Current Affairs December 16th 2021| Current Affairs News

Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Read Current Affairs Today here and stay updated with current news. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this and try the Current Affairs Quiz to test your knowledge level.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

India’s first and one of world’s largest Green Hydrogen Microgrid Projects to be set up at Simhadri:

• NTPC has awarded a project of “Standalone Fuel-Cell based Micro-grid with hydrogen production using electrolyser in NTPC Guest House at Simhadri (near Visakhapatnam)”.
• It is India’s first Green Hydrogen based Energy Storage Project.
• It would be a precursor to large scale hydrogen energy storage projects and would be useful for studying and deploying multiple microgrids in various off grid and strategic locations of the country.
• The hydrogen would be produced using the advanced 240 kW Solid Oxide Electrolyser by taking input power from the nearby Floating Solar project.
• The hydrogen produced during sunshine hours would be stored at high pressure and would be electrified using a 50 kW Solid Oxide Fuel Cell.
• This unique project configuration is designed in-house by NTPC. It is a unique project for India and would open doors for decarbonising the far-off regions of the country like Ladakh, J&K etc., hitherto dependent on diesel generators.
• The project is in-line with the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister for becoming carbon neutral by 2070 and making Ladakh a carbon neutral territory.

IBBI organises a Workshop on “Committee of Creditors: An Institution of Public Faith”:

• As part of the ongoing ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), in association with the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), organised a one-day workshop, in hybrid mode, on the subject titled “Committee of Creditors: An Institution of Public Faith”.
• This is the eighth such workshop in the series of events organized by the IBBI for the benefit of officers of scheduled commercial banks and financial institutions who represent financial creditors in the Committee of Creditors (CoC), under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code).
• Seventy-Three senior officers (Assistant General Manager and above) representing seventeen scheduled commercial banks and financial institutions participated in the workshop.
• The workshop aimed at developing a better understanding of the role of and expectations from the CoC and to build the capacity of financial creditors to ensure that the CoC:

• Discharges its statutory duty and responsibility with utmost care and diligence;
• Develop capability and motivation to prudently apply its commercial wisdom; and
• Consider and balance the interest of all the stakeholders in a resolution process.

About IBBI:

• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India is the regulator for overseeing insolvency proceedings and entities like Insolvency Professional Agencies, Insolvency Professionals and Information Utilities in India
• Headquarters: Mayur Bhawan, Shankar Market, Connaught Circus, New Delhi
• Founded: 1 October 2016
• Chairperson: Navrang Saini

Click here to read more;

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chairs India Global Forum Healthcare Roundtable in Dubai:

• Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has chaired India Global Forum Healthcare Roundtable in Dubai. Mr Mandaviy, he discussed various issues related to healthcare.
• India has a major role to play in mitigating global health risks.
• India is committed to ensuring affordable healthcare to all through collaboration and adopting tech-based solutions.

About UAE:

• President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: Dirham

Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care & Rehabilitation) Draft Bill 2021:

• Ministry of Women and Child Development has invited all the stakeholders on the draft ‘Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021’.
• The objective of the bill is to prevent and counter trafficking in persons, especially women and children, to provide for care, protection, and rehabilitation to the victims, while respecting their rights, and creating a supportive legal, economic and social environment for them and also to ensure prosecution of offenders, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The Bill, once finalized, will be sent to the Cabinet for approval and then for the assent of both the houses of Parliament to become an Act.
• This Act shall apply to every offence of trafficking in persons with cross-border implications.

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UNICEF launches Passport to Earning platform for young people:

• Accenture, Dubai Cares, Microsoft and UNICEF has announced the launch of a global, digital learning platform for young people.
• Operating under the Generation Unlimited partnership, the Passport to Earning platform aims to address the global education crisis – currently exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – and prepare the next generation for decent work.
• The platform will provide young people aged 15-24 across the world with free, certified education and skills training—with content spanning across digital, foundational, role-based, and technical skills.
• According to a recent World Bank-UNESCO-UNICEF report, the current generation of student’s risks losing $17 trillion in lifetime earnings around 14 per cent of today’s global GDP as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures.
• However, even before the pandemic, young people were not learning the skills necessary for future work.
• Pre-pandemic data showed that without immediate action, by 2030 an estimated 825 million children will not acquire the basic secondary-level skills such as transferable, digital and job-specific skills needed to support lifelong learning and employment.

