Daily CurrentTitle Affairs Capsule 19th DecemberTitle 2020

Pakistan approves chemical castration of sex offenders

Pakistan has approved the chemical castration of rapists as part of sweeping new legislation sparked by outcry over the gang rape of a mother on a motorway.

 New laws approved by President Arif Alvi will see rape cases expedited through the courts and create the country’s first national sex offenders register.  Pakistan is a deeply conservative and patriarchal nation where victims of sexual abuse often are too afraid to speak out, or where criminal complaints are frequently not investigated seriously.  In September, protests erupted after a mother was raped on the side of the road in front of her children when her car broke down near Lahore.

Goa Liberation Day 2020: 19 December

Goa Liberation Day is observed on December 19 every year in and it marks the day freed Goa in 1961 following 450 years of Portuguese rule.

 The Portuguese colonised several parts of India in 1510 but by the end of the 19th-century Portuguese colonies in India were limited to Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra, Nagar Haveli and .

 The , which sought to end Portuguese colonial rule in Goa, started off with small scale revolts.  The 36-hour military operation, conducted from December 18, 1961, was code-named ‘Operation Vijay’ meaning ‘Operation Victory,’ and involved attacks by the , Indian Air Force and Indian Army.

All India Radio's weekly magazine 'Sanskrit Saptahiki' airs its 25th episode

All India Radio's weekly magazine 'Sanskrit Saptahiki' aired its 25th episode.

 'Sanskrit Saptahiki', which started on 4th of July this year, will complete 25 episodes of its telecast.  This 20-minute Radio Sanskrit program concludes with 'Anveekshkee' under which the remarkable works of the great personalities of the country, Birth Day and Martyrs Day are remembered throughout the week.

PM Modi delivers keynote address at ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address at ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020.

 The Prime Minister presented the ASSOCHAM Enterprise of the Century Award to Mr Ratan Tata to receive the award on behalf of the TATA Group.  ASSOCHAM was established in 1920 by promoter Chambers representing all regions of India.  ASSOCHAM has emerged as the fountainhead of knowledge for Indian industry.

India contributes $1 million to WADA to support anti-doping research

India has pledged a sum of $1 million to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) towards its scientific research budget to ensure an atmosphere of Clean Sport globally.

 This aid will allow the global agency to develop innovative anti-doping testing and detection methods.  The money will also be used to further strengthen WADA's independent investigations and intelligence department.  India's contribution of $1 million is the highest among contributions made by other world governments, including China, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.  WADA Headquarters: Montreal, Canada

Cabinet clears Rs 3500 crore sugar export subsidy

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a Rs 3,500 crore subsidy to export sugar.

 A farmer-friendly move through which India is set to offer sugar export subsidies for a third year in a row to pare surplus stocks and ensure domestic prices don’t crash.  Cabinet has taken the decision to help farmers directly by depositing money or subsidies into their accounts.  The subsidy will be given on 60 lakh tonnes of sugar exports at the rate of Rs 6,000 per tonne.  Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and are among the three largest cane-producing states.  India is the world’s largest sugar consumer, but 90% of the country’s output goes into commercial food products while 10% is bought by household consumers.

UP Govt to set up India's first leather park in Kanpur

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is set to establish India’s first mega leather park in Kanpur.

 The project is expected to generate around 50,000 employment opportunities and indirectly provide livelihood to almost 1,50,000 individuals.

 The leather cluster will be built in Kanpur's Ramaipur village across 235 acres at a cost of Rs 5,850 crore.  Moreover, the project is expected to attract further investments worth Rs 13,000 crore.  The plan is to build a hub of leather products right from purses, jackets, shoes to other items that will be exported to the international markets.

SBI Card, BPCL jointly launch credit card offering benefits to high fuel spending customers

SBI Card announced launch of "BPCL SBI Card Octane '' in association with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), offering maximum savings to consumers who spend a significant amount on fuel.

 The credit card has been designed to offer maximum savings to the well-heeled consumer segment which spends a significant amount on fuel.  The card offers 7.25 per cent value back (including 1 per cent surcharge waiver) on fuel and lubricant spends at BPCL fuel stations and 6.25 per cent value back on Bharat Gas spends.  Card holders can avail the benefit from over 17,000 BPCL fuel stations across the country, and there will be no minimum transaction threshold for fuel spends, enabling customers to save with every transaction.

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna to take over as chairman

International Business Machines Corp Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna would take over as chairman from Jan. 1.

 He will replace Ginni Rometty, who stepped down as its long-time CEO earlier this year.  Rometty, who was the tech pioneer's first woman CEO, would occasionally be asked to act as an independent contractor after her retirement.  Before assuming the role of CEO in April, Krishna was head of IBM's cloud business and has been with the company since 1990.

Russia banned from using its name, flag at Olympics

Russia was banned from using its name, flag and anthem at the next two Olympics or any world championships for the next two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

 The Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling has also blocked Russia from bidding to host any major sporting events for two years.  Despite the ban on Russia, the Russian athletes and teams will be allowed to compete at all International events in the next two years as neutral athletes including the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, the world championships and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.  The three judges of the Court of Arbitration for Sport imposed the most severe penalties on Russia after allegations of state-backed doping and cover-ups emerged after the 2014 Sochi Olympics.