.
• The clearance will enable Indian armed forces to use bio-jet fuel produced using indigenous technology across all its operational aircraft.
• This will also enable early commercialization of the technology and its mass production.
• Bo-jet fuel can be produced from used cooking oil, tree-borne oils, short gestation oilseed crops grown off-season by farmers and waste extracts from edible oil processing units.
• On Jan 19, an AN-32 aircraft, filled with blended bio-jet fuel, had flown over RajPath at New Delhi during the Republic Day celebrations.
• The fuel was also used on a civil, commercial demonstration flight operated by SpiceJet on 27 Aug 18 from Dehradun to Delhi.

About IAF:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 8 October 1932, India
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
• Chief of Defence Staff : General Bipin Rawat
• Chief of the Air Staff : Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari
• Vice Chief of the Air Staff : Air Marshal Sandeep Singh

About Ministry of Science & Technology:

• Minister responsible: Dr Jitendra Singh
• Departments: Department of Biotechnology, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Science and Technology

Bangladesh, U.S. Kick Off bilateral maritime exercise CARAT

• Bangladesh Navy (BN) and the US military personnel kicked off the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) maritime exercise in the Bay of Bengal Virtually.
• The nine-day engagement focuses on a full spectrum of naval capabilities and features Cooperative activities that highlight the ability of US and Bangladesh to work together toward the common goal of ensuring a free and open Indo-pacific.

Objective:

• To enhance regional cooperation and build relationships and strengthen professional skills.
• Bangladesh Navy has been taking part in the CARAT exercise since 2011.
• The exercise will involve complex at-sea training to demonstrate their ability to work together through numerous events.
• Other focus areas include surface warfare, replenishment-at-sea, search and rescue, a gunnery exercise, and exchanges between Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians.

About Exercise CARAT:

• The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training is a series of annual bilateral military exercises conducted by the United States Pacific Fleet with several member nations of ASEAN in Southeast Asia.
• Currently, the navies of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand participate.
• CARAT exercise is observing its 27th anniversary.
• It is designed to address shared maritime security concerns and strengthen partnerships between regional navies.

About Bangladesh Navy:

• Commander-in-chief: President Abdul Hamid
• Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal
• Naval Headquarters: Banani, Dhaka

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING & INDEX

IFFCO ranks first among top 300 cooperatives of the world

• According to the 2021 edition of the 10th Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report, The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has been ranked ‘number one Cooperative’ among the top 300 cooperatives in the world.
• The ranking is based on the ratio of turnover over the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
• It signifies that IFFCO is contributing significantly to the GDP and economic growth of the nation.
• The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse) launched the 2021 edition of the World Cooperative Monitor during an international webinar.
• The report is the 10th annual one and explores the economic and social impact of the largest cooperatives and mutual funds worldwide.
• IFFCO has also stepped up to 60th Position in overall Turnover ranking from 65th position in 2020.
• IFFCO is launching IFFCO Nano DAP and other nanotechnology-based products.

About IFFCO:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairman: Dileep Sanghani
• MD & CEO: Dr. U.S Awasthi
• Founded: 3 November 1967
• IFFCO, is a multi-state cooperative society engaged in the business of manufacturing and marketing of fertilisers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Junior Hockey World Cup:  India beat Belgium by 1-0 to enter semi finals                                                     

• Defending champions India beat European giants Belgium by a solitary goal 1-0 to progress to the semifinals in the FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in odisha.
• Shardananad Tiwari’s penalty corner conversion in the 21th minute was enough for India to seal their place in the last four.
• India will take on last edition’s bronze medallist Germany in the semifinals on Dec 03, 2021.

About Junior Hockey World Cup: 

• The Hockey Junior World Cup is an international field hockey competition organized by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
• The tournament was started in 1979 & since 1985 it has been held every four years.
• Most titles: Germany (6 Titles)
• India, having won the tournament two times & Argentina, Australia and Pakistan have each won the tournament once.
• The 2016 edition was held in Lucknow, India, with India defeating Belgium 2–1 in the final.
• India also became the first host nation to win the Junior World Cup & also the first and only nation to win any type of medal in the junior world cup as a host.

About FIH :

• President: Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• CEO: Thierry Weil
• Founded: 7 January 1924, Paris, France

Daily CA On Dec 04:

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance on December 3 promoted by the United Nations since 1992 & the theme of the day is ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post-COVID-19 world‘ Every year.
• As part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ – to celebrate 75 years of Independence, REC Limited, a public infrastructure finance company under the Ministry of Power organized a ‘Bijli Utsav’ in Sonapur village of Kamrup district and adjoining villages in Assam.
• The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, has inaugurated the fifth International Ambedkar Conclave, being organised by the Forum of SC and ST Legislators and Parliamentarians and Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce, (December 2, 2021) in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Culture implements a financial grant scheme known as Scheme of Financial Assistance for the Development of Buddhist/Tibetan Culture and Art for the purpose of strengthening the voluntary Buddhist/Tibetan Organizations including the monasteries engaged in propagation and the scientific development of Buddhist/Tibetan Culture and tradition and in research in related fields.
• The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) of IIIT Hyderabad has won a ₹5-crore grant under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme run by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India.
• The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate passed a bill to fund the government through mid-February, averting the risk of a shutdown after overcoming a bid by some Republicans to delay the vote in a protest against vaccine mandates.
• Ride-hailing company Ola has received 1 million reservations for its electric scooter, Chief Executive Officer Bhavish Aggarwal, with first deliveries on track for December 15.
• India has joined the G20 Troika, apart from India, Troika consists of Indonesia and Italy.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Dehradun and inaugurate & lay the foundation stone of multiple projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore 
• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with Government of Odisha is organizing a Regional Conference on the theme: “Replication of Good Governance Practices,” at Bhubaneswar in a semi-virtual mode.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the central government have signed a $ 250 million loan to support the National Industrial Corridor Development Program (NICDP) to boost the country’s manufacturing competitiveness and generate high level employment.
• State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a master agreement with Adani Capital for co-lending to farmers for purchase of tractor and farm implements, to increase efficiency in farm operations and productivity of crops.
• DBS has revised India’s FY23 growth forecast upwards to 7 percent year-on-year from 6 per cent earlier.
• Paytm has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Directorate of General Training (DGT) in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to train 6,000 individuals over a period of three years in the rapidly growing fintech industry.
• Indian-American Gita Gopinath, the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is being promoted as IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, the fund announced.
• Sanjiv Puri, Chairman and Managing Director, ITC Ltd, was named the ‘Impact Person of the Year 2020’. Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development, announced the winner, chosen from a wide field of business achievers.
• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have commenced India-ITU Joint Cyberdrill 2021 starting from 30 November to 3 December 2021 virtually.
• CSIR-IIP Dehradun’s home-grown technology to produce bio-jet fuel has been formally approved for use on military aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) & the technology, developed by the Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
• Bangladesh Navy (BN) and the US military personnel kicked off the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) maritime exercise in the Bay of Bengal Virtually.
• According to the 2021 edition of the 10th Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report, The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has been ranked ‘number one Cooperative’ among the top 300 cooperatives in the world.
• Defending champions India beat European giants Belgium by a solitary goal 1-0 to progress to the semifinals in the FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in odisha.