About UNICEF:

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Head: Henrietta H. Fore
• President: Tore Hattrem
• Founded: 11 December 1946.

Click here to read more;

South Korea and Australia sign major defence deal:

• Australia and South Korea signed a $720 million defence deal as South Korean President Moon Jae-in became the first foreign leader to visit Australia since the pandemic began.
• Worth about $1 billion in Australian dollars, the deal will see South Korean defence company Hanwha provide the Australian army with artillery weapons, supply vehicles and radars.
• The defence contract is the largest struck between Australia and an Asian nation, and comes at a time of heightened tensions between Australia and China.
• Australia recently announced a deal to build nuclear-powered submarines in a partnership with the US and Britain — a move that China has strongly condemned.
• Moon also confirmed South Korea isn’t considering joining the US-led diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and said North Korea was holding up efforts to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War.

About Australia:

• Capital: Canberra
• Currency: Australian dollar
• Prime minister: Scott Morrison

About South Korea:

• President: Moon Jae-in Trending
• Capital: Seoul
• Currency: South Korean won

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Drinking Water Supply Schemes of Rs. 56.7 Crore Approved Under Jal Jeevan Mission In Uttarakhand:

• Drinking water supply schemes of Rs 56.7 Crore were approved under Jal Jeevan Mission by Uttarakhand in the State-level scheme sanctioning committee (SLSSC) meeting held on 13th December, 2021.
• Of the five water supply schemes sanctioned, two are single-village scheme and three are multi-village schemes. It will provide tap water connection to more than 6,800 rural households.
• Thus, in the past one month drinking water supply scheme worth Rs 549.60 Crore for 706 villages spread across 6 districts benefitting 49,298 households have been approved for Uttarakhand.
• As on date, out of 15.18 lakh rural household in the State, 7.49 lakh (49.39%) are getting tap water supply in their homes. In 2021-22, the State plans to provide tap water connections to 2.64 lakh household.
• Under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), there is provision for constitution of State Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee (SLSSC) for consideration and approval of schemes to be taken up for making provision of tap water supply to rural households.
• The SLSSC acts as a State level Committee to consider water supply schemes/ projects, and a nominee of the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), Government of India is a member of the committee.

Madhya Pradesh government organises first drone fair at Gwalior:

• In Madhya Pradesh, the first drone fair in the country was organised at Gwalior. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh will be made a leading state by using drone technology.
• Chief Minister was addressing the youths and farmers present at the “Drone Mela” in Gwalior.
• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia were also present in the programme.
• AIR correspondent reports, around 20 companies displayed their drones in the fair. Chief Minister said that along with agriculture drone technology is also playing an important role in the Swamitva Yojana being run in the state.
• The union minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, the drone technology is proving to be revolutionary for the farmers.
• Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, drone technology has brought new opportunities of development for the youth.
• He also informed that five Drone Schools will be opened in Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Satna in Madhya Pradesh.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Wholesale price inflation spikes to 12-year high of 14.23% in November:

• Wholesale price inflation, WPI, rose to 12-year high of 14.23 percent in the month of November.
• According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry data, the WPI is the highest since April 2005.
• The rise in WPI numbers is mainly due to rise in manufacturing and food prices.
• Besides, soaring prices of mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum, and natural gas has also been a major factor.
• In October, the WPI hit a five-month high of 12.54 percent.
• Retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index, CPI, has risen to a three-month high of 4.91 percent in November this year as per the government data released.

