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Daily Current Affairs for App 20201213 Daily Current Affairs India, UK hold delegation level fortalks on app_20201213 boosting cooperation in different areas India and UK held delegation level talks on strengthen cooperation in different areas including trade and prosperity, defence and security, climate and health. Visiting UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed how to give policy directions to broaden bilateral cooperation and encourage more activities and collaborations. India has the potential to become one of the largest digital ecosystems in the world: SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov has said, India has the potential to become one of the largest digital ecosystems in the world. Mr. Norov praised India’s hosting of 19th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Govt on 30th Nov. and noted that India intended to take cooperation within the SCO to new heights by playing an active, positive and constructive role. He noted India’s proposal of creating a Special Working Group on Start-ups and Innovation and a working group on traditional medicines. He said that with over 1 billion mobile phone subscribers and over 600 million internet users, India has the potential to become one of the largest digital ecosystems in the world. Daily Current Affairs Saudi Arabia announces three-phasefor roll app_20201213 out of Covid-19 vaccine Saudi Arabia announced a three-phase COVID-19 vaccination programme as it began registering citizens and foreign residents after approving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. People aged over 65 as well as those with chronic ailments or at a high risk of infection will receive the vaccine in the first stage, and those aged over 50 in the second. The Gulf kingdom has a population of more than 34 million. UNEP announces 2020 Champions of the Earth Award winners The UN Environment Program (UNEP) announced six winners of the 2020 Champions of the Earth Award for their pioneering initiatives aimed at healing the planet amid natural and man-made threats. The winners are: Frank Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of Fiji, was recognized in the policy leadership category for his global stewardship in climate response. Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer from Burkina Faso was honored in the inspiration and action category for helping his peers harness nature-based innovations to regenerate degraded landscapes. Nemonte Nenquimo, an Ecuadorian female green campaigner who has been mobilizing indigenous communities to promote conservation of the Amazon rainforest. Fabian Leendertz, a German scientist was honoured in the science and innovation category for groundbreaking research in zoonotic diseases. Mindy Lubber, an American social entrepreneur was recognized for advocating greening of financial markets. Daily Current Affairs The Champion of the Earth Lifetimefor Achievement app_20201213 Award went to Robert D. Bullard, an American scholar for promoting environmental justice. British PM Boris Johnson to be Chief Guest at Republic Day Parade next year The United Kingdom has confirmed that Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be the chief guest at Republic Day Parade in January 2021. During talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, visiting UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirmed that PM Johnson has accepted India’s invite to be the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade next month. Centre issues guidelines for mass Covid-19 vaccination drive;First Phase to include 30 crore people Centre has issued guidelines for mass Covid-19 vaccination drive in the country. Health and Family Welfare Ministry is planning to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people during the first phase. Pfizer, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have applied for market authorisation for their vaccines. The vaccination drive will start once government approves emergency use of COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine will be offered first to healthcare workers, frontline workers and to persons above 50 years of age. It will be followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities and finally to the remaining population. All together 20 ministries will be handling the entire process. The COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) system — a digitalised platform — will be used to track enlisted beneficiaries for the vaccination and anti-coronavirus vaccines on a real-time basis. Daily Current Affairs Dept of Posts & India Post Paymentsfor Bank app_20201213 unveil new digital payment app ‘DakPay’ Department of Posts and India Post Payments Bank has unveiled a new digital payment app DakPay. The App is launched as part of its ongoing efforts to provide Digital Financial inclusion at the last mile across India. DakPay is not just a digital payment app but a suite of digital financial and assisted banking services provided by India Post and IPPB through the trusted Postal network across the nation to cater to the financial needs of various sections of the society. SC collegium