Index of Industrial Production in India grows 3.2 percent in October:

• The country’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP), grew 3.2 percent in October.
• In September, Industrial production had risen 3.1 percent.
• Among the major sectors, the mining index in October gained 11.4 percent, and Electricity index advanced three percent.
• The manufacturing index rose 2 percent.
• IIP has maintained significant growth from March 2021 onwards, aided by a continuing low base effect last year.
• IIP is a key economic indicator of the manufacturing sector.
• The Eight Core Industries, Electricity, steel, refinery products, crude oil, coal, cement, natural gas, and fertilizers comprise more than 40 percent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production.

Retail inflation rises to 4.48 percent in October from 4.35 percent in September:

• Retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index, CPI, has risen to a three-month high of 4.91 percent in November this year.
• As per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data released, this is the fifth month that the retail inflation has remained within the RBI’s target band of 2-6 percent.
• The CPI inflation in rural India stood at 4.29 percent and 5.54 percent in urban areas in the review period of last month.
• The retail inflation had risen to 4.48 percent in October from 4.35 percent in September.
• RBI maintains retail inflation at four percent with a margin of 2 percent on either side.
• After five months, the CPI data in May has overshot the Reserve Bank’s upper margin of 6 percent.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI unveils PCA framework for NBFCs effective Oct 2022:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to put in place a prompt corrective action (PCA) framework for troubled non-banking finance companies to restore their financial health.
• Until now, the RBI had imposed PCA only on banks.
• The move comes in the wake of large NBFCs such as IL&FS, DHFL, SREI Group and Reliance Capital getting into financial trouble over the last few years.
• Referring to the mushrooming of NBFCs and their links to other segments of the financial system, the RBI said the PCA framework will further strengthen the supervisory tools.
• The PCA framework for NBFCs comes into effect from October 1, 2022, based on their financial position on or after March 31, 2022.
• The framework will apply to all deposit-taking NBFCs, excluding government companies, and all non-deposit taking NBFCs in the middle, upper and top layers.
• The central bank will track three indicators — capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR), Tier I ratio and net non-performing assets (NNPAs), including non-performing investments (NPIs).
• The RBI may also recommend to promoters/shareholders to bring in new management/board; remove managerial persons under the RBI Act, as applicable; seek removal of director and/or appointment of another person as director in his place; supersede the board under the RBI Act and appoint an administrator, among others.
• The central bank said the PCA framework for NBFCs will be reviewed after three years.

IndiGo partners with Kotak Mahindra Bank to launch Ka-ching credit card:

• IndiGo, a leading carrier, and Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL), a leading private sector lender has launched the travel credit card ‘Ka-ching’.
• The co-branded credit card — which will be on the Visa platform — was officially launched at the Delhi Airport by William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, and Ambuj Chandna, President – Consumer Assets, Kotak Mahindra Bank, in the presence of officials from both the organizations.
• Ka-ching will enable customers to accrue accelerated 6E Rewards on all spends that can be redeemed against the purchase of airline tickets anytime with no blackout dates.
• Furthermore, customers will have access to other special benefits on IndiGo, including discounted convenience fee, priority check-in, choice of seat and a complimentary meal, besides earning additional rewards on dining, shopping, transport, medical bill, utilities, fuel and other major categories

Vodafone Idea pays ₹1,500 cr dues to IDFC First Bank:

• Debt-laden Vodafone Idea has paid ₹1,500 crore to IDFC First Bank along with ₹110 crore interest.
• In an exchange filing to the NSE, Vodafone Idea notified that it had made timely payment of principal amount together with interest for certain debentures.
• These debentures were due on December 13 and the payment was made on time.
• The company did not disclose the details of the payment.
• Rating agencies also hold poor ratings for Vi in light of its financial state. CARE ratings hold a ‘B-’ rating (under credit watch with negative implications) for the telco.
• Instruments with this rating are considered to have a high risk of default regarding timely servicing of financial obligations. Crisil has withdrawn its rating on Vodafone Idea since July 2020.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

An MoU was signed between the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:

• An MoU was signed between the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to collaborate in furtherance of their mutual objectives of sustainably improving the livestock sector to support India’s food security and economic development agendas.
• As per MOU, the collaboration with Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation would provide technical assistance for the design and delivery of new technologies and implementation of best practices that are relevant in the local context.
• This engagement would support India’s overall One Health framework and provide technical support for establishing the platform
• The MOU inter-alia states that the Scope of technical cooperation may be amended (added/deleted/modified) from time to time during the tenure of the MOU to accommodate for cooperation in new and emerging areas.
• To promote the dairy industry across the country including the State of Gujarat, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has been supplementing the efforts of States by implementing the following dairy development schemes:
• National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD)
• Dairy processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF)
• Supporting Dairy Cooperatives and Farmer Producer Organizations engaged in dairy activities (SDCFPO)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCHEMES

Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Beggars 2021                                                 

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated a scheme “SMILE – Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”, which includes a sub-scheme – ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.

The focus of the scheme is on providing:

• Rehabilitation
• Provision of medical facilities
• Counseling, basic documentation
• Education
• Skill development
• Economic linkages
• The Ministry had identified 10 cities for undertaking a pilot project on Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging.
• Currently, pilot projects are ongoing in 7 cities namely Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Nagpur and
• These pilots are being implemented with the support of State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies and Voluntary Organizations etc., which provide comprehensive measures including survey and identification, mobilization, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, awareness generation, counseling, education, skill development and sustainable settlement of persons engaged in begging.

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

PM Modi to address National Summit on Argo and Food Processing

• On Dec 16, 2021, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will address the farmers during the valedictory session of the National Summit on Agro and Food Processing in Anand, Gujarat via video conferencing.

About the Summit

• The summit, based on the theme “Agro and Food Processing: Entering a new era of Cooperation Aatmanirbhar Krishi” will be organised on the campus of the Anand Agricultural University from December 14-16 as part of the events in the run-up to the Vibrant Global Gujarat Summit 2022.
• It brings in focus on natural farming and farmers will be provided with all requisite information detailing its benefits
• The conference will be attended by 5,000 farmers and 80 central institutes of ICAR.
• More than 90 speakers from national and international organizations will attend this event and over 300 companies from across the world will exhibit innovative agricultural solutions.
• The event will cover several other themes across 15 sessions.

About Zero Budget Natural Farming:

• It minimizes the dependence of farmers on purchased inputs and reduces the cost of agriculture by relying on traditional field-based technologies which lead to improved soil health.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

SMALLCAP World Fund ups stake in IIFL Finance

• SMALLCAP World Fund, Inc has increased its stake in IIFL Finance from 2473 per cent to 5.1863 per cent through open market.
• It had 1.61 per cent stake in IIFL Finance as at September-end 2021, it had loan assets under management of ₹44,249 crore.
• As at September-end 2021, the promoter and promoter group, and the public had 24.93 per cent and 75.07 per cent stake in the company.

About IIFL Finance:

• CEO: Nirmal Jain
• Managing Director: R Venkataraman
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Founded: 1995
• IIFL Holdings Limited formerly India Infoline Limited and India Infoline is an Indian diversified financial services company.
• It is a non-banking finance company, providing home loans, business loans, gold loans and microfinance.
• IIFL is ranked among the top seven financial conglomerates in India and as the top independent financial services firm in India in terms of market capitalization.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT

Carcass Of Endangered Bryde’s Whale Found at Odisha Coast                                                  

• The Endangered Bryde’s Whale carcass was found near the Puri Border and Ganjam Districts of Odisha.
• This is the fifth whale species, which inhabited the Odisha coast, found dead in 13 months.
• The 48-foot-long female whale was buried near the shore after conducting a post-mortem examination.
• Two whales – one male and the other female were found near the coast and it appears that the carcass is that of a female that got stuck in the sea bed due to low water level.
• Common Bryde’s whale is a more extensive form occurring worldwide in warm temperate and tropical waters.
• Sittang or Eden’s whale is a smaller form, which is restricted to the Indo-Pacific.
• A smaller & coastal form of B. Brydei is found off southern Africa.