moots transfer of HC judges The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the transfer of judges of several High Courts, including the transfer of Justice J.K. Maheshwari of the Andhra Pradesh High Court to Sikkim and the elevation of Punjab and Haryana HC judge, S. Muralidhar, as the Chief Justice of Orissa. Daily Current Affairs FM Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 23rdfor Meeting app_20201213 of FSDC through video conference Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 23rd Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council, FSDC through video conference in New Delhi. The meeting reviewed the major macro-economic developments and Financial Stability issues with special reference to vulnerability related issues. It noted that the policy measures taken by the Government and the financial sector regulatory authorities have ensured faster economic recovery in India as reflected in the reduced contraction of GDP in second quarter of 2020-21. Exports fall 8.7%; trade deficit shrinks Declining for the second straight month, India’s exports dipped 8.7% in November to $23.52 billion on account of contraction in shipments at key sectors like petroleum, engineering, chemicals and gems and jewellery, even as the trade deficit narrowed to $9.87 billion. Imports declined for the ninth month in a row, slipping 13.3% to $33.39 billion. Daily Current Affairs FM Nirmala Sitharaman holds herfor 3rd app_20201213Pre-Budget consultations with captains of financial & capital markets Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is holding her third Pre-Budget consultations with captains of financial and capital markets in New Delhi in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2021- 22. Finance Secretary Dr A.B. Pandey, Secretary, DEA, Tarun Bajaj, Chief Economic Advisor K V Subramanian besides other senior officials are also present in the meeting. Finance Minister had earlier held her first Pre- Budget consultations with top industrialists. SIP inflows hit 31-month low at Rs. 7,302 crore in November Investment in mutual funds through systematic investment plans dropped to a 31-month low of Rs 7,302 crore in November amid challenging economic environment. However, investment through the Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) route had risen in October after six months of continuous decline. The 44-player mutual fund industry witnessed an inflow to the tune of Rs 7,302 crore through SIPs in November as compared to Rs 7,800 crore in the preceding month, data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed. This was the lowest-level since April 2018, when the investment through the route was Rs 6,690 crore. Daily Current Affairs for app_20201213 BPCL may buy out Oman Oil in Bina project Privatisation-bound Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. has said its board will consider buying out Oman Oil Company in the Bina refinery project in Madhya Pradesh. BPCL board will also consider merging Bharat Gas Resources Ltd., with itself. BPCL holds 63.68% stake in Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd (BORL), which built and operates a 7.8 million tonne oil refinery at Bina in Madhya Pradesh. Flipkart Internet sees losses widen to Rs 1,950 cr in FY20 Flipkart Internet, which operates the B2C online marketplace, has seen its consolidated loss widen to Rs 1,950.5 crore for the financial year ended March 2020, even as revenue grew about 32 percent. Its consolidated net total income was at Rs 6,318.7 crore for 2019-20 as against Rs 4,803 crore in the previous financial year, a growth of 31.5 percent. Daily Current Affairs upGrad Acquires Rekrut India for app_20201213 upGrad, India’s largest online higher edtech has acquired Rekrut India, the recruitment and staffing solutions company. This 100% acquisition marks an unprecedented M&A in India, where an edtech company has acquired a recruitment firm. Rekrut India provides solutions to build organisations' human capital through their deep sectoral expertise, an extensive network of 100+ recruiting experts. Sports Moody named SRH director of cricket Australia cricketer-turned-coach Tom Moody was appointed as the director of cricket by IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was in charge of SRH for seven years till the 2019 season, guiding the team to IPL title in 2016 before he was replaced by England's World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss in July last year. Daily Current Affairs Harikrishna gains a wildcard for app_20201213 Former Asian champion P. Harikrishna has gained a wildcard to be part of the $200,000 Airthings Masters online chess tournament beginning on December 26. Harikrishna joins World champion Magnus Carlsen, current Champions Chess Tour leader Wesley So, World No. 1 blitz player Hikaru Nakamura and eight others in the 12-player elite field. Iniyan, Pranav claim gold Grandmaster P. Iniyan and V. Pranav won gold medals in the under-18 and u-14 open categories respectively in the Asian continental online selection chess tournament recently for the FIDE online world u-10 to 18 rapid championships to be held from Dec.
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