IUCN Red List – Dragonflies threatened as wetlands around the world disappear

• According to an update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, The destruction of wetlands is leading to the decline of dragonflies worldwide & the number of species at risk of extinction on the Red List has exceeded 40,000 for the first time.
• The assessment of the world’s dragonflies and damselflies reveals that 16 percent out of 6,016 species are at risk of extinction, as their freshwater breeding grounds increasingly deteriorate.
• Their decline is symptomatic of the widespread loss of the marshes, swamps and free-flowing rivers they breed in, mostly driven by the expansion of unsustainable agriculture and urbanization around the world.
• The IUCN Red List now includes 142,577 species of which 40,084 are threatened with extinction.

About IUCN:

• Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland
• CEO: Bruno Oberle
• President: Razan Al Mubarak
• Founder: Julian Huxley
• Founded: 5 October 1948, Fontainebleau, France
• Motto: United for Life and Livelihoods

About IUCN Red List:

• Founded: 1964
• It is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species.
• The aim of the IUCN Red List is to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public and policy makers.
• The Red List is to provide scientifically based information on the status of species and subspecies at a global level, to draw attention to the magnitude and importance of threatened biodiversity, to influence national and international policy and decision-making, and to provide information to guide actions to conserve biological diversity.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS & AUTHORS

Shashi Tharoor’s new book titled Pride, Prejudice and Punditry launched

• Former union minister and Lok Sabha MP Dr Shashi Tharoor’s 23rd book, ‘Pride, Prejudice and Punditry’, was launched in
• The book, published by Aleph, was earlier launched in Delhi.

About the Book:

There are ten sections in his book, each devoted to a particular topic.

1. ‘The Company of Giants’ looks at some of the most important figures of modern Indian history;
2. ‘Into the Maelstrom of Indian Politics’ contains work on the Indian political scene;
3. ‘Our Unruly World’ covers international relations and diplomacy;
4. ‘The Hindu Way’ examines various aspects of the faith;
5. ‘Musings of a Cricket Tragic’ includes some of his finest writing on the sport;
6. ‘You Cannot Be Serious!’ is a light-hearted take on sundry matters;
7. ‘Fragments of an Autobiography’ has poignant essays about his parents and an evocative look at his Kerala heritage;
8. ‘The Spoken Word’ is a selection of his most famous speeches;
9. ‘The Writerly Life’ comprises ruminations on writing and writers;
10. ‘Selected Fiction and Poetry’ showcases his masterpieces of fiction and poetry.

About Shashi Tharoor:

• Shashi Tharoor Born 9 March, 1956 in London, UK.
• He is an Indian former international diplomat, politician, writer He has been serving as Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, since 2009.
• He also serves as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology and All India Professionals Congress.
• Tharoor served as Minister of State for External Affairs (2009–2010) and Minister of Human Resource Development (2012–2014).

Awards & Honors:

• In 2019, Shashi Tharoor received the Sahitya Academy Award for his book An Era of Darkness in a non-fiction category in English language.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

David Warner And Hayley Matthews Win The ICC Player Of The Month Award For November 2021

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced Australia opener David Warner and West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews were voted the ICC Players of the Month for November 2021.

About David Warner:

• David Warner was born on 27 October 1986 in Paddington, Sydney, Australia.
• He is a former captain of the Australian national team.
• He served as the Australian vice-captain across Test and ODI formats of the game between 2015 and 2018.
• In 2017, he played in his 100th ODI and became the first batsman for Australia and 8th batsman overall to score a century in his 100th ODI.
• He scored 289 runs at an average of 48.16 in seven matches in the tournament at a strike rate of 146.70, out of which 209 runs came from four games in November.
• Warner, nominated for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award alongside Pakistan’s Abid Ali and New Zealand’s Tim Southee, emerged victorious with the most votes, following his crucial role in Australia’s triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.
• He scored a half-century in the final against New Zealand, a crucial 49 in the semi-final against Pakistan.
• He was also named Player of the Match in an earlier Super 12 match against the West Indies for a blistering 89 not out off 56 balls.

About Hayley Matthews:

• Hayley Kristen Matthews born on 19 March 1998 in Barbados.
• She plays international cricket for the West Indies as an all-rounder, batting right-handed and bowling right-arm off break.
• Matthews won the award on her second nomination, She was earlier nominated in July.
• She scored 141 runs and grabbed nine wickets at an average of 13.11 during the period.
• She starred in a series win over Pakistan, scoring 57 runs and taking three for 31 in the first match before a four for 26 runs in the second.

About ICC Player of the Month:

• The ICC Player of the month for both Men and Women players is a monthly award which has been presented since January 2021.
• The award is presented by the International Cricket Council for recognizing the cricketers who have performed best across all forms of international cricket formats in a particular month.

About ICC:

• Chairman: Greg Barclay
• CEO: Geoff Allardice
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Founded: 15 June 1909
• Membership: 106* members

Daily CA On Dec 16:

• NTPC has awarded a project of “Standalone Fuel-Cell based Micro-grid with hydrogen production using electrolyser in NTPC Guest House at Simhadri (near Visakhapatnam)”.
• As part of the ongoing ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), in association with the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), organised a one-day workshop, in hybrid mode, on the subject titled “Committee of Creditors: An Institution of Public Faith”.
• Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has chaired India Global Forum Healthcare Roundtable in Dubai. Mr Mandaviy, he discussed various issues related to healthcare.
• Ministry of Women and Child Development has invited all the stakeholders on the draft ‘Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021’.
• Accenture, Dubai Cares, Microsoft and UNICEF has announced the launch of a global, digital learning platform for young people.
• Australia and South Korea signed a $720 million defence deal as South Korean President Moon Jae-in became the first foreign leader to visit Australia since the pandemic began.
• Drinking water supply schemes of Rs 56.7 Crore were approved under Jal Jeevan Mission by Uttarakhand in the State-level scheme sanctioning committee (SLSSC) meeting held on 13th December, 2021.
• In Madhya Pradesh, the first drone fair in the country was organised at Gwalior. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh will be made a leading state by using drone technology.
• Wholesale price inflation, WPI, rose to 12-year high of 14.23 percent in the month of November.
• The country’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP), grew 3.2 percent in October.
• Retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index, CPI, has risen to a three-month high of 4.91 percent in November this year.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to put in place a prompt corrective action (PCA) framework for troubled non-banking finance companies to restore their financial health.
• IndiGo, a leading carrier, and Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL), a leading private sector lender has launched the travel credit card ‘Ka-ching’.
• Debt-laden Vodafone Idea has paid ₹1,500 crore to IDFC First Bank along with ₹110 crore interest.
• An MoU was signed between the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to collaborate in furtherance of their mutual objectives of sustainably improving the livestock sector to support India’s food security and economic development agendas.

• Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have signed a $717 million (NTD 19,861 billion) defense deal.
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated a scheme “SMILE – Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”, which includes a sub-scheme – ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.
• On Dec 16, 2021, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will address the farmers during the valedictory session of the National Summit on Agro and Food Processing in Anand, Gujarat via video conferencing.
• SMALLCAP World Fund, Inc has increased its stake in IIFL Finance from 2473 per cent to 5.1863 per cent through open market.
• The Endangered Bryde’s Whale carcass was found near the Puri Border and Ganjam Districts of Odisha.
• According to an update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, The destruction of wetlands is leading to the decline of dragonflies worldwide & the number of species at risk of extinction on the Red List has exceeded 40,000 for the first time.
• Former union minister and Lok Sabha MP Dr Shashi Tharoor’s 23rd book, ‘Pride, Prejudice and Punditry’, was launched in
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced Australia opener David Warner and West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews were voted the ICC Players of the Month for November 